Frankie and Alice Page #5

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Just set it right over there.

What's the matter?

You don't quite seem yourself this morning.

I want you to tell me about Pete.

I think he hurt Frankie

and I think you know about it.

And I want to know how and why.

How sweet.

You've been talking to that child, I see.

Well, I'm sure I'll take care of that.

You looktired.

Were you up all night,

thinking about your wife?

Or is it somebody new?

Well, now, I don't mean

to be ungrateful, Doctor,

but why would I waste a second

of my time to help her?

What do you mean "ungrateful"?

Well, for all the help you've given me.

I think it's this place.

Poor thing's gettin' tired.

She's findin' it harder and harder to cope.

I don't know how much longer

she can go on fightin' with me.

Alice...

You gotta see who you are.

You're black, you're not white.

You're her, and she's you.

Well, then who am I looking at?

You don't mean to tell me

you're taking the side of a common donkey?

Nobody's taking anybody's sides.

This is not a fight.

It's not a battle you can win.

Well, I promise you, Doctor,

it's not a battle I will ever let her win.

I have a contract here, I want you to sign.

It sets out some provisions...

- Doc?

- Frankie?

I can hear her in my head.

You can?

That's good.

That's fantastic, Frankie.

That's fantastic.

We're getting there, Frankie.

- We're getting there.

- Yeah.

"I, the patient,

agree to take part

in the treatment proposed, as follows...

"I understand the objectives of treatment

the techniques to be used...

"Francine L. Murdoch...

"Alice, Genius...

...and Dr. Joseph Oswald.

Hello, Martha? Is this a message machine?

I know it's late,

but I was thinking of something you said...

No, I wasn't thinking, I was feeling.

I was feeling.

But then, on the one level, cognitively,

there's very little to distinguish

between the processes of thinking

and feeling, and...

It's Oz.

No, I'll start all over again.

What I wanted to say is that...

Whoever it is that you wanted me to be...

I think I'm prepared to be him now.

Foryou.

What?

Thank you.

Francine. Good morning.

I am Warren Backman

and I am here to make my evaluation.

Evaluation?

Yes, I was hoping that we might start off

with a few simple tests, if you don't mind?

Okay, but who the f*** are you?

I'm the Chief Psychiatrist here. Okay?

Just tell me what you see.

I see a honky in a piss-ugly suit.

Now would you please go get my doctor.

'Cause he wants me to sign this sh*t

and I don't even know what the hell this is.

Look, Francine.

I'm not obliged to keep you in here.

Now, I don't want you out

on the streets causing havoc.

And I don't wanna release you

if you're gonna be a danger to yourself,

but how am I supposed to judge

the level of care you need

if you won't cooperate with me?

I got a court order, don't I?

I'm supposed to be up in here.

Well, no, that's not true.

Those charges were dropped.

Dr. Oswald should have explained that

to you.

You lied to me!

Nurse Shaw!

Love can hurt, can't it?

He didn't abuse her. She loved him!

I've been an idiot.

Too literal. Far too literal again!

What?

See how that goes.

You discharged a patient under my care.

You had no right to do that.

Dr. Oswald, maybe this could wait

until later in my office...

She was a patient at this hospital.

She was deep in therapy!

She was an outpatient at this hospital, Joe,

and you knew that.

Now, why didn't you tell your patient

that she was free to go?

Because it had to be handled carefully!

I'd drawn up a contract

I wanted them each to sign.

You were waiting for her multiples

to give you the okay?

Well, of course! How else was I

going to get them to cooperate?

Well, did you plan on having their lawyers

look it over first?

That's an incredibly unimaginative way

of looking at it.

Her address is on file.

And her next of kin.

Probably too many previous employments

to be any use, but...

Some white guy here.

Has something happened?

Is it the police?

I doubt it.

Didn't know she was seeing a psychiatrist.

How could she afford it?

Well, technically the State was paying for

her treatment while she was under my care.

- What's wrong with her?

- There ain't nothing wrong with her.

She just has these spells

and the child gets agitated sometimes.

She's been like that, though,

ever since she was a girl.

- I really have to find her.

- We ain't seen her in a while.

Last I heard, she was some place

down in Florida...

She was just here.

She flew in here this morning.

She had one of her crazy moods on.

She was asking for money

and saying that we owed her,

and then she went for Mama.

Show the man what she did!

She just wanted the necklace, that's all.

She wanted the necklace and I told her

she couldn't afford it

when she gave it to me.

Mama, she had her hands

around your throat and she wouldn't let go!

- Stop it!

- Why do you keep defending her?

She's my daughter!

Actually, in a sense, the one

who attacked you is not your daughter.

Frankie has a very particular condition.

It's brought on by repressed trauma.

I believe it has something to do

with a man she knew.

A Pete, a Mr. Pete.

- Do you know him?

- He died, Dr. Oswald.

He died a long time ago.

That was God's will.

They was trying to live between two worlds.

Wouldn't have fitted in neither one.

Are you saying he was white?

It's over now.

And now it's time for you to leave.

With all respect, it's not over.

It's not over for Frankie

and I'm trying to help her.

And I'm not?

I've always tried to do

what was best for Frankie.

I've only done what was right.

Whatever happened, this, her illness,

it's not your fault.

If she tries to contact you again...

Or if you could tell me

where she last held a job,

I would appreciate it.

She works at the phone company

over in Inglewood.

Thank you.

No, she don't.

Better get you a pencil and draw you a map.

You don't look like the kind of man

who would know where this place is.

Yeah! You feeling groovy out there?

I never touched the guy!

What do I look like? Do I look retarded?

You were on your knees

with a nice dick in your mouth!

Well I never touched him with my hand.

Come on, Hal. Give her a break.

- Go on.

- We're outta here.

- Hello, handsome.

- I need a smoke.

- You Vice?

- No.

I'm looking for Francine Murdoch.

- Who?

- Francine Murdoch.

She works here, or used to.

I'm her psychiatrist.

You mean Frankie.

She was definitely a whack job.

Good moves, great tits, but pure psycho.

Do you know where she might be?

Can you tell me? It's important.

She might be over in Lakewood.

She might be in Venice Beach.

She might be in Philly, taking cookies

to her sick grandmother.

Now, would you mind getting out

of my place of work. I got things to do...

You looking for Frankie?

You're a doctor? A head doctor?

Do you know where she liked to go?

Maybe some place unusual?

Someplace she normally

wouldn't be found dead in?

She's sick? I mean, mentally?

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