The Cell Page #7

REID:

Minimal activity in the dorsolateral

prefrontal cortex. And here, the

anterior cingulate cortex.

(to Novak and Ramsey)

It's what helps distinguish between

external and internal stimuli.

RAMSEY:

What the hell does that mean?

TEDDY LEE:

(answering for Reid)

He's schizophrenic.

Novak doesn't like this. Not one bit.

RAMSEY:

What're you doing here, Reid? Paving

the way for his insanity defense?

REID:

No need. There won't be a trial. This

is no act. The coma is real.

RAMSEY:

Whoa. Wait a minute.

REID:

You ever hear of Whalen's Infraction?

Clearly not.

REID (CONT'D)

(re:
the EEG)

In any schizophrenic, these areas would

be affected. But in someone with

Whalen's, they're hit hard and hit fast.

Novak's worry intensifies.

REID (CONT'D)

Stargher's neurological system was

infected by a virus in utero. It lay

dormant. In his case for about...

(guesses at Stargher's age)

...thirty years. Most likely, he's

exhibited symptoms for awhile now, but

the infraction - the breach - didn't

occur 'til today. You never know when

it'll happen, at what age, or why. The

triggers vary, but the results don't.

(fascinated by Stargher)

He has no ties to reality. No awareness

of this world or the people in it.

TEDDY LEE:

What about Thorazine? Or... Desoxyn?

REID:

The normal psychotropics don't work.

He's not just catatonic, he's...

disappeared. Like having a dream and

never waking up.

NOVAK:

This girl. Julia Hickson. Only he

knows where she is.

REID:

Then I'm sorry. For her and for you.

Novak is past angry. He's bordering on devastation. Ramsey

attempts to placate him.

RAMSEY:

We'll go back to his house, Pete.

There's still a lot to do. Analyze the

videos, track sales of the bleach, go

through his records. Maybe he owns

property somewhere.

NOVAK:

They're in that f***ing thing for forty

hours, Gordon. Four-oh. He got Julia

at seven-thirty last night. You know

what time it is now...?!

Ramsey backs off, knowing his partner is on the verge of

really losing it. Reid thinks perhaps he shouldn't, but

sensitive to Novak's pain and anger, mentions it anyway - if

only to keep his friend from true hopelessness.

REID:

Peter? This is a longshot. I mean a

real long shot. You're gonna think I'm

crazy...

EXT. EDWARD'S WORLD - DAY

The ship's engine ROARS TO LIFE and the PROPELLER spins

through sand.

CATHERINE (O.S.)

It's fixed!

AT THE TREE TRUNK, Catherine extends her hand and suddenly

Edward is there, quite close, reaching out. Catherine's hand

trembles. The boy is startled.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)

(surprised, to herself)

I'm not signalling...

Her hand tenses and shakes uncontrollably.

VOICE (O.S.)

Sing a song of sixpence...

CATHERINE:

(angry, to the heavens)

I'm not signalling!

Edward is frightened by what's happening and runs away.

Catherine tries to call out, but her throat constricts,

making speech difficult.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)

I'm not...

INT. CAMPBELL CENTER - LABORATORY - DAY

Catherine's face is covered by a cloth floating down from the

sky. The sky is replaced by the ceiling and overhead lights

of the LABORATORY, but Miriam's face remains constant. Now

conscious, Catherine finds herself in the lab at the Campbell

Center, the suspension device lowering.

MIRIAM:

(on intercom)

Sing a song of sixpence.

CATHERINE:

(hoarse)

A pocketful of f***ing rye.

(worried)

What's wrong?

MIRIAM:

(cagey)

Nothing.

CATHERINE:

(disappointed)

Why did we stop?

Cooperman appears in the window and explains.

COOPERMAN:

(on intercom)

I asked them to.

(with gravity)

We have a situation.

INT. CAMPBELL CENTER - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

A SMALL TV SCREEN shows footage of Anne drowning in the cell.

Catherine, Cooperman, Henry, and Miriam watch with curiosity,

disgust, pity. Novak and Ramsey flank the portable

monitor/VCR, knowing this is a disturbing but powerful tool.

There's someone else in the room. John Tracy. He cannot

watch the video, not again. Catherine glances at him,

uncomfortable with his presence.

MIRIAM:

When did he lapse into the coma?

NOVAK:

Sometime yesterday morning.

John tries to keep his composure, but Novak's making this

tough for him. Novak wants the scientists to see, to

understand the boy's pain.

NOVAK (CONT'D)

Each tape is the same. He provides

food, drinking water, a toilet.

Periodically, a shower starts. It's on

some kind of timer - he's clever with

machines, building things. I think he

wants them to believe this is a simple

kidnapping. That there's a possibility

of rescue. Of survival. But it's just

a form of torture. At the end of the

fortieth hour, the drain shuts. The

water starts and doesn't stop.

(gravely)

We've already lost more than a day. If

she isn't found tonight. She dies like

the rest.

COOPERMAN:

(to Miriam, Henry and

Catherine)

John and Ella Baines - as well as the

Sunerset Board of Directors - have given

their approval, but the decision is

yours.

MIRIAM:

What about the legalities of this...?

NOVAK:

Stargher is in custody. The functional

equivalent of being under arrest.

Normally, we'd Mirandize him, and if he

didn't lawyer up, we'd interrogate him.

But because of his condition, he doesn't

have the capacity to waive those rights.

HENRY:

So what you're asking us to do is

illegal?

NOVAK:

No, not at all.

(explains)

We're dealing with exigent

circumstances. Somewhere there's a

kidnapped woman still alive. If we

weigh the suspect's Constitutional

Rights against the public safety.

The Law favors the victim and gives us a

lot of leeway. It's called the Public

Safety Exception.

COOPERMAN:

So what can you do?

NOVAK:

Pretty much anything we want. There's a

chance to save a human life. Because of

that, Stargher has no reasonable

expectation of privacy.

Miriam, Henry and Cooperman appear to be onboard. Novak's

made a persuasive, heartfelt argument. Only one person still

remains uncertain.

CATHERINE:

What if...?

All eyes turn to her.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)

What if he wasn't like this? What if he

was "normal?" Conscious. How far would

you go?

NOVAK:

As far as I needed.

Catherine nods, analyzes Novak's eyes, gestures, body

language, and "interrogates" him.

CATHERINE:

Do you think he'd tell you what you need

to know?

John's discomfort is increasing and Novak is sensitive to it.

NOVAK:

There's always a chance they'll confess.

CATHERINE:

Really? I don't work with violent

cases, I work with children. But even a

kid lies. They love it when they get

you to believe something that isn't

true. Don't you think Stargher would do

the same?

NOVAK:

Sometimes... Once they've been caught

they feel a need for disclosure. They

have so much they want to tell.

But they've never had a sympathetic ear.

They need someone to understand why.

(focusing on Catherine)

Stargher used to hide the bodies very

carefully. It was part of the ritual.

Some weren't found for weeks and any

physical evidence had been meticulously

wiped clean. But these last three...

They were still in water - always in

water - but

(clarifies)

Listen, he wasn't just careless. It

went beyond that...

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