Against the Wind

29. Free to Be You and Me

EXT. GREAT PLAINS MOTEL – NIGHT

INT. MOTEL ROOM – NIGHT

Sam laid in an otherwise empty bed, shirtless and trying to sleep. Emelie was asleep in the other bed. He opened his eyes, sighed, and rolled over. He sat up and saw Jess beside him.

"Hey, baby," Jess greeted and Sam stared. "I missed you."

Sam kept staring before saying, "Jessica. I'm dreaming."

"Or you're not. What's the difference? I'm here."

"I miss you so much."

"I know." She reached out to take Sam's hand. "I miss you too. What are you doing, Sam?"

"What do you mean?"

"Running away. Haven't we been down this road before?"

"No. It's different now."

"Really?"

"Last time I wanted to be normal. This time I know I'm a freak."

"Which is all a big ball of semantics. You know that."

"No."

"Even at Stanford you knew. You knew there was something dark inside of you. Deep down, maybe, but you knew. Maybe that's what got me killed."

Sam looked up, startled. "No."

"I was dead from the moment we said hello."

"No."

"Don't you get it? You can't run from yourself. Why are you running now?"

"Why are you here, Jess?"

"Would you believe I'm actually trying to protect you?"

"From what?"

"You. Sooner or later the past is going to catch up to you like it always does. You know what happens then?" Sam looked down. "People die. Baby, the people closest to you die."

"Don't worry because I won't make that mistake again."

"Same song, different verse. Things are never gonna change with you. Ever."

Sam looked down, then back up. Jess was gone. Emelie was still sleeping in the other bed.

One Week Earlier

EXT. GREAT PLAINS MOTEL – DAY

A car pulled up in front of the motel.

GARBER, OKLAHOMA

Sam and Emelie got out of the shotgun and middle seats and said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," the driver replied.

Sam went around to the back of the car and opened the trunk.

EXT. TAFT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL – DAY

Dean closed the trunk of the Impala. He was wearing a suit and tie, Elinor was wearing a dress, in contrast to Sam and Emelie's casual dress. Dean and Elinor both hid a long knife under their coats and went into the hospital.

GREELEY, PENNSYLVANIA

INT. MOTEL ROOM – DAY

Sam squirted lighter fluid onto papers in a sink.

Sam lit a match and dropped it in. His and Emelie's fake IDs and credit cards, including one for the Pennsylvania state police, caught fire.

INT. HOSPITAL – DAY

Dean and Elinor showed their Pennsylvania state police IDs to a doctor.

"Hi, Detective Bill Buckner, and this is Toni Armas," Dean said.