Heatstroke

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1

(PANTING)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYS)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(HYENAS CHATTERING)

PAUL:
Most people think of

hyenas as cowardly scavengers,

waiting around

impotently for leftovers

while the stronger, faster

animals eat their fill.

They're wrong.

There's a lot more

to them than that.

Look at them.

Hyenas are fierce hunters.

They're all muscle, teeth.

Their top speed is about

35 miles an hour.

Now, the brain of the spotted hyena

is unusually large in

relation to its body size.

Question is, why did these

hyenas evolve such a brain?

It could have been

environmental challenges or...

Or as with the human brain,

it may have derived from them

living in complex social groups.

Now, over the past 18 months,

we've darted and collared a few

who I've come to

know as individuals.

I look forward to meeting up with

them again on this next trip.

Listen, observing the way these

animals these animals live

is far better than any

show on television.

(SIGHS)

The boots seem tough to get off.

So, how'd it go with

the Sar people?

(RUSSIAN ACCENT) They would be happy to have

me teach search and rescue here in America.

(CHUCKLES)

(GRUNTS)

(LAUGHS)

Come here.

(CHUCKLES)

I haven't taken the job yet.

I wanted to talk to

you about it first.

(CHUCKLES)

Well, what's there to talk about?

Take it. Take the job.

(LAUGHS)

(CELLPHONE RINGS)

- Do you need to get that?

- No.

(RINGING CONTINUES)

(COMPUTER BEEPS)

(SIGHS) Hi.

- MIRIAM:
God, finally!

- What's going on?

Jo and some friends got picked

up by the cops. They had drugs!

- Jo had drugs?

- Weed, some pills.

- I want you to take her with you.

- What? Where?

- On your field trip of course.

- No, this is a work trip.

We're gonna be out in

the middle of nowhere.

Exactly. Maybe you can get through

to her, because I just can't.

Let me talk to her.

Jo! Jo! It's your father.

Hi, dad.

- What's going on, Jo?

- Nothing.

Nothing?

Your mom said you got caught with weed and

your friends had pills. What is going on?

Oh, my God! I already told

mom they weren't mine.

She wants you to go

on this trip with us.

Yeah?

What? You don't want to?

(SCOFFS) Not with her.

Well, Tally's nonnegotiable.

Do you understand that?

Doesn't she have some

disaster to go to?

She's taking some time off

before she starts a new job.

This is a holiday for her.

(SARCASTICALLY)

Great, a "holiday" with Tally.

- Just what I always wanted.

- Jo, come on, all right?

Hey! Jo!

Jo? Jo?

She just walked off as usual.

Listen, Miriam, I don't

think this is a good idea.

Our daughter is headed down a

bad path, and I need your help.

She needs you, Paul.

Yeah, okay. You're right.

Let me talk to Tally,

and I'll call you back.

(SCOFFS) Okay.

So?

Jo's hanging with the wrong crowd.

(SIGHS) She's in trouble again.

Miriam's beside herself.

Wow.

She's just 13. This is

only the beginning.

Miriam wants her to go with us.

Hmm.

I told her I'd talk to you first.

I need to do this, Tal.

I haven't been there as

much as I should be.

I know. But what will

she do there, Paul?

We've camped out in some

pretty remote places before.

Maybe it'll be good for her.

She was a girl scout.

She isn't a girl scout anymore.

That's true.

What can I say?

Whatever you like. You always do.

- Okay.

- Thanks, babe.

Hey...

It'll be one hell of a trip, huh?

You're in Africa, ladies. Hang on!

Ow! (LAUGHS)

(POP MUSIC PLAYING)

You okay, Jo?

(MUSIC CONTINUES)

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)

That's them. We're

in the right place.

That's the matriarch in the

pack, an Alpha female.

She has a dick?

(CHUCKLING) Yeah.

All females have a pseudo penis.

They urinate, copulate,

even give birth through it.

Weird.

We had hyenas in Southern Russia

up until the late 19th century.

(SARCASTICALLY) Fascinating.

My grandmother told me about them.

- She said...

- And I care because?

Jo!

Look!

That looks like Violet.

(HYENA GROANS)

I've known him since he was a cub.

We name them before we

know what sex they are.

There's two more out there!

You see that? She's the

Alpha female right there.

She's beautiful.

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

Hey, what are you doing?

I said to stay in the car.

They're curious. They'll be over

here in a minute to check you out.

JO:
Do they attack people?

If they caught you asleep, they could take

a chunk out of you, bite your head off.

Yeah?

(HYENAS CHATTERING)

If you ever find yourself face-to-face

with one, stay still, don't move.

I mean it.

Now I see why you brought me here.

Why?

So you could feed me to the hyenas.

(CHUCKLES)

Come on.

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to

observe some of their eating habits.

How's that look?

- That's good.

- Okay.

All right.

(INSECTS CHIRPING)

I know so little about this

country. I feel like a tourist.

Well, you are a tourist.

(GASPS)

I'm not... I'm not used

to wearing a skirt.

I like it.

It's cool, and it

keeps the sun off.

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)

- Jo, would you mind not doing that?

- Whatever.

I thought you might like to have

some pictures of your "holiday"...

(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)

- so you can remember it.

- I'll remember it.

Jo, you're being annoying.

Just kidding.

I wouldn't mess with

Tally, Jo. She's tough.

She's got balls.

Yeah, well, we know

she's got your balls.

Okay. What don't you drive,

Tally? I'll sit in the back.

Okay. Sure.

(CAR DOOR CLOSES)

You know, young teenage hyenas

are always insecure about

their rank in the clan,

- especially the females.

- (ENGINE TURNS OVER)

They're always picking

fights about their status.

I want to talk to my mom.

JO:
It sucks here, mom.

It's hot and boring.

All anybody can talk

about is hyenas.

Hyenas, hyenas, hyenas...

There aren't even water

holes to swim in.

There's just nothing.

I really want to come home.

MIRIAM:
Okay. Well, let

me talk to your father.

Okay.

Mom wants to talk to you.

Hello?

- You'd be glad to get rid of me.

- No, Jo.

I want this to work, for

your dad's sake at least.

He doesn't really care.

I'm not a hyena.

They'll always come

first, you know?

- (SCOFFS) Please.

- (SATELLITE PHONE BEEPS)

Your mom wants you to try

a bit longer. So do I, Jo.

All right, Jo, why don't you

help Tally with the trailer?

That's fine. I've got it.

She's got it, dad.

PAUL:
Let me help you out.

All right, Jo, well, you can

help me chop some wood.

Teamwork is essential. Gives

you somebody else to blame.

I'm going back to the tent.

What?

- I really thought she'd like it here.

- She likes her iPad.

So, what can we do?

I got to talk to her.

- I just wish...

- What do you wish?

Maybe you could try a little

harder. She's just a kid.

I've been in Haiti helping children

who lost both parents. That's hard.

This isn't Haiti. This

is the way kids are.

She's my daughter.

Okay. I'll try.

Why aren't there any

birds or animals?

They've probably gone

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