Elle Page #12

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DOCTOR:

She’s had a major stroke. Wealleviated the pressure on herbrain but remains unresponsive.

ANNA:

Unresponsive... meaning?

DOCTOR:

She is comatose.

MICHELLE:

How long?

DOCTOR:

There’s no telling. She’s stableright now. Her blood serum is...

MICHELLE:

This is real?

DOCTOR:

(as if he didn't hear)

Excuse me?

MICHELLE:

There’s no way she’s faking orplaying it up or anything? You’remedically certain this is for real?

The doctor looks at her a moment, surprised by the question.

DOCTOR:

I’m sorry, no. I have to tell youthere’s a high likelihood yourmother will not wake up again.

Michelle reels.

DOCTOR (CONT’D)

But as I say she’s stable. Isuggest you get some rest. There’snothing you can do here right now.

Michelle nods distantly. Anna puts her arm around her. TheDoctor takes his leave. Robert stands there looking useless.

65.

ANNA:

You should come home with us. At

least for a shower.

Michelle looks at her, not quite able to respond.

79 INT. ANNA’S HOUSE - BEDROOM -- NIGHT 79

Robert and Anna help Michelle in. Michelle is moving like a

zombie. Anna looks back over her shoulder at Robert.

ANNA:

Would you mind sleeping in theguest room?

He decides at the last second not to protest. He leaves themalone. Anna helps Michelle off with her coat.

MICHELLE:

Did you see Richard with H.l.ne?

ANNA:

I did. Lie down.

MICHELLE:

(nods, sits on the bed)

He was running through his littleroutines. And she seemed amused bythem all.

ANNA:

You know you’ll wind up being goodfriends.

MICHELLE:

Oh, no doubt. I’ll start going overthere for supper, just the three ofus. I see myself ringing a doorbell,

holding a box of macaroons and Ishudder.

Anna smiles. She gets Michelle to lie back. Michelle winds uppulling her onto the bed with her. Michelle smiles as Anna

holds her. Brushes hair her out of her face. They fall intoincredibly intimate silence. Anna nuzzles her nose, like aneskimo.

ANNA:

Do you remember the time in Cassis?

We tried...

66.

MICHELLE:

(remembers, smiling)

We couldn’t get through it withoutlaughing.

Anna smiles. They leave it at that.

80 INT. ANNA’S BEDROOM -- MORNING 80

Michelle wakes up, feeling something strange. It takes her amoment to recognize that Robert’s hand is up her nightshirt.

She kicks away from him.

MICHELLE:

What are you doing?!

ROBERT:

Anna’s gone to the office.

He says that as if it explained everything. Michelle gets up.

ROBERT (CONT’D)

I was just trying to make you feelbetter.

MICHELLE:

(earnestly sizing him up)

I wonder if your stupidity was whatattracted me to you in the firstplace.

ROBERT:

I’m sorry if I misjudged.

MICHELLE:

Look, I can’t do this anymore. Wehave to stop.

ROBERT:

Right.

MICHELLE:

You were a great partner and we’llstill be friends...

ROBERT:

You’re serious?!

MICHELLE:

This whole ridiculous situation was

getting too much to bear... you don’tfeel that all? The humiliatingabsurdity of it all?

67.

ROBERT:

Uh, no.

She strips off the nightshirt. He takes this as a provocationand tries to again put his hand down her panties. She removeshis hand, starts collecting her clothes. He stands there,

dumbstruck, seeing she really means it.

ROBERT (CONT’D)

Your breasts have gotten bigger.

MICHELLE:

No, I don’t think so. Not that I’m

aware of.

ROBERT:

No doubt about it.

She slips on a sweater. Looks for her shoes. He finds herleft one, withholds it from her.

ROBERT (CONT’D)

Tell me you don’t want me anymoreand that’ll be the end of it.

MICHELLE:

It’s not as simple as that, but allright, I’m telling you: I don’t wantthis anymore, this situation, thelies.

ROBERT:

You dodged my question.

MICHELLE:

Sorry. I no longer want to fuckyou. Was that the question?

She takes her shoe. He looks like a child denied a treat.

81 INT. HOSPITAL -- DAY 81

Michelle sits at her mother’s bedside, eating a salad out ofa clear plastic container with a plastic fork. Her mother hastubes coming out of her everywhere.

MICHELLE:

I won’t see him, you know? I don’tbelieve in the superstition of deathbed

requests. If you imagine you canmanipulate me with this hideous

stunt...

(MORE)

68.

MICHELLE (CONT'D)

Ever since you decided the laws of

God and Man no longer applied to you

and started acting out like a spoiled

teenager, you never gave a sh*t what

I thought. What your behavior did to

me. This aneurysm thing stands out

only for its disgusting... treachery.

This salad is awful. They just dumped

in a can of olives.

(stares out window)

You can’t stay mad at me, you know.

Michelle notices that the TV suspended from the wall is onthe fritz. She drags her chair over to stand on it while shetries to adjust it.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

Of course, BFM-TV is the one

station that comes in.

She keeps switching back and forth through channels. Sheregisters only vaguely, at first, the whole TEAM of doctorsand nurses rushing into the room and gathering around hermother’s bed. When she sees them, she fills with fear.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

What’s going on?

They don’t answer. Too busy swarming around Irene, takingurgent measurements. Michelle is terrified now.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

I thought I heard a different beep.

Was that the sound?

Her voice comes out weak, a little girl’s squeak. They don’thear her. Finally, one of the nurses sees her.

NURSE:

Miss, you have to go outside.

The Nurse gently but firmly pushes her toward the door.

Helpless, lost, Michelle finds herself standing out in thehall, looking in.

82 EXT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- TWILIGHT 82

Michelle gets out of car, sluggish, like a sleepwalker. Shestops as she sees the LIGHT is on in her upstairs bedroom.

The curtains there billow spookily.

69.

83 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- CONTINUOUS 83

Michelle comes in, warily. Marty the cat leaps into her arms.

She takes him with her as she heads upstairs.

84 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - BEDROOM -- CONTINUOUS 84

Michelle enters cautiously. She discovers the covers havebeen ripped off her bed and a NOTE - written in red lipstick -

left atop the crumpled sheets.

She reads:
sorry, I couldn’t wait.

She then notices the cum sprayed all over the violet coloredsheet. Michelle sets Marty down and starts stripping thebedding like it was just another chore.

85 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE -- DAY 85

Dressed as if for a cocktail party, Michelle leads a somewhatclumsy parade up a steep grassy hill. Richard, Anna, Robert,

Vincent, Josie and Rafe are all respectfully attired too,

though Rafe looks like he was hanging out poolside. Vincent*carries a cardboard box that looks like it might containChinese takeout. The baby's screaming in Josie's arms.

MICHELLE:

I'm looking for a spot that might

have some significance. But it's

not like there's going to be a sign

that says, "dispose of mother

here."

RICHARD:

We had a picnic over there once-

that hollow over there.

MICHELLE:

I remember. Her chicken salad gave

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