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

corner before turning on Sam.

HENRY:

You're playing games with me.

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:

Your troubles will cease and

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

The number 1 is flashing in the LED display.

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