By Michelle Whalen
FADE IN:
INT. LIVING ROOM – SUNRISE
WOMAN, MID-40’s, is laying in bed unable to sleep all night, and it shows on her face.
OVERHEAD CLOSEUP SHOWING WOMAN’S HEAD AND BLANKET-COVERED SHOULDERS ON A PILLOW. INTERCUT WITH SEVERAL 1-2 SECOND SHOTS OF CLOCK WITH THE HOURS PASSING BY: “12:00,” “2:00,” “4:00,” “6:02”….
Just when she appears to be dozing off, a BEDROOM DOOR can be heard abruptly opening, and the woman jolts awake.
CUT TO WOMAN’S POV:
A MAN, MID-60’s walks by wearing a white T-shirt and boxer shorts; he heads straight to the refrigerator and opens the deli drawer to make a cold-cut sandwich.
CUT TO OVERHEAD SHOT OF WOMAN.
(O.S.) We hear him take out the meat and cheese bags and put them on the counter. First the deli meat bag, then the cheese bag, each plastic item tediously zipped opened and shut, each slice of wax paper separating the cheese, the plastic bread bag, and finally the thin brown sandwich bag.
As this all happens, the background noise fades and the plastic crinkling becomes louder and louder and seems superfluous and intentional.
CUT TO WOMAN’S POV:
When he’s done, we hear him toss the bag on the counter. He darts back to the bedroom. The woman is angered but pretends to sleep.
A HAIR DRYER STARTS UP, BUZZING MUFFLED NOISE THROUGH A DOOR.
Just off the kitchen, a WOMAN, MID 60’s, comes out of a bathroom doorway wielding a hair dryer and a head full of frizz.
MID-60’S WOMAN
Is she up yet?
The man exits the bedroom, now dressed with a shirt and pants. He rushes towards the older woman to whisper.
MID 60’S MAN
No, she’s still sleeping. I am always very quiet in the
mornings so I don’t wake her.
CAMERA VIEW WIDENS TO MID-40’S WOMAN IN PORTABLE TWIN HOSPITAL BED AGAINST WALL NEXT TO THE COUCH, SURROUNDED BY MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES ON SMALL TABLES AROUND HER. THE SMALL LIVING ROOM IS OPEN TO THE SMALL KITCHEN.
The younger woman is very annoyed by now and she uses her hospital bed remote to sit herself up and turn on the TV.
(O.S.) TV SHOW OF BOB ROSS CAN BE HEARD
And we’ll just draw ourselves a
happy little tree over here.
MID-60’S WOMAN
Well, she needs to get her ass up.
She’s got three appointments today.
The man grabs a thick brown grocery bag and stuffs the sandwich bag and a handful of work shirts into it, then sliding on his shoes. On the way to the door, he grabs the grocery bag, tucks it under his arm, kisses the older woman goodbye, and leaves.
60-ISH WOMAN TO THE 40-ISH WOMAN
You know you have to be in the city
for your appointments in two hours,
right? I’ll be back to pick you up,
so don’t make me wait.
MID 60’s woman steps into bathroom again and out of view.
(O.S.) WE HEAR A BATHTUB BEGIN TO DRAIN. THE HAIR DRYER STARTS UP AGAIN, MUCH LOUDER THIS TIME, BECAUSE THE BATHROOM DOOR IS OPEN.
The man has left, but we see him through the storm door window on the deck/stairs. He has got a piece of wax paper from the cheese slices stuck to the backside of his pants, which falls off and makes him slip on the first step, and fall, and out of our view.
(O.S.) TV SHOW OF BOB ROSS CAN BE HEARD
Oh that’s okay. We’ll just turn
that into a happy little accident.
CUT TO: OVERHEAD SHOT OF MID-40’S WOMAN
Woman slowly reclines bed back to horizontal position and pretends not to have seen the fall.
Bright flashes of light come from the bathroom like there’s been an electrocution. The light’s go out.
CUT TO OVERHEAD SHOT OF WOMAN’S FACE
Through low light and the sunrise peeking through the blinds onto her face, she smiles.
FADE OUT.
