The Green Mile Page #3

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DEL:

New boy coming in, boss?

PAUL:

Never you mind, Del, you just keep

your nose quietly on your business.

Paul arrives at the end of the Mile, takes up a position at

an empty cell. (Down at this end, past the cells, is E

Block's version of the "hole" -- a padded room where violent

inmates are sent to cool off. It isn't used very often...in

fact, at the moment, it's doubling as storage space.)

Brutal

peers out the viewing slot as the truck stops outside.

BRUTAL:

Damn, they're riding on the axle.

What'd they do, bust the springs?

GUARDS PERCY WETMORE AND HARRY TERWILLIGER OF E BLOCK emerge

from the back of the truck and step down, turn back...

Tighter angle on back of truck

We get our first glimpse of the new inmate as a pair of

GIGANTIC BLACK FEET step down into the yard...and the rear of

the truck bounces back up on its springs where it belongs.

Brutal

sees what's coming, eyes widening slightly.

BRUTAL:

Paul? You might wanna reconsider

getting in the cell with this guy?

PAUL:

Why's that?

BRUTAL:

He's enormous.

PAUL:

Can't be bigger than you.

Brutal tosses him a look--just wait. He swings the door open

in a hot flood of daylight, giving us our first good look at:

John coffey

is a huge black man, nearly 7 feet tall and 300 pounds, his

massive head shiny and bald, his skin a tapestry of old

scars, his prison overalls (the biggest size they had) ending

at mid-calf. He looks dull and confused, as if wondering

where he is and how he got there. Percy and Harry lead him

toward E Block in shackles. Percy's got his hickory baton out

of it custom-made holster, hollering:

PERCY:

Dead man walking! Dead man walking

here!

Inside the cellblock

Paul can't see them approach from where he stands, but he can

certainly hear Percy:

PAUL:

Jeezus, pleeze-us, what the hell's

he yelling about?

Up by the door, Brutal just rolls his eyes. Percy is the

first one through the door, still hollering...

PERCY:

Dead man walking!

...then Coffey enters, ducking low to get through, his shadow

blotting out Brutal and Dean as his massive frame fills the

door. Everything hangs suspended for a moment, a look of

"hold sh*t" written on everybody's faces. Percy keeps yanking

on the big man's cuffs, leading him along with a cry of:

PERCY:

Dead man walking! Dead man--

PAUL:

Percy, that's enough.

Percy falls reproachfully silent. Paul doesn't dignify it,

just motions for them to come on. The procession comes down

the Mile, with Brutal and Dean bringing up rear.

BRUTAL:

You sure you wanna be in there

with him?

PAUL:

(looks to Coffey)

Am I gonna have trouble with you,

big boy?

Coffey shakes his head slowly. Paul takes the clipboard

transfer papers from Harry, turns and enters the cell.

Coffey just stands outside the cell and waits, as if he

doesn't understand the concept. Paul motions him to come on

in. Coffey starts to comply, but Percy raps him smartly with

the tip of his hickory baton to get him moving faster.

Coffey flinches, enters the cell. Paul stares angrily at

Percy, who stands slapping his hickory baton against the palm

of his hand like a man with a toy he's itching to use.

PAUL:

Percy. They're moving house over

in the infirmary. Why don't you go

see if they could use some help?

PERCY:

They got all the men they need.

PAUL:

Why don't you just go make sure?

(off his look)

I don't care where you go, Percy,

as long as it's not here at this

very moment.

Percy flushes red, the baton hovering near his palm. He looks

like he's about to say something, but thinks better of it and

stalks angrily up the Mile instead...

...and sees Del at his bars, smiling. Infuriated, Percy

swings his baton and smashes Del's fingers with a LOUD CRACK.

Del jerks back, howling in pain:

DEL:

OWW, GOD, HE BUS' MY FINGERS!

PERCY:

Wiped that grin off your shitpoke

face, didn't I

PAUL:

Goddamn it, Percy! Get the hell

off my block!

Percy throws Paul a look of disdain--your block, huh? He

swaggers out. Del's on his knees, weeping from the pain:

DEL:

Oww, damn, boss, he done bus' my

fingers for true...

PAUL:

We'll get it looked at, Del, now

keep yourself quiet like I said!

Del falls silent, moaning over his hand. Paul turns to

Coffey, who looks unsettled by all the commotion.

PAUL:

If I let Harry take those chains

off you, you gonna be nice?

Coffey nods. Harry enters to remove Coffey's shackles.

PAUL:

Your name is John Coffey.

COFFEY:

(deep and quiet)

Yes, sir, boss, like the drink,

only not spelt the same.

PAUL:

So you can spell, can you?

Coffey shakes his head. Harry steps out.

PAUL:

My name is Paul Edgecomb. If I'm

not here, you can ask for Mr.

Terwilliger, Mr. Howell, or Mr.

Stanton...those gentlemen there.

(beat)

This isn't like the rest of the

prison. It's a quiet place, we

like to keep it that way.

Coffey considers this carefully, puzzled.

COFFEY:

It weren't me making all the

noise, boss.

PAUL:

(eyes narrowing)

You having a joke on me, John

Coffey?

COFFEY:

No, sir.

Paul sees he isn't joking, continues:

PAUL:

Your time here can be easy or

hard, depends on you. If you

behave, you get to walk in the

exercise yard every day.

We might even play some music on

the radio from time to time.

Questions?

Coffey doesn't miss a beat, as if he's been waiting to ask:

COFFEY:

Do you leave a light on after

bedtime?

Paul blinks. It's the last thing he expected. Coffey smiles

uneasily, as if they might think him foolish for asking.

COFFEY:

Because I get a little scared in

the dark sometimes. If it's a

strange place.

Paul looks to his men. The guards are trading glances.

PAUL:

It's pretty bright in here all

night long. We keep half the

lights burning in the corridor.

COFFEY:

Cor'der.

Coffey looks confused. Paul points to the lights lining the

ceiling of the Green Mile in wire mesh cages.

PAUL:

Right out there.

Coffey nods, relieved. Then he surprises everybody by

offering Paul his hand, as if to show proper manners. Paul

hesitates, oddly touched, then surprised his men even more by

accepting. Coffey's hand swallows his. Coffey shakes gently,

lets go.

Paul steps from the cell. Brutal slides the door shut, locks

it. Coffey stands a moment as if unsure what to do, then

sinks onto the cot with his hands clasped between his knees.

He looks up at Paul, his voice soft as a whisper:

COFFEY:

Couldn't help it, boss. I tried to

take it back, but it was too late.

Paul turns, leads his men up the Mile...

PAUL'S INNER OFFICE

...and they enter a few moments later. Paul is furious, but

keeping a lid on his temper:

PAUL:

Dean, run Delacroix up to the

infirmary and see if his fingers

are broken.

BRUTAL:

Course they're broken, I heard the

damn bones crack. Goddamn Percy.

HARRY:

You hear what he was yelling when

we brought the big dummy in?

PAUL:

How could I miss it, Harry? The

whole prison heard.

This makes Brutal snort, breaking the tension--the others

can't help smiling.

BRUTAL:

You'll probably have to answer for

sending him off the Mile. He's

gonna cause you trouble over this,

you mark me.

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