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STAY Page #6
Sam and DR. LEON PATTERSON, a middle-aged blind man wearing
dark glasses, sit on folding chairs, facing each other over a
fold-away chess table.
A small radio on the grass plays Billy Holiday. Sam moves his
queen.
34.
SAM:
Queen to g4.
LEON:
Billy Holiday. I remember her
singing at the Five Spot, years
ago.
SAM:
I wish I could have heard her.
LEON:
Yes. Well, I wish I could have seen
her.
SAM:
Here, I want to show you something.
Give me your hand.
Sam pulls a small, pale-blue Tiffany's box from his blazer
pocket, opens it, pulls out a diamond ring and hands it to
Leon.
Leon rotates the ring between his fingers and rubs the stone.
.
LEON:
It's certainly a very hard diamond.
SAM:
That's what I asked for. I said,
"Give me the hardest diamond you've
got."
Leon hands the ring back to Sam and then claps him on the
shoulder.
LEON:
Congratulations, Sam. I'm very
happy for you. Does she know?
Sam returns the ring to his blazer pocket.
SAM:
Not yet. I want the mood to be
right before I propose. The last
few days... I'm having a hard time
with one of Beth Levy's patients.
He wants to kill himself Saturday
night.
LEON:
Henry Letham.
35.
SAM:
(surprised)
You know him?
LEON:
Beth told me about him. He's been
planning this suicide for quite
some time. The good news is, he's
still meeting with you. He's
looking for help.
SAM:
You've been shrinking heads for
thirty years. I figured you could
give me some ideas.
LEON:
Knight to c3. Check.
Sam moves Leon's knight for him and studies the chess board.
LEON (CONT'D)
Do you remember the dream of the
burning boy that Freud refers to?
SAM:
Vaguely.
LEON:
Vaguely meaning no?
SAM:
Right.
LEON:
He describes a man whose child is
dying. The father sits by the boy's
bed, night after night, mopping the
sweat from the boy's forehead,
bringing him water to drink. All
for nothing. After the child dies,
they give him a wake, set up a
circle of candles around his body.
The father is exhausted, of course.
He goes to sleep in the next room.
And he dreams that his boy stands
beside him, holding his arm and
whispering, "Father, can't you see
that I'm burning?" When the man
wakes up he runs into the next room
and sees that one of the candles
has fallen onto the shroud and set
the dead boy on fire.
.
36.
SAM:
He noticed the heat or the light
and his unconscious figured out a
fire had started.
LEON:
Probably. That's the logical
explanation. But what's
interesting, what interested Freud,
is the way the father's unconscious
dealt with that knowledge. Some
part of him knew that a fire had
started, but rather than waking
immediately he created a dream-
version of his child, to act as a
messenger.
SAM:
He wanted his boy alive again. The
fire could wait a moment, he wanted
his boy to stay with him. What made
you think of it?
Leon smiles, tapping his cane on the floor in time with the
beat.
LEON:
I never stop thinking about it. I
heard that story fifty years ago
and I still can't get it out of my
mind. Our imagination wants to
protect us from everything.
A shadow falls over the chess board and Sam turns around.
Henry stands behind him, staring at Leon. Henry's face is
even paler than usual, his eyes wide in disbelief.
Sam stands and grips Henry's shoulder.
SAM:
Henry! Didn't expect to see you. Do
you know Doctor Patterson?
Leon rises from his chair and extends his hand in Henry's
direction.
LEON:
Hello, Henry.
Henry ignores the offered hand. He can't take his eyes off
the old man's face.
37.
SAM:
(to Henry)
What's the matter?
HENRY:
(to Leon, in a dazed
whisper)
What are you doing here?
Leon is confused, unsure whether he's being spoken to or not.
He withdraws his extended hand.
LEON:
Excuse me?
HENRY:
You're dead.
Leon is puzzled for a moment but smiles.
LEON:
Not yet, I'm happy to say. Dr.
Foster, I'll leave you two in
peace. We'll finish the game later,
yes?
Leon walks away, tapping the ground before him with his cane.
SAM:
Are you all right? Here, take a
seat.
Henry remains standing. He watches Leon disappear around a
HENRY:
SAM:
What are you talking about?
Nobody's playing games.
HENRY:
(furious)
Why did you bring him here? Are you
torturing me?
SAM:
Henry-
HENRY:
What are you doing to me?
38.
SAM:
What are you talking about?
HENRY:
That's my father, goddamn you.
Sam stares at Henry for a moment and then sits.
SAM:
Dr. Patterson never married. He has
no children.
HENRY:
I know my father.
SAM:
Listen-
HENRY:
You think I wouldn't recognize my
own father?
SAM:
I thought you told me your father
was dead.
HENRY:
He is dead. He died and they buried
him and that was him sitting here.
SAM:
Henry, think about it for a minute.
Dr. Patterson is alive and well.
Henry doesn't say anything for a while. He rubs his scarred
forearms in silence. Finally, gesturing at the campus about
them, the buildings and trees and students:
HENRY:
Everything you believe is a lie.
SAM:
Then tell me the truth.
Henry closes his eyes for a moment.
HENRY:
fortune will smile upon you.
Sam stares at the student, perplexed.
39.
SAM:
Where did that come from?
But Henry is already walking away.
EXT. CORNING DORMITORY -- LATER
Sam and a CUSTODIAN stand by the entrance. A specially-marked
Mobile Crisis Unit ambulance pulls up. Dr. Schlegel steps
out, followed by the two burly paramedics from before.
SAM:
We can't wait any longer.
.
DR. SCHLEGEL
Let's do it.
All four men enter the building.
INT. DORMITORY HALLWAY
Sam knocks on the door to room 313. There is no sound from
within.
The custodian flips through the keys on his massive key ring.
The other men wait in silence.
CUSTODIAN:
Here we go.
He slips the master key into the lock and opens the door.
INT. HENRY'S DORM ROOM
The room is very dark. The custodian walks over to a window
and pulls the shade up. Weak sunlight streams in.
CUSTODIAN:
Jesus.
The room is small and almost empty: there is a bare mattress
in one corner and a chair by the window.
A phone and answering machine are on the chair.
Every inch of the walls and ceiling is covered with minuscule
handwriting, an endless loop of black ink. Sam steps closer
to the wall and examines it.
The phrase FORGIVE ME repeated again and again and again.
40.
The paramedics exchange glances. Dr. Schlegel studies the
handwriting carefully. Something on the floor catches his eye
and he stoops to pick it up.
DR. SCHLEGEL
Trouble.
Dr. Schlegel hands a small box to Sam.
INSERT EMPTY BOX OF .38 CALIBER CARTRIDGES
Sam walks over to the answering machine.
INSERT PHONE MACHINE
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"STAY" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Aug. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/stay_1012>.
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