Awakenings Page #4

Not wanting to lose the call, Sayer moves toward the patient,

keeping the receiver to his ear. At full extension of the

cord, unfortunately, he's still two paces short. Reaching back

with the arm with the phone, he gains distance and turns the

wheelchair quickly just as his call connects.

SAYER:

Yes. Hi. I need a lock installed

on the door to the East Wing roof.

A big lock. The sooner the

better.

(pause)

I'm sorry, this is Dr. Sayer. .

(pause)

I'm sorry, form . . .

He scribbles a number on the back of his hand and hangs up. He

wanders over to the "statue" again.

SAYER:

How are yyou?

No response whatsoever. Sayer manages his pen into the man's

hand and searches his pockets for paper.

REV. 10/13/89 p. 17

He glances around. Sees an orderly reading a newspaper.

Borrows a section, returns with it, slides it under the pen and

waits. The man doesn't write. Doesn't move.

Sayer takes the pen back, returns it to his coat pocket,

hesitates, pulls it out again, holds it out . . . and lets it go.

The man, lightning quick, catches it.

25. INT. ANOTHER DAYROOM (B) -LATER -DAY 25.

Another man rigid as stone (FRANK). This one peering up at a

television set with a horizontal hold problem.

Sayer drags a chair over, stands on it, adjusts the set,

corrects it, gets a picture . . . but the man's "attention"

slowly drifts away. Sayer "readjusts" it, gets the jumping

horizontal lines again, and the man's vacant eyes return.

26. INT. LEONARD'S DAYROOM -LATER -DAY . 26.

Another dayroom crowded with patients, one of which stands

before a table, absolutely motionless, on thin bird-like legs.

It is Lucy, the one who caught/the tennis ball. The movement

of nurses and other patients only accentuates her stillness.

Sayer considers her from all angles as one considers an

abstract art piece that baffles but intrigues. Unlike the

others, she's on her feet. And unlike the others, she seems,

to Sayer, to have been headed somewhere before turning to stone

again.

-." »

He decides that her destination was the drinking fountain

across the room. And that it's the table, like a barrier, that

has arrested her progress. He moves the table.

In what appears to be slow motion, she takes a tiny step. And

another. And another before encountering and being "blocked"

by an empty wheelchair. She stops.

Sayer moves the wheelchair and all other obstacles out of her

path. She continues and eventually makes it halfway to the

fountain before mysteriously stopping again.

Sayer studies the puzzle ... there are no longer any barriers

in her way, but she's not moving. Defeated, he goes to the

fountain himself, fills a paper cup, and takes it to her.

Across the room, a man in a wheelchair, another "ghost"

(LEONARD), stares through eyes which seem more dead than alive.

"At" Sayer.

27. INT. FILE ROOM, BAINBRIDGE -DAY 27

o An admission form, yellowed and brittle with age —

BAINBRIDGE HOSPITAL / ADMISSIONS

STATE OF NEW YORK

A typed date / AUGUST 2, 1929. The admitting physician's name.

The patient's name. And age / 15. An identification number

and ward assignment number.

As Sayer pulls the folder and closes the drawer of one of

several filing cabinets lining the walls of a claustrophobic

room, Miss Costello slides open another, locates a particular

folder in it and in the folder another admitting form — The

date / MAY 7, 1932. Names and numbers.

Another drawer. Sayer pulling another folder. Another

admission form ~ Date / DECEMBER 12, 1930. Age of the patient

/ 22.

28. INT. EXAMINATION ROOM -LATER -DAY 28

The files spread out on a table. Sayer and Miss Costello

leafing through them. .

..

Sayer considers one's original admission forms. He scans

bodies of text and finds a diagnosis — ATYPICAL SCHIZOPHRENIA.

He sets it aside and picks up another.

MISS COSTELLO:

"Atypical Hysteria," this one.

Sayer nods to himself and keeps reading his. He eventually

finds in its text — ATYPICAL RABIES. He flips to the end of

the file. "No change since last examination" it reads. He

turns the page. "No change, no therapy recommended." He turns

the page, the last entry. "No change." The date, "11/9/44."

SAYER:

There must be more recent files we

missed somehow. "Part Twos" to

their medical histories.

(Miss Costello is

shaking head 'no.')

In some other filing cabinet

somewhere. . ..

MISS COSTELLO:

NO.

o

REV. 10/13/89 p.19

29. EXT. PARKING LOT -BAINBRIDGE -EVENING 29.

(>~s, Sayyer and Miss Costello walkingg to their cars.

SAYER:

One would think that after a point

enough atypical somethings would

amount to a typical something.

But a typical "what?"

Miss Costello, no doubt, has less of an idea than Sayer what

the "what" could be.

MISS COSTELLO:

, Doctor . . . would you like to get a

cup of coffee somewhere?

(pause)

Tea?

SAYER:

Ah. .. normallyI'dsayyes. .. .

only I've made other plans . . .

She nods quickly. She seems, strangely, relieved.

MISS COSTELLO:

Some other time.

SAYER:

Yes.

MISS COSTELLO:

Good night. ,

SAYER:

Good night.

They veer apart to their respective cars.

30. INT. SAMMY'S GROTTO, CITY ISLAND -NIGHT 30.

The tiny gree/i eyes in the head of the eel staring out at

refracted light and shadow. Sayer, alone at the same table as

before, finished with his meal.

WAITER:

Tea, right? /•

••

SAYER:

Please.'...-•

The waiter leaves. Sayer glances back into the fish tank at

the eel behind the rock, its rock, its home.

fppppl

fcuJ

*^^

Q:

(REV. 10/16/89) Pink _ p.20

31. EXT. CITY ISLAND -LATER -NIGHT 31.

Sayer strolling down a dark side street. He reaches a snail

wooden house near the water and climbs three steps to the

porch. He gets the front door opened and bends to pick up mail

(including a few book parcels from antiquarian shops) just *

inside the threshold. *

32. OMITTED 32.

i

33. INT. SAYER'S HOUSE -DINING ROOM -LATER -NIGHT 33.

Tight on (Ernst Heckle) drawings of primitive life forms. *

Sayer, in his dining room, leafs through the old first edition, *

pleased it has arrived, intrigued by its pictures. The parcel *

paper lies beside it on the table. *

34. INT. SAYER'S HOUSE -LIVING ROOM -LATER -NIGHT 34.

Fingers on the keys of a baby grand piano that seems out of

scale with Sayer's small living room. Wrapped in a robe, he

plays a melody.

All around him lay packing boxes, some empty, many not. The

books are out at least -many of a medical nature, many others

on nature itself,, botany, many first editions -two and three

deep on shelves, on the floor, on tables, stacked on the couch and

chairs almost like figures of people.t

35. INT. SAYER'S HOUSE -LIVING ROOM -LATER -NIGHT 35.

A lamp, on, in the living room. Sayer asleep on the couch, an

open book and reading glasses resting on his chest.

Rate this script:1.8 / 4 votes