KODIAK

Episode 102

“Home”

by

David Polk

Contact:
David Polk
176 Dusty Rose Court
Simi Valley, CA 93065
805.428.5775
dpolk@mac.com
 2.

RECAP

We recap events from the previous episode, ending on Meg

waiting for Cord to return home.

TEASER

FADE IN:

EXT. PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND - MORNING

HANS, 21, and AVA, 19, German kayakers, paddle through the
icy waters, past large ice flows. Ava’s worried.

AVA
(English subtitles)
Hans, we’re lost. I know it.

HANS
(English subtitles)
Ava, I know exactly where we are.

He doesn’t.

AVA
(English subtitles)
We should’ve gone with a tour group,
Hans. I knew it. We’re lost.

HANS
(English subtitles)
Will you stop worrying?! We’ll see
more and pay less this way.

AVA
(English subtitles)
Hans! What was that?!

She looks over her shoulder, sees nothing. When she turns
around a HUMPBACK WHALE BREACHES between her and Hans!

Hans is thrown into the water, Ava’s kayak capsized. The

force of the whale CRASHING back in the water knocks Hans
cold. Ava frees herself from her kayak and swims to him.

AVA
Hans! Hans!

FADE OUT.

END TEASER
 3.

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

INT. BATHROOM – MORNING

Cord McKenna is enjoying a long, hot shower. Only one

thing feels better than saving lives in the Bering Sea. He
slides the shower curtain open, calls out –

CORD
Hey babe! ... Meg!

INT. BEDROOM – SAME

The slept-in bed is empty.

INT. MCKENNA HOME, KITCHEN – SAME

Meg McKenna hurries daughters Ashleigh and Maggie to eat

their breakfast.

MEG
Come on, girls. You don’t want to make
Grandma late for the Center.

Claire McKenna is preparing the girls’ lunches.

CLAIRE
There’s plenty of time, Megan dear.
Besides, it’s a volunteer job.

MEG
I know, Claire, and I really appreciate
your dropping them off. I just need
some time alone with Cord this morning.

Claire gives her a naughty smile.

CLAIRE
Ah!...Three’s good.
(then)
Alright, angels, Mommy’s right. Let’s
get a move on.

She gathers the girls and their belongings and herds them
out of the kitchen. After they’ve left, TIME CUTS of Meg
pacing, fretting, rehearsing what she will say.
 4.

SAME SCENE – LATER

Cord comes into the kitchen, buttoning his flannel shirt.

CORD
(kisses her on the lips)
‘Morning, babe. Hope I didn’t wake you
last night. You seemed pretty knocked
out, though.
(pours a cup of coffee)
Sayer did a helluva job last night.
Even Zeke was singing her praises when
we got back to base.

MEG
Cord, honey, there’s something I have
to tell you.

CORD
(sips coffee)
Okay. Shoot.

She fidgets, trying to find her courage. It’s painful to

watch.

CORD
Babe, what is it? Is it one of the
girls?

MEG
No. No, it’s not the girls.

CORD
What then? Just tell me, babe. The
girls are fine so how bad could it be,
right?

He gives her a supportive smile.

MEG
Dr. Graham called me into her office
yesterday –

CORD
(sudden concern)
Meg, what’s wrong?! Are you alright?

Beat. She takes a deep breath.

MEG
Cord, I have gonorrhea.
 5.

Beat. He’s sure he didn’t hear that right.

CORD
What?
(then laughing)
It sounded like you said you have
gonorrhea.

She’s not laughing.

CORD
Wait, you’re not serious! Gonorrhea?!
As in VD?!

MEG
(tears finally coming)
Cord...I’m sorry.

He puts his coffee mug on the counter, face tightening,

eyes hardening. She’s holding her breath.

CORD
(anger rising)
You’re serious!

He burns holes in her with his eyes. WHAM! She flinches

as his coffee mug misses her head by inches and smashes
through a window. He gets in her face, about to explode.

CORD
WHO!

Meg wilts, truly afraid of this person.

MEG
Cord, it didn’t mean any –

CORD
WHO!

MEG
...A Navy Commander.

Cord raises his hand as if to smack her. She steels

herself for the blow, looks straight into his eyes.
Furious, he moves away and proceeds to destroy the kitchen,
flinging pots and pans, smashing plates and glasses,
ripping cabinets off hinges, all the while shouting in
anguish and disgust.

Meg disintegrates in a torrent of tears.

 6.

EXT. SCENIC ALASKA ROAD – MORNING

Eden Sayer listens to her iPod while she jogs [Indigo Girls
or Natalie Merchant]. She stops to take in the scenery –
magnificent.

INT. EDEN’S APARTMENT – DAY

Fresh from the shower in a tank top and nothing else, Eden
sits on the sofa with a KEEPSAKE BOX. She goes through the
box – inside are MEMENTOS to remind her of her Inuit
heritage. Her cat jumps up next to her. She smiles and
gives the cat some loving attention.

INT. OASIS CAFÉ – DAY

A busy day at the café. Meg works to keep from going mad.
Eden enters and sits at a table, puts her parka on the back
of her chair. Meg comes over.

MEG
Hi. Coffee to start?

EDEN
Do you have herbal tea?

MEG
Sure. Specials are on the table here.
Back in a bit with that tea.

Meg leaves and we realized that they’ve never met. Eden

goes through the menu. Meg comes back with the tea.

MEG
Here you go, hon. Ready to order?

EDEN
I’ll have the heart smart special. And
can I have that with extra soy flakes?

MEG
(smiles)
Only if you insist...I don’t think I’ve
ever seen you in here before. Are you
new to the island?

EDEN
Not exactly new. I was born in
(MORE)
 7.

EDEN (CONT’D.)
Prudhoe, moved to the lower 48 when I
was around six, and just came back to
Alaska a about a month ago with the
Coast Guard.

Meg is suddenly overcome with emotion.

MEG
(tearing up)
I’m sorry...I’m...please excuse me.

Meg walks away quickly, disappears in the back of the

restaurant. Eden watches even after another WAITRESS comes
to take her order. After a few moments, Meg comes out and
makes a beeline for the exit.

EDEN
(confused)
I don’t know what I said. I just
ordered the special.

WAITRESS
She’s an artist. They can be very
touchy you know.

INT. F-150 PICKUP TRUCK – DAY

Meg sits behind the wheel, engine running, looking like

she’s been crying for hours, which she has. She’s startled
when her cell phone rings. She pulls it out. The Caller
ID display reads, “Claire”. She hits “ignore”.

EXT. PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ICE FLOW – DAY

Ava swims toward an ice flow, the still unconscious Hans in

tow. We stay with her as she struggles to climb onto the
jagged ice, drags Hans up then collapses from sheer
fatigue. After a few breaths she tries to revive him.

AVA
(crying)
Hans! Hans! Oh mien God!

INT. JAYHAWK – DAY

Cord sits alone in the cockpit, staring out at the flight

line but seeing nothing.
 8.

SMITTY (O.S.)
Didn’t expect to see you here,
Lieutenant.

Cord looks out the side window at his mechanic, SMITTY,

40s, a Coast Guard lifer.

CORD
Oh, hey Smitty.

SMITTY
Thought for sure you’d take the day
after last night’s mission. Helluva
job, sir.

CORD
Yeah, thanks...Well, I just needed to
get out of the house for a while.

SMITTY
(chortles)
Tell me about it. Seems like Myra
always finds more work for me to do on
my days off than I have here. Anyway,
sorry sir but I’m gonna have to ask you
to exit the aircraft. We’re down a
couple of choppers because of Deep
Water system upgrades and I need to
have this one ready to go just in case.

CORD
Sure, of course, Smitty.

Cord leaves the cockpit, passes another mechanic starting

to work on the Jayhawk and walks without purpose across the
flight line.

INT. KITCHEN – DAY

Meg enters and looks at the hell wrought by Hurricane Cord.

The kitchen isn’t half the wreck that her life has become.
How could she have been so foolish? She fights tears,
determined not to cry again.

Shortly, Claire comes in behind her and freaks out.

CLAIRE
Oh, my God! What happened?! We’ve
been robbed! Oh God! What if the
girls had been home?!
 9.

MEG
No, Claire.

CLAIRE
I can’t believe this! I’ve lived in
this house for twenty years and nothing
like this has ever happened!

MEG
We weren’t robbed, Claire.

The look in Meg’s eyes tells Claire that it’s much worse
than a robbery.

INT. LIVING ROOM – LATER

ON CLAIRE’S STUNNED FACE

CLAIRE
(at a loss)
Megan...my God...

MEG
Before you go judging me a complete
tramp, you should know that Cord isn’t
pure as the driven snow.
(off her reaction)
Siobhán.
(Claire reacts again)
Yes, Siobhán, boyhood crush, high
school sweetheart, first true love.
Only little Siobhán got big since Cord
left home all those years ago. Thirty-
four-D big. She’s no angel, Claire.

CLAIRE
I know Cord and Siobhán were close when
they were kids, but I can’t see them –

MEG
Well I saw plenty! We hadn’t been in
Kodiak for a year when I caught them
together. Here I was feeling lost and
displaced and alone, and he was plowing
the Homecoming Queen.

CLAIRE
I know there’s no excuse, dear, but
that was almost three years ago.
 10.

MEG
Three or thirty, what difference does
it make, Claire?! I could just as
easily have gotten something from him!
(off Claire’s reaction)
Oh, that’s right, I forgot, “Siobhán
O’Brien” could do no wrong in your
eyes, could she? You were so
disappointed when Cord brought me home.

CLAIRE
(lying)
Megan, that’s not true. You should
know that by now.

MEG
What I know is I gave up my life, my
friends and my family to move to an
island in the Arctic, I’m raising my
children in my mother-in-law’s house,
and now my marriage is over.

EXT. ICE FLOW – DAY

A SCARF

flutters in the breeze on the end of a long stick.

Ava secures the base of the stick in an ice formation near

the top of the flow. She looks up into the cloudy, grey
sky, worried. A light rain falls.

She makes her way down to Hans, prone on the ice, deathly
pale and shivering, but conscious. Barely.

AVA
(English subtitles)
I think they will see our kayaks
floating and start a search.

She comforts him, stroking his hair and forehead.

AVA
(English subtitles)
Please hang on, Hans. Please stay with
me...Please.

Hans tries to smile. It heartens her.

 11.

INT. JEFFRIES HOME – LATE AFTERNOON

Ashanti Jeffries greets Meg as she enters with Ashleigh and

Maggie.

MEG
Are you sure it’s no problem, Ashanti?

ASHANTI
Of course it’s not a problem. You know
I love looking after them.

MEG
It’s just for the night. Cord and I
really need a night to ourselves, you
know?

ASHANTI
Oh, believe me, I know. What about
Claire, where’s she going for the
night?

MEG
A friend’s. Noah won’t mind, will he?

Ashanti ushers her toward the door.

ASHANTI
He’s got a poker game tonight, so he
won’t be back until after I’ve put the
girls asleep. It’s fine, Meg.
(naughty smile)
Now go home and get ready for a night
with your man.

EXT. ALASKA ROAD – LATE AFTERNOON

Cord is on his INDIAN CHIEF MOTORCYCLE, stopped on the side

of the road but at a crossroad in his life. In his aviator
sunglasses we see a reflection of Alaskan wilderness.

OFF the reflection...

INT. CULTURAL CENTER – LATE AFTERNOON

One of the small, roadside, State Park-run centers. Eden

is looking at a collection of Inupiat artifacts – common
household items, plates, forks, hair combs, etc., and
Sepia-tone photos of village life. She’s engrossed.
 12.

MAN (O.S.)
They were a fascinating people.

Eden looks at the MAN, early 30s, handsome, who has come up
next to her. He smiles, hitting on her.

EDEN
Are.
(off his look)
Are a fascinating people.

MAN
Yeah, right...And beautiful. I’m Rex,
by the way.

EDEN
Hello.

MAN/REX
You know, I’ve always believed that the
Inuit and other native peoples were
under appreciated.

EDEN
Really? Always?

REX
Well...actually, only recently. Like
since I saw you from over there.

EXT. CULTURAL CENTER – LATER

Eden and Rex exit the center.

REX
So I’d love to have a drink sometime.

EDEN
Look, Rex, it was nice talking to you,
but I’m in a relationship right now.

REX
Totally understand. Not surprised.

He pulls out a business card and hands it to her.

REX
In case you’re ever in Anchorage and
feel like talking history over a cup of
coffee...or something.
 13.

He gives her a smile and walks off toward the parking lot.

She looks down at the card. “Rex Sullivan, Principal,

Sullivan Ship Architects, Inc.”

INT. JEEP WRANGLER – MOVING – LATE AFTERNOON

Eden drives down a two-lane stretch of road. Up ahead, a

pickup truck off to the side, hazard lights blinking, hood
up. She also notices the Coast Guard license plate. She
pulls behind the truck, climbs out of her Jeep.

EXT. ROADSIDE – CONTINUOUS

EDEN
What seems to be the problem?

Meg steps out from in front of the truck. They recognize

each other right away.

MEG
Oh, hi. Thanks for stopping.

EDEN
Sure...You okay? I mean...you know?

MEG
(remembering)
Oh, that. Yeah, just having a bad day.

EDEN
(re: truck)
Guess when it rains it pours. I know a
bit about engines, I can take a look.

MEG
Thanks but don’t bother, it’s fried.
Been here, done that.

INT. JEEP WRANGLER – MOVING – LATER

EDEN
So I was trying to figure out what I
might’ve said to upset you this
morning, then when I saw the Coast
Guard plates I thought maybe...

It hangs there for a beat.

 14.

MEG
Oh...no. No. My husband’s very much
alive. Maybe you know him, Lieutenant
Cord McKenna. He’s a SAR pilot.

Eden looks at her, smiling.

EDEN
Know him? I’m his rescue swimmer.

MEG
You’re Sayer?

EDEN
Yes.

Meg smiles at her. But something in her eyes tells us she

didn’t expect “Sayer” to look like Eden.

INT. MCKENNA KITCHEN – LATE AFTERNOON

Cord looks around at the mess he made. After a couple of

beats, he begins picking up pieces of broken glass, etc.

INT. JEEP WRANGLER – MOVING – LATE AFTERNOON

MEG
So you said you left Alaska when you
were young? Where’d you grow up?

EDEN
All over I guess. Texas, Oklahoma,
Louisiana, California. My father was a
roughneck. He and my mother met when
he came to work on the Alaska pipeline.

MEG
And the Coast Guard?

EDEN
(beat)
My mother never came back to Alaska.
She wanted me to know my heritage, so
before she died she made me promise to
come home. The Coast Guard seemed like
a way to do that and do something
worthwhile at the same time.

Meg takes this in.

 15.

MEG
I’m sorry about your mom.
(beat, thoughtful)
You and Cord seem to have a lot in
common.

Eden turns onto a residential street then looks at Meg.

EDEN
Really? How’s that?

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Eden looks at her beeper.

MEG
(re: her home)
I’m right here.

Meg stares at the Indian Chief motorcycle in front of the

house as Eden pulls into the gravel driveway. Cord comes
out of the house, clipping his beeper on his belt as he
goes to the motorcycle. He looks up at the Jeep, stops.

EXT. MCKENNA HOME – CONTINUOUS

Cord is surprised to see Meg get out of Eden’s Jeep. Eden

rolls down her window.

EDEN
Just got the call, Skipper. We can
ride to the base together. Hop in.

Cord doesn’t answer. He and Meg stare at each other. Eden

clocks the tension between them. Cord walks slowly past
Meg, opens the door of the Jeep and climbs inside. Their
eyes remain locked the whole time.

CORD
Let’s go, Sayer.

Eden looks at Cord, his eyes hard and cold, then at Meg,
hers sad and defeated. Cord turns to look at Eden.

CORD
Today, Airman Sayer.

Eden puts it in reverse and backs out of the driveway.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE

 16.

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. JAYHAWK – IN FLIGHT – SUNSET

Cord and his crew, co-pilot Noah Jeffries, senior chief

Zeke Zibriske and Eden, fly over Prince William Sound.

[Note: in-flight crew & radio communications are filtered].

CORD
They’ve been out here since early this
morning, so if we do find them alive
they’re most likely going to be in
pretty rough shape.

NOAH
They’re lucky anybody’s out here
looking for them. What are the chances
of three hawks and three crews being
out of service at the same time?

CORD
Well, we’re riding a lucky streak now,
so let’s hope our being available is a
good sign for those kayakers.

EXT. ICE FLOW – SUNSET

Ava is huddled against Hans, who is near death. She’s

trembling, drifting in and out of consciousness. Making
matters worse, their ice flow is slowly sinking.

The faint sound of a helicopter in the distance rouses Ava.

She can barely muster the strength to open her eyes. She
struggles to lift herself from Hans’ body. Legs wobbly,
she stumbles about the ice flow and tries in vain to raise
her hands.

AVA
(hoarse whisper)
Hilfe! Hilfe, bitter! Bitter! Hilfe!

Ava slips and falls off the ice flow into the water.
 17.

INT. JAYHAWK – IN FLIGHT – NIGHT

Cord and Noah now wear night vision goggles over their
flight helmets. On their in-flight computer we see thermal
imaging of the sea below.

NOAH
What do you think, Cord? We’ve been up
and back and still nothing’s
registering on the surface.

CORD
That’s no surprise. If they’re down
there, they’d be almost frozen stiff.

ZEKE
I think I saw something! Three
o’clock!

The Jayhawk swings right and searchlights scan the surface.

ZEKE
There! Right there!

CORD
Roger, that. Zeke, Sayer prepare for a
basket rescue.

NOAH
Kodiak, Coast Guard 6739, we have one
PIW...

AVA

on her back, unconscious, life jacket holding her afloat.

INTERCUT JAYHAWK AND AVA

ZEKE
Cabin door open and locked.

EDEN
Permission to get wet, sir?

CORD
Granted! Go!

Eden jumps out and splashes down.

ZEKE
Swimmer is okay. Moving to PIW.
 18.

Eden reaches Ava and gives her a quick look over. The
rescue basket has already hit the water nearby.

ZEKE
Swimmer is putting the kayaker in the
basket.

As Eden is securing her in the basket, Ava comes to life.

AVA
(weakly)
Hans...Hans...

EDEN
You’re going to be alright, Miss.
You’re going to be alright.

AVA
(stronger, urgent)
Hans! Where’s Hans!

INT. JAYHAWK – IN FLIGHT – CONTINUOUS

The basket with Ava inside reaches the cabin. Zeke pulls
her inside and secures her.

NOAH
What about the other one?

Eden speaks to them via a com-link in her dry suit.

EDEN
No sign of anybody else in the water
here.

CORD
How are we on fuel?

NOAH
Twenty minutes to bingo.

CORD
Zeke, what about the girl?

ZEKE
She’s in pretty bad shape, skip –
serious dehydration, severe
hypothermia. Clock’s ticking.
 19.

EDEN
The guy can’t be too far away.

NOAH
She couldn’t have survived in the water
this long. If the guy’s still alive,
he could be on an ice flow.

ZEKE
There are hundreds of them. We don’t
have time to search every one. She’s
got maybe ten minutes and then she’s
got to get proper treatment.

CORD
Lower the cable. Sayer, we’re going to
hook you and do flyovers of the nearby
ice flows as long as we can.

EDEN
Roger.

Zeke lowers the cable and Eden hooks up. Then she’s lifted
out of the water and the Jayhawk flies with her hanging 10
feet underneath.

In the cabin, a delirious Ava continues to fret.

AVA
(English subtitles)
Hans...we must get hands. On
ice...Hans. Must get Hans...

NOAH (O.S.)
I’ve got him! Ice flow, eleven
o’clock.

EXT. JAYHAWK – IN FLIGHT – CONTINUOUS

The helicopter hovers over the ice flow. Searchlights

pinpoint Hans.

HANS

deathly pale, rigid, water lapping around him.

EDEN

is lowered onto the ice flow. She goes to work on Hans,

then looks up at the Jayhawk. Her eyes tell the story.
 20.

INT. MCKENNA HOME, LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

The room is dark except for the glow from the TV.

ON TV

NEWS FOOTAGE OF Ava and Hans being carried from the Jayhawk
on stretchers to an ambulance. Zeke and Eden assist.

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
A search for the two kayakers began
after fishermen sighted their kayaks
floating in Prince William Sound. They
were found tonight on an ice flow,
where officials believe they were able
to stay afloat in the frigid water for
more than twelve hours. Unfortunately,
by the time a Coast Guard rescue
helicopter arrived, only 19-year-old
Ava Bauer had survived the ordeal...

RETURN TO SCENE

Meg pours another tall vodka-rocks, sets the nearly empty

bottle on the coffee table. She takes a drink then stares
weary-eyed at the television.

INT. MCKENNA HOME, LIVING ROOM – LATER

Cord enters the house to find Meg asleep on the sofa,

television still on. He stands over her, picks up the
empty bottle of vodka, looks at it disapprovingly, then
puts it back on the coffee table next to the empty glass
and turns off the TV. He stares down at her for a long
couple of beats before going upstairs.

INT. JEFFRIES HOME, KITCHEN – MORNING

Noah comes downstairs and is pleasantly surprised to see

the McKenna girls having cereal in his kitchen.

NOAH
Well, well! What do we have here?

GIRLS
Good morning, Uncle Noah!

He gives the girls each a kiss on the head then gets a peck
on the lips from Ashanti.
 21.

ASHANTI
I didn’t think you would mind them
staying over, baby. Meg and Cord had
planned a little alone time last night.
Of course that worked out about as well
as your poker game.

NOAH
The McKenna women are always welcome.
(to the girls, with charm)
Mi casa es su casa, senoritas!

The girls giggle. “Silly Uncle Noah.”

ASHANTI
You two had better finish up. I
promised your mom I’d drop you at
school and I don’t want you to be late
on my watch.

She rubs her barely showing pregnant belly.

ASHANTI
I know it’ll be a long time before our
little one starts school, baby, but
this is still good practice for me.
(the girls start for the
door)
There’s a toasted bagel for you in the
microwave.

NOAH
Thanks, baby.

ASHANTI
Don’t forget about our appointment with
Dr. Fraser this afternoon. You can
still make it, can’t you?

NOAH
(smiles)
I certainly won’t and I definitely can.

They kiss before she exits. He opens the microwave and

pulls out the bagel.

INT. BREAKERS INN HOTEL ROOM – DAY

CHLOE GRIMALDI, 20s, voluptuous, collapses on the bed after

riding Noah to climax. They catch their breath –
 22.

CHLOE
Daddy like?

NOAH
Oh yeah. Daddy needed that.

She smiles and snuggles in next to him.

CHLOE
I’m glad you were able to make it
before checkout time. I got so lonely
waiting for you last night, Daddy.

NOAH
You know how it is, baby. When duty
calls.
(then)
You know, Clo, checkout time wouldn’t
be a problem if you had your own place.

CHLOE
You know I can’t afford my own
apartment. It’s hard enough even with
the subsidy that Jenny and I get for
hospital staff...Why can’t you just
come to my place. Jenny’s cool, she’d
give us time alone when we need it.

NOAH
No way, Chloe. That’s just too risky.

CHLOE
And hooking up here isn’t? Half the
Arctic Fleet is in this place on the
down low.

NOAH
That’s Navy guys, which is why this
place works for us.

Beat. He clocks a change in her.

NOAH
What is it, Clo?

CHLOE
(reticent, then)
Don’t you get tired of all this
sneaking around?
 23.

NOAH
(he was afraid of this)
Look, baby, I thought we were all set
on this. I want to stay married, you
want to stay single. No drama, no
headaches, just going with the flow
while the flow feels right.

He kisses her and she responds, not entirely bought in.

INT. DR. GRAHAM’S OFFICE – DAY

Cord and Meg sit side by side, eyes front. The tension
between them is thick. Dr. Graham enters and sits behind
her desk, offers a tight, professional smile.

DR. GRAHAM
Thank you for coming...I know this must
be an extremely difficult time for you
both. I want to assure you that,
medically speaking, neither of you has
any cause for concern. Although there
are resistant strains of...of this
particular sexually transmitted
disease, it can be treated successfully
with antibiotics.

Beat. Deathly quiet as the couple continue to look

straight ahead. Dr. Graham takes a file folder from her
desk and places it in front of her.

DR. GRAHAM
When an STD is confirmed, it is
standard protocol for those who are
infected to be tested for other STDs.
Lieutenant, I’ll take a blood sample
today, if that’s alright.

CORD
Yes. It’s alright.

DR. GRAHAM
It’s also very important that you
provide a full list of sexual partners
who may also have been infected.
(slides folder to him)
I already have Meg’s list.

Cord looks at Meg. She continues to look straight ahead.

 24.

CORD
In the last three years, I’ve only had
sex with my wife.

Painful silence as Cord sears Meg’s profile with his eyes.

She will not cry. She won’t. She’s done crying. For good.

DR. GRAHAM
Very well...Cord.
(he looks at her)
I’m a medical doctor, I make no
judgments. But I believe you and Meg
owe it to yourselves and to your girls
to seek counseling. I can make a
recommendation if you’re both open to
it.

Now it’s Meg who looks at Cord. OFF him considering...

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO

 25.

ACT THREE

FADE IN:

INT. INTENSIVE CARE RECOVERY ROOM – DAY

Ava is resting, tubes and monitor probes stuck in her.

Eden comes in and stands at her bedside, flowers and a
stuffed bear in hand.

EDEN
Hello, Ava. I’m Eden. Do you speak
English?

Ava looks at her, slowly comprehending. She nods “yes”.

EDEN
I brought you these. May I?

Ava nods. Eden puts the flowers on the table and sits on
the edge of the bed, smiles warmly.

EDEN
Your parents will be here day after
tomorrow. Doctor says you’ll be fine.

Ava begins to tear up. Eden instinctively reaches to

console her, wiping away the tears.

EDEN
There, there. It’s alright. It’s
alright, Ava.

AVA
I was so afraid. I didn’t know what to
do. I just...just...I couldn’t –

EDEN
(comforting)
You did everything you could do, Ava.
Everything. You were very, very brave.

Ava allows her tears to subside.

AVA
Thank you...for saving me.
 26.

INT. DOCTOR’S EXAMINATION ROOM – DAY

Ashanti and Noah wait for the doctor. She’s sitting on the
examination table, he’s in a chair. After a knock on the
door, Chloe enters in scrubs. She’s an OB-GYN nurse.

CHLOE
(smiles)
Hello, Ashanti, how are you feeling
today?

ASHANTI
Hi, Chloe. I’m feeling wonderful.

CHLOE
That’s good. Doctor Fraser will be in
in just a few minutes. Alright, you
know the drill...

She begins the usual pre-doctor exam routine - blood

pressure, temperature check, etc.

CHLOE
And how’s the proud Papa-to-be?

NOAH
Just great, thanks.

It’s as though they barely know each other.

INT. MINIVAN – MOVING – DAY

Cord drives. Meg stares out the passenger side window.

MEG
“Who”?
(off his non-response)
All you wanted to know yesterday was
“who”. Not “why”?

CORD
That seems pretty obvious. You’re a
drunken slut.

A beat as she takes the blow. It hurts but she covers.

 27.

MEG
Maybe I deserved that. It still
doesn’t change the fact that every day
I have to face the humiliation that you
caused me.

CORD
What happened between Siobhán and me
ended three years ago.

MEG
She’s our daughter’s teacher, Cord.
And it may have ended for you but I’m
damn sure it’s not over in her mind.

CORD
That’s just bat-shit crazy talk, even
coming from you.

He pulls into the driveway, cuts the engine, looks at her.

CORD
I’m giving this counseling a shot, but
only for the kids, Meg. Understand?

They stare at each other then she gets out of the van and
walks to the house. After she’s inside, he follows.

INT. OFFICE SUITE – DAY

Neat rows of cubicles amid the buzz of a shipping company

office. We find Ashanti in one of the cubicles. The
nameplate on the side of her cubicle reads “A. Jeffries,
Sr. Accountant.” She’s eating her lunch, going through her
personal mail.

An envelope gets her attention. It’s from “The Breakers

Inn.” She opens it and begins reading. It’s a Preferred
Guest membership. As she reads, her puzzlement quickly
turns to suspicion. She peels the plastic membership card
away and looks at it.

INT. READY ROOM – DAY

Cord is alone in the room, reading a flight manual. Eden

comes in quietly and goes to him.
 28.

CORD
(looks up)
Yeah, Sayer, what is it?

EDEN
How’s the truck?

CORD
How’s what?

EDEN
The day I drove your wife home, her
truck had broken down. I just wondered
if she’d gotten it fixed.

CORD
Uh...no, it’s still in the shop.

He goes back to his manual. She stands there, awkward.

EDEN
I met her at the Oasis Café and had no
idea who she was.

CORD
She works there to help ends meet.
She’s really an artist. A painter.

EDEN
I know, she told me on the drive to
your place. I enjoyed our chat...She
said you and I have a lot in common.

CORD
(a look)
Really? How’s that?

EDEN
That’s what I said, but we reached your
house before she could tell me.

They look at each other and something’s there – a

connection that we will explore more fully in time.

CORD
Maybe you two will get a chance to
finish that conversation.

EDEN
I’d like that.
 29.

Now his look says their conversation is over.

EDEN
Sir.

CORD
Sayer.

She turns and exits. He looks after her...

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – SUNSET

Ava is sitting up in bed, smiling and looking much

healthier as she talks with Eden.

AVA
I will start college in the fall in my
home of Berlin.

EDEN
Do you know what you want to study?

AVA
I think History or perhaps
Anthropology. Did you attend college
to become a rescue swimmer?

EDEN
No. After high school I knocked
around for a couple of years before
joining the Coast Guard. Then I was
accepted into AST – the Aviation
Survival Technician program – to become
a rescue swimmer.

AVA
Are there many women who are rescue
swimmers?

EDEN
Some. Not many.

Ava reaches for her cup of water. Eden helps her, holding
the straw to her lips. As Ava sips, Eden notices the
SILVER CHARM around her neck.

EDEN
Your necklace is beautiful. May I?

Ava allows her to examine the intricate charm more closely.

 30.

EDEN
It’s Inuit, isn’t it?

AVA
Yes, it is. My mother gave it to me
when I was young. An Inuit girl gave
it to her. The girl told her it would
protect her from Alaska’s harshness.

EDEN
(fascinated)
Your mother came to Alaska?

AVA
Yes. When she was an exchange student
in America. I suppose that’s why I
came here. To relive her experience.

Ava is drifting into melancholy over losing Hans when the

door opens and her PARENTS come in. Ava’s face lights up
with tears of joy and her parents embrace her. Then they
turn to Eden.

AVA
Mommy, Father, I want you to meet Eden
Sayer. She saved my life.

AVA’S MOTHER
We are so, so grateful to you.

Eden gazes at Ava’s mother, at a loss for words. She looks

so familiar...Finally –

EDEN
It wasn’t just me, Mrs. Bauer. All of
Coast Guard operations here at Kodiak
is responsible for finding your
daughter and bringing her back safely.
And she had a lot to with it herself.
You should be very proud of her.

OFF Eden and Ava smiling at each other...

INT. EDEN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Eden’s on the sofa with her cat and the keepsake box. She
holds a SILVER CHARM almost identical to Ava’s. In her
other hand is a photo of a teenaged Inuit girl (Eden’s
mother) standing with a young white woman (Ava’s mother).
 31.

INT. BRIEFING ROOM – DAY

Pilots and crews pay close attention as Capt. Nelson gives

a briefing.

CAPT. NELSON
We’re coming on the height of the
commercial fishing season. In the
Bering Sea that means millions of
dollars are at stake for the nearly 300
trawlers plying these waters in some of
the most treacherous nautical
conditions known to man. And that
means, as sure as there are crabs in
the sea, we’ll all earn that hazard pay
that Uncle Sam doles out...

Capt. Nelson concludes his briefing. Cord, Noah, Zeke and

Eden stand and file out of the room with other crews. We
notice that Eden now wears the silver charm left to her by
her mother.

BEGIN MONTAGE – FISHING SEASON

- VARIOUS SHOTS OF FISHING VESSELS and crews hard at work

in the turbulent Bering Sea;

- Crewmembers of a fishing boat help Zeke load one of their

crewmates onto a litter for medical evacuation;

- Eden splashed down into 30-foot waves and swims to a

couple of sailors clinging to floatation devices;

- Cord and crew hoist fishermen from a grounded trawler in

Prince William Sound;

- Cord and Meg sit uncomfortably in a marriage counseling

session;

- Ashanti checks closets, drawers and Noah’s laundry,

searching for telltale signs of his double life;

- Eden swims to a life raft with three survivors and helps

them onto the hovering Jayhawk;

- the Jayhawk patrols at night over the Gulf of Alaska;

- Eden admires a beautiful Arctic sunset from the open side

door of the Jayhawk;

END MONTAGE
 32.

INT. SUBARU OUTBACK – SUNSET

Ashanti sits in her parked SUV, watching as Noah exits the

air base in his truck. Ashanti follows at a distance.

EXT. BREAKERS INN – SUNSET

Ashanti follows Noah into the full parking lot of the

hotel. She watches him get out of his truck and go inside.

INT. BREAKERS INN, BAR – CONTINUOUS

Happy Hour. Plenty of Navy officers carousing with hot-to-

trot local girls. Noah enters and makes his way to the
bar.

Moments later, Ashanti comes in and more than few heads

turn. A NAVY OFFICER says something to his buddies, smiles
and begins to make his way toward her. He just reaches her
when –

NOAH (O.S.)
Ashanti.

She turns, surprised to find Noah standing behind her.

ASHANTI
Noah –

NAVY OFFICER
(‘hey baby’ smile)
Hello.

Caught between them – busted by her husband, being hit on

by a stranger – Ashanti is momentarily at a loss.

NAVY OFFICER
Miss, if this guy is bothering you –

NOAH
Shove off Sinbad. She’s my wife.

The Navy officer bristles, then looks at Ashanti.

ASHANTI
Thank you but no, I’m with my husband.

NAVY OFFICER
Excuse me.
 33.

After he’s left –

NOAH
Baby, what are you doing here?

ASHANTI
That’s exactly what I was going to ask
you, Noah.

INT. BREAKERS INN, RESTAURANT – LATER

Noah and Ashanti are at a table.

ASHANTI
Did you really think I wouldn’t figure
out you were taking extra money from
our accounts? I’m an accountant, Noah.

NOAH
I told you, baby, these Navy guys I’m
playing with now play for bigger
stakes. I thought I’d be winning more
by now, but...

ASHANTI
What about this?

She whips out the Breakers Inn letter. “Uh-oh.”

NOAH
I don’t know what that is.

ASHANTI
It’s a preferred membership card. Only
frequent guests get these.

NOAH
Come on, Ashanti. I’m probably on some
mailing list. We spent Valentine’s
weekend here three years ago.

She glares at him.

ASHANTI
This came to our home address. We
weren’t married three years ago.
(then)
I know you’re lying, Noah.
 34.

NOAH
Look, baby, why would I need anybody
but you? I mean look at you. You walk
in here and every guy in the place gets
whiplash.
(she just glares)
Ashanti, I told you, I came here to
meet a guy named Eddie. He’s going to
take me to the poker game up in Pillar.

He’s “this” close to wilting under her unrelenting glare

when his cell phone RINGS.

NOAH
I’ll bet that’s him calling to see
where I am.
(answers)
Hello?

INT. BREAKERS INN, HOTEL ROOM – SAME

Chloe is sitting on the end of the bed.

CHLOE
Noah, daddy, where are you? I’m
waiting in the room.

INTERCUT NOAH AND CHLOE

NOAH
Eddie! Hey, man!

CHLOE
Eddie? Who the hell –

NOAH
Yeah man, sorry, I’m here in the hotel
restaurant with my wife.

CHLOE
Ashanti?! She’s with you?!

NOAH
Yeah. We just got our signals crossed.
(looks at Ashanti)
You don’t believe me? Here. Talk to
him yourself then.
 35.

He holds out the phone to Ashanti. A beat as she considers

whether to call his bluff. She decides not to – sometimes,
ignorance is bliss. He puts the phone back to his hear.

NOAH
Look, Eddie, man I’m going to have to
pass on tonight’s game.

CHLOE
(pouty)
I really hate this, Noah.

NOAH
Yeah, me too. Maybe I’ll hook up with
you guys some other time.

CHLOE
Maybe. Maybe not.

She clicks off, in a huff.

NOAH
Alright. Catch you later, Eddie!

He hangs up. Ashanti stands and walks out. He breathes a

huge sigh of relief then follows.

INT. MEG’S STUDIO – SUNSET

QUICK CUTS of Meg working on a PAINTING – it’s the seascape

we saw in an earlier episode. It’s haunting and beautiful
and bursting off the canvass with dark emotion.

She puts down her brushes. REVERSE to see her face as she
looks at her work. Finishing the painting has been deeply
cathartic.

INT. MCKENNA HOME, BATHROOM – NIGHT

Cord finishes brushing his teeth. He looks at himself in

the mirror, thinking. Then he opens the medicine cabinet
and pulls out a BOTTLE OF PILLS. The label reads
“Penicillium”. He washes two down with water and replaces
the bottle in the cabinet.

HALLWAY – MOMENTS LATER

Cord opens a door and checks in on Ashleigh and Maggie,

sound asleep. He continues down the hallway, stops at
 36.

another door. He spies Meg reading an iPad in bed. She

senses him and looks up. Their eyes meet. Beat. He turns
and continues along the hallway and down the stairs.

FAMILY ROOM – CONTINUOUS

Cord pulls a blanket over his shoulders and lay down on the
sofa. As he reaches up and turns off the lamp we...

SMASH TO BLACK.

END OF ACT THREE

 37.

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. THERAPIST’S OFFICE - DAY

Cord and Meg sit in chairs across from their THERAPIST.

THERAPIST
We’ve spent a fair amount of time
talking about the events that got you
to this point in your relationship. I
find that when two people have eroded
trust as you have, it’s often a good
idea to go back to the beginning and
ask yourselves, “What brought us
together in the first place?”
Sometimes going back to the foundation
of your love for one another is the
best place to start when trying to
rebuild a bridge over what’s been lost.

The couple is reticent.

THERAPIST
Cord, how did you meet?

CORD
It was eight years ago. I was stationed
in New Orleans. She came down as a
volunteer during Hurricane Katrina...On
one of my rescue flights, Meg was with
an old woman who refused to leave her
home. It took a lot of talking but Meg
finally convinced her to get on the
chopper...After we landed, Meg and I
got to talking and, well, things just
sort of took off from there...

THERAPIST
Things?

She looks at Meg.

MEG
That first night we talked almost until
the sun came up the next morning. I’d
known men before – intimately, I mean –
but none of them moved me the way he
did in that one, long conversation. He
(MORE)
 38.

MEG (CONT’D.)
was like a walking, talking ad for
saving the world. And the thing is I
never once got the feeling he was
playing some angle to get me in bed.
(beat)
Maybe that’s why I slept with him
before sunrise...

SAME SCENE – LATER

CORD
After all of her friends had gone back
home to Kansas, she stayed. And in the
face of all that tragedy, all that
suffering and hopelessness, I never
once heard her complain or say anything
negative. Every day she’d go out and
help feed people or care for their kids
in shelters or whatever...I knew I’d
never meet another woman – another
person – I admired as much as her...

SAME SCENE – LATER

MEG
He asked me to marry him a month after
our first night together. The thought
of saying “no” never entered my
mind...I didn’t know I was pregnant
until a month after I said “yes”.

SAME SCENE – LATER

The therapist closes her notepad.

THERAPIST
I think that’s enough for today.

INT. MINIVAN – LATER

Cord and Meg get into the van. He puts the key in the
ignition but pauses before starting the engine. They look
at each other. In their eyes we sense the first section of
their bridge to recovery has been set.

Without a word between them, Cord starts the engine, puts

the van in gear and they drive off.
 39.

INT. REC ROOM – DAY

Guardsmen play a game of poker.

ZEKE
Give us a break, Tomczak. Your idea of
a classy night out is “All you can eat
nachos” at Cisco’s.

BRENT TOMCZAK, late 20s, tosses in a couple of chips.

TOMCZAK
We don’t all have a little woman at
home to make sure we get three squares,
senior chief.

TONY NANCE, 30s, chuckles.

NANCE
(tosses in chips)
Some of you don’t have a woman
anywhere, little or otherwise.

TOMCZAK
I do just fine, Nance.

EDEN
Sure you do, Tommy.

TOMCZAK
What about you, Sayer?

EDEN
What about me, Tomczak?

TOMCZAK
How do you do?

Tomczak would love to know for obvious reasons.

EDEN
(smiles)
That’s classified information, Tomczak.
I could tell you but then...

TOMCZAK
Right...You know, given your reputation
down at AST, I’m guessing I can figure
it out.

Eden reacts but covers quickly.

 40.

EDEN
Oh? Is that right?

TOMCZAK
Yeah. I’d say you’re a bit of an old
fashioned girl - not the flowers and
candy type - but not exactly a prude
either. And I’m betting you’ve got the
rug burns to prove it. Still, I figure
you for a one man kinda gal. The kind
who likes to ride her man hard and put
him away wet. Am I right?

EDEN
How is it you’re still single?

He grins. She smiles and lays out her cards.

EDEN
Read ‘em and weep, boys.

Reaction from the guys around the table.

EDEN
(raking in winnings)
You know Tomczak, if you play women the
way you play cards, it’s no wonder you
can’t get laid.

Laughter around the table. Then Zeke’s laugh turns to a

painful cough. The poker players grow concerned.

EDEN
Senior chief?

Zeke spits blood and collapses on the table.

POKER PLAYERS
Senior!

INT. HOSPITAL WAITING AREA - NIGHT

The poker players and other guardsmen wait anxiously. Cord

and Noah are with them.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM – SAME

Zeke is in bed, sedated, hooked to tubes and monitors. A

DOCTOR talks to his wife, Laurel.
 41.

DOCTOR
He’s out of immediate danger, Mrs.
Zibriski, but I’m afraid your husband’s
longtime alcohol abuse has exacerbated
the Lymphoma. We’ll know more after
we’ve run tests in the next day or two.

LAUREL
Thank you, doctor.

DOCTOR
We were lucky this time, Mrs. Zibriski,
but unless your husband stops drinking
– and now – his luck will run out.

The doctor exits. Laurel turns to Zeke and gently strokes

his face. Cord enters and stands quietly next to her, puts
an arm around her shoulder.

INT. MINIVAN – MOVING – NIGHT

Cord drives Laurel home. The silence is heavy.

LAUREL
This is it, Cord.

CORD
There are programs for the drinking,
Laurel. And he can beat the cancer.

LAUREL
They’ll ground him, Cord, you know it.
(he does)
That’ll be the beginning of the end.

He pulls into the gravel driveway of the Zibriski home.

They sit there for a few moments, the idling engine the
only sound. Then –

LAUREL
Thank you, Cord.

She gets out. He watches until she goes inside the house.

INT. MCKENNA HOME, BEDROOM – NIGHT

Meg’s reading in bed when the phone rings. She answers.

 42.

MEG
Hello?

INT. JEFFRIES HOME – SAME

Ashanti is in her living room, pacing.

ASHANTI
Hi Meg. Sorry to call so late.

INTERCUT MEG AND ASHANTI

MEG
Ashanti, hi. It’s no problem. How are
you?

ASHANTI
I’m okay, I guess. Have you heard from
Cord about Zeke?

MEG
He’s out of danger, thank God. The
doctor’s going to run some tests but
they’re pretty sure about the cancer.

ASHANTI
Oh, God. That’s awful.

MEG
Yes, it is. But if anyone can beat it
it’s Zeke. He’s a hard case in more
ways than one.

ASHANTI
He is...Meg, how long ago was it that
you heard from Cord?

MEG
Half an hour ago maybe. He’s driving
Laurel home so I don’t expect him here
for another twenty minutes or so. Why
do you ask?

ASHANTI
Oh, it’s nothing really. It’s just I
haven’t heard from Noah since he left
for the hospital hours ago.

Meg knows where she’s going and dread begins to build.

 43.

MEG
I’m sure he’s just caught up with the
guys. Probably still at the hospital
pestering the docs for more details.

ASHANTI
(beat)
I wish I could be so sure.

MEG
(hesitant)
What do you mean by that, Ashanti?

ASHANTI
Meg...maybe it’s just hormones making
me irrational but, well, I think Noah
is seeing another woman.

Beat. Meg holds her breath as guilt over knowing about

Noah’s cheating stabs her conscience like a knife.

ASHANTI
Meg? Tell me I’m crazy.

MEG
(beat, then lying)
You’re crazy.

EXT. ZEKE’S BACKYARD – DAY

Zeke and Cord, in parkas, sit in Adirondack chairs looking

out at incredible snow-covered mountains.

ZEKE
I’m from Clearwater, Florida. Did you
know that, skip?

CORD
I suppose I remember reading it in a
file. Yeah.

ZEKE
It’s where I signed up, my first
posting. Maybe after I dry out, I can
get reassigned down there. Winters
here are a bitch.

Cord looks at him, smiles.

 44.

CORD
Getting thin-skinned in your old age,
Zibriski?

Zeke smiles, but it melts away.

ZEKE
Yeah, I guess maybe I am...That and
thinking about home. They say you
can’t go home again. I think they say
that because deep down, that’s what we
all want to do, even if home was a shit
hole in Clearwater. There’s something
about ending up where you started out
makes life make sense. You know what I
mean, skip?

CORD
(beat)
Yeah. I know what you mean, Zeke.

INT. OASIS CAFÉ – DAY

Eden enters and sees Meg working. They exchange a smile.

EXT. KODIAK STREET – LATER

Meg and Eden walk down the street. A light snow falls.

EDEN
Something you said the day I drove you
home has been on my mind.

MEG
Really? What’s that?

EDEN
That the lieutenant and me have a lot
in common.

MEG
I did say that, didn’t I?

EDEN
Honestly, I don’t see it. I mean I
know his father was a Coast Guard
rescue swimmer and that he grew up
here, but beyond that...
 45.

MEG
You could have served almost anywhere,
but you chose the Bering Sea.

EDEN
The Coast Guard is all about saving
lives at sea. I can’t think of a more
challenging or rewarding place to do
that than here. Plenty of us chose
Kodiak for that reason.

MEG
But it’s not the only reason you came
back, is it? ... This is more than just
the place where Cord grew up. It has a
much deeper meaning for him. I get the
feeling that it’s the same for you. You
both have something to prove and this
is the only place you can prove it.

Eden weighs this as they continue walking.

EXT. ALHAMBRA – DAY

Establishing a 210,000–ton SUPERTANKER.

As it steams through the relatively calm waters of Prudhoe

Bay, we see the name, “ALHAMBRA”, on the bow.

CREWMEMBERS go about the routine business of cleaning empty

tanks using high-pressure jet-sprays.

A POWERFUL JET-SPRAY

hitting a section of a cavernous storage tank. A swirl of

air mixes with oil vapor, a crackle of static electricity
and – KA-BOOM!

EXT. ALHAMBRA (AERIAL) – SAME

Spectacular explosions erupt, shooting flames hundreds of

feet into the air as we...

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT FOUR

 46.

ACT FIVE

FADE IN:

EXT. KODIAK STREET – DAY

Meg and Eden are walking, as we left them.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Eden checks her beeper then looks up

at Meg, who offers a supportive smile.

EDEN
Guess you know this drill better than
anyone.

MEG
Yeah. ‘Suppose I do. Be safe, Eden.

EDEN
(smiles)
Always.

INT. FLIGHT LINE – DAY

Eden strides out of the hangar lugging her gear. Tomczak

falls in step beside her.

EDEN
Welcome aboard, Tommy.

They hurry onto the waiting Jayhawk and Tomczak slides the
door shut.

INT. JAYHAWK – IN FLIGHT – DAY

Our crew flies North to Prudhoe Bay.

CORD
A VLCC was cleaning out its tanks with
seawater en route to Prudhoe and blew
sky high. Ten souls on board. Only
good news is she was dry.

NOAH
Cutters and a C-130 are en route with
fire suppression. Kodiak ops reports
calm seas, winds at 30 knots, but we’ll
still be flying into an inferno.
 47.

EDEN
How long before we get there?

NOAH
ETA, twenty minutes.

EXT. ALHAMBRA – 20 MINUTES LATER

Noah was right. Intense flames and thick, black smoke

billow above the hulking, shattered supertanker. BODIES
float in the water with burning debris.

CORD (V.O.)
Kodiak, this is Coast Guard 6739. We
have sight of the Alhambra. Commencing
surface search for survivors.

KODIAK (V.O.)
Roger that, Coast Guard 6739. Aerial
fire suppression should be on scene in
thirty minutes.

INTERCUT JAYHAWK AND ALHAMBRA

TOMCZAK
Permission to open cabin door?

CORD
Granted. I’m taking us in as close as
possible to get a good look. It’s
gonna get hot.

TOMCZAK
Opening cabin door. Cabin door is open
and locked.

Eden stares down at hell on the water. She steels herself.

TOMCZAK
I make five PIW so far. All appear to
be dead.

NOAH
The others could still be trapped
aboard.

CORD
What do you think, Sayer?
 48.

EDEN
I think I should go down and check it
out, sir.

CORD
Alright. Pick your spot.

Eden’s already found it.

EDEN
There, about forty yards off the stern,
port side. I’ll go underneath the fire
and board her there.

She indicates one of the few intact spots on the tanker.

Tomczak helps Eden as the Jayhawk moves into position.

CORD
Okay, we’ll drop you from thirty feet
and hail survivors to make their way to
the stern.

TOMCZAK
Swimmer’s check completed.

EDEN
Permission to get wet, sir!

CORD
Alright, Sayer. Good luck.

Eden nods “Thanks” then jumps.

TOMCZAK
Swimmer away! ... You’re going to need
it.

Eden makes her way to a wall of fire. She dives and we

follow her as she swims a distance under the flames. She
remerges amidst fiery debris, but closer to the tanker.

TOMCZAK
Swimmer’s cleared the fire and is
making her way to the stern.
(admiringly)
Look at her go.

CORD (V.O.)
This is the Coast Guard. Survivors
onboard the Alhambra, make your way to
(MORE)
 49.

CORD (V.O., CONT’D.)

the stern of the ship. Survivors
onboard the Alhambra, make your way to
the stern of the ship.

Eden scales the stern ladder and makes it on deck. She

removes her fins and hooks them to the back of her suit,
then signals to the Jayhawk.

TOMCZAK
Swimmer is onboard and is okay.

NOAH
Kodiak, Coast Guard 6739, rescue
swimmer is aboard the vessel and is
commencing rapid search for survivors.

CORD
Remember, Sayer, you can’t search the
whole ship. Don’t go past the bridge.
That thing could break apart any
minute. Understood?

EDEN
Understood?

Eden makes her way along the ruined deck toward the bridge.

A BLOODY HAND

rises from the deck. It belongs to injured CREWMAN 1.

CREWMAN 1
(weakly)
Help! We’re here! Help!

Eden spots him and goes quickly to his aid. Two other
crewmen are nearby, one dead, the other in shock.

EDEN
I have two survivors.
(to Crewman 1)
Hold on. I’m going to try to get you
out of here. Help me get him up.

They get CREWMAN 2 on his feet.

TOMCZAK
Swimmer and crewman one are helping
crewman two to the stern.
 50.

The Jayhawk comes closer, but not too close.

NOAH
She’s going to have to take him under
that fire.

Eden pulls out an oxygen mask and small tank. She secures
both to the crewman and lowers him over the side with rope.

EDEN
(to Crewman 1)
I’ll be back for you. Don’t worry.

Then she dives in after Crewman 2.

Eden swims with the injured man, taking him underneath the
fire and resurfacing below the hovering Jayhawk. She piles
him into a waiting rescue basket. As Tomczak hoists him
up, Eden is already on her way back to the tanker.

EDEN

is helped onto the deck by Crewman 1.

EDEN
Okay, sir! Let’s go!

A SICKENING, METALIC GROANING SOUND. Eden looks around for

the source of the noise.

CREWMAN 1
...Fuel tanks.

Eden locks eyes with him just as – BAM! Another explosion

rips the bridge section, throwing the crewman off the stern
and slamming Eden headfirst into a bulkhead.

TOMCZAK
Whoa! Crewman one was blown overboard!
Swimmer is down on deck! Swimmer’s
down on deck!

CORD AND NOAH

react [AD LIB].

EDEN

lay on the deck, dazed. She hears the chatter of her

crewmates over the radio.
 51.

CORD (V.O.)
Come in, Sayer! Come in! Eden,
answer!

She drifts in and out of consciousness.

EDEN’S POV – THE BURNING SHIP

morphs dreamlike into an icy hill that’s next to a facility

sign, “Amoco Oil Company – Prudhoe Terminal”. The URGENT
VOICES of her crewmates become those of PLAYING CHILDREN.

She’s no longer a rescue swimmer on a burning supertanker,

but a 6-year-old girl riding a sled down a hill.

EDEN’S MOTHER (O.S.)

Eden! Eden!

Eden reaches the bottom of the hill and looks over to see a
lovely young Inuit woman approaching.

EDEN’S MOTHER
Eden! Time to come home now!

RETURN TO SCENE

Eden drifts into unconsciousness.

Cord brings the Jayhawk closer to the ship. The bow and
the stern of the ship begin rising as the blazing mid-ship
begins sinking fast.

TOMCZAK
Look, she’s breaking in two!

CORD
I’m going down after her. Tomczak,
you’re going to have to hit the deck.

TOMCZAK
What?!

NOAH
Cord? What are you thinking?

CORD
I’m not leaving her down there!
Tomczak, prepare to hit the deck.
 52.

TOMCZAK
Alright. But who’s going to bring us
back up?

CORD
We’ll dip the nose; you’ll hook to the
forward gear.

NOAH
We’re only going to get one shot at
this, Cord.

CORD
Then let’s stop talking about it and
get it done!

THE JAYHAWK

hovers 20 feet over the blazing, sinking ship. Tomczak

jumps out and hits the deck, rolls, gets to his feet and
runs “uphill” to Eden. She’s out cold.

TOMCZAK
Sayer! It’s me, Tomczak!

He lifts her onto his shoulder, carries her to the stern.

CORD AND NOAH

force the Jayhawk’s nose straight down. Engines strain.

CORD
Hold it! Hold it, Noah!

NOAH
Got it!

C-130 PILOT (V.O.)

Coast Guard 6739 this is Rainbow 62.
We are three miles out, on approach.
Will be on target with suppressant in
three minutes.

INT. C-130 COCKPIT – SAME

The PILOT and CO-PILOT can’t believe their eyes. THEIR

POV: as they approach the supertanker, they witness the
Jayhawk hovering at a 45-degree angle amidst raging flames,
its nose just a few feet away from the fiery stern.
 53.

PILOT
Jesus!

CO-PILOT
That ain’t in any manual I ever read.

EXT. ALHAMBRA – SAME

Tomczak hooks Eden to the nose gear of the Jayhawk then

holds on for dear life.

TOMCZAK
Swimmer secure! Let’s go!

Cord and Noah straighten out the Jayhawk and lift away from
the supertanker. Just as they do another EXPLOSION sends a
tower of fire high in the sky behind them.

The C-130 flies overhead and dumps tons of fire suppressant

onto the blazing supertanker. Many more will be needed.

EXT. JAYHAWK – MOMENTS LATER

A safe distance away from the tanker, the helicopter hovers

10 feet above the waves. Tomczak unhooks Eden and they
both fall safely into the sea.

Tomczak swims to her and gives a “thumbs up.”

NOAH (O.S.)
Kodiak, this is Coast Guard 6739,
request pickup of rescue swimmer and
spotter...

He gives their coordinates as we...

FADE OUT.

FADE UP:

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT

CLOSE ON Eden’s face, eyes closed. PULL BACK and we see

she’s in a hospital bed, bandage on her forehead. Her eyes
flutter open. A beat as she focuses, then a weak smile.

REVERSE and we find Cord, Noah and Tomczak standing by the

bed, smiling.
 54.

CORD
Sleeping Beauty finally wakes.

EDEN
(drowsy)
Lieutenant?

CORD
Take it easy, Sayer. You took a pretty
good whack on that tanker.

TOMCZAK
Yeah, good thing you’ve got such a hard
head, sister, or there’d be one extra
bed here tonight.

EDEN
Always the charmer, eh, Tommy?

Tomczak laughs. Beat.

EDEN
Did we get the second crewman? The one
I went back for?

NOAH
No...the fuel tank blast probably
killed him.

Eden reacts. Remembers her promise to come back for him.

CORD
Most of the crew bought it in the
initial explosions. The others drowned.

NOAH
The man you saved was the captain. He
was the only survivor.

TOMCZAK
Skipper’s put you in for the Coast
Guard Commendation Medal.

Eden and Cord exchange a look.

CORD
(proud of her)
You did a helluva job, Sayer.

A NURSE enters to check on Eden and administer her meds.

 55.

NURSE
Gentlemen, it’s late. Airman Sayer
needs her rest.

They each smile and give Eden a pat on the arm. Cord is
last. He holds her hand and they share an intimate moment.

CORD
Rest up, Sayer. We need you.

After they’ve left, Eden instinctively touches, then

caresses the silver charm around her neck.

INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR – MOMENTS LATER

Cord, Noah and Tomczak walk down the corridor. We become

aware of a WOMAN WEEPING. Cord looks in her direction and
motions for Noah and Tomczak to continue on without him.

A DOCTOR is delivering bad news to a weeping redhead. This

is SIOBHÀN KEILAR, early 30s, beautiful even in grief. She
glances up, sees Cord standing next to the doctor.

SIOBHÀN
Cord?

CORD
Hello, Siobhàn. Is there anything I
can do?

SIOBHÀN
(through tears)
Oh, Cord!

They embrace, holding each other tightly.

ON CORD’S FACE

compassion...and a sense of finally being home.

Then –

ON SIOBHÀN’S FACE

her emerald green eyes seeming to turn more hopeful than

sorrowful as we...

FADE TO BLACK.

END OF EPISODE