Magnolia Page #8

Quick shots get them in the room: DR. LANDON (40s) sits

across from LINDA, who's in semi-hysterics, pacing;

LINDA:

-- he's f***ing dying, he's dying

as we're sitting here and there

isn't a f***ing thing -- jesus,

how can you tell me to calm down?

DR. LANDON

I can help you through this the

best I know how but there are certain

things you are gonna have to be

strong about and take care of, now

we can go over them, but I need to

know that you're listening to me, ok?

LINDA:

I just, I just -- I just -- I'm just

in a f***ing state, I know he's

going and it's like I don't know how

-- just tell me practical things --

What the f*** do I do with his body?

What happens when he dies? That next moment:

What? What do I do? Then What?

DR. LANDON

Well that's what Hospice will take care of

for you. They will send a nurse, someone

who can take care of all of that for you --

LINDA:

He has Phil right now.

DR. LANDON

Phil's one of the nurses from the service?

LINDA:

Yeah.

DR. LANDON

If you're happy with Phil taking care

of him and helping you, that's fine,

but contact Hospice to arrange for the body --

LINDA:

-- you don't understand: it's more pain

than before and the f***ing morphine pills

aren't working, he's -- past two days it's

like he can't really swallow them and I don't

know if they're going down -- I can't see inside

his mouth anymore -- I'm up all night staring

at him and I don't think the pills are going

down and he moans and he hurts --

DR. LANDON

We can fix that, because I can give

you -- are you listening?

LINDA:

I'm listening. I'm getting better.

DR. LANDON

Do you wanna sit down?

LINDA:

I need to sit down.

DR. LANDON

Ok. Linda:
Earl is not gonna make it.

He's dying. He is. He is dying very,

very rapidly --

She breaks a bit more.

DR. LANDON

Now the thing here is making that experience

as painless and easy as possible for him,

you understand? Now you need to get in touch

with Hospice care because they can take care of

all those practical things that you're asking

me about -- they are who you call when he dies.

He writes a number on his bussiness card, hands it over as they speak;

DR. LANDON

This is the number for Hospice.

Ok. Now. As far as the morphine pills go,

there is something else to consider that

can take the pain away that he is in,

there is a very strong and very potent solution

of liquid morphine....it's a little bottle,

with an eye dropper and it's easy to get in

his mouth and drop on his tounge and

it will certainly diminish the pain that

he is in but you have to realize that

once you give it to him; there really

is no coming back, I mean, it will certainly

cure his pain, but he will float in and

out of consciousness, even worse than he

is now, Linda. I mean, any sign of the

recognizable Earl will pretty much go away --

LINDA:

-- how the f*** can I say anything

to that -- I don't know what to say to that --

DR. LANDON

The job here is to make him as comfortable

as possible -- right now -- our job is to just

try and make it as painless as possible.

Right? You understand?

CAMERA pushes into an EXTREME CLOSE UP on Dr. Landon's hands writing

the perscription for the liquid morphine....hands it to Linda....

CUT TO:

INT. JIMMY'S JAGUAR - PARKED - DAY

CAMERA holds a CU on Jimmy sitting behind the wheel. He hesitates

a moment, exits the car.

CUT TO:

EXT. CLAUDIA'S APARTMENT/STAIRWELL - MOMENTS LATER

CAMERA holds looking down a staircase. Jimmy enters FRAME, walks

up to the second floor, stands a moment, then knocks.

CUT TO:

INT. CLAUDIA'S BEDROOM - THAT MOMENT

CAMERA DOLLIES in on the bed. Claudia's asleep. The MIDDLE AGED GUY is

lying next to her in his underwear. He hears the door, wakes.

CUT TO:

EXT./INT. CLAUDIA'S APARTMENT - THAT MOMENT

Jimmy knocks again....after a BEAT...the door is opened by the MIDDLE

AGED GUY. He stands in his underwear.

MIDDLE AGED GUY:

Hello?

JIMMY:

Hello. Is Claudia here?

MIDDLE AGED GUY:

She's asleep.

BEAT.

JIMMY:

Are you her boyfriend?

MIDDLE AGED GUY:

You're Jimmy Gator, right?

JIMMY:

Yes. What's your name?

MIDDLE AGED GUY:

I'm Bob.

JIMMY:

You're her boyfriend?

MIDDLE AGED GUY:

No, I'm just a friend. What are you

doing here, I mean...you know Claudia?

JIMMY:

I'm her father.

The Middle Aged Guy looks a bit confused.

JIMMY:

Can I come in?

MIDDLE AGED GUY:

Yeah. She's sleeping now, I mean --

Jimmy steps inside, looks around the place, sees the coke and some pot

and pills sitting out on the coffee table.

MIDDLE AGED GUY:

Want me to wake her up?

JIMMY:

I'II go....is it...back here?

The Middle Aged Guy points Jimmy to the back bedroom.

INT. CLAUDIA'S BEDROOM - THAT MOMENT

Claudia is asleep. Jimmy enters, stands near the edge of the bed.

After a moment, Claudia's eyes open, look over and see Jimmy.

CLAUDIA:

...what the f*** is this...?

JIMMY:

It's me. Claudia. It's me.

She sits up a bit, covers herself, looks past him and sees the

Middle Aged Guy, sitting in his underwear in the living room,

watching them. She looks back to Jimmy;

CLAUDIA:

What do you want? Why are you here?

JIMMY:

I'd like to talk to you. Your boyfriend

let me in, I just knocked on the door --

CLAUDIA:

He's not my boyfriend.

Jimmy hesitates a beat, then:

CLAUDIA:

Wanna call me a slut now, something?

JIMMY:

No. No.

She starts to move towards tears, nervousness;

CLAUDIA:

What the f*** do you want?

JIMMY:

I want to sit. I want to talk to you.

CLAUDIA:

Don't sit down.

JIMMY:

...I want to....I want so many things, Claudia.

Maybe we can just talk to straighten

our things out....there are so many

things that I want to tell you --

CLAUDIA:

I don't wanna talk to you.

JIMMY:

Please. It doesn't have to be now.

Maybe we can make a date to sit down,

I didn't mean to walk in on you like this --

CLAUDIA:

Why are you here, why are you doing this?

Coming in here -- you wanna call me a whore?

JIMMY:

I don't want you to think that I'm that

way to you -- I'm not gonna call you

a slut or something --

CLAUDIA:

Yeah, yeah right -- what the f*** are

doing? WHAT THE F*** ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?

JIMMY:

Don't yell, honey. Please don't go crazy --

CLAUDIA:

I'M NOT CRAZY. Don't you tell me I'm crazy.

JIMMY:

I'm not saying that, I'm sorry --

CLAUDIA:

I'M NOT CRAZY. You're the one. You're

the one who's wrong. You're the one --

JIMMY:

I have something, so much -- I'm sick, Claudia.

I'm sick.

CLAUDIA:

Get out of here, get the f*** out of

my house --

JIMMY:

Now STOP IT and LISTEN to me right now.

I AM DYING, I GOT SICK...now I fell

down and I'm Not...DON'T --

CLAUDIA:

GET THE F*** OUT.

JIMMY:

I'm dying, Claudia. I have cancer.

I have cancer and I'm dying, soon.

It's metastasized in my bones and I --

CLAUDIA:

F*** YOU. F*** YOU, YOU GET OUT.

JIMMY:

I'm not lying to you, I'm not --

CLAUDIA:

F*** YOU. YOU GET THE F*** OUT OF HERE.

JIMMY:

baby, please, please --

CLAUDIA:

I'M NOT YOUR BABY, I'M NOT YOUR GIRL.

I'm not your f***in' baby --

She moves up in the bed, exposes a bit of her breast, tries to

cover herself --

JIMMY:

Please put your clothes on, please --

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes