Apt Pupil Page #26

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The medics wheel Dussander out.

DICK:

You did real good, son.

(looking around the room, as if

searching for something)

You did real good...

Todd doesn't like Dick's apprehension. He grabs his father's

hand and leads him out of the room.

TODD:

C'mon. Let's make sure he gets checked in

all right.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

TWO ORDERLIES push a gurney through the door. A man in his late

thirties, DAVID KRAUSS, walks with them. A NURSE, following

behind, addresses him.

NURSE:

He needs to rest now. You can come back

tomorrow after ten.

David approaches the gurney. Lying prone is BEN KRAUSS, 70.

David kisses him on the forehead.

DAVID:

I'll be back in the morning with the girls.

BEN:

I can't wait to see them.

The orderlies lift Ben onto his bed.

NURSE:

(to Ben)

The doctor will be in to see you in a few

minutes.

BEN:

Thank you.

The orderlies, the nurse and David leave the room. Ben notices

his roommate in the next bed. It is Dussander, who has been

watching all of this quietly.

BEN (CONT'D)

My nephew, David.

Dussander smiles politely.

BEN (CONT'D)

His parents died when he was very young. He

is like a son to me. I have no children of

my own.

DUSSANDER:

I see.

BEN:

David is very protective of me. Of course, I

don't mind. I enjoy his company. A few

years ago he started working with me at the

university. I teach chemistry. My name is

Ben, by the way.

DUSSANDER:

Arthur.

BEN:

A pleasure, Arthur. What do you do?

DUSSANDER:

I'm retired.

Pause.

BEN:

These tubes in my arm. No one said they

would itch like this.

DUSSANDER:

You will find, in time, you don't notice.

Ben looks oddly at Dussander. The wheels of his memory slowly,

very slowly, begin to turn.

BEN:

Well, we'll see. Looks like I'll be here for

a while. I didn't want to alarm my nephew

just yet, but this break in my leg... well,

we'll see what the doctor says.

DUSSANDER:

Yes, of course. But for now, you must

forgive me, my medication has made me drowsy.

Do not be offended if I fall asleep.

BEN:

Don't be offended if I keep talking anyway.

It beats wondering if I'm ever going to walk

again. I tell you, my friend, the ways of

God are not meant to be understood.

But Ben's words are lost on a sleeping man. He continues to

stare at Dussander.

INT. DUSSANDER'S HOUSE - DAY

Todd comes through the front door, using his key to get in.

INT. DUSSANDER'S KITCHEN - DAY

Todd grabs the letter off the table and stuffs it into a plastic

trash bag.

INT. DUSSANDER'S BEDROOM - DAY

Todd manages to get the drawer back into the dresser. He throws

all the remaining debris and bits of wood into the trash bag. He

goes to the closet and searches through the clothes. He

finds the S.S. uniform, now tattered from many night of fitful

sleep, and places it in the trash bag.

INT. HILLCREST SAVINGS AND LOAN - DAY

The BANK CLERK behind the counter is a fat, elderly woman,

pleasant-faced and not too sharp. Todd stands solemnly on the

other side of the counter. She stares hard at a piece of paper.

We see that it is a note: "Please allow my grandson, Todd, to

retrieve my insurance documents from my safety deposit box.

Thank you, Arthur Denker." It is Dussander's phony signature

at the bottom.

TODD:

He's really sick. ...Please.

The woman looks up at Todd, the key in his hand, then back down

at the note.

INT. BANK SAFE - DAY

The woman inserts her key into the first lock and Todd does the

same in the second. A moment later he is holding the box in his

hands.

BANK CLERK:

I sure hope your granddaddy feels better.

You can bring that in here.

She escorts him to a small room where he can view the contents

of the box. She leaves.

INT. BANK - SMALL ROOM - DAY

Todd puts the box on a table and opens it. It is nearly empty:

a few old photographs, some financial records. There is no

document. Todd is swept up in a wave of emotion-- anger,

relief, contempt. He's been played like a fool, but is

nonetheless grateful. Ultimately, he is so overwhelmed a laugh

springs from his lips.

TODD:

Son of a b*tch.

He scoops out the contents of the box and puts them in his pocket.

INT. BANK SAFE - DAY

On the other side of the door, the clerk listens curiously to

Todd's words. She pushes her ear against the door to hear more.

EXT. WOODED AREA - DUSK

Todd has dug a hole in a remote location. He empties the

letters, the S.S. uniform, and the contents from the safety

deposit box into the hole. A little lighter fluid. A match.

Todd watches the evidence burn.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY - LATER

Todd stands next to the bed holding a small clump of flowers.

Dussander notices the bouquet.

DUSSANDER:

You shouldn't have.

Todd is aware that Ben is listening, even though he is

pretending not to. Todd goes to put the flowers in a glass of

water. He sets the glass on the table by the bed.

TODD:

They're from my mother.

He sits in the chair by the bed and lowers his voice.

TODD (CONT'D)

Here.

He flicks a tattered photo onto the bed. We recognize it as one

from the safety deposit box. It is a black and white portrait

of a woman and a small boy.

TODD (CONT'D)

Everything else I burned.

Dussander grins weekly.

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