Nurse Betty Page #20

ROY:

You gotta do that much.

BALLARD:

Hey, I'm the law. I don't gotta do

nothing...

64.

78 EXT. FARMHOUSE - OKLAHOMA - DAY 78

The Lincoln pulls into the dusty, overgrown driveway and

front yard of a derelict farm.

79 INT. FARMHOUSE / KITCHEN - DAY 79

The remains of pie and coffee on the table, Charlie and

Wesley kick back with JERROLD BLAINE and his wife ELIZABETH,

both in their 80's. Photos of Betty at various ages lie

scattered in front of them.

Charlie holds up a picture of a young Betty in ballerina

costume posing at the barre. He studies it intently.

ELIZABETH:

This is Betty at twelve.

CHARLIE:

Very graceful. Perfect form.

ELIZABETH:

Betty was a lovely child.

JERROLD:

And she always had such spirit! But,

after her mother died...

WESLEY:

Would you say she was ambitious?

JERROLD:

Oh, there's no tellin' what that girl

could've accomplished, and she never had

it easy. Never really had a childhood...

caring for her father, going to school.

Charlie admires a photo of Betty, around 18 years old. He

continues to rummage through a box of collectibles, pocketing

a small child's diary when it is convenient.

CHARLIE:

Wise beyond her years, I'm sure, and such

poise, too.

(quietly)

Very, very impressive...

WESLEY:

Well, then, did you ever get any

indication that she wanted to leave her

husband?

65.

ELIZABETH:

I don't like talking bad about the dead,

but now that he's gone I can tell you she

put up with things in that marriage I

wouldn't have. And yes, she, of all

people, was the one who defended him.

And that's why what that sheriff said

makes me so angry.

CHARLIE:

What do you mean?

ELIZABETH:

If anyone had paid to have that husband

of hers killed, it would have been me.

CHARLIE:

(taking her hand)

Mrs. Blaine? I can tell you right now,

without a doubt, that your granddaughter

is alive, and did not kill Del Sizemore.

JERROLD:

You've got to be missing a piece of your

soul to kill someone. That's not our

Betty...

WESLEY:

(defensive)

... why do you think you have to be

missing a piece of your soul to kill

somebody?

JERROLD:

Because it ain't natural, young man.

WESLEY:

What are you talking about? Killing's

totally natural. It's dying that isn't

natural...

CHARLIE:

(covering)

My partner's still young, Mr. Blaine, and

he loves his job.

(laughs)

He'd like to kill all the criminals

himself!

(BEAT)

Now, if Betty was running from someone,

where do you think she'd go?

80-82 OMIT 80-82

66.

83 INT. BETTY'S LESABRE/ EXT. COUNTY USC HOSPITAL - MOVING -83

AFTERNOON:

Betty drives through Boyle Heights - East L.A., holding a map

and checking street signs. She is wearing a brand new

Nurse's uniform. Up ahead, she sees the hillside complex of

L.A. County/USC Hospital. Hurriedly, she pulls over and

checks herself in the visor mirror. She is underwhelmed.

BETTY:

God... I still look like a waitress.

84 INT. HOSPITAL - CHIEF NURSE'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON 84

The CHIEF NURSE, a large, dynamic woman in her 50's, faces

Betty across her desk.

CHIEF NURSE:

Of course, I don't know every doctor who

works here...

BETTY:

Dr. Ravell's the finest surgeon on the

staff. You must know him. He's

incredibly handsome, gentle, considerate.

He's being sued for sexual assault right

now, but--

(Off Chief Nurse's look)

It's not true. He was set up.

CHIEF NURSE:

Well, I certainly would have heard about

that.

BETTY:

Of course, he's only here two days a

week. He's also on staff over at Loma

Vista.

CHIEF NURSE:

... I don't think I know that hospital.

BETTY:

It's in a very pretty area that gets a

lot of sun, has palm trees out front,

mountains in the background...

CHIEF NURSE:

Really? You've just described all of

Southern California.

The Chief Nurse looks at Betty for a moment, then stands

abruptly, signaling the end of the interview.

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