34. A Trip to the Bend, based on a true story-Eric




• FADE IN


• INT. MOCASSIN BEND INSTITUTION-MORNING


• CARL sits on a chair at the nurses' station, getting his blood pressure checked.


• NURSE
• His pulse is 135 beats a minute. That's stroke range. His blood pressure is sky high too.


• A few nurses walk over, one checks his pulse with her fingers. Carl's feet begin shaking. The tempest travels from his feet to his legs until his entire body is convulsing out of control.


• HEAD RN
• He's seizing, give him 100 milligrams of Thorazine!


• A nurse heads over with a paper medicine cup. Carl swallows the pills.


• INT. DAY ROOM-MORNING


• Carl stumbles into the day room, his eyes are droopy and he walks with a staggered gait. He is over medicated. In the day room several patients watch a football game on a suspended Television that sits behind a glass case. The chairs are plastic and there are no hard pieces of furniture. Carl notices LEON, who stands out from the bunch because of his long, black matrix trench coat and his amber shades that wrap around his face.


• LEON
• Look at that quarterback. That quarterback's a QUEEN, I know it! They're all queens!


• Carl flinches, stepping back one step. The others lean away from him, intimidated.


• LEON
• And what is your name?


• CARL
• Carl.


• LEON
• WHat are you in here for?


• Carl looks away, pretending to ignore him. Leon jumps out of his seat.


• LEON
• I said, WHAT are you in here for!


• Carl walks back to his room. He lies down. He is convulsing again, but he doesn't go to the nurses' station. In his head there is a woman, she has a greasy, neon blue tint. She smiles, her fangs just out. A large leather tail waves behind her. Carl stops convulsing. He begins crying.


• INT. COURT YARD-EVENING


• Carl shuffles out to the court yard. Square, plastic fixtures have been inlaid in metal posts from which the patients light their cigarettes. Most sit on a wood retention wall, a few play basketball on a small court. LEON is entertaining a small group of the patients at the end of the retention wall.


• LEON
• I'm not a PIMP, I'm not a WHORE, so FUCK ME!


• Leon notices Carl and hops off the wall. He approaches. Carl turns away.


• LEON
• Where you going, sweety?


• CARL
• Leave me alone.


• Carl tries to walk away, but is surrounded by three patients. Leon walks through the crowd, smiling. A fragment of sunlight beams from his shades.


• LEON
• Carl. I'm on to you. I can't give you the kind of love you need. I'm not a queen, CARL!


• CARl
• Dude, I'm not gay. I don't need this shit right now.


• Leon shoves Carl, knocking him to the ground.


• LEON
• Whatever you do, don't think about my asshole! I can't give you the kind of love you're looking for, Carl.


• INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE-A FEW DAYS LATER


• A doctor measures Carl's blood pressure. She shines a small light into his eyes and also looks into his ears.


• DOCTOR
• Well, your blood pressure is back to normal, and you said you weren't having any convulsions or panic attacks. You're lucky, you coud have died. You need to lay off the dope. You know 90% of the people are in here for meth. I know that's not your thing but I'm just saying. You're too smart for this. Well, I wish you the best of luck, you're getting discharged today.


• CARL
• Yeah, thanks. I don't ever want to come here again. By the way, does meth make you extremely homophobic? Because there's this gu...ah, forget it.


• The doctor looks confused for a second, but then smiles a pleasant smile at him, and pats him on the back.


• FADE TO BLACK