Episode Twelve
Progeny
Part One
THE SHOW OPENS. TWO BOYS RIDE BIKES DOWN A SUBURBAN STREET, TURNING INTO A SMALL PARK. THEY RIDE PAST THREE YOUNG TEENAGE BOYS AT A PICNIC TABLE.
First Boy: ...so then his mom opens up the door, and it all falls on top of her!
HE LAUGHS AS WELL AS THE SECOND BOY.
Third Boy: Well, what’d you do?
First Boy: Nothing, stupid. Except laugh.
Second Boy: Oh, hey look!
WE SEE A YOUNG BOY OF ABOUT NINE OR TEN WALKING UP THE PATH. THE BOYS ON THE BIKES BARELY MISS RUNNING HIM OVER, AND TAUNT HIM AS THEY GO PAST.
First: Oh, it’s little Kevin. Little Mr. Weirdo. Hey, Kevin! Hey, why don’cha come over here and hang out with us?
Third: Yeah Kevvie, be our bud!
THE YOUNG KEVIN TAKES OFF ACROSS THE FIELD TO AVOID THE OLDER BOYS. THE BULLIES STAND AND GO AFTER HIM, INTENT ON INTERCEPTING THE YOUNGER BOY.
First: Hey, where ya going, Kevvie?
Third: Yeah, did your mommy call?
THE OLDER BOYS SURROUND KEVIN.
First: Yeah, is it time for you to go back to that special school for young freakoids? Answer me!
Kevin: No.
First: Then why don’t you hang with us?
Kevin: ‘Cause you're loud, stupid, and boring.
KEVIN STARTS TO WALK OFF.
First: Hey!
THE FIRST BOY GRABS KEVIN BY THE SWEATER AND PULLS HIM CLOSER.
First: You’re gonna be sorry for that, worm!
THE OLDER BOYS START TO PUSH KEVIN AROUND, BOUNCING HIM OFF ONE ANOTHER, WHILE THEY LAUGH MALICIOUSLY. THE FIRST BOY PUSHES KEVIN TO THE GROUND.
First: Oh, I’m so sorry.
HE OFFERS HIS HAND.
First: Here, let me help you up.
HE BRUSHES KEVIN OFF WHILE THE THIRD BOY, UNSEEN BY KEVIN, LAYS ON THE GROUND BEHIND THE YOUNGER BOY.
First: Well, hey, at least you didn’t get your clothes all dirty now. Time for your bath!
THE FIRST BOY PUSHES KEVIN AND HE FALLS OVER THE THIRD BOY AND INTO A MUD PUDDLE. THE OLDER BOYS LAUGH AND CONGRAT EACH OTHER WHILE KEVIN LOOKS UP AT THEM MENACINGLY.
First: Let’s go guys. I’m starving.
THE OLDER BOYS STRUT OFF. KEVIN SLOWLY GETS UP, MUD COVERING HIM. HE SEES A LARGE BRANCH LYING ON THE GROUND. HE PICKS IT UP, BRANDISHING IT LIKE A CLUB. HE IS INTENT ON HIS PREY, WALKING OFF UNAWARES. KEVIN GROWS ANGRIER AND ANGRIER AS HE FOLLOWS THE BOYS, FINALLY UTTERING A LOUD CRY AND CHARGING THEM. THE OLDER BOYS TURN WITH SHOCK AND FEAR AT HIS CRY. THEY SEE HIM RAISE THE BRANCH.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE BIO LAB. IN ATTWOOD’S OFFICE. ATTWOOD, SLOAN AND TOM STAND WATCHING A TV REPORT. TOM IS LOOKING PENSIVE, HAND TO HIS LIPS. HE’S WEARING, BRACE YOURSELF, BLACK CORDUROY PANTS (VERY IN STYLE AT THE TIME BUT NOT FLATTERING!), A BLACK V-NECK SWEATER, MUCH TOO BAGGY BUT WORKABLE, AND A BLACK T-SHIRT WITH BRIGHT BLUE PIPING AROUND THE CREWNECK COLLAR. SEPARATE, THE T-SHIRT AND THE SWEATER WOULD BE FINE. BUT TAKEN TOGETHER, YUCK. WHAT WAS THE WARDROBE PERSON THINKING? RANT DONE.
Reporter: According to police reports, the youths were literally beaten unconscious in this savage attack by this nine year old boy.
Sloan: (to Attwood) When did you see this?
Attwood: Last night’s news. The nine year old’s name is Kevin Taylor.
CUT BACK TO THE REPORTER
Reporter: One of the most shocking aspects of this case is that the attacker, a third grader at the Kenwood school, is nearly a foot shorter and thirty pounds lighter than any of his victims. Police...
ED WALKS INTO THE OFFICE.
Ed: What’s up?
HE LOOKS AT THE SCREEN, THEN SITS ON THE EDGE OF ATTWOOD’S DESK.
Ed: Oh, yeah, I saw this.
CUT BACK TO THE REPORTER
Reporter: ...And so three families continue their vigil, watching, waiting, and praying. At Memorial Hospital, this is Lydia Holcomb.
ATTWOOD SWITCHES OFF THE TV.
Attwood: This has all the earmarks of the new species. Tom?
Tom: Well, I’m not so sure. If these children were members of the new species, they’d be groomed to blend in.
ATTWOOD SITS AT HIS DESK.
Attwood: In the last six months violence at the elementary level has risen five hundred percent statewide.
Sloan: I’ve seen that in the papers.
Ed: Could be something like the juice boxes. Y’know where they’re attacking the kids behavior controls.
Attwood: Perhaps, but there’s a type of violence here we’ve never seen before. Smaller children targeting larger ones.
Tom: Maybe they’re being mainstreamed to create a societal disturbance.
Sloan: Which would mean the parents...
Tom: ...Are members of the new species too.
Sloan: So that’s where we’ve got to start. With the parents.
Attwood: It’s going to take some doing. They’re under siege from the media. However, I have spoken to the director of the Kenwood school, where the boy is a student.
Ed: Isn’t uh, isn’t Kenwood a private school?
Attwood: Special education for kids with learning disabilities and emotional problems.
Sloan: Let’s get over there.
Attwood: Yeah.
Ed: Ah, I’m staying here. I’m making progress and I’d hate to break it off.
Sloan: With the gene therapy, really?
TOM STARES AT ED.
Ed: I’m thinking we may be able to alter their DNA, make it identical to our own. If I can perfect the gene delivery system.
Attwood: (with a smile) Keep at it.
ATTWOOD, SLOAN AND TOM LEAVE THE OFFICE.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE KENWOOD SCHOOL. A SECRETARY GUIDES SLOAN INTO AN OFFICE. THE SCHOOL DIRECTOR STANDS AND HOLDS HIS HAND OUT TO HER.
Director: Ah, Dr. Parker.
SLOAN SHAKES THE MAN’S HAND.
Director: Please, sit down.
Sloan: (sitting) I really appreciate you meeting with me.
Director: Well I admit, I was reluctant. As you can imagine, I’ve had numerous requests from the media.
Sloan: I understand Kevin has been attending school here for three years. Why did he come to Kenwood?
Director: Hew was unable to control his behavior. He just...took what he wanted. And if any child slighted him, Kevin attacked. Of course, we’ve never had an incident as serious as this one before.
Sloan: Could his problems be neurological, or chemical?
Directory: At this age, it’s difficult to determine the precise nature of the behavioral issues.
Sloan: How can you account for his ability to beat these older, stronger boys?
Director: I can’t.
Sloan: What about the parents?
Director: The Taylors? They’re the most concerned parents I have ever met. They’ve made real sacrifices to send Kevin here. Mortgaged their home more than once.
Sloan: I’d love to talk to them. Could you help arrange that?
Director: (reluctantly) I don’t know, they’re under terrible pressures right now.
Sloan: We might be able to alleviate some of those pressures. And we really do wanna help.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE KENWOOD SCHOOL. TOM AND SLOAN WALK BRISKLY DOWN A SIDEWALK OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL.
Sloan: If his parents are members of the new species, they’d never send their child to some special school, they’d be proud of his behavior, wouldn't they?
Tom: Probably.
Sloan: I think it’s gotta be something like the juice boxes. Maybe they found a way to suppress impulse control mechanisms in these kids.
SLOAN AND TOM WALK TO ATTWOOD’S CAR. ATTWOOD STANDS NEXT TO IT, TALKING ON HIS CELL PHONE.
Attwood: Believe me Mr. Taylor, you’re doing the right thing. We’ll be there as soon as possible.
ATTWOOD HANGS UP.
Attwood: (to Sloan) I just spoke to his parents. The director of the school went to bat for you. They’ve agreed to meet with us.
ATTWOOD, SLOAN AND TOM GET INTO THE CAR.
NEXT SCENE
A SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD. POLICE CARS AND TV TRUCKS LINE THE STREET IN FRONT OF A LARGE THREE-STORY HOUSE. REPORTERS AND ONLOOKERS STAND IN THE FRONT YARD. ATTWOOD DRIVES DOWN THE STREET.
CUT TO ATTWOOD, SLOAN AND TOM ENTERING A BACKYARD THROUGH THE GATE OF A HIGH FENCE.
Sloan: What a zoo.
Attwood: That’s why Mr. Taylor suggested we come in this way.
ATTWOOD CONTINUES ON UP THE BACK PORCH STEPS AS TOM AND SLOAN PAUSE IN THE BACKYARD.
Sloan: Maybe you shouldn’t go in. We know so little about this kid, we have no idea how he’d react to you.
Tom: (putting his hand on her arm) Sloan.
Sloan: Please. We gotta get these people down to the lab.
Tom: Okay.
Sloan: (softly) Okay.
SLOAN WALKS UP THE BACK STEPS. TOM TURNS AND LOOKS AROUND IN THE BACKYARD. HE PAUSES AT THE SIDE OF A SWINGSET. THIS IS A BETTER LOOK AT TOM’S AWFUL OUTFIT. WHAT WAS THE WARDROBE PERSON SMOKING?? TOM GETS A SENSE OF SOMETHING AND LOOKS UP AT A SECOND STORY WINDOW. WE SEE A CURTAIN FALL ACROSS IT.
NEXT SCENE
INSIDE THE TAYLOR HOUSE. ATTWOOD SITS IN A CHAIR, MR. AND MRS. TAYLOR ON A SOFA NEXT TO HIM. SLOAN SITS IN A CHAIR ACROSS FROM THE PARENTS.
Attwood: We’d like to start by asking you some questions.
Mr. Taylor: Alright.
Sloan: You're both Kevin’s natural parents is that right? He wasn’t adopted or--
Mr. Taylor: No, that’s right.
Mrs. Taylor: Why do you want to take Kevin into your lab for tests?
Sloan: Well actually, we’d like all three of you to come down.
Mrs. Taylor: All three of us?
Attwood: Mrs. Taylor, as you may have heard, there’s a new species living among us. We believe they’re out to destroy us.
Mrs. Taylor: What does this have to do with my family?
Sloan: We don’t know. Maybe nothing.
Attwood: Some of their methods have been aimed at children.
Mr. Taylor: Did they do something to Kevin?
Sloan: A few simple tests will tell us a lot.
Mrs. Taylor: No, no he’s already been through so much, I can’t subject him to another ordeal.
Mr. Taylor: Rachel, Rachel this may help!
Rachel: (angrily) Honey, he has got assault charges hanging over his head; these people don't care about Kevin!
Sloan: Mrs. Taylor, we do.
Attwood: I’ve gotten the D.A. to delay any decision about indictment.
Rachel: Does that mean that, they may not try Kevin?
Attwood: I can't promise you that, but I’ll do whatever I can.
Sloan: Will you bring Kevin down to the lab?
Rachel: Alright.
Sloan: Thank you. It might be a good idea for me to see Kevin, just for a minute, so there’s a friendly face when he comes?
Rachel: Sure.
RACHEL STANDS AND LEADS SLOAN OUT OF THE LIVING ROOM. THEY CLIMB THE STAIRS TO THE SECOND FLOOR. RACHEL ENTERS THE DOORWAY OF A ROOM.
Rachel: Kevin?
KEVIN SITS UP FROM WHERE HE WAS LAYING ON HIS BED, READING A BOOK.
Rachel: This is Dr. Parker. She’s trying to help and she’d like to talk to you.
KEVIN STANDS AND HOLDS OUT HIS HAND AS SLOAN WALKS OVER TO THE BOY.
Kevin: (eagerly) Okay! Hello, Dr. Parker.
Sloan: (with a smile) Hello, Kevin.
Rachel: (to Sloan) I’ll be downstairs if you need me.
Sloan: Okay.
KEVIN SITS BACK DOWN ON THE BED. SLOAN BENDS DOWN IN FRONT OF HIM.
Sloan: What are you reading?
Kevin: The biography of Robert E. Lee.
Sloan: That sounds interesting.
Kevin: He was our greatest general. Opposed to slavery, but he was loyal to his homeland. Wanna see something?
Sloan: Sure.
KEVIN HOPS OFF THE BED AND RACES OVER TO A TABLE SET UP WITH TOY SOLDIERS. SLOAN JOINS HIM AT THE TABLE.
Kevin: Here. Battle of Fredericksburg. December 13, 1862. Lee held off Burnside’s attacks.
Sloan: Wow, this is really impressive, Kevin.
Kevin: Thanks.
SLOAN STANDS AND WALKS OVER TO A DRESSER TOPPED WITH BOOKS.
Sloan: You read a lot, huh?
Kevin: I like to read, especially now. I can’t really go out any where.
SLOAN TURNS TO LOOK AT THE BOY, THEN SLOWLY WALKS BEHIND HIM.
Sloan: Because of what happened with those boys.
Kevin: Yeah, It's not fair. They attacked me, I just stopped them.
Sloan: They say you kept hitting the boys even after they’d given up...
KEVIN’S FACE TIGHTENS INTO AN EVIL MASK.
Sloan: ...That you wanted to hurt them. Is that--
SLOAN PUTS HER HAND TO HER BROW, LOSING HER TRAIN OF THOUGHT, HER EYES GLASSY. KEVIN SMILES A LITTLE, THEN TURNS AROUND.
Kevin: So, Mom said you wanted to help me.
SLOAN LOOKS AT THE BOY, HER SPELL BREAKING.
Sloan: We do. Uh, some friends of mine and I. We’d like to run some tests.
Kevin: Will they hurt?
Sloan: Not really, we just, just need to take a little blood is all, at our lab.
Kevin: (excitedly) You mean like a real laboratory? With imaging equipment and cyclotrons--
Sloan: (amusement in her voice) Exactly. Would you like to come?
Kevin: Sure!
NEXT SCENE
AT THE BIO LAB. IN ATTWOOD’S OFFICE. KEVIN STANDS NEAR HIS PARENTS, SEATED IN THE CHAIRS BY THE WINDOW, AND SLOAN SITS BEFORE THEM ON THE EDGE OF ATTWOOD’S DESK. ATTWOOD ENTERS THE OFFICE.
Attwood: Just a few more minutes, we’ll have some results.
Sloan: Kevin, if it’s ok with your parents, would you like to look around?
Kevin: Cool!
Rachel: Okay, sweetie, but you be careful. Don’t touch anything okay?
Kevin: Okay, I won’t.
KEVIN HURRIES OUT.
Sloan: May I ask when the problems with Kevin first started?
Mr. Taylor: As soon as he started being with other children.
Rachel: At first we thought it might be developmental. But his doctors found his intelligence to be normal, it was high even. And there were no neurological problems.
Mr. Taylor: It’s not just kids either. He’s fought with adults as well. Sometimes, physically.
Attwood: Including the both of you?
Rachel: (a bit ashamed) Yes.
CUT TO KEVIN, IN THE LAB AREA, EXPLORING. HE WALKS AROUND, LOOKING AT ALL THE EQUIPMENT AND CHEMICALS. HE WALKS FROM THE LAB AREA ACROSS THE HALLWAY TO THE MONKEY CAGES. HE BENDS DOWN NEAR ONE.
Kevin: Hey, monkey.
THE MONKEY SCREECHES AND HOPS AROUND THE CAGE. KEVIN RISES AND LOOKS DOWN A HALLWAY.
CUT BACK TO ATTWOOD’S OFFICE.
Sloan: So these incidents continued, even at Kenwood.
Rachel: Oh, yeah. We were afraid they were gonna kick him out.
ED APPEARS IN THE WINDOW OF THE OFFICE. HE GETS SLOAN’S ATTENTION.
Sloan: Excuse me a moment.
SLOAN EXITS THE OFFICE.
Sloan: (to Ed) What is it?
ED PULLS SLOAN OVER TO ONE OF THE COUNTERS.
Ed: The results of the DNA testing.
Sloan: I cannot believe that these people are members of the new species.
Ed: They’re not. At least the parents aren’t. I mean, their DNA’s as normal as ours.
Sloan: And Kevin?
Ed: His DNA has the one-point-six differential. He is one of ‘em.
CUT BACK TO KEVIN, WALKING DOWN A HALLWAY FROM THE MONKEY CAGES. HE ENTERS A DOORWAY AND STOPS. TOM IS IN THE ROOM. TOM TURNS AND LOOKS AT KEVIN, BROW FURROWING. (HE LOOKS SO YOUNG HERE! THANK HEAVENS HE HAS CHANGED OUT OF THAT AWFUL T-SHIRT. HE’S GOT A BLACK BUTTON UP SHIRT ON NOW, UNBUTTONED AT THE COLLAR. MAJOR YOWZA. MAJOR, MAJOR, MAJOR.) KEVIN ENTERS THE ROOM, MOUTH AGAPE. HE STARES AT TOM AND TOM STARES DOWN AT THE LITTLE BOY.
Kevin: You’re just like me.
TOM IS TAKEN ABACK BY THIS STATEMENT.
NEXT SCENE
AT THE BIO LAB. ED EXITS HIS OFFICE AND WALKS TO THE LAB AREA WHERE ATTWOOD, SLOAN AND TOM STAND NEXT TO A COUNTER.
Attwood: (to Ed) You sure about the test results? One-point-six percent?
Ed: Positive. I ran everything three times.
Sloan: How do we explain this?
Ed: Well, something like the tick maybe. I mean if Kelly was an abortive experiment, Kevin’s a successful one.
Attwood: Experiment or not, he’s still one of them.
Tom: The boy knows it too. He sought me out just now and somehow he knew we’re the same.
Ed: Did you say anything to him?
Tom: No, but he’s going to come back to me. He wants to know who he is. Now we have to take into consideration the fact that this boy, he may not be a victim. He may be a predator.
SLOAN LOOKS DOWN, THEN OVER AT ED, WHO DUCKS HIS HEAD. TOM TURNS AND LEAVES. MAN, HE LOOKS HOT. EVEN IN THOSE AWFUL PANTS.
Sloan: I’d better tell his parents.
Ed: (halting her) Sloan. We have to know about Kevin’s DNA, y’know, when it was changed.
Sloan: That means a thorough blood history.
Ed: Going all the way back to his birth.
Sloan: I’ll see what I can do.
SLOAN WALKS TO ATTWOOD’S OFFICE. FROM ED AND ATTWOOD’S VANTAGE POINT WE SEE HER TALKING TO THE TAYLORS IN THE OFFICE. RACHEL PUTS HER HANDS TO HER FACE AND SHAKES HER HEAD AS MR. TAYLOR PULLS HIS WIFE INTO HIS ARMS.
CUT TO THE LIBRARY ROOM AT THE BIO LAB. TOM SITS AT A TABLE, LOOKING SO FINE, AND A BIT NERVOUS, WITH KEVIN ACROSS FROM HIM.
Kevin: I just have these...instincts sometimes. When I’m with other kids, I’d do anything to make them go away.
TOM NODS HIS HEAD SLIGHTLY IN UNDERSTANDING.
Kevin: You ever feel like that?
Tom: Yes.
Kevin: Why do I feel that way?
TOM TAPS HIS (REALLY NICE) FINGERS ON THE TABLE.
Tom: You're different.
Kevin: I know that but, I don’t know how.
Tom: Umm...
TOM STANDS, THEN EXHALES A LONG BREATH AND TURNS TO FACE KEVIN.
Tom: Do you know what a species is?
Kevin: Taxonomy, sure. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
(WHY WON’T HE TAKE THAT SWEATER OFF??)
Tom: (nodding slightly) Well, you’re a member of a new species.
Kevin: You mean different than Homo sapiens?
Tom: That’s right.
Kevin: I-Is that good?
TOM LOOKS AWAY AND WALKS BACK TO HIS CHAIR.
Tom: Um, it’s not a question of good or bad.
Kevin: So feeling the way that I feel, wanting to do these things that I want to do, that, that could be the way I'm supposed to feel?
Tom: Yes.
TOM LOOKS UNCERTAIN. (THEN DEAR LORD HE BITES HIS LIP!! GOOD HEAVENS, I COULD JUST DIE! SUCH A CUTIE.)
NEXT SCENE
AT THE TAYLOR’S HOUSE. RACHEL CLIMBS THE STAIRS, SLOAN FOLLOWS.
Rachel: I cannot believe I have to sneak into my own house.
Sloan: The further we stay away from the press, the better.
THEY ENTER KEVIN’S ROOM.
Rachel: Let’s see it should be in one of the photo albums.
RACHEL WALKS TO A BOOKCASE.
Sloan: You keep it in Kevin’s room?
Rachel: Yeah, he loves looking through them. Over and over again.
SHE GETS OUT AN ALBUM AND FLIPS IT OPEN.
Rachel: This should be the first year, yes.
BOTH WOMEN STARE DOWN AT THE BABY PICTURES ALL GOOGLY-EYED. RACHEL STARTS TO CRY. SLOAN COMFORTS HER.
Rachel: I just can’t stand to think of what Kevin really is.
SHE STARTS SOBBING.
Sloan: C’mere, c’mere, sit down.
SLOAN LEADS RACHEL TO A TOY CHEST AND THEY BOTH SIT.
Sloan: Not all of the new species is out to destroy us. One of them saved my life. Several times.
RACHEL OPENS THE ALBUM AGAIN AND FLIPS TO A PAGE. SHE PEELS UP THE COVERING AND REMOVES A LOCK OF HAIR.
Rachel: I remember the day I cut this. Can you really tell about his DNA through his hair?
Sloan: (nodding) Yes.
RACHEL HANDS HER THE SAMPLE.
Part Two
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