| 161 Days |
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Kim is in the conference room watching a tape of Marcus doing a college football report. Marcus walks in, carrying two mugs of water. Kim turns off the tape using a remote control. Marcus sets the mugs on the conference room table.
Marcus: Watching my report on the Mountaineers?
Kim: Yeah.
Marcus: Like what you see?
Kim: Yeah.
Marcus: You like the content of the report or the dashing young man reporting it?
Kim: The content.
Marcus: But you do like me, don't you?
Kim: I like you, Marcus.
Marcus: Great.
Marcus smiles, grabs a mug, and hands it to Kim.
Kim: I said I like you. I didn't say if I like you a little or a lot. I didn't say in what manner I liked you.
Marcus: I didn't reference any particular way you should like me.
Kim: So we're clear on the ambiguity of how much and in what way I like you.
Marcus: You like me... somehow... in some way.
Kim: Right.
Marcus: What did you want to talk to me about?
Kim: How do you feel about covering the time trials for the Winter Games?
Marcus: I've got plenty of experience with the Winter Games. I still have plenty of contacts, and it should go smoothly for me.
Kim: Great. Next week-
Marcus: Hold on there, Kim. I'm already packed for Blacksburg and Miami next week. It's is going to be tough for me to do all of that.
Kim: I know.
Marcus: So how can you have me covering the time trials while I'm covering...
Marcus looks frustrated as he nods his head. He takes a drink of water and sets the mug hard on the table.
Marcus: You're taking me away from college football.
Kim: You're so valuable when it comes to the Winter Games.
Marcus: You're taking me away from college football because you think I am causing problems for the network because people are accusing me of doing drugs.
Kim: I didn't say that.
Marcus: You hear rumors about the possibility of a chance that I might be doing drugs, and you make me not one, but two drug tests, to prove my innocence. Everyone thinks I'm guilty of wrongdoing even when any possible evidence is mere heresy.
Kim: Marcus, you have to understand we are trying to do what is best for the network.
Marcus: Yeah, right. What's best for the network. Hmph.
Kim: Several schools wanted to keep you out of the locker room after the fiasco with Syracuse.
Marcus: I was doing my job. There wasn't any fiasco.
Kim: Marcus, they don't want you reporting on their teams. Even though they don't have the right to stop us, they can make it very difficult for us.
Marcus: I have every right as a reporter to be in there.
Kim: I think we are in a situation where we can smooth things over if we let somebody else take over the reporting.
Marcus: You're believing them?
Kim: Marcus- this network needs to cover college football. If we cannot do the in-depth reporting that is needed, we can't do our jobs. This is a matter of giving and taking.
Marcus: You're taking my assignments away and giving them away to somebody else.
Kim: We had to reach a compromise.
Marcus: What are you going to do when my tests come back negative for drug use? Are you going to retract your original decision? Will you give me back my assignments?
Kim: We are sticking by the original plan.
Marcus: So I am already guilty.
Kim: Marcus, this has nothing to do with drugs. This has everything to do with having good relationships with colleges. If you think this is all about you and a way to get back at you and punish you, then you need to pull your head out of your ass.
Marcus takes a deep breath as he crosses his arms.
Marcus: You just don't understand.
Kim: Understand what?
Marcus: That I am a marked man. I have this permanent tattoo across my forehead that says 'drug addict.'
Kim: You do not.
Marcus: I do. When things don't go right or if I screw up, the first thing that is going to pop into people's heads is that I have to be taking drugs. We need to test him and catch him taking drugs because he wouldn't be screwing up if he wasn't.
Kim: I don't think you've been screwing up, and I don't think you've been taking drugs. You've been clean for how long?
Marcus: 161 days.
Kim: That's great. 161 days in a row is something to be proud of.
Marcus sits down in a chair.
Marcus: It's not meant to be a statistic. Bernie Kosar threw 308 passes in a row without being intercepted. The Atlanta Braves have won their division ten consecutive years. The Miami Hurricanes won 58 home games in a row. Those are statistics. Those streaks began and ended or will end. I know 161 days because its been that long since I made the conscious decision to change my life.
I understand that I have to build back the trust of you, Isaac, the network, and everyone else; but I hate when people immediately jump to conclusions without investigating and asking the right questions. If I can't do my job, then yes, take it away from me. If I can't do my job because people are slandering me, then you need to stand behind me.
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Dan is on the air.
Dan: (on-air) Early in the first quarter, Jason Tinsley will drive the lane and make the slam to give the Bucks the early lead... actually, what we are showing is Golden State and the Clippers. Anyway, the Bucks have the lead going into the fourth...
People are scrambling in the control room.
Chris: We don't have it.
Dana: What do you mean we don't have it?
Will: We just have chyrons and no footage on our shot sheet.
Dana: Natalie?
Natalie: I'm working on it.
Dana: Jeremy?
Jeremy: We can go to Dallas now.
Dana: Later.
Jeremy: Or we can go to Dallas later.
Dana: What is happening with the show? (into mic) Dan- you should be ready to go to Kelly at Auburn Hills.
Dan pulls his hand away from his ear piece. He shakes his head and throws his arms in the air.
Tina: (on-air) ... as the Timberwolves look to improve on last season. Dan.
Dan: (on-air) I've been told we are ready to go to the Palace at Auburn Hills where... Kelly Kirkpatrick... is standing by. Kelly...
Dan continues to look into camera three.
Chris and Will look confused as they are turned around and staring at Dana.
Natalie: It's Jennifer.
Dana: What did I say?
Natalie: You told him Kelly. Jennifer is at Auburn Hills. Kelly is at the Staples Center.
Dana slams her hand on the control board.
Dan jumps slightly in his chair as he continues to smile into camera three.
Dan: (on-air) I am now being told that our attempt to get Kelly Kirkpatrick from Los Angeles to Detroit in less than a minute is impossible, so we'll just send it to Jennifer Atwater who is still planted soundly at Auburn Hills. Jennifer...
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Marcus has his feet up on his desk and he is tossing a football to himself. Kim stops by.
Kim: I'm headed home. Are you staying much longer?
Marcus: I don't know.
Kim: It's been a long day.
Marcus: I'll see you tomorrow.
Kim: Everything is going to work out, Marcus. We still want you here. You do a good job.
Marcus: I know.
Kim: Well, good night.
Marcus: Later.
Kim heads out of the newsroom. Marcus continues to toss himself a football. Isaac leaves the control room and it empties out behind him.
Isaac walks through the newsroom and Dana catches up to him.
Dana: I am truly sorry, Isaac.
Isaac: You've been apologizing throughout the whole broadcast. You continue to apologize afterwards. We'll talk about it tomorrow.
Dana: Wouldn't you want to have a staff meeting right now?
Isaac: We'll talk about it tomorrow. You can have the meeting if you like, but I am getting my coat and heading home.
Dana stops as Isaac continues toward his office. She notices Marcus tossing the football.
Dana: What are you still doing here?
Marcus: Just tossing the ol' pigskin.
Dana: It's after midnight. Aren't you going home?
Marcus sits up in his chair and sets the football on his desk.
Marcus: It's after midnight?
Dana: Yes. The show is finished.
Marcus: Okay. I'll be leaving in a minute.
Dana: Okay. Have a good one.
Marcus: Yeah.
Dana walks toward her office as Marcus opens a drawer in his desk. He pulls out a small spiral pocket calendar. He opens it and flips a few pages. One month has each day marked out with an 'X.' He flips a couple more pages and grabs a pen. He marks out the current day with an 'X' and writes 162 in the space. He closes the calendar and slips it into his pocket as he grabs his jacket. Marcus gets up, puts on his jacket, and heads for the exit.
