Dave Page #26

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EXT. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - PARKING LOT - DAY

The standard issue ambulance that follows the President I

everywhere is parked just outside the House doors. The doors

of the vehicle fly open as a doctor and nurse emerge. They're

the same two people who cared for Bill Mitchell at the outset

of the film.

CLOSER ANGLE:

It takes a split second for them to whisk out the gurney bed

and slam the doors behind them. They bolt toward the House

chamber while the Secret Service stands guard.

INT. CHAMBER

Duane and other Secret Servicemen move the onlookers back as

the medical team loads Dave onto the gurney bed and hurry him

toward the doors.

EXT. HOUSE PARKING LOT

They emerge a moment or two later with Duane leading the way.

Dave has been securely fastened to the rolling stretcher while

the doctor and nurse hover close...

DIFFERENT ANGLE:

They pop the door of the ambulance. A

crowd of onlookers watches in horror

as the body of the President is whisked

into the ambulance.

WIDE ANGLE - MOTORCADE

It tears away from the Capitol with dozens of SIRENS BLARING.

The ambulance is surrounded front and back by twenty police

motorcycles and the entire entourage takes off...

CUT TO:

EXT. BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL - DAY

It is pandemonium here as well. A huge stat team waits for

the AMBULANCE as it comes SCREAMING up to the emergency

entrance at the back of the hospital. They fling the doors

of the ambulance open as they remove the near S lifeless body

of the President...

CLOSEUP - GURNEY

MOVING WITH it. The Secret Service pushes back the mob of

photographers as the doctors whisk the stretcher toward the

hospital.

INT. AMBULANCE

Duane sits quietly behind the wheel, while the commotion

continues behind the vehicle...

THE CAMERA PANS SLOWLY OVER to the passenger's side, REVEALING:

DAVE:

He sits in a white paramedics outfit complete with hat and

name plate. Dave is wearing his glasses once again and looking

decidedly unpresidential. He glances over at Duane.

DAVE:

Well...

DUANE:

Well...

After a beat.

DUANE:

You sure you don't want a lift back

home?

DAVE:

No thanks. It's not that far.

The two men shake hands and Dave reaches for the door. He

holds the same souvenir bag he had on his evening out with

Ellen.

DUANE:

Dave...

He pauses and looks back.

DUANE:

(moved)

I would have taken a bullet for I

you, Dave.

DAVE:

(quietly)

Thanks, Duane.

Dave smiles at his friend, then climbs out of the ambulance,

and heads down the street...

EXT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ENTRANCE - DIFFERENT ANGLE

A LIMOUSINE comes SCREECHING up to the curb. The door flies

open and Ellen gets out. She sees the huge crowd of people

at the back of the hospital then looks around the parking

lot. Finally she sees:

HER POV:

There, in the distance, the figure of a lone man in a

paramedics uniform walking slowly away. He carries a small

black valise in his hand.

ANGLE - ELLEN

A strange composure envelopes her as she makes a silent

decision. She takes one last look at Dave's receding figure,

then turns and runs quickly inside the hospital...

WIDER ANGLE:

The CAMERA BEGINS TO PULL SLOWLY BACK REVEALING the ambulance,

the hospital and the huge crush of vehicles surrounding the

back door.

ANNOUNCER (V.0.)

... The stroke hit at 8:42 p.m. just

as the President was concluding his

remarks to a joint session of Congress.

Spokesmen at Bethesda Naval Hospital

confirm that it was a `massive edema'

and unlike his previous stroke, it has

rendered the President totally

incapacitated...

(beat)

... Vice President Nance has already

been conferred with full executive

authority and has assumed the Presidency

in accordance with the 24th Amendment.

This is the first time since...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. BALTIMORE SKYLINE - ESTABLISHING - DAY

It is still autumn. The sound of the ANNOUNCER'S VOICE

dissolves into the Vice President's as he continues in V.0.

NANCE (V.0.)

... I plan to continue Bill Mitchell's

call to arms. This isn't my Presidency --

this is his Presidency and I can't

think of a better legacy for him to

leave than...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE - DAY (WINTER)

The autumn leaves are all gone now and the SNOW has started

to fall. Christmas decorations hang from lampposts and a

Salvation Army Santa is ringing his bell.

ANNOUNCER #3 (V.0.)

... Bob Alexander and eight other

members of the Mitchell Administration

were indicted on thirty-four counts of

election law violations and obstruction

of justice. Ironically, the indictments

came just forty-eight hours after final

passage of the Bill Mitchell Jobs Bill,

a comprehensive employment program,

designed to...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. KOVIC TEMPS - DAY

Snow is falling gently in the street. The CAMERA BEGINS TO

PUSH IN SLOWLY ON the first floor window. Jerry (Alice's

boyfriend) is hanging a large sign in the window that reads:

"KOVIC FOR ALDERMAN"

INT. KOVIC TEMPS

The place is just as busy as before. Alice frantically works

the phones while three or four women cram the waiting area.

Murray supervises a couple of campaign workers including Lola

from the start of the film. They stuff envelopes and wear

large "KOVIC" hats on their heads.

MURRAY:

(to one of the workers)

No. Fold them the long way. It looks

neater.

ANGLE - DAVE'S INNER OFFICE

He works the phone, hunched over his desk.

DAVE:

(into the receiver)

What do you mean, Harry, this woman's

fabulous...

(beat)

Oh no, that was a different one...

(longer beat)

Well she's changed a lot...

(pause)

Come on, Harry, it's Christmas, the

woman needs a job.

(beat)

Well, sure... she can wrap presents...

Yeah you bet... Oh, great.

He pauses for a beat.

DAVE:

Harry, did you get that fund-raising

thing I sent you?

ANGLE - DOORWAY/RECEPTION AREA

It jars open as a woman steps inside. Alice barely looks up

as the woman, wearing dark glasses and a scarf, moves into

the waiting area.

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