The Sweet Hereafter Page #10

NICOLE:

You and Mom have a lawyer?

SAM:

Well, yes. He's your lawyer too.

NICOLE:

My lawyer? Why do I need a lawyer?

MARY:

Maybe we shouldn't be talking about

this just now, with you barely home.

Aren't you hungry, honey? Want me

to fix you something?

NICOLE:

No. What's this lawyer business?

MARY turns to JENNY.

MARY:

Jenny, why don't you go and play

outside?

JENNY looks at NICOLE.

JENNY:

He's given me some stuff too. Toys,

and some books...

MARY:

Jenny.

JENNY turns to leave. When she's outside, MARY continues.

MARY (CONT'D)

He's a very kind man. And he knew

that you'd need a computer for doing

schoolwork.

CUT TO:

EXT. BURNELL HOME. PORCH -- DAY

NICOLE wheels her chair to the exterior porch, where she

watches her sister climb a tree. SAM follows her outside.

SAM:

It's because of the accident,

Nicole. Most people in this town

whose kids were on the bus have got

lawyers. A lot of people...well,

people in this town are very angry.

Us included.

NICOLE:

But you didn't lose me.

MARY:

No, honey. And we will thank the

Lord for that every day and night

for the rest of our lives. But you

almost died, and you were badly

injured, and you won't be...you

can't...

NICOLE:

I can't walk anymore.

ANGLE ON:

NICOLE'S P.O.V. of JENNY playing on a tree branch.

SAM:

You're going to need special care

for a long time to come. It's not

going to be easy. Not for you, not

for any of us. Because we love you

so much. And it's going to cost

money. More than we can imagine.

NICOLE:

What about insurance? Doesn't

insurance pay for these things?

SAM:

Partly. But there's a lot the

insurance doesn't cover. That's one

of the reasons we have a lawyer. To

make sure the insurance gets paid

and to help us look after the rest.

NICOLE:

How will he do that?

SAM:

Well, Mr. Stephens is representing

several families. The Ottos, the

Walkers, us, and I think a couple

more. Mr. Stephens is suing the

town for negligence. He's sure that

the accident could have been avoided

if they had done their jobs right.

He's a very smart man.

NICOLE stares at her sister who's at the top of the tree.

JENNY turns to look back at NICOLE.

There's a tension, as it seems as though JENNY is going to

let herself fall.

NICOLE:

(voice over)

That's the first thing I heard about

you. That you were a smart man.

That you were so smart that you

were going to sue the town, then

make us all feel better...

CUT TO:

EXT. GAS STATION -- NIGHT

FLASHBACK to the scene outside the gas station between

MITCHELL and BILLY.

The cell phone in MITCHELL'S car has begun to ring. The two

men stare at each other.

NICOLE:

(voice over)

You're good at that. Good at

getting people to believe you could

do something for them. Something

they could never do for themselves.

MITCHELL breaks the silence.

MITCHELL:

That's my daughter. Or it may be

the police to tell me that they've

found her dead. She's a drug

addict.

BILLY:

Why are you telling me this?

MITCHELL:

I'm telling you this because we've

all lost our children, Mr. Ansel...

CUT TO:

INT. AIRPLANE. FIRST CLASS CABIN -- NIGHT

MITCHELL stares at the sleeping figure of ALISON.

MITCHELL:

(voice over)

They're dead to us.

CUT TO:

EXT. GAS STATION -- NIGHT

Back to the scene between BILLY and MITCHELL. The cellular

phone is ringing. MITCHELL breaks the stare with BILLY and

moves to his car.

The camera follows him, as BILLY moves back to his truck in

the background. MITCHELL gets in his car and picks up the

phone.

MITCHELL:

Yes, I'll accept the charges.

ZOE:

Daddy?

CUT TO:

EXT. PHONE BOOTH -- AFTERNOON

MITCHELL:

Yes.

ZOE:

I'm calling because I've got some

news for you, Daddy. Some big news.

MITCHELL:

News?

ZOE:

Don't you want to hear?

MITCHELL:

Yes. Give me your news, Zoe.

ZOE:

You always think you know what I'm

going to say, don't you? You always

think you're two steps ahead of me.

The lawyer.

MITCHELL:

Tell me your news, Zoe.

ZOE:

Okay. I went to sell blood

yesterday. That's how it is. I'm

in this f***ing city where my father

is a hot sh*t lawyer, and I'm

selling my blood.

MITCHELL:

That's not news, Zoe.

ZOE:

No. But this is. They wouldn't

take my blood.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR -- DAY

Image of ZOE as a little girl in MITCHELL'S lap. Her face

is swollen. She is being driven to the hospital.

MITCHELL is singing her a lullaby.

MiTCHELL's conversation with ZOE continues over this image.

ZOE:

Do you know what that means, Daddy?

Does it register?

MITCHELL:

Yes.

ZOE:

I tested positive.

MITCHELL:

Yes.

ZOE:

Welcome to hard times, Daddy.

Pause.

MITCHELL:

What do you want me to do, Zoe?

I'll do whatever you want.

ZOE:

I need money.

MITCHELL:

What for?

ZOE:

You can't ask me that! Not anymore!

You asked me what I wanted. Not

what I wanted it for. I want money.

MITCHELL:

Do you have the blood test?

ZOE:

You don't believe me? You don't

f***ing believe me?

MITCHELL:

Of...course I do. I just

thought...I could get you another

test. In case the one you got...was

wrong.

ZOE:

I like it when you don't believe me,

Daddy. It's better you don't

believe me but have to act like you

do.

Pause.

ZOE (CONT'D)

I can hear you breathing, Daddy.

MITCHELL:

Yes. I can hear you breathing too.

ZOE begins to cry over the phone.

ZOE:

Oh God, I'm scared.

MITCHELL:

I love you, Zoe. I'll be there

soon, and I'll take care of you. No

matter what happens. I'll take care

of you.

CUT TO:

INT. AIRPLANE. FIRST CLASS CABIN -- NIGHT

MITCHELL is still staring at the sleeping figure of ALISON.

ALISON'S blanket has fallen to the side.

MITCHELL lifts the blanket, and covers the sleeping figure

of the young woman.

CUT TO:

EXT. BURNELL HOME -- DAY

MITCHELL drives up to the BURNELL home. He gets out of his

car and walks to the front door.

SAM has repainted the ramp.

It is now red.

CUT TO:

INT. BURNELL HOME. KITCHEN -- DAY

MITCHELL meets NICOLE. SAM and MARY are also seated at the

table.

The meeting takes place in the kitchen/diningroom.

MITCHELL:

Well, Nicole, I've been wanting to

meet you for a long time now. Not

just because I've heard so many good

things about you, but because, as

you know, I'm the guy representing

you and your mom and dad and some

other folks here in town. We're

trying to generate some

compensation, however meager, for

what you have suffered, and at the

same time see that an accident like

this never happens again. You're

central to the case I'm trying to

build, Nicole. But you'd probably

just as soon let the whole thing

lie. Just get on with your life as

quickly and smoothly as possible.

NICOLE nods. Pause, as MITCHELL waits for her to go on.

NICOLE:

I don't like thinking about the

accident. I don't even remember it

happening. Besides, it just makes

people feel sorry for me, and...

MITCHELL:

You hate that.

NICOLE nods.

SAM:

What she means, Mitch...

MITCHELL silences SAM with a gesture of his hand.

MITCHELL:

People can't help it, you know.

They really can't. When they see

you in this wheelchair, knowing what

your life was life eight months ago,

people are going to feel sorry for

you. There's no way around it,

Nicole. You and I just met, and

already I admire you. Who wouldn't?

You're a brave tough smart kid.

That's obvious. And I didn't know

you, know how exciting and promising

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