STAY Page #11

Henry shrugs.

SAM (CONT'D)

There's something you want to tell

me. Why can't you admit that? If

you just wanted to kill yourself,

you'd have already done it. So why

don't you? Why do you keep coming

to me?

64.

HENRY:

Because you're the only one who can

help me.

Henry looks down at the cigarette burns marking his forearms.

HENRY (CONT'D)

You want to know why I keep burning

my, arms?

SAM:

Yes.

HENRY:

I want to see if I'll feel any

pain.

SAM:

Do you?

HENRY:

Nothing.

Sam looks up at the floor indicator lights. Henry looks up as

well. 3...2...1.

INT. LOBBY -- CONTINUOUS

They exit the elevator in the lobby and stand in front of a

mirrored wall.

HENRY:

I showed you my scars. Now let's

see yours.

Sam frowns and touches the bandage on his neck but Henry

shakes his head.

HENRY (CONT'D)

No, your old scars.

Sam is silent.

HENRY (CONT'D)

Come on, don't be shy.

SAM:

How do you know about that?

Henry says nothing. Finally Sam rolls up the cuffs of his

shirt. He holds his arms in front of him, palms up.

65.

Three narrow scars carve up each wrist. Henry looks at them

for a moment and then Sam rolls the cuffs back and buttons

them.

SAM (CONT'D)

First year of medical school. I

read somewhere you're supposed to

do it in warm water, to make the

blood flow quicker. I was always a

good reader. So I filled the tub

and I cut my wrists and I waited.

Beth Levy found me. She was in the

room across the hall, she came over

to borrow a textbook. She dragged

me out of the bath and she put

tourniquets on my arms and she

called an ambulance. I'd lost six

pints of blood by then, but they

saved me. They sewed me up and I

was good as new.

For the first time, Sam has Henry's complete attention. The

young man stares intently at Sam, waiting for the rest.

SAM (CONT'D)

I was in the hospital two weeks.

Beth came in every night and sat

with me for a few hours. She was my

only visitor. I didn't feel like

talking. Not to Beth, not to

anyone. So she didn't talk. She sat

in the corner of the room,

knitting. Beth's not a natural with

the knitting needles. I mean, she's

maybe the smartest human being I've

ever met, but this was not one of

her skills. She never stopped,

though. She'd screw up all the

time, she'd have to unravel the

whole night's work, but she never

stopped. Do you know how good it

felt to have her in there? Not

talking, not giving me advice, not

doing anything but being there with

me.

Henry looks at Sam's navy-blue cable-knit sweater.

HENRY:

The sweater you always wear.

66.

SAM:

(nodding)

The morning the hospital released

me, she came to give me a ride

home. She looked exhausted. I guess

she stayed up the whole night. She

handed me the sweater and said, "Tada!

Finished!" I tried it on and it

fit, perfectly. And she said-

HENRY:

"It's cold outside, Sam."

Sam stares at Henry.

SAM:

She told you the story?

HENRY:

Maybe I told her the story.

SAM:

What the hell does that mean?

HENRY:

You're leaving something out,

aren't you? You never told me why.

SAM:

Why I slit my wrists?

Sam thinks about it for a moment and then shrugs.

SAM (CONT'D)

I thought everything was a lie. The

whole world was a lie.

HENRY:

What if it is?

Sam shrugs again.

.

SAM:

What if it is? It's not worth dying

over.

HENRY:

Why not? Why live if everything you

believe turns out to be a lie?

67.

SAM:

Because it's a beautiful lie.

(beat)

And I want to see what comes next.

Henry shakes his head.

HENRY:

No. You don't.

He starts to leave but Sam grabs him by the arm.

SAM:

I can't let you go, Henry. I'm

taking you to the hospital.

Sam begins leading Henry out the door.

HENRY:

Get your hands off me.

SAM:

I can't do that.

Henry pulls a revolver from his waistband (the bulk of it had

been hidden below his T-shirt). He presses the muzzle against

Sam's neck.

HENRY:

I think you can.

SAM:

Let me help you, Henry. Let me try.

Henry says nothing but Sam sees the look in his eyes and

releases his arm.

HENRY:

You want to know what happened to

my parents? I killed them. I killed

my mother, I killed my father.

(beat)

I'm going to Hell.

SAM:

I don't believe in Hell.

HENRY:

But I do, Dr. Foster. I think we're

already there.

Henry walks out the building's front door.

68.

Sam takes a deep breath. He stares at his reflection in the

mirrored wall.

After another moment he steels himself and walks out the

door.

EXT. MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS -- CONTINUOUS

SAM:

Henry-

But Henry is nowhere in sight. Sam looks around, trying to

spot him, but he's gone.

A taxi waits at a red light. Sam runs over to it and climbs

into the backseat.

INT. TAXI -- CONTINUOUS

SAM:

Canal Street. A diner.

The CABBIE, a middle-aged Filipino wearing a Mets cap, turns

and raises his eyebrows at Sam.

CABBIE:

Which diner? There's maybe twenty-Sam

hands the cabbie two twenties.

.

SAM:

Just keep the meter running.

EXT. CANAL STREET DINER -- AFTERNOON

Sam jumps out of the taxi and hurries into the diner.

INT. CANAL STREET DINER -- CONTINUOUS

Sam approaches WAITRESS 1.

SAM:

Is there an Athena working here?

WAITRESS 1

Yeah. Athena!

Sam raises his eyebrows, amazed that the search was so easy.

69.

A bull-necked BUTCH COOK wearing a dirty apron, her grey hair

shaved to the scalp, a buxom mermaid tattooed on her thick

forearm, pushes open the kitchen door, cleaver in her hand.

BUTCH COOK:

Yeah, what?

SAM:

Athena?

BUTCH COOK:

What do you want?

SAM:

Are you a waitress?

BUTCH COOK:

Do I look like a goddamn waitress?

I'm the cook.

SAM:

Right, my mistake. I'm very sorry.

MONTAGE:

Sam and the cabbie work their way east on Canal Street,

stopping at every diner but finding no green-eyed Athena.

It's getting darker and darker and time is running out.

The wind picks up and rain starts to fall.

EXT. DINER -- NIGHT

Sam ends up at a rundown old diner on the corner of Canal and

Allen.

The cabbie drives off. This is the last diner.

INT. DINER

Sam seats himself at the counter. Outside it's pouring.

SAM:

Is there a waitress here named

Athena?

WAITRESS 2

Athena? Nah, never heard of her.

70.

SAM:

All right. Could I just get a cup

of coffee, please?

Sam reaches into his blazer pocket for his wallet and feels

something else.

He pulls out the engagement ring and turns it in the light,

watching the diamond sparkle.

WAITRESS 3 (O.S.)

You planning on proposing to

Athena?

Sam looks up. Waitress 3 apparently overheard his previous

conversation. He pockets the ring.

.

SAM:

No, I'm-- do you know her? We're

talking about the same Athena?

Green eyes?

WAITRESS 3

You a cop?

SAM:

No, no, nothing like that. More

like a matchmaker. I know a guy who

really likes her but he's shy.

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