The Deer Hunter Page #20

INT. NICK'S TRAILER - NIGHT

NICK backs away from the window. For a moment he stands

motionless, hardly able to believe his eyes. He looks over at

LINDA, he looks down at a chair, then he pushes his face to

the window again.

EXT. STREET (NICK'S POV) - NIGHT

The street is empty. The MAN is gone.

INT. NICK'S TRAILER - NIGHT

NICK hesitates, then he sheds the blanket and pulls on pants,

shirt, jacket and jams his sockless feet into a pair of

slices.

EXT. NICK'S TRAILER - NIGHT

NICK comes out into the street. There is no one in sight.

NICK crosses to the intersection of Columbine.

EXT. INTERSECTION OF COLUMBINE - NIGHT

No one. Nothing. A beer can rolling in the wind.

NICK jams himself against a wall, zippers his jacket. He is

irked with himself, a little frightened. Suddenly he hears a

car door close and en engine start up. A black limousine

pulls out of a nearby street and comes past him slowly. A

CHAUFFEUR is at the wheel.

The PASSENGER in back appears to be the MAN he saw, but the

MAN is looking out the window on the other side and his face

is not visible.

As NICK watches, the limousine rapidly gathers speed. The

tail lights grow small, then the car dips over a hill and

disappears.

INT. V.A. HOSPITAL - RECREATION ROOM - DAY

Sunlight streams through a window. The television is going.

In a far corner SAL sits in his wheelchair, sleeping.

CAMERA CLOSES SLOWLY ON SAL. His head has fallen to one side

and his single arm sticks into the air -- as if he had failed

in his grasp of something, as if he were drowning. On a tray

in front of him is an untouched breakfast of orange juice,

milk and a little box of Wheaties.

INT. V.A. HOSPITAL - EMERGENCY STAIRWAY - DAY

Someone is descending the stairs. After a moment the feet

appear, clad in expensive cowboy boots. We see expensive,

tailor-made trousers, a belt buckle embossed with a six

shooter... and then, suddenly, MERLE'S FACE.

MERLE slows in his descent, stops, looking at something.

EXT. V.A. HOSPITAL ENTRANCE (MERLE'S POV) - DAY

NICK is getting out of a cab. He pays the driver and starts

toward the building.

INT. V.A. HOSPITAL - EMERGENCY STAIRWAY - DAY

MERLE watches NICK for a moment, his face utterly without

expression, then MERLE continues down the stairs.

EXT. HOSPITAL GROUNDS - DAY

NICK is pushing SAL down a walkway.

NICK:

Sal, we need you. We need you.

SAL:

Hey, Nick. How can you need me?

NICK:

We do, Sal. We do... You're the

heart.

Turns SAL and sits on a bench.

NICK (CONT'D)

Sal, you're gonna die! You're gonna

sit in that corner watching soaps

and you're gonna die!... I'm not

saying it's gonna be the same. It's

not gonna be the same, but whatever

it's gonna be we're all gonna do

it, Sal. God damn it we are! We are

gonna do it!

SAL:

Nick. I'm so scared. I'm so f***in'

scared to go home.

NICK:

(nods)

I know. It's like coming from the

moon. Or Mars.

SAL laughs.

SAL:

Did you go hunting.

NICK:

Yeah.

SAL:

Did you get one?

NICK:

No.

SAL:

You didn't get a deer?

NICK:

I tracked this one, a big buck.

God, he was such a beauty--! What's

this suitcase here?

SAL:

Where?

NICK:

Here. Behind you.

NICK pulls a suitcase off the rack behind SAL's chair.

SAL:

I don't know.

NICK sets the suitcase on a low wall and starts to undo the

clasps.

NICK:

Maybe Angela brought you stuff. I

know she said --

The suitcase slips over the back of the wall.

NICK (CONT'D)

Sh*t!

NICK swings up on the wall and then he freezes. The lid of

the suitcase has popped open and bundles of money are

scattered all down the slope of a steep embankment.

SAL:

Mom keeps sending me socks, Nick. I

mean, if it's socks or something

just let 'em go.

EXT. HOSPITAL GROUNDS - EMBANKMENT WITH MONEY - DAY

NICK looks down at the money scattered at his feet. The

bundles are made up of hundreds and they are everywhere.

SAL (V.O.)

Maybe you could use socks, Nick.

Jesus, I mean, come to think of it

socks are pretty expensive now.

NICK:

It's not socks, Sal.

NICK bends over the suitcase and begins going through looking

for identification. There is nothing. As he straightens up he

notices a wadded-up piece of paper lying beside one of the

bundles of bills.

The paper is about an inch square. The corners are tattered

and it looks as if it had been carried in someone's pocket

for a long time.

NICK picks the paper up, realizes it is a calling card and

unfolds it.

THE CARD READS "EXHIBITIONS". IT CONTAINS A TELEPHONE NUMBER

ON THE LOWER LEFT CORNER AND IS IDENTICAL TO THE CARD ARMAND

GAVE TO NICK WHEN HE CAME UPON HIM IN THE GARDEN BEHIND HIS

ROULETTE GAME IN SAIGON.

EXT. HOSPITAL GROUNDS - VALLEY OVERLOOK - DAY

NICK leans on a railing watching the black, interchangeable

cars of a coal train roll slowly by. SAL sits with the

suitcase of money in his lap, utterly bewildered, crying.

SAL:

Who is it, Nick? Who is it? I don't

understand.

NICK looks at SAL. His head is spinning and he brings himself

back with effort.

NICK:

It's Merle, Sal.

SAL:

Merle? ... Merle's alive?

(NICK nods)

How do you know?

NICK:

I saw him last night. I thought I

was dreaming. I thought I was out

of my mind.

SAL:

Merle gave me this?

NICK:

Yeah.

SAL:

But, Nick... Hey, I mean, where

would a guy like Merle get money

like this?

NICK is standing slightly behind SAL, looking down at the

money. The reality of what MERLE is doing, has nearly

overwhelmed him and it is only with tremendous effort that he

maintains a casual tone.

NICK:

Oh cards, maybe. Poker... It's

getting cold, Sal. I'm going to

take you in.

(starts off)

We'll call Angela. The guys can

help her bring you home... Did I

tell you I was going on a trip?

SAL:

(panicked)

Trip? What do you mean, Nick? You

said you'd be --

NICK:

It's okay. Hey, it's okay! Just a

week. Just to see Phantom Mary.

SAL:

Phantom Mary?

NICK:

Didn't I ever tell you about

Phantom Mary?

SAL:

(laughs)

No.

NICK:

(starts off again)

Well... Phantom Mary's on my

mother's side. Naturally no one

there admits it because Phantom

Mary's pretty weird... You want to

hear the whole story?

SAL:

(enthusiastically)

Yeah!

NICK:

Like I say, Phantom Mary's pretty

weird... Lives alone, lives way out

in the middle of nowhere with a cat

called Pajamas and a cow called

Fred. Well, last week I got a call

from Phantom Mary, which in itself

was very strange...

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. TERMINAL BUILDING - U.S. ARMY AIRFIELD - TEXAS - DAY

The place is a madhouse of activity. As jets scream overhead

TROOPS embarking for Saigon are being counted and recounted.

SERGEANTS are yelling off names. CLERKS are typing forms and

papers. Forklift trucks weave in and out, DRIVERS cursing.

NICK is back in uniform. He stands at a window watching a jet

transport being prepared for loading. A CLERK comes by,

arguing with a SERGEANT. The CLERK sets down his clipboard to

consult the SERGEANT's papers. NICK picks up the clipboard

and moves into the CROWD.

INT. TERMINAL BUILDING - ANOTHER LOCATION - DAY

NICK spots a lone SECOND LIEUTENANT sitting on his gear. More

OFFICERS are waiting nearby but the SECOND LIEUTENANT seems

not to know them.

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