Babel Page #12

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AMELIA:

What's the matter?

MOTHER:

Patricia's not feeling well.

109 EXT. CHICKEN COOP -- DAY

Santiago and the other kids are plucking the chicken's

feathers. Mike and Debbie stare, horrified.

SANTIAGO:

(In Spanish)

Aren't you going to help?

Mike and Debbie shake their heads.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

Why?

MIKE:

It's not good to kill animals.

Santiago smiles to himself.

SANTIAGO:

(In English)

Have you ever been to Kentucky Fried

Chicken?

They both nod.

SANTIAGO (CONT'D)

What? Did you think that Colonel

Sanders kept them as pets?

He hands Mike a headless chicken, and he slowly starts to

pluck it.

110 INT. PATRICIA'S ROOM -- DAY

Patricia, in her bridal dress and clearly six months pregnant,

is sitting on her bed with her hands around her belly, with

her mother, father and entire family around her.

62.

PATRICIA:

(Both in Spanish)

My belly's been hard since the

morning.

AMELIA:

That happens when you're nervous.

MADRE:

D'you think the baby's coming?

AMELIA:

There's no way the baby's coming;

she's only six months pregnant.

PATRICIA:

But my belly feels hard, really hard.

AMELIA:

D'you want to get married?

PATRICIA:

Yes.

AMELIA:

Well, let's go then.

MADRE:

And what if the baby comes out?

AMELIA:

Well, we'll have the wedding and

baptize the kid while we're at it.

111 EXT. HAMLET -- DAY

A bearded man (50) on an old bicycle rides down the hamlet's

narrow streets. He is carrying a briefcase on the bike.

He is escorted by dozens of children.

112 INT. ROOM, ANWAR'S HOUSE -- DAY

Susan is lying on the floor, moaning softly. Flies hover

around the pool of blood under her neck. Richard, worried,

strokes her hair.

The grandmother brings them a pot of tea with two cups and

sets them on the floor beside them.

RICHARD:

Thank you.

The grandmother goes to sit in a chair. Mohammed walks in

and whispers something to him. Anwar turns to Richard.

63.

ANWAR:

The doctor's here.

113 EXT. PATIO, ANWAR'S HOUSE -- DAY

The doctor walks across the patio, through the tumult of

children and before the scrutiny of two police officers.

114 INT. ROOM, ANWAR'S HOUSE -- DAY

The doctor enters the room.

DOCTOR:

(In Arabic)

Allah be with you.

ANWAR'S GRANDMOTHER

(In Arabic)

Allah be with you.

Richard just bows his head slightly. The doctor walks over

to Susan, shoos the flies away and examines the wound. She

looks at him, anxious.

DOCTOR:

(In Arabic)

The bullet didn't hit her spine or

split her jugular. But it did shatter

her clavicle and she could bleed to

death.

Anwar looks worried.

RICHARD:

What did he say?

ANWAR:

He says she will be fine.

RICHARD:

Stop lying to me god damn it, and

tell me what the f*** he said!

The doctor addresses Richard in terrible English.

DOCTOR:

Hospital... need hospital...

RICHARD:

Yes, we know that. What can you do

in the meantime?

DOCTOR:

(In Arabic, to Anwar)

Tell him I have to stitch up the

wound to stop the bleeding.

64.

Anwar draws close to Richard and whispers.

ANWAR:

He has to sew up her wounds.

Susan turns to look at them, suspicious.

SUSAN:

What did he say?

Richard gets nervous.

RICHARD:

You need some stitches.

SUSAN:

What do you mean stitches?

The doctor opens his kit and takes out a rudimentary needle

and thread. He gets ready to sew. Richard questions him,

also in whispers.

RICHARD:

You're not going to give her any

anesthetic?

The doctor and Anwar exchange a look.

ANWAR:

(To Richard)

No, he doesn't use anesthetic.

RICHARD:

What kind of doctor is he?

Anwar answers naively, in a low voice.

ANWAR:

He's a veterinarian, but he is good.

Richard looks at him, surprised and angry.

RICHARD:

He can't take care of her.

SUSAN:

Richard, he might infect the wound...

Richard can't answer as he focuses on what the doctor says.

DOCTOR:

(In Arabic)

Tell him that if I don't stitch up

her wound she may bleed to death.

65.

ANWAR:

If he doesn't sew up the wound, she

may bleed to death.

DOCTOR:

(In Arabic, to Anwar)

And tell him her clavicle is broken.

We have to fasten a splint to it.

ANWAR:

He says she has a broken bone and he

has to put a splint on it.

Richard remains pensive for a moment. He looks at Susan,

then at the doctor and assents tentatively.

DOCTOR:

(In Arabic)

We're going to have to hold her down.

He mimes holding her down with his hands. Richard leans over

Susan, who weakly languishes on the rug.

RICHARD:

Honey, this is going to hurt a little.

She stares at him. Richard turns to Anwar and signals that

he can begin. Anwar holds her hands. Susan, stupefied, to

Richard.

SUSAN:

Richard, don't let him...

The doctor lifts Susan's neck and starts to stitch. She

howls in pain and tries to move away.

Anwar and Richard hold Susan down. The doctor sticks the

needle in again.

Susan shakes her head from side to side trying to pull away.

SUSAN (CONT'D)

Don't let him, don't let him.

RICHARD:

Calm down... calm down... Susan,

they have to sew you up... relax...

Richard holds her head to keep her still. She resists.

SUSAN:

No, no...no..

RICHARD:

Honey, please try to relax...

66.

The doctor rubs alcohol on the wound and starts to stitch.

She moans in pain. Richard puts a rag in her mouth, on which

she bites down.

115 EXT. TINY SHOP -- DAY

Mohammed sits outside with three friends drinking coffee.

From where they are we see the bus and the American tourists.

A battery powered radio plays Moroccan music and commercials

in the background.

MOHAMMED:

I don't understand why Anwar brought

them here.

FRIEND 1

Well he spends all his time with

them, what do you expect.

FRIEND 2

The woman is hurt, he had to help

her.

MOHAMMED:

Yeah? And when have they helped us?

FRIEND 1

I liked one of those tourists.

FRIEND 2

Really? They're all skin and bones.

Suddenly Mohammed focuses on the radio.

MOHAMMED:

Shh... sh... listen.

The friends are quiet.

NEWSCASTER (V.O.)

Today, near Tazarine, there was an

incident where an American was shot...

One of the friends interrupts.

FRIEND 3

Hey look, it's the story.

FRIEND 2

They said Tazarine, did you hear?

We were on the radio...

MOHAMMED:

Shh, shut up.

67.

NEWSCASTER (V.O.)

Although authorities say it could

have been a foiled robbery, the

American government claims they are

certain it was a terrorist attack.

Minister Hassef Hazal has said that

in our country, terrorist cells have

been eradicated, that Morocco is a

peaceful country and that one act of

vulgar banditry followed by

superficial evaluations such as the

U.S. intends to place upon it cannot

ruin the image, the economy and the

pacifist reputation of our country.

American Ambassador Ken Jones,

however, insists that it was a

terrorist attack on American citizens,

that it merits a full investigation,

and that the guilty should be

punished. So far, the attack has not

been attributed to any known terrorist

organizations...

Mohammed shouts.

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