Disclaimer

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Dana and Casey are back sitting at the bar. They've consumed a few more drinks, and it is about an hour before midnight. There are a lot of people in the bar and everybody is in a festive mood.

Casey: Nope. Lisa's probably with her boy toy.

Dana: Casey... stop.

Casey: We're engaged, Dana. And that doesn't mean a thing to her.

Dana: I don't necessarily agree with her, Casey, but please do not make me choose sides here.

Casey: I'm not asking you to choose sides. It's New Year's Eve and I'm not with my future wife because she has plans.

Casey finishes the rest of his beer and slams the glass down.

Dana: I'm sorry, Casey. I wish our moves to L.A. would have gone much easier.

Casey reaches over and grabs a few pretzels.

Casey: Yeah.

Dana finishes her beer and sets the glass next to her empty martini glass.

Casey: So tell me this, Dana.

Dana: What?

Casey: Did you ever think of... you know... you and me?

Dana: You and me?

Casey: Yeah.

Dana: The thought occurred once or twice. How about you?

Casey: Yes, I've thought about it. I've been thinking about it. Hmph. What happened that we didn't end up together?

Dana and Casey are now facing each other.

Dana: Lisa.

Casey: Yeah.

Dana: Casey-

Before Dana can finish her sentence, Casey leans over and kisses her on the lips. The kiss leaves Dana speechless.

Casey: You we're saying.

Dana looks stunned.

Dana: Huh?

Casey leans over and kisses Dana again.

Casey: How about it? You and me?

Dana turns away from Casey.

Dana: Casey, you shouldn't.

Casey: Why not?

Dana: You're practically married, that's why not. Not under these circumstances.

Casey: Lisa doesn't feel the same way.

Dana: Don't go to Lisa's level. You're better than that.

Casey lowers his head.

Casey: You're right.

Dana: Casey?

Dana bites her lip to fight back the tears. Dana and Casey turn to face each other once again. When Dana turns around, she knocks over a bowl of pretzels to the floor.

Casey: Let me grab that.

Casey leans over to pick up the bowl. As he does, the scene goes dark.

When Casey comes back up, he is handing some sheets of paper to a young man.

Casey: Here you go.

"Thanks."

"Hey! Where are those stats!"

"Coming! They're coming, sir!"

The young man runs the stats off to the angry reporter on the other side of the room.

July, 1988

You notice Casey is sitting at a desk inside of a newsroom. He shakes his head in sympathy for the young man being run ragged by the other reporter.

"Casey, McVay is out of the Niners office right now. He'll be back in at 3. You can reach him then."

Casey: Thanks, Sandy.

Sandy: You're welcome. Is there anything else?

Casey: No, not right now. Wait a sec, who's that intern over there? The one McPherson is running around all the time.

Sandy: That kid? I don't know his name. I think he is some Ivy leaguer, though.

Casey: Okay. Thanks.

Sandy leaves Casey alone at his desk as he focuses on the kid in McPherson's office. Casey gets up and walks over to McPherson's office once the kid leaves.

Casey: Hey, Dave.

Dave McPherson: What's going on, McCall?

Casey: Nothing much. I should be hearing from McVay on the McColl trade to the Raiders later on this afternoon.

Dave McPherson: Good. Hopefully, we can use it in time for my broadcast at 6.

Casey: Yeah, I think you will. Say, how's your intern doing?

Dave McPherson: Him? He's an intern. He's learning.

Casey: You just seem really angry with him all the time.

Dave McPherson: Yeah, this smart ass, freshman Ivy leaguer comes in with all his credentials and his pretty-looking A's on his report card and he thinks he knows what it's like to work at a television station. I know how you were when you got here, McCall, and this kid knows jack squat compared with you.

Casey: Well, he is just a freshman.

Dave McPherson: The better reason to get rid that smart-ass attitude from that Ivy leaguer.

Dave's intern comes running back into the office. He hands Dave a tape.

"Here's the tape on last night's Giants game."

Dave McPherson: Is it the highlights or the game?

"I thought you wanted the game, sir."

Dave McPherson: I wanted the highlights, boy. Can't you get anything right?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll go grab the highlights from Sandy."

The intern attempts to take the tape back from Dave, but Dave holds on to the tape.

Dave McPherson: I'm going to need this anyway. Get me the highlights.

"Right away, sir."

The intern runs out of the office.

Casey: I'll talk you later.

Dave McPherson: Later, McCall.

Casey walks over to his desk and opens a drawer. He pulls out a small box. Casey then closes the drawer and walks to the other side of the newsroom. He bumps into the intern.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

Casey: It's all right. I got in your way. The name's Casey McCall.

"I'm Daniel. Daniel Rydell."

The two shake hands.

Casey: I wanted to give you this to welcome you here. (hands him the box)

Dan: For me?

Casey: Yeah. Even though you're here just for the summer, it doesn't mean you aren't a part of the team.

Dan opens the box and pulls out a coffee mug. He smiles, probably for the first time while working there.

Dan: A Channel 9 coffee mug. Thanks, Casey.

Casey: You're welcome, Daniel. And if you don't have any plans for tonight, why don't you join me and my fiancé for dinner?

Dan: I'd... I'd like that. I really appreciate that.

Casey: No problem.

Dan: I gotta' go and run this... this tape back to Mr. McPherson-

Casey puts his hand on Dan's shoulder.

Casey: Go. We'll talk later, Daniel.

Dan starts running toward Dave's office.

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You move ahead in time, and you see Dan and Casey tossing a football in an apartment complex parking lot.

Dan: My flight leaves at 2 tomorrow.

Casey: I know you're heading back to school, but I bet you can't wait to get back to your girlfriend, huh?

August, 1988

Dan: Yeah. It seems like I haven't seen Chris in forever. I even wrote her a poem.

Casey: You write poetry?

Dan: Well, it's something I picked up back before college.

Casey: Poetry... like Whitman poetry?

Dan: O Captain, My Captain.

Casey: What?

Dan: That's the name of a poem.

Casey: That isn't very romantic.

Dan: It's not.

Casey: I thought you said you missed your girlfriend.

Dan: I do.

Casey: So you write her a poem called, "Oh Captain, My Captain"?

Dan: Whitman wrote "O Captain, My Captain."

Casey: Oh. So, then you wrote Chris something romantic.

Dan: Of course. I love her.

Casey laughs.

Casey: I tried writing Lisa a poem once.

Dan: How'd it go?

Casey: Let's just say my prose convinced her not to have us write our nuptials for our wedding next month.

The two laugh.

Casey: Hey, if you need a recommendation for anything, use me for a reference.

Dan drops a pass from Casey.

Dan: Thanks, Casey.

Casey: You're welcome. Toss it here.

"...here. ...here."

The scene goes dark.

"...here. ...it here. ...Toss it here."

The scene comes back into focus, and you see Casey outdoors dressed in a coat and tie. He catches a microphone tossed at him.

Sirens can be heard in the background. People seem to be running around everywhere as Casey stands ready. You see a stadium in the background.

Casey: Hey, has anybody gotten hold of my wife?

"Generator's up and running."

"I've got contact with the network."

Casey: What's the story?

"It's not local. It's New York. This is national. We're up in thirty."

October, 1989

Casey looks around and sees people scurrying in different directions to different places. Some people are crying, some people are calm, some people look dazed, some people are hugging, and some people are doing all of the above. Casey makes sure his ear piece is in and he tugs the microphone to make sure he has enough cord to maneuver around.

"In 5, 4, 3, 2..."

Casey: Good afternoon from outside of Candlestick Park. The first pitch ceremony for Game 3 of the World Series had just been completed when a massive earthquake struck the Bay Area. Currently, all power and telephone connections are down here and the stadium is being evacuated. We are running on generators, which is how we are coming to you at home. Wait... We are experiencing an aftershock right now... Also, we have some unconfirmed reports of massive damage downtown, including damage to the Bay Bridge. We don't have pictures, yet, so these stories are unconfirmed, but we will be reporting to you live as further stories develop this evening. This is Casey McCall reporting...