The Full Treatment Page #11

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with Alan under treatment in London...

His doctor shouldn't be

flying off to the south of France, huh?

Am I being stupid?

No. You're not being stupid.

But Alan is under narcosis, Denise.

There is nothing I can personally

do for him while he's asleep.

And I have two very competent

assistants who report to me daily.

Entendu.

I can fly in a few hours

if it becomes necessary, you know?

Besides, the patient's wife

needs care and attention, too.

Don't underestimate

the shock you've been through.

You must think

I'm very ungrateful.

You'd be surprised

what I think about you.

And now go up and tell Nicole that

we'll have an early djeuner, huh?

D'accord.

And smile.

Bonjour, Madame Prade.

Hello, Denise.

Have you had a nice trip?

We went into Cannes.

David wanted something,

je ne sais pas,

pour le bateau.

I've never known him so happy.

Thanks to you, my dear.

What?

He's very fond of you, you know.

He hasn't said so, but I can tell.

- Madame...

- It's all right.

I am fond of you, too.

And grateful.

Oh, no, Madame. It is I

who should be grateful to you.

You invite me to your

beautiful home...

I do wish David could have met

someone like you a few years ago.

But you don't know me, Madame.

At my age one learns to assess people

very quickly, my dear.

You would have been

so right for David.

And he needs someone, desperately.

He won't admit it, but he does.

Someone to make his life right.

As he's always doing for others.

He'll find someone, you'll see.

Ah, perhaps.

How is your husband getting on?

Give him my regards

when you write.

I'm not allowed to write, Madame.

Alan won't be able

to read for some time.

Well, don't worry.

He'll be all right.

David is a wonderful doctor.

He has made it his life,

there is nothing else.

Except perhaps his cats.

At one time he had twelve.

I saw one in London.

Elle tait magnifique.

Ah, that must be Ma Vie.

Ah, s, Ma Vie!

He was heartbroken

when she was run over.

Run over?

Yes. Two weeks ago.

He wrote to me about it.

I didn't know.

Now he has only his work

and he works too hard.

That's what worries me.

That's why I wish

he could find someone.

Someone charming,

attractive and level-headed.

You like my son, Denise?

I'm very grateful to him.

Yes, yes, of course.

At least there must be many people

who are grateful to him.

Well, congratulations, Mother!

You are actually wearing

your deaf aid, huh?

I only wear it when there's

something special I wish to hear.

Well, then hear this.

We are starving

and we want an early lunch.

Very well, David.

I'm sorry.

We were talking.

Yes, but don't let

Mother bore you, huh?

She's quite liable to.

But no, your mother is a

very kind person

and she's very

worried about you.

Oh, yes, yes, I know.

She can't understand

why I've never married.

- C'est a, hein?

- C'est a.

Uh, are you curious, too?

Oh, peut-tre.

Suppose I said that's because

I've never known anyone like you.

Oh! I wouldn't believe you.

Oh, yeah.

People seldom believe

the truth, huh?

I'm quite serious, Denise.

You don't know

how stimulating it is

for me to be here

just talking to you.

Merci, monsieur.

A few years ago, your flattery

would have been trs dangereuse,

but now I'm immune.

You're tired and exhausted and you think

that you have no feelings left.

When a person is in that state,

their immunity is negligible.

Ooh la la!

Mais qu'est-ce vous faites?

Are you trying to seduce me?

Oh, heaven forbid.

I would not enjoy it.

Oh!

Oh, but that's

not a compliment.

Oh, but it is. You know,

there is no gratification

in taking something

that is not freely given.

D'accord!

So now you'll freely give me

a drink sur la terrasse.

Pardon, monsieur. Madame m'a dit de vous

donner la lettre qui est arriv ce matin.

Ah, merci.

Excuse me.

It's from England?

Yes.

Is it...

- Is it about Alan?

- Yes.

Everything is going fine.

But I shouldn't really

read you a medical report,

but he's still sleeping satisfactorily

under barbiturate and drip feeding

which will be continued

for the prescribed fifteen days.

There are no

complications anticipated.

Voil.

And when he wakes,

I shall be there.

I wish I'd been there

that morning when he woke up.

Maybe then he would have known

that all those terrible things weren't...

It is not that simple, Denise.

If you had been there he would have

tried to fit you into his fantasy.

To him you were...

you were dead and dismembered.

He would certainly

have attacked you.

But you told me at lunch

that day that he was cured.

When you rang back the following

morning and said that he couldn't...

I know, I know.

It was a shock.

But you seemed so happy

at that lunch, I was a coward.

I couldn't tell you then.

Well, anyway, you're here to

forget all about this, mmm?

And I was to freely

give you a drink.

I'll never forget all you've

done for me, David.

There is nothing I wouldn't

do for you, Denise.

Even getting her husband certified?

Good morning, Denise.

Sorry if I've spoilt the fun.

Don't tell me

even the great Prade is speechless.

Alan! I thought...

I thought you were...

I'm delighted

to see you, Alan,

but you should have let us know

that you were coming.

Don't try and humour me, Prade.

I'm saner than you are, my friend.

Denise, why don't you go and tell

Nicole we'll be another for lunch?

Stay where you are, Denise.

I want to hear your story, too.

I think it'd be better if...

Now do as I say.

Sit down. Both of you.

Now don't try anything, Prade.

The man said this had a hair trigger.

Sit down.

A sane man would

put that gun away, Alan.

Don't look so worried, Denise.

I'm not going to shoot anybody.

Not yet.

I want to know

a few things first.

- Put the gun on the table.

- When did it all happen, Denise?

Was it down here

or was it later, in London?

When did what happen?

Alan, why are you

not in the clinic?

Because he never

quite got me there.

Didn't you tell her?

You have been in a clinic,

Alan, for nearly ten days.

You'll have to do a little

better than that, Prade.

Try and think. What is the

last thing you remember?

You tell me what you remember

after I slugged you in that car.

You must have wondered

where I'd gone.

Not that I was likely

to give either of you any trouble,

on the run,

thinking I was mad,

running away from a crime

I never committed.

And it nearly worked,

didn't it, Denise?

Alan, I don't understand.

Of course you don't.

Because he's talking about events

that only have existence

in his own mind.

The part that

needs treatment.

I'm giving

the treatment now, Prade.

Colby, put that

gun on the table.

I promise I won't touch it.

You're afraid,

aren't you, Prade?

You're afraid, Colby.

You're the most frightened

of the three of us.

You've committed murder

in your mind.

Your mind saw what you'd done

that morning in the flat.

I saw what you made me see,

what you made me believe,

that I'd strangled

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