Erin Brockovich Page #10

This would be the perfect opportunity for many to get self-

pitying. But not Donna. Life's handed her a shitload of

lemons, and darned if she hasn't made a shitload of lemonade.

DONNA:

I know. They're more than a bit

unusual. See, two years ago, Pete

got Hodgkin's disease. That's a kind

of cancer --

ERIN:

Yeah, I'm real sorry to hear that.

DONNA:

Thank you. It's in remission now,

thank the Lord, but you never know.

And then while that's going on, I

end up having to have a hysterectomy.

Plus a whole mess of lumps removed

from my breasts. All benign so far,

but still, no matter how positive

you stay, an operation can still

take it out of you.

(Erin nods)

So the whole idea of selling the

house -- if they aren't gonna pay us

properly, I just don't see the point.

ERIN:

Yeah, I can see that.

(beat)

I guess the only thing that confused

me is -- not that your medical

problems aren't important, but --

how come the files about them are in

with all the real estate stuff?

Donna tops off their iced teas.

DONNA:

There's so much correspondence, I

just keep it all in one place.

ERIN:

Right, but -- I'm sorry, I don't see

why you were corresponding with PG&E

about it in the first place.

DONNA:

Well, they paid for the doctor's

visit.

ERIN:

They did?

DONNA:

You bet. Paid for a check-up for the

whole family. And not like with

insurance where you pay, then wait a

year to be reimbursed, either. They

just took care of it. Just like that.

We never even saw a bill.

ERIN:

Wow. Why would they do that?

DONNA:

'Cause of the chromium.

ERIN:

The what?

DONNA:

The chromium. Well, that's what kicked

this whole thing off.

INT. ERIN'S HYUNDAI - DAY

As Erin leaves Hinkley, she stops the car and takes a look

at the power plant she passed so obliviously on her way into

town.

Maybe it's the angle, or maybe it's what Donna's been telling

her, but somehow the plant seems more threatening now. Like

it's bearing down on the town.

EXT. UCLA MAIN LIBRARY - DAY

Large. Looming. Very establishment. Through the windows, we

see Erin at the desk, talking to a LIBRARIAN. She has the

file in her hands.

The librarian gives her directions to somewhere else.

INT. UCLA SCIENCE BUILDING - HALLWAY - DAY

A long, academic hallway lit by fluorescents. Erin gets off

an elevator and heads down the hall. She finds a door with a

nameplate that reads "Brian Frankel, Toxicology" and KNOCKS.

The door opens and DR. FRANKEL appears, looking as though

he's getting ready to leave. Nothing like Erin has ever shown

up at his door. He reels at the sight of her.

ERIN:

Doctor Frankel?

FRANKEL:

Yes?

ERIN:

Hi, I'm Erin Brockovich. I was just

over in the library there, asking a

mess of questions about -- I guess

they call it toxicology? -- and the

fella there told me to find you,

'cause you know all about it.

FRANKEL:

(suspicious)

Is this a joke? Did Baxter put you

up to this?

ERIN:

Who's Baxter?

FRANKEL:

He did, didn't he? Baxter!

BAXTER, another scientist, leans out of a door down the hall.

BAXTER:

Yeah?

Baxter and Erin look at each other. No recognition, of course.

Frankel is immediately embarrassed.

FRANKEL:

Oh. Oh.

ERIN:

No one put me up to anything. I was

just hoping I could ask you a couple

questions.

FRANKEL:

(mortified)

Of course! Oh, Gosh, of course --

INT. BUILDING CORRIDOR - DAY

Erin follows Frankel down the hall.

FRANKEL:

What kind of chromium is it?

ERIN:

There's more than one kind?

FRANKEL:

Yes. There's straight-up chromium --

does all kinds of good things for

the body. There's chrom 3, which is

fairly benign, and then there's chrom

6, hexavalent chromium, which,

depending on the amounts, can be

very harmful.

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