18 INT. FOYER, PSYCH WARD - DAY 18
TWO PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS are doing laps in the florescent-lit
hall. Hal, Will and Kathy enter from the stairs into a small
foyer. They ring the bell and peek through the steel mesh on
the security door.
19 INT. PSYCH WARD - DAY 19
LUCY BLUNK, a beautiful, 42-year-old psychiatric patient,
comes out of her room looking as excited as anyone on heavy
tranquilizers can. She's the Distraught Woman who was in the
car in scene one. She waves, then turns toward the central
desk.
LUCY
Lee!?
She shuffles down the hall until LEE, a tall black man gets
up from the desk with his keys out, then she doubles back
toward Hal and the kids. She has a beautiful smile, which
clashes with her dark and stormy eyes. They gaze silently
through the door at each other. Lee unlocks the door and Lucy
hugs Will.
LUCY
(continuing)
Hi Will.
WILL
Hi Mom.
Lucy sizes up her daughter.
LUCY
Kathy.
KATHY
Mom.
LUCY
Thanks for coming.
KATHY
Yeah.
They hug.
LUCY
Hi Hal.
HAL
Hi Loos'
Lucy and Hal do an awkward grasping at forearms and a quick
kiss. They're all thumbs with each other. Lucy points at
Will's round package.
LUCY
What've you got here?
WILL
A book.
Will is deadpan. It's clearly not a book. Hal and Lucy LAUGH.
20 INT. PSYCHIATRIC WARD - LUCY'S ROOM - DAY 20
Apart from the hospital-green walls and the solidly
constructed bathroom, it looks like a cheap hotel room that's
been lived in. There's two of everything.
Lucy is unwrapping the newspaper package that Will has been
carrying.
LUCY
Oh my gosh, Will, that's beautiful!
She holds up a handmade ceramic bowl and turns it, genuinely
impressed.
LUCY
(continuing)
You didn't make this?
WILL
Yeah, I did.
LUCY
My gosh. It's incredible.
WILL
Yeah, I used this red clay that Mr
Queen gave me. The glazes look
different on it.
LUCY
Well, it's more than just the clay.
I mean, it's so symetrical. I've
never seen such a perfect pinch pot.
Kathy's smile seems to have been frozen on, somewhere far
away in time.
HAL
Yeah, I think you really came a long
way on this last batch. I mean your
other pots are nice, but this last
batch really...
Hal puts his thumb and forefinger together.
HAL
(continuing)
Pkhhhchoooooou!
WILL
Yeah, I think it's the new clay.
KATHY
Can I see it?
Lucy hands the bowl to Kathy.
KATHY
(continuing)
Boy, that is nice. You made that at
school?
WILL
Yeah.
KATHY
That's great.
21 INT. MRS SANDOW'S OFFICE - DAY 21
MRS SANDOW, a big-boned Easterner with black hair and a
polyester jacket, is leading this family-therapy session.
She's been doing her job long enough that her face seems to
be stuck in a permanently sympathetic expression. The room
has a big oval coffee table that's too close to the shins of
those sitting on the couch. Will is squashed into one corner
and Kathy is squished into the other.
MRS SANDOW
The purpose of this session is to
have a safe, open discussion of some
of the issues that we've faced as a
family...
Hal and Lucy are in chairs to Will's right, Mrs Sandow is
sitting on the other side of the coffee table facing the
couch.
MRS SANDOW
(continuing)
We want to make sure that you're all
communicating as a family and talking
about things that are important. I
think that Lucy's illness has been
very hard on all of you, and it's
natural that you may have questions,
or concerns about the treatments
she's been recieving.
Mrs Sandow looks at the nervous children before her.
MRS SANDOW
(continuing)
Or maybe there's just something that
you want to get off your chest.
That's the whole purpose of these
sessions -- to just talk about things.
She turns to Will. Will looks at her.
MRS SANDOW
(continuing)
Will? Would you like to start off?
Just tell us what's on your mind.
WILL
Well, It's been real hard I mean not
having her home.
Will gesticulates with his hand.
WILL
(continuing)
But, um, we've been doing alright I
guess I mean, I think that it's good
that she's in the hospital, if it's
gonna help her get better but uh...
Well I really want her to be better,
so I guess it's good. But I miss her.
Lucy smiles.
LUCY
Oh! Well I've missed you too.
They all smile at each other awkwardly for a while. Mrs
Sandow looks at Will. He's like an actor who's forgotten his
lines. Mrs Sandow looks to Kathy, then to Will.
MRS SANDOW
It would be nice to see your mom back
home wouldn't it?
Kathy and Will SPEAK IN UNISON.
WILL KATHY
Yeah. Yeah.
Mrs Sandow's attention goes to Kathy like a TV camera --
eyebrows doing that "You're live" movement up her forehead.
Kathy's face is a curtain with growling monsters behind it.
MRS SANDOW
Kathy?
Kathy chooses her words very carefully, speaking through her
teeth.
KATHY
Well, it's not going to have a huge
effect on my life since I don't live
at home any more. But I think that
it's great that she's coming home for
her sake and for Dad and Will. I
can't imagine that she'd be very
happy here in the hospital. It seems
like a pretty depressing place.
Kathy inhales and exhales quietly.
MRS SANDOW
Lucy, maybe you'd like to talk a
little about your therapy?
Lucy shifts her butt around in the chair and looks toward a
ceiling fixture.
LUCY
Well, I think the therapy is working.
There is very little real enthusiasm in her voice. Like
everyone else, she's doing flat line readings.
LUCY
(continuing)
I don't want to make any promises,
but it seems like I should be able to
get out of here pretty soon.
Hal's voice seems TOO BIG FOR THE ROOM.
HAL
Boy, That's great to hear Loos'.
That's really great.
WILL
Yeah.