The Pianist Page #25

They clink glasses and drink.

EXT. 2ND APARTMENT - DAY

Summer. Trees in leaf.

Comings and goings at the Schutzpolizei building. And an

ambulance draws up at the hospital, disgorging a couple of

stretcher cases, who are carried inside.

INT. 2ND APARTMENT - DAY

very weak and his skin yellowish, drops four beans into

boiling water.

The Sound of the padlock being opened.

Szpilman hurries to see the door open and Szalas enter

with a small and grinning cheerfully.

In whispers:

SZALAS:

Still alive then, are you? Here.

Sausage. Bread.

He hands over the package. You still got that vodka?

Szpilman stares at the package.

SZPILMAN:

How long is this meant to last?

Szalas shrugs, finds the vodka, pours two glasses

SZPILMAN:

think I've got jaundice.

He unwraps the package to reveal sausage and bread. He

takes a bite of sausage, chewing deliberately, slowly.

SZALAS:

You don't want to worry about that.

My grandfather was jilted by his

girl friend when he got jaundice.

(chuckles.)

In my opinion, jaundice is not

very serious. Drink up.

SZPILMAN:

Why didn't you come sooner? It's

been over two weeks.

Szalas goes to the window, looks out.

SZALAS:

Problems. Money. I've got to raise

money to buy the food. I need things

to sell, it' s not easy.

Szpilman thinks for a moment, then takes off his wristwatch,

hands it to Szalas.

SZPILMAN:

Sell this. Food's more important

than time.

Szalas pockets the watch, makes for the door, stops.

SZALAS:

Oh, yes. I meant to tell you. The

Allies have landed in France. The

Russians'll be here soon. They'll

beat the sh*t out of the Germans.

Any day now.

He grins, downs Szpilman's vodka, gives a mock salute and

goes. Hie padlock is locked on the other side. Szpilman

enjoys his sausage.

INT. 2ND APARTMENT - DAY

Sunshine floods in through the windows.

Szpilman lies inert on the bed, weak, starving, ill.

The sound of the padlock. He doesn't stir.

Dorota, no longer pregnant, and Michal enter, come to the

bed.

In whispers:

DOROTA:

Wladek? Wladek!

(to Michal)

I knew it, I knew this would happen!

Szpilman barely has strength to open his eyes and focus on

them. He mutters incoherently.

DOROTA:

I'm going to get a doctor.

MICHAL:

You can't, it's too dangerous.

DOROTA:

I'll get Dr Luczak, we can trust

him.

MICHAL:

Dorota, don't be ridiculous, he's

a pediatrician.

DOROTA:

He's still a doctor.

She starts for the door.

MICHAL:

No, you stay, I'll go.

He leaves. The padlock sound.

Dorota goes to the kitchen, wets a towel, comes back to

the bed, kneels it, places the towel on Szpilman's brow.

He focuses on her, smiles.

DOROTA:

We came to say goodbye. We're going

to stay with my mother in Otwock.The

baby's already there. It's safer.

There's talk that the uprising

will begin any day now.

Szpilman suddenly winces with pain.

DOROTA:

That man Szalas should be shot.

He's been collecting money on your

behalf all over Warsaw. Apparently,

people gave generously. So he

collected a tidy sum. He told us

he was visiting you daily.

She looks at him; barely audible.

DOROTA:

Oh God!

Later:

Szpilman looks up at Dr Luczak, who has a stethoscope in

his ears. Dorota and Michal stand behind him.

DOCTOR:

Acute inflammation of the gall

bladder. Liver the size of a

football. But he'll live. I'll try

to get hold of some levulose, but

it's not easy.

DOROTA:

Can you visit him again?

DOCTOR:

Who knows?

SZPILMAN:

Doctor, thank you.

DOCTOR:

Don't speak. Rest.

The Doctor and Michal leave his line of vision.

Dorota moves in beside him.

DOROTA:

Michal brought food. I'll prepare

something now for you, then we

must go.

Szpilman tries again to say something, but he can't, just

lies there, distressed.

EXT./INT. APARTMENT - SZPILMAN'S POV - DAY

Szpilman looking down from the fourth-floor window.

Peaceful. A few pedestrians. An everyday atmosphere.

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