01x08 - Pandora's Box

All episode transcripts for the TV show "Switched at Birth". Aired: June 2011 to April 2017.*
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Tells the story of two teen girls who discover that they were accidentally switched at birth. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother, while Daphne Vasquez, who lost her hearing as a child due to a case of meningitis, grew up with a single mother in a poor neighborhood. Things come to a dramatic head when both families meet and struggle to learn how to live together for the sake of the girls.
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01x08 - Pandora's Box

Post by bunniefuu »

Previously on "Switched at birth"...

The guitar case you and Emmett found when you were little.

How do you know about that?

He thinks that it's my dad's.

We found this guitar pick in his car, so what do you think is in the guitar case?

What big secret does the hospital board have on the Kennish family?

It's not what we have on you or Kathryn.

It's the other mom.

Regina?

Hon?

You almost ready?

Where did you...

How did...

Put those back.

What is this?

There are pictures of Bay when she was four years old, eight years old.

How do you have these?

It's nothing. Kathryn gave them to me.

She thought it would be nice for me to have.

Don't lie to me.

I knew, okay?

I knew that you and Bay were switched.

What do you mean you knew?

Why didn't you do anything?

I found out...

Doorbell.

Hi. Uh, look, I know it's early, but I was at this little boutique on Mulberry street and I saw this scarf and I thought of you.

You look so pretty in pink.

Here. Come here.

Oh.

You know, it seemed like something that you'd wear.

Hi. How are...

Oh, am I interrupting something?

No no no no. It's fine.

Thank you. It's beautiful and it is me.

I guess I'm just so glad that we're all in a good place and all that stuff is behind us.

I'm just so happy you're here I have to go to school.

Wait wait. Can I take you?

We could stop and get an ice-blended.

Yeah, I'd love to go with you.

Teenagers.

Yeah.

Oh hey, Regina. Can I grab you for a minute?

I'm actually late. I've got to pick up some supplies.

It'll just take two seconds, I promise.

Thank you. Thank you.

You know we've got that deposition for our lawsuit against the hospital tomorrow.

And we've been told that they've got something on you.

Any idea what that could be?

Because, you know, I just don't want to get blind-sided.

I'm sure it's my D.U.I.s from a million years ago.

No, actually it's not.

My source tells me that it's something else, something bigger.

Well, I'm not secretly leading a drug cartel, if that's what you're asking.

No, I'm not asking that.

I assume if you dig deep enough into anyone's past, you will find something to make them look bad to a jury.

Yeah, well, I'm sure we'll find out.

Oh!

I'm sorry.

Oh, no problem.

I'm used to girls throwing themselves at me.

Come on, that deserves a smile, or at least an eye roll.

Aren't you suspended?

Just getting books out of my locker.

Turns out we're still supposed to have our homework done.

Man, what a rip-off.

Yeah you deserve a real vacation after breaking the school and stealing the test.

True dat.

So what are you whipping up in cooking today?

Who cares?

Hey, are you okay?

Not really.

You want to get out of here?

Sure. Where do you want to go?

Back in time.

Hey, you.

Yeah, no, don't give me the sultry James Dean smirk.

What the hell were you thinking kissing me like that?

I had everything planned out.

I was going to mope around my art studio, painting melodramatic paintings, listening to Adele, pining for Ty, and you showed up and you kissed me and you ruined everything.

Now I can't get you out of my head.

What was that even about? Okay?

Are you just messing with me?

Did it mean anything to you at all?

Are you just using me to get to Daphne?

You know what? I... I don't even really care.

All right? I'm just really annoyed.

Does that mean "Finished"?

Yes, I am finished. Your turn.

Okay.

On the upside, this is the last place anyone would think you came after ditching school.

On the downside, this is the last place you'd want to come.

I used to live here before I moved to Mission Hills.

Um, you sure it's okay to leave the Wilke-mobile?

You know, just because people don't live in mansions doesn't mean they go around stealing cars.

Yeah, you can't hear the sirens.

That's why you're so cool about it.

You're like veal.

Young and tasty?

Raised in a box, sheltered from everything.

You're not wrong.

Now they're going to come at you aggressively.

The trick is to answer the question truthfully, saying as little as possible and staying calm.

Got it?

Absolutely.

Perfect. Okay, let's begin.

Yes.

Kathryn, let's go back to october 22nd, 1995.

Do you recall allowing your baby to be taken to the nursery?

Yes. A lot of moms let their babies go to the nursery.

I was exhausted. It was a very hard labor.

Kathryn, just a simple response.

Yes, of course. Sorry.

Um, yes, she went back to the nursery so I could get a few hours of sleep.

And when they brought her back, had you taken any medication?

I was on painkillers, which the hospital provided.

At your request?

Yes. Uh, no.

They gave me some, but I was still hurting, so I requested another dose.

The baby's birth weight is listed as 7.2 lbs, but on october 23rd, the weight dropped to 6.5 lbs.

Yes?

That's a pretty substantial change in weight in less than 24 hours.

Did you alert someone or were you too zonked out on painkillers to bother?

No! I mean, yes.

I told the nurse, but she said that my milk hadn't come in and I should keep trying.

I mean they always make the women feel like it's their fault.

That goes back 100 years.

So you knew something was wrong?

Yes, I knew it wasn't right.

No, sweetie, you can't say...

She won't say that in the deposition.

Well, if you knew something was wrong, why didn't you make them test the baby?

Is there any reason you would want to switch the babies?

What? Why would I do that?

Kathryn, just...

What about your father?

He was at the hospital that day, wasn't he?

Of course. Both my parents were there.

He was in trouble with the I.R.S. and about to declare bankruptcy.

Perhaps he was trying to do something that would look like hospital malpractice so he could sue.

That is the most idiotic thing I've ever...

What? You try it!

Okay, I will.

Let's talk about Sarah Lazar.

She was a reporter for "The Kansas city herald"'s sports section.

Yeah, I know who she is, but why are you bringing her up?

John.

They're going to try to rattle you.

Well, consider us rattled.

I have to talk to him now.

Yes, now.

Bye, love.

Remember, 8:00 A.M. tomorrow.

Right.

I thought private investigators are supposed to be discrete.

Tell him it's Regina Vasquez.

I need to know what he told the hospital and who the hell else he's been talking to.

Wow!

I didn't peg you for a big drinker.

In the daytime, no less.

Yeah well, everyone's full of surprises, right?

You know, you don't have to get me drunk to take advantage of me.

That's not why we're getting drunk.

Why are we?

Is everyone a liar?

Pretty much.

Really? Because I'm not.

You don't lie?

I don't.

I know one thing already you lie about.

What?

That guy... Eddie, Edward.

The... the drummer, your friend.

Emmett?

Yeah. See, I knew it was a name from "Twilight."

Okay.

You're lying to that guy every time you pretend you don't know he's in love with you.

He's not.

Liar.

How do you say "Kiss" in sign language?

Wait wait wait wait wait wait.

How do you say "Laugh"?

Laugh.

Can I ask you a question?

Do you ever speak, like, with your voice?

Why not?

Is it because you're embarrassed?

Because you don't have to be with me.

You don't need to?

Well, yeah, you haven't needed to because you're usually around people who sign.

But with me...

I know. I'm learning to sign.

I've got books. I'm on, like, three different sites, and my private lessons with you.

But in the meantime, Do you think that you could...

Could we go back to kissing?

We do that really well.

I just can't believe they're dredging everything up.

Honey, you've just got to let it roll off your back.

They're dragging my father into it and that woman.

The hospital screwed up and now they're making us feel like we're the ones that are on trial.

That is exactly what they want, okay?

They want us to feel guilty so that we drop the case.

And please don't say, "Maybe we should."

And why not?

I never wanted this. I never wanted to sue anybody.

Because they're the ones that messed up, okay?

We are trying to hold them accountable, all right?

I am not the bad guy here.

I can't remember if these dishes are dirty or clean now.

Here, let me help.

I can handle it!

I think you missed one of her brushing her teeth.

Never mind.

Friends? Okay.

It's just you have a whole lot of pictures of your friend who happens to look a whole lot like Rachel McAdams.

You don't have to do that.

No. Okay okay okay. It's fine.

Okay.

Damn. Aw.

How many unpaid tickets do you have?

Nine.

Nine!

Yeah.

You didn't think they were going to do something?

Well, eight didn't seem to matter.

And you were worried about the neighborhood.

Not to worry. I have a boot guy.

Of course you do.

Of course I do.

But he might take a little while to get here.

He's not the most punctual.

Good boot guys are hard to find.

Yes, they are.

Oh my god.

I got to say, you're more fun than I thought you were.

I can't see your lips. I don't want to talk.

Seriously, you should drink more often.

With my mom in A.A.

I usually try to stay away.

Stupid me.

Wait, Kathryn's an alcoholic?

No, my other mother is.

What is that like, the whole switched thing?

What? Is the spell broken?

Kind of.

Can I unbreak it?

No.

This is a bad idea.

No, it's a very good idea.

Seriously?

Because I brought up the switch thing?

It's not going to happen tonight.

Wait, another night?

I'll take you home as soon as my boot guy gets here.

It's okay. I'll just text my friend to come get me.

Oh!

I love that piece.

Cool? Cool.

I have to tell you something.

It's something I only told one other person And that's because he discovered me doing it.

Oh, sorry. I'm just...

I'm really excited to tell you, because you'll get it.

Who was that?

Anyway, do you know those posters of the girl in the pink dress? sometimes she has an axe, sometimes she has a hammer.

Daphne again?

Is she about to get eaten by a lion or something?

Is there anything that she needs?

Okay... wow, seriously?

Ding ding, Daphne calls.

Whatever, Emmett.

I don't know what you're saying and I don't care.

No, forget it. Oh, don't forget your camera you should wanna capture this moment for your Daphne shrine.

My ride's here.

Oh.

What?

Liar.

Hey, buddy. Nice taxi service you run.

You do this for everyone? Or just special friends?

This was...

Yeah.

Seriously, thanks for getting me out of my head for a couple of hours.

I feel used. I wish you would use me more.
Hi. Could I speak to Ty Mendoza?

I mean Tyler.

I guess he's a private.

What do you call a guy that's in training?

Oh no, please, couldn't you bend the rules just this once?

I really need to talk to him.

No, he didn't get me pregnant.

If he did, could I talk to him?

Oh...

Way to protect and serve.

Hey, Liam, it's Bay. I'm just checking in.

It's been a while since we last spoke.

Things just got so weird between us and...

You know what... just call me back when you get a chance.

What are you doing?

Why are you spying on me?

Why are you taking a trip down I-dated-Bay-Kennish memory lane?

What's going on?

Nothing.

It's just sometimes it's nice to talk to a guy who seemed to care about you.

Well, maybe this will cheer you up.

Oh my god.

I know.

I don't know what's worse...

The goofy smile or the hairy chest.

All I can say is I'm so glad I'm not related to him.

Hey, you just drunk dialed Liam when you were sober.

Bad judgment runs in your gene pool too.

Thanks.

Kind of looks like you.

Shut up.

Regina, you need some help?

No no. I got it.

I didn't know you played guitar.

You should jam with Toby sometime.

Sweetie, I found your reading glasses.

Oh thanks.

Hey, Regina, I didn't know you played guitar.

You should jam with Toby sometime.

I just said that.

I don't really play.

It's just an old case I'm getting rid of.

Can I help you with that?

No no no! I got it.

That's a guitar case.

It was taking up too much space in my closet.

You're getting rid of it?

Yeah. I'm clearing out some things.

Oh. Uh hey, could I keep it?

I think it would make a really cool art piece.

You know, it's from an ex-boyfriend and I really don't want to be seeing it around, so I'd prefer to get rid of it.

Symbolic, you know?

A little late to go to goodwill.

Aren't they closed?

Only one way to find out.

Was that strange?

Very.

Honey, what do you think?

Way too much shoulder pad.

You want to look confident, not like a linebacker.

Okay. Well, how about this one then?

Oh, that's nice. It looks like you're going on vacation in the Bahamas.

Not exactly the look I'm looking for.

I hope I don't screw this up. It would k*ll your father.

Why is this lawsuit so important to him?

It's not like we're hurting for money.

I think your dad feels like this switch was his fault, like he should've noticed or something.

I think this is his way of making up for it.

It's that one.

Hmm?

Is it?

It's a great contrast with your hair.

It also makes you sound pretty wise.

Really?

Oh, sorry for the roadblock. I'm trying to find something.

Isn't the Kennish family motto "If you can't find something, buy a new one"?

Well, money can't buy what I'm looking for. Have you seen this?

Wow.

Exactly.

Who knows what else is hiding in these boxes?

Maybe a calendar spread.

You know, sometimes things are best left in the past.

You start digging around, you never know what you're gonna find.

Oh hey, guys. You guys are all decked out.

It's deposition day.

Wish us luck.

Is that today?

Yeah, we're finally gonna get to the bottom of what really happened.

Well, break a leg, I guess.

And if you do, you can sue the hospital for that too.

Did you tell the nurse?

Yes.

I asked her to double-check and she told me that I was being neurotic.

At what point did you suspect that Bay might not be your biological daughter?

I never suspected.

And when people asked you if she was adopted?

That only happened a few times and I just thought it was rude.

But if they noticed that there was no physical resemblance, why didn't you?

Objection... asked and answered.

Sir, she's our daughter, not our clone.

Move on, Ed.

All right.

Okay, what was in the guitar case?

What are you doing here?

The guitar case.

Regina's guitar case.

The one that she suddenly had to donate in the middle of the night.

What did you find in there?

I want to tell you, but I can't.

You have to ask your mother.

My mom?

Do you mean Regina?

Yeah, because she's certainly not mine.

I gotta go.

These are the results from the diatine labs.

Would you mind reading the highlighted lines please?

"There is a 99.9% certainty that the child in question,"

"Daphne Paloma Vasquez,"

"born october 22nd, 1995,"

"is not related to Regina Lourdes Vasquez."

Read the date on the report.

"August 13th, 1998."

But that was 13 years ago.

That's gotta be wrong.

I don't understand.

Did Regina know?

Is that when Miss Vasquez first contacted you?

That can't be the right date.

There was no mention of this in discovery.

Just answer the question. When did she first contact you?

What? We contacted her.

Okay, don't say anything.

She hired a private investigator in September of 1998 to locate Bay.

You're saying she's known since 1998 that the girls were switched?

Let me see that.

We need to take a break.

What was her plan? Was she gonna blackmail us?

We invited her into our home.

I thought we were becoming friends.

There's only one explanation for this and that is that she's a psychopath.

Do you think Daphne knew?

I don't know.

I feel like I don't know anything anymore.

Hey.

What was in that guitar case?

Daphne told me that she opened it.

If she knows, I wanna know too. What is in there?

Did you switch the kids?

No, I didn't do it.

It wasn't my fault!

You lied to me!

Just let me explain!

Wait. You knew... what?

Okay, just give me a minute.

Fine. Talk.

Go.

Okay.

I found out 12 and a half years ago when Daphne was three.

Angelo, Daphne's father, he was on me ever since Daphne was a baby.

Why didn't she look like him?

How could she be so blonde and blue-eyed and so fair?

I had to have had an affair.

But I hadn't.

First, we were fighting all the time.

I mean, I was drinking, he was drinking.

It wasn't my finest hour.

And then she got sick.

And I know that you think it was my fault, and I thought that for a long time too.

Regina, I'm sorry.

None of this has to do with anything.

It was meningitis, okay? You know that.

But you don't know how bad it was.

I mean, if you don't catch it in time, within a few hours, you could die.

And sitting in that hospital, waiting to see if she was gonna be okay, I would not wish that on any parent.

What do you want from us, sympathy?

No, I just need you to understand.

Just get to the point where you knew.

They were gonna give her an antibiotic that had a chance of making her deaf.

But what was my choice?

Actually, if you'd shared this information other resources could've been brought to bear!

I didn't know by then!

I didn't know! I didn't know!

Stop!

Please, just let her finish.

She was in the I.C.U. for eight days.

And I never left her side.

And when she got better and failed the hearing test, well, Angelo... by now he was sure that she wasn't his.

I knew it. I knew that's why he left.

He was gonna leave anyway.

I honestly believe that.

And I am not defending him, but you have to understand neither of us knew how to deal with any of this.

So then? You found out then?

Angelo secretly took a swab of her saliva and had her D.N.A. tested.

And he came back with the results saying he knew it all along...

That she wasn't his.

She was someone else's.

You know, we had a huge fight and I said that it was impossible. He was lying.

He was just trying to find some reason to leave us.

But he left anyway.

And I looked at my blonde, blue-eyed little girl, and I had her tested again.

And the results came back the same.

She wasn't biologically related to me.

Why didn't you say anything?

Because she was my daughter by then.

I was an alcoholic, unemployed single parent.

I was broke. I had nothing...

Nothing but this little baby that everyone thought was mine who I loved so much.

I was a mess. I was scared that if I told the truth, they would've yanked her away from me and given both kids to the other family.

We wouldn't have done that to you.

You weren't real to me then.

Did grandma know?

No one knew. I didn't tell anybody.

I don't understand how not telling anybody is making things right.

I looked around at my life and I made a decision.

I would clean myself up, I would figure it out and I would be the best mom that I could be.

I joined A.A., I reconnected with my mom and I got it together.

And I think I did a pretty good job.

What about me?

You knew all this time and you never came for me.

Oh, honey, I wanted you.

Of course I wanted you.

I mean, I even hired a private investigator.

He came back with photos and bios of your parents.

That's what was in the guitar case...

Pictures of you. Tons of pictures of you.

I followed you constantly.

That makes it worse.

Please try to understand.

You were Bay Kennish by then, and I would've been ripping you from the only family that you ever knew.

But I was your daughter. Me.

Not her. And you chose her over me.

Honey.

No. You knew?

All those years you knew about me?

You followed me and you never once came for me?

I did what I thought was best for you.

No, you did what was best for you.

Bay, w...

I'll go.

I want you out.

Honey.

Don't.

Where is she?

I don't know.

All those years we could've had Daphne in our lives...

Regina knew.

That first day we met her at the genetic counselor's office, she sat there, she looked us right in the face and she lied.

She has lied every day since.

We have no idea who that woman is or what she is capable of.

I want her out of here.

What about Daphne?

We are going to get custody of both of our daughters.

Honey, all these years Bay has been searching for something.

I didn't know what it was.

She knew something was wrong.

Now Regina had the answer.

And I don't know if Bay is ever gonna get over that.

She just shut her eyes and pretended like I didn't even exist.

Like it was more important not to risk losing Daphne than to even try and get me...

No, okay? I don't want to slow down.

I just wanna say what I need to say and I want you to understand me, but I can't sign and you can't hear and...

I don't even know what I'm doing here.

This isn't gonna work out.

I know you're mad and it's gonna take some time, but I just want to say one thing...

You kept them from me.

You kept me from my family.

I was your family.

The hospital made the mistake, not me.

You were three years old.

You were mine by then.

You are not a mother.

You don't understand.

You're right, I don't, and neither does Kathryn.

I made a choice that I thought was best for everyone, and maybe I was wrong.

Every day you looked me in the eyes and didn't tell me the truth about who I was?

You lied to me!

But it didn't feel like that.

It didn't feel like a lie that you were my daughter.

And I can't believe that after everything we've been through that you don't see it the same way.

Because why? You taught me how to be strong, how to handle being different?

You made me who I am?

Do you really think you would've come out the same here?

Raised by them?

I don't know!

No one knows!

I know.

I am proud of the job I did raising you.

You don't get the credit for me!

I have their genes!

But I fought for you, I held your hand when you cried and I tucked you in every night.

And I did it so we could stay a family.

I really think you should go.

Okay.

What are you doing?

Are you leaving?

Hmm...

I'm just going to Melody's for a couple of days.

I don't think anybody wants me here and I... I really can't blame them.

Well, I don't want to get involved, but you were there for me and I know you're a good person.

So I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

I'm sorry to see you go.

Thank you, Toby.

Bay.
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