The Company You Keep

                                - By Ceil -

Setting: Company - late morning

Roger is at Company to visit with Peter. Bridget, who is pleased that Roger
had called to first make arrangements to see his grandson, has asked Roger
to come for lunch as well.

Bridget enters the restaurant with Peter in tow.

Bridget: (holding Peter's hand) "Here, he is! Here to have lunch with his
Pop-Pop!" (Bridget smiles at Peter's excitement)

Peter: (with a big smile) "Pop-Pop! Pop-Pop!"

Roger, sitting at a table, turns to see Peter and Bridget entering.

Roger: (getting up from his chair) "Hey! How's my guy?!"

Roger moves closer to Peter and lifts the young boy into the air. Roger
then pulls the boy to his chest for a much-needed hug and kiss.

Roger: (smiling, trying to hold back the tears) "I love you so much, Petey
. You know that, don't you?"

Peter looks at Roger, then looks away in order to see the present he spies
on top of the table.

Peter: "I love you, Pop! That for me?"

Roger and Bridget look at the table. Bridget smiles cautiously, hoping that
the present is meant for a child of Peter's age and doesn't have small
parts . Roger places Peter in a chair at the table.

Roger: (noticing Bridget's misgivings) "Yep, Petey. It's to add to your
collection. Remember the dinos, Pop-Pop gave you? This is a new one!"

Bridget sighs with relief, she remembers that Roger has given Peter several
toy dinosaurs made out of nylon parachute material.

Peter: (opening the present with gusto) "Wow!"

Bridget: (pleased) "What do you tell Pop-Pop, Peanut?"

Peter: (looking up at the grown-ups) "Thank you!!"

Roger: (sitting down, giving Peter a big kiss on his forehead) "You're
welcome, Petey."

Bridget: (looking to the kitchen, and then back at the two) "Well, I better
get lunch in the works for you guys. I'll be back in a jiffy, Peanut, you
play with Pop-Pop."

Peter: (his attention on his new toy) "Okay, Mom."

Roger smiles at Bridget, while gently stroking Peter's head.

Roger: "Thanks, we'll be fine."

Bridget nods, presses her lips together and leaves to go to the kitchen.

Roger: "What are you going to name him, Petey?"

Peter looks to the entrance of Company, while Roger finishes his cup of
coffee.

Peter: "Holly."

Roger: (looking over at Peter) "Huh?"

Holly, who has entered the restaurant, turns in the direction of the
mention of her name. Several others, noticeably, the neighboring hospital
staff, have entered as well.

Holly looks for an empty table for herself as the others pile into the
room. She focuses her attention on the two smiling faces before her.

Roger: (with anticipation directed at Holly) "You could sit with us? (looks
over to Peter) "If you'd like?"

Peter: (looking up from his toy again) "Yeah!"

Holly moves closer and bends down to Peter, stroking his head. She looks at
Roger begrudgingly.

Holly: (smiling at Peter) "I don't want to interrupt you and your grandpa's
visit."

Peter holds up the toy in his hands to show Holly, and then spins it around
in the air as if it could fly.

Roger and Holly begin to giggle at the sight.

Roger: (grinning) "What's that? A flying dinosaur?"

Peter: "Yeah! I'm gonna' want the others to play too!"

Holly sits down, just as Peter starts to get up from his chair.

Holly: "Whoa, where you off to?" (Holly startled, looks to Roger)

Roger gets up to follow right behind the boy, who jets from the table.

Roger: (calmly) "Wait, Peter."

Nola appears from the hallway and takes hold of Peter.

Peter: (looking up at his Aunt Nola) "I want the other guys, too!"

Nola searches Roger's face and notes his apprehension at her sudden
appearance.

Nola: (kneeling down to Peter, as she holds the toy with him) "You know
what, we will go to your room and pick one more of these guys, before you
have lunch with your grandfather, okay?"

Peter: (slightly disappointed) "Okay. Only one." Peter moves quickly to the
stairs as Nola follows after.

Nola: (her voice fades out of range) "We'll find one of those bright and
brilliant ones with all the colors and personality moods."

All the while, Holly smiles in Peter's direction. Roger, missing the boy's
presence, sighs, with tear-filled eyes.

Holly (noticing Roger) "He'll be right back."

Roger (shrugging, despondently) "I know, I just miss him so much. I hate
every second not to be with him."

Holly tries to console Roger.

Holly: "He's growing by leaps and bounds, before you know it, he'll surpass
you!"

Roger sits back down at the table. Soothed by her cajoling, his stare
suddenly turns to a wide grin. Holly acknowledges his comforted
disposition. The two begin to speak at the same time, then catching
themselves, they stop .

Roger: "You first."

Holly: "You probably want to know why I decided to sit here, don't you?"

Roger: "I was just going to ask you that. Of course, you know I would love
... I would like for you to join us."

Holly: (trying to add some levity) "Well, considering Peters' naming his
flying dinosaur after me!"

Roger laughs with enthusiasm. Holly joins in. They stare at one another for
a moment.

Bridget walks in from the kitchen, two platters of grilled-cheese
sandwiches in hand. She looks in the direction of where her son was last
sitting. Roger notices Bridget's alarm and stands to face her.

Roger: (calmly) "Peter went upstairs with Nola for one of his toys."

Just at that moment Nola and Peter enter the room. Bridget puts the dishes
down on the table.

Bridget: (gently scolding him) "You stay put now, Peanut! Okay?"

Nola goes off to wait on the other patrons, as Peter pulls himself up to
his chair. Roger smiles at Peter and sits down as well. Bridget looks to
Holly .

Bridget: (realizing Holly means to stay) "Can you make sure these guys stay
put, please?"

Holly: (looks over at Peter and then at Roger, with a smile) "My main goal
in life."

Roger surprised, smiles that famous Roger Thorpe grin.

Holly motions to Bridget that she will have the same lunch as her
companions . Bridget, perplexed by Holly's last comment, nods her head at
Holly's food request, then pats Peter on the head and goes back to the
kitchen. Nola follows behind with the many lunch orders she has just
accumulated from the other patrons.

One woman gets up and moves to the jukebox. Placing her three quarters in
the slot, she chooses three selections. As she heads back to her table, the
music begins to play.

Later, as Holly, Peter and Roger complete their meals, the third and final
song the woman selected, begins to play.

As the song plays, Roger stares at the jukebox and Holly stares at Roger.
Then they look to each other...

Holly: (softly) "Kismet, I suppose."

Roger: (lovingly) "I do, suppose."

Peter reaches for his drinking cup. Roger proceeds to help the young boy
with his grasp and smiles at him.

Roger: (looking from Peter to Holly) "...has to do with the company you
keep."

Roger, seeing that Peter is content with his meal, gets up from the table.

Holly: (smiling provocatively at Roger) "You're so sure of yourself, aren't
you?"

Roger (with equal provocation) "You know me better than that, Holly."

Roger (bending down to whisper softly in her ear) "Much better."

Just as the music stops playing, Roger approaches the jukebox. Peering at
the lit selection board, he reads the number of his choice to himself and
places three quarters from his pocket into the machine. He enters the one
selection number into the machine's memory pad three times.

Roger moves back to the table as some customers pass in front of him. Holly
smiles at Roger with glistening eyes; she knows very well which song will
play, before it begins...

Peter, looking up from his dish, hears the same tune begin again. He grins
at his grandfather and then centers his attention on his dinosaur toys.

Bridget enters from the kitchen to check on the customers, bringing two
orders of chili to a nearby table.

Bridget: (now approaching Peter) "How ya' doin', Peanut?" Seeing that he is
content, she moves on to the other tables.

As Roger sits back at his place at the table, Holly turns to stare into his
eyes, as if no one else is in the room.

Suddenly Peter pipes up, "Grrrrr..growl !!" Peter pivots his puffy toy on
the table.

Roger and Holly both are startled with amusement at Peter's outburst.

Roger: (smiling widely) "Oh, Brontosaurus!"

Roger faces Holly once again. He feels as if he could surmount any obstacle
at that very moment; all is right with his world... As someone enters
Company, Roger's feeling of elation is all too quickly overwhelmed with a
sense of disdain.

Holly is still looking pleasantly at Roger, as she hears an all too
familiar voice.

Fletcher: (boisterously) "Hey, Red, there you be! I didn't expect to find
you here?" Fletcher's irritating voice carries throughout the room; all
eyes look up in annoyance.

Fletcher moves to his wife's table.

Fletcher: (with his usual Reade goofy grin) "I didn't expect to find you
with the Dodger!"

As he saunters closer, Fletcher grabs a leftover donut from a nearby table
and pockets it.

Fletcher: (focusing on his adversary, Roger) "...and the little Dodger."

As Fletcher reaches to pat Peter's head, Bridget removes Fletcher's hand
from its position and shoots him an exasperated look.

Bridget: (totally annoyed) "He's not the little Dodger, Fletch!"

Holly: (with contempt) "Why are you..."

Fletcher interrupts his wife by heading toward the jukebox.

Fletcher: (ignoring Holly) "Wow, now, that's a mod song!"

Fletcher goes over to the glass window of the jukebox and presses his head
against it.

Holly looks strangely at him and then apologetically at Bridget.

Fletcher: (reading the recording artist titles of the jukebox) "Ruby and
the Romantics!"

Fletcher moves away from the record machine.

Fletcher: (trying to sing, but is most definitely off-key) "OUR DAY... WILL
COME..."

Holly, who is now standing, pops her open hand over Fletcher's mouth to
cease all offensive sounds coming from it.

Fletcher: (muffled) "Ouch!"

Roger: (with a look of contempt) "You'd make dogs howl, wouldn't you,
Reade."

Peter looks up in confusion, then suddenly smiles at his grandfather. Roger
smiles back and puts out his hand for a high-five. Peter delights in his
grandfather's offer of acceptance and they pat each other's hand in tune
with the last note of the song.

As some of the customers begin to move to the pay counter, Holly notices
the arrival of many other hospital staff through the doorway. She puts down
her hand and wipes it on Fletcher's jacket with disgust.

Holly: (trying to push Fletcher out of her now distracted view of Roger)
"We should be going now!"

Fletcher: "Right-O Chief!"

As he is about to make a lewd remark to Roger, Fletcher's attention moves
to the unused tea bag on a nearby table. He quickly pockets it, and heads
to the door.

Holly breathes a sigh at the sight of her husband's departure. Bridget
returns to the kitchen.

Holly: (softly) "Thank you for having me." (She smiles at Peter, and pets
his new toy)

Peter: "Say "Bye", Holly."

Holly: (smiling) "Bye, Holly!"

Peter looks up to Holly with surprise and then to his grandfather. He
proceeds to giggle. Roger, putting his arm around Peter's chair, smiles at
Peter.

Roger: (looks up at Holly) "Its our pleasure; especially mine."

The jukebox begins its familiar song yet another time.

Jukebox: "Our day will come..."

Roger and Holly both look over at the machine at the same time.

Holly sighs with melancholy. Hearing the engine of her car race in the
parking lot, Holly rolls her eyes at the sound.

Holly: "Bye, Peter!" (looks to Peter, and then with a smile, winks at
Roger)

Roger's eyes never leave Holly as she leaves Company. He sighs deeply and
puts his head to Peter's and kisses his forehead.

Roger: (in his thoughts) "Yes, Holly, our day will come."