The Insider Page #2

INT. LOBBY, BROWN & WILLIAMSON BUILDING - DAY

Briefcase in hand, Jeffrey appears from the elevator from

ABOVE, from WIDE and in FRONT, his eyes, frozen pools... And

like a bad dream, a broad-shouldered Man, leaning against the

wall near the reception island in a suit he's not comfortable

in, wearing an earphone, saying something into a lapel

microphone after Jeffrey's passed.

INT. WIGAND'S CAR, LOUSIVILLE - DAY

Light mottled through trees reflects off the car window...

Jeffrey's face goes in and out of the tunnel of light and

shadow...down this tasteful, suburban Louisville street of

neat houses and manicured lawns... He pulls into driveway

behind a 3 series BMW. It's a grey French provincial

replica...

INT. THE WIGANDS' HOUSE, FOYER - DAY

Jeffrey comes in and a young Girl, six, is watching

television in the den...BARBARA.

WIGAND:

Hi, honey.

BARBARA:

Hi, Daddy.

WIGAND:

What's new?

BARBARA:

Ms. Laufer gave me a star today.

WIGAND:

Yeah? What for?

BARBARA:

For reading.

He pours himself a drink at a wet bar.

WIGAND:

That's great... Little early for

cartoons, isn't it?

BARBARA:

Okay.

Dutiful, she shuts off the TV, going upstairs.

BARBARA (cont'd)

Deborah? Debbie?

He looks outside. A Woman is sitting on the back porch

drinking wine, reading a paperback book, drinking wine.

There's something like a Hockney painting about her against

the manicured lawns. Right now the Woman comes in. She's

pretty, tall, languid, reserved, somebody it would be nice to

wear on your arm. LIANE WIGAND. She has an odd delay

between a thought and her speech...

LIANE:

Oh, I didn't know you were home... It's

early... Isn't it?

He doesn't say anything...

LIANE (CONT'D)

Gotta take Debbie to ballet...

And it all feels suburban, familiar. Suddenly there's a

shout...

BARBARA'S VOICE (OVER)

Mommy!

Jeffrey goes quickly up the stairs into...

INT. WIGAND'S HOUSE - DEBORAH'S BEDROOM - DAY

And a little girl, eight, sitting on the floor in a ballet

leotard, her head back, wheezing, her neck muscles

contracting and bulging, her face pale, lips white, and her

eyes filled with fear as rapid, shallow breathing induces a

sense of suffocation. DEBORAH WIGAND is having a severe

asthmatic attack...

WIGAND:

Sweetheart, c'mon. C'mon.

BARBARA:

She was playing with my Pooh doll

again...

Jeffrey sits her on the side of her bed next to which is a

Nebulizer, an air compressor to deliver medication via a tube

into a circular mouthpiece.

The compressor whirs. Deborah breathes in the medication.

Jeffrey brushes the hair back from her face and wipes

perspiration from her forehead as...

WIGAND:

Slow down. Slow down. Slow down.

Breathe deep. Breathe deep. Slow down,

honey. Slow down. Slow down.

Liane rushes in with rolled-up towels, kneels in front of

Deborah, smiling to mask anxiety, and goes into the bathroom

with the towels and turns on full blast the bathtub's hot

water. We don't know why yet...

Deborah's chest heaves. She's scared. Jeffrey gets in front

of her and talks to her to arrest her attention.

WIGAND (cont'd)

Here we go. Deep breaths, deep breaths.

BARBARA:

She was playing with the Pooh doll.

WIGAND:

Pooh's dusty, sweetheart...he's dusty,

and you breathed him in, okay? So what's

- what's happening to you now is... cells

called mast cells told your lungs "don't

breathe any more of that dust in."

(beat)

...and the airways in your lungs are like

branches. And when the branches close

up, you get an asthmatic attack. And, we

give you medicine, and you get better.

Huh? Okay? You're better already,

aren't you?

And the medication's taking effect and she's calmer.

Liane, hands clutched in her lap, smiles at Deborah. Now she

takes Deborah's hand and exchanges a look with Jeffrey.

Jeffrey's a good father, a natural caregiver.

WIGAND (cont'd)

Okay, baby?

INT. THE WIGANDS' HOUSE, LOUISVILLE - EVENING

Jeffrey, Liane and the two Girls silently eating dinner,

Deborah in a bathrobe.

DEBORAH:

Can I go to dance tomorrow? I'm

better...

LIANE:

...if you are, then I'll take Barbara to

soccer and take you to dance after...

WIGAND:

I can take her.

LIANE:

Don't you have to be at the office?

WIGAND:

(instead, getting up)

Is there any more rice...?

LIANE:

(nods)

Yes, it's on the stove...

He goes into the kitchen, to the stove, seeing...

LIANE (cont'd)

Do you want more rice?

DEBORAH:

Maybe later.

LIANE:

How about you?

BARBARA:

I'll take some.

WIGAND:

Instant rice...?

BARBARA:

Can I go over to Janeane's house?

LIANE:

I'm sorry, darling, have you seen my

coffee mug...?

WIGAND:

Try the car.

And Liane going outside...

EXT. THE WIGANDS' HOUSE - EVENING

She opens Jeffrey's car looking in the front seat at the cup

holders. She turns to leave and sees the backseat filled

with two boxes and the books we saw him take...

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