The Elephant Man Page #21

Suddenly we hear the heavy footfalls of the Night Porter's

boots. As they get louder and louder we move slowly closer

to Merrick's face.

The sound is very close now, and Merrick's eyes are visibly

agitated.

Finally, the door bursts open and the Night Porter is standing

there. He stares malevolently at Merrick for a long moment

and then walks to him menacingly.

NIGHT PORTER:

I hear you have some trouble

sleepin'...

He grabs Merrick fiercely by the hair and jerks his head

back. Merrick immediately starts to wheeze and gasp.

NIGHT PORTER:

Head's too heavy, eh?

He pulls Merrick all the way down onto the bed, so that he

is prone, struggling for breath.

NIGHT PORTER:

And I heard a nasty rumor about you;

I heard you can talk but you can't,

can you... can you... can you?...

MERRICK:

(struggling)

Noooo!

The Night Porter is as first surprised, and then pleased at

the desperate sound.

NIGHT PORTER:

No... No you can't! One word about

me out of that stinking cakehole...

Just ONE word, and you'll have no

trouble at sleepin'... no trouble at

all. You understand me? Do you!!

MERRICK:

(croaking)

Yyyesss.

Satisfied, the Night Porter rights Merrick who is just able

to catch his breath. The Night Porter smiles and pats Merrick

on the shoulder.

NIGHT PORTER:

There now, that's better, i'n' it?

HALLWAY:

Treves and Carr Gomm are on their way to the committee

meeting, confident of their position. Treves is holding a

folder, and Carr Gomm is looking at the photographs of

Merrick.

CARR:

As far as I can see, the only obstacle

might be Broadneck. He has enormous

influence over the others, very old

school, not an easy man to impress.

In any case, if worse does come to

worse, we still have the British and

Royal Homes to fall back on, don't

we.

Treves is silent. They stop.

CARR:

Don't we?

TREVES:

No, we don't. Their committees have

informed me that they're unwilling

to take Mr. Merrick, even if they

were supplied with funds. They don't

want him.

CARR:

Well, it's up to us then, isn't it?

They continue walking.

CARR:

Don't worry Treves, we'll make them

see it our way.

He looks at the pictures.

CARR:

They've eyes, haven't they?

They go through a door marked "Committee Room".

COMMITTEE ROOM - THE LONDON HOSPITAL

We see a pair of hands. One of the photographs of Merrick is

passed to them.

They hold it for a moment, then lay it down flat on the table.

One of the hands covers the photograph with a piece of paper.

TREVES (V.O.)

...Due to the progressive nature of

the disease, I feel sure that the

patient does not have much longer to

live.

We pan up from the hands to see BROADNECK, his face pinched

with disgust. He sniffs, and gazes coolly at Treves.

TREVES:

Forgive the redundancy, gentlemen,

but there is no other place for him.

Both the Royal Hospital and the

British Home have turned him down

even if sufficient funds for his

care were provided. The workhouse is

certainly out of the question. The

patient has an overwhelming fear of

returning to the horrors of his past.

His appearance is so disturbing that

all shrink from him. He cannot, in

justice to others, be put in the

general ward of the workhouse. The

police rightly prevent his being

exhibited, and he is mobbed in the

streets wherever he goes. What is to

be done with him?

BROADNECK:

I, for one, am sick and tired of

this competitive freak-hunting by

these overly ambitious young doctors,

trying to make names for themselves.

To parade then about in front of the

pathological society is one thing,

but to waste this committee's valuable

time with requests for shelter for

these abominations of nature is quite

another.

TREVES:

Gentlemen, John Merrick is not an

animal, he is a man, fully aware of

his condition. An intelligent,

sensitive, literate man, with an

intimate knowledge of the Bible. His

horrible infirmities do not reduce

him to anything less than what he

is, a man; and it would be criminal

if we of the London Hospital, his

final refuge, the last place on earth

where this man can find peace, were

to cast him out.

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