Gretchen walks into her kitchen.
Gretchen: Mom, you made breakfast already?
Lucinda: Yes, Gretchen, you know I like to get an early start to my day.
Gretchen: It’s six AM. When do you get up?
Lucinda: Five-thirty. It’s a key component to a healthy lifestyle.
Gretchen: you’re retired. Daytime TV isn’t on on a Sunday. Why would you need to wake up that early?
Lucinda: Like I said, it’s healthy to. You could take notes.
Gretchen: I live an extremely healthy life. I’m fit!
Lucinda: You have an irregular sleep schedule.
Gretchen: I’m a politician, that’s to be expected. Speaking of which, I have a big day ahead. A campaign event tin Smithfield, a voter registration drive in Pawtucket, door-knocking and a rally in Providence…
Lucinda; Sounds like a fun day of leisure to me!
Anthony: Look who I ran into in the hallway!
Christina: I was just heading back to bed.
Gretchen: Honey, you look exhausted. When did you get to bed last night?
Christina: I have no desire to talk about that. Let me go back to sleep.
Gretchen: Sweet dreams, wake up before tomorrow!
Christina: I might.
Anthony: Ah, to be young again.
Gretchen: People always ask me if you’re my son. You’re plenty young.
Anthony: I’m older than you!
Lucinda: He’s starting to show his age. I see the paint chipping.
Gretchen: Don’t listen to her, she has vision problems.
Anthony: She’s right, I’m getting old. It’s just how time works.
Gretchen: It’s like Stevie Nicks says, even children get older, and I’m getting older too.
Lucinda: I always thought that song was just starting the obvious.
Gretchen: You are a killjoy. A killer of joy! Maybe I should go back to bed, no one harasses me there.
Anthony: Well, except for when you hare nightmares about your mom.
Lucinda: Aww, I make it into your nightmares?
Gretchen: Almost every night.
Two hours later…
Lucinda: Glad you’ve finally decided to rejoin us.
Gretchen: How late did I sleep? I have somewhere to be!
Anthony: Your phone’s been ringing non-stop for fifteen minutes.
Gretchen: Telemarketers.
Anthony: Maybe, but check it out.
Lucinda: Your ringtone is terrible, please change it.
Gretchen: The Halloween theme song is a classic!
Lucinda: It’s scary!
Gretchen: You have Anthony, no need to be scared!
Lucinda: He’d die well before me,. I’m intimidating. He’s a dumb, clueless, friendly teddy bear.
Anthony: She thinks I’m friendly!
Lucinda: Not to me! Just to everyone else.
Anthony: Is that not a red flag to you? Maybe you behave badly?
Lucinda: No, you just lazily hate your mother-in-law for no reason. It’s tragic, really. We could be a good team.
Anthony: A good team at what?
Lucinda: Just a good duo in general.
Gretchen: Ah, it was just Carol. I gotta call her and tell her I’m running a little late for the Smithfield event. Anthony, can you make me something for breakfast while I shower?
Anthony: Of course!
Lucinda: You don’t want me to make it? I’m your mother!
Gretchen: I know you’d just complain about it.
Gretchen picks up her phone to call Carol as she heads to the bathroom.
Carol: Finally, you called back!
Gretchen: What’s with all the calls? Is something the matter?
Carol: I would say so.
Gretchen: Did I get the time wrong for the event? Am I supposed to be there now?
Carol: No, it’s not that. I have some news that’s really quite upsetting. Samantha’s son Peter is missing.
Gretchen: What? Missing how?
Carol: This is just what I took in from all the information relayed to me by Jeanne, but he was apparently camping in the woods and some of his friends were supposed to meet him, and they got to his tent last night and he wasn’t there, but all of his personal items were. The theory is that he stumbled off to go to the bathroom and got lost.
Gretchen: You just gave me the chills. That is terrible!
Carol: Samantha is a mess, as you can expect. They’re doing a search and rescue mission right now in the woods.
Gretchen: Cancel our events today, we can’t do any campaigning today, not after this.
Carol: Already done. Do you wan to put out a statement?
Gretchen: Let’s avoid comment on it as of now. I don’t want to look like I’m exploiting the situation for publicity.
Carol: Okay, I won’t comment on it.
Gretchen: I want to go help with the rescue mission. I don’t want any press knowing I’m there, I just want to go and do the right thing. Can you come pick me up and drive me?
Carol: I think that’s a really wonderful thing, Gretchen. Susana and I will be there soon.
Gretchen: Don’t rush too much, I still have to shower.
Carol: You haven’t showered yet? At eight o’clock?
Gretchen: I had a headache
Carol: Did you?
Gretchen: No… I was just tired.
Carol: There’s no shame in admitting you’re human.
Gretchen: You sure did sound like you were shaming me.
Carol: I’ll see you later, Gretchen. As long as you don’t fall back asleep.
Gretchen: Stop!
Carol: You’re so easy to get going.
Gretchen hangs up.
Christina: What was that about?
Toby: Yeah, you woke me up!
Christina: Since when does anything wake you up? You’d sleep through a 747 crashing into the house!
Gretchen: Honey, I’m sorry I woke you up. You can go back to bed.
Toby: I’m too awake now.
Gretchen: Please don’t guilt trip me today, it’s been very stressful.
Lucinda: You've been awake for twenty minutes - and that includes the ten minutes you were awake the last time!
Gretchen: And it’s been a very stressful twenty minutes.
Anthony: What is going on? What did Carol say?
Christina: It better be important, with all those calls and texts.
Gretchen: This is very upsetting to say, I’m sorry. Toby, you can go too your room if you don’t want to hear it.
Toby: Are you losing in the polls, mom?
Gretchen: No, this is nothing to do with politics. It really makes politics seem pretty silly, to tell you the truth. Samantha Pratt’s son is missing.
Christina: What? Peter? He always seemed like such a nice kid.
Lucinda: What on earth happened?
Gretchen: They don’t know, but they’re guessing he got lost while camping out in the woods.
Lucinda: We have woods?
Anthony: Has anyone talked to Samantha?
Gretchen: I have no idea. Carol heard from Jeanne, who presumably heard from someone in Samantha’s family. Not sure who, though. All I know is, I’m going to help look.
Anthony: Honey, are you sure that’s a good idea? What if it wasn’t an accident and there was fowl play?
Gretchen: I feel completely comfortable. I’ll have other people with me on the search, and I’m sure there are tons of cops around, too.
Christina: Cops? What are they going to do?
Gretchen: Well, history would suggest that the answer is “nothing,” but at the very least, I’m the governor and I assume they’d shoot someone that was trying to kidnap or kill me.
Christina: Bold assumption.
Toby: Mom, I’m scared.
Gretchen: Why are you scared, honey?
Christina: When isn’t he?
Gretchen: Knock it off!
Toby: Am I going to go missing, too?
Gretchen: No, of course not! You are perfectly safe, this was just an accident. Dad is very sorry for implying anything to the contrary!
Anthony: I really am.
Lucinda: Just to make you feel better, grandma won’t leave your side.
Toby: That’s even scarier!
Lucinda: See, fixed him!
Anthony: No, you just made its so he’ll be too afraid to sleep tonight! What if you come into his room in the middle of the night?
Gretchen: Can you all stop? I have to get ready to go, Carol’s picking me up soon. Try to avoid making this into an excuse to bicker, just for once.
Lucinda: Us? Bickering? I beg to differ.
One hour later…
Susana: How big are these woods? You think we’ll be able to cover them during the search?
Carol: I don’t know how many people even came out for the rescue, but it’s not terribly large. It’s not like it’s a national park or anything. It’s feasible, if he’s still in there -
Susana: If?
Carol: Well, you know, I watch 48 Hours. I know things like this aren’t always as they appear. It’s an accident at first, and then…
Susana: Don’t say it, it’s too awful.
Gretchen: You know, I think we’ve all worried about that. That “What If?” of whether there’s not such an innocent reasoning behind his disappearance. I try to knock those feelings out of my head, though.
Carol: Well, we’re here, so let’s try to keep positive and help all we can.
Gretchen gets out of the car and walks over to Hank and Jeanne.
Hank: Governor Raymond, you’re helping with the search?
Jeanne: I’ll be honest, I sort of thought you did it.
Gretchen: Jeanne! You can’t joke about that! The media would probably believe you!
Jeanne: It wasn’t a joke, you’re a kook.
Gretchen: I would never kidnap someone’s child! Or anyone, for that matter. I’m a nice person!
Jeanne: Since when?
Gretchen: Can we stop acting like we’re at a Dean Martin roast and try to do something to help humanity here?
Jeanne: Yeah, you’re right. Let’s head out.
Wilma (Samantha’s mom): Wait! I just wanted to thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for coming out here to help find my grandson.
Hank: Are you Samantha’s mother? We are so sorry for what you're going through.
Wilma: He’s out there somewhere, I know it. We have to many lovely people like all of you who cared enough to come out, and someone will find him.
Samantha: Mother! Who are you bothering no-
Samantha starts sobbing.
Wilma: It will all be okay, dear. They will find him.
Samantha: I know. I just really touched that you all came.
Hank: Of course we came!
Samantha: Gretchen, I’ve been so awful for you, and you’re here for me anyway.
Gretchen: Sam, I’m a mom. Moms can’t stand to see other moms worry about their babies. I’m going to do everything I can to stop that worrying.
Jeanne: We’re going to get going, we have a lot of ground to cover.
Samantha: Just wait, they want everyone in the rescue mission too wear these vests.
Gretchen: Even though it’ll make me look like Elmer Fudd, I’ll wear it if it helps.
Samantha: Thank you again for coming out. I wish I could help myself, but -
Susana: No, you focus on yourself right now. You’re going through enough. The rest of us will handle the rescue.
Samantha: Honey, I have to be honest. I can’t remember your name at this moment. But thanks for coming!
Susana: That stung a little, but I can give you a pass. You’re going through a lot.
Jeanne: Come on, everyone. We need to give Samantha some space, we’re a lot to handle.
Samantha: Yes, but that’s what I appreciate about you!
Gretchen: There’s something you appreciate about me?
One hour later…
Gretchen: Guys, I’m getting tired. And my feet hurt!
Jeanne: You think maybe the chunky heels were a bad idea?
Gretchen: I was in a hurry, I wasn’t thinking.
Jeanne: Gretchen not thinking, shock!
Hank: Ladies! Stop fighting like a couple of grade schoolers!
Jeanne: Grade schoolers?
Hank: We’re searching for colleague’s missing son! Put it aside! And, Jeanne, you’re the one initiating it. Gretchen can’t say one thing without you having some smart remark for her.
Carol: He’s right.
Jeanne: You’re biased, of course you'd say that! But you are right, I’m distracting from the cause.
Hank: Shall we separate?
Gretchen: No, Hank. We don’t know the conditions out here, we need to stick together in case the ground gives out or one of us trips. We have to be there to help the other.
Susana: Also, splitting up never works well in horror movies.
Hank: It worked well for the Scooby-Doo gang.
Susana: Not for Scooby and Shaggy, they always had to face off with the monster.
Hank: That is true.
Jeanne: Did I just hear a real-life disappearance compared to Scooby-Doo?
Hank: You sure did!
Carol: Ahh!
Susana: Mom, what’s wrong?
Carol: Something just dropped from that tree!
Susana: Mom, that was a birdhouse.
Carol: What was a birdhouse doing out here?
Susana: You’re right, you never see those in trees.
Gretchen: Are they going to bring, like, dogs in for this?
Jeanne: Yeah, that’s what you’re here for!
Gretchen: Not nice!
Later that day…
Gretchen: What is that on the ground?
Susana: Looks like a newspaper or some other sort of litter. I hate litterbugs.
Hank: That was always my least-favorite dance on Dancing with the Stars.
Gretchen: It looks like an old jacket, tattered by the rain and dirt.
Hank: This is sort of close to where the campsite was, and there looks like a sort of path there.
Carol: Anyone have gloves?
Hank: What for?
Carol: I want to check the tags, see the size and if it’s a man’s jacket. That can determine if it could be Peter’s or not. But I don’t want to touch potential evidence.
Hank: I have a pair of mittens.
Carol: That’ll have to do.
Hank: Here you go.
Carol: They’re a bit… large.
Hank: I’m often complimented on my hand size.
Jeanne: Really? You wanna brag now?
Carol: It’s a men’s size medium. Could be his.
Gretchen: I’ll radio the police.
Jeanne: The ones you want to d-
Susana: Shut up! Can you ever just shut up?
Jeanne: Exc-
Susana: You heard me. Gretchen, radio the police.
Gretchen: On it.
The next day, in Gretchen’s office…
Gretchen: Samantha, honey, what are you doing in today?
Samantha: You saved my son, Gretchen.
Gretchen: It was a team effort.
Samantha: I can’t possibly ever thank you enough.
Gretchen: I’d do it for anyone, especially such a distinguished colleague.
Samantha: I was never nice to you. You don’t have to be so nice to me.
Gretchen: How is he?
Samantha: Well, you know he was found.
Gretchen: Down a path that slid due to the rain. I’m guessing he had a mighty tumble.
Samantha: He was found with against a tree with a banged-up head and leg. I don’t know how long he would have lasted if they’d not found him there. But he’ll be okay. Just a broken leg and a concussion. And lots of scrapes on his arms, because he never listens to me and took his jacket off!
Gretchen: No listening to you this time may have saved his life.
Samantha: I guess you’re right, thanks to you.
Gretchen: Samantha, if you need anything, just reach out. I’ll do what I can, you need to focus on your son and being by his side, which is where you should go now. I know I’m a hero, but lavishing praise on me can wait. Speaking of which, please don’t tell the press that I was the one that found him. Just say it was a good samaritan. I don’t want to overshadow the miracle that took place yesterday. Nor do I need more reporters hanging around me. Or the conspiracy theorists that will say it was all staged to make me look good.
Samantha: As if I’d stage this to help you!
Gretchen: I know!
Samantha: I’ll keep quiet, though. Only we have to know.
Gretchen: Me being the greatest hero of our time can be our little secret.
What did you think of this episode of Raymond Island? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to read a new episode next week!
