Nurse Betty Page #12

Ballard looks both ways to make sure he won't be overheard.

BALLARD:

I questioned Joyce about all this...

ROY:

Yeah?

BALLARD:

Seems she was pretty familiar with 'ol

Del. On a regular basis, if you get my

drift...

ROY:

... and half the other guys in this town.

Including you, I believe...

BALLARD:

Junior year!

ROY:

Anyway, so what?

BALLARD:

So? ... Suppose Betty found out about

them?

ROY:

You said a woman couldn't have done it.

BALLARD:

A woman can write a check.

ROY:

So you're saying Betty Sizemore - our

Betty Sizemore--who you were in swing

choir with--has now hired somebody to

scalp her husband in her own kitchen

while she watched? You're amazing.

BALLARD:

'S just a theory...just 'cause I'm

thinking it don't mean I like it.

The doctor comes out of the holding room.

BALLARD (cont'd)

How is she?

38.

DOCTOR:

She's in a kind of shock. I see all the

signs of a post-traumatic reaction with

possible dissociative symptoms.

BALLARD:

Could I have that in American?

DOCTOR:

It's a type of altered state...it allows

a traumatized person to continue

functioning.

BALLARD:

So she did witness it?

ROY:

Oh, you're sharp as a tack, Elden.

BALLARD:

That's it! YOU'RE GONE!

He spins Roy around and marches him toward the door, one arm

bent behind his back.

ROY:

Oww, the arm, the arm!

BALLARD:

You just don't know when to quit, Roy!

You were jealous of me when I got hall

monitor in seventh grade, and you're

still jealous now!!!

ROY:

One question, Doctor, please! (outside

the door) You can't do this! I'm the

press, I have rights!!

BALLARD:

That's right, you have the right to

remain silent.

Ballard pushes Roy out the door. As he returns, Roy reappears

behind him, leaning in to listen. Ballard doesn't see him.

BALLARD (cont'd)

Sorry you had to see that. You were

saying?

DOCTOR:

I was saying that it seems probable that

she witnessed the murder, but her memory

of it is gone, at least for the time

being. I also think you ought to have her

39.

stay with someone tonight.

(BEAT)

Any idea who Chloe or Lonnie are?

BALLARD:

No... Friends from the diner maybe?

DOCTOR:

Well, you should find out. She keeps

talking about them...

Ballard nods, sure he's got a clue here. He looks in at Betty

again, just as she begins repacking her travel bag. He

frowns at this, his suspicions fueled all the more.

42 EXT. SUE ANN'S HOUSE - NIGHT 42

A police car pulls up to Sue Ann's house. Betty gets out,

carrying her overnight bag. Sue Ann appears, embraces her

and leads her inside.

43 INT. SUE ANN'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - LATER 43

Betty lies down in a bright red race car bed. Sue Ann tucks

her in and turns out the light.

SUE ANN:

Let me know if you need anything, okay?

BETTY:

Are you and Larry happy?

SUE ANN:

Oh, I dunno... enough, I s'pose.

BETTY:

Then you should treasure that... you

gotta hold on to whatever you got that's

any good, even if it's only a little bit.

SUE ANN:

All you been through... I ever tell you

what a good friend you are?

BETTY:

All the time...

SUE ANN:

Well, you are.

After a beat...

40.

BETTY:

Something bad happened to Del and me,

didn't it?

SUE ANN:

Yeah, hon. Real bad. You just get some

sleep, everything's gonna be fine.

BETTY:

Sue Ann, I'm sorry about all this, but I

just know there's something special out

there for me...

Sue Ann looks down at her friend, troubled. She strokes

Betty's hair gently and kisses her. After she leaves, Betty

lies awake, staring at the ceiling. A mobile dangles

overhead.

LATER:

The Mickey Mouse clock on the wall reads 3:30. Beneath it,

Betty is sitting up in bed, wide awake.

44 INT. SUE ANN'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 44

Betty comes down the stairs without a sound. She finds a pen

and paper near the phone and writes a note.

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