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Dana walks into Dan and Casey's office. She is carrying an ice pack. Casey is seated at his desk and he has an ice pack pressed against his face.

Dana: Here's another ice pack for you Casey.

Casey: Thanks.

Casey hands Dana the melted ice pack. The left side of Casey's face is red and swollen. He puts the new ice pack on his face. Casey shivers at the initial freezing touch, but he also has a look of contempt.

Dana: Are you doing any better?

Casey: A little. I don't think I can go on tonight.

Dana: I've already gotten Mike Greenway to fill in for you tonight.

Casey: Thanks.

Dan: What about me?

Dana looks over and sees Dan sprawled out on the couch.

Dana: You'll just have to tough it out, Dan.

Dan: Awwww. Da-na.

Dana takes the melted ice pack and pegs Dan in the stomach with it.

Dan: Oh! Broken ribs here!

Dana: Tough.

Dana walks out of the office.

Dan sits back up on the couch.

Dan: Thanks, man. You are a true savior.

Casey: Whatever.

Dan: The ultimate clutch performer if I have ever seen one.

Casey: I think a lot of this had to do with luck.

Dan: She puts a nasty backspin on the ball.

Casey: I never knew one could make a soccer ball curve like that.

Dan: She's talented.

Casey: So you are relinquishing your position on the lack of talent in the WUSA?

Dan: I guess so.

Casey: After I sacrificed my face for you?

Dan: Yeah.

Casey: It could have been worse. You could have said you could get a base hit off of Roger Clemens.

Dan: I'm not that stupid.

Casey: That is still debatable.

Dan: It's good that we can share times like this.

Casey: Are you getting sentimental on me?

Dan: No, I just worry that we might not have many moments like this in the near future.

Casey: Well, I can forgo getting my face smashed in by a soccer ball.

Dan: I'm just saying about the possibility of you leaving.

Casey: There you go again.

Dan: What?

Casey: Ruining the moment.

Dan: Come on, Case.

Casey: You don't need to remind me all the time, and you promised me no sympathy.

Dan: You're right.

Casey: It's hard enough having to go through this. It's even more difficult having to deal with all the rumors. The show needs to be changed. Something needs to happen to get the ratings up. I know... let's keep everybody because it isn't their fault. Let's get rid of the lead anchor because it's his fault the ratings have dropped.

Dan: Nobody has blamed you for the ratings drop.

Casey: Well, everybody else around here seems to have a contact, except me. Don't tell me they are not blaming me.

Dan: Isaac said he has been making headway with the new executives.

Casey: The left-side of my face is numb.

Dan: Casey? Isaac is going to pull-through for you.

Casey: I have absolutely no feeling on this side.

Dan: You need to see a doctor?

Casey: I need the feeling to come back to my face.

Natalie walks into the office.

Natalie: Hey guys. How's your face? It looks painful.

Casey: It's not.

Dan: It's completely numb.

Natalie: Oh, I'm sorry Casey. If there is anything I can do for you, let me know. By the way, Dana has Mike Greenway coming in for you.

Casey: Thanks, Natalie.

Natalie: Dan, I need you to package twenty seconds of last night's MLS game.

Dan: We have a deal, Natalie. No more soccer highlights for me.

Natalie: I know we have a deal, which is why you are doing them.

Dan: You were there! You saw that we stopped the final penalty kick.

Natalie: I was there indeed, and I did see Casey stop the final shot.

Dan: No, you're not-

Natalie: Our deal was that you had to stop all the shots. You didn't, so you have to do soccer highlights.

Natalie leaves the office.

Dan: This isn't fair.

Natalie pops her head back in.

Natalie: Oh, and Dan? Don't forget to smile. Show me those pearly whites.

Casey smiles as Dan agonizes over having to do soccer highlights. Dan looks toward Casey, and Casey's smile disappears. Dan looks back down at his desk, and Casey's smile reappears.

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Dana walks into the editing room. She finds Jeremy working on a tape.

Dana: Hey, Jeremy.

Jeremy: Hi.

Dana: I had graphics do a really nice job for your presentation.

Jeremy: Thanks.

Dana: We're moving it to the end of the second segment, right before commercial.

Jeremy: I appreciate it, Dana.

Dana sits on the table and next to Jeremy.

Dana: It will be all right, Jeremy.

Jeremy: I know. But it has kick-started something in my head.

Dana: What is that?

Jeremy: What is the meaning of life? What is our purpose? Were those people supposed to climb that mountain, or were they supposed to do something else?

Dana: I never really thought of that.

Jeremy: The answer still eludes me.

Dana: Maybe there isn't an answer to everything. Maybe there are some questions that are meant never to be answered.

Jeremy: I don't know, Dana.

Dana: Hey, I have some exciting news for you, Jeremy.

Jeremy: What news?

Dana: Since you are producing the packages for the NHL finals, Isaac and I thought it would be great if you traveled with the championship teams.

Jeremy: Instead of being stuck here?

Dana: Yeah. It will be like a mini-vacation. You get to go away for about two weeks. You'll have to work, but I think it will do you some good to get out of the office and into something different.

Jeremy: Did Dan or Natalie put you up to this?

Dana: Why would they?

Jeremy: No reason.

Dana: Isaac and I have been discussing this. We're thinking of sending Kim on the road with the NBA finals.

Jeremy thinks about it for a second.

Jeremy: I think that would be good- to travel with the hockey teams. I could mold these features together. I could be right there and capture their immediate reactions.

Dana: That's what we are hoping.

Jeremy: Thanks, Dana.

Dana: No problem.

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Isaac gets up from his chair as Donna and two executives come into his office.

Donna: Isaac, we've been seeing a lot of each other lately.

Isaac: Yes, we have.

Donna: We're going to have this all wrapped up by tomorrow. Isaac, you've met James Henderson, out new director of program development.

James Henderson: Good seeing you again, Isaac.

Isaac: Good afternoon, James.

Donna: And this is Richard Jacobs, our new senior vice president of current programming.

Richard Jacobs: Good to meet you, Isaac.

Richard and Isaac shake hands.

Isaac: Same here, Richard.

Donna: Richard has joined us from CNN.

Isaac: Great.

Richard: I remember when you were the London Bureau Chief.

Isaac: That was a few years ago.

Richard: I worked at the Berlin bureau at the time. When Donna told me you were the managing editor of Sports Night, I knew this was the network to work for.

Isaac: Thank you, Richard. Everybody, please have a seat.

Everybody sits down.

Donna: It looks as if we have the future planned out for CSC, Isaac. There are just a few small details we need to go over. If you don't mind, we'll brief Richard along the way.

Isaac: That's fine.

Donna: Richard, Isaac has been the managing editor of Sports Night from the inception of the network. Right now, the transition has been a little more jumbled because many contracts were set to expire this summer.

James: We've been talking about expanding the presence of Sports Night- at least, in name. We're thinking of adding a 12 P.M. and a 6 P.M. broadcast.

Donna: They'll be half-hour broadcasts, so our feature program will still be from the eleven to midnight hour.

Richard: Good.

Isaac: We've been talking about doing what we can to keep this team intact. I think we all feel that this core team needs to be together, which will allow us to expand the Sports Night franchise.

Donna: Exactly. I think we just have a few more issues to address, then we will release our final report and go from there.

Richard: Let's hear about it. I'm ready.

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Dan and Mike are sitting at the anchor desk before the evening's broadcast.

Dan: How are you doing, Mike?

Mike Greenway: I'm doing good, Dan. I've done this before.

Dan: I know. And I just wanted to let you know that any possible changes with anchors are merely rumors, and you should pay no attention to them.

Mike Greenway: I haven't heard anything, Dan.

Dan: Good. That's what I like to hear.

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Dana: Let me hear Los Angeles. Kelly first, then Tim second.

Jeremy: I'm feeding the latest baseball updates into the computer.

Dave: One minute VTR, two minutes live.

Casey: Dana? Is there anything you would like me to do?

Natalie: You could stand out of my way, Casey.

Casey: (to Natalie) I was speaking to Dana. (to Dana) Dana?

Dana: You could stand out of Natalie's way, Casey.

Natalie smiles as Casey takes a step back.

Chris: Loading audio 1, 1a, and 1c.

Will: What about 1b?

Chris: We're not using it tonight. Remember?

Will: Oh yeah, Casey.

Casey: I just wanted to say that I was willing to play with injury tonight, but Dana thought it was best that I sit this one out.

Kim: Casey, you would be scaring people with that face of yours.

Casey: We could have covered it with makeup.

Jeremy: Or just turn off all the lighting.

Casey: But I shall return tomorrow night, and I shall be triumphant.

Dana: Does anybody have a soccer ball I can stuff in Casey's mouth to shut him up?

Casey: You are just jealous because I was able to stop a shot from one of the top players in the Women's United Soccer Association.

Dana: Yeah... I am jealous because they don't make that shade of rouge.

Jeremy: Actually, they do make that shade of red.

Dana: Jeremy wears makeup? I don't think I want to hear this.

Jeremy: I don't wear it. I've seen circus clowns wear it.

Dana laughs.

Dana: Good one, Jeremy. High five.

Dana and Jeremy high five, while Casey tries to come up with a snappy comeback.

Casey: Well... I bet they don't make an envious green, the color you are wearing right now.

Dave: Sixty seconds live.

Elliott walks into the control room.

Elliott: Dana, line four.

Dana: Can't you see that we are less than a minute from going live?

Elliott: He asked for you. I'm just passing the message.

Dana: Casey, could you please take a message for me?

Casey: What am I? Your personal secretary?

Dana: For right now, Red M&M, you are.

Casey: Fine. Paper?

Jeremy hands Casey a small tablet of paper.

Casey: Pen?

Kim hands Casey a pen as he walks out of the control room and into the hall.

Casey picks up the phone outside of the control room.

Casey: (on phone) Hi, this is Casey McCall. Dana Whitaker is unable to answer you call right now. May I take a message? (listens) Oh, hey Jack. What's up? (listens and turns serious) Really? (listens) Okay. I'll take care of it. I'll be right down.

Casey hangs up the phone, slaps the tablet into his palm, and walks off.

As you see Casey walk away, you glimpse up into the monitor and see the broadcast begin.

Dan: (on-air) Good evening, from New York. I'm Dan Rydell sitting alongside Mike Greenway, who is pinch-hitting for Casey McCall. We'll have live reports from the Staples Center where the Spurs and Lakers played Game 3 of the Western Conference Championship Series.

Mike Greenway: We'll also preview the Stanley Cup Finals, and we have an amazing finish in baseball. You're watching Sports Night on CSC...

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Casey is wearing a jacket as he walks into Anthony's. He walks up to the bar and catches the attention of Jack, the bartender.

Casey: Where is he?

Jack points to the other side of the restaurant.

Jack: He's over there- trying to get a drink. I told him I don't serve drug addicts.

Casey: How is he doing?

Jack shakes his head.

Jack: You'll see for yourself.

Casey: Thanks, Jack.

Casey walks over to the other side of the restaurant. As he walks, he spots Marcus sitting in a booth. Marcus has his legs up on the booth and his back is against the wall.

Casey: Hey Marcus.

Marcus: Whoa, Casey. It's cool to see you. Dude, what happened to your face?

Casey: I was hit with a soccer ball.

Marcus: Man, does it hurt? I bet it hurts.

Casey: Yes, it does. Mind if I sit?

Marcus: Sure thing, Casey. Sit down and find somebody to order us some margaritas.

Casey: We're not getting any drinks, Marcus.

Marcus: What's the matter? Isn't my money good here anymore?

Marcus waves a few dollars bills in the air.

Casey: Sit up and look at me.

Marcus: Oh come on, Casey. Don't start crashing down on me.

Casey: Dammit, sit up right now.

Marcus puts his legs down and he sits straight in his booth.

Casey: Look at me.

Marcus' head sways a little bit, and he tries to focus on Casey.

Casey: Look at me in the eyes.

Marcus: Hehe... I'm not gay or anything Casey. Don't try to seduce me.

Marcus tries to stare into Casey's eyes. A smile appears, disappears, and reappears on his face. His eye lids slowly close and open. Marcus begins to laugh.

Marcus: Man, your face is really red.

Casey: Marcus, you're freakin' high again.

Marcus: No, no, no, Casey. I'm having a good time. I'm trying to have a good time if somebody... (begins shouting) ...somebody would get me some dammed margaritas with salt!

Marcus starts pounding the table, but Casey reaches across and grabs him.

Casey: What the hell happened today?

Marcus: I was... I was supposed to go to my treatment program today... I guess I didn't make it. My will power isn't as strong as I think... thunk... thought.

Casey: Are you trying to get fired?

Marcus: Me? No, Casey. Me no get fired. Me and Isaac? We're like this.

Marcus holds his index and middle fingers together.

Marcus: We have an understanding. I go to the program, and I keep my job. I report to my parole officer... wait... yeah... and I keep my job. Anyway, I'm off the clock. It's not like I'm at work and hurting anybody right now. Man, your blue eyes really shine against that red face of yours.

Casey lets go of Marcus.

Casey: Marcus?

Marcus: Dude, now is not the time for lecturing. Now is the time to relax.

Casey: There are people who care for you and want you to get well. You need to do this or risk losing them.

Marcus: They were never on my side anyway.

Casey: What do you mean?

Marcus: When I first started, I was the new guy. I was the guy who was going to replace somebody. Everybody hated me because they thought I was after their job. You see, Casey? They don't give a damn if I get well. I bet they'll celebrate if I got fired.

Casey: Come on, let's go.

Marcus: What about my drinks?

Casey: Let's go somewhere else.

Casey gets up and out of the booth.

Marcus: Someplace that has drinks?

Casey helps Marcus out of the booth.

Casey: Yeah, let's go someplace. Let's walk and find a place for you.

Marcus: Great, Casey. You know what? You're like the greatest guy ever.

Casey: Yeah. I hear a lot of that.

Casey starts to escort Marcus. Casey motions to Jack.

Casey: Could you help us get a ride, Jack?

Marcus: Yeah, Casey. A ride there would be good.

Jack: You want me to call a cab?

Marcus doesn't notice Casey shaking his head "no."

Jack: Okay. I'll take care of it.

Casey: Thanks, I appreciate it.

Marcus: Yeah, bartender. You're like the greatest guy ever. Behind Casey.

Casey: Let's go, Marcus.

Casey helps Marcus out of the restaurant.