The Elephant Man Page #12

Treves sits beside him.

TREVES:

The disease is shocking.

Merrick's eyes flicker.

TREVES:

I wonder how far it can go before

it...

Merrick flinches and pulls away.

MOTHERSHEAD:

Sit still. Don't wiggle about like a

pup. I won't stand for any

foolishness.

Treves leans forward and looks at Merrick. Merrick grows

still, his eyes closed, apparently in a reverie.

TREVES (V.O.)

It's pretty certain that if he had

the disease as a child, he was

abandoned. But in that case, he'd

have to have had care. The very fact

that he's alive bears that out...

(cut to Treves)

But, where?

Merrick is listening.

MOTHERSHEAD:

The workhouse.

TREVES:

Yes! The workhouse!

At this word, Merrick begins to babble wildly. Obviously

alarmed, he thrashes about in the tub, spilling water onto

the floor. Treves, alarmed now himself, attempts to calm

Merrick, who, still babbling, tries to rise from the tub.

Mothershead clamps a hand on Merrick's left arm. At her touch,

he is instantly subdued, at least physically. He sinks back

into the tub and begins to weep. Treves and Mothershead are

astounded by the tears rolling down Merrick's cheeks. They

stand motionless looking down at the agonized, naked elephant

man.

TREVES:

(softly)

The workhouse.

FOLLOWING BUCKETS OF DIRTY WATER DOWN A HALLWAY BACK ENTRANCE -

ALLEY:

The young PORTER is exiting with great difficulty through a

large iron door carrying the two buckets. He sets one of the

buckets down, takes the other and splashes it out into the

alley. Some thick sludge dribbles from the empty bucket.

Unseen by him, the NIGHT PORTER is standing just to the side

and he now comes forward. The young Porter seems nervous in

his presence.

The Night Porter looks at his spattered shoes, then up to

the Young Porter.

NIGHT PORTER:

What's all this, then?

YOUNG PORTER:

Mr. Treves is scrubbing his Elephant

Man.

NIGHT PORTER:

Elephant Man?

YOUNG PORTER:

Yeah... I hear it's a real horror.

Even made Mothershead scream.

NIGHT PORTER:

Friend of the night, eh? The Elephant

Man. I think I'll have me a look at

that.

Suddenly the Night Porter kicks the other bucket of filthy

water violently, sending it splashing all over the young

Porter.

NIGHT PORTER:

Now, you need the scrubbing, ducks!

He lets his cigarette drop to the ground, then stamps and

grinds it with his brass-heeled boot, all the while smiling.

Then he turns on his heel and leaves.

CUT TO:

Dark clouds rolling through an evening sky.

ATTIC WARD:

Through the high barred window, we see the dark sky. The

E.M. is on his bed in his sleeping posture. A dim gaslight

burns in the room.

CLOSE-UP of his head on the points of his knees. His breathing

is more regular now.

A GENERAL WARD:

Lights are being turned off.

ANOTHER WARD:

Lights go off.

BACK ENTRANCE:

Large iron door is closed.

HALLWAY:

Half the lights go off.

HALLWAY:

Nurses leave for their quarters - half the lights go off.

SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY

We hear the slow metallic footfalls of the Night Porter's

boots. He appears and walks into a darkened women's ward.

The women are all asleep. Some coughing fitfully, others

moaning quietly. The Night Porter walks down the aisle between

the beds. We see several of the sleeping women as he passes

them. Finally, he comes to a young beautiful woman, her eyes

wide open, watching him with intense fear. On either side of

her are two very ancient women, snoring deeply. The young

woman has her arms tied, suspended in traction above her.

The Night Porter moves to her, his shadow engulfing her.

She starts to move, rattling the apparatus above her. The

Porter puts a finger to his lips.

NIGHT PORTER:

Hush, love, I told you before one

word from me, they'll toss you back

on the street, and then those pretty

little arms of yours will never grow

straight. Now close your eyes.

She turns her head away, closing her eyes. He moves in.

CLOSE-UP of a gas light in a hallway. The leaping flame makes

a low roar.

CUT TO ANOTHER HALLWAY

Somewhere a door is opened and the squeak sounds vaguely

like the trumpeting of an elephant. We hear again the metallic

footfalls of the Night Porter's boots, and he appears. He

goes to the narrow stairway marked, "Isolation".

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