REPORT: JUNK
FILE #: 415

The episode opens with Miss Parker, Sydney, and Broots entering Jarod’s last lair. Broots tells Miss Parker that Jarod has only been gone for 24 hours and the cleanup crew is already there. After they enter Jarod’s lair they notice a man in a motorized wheelchair who is obviously directing the clean-up process. Broots tells Miss Parker that he is the new head on cleanup, and that he is from Calcutta. Dr. Tushon introduces himself after nearly running down Miss Parker and Broots. Tushon tells them that Jarod left behind some disturbing things. Miss Parker looks around to see drug paraphernalia strewn over a table. Sydney inspects some of the contents of the table and informs everyone that there is PCP. She is in shock and declares that Jarod would never take drugs. But Tushon tells them that the blood on the needles is definitely Jarod’s. They also show a piece of paper with a number that is written in Jarod’s handwriting… 101776A22. Miss Parker finally determines that it is possible that Jarod is a junkie, and with that comment Sydney seems to drift into thought with a look of concern.

Somewhere in an abandoned building we see a group of people from a rehab center enter the bottom level of the building. They find Jarod in a drug induce haze lying on the filthy floors a way away from a drum that is ablaze to provide warmth to those who reside there. They grab him telling him that they will not hurt him. As soon as they try to take Jarod he starts screaming for his parents and begging them not to let “them” take him. Jarod fights but is ultimately subdued.

They take Jarod to the Vista House Rehabilitation Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Jarod is dragged into the lobby where they plop him into a chair. Soon he is sitting in Dr. Jason Earl’s office, the staff psychiatrist. He welcomes Jarod and tells him that telling him that he is there to help Jarod. However, the doctor doesn’t really show much concern for the pain that Jarod is already going through. Dr. Earl gives Jarod a consent form to sign and tells Jarod that he will be placed in lock down. Jarod tells them that he doesn’t like being locked up, and they assure him it is to protect him. Jarod signs the form. An orderly searches Jarod’s bag and find many things including a bag of drugs. Once Jarod sees the bag he starts to become agitated. Dr. Earl tells Jarod that there is an ethics code at Vista House called “the circle of trust”…. if he gains the trust then he will have privileges, but if he betrays that trust then the circle is broken. The doctor then holds the bag out to Jarod and Jarod reaches for it, but the doctor removes it from his reach. Jarod then tells them that he is not feeling so well. Dr. Earl tells the orderly to get him a bucket.

At the Centre, Miss Parker is reading a personal ad tabloid, which Broots showed her, aloud. She then mocks Broots but he assures her that he only reads it for entertainment. Miss Parker doesn’t believe Broots. Sydney tries to get them back to Jarod, when he asks about the findings of Jarod’s latest clue. Broots says that the beginning is a date 10/17/76, but he is unsure about the A22. Miss Parker is frustrated but as she looks down at the tabloid again and sees in the corner A22 she realizes that it is the section A page 22 of a paper. Miss Parker then tells Broots to get the microfiche for the Blue Cove Paper from 10/17/76. Broots runs off to find the paper.

Back at the Rehab Center, two orderlies are escorting Jarod to his room. One of the orderlies, Garrett tells Jarod that if he cooperates then his stay will be easier and that Garrett would consider him a buddy. Then they see one of the other occupants of the Vista House bumping into a medication cart that a nurse is wheeling and in doing so he takes some of the medication. Garrett sees this and calls for assistance. Two other orderlies stop the other junkie and Garrett tells Jarod that that man is not his buddy. Garrett puts Jarod into his room where Jarod pleas with him for something to help the pain… “just a little something”. Garrett ignores him and leaves Jarod pleading in his room. The moment that Jarod sees that Garrett is gone and no longer looking through the small window, Jarod stops his pleading and sits there calmly. Jarod then removes a bottle of Ipecac from his sock, which will induce vomiting like that of a junkie going through withdrawal. Within minutes Garrett hears vomiting coming from Jarod’s room. Garrett peeks through the window to see exactly what he expected. Jarod then looks out the window to see a young woman being escorted through the halls. Jarod then sits on the floor a removes a false bottom from his bag and takes out a notebook with articles about the young woman and how she lost custody of her child because of drug use.

Later, Jarod is in a therapy session with Dr. Earl, the man from the hall, and the young woman. Dr. Earl wants Jarod to talk about his addiction. Jarod sits unshaven and smoking telling them that his addiction is a result of an identity crisis. Dr. Earl starts telling them that they need to take responsibility for their addictions and not blame others. Huey, the man from the hall, says that if he uses again he will blame Jill, the young woman, because he is sick of her whining about how she doesn’t know how she ended up in the park all doped up. Jill tells him to shut up insisting that she doesn’t know how and that she wouldn’t have thrown her life away. She tells them that she cleaned up so that she could get custody of her son. But they have all heard stories like that and do not believe her, except for Jarod who is there to help her.

At the Centre, Broots finds that Section A, Page 22. He shows Miss Parker that it is obituaries and that the only person on there that is in anyway connected to The Centre is a David Arnold. Broots says that he used to work at The Centre in the infirmary, but that there are no other files on him. Sydney becomes agitated and tells them that they are chasing ghosts while Jarod is in trouble. Sydney leaves and Miss Parker tells Broots to keep searching and to report only to her.

Back at the Vista House, Jarod approaches Jill while she is waiting to see her visitors. A guard who mans the surveillance cameras is watching Jill while he drinks something from a Styrofoam cup. Jarod tells Jill that he never knew his mother but he always imagined what their relationship would be like. Jill tells him to leave her alone but he tells her that he cannot do that because she is the reason that he is there. Jarod tells her that he wants to help her because of her father and she tells him that her father has been dead for a long time. He tells her that he knows. Before Jarod has time to explain this Jill’s son arrives to see her and she leaves.

After, Jill has left Jarod watches the guard from the camera room as though he is up to something. We see the guard watching the cameras then he grabs his stomach and runs out. Jarod then enters the camera room and he pulls out an Ipecac bottle and smiles. Jarod zooms the cameras in so that he can watch and listen to Jill with her son.

Outside, Jill’s ex-husband is there will his fiancée, Hillary. He tells their son, Chris, that they are in a hurry and to only spend a few moments with mommy. Hillary tells him that there is nothing that they can’t do later and tells Chris to spend as much time as he needs with his mother. Jill sees her son and hugs him. He asks her why she is shaking and she tells him that she has been sick but she is getting better and that she should be leaving the center soon. Chris then asks her if she is getting out if she will live with them again and she tells him that she can’t and that it doesn’t mean that she loves him any less.

Jarod is interrupted when he is discovered in the video room. Dr. Earl says that it doesn’t matter what he was doing in that room, Jarod has broken the circle of trust. Garrett comes in and grabs him and escorts him back to his room where he tosses Jarod on his bed. Jarod then reacts as if he is going to fight with Garrett, but when Garrett tells Jarod, “Come on.” Jarod backs down without a fight and Garrett basically tells him that he made a wise discussion. However, as soon as Garrett has left the room, Jarod pulls out a key-card decoder from his bag and uses it to get out of his room. Avoiding the cameras Jarod makes his way to Jill’s room where he lets himself in.

After Jarod enters her room, Jill moves to the far side of the room and tells him to leave her alone. Jarod shows her a picture of her father and her and tells her that he doesn’t think that her father would want him to leave her alone. She asks how he got the picture and he tells her that her father gave it to him as a way of giving him a family when he needed one. Jill decides to trust Jarod when he tells her that he believes her about not know how she ended up back on drugs and that she wouldn’t do it to risk losing custody of her son. Jill tells Jarod that when she was a junior in high school she got into drugs and her dad helped her through the withdrawal without guilt trips… only unconditional love. She tells Jarod that she stayed clean for a long time… got married, had Chris and then she slipped and started using again and before she realized what a huge mistake she had made, Todd had taken Chris and left. Then he met Hillary and started moving on with his life. Jill tells Jarod that to keep custody she cleaned up and got her teaching credential and that she was getting regular drug test, but then she woke up on that park bench. She didn’t know how she got there or what had happened and she knows that she didn’t throw her life away like that. She tells Jarod that when Hillary and Todd get married Hillary will be able to adopt Chris and then she will never get custody of him. Jarod asks her about the morning that she slipped again. Jill says that she came to the clinic for her weekly drug test and it went great and the next thing she remembers is the park bench and being strung out.

Dr. Earl is entering the room and so Jarod hides in the closet. Dr. Earl says that the nurse said that Jill has been having trouble sleeping and Jill confirms it. He then asks if she would like a Clonidine patch to help her relax and she tells him that she would. Dr. Earl puts the patch on the back of her neck and tells her that if nothing happens to delay it she can be released on Friday.

At the Centre, Broots is giving a mock report on the Jarod situation. However, when Sydney and Broots go to leave, Miss Parker tells Broots that she wants to talk to him. Broots doesn’t look happy and stays behind, but once Sydney is gone Broots starts giving Miss Parker the full report. Broots says that he found someone who remembers David Arnold working as an orderly 20 years ago… but the DSA’s that should relate to that time frame and place are missing. Miss Parker notes that someone has gone to a lot of trouble to get rid of David Arnold and just then Raines enters her office saying something about making unauthorized entries into The Centre’s medical database. Broots scampers over to Miss Parker; while Raines that if they are interest in David Arnold they should know that he was one of the kindest most gentlemen he had ever met. Then he asks what David is doing these days. Miss Parker tells him that he is “pushing up daisies” and that he is “deader than your hair follicles”. Raines looks distressed for a moment and then asks how looking for information on David Arnold has any bearing on finding Jarod. Miss Parker informs him that when it comes to Jarod they pursue “all avenues,” even the dead ones. Raines leaves and Miss Parker tells Broots that because Raines knows that they searched the database then he must have something to hide. She tells Broots that the missing DSA’s must be in Raines’ private stash. Broots gets a worried look on his face, realizing that he is going to have to liberate them from Raines’ collected works.

Back at the Vista House, Jarod approaches Huey who is working on his motorcycle. Jarod implies that they should ride out of the center, but Huey tells him that the motorcycle doesn’t work and if it did they don’t let him ride it. They get to talking about bike repair and Jarod says that he has only read books, however, he easily finds the problem as to why the bike won’t run. Jarod also asks him about the band on his shirt. Jarod then tells Huey that he really needs to score, but Huey pretends not to understand what Jarod is implying. Jarod tells him that he knows the symptoms and that he just needs a little something. Huey gives and tells Jarod that Garrett, the orderly, is his connection. Jarod is stunned but Huey explains that he was recently busted. Jarod sees Dr. Earl and Garrett talking. Jarod then goes back inside and finds Jill on her coach strung out. Jarod calls for help yelling that she is overdosing. Dr. Earl and Garrett come running. They put Jarod back into his room and then begin helping Jill.

In Miss Parker’s office, Broots shows up with the DSA’s he liberated from Mr. Raines. As he inserts them into Miss Parker’s machine, he tells her that she won’t believe what he found…

At the Vista House, Jarod lets himself into Jill’s room where she is experiencing withdrawal. Jill tells Jarod that she thinks that she is going crazy because again she doesn’t remember taking any drugs. Jarod tells her that it doesn’t matter, and helps her into her bed where he covers her with blankets to help ease her. Jill asks Jarod why he is helping her and he tells her “because I owe your father.”

In Miss Parker’s office, they watch as a teenage Jarod is suffering in his room. Miss Parker tells Broots that he had a bad flu and what is the big deal. Broots tells her that it is not a flu and to watch. They continue to watch as a younger Raines enters Jarod’s room and injects him with a narcotic that relieves Jarod’s pain and puts him into a drug-induced haze. Miss Parker is disgusted as she realizes that Raines turned Jarod into a junkie.

Back in Jill’s room, Jarod is keeping Jill hydrated by giving her water. He also is explaining his life at The Centre and how they made him a junkie.

In Miss Parker’s office, the DSA continues with David Arnold entering Jarod’s room and Raines telling him to clean up the room because Jarod is sick. While he is cleaning Jarod pleads with David to help him. David asks him what is wrong and a young Jarod shows him the track marks on his arm. David is appalled in realizing what The Centre has done. David then stays with Jarod to help him get through the withdrawals.

In Jill’s room, Jarod sits with Jill while she runs a fever. The scenes flip back and forth as Jarod remembers what David Arnold did for him. We then she David sitting with Jarod through the same stage that Jill now must endure. Jill finally gets to the point where she can stand it no longer and pleads with Jarod to give her something to help her out. Jarod grabs a picture of her son, Chris, and asks her if he is enough. We then see Jarod with David, who is asking Jarod where his parents are? Jarod tells him that he doesn’t know and so David pulls out a picture of him as his daughter for Jarod to keep as his family so that he can get through it. A frightened Jarod tells David that he doesn’t know how he will ever repay him and David tells him not to worry about it someday he will.

Miss Parker and Broots watch another DSA that shows David Arnold in an argument with Raines and then David Arnold’s dismissal from The Centre. Then it shows Raines saying that they have a problem. Broots adds that the next day David Arnold died; he drowned in his swimming pool. Broots also adds that he wonders where Sydney was through all of this. Miss Parker also wonders.

With Jill finally resting quietly, she tells Jarod that she deserves to lose her son and that Hillary would make a better mother because she can’t remember how this all happened. S Jarod strokes her hair, he notices the Clonidine patch that Dr. Earl gave Jill shortly before her overdose. He tells Jill that it is time that someone found out what was happening.

Jarod, once again, avoids the security cameras as he slips into the lab where he tests the patch and discovers that it is laced with narcotics. He finally has figured out how Jill keeps overdosing.

When Jarod leaves the lab he walks freely letting the cameras see him so that Garrett will come running to his room. When he does Garrett wants to know how Jarod got out. Jarod asks him if he was afraid that he would find his private stash. Garrett says that he doesn’t know what he is talking about and Jarod tells him that he knows that he is involved with giving Jill the drugs. Garrett tells Jarod after he is overpowered that Dr. Earl is using his drugs to put in Jill’s patches but he doesn’t know why… but he will get him into Dr. Earl’s office so that he can find out.

In Dr. Earl’s office, Jarod finds that Hillary and Jason Earl went to the same college. Jarod calls Hillary as says that something has come up and that he needs her to come in right away. Then Jarod goes into the lab and mixes up sum substances with water. He then switches Dr. Earl’s water bottle while the doctor is running. Then when Hillary arrives her offers her a drug-tainted glass of water.

At the Centre, Miss Parker makes Sydney watch the DSA’s that they found and then questions him about his whereabouts during that time. Sydney tells Broots and Miss Parker that The Centre was working with a synthesized narcotic that would enhance minds… like Jarod’s, but the side effects were rapid addiction and devastating withdrawal. Sydney tells them that it was Raines’ call. Miss Parker says that she is stunned that he would look the other way on this… Sydney doesn’t explain he just gives Broots a DSA and then leaves. Miss Parker and Broots watch the DSA that shows a young Sydney going through withdrawal… they both realize that Sydney was also turned into a junkie.

Back at the Vista House, Dr. Earl and Hillary awake to find themselves ties to opposite ends of a hospital bed… suffering withdrawal. Jarod tells them that he knows what they have done but whoever tells them truth first with get one of the two Clonidine patches to help them feel better. Jarod then burns a patch… They both start confessing that Dr. Earl needed the money and that Todd Moffett is a rich man. If Hillary married him, adopted Chris, and then divorced him, she would get enough money to help her college sweetheart. So they conspired to keep Jill addicted to drugs, so that the plan would work. Todd comes out from where Jarod was hiding him and Jarod tells Dr. Earl and Hillary that they both have a problem. Jarod then burns the other Clonidine patch.

Later, Jill is released and Todd tells Jarod that he hopes he can make it up to Jill. Jarod sees Jill coming out of the Vista House and tells Todd that now’s his chance. Chris, Todd, and Jill leave together to begin their life together again. As Jarod starts to walk away Huey calls to Jarod and tells him that he has decided that he is going to really work at getting clean and that he feels bad because he didn’t believe Jill. He then gives Jarod a CD of the band that Jarod asked about before.

At a pay phone, Jarod calls Sydney to talk about the time at The Centre when he was an addict. Jarod also asks Sydney why he didn’t stop Raines from making him a junkie. Jarod tries to tell Sydney that he was like a father to him, but he chokes on the words and is unable to get them out. Jarod tells Sydney that he should have stopped them. Sydney starts telling Jarod what happened and that they wanted to use the drug on Jarod, but that he didn’t want them to, so he volunteered and Raines agreed. It was only when Sydney got out of rehab that he realized that Raines lied and got Jarod addicted anyway. Jarod then realizes that Sydney did care about him. Jarod ask why he never told him this and Sydney tells Jarod that he didn’t want him to feel that he had to stay at The Centre. Sydney says that he didn’t want him to sacrifice his chance to get away. After Sydney apologizes to Jarod he hangs up leaving Jarod on the other end filled with emotions and watching another person being admitted to the clinic. Jarod finally walks away… alone… and the screen fades to black…

DATA

Date: 03.25.2000
Writer: Harry Dunn
Director: Michael Zinberg

Notes:

The Centre (Raines in particular) got Jarod hooked on drugs at the age of 14. Sydney became hooked on drugs at the same times as Jarod.

Names & Occupations:

  • Jarod – Junkie

Last Name Origin:​

  • N/A

Discoveries:

  • N/A

Credits:

Carrie Hamilton (Jill Arnold)
Christian Parizeau (Chris Moffett)
Kirk Fox (Huey)
Steve Schriver (Cop)
Ned von Leuck (David Arnold)
Rick Peters (Garrett Mohr)
Geoffrey Blake (Dr. Jason Earl)
Ivan Allen (Todd Moffett)
Rebecca Chambers (Hillary Strick)
Greg Fitzpatrick (Paramedic #1)
Phil Huggins (Guard)