Chris comes home from school, dejected and wanting to go up to her room and hide. She sees Joe in the kitchen, eating. She turns on him/
Chris:
How could you! How could you do that to me?
Joe (stunned):
How could I do what?
Chris:
How could you let the whole world know about what happened?!
Joe (incredulous): Whoa there! Are you telling me that you're mad because I wasted the guy?
Chris:
What, you think you were a hero? (Cries) Who asked for it? I don't need a protector! If you weren't so busy trying to save me, nobody would have known about this!
Joe:
Seems to me, Chris, that you didn't do such a hot job of protecting yourself.
Chris:
Neither did you. You were high as a kite that night! And you got caught with the stuff on you!
Joe:
How do you know?
Chris:
Everybody at school knows, just like everybody at school knows that you beat him up because he raped me. Oh, so, great, my big brother protector almost kills a guy and gets busted for drugs. Aren't I lucky that you're looking out for me...
Joe:
Someone has to, Chris. When I saw you looking like you wanted to die, something snapped in me. I didn't care what would happen to me, I just wanted to kill the guy.
Chris:
Don't you understand! I didn't want you to! I just wanted it to all go away! Now my friends are trying to convince me to press charges, to testify...a whole rape trial might come out of this!
Joe:
What if it does! I hope it does! I hope he gets put away forever!
Chris:
Get real, Joe! It will be my word against his! I didn't even go to the hospital or the police station after it happened! How will that look?
Chris breaks down and begins to cry. She sits at the table and sobs. Joe puts his hand on her head.
Joe:
Chrissie, I didn't mean to hurt you. I only wanted to kill the piece of dirt who did that to you. I'll stand by you. You won't go into this alone.
Joe hears a sound and looks toward the door. He see the two little brothers, Petie, 10 (his brother) and Malcolm, 6 (Judith's brother, Joe and Chris' stepbrother) standing there.
Joe (worried):
How long have you two been standing there?
Petie:
Long enough to understand.
Joe:
Understand what?
Petie:
Come on, Joe, do you think, I'm stupid?
Joe:
Mac, what do you understand?
Malcolm (Mac) Austen
Malcolm:
I don't know. It sounds like something bad happened.
Joe:
Come outside guys. Let's sit on the patio, and let's talk about this.
Chris runs up to her room while Joe takes the little brothers out to the patio.
Joe:
Someone hurt Chris so I beat him up.
Petie doesn't ask for more details. He doesn't know how much Mac understands.
Petie:
What about the cocaine she was talking about?
Joe:
I got caught with a little bit of cocaine. I wasn't going to take it. Someone gave it to me and I didn't get rid of it yet.
Petie doesn't look like he believes him. Little Mac looks confused.
Joe:
Look guys, it's been a rough couple of days. But don't worry. Things are going to be all right.
Next Episode: Joe's First Therapy Session
Previous Episode: Chris Back at School
Back to Austen-Kutchinsky Home Page
