The Danish Girl Page #7

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(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

34.

CONTINUED:

He sits beside her, settles her...

HENRIK (cont’d)

Come here...

Lili lets herself be drawn closer to him... He strokes her

face. Lili smiles, adoring. Henrik kisses her and she

responds eagerly. His hand works its way down her body,

between her legs. Lili squirms, uncomfortable. He

persists... Lili bears it as long as she can, then gently:

LILI:

No... Henrik...

HENRIK:

Yes...

LILI:

No...

Still in the moment of passion...

HENRIK:

Einar...

Lili recoils, stunned... astonished...

LILI:

What...?

HENRIK:

(sweetly)

Come on... it’s alright...

But Lili pushes him away, upset, bewildered...

LILI:

I’m sorry, I don’t understand...

Henrik’s frustrated.

HENRIK:

Einar... please...

Lili panics, grabs her things to leave, horribly exposed...

LILI:

I don’t know what you mean... I don’t know

what you want...

HENRIK:

I want you!

LILI:

No...

(CONTINUED)

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35.

CONTINUED:

HENRIK:

Yes... wait... Wait! Lili... Lili, come

back...

But Lili bolts, away and out through the front door, leaving

Henrik powerless, bereft.

EXT. HENRIK’S HOUSE, DAY

Lili rushes away, disorientated, along the row of garish

facades, their orange now seeming grotesque...

INT. WIDOW HOUSE, DAY

Gerda struggles in with her portfolio. Heads for the kitchen,

preoccupied by her experience with Rasmussen, is taken aback

to see Lili at the table, Gerda’s embroidered wrap pulled

tight about her. Then Lili looks round - her face swollen and

streaked with tears.

GERDA:

(concerned)

Are you alright...?

Lili reaches out her hand and Gerda takes it...

EINAR/LILI

No...

She holds Gerda at arms length. Takes a deep breath.

EINAR/LILI (cont’d)

I’ve been seeing Henrik Sandahl.

Gerda reels, speechless as Lili clatters out, stumbling to

the bedroom. Closes the bedroom door.

INT. WIDOW HOUSE, KITCHEN, 20 MINUTES LATER

Gerda sits - waiting. Finally, Einar comes back, in male

clothing. Looks devastated.

EINAR:

I thought perhaps you knew.

GERDA:

(barely audible)

No.

EINAR:

You always seemed to know everything.

GERDA:

Not this.

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

36.

CONTINUED:

He nods. Gerda’s desperate confusion surfaces:

GERDA (cont’d)

So... are you in love with Sandahl?

Einar’s appalled:

EINAR:

No - I love you, Gerda, only you. But

Lili...

Angry tears well in Gerda’s eyes.

GERDA:

Why can’t you just be honest about this!

But Einar’s angry too...

EINAR:

I’m trying! Gerda... please... I

need you to believe me. You of all

people to understand.

Gerda shakes her head, unable to take this in... He looks at

her, desperate imploring... Gerda struggles:

GERDA:

Okay, I need you to tell me... when Henrik

and ‘Lili’ are together, they what...? They

kiss -we know that...

Einar nods, awkward. Gerda steels herself:

GERDA (cont’d)

Has it gone beyond that?

EINAR:

No... No, Lili’s never gone further than

that with a man. She... she wouldn’t...

Gerda hears the implication... a bodyblow for her:

GERDA:

There have been other men?

Einar sits on the bed, bites down on something difficult:

EINAR:

There was another, but it was a long time

ago.

A chill runs through Gerda... Einar gathers his courage.

EINAR (cont’d)

That boy Hans... back in Vejle.

Gerda rubs her brow... everything’s happening too fast...

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37.

CONTINUED:

EINAR (cont’d)

Lili fell for him. And he kissed her. Just

once.

Einar darkens at the memory:

EINAR (cont’d)

But my father came in and he caught them...

He knocked Hans down - he was so angry...

Einar shakes his head... Gerda absorbs this. She looks up -

Einar looks pale, dark circles under his eyes.

GERDA:

I don’t know what to say.

He breathes suddenly, against pain...

GERDA (cont’d)

What...?

His eyes close, sweat forming on his brow.

EINAR:

I’m so sorry...

He doubles over, clutching his stomach... moans horribly...

EINAR (cont’d)

I’m so sorry... I’m not feeling

well.

He tries to get up from the table, struggles...

GERDA:

Einar... what is this? What’s happening...

She rushes to catch him as his legs give out under him...

GERDA (cont’d)

Einar... Einar...?

INT. RADIUM INSTITUTE, DAY

DR HEXLER closes the door firmly on Gerda, leaving her to

fret in the waiting room. She settles for a long wait.

INT. RADIUM INSTITUTE, HEXLER’S CONSULTING ROOM, DAY

Hexler sits behind a desk. He’s brisk but kind.

HEXLER:

So, you saw Dr Andersen after a

bout of severe nosebleeds, which

you have come to believe coincide

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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38.

CONTINUED:

HEXLER (cont'd)

with your stomach cramps, and on a

monthly basis.

Einar nods as he undresses.

HEXLER (cont’d)

How long have you been married?

EINAR:

Six years.

Hexler takes notes as Einar continues stripping.

HEXLER:

Children?

EINAR:

No.

HEXLER:

Is there regular copulation?

EINAR:

Yes. Perhaps less now than...

HEXLER:

Than before you started to dress as a

woman?

Einar’s shocked to hear this out loud.

HEXLER (cont’d)

Mr Wegener I’m a specialist. You

may be embarrassed - I am not.

HEXLER (CONT’D) (cont’d)

So. Tell me about Lili. Where

does she come from?

Einar considers...

EINAR:

Inside me.

Hexler seeks to inject a rational note...

HEXLER:

You know the most likely

explanation for all this is a

chemical imbalance?

EINAR:

Really...?

HEXLER:

Onto the bed.

Einar climbs onto a raised doctor’s couch.

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

39.

CONTINUED:

HEXLER (CONT’D) (cont’d)

That would explain the pain, the

confused state of masculinity and

the infertility. Let’s hope it is

that, because that we can cure.

He switches on the bright examination lamp, places his palm

against Einar’s lower abdomen.

INT. RADIUM INSTITUTE, X-RAY ROOM, DAY

Einar is strapped to a hospital trolley by a couple of

nurses. Hexler watches through a window onto the room.

Einar grasps Gerda’s hand, anxious, bewildered:

EINAR:

I don’t need to do this... There’s

nothing wrong with me..

GERDA:

Einar, that’s not true.

The nurses nod to Gerda to leave.

EINAR:

This can’t be right...

The nurses wait...

HEXLER:

(over tannoy)

Radiation is a miracle, Mr Wegener:

it destroys the bad and saves the

good.

GERDA:

He says it will be over very

quickly...

The nurses lead Gerda out... Einar takes in the alien

machinery of the room. She watches helplessly through a

tinted window as the X-ray machine begins to WHIRR. Hexler

speaks into a funnel:

HEXLER (CONT’D)

Lie still, Mr Wegener...

The JUDDERING of the machine fills Einar’s head... an

overwhelming assault on the senses... He closes his eyes,

vanishes into himself.

INT. RADIUM INSTITUTE, RECOVERY ROOM, NEXT DAY

Einar drowses.

(CONTINUED)

26/11/15

40.

CONTINUED:

HEXLER (O.S.)

Mr Wegener...?

Einar’s eyes blink open. They are dark, unreadable.

HEXLER (cont’d)

How are you feeling this morning?

Einar considers the question for a moment, then -

EINAR:

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