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MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
THE PRESENT
Denise Price glances down at her bloody palm, no longer able to discern whether the blood belongs to her unconscious father or herself. She stands amidst the hospital wreckage, smoke swirling around her, watching as Sean Moore tries to help her father.
"Sean, I think I'm bleeding," Denise gasps, unable to take her eyes from her palm. "The baby...there's something wrong with the baby..."
"Help Denise..." Herald manages to croak, pushing Sean away from him. "The baby is more important. Your son is important."
Sean's eyes widen. "We're having a boy?"
Herald nods. "Yes."
"Sean!" Denise cries.
"Don't worry," Sean says, crawling through the debris to reach his wife. "I'm on my way!"
DENISE ROBERTSON'S APARTMENT
NEW ORLEANS, LA
"He said he was supposed to be on his way," Denise Robertson says, checking her watch one last time as she stands in the foyer waiting for her ex-husband to arrive.
Herald glances over from the couch, turning off the television. "I can watch Nathan."
"You shouldn't have to," Denise insists. "His father is going to be back in his life. He promised."
"That man left you high and dry, Denise. Knocked up some white girl and skipped town!"
"Well, he's back now."
"He's back because that girl wised up and threw his deadbeat ass out."
Denise rolls her eyes. "Stop it. You're going to wake up Nathan."
Before Herald can respond, he's interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Denise waves her father quiet and goes to the door, pulling it open. Instead of her ex-husband, however, there's a police officer.
"Officer?"
"Are you Mrs. Harris?" the officer asks.
"Robertson now," Denise says. "I'm divorced. What is this about?"
"Well ma'am, your husband...ex-husband...has been in an accident," the officer says.
Denise shrinks away from the door in horror. Herald approaches, wrapping his arms around her. He looks up at the officer and manages to ask, "What happened?"
"It was a hit and run. I'm sorry...but Mr. Harris didn't make it."
Eric Hanley's cries go unnoticed as Jessica Bale lies unconscious on the hospital floor. Pieces of the ceiling continue to fall around her, and the ground begins to shake violently.
The gurney that Samantha Clark's body lies on slides away from Jessica, crashing into a nearby wall. Within seconds, Samantha's body is covered in debris and smoke, completely concealing its presence as someone stumbles into the room.
"Let me go from my handcuffs...you're hurting me," Alexis Lopez says, squirming as Ryan Phillips enters behind her, pushing her along.
"Shut up," Ryan snaps. "I'm getting you out of here, but don't think I won't hesitate to kill you if you get out of line."
"You know, this is really throwing a wrench into your innocent man routine."
Ryan grits his teeth and glares at Alexis. "I'm taking you to the police. Where they're going to prosecute you for your crimes. Nobody's buying that amnesia shtick anymore."
"Jessica! Jessica answer me!"
Ryan freezes, gripping Alexis tightly at the sound of someone calling out Jessica's name. His name immediately flashes to Jessica Reyes, a former student of his and a friend of Jessica's. She was constantly a thorn in his side during his last days at Marquette Cove High School.
He fails, however, to notice her body lying on a few feet away from him.
"Did he just say —"
Ryan covers Alexis' mouth. "Shut up! Let's get out of here."
Eric voice calls out again, "Jessica, is that you?"
But he hears no response, as Ryan has already ushered Alexis out of the room.
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL
THE PRESENT
"What do you mean you won't let us in?" Vincent Moore demands, attempting to get past the police tape set up around the hospital perimeter.
"We can't let anyone in," an EMT says, holding his ground. "Didn't you see what happened? This hospital was practically demolished!"
"But my mother is in there!" Vince cries.
Robert Bale holds onto Vince, keeping him from breaking through the tape. Robert rests his hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him down. "Vince, you have to let these people do their jobs."
"But there's hardly enough firefighters here... or EMTs or..." Vince clenches his teeth, holding back tears. "I can't lose her, Robert! I can't lose her!"
"It's okay," Robert insists. "Just wait until you hear back from Akilah, to find out where she is."
He glances up at the EMT. "What's going on here?"
"Well...there seems to have been some, um...some..."
"Speak up!" Robert snaps at the stuttering EMT.
"Debris, sir! From...space."
Robert and Vince exchanged bewildered looks. "Huh?"
FRENCH QUARTER
NEW ORLEANS, LA
"You are Mrs. Harris, correct? I thought you were gone, but here you are...just the person I need to question."
Denise looks this strange man up and down, confused as to why he's addressing her by a name she hasn't used in years. "Do I know you?"
The stranger extends a hand. "My name is Ryan. Ryan Phillips. I'm a reporter with the Quarter Daily."
"I'm not really up for one of the city interviews," Denise says, attempting to brush past hm.
"No, I'm not here to ask you about that," Ryan says. "I need to ask you about your husband."
"Simon?"
"No, Alfonso Harris."
"My husband's name is Simon Price," Denise says. "You must have the wrong person."
"Look, I know your husband was killed a few years ago. I'm investigating a story about um, recent organized crime upswings since Katrina. And I believe your husband may have been killed in a mob hit."
Denise freezes. "Excuse me?"
"Do you have any idea whether..."
"Your information is incorrect," Denise says. "My husband was killed in a hit and run. Excuse me."
"Mrs. Harris!" Ryan calls after her in vain. "Mrs. Harris, I just need...Mrs. Price!"
MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
THE PRESENT
Denise Harris.
That can't be her, standing amidst the hospital wreckage with a man who...a man Ryan assumed died years ago. Sean Moore?
"That's impossible," Ryan mutters.
"Have you finally snapped? Are you talking to yourself now?" Alexis demands.
"Shut up," Ryan says, pushing her forward. "We need to get the hell out of —"
Realizing she might not have another chance, Alexis pushes Ryan away from her and screams as loud as she can. They are now outside of the hospital, someone has to hear her.
Ryan shoves Alexis to the ground to shut her up. As she falls into the ground with charred remains of the hospital and asteroid chunks, she plops down next to an unconscious woman.
She is breathing heavily, so Alexis knows that she's alive.
And she's pregnant.
"Mrs..." Alexis gasps when she recognizes the woman. "Mrs. Moore!"
"We have to go," Ryan says, bending over to grab Alexis.
"No!" Alexis cries. "This is Vince's mother, Ryan! I have to...we have to help her! She could die, and so could her baby!"
Ryan turns his gaze from Alexis to the woman that recognized when he first entered the hospital. Here she is, lying helpless on the ground. He could save her, thereby proving he's not the monster that everyone wants to believe he is...
...or he could keep his secret safe. And let her die.
