The Sixth Sense Page #10

The two boys are statues as Cole's BLOOD-CHILLING YELLS FILL THE

HALLWAY.

FOOTSTEPS SPIKE THE AIR AS children and mothers come running down

the hall. Lynn is one of them.

Darren's mother turns the corner.

DARREN'S MOTHER

Who's making that noise?

She looks to the closet. THE HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMS CUT THROUGH

THE HALL.

LYNN:

Cole!

Lynn and Darren's mom rush to the door and turn the knob... The

door flies open. Lynn reaches in and pulls out Cole. He's

UNCONSCIOUS.

Darren's mom looks into the crawl space -- there's nothing inside

except a couple packing boxes in the back. She looks to Lynn.

She turns around with Cole in her arms.

LYNN:

(desperate whispers)

Help me get him in the car.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL RECEPTION AREA - AFTERNOON

Colorful murals don the curved walls of the pediatric reception

area.

A spattering of children accompanied by adults sit and wait.

Lynn and Malcolm are seated at a children's play table. A game

made of a maze of wires sit on the table in front of them.

A young resident DR. HILL takes a seat at the table with them.

He opens up his notes.

LYNN:

What's wrong with Cole?

Beat.

DR. HILL

The tests indicate he did not have

a seizure. In fact he's doing fine.

After some rest, he could go home

tonight.

Lynn closes her eyes. Lets out a tense breath. Beat. Malcolm

eyes the doctor as he glances back to an academic-looking woman

standing at the reception room door.

MALCOLM:

There's something else going on,

Lynn.

Lynn opens her eyes and catches the doctor's expression.

LYNN:

What is it?

DR. HILL

There are some scratches and

bruises on your son that concern me.

MALCOLM:

Oh, man.

LYNN:

Those are from sports, from playing.

He's not the most coordinated kid,

but I don't want him to stop trying,

you know what I mean?

Doctor Hill gestures to the woman standing near the doorway.

DR. HILL

Mrs. Sloan over there is our social

worker at the hospital. She's

going to ask you some procedural

questions.

LYNN:

You think I hurt my child?

(emotional)

You think I'm a bad mother?

DR. HILL

At this point it's just procedure.

And you should probably calm down.

MALCOLM:

How do you expect her to react?

LYNN:

You want me to answer your

questions?

DR. HILL

(sarcastic)

I'm sorry if I was being vague --

yes, I do.

LYNN:

Who's going to answer mine, you

dick.

Dr. Hill stares at her before closing up his files.

LYNN:

(raising voice)

What happened to my child today?

Dr. Hill gets up.

LYNN:

Something was happening to him --

physically happening. Something

was very wrong.

Dr. Hill hands his files to MRS. SLOAN and exits the reception

room without looking back.

Everyone in the reception room stares at Lynn. Mrs. Sloan walks

up to the table and waits.

Lynn takes a second. Wipes her eyes. Gathers her considerable

strength. Beat.

LYNN:

How long will these questions take?

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT

Cole lays rigid in the hospital bed. Blankets bundled around him

as if to shield him. Cole's eyes fixed out the window.

Malcolm quietly enters through the half-opened door to the room.

Cole spots him. Visibly relaxes.

MALCOLM:

I've decided we shouldn't schedule

sessions anymore. I'll just follow

you around.

Cole smiles weakly as Malcolm takes a seat on a rolling metal

chair.

Malcolm notices Cole's legs emerging from under the hospital

gown. Cole is wearing A MAN'S DRESS SOCK. The baggy folds ride

up all the way to his knees.

MALCOLM:

Your father ever tell you bedtime

stories?

COLE:

Yes.

Malcolm looks at Cole. Malcolm makes a decision. He rolls in

the chair across the room as he thinks. Beat.

MALCOLM:

Once upon a time there was a prince,

who was being driven around... He

drove around for a long, long time...

Driving and driving... It was a

long trip... He fell asleep...

(beat)

When he woke up, they were still

driving... The long drive went on--

COLE:

Dr. Crowe.

MALCOLM:

Yes.

COLE:

You haven't told bedtime stories

before?

MALCOLM:

No.

COLE:

You have to add some twists and

stuff. Maybe they run out of gas.

MALCOLM:

No gas... Hey, that's good.

They sit in silence. Malcolm works on a new plot in his head.

COLE:

Tell me a story about why you're

sad.

Beat.

MALCOLM:

Do you think I'm sad?

Cole nods, "Yes."

MALCOLM:

What makes you think that?

COLE:

Your eyes told me.

Beat. Malcolm's affected by his client.

MALCOLM:

(rote)

I'm not supposed to talk about

stuff like that.

Cole smiles softly.

Malcolm stares at the tired child sitting before him in the

hospital bed.

Malcolm rolls his stool away from his client as he thinks.

Beat. He slowly moves the rolling chair closer to Cole's bed.

MALCOLM:

...Once upon a time there was this

person named Malcolm. He worked

with children. Loved it more than

anything.

(smiles)

Then one night, he finds out he

made a mistake with one of them.

Didn't help that one at all. He

thinks about that one a lot. Can't

forget.

(beat)

Ever since then, things have been

different. He's become messed up.

Confused. Angry. Not the same

person he used to be.

(beat)

His wife doesn't like the person

he's become. They don't speak

anymore. They're like strangers.

Malcolm breaks from his thoughts and looks at Cole who watches

him with unwavering attention. Malcolm smiles.

MALCOLM:

And then one day this person

Malcolm meets a wonderful boy who

reminds him of that one. Reminds

him a lot of that one. Malcolm

decides to try to help this new boy.

He thinks maybe if he can help this

boy, it would be like helping that

one too.

Malcolm leans forward, whispers with emotional eyes.

MALCOLM:

I don't know how the story ends.

I hope it's a happy ending.

COLE:

Me too.

Cole looks at Malcolm's caring eyes. Cole stares at Malcolm a

long time.

EVERYTHING THAT'S SAID FROM THIS POINT ON IS WHISPERED.

COLE:

I want to tell you my secret now.

Malcolm blinks very slowly.

MALCOLM:

Okay.

Cole takes an eternal pause. A silent tension engulfs them both.

COLE:

...I see people.

Malcolm just gazes quietly.

COLE:

I see dead people... Some of them

scare me.

Beat.

MALCOLM:

In your dreams?

Cole shakes his head, "No."

MALCOLM:

When you're awake?

Cole nods, "Yes."

MALCOLM:

Dead people, like in graves and

coffins?

COLE:

No, walking around, like regular

people... They can't see each

other. Some of them don't know

they're dead.

MALCOLM:

They don't know they're dead?

Beat.

COLE:

I see ghosts.

Malcolm becomes completely motionless. Works to hide his shock.

He and Cole stare at each other a long time.

COLE:

They tell me stories... Things

that happened to them... Things

that happened to people they know.

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