SEASON 2
EPISODE THREE
“Over the Edge”
Writers: Tony Blake & Paul Jackson
Director: James Whitmore, Jr.

(Jarod floats in a sensory deprivation tank.  In his mind he sees his 
mother against a background of blue sky that is dotted with fluffy white 
clouds that race across it.  She looks identical to the picture that he 
carries everywhere with him.)
Margaret: It’s time to come home Jarod.  Take my hand. 
(Margaret holds out her hand.  Jarod becomes the young teenaged Jarod.  
He holds out his hand and strains to reach her.)
Young Jarod: I can’t reach you Mum.
Margaret: Try.  You can do it.
Young Jarod: Mum.  Mum, don’t go.  (Her image fades away.)  Mum.  
Mum.
Jarod: Don’t go.

Serenity Beach
Oregon
(The seagulls wheel and cry as Sydney and Miss Parker walk along the 
beach.  They are accompanied by a young man, long curly hair, wearing 
loose fitting clothes.  They approach a tepee which has been set up close 
to where the waves roll onto the rocks.)
Lad: This is where Jarod spent most of his time while he stayed with us.
Parker: In a tepee?  (She pulls back the flap of the tepee and peers 
inside.)
Lad: Yeah.  But no, this is a sensory deprivation tank.  
Parker: I’m surprised he’d get near one of these things again.
Sydney: But Jarod enjoyed floating in the tank.  It gave him a taste of 
the freedom he so desperately craved.  
(Miss Parker drops the flap.)
Lad: Most people go in the tank for an hour at a time.  Jarod,  Jarod 
would stay in for days at a time.  And then he’d come out and go around 
hugging everyone he saw.  I never experienced such a connection to 
another human being in my entire life.
(Miss Parker turns and walks away from the lad, moving behind Sydney.)
Parker: Maybe if you showered once in a while the experience wouldn’t 
be quite so unique.
Sydney: Did Jarod leave anything behind?
Lad: He said to give you this.
(The lad steps up to Sydney and embraces him.  Sydney laughs.)
Sydney: Thank you.
(The lad moves towards Miss Parker.)
Parker: I have a gun and I’ll use it.
(He turns to Sydney who just smiles and raises his eyebrows.)
Lad: Cool.
Parker: Let’s go find wonder boy.  Living in a tepee, somebody help me.

Under a Bridge
(A workman is suspending from a rope over the side of the bridge.  Below 
him, the scaffolding that he was working on dangles, no longer a stable 
platform on which to stand.)  
Man: Help! Someone please help me.  Help me!  Please.  Argh!  Argh!
(Jarod, wearing coveralls, safety harness and helmet is also suspended 
below the bridge.  He is being lowered slowly down to the man.)
Jarod: I’m coming.  Just hang on.
(On top of the bridge the rest of the rescue crew look over the side at 
Jarod’s progress.)
Bobby: (He leans over the edge of the bridge and yells down at Jarod.)  
Jarod.  Wait for the basket.
Jarod: There’s no time.  This rope’s not going to hold.  (The rope holding 
the man and the scaffolding is fraying as he speaks.)
Bobby: Roger, call the chopper now.
(Roger dives into the front of the rescue vehicle and Bobby goes to the 
back of it and grabs the basket.)
Man: Argh!  Argh!
Jarod: Just hang on.  More line.
Bobby: Jarod what the hell are you doing?  I said wait for the basket.
Jarod: Sit tight.  I’ve got you.  
Man: Nah!  Oh.  Oh!
(Jarod attaches a carabineer that is attached by a rope from his own 
harness to the man’s safety harness.  At that same instant the victim’s 
scaffolding drops and crashes to the ground.)
Jarod: It’s a great day to be alive.

OPENING CREDITS

Urban Search and Rescue
Headquarters
Spokane, Washington
(The rescue team, consisting of Bobby, Roger, Jo-Ellen and Jarod, have 
arrived back at the station and are stowing their equipment.  They are 
approached by an older man.)
Captain: The word from the hospital is your victim is going to be fine.
Jarod: Well that’s great news.
Captain: And the word around here is that you’re a player.
Roger: You should have seen him.  Instant legend, man. 
Captain: You’d better watch out Bobby.  Looks like there’s a new 
Spiderman in town.
Bobby: Yeah well we’ll see who has the web.  
Jarod: Spider man? (Jarod does not understand the pop culture 
reference.)
Roger: Yeah!  Like in the comics.
Jo-Ellen: Hey guys look.  (She indicates towards the table where a 
number of brochures are spread on it.)  Interstate brochures from Denver.  
Looks like he’s serious.
Jarod: Are you thinking of transferring out?
Captain: Retiring.  Denver is where my grandson is.
Bobby: Come on you guys.  This is a good thing.  Makes room for the 
young guys moving up.
(The captain pretends to give Bobby a backhanded slap across the face, 
and Bobby takes up a mock defensive position.  They laugh.)
Captain: (He looks at his watch.)  Okay.  Pack and stack.  We’re due at 
the tower in thirty.  (Bobby and the captain both leave, but not before 
depositing some money in a jar on the table.  Roger and Jo-Ellen also add 
money to the jar.)
Roger: Oh man.  This is the third drill this week.
Jo-Ellen: Well, get used to it.  When Bobby makes captain he’ll drill us 
twenty-four – seven.
Roger:  You’ve got that right.
Jo-Ellen: Here Jarod.  (She hands Jarod the jar in which she has just put 
some money.)  Everybody kicks in.  It’s SOP.
Roger: It’s sort of a ritual.  Every time we come back safe from a run we 
drop in a fiver for Chris.
Jarod: He’s the guy who fell from the drill tower.  I thought the 
department insurance plan covered accidents.
Roger: It does cover accidents but, ah, Chris tried to kill himself.
(Roger and Jo-Ellen leave.  Jarod takes out some money and puts it in the 
jar.  Inside the jar there is a photograph of a smiling young man, clad in 
rescue gear and standing in front of the rescue truck.  He is young and fit 
looking like the other members of the team.)
The Centre
Blue Cove, Delaware
Main Concourse
(Miss Parker and Sydney are walking across the main concourse when 
they are joined by Broots.  He is in his usual state of agitation.)
Broots: Where have you guys been?
Parker: We’ve been to our own little corner of heaven.  Got you 
something.  (She swings a tie-dyed t-shirt at him which he has to make a 
grab for.)
Broots: Thanks.  You wouldn’t believe what’s going on around here.
Parker: I rarely do.  Any word on my father?
Broots: No.  Noone knows where he is.
(Bridget walks across the concourse.  She smiles and cocks her loaded 
finger at them.)
Parker: There’s Princess Tryhard now.
Sydney: We don’t want to make accusations you can’t prove.
Parker: Oh please. Sydney you know what do yourself a favour.  Take 
some steroids.  Ever since she and Mr Lyle showed up this whole place 
has gotten strange.
Broots: Well it’s just about to get stranger.  There he is?  That’s the guy.
Sydney: What guy?
Broots: Oh God!  They’re coming this way.
(They look to where Bridget, accompanied by a middle aged man in a grey 
suit, is approaching them.)
Bridget: Oh Miss Parker.  Sydney.  Mr Broots.  Dr Curtis is consulting for 
Mr Lyle and me.
Dr Curtis: Nice to meet you.
Parker: I’m sure.
Bridget: If he needs to speak with you we’d appreciate it if you made 
yourself available.
Parker: Certainly.
Bridget: Cheers.  Shall we?
Sydney: Doctor.
(They leave.)
Parker: Who is he?
Broots: That’s what I’ve been trying tell you.  He’s some kind of criminal 
behaviourist.  They brought him here to find who shot Mr Raines.  Oh God 
this is bad, this is really, really bad.
Parker: Relax Broots.  They’re looking for a shooter not a whiner.
Broots: Yeah well they’re going to pin the shooting on someone, and the 
way I figure we’re the ones walking around with the biggest targets on our 
backs.
Sydney: If you’re innocent you have nothing to worry about.
Broots: Sydney this is the Centre.  Maybe no one will miss you but I have 
a little daughter who loves her daddy.
Sydney: We don’t even know if he will want to talk to us.
Broots: Fat chance.  I hear Mr Raines is going to force everyone who was 
at the shooting to interview with this guy.  And I mean everyone.
Sydney: Hm.
Parker: Peachie.

Urban Search and Rescue
Drill Tower
(The drill tower is basically a four storey tower with a metal staircase 
giving access to each level and the roof.  On top of the roof, the Captain 
and Bobby, both holding stop watches and Jo-Ellen stand.  Jarod emerges 
from the doorway at great speed,  attaches his safety rope to a hook in 
the wall before going over the side.)
Captain: Move it!  Come on Jarod!  Your victim’s had time to take in a 
double feature.
Jo-Ellen: Go Go Go.
Bobby: Go go!  Move it!  203, 204, 205, 206 . . . 207, not bad.
(Jarod abseils down the wall, springing off the wall in the classic 
technique.  On the ground Roger looks up at his progress.  On Jarod’s 
arrival he helps him gain his balance.)
Captain: Not good either not for a simple up and over.
(Below them and beyond the boundaries of the USR training areas, a 
bearded, long-haired man, dressed in shabby and dirty clothes yells up at 
them.)
Spenser: Hey!  Keep it down over there.  I’m trying to think over here.
Captain: Oh God we woke up the monster.
Jarod: (He is removing the safety gear.)  Who’s that?
Roger: Ah!  He likes to be called Spenser.  All he does is complain about 
the noise and write poetry.  Don’t get him going.  You’ll have to buy him 
something.
(Roger moves off and Jarod smiles and waves at Spenser.  Spenser moves 
into his shed and slams the door after him.  Jarod removes his helmet and 
watches Jo-Ellen as she rounds the corner looking up and removing her 
helmet.  She looks sad.)
Jarod: Is this where Chris tried to kill himself?
Jo-Ellen: Roger found him right here.  You know I thought Chris and I 
could tell each other everything.  I knew he was depressed but he never 
said anything about suicide. (They lean against the wall.)
Jarod: Maybe it wasn’t?
Jo-Ellen: He left a note on his computer.  
Jarod: You know I saw this happen in Chicago.  This guy, he got really 
depressed about the job, all the pressure.
Jo-Ellen: Nah!  It wasn’t the job.  Chris loved Rescue.
Jarod: Well if it wasn’t the job maybe it was his family.
Jo-Ellen: His mother left when he was really little.  She just walked out.  
After his dad died a couple of years ago Chris started looking for her.
Jarod: He didn’t find her?
Jo-Ellen: No but he felt she was close by.  He ran personal ads in the 
paper, searched the net, did everything he could think of.
Jarod: He probably thought he would never find her, that he would 
always have that feeling of emptiness.
Jo-Ellen: I can’t imagine what it would be like never knowing your 
mother.
(Jo-Ellen leaves.  Jarod unzips the front of his coverall and removes his 
red notebook.  A news article has a title of “USAR Member Attempts 
Suicide at Training Facility”.  There is a picture of Chris.  He turns the 
page to where there are two personal ads glued.  The first reads “Mom, 
Please cal me, Chris (509) 555-0154”.  The second “Grace Welman Where 
are you? Call Chris (509) 555-0154”.

Hospital
(Jarod and Jo-Ellen arrive at Chris Welman’s room to find a therapist 
trying to calm Chris who is writhing on his bed making small panting 
noises.  His facial expression reflects an inner turmoil and fear.)
Nurse: Chris.  Chris.  You need to be to be calm.  Chris Chris.  You need 
to calm down.  Chris. Calm now.  Please.  Chris.  (She turns to Jarod and 
Jo-Ellen who have stopped just inside the doorway.)  I’m sorry this is a 
really bad time for visitors.  Chris.  No.  Chris.
(Jarod steps up to the foot of the bed.)
Jarod: Chris.  Chris.  Calm down.
Nurse: Please could you come back later?
Jarod: It's not unusual for a post coma to lose sense of time and location.  
He’s afraid.  He needs human contact.  He needs to know that he’s loved.
Nurse: Are you a therapist?
Jarod: I know what it’s like to be isolated from people.  Jo-Ellen, come 
here.  Hold him.  Go ahead.  He’s still your friend.  Hold him.
(Jo-Ellen, tentative and unsure at first, moves to Chris’s side and then 
hugs him.  She make soothing noises to him and he slowly calms.)
Jo-Ellen:  Chris, it’s alright.
(The therapist looks at Jarod in amazement.)

Spokane Free Clinic
Spokane Washington
Jarod: Let’s go over this again because I want to get it straight.  He was 
a spider and a man.
(Jarod is sitting in the waiting area.  He is holding a “Spiderman” comic.  
Sitting beside him is a young lad trying to remain patient with the 
inquisitive person beside him.)
Teenager: No, he was a high school student bitten by a radioactive 
spider.
Jarod: Oh.  That must have hurt.
Teenager: Then he developed spider powers.  He could climb up walls, 
shoot webs and he had spider sense.
Jarod: Which is?
Teenager: I don’t know.  His head would tingle and stuff.
Jarod: Oh well I wasn’t aware that arachnids had heads that tingled.
Teenager: (He lets his irritation show.)  I don’t know from arachnids but 
Spiderman’s did.  (He stands and leaves.)
Jarod:  This is fascinating.  I’ll read them all.
(He looks up to see a woman in line at the window where the drugs are 
being dispensed.  He takes out his red notebook and re-reads the personal 
ad addressed to Grace Welman.  He turns another page to where there is 
a list of signatures.  He runs a finger down the list and stops on that of 
Grace Carter.  He stands and follows the woman out the door.)
Jarod: Mrs Welman.  My name is Jarod.  I’m a friend of Chris.
Grace: I ah . . . You have the wrong person.  My name’s Carter.  (She 
starts to move away.)
Jarod: I know it was before you were married.  (She stops walking but 
doesn’t turn around.)
Grace: What do you want?
Jarod: It’s not what I want but what Chris wants.  He’s been trying to find 
you.  (She walks out the door.)  Mrs Welman your son needs you.
Grace: (She turns to face him.)  I didn’t ask to be needed and I sure as 
hell didn’t ask to be found.

Jarod’s Lair
Sensory Deprivation Tank
(Jarod has set up a sensory deprivation tank under a tepee.  He floats in 
the tank, once again recalls his childhood dream and experiences the pain 
of not being able to make physical contact with his mother.)
Young Jarod: Mum.  I love you.  Mum.  I love you Mum.  Mum, I love 
you.  (He holds out his hand.)  Don’t leave me mum.  (The pain and 
sadness is in her eyes.)  Mum, mum don’t go!  Mum.  Mum don’t go.  (She 
fades again.  Jarod rolls onto his side.)

DSA
(Not Dated)
Sim Lab
(Young Jarod is sitting on a chair.  He is only wearing a pair of shorts.  
However, there are a number of monitor leads attached to various parts of 
his body.  Sydney stands to one side, holding a clipboard, a sensory 
deprivation tank behind him.)
Young Jarod: Sydney, did your mother ever hug you?
Sydney: Jarod it’s important that you get in the tank.
Young Jarod: What was it like to be hugged by your mother?  How does 
it feel?
Sydney: That’s not relevant.  Jarod the tank relaxes you.  You can focus 
on the simulation.
Young Jarod: I want to know what it’s like to be hugged.  I’ve forgotten 
what it feels like.
Sydney: (He crouches in front of him.)  Jarod, listen to me.  You will 
never have that experience.  Your mother is . . . It will be best if you just 
forgot about her.
Young Jarod: No.  I’ll never forget her.  Never.
Sydney: Jarod.  Dwelling on your family will only get in the way of your 
work.

(Jarod stops the DSA.)
Jarod: Finding my family is my work, Sydney.

The Centre
Sim Lab
(Sydney is sitting at a table opposite Dr Curtis.  The tone of their 
exchange is one of professional to a fellow professional.)
Curtis: We’re only trying to find out who had the capacity to shoot Mr 
Raines.
Sydney: And I’m only here to help.
Curtis: Look I realise this is a difficult position for you.
Sydney: But it’s just a waste of both of our times.
Curtis: You never married did you?
Sydney: You don’t expect me to answer rhetorical questions?
Curtis: No. Tell me about your relationship with Jarod.
Sydney: Why don’t you tell me.
Curtis: Alright.  I think he’s taken the role of the son you never had.  
What are your feelings for him?
Sydney: You’re doing so well.  Don’t stop now.
Curtis: I think you love Jarod very much and I think you would almost do 
anything to protect him.  But I’m curious, off the record.  How do you live 
with yourself knowing that you abducted a child from his family?
(In the infirmary, Mr Raines, who is strapped into a rotating bed, and 
Bridget watch the interview on a television monitor.  Bridget occasionally 
intimately strokes Raines.)
Sydney: I was not involved in Jarod’s abduction.
Curtis: But after it happened you did nothing about it.  You had no 
problem, no twinge of conscience, about robbing him of a chance to live a 
normal life?
Sydney: (His tone hardens as he becomes angry.)  I didn’t have a choice.
Curtis: Didn’t you?
Sydney: (He stands abruptly and leans across the table.)  I had to do 
what I was told.
Curtis: By whom?
Sydney: The same  person who tells you what to do.  (He sits back 
down.)
Curtis: Exactly.  So we both know that you hold Mr Raines personally 
responsible for the destruction of Jarod’s life and we also know that killing 
Raines would give you a deep sense of satisfaction. It’s only human 
nature.
Sydney: I abhor violence.
Curtis: Well, but that doesn’t mean, given a strong enough motivation, 
that you wouldn’t stoop to it.  (Sydney smiles at him.)  I think we’re done, 
Doctor.
Sydney: Doctor.  (Sydney stands to leave.)

Urban Search and Rescue
Headquarters
Spokane, Washington
(Jarod is standing reading a Spiderman comic book while Roger and Jo-
Ellen tidy equipment.)
Roger: Don’t look so sad.  It’s a comic book, man.  You know, comic, fun?
Jarod: This Spider man, he’s a fascinating superhero.  Yet beneath all 
these heroics he’s lead a very sad life.  He never knew his parents,  He 
feels responsible for his uncle’s death and people are always trying to kill 
him.
Roger: Curse of the superhero.  It’s tragic really.
Jo-Ellen: Peter Parker didn’t have a real problem.  Now She-Hawk her life 
was tragic.
(Jarod, once again unfamiliar with the pop culture reference mouths the 
words “She-Hawk”.  He is prevented from inquiring further by the arrival 
of the Captain and Bobby.)
Captain: I’m glad you guys are here.  Check your speed scores.  (He 
starts distributing papers.)  
Bobby: The condemned move faster to the gallows.
Jarod: (Jarod looks at his results with a gloomy expression.)  Looks like 
we’re going to be in for more drilling.
Captain: You’ve got that right.  Now Jarod you work with Roger Saturday 
morning Jo-Ellen you and Bobby hit the tower in the afternoon.
Jo-Ellen: Let me switch with Jarod.  I have plans for Saturday.
Captain: Change em.  There’s no one faster with the rope than Bobby 
and that’s where you need improvement.
Bobby: (He turns on the sickly “suave” tone.)  And just think, you can 
sleep in on Saturday and get some extra beauty sleep, not that you need 
it.
Jo-Ellen: No I’m serious Captain.  Let me switch.
Captain: I’m serious too.  No.   Now come on we’ve got more sunshine to 
spread.
Bobby: (He strokes her hair.)  See you later.
(Jarod observes Bobby advances and Jo-Ellen’s negative reactions to them 
with interest.)
Hospital
(Jarod is standing just inside Chris’s room with the doctor.  He is holding a 
file.)
Jarod: What’s Chris working with?
(Chris is sitting up in bed holding a bungie cord.  A therapist helps him to 
stretch the cord.)
Doctor: A bungie cord.  It helps strengthen his muscles.
Jarod: Very clever.  A rubber band with hooks.
Doctor: That’s the concept.
Jarod: What are his chances for recovery?
Doctor: Too soon to say.  But I’m an optimist.  He could regain a good 
portion of his cognitive and motor skills.
Jarod: Has he been able to communicate anything about his fall?
Doctor: No.  There has been some improvement with his pre- and post- 
traumatic amnesia but still, no indication that he has any memory of the 
accident.
Jarod: There must have been some damage to his frontal lobe.  More 
than likely he never had time to encode the event into his long time 
memory.
Doctor: You don’t know about bungie cords but you know about 
Deerling’s theory on shock trauma.
Jarod: I used to moonlight as a psychological re-constructionist.  And I 
read his file.  (He opens the file he is holding.)  It says here that Chris 
landed on his back.  
Doctor: That’s right.
Jarod: The haematoma on his twelfth thoracic vertebrae would indicate 
that he fell on something.
Doctor: Paramedics didn’t note it.
Jarod: I would have expected his injuries to be more severe, a fall from 
four stories.  It’s usually fatal.
Doctor: Were you a triage surgeon too?
Jarod: (Jarod is distracted by the new evidence and answers without 
thinking.)  Only until I became a rodeo clown.
(She watches Jarod as he walks away.  From her expression it is obvious 
that she’s not sure whether he is joking or not.)

Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod has lines up a number of Spiderman action dolls on the edge of a 
table.  One by one he pushes them off the edge observing how they fall.)  

Urban Search and Rescue
Drill Tower
(Jarod prepares his equipment, donning helmet and safety harness.  He 
throws his safety rope over the side of the tower and abseils part the way 
down.  He takes a cutting took from his waist band and cuts through his 
rope.)
Jarod: No!  No!  Nooooo!  Ugh.  Argh.  Argh.
(He falls onto a pile of cardboard boxes.  He grunts and groans, reaching 
behind his back to where the carabineer attached to his safety harness 
has dug into the small of his back.)
Spenser: Hey. I wanna hear something that loud I’ll stick a gun in my 
mouth.
Jarod: Hey I’m sorry.  I just fell off a building.  Hey! Hey!  Wait up.  I 
want to talk to you for a second.
(Jarod climbs off the boxes and walks over to the chain link fence.  
Spencer climbs up onto a wooden crate and sits down.)
Spenser: Don’t you have anything better to do at three am?
Jarod: It’s seven am.
Spenser: Yeah!  The noise pollution gets worse every day.
Jarod: If you’re so concerned about the noise why don’t you move into a 
shelter?
Spenser: Hey!  Hey!  A poet needs freedom to create.  This is freedom.
(Jarod looks across to the run down shed that Spenser describes as 
freedom.)
Jarod: Wow!
Spenser: Yeah.  The only drawback is the noise.  It’s forcing me toward 
Haiku.
Jarod: Were you here writing your poetry the day that the man fell from 
the building?
Spenser: Ooh Yeah!  Yeah!  Um.  You see I was flowing a rhyme when all 
of a sudden I heard somebody screaming “No No No Don’t!” kinda like you 
were doing.  And then and then Boom.  After a little while all hell broke 
loose.  Sirens, ambulances, cops.  I tell you my creativity was shot for the 
day.
Jarod: I’ve seen the police report.  There’s no mention that you ever told 
the police what you heard.
Spenser: No.  No see, I didn’t tell the cops.  I told one of you rescue 
guys.
Jarod: Who?
Spenser: I don’t know.  I mean, this guy came up he said sorry about the 
noise, gave me twenty bucks and told me to get a hot meal.  Now that’s 
what I call poetic.
Jarod: What did he look like?
Spenser: With the gear and helmets and everything all you guys look the 
same.  (He jumps down off the crate and walks towards his home.  He 
stops suddenly and turns back to Jarod.)  Hey! Oh hey!  You know what?  
He had some sort of fancy money chip.  It had sort of like a, ah, a spider 
web design right in the middle.

Urban Search and Rescue
Headquarters
Outside
(Roger has a number of watermelons on a table.  He is rapping them with 
his knuckles his ear held close to them.)
Jarod: Water melon, right?
Roger: Yeah.  That’s what we call them here on earth.  Tonight’s dessert.
Jarod: Why are you banging them?
Roger: I’m not banging, I’m clumping.  How do you tell when 
watermelon’s ripe?
Jarod: (Jarod starts rapping a watermelon.)  I don’t know.  I’ve never 
eaten one.
Roger: Well Starman, you’re definitely in for a treat.  We’re all chipping in 
so you owe me five bucks.
(Jarod watches as Bobby emerges from within the station, goes up to Jo-
Ellen and pokes her in the back and stomach.  She stops in mid-word the 
conversation she is having with another crew member and walks off into 
the station.)
Jarod: Five bucks huh?  Actually I don’t have any cash on me.
Roger: Come on man.  Hey!  Nobody gets out of paying.
Bobby: What’s the matter?  Mummy didn’t give you any lunch money 
today?
Jarod: Something like that.  Can you cover me?
Bobby: Yeah.  (Bobby takes some money from his pocket, removes a 
fiver from the money clip.  Jarod observes its spider web design.)  You will 
pay me back, right?
Jarod: Of course I will.  If we can’t trust each other who can we trust?
Bobby: Right.

Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod is working at his laptop.  He accesses the US&R Personnel File for 
Robert Cain.  There is a report headed “Final Investigative Report”.)

The Centre
Sim Lab
(Broots enters, even more nervous and agitated than usual.  Doctor Curtis 
stands waiting apparently reading a file that he holds.)
Broots: I got word that you ah . . . 
Curtis: Come in.  Sit!
(Broots looks to a mezzanine level where a group of four four-year old 
girls are playing hopscotch.  They are watched over by a sweeper. A door 
opens with a metallic clang on the mezzanine floor grabbing Broots 
attention.  Willie leads one of the girls away.)
Broots: Cute kids.
Curtis: I’ve been looking over your file.  There’s a letter in here from a 
Mrs Mosely. 
Broots: (He drags his attention away from the children.)  What, my 
fourth grade teacher?  How far back does that thing go?
Curtis: The letter is addressed to your mother.  Apparently Mrs Mosely 
was concerned for your safety at school.  Why was that?
Broots: You know how kids are, you know.  They like to pick on the egg 
head.
Curtis: Do you remember what it felt like to be picked on?
Broots: Yes I guess so, when I think about it.
(The door opens again and Willie enters again.  Willie points to one of the 
girls.)
Willie: You’re next.
(He leads the girl from the room.)
Curtis: So did you ever attempt to defend yourself against those bullies.
Broots: The bullies.  No.  Ah, no actually no, I learned how to outsmart 
them.
Curtis: What about today?  How do you respond to people who pick on 
you today.
Broots: No one bullies me.
Curtis: Really.  I was under the impression that Miss Parker often takes 
you to task.
Broots: She likes to tease me.  Friends do that.
Curtis: Oh you two are friends?
Broots: Well, ah no, wait a minute, not, ah, not exactly.
(Doctor Curtis sits opposite him.  The door opens and Willie enters again.)
Willie: Let’s go.
(He escorts another girl from the room.)
Curtis: How does Mr Raines treat you?
Broots: Mr Raines always has um treated me fairly, with great respect.
Curtis: That’s very interesting because it says in here that you have been 
overheard disparaging him on more than one occasion.
Broots: That’s . . .  that’s a flat out lie. Who said that?  I would like to 
know who said that.  
Curtis: That would be ah Mr Raines.  (Mr Raines watches on the monitor 
in the infirmary.)  It must eat you up knowing that people have picked on 
you your whole life, and you’ve always had to take it, never getting to 
even the score.  How long will you let people demean (He stands and 
leans across the table.)  and belittle you until you finally say enough, it 
ends here.  How much humiliation can you take?
Broots: I know what you’re trying to do.  You’re trying to get inside my 
head, stir it up a bit.  Well it’s not going to work.
(Willie enters again.)
Willie: Let’s go.
Girl: I want to stay here.
(Broots stands suddenly, turning towards Willie.)
Broots: Hey.  Hey you.  Leave her alone!  What are they going to do with 
her.  
Curtis: What do you think they’re going to do to her? Are they going to 
hurt her? The way Mr Raines implied that he would do to your daughter.
Broots: Do you want to know the truth.  I’ll give you the truth.  If anyone 
was ever to hurt my daughter, even tried to hurt my daughter I’d kill 
them.  I don’t care who.  I’d kill them.

Hotel La Salle
Outside
(Jarod sits on a bus stop bench opposite the entrance to the Hotel La 
Salle.  In Sydney’s office, Sydney sits reading a book when the phone 
rings.)
Sydney: Sydney.
Jarod: How’s the book?
Sydney: I’m not sure how Judge Teale is going to wrap this one up.  How 
did you know?
Jarod: You always used to sit down at your desk at eight p.m. with a 
good book.  Does it still relax you?
Sydney: You know me too well.  Hey!  I can hear birds in the background.  
It must still be light where you are.
Jarod: You’re getting very good at this.
Sydney: I can also hear sadness in your voice.
Jarod: I guess you know me too well.  I’ve been thinking about my 
mother lately.  What it’s going to be like when we finally meet. 
Sydney: Go on.
Jarod: It’s just that we’ve been separated for so long.  Will she . . .  
never mind.
Sydney: Everyone wants to believe that their mother’s love is absolute. 
Sadly that’s not always the case.
Jarod: Did your mother love you?
Sydney: Yes, I believe she did, but know this.  If the mother rejects her 
offspring rarely does the blame fall upon the child.  (Jarod watches Grace 
Welman as she walks along the footpath towards the entrance of the 
Hotel.)  It is usually an indication that the woman does not love herself.
Jarod: Thank you Sydney.  (He disconnects, stands and crosses the 
road.)

Hotel La Salle
Foyer
(Jarod follows Grace inside.  She is at the front desk collecting her key.  
She turns to find Jarod standing there.)
Grace: Hey!  I told you to leave me alone.
Jarod: (He holds out a packet to her.)  This will help when the methadone 
doesn’t.  You were at the free clinic getting your daily dose but methadone 
it doesn’t stop the craving for heroin it only replaces it.  That’s why you 
still keep getting the sweats. Your body is screaming for relief.
Grace: Are you a junkie?
Jarod: No but I was a congressional adviser on drug policy for a while.  
Scout’s honour.  This is arginine root.  It’s an organic herb.  It has a great 
calming affect.  Friends of mine, they harvest it in Oregon.  Trust me it 
works.
(She takes the package and then dashes for the stairs.  She trips on the 
bottom step and the contents of her handbag spill.)
Grace: Oh dammit!
(Jarod sits on the step beside Grace and starts to help her pick up her 
stuff.  He picks up a photograph.  It shows a young boy.)
Jarod: Is this Chris?
Grace: (She takes the photograph from him and puts it away.)  Yes when 
he was eleven years old.  His poppa sent it to me at a halfway house.
Jarod: It’s hard to be carrying around a picture of someone that you’re 
trying to forget.
Grace: I’m not trying to forget.  It would just be better if we don’t see 
each other.
Jarod: Is that why you went to the hospital?  I checked the sign in sheet 
at intensive care.  You didn’t think people would recognise your maiden 
name.
Grace: They told me that Chris was in a coma.  They didn’t know if he 
was going to live or not.  I did what any mother would do.  I went to see 
my son.  I didn’t have the strength to open the door.  
Jarod: This is my mother.  I only remember seeing her once.  I don’t 
know much about her but I do know that I would give anything to feel her 
arms around me.
Grace: Listen if you’re  . . . If you’re gonna tell me that Chris needs me 
and the past doesn’t matter, save it.  I’ve always been a great addict but 
I’m worthless as a mother. (She stands, angry, ready to flee.)
Jarod: Grace you’re a person with a disease.  A disease that controlled 
your life.  It kept you from the people that you love but somewhere you 
found the courage to fight it.  Maybe if you look there again you will find 
the way to make things right with your son.  
(Grace turns and runs up the stairs.)  

Urban Search and Rescue
Headquarters
Spokane, Washington
(Jo-Ellen is sitting at a desk, paperwork spread out in front of her.  Bobby 
enters the room, looks around to see if anyone else is there.  There isn’t.  
He goes over to the desk.
Bobby: Hey Jo-Ellen.  Where is everybody?
Jo-Ellen: (She is unnerved by his appearance.)  Around somewhere.
Bobby: Really.  Funny because I only saw your car out there in the 
parking lot.
Jo-Ellen: Yeah.  Please Bobby, I have work to do.
(Jarod watches from the doorway behind them, unseen.)
Bobby: The Captain assign that to you?
Jo-Ellen: Yeah!  And he wants it done before he comes in.
Bobby: I guess that means that when I make Captain you’ll do exactly 
what I say.  (He touches her lightly on her ear.  She pulls sharply away.)
Jo-Ellen: Don’t! 
(She stands suddenly and backs away.  Bobby pushes the chair out of the 
way and it topples over with a clatter.)
Bobby: I don’t like games.
(Jarod enters the room.  He is carrying a watermelon.)
Jarod: Hey, you’ll never guess what I just found.
Bobby: Hey Jarod I didn’t see your car outside.
Jarod: I took the bus.  A seedless watermelon.  Now, I wonder how they 
get them out.
Bobby: Yeah!  I’ve got some work I got to do.  I’ll talk to you later.  
(Bobby picks up the chair and leaves.  Jarod moves to the desk where Jo-
Ellen has returned to her paperwork.  He sits in the chair beside the desk.)
Jarod: If I’m tired you must be exhausted.
Jo-Ellen: Why?
Jarod: Well not only do you have to work and train all day like the rest of 
us but you have to put up with him.
Jo-Ellen: What do you mean?
Jarod:  Looking over your shoulder.  Constant wondering when he’ll show 
up.  What he’ll want.  The rage, the powerlessness.  I know that it would 
eat at me until I wanted to scream.

Outside
(Jo-Ellen and Jarod leave the Station and cross the road.  They talk while 
they are walking.)
Jo-Ellen: At first it seemed liked harmless flirting.  I thought I could 
handle it.  Handle Bobby.   But he’s so aggressive.  He scares me.
Jarod: Being the only woman you must have felt trapped.
Jo-Ellen: Well I knew that if I complained to the Commander I would get 
nothing but flak.  Bobby would only deny it and I would become the black 
sheep of the squad, if I wasn’t fired.  Believe me it’s hard enough being 
one of the boys around here.  So I just kept my mouth shut.
Jarod: And then Chris found out?
Jo-Ellen: One night Bo . . . Bobby touched me and I was upset.  Chris 
comforted me.  He was such a great guy, you know. As if dealing with his 
own problems wasn’t enough he wanted to take care of me too.   He was 
really angry with Bobby.  He even wrote up a report but, you know,  I 
couldn’t sign it.
Jarod: Well you should’ve.  (They stop walking.)  You’re not the first 
woman to feel this way.  Bobby’s done this before, in Portland.  (He takes 
out an envelope and removes its contents, handing it to Jo-Ellen.)   He 
almost lost his job.  His wife nearly left him but he intimidated the victim 
until she dropped the charges.
Jo-Ellen: I don’t know.  He’s connected Jarod.  Bobby’s about to become 
Captain.  Even if I take him on, he’ll win.
Jarod: Don’t be so sure.

The Centre
Mr Parker’s Office
(Doctor Curtis is leaning on the front of what was once Mr Parker’s desk.  
Miss Parker sits on the chair in front of the desk.)
Curtis: I realise this interview is unpleasant.  Just know that my intention 
is to eliminate people as possible suspects not incriminate them.
Parker: Considering I’m on record as having threatened to shoot Raines, 
I’m would think that I’m your number one suspect.  And I suppose we’re 
having this meeting in my father’s former office because Raines thinks 
that it will unnerve me.
Curtis: I’m not sure that I know what you mean.
Parker: My father has disappeared and some Ralph Reed clone has 
replaced him.  Exactly what part of this is hard to grasp, Doctor?
Curtis: Let’s move on.  Now you’ve known Jarod since you were a little 
girl.  What is your relationship with him now?
Parker: My relationship . . . (She struggles to keep her temper.)  is to 
find him and bring him back . .  preferably alive but dead is becoming 
more acceptable.
Curtis: So wouldn’t it have bothered you if Mr Raines had shot Jarod?
Parker: (She lights a cigarette blowing the smoke in his direction.)  Not 
at all.  Mind if I smoke?
Curtis: You make no effort at all to conceal your hostility towards Mr 
Raines.  Is that because you felt protected by your father?
Parker: (She stands and walks away from the doctor.)  I don’t need 
Daddy to protect me from Scar man.
Curtis: Would you care to expand on that?
Parker: I think he was involved in the death of my mother and knows 
what happened to my father.
Curtis: What makes you think that?
Parker: (She turns and faces him.)  Woman’s intuition.
Curtis: So it is safe to say that it would give you great satisfaction to see 
him dead.
Parker: (She walks towards him.)  It would give me great satisfaction to 
perform his autopsy, before he was dead.
Curtis: Miss Parker.  When you came in here I had no opinion one way or 
the other as to your involvement in the shooting of Mr Raines.  However, 
you have to admit your excessive candour . . . 
(Parker grabs Doctor Curtis by the tie, pulling it down so that he is forced 
to fall to his knees.  She notices the miniature camera that forms part of 
his tie pin.  She talks directly into it.  Raines and Bridget watch her 
distorted image on the monitor in the infirmary.)
Parker: If I’d shot you, you son of a bitch, you’d be dead.  Are we clear?

Jarod’s Lair
(Jarod sits on a coil of rope reading a spiderman comic.  It would appear 
that he has read several hundred of them as they are lying on the floor at 
his feet.  He drops a weighted bag from the tower.  He addresses an 
envelope to Capt Blake. He alters the brake on the rescue gear.  He drops 
a watermelon from a great height and it disintegrates in a shower of red 
goop.  )

Spenser’s Place
(Spenser opens the door to Jarod’s knocking.  Jarod holds out a 
watermelon to him.)
Jarod: Hey Poet!  Do you like watermelon?

Urban Search and Rescue
Headquarters
Spokane, Washington
(Jarod knocks on the open door of the office.)
Bobby: Yeah?
Jarod: 911 We’ve got a bridge worker stuck on a scaffold.
Bobby: When are these morons going to learn?  Where is everybody?
Jarod: Just you and me.
Bobby: Let’s do it!

The Bridge
(Jarod leans over the edge of the bridge at a figure lying face down on a 
scaffolding below.)
Jarod: Looks like a heart attack.  I’m going over.
Bobby: Not this time Spiderman.  I’m in charge here.  I’m going over.
(Jarod smiles.) 
Bobby:  (Now over the edge of the bridge.)  Okay.  More line.  Nice and 
easy.  Nice and easy.  More line.  (Jarod engages the emergency brake.)  
Hey what are you doing?  I need more rope.
Jarod: Okay. 
(Jarod releases the emergency brake and Bobby starts free falling.)
Bobby: Whoa.  Whoa.  Whoa.  Jarod, Jarod! hey!  Jarod!  (Jarod engages 
the brake again and Bobby downward descent is halted.) Are you crazy?
Jarod:  Just making sure that you’re still high enough.
Bobby: For what?
Jarod: Your fall.
(Jarod drops a watermelon over the edge.  It disintegrates on impact.)  
Bobby: What the hell are you doing?
Jarod: Yep!  That’ll work.  See you Bobby.  (He releases the brake again.)
Bobby: Jarod!  Jarod!  Argh!  (Jarod engages the brake again.)  What the 
hell are you doing?
Jarod: What you did to Chris Welman when he threatened to expose your 
sexual harassment of Jo-Ellen.
Bobby: Hey what kind of sick joke is this?
Jarod: Oh this is no joke Bobby.  At least I’m not laughing.
Bobby: You don’t know what you’re talking about man.
Jarod: You had to stop him.  You had your promotion to lose.
Bobby: No man.
Jarod: So you followed Chris Welman up to the training tower and you cut 
his rappelling rope.  And then you made it look like he tried to commit 
suicide.
Bobby: That’s a lie and you know it.  The man left a note.
Jarod: Which you wrote on his computer.  Now if it makes you feel any 
better I’ll write one on yours.
Bobby: Jarod Please.  Look alright, alright.  I cut his rope.  I did it.  Right.  
Now please, pull me back up out of here man.  Okay?
Jarod: Hmm.  No way!  (He releases the brake and he starts to free fall 
again.)
Bobby: No No NO NO!
(Jarod engages the brake just before Bobby is about to hit the ground.  
Spenser, who has been playing the workman on the scaffold rolls over and 
holds up his tape recorder.)
Spenser: Now that was poetic.  Ha ha ha.  Wow!

The Centre
Infirmary
(Bridget leads Doctor Curtis into Raines’ room.)
Raines: It’s about time Dr Curtis.  Have you reached a conclusion?
Curtis: Yes.
Bridget: And your determination? 
(Doctor Curtis hands a folder to Bridget.)
Curtis: Any one of them could have done it.
Raines: Not very satisfying doctor.
Curtis: I’m very sorry Mr Raines.  That is the only conclusion I can come 
to based on my evaluations.
Raines: Get out!
Bridget: Perhaps Mr Parker knows who pulled the trigger.
Raines: Wherever he is.

Warehouse
Twenty-four Hours later
Wharf District
San Francisco, California
(It is an abandoned warehouse.  Doctor Curtis turns on a light and enters 
the main storage area.  He moves amongst the shadows and the rubbish 
lying on the floor.  He stops when he notices the other person standing in 
the shadows.)
Curtis: I did what you wanted.  I told them it could have been any one of 
them.  This is who I believe actually shot him.  (He holds a folder out and 
a black gloved hand emerges from the shadow.  The person opens the file 
and looks at the result before closing it again.)  So, we’re even.  (The man 
steps out of the shadow.)
Jarod: For now.
(Doctor Curtis looks up in surprise.  Jarod backs away, Curtis watches him 
merge with the shadows before walking away himself.)

Hospital
(Jarod and Jo-Ellen stand inside Chris’s room reading a newspaper article.
“Staffer Held In Attempted Murder of Crew Member”.  Jo-Ellen folds the 
paper as the doctor enters the room.)
Jarod: Is there any progress?
Doctor: It seems to vary with his mood.  If we could a way of keeping his 
spirits up there’s a good chance Chris could regain up to eighty percent of 
his cognitive and motor skills.
(Jarod looks over the doctor’s shoulder to see Grace walking along the 
passageway.  He goes to her and leads her into the room.  She walks to 
the end of the bed and turns back to Jarod.  He smiles and nods, and she 
walks to the head of the bed.  She takes Chris’ hand and he opens his 
eyes.  Tears form in his eyes as he realises who she is.  She rubs his hand 
on her face, bends and kisses him tenderly.  He kisses her hand.  She 
sheds a tear which falls on him.  Jarod smiles.)

Jarod’s Lair
Sensory Deprivation Tank
Young Jarod: Mum.  Mum.  I love you mum.
Margaret: I love you too Jarod.
(He reaches out to Margaret and she takes his hand and smiles at him.  
Jarod in the tank gives himself a hug before rolling onto his side drawing 
his legs up to his chest.)  

CLOSING CREDITS