Away from Her Page #14

FIONA:

(to Aubrey)

Hush. Oh, Honey. Hush. We’ll get to

see each other. We’ll have to. I’ll

go and see you. You’ll come and see

me.

Aubrey makes another animal wail into Fiona’s chest. There is

nothing Grant can decently do but get out of the room.

125 INT CORRIDOR - JANUARY 2005-MORNING 125

Grant closes the door gently. Puts his back to it and leans

on it, sighing. Madeleine walks by.

MADELEINE:

I just wish his wife would hurry up

and get here. I wish she’d get him

out of here and cut the agony

short.

GRANT:

Should I stay?

MADELEINE:

What for? She’s not sick you know.

GRANT:

To keep her company.

MADELEINE:

They have to get over these things

on their own. They’ve got short

memories. That’s not always so bad.

Grant walks down the corridor, rattled. Stops and looks out

the window to see a woman in a tartan pants suit in the

parking lot getting a folded-up wheelchair out of the trunk

of her car.

74.

126 INT MEADOWLAKE DINING AREA-JANUARY 2005- MORNING

Grant arrives at Meadowlake. Looks for Fiona. She’s not

there. Eliza sees him and gleefully calls to him.

ELIZA:

She’s still sick! But he’s gone!

You must be happy about that!

127 INT FIONA’S ROOM -JANUARY 2005- MORNING

Grant gently opens the door to Fiona’s room. She is weeping.

An untouched plate of food sits beside her. She looks up to *

see him.

FIONA:

Oh. Hello.

She goes back to weeping. Grant is at a loss. He begins to

leave, then changes his mind. He comes and sits next to her

while she cries. He looks at her hand on the bed, and debates

whether or not to take it in his own. Slowly, gently, he

holds it.

*

GRANT *

Perhaps I could read you something. *

If you like. *

FIONA *

Oh. Alright. I don’t have any books *

though. *

Grant looks at the stack of books on the dressing table that *

he has brought over the last several months. He feigns *

surprise. *

GRANT *

Oh look. Here’s some. Here we are. *

I’ll read something from Letters *

From Iceland. *

FIONA *

Ice-land. *

He begins to read to her. She is staring into space. Not *

hearing. We stay very close on her during the following. *

Occasionally we go to grainy archival footage of Iceland. It *

appears to be part of Fiona’s memory, or thoughts. *

GRANT *

Isn’t it true however far we’ve *

wandered *

(MORE)

74A.

GRANT (cont'd)

Into our provinces of persecution *

Where our regrets accuse, we keep *

returning, *

Back to the common faith from which *

we’ve all dissented, *

Back to the hands, the feet, the *

faces *

Children are always there and take *

the hands *

Even when they’re most *

terrified;those in love *

Cannot make up their minds to go or *

stay; *

Artist and Doctor return most *

often; *

Only the mad will never never come *

back. *

For doctors keep on worrying while *

away *

In case their skill is suffering *

and deserted; *

Lovers have lived so long with *

giants and elves *

They want belief again in their own *

size; *

And the artist prays ever so gently-*

‘Let me find pure all that can *

happen. *

Only uniqueness is success! For *

instance, *

Let me perceive the images of *

history, *

All that I push away with doubt and *

travel, *

Today’s and yesterday’s, alike like *

bodies. *

128 OMITTED 128 *

129 OMITTED 129 *

75.

131 OMITTED 131 *

76.

132 INT TV AREA-JANUARY 2005 -DAY 132 *

Fiona watches the news with Grant and some other residents.

Scenes of violence and chaos in Iraq.

FIONA:

How could they forget Vietnam?

Grant stares at her. This sounds very much like her as she

was. Someone switches the TV station to golf. As she looks at

the screen she is hit with a fresh bout of grief. She begins

to cry silently. Grant reaches out to touch her hair. She

bats his hand away.

FIONA:

Oh. It’s just the big screen. Hurts

my eyes.

133 INT DINING AREA MEADOWLAKE 133

Kristy sits and has a coffee with Grant on her break. They

watch 2 old men in the common area playing horseshoes. One of

them throws the horseshoe and then they both stand there like

statues, not sure what happens next.

KRISTY:

Her muscles are deteriorating. If

she doesn’t improve soon we’re

gonna have to put her on a walker.

77.

GRANT:

I keep trying to get her walking.

She just doesn’t seem to want to go

anywhere.

KRISTY:

But you know once they get a walker

they start to depend on it and they

don’t walk much anymore, just get

wherever it is they have to go.

Grant scratches his head. Looks worried.

KRISTY:

You’ll have to work at her harder.

Try and encourage her.

Kristy goes and retrieves the horseshoe and gives it to the

man who threw it. He throws it again. And then waits again.

134 INT FIONA’S ROOM -JANUARY 2005 -MORNING 134

Grant enters with a lot of energy.

GRANT:

How do you feel about a little

field trip Mrs. Andersson?

135 EXT HURON COUNTY ROAD -JANUARY 2006- MORNING 135

Grant drives Fiona down the road to their home. They pass the

hollow. He notices it. Looks at her to see if there is any

recognition. She vaguely seems to register something. Touches

the glass of the window.

136 EXT ANDERSSON’S COTTAGE -JANUARY 2005- MORNING 136

Grant leads Fiona to the door. She looks at it. Some

recognition.

137 INT ANDERSSON’S COTTAGE -JANUARY 2005- MORNING 137

Grant watches as Fiona makes her way around the house.

Touching things, admiring pictures and objects. He watches

her intently.

FIONA:

They’ve kept it so like it was.

GRANT:

Who has?

78.

FIONA:

The people who live here.

138 EXT ANDERSSON’S COTTAGE -JANUARY 2005- DAY 138

Fiona walks out the back door. Grant follows. She sees the

skis propped up against the wall. She touches them gently,

her eyes welling up with tears. She sinks down on the ground.

FIONA:

Everything...

Grant kneels down beside her. Takes her hand. She takes it

back.

FIONA:

Everything just reminds me of him.

Grant searches her eyes which are staring off into space,

right past him.

FIONA:

I wasn’t enough I suppose.

GRANT:

Who?

She is silent.

GRANT:

Who Fiona? Who does everything

remind you of?

She looks back at him.

FIONA:

I’d like to go now if you don’t

mind.

He sits with her. We pull away from them, sitting together on

the back porch. She’s a million miles away.

139 EXT COUNTY ROAD -JANUARY 2005- AFTERNOON 139

They drive past the hollow again. Fiona smiles ever so

slightly. Looks at Grant. He smiles back at her, trying to

ascertain whether or not she remembers.

FIONA:

Everything just reminds me of him.

He looks ahead. Defeated.

79.

140 EXT MEADOWLAKE - COURTYARD-JANUARY 2005- DAY 140

Kristy has a smoke and wraps up a cell phone call. Grant

comes out to join her.

GRANT:

I think I want to ask you about the

second floor. Just to know a bit

more about it.

KRISTY:

Well. It’s for people who have

really lost it.

GRANT:

And what do they do? What happens

after they’ve...lost it.

KRISTY:

Some just sit. Some sit and cry.

Some try to holler the house down.

You don’t really want to know.

But...sometimes they get it back.

You go in their rooms for a year

and they don’t know you from Adam.

Then one day, it’s “oh, hi, when

are we going home?” All of a sudden

they’re absolutely back to normal

again.

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