City of Joy Page #10

POOMINA:

Joan Di, my sister!

(CONTINUED)

49.

CONTINUED:

She sees Max, gasps, throws herself behind Said. Joan

looks at Max -- he starts to speak, she points a fingerthat silences him...

JOAN:

It was Poomina who brought you to

us. She has herself and her

sister to support. It's all right,

Poomina. Anouar, what is it?

She moves to them. They're all three badly out of breath.

WITH JOAN AND LEPERS

ANOUAR:

It's Meeta! It's her time. But

something is wrong. The midwives

don't know what to do! Dr. Sunil,

could he help, perhaps?

JOAN:

Dr. Sunil isn't here.

POOMINA:

Meeta will die.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Joan turns to Max, who hasn't heard the exchange.

JOAN:

Max, I wouldn't ask, but it's an

emergency. A pregnancy gone awry.

It's a leper. Could you have alook?

Max is clearly thrown by the sight of the lepers.

MAX:

I don't have any experience withleprosy.

JOAN:

Good Christ, son, because she's

a leper doesn't mean she's notbuilt like a woman!

HASARI:

I can run and get Dr. Sunil.

JOAN:

It's too far.

(CONTINUED)

50.

CONTINUED:

Suddenly, impulsively...

ALOKA:

I could help. I've had three

babies.

RAM:

You can't do that. They'reoutcasts, they're unclean.

There are murmurs of assent from the others.

JOAN:

Oh nonsense! It's not contagious!

A beat -- everyone fixed on Max.

HASARI:

You're a doctor, how can you nothelp?

EXT. PATH-NIGHT

The moon reflects off the dark puddles of muddy waterthat line the side of the railway tracks. Anouar

propels his board with astonishing agility along thepath, Said and Poomina running with him. Max, Joan,

carrying a first aid bag, Aloka and Hasari following,

slipping and sliding on the rough ground with itspuddles and sewage.

EXT. RAILWAY LINE - LEPER HUTS - NIGHT

The little procession arrives outside the three roughhuts, made of bamboo, plastic sheeting, cloth, woodand cardboard. A few shadows materialize. Lepers -staring

silently.

Anouar points into a hut. Joan and Aloka precede Maxinside. Max forgets to bend and bumps his head.

INT. HUT - NIGHT

The only light is the feeble waver from a candle. The

blind Meeta lies on a rough mattress on the ground. Her

ragged sari is pulled up to her middle. Her face runs

with sweat, her hair is plastered to her face. A girlwith black eyes is fanning her with a piece of wood.

Meeta sends up a SOFT, uninterrupted MOAN. A wedge ofblood-soaked cloth is between her legs.

(CONTINUED)

51.

CONTINUED:

A middle-age leper is leaning over her -- a midwife,

encouraging Meeta with a string of commands in theirown language.

Max kneels, Aloka at his side. His breathing becomesshallow... but then he pulls off the blood-soakedbandages. Between Meeta's legs he can just make outthe bottom of a foot. The child is breached. Maybealready dead.

ALOKA:

Will she die?

Max goes into reflex actions. Joan has opened the firstaid kit. There's a flashlight among the medicine,

alcohol, compresses, scissors, etc. He hands the flashlight

to Aloka as...

MAX:

(to Joan)

Pull me two c.c.'s of Coramine.

He nods at Aloka; she illuminates the scene.

MAX:

Uh-oh, uh-oh, who's this coming'down the lane? Why it's -- is itpossible -- way over here, inIndia -- yes, it's Mr. Choke.

He comes to a stop. Everyone stares at him. Meeta

moans. For a moment, he stays frozen. Aloka reaches

out instinctively, wipes the sweat from his eyes. This

gesture seems to free him; he looks at her, looks at theroom and its expectant, trusting faces...

MAX:

I'm going to have to turn it -the

baby. Tell her she has to

relax these muscles as much as

she can.

He doesn't finish the sentence. Aloka speaks softly toMeeta as Max takes Meeta's arm, makes a tourniquet.

Joan hands him the syringe and he injects. Hands the

syringe back to Joan and begins to work at turning thebaby.

Aloka takes Meeta's hand and it's a moment before we

realize Aloka, with her fine hand, is holding Meeta'sfingerless palm.

52.

OUTSIDE:

A small group waits, trying to determine from the soundswhat's happening inside. Anouar pours tea from a pot onthe small fire, offers the cup to Hasari. Hasari stares

at the cup, doesn't want to be impolite, but more thanthat, doesn't want to touch the cup. He shakes his head,

smiles. Anouar drinks off the tea.

INSIDE:

Sweat pours down Max's face into his eyes. He shakes it

out. Aloka leans forward and, with her new sari, wipesthe sweat away again. Max nods thanks.

MAX:

Tell her again to breathe in shortlittle bursts now.

He demonstrates. Aloka does the same to Meeta. Meeta

tries to cooperate. And suddenly Max has the babyturned.

MAX:

All right! Now, tell her to push.

Aloka translates. Meeta pushes. The midwife, the little

girl, Aloka lean forward.

MAX:

Again. Yes! Again. It's coming.

OUTSIDE:

No one is sitting now. Everyone hangs close to thedoor. Only Hasari remains apart, seated on a tree stumpin the middle of the quad. He coughs; suppresses it.

INSIDE:

MAX:

I've got the head. Come on,

little baby, come on, littlebaby. Be alive, be alive, be

alive.

Aloka wipes the sweat away again. He looks at her, his

voice squeezed out through his teeth.

MAX:

We've got it, we've got it. Yeah!

(CONTINUED)

53.

CONTINUED:

He seems as released as Meeta. Then he gives a lastgentle tug and a CRY squeezes out of the little piece oflife in his hands. Max is fairly overwhelmed by the lifein his hands. Poomina steps close, a smile on her lovelyface, and touches the baby in Max's hands.

EXT. LANE - NIGHT

Max, Joan, Aloka and Hasari walk in silence down Nizamudhin

Lane. There is only the mingled sound of COUGHING,

MOANING, and a TRANSISTOR RADIO nearby playing a popular

song. Outside the clinic, they stop. She takes his hand.

JOAN:

For a non-practicing doctor, thatwas pretty practiced.

MAX:

Never been so scared in my life.

It's a warm, open moment between them. But now there's

the ongoing desperation of her needs.

JOAN:

Max, please, won't you change yourmind? We desperately need anotherdoctor. Full-time. Think about

it -- just give us a couple ofmonths.

MAX:

Can't do it. Maybe you've got itin you to be a saint. I justdon't.

JOAN:

Then what do you want? What are

you going to be when you grow up?

Good night, Aloka, Hasari.

Joan goes inside, leaving Max, Aloka, and a very uncomfortable

Hasari alone a moment.

ALOKA:

Thank you for allowing me to gowith you.

MAX:

You could make a helluva nurse.

A little smile comes over her face; no one's ever paidher that kind of compliment. She goes into Ram's hut,

leaving Max and Hasari now.

(CONTINUED)

54.

CONTINUED:

HASARI:

I think perhaps you are a good

man.

Hasari brings his hands together and goes inside.

EXT./INT. JOAN'S AND THE PAL'S (ALTERNATE) - NIGHT

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