Kevin is asleep in his bed, wakes up, looks at the alarm clock, sits up and sees the wheel chair is across the room. Then he runs down the stairs into the kitchen where the family is sitting down eating breakfast.
Kevin: You didn't wake me up. I'm going to be late.
Helen: You don't have anywhere to be.
Kevin: What do you mean? I'm late for school.
Joan: You're not in school.
Luke: By some mathematical miracle or error you graduated.
Will: Is it just me or did anyone else notice Kevin's legs?
Helen: What about his legs?
Will: They're on fire.
Kevin is standing there and his legs are on fire, flames are shooting up his legs. Then we hear Kevin from upstairs in his bed, yelling.
Kevin: Help, help! Put me out! Put me out!
Will and Helen run into his room.
Will: It's nothing.
Helen: It's okay. It was a dream.
Kevin: I was on fire.
Will: I'll get you some water.
Kevin: Dad, I'm not really on fire.
Will: I'll get you some anyway.
Kevin: It was so real, mom.
Helen: I know it's been a year and a half, but the doctors did say you'd have dreams like this for a while.
Kevin: It was my legs that were on fire.
Helen: Do you want something to help you sleep?
Kevin: No.
Helen: Drink the water anyway. It'll make your father happy.
Kevin: Mom. When I woke up my legs hurt.
Helen: In your dream?
Kevin: No, when I woke up. They were hurting.
Will: Here you go, buddy. [hands him a glass of water]
Kevin: Thanks. I'll be fine. [Will leaves]
Helen: Hurting how?
Kevin: I don't remember. I guess I was still dreaming.
Helen gives him a kiss on the head and turns off the light.
The next morning, Joan is in the kitchen looking in the refrigerator.
Joan: There's nothing to eat.
Helen: Keep looking. There might be something hidden behind all that food.
Will: [on the phone] Yes, sir. I understand, but I assure you, my guys are on it.
Joan: Sir? Who does he call Sir?
Luke: His boss.
Joan: He doesn't have a boss.
Luke: Sure he does. The Commissioner, the Mayor, Attorney General, mom.
Will: [on phone] The FBI has no jurisdiction. There is no evidence that the kid was transported across the state line.
Helen: Joan!
Joan: [eating cheese crackers] What? It's just cheese and bread.
Will: [on phone] Yes, sir. I'll keep you informed. Good-bye. [hangs up phone] No, I can't eat. Half an hour I'm talking to the mayor. It's like swimming...
Luke: Actually, thats reverse logic.
Helen: Is that the Reinneman case?
Joan: Oh is that the 3-year-old kid who got kidnapped?
Will: Missing.
Joan: Ok, got missing. I read it in the newspaper. It said you guys have no leads and it's been like 6 weeks.
Will: Four days, we have leads, and when did you start reading the paper?
Joan: Actually, I saw it on tv. It didn't make you guys look very good.
Will: That's a surprise. Where's Kevin?
Helen: Left early to go job hunting.
Will: Oh really. Um...was everything okay?
Luke: You mean after his screaming nightmare? You guys are completely inept at subterfuge.
The doorbell rings and both Luke and Joan get up.
Joan: This one's mine. You got the Jones witness.
Joan opens the door and a delivery woman is there.
Delivery Woman: Joan Girardi? Sign here.
Joan: Oh. I never get anything in the mail.
Delivery Woman: You owe six dollars and fifty cents.
Joan: Mom!
Delivery Woman (God): Uh huh. You've got twelve dollars in your pocket you were gonna to use to buy a frappucino and a muffin when you skip history class after lunch. Which by the way, do not do that.
Joan: Oh god. You're just a three ring circus aren't you?
Delivery Woman (God): Okay, price went up. Give me the whole twelve.
Joan: What are you going to do with money?
Delivery Woman (God): It's not what I'm going to do with it. It's what you're going to do without it.
Joan: Ah..any guess as to when this is going to end? First a job at a bookstore then AP Chemistry. How do you top that?
Delivery Woman (God): You don't have to accept the package you know.
Joan: Oh yeah, okay. And I could also take the little blue pill. Hand it over.
Delivery Woman (God): [looks at money] In me you trust. Not entirely true.
Joan opens the package as God leaves, and sees it's a book on how to play chess.
Joan: Chess. Hey, I do not play chess.
At the police station, Will walks in and notices a woman sitting in his office.
Jeanne: You don't want to know.
Lt. Daghlian: She's a psychic.
Will: Not in my office she's not.
Jeanne: She wants herbal tea. Maybe she'll read the leaves later.
Lt. Daghlian: Reinneman Case. Parents asked for it and we have to try everything there is being exposed legally.
Will: I don't work with psychics.
Lt. Daghlian: Also the mayor's on board. Said she's had some success with other squads.
Will: Fine, you talk to her, it's your case.
Lt. Daghlian: Yeah but she's in your office. [he leaves]
Jeanne hands will the cup of tea and he goes into his office.
Will: Hi. [handing her the tea]
Charlotte Bloome: Hi, thanks.
Will: I'm Chief Girardi, but you probably already know that.
Charlotte Bloome: Ah...gee. I've never heard that one before.
Will: I didn't mean it quite that way, but since we're on the subject, I'm not on bored with this. I'm being forced into this by my superiors.
Charlotte Bloome: My name is Charlotte Bloome, since you neglected to ask. And here again I'm shocked to find a cop who's skeptical about my profession.
Will: Well now that we're in this, might as well make it work. How does it work?
Charlotte Bloome: Well, you could start by getting me up-to-date on the file. And no, I don't know what's in it.
At school, Joan is at her locker and Grace walks up and slams it shut.
Grace: Tell your brother to stop with the aftershave. First, he has nothing to shave. Second, it smells like pickled eggs. And third, he sits behind me and I'm allergic. I have like, one working sinus left.
Joan: Why don't you do it yourself?
Grace: Just take care of it will you? [walks away]
Two girls walk up to Joan.
Girl: Oh my god, you know her?
Joan: Not really, she's in my AP Chemistry class.
Other Girl: Your in AP Chem? I thought your brother was the geek.
Joan: Well, he is, it's just... [drops her chess book]
Girl: Chess?
Joan: It's not mine. Give it to me. [takes it back from the girl and starts to walk away]
Girl: So is it true?
Joan: What?
Girl: That she's a big lesbo.
Joan: Grace? I have no idea. I don't even know her.
Girl: Well there's a big pool going in gym class.
Other Girl: So could you find out?
Joan: What? Like ask her?
Other Girl: No, you give her the fingernail test. Ask her to look at them. [holds hand flat] Not gay. [closes hand] Gay.
Girl: That test is so unreliable. You just start talking about, you know, some hot guy and see how she reacts.
Other Girl: Dax Hibbing.
Joan: Wait, wait. What is that?
Girl: Dax Hibbing. The captain of the wrestling team. Anyone who doesn't get him is definitely gay.
Joan: I don't know who he is? But I mean, if I knew him, I'd totally get him.
Other Girl: So you'll find out?
Joan: Is it anybody's business?
Other Girl: Okay chill. [walks away]
Girl: They like, protect each other. It's another sign.
Other Girl: Like shoes.
Helen is standing in a doctor's office.
Dr. Hughes: Helen, good to see you. But Kevin's not due for a while, is everything alright?
Helen: Fine.
Dr. Hughes: Oh yeah, that's convincing. Want some coffee?
Helen: No, thank you. I probably could have just talked to you on the phone.
Dr. Hughes: What's wrong?
Helen: Nothing really...um...it's just the other night Kevin had this dream about his legs.
Dr. Hughes: Not uncommon.
Helen: Right, I know. But when he woke up, they were hurting.
Dr. Hughes: Neuropathic pain, yes. This is all pretty textbook.
Helen: I know, but this one thing, it's never come up. After the accident, after all the tests had come back, Dr. Slater told us that Kevin would be paralyzed from the waist down because of the spinal cord injury. He said it's the saddest thing in the world to tell someone their son won't walk again.
Dr. Hughes: There's no good way to say it.
Helen: And I remember thinking, he didn't actually say Kevin would never walk again.
Dr. Hughes: Helen, Kevin's back was broken in three places. When the vertebra collapsed the nerves were damaged, the cord itself was compressed. Circulation was denied to that area which rendered that part of his spinal cord essentially dead. He will never walk again. Ever.
Helen: I guess I just needed to hear it.
Dr. Hughes: I understand.
Helen: Thank you. [stands up and walks toward the door] Essentially. You said essentially dead.
Dr. Hughes: You want a number don't you? I strongly advise against it. Two percent chance that he'll walk again.
Helen: Thank you.
Joan is in AP Chem.
Ms. Lischak: Now remember, you need to be recording which are the cations and which are the anions.
Grace: You smell that? It's like essence of pimp.
Joan: Yeah, it's pretty bad. It's really girly. Hard to believe he's straight.
Grace: Hard to believe and hard to care.
Joan: You know, I know he's not your type, I know he isn't mine. If he weren't my brother. I'm more the athlete type. You know that's my thing. Football players, wrestlers, abs, big forearms.
Grace: Small cerebral cortex.
Adam: Wrestlers?
Joan: Like, Dax Hibbing, wow.
Grace: Calm down, breathe in back.
Joan: Oh wait, you don't get him?
Ms. Lischak: [hitting their desk] Ladies, are we discussing ions?
Grace: No, wrestlers.
Adam: Wrestlers?
Joan: Mind your own business.
Will and Lt. Daghlian are at the police station with Charlotte Bloome.
Lt. Daghlian: It's like he vanished. They were at the park. He was playing in the sand box. His mother goes to get a lemonade from the truck. Turns around and he's gone.
Charlotte Bloome: Nobody saw anything?
Will: Witness statements are all over the place, we're still in the process of following up.
Charlotte Bloome: That wasn't a question.
Will: Oh, my mistake.
Charlotte Bloome: I'd like to go to the scene of the crime. It would be helpful to have something that belonged to the boy. It would be helpful if the parents were there.
Will: I don't think that's a good Idea. They've been over the area with us a dozen times.
Charlotte Bloome: The parents' energy is very conducive to the process.
Will: It's wrong to put the Reinnemans through that again.
Lt. Daghlian: Chief, how about we let them make the call?
Joan walks back into the empty AP Chem classroom to get her coat, she sees Cute Guy (God).
Joan: What are you doing? You can't be here.
Cute Guy (God): Hmm...and yet I am. Walk with me.
Joan: No, people are gonna to see me.
Cute Guy (God): Yes they will, that optic nerve was an inspired idea, wasn't it?
Joan: I meant that they'll see you.
Cute Guy (God): Yeah, I've noticed that this look turns a lot of heads.
Joan: It's called being hot.
Cute Guy (God): Hmm...you didn't read the book, did you?
Joan: Ha, like you don't know. Cain, where's your brother? Very passive aggressive. Some of it. I couldn't really follow it, I'm not that bright, you know. My brother would be much better for this, if I could recommend someone to take my place?
Cute Guy (God): Oh Joan, would have been so much easier if you had just read the book. Now I'm gonna have to send you to the basement.
Joan: You mean like, hell?
Cute Guy (God): No, I mean, like the basement. There's one in the school. Check it out.
Joan goes down to the dark basement where students are playing chess.
Mr. Poplin: Are you looking for the chess club?
Joan: I suppose.
Mr. Poplin: Oh, please...please. We could always use another wood pusher. [she walks into the room]
In the lunchroom, Joan and those two guys are standing in line to get their lunch.
Joan: Hey, can I sit with you guys?
Girl: I dont know. Is it anybody's business?
Joan: I tried okay, but I got nothing. The girl's not talking.
Other Girl: Okay, whatever.
Lynnie: Joan Girardi? Do you know me? I'm Lynnie Carmichael.
Joan: I guess I do now.
Lynnie: I am going to cut you off at the knees. I will rip your hair out one root at a time.
Joan: Wow...it seems like we just met.
Lynnie: Do not mess with my boyfriend.
Joan: Okay, um...who is he so I don't mess with him?
Lynnie: Nice try, consider yourself warned.
Joan: Who is her boyfriend?
Girl: Dax Hibbing.
Other Girl: You hit on Dax Hibbing?
Joan: I dont know Dax Hibbing.
Other Girl: Are you insane? They are like, such a unit. You can't get in there.
Joan: I don't know Dax Hibbing.
Other Girl: You're either a complete freak or my hero.
Lt. Daghlian and Will are walking in the park.
Will: Your tax dollars, ladies and gentlemen, paying for this sideshow.
Lt. Daghlian: Why does it bug you so much? It's just an exercise.
Will: Because she's wasting our time and exploiting those people's pain.
Mrs. Reinneman: He's alive. Charlotte says he's alive.
Will: Really?
Mrs. Reinneman: But we don't have much time.
Mr. Reinneman: She got the image of a car. [to Charlotte] Tell them.
Charlotte Bloome: Yeah, it's a white car. It's small, it's beat up. I got two numbers in the license plate. A two and a four. You might want to write that down.
Will: You didn't happen to zone in on an address?
Charlotte Bloome: No, it doesn't work that way.
Mr. Reinneman: It was a man, she said, and he used a puppy to get Eric to come to him.
Mrs. Reinneman: Tell them about the barn.
Will: Barn?
Charlotte Bloome: Uh...it was just a flash. It's red, it's in the country.
Will: Red barn in the country. [sarcastically]
Charlotte Bloome: And there's a farm and hay.
Will: That would fit with the barn.
Charlotte Bloome: Can I speak with you for a moment, alone? [they both start walking] What is your problem, huh?
Will: Well, I'm glad you asked. My problem is every minute we're spending here is a minute we're not spending in a constructive process which might actually yield results.
Charlotte Bloome: You have a better idea?
Will: Yes I do. Let's go back to the station where we do these wacky procedures where we follow up on witnesses and evidence and wade through about a hundred calls a day on the tip hotline. And if any of those tips are good, we bring the person in and we interview 'em. We've actually found missing kids this way.
Charlotte Bloome: You haven't found this one.
Will: Are we done here?
Charlotte Bloome: Uh..huh.
At school, Joan sees Grace in the hall.
Joan: Hey, thanks a lot.
Grace: Um..you're welcome. However I'm picking up a lack of sincerity.
Joan: You know what? That's a nice act. Pretending you're disenfranchised and oh so not a part of the high school antics.
Grace: Look, I just wanted you to get your brother to nix the aftershave. Forget I mentioned it.
Joan: You told everybody that was in love with Dax Hibbing, just because I said his name in passing. I don't even know the guy. Now his girlfriend is threatening to rip my hair out.
Grace: This may come as a shock to you, but you and your sexual fantasies do not take up any space in my brain.
Joan: Whatever, just stop spreading rumors about me.
Adam: [to Luke in the hall] Did she say?
Luke: Yeah.
Grace: Hey, streaky! I don't think about you, one way or another. But while were on the subject of puerile high school behavior, do you think I'm not on to your stupid sexual preference quiz? I didn't take the Dax Hibbing bait, so that means that I'm singing in the other choir. The only thing more obvious is the fingernail test. My sexuality is my business.
Joan is in the dark basement playing chess.
Mr. Poplin: Finally, we learn from chess the greatest maxim in life. That even when everything seems going badly for us we should not lose heart and steadfastly continue searching for solutions to our problems. Who said that?
Ned: Benjamin Franklin. [Joan taps her timer] Interesting. Fianachetto.
Joan: I have no idea what I'm doing.
Ned: Yeah, like I'm falling for that.
Joan: A horse can jump people right?
Ned: That's funny.
Mr. Poplin: How's it going?
Ned: She's bold. Kudos for the dresden variation, but I'm about take her queen.
Joan: Which one is the queen? This one?
Ned: Oh yeah, your psyching me out.
Joan: [makes move] Can I do that?
Ned: Woah. I should have seen that. I should have seen it. Crap, in six moves, by a girl.
Joan: [looks at Mr. Poplin] What happened? Did I win?
Mr. Poplin: Who do you study with?
Joan: Um, I don't study. I tried to read a book.
Mr. Poplin: [laughs] Where have you been, Miss Girardi?
Will is in his office listening to headphones, when Charlotte Bloome walks in.
Charlotte Bloome: Mozart?
Will: Tip hotline. It's not sexy work, but somebody has to do it.
Charlotte Bloome: Can we talk? I mean, off the record?
Will: I'm not a reporter.
Charlotte Bloome: When I was 29, I was in a car accident and I died. And no, I don't remember a tunnel. I didn't see any dead loved ones, no angels, nothing like that. It's just that when I woke up everything was different. I was different. I asked the doctor, and he said this was not uncommon among near death survivors. And then shortly after that I began having dreams, that came true. And weird visions, it was like I could hear people's thoughts. I don't know the why of it, but I made the decision that as long as I had this bizarre ability, I might as well use it to help people.
Will: And get paid for it. Help people for a price.
Charlotte Bloome: Yeah, like you. Is it because of the tragedy? I mean that this makes you so angry and unwilling. You've had a tragedy.
Will: Who hasn't?
Jeanne: Chief, you're family's here.
Will: Excuse me, it's restaurant night.
Will walks out of his office to greet his family.
Helen: [hugs Will] Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.
Will: Not a problem, I was winding down. [to Kevin] Hey, slugger, how'd the job search go?
Kevin: Well, the drycleaners really seem to recognize my particular talent, but I don't want to get my hopes up.
Will: [Charlotte walks out of Will's office] This is Ms. Bloome. She's working with us on a case. My family.
Helen: [shakes her hand] I'm Helen.
Charlotte Bloome: Charlotte. Nice to meet you.
Helen: Nice to meet you. This is Kevin, Luke and Joan.
Joan: Dad, can I put a word in for sushi?
Luke and Kevin: [simultaneously] No, no.
Will: Were going for spaghetti, end of discussion. Forgot my pager, excuse me.
Helen: So, are you a detective?
Charlotte Bloome: No, actually I'm a psychic.
Helen: A psychic, that's interesting.
Charlotte Bloome: Your daughter has a very special connection to the universe.
Joan: No I don't.
Luke: No, it's true. She is from another planet.
Charlotte walks over to Kevin and whispers something in his ear.
Charlotte Bloome: [to Helen] It was nice to meet you. You have a lovely family.
Helen: Nice to meet you.
Will: [to Kevin] What did she say to you?
Kevin: Nothing.
Will: Don't tell me nothing.
Kevin: Well it was nothing, dad, let's go. I'm starving.
Helen is at the DMV again and walks up to the priest standing outside.
Helen: Hi, I don't know if you remember me?
Priest: Yes.
Helen: Oh good. I'm late for work. I just have a quick question.
Priest: I actually have a parish you know, and an office, and an assistant.
Helen: I'm sure, but uh, this will just take a second.
Priest: The question of suffering goes all the way back to the fall from grace. There isn't a parking lot version.
Helen: No. This is a whole other subject. This is about miracles.
Priest: Oh no.
Helen: Is it wrong to pray for them? Personal miracles, I mean, not world peace, or...save the planet or nothing altruistic. Just plain old shopping list, God is Santa, give me this one thing and I'll stop smoking kinda thing.
Priest: Well I think you should stop smoking for your own sake.
Helen: No, I don't smoke.
Priest: This would work out better in my office. I promise you could sit down with me, we could have tea.
Helen: It's just, I was raised Catholic and I was taught that you don't ask God for specific things, but there is this one miracle that I would really, really like to have. Like something you see in a store and you can't stop thinking about it, and you start to believe that it already belongs to you, and it's just misplaced, but is it wrong? Can it actually do harm to pray for something you want?
Priest: I think prayer can never hurt. As long as you understand you might not recognize the answer right away. Most miracles occur in hindsight.
Helen: Why don't I ever feel better after I talk to you?
Priest: I don't know.
Lt. Daghlian and Will are walking, near a red barn.
Lt. Daghlian: You got to admit, it's weird. We're driving around for 5 minutes and there's this barn.
Will: And Madame Bolletzki gets a hit, what are the odds?
Lt. Daghlian: Yeah and it is red, too.
Will: You know as well as I do that the longer this takes the more likely it is we're looking for a body.
Mrs. Reinneman: Oh my god! Oh my god! [Will and Lt. Daghlian run to find out what's going on]
Will: What happened?
Charlotte Bloome: No, it's good. Everything's fine.
Mrs. Reinneman: Look, look what she found. [holding a toy]
Will: Is that your son's toy, Mrs. Reinneman?
Mrs. Reinneman: Yes, yes it's Toby. He calls him Toby, he calls him Toby.
Will: [to Lt. Daghlian] You got an evidence bag?
Lt. Daghlian: In the truck.
Will: I'm going to call for a unit.
Charlotte Bloome: Chief, you should get your guys to comb the area.
Will: Is that how it's done?
At school, Joan is walking in the hall.
Dax: Hey, come here a minute.
Joan: I'm going to be late for class.
Dax: This'll be quick. Give me your phone number. I'll call you tonight.
Joan: Who are you?
Dax: Look, don't let Lynnie scare you. It's good for her to be jealous. Keeps her on her toes.
Joan: Oh you're Dax.
Dax: Too late to play it cool. It's all over town.
Principal Chadwick: Miss Girardi, your presence is requested in my office. Mr. Hibbing, yours will be too, if you miss the bell.
Joan follows the principal into his office, where Helen and Mr. Poplin are sitting.
Joan: Oh, okay hi. Um, I didn't do it.
Principal Chadwick: You're not in trouble Joan.
Joan: I'm not?
Principal Chadwick: Mr Poplin just gave us the exciting news and I have a proposition for you. Sit down. Joan, I have to admit. I was concerned when you wanted to take AP Chem. But recent events prove that you have some scientific talent of which only you were aware, and we're happy you're finding a way to express it.
Joan: What are you talking about?
Mr. Poplin: Your abilities in the game of chess border on genius.
Helen: Why didn't you tell anyone? Did Luke teach you/?
Joan: Nobody taught me. It was an accident.
Mr. Poplin: You beat our highest ranked player in six moves.
Joan: I didn't mean to.
Helen: Joan, that's incredible.
Principal Chadwick: We want you to represent the school in a regional chess tournament. Now, I know it's only a few months away so you're going to have to put in some extra time after school.
Joan: Woah! Woah! Listen, I don't know how to play chess.
Everyone but Joan starts laughing.
Out by the red barn, Will and other policemen are searching the area.
Will: [on the phone] Yes, sir, we're doing everything we can. I've got SID here, I've got SWAT on stand by. I'm trying to keep the press at bay but that won't last long. Um...I'll get back to you, Mr. Mayor. [hangs up phone] What is it, Mr. Reinnemann?
Mr. Reinneman: I don't know how to say this.
Will: Just tell me.
Mr. Reinneman: That's not Toby. I just found Toby in the trunk of my car. I've never seen that toy before. I don't think it's his. [walks away]
Joan is in the dark basement where there is only one person in there playing chess.
Joan: Um...hi. Im here for the chess club?
Chess Player: They all went home. I'll be working with you today.
Joan: Ok um, well, before anything happens, I should just let you know up front that I don't know how to play chess.
Chess Player: Well that's fair.
Joan: God, you know, I'm actually, uh, for once very glad to see you.
Chess Player (God): And why is that, Joan?
Joan: Because my life is completely unraveling. I'm up to my eyeballs in the drama of the high school mating ritual, and now, thanks to you, I've been mistaken as the school chess champion. How did this happen to me?
Chess Player (God): Which part?
Joan: How did I beat that kid at chess?
Chess Player (God): He was using logic, you weren't. It's impossible to guard against chaos. It's rare, but it happens. Blacks move.
Joan: I don't want to...I don't know how to play this game.
Chess Player (God): And yet you play the game.
Joan: Because I'm forced to.
Chess Player (God): Forced to? Your friends make a suggestion, which you follow up on, and then you're surprised at the outcome? It's a causal universe. Move.
Joan: Wait a minute, I'm being punished because I made a tiny little effort to fit in?
Chess Player (God): It's not about punishment. It's that actions have consequences, and to be in denial of that is to be disengaged from the laws of the universe, which renders you powerless and vulnerable to an inordinate amount of pain. Other than that, it's no big deal. Move. [she touches one of the pieces and then takes her hand away] No.
Joan: No?
Chess Player (God): It's a rule called "touch move." Once you touch a piece, you have to move that piece.
Joan: I'm not allowed to change my mind? What kind of universe is that?
Chess Player (God): Oh, you can change your mind, but you still have to play that piece. So you should think before you move.
Joan: Wait a minute, this is a metaphor. Yeah, I looked up "metaphor" and that's definitely an example. Yep...took the bait. So now I'm in the game. How do I get out?
Chess Player (God): There are many ways to get out. Surrender is one, losing is another. Winning, cheating, which I don't recommend, but you have to do something. You have to have a strategy. See the number one rule in chess is this. Whatever you do, don't play the other person's game. Play your own. Your move.
Kevin wheels into Joan's room.
Kevin: Joan, can I borrow your hair dryer so I can look extra handsome for my job interview at Wiener World? Joan?
Joan: [jumps up from under her blanket] What?
Kevin: [startled] Don't scare the cripple, my fight or flight impulse is very confused. What were you doing?
Joan: Imagining I was in a coma. It's not so bad. I hate school. I have no friends, I can't fit in. I don't know who I like. I'm miserable. And, and, and I got this, this zit in my ear. Ouch.
Kevin: Yeah well, I didn't need to know that last part, but I have to concur, high school sucks.
Joan: Didn't suck for you? You were like, the star.
Kevin: So, I was in the in crowd. I just got to see the jerks closer up. Why do you think I spent so much time playing sports? I didn't like that social thing so much. People were mean, it was boring. I wanted to play my own game.
Joan: Oh my god. Somebody just said that to me yesterday..about chess.
Kevin: Well, it's the basic rule of any sport. Otherwise you're always on the defensive posture, always reacting to the other guy.
Joan: You really weren't happy in high school? You really felt like a reject sometimes?
Kevin: Everybody does. Even the ones who claim they don't. Hey, you, you are going to find some people who totally get what a non-repulsive, sub-defective you are. Just trust in yourself a little bit, you'll figure it out. And if you need me to role over anyone, let me know.
Joan: Sub-defective.
Helen is in the kitchen, Will walks in.
Will: You're up early?
Helen: So are you.
Will: It's that damn psychic woman. Do you know how much she cost the city in dollars and man-hours combing the countryside because she found a 10-year-old toy in a barn?
Helen: You have to admit, it was an interesting coincidence.
Will: Coincidences are interesting. They're common, they happen to the average person 10 times a day, but nobody puts the SWAT team on alert.
Helen: Okay, well, I'm not the bad guy.
Will: I'm sorry.
Helen: Will, It's nothing.
Will: Holistic healing, chakra energy, lourdes?
Helen: I'm not taking him to lourdes. I was just curious about alternative medicine.
Will: No.
Helen: What do you mean no?
Will: You can't do this. you can't let yourself go down this path of magical thinking, Helen.
Helen: I am just contemplating all the possibilities. What harm can that do?
Will: Plenty, you think this is good for Kevin? Dragging him around to quacks instead of letting him get on with his life the way it is? He's driving now. He's looking for a job. This is what we wanted. What you wanted.
Helen: I'm not looking for magic. It's more like...
Will: What, miracles?
Helen: I was raised to believe in them.
Will: So was I. I was an alter boy for gods sake. And then I grew up.
Helen: Well I will tell you something Will, I was happier when I believed it.
Will: Helen, look, our boy is paralyzed. His spine is irreparably damaged. There is no miracle. There is no magic. God is not coming down to fix it. And nothing is going to change. Please, don't leave me alone knowing that.
Joan comes in.
Joan: Sorry.
Helen: No, it's okay. Are you hungry? I'll make you some breakfast.
Joan: No. [turns around and goes upstairs]
Will and Lt. Daghlian are at the police station.
Lt. Daghlian: We got something on the tip line. One of the guys you flagged.
Will: Oh yeah?
Lt. Daghlian: Brought him in for questioning and I like his story. Want to hear it?
Will: I don't know, sounds awfully scientific.
Lt. Daghlian: Hey, I wasn't on board for the physic stuff, just, you know, wanted to be open.
Man: The lady who lives next door to me has always been weird. Keeps to herself, doesn't seem to have a job. I think she lives on disability. One day I saw her walking around with a little kid. She says it's an orphan nephew she's adopting.
Will: Can you describe the child?
Man: Few days later I see a picture of the missing kid on television. Looked a lot like the little boy. [looks at the picture of the boy] Yeah, I think that's him.
Joan and Luke are walking down the hall at school.
Luke: They always have fights, it's no big deal.
Joan: This was different. They were fighting about God.
Luke: They always have. Since forever. I mean, mom wanted to get married in a church, dad didn't. Blah, blah, blah. God and money, that's basically what grownups talk about.
Other Girl: We need to talk.
Joan: About what?
Girl: Your behavior.
Other Girl: It's so not cool. Flirting with Dax in the hall for everyone to see. Lynnie cried all through World Geography.
Girl: Stealing someone's boyfriend does not look good on the social resume.
Joan: I did not flirt with him. He came up to me. [pause] You know what? Bite Me.
Girl: Oh that's charming.
Luke: Can you just leave my sister alone?
Other Girl: Back off, pinhead.
Luke: That's Mr. pinhead to you.
Joan: You know what? I don't care about Dax Hibbing or Lynnie Charmichael, or my social resume, or who's gay or who's not. I can't spend my time on this planet worrying about that stuff. There's other things to do.
Girl: Like what? Chemistry and chess?
Joan: Yeah, like that. And those guys may be nerds, but at least they know what they're here for. [the girls walk away]
Luke: You called me a nerd.
Joan: It was a metaphor.
Will and Lt. Daghlian are in some woman's apartment.
Woman: Yes, I've been reading about that little boy. It's very sad. Tea, Coffee, anything?
Will: No, thank you.
Woman: That's Percy. [pointing to the small dog] She's very friendly.
Will: The thing is, some of your neighbors reported seeing the little boy in this apartment building. We were wondering if you knew anything about that.
Woman: No, I'm afraid I don't.
Will: I understand, you have a son or a nephew.
Woman: No, I live alone.
Will: Oh, because your neighbors were pretty certain about a little boy living here.
Woman: I babysit some of the children in the neighborhood for extra money.
Will: Oh, well that's probably it.
Lt. Daghlian: Do you mind if we have a look around while were here?
Woman: Yes, I do mind. I don't mean to be rude, but I know you need a warrant for that.
Lt. Daghlian: That's true.
Will: We could get one and come back.
Lt. Daghlian: Yeah, yeah, why don't we uh, do that?
Will: Oh, do you mind if I use your bathroom?
Woman: [turns around and points a knife at Will] No, you can't use the bathroom [Lt. Daghlian pulls his gun] You can't look around. Leave me alone.
Lt. Daghlian: Put the knife down.
Woman: This is harassment. You can't just come in here and harass me.
Lt. Daghlian: Put it down!
Woman: I know about this. I know my rights, you need a warrant. What? You gonna shoot me?
Lt. Daghlian: You just pulled a knife on the chief of police, that's definitely a shootable offense. Put it down.
Will is able to take the knife away from the woman and Lt. Daghlian handcuffs her. Will notices the dog scratching at a door.
Will: Where is the key to this door?
Woman: Up my ass!
Will kicks the door in, and sees a little boy sitting on the floor.
Joan is in the park at school, eating lunch, when Grace walks up behind her.
Grace: You gonna eat all that?
Joan: No, do you want some?
Grace: What is it?
Joan: Salami and stuff. My dad's Italian. To him a sandwich is like an opera. [hand Grace part of her sandwich] Look Grace, I'm really sorry.
Grace: Yeah, the taking of the sandwich is a symbolic act designed to avoid direct confrontation. Don't blow it.
Joan: Okay.
At the Girardi house, the family is sitting down eating dinner.
Will: So, Daghlian says to me the woman had a white car. The psychic gets every other detail wrong and I'm suppose to be impressed because she had a white car.
Helen: She didn't get anything else right?
Will: Well, there was a dog.
Helen: Well, that's something.
Will: She said a man with a puppy, and can I remind everyone there was no barn involved, at all?
Joan: Don't fight.
Will: I'm not fighting. I'm just saying after wasting all this time with her, in the end we ended up finding this kid through standard police work.
Helen: It's a miracle you found him alive. I don't mean a miracle.
Joan: Can I interrupt this moment of family tension to say that I will not be representing the school in the chess tournament?
Luke: Was that ever a possibility?
Joan: There was a brief moment of insanity.
Helen: Joan, that is such an honor. Why would you turn that down?
Joan: Because I don't know how to play chess. I keep telling everybody that but no one believes it.
Kevin: I believe you.
Joan: Thank you. I don't understand it.
Luke: It's just strategy and a little bit of living in the future.
Will: Please, no more talk about the future.
Luke: That's how it works, dad. I mean, you see four moves ahead, it's empirical. You see five moves ahead, it's still grounded in science. I mean, who knows where the demarcation is. Now, if you see twelve moves ahead, maybe you're crossing over into psychic phenomenon. And maybe that's what a psychic does. She just reads the board of life better then we do.
Will: There are a million people with white cars and dogs.
Kevin: She said I'd dance at my wedding. That's what she told me. Then again, she said Joan has a special connection to the universe, so go figure.
Music starts playing.
The End.
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