Erin Brockovich Page #4

As she rocks Beth, who coughs in between tears, Erin looks

around -- at her meager dinner and bug infested kitchen --

and is fed up with the whole day! She dumps her bag out,

gets her wallet, opens it up and sees what little money she

has.

Camera follows her out the kitchen, into the main room where

she heads for a window, opens it and shouts to Matthew and

Kate in the yard:

ERIN:

Matthew! Katie! Dry off. Put your

shoes on -- we're going out to eat.

They shout their excitement as Erin (and camera) continue

through the house, through the bedroom and into a bathroom.

ERIN:

Don't go getting sick on me, baby.

Okay?

But Beth's cough is getting worse. Erin opens the medicine

cabinet but finds nothing appropriate.

EXT. DRUGSTORE - DAY

Matt and Katie are messing around with a gumball machine.

INT. DRUGSTORE - AISLE - DAY

Erin is holding Beth, wandering the aisles. She stops at the

medicines, thinks for a long moment, then, hating herself,

glances to make sure no one's looking, and picks up a bottle.

INT. DRUGSTORE - AT THE REGISTER - DAY

As a CUSTOMER steps away from the register, Erin steps up

with the bottle in her hand and smiles at the CHECK-OUT LADY.

ERIN:

Hi, remember me? I was in yesterday.

Bought a whole mess of stuff. Round

about five?

CHECK-OUT LADY

Honey, it's a zoo here at five. I'm

lucky if I even see a face, much

less remember it.

ERIN:

Oh, shoot, yeah, I guess that'd be

tough. Well, listen, I meant to buy

my baby here some medicine, and by

the time I got home, I realized I'd

bought this adult stuff by mistake.

And now, wouldn't you know, I can't

find the receipt. I was wondering --

could I maybe exchange it anyway...

INT. CHEAP DINER - TWILIGHT

Beth is feeling better on Erin's lap. A drugstore bag sits

on the table with the cough medicine. The two other kids sit

opposite in the booth. Erin is helping the kids read the

menu as the Waitress arrives.

WAITRESS:

Everybody ready?

KATIE:

(proudly)

My mommy reads backwards.

ERIN:

One of my many talents. Go ahead

kids.

MATTHEW:

Cheeseburger deluxe and a coke.

KATIE:

(whispers across table)

Mommy can I get the cheeseburger

deluxe with no cheese and no bread.

ERIN:

(to Waitress)

You get that?

(Waitress nods and

smiles)

This one here'll have just a cup of

that chicken broth and some crackers.

WAITRESS:

And for you?

ERIN:

Cup of coffee.

Waitress takes away menus and exits as Matthew asks:

MATTHEW:

You're not eating mom?

ERIN:

No, honey -- my lawyer took me out

to a big fancy lunch to celebrate

and I'm stuffed!

(to Beth)

You feeling better baby.

(feels her head with

her cheek)

Cool as a cucumber.

INT. ERIN'S HOUSE - NIGHT

The kids are asleep. A starved Erin is sitting at the kitchen

table, eating canned fruit cocktail.

O.C. Beth coughs. Coughs again. Erin looks up. Hopes it

doesn't turn into a coughing fit...

Beat.

A waterbug crawls across the table. Erin stares at it. Calmly,

comically, she reaches off camera and grabs a can of bug

spray. She aims and sprays the bug with a consistent, focused

force until the damn thing slides off the table in a river

of bug repellent.

INT. MASRY & VITITOE - ED'S OFFICE - DAY

Midday. Ed enters with a cup of coffee in his hand. As he

heads to his desk, he trips on a box of files. Coffee sloshes

up out of his cup and on to his shirt.

ED:

Damn it!

(calling out)

Brenda!

She pops her head in.

BRENDA:

Yeah?

He grabs a tissue, swabs his shirt, then kicks at the box.

ED:

What the hell is this doing here?

BRENDA:

It's those files you asked for.

ED:

I didn't mean for you to leave them

in the middle of the floor. Jesus.

Look at me.

As Ed checks his reflection in the glass wall of his office,

he notices, on the other side:

ERIN, standing in the middle of the secretaries' area, talking

to DONALD, the office boy. Donald heads away from her.

ED:

What's she doing here?

BRENDA:

Who?

Ed goes to his office door and waves Donald over.

ED:

Hey, Donald, what's she doing here?

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