We now continue. . .
CUT TO:
INT, Subway Car
MAKOTO stands in a crowded subway car, dressed in her working clothes. Her cell phone buzzes- she's recieved a text message from SEMPAI'S phone.
SEMPAI'S MESSAGE
(Japanese Equivalent)
i mis u.
im sorry 4 what happened.
we need 2 talk.
u know that store shinjuku MS?
meet me there
plz!
MAKOTO looks at the message, more confused than anything else.
OLD WOMAN
Excuse me?
MAKOTO looks up to see an old woman smiling patronizingly at her.
OLD WOMAN
(talking down to MAKOTO)
We don't use cell phones.
(points to phone)
No cell phones-
(waves her hands in front of her, as if to say "do not do")
-on the train!
(points down)
MAKOTO
Ah!
MAKOTO sheepishly puts the phone away.
MAKOTO
(smiling and bowing politely)
Pardon me.
The woman's smile fades as she listens and realizes Makoto can speak Japanese. MAKOTO bows once more and tries to break eye contact with the woman. After a moment, cell phones all over the train- including MAKOTO'S, start buzzing. Everyone opens up their phones, despite the cultrual taboo (the fact that they're going off at the same time means there might be an emergency). MAKOTO examines her message- the same message everyone else has now received- as we-
CUT TO:
INT, Hospital Waiting Area
USAGI sits in the midst of a dozens of other visitors, friends and family of the vicitims of that day's attack. We watch her for a few moments, waiting, fidgeting, restless. A TV is playing on the back wall, showing news footage of Big Sight, surrounded by dozens of emergency vehicles, pulling out the scores of unconscious people, many of whom are now at that very hospital. Through the crowds and the chaos, Usagi can occasionally catch a glimpse of one of those people, lying in a hospital bed, left out in the hallway.
As if tired of just sitting around, USAGI stands up and weaves her way through the crowds, to-
INT, Hospital Hallway, Continuous
USAGI walks by more beds, some carrying more victims of the attack, others carrying patients forced out of their rooms to make up for the hordes of new victims coming in. Usagi's reaction to all of this is. . . detached, almost as though she were not sure where she was, or if what she's seeing is even real. A patient on a mobile bed is being pushed through the hallway by a pair of doctors, and USAGI is forced to make way. Shorty afterwards, a nurse gently pulls her aside, back toward the lobby.
CUT TO:
INT, Reception,
USAGI tries to address the NURSE RECEPTIONIST- swamped by requests from others, she only barely concentrate on Usagi.
USAGI
I came in here with someone. From Big Sight?
RECEPTIONIST
Name?
USAGI
Serena Mu-- I-I mean. . . I don't remember. I. . . I found her, she was lying in an-
The RECEPTIONIST doesn't even bother to dismiss USAGI before turning her attention to another visitor.
CUT TO
INT, Hospital Hallway
USAGI, DISGUISED AS A NURSE, files her way through the maze of beds. She passes by a couple of open hospital rooms before finally spotting BANDANA, sitting on her bed, facing away from the hallway. USAGI hesitates, and just when it appears she's finally decided to go inside, SAEKO rushes by her.
INT, Hospital Room, Continuous
USAGI peeks inside as SAEKO takes a seat next to BANDANA. Cutting briefly to USAGI'S POV, we see SAEKO put her arm around BANDANA, trying to comfort her.
SAEKO
Are you alright?
BANDANA
I . . . guess.
SAEKO
I mean-
BANDANA
Yeah, I. . . .
SAEKO
I'm sorry, that was a stupid question. I haven't had a chance to read your chart, or talk to the doctor--
BANDANA
It's alright.
USAGI quietly makes her way inside.
BANDANA
Wouldn't tell us anything we don't already know, would-
BANDANA coughs.
SAEKO
Easy, easy.
BANDANA'S coughing settles down.
SAEKO
My God. I can't even. . .
(sighs)
You don't want to know how bad it is. Hosptials eveywhere are being overwhelmed. I'm pretty sure the only reason they haven't kicked you out yet is--
BANDANA
How bad is it?
SAEKO
You don't want to know.
(beat)
Besides, that's not what you need to worry about. Frankly. . . I don't even know what you were doing out there in the first place, in the condition you're in.
BANDANA
And what good would it do me not to go?
(interrupting Saeko)
No, what good would it do me not to go out, see something like this? Just one more time before I . . . ?
(getting worked up)
You can't expect me to just forget. . .
BANDANA can't finish that sentence.
CUT TO:
INT, Waiting Area
AMI sits in the waiting area, waiting for SAEKO. Like USAGI before, she catches glimpses of the victims through the hallway. At first, she looks away in fear. After a moment, though, she forces herself to look at one of the victims. We hold for a second and then-
CUT TO:
INT, Hospital Room.
USAGI pretends to make herself busy as SAEKO and BANDANA continue to talk- as before, their backs are facing away from from us, so we only see what USAGI sees.
SAEKO
(continuous)
-you've fought this for longer than I believed possible. And you've done it your way. . . that alone is impressive enough. But considering that you've been fighting against --
And then SAEKO says it- the special type of cancer Ami mentioned the night before. USAGI reacts to this like she just got punched in the gut.
CUT TO:
INT, Hospital Hallway
AMI is approaching one of the victims lying in a hospital bed. She's clearly afraid to be this close to one of the victims, but she forces herself toward him anyway. When she's close enough, she reaches out for his chart and scans it. Then-
DOCTOR
Hey!
AMI, startled by the doctor's voice, drops the chart. The DOCTOR approaches and picks it up.
DOCTOR
That's a medical chart. That means private!
AMI bows apologetically.
DOCTOR
Do you know him?
AMI shakes her head.
DOCTOR
Then why are you snooping around? And where are your parents?
AMI
The lobby.
DOCTOR
Get back there, then!
AMI bows and walks off.
DOCTOR
And don't let me catch you back out here!
CUT TO:
INT, Waiting Area
AMI is standing near a wall, writing down all the medical data that she can remember into her notebook.
SAEKO (V.O.)
You can't win.
CUT TO:
INT, Hospital Room, Continuous
SAEKO
Not like this.
BANDANA
How, then?
SAEKO
I've been making progress. I've been recieving consultation from one of my colleagues. My old mentor, actually. The man's a genius--
BANDANA
Yeah, and you were a genius too, Saeko. For all the good that did me.
SAEKO
(stinging a bit from that)
We've. . . been making some breakthroughs. The-
-- and the conversation devolves into oncology-babble which Usagi has no hope of understanding, whether in Japanese or English.
BANDANA
And if all that goes nowhere?
SAEKO
We can't start thinking about that--
BANDANA
Why not?
Pause.
SAEKO
Have you told your son yet? Have you arranged for him to be cared for?
BANDANA
(beat)
I'm working on it.
SAEKO
I. . . assume your finances are all--
And then BANDANA breaks down, weeping. USAGI, overwhelmed by all she has seen and heard, walks out.
CUT TO:
INT, Hallway, Continuous. USAGI shoves her way through the hall, removing her disguise without any thought of anyone seeing her. After a moment of pushing her way past people, someone shoves into her with more force than the others- it's MAMORU. After giving her a confused look for a moment, he continues on in the direction USAGI came from, while USAGI turns the corner and makes her way to the lobby. For a moment, we watch MAMORU as he makes his down the hall and, then, enters one of the rooms-- BANDANA'S room.
CUT TO:
INT, Lobby
AMI leans against the wall. After a second, she spots USAGI walking by.
AMI
(to herself)
Usagi?
(pause, and then calls out,waving)
Usagi!
USAGI looks briefly toward AMI. . . and then, catching sight of her, breaks eye contact immediately.
AMI
Usagi! Usagi!
USAGI ignores her. AMI'S hand lowers. . . she confused, and a little hurt.
CUT TO:
INT, Hallway
MAMORU exits BANDANA'S hospital room.
MAMORU
(to BANDANA)
You're sure that's the girl?
(SAEKO responds)
Yeah, just a second. I'll be back!
MAMORU forces his way through the crowd, until gets a clear view of the lobby. We PAN toward the lobby to see USAGI standing in the elevator, facing away from us, just as the elevator door closes. We PAN back to MAMORU. . . he remembers this.
CUT TO:
INT, Elevator
Yet another elevator. USAGI and two doctors ride the elevator down. The elevator stops and the two doctors get off. USAGI is alone. After a second, USAGI POUNDS on the side of the elevator and closes her eyes.
Then, silence.
Then, the faint sounds of the elevator grow louder-- her breathing, the elevator motor, the dinging of the floor indicator. Floor three. . . USAGI takes a deep breath. Something's wrong. Someone should have come on to the elevator by now, with the hospital as busy as it is.
Two. . . Usagi opens her eyes. WE CUT TO:
USAGI'S POV. The elevator door, standing before her like a monolith. One. . the final bing. USAGI takes another breath as the door opens. At that moment, we see MARIE'S HAND RUSH IN and FORCE THE ELEVATOR DOOR OPEN. The DOOR OPENS to reveal MARIE'S evil, possessed, twisted smile and warped face.
CUT TO:
Close up of USAGI. USAGI instinctively backs up against the wall.
MAMORU
Hey!
CUT TO:
USAGI'S POV. MAMORU, not MARIE, is standing at the elevator door.
MAMORU
Ah, good! I caught you!
CUT TO:
USAGI and MAMORU, in the elevator. USAGI is still in shock.
MAMORU
(realizing his mistake)
Oh!. . . I'm sorry about that, I just-
Some more people try to make their way past MAMORU onto the elevator.
MAMORU
(to people boarding elevator)
Excuse me. . . pardon me.
(to USAGI, still inside elevator)
This. . . is your floor, isn't it?
CUT TO:
INT, Main Lobby, Continuous.
USAGI shoves her way past MAMORU and head to the exit.
MAMORU
Hey, whoa!
USAGI heads to the exit. MAMORU tries to follow.
MAMORU
Hey, wait a sec-!
MAMORU tries to grab USAGI'S arm, but she pulls away, turning to FACE MAMORU as she does so.
USAGI
(angrily)
Don't touch me!
MAMORU
I'm sorry! I-I was just trying to catch you-
USAGI
Why?
MAMORU
To thank you!
Pause.
USAGI
What?
MAMORU
You. . . found a woman in an alley today, right? Thirty-seven years old?
USAGI waits to see where he's going with this.
MAMORU
She's. . . my mother.
Pause.
USAGI
(incredulous)
Bullshit.
MAMORU
No, I'm serious!
(beat)
And I wanted to thank you. . . . and maybe, uh, get your name?
USAGI
Serena.
MAMORU
Se-ri-na.
(beat)
Great!
(beat)
Oh, I'm Mamoru. Chiba Mamoru.
USAGI
(bowing, just to be polie)
Hajimemashite.
MAMORU
Hajimemashite.
(beat, then smiles)
Well, thanks to you, it looks like Mom's gonna be alright! You got to her just in time.
USAGI'S confused by that last statement.
MAMORU
Yeah. Well, she'll need to rest, but it looks like she'll be ready to come home tonight!
USAGI hesitates. . . does Mamoru even know what's really going on?
USAGI
Wait, wait. . . are you sure-?
At that moment, the elevator bings behind them. A few people (out of focus) get off the elevator, and then USAGI spots the frail figure of BANDANA. MAMORU turns around.
MAMORU
Aw, dammit!
MAMORU walks over to the elevator blocking out view of BANDANA.
MAMORU
Mom, you shouldn't have come down here.
The two begin to argue inaudibly. USAGI waits for a moment, and then decides to leave. We pull toward MAMORU and BANDANA, with MAMORU continuing to block our view of BANDANA. We CLOSE on MAMORU.
MAMORU
Okay? We'l go back upstairs and-- wait, let me just introduce you to-
MAMORU turns around and realizes USAGI is gone.
MAMORU
What the- aw, dammit! Listen just give me a minute and I'll--
BANDANA(O.S.)
Mamo-kun! It's okay.
We PAN toward BANDANA, and we finally get a good look at her. While she may be thirty-seven according to Mamoru, she looks quite a bit older, mainly due to how thin she has become. She's still attractive though, and was likely beautiful when she was younger. Most importantly, despite her age, she still looks very, VERY familiar:
BANDANA
Sometimes a woman just needs to be left alone.
To be continued. . .
No comments:
Post a Comment