Body of Proof Page #9

SEMO:

That's it? That's all you're going

to do?

PADMA:

I'll deal with Dr. Hunt in my own *

way. Anything else? *

SEMO:

Yeah. You could tell people to *

start calling me "Doctor" around *

here. *

She gives him a look -

PADMA:

That will be all, Semo.

INT. EXAMINATION ROOM #1 - AFTERNOON (DAY 2) *

Megan stands at the microscope. We see what she sees. A

purple-hued slide containing the tissue removed from the base

of Angela's neck. One of several waiting to be examined.

Peter looks on from a few paces away.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 47.

PETER:

Detective Morris says Whitney was

shocked. Had no idea Angela went

behind his back to Rivers.

Megan's attention never wavers from her slides.

MEGAN:

Did you expect anything different?

PETER:

The point is Bud's zeroed in onWhitney now. That's what you

wanted, isn't it?

MEGAN:

What I want is to know what

happened and why. Like this slide.

It's a Geisma stain of the tissue

from Angela's neck. The purple

cells are mast cells. They're

degranulated. Degranulation

happens with physical trauma but

this tissue didn't come from her

head wound. So why would the mast

cells of a benign neoplasm be

degranulated?

As she pauses to ponder her own question -

PETER:

How about a bicycle?

A beat. She looks at him.

MEGAN:

What?

PETER:

For your daughter.

MEGAN:

I don't think so.

PETER:

Nothing says fun like a bicycle.

MEGAN:

Do you see me working here?

PETER:

I see you all right. I see someone

who reminds me an awful lot of

Angela Swanson.

*

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 48.

That finally gets Megan's full attention.

PETER:

Workaholic. No friends. Just her

career to keep her company. But

then a miracle happens. She falls

down a flight of stairs anddiscovers emotion. And empathy.

Enough to risk everything for a kid

screwed out of a settlement she

thought he deserved. You had this

high-flying life, and now you're *

here, and you're still pissed at

the car accident that made it

happen. But maybe that caraccident was your own fall down thestairs. And you're just too scared

to let the benefits kick in.

MEGAN:

What the hell are you talking

about?

PETER:

You talk about your daughter like *

you're stuck with only one card to *

play, but you're not stuck at all. *

You're scared of being hurt. But *

if you really want to connect with *

her you'll forget about handbags

and give her something that comes

from your heart. Because nobodygives a sh*t about a handbag.

Megan is, for once, at a loss for words. Then the wall phone

goes off. Peter walks over and grabs it.

PETER:

(answering)

Room 1, this is Maxwell...?

He listens for a beat, then hangs up.

PETER:

The police just made an arrest.

MEGAN:

Whitney?

PETER:

No. Tom Burris.

END OF ACT FOUR:

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 49.

ACT FIVE:

FADE IN:

INT. POLICE INTERROGATION ROOM - AFTERNOON (DAY 2) *

Detectives Morris and Baker give Burris the third degree.

BURRIS:

I already told you I had nothing to

do with it!

DET. MORRIS

We have the records from the pay

phone in front of your halfway

house. You've been trying to call

her since you got out. And now we

have a witness who puts you in the

park at 6:
45 a.m. heading for

Strawberry Mansion Bridge!

INT. OUTER CORRIDOR -AFTERNOON (DAY 2) *

Megan and Peter watch the interview through the two-way

mirror.

BURRIS:

Okay, yes, I was there. That

doesn't make me a murderer.

DET. MORRIS

It makes you a liar.

BURRIS:

I did two years for something I

didn't do, and she won't even

answer my calls? I went there to

talk to her, not to kill her.

DET. BAKER

Then what did happen?

BURRIS:

Nothing. I swear. By the time I

got to the bridge she was gone.

An answer that invites more verbal abuse from Det. Morris....

PETER:

You believe him?

MEGAN:

Yeah, I do.

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 50.

INT. DETECTIVES SQUAD ROOM -AFTERNOON (DAY 2) *

Detectives Morris and Baker emerge from their interview to

find Megan and Peter waiting.

DET. MORRIS

Whatever it is, I don't want to

hear it. We got our guy.

MEGAN:

I thought you were zeroed in on

Whitney.

DET. MORRIS

Yeah. Until we got our guy.

MEGAN:

I told you Burris didn't do it.

Det. Morris gives Megan a long look.

DET. MORRIS

What is it with you? You can't

just be a regular ME, you have to

be the Smocked Crusader? Why don't

you do us all a favor and go back

to being whatever it was you were

before.

MEGAN:

I can't. I killed someone.

Megan turns and walks out the door. Detectives Morris and *

Baker both stare after her. *

INT. CAR -AFTERNOON (DAY 2) *

Another quiet ride as they head back to the ME's office.

This time it's Peter who breaks the silence.

PETER:

Hasn't every surgeon lost a

patient?

MEGAN:

Not every surgeon loses control of

her hands in the middle of an

operation.

PETER:

Would you go back if you could?

MEGAN:

What are you, my shrink now?

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 51.

PETER:

You just told Morris you killed *

somebody but I don't get an answer?

A beat. She stares at her hands.

MEGAN:

There was an autopsy as part of the

inquest. It was the first one I'd

seen since med school. All those

hours I'd spent rehearsing the

operation, studying the scans and

reviewing my patient's medical

history, and I never knew she had a

broken heart tattoo on her ankle

because of an old boyfriend, or

that she fractured her arm

horseback riding when she was a

kid, or a dozen other things her

body revealed in a way our consults

never had.

Silence.

PETER:

That still doesn't answer my

question.

She looks over at him.

MEGAN:

Yes it does.

INT. ME'S OFFICE -AFTERNOON (DAY 2) *

Megan and Peter return to the office. Approaching the

Bullpen they come upon the tail end of one of those impromptu

office birthday parties for one of the secretaries. Peter

and Megan take note as they circle around -

PETER:

Don't you have a birthday party to

go to?

MEGAN:

I still don't have a present. And

don't you dare say bicycle.

PETER:

I don't believe you. Are you *

seriously telling me you can't *

think of one thing that was

important to you as a kid that

you'd want your daughter to have?

Christopher Murphey -Body of Evidence -1/11/10 52.

She stops in her tracks. She stares at him. A look of

revelation on her face.

PETER:

Aha. Finally. So what is it?

Meanwhile, a group of MEs and Assistant MEs pick over what's

left of a chocolate cake with crushed walnuts packed around

the base.

ASSISTANT ME #1

Hey Peter, want a piece?

He glances over -

PETER:

No thanks.

MEGAN:

When I was a kid --Lacey's age, in

fact --my father had this tool *

shed --*

ASSISTANT ME #2

Come on, it's going to waste.

PETER:

Sorry, nut allergy. One bite and --*

He clutches his throat and MAKES A CHOKING SOUND. His point *

made, he looks back at Megan --*

Rate this script:4.6 / 11 votes