Confidence Page #10

JIM:

What I understand is how low morale

gets when you're posted at a guard

station all night, Val.

Reluctantly, Michael opens the pizza box, and Jim helps

himself to two slices. Michael starts to shut the box. Jim

reaches in for a third slice.

CUT TO:

INT. LETTY'S ROOM - SAME

Letty and Nurse Gates sit cross-legged on the bed, facing

each other. Letty's face is puffy from crying.

LETTY:

I don't mean to go on and on like

this.

NURSE GATES:

It's OK. It's good to let it out.

Michael passes the open door with the pizza box and points

down the hall. Letty stares right through him.

NURSE GATES:

Did you ever tell Paul how you

felt?

LETTY:

He was graduating from law school,

and he just assumed I was OK with

dropping out.

(beat)

We never really talked about it.

But I know he was disappointed in

me.

CUT TO:

INT. LINEN CLOSET - LATER

The roomy closet houses an inconceivable number of white

sheets and towels, arranged on wide, tall shelves.

62.

The pizza, cokes and a candle sit in the middle of the floor,

which Michael has draped with a sheet. Michael stares at the

dwindling candle.

.

CUT TO:

INT. LETTY'S ROOM - SAME

LETTY:

I mean I'm just not sure I want the

same things now that I did even a

month ago.

Nurse Gates nods sympathetically.

LETTY:

Is that so wrong?

Michael passes the open door again, waving his hands wildly

to attract Letty's attention. She doesn't notice him.

NURSE GATES:

You can only do what feels best to

you now.

LETTY:

I guess so. I think that's right.

CUT TO:

INT. LINEN CLOSET - SAME

Michael blows out the candle.

CUT TO:

INT. LETTY'S ROOM - SAME

Letty blows her nose as she walks Nurse Gates to the door.

LETTY:

You've been so great. I just feel

a lot clearer about things.

NURSE GATES:

I'm glad.

LETTY:

And if I need to talk again...

NURSE GATES:

Yes, of course. Whenever you want.

63.

Letty gives Nurse Gates a hug.

INT. LINEN CLOSET - SAME

TAPS on the door. Michael looks up. He jumps to his feet

and lets Letty in, gesturing for her to sit. They lean

against a stack of pillows.

LETTY:

Sorry I'm late...

Michael puts his finger to Letty's lips.

MICHAEL:

Shhh.

A SERIES OF SHOTS THAT FADE INTO EACH OTHER:

A.) The two munch on pizza. Michael picks off black olives

and hands them to Letty, who plops them on top of her pizza.

B.) Michael hands Letty a cigarette. She gestures no. He

lights one for himself and begins blowing smoke rings.

C.) Michael offers Letty pizza. She clutches her stomach to

show that she's full.

D.) Letty indicates she wants a cigarette. Michael

demonstrates how to smoke, affecting the style of a 1930s

movie star. Letty follows suit.

.

E.) Letty grabs a pillow and hits Michael over the head. He

pulls the pillow away from her. Letty stands up, grabs

another pillow and hits Michael again. He whacks her in the

back of the knees and she falls on top of him.

Enough of the fighting. They kiss. Michael strokes the back

of Letty's neck.

FOOTSTEPS approach the door and stop. Michael and Letty stop

kissing and look at the door. The FOOTSTEPS continue on.

Michael pulls Letty's shirt up. She starts to pull it over

her head, but can't get it all the way off in the cramped

space. Michael kisses Letty's mouth through the shirt. She

GIGGLES. Michael helps Letty off with the shirt.

He kisses her chest. Letty bites him lightly on the

shoulder.

Michael pulls away in surprise, grinning. Letty reaches up

and bites him again. Michael bites her back.

64.

Letty reaches her hands behind her head, searching for

something to hold onto. She grabs a stack of sheets, which

topple onto Michael.

Michael sits up, trying to clear the sheets off himself and

Letty. Letty pushes him down and crawls on top of him.

CLOSE ON her hands as they unbutton Michael's Levis, and we

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

INT. REC. ROOM - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - DAY

Mrs. Hallstrom sits close to the television, watching Joan

Rivers hawk jewelry on the Home Shopping Network. Michael

drapes the room with streamers, and surveys his work.

MICHAEL:

How's it look?

MRS. HALLSTROM

Shhh. They're coming to the cubic

zirconium.

MICHAEL:

I like those sapphire earrings

myself.

MRS. HALLSTROM

Simulated sapphires. I bet my

daughter would love those, too.

Michael sees Letty pass by the room as she heads down the

hall. He follows her.

INT. WOMEN'S ROOM - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - DAY

Marie enters with her toothbrush and toothpaste. She moves

towards the sink but stops as...

GIGGLES come from the stall. She looks closer, sees two

pairs of feet and one familiar pair of boxers.

MARIE:

Jesus...just get a room.

Marie walks out.

65.

INT. STALL - WOMEN'S ROOM - SAME

Letty and Michael, partially disrobed and hugging each other

tight, burst into GUFFAWS.

INT. EMLEE'S OFFICE - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - DAY

Letty sits on the couch. Emlee leans forward in his chair.

DR. EMLEE

I think it's a problem that you

never told me about Michael. I had

to hear it from another patient.

LETTY:

I couldn't really say anything

because of that fraternizing rule.

DR. EMLEE

Well, Letty, this does present a

liability issue for the hospital.

LETTY:

I'm a grown woman, Dr. Emlee. I

can take care of myself.

.

DR. EMLEE

What about Michael? Do you know

the extent of his...

LETTY:

I know Michael's a schizophrenic,

and Mrs. Hallstrom's manic-

depressive, and John Lockyer has

episodes of psychosis, and I heard

a rumor that you suffer from

delusions of grandeur.

DR. EMLEE

Go ahead and put the guard back up,

Letty. But you need to know what

you're dealing with.

LETTY:

I don't need a lecture. I care

about Michael.

DR. EMLEE

Then that's even more reason to

listen. Look, schizophrenics tend

to withdraw from reality. They

experience emotional disturbances

that result in personality changes.

(MORE)

66.

DR. EMLEE(cont'd)

(beat)

You could be lying next to Michael

in bed one night, and he could have

a hallucination, or a delusion. It

might happen when you're driving

or...

LETTY:

Look, I know he's almost through

with treatment here. And, he's on

medication.

DR. EMLEE

Drugs can help suppress symptoms.

But lots of patients stop taking

them when they're on their own

because the side effects are so

harsh.

(beat)

And, Michael's condition is often

worsened by periods of stress. He's

been in and out of...

LETTY:

I don't want to hear anymore.

DR. EMLEE

I'd like you to promise you won't

carry on a relationship with

Michael. Otherwise, I'll consider

moving one of you to another ward.

LETTY:

First you tell me to do what I want

to, then you tell me to stop.

DR. EMLEE

All I want you to do is think about

what's best for you. Really think

about it.

EXT. GROUNDS - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - DAY

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