Witness Page #12

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RACHEL:

But -

Book reaches up to grip her arm fiercely:

BOOK:

And when they find me, they'll

find your boy!

He slips under again. Rachel stares at him, realizing

the price he's paid in returning them to safety.

She reaches out, touches him gently.

But the moment is broken by...

ANOTHER ANGLE:

as Eli reins up in the springwagon. He climbs down,

crosses to glance into the car.

ELI:

Is the English dead?

RACHEL:

No...

ELI:

Looks dead...

And together they begin to lift Book from the car and

place him in the back of the springwagon. And...

74 INT. LAMP FARMHOUSE 74

Where Eli is looking out a window.

75 HIS POV - BUGGY75

An Amish buggy coming up the drive, past Book' s car.

ANGLE IN BEDROOM

Where Book lies on a bed. Rachel is bathing his wound

with warm water from a pan.

Eli appears in the doorway.

ELI:

Stoltzfus is coming.

Rachel looks at him, nods.

Eli frowns at Book's holstered pistol lying atop his

neatly folded clothes on a chair near the bed.

ELI:

(continuing)

That has no place in this house.

RACHEL:

I know.

She picks up the pile of clothes and the pistol and

places them in a chest.

RACHEL:

(continuing)

It will go when he goes.

76 INT. LIVING ROOM76

as Samuel comes in with old Stoltzfus and Stoltzfus's

teenage son, LEVI.

RACHEL:

Thank you for coming, Stoltzfus.

Stoltzfus's eyes have gone to the bed:

STOLTZFUS:

That's the English is it?

77 INT. SICKROOM - TIGHT77

as Stoltzfus runs his fingers lightly over the vicinity

of Book's wound:

STOLTZFUS (O.S.)

I feel... burning.

WIDER:

as Stoltzfus, in his shirtsleeves and concentrating

mightily, moistens his fingertips with saliva, contin-

ues the examination. Finally he steps back.

STOLTZFUS:

This man should be treated in

town.

(indicates)

The bullet entered there... and

came out there. But there is the

danger of infection, and he has

lost a great deal of blood.

Rachel looks at Stoltzfus, then turns away, torn by her

dilemma. Her eyes fall on Samuel. Gently she ushers

him from the room:

RACHEL:

Go help Levi with the car, Samuel.

She closes the door after him, then turns to face Eli

and Stoltzfus:

RACHEL:

(continuing)

No, he must stay here.

Stoltzfus gives Eli a puzzled look. And:

ELI:

Didn't you hear Stoltzfus? What

if he dies? Then the sheriff will

come. They'll say we broke their

laws -

RACHEL:

We'll pray that he doesn't die!

But if he does, then we'll find a

way so no one knows!

ELI:

Rachel, this is a man's life,

we hold it in our hands.

77 CONTINUED:
(2)77

RACHEL:

I knows God help me, I know that,

Eli.

(then)

But I tell you that if he's found

here, the people who did this to

him will come for Samuel.

Rachel beseeches them helplessly:

RACHEL:

(continuing)

What else can we do?

78 EXT. LAPP DRIVE78

Levi has hitched Eli's mules to the rear of Book's car

and is towing it up the drive toward the barn, with

Samuel catching a ride on the bumper.

RACHEL:

Where she's waiting with the big barn doors thrown

open. As the mules tow the car in, she closes the

doors.

79 INT. LAPP FARMHOUSE LIVING ROOM79

As Stoltzfus and Levi are about to go: Stoltzfus turns

to Rachel:

STOLTZFUS:

Make a poultice... three parts

milk, two parts linseed oil... for

the infection. I'll send Mary by

with some teas I will brew myself.

RACHEL:

Thank you.

Stoltzfus turns to Eli:

STOLTZFUS:

Lapp, I'll have to speak with the

diener on this matter.

ELI:

(nods)

As you see fit, Stoltzfus.

CUT TO:

80 INT. SICKROOM - LAPS FARM - NIGHT80

as Rachel enters, turns up a kerosene lamp which is

burning low at bedside. She's carrying the poultice

Stoltzfus ordered.

Book's brow is beaded with sweat.

Rachel seats herself next to the bed, strips away the

sweat-soaked sheet. Her eyes take in his bare torso,

and we should get the feeling that there's rather more

male animal on display here just now than she's quite

comfortable with.

She begins to apply the poultice.

ANGLE:

As Book rouses to semi-consciousness, in his delirium

he recoils with alarm.

RACHEL:

It's all right..! You have got to

lie still.

Book stares up at her without recognition, but some of

what she says seems to penetrate. He quiets.

RACHEL:

(continuing; soothingly)

Yes, much better...

ANGLE:

as Book lapses back into sleep. Rachel hasn't removed

her hand from his chest. Abruptly she does so.

She finds herself wondering about this man lying before

her, so suddenly a part of her life. she notices de-

tails; bruises, scars, the knuckles are hard, grazed, a

tattoo on one shoulder. While lost in this reverie,

the delirious Philadelphia policeman begins to mutter.

Incoherently at first, then the words take shape -

swear words; curses; f*** this and that; sh*t; etc.

Rachel rises abruptly, her cheeks coloring, as the bar-

rage of language pours from his mouth. She beats a

hasty

retreat closing the door swiftly behind her.

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