THE SCENE OPENS AT THE HOSPITAL. MIKE HAS JUST FOUND OUT THAT HE HAS LOST THE POSITION FOR CHIEF OF STAFF. HE CALLS CARRIE TO BREAK THE NEWS TO HER.
SCENE: AUSTIN AND CARRIES APARTMENT.
PHONE RINGS.
Carrie: HELLO?
Mike: CARRIE, IT'S ME MIKE. WE NEED TO TALK. CAN YOU COME TO THE HOSPITAL?
Carrie: MIKE, WHAT'S WRONG? YOU SOUND UPSET.
Mike: I'LL EXPLAIN WHEN YOU GET HERE CAN YOU PLEASE COME?
Carrie: SURE MIKE, JUST LET ME TELL AUSTIN AND I'LL BE RIGHT OVER.
Mike: OH CARRIE I FORGOT. I'M SORRY. IF AUSTIN WANTS YOU TO STAY WITH HIM WE CAN TALK LATER.
Carrie: MIKE, DON'T BE SILLY. I CAN TELL YOU ARE UPSET. AUSTIN WILL UNDERSTAND.
Mike: OKAY CARRIE IF YOU'RE SURE.
Carrie: OF COURSE I'M SURE! I'LL BE THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Mike: GREAT. AND CARRIE... THANK YOU.
Carrie: NO PROBLEM MIKE. YOU ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME AND I WANT TO DO THE SAME FOR YOU.
Mike: I KNOW. YOU'VE BEEN SUCH A GOOD FRIEND TO ME.
Carrie: SO HAVE YOU MIKE. BYE.
Mike: BYE.
CARRIE HANGS UP THE PHONE AND WAITS FOR AUSTIN
TO GET DONE BRUSHING HIS TEETH.
AUSTIN COMES OUT OF THE
BATHROOM.
Austin: GOOD MORNING BEAUTIFUL. DID YOU SLEEP WELL?
Carrie: OF COURSE. AUSTIN I NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL.
Austin: WHY? WHO WAS ON THE PHONE?
Carrie: THAT WAS MIKE. HE ASKED ME IF I COULD COME TO THE HOSPITAL. HE SOUNDED UPSET. I'M GOING TO GO OVER THERE AND SEE WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM AND THEN I'LL MEET YOU AT WORK.
Austin: CARRIE! HAVE YOU TOTALLY FORGOTTEN WHAT WE DISCUSSED LAST NIGHT?
Carrie: AUSTIN, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Austin: YOU DID FORGET! WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BREAKFAST TOGETHER IN BED. I WAS GOING TO COOK US A ROMANTIC BREAKFAST FOR TWO.
Carrie: OH AUSTIN, I'M SORRY! COULD WE DO IT TOMOROW? I REALLY NEED TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL. THE BOARD WAS HAVING A MEETING THIS MORNING TO DECIDE WHO THEY WERE GOING TO PICK FOR CHIEF OF STAFF. OH NO! WHAT IF MIKE DIDN'T GET THE JOB? THAT'S PROBABLY WHY HE SOUNDED SO UPSET. DAMN THAT CRAIG! HE'S NOTHING BUT A...
AUSTIN CUTS HER OFF
Austin: CRAIG AND MIKE. MIKE AND CRAIG. THAT'S ALL YOU'VE BEEN GOING ON AND ON ABOUT FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. I'M SICK OF IT! AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED CRAIG IS NOT THAT BAD. IF IT WASN'T FOR HIM I NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT YOU PRETENDED TO BE MIKE'S GIRLFRIEND! IN FACT, I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME SOMEONE CAME ALONG TO RILE UP PERFECT DR. MIKE!
Carrie: AUSTIN! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU JUST SAID THAT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! YOU HAVE NO REASON TO SAY SUCH THINGS ABOUT MIKE. HE'S MY FRIEND.
Austin: YEAH WELL, I'M YOUR HUSBAND! BUT LATELY YOU SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN
ABOUT THAT!
AUSTIN TAKES HIS JACKET OFF THE BED AND STORMS OUT.
WE HEAR THE DOOR SLAM. CARRIE RUNS AFTER HIM.
Carrie: AUSTIN!
SHE YELLS AS SHE LOOKS DOWN THE HALLWAY. BUT HE'S ALREADY GONE.
THINKING: WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS GOTTEN INTO AUSTIN? HE HAS NO REASON TO BE JEALOUS OF MIKE. GRANTED I HAVE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME WORKING FOR HIM BUT IT'S ONLY MY JOB. AUSTIN WANTS ME TO HAVE A CAREER DOESN'T HE? AND BESIDES MIKE AND I ARE ONLY FRIENDS. OH WELL, I'LL TALK TO HIM LATER. RIGHT NOW MIKE NEEDS ME.
SHE WALKS INTO HER BEDROOM AND PICKS OUT A DRESS TO WEAR. AS SHE'S GETTING DRESSED SHE THINKS SOME MORE ABOUT HER CONVERSATION EARLIER WITH AUSTIN.
IS AUSTIN RIGHT? HAVE I BEEN NEGLECTING HIM? I DIDN'T THINK THAT I WAS. HMM... I GUESS I HAVEN'T BEEN HOME THAT MUCH AND I TALK ABOUT MY PR WORK QUITE OFTEN BUT IS THAT REASON ENOUGH TO BE JEALOUS? THERE'S NOTHING GOING ON BETWEEN MIKE AND I...
CARRIE PICTURES MIKE SMILING AT HER AND HIS BEAUTIFUL BLUE EYES.
WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT? WHY DO I FEEL SO HAPPY WHEN I THINK OF MIKE?
I'M SURE IT'S NOTHING. YOU'RE JUST ANXIOUS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
Carrie: MIKE AND I ARE JUST FRIENDS.
CARRIE SAYS ALOUD.
THINKING: WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO CONVINCE CARRIE? YOU KNOW THAT ALREADY RIGHT?
SHE FINISHES DRESSING AND THEN
PICKS UP HER PURSE AND HEADS OUT THE DOOR.
SCENE: THE HOSPITAL. CARRIE IS GETTING OFF THE ELEVATOR AND HEADS OVER
TO THE NURSES STATION WHERE MIKE IS STANDING.
Carrie: MIKE?
MIKE TURNS AROUND WHEN HE HEARS HIS NAME.
Mike: HI CARRIE. I'M GLAD YOU COULD COME.
Carrie: YOU SOUNDED UPSET ON THE PHONE. WHAT'S GOING ON?
Mike: THEY'VE CHOSEN WHO IS CHIEF OF STAFF.
Carrie: AND?
JUST THEN CRAIG WALKS AROUND THE CORNER AND SEES MIKE AND CARRIE.
Craig: CARRIE, MIKE. MAY I OFFER MY CONDOLENCES ON YOUR DEFEAT?
HE TELLS THEM WITH A SLY GRIN.
CARRIE GASPES AT WHAT CRAIG HAS JUST SAID.
Craig: OH. YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T HEARD CARRIE? I'M THE NEW CHIEF OF STAFF. AREN'T YOU TWO GOING TO CONGRATULATE ME?
Mike: CONGRATULATIONS CRAIG.
MIKE SAYS THROUGH CLENCHED TEETH.
Craig: IT'S DR.WESLEY MIKE. AFTER ALL, I AM YOUR BOSS NOW. LET'S SHOW A LITTLE RESPECT FROM NOW ON. OH AND MIKE? STOP BY MY OFFICE LATER SO WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT WILL BE EXPECTED FROM YOU NOW THAT I AM C.O.F.
CRAIG SMILES A FAKE SWEET SMILE AND THEN SAUNTERS OFF.
CARRIE'S MOUTH IS WIDE OPEN AS CRAIG SAUNTERS OFF. FINALLY, SHE REGAINS HER COMPOSURE AND TURNS TO MIKE.
Carrie:MIKE I'M SO SORRY. THIS MUST BE SO HARD ON YOU!
CARRIE HUGS MIKE.
MIKE IS THINKING TO HIMSELF HOW GOOD IT IS TO HOLD CARRIE IN HIS ARMS.
PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, HORTON. MIKE CHIDES HIMSELF. CARRIE IS MARRIED TO AUSTIN AND SHE'S ONLY HUGGING YOU OUT OF PITY.
Carrie:MIKE. MIKE...CARRIE CALLS OUT BREAKING MIKE FROM HIS REVERIE.
Carrie: MIKE I KNOW YOU'RE UPSET AND I'M HERE FOR YOU WHENEVER YOU NEED ME. WHAT EVER PROBLEMS YOU ARE HAVING DEALING WITH THIS I'LL HELP YOU GET THROUGH.
Mike: THAT'S VERY SWEET OF YOU CARRIE BUT I CAN'T ASK YOU TO KEEP SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WITH ME. I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY TAKEN UP ENOUGH OF YOUR TIME THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT WITH AUSTIN HELPING ME TRY TO GET THIS JOB. OF COURSE I'M UPSET AND I'M SORRY ALL YOUR HARD WORK WAS IN VAIN, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME. I HAVE MOM JENN AND JACK TO HELP ME THROUGH THIS. AND YOU KNOW HOW WELL MY GRANDMA HELPS US ALL OUT.
Carrie: MIKE. I WANT TO HELP YOU. YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED YOU AND I WANT TO DO THE SAME. UNLESS THERE'S SOME REASON YOU DON'T WANT ME AROUND?
Mike: CARRIE IT'S NOT THAT, IT'S JUST...
Carrie: WAIT A MINUTE. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DIDN'T SEE THIS BEFORE! I KNOW EXACTLY WHY YOU DON'T WANT ME AROUND!
Mike: COULD YOU REPEAT THAT PLEASE?
Carrie: I SAID I KNOW EXACTLY WHY YOU DON'T WANT ME AROUND.
MIKE LOOKS AT CARRIE WITH SURPRISE.
Mike: YOU DO?
Carrie: OF COURSE I DO. WHY DIDN'T I SEE IT BEFORE? SHE REPEATED.
Mike: SEE WHAT? HE ASKS TIMIDLY.
Carrie: IT'S BECAUSE OF MY RELATIONSHIP WITH AUSTIN. SEEING US TOGETHER IS TOO PAINFUL FOR YOU.
Mike: WHAT?! MIKE ASKS REALLY SCARED NOW BECAUSE CARRIE HAS REALIZED HIS TRUE FEELINGS.
Carrie: YES. THAT'S IT ISN'T IT?
Mike: NO! I MEAN, WHAT DO YOU MEAN EXACTLY?
Carrie: AUSTIN AND I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP AND IT MUST BE A PAINFUL REMINDER THAT YOU HAVEN'T FOUND THE PERFECT WOMAN YET.
Mike: OH...INSIDE BREATHING A SIGH OF RELIEF. I'VE FOUND THE PERFECT WOMAN CARRIE BUT SHE'S IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE.
MIKE SAYS TO HIMSELF.
Carrie: DON'T WORRY MIKE, I KNOW YOU'LL FIND HER. SHE SAID PUTTING HER HAND ON MIKE'S SHOULDER.
MIKE FELT HIS INSIDES TURN TO MUSH AT CARRIES TOUCH. HE TOOK HER HAND FROM HIS SHOULDER AND HELD IT IN HIS OWN.
Mike: I'VE FOUND HER ALREADY CARRIE. THE PERFECT WOMAN FOR ME IS YOU. I LOVE YOU CARRIE.
Carrie: YOU DO? WOW, I NEVER THOUGHT MY DREAM OF FINALLY HEARING YOU SAY THAT WOULD EVER COME TRUE. I LOVE YOU TOO, MIKE. I GUESS I ALWAYS HAVE. I WAS JUST FOOLING MYSELF THINKING THAT I DIDN'T. I TRIED TO MOVE ON WITH AUSTIN, BUT...
MIKE PUT HIS FINGERS TO CARRIE'S LIPS.
HE WAS SO HAPPY THAT SHE LOVED HIM
Mike: SSHH...
MIKE PULLED CARRIE TO HIM AND WRAPPED HIS ARMS AROUND HER IN AN EMBRACE.
THEIR BODIES FIT PERFECTLY TOGETHER. CARRIE LIFTED HER HEAD AND THEIR LIPS
MET IN AN EXPLOSIVE KISS.
My Favorite Links
GO BACK TO MY STORY PAGE
GO TO MY MIKE AND CARRIE PAGE
SINCE 10/23/98
