The Body Snatcher Page #19

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Georgina bursts into tears. MacFarlane makes a disgusted

gesture.

MACFARLANE (cont'd)

(trying to control

himself)

I ask you, child, to do a simple

thing -- raise yourself with your

hands to a standing posture -- then

step out with your left foot -- try

it.

Georgina shakes her head.

MACFARLANE (cont'd)

I say, try it! Lift yourself up

now!

Georgina lifts herself up by her hands to a semistanding

posture.

MACFARLANE (cont'd)

Good. Now step out.

The child stands still.

MACFARLANE (cont'd)

Step out!

GEORGINA:

I can't! I can't! My legs won't

move.

MACFARLANE:

(almost screaming)

Nonsense!

Mrs. Marsh rises from the sofa and comes to join them.

MRS. MARSH

I'm sorry, Doctor. Georgina's a

good child -- a brave child -- you

saw how she was during the

operation -- but if she can't move,

she can't move.

MACFARLANE:

But she must be able to move.

Everything is in place.

MRS. MARSH

(shaking her head)

She would if she could.

MACFARLANE:

Then all my surgery is no good.

There's something wrong with the

child -- something I don't know --

something I can't define -- can't

diagnose.

(pause)

I can do nothing for her.

When he finishes his speech there is a long, dead silence.

MacFarlane is the first to break it.

MACFARLANE (cont'd)

You see Mrs. Marsh home, Fettes,

I'm going to Hobbs'. You can join

me there if you like.

Fettes nods. Picking up his hat MacFarlane starts from the

door.

DISSOLVE OUT:

DISSOLVE IN:

INT. HOBBS' PUBLIC HOUSE - NIGHT

It is quite late and there are only a few patrons in the

public house. At the bar, with his hat on his head and his

whip in one hand, Gray sits on a stool drinking some hot

liquid from a pewter tankard. The drawing-waiter is leaning

on the bar talking to him.

GRAY:

(setting down the mug)

Well, I'll be off -- unless you

have a fare for me here -- some

gentleman a little taken with wine.

WAITER:

Wait a bit and MacFarlane will

be wanting to be freighted home.

GRAY:

The Doctor MacFarlane?

WAITER:

Aye. In the other room and

getting stiffer than the bodies he

demonstrates.

GRAY:

I'll look in on him.

Gray slouches across the room to the divan. He peers in.

MED. CLOSE SHOT -- MacFarlane in the divan FROM GRAY'S ANGLE.

There is a squat bottle before him and two small glasses. He

is hunched over. His hair is rumpled. He is brooding. From

the entrance of the divan, Gray speaks to him.

GRAY (CONT'D)

Toddy --

MacFarlane looks up.

MACFARLANE:

(with drunken

friendliness)

Oh, it's you, Gray. Well, come in.

Sit down. Have a glass with me.

GRAY:

(removing his hat and

sitting down)

You're uncommon friendly tonight,

Toddy. More like the old days.

MacFarlane drunkenly nods his head.

MACFARLANE:

I want someone to talk to. That

Fettes -- all taken up with the

widow. He never came back here.

He looks up at Gray.

MACFARLANE (CONT'D)

You know something about the human

body, Gray.

GRAY:

I've had some experience.

MACFARLANE:

Then you can understand that the

backbone is a lot of little

blocks and those little blocks are

all held together, so that it works

like that whip of yours. You know

that, don't you?

GRAY:

I've never had it all explained

that way to me by so learned a man.

MACFARLANE:

(disregarding the sarcasm)

I set those blocks together,

patched the muscles. I put the

nerves where they should be -- I

did it and I did it right -- and

she won't walk --

GRAY:

(beginning to understand)

Oh, it's the bit of a girl Fettes

was talking about.

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