The Lazarus Project Page #3

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Stay on it and you'll never see

your family again.

Make the right choice

while you still can.

Thank you.

Ben?

Hi.

Hi.

I didn't see you today.

I was cleaning the chapel.

It's beautiful inside.

Quiet.

Quiet guy who likes quiet places.

Shocking.

Hey, what are you doing for dinner?

You still smoke?

Cigarette burn

between your fingers, right?

Yeah. I quit a few years back.

I fell asleep while smoking.

- Could've burned your house down.

- That's why I quit.

So you been in Dundee long?

No, not long.

I'm actually from San Diego.

And you're a psychiatrist.

And your job brought you here.

Partly.

And then there was the train wreck

of a relationship that I was in.

I think I needed to escape that.

- Changing your whole life around.

- Yeah.

That must have been tough.

No. Not really.

I figured I was probably more lonely

in the relationship than I was out.

I was right.

It looks like they're kicking us out.

Need a ride?

No, thanks. I'm just down the road.

Okay. I'll see you in the morning.

This bus is not for you, Ben.

What did we do?

What's the symbol mean?

I killed a man.

Shot him.

And I did it for no other reason

than he was home.

That's how I got here.

What does it mean?

The symbol on your wrist,

the one that you carved into the trail.

How could I have done that?

I saw you out, William.

No one can get out.

Not even you have that key.

What does it mean?

You should know.

You're just like me.

They're watching again.

Nobody's watching, Robbie.

I see them.

There's nobody.

Do you understand that?

That's why they keep you here,

Robbie.

It's because you act crazy

and you talk crazy.

There's nobody watching us.

You're here too, Ben.

I didn't mean to sneak up on you.

I'm picking up some furniture

in Silverton. I could use a hand.

Oh, rain clouds.

I suspect it's gonna start up again.

People like Robbie...

People with psychological issues,

do they even know it?

No, not usually.

The hardest part of treatment

is convincing them they're ill.

What's wrong with Robbie?

Robbie killed his father.

Stabbed him 40 times with a hunting

knife, then burnt the house down.

- Robbie did that?

- Yup.

His father was a bad man.

Robbie thinks people

are watching him.

Yup.

Well, we all create fictions

to deal with our pain.

The only thing watching Robbie

is his guilt.

I'll be right back.

I just want to say goodbye to Carl.

It looks like poison ivy,

maybe an allergic reaction.

How's everything else?

You look tired.

I haven't been sleeping so well.

Because?

I've never lived in the woods before.

At night, you get woken up.

You hear things.

Well, sometimes I even see things.

Nothing's out there.

You know, it's just the wind.

Yeah, I know.

I'll give you some

prescription-strength hydrocortisone.

It'll bring the swelling down.

Hey.

Hi.

I was gonna take a walk

down Plowers' trail after work.

You wanna come along?

Oh, come on, dog, stop digging.

I hope you like the rain.

It's on its way.

Can my dog come along?

What's his name?

Dog.

You named your dog Dog?

Well, I just found him.

Yes, bring Dog.

But we're giving him a real name

on the walk.

All right.

What about Bill?

Bill?

What kind of name is Bill for a dog?

It's better than Dog.

Not by much.

So tell me something about you.

Like what?

I don't know.

What's your favorite color?

Well, I haven't thought

about that one.

Hey, I wanna show you something.

Over here.

Come on, Dog.

It's beautiful.

I know.

Do you come here a lot?

Yeah, quite a bit.

To think.

About?

Just things I'm trying to let go of.

There's a struggle.

How do you live

if you're ruled by your past?

But how do you let go

of a past that made you?

You still haven't told me anything

about yourself.

I like the name Dog for a dog.

Maybe it's not such a bad name.

Hey, man.

Kitchen guys wanted me to let you

know the disposal line's backed up.

Sorry, Ben. Sorry.

- We thought you were William.

- He found a way out.

You need a hand finding him?

No, no, he's dangerous.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Come on.

I wonder how far down it is.

Everybody's looking for you.

They're worried.

They always worry.

That's what they do.

I kept thinking they'd let me go

once I got better if I...

If I made better choices.

I have a son in the world.

I don't see him.

Yeah, me too.

I mean, I have a daughter.

We're far apart.

My boy, he...

Well, he probably doesn't

even remember me by now.

They made me this way.

They gave me drugs.

Put me in that building because

I wouldn't do what they wanted.

I wouldn't be

who they wanted me to be.

Let's go back.

If you run,

they're just gonna follow you.

I know.

But they can't follow me to heaven.

No. No.

Give me a hand.

Are you okay?

Have you ever had this

happen before?

No.

Never a suicide.

He wanted to go home.

Mount Angel was his home.

I guess he just couldn't accept that.

Sometimes

I think the only real medicine...

...is to accept our lives as they are.

Come on. I'll walk you home.

Hi.

Hi.

I heard what happened with William.

I just wanted to make sure

you're all right.

Yeah, I'm all right.

Do you need anything?

Are you hungry?

I can make us something to eat.

Okay.

Yeah, that'd be great.

This beer is good.

I mean, I'm not a big beer girl,

but there's actually beer that's called:

"Stone Brew Nation"?

What is that?

But it's good.

Are you happy here?

It's... It's a little strange.

I don't know.

Do you find it odd?

Odd?

No.

Dundee is perfectly,

boringly small-town normal.

- I like the people, though.

- Yes, the people are very nice.

- Yeah.

- Decent.

Yeah, they just...

You know, they're hard working.

Normal.

I'm sorry, I...

- I'm sorry.

- No, it's okay.

I should leave.

Good boy, Dog.

Damn it.

Sorry, Dog.

I'll get it down for you later.

Hey, Robbie.

Hey, Ben.

No clouds out tonight.

No.

How many you up to?

Four thousand two hundred

and twenty-one.

Listen, Robbie.

I gotta ask you something.

- Remember...?

- You want a Mountain Dew?

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Robbie.

The people that you said

are watching...

...who are they?

I don't know.

Do they watch me?

Yes.

There's nothing

that we can do to beat death.

Dog, get in the house.

Dog, come on. Inside.

Leave me alone!

Leave me alone!

Leave me alone!

Leave me alone!

Leave me alone!

Leave me alone!

I just wanna go home.

I miss you.

I'm sorry.

I know.

I just wanna come home.

Then do.

Just come home, Ben.

Let's go, Dog. Come on.

Dog.

Dog?

Dog!

Dog!

How's your head?

You took a nasty fall.

What am I doing here?

You were running through the woods

out of control.

I couldn't let you leave.

What do you mean,

you couldn't let me leave?

What's this?

Patient folder.

Your patient folder.

You've been with us

since shortly after the accident.

What accident?

We all create fictions

to hide our pain.

No.

No, they're not dead. This is a lie.

Three years ago,

you fell asleep smoking.

There was a fire.

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