8x07: If it Makes You Happy
Recap by Misty Flores
Previously on LHDP: Aitor was shot after he, Paco and Mariano escaped from Internal Affairs custody. He holed up in Rita's house as Paco and Mariano went to trade the dead body for Nelson. Meanwhile, Don Lorenzo and Silvia were suspended from duty, and Povedilla became a wanted man due to the resulting Internal Affairs investigation. The group banded together to try and find the men before IA did. Curtis took the opportunity to let Pepa go. When Aitor called IA and told them he was holding Rita hostage and would only speak to Sara, Sara realized she loved Aitor and helped him surrender without hurting himself. Montoya realized Aitor's hostage situation was a smokescreen and called DL. The team went to try and find Paco, but they found nothing but a litter of expelled bullet casings.
EPISODE 8x07: If It Makes You Happy
LIZARRON (AKA THE PLACE FORMERLY KNOWN AS CACHIS)
Sara sits at a table and accepts a snack from Leo, as she looks through a box of pictures.
SARA [VO]: A few days ago there was an internet vote that asked which three photos were the most important in history. The first chosen was of the atomic bomb exploding over Nagasaki, the second – man walking on the moon for the first time, but the one I liked the most was the third. It was of two people in love kissing while the world moved on around them. I like knowing that in the three most important photos in history there's one of two people in love, frozen in a never ending kiss, taking refuge in each other.
She looks at pictures of Paco, Lola, Lucas.
SARA: [VO] Maybe that's what we're feeling when we look at old photos. In them time never moves, like the mosquitoes trapped in amber for millions of years. The world keeps moving forward, and I know they're there trapped forever, never changing. Like pictures in a shoebox, flashes of another time that will never return.
She drops a picture of Lucas next to Aitor.
CREDITS.
THE PRECINCT - Curtis books Povedilla, taking his picture while Povedilla angsts about being arrested. Curtis reassures him that once they find Paco they will get this all settled.
Aitor comes in, ready for his booking. He provides no news of Nelson or Mariano or Paco but also reassures Povedilla. Povedilla is done and heads to the back. Sara watches through the one-way mirror. Aitor asks Curtis what's happening, he tells him that DL has been suspended, and Trujillo has issued warrants for Paco, Mariano and Nelson's arrest.
Povedilla tells Sara that Aitor will be charged with homicide. She tells him that her whole life she's fucked over Aitor. She decides that no matter what happens, she's going to do whatever she can to make him happy. Povedilla kisses her.
In the room, Aitor suddenly hears Sara's voice. She reveals herself taking over the booking pictures, and makes him smile as he takes the pictures, cheering him up as they turn it into an impromptu photo session.
A FIELD SOMEWHERE - Paco & Mariano are not as happy. They've been stranded, buried in the dirt from the neck down. They try to keep their spirits up, but we see what their fate is, in the form of two dead heads sticking out of the field a few feet away.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM - Trujillo interrogates Aitor, who insists they only did what they did to save Nelson and they didn't kill Fabrizzio. His defense lawyer comes in and shuts him up.
Aitor explains the situation about the uranium. Trujillo seems wary but believes him. Montoya gives him a reassuring nod, as the defense lawyer tells him to take it easy and gives him some water to drink.
A FIELD - The head of the mob family comes up to Paco and Mariano. He tells him they'll die for letting his brother-in-law die, and want to know what San Antonio knows about them. He takes out two ferrets that haven't eaten in six days and puts them in a hole that leads to Paco and Mariano, closing it up so the ferrets can eat them alive.
THE BULLPEN - DL walks with Montoya, aware he's still suspended but unable to sit at home with half his men wanted for murder and the other half in jail. The defense laywer walks by and is suddenly grabbed, a noose around his neck by Blackman, who hangs him from his hand and asks who the target is.
DL and Montoya point guns at him, and force him to give up the lawyer. Blackman tells him one of their men is in peril. He is arrested.
THE PRISON CELL - Povedilla frets about being in jail, but Aitor is super zen about it. He tells Povedilla that he doesn't care about what's coming because Sara loves him and nothing else matters. Povedilla gently reminds him that Sara is still married to Lucas. Aitor knows, but he tells him that he'll fight for Sara.
Povedilla smiles. AItor gets up and suddenly faints, crashing into the bars and falling to the floor. Panicked, Povedilla cries to Rocomora to get Silvia.
THE PRECINCT - Silvia is heading up the stairs, dressed in a pretty hot dress as she leads a woman up. She stops at the landing, looking for someone, and finds her when Pepa comes out of an office, frazzled with work.
SILVIA: Pepa! Where've you been? The witness is here from the robbery case on Serrano Street. We have the line up of suspects ready.
Pepa is confused.
PEPA: But no one told me anything.
Silvia hands her the case file and leans in, flirting.
SILVIA: Of course, you're too busy running around breaking hearts.
Pepa grins at her.
PEPA: Look, redhead.
She lifts her arm and shows off a muscled bicep (Laura! You've been working out!).
PEPA: Do you see this muscle? It came from stamping 'case closed' on resolved cases.
She smacks her with the folder and throws her arm around Silvia's waist.
PEPA: Let's go see that line up.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Pepa leads the way in.
PEPA: Right in here, please.
SILVIA: Please pay close attention. Any information we get can be a huge help.
Pepa nods soberly. Silvia puts down her folders and turns on the light.
Pepa blinks when instead of suspects, she sees five brides dressed in HORRENDOUS DRESSES. Seriously. She looks at Silvia in confusion, but Silvia is just smiling.
SILVIA: My favorite is number 3. But I think you would look much better with a different neckline. But of course, I imagine you with Number Two on and walking toward the altar? And it takes my breath away.
(Me too. From the horror. Number 2 is ATROCIOUS)
The 'witness' turns with a tape measure and measures Pepa's waist. Silvia winks.
LADY: With your figure, a strapless gown in natural silk in a basic cut would be perfect. Take your time, okay? I'll be outside if you need me.
Understanding is starting to dawn as the woman leaves, and Pepa stares again at the dresses, frown gone and replaced by a hopeful, unsure smile.
On the spot, Silvia is nervous, but she takes a breath and heads forward, grabbing hold of Pepa's hand. She struggles, trying to figure out how to begin.
SILVIA: Look, Pepa. I'm not sure how these things work. And what's more, I would have preferred that my father wasn't suspended, or that your brother wasn't on the run – that everything was fine. But here in San Antonio, that's impossible. And I couldn't wait anymore.
Quiet, Pepa can't even breathe, as Silvia lifts up a jewelry box and carefully clips it open.
Inside is a beautiful diamond ring (and perfect for Pepa - smooth with no large stones to get in the way). Pepa is overwhelmed, eyes shiny with tears as she looks at it, then at Silvia.
SILVIA: Will you marry me?
Pepa is so overtaken she can't speak – but from the look in her eyes, it's a big fat yes.
Before she can say anything, however, the door bursts open. Kike is there.
KIKE: Silvia, hurry. They need a doctor downstairs. Blackman has attacked a lawyer in the precinct, and Aitor – Aitor's collapsed.
Silvia goes running. Pepa takes a moment to calm herself, and runs after her.
THE FIELD
Paco and Mariano despair, until a ball rolls toward them and they see a little girl peek out at them from the bushes.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM
Montoya interrogates Blackman, but he's quiet until DL comes in. DL tells Montoya he's aware he's suspended. Montoya lets him sit.
BLACKMAN: I don't know if you know an old Arabian legend, Inspector. A Corinthian noble went for a walk with his servant through the streets of Baghdad when he came face to face with death.
IN THE PRECINCT- Rita runs to the bathroom. No one answers. She tries to get in but it's locked. She sees blood seeping out under the door.
BLACKMAN: Death looked up, surprised but before she could do anything the servant and the nobleman went running from her.
THE JAIL CELL - Silvia's arrived with her stuff. Sara's now with Aitor, trying to call him back into alertness. He's unconscious on the floor.
BLACKMAN: [VO] At home, the servant told the nobleman to flee to another country, where death couldn't find him.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM-
BLACKMAN: So the nobleman picked his best horse, and he fled all night to another country where death couldn't find him. But when he turned the corner, there she was. She told him she had been surprised to see him that morning, because she had actually had a date with him in this location, that very night.
RITA grabs keys and opens the door. She sees something horrifying. She calls Montoya, who leaves the interrogation.
DL keeps questioning Blackman, who explains that this 'lawyer' is actually an assassin who met with the head of the mob a couple days ago
Rita leads Montoya in and they see a murdered man in the stall.
BLACKMAN: That he's passing himself off as a lawyer in your precinct signifies two things: the first, that a lawyer is dead, and second, that one of your men is on the Italian mafia's hit list.
THE JAIL CELL -
SILVIA: Aitor? Aitor!
Finally, he's back. Silvia looks at Pepa in relief.
AITOR: Fuck.
He holds his head.
THE FIELD- Mariano and Paco try to get the little girl to stay, but she tells them that her daddy doesn't like her to play in the fields. She explains that she's the head guy's daughter.
THE JAIL CELL - Silvia pulls her hair back, ready to work as Sara fawns over Aitor. Trujillo runs in. There's awkwardness. Silvia struggles to stay concentrated.
SILVIA: And how did this happen?
POVEDILLA: Nothing, we were just sitting here talking, and then he got up and he just fell forward and hit his head on the –
AITOR: I'm okay, really. Relax, everyone. Okay? Relax, I don't have any internal bleeding or need an amputation, other than having two left feet I'm fine.
Pepa smiles.
AITOR: The only thing is that my foot's fallen asleep. That's all.
Silvia is NOT happy to hear that. She instructs Sara to take over dressing Aitor's wound.
SILVIA: Can you –
SARA: Yes.
She grabs a pen light to shine in his eyes.
SILVIA: okay, Aitor – look to the right –
He does.
SILVIA: To the left.
He smiles for Sara. Silvia is not happy with what she sees.
THE FIELD - The little girl tells them her dad likes to plant things, like he planted men one time but they never grew. They try to convince her to stay to 'play'.
THE JAIL CELL
SILVIA: Povedilla, take off his shoe.
He does. Silvia removes a needle from her beg, and as Aitor continues to smile with Sara, begins to poke his foot. He doesn't feel a thing. She presses harder. Nothing.
Now she's concerned.
SILVIA: Do you feel anything?
AITOR: What?
SILVIA: Do you feel anything?
AITOR: No. I told you before, it's asleep.
Silvia pricks him again, this time hard enough to draw blood. Nothing.
AITOR: But what does keep hurting is the gunshot wound in my ass.
Silvia is now really concerned. She looks up at Pepa. Pepa gives her a grimace back.
SILVIA: Okay, Aitor. It's nothing, but I'd like to take you to the lab and run some tests, okay?
TRUJILLO: No,nonono-one moment. Listen – you do whatever you have to do, but the suspect doesn't leave this place.
SILVIA: Look, Trujillo, if you want to suspend me again, then go right ahead. But don't give me medical classes or tell me how to treat a patient.
The rest of the group glares at him. He gives in.
TRUJILLO: That's fine. I want two men by his side at all times, and when you're done with the tests, you bring him back here immediately. Understood?
They don't answer. He leaves as Silvia gets her things together.
KIKE: And the lawyer? What do I do with the lawyer?
SILVIA: Take him to a quiet spot, and tell Curtis to put a mask on him until his pulse comes back up to 60. He should be fine in half an hour.
Kike leaves.
SILVIA: Come on, Let's go. Help me.
Pepa and Sara grab hold of Aitor and lead him out.
THE BATHROOM - Montoya and Rita take pictures of the body, trying to figure out what happened.
PACO AND MARIANO convince the girl to 'water' them. The little girl wants to play family, but Mariano gets offended when he has to play 'mommy'. She gets up to leave, but they convince her again to stay.
RITA takes a moment to ask for Montoya's forgiveness for her part in breaking up him and Marga. He realizes what she did, and is furious, but contains himself and leaves. He tells her to tell no one as he goes to review the security tapes.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM - DL gets a phone call. He excuses himself.
DL: tell me, daughter.
SILVIA is in the lab, with Pepa, Sara and Aitor.
SILVIA: Dad, look Aitor has collapsed in the holding cells, and he lost all sensation below his ankles. I've done an analytical exam and an EKG. He's suffering from some sort of blockage that has affected his neurological system and I don't know what's happening to him.
Pepa comes up behind her.
DL: I'll call you right back.
BLACKMAN: Problems?
RITA comes in, asking for him.
IN THE FIELD – the men 'play' with the girl, and ask her to order them a cake. She produces a toy cell phone.
THE INTERROGATION ROOM - Rita tells DL what happened. He realizes the dead man was a lawyer. He tells her to stall Trujillo. He goes back in and tells Blackman what happened. Blackman tells him that his man is probably poisoned.
DL calls back Silvia.
THE LAB - The phone rings. Aitor is worse.
SILVIA: Yes?
DL: Silvia, it's possible that Aitor has been poisoned.
SILVIA: Poisoned?
DL: Yes.
SILVIA: Well, at the rate the poison is traveling it could get to his heart in less than twenty minutes. And if it does, Aitor will die.
SILVIA: okay, I need to inject an antidote, but in order to do that I need to know exactly what poison has been administered.
DL: I'll find out.
He hangs up. Blackman asks where the lawyer is.
MEANWHILE – Montoya starts looking through security tapes of the bathroom entrance.
CURTIS and Kike try and revive the lawyer, but get a call that a black man has arrived at the hospital. It's Nelson!
MONTOYA keeps looking. The lawyer gets up and ELBOWS Curtis in the face and smashes a glass against Kike's face.
THE LAB - Pepa watches as Silvia scans the list for possible poisons. Sara holds Aitor's hand.
AITOR: Sara, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that my ass doesn't hurt anymore. The bad news is that I can't feel anything below my waist, Sara.
Silvia and Pepa hear this. It isn't good.
They rise up. Silvia comes forward. She tries to stay calm.
SILVIA: Well, when you fell, Aitor – do you remember that I gave you a relaxant? Well maybe the muscles have contracted because of it, and maybe I don't know, you've lost a little bit of sensation but that doesn't mean anything, okay?
She cuts up his jeans, revealing his leg.
SILVIA: [to Pepa] Will you give me the needle?
Pepa does. Silvia unwraps it and braces herself.
SILVIA: Let's see.
She starts at his ankle.
SILVIA: Do you feel anything?
AITOR: no.
Now she pokes his calf.
SILVIA: And here?
AITOR: no.
His knee.
SILVIA: And here?
AITOR: no.
Silvia looks worriedly at Pepa. She pokes his upper thigh.
SILVIA: And here?
AITOR: Ow! Yes, yes.
SARA: Silvia, is it normal that he doesn't feel anything?
Silvia begins to panic. She doesn't know what to say.
SARA: Silvia. Silvia!
Pepa, sensing the escalating situation, jumps in, trying to distract Sara.
PEPA: Do you know what's not normal, Niece? Silvia asked me to marry her an hour ago…
Sara tries to smile. Pepa smiles at Silvia.
PEPA: And I should have told her yes.
Silvia stares at her, aware she just got her answer. Pepa looks toward Aitor.
PEPA: Aitor. And I want you to walk me down the aisle. So if it has to be with a crutch then it'll be with a crutch, but you have to promise me you're not going to fuck up the wedding. Promise me.
AITOR: I promise you.
Sara stares at Silvia. Silvia, aware that Aitor is dying, runs back to the computer, determined to try and save him.
THE BULLPEN - Rita tries to talk to Trujillo, who isn't interested until she mentions Gonzalo. He perks right up.
THE LAB - Aitor tries to joke with Sara to reassure her. Silvia and Pepa race to find the poison.
PEPA: What the hell are you waiting for, Silvia? It doesn't take a doctor to figure out Aitor's getting worse minute by minute. Do something!
SILVIA: They've given Aitor a fatal poison. There's no way to synthesize those types of enzymes. There are more than 27 undetectable poisons in the database, I can't do anything. Not here or at the hospital.
PEPA: And that's why the paralysis is moving up his body?
Silvia nods.
SILVIA: It's in his bloodstream. It's only a matter of time before it reaches his heart.
Pepa reacts.
SILVIA: I have 72 possible antidotes but I can't administer them all at the same time because his heart would burst.
AITOR: I'm cold. I'm so cold, Sara.
She wraps him in a blanket.
TRUJILLO is annoyed to hear that Rita's concern about Gonzalo is her romantic pining for him. He tries to leave but she gases him unconscious.
IN THE FIELD – Paco and Mariano pretend to play with the girl and say the battery has died. The ferrets get to Mariano who screams. Paco tells the girl to run and get her Mommy's phone.
MONTOYA KEEPS LOOKING and finally sees the lawyer who poisoned Aitor. Meanwhile he tries to escape but DL CATCHES him and shoves him into the shooting gallery.
There, Blackman waits for them.
THE LAB - Aitor is sweating as Sara holds on to him.
AITOR: Sara, hold me. hold me, Sara please.
SARA: I'm holding you! Silvia! What's happening!
SILVIA: His pulse is up to 170. If it keeps rising he'll have a heart attack. We need to bring it down now.
SARA: Aitor, Aitor, listen to me. Listen to me. Relax, okay? Relax.
SILVIA: I'm going to inject you with 50 Milligrams of diazanol, Aitor, don't get scared, okay? You're going to feel a little cloudy
AITOR: I'm already on a cloud, Silvia. It won't hurt.
SARA: And why do you say that?
AITOR: Because I don't feel my legs. Or my hands or my arms, Sara. Can I ask you a favor?
Silvia injects him. He reacts with pain.
AITOR: Kiss me, please Sara. Kiss me. In a little while I'm not going to feel anything, please.
She does. Pepa looks away, crying.
SILVIA: The more his heart beats, the faster the poison goes to his heart. We have to keep his pulse rate at 14/16.
SARA: Aitor, AItor I'm going to stay with you okay? Because I don't' know when I fell in love with you or how much because there isn't a way to measure all that. But I do, because when I put my head on your chest I feel like I'm at home. And in every picture I have of you, you're smiling. In all of them.
He ARCHES in pain. Now he's in a fantasy, lying in a grassy field with Sara.
DREAM SARA: And you? When did you fall in love with me?
DREAM AITOR: I didn't choose to fall in love with you. But the first time I kissed you, our teeth touched for a millisecond, and it was incredible. And the exact time of that kiss was 12:10, and I took the battery out of my watch, so it would stay that way forever. Stopped.
DREAM AITOR: the exact minute that you kissed me is frozen in a watch forever. I'll never know what time it is, but I don't care.
Flashes of the kiss, the watch, Sara crying over him.
DREAM AITOR: And from then on I look constantly at the watch.
IN THE SHOOTING RANGE - DL wants the name of the poison from the assassin. He gives it, but Blackman can tell he's lying. He wants two minutes with him. DL gets a call.
DL answers the phone.
DL: Yes.
SILVIA: Dad, his immune system is starting to fail. I need to know the name of the poison NOW.
DL: How much time do you think we have?
SILVIA: Well very little. VERY little. I've tried to keep his heartbeat at the minimum – I've stabilized it at 70, but the poison keeps advancing. I don't know, 8 minutes or… 6 minutes, Dad.
Aitor is back in his fantasy. He fantasizes about being with Sara in the field when it starts snowing.
IN THE SHOOTING RANGE – The assassin isn't intimidated. DL pulls out his gun and points it at him.
Montoya runs and sees Curtis and Kike on the floor. Rita tells him that DL has him in the shooting range. In the shooting range, DL gets a call, he silences it.
IT'S PACO AND MARIANO – who groan. They convince the little girl to call the 'RESTAURANT OF CURTIS'.
THE CAFE – Kike, Curtis and Rita are eating, and get the call.
THE SHOOTING RANGE – DL won't put down his gun. Montoya tries to stop him, and raises his gun. He warns DL but DL says he'll have to shoot him to stop him, because AItor could die any minute. Montoya gives up and storms out.
DL gives Blackman permission. He asks the assassin if he remembers him and lifts him by the collar.
THE CAFÉ – Paco tells him through an order what is happening and where he is.
THE SHOOTING RANGE – Blackman tells the assassin he's been following him for 3 months and has learned a lot from him. He says he knows he never leaves evidence so he still has the poison on him. He rips open his coat and grabs it. He crushes the glass.
THE LAB - Aitor's body tenses.
SARA: Aitor! Aitor!
SILVIA: Aitor! He's going into hypovolemic shock. Aitor!
IN THE FIELD – The Mafioso comes back, the little girl goes running. He holds his gun on Mariano and Paco.
THE SHOOTING GALLERY – When Blackman crushes the poison against his face, the assassin admits what the poison is and crumples to the floor.
THE LAB- Aitor is dying.
He flashes and suddenly he's in his fantasy, but alone and freezing. He curls into a fetal position, shivering.
SARA: [VO] They once asked Lewis Hine a war photographer why he chose that particular profession. He answered that if he could tell with words everything he saw, he wouldn't need to go everywhere with a camera.
Silvia comes forward with a needle.
SARA: [VO] Certain moments of beauty, of desolation, of horror and of heroism – were beyond words.
SARA: [VO] I believe it too. There are things we just can't explain with simple words.
Silvia plunges the needle into Aitor's heart.
Mariano and Paco close their eyes, waiting for the gunshots.
Aitor's pulse starts anew, he breathes in a gasp.
SARA: [VO] Things like staying alive…
SIRENS blare as Mariano and Paco are saved by Curtis and Kike coming to the rescue.
They arrest the Italians. Sara clutches onto Aitor in relief.
SARA: [VO] Feelings like love and duty -
DL looks at Blackman, who fades into the shadows.
Nelson stumbles into the precinct, covered in mud and grime. From across the room, Rita sees him. Her eyes fill with tears, and she rushes to him, hugging him tightly.
SARA: [VO] or the sensation of holding a friend once again.
OUTSIDE THE LAB- Silvia sits, exhausted. Pepa comes out of the lab and closes the door behind her.
SARA: [VO] Maybe that's why our life is made up of images. Moments frozen in time forever. Decisions that, without remedy, change the course of things.
In the lab Aitor smiles at Sara. Pepa reaches for Silvia's coat, and plucks out the box containing her engagement ring. Silvia smiles.
Pepa studies the ring. Silvia arches her brow at her, as Pepa slides it on her ring finger.
Silvia begins to smile, and Pepa does too, nodding her answer: yes.
Aitor and Sara make out (eh).
Silvia and Pepa hug. (yes, I know. They're the engaged ones and they HUG)
SARA: [VO] Still photographs etched into our memory…
Aitor and Sara continue their adultery (What? That's what they're doing!).
Paco and Mariano are finally free. They clutch onto Kike and Curtis, Kike onto the starving ferret.
SARA: [VO] that every second remind us how beautiful it is just to live…
End EPISODE
NEXT: Episode 8x08: When the Italians come after the precinct, Paco does everything he can to keep his daughter, family and colleagues safe.