Wag the Dog Page #26

AMES:

(OF KEY)

What's this...?

THE OFFICER TAKES THE RAINCOAT FROM SCHUMANN'S SHOULDERS, REVEALING HE IS IN A

PRISON UNIFORM, AND HEAVILY MANACLED. THE MAN, IS SCHUMANN, AN UNMISTAKABLE

DERANGED, DROOLING, PSYCHO-NUTTER. HOLD.

OFFICER:

(TAKES A KEY ON A CHAIN FROM AROUND HIS

NECK -- HANDS IT TO BREAN)

Key to the manacles...

THE OFFICER SALUTES, STARTS OUT OF THE PLANE.

ANGLE. AMES LOOKS BACK, AT THE MANACLED SCHUMANN, AND BREAN GLARING, OPEN

MOUTHED AT HIM.

ANGLE:

EXT THE PLANE, THE OFFICER RETREATING, IN THE RAIN, TO THE TRUCK, AMES,

RUNNING AFTER HIM.

AMES:

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait...

(HE CATCHES UP WITH THE OFFICER)

What did he...what...what's the trouble?

OFFICER:

No trouble at all.

AMES:

What did he do...?

THE OFFICER CONSULTS HIS CLIPBOARD.

CAMERA PANS TO SHOW THE VAN READS "MILITARY SPECIAL PRISONS."

ANGLE:

INT, THE PLANE, BREAN, LOOKING AT SCHUMANN. HOLD. MOSS ENTERS THE PLANE.

ANGLE:

ON MOSS, AS HE MOVES TO HIS BRIEFCASE, AND EXTRACTS THE TELEPHONE-LIKE BOOK,

HE TURNS TO THE FRONT PAGE, AND WE SEE THE TITLE IS "MILITARY SPECIAL

PRISONS."

ANGLE:

MOSS AND BREAN. MOSS HANDS BREAN THE BOOK. BREAN LOOKS. TURNS TO MOSS. AND

THEN TO SCHUMANN.

BREAN:

...how ya doing?

MOSS TAKES THE CLIPBOARD, AND READS, WHILE AMES SITS STUNNED.

SCHUMANN:

Fine.

MOSS HOLDS UP THE MILITARY DIRECTORY.

MOSS:

I think we asked for "special programs" and they gave

us "special prisons."

BREAN:

Yeah, well -- it's only one word difference.

AMES DRAWS MOSS ASIDE.

AMES:

(SOTTO)

He, uh, has he been in the "jail" long?

MOSS:

...twelve years.

BREAN NODS.

AMES:

Much more...uh, he have much more time to "serve?"

MDSS SHAKES HIS HEAD, SPREADS HIS HANDS APART TO ARM'S LENGTH.

PAUSE:

AMES:

(BRAVING IT)

What'd he do?

MOSS:

He raped a nun.

(PAUSE)

AMES:

Yeeaahhh... Ohmigod ... ohmigod... ohmigod...

MOSS:

(READING FROM THE CLIPBOARD)

...and...

AMES:

And? NO. I don't wanna know.

(PAUSE)

What do you mean "and..."?

MOSS:

(READING)

Look, look, look....

(HE HOLDS UP A SMALL VIAL, READS.)

He's fine, as long as he has his medication.

AMES:

What happens if he doesn't have his medication?

MOSS:

He's not fine.

BREAN GOES TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE.

BREAN:

Yeah, Captain, uh, yeah, Captain, uh, y'better get us

back to Washington.

BREAN POURS HIMSELF A DRINK. PAUSE. TO SCHUMANN.

BREAN:

How are'ya...

DISSOLVE:

INT THE PLANE NIGHT.

INSERT.

THE VIAL OF PILLS, LABELLED, "MILITARY SPECIAL PRISONS," SCHUMANN, WILLIAM.

A. TWO PILLS EVERY FOUR HOURS. SHOULD THE PATIENT BECOME VIOLENT THE DOSAGE

CAN BE INCREASED TO...

THE PILLS SPILL OUT OF THE FRAME.

ANGLE:

THE PLANE, IN A VIOLENT RAINSTORM, BUCKING WILDLY. AMES, ON HIS KNEES,

GATHERING UP THE PILLS, REPLACES THEM IN THE VIAL, SHAKES OUT TWO, AND GIVES

THEM TO SCHUMANN. WHO TAKES THEM. MOSS THEN STRAPS HIMSELF BACK IN AND BREAN

CONTINUES TALKING ON THE TELEPHONE.

THE THREE STRAPPED IN, THE PLANE TOSSING WILDLY. BREAN ON THE PHONE.

SCHUMANN:

You gonna git me back tomorrow?

(PAUSE)

Cause they havin beans tomorrow...

BREAN:

(ON THE PHONE)

(HE PICKS UP A BOTTLE OF SCOTCH AND

STARTS DRINKING FROM IT.)

A slight, a slight, well, no, we're gonna deal with it,

we just, I need a little readjustment...we need to

rethink...

MOSS:

Yes, William, Uh, we have this thing we're doing...

SCHUMANN:

Long's you git me back for the beans...

MOSS:

...for the beans, yes...

BREAN:

(ON THE PHONE)

We're gonna, just, may have to call off the...

HE GESTURES AT THE SILENT TELEVISION, WHERE WE SEE THE SIGNS OF THE

SCAFFOLDING, SIGNS READING, "WELCOME HOME OLD SHOE," ET CETERA...

Well, maybe, you know, ah, ah, he's sicker than we

thought, and rush him under wraps to Walter Reed to do

a complete...

SCHUMANN:

(TO AMES)

R'if y'r gonna keep me out, I'd kinda like the chance,

t'go to church...

(HE LEANS TOWARD AMES AND WINKS

LASCIVIOUSLY, AND NUDGES HIM IN THE

RIBS)

AMES:

Oh Lord. What have you done to me? What have you done

to me...?

BREAN:

Wilfred.

AMES:

...what have you done to me...

BREAN:

All Combat takes place at night, in the Rain, and at

the Junction of four Map Segments...

AMES:

...what are we going to do...?

MOSS:

He's fine, as long as he gets his medication.

BREAN:

Speaking of that...

(HE LOOKS AT THE VIAL)

We're gonna need a whole lot more of this....

AMES:

Well, get on the phone, and get it...

MOSS:

You know, I think you people are looking at this All

Wrong. If you look at the backstory -- the guy's

coming back from Combat and Torture. Of course he is

gonna be ... uh ... uh ... "f***ed up". Of Course he's

gonna "need a little help"...

(GESTURES PUTTING A HYPODERMIC IN HIS

ARM)

AMES:

(TO HIMSELF)

Oh, Lord....

ANGLE, ON THE TV, WHERE WE SEE THE PRESIDENT, WEARING AN OLD SHOE BUTTON.

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