12 and holding Page #14

---

wrong. There’s nothing wrong with

me.

ASHLEY:

I know...

JACOB:

No, you don’t! It’s like you don’t

know how to deal with me. You

never did.

ASHLEY:

I’m sorry if that is how you feel.

You do the best you can as a

parent. You don’t always know

what’s right. But you’re my son.

I’d do anything for you. I’d fight

for you, I’d kill for you, I’d die

for you.

JACOB:

Rudy used to say that exact same

thing.

ASHLEY:

It’s true. And as unchristian as

it sounds, I still want the boy

that killed Rudy dead. Someday,

when you grow up, you’ll understand

what I mean. Someday.

86.

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - BASEMENT - SAME TIME

SFX:
TOILET FLUSHING

Grace exits the bathroom and begins walking around the

basement, looking for a way out. She crosses to the boarded

up door and tries to pull the boards off. Unsuccessful, she

returns to the bed and sits.

After a beat, Grace spots the tray of food, which is still

untouched. Angry and disgusted, she takes it and throws it

at the wall.

CUT TO:

LATER THAT NIGHT

Grace paces nervously while blabbering to herself.

GRACE:

When Pat calls, and I don’t answer,

he’ll know something is wrong.

He’ll know. I’ll be fine.

CUT TO:

LATER THAT NIGHT -

Grace nervously rocks back and forth. Sweat covers her body.

She glances at the tray of food, which rests on the floor.

CUT TO:

LATER THAT NIGHT

Grace stands at the base of the stairwell, screaming.

GRACE:

Open this door now! Let me out,

God damn it! Leonard!

CUT TO:

LATER THAT NIGHT -

Grace is crying. She catches sight of the meal that she

threw on the floor.

After a beat, Grace crawls over to it and starts shoving it

down her throat. She doesn’t seem bothered by the fact that

her dinner is covered with dirt.

87.

INT. YACCO’S OFFICE - RECEPTION AREA - NEXT DAY - AFTERNOON

Yacco exits her office to find Gus waiting for his session.

They speak not a word. He rises and enters the office. She

follows, shutting the door behind her.

INT. YACCO’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Gus and Yacco sit in their respective seats.

YACCO:

Before we begin, I want to

apologize. I should have known

what was going on with Malee.

GUS:

It’s my fault. I knew she had a

crush on me. I guess, I felt bad

for her. She’s a very unhappy

girl.

Yacco looks down, embarrassed.

GUS (CONT'D) (cont’d)

If it’s any consolation, the whole

thing was very “therapeutic” for

me.

(off Yacco’s look)

Sorry. That was a very selfish

thing to say.

YACCO:

This is your therapy. Not mine.

Why was it therapeutic?

GUS:

I slept last night. I can’t

remember the last time I slept so

deep or so sound. I don’t remember

dreaming or anything.

YACCO:

Why do you think that is?

GUS:

One of the last fires I ever fought

was a brownstone, beautiful. The

place was burned from roof to

basement. Whole family was wiped

out. When I was upstairs,

inspecting, I found a girl. She

couldn’t have been more than 12.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

88.

CONTINUED:

GUS (cont'd)

The whole right side of her face

was burnt off, but her eyes were

open. She was alive. The pain must

have been excruciating. She was

begging for me to... kill her.

YACCO:

What did you do?

GUS:

Exactly what she wanted. I placed

my hand over her mouth and what was

left of her nose, and I... I killed

her. I told myself it was the

right thing to do, but I’ve never

been sure.

YACCO:

What does this have to do with

Malee?

GUS:

When I saw her last night, she had

the same look on her face as that

girl. She just wanted me to take

away her pain.

Yacco sits, pondering all of this.

GUS (CONT'D) (cont’d)

Doctor?

YACCO:

Would you mind if we... cut out

early today? No charge.

GUS:

I understand.

Gus rises and exits.

Yacco sits alone and starts crying.

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Leonard is at the kitchen sink, arranging a fruit salad.

SUDDENLY, he hears the sound of water boiling over from the

stove. Leonard quickly turns the gas low, extinguishing the

flame. He removes the pot from the burner, grabs a strainer

and removes poached EGG WHITES from the water.

(CONTINUED)

89.

CONTINUED:

Leonard grabs a dish towel and begins wiping the water off

the stove. Preoccupied, he doesn’t realize that when he

wipes the oven knob dry, he turns the gas on high. (Since

the overflowing water, extinguished the pilot light, he is

unaware that gas is now being emitted from the burner.) In

his condition, HE WON’T BE ABLE TO SMELL IT.

Leonard grabs the plates of food and exits the kitchen.

SFX:
GAS LEAKING

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - BASEMENT - MOMENTS LATER

Leonard places the food by Grace’s bed. She is sleeping.

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Leonard sits on the couch, watching TV. Suddenly, he starts

coughing, hard. The fit subsides and Leonard resumes

watching TV, thinking nothing of it.

INT. MALEE’S HOME - KITCHEN - EVENING

SFX:
TELEPHONE

Malee enters the kitchen and answers the phone.

MALEE (INTO PHONE)

Hello?... Daddy!... No, she’s not

home... Can I ask you something?

Can I visit you for a while?... A

week... But I can fly alone... No,

I understand... Yeah... I love y...

Hello?...

Malee hangs up the phone. Tears swell in her eyes. She

places her head in her arms and start bawling.

YACCO (O.S.)

Honey?

Malee looks to find Yacco standing behind her.

MALEE:

(through her tears)

Why does he hate me?

Yacco walks to Malee and hugs her tight. It’s a long,

overdue hug.

90.

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - BASEMENT - LATER THAT DAY

Grace awakens from her nap. Suddenly, she sniffs at the air.

Grace rises and crosses over to the foot of the basement

stairs. She sees that the upstairs door is wide open.

GRACE:

Leonard!

Silence.

GRACE (CONT'D) (cont’d)

Leonard, I smell gas!

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - DEN - SAME TIME

Leonard is slumped over, unconscious.

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - BASEMENT - SAME TIME

Grace coughs hard.

GRACE:

Leonard, don’t you smell that...?

(sotto)

Oh God, he can’t. Leonard!

Leonard, the gas is on!

Grace grabs a hold of the railing and starts climbing the

stairs. After a few steps, she stops to rest, wheezing.

With the help of the railing, Grace pulls herself up to the

GAP in the staircase. In one forceful exertion, she propels

her body up and forward. The railing instantly becomes

separated from the wall. Grace lands in a heap.

Luckily, the top half of her body made it to the other side.

With all of her might, Grace pulls herself up to the landing.

INT. LEONARD’S HOME - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

Exhausted and wheezing, Grace drags herself over to the stove

and shuts the gas off. She looks around for Leonard and sees

him in the living room, slumped over and unconscious.

GRACE:

No!

Grace frantically shuffles over to the living room.

(CONTINUED)

91.

CONTINUED:

GRACE (CONT'D) (cont’d)

Leonard, wake up! Leonard!

INT. HOSPTIAL ROOM - NIGHT

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes