Flight Page #10

HARLING puts his hand on WHIP’s forehead in an attempt to

reassure him. A quiet moment before HARLING slips out.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM -- 11 PM -- SAME EVENING

WHIP wakes up in a cold sweat. He is breathing heavy as he

scans the room. LIGHTENING FLASHES from outside the window.

Thunder RUMBLES.

WHIP looks to the night stand where we see a pack of nicotine

gum has been chewed through. WHIP uses his hands to get to

the edge of the bed. He roots through the duffle bag that

HARLING left and finds a pack of smokes and a Bic lighter

still in its package.

Determined to smoke, WHIP eyes a WHEEL CHAIR that has been

placed next to his bed. Leaning against the wheelchair is a

medical cane.

INT. HOSPITAL -- QUIET HALLWAY -- MOMENTS LATER

Wearing his Happi Coat (or robe), WHIP limps in to the empty

hallway with the use of his cane. He checks the quiet

corridor as he begins his quest...

53.

INT. HOSPITAL -- FIRE DOOR -- 11:38 PM

The door swings open, and no one appears to be on the other

side. Now WHIP fights to push the heavy door open again to

slip through. A hand grabs the door and holds it. WHIP

walks into the sanctity of the stairwell.

INT. HOSPITAL STAIRWELL -- SAME TIME

We find the owner of the helping hand was NICOLE who returns

to a quiet spot along the wall of the stairwell as she

demurely smokes a cigarette.

WHIP:

Thank you.

WHIP leans his cane against the wall and carefully pulls a

pack of smokes from his pocket.

WHIP (CONT’D)

I didn’t think anyone would have

the same devious thought about

using the fire stairs to have a

smoke...

NICOLE smiles and looks down, awkward around men when she is

not loaded. She drops her cigarette which we see was barely

smoked as she maneuvers to leave.

WHIP (CONT’D)

Don’t go. I’ll be quiet.

He offers her a cigarette, she takes it.

WHIP (CONT'D)

We don’t have to talk. Be nice to

just smoke with someone.

And they do. They sit in silence as the stairwell fills up

with smoke. After a long beat...

NICOLE:

Were you on the plane?

WHIP studies her, she’s beautiful in an exhausted way...

WHIP:

Yeah, I was. Were you?

Nicole shakes her head.

NICOLE:

Where were you sitting?

54.

WHIP:

Up near the front.

Again it falls silent as we let them smoke and think in the

sanctity of the fire stairs.

A VOICE breaks their silence.

VOICE (O.S.)

Tobacco's but an Indian weed,

Grows green in the morn, cut down

at eve; It shows our decay, We are

but clay;...I love the smell of

Nicotina in the morning. Smells

like...victory.

We hear a metallic rattle and WHIP and NICOLE look to the

stairs.

VOICE (CONT’D)

Don’t flee dear comrades! Really,

wait for me, please.

A GAUNT YOUNG MAN makes his way to their landing. He is

dressed in a hospital gown and carrying an I.V. pole on which

hangs a small bag of clear liquid. The man’s hair has

completely left him. His skin is gray. Eyes hollowed from

his battle with cancer.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

Can I bum a smoke?

WHIP offers him a cigarette. He takes it and fires it up

with a lighter he keeps stowed in the pocket of his gown.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

I should quit, my cancer might get

cancer.

(silence)

Joke. You guys in the plane crash?

NICOLE:

He was.

WHIP looks at the ground as the GAUNT YOUNG MAN studies him.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

(it hits him)

You’re the f***ing pilot.

Nicole gives Whip a look.

55.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

I saw you on TV. Holy sh*t, man.

Tough deal, but you walked away or

it looks like you limped away.

WHIP:

Yeah, I’m lucky. Goin’ home

tomorrow.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

Home. Home for me is the basement,

they keep cancer treatment in the

basement. I’m livin’ here.

WHIP:

You’re living here?

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

No. I’m dying here.

WHIP:

What kind of cancer?

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

Fibro-mixzoid sarcoma, soft tissue

sarcoma. Very rare, God chose me.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN laughs.

WHIP:

God chose you? You believe in God?

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

F*** yeah b*tch. You’re a stupid

f***er if you don’t believe in God.

The GOD topic has silenced the stairwell...

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

As soon as you realize that the

random events in your life are

God...you will live a much better

life. You spend your life

believing that you have all the

control over what happens.

Bullshit. The plane you’re flying

goes down? Out of your control.

God gives you cancer. I have no

control over that. Did God give me

cancer? You bet your ass God gave

me cancer. You think if I begged

for cancer God would have given it

to me?

56.

No...because I assure you I have

begged for God to take it away -

and guess what? I have no control

over that.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN smokes the cig to the nub and rubs the

remains against the smooth concrete wall.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

Can I get another smoke? What’s

wrong with you honey? You’re

beautiful, do you know that? Do I

scare you? People either have to

pretend they don’t see me or

they’re drawn to me. It’s funny

because people see me as being

close to the other side -- they

feel like I have power or wisdom.

They think I have the answers. Who

knows? Maybe I do. Death gives

you perspective. I lived my life

so indecisive, in a haze. But now

that I’m dying everything is so

clear. It all makes sense somehow.

I’m sorry but I can’t get over how

beautiful you are? Look at your

arm, you an addict?

NICOLE looks at him. She nods.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

What’s your name?

NICOLE:

Nicole.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

What do you do in the world Nicole?

She laughs, what a question.

NICOLE:

Not much. I was a photographer and

then I was a masseuse and I wash

hair at a salon sometimes.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

Where is it? I’ll come by, I’m

easy, you can wash my head.

(she smiles)

Do you think you’re gonna die?

NICOLE laughs to keep from weeping.

57.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

You’re not. You’re not gonna die.

The men watch as NICOLE quietly cries, it’s powerful.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

Don’t you love her?

WHIP:

I don’t know her.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

Bullshit, I do. Random act of God?

Don’t think so. Survive a plane

crash to meet a gorgeous girl in a

stairwell. F*** you man.

(he reflects, then...)

I’m sure they’re looking for me.

My family just showed up from Utah.

You know it’s bad when they start

flying in. Every morning is

special now, I’m so grateful. It’s

a trip, wish I could bottle this

feeling I have...about how

beautiful every breath of life is..

GAUNT YOUNG MAN starts laughing. WHIP joins him.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN (CONT’D)

Can I get a smoke for the road?

WHIP:

Here’s a pack.

GAUNT YOUNG MAN:

Thank you, I’ll pass them out in

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