Dances with Wolves

INT. FIELD HOSPITAL TENT - DAY

A black screen.

The sound of a knife cutting through boot leather.

Fade in on the waists of two men (THE SURGEONS) hovering

around a crude operating table.

In the extreme background, TWO STRETCHER BEARERS are just

leaving.

SURGEON 1 (O.S.)

Is this the last one?

One of the bearers stops and looks back. His face is numb.

And he nods hollowly.

We cannot see the patient stretched out on the table. But we

do see that the first surgeon has succeeded in getting the

man's boot off.

SURGEON 2 (O.S.)

God, what a mess... at least there's

no gangrene.

SURGEON 1 (O.S.)

There will be if it doesn't come

off.

SURGEON 2 (O.S.)

Well I can't saw if I can't keep my

eyes open. Let's coffee up... he

can wait a few more minutes.

As the TWO SURGEONS duck through a tent flap in the background

we see a mangled foot, torn by shrapnel, it oozes blood from

a cut clear to the bone.

LIEUTENANT JOHN J. DUNBAR'S eyes are now open. He's a young

man, his features sharp and handsome. With effort, he lifts

his head and searches the room.

His eyes come to rest on the form of a legless man lying in

bloodsoaked sheets. He's whimpering like a child.

Dunbar comes to a sitting position on the operating table.

As his eyes move around the room they come to rest on a crate

filled with the boots of men who have lost their legs.

A cane travels through space and deftly hooks one of the

boots.

Lieutenant Dunbar brings the boot onto the operating table.

He tries to pull it on his mangled foot, but the pain makes

him cry out. Deliberately he breaks the cane and sticks a

piece of it between his teeth.

Tears of pain are rolling down his face. A sweat has broken

out on his forehead and with great determination he pulls

the boot on.

EXT. FIELD HOSPITAL TENT - DAY

The two weary surgeons sip on steaming mugs of coffee, their

white coats spattered with blood. Their brief respite is

interrupted by the sound of a muffled scream.

Together they turn and rush back into the tent.

INT. FIELD HOSPITAL TENT - DAY

The operating table is empty save the broken cane and a small

pool of blood. Dunbar is gone.

LEGEND:
ST. DAVID'S FIELD, TENNESSEE - 1862

EXT. CIVIL WAR HILL - DAY

In a natural valley below is a peaceful field. And on either

side of the field, seperated by a hundred yards of green,

are low rock walls.

Several dairy cows are lying dead in the field.

A group of MOUNTED UNION OFFICERS, ride onto the crest of

the hill and look down at the field. The distinguished man

with a long grey beard is GENERAL TIDE.

EXT. CONFEDERATE WALL - DAY

Ragged CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS crouch sullenly behind one of

the walls.

EXT. UNION WALL - DAY

And just behind the other wall are UNION MEN, better equipped

perhaps, but just as weary as their enemies.

We hold on one man, an enlisted soldier, SERGEANT PEPPER. He

chances to glance behind and squints at a strange sight.

A solitary officer is standing a few feet behind him. The

sun is at his back, giving him a ghostly feel. Eerily he

takes a step or two forward. He's limping badly.

The sergeant recognizes him. It's Dunbar.

PEPPER:

Lieutenant... izat you?

Dunbar says nothing. He just stands and stares. It unnerves

the sergeant.

PEPPER:

What're you doing here lieutenant?

DUNBAR:

This is where I belong... this is my

outfit.

The sergeant stares at Dunbar's foot.

PEPPER:

You went to hospital?

DUNBAR:

It was no good... what's going on

here?

A ping of riflefire flies overhead and the sergeant dives

for the wall. He calls over his shoulder.

PEPPER:

Better come to cover lieutenant...

those boys are shooters.

Dunbar settles next to the sergeant.

PEPPER:

What's goin' on here... seems to be

the question alright... you could

ask the major but he don't know.

He's busy tryin' to figger out how

come the officer's mess run outta

peach ice cream...

The sergeant nods at the distant hill and Dunbar looks too.

PEPPER:

General's come up to see the show

but all he knows is there ain't no

show...

Now he nods toward the trees behind them and the lieutenant

follows. Several union men are clustered around a huge hunk

of material attached to a gondola.

PEPPER:

We started a balloon up but they

shot her down fore she was ten feet

off the ground... so nobody's made a

run either way. It's been a stand-

off all damn day... and now... the

major, he's lookin' at the general

and he's thinkin' I better do

somethin', and you know what that

means...

More riflefire comes in and some of the union men answer

with a few rounds of their own. The sergeant watches the

confederate line across the field through a crack in the

wall.

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