I Smile Back Page #7

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NURSE PAULINE:

The first 48 hours are the worst.

LANEY:

This is a f***ing hospital, is it

not? Why can’t I see the f***ing

doctor?

NURSE PAULINE:

Take it easy. Why don’t you go back

to your room and get some rest.

This is the hard part hon. You’ll

feel better soon.

Laney is shaking, fidgeting, pissed off, sweating. She takes

a deep breath, the nurse puts her arm around Laney’s shoulder

to escort her back to her room. Laney throws her arm off.

LANEY:

Don’t f***ing touch me.

Nurse Pauline isn’t phased.

NURSE PAULINE:

Okay, hon.

44 INT. BATHROOM - DAY - SAME 44

Laney walks into the bathroom, turns on the shower and washes

her hair. She takes a deep breath. Instead of giving in to

the tears, Laney takes the bar of soap in her hand and begins

angrily stabbing at the wall with it. This is her release.

She gets out of the shower, wraps herself in a towel and

walks over to the sink. She stares at herself in the mirror,

a pause, she looks away.

45 INT. DR. PAGE’S OFFICE - DAY - SAME 45

A psychiatrist’s office. DR. PAGE (mid-50s) is sitting behind

a formidable wooden desk. Laney is facing him. Legs crossed.

Hands folded.

DR. PAGE

Since you aren’t talking I’ll

assume this is accurate unless I

hear otherwise.

Pink (03/02/2014) 3636.

He glances at a piece of paper on his desk.

DR. PAGE (CONT’D)

Your blood work shows that you had

cocaine, amphetamine, Ambien and

marijuana in your system. But no

trace of Lithium. I assume you

stopped taking it. Do you want to

tell me why you stopped taking it?

Laney doesn’t respond. Dr. Page has reached the height of his

patience with Laney’s silence though he remains calm.

DR. PAGE (CONT’D)

Nurse Pauline told me that you’re

desperate to go home. That you

don’t think you belong here.

LANEY:

I don’t.

DR. PAGE

Then why are you staying?

Laney looks at him with total surprise.

DR. PAGE (CONT’D)

You’re an adult. You don’t have to

be here. Go home.

He picks up the phone and hands her the receiver.

DR. PAGE (CONT’D)

Go ahead.

LANEY:

I have a family.

DR. PAGE

So?

LANEY:

So-- so I can’t just go home and do

this all over again.

He hangs up the phone. Somehow he’s made this her idea.

DR. PAGE

Where would you like to start?

LANEY:

Are we really gonna do this?

Pink (03/02/2014) 3737.

DR. PAGE

We are.

LANEY:

What’s more interesting to you, the

drugs or the daddy issues?

DR. PAGE

(with humor)

I like to start with the daddy

issues because it makes for a very

organic segue into the drugs.

LANEY:

Mine will bore you. He left when I

was nine. He kissed me good night

one night and I never saw him

again. Shall we move on to the

drugs now?

DR. PAGE

We’ll get there. Why is it that

you never spoke to your father

again?

LANEY:

Because he never called me.

DR. PAGE

Did you ever call him?

LANEY:

I didn’t know where he was.

DR. PAGE

And now?

LANEY:

He’s upstate. My brother told me

that.

DR. PAGE

So your brother talks to him?

LANEY:

He does. Or he did. I don’t know.

We don’t talk about my Dad anymore.

It always ends in a fight. My

mother was devastated when my dad

left. I guess I’ve held on to that.

My brother didn’t.

DR. PAGE

Did she remarry?

Pink (03/02/2014) 3838.

LANEY:

A few years later.

DR. PAGE

Why didn’t you call him then?

LANEY:

He was the adult. Why didn’t he

call me?

DR. PAGE

Why do you think he didn’t call

you?

She takes a moment.

LANEY:

Maybe having a family isn’t for

everyone. Maybe you think that’s

the answer, that that’s what you’re

supposed to do because that’s what

you’ve been programmed to do since

you were a kid. But maybe that’s

not right. I mean, you shouldn’t be

allowed to just make babies and

f*** up other people’s lives

because you think you’re supposed

to adhere to this idea that

everyone tells you is right. Maybe

he thought he was doing me a favor

by leaving.

A beat. Dr. Page is silent while Laney contemplates what

she’s just said.

LANEY (CONT’D)

Can we talk about the drugs now?

46 OMITTED 46

47 EXT. MEETING SPACE - DAY 47

An emotionally exhausted Laney exits the building, cigarette

in hand. She searches her pockets for a light. Nothing. She

breaks her cigarette and throws it on the ground, too upset

to notice ZACK (mid-30s) sitting on a nearby bench smoking a

cigarette.

ZACK:

It gets easier.

Pink (03/02/2014) 3939.

Zack walks over to Laney, hands her a cigarette and lights it

for her. He is boyishly good looking, charismatic, and has a

strong penchant for sarcasm. Laney takes a deep drag, eyes

Zack skeptically, exhales.

LANEY:

When?

ZACK:

Heh, I don’t know yet. That’s just

what they tell me. You just check

in?

LANEY:

Couple days ago. But I really

shouldn’t be here. No offense, this

just isn’t the kind of place I

should be in.

ZACK:

Oh yeah? What kind of place should

you be in?

Laney takes a drag off her cigarette, searches her

surroundings for an answer but comes up short.

LANEY:

I don’t know. Not this place. It’s

depressing.

ZACK:

Yeah. I feel you. Last week was

good though. Whole staff was all

freakin out. They fired one of the

nurses. Exciting.

LANEY:

For what? Smiling?

Zack laughs, he likes her.

ZACK:

No. She got caught having sex with

a patient in a broom closet.

LANEY:

No way. What happened to the

patient?

ZACK:

Just a slap on the wrist.

Zack holds up his wrist to show her.

Pink (03/02/2014) 4040.

ZACK (CONT’D)

Bruise is almost gone.

Laney looks at Zack surprised.

ZACK (CONT’D)

I’m Zack by the way.

LANEY:

Laney.

ZACK:

Nice to meet you Laney.

LANEY:

Likewise.

They smile at each other, an immediate chemistry.

Zack drops his cigarette on the ground and puts it out with

his shoe.

ZACK:

When you figure out what kind of

place you should be in let me know.

Maybe that’s where I should be too.

Zack leaves but looks back at Laney over his shoulder with a

beguiling smile.

48 INT. LODGE - DAY 48

Laney picks up the pay phone, inserts some quarters and calls

Bruce. One ring. Two rings. She begins to fidget, wraps

the phone cord around her finger. Three rings. Then...

BRUCE (V.O.)

Hello?

LANEY:

Hey.

BRUCE (V.O.)

Hey. How’s it going?

In the background Laney can hear cartoons, kids, minor chaos.

LANEY:

Uh, it’s good. It’s going good.

How are you guys doing?

Pink (03/02/2014) 4141.

BRUCE (V.O.)

Good. Kids are wiped out. Getting

ready for bed. Big day ice-

skating.

LANEY:

You went ice-skating? Without me?

BRUCE (V.O.)

Laney--

LANEY:

We always go ice-skating together.

Laney is getting agitated.

LANEY (CONT’D)

It’s kind of our thing.

BRUCE (V.O.)

Yeah, I know Lane but you’re not

here. Would you rather I didn’t

take them?

LANEY:

No, it’s just I should have been

there.

Laney fights back tears. A NURSE approaches her with a small

tray in his hand, a handful of small paper cups with names on

them, and equal amount of cups of water. He hands her the

“Laney” cup, she turns her back to him. He taps her shoulder

and she turns around and takes the meds without argument.

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