The Fox Lover (白狐)

Hunger, a poet once said,

is the most important thing we know,

the first lesson we learn.

But hunger can be easily quieted down, easily satiated.

There is another force, a different type of hunger,

an unquenchable thirst that cannot be extinguished.

It's very existence is what defines us, what makes us human.

That force is love.

Folks, this is your captain up in the flight deck.

We are on our final descent into New York for an on-time arrival.

We want to thank you for flying Regis Air

and encourage that you ask us

any connecting gate information you may need.

We're looking at partly cloudy skies

and we may hit a little turbulence on our approach.

Not again.

Yes?

Rose, get back here now.

I need your help.

We're landing, whatever it is can wait.

Now. Come now!

All right, relax.

Sir, we're landing.

Would you power off your device?

You call this a device?

You have to turn it off.

It's like when a cop calls a car a "Vehicle".

Or when he calls you sir when he means "Asshole".

Having a little gig in New York coming up.

You give me three or four of those little baby Vodkas

I'll get you a front-row seat.

Turn it off, put your seat up.

We're landing, sir.

Ma'am.

Seat backs in the upright position.

Finally.

Attendants, prepare for landing.

Peter, you haven't done anything back here!

This place is a mess!

- There's something in the plane. - What do you mean?

Inside the plane. Something alive in the cargo hold!

What the hell do you mean, like a dog?

No, it's something really, really big.

I heard it move.

A thumping underneath the floor.

I heard it...

No, Peter, there are no animals on the manifest.

It tried to open the latch.

I heard a noise.

Then it moved away.

But you can feel it moving.

Flight crew prepare for arrival.

Did you see it?

Nothing. I just think that you were...

Oh my God!

Oh my God! Go tell Captain Redfern!

Tell him to warn the landing crew!

And get emergency services!

There's someone down there!

It's gonna give!

Private Delta 3-4-7, you're clear for taxiway Foxtrot.

Private Delta 3-4-7, clear for taxiway Foxtrot.

Regis Air 7-5-3,

this is Kennedy ground.

Regis Air 7-5-3,

Kennedy ground.

Regis 7-5-3,

Kennedy ground, over.

What the...?

Bishop...

a Regis Air flight out of Berlin,

the 767 widebody, stopped on the service apron.

What's it doing there? Apron's dead.

That's a blind spot.

I don't know. The plane just went dark,

shut down, flat-out quit.

No lights, no radio, no nothing.

Regis 7-5-3,

Kennedy ground, over.

Regis 7-5-3,

Kennedy ground, please respond, over.

Okay, shut down Foxtrot.

Clear all the gates and advise reroute.

How many aboard?

Almost full flight, sir.

Passengers, crew, about 210 souls.

Holy Jesus.

Shouldn't we wait for first responders, sir?

Bishop?

Bishop, wait!

Engines are shut down.

No lights.

Whoa, it's cold.

It's like a dead animal.

There's something really wrong here.

It's like it never moved.

This looks so much bigger from the ground than on the screen.

I mean, they're like buildings with wings.

All the window shades are shut, see that?

Bishop!

Hey, fellas.

Bishop...

Not all of them...

Scramble all emergency vehicles to taxiway Foxtrot.

SWAT, Homeland Security?

Port Authority, FBI, TSA, CDC.

Robbie, no one on the tower calls home.

No one shares the news.

This is bad, real bad.

We've got ourselves a dead airplane.

Hey, buddy, you can't park there.

There's a fire hydrant.

It's a medical emergency.

Oh, is it really?

It will be if I can't get this tie on right.

You know how to tie this?

I don't know, man, I wear a clip-on.

You're on your own.

You waiting for somebody?

Yeah, why?

Here's what I need you to do.

The meter maid comes by,

you tell them it's official CDC business, okay?

Yeah, sure thing.

Zach.

Hey, man.

Hey, dude.

You're late.

Five minutes. It can't be helped.

Ten, Dad.

- Ten? Okay. - That's wrong.

Maybe... maybe ten.

I got a good feeling about this.

Wish us luck.

Good luck.

Five minutes.

I know, I know. I'm sorry.

Ten.

I texted you five times.

I wouldn't have gotten that 'cause I don't text when I drive.

It's not safe.

- Dr. Goodweather... - Eph, please.

She gets Kelly, my son gets Zach,

so Ephraim or Eph, please.

Dr. Goodweather, this is the last of six

court-appointed custody counselling sessions.

You've been late for four of them.

Are you gonna say that I'm late because I don't want to be here?

You might be onto something but I have a really good reason.

There was this outbreak of Hantavirus

in this Alphabet City pre-school.

Which is extremely rare this far north and east.

Dr. Goodweather, every time you come in

you take over the session.

Because I have control issues, I know.

But I have to defend myself here.

Because this might be my last chance.

And I've thought long and hard about this.

And it seems like you two have created this narrative

wherein I'm the bad guy.

But why?

Because I don't want out of my marriage.

'Cause I want things back the way they were.

But this isn't just about you, Eph,

what you want, not anymore.

I'm an epidemiologist.

You know, if I take time off, if I go fly-fishing, people die.

I get that you have an important job, Ephraim.

And you're great at your job.

You get straight 'A's at your job.

But I'm flunking our marriage, is that it?

What are you writing? Please stop writing.

How horrible am I?

You're not horrible.

You're just barely present.

I've done everything you've asked me to

in order to get us back together again.

I quit drinking.

You wanted time alone so I moved out,

against my own wishes.

I've jumped through every hoop.

Tell me what you need.

Our time apart has only clarified things for me.

It's allowed me to make room in my life for Matt.

We're going to be living together now and...

Matt, the Sears guy you were talking about, at my house?

Matt is an operational manager.

At Sears.

Yeah, and you know what,

he gets straight 'A's at his job, too.

But at home, he's present.

Unlike you, he's always here for both of us.

Does he drive a green Prius?

You want me to quit my job, I'll do it.

I'll quit my job.

I don't want you to quit for me.

I wouldn't be quitting for you.

I'd be quitting because of you for Zach,

so he isn't driving around Queens

in a green goddamn Prius.