SCENE 27
Scene 27 opens with a close-up of a woman crying hysterically, uncontrollably. We zoom out as this woman sobs and sobs and sobs, blows her nose, she can't stop crying. After 10-15 seconds of zooming out, we see Richard seated across the interview table from her, his hands folded on the table. He stares at her calmly, breathing evenly. She continues to wail without pause. After a few more moments Richard speaks without emotion.
Richard
You appear tearful.
This seems to upset her more, and she sobs with increased intensity, if that were possible. Richard nods acceptingly. He pulls out a sheet of paper and reads from it while the patient weeps.
Richard
Ms. Keller, would you say you've experienced depressed mood in the past six months?
Ms. Keller tries to speak, but at first is unable to get anything out she's crying so hard. Finally she achieves a measure of composure that allows her to communicate, though she's still hysterical.
Ms. Keller
hysterical
My life is worthless.
That utterance was too much for her, and she cries with renewed vigor. Richard nods, as if this is what he expected. Richard waits another few moments.
Richard
Ms. Keller, can you spell WORLD backwards?
Ms. Keller lets out a high-pitched scream.
Ms. keller
hysterical
I want to end it all!!!!
Pan closer to Ms. Keller. Right in the middle of one of Ms. Keller's screams, cut to the next person sitting in that chair, across from Richard though we don't see him in this shot. The patient is a flaming transvestite dressed and made up to the nines, sitting with his arms folded across his chest, eyes closed but posture completely erect, serene, with a bit of a pout on his face. Let the audience digest this for a few moments. Patient's eyes remain closed, though he is obviously not sleeping.
Richard (OS)
Ms. Dreamweaver?
Ms. Dreamweaver does not respond. He sits with eyes closed. Camera starts to zoom out, ultimately revealing Richard seated across the table, leaned a bit forward to get closer to this electively mute patient.
Richard
Ms. Dreamweaver? Can you hear me Ms. Dreamweaver?
Ms. Dreamweaver does not respond. After a few moments he slowly opens his eyes, looking placidly at Richard.
Richard
Ms. Dreamweaver are you feeling like yourself lately?
Ms. Dreamweaver looks around the room, purposefully ignoring Richard.
Richard
Ms. Dreamweaver you were found fellating a statue.
This gets to him. He quickly looks at Richard and speaks in a flambouyantly gay manner.
ms. dreamweaver
I know you're not talking to me. There must be another Ms. Dreamweaver in here because I know you're not talking to me.
He sits back in his chair and stares around the room, avoiding looking at Richard.
Richard
Ms. Dreamweaver, do you carry any psychiatric diagnoses?
Ms. Dreamweaver is repulsed. He glares and then snaps at Richard.
Ms. dreamweaver
You are disgusting. I am not talking to you, and I hate you.
Ms. Dreamweaver leans back, and purposefully stares into space. Hold for a few moments, then cut to next patient: a thin, well-groomed man in a button-up in the middle of a manic monologue. He speaks a million miles a minute, with gradiosity of expression and content.
Mr. president
excessively animated, pressured
-and so there I was surrounded by gooks and I should have fled but three of my men were down so I put them all on my back and carried them to safety through enemy fire.
Richard
Mr.-
mr. president
excessively animated, pressured
-speaking of fire that reminds me of this time I fired my whole staff at the secret service boy were they mad.
Richard
bu-
mr. president
excessively animated, pressured
-they were as mad as this guy I busted who ran the biggest cocaine cartel in all of Columbia
Richard slowly get up and starts to walk out of the room. Mr. President doesn't miss a beat, just keeps blabbering at Richard, turning his body to continue to address Richard as he walks out.
mr. president
excessively animated, pressured
-Columbia wow that's a crazy place one time I was trapped in a Columbian prison and the guard wouldn't give me food or drink for weeks on end how was he to know he was starving the future president of the United States?
<click> Richard closes the door behind him. He starts to walk down a hall and runs into a plainly dressed man whose eyes are bulging out of his head. He is breathing rapid, shallow breaths through a mouth that's open way too wide, spittle coming out the corners. His hands are in front of him, shaking. This man looks as psychotic as they come. He just stands there, looking psycho. Richard calmly stops in front of him, and looks at him for a few seconds silently, as the audience digests this grotesque site. Finally Richard, who shows no reaction to this, addresses the scary man. He gets a sheet of paper out of his coat pocket as he talks.
Richard
I have a patient to present to you, Dr. Dixon.
The music, which just came to an apex, stops dramatically as we cut to the patient's perspective in the interview room. The remainder of scene 27 is shot from the perspective of the patient - we never see the patient's face. We see a vacant chair that will be occupied by the interviewer, and the hands of the patient on the table. He's very fidgety, and we hear him breathing. We hear the door open, which frightens the patient, and he jumps. Richard walks to his chair and sits down. He's breathing more rapidly now, and the audience can hear him breathe with uncomfortable clarity, as if the audience is inside his head. As Richard approaches his chair, he greets the patient.
Richard
Mr. Robert Hamilton?
Mr. Hamilton does not allow the normal pause after the question.
Mr. Hamilton
psychotic
Yes.
This gives Mr. Hamilton away as a weirdo. Richard, who was in the process of sitting down, balks at this and examines the patient nervously. Richard reluctantly sits down after assessing for an escape route. He stares at Mr. Hamilton for a few moments, sizing him up, as the patient continues to fidget and breathe. Richard slowly, guardedly takes out a pad of paper and a pen. He puts the pen down on the table and reads from the pad for a moment, then looks back at the patient.
Richard
How are you today, Mr. Hamilton?
Again Mr. Hamilton does not allow for the usual space between question and answer.
Mr. Hamilton
Fine.
More heavy breathing. Richard tries to calm the patient with a calm nod. They sit in silence a few moments as Richard nods.
Richard
Do you know today's date, Mr. Hamilton?
Richard looks at the patient expectantly. Mr. Hamilton does answer at first.
Mr. Hamilton
Today's date?
Richard nods, trying not to upset this already agitated patient. We now hear the two voices, spoken only as whispers by two different people. Voice one, Harry, is heard only from the right channel. Voice two, Betsy, is heard only through the left channel.
harry
He's out to get you.
Mr. Hamilton is startled by the voice and gasps as he looks to his right. Of course nothing is there, and Richard, a little frightened by all of this, sneaks a peak to the area Mr. Hamilton was looking at it. A few seconds pass.
Richard
Do you know the month...or the year?
betsy
Don't trust him.
HARRY
Don't tell him anything.
Mr. Hamilton
No. I don't know.
Richard
Okay.
Pause.
Richard
Do you know where you are, right now?
betsy
The pen.
harry
That pen!!
Mr. Hamilton glances nervously but conspicuously at Richard's pen, on the table in front of him. Richard allows a few seconds to pass before sneaking a peak at the pen himself, then immediately looking back at the patient.
betsy
That pen is a video camera.
harry
He's recording you!!
Mr. Hamilton becomes more anxious.
Richard
carefully
Do you know where we are, Mr. Hamilton? Are we at the library?
betsy
You've got to get that pen.
harry
Get the pen!!!
Mr. Hamilton
looking to his right
Okay! Okay!!
Richard backs up in his chair, becoming frightened of this patient who is screaming at nobody. Mr. Hamilton glances nervously at the pen, again, then back to Richard. Richard, about as far away from the patient as possible while sitting in his chair, folds his arms across his chest. A few seconds pass. Mr. Hamilton glances at the pen again, and then Richard glances at it again.
betsy
Grab it!!
At this the patient lunges across the table and grabs the pen, scaring the shit out of Richard, who screams and pushes his chair back against the wall. Mr. Hamilton shoves the pen into his pocket.
Mr. Hamilton
I'm going to keep this pen.
Richard
reassuringly, scared
Okay. No problem.
After a few more seconds, Richard tries to compose himself and regroup.
Richard
Never mind where we are. Let me ask you a question.
Mr. Hamilton
Okay.
Richard
If I told you that a man who lives in a glass house doesn’t throw stones, what would that mean to you?
harry
He's fucking with you!!
betsy
He's trying to drive you crazy.
harry
Don't stand for it.
betsy
You're going to have to kill him, Bobby.
Slowly zoom in on Richard, wide-eyed, trying to assess the patient.
Harry
You have to destroy him. Tear him apart.
betsy
He's one of them. Kill him.
Cut to black.