Sweet November Page #17

NELSON:

Anything.

SARA:

Get me out of this hellhole. I

don't want to die here.

108 INT. HOSPITAL - HALLWAY - DAY 108

Nelson holding Sara tightly, she walks like a child oneggshells, every step hurts her. They pass a NURSE.

(CONTINUED)

SWEET NOVEMBER - Rev. 4/28/00 PM 105.

108 CONTINUED:
108

NELSON:

She just wants to take a strolldown the hall.

The Nurse nods and doesn't make a peep. They keep goingdown the hallway, Sara's knees buckle and he quicklylifts her up, carries her the rest of the way to theelevator. The Nurse sees them get into the elevator.

NURSE #2

Wait! She can't leave the floor!

109 EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY 109

Hurrying, Nelson helps Sara outside. The lights andnoise of oncoming CARS disorients her. He stepstoward the street, shouts:

NELSON:

Taxi!! Hang on, baby. We'll

get you home.

110 INT. SARA'S LOFT - DAY 110

Chas and Brandon wait. Suddenly, the door swings open,

and Nelson enters with Sara in his arms. She is moaning,

in pain.

BRANDON:

Oh, sweetie, let me take her...

Nelson precariously transfers Sara to Brandon's care.

Brandon barks an order to Chas.

BRANDON:

Get the donnetal and codeine.

(to Sara)

We've got a nice hot bath for you,

baby.

Nelson watches helplessly as Brandon leads her into thebathroom, where he and Chas remove her clothes. Nelson

is so bereft, all he can do is stand outside the bathroom

and literally bang his head against the wall.

He moves to the doorway as they are lowering Sara intothe tub. He can't help himself, has to say something.

NELSON:

Listen, Sara, I know doctors,

I can call...

(CONTINUED)

4/5/00 106.

110 CONTINUED:
110

Her eyes meet his, she is deeply humiliated, hisses to Chas.

SARA:

Shut the door, just shut thedoor! I don't want him here.

Tell him to -- go!

Nelson can't move. Chas comes out, gently pushes Nelsonout, closes the bathroom door behind him.

NELSON:

I can't stand by and do nothing,

just watch her...

(can hardlysay it)

Die.

CHAS:

That's why she wants you to go.

Wearing an ill-fitting coat and tie, Abner pushes throughthe front door. Chas immediately slips back into thebathroom and closes the door so Abner can't see.

NELSON:

Hey, Abner. Today's not gonnabe a great play day.

ABNER:

No, it's gonna be Father-SonDay. Did you forget?

NELSON:

Oh, God. I'm sorry, Ab, I can't.

ABNER:

But you promised.

Abner looks shattered as Nelson struggles to remainpoised.

NELSON:

Right.

111 INT. SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DUSK 111

Teacher oversees a room of FOURTH-GRADERs and their

fathers.

FOURTH-GRADER

My dad takes me fishing, too, andsometimes we go out for pizza andhe tells me about girls.

(CONTINUED)

4/5/00 107.

111 CONTINUED:
111

The fathers chuckle as the boy sits. Glassy-eyed, Nelsonseems only half there, but he focuses when Abner stands.

ABNER:

This is Nelson. He's not my dad,

but he does a lot of dad stuff,

like he told me I should be

myself, and it was cool to becreative. And we made up agame called Dr. Shrink thatwas really fun. And he taughtme not to cheat. Mostly, he'smy friend.

As Abner sits back down, Nelson smiles painfully.

112 EXT. STREET - DUSK 112

Nelson holds Abner's hand as they walk to Abner'shouse. Across the street, all the lights areblazing in Sara's loft.

ABNER:

See you tomorrow?

NELSON:

I don't know, Ab. I'm probablynot gonna be around here tomorrow.

ABNER:

How come?

NELSON:

I gotta do some thinking, make atough decision.

ABNER:

She says you're not respectingher choices or something likethat?

Nelson looks at him, stunned. How did he know that?

ABNER:

I dunno, you always see that onTV, women complaining and stuff.

NELSON:

(overwhelming)

I think you're the coolest kidI've ever met, Abner.

4/5/00 108.

113 INT. TAXI - NIGHT 113

Nelson slumped in back, in a daze. Outside, tableaux of

the city glide past the window: a couple kissingagainst a car, an ambulance careening down a street,

SIRENS BLARING, a blind man gingerly heading up asidewalk, led by a seeing-eye dog.

114 INT. NELSON'S APARTMENT - DAY 114

The penthouse is a mess. The door to the deck is open,

and the curtains billow in the cold WIND. Fully-clothed,

Nelson sleeps on the couch.

115 EXT. SAN FRANCISCO - NIGHT 115

Nelson sits on a bench overlooking the bay. Unshaven and

unkempt, he stares out at the water and the night.

116 INT. SARA'S LOFT - DAY 116

Though not up to full strength, Sara looks much betterthan the last time we saw her. She's pulling a tray ofmuffins from the oven. Chas is chopping vegetables;

they're making Thanksgiving dinner.

SARA:

Ouch! Sh*t! You bastard!

She has burned her hand, drops the tray and muffins splatterall over the floor. Chas immediately rushes over, concerned.

SARA:

It's nothing, just a teeny

tiny little... ouch.

Her face is red and mottled from trying not to cry.

SARA:

Really, I'm fine, I'm really

fine, we're going to have fun

tonight. Fun is a great

Thanksgiving...

(voice wobbles)

Tradition.

CHAS:

Come here...

She walks over and Chas enfolds her in a big hug. She is

spinning, really distraught, afraid of what she's feeling.

(CONTINUED)

4/5/00 109.

116 CONTINUED:
116

SARA:

He asked me to marry him.

CHAS:

He's not the first.

SARA:

It's the first time I wanted to

say yes.

CHAS:

Did you?

SARA:

No. I let the whole thing go toofar.

CHAS:

For...

SARA:

Both of us. Besides it's a moot

point. He's gone.

She leans down to pick up the broken muffins strewn allover the floor.

CHAS:

He'll be back.

SARA:

I don't want him to come back.

Look what I did to the muffins.

She's becoming unraveled, has to keep the subjectchanged.

SARA:

Maybe I can salvage a few ofthese...

CHAS:

You know, it's okay to break yourown rules, Sara.

SARA:

Where's the mix? I'll start

again -

CHAS:

You didn't mean to fall in love,

but you did... it's okay to admityou need him.

(CONTINUED)

SWEET NOVEMBER - Rev. 4/28/00 110.

116 CONTINUED:
(2) 116

She stands up and throws some of the muffins into thewastebasket.

SARA:

Stop it, would you?

She spins around to face him, eyes glittering.

SARA:

What rule says I should put himthrough hell? All it will do is

hurt him.

CHAS:

He'll hurt no matter what.

(pauses)

Maybe you should let him decide.

SARA:

My life is not his decision.

She turns her back on him, needs to compose herself.

SARA:

You shouldn't keep Brandonwaiting.

He nods and starts to head out, stops.

CHAS:

Let yourself have some happiness,

honey. You're entitled.

117 OMITTED 117

&&

118 118

119 INT. LOFT - LATER 119

The table is set with a motley collection of mismatchedplates and silver, decorated with Abner's puppets. The

feast is laid out for Brandon, Chas, Abner, Al and

Osiris. Al raises a glass of wine in toast.

AL:

Happy we-stole-your-land-andkilled-

your-people day.

Suddenly, CHRISTMAS MUSIC BLASTS and Sara bolts up asNelson swings in through the window over the fire escape.

He is dressed as Santa Claus, carries a huge pack.

Rate this script:2.4 / 5 votes