Petulia Page #14

79C INT. FATHER DANNER'S LIVING ROOM

MR.

DANNER:
There's still many a county courthouse where the husband could kill both parties and not spend one night in jail.

O.S. We hear SOUNDS of a bell ringing incessantly in short bursts.

79D INT. PETULIA'S HOSPITAL ROOM

The bell is still ringing signifying the end of visiting hours and the other patient's visitors sigh, put the playing cards together and prepare to leave. Mr. Danner makes no move to leave.

MR.

DANNER:
In the hospital of my dreams people won't be chased out like sheep. People are better than most of the medicines they give you. David has finally got around to repairing that wharf. He hired a couple of boys. The three of them are really working up a sweat. He's thinking of sailing all the way down the coast to Lima. That's in Peru.

All through this there's no response whatever from Petulia. Her eyes are fixed on the eyes of the giraffe.

MR.

DANNER:
They say Lima is a terrific city. If you watch out for flies and take sensible sanitary precautions. I'll tell you a secret but don't you snitch: I'm using propaganda on David so that the four of us can go, Mother's a better sailor than I am. Even though I served eighteen months on a mine sweeper. Which should have prepared me for anything.

A nun looks in.

NUN:
(brightly) Visiting hours are over.

MR.

DANNER:
(taking his turmoil out on the nun) I had lunch with your Mr. Pearl less than two weeks ago:

The nun looks blank.

MR.

DANNER:
Mr. Pearl happens to be the superintendent of this Hospital: Two weeks ago at the Blue Fox Restaurant: Just the six of us.

The nun shrugs and leaves. Mr. Danner is really trembling now from his controlled emotion. Petulia will not take her eyes from the giraffe. The patient in the next bed is grumbling something about "what's sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander", etc. Mr. Danner abruptly takes a small leather bound photograph from his pocket. It's the wedding picture of Petulia and David. Without a word he puts it on the night stand. Petulia will not look at it.

79E EXT. DAVID AND PETULIA DANNER HOUSE

The end of Sc. 72 is very quickly replayed.

80 EXT. BUS STATION–DAWN

During Sc. 79E and 80 we continue to hear Mr. Danner. It's a tiny bus station and hardly anyone is around this time of morning. Petulia waits with Oliver, who is very annoyed at what has been done to him. A few other early travelers are about. As the bus comes into sight, Oliver, grasping his last chance of freedom, suddenly darts away.

IN A SERIES OF FLASHES we see Oliver; hit by a car; the look of agony on Petulia's face; the reaction of the spectators; and finally the ultimate image: the boy pinned under the wheel.

MR.

DANNER'S

VOICE:
(during preceding scene) David and I went at it hot and heavy. About the value of psychiatry. I mean sensible psychiatry. None of that "Sex-is-the-reasonfor-everything" junk. It won't ever replace a visit to the woodshed and a good whack across the backside, but it's late in the old ball game for that.

80B. PETULIA'S HOSPITAL ROOM–NIGHT

The nun reappears.

NUN:
I'm sorry, sir, but it's time for the lady's medication.

MR.

DANNER:
Does anyone ever report how filthy this room is?

He loses all his aplomb. He squats, he points, he finds imaginary objects on the floor.

MR.

DANNER:
Look at this! Look at this! I personally raised fifty thousand dollars for this hospital during the last campaign! You didn't know that did you! Well, ask Mr. Pearl! I mean if you knew what he looked like! Filthy!

He gets up to go. The nun leaves. Mr. Danner brushes imaginary dust from his knees. He's perspiring, disheveled, and still hasn't said what he came to say. He waits there a moment more. Finally in a flat voice without even looking at him:

PETULIA:
Tell David, it's alright. He can come out of the cupboard.

The old man almost sobs. Instead he exclaims in a jolly voice.

MR.

DANNER:
Chin up!

81A ROLLER DERBY

This time we are with the T.V. CAMERAMAN, and we are looking through his scanner. We see all the excited people, but among them sit Archie and Polo, as cold as death. Suddenly, on the scanner, we see Polo rise and begin to leave tugging the two boys along with her. Archie makes no move to stop them.

82 INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR–DAY

Archie wearing his white doctor's smock enters Petulia's room.

83 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM

The bed where the second patient lay is empty. In Petulia's bed is the withered old man who earlier had taken Petulia's place in the Intense Care Unit. He's quite chipper now but is in many splints and braces.

OLD MAN:
I'm not sick! Don't waste time on me!

Archie turns to face the nun in attendance.

ARCHIE:
Where is she?

NUN:
Mrs. Danner? They picked her up. Dr. Worthington said it was alright so long as she had proper nursing.

ARCHIE:
Who picked her up?

NUN:
Her husband, I suppose.

ARCHIE:
Danner!

NUN:
They had a long talk with Dr. Worthington. He seemed entirely satisfied.

ARCHIE:
They kidnapped her!

He hurries down the hall. The nun is startled.

OLD MAN:
Take care of the sick people! I'm in tip-top shape!

84 EXT. DANNER HOUSE–DAY

Archie hops off the lift as it reaches the bottom of the cliff. At the front of the house we see David and two colored men at work on the wharf. At the wharf is the yacht. Archie racier up to the nearest door and begins ringing the bell.

85 INT. THE MASTER BEDROOM

Petulia couldn't be lovelier, or happier. She's in a special hospital bed. There are flowers everywhere. She has her own colour T.V. set which is silently showing scenes of violence. An efficient nurse is in attendance.

The nurse is sitting at the foot of the bed, and Petulia is brushing the nurse's hair. Archie stands in the doorway overwhelmed at the normality of it all. Obviously Petulia has fixed her hair too.

PETULIA:
Hi Archie.

Dazedly Archie crosses to the night stand where there is a pitcher of tomato juice. Because he has nothing else to do, he sniffs the tomato juice.

PETULIA:
(to nurse) This is Dr. Bollen of the Hospital. He's a splendid doctor. (to Archie) This is Agnes Lillywhite.

NURSE:
Our young lady is doing nicely. We have a few problems, but nothing serious.

PETULIA:
I get hiccups. I go along merrily hiccupping for hours on end.

ARCHIE:
Why did you leave the hospital?

PETULIA:
I was feeling ever so much better, Archie,

Mrs. Danner looks in. She is wearing an apron and stirring a batch of something.

MRS.

DANNER:
Will you be staying for lunch, sir? Goodness knows there's plenty of meatloaf.

She goes and David enters. He looks extremely handsome. He wears white duck pants and a slip-over sweater. And a happy-go-lucky grin.

PETULIA:
You two haven't met. (to David) This is Dr. Bollen.

DAVID:
(cheerfully) Yes, I thought so. Hello, there!

David sees that Archie has no intention of shaking his hand, so he crosses to the bed and begins to playfully crank Petulia up and down.

ARCHIE:
(to Petulia) I want you to go back to the hospital.

DAVID:
Dr. Worthington says she's doing fine. He's going to make daily house calls.

PETULIA:
He's very good about that.

ARCHIE:
Petulia—!

During this Mr. Danner has entered. He is really the only one not good at the charade.

PETULIA:
(cheerfully) Well, you're finally meeting our whole family.

MR. DANNER:
Dr. Bollen, I wouldn't exactly call this good taste. Not to mention medical ethics.

DAVID:
Dad, you old fuddy-duddy, things happen.

Archie suspects he is having a nightmare. With the exception of Mr. Danner, he has never seen so many cheerful people in one place.

ARCHIE:
(to Petulia) You told the policeman you had a dizzy spell.

PETULIA:
Right. I fell on my bottom.

ARCHIE:
You were beaten up. You were somebody's punching bag.

MR. DANNER:
I won't have you cross-examining this girl.

ARCHIE:
Your son nearly killed this girl.

DAVID:
(friendly) Hey now, listen, doc, I'll stand still for only so much.

MR. DANNER:
(to the nurse) I want you to remember what this man just said. (to Archie) Though it's none of your business, my boy was in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Looking at boats.

PETULIA:
We've decided we're quite happy with the one we have.

DAVID:
When Dad phoned me I was having dinner with a cousin of ours. Real mouth-watering Creole cooking.

He and Petulia chuckle at each other as though this were some kind of private joke. Archie crosses to Petulia and just stands there looking at her. He doesn't know what to do.

PETULIA:
(happily) I'm fine, Archie. Except I burp a lot. Everybody gets dizzy spells.

Archie looks incredulously from Petulia who has resumed brushing the nurse's hair; to David; to Mr. Danner who's obviously annoyed at Archie's bad taste; to Mrs. Danner who is in the dining room setting up an extra place for Archie. What can he do? Abruptly he rushes from the house.

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