Elle Page #16

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110 INT. PATRICK’S CAR -- TWILIGHT 110

Michelle’s in the passenger seat. Awkward silence, until-

PATRICK:

You should probably go to the E.R.

MICHELLE:

I don’t want any entanglementsright now. I just want to go home.

I’ll see my own doctor.

PATRICK:

It’s your call.

111 EXT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 111

Patrick gets out, comes around to help Michelle. Shehesitates just a second, then lets him.

112 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- NIGHT 112

Patrick helps her onto the sofa.

PATRICK:

You should let me look at it.

She just looks at him.

PATRICK (CONT’D)

I played soccer in high school.

86.

MICHELLE:

That’s the least surprising thing

I’ve ever heard.

PATRICK:

I mean, I know a bit about leg

injuries. Senior year I tore up my

ACL. Spent a year with Orthopedic

surgeons.

Michelle assents with a little nod. Patrick bends down to

look at her leg. He lifts her skirt. It sticks in placeswhere blood has dried but he’s gentle.

PATRICK (CONT’D)

We better clean this, pronto.

113 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE - DEN -- MOMENTS LATER 113

Patrick tend to her bare, injured leg. Gently swabbing herlacerations with disinfectant.

PATRICK:

Looks to me like maybe a hairline

fracture. You need real treatment.

He starts wrapping her leg with an ace bandage. Michellestudies him. She leans forward. He looks up.

MICHELLE:

Why did you do it?

PATRICK:

It was necessary.

He says this matter-of-factly and finishes with the bandage,

all business. He then takes his leave without another word.

114 EXT. MICHELLE’S MOTHER’S APARTMENT -- DAY 114

Fresh snow everywhere. Limping on a temporary cane, wearing abulky knee brace and carrying an empty cardboard box,

Michelle tackles the steep front steps.

115 INT. MICHELLE’S MOTHER’S APARTMENT -- DAY 115

Michelle limps in. Not wanting to spend a second longer herethan she has to, Michelle goes straight to a particularcabinet. She puts the box on the floor and starts puttingthings in it, mostly old pictures.

87.

Rafe comes out of the back, hair mussed, wearing boxer shortsand an inside-out white T-shirt. Shaking his head, upset.

RAFE:

Oh no, Michelle. You can’t do this.

MICHELLE:

What can’t I do?

RAFE:

This. Just showing up, lettingyourself in without ringing the bell.

MICHELLE:

You know I have a key, Rafe. Whywould I need to ring the bell? Youdon’t have to trouble yourself, I’monly here a minute.

RAFE:

It’s not about how long you stay,

Michelle.

MICHELLE:

Don’t be unpleasant.

RAFE:

No - I’m sorry, no. You have to go,

right now.

MICHELLE:

You realize I own this place, right?

RAFE:

That may be but your mother invitedme to stay here and while I’m here...

A completely naked BRUNETTE in her thirties emerges frombehind Rafe. Rafe looks like a busted teenager. Michellesmiles. He gestures to the woman to go back where she was.

MICHELLE:

Anyway, I’m selling it. That’s whatI’m doing here.

Michelle reaches into her purse and produces a “FOR SALE”

sticker. Rafe seethes impotently as Michelle hobbles over tothe window looking out onto the street.

RAFE:

I saw on the news your father died.

One less evil f***er in the world.

Michelle carefully affixes the sticker to the window.

88.

MICHELLE:

You should start packing your bags.

Rafe snorts. Michelle collects her box from the floor- a

difficult procedure, juggling the cane at the same time.

RAFE:

I’ve seen all the shows on TV.

About you and your dad, when youkilled all those people.

When she drops one of the photos, Rafe laughs so she can hearit. Michelle ignores him, retrieves the photo with as muchdignity as she can.

RAFE (CONT'D)

I’ve seen all the old news photos.

All the bodies.

OR PERHAPS:

I saw all these dead bodies, also

children...

Michelle has trouble with the door knob, juggling the caneand the box tucked under her arm.

RAFE:

Anyway, the sick bastard's deadnow. At least, I f***ed his wife.

Michelle makes it out the door without looking back.

116 EXT. MICHELLE’S MOTHER’S APARTMENT -- DAY 116

The steps are even more difficult coming down. Michelle’sphone RINGS. She stops, juggles the box in order to answer.

ROBERT (O.S.)

Anna’s just got called away by theLondon thing and I have a freeafternoon.

MICHELLE (INTO PHONE)

We said Wednesday.

ROBERT (O.S.)

But this is better. I can get aroom at the Lanai. They’ve got themuffins you like...

89.

MICHELLE (INTO PHONE)

Robert, I was going to call - I

fractured my knee. My leg's in a

temporary brace. I can barely walk.

ROBERT (O.S.)

What difference does it make, you

can’t walk? We’re not going skiing.

His implacable logic leaves her speechless.

117 INT. HOTEL ROOM -- MOMENTS LATER 117

They’re pounding away on the bed. Or, rather, he is. Michellelies beneath him in her braced leg, as silent and still as acorpse. Deliberately, ostentatiously frozen. Robert flips her

over with some clumsiness - her body responding to hisministrations exactly like a lifeless dummy.

118 INT. HOTEL ROOM - BATHROOM -- LATER 118

Michelle scrubs with scented body wash as Robert, also nude,

combs his hair and admires himself in the mirror.

ROBERT:

You were incredible.

Michelle looks at him. Is he joking?

ROBERT (CONT’D)

I experienced some sensations I

never felt before. Where’d you get

the idea of playing dead?

Michelle starts getting dressed.

MICHELLE:

Anyway, you see I’m good as my

word. You got what you wanted.

ROBERT:

I sure did... thank you.

MICHELLE:

So, we can remain friends.

He nods, smiling. Michelle heads out, buttoning her blouse.

At the door, she feels it’s prudent to stop and turn back.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

And “friends” means we’re not

f***ing anymore.

90.

He nods. That’s clear. Now she can continue out.

119 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- DAY 119

Michelle enters with the cardboard box of her mother’s

things. She immediately senses something’s askew.

MICHELLE:

Marty?

She puts down the box and hobbles around, looking for him.

MICHELLE (CONT’D)

Marty!

She sees the pantry door ajar.

120 EXT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- DAY 120

Looking for Marty outside, Michelle soon finds him. Frozen todeath. Looking like a Snow-Cat molded by a child’s mittens.

121 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- DAY 121

Michelle brushes ice crystals out of the dead cat’s fur infront of her fireplace until the futility of her actionscan’t be denied anymore.

122 EXT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- TWILIGHT 122

Bundled up, Michelle sits on her porch, holding the dead catwrapped in a cloth. She stares at the Xmas tree standingamong the garbage cans across the street. AN ANIMAL CONTROLOFFICER pulls up in a van. She reluctantly hands him over.

ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER

Sorry for your loss.

He starts to leave.

MICHELLE:

Aren’t there... aren’t there anyforms to fill out?

ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER

No, ma’am.

Michelle looks quietly devastated by that answer as the mandeparts with Marty’s body.

91.

123 INT. MICHELLE’S HOUSE -- TWILIGHT 123

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