Confidence Page #8

Letty hesitates.

LETTY:

I haven't heard an apology.

Michael drops to one knee.

MICHAEL:

I'm really sorry I hurt your

feelings. I got a little carried

away. Can you ever forgive me?

Letty takes the book from him and walks away.

INT. REC ROOM - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - DAY

Letty sits in an arm chair staring out at the garden. Her

attention is drawn to a nearby couch where Michael sits

opposite Mrs. Hallstrom, apparently playing cards.

Michael lays a card down.

MICHAEL:

Mrs. Hallstrom, I'm pretty sure you

could use that.

She shakes her head slowly back and forth. Michael places it

in her hand of cards.

MICHAEL:

Now, don't you have a gin rummy,

Mrs. Hallstrom?

(beat)

Go ahead, now, just lay those cards

down.

Mrs. Hallstrom slowly spreads her hand of cards on the couch.

MICHAEL:

Hot damn. Gin rummy. I told you

so. You're three games up on me.

Mrs. Hallstrom smiles. Michael catches Letty watching them,

and Letty quickly looks away.

48.

INT. LETTY'S ROOM - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - NIGHT

Letty opens her drawer to pull out a T-shirt. Several are

rumpled. She starts refolding them when she spots it.

There, nestled among her clothes, is a book of Emily

Dickinson's poetry. Letty picks it up, runs her hand over

the cover and starts reading.

EXT. COURTYARD - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - DAY

Paul and Letty walk onto a postcard-perfect stone terrace

overlooking the garden. Paul pulls up a chair for Letty and

stares out at the scenery.

PAUL:

It's prettier here than I thought

it would be.

LETTY:

Yeah, I guess it's all right.

PAUL:

Are you all right?

LETTY:

That's a big question.

PAUL:

I hope it wasn't something I did.

LETTY:

Something you did?

PAUL:

That put you in here.

LETTY:

Of course not, no.

(beat)

Is that why you're here?

PAUL:

I think we need to talk about some

things.

LETTY:

Yes, I suppose so.

PAUL:

This has been really difficult,

this whole thing.

(MORE)

49.

PAUL(cont'd)

These past few weeks, it's made me

really go back and examine our

whole relationship.

(beat)

I mean, we've been going out for

four years, and it hasn't always

been so easy.

LETTY:

No.

PAUL:

Especially this last year.

LETTY:

(softly)

Especially now.

PAUL:

So, I've been thinking a lot...

LETTY:

I have too, Paul.

PAUL:

I talked to Ruth a little bit, and

I think it's about time...

LETTY:

I know. We can't just keep going

through the motions.

PAUL:

Exactly. It's time to make

decisions.

LETTY:

You don't have to say anything

else. I've known for a while that

this was coming.

PAUL:

I just wish we'd done it sooner.

Paul takes Letty's hand in his.

PAUL:

Will you marry me?

Paul pulls a diamond ring from his pocket and puts it on

Letty's finger. She stares at it, mesmerized.

50.

PAUL:

I had to smuggle it in here. I

guess you're not really supposed to

have jewelry.

LETTY:

(by rote)

Or be up past ten or fraternize

with other patients.

PAUL:

I hope you like it. It's a Marquis

cut, 1.5 carats. They had one with

emeralds around it, but this was

simpler, more classic in its lines.

(beat)

Letty?

LETTY:

It's, it's really nice, Paul.

PAUL:

You can take it back and we can

have one custom made if you want.

LETTY:

No, you've done a perfect job.

PAUL:

So, what do you say, Let?

Letty looks him in the eyes for the first time.

LETTY:

Do you think, really, that it's OK

to get engaged when I'm in here?

PAUL:

Sure. We'll save the formal

announcement for when you're out. I

already told your mother.

you don't mind.

I hope

No, no.

LETTY:

PAUL:

So will you?

LETTY:

(working up a smile)

Of course. Yes. I will. I do.

51.

Paul and Letty kiss, then hug.

EXT. COURTYARD - HILLVIEW PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL - LATER

It's completely dark. Letty sits in the same position we saw

her in hours ago. Michael walks up to her.

MICHAEL:

You missed out on some great

broccoli florets at dinner.

LETTY:

I wasn't hungry.

MICHAEL:

John even managed to lob a load of

mashed potatoes into Mrs.

Hallstrom's milk.

LETTY:

(smiling)

Finally. I was getting tired of

watching him try every night.

MICHAEL:

Was it bad news--the visit from

Peter?

LETTY:

Paul.

MICHAEL:

He looked pretty serious.

LETTY:

He asked me to marry him.

MICHAEL:

Very romantic setting.

LETTY:

It was romantic. He's very

romantic.

MICHAEL:

So are you engaged, or what?

Letty holds out her hand, where the diamond glistens. Michael

bends forward to look at the ring, caressing her hand as he

does so.

Letty pulls away. The ring is gone.

52.

LETTY:

What have you done with the ring?

MICHAEL:

It's magic.

Letty stands up.

LETTY:

This isn't funny. Paul would kill

me.

Michael holds his hands in fists toward Letty.

MICHAEL:

Guess which hand.

LETTY:

Enough with the abracadabra.

MICHAEL:

Guess.

LETTY:

The left one.

Michael opens his hand. It's empty. Michael addresses an

imaginary audience.

MICHAEL:

(to audience)

The fair maiden guesses

incorrectly. Should we give her

one more try?

(to Letty)

The audience says one more try.

What guess you now?

LETTY:

The right one.

Michael opens his right hand. A plastic, Cracker-jack ring

rests in it.

LETTY:

Come on, Michael.

Michael grabs Letty's hand and slides the ring onto her

finger.

MICHAEL:

With this ring, I thee...

53.

Letty pulls her hand away.

LETTY:

Really, this isn't funny.

MICHAEL:

OK, OK, I'll give it back.

Letty holds out her hand.

MICHAEL:

For a price.

LETTY:

Good God.

MICHAEL:

A small price.

LETTY:

I won't do your portion of kitchen

cleanup.

MICHAEL:

No.

LETTY:

And I'm not covering for you when

you sneak out to call Dominos.

MICHAEL:

I want a kiss.

Letty stares at him. She laughs.

LETTY:

Get serious.

Michael moves close to her.

MICHAEL:

I'm serious.

Letty looks into his eyes.

LETTY:

(softly)

Everything's a joke with you.

Michael and Letty kiss, long and deep. Letty pulls back.

She gazes at Michael. She steps closer to him.

They kiss again, longer and deeper.

54.

They separate. Letty looks ready for another kiss. Michael

caresses her cheek.

He walks back toward the hospital door. He stops, comes back

to Letty. He hands her the diamond ring.

MICHAEL:

Here.

He walks inside. Letty watches him go.

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

Dr. Emlee and Letty sit across from each other.

LETTY:

The medicine's still bothering me.

It feels like I have cotton wrapped

around my brain.

DR. EMLEE

We'll see about adjusting the

dosage if that doesn't clear in the

next week.

.

(beat)

How are other things going?

LETTY:

I think I've told you all the news.

Let's see--the engagement. Oh, and

my sister's coming to visit me, and

they say my cat misses me.

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