The Sea of Trees Page #3

It's the thought of

dying there, at a hospital.

In some...

...cold, empty room

surrounded by people

who are only there

because it's their job to be.

I'll see if I can...

...stay in the operating room.

I don't think

they let people do that.

I don't think they do either,

but I'll try.

Promise me something, Arthur.

Promise me that

whenever it's your time...

...promise me it won't be

in a place like that.

Okay.

I'm serious.

Just promise me it'll be

the perfect place.

You make it sound

like I'm gonna know

when that time is.

- Yeah, I think you will.

I think deep down

we all do.

Please?

Okay.

I promise.

I promise.

You must know by now

this forest,

it is very powerful.

Uh-huh.

I know it's very cold.

Have you tried his compass?

Where are you, compass?

Doesn't work.

Must be the volcanic rock.

The high iron deposits

are throwing it off.

There's more than that.

You make it sound like this

forest is keeping us here.

It seems to have a reason.

Just as it did

for bringing us here.

Okay, so why do you think

he brought all his things?

As I said before...

...some people are sure

when they come,

others are not.

You think he was unsure?

And then I think he got lost.

That happens often, too.

The ribbons.

Ribbons?

Yeah, the ribbons.

There was the-the strings...

...tied up between the trees.

I saw them on the way in.

They help people

find their way back, like...

...bread crumbs.

I wonder if one of

those ribbons were his.

I wonder if any are yours.

I used actual bread crumbs.

You are handsome.

Pardon?

You used bread crumbs.

Handsome and gretel.

What?

Hansel and gretel.

Had me worried there

for a second.

The sky is darker.

I thought just the opposite.

Is it morning yet?

It's ten after three.

What?

Does she know you are here?

Who?

Who you talkin' about?

She's why you are here.

What is your name?

Arthur.

What was her name?

Joan.

Joan...

When did she--

- two weeks ago.

You must have had...

Very nice marriage with her.

No.

Was it always bad?

No.

No, we had a lot

of really great years.

A lot of 'em.

What changed?

We did.

She was an alcoholic.

A functioning alcoholic,

which supposedly made it...

...okay, but she was...

...she was horrible

to me sometimes.

I was even worse to her.

A few years ago

i had an affair...

...with a coworker

from a research lab,

but i-i didn't tell her.

She found out on her own.

Which-which...

Which made it worse,

i think.

Things went downhill

from there.

She-she...

She started drinking more.

The more she despised me,

the more she...

...hated herself.

I gave her a reason to drink.

I was her excuse to drink.

We almost got divorced...

Twice.

She never trusted me again.

I can't blame her

'cause I didn't let her.

Did you love her?

No, it...

...it was just

a meaningless fling.

I meant your wife.

More than anything on earth.

So... why do that to her?

I... I don't know.

I just did.

I mean...

It wasn't something

i thought about.

I just did it.

Sometimes you do things.

As much as you'd wanna

take 'em back...

...you can't.

After that...

...we pretty much started

keeping our feelings

for each other...

...a secret.

Like, I would fix things

for her, but...

...you know, only in

the middle of the night

when she was asleep,

or when...

...she was out.

Like, I'd buy her

a box of tea...

...a new one...

...and I'd wait until...

...the old package

wasn't too full

or too empty

before refilling it.

That way she wouldn't know...

And that way

she wouldn't have to...

...choose whether or not

to thank me.

Hmm.

Then she, uh...

I found my shirts...

...cleaned and pressed

in the back of my closet,

only i-i-i hadn't washed 'em.

She purposefully put 'em

way in the back

so, by the time

that I got to 'em...

...I'd forget they were dirty

in the first place

and I wouldn't have to choose

whether or not...

...to tell her

i appreciated her.

This little game we had.

No consequences.

No "thank yous."

It was a game,

but it was all we had.

Then she got sick...

...and all the anger,

and the pretending,

and the fighting,

it all-it all...

...it all got put on hold.

It's always that moment.

You know?

Life-changing moment that...

...knocks us on the floor

and reminds us

what really matters.

The thing about those moments

is they come and they go

and sometimes they...

...they come too late.

Too late.

I didn't come here

because of the loss.

I didn't come here

because of the grief.

I came here bec-

because of the guilt.

I was wrong to treat my wife

the way I treated her

and she was wrong to treat me

how she did.

Now neither one of us are ever

gonna get the chance to say...

...I'm sorry.

She's listening.

No she's not.

It is during our darkest times

that our loved ones

are closest.

Even those who have passed.

Her spirit...

No, it's not.

She's with you.

This forest holds her for you.

It is true.

I'm sorry.

Please...

No, I'm sorry.

I'm sor--

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

I don't know if I can live

without her.

You do not have to...

...forever.

Been on vacation?

No.

Well, your box has been full

all week.

I haven't emptied it yet.

Right, right.

That's what I'm sayin'.

Anyway.

Help. Help.

Is anybody there?

Please.

We need help.

Takumi.

Get up, takumi.

Hey, wake up.

Wake up.

There's no fire.

No more fire.

No more fire.

We have to go.

Up. Up.

Hey, come on.

Come on.

We have to go.

I can't carry you.

Can you walk?

You should go.

Hey, okay, listen.

I'm coming back.

Okay?

I'm gonna--

I'm gonna get help.

I swear I'm coming back

to get you.

Okay? Okay?

Thank you...

...for taking care of me.

Hey, hey.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

Lay down.

I'll be back.

I promise.

Okay?

I promise.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

I'll be back.

Hello. Hello.

Hello. Are you there?

We need help.

Please, send an ambulance.

Sh*t.

Yeah? Huh.

Oh, remember this hat?

- Where is that?

- I have no idea.

What was this?

Like '90... '98? '99?

Oh.

Yeah, it must've been, 'cause

there's the old north lab logo,

and they changed it

at the turn of the millennium.

Sorry.

It's okay.

Stop.

Uh, okay, there we are

at the lake house.

I loved that lake.

Just being near the water.

It's my paradise.

You know what your favorite

thing to do was?

At least from my eye,

you used to love

to go down there and walk.

Those orchids.

You'd be down there for hours,

then you'd walk

back up the stairs

and you'd line 'em up

right across that windowsill.

You remember that.

Of course I do.

We can go back there

whenever you want to.

Okay.

Hey...

You made it past

the first step, okay?

You already crossed

the first hurled and that's...

...that's a good sign.

I'm just nervous.

I don't know.

I've been so angry.

So many things.

Listen.

Let's both get

one of those hats.

Both of us.

Okay?

What if I want a frilly hat?

Well then, I guess I'm gonna

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