Young Writers Society

Timepiece (scene three)

(We open to Jeff, sitting on the couch, drinking a glass of water, with James and Charles standing in front of him)

Charles:

What is the big issue with you? You're passing out, you-you won't leave your house, and... for god's sakes, you look like you just got hit by a car!

JEFF:

What's the big issue? So I don't want to leave my house. Why are you hammering me about it?

James:

You're acting like you're crazy!

JEFF:

I told you, I'm not--

JAMES:

Well, obviously something is going on.

JEFF:

Well then, call a god damn psychiatrist, if it's a big issue. Go ahead. The phone's over there.

(We see a phone on the table)

CHARLES:

All right, then I will.

(He walks over to the phone)

JEFF:

Freaking numskull.

(Charles pulls out a phone book, and opens it up. Then, we fade to a door. There is the sound of a doorbell)

PAN: right Charles walks over to the door and opens it

OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT: DR. BRIAN MILLER IS STANDING IN THE DOORWAY.

CHARLES:

Are you Dr. Miller?

BRIAN:

Indeed I am. Where is the patient?

CHARLES:

He's downstairs.

(The two men walk down the stairs, and into a room. James is sitting in a computer chair, and Jeff is sitting on a bed)

JEFF:

Who are you?

BRIAN:

I'm Brian Miller, your psychologist.

JEFF:

(At Charles) I can't believe you did it. I don't even know how you got the money.

CHARLES:

Well, this is an important issue.

JEFF:

I'm sure.

BRIAN:

Will you cooperate with me, Jeff?

JEFF:

Well, you're here now. I guess I have no choice.

BRIAN:

Well, I can tell just by looking at your face that you have sleep deprivation. Have you been eating well?

JEFF:

Well... No, to be honest.

BRIAN:

Yes... (Writes something down) And, (To Charles and James) You told me he wouldn't leave the house?

JAMES:

He refused. He wouldn't go.

BRIAN:

Jeff, that's called social isolation. You won't leave your house. When the disease that you have continues, you will lock the door, the windows, close all the blinds, turn all the lights off, etc. etc. Have you been seeing, hearing things?

JEFF:

Well, once earlier today.

BRIAN:

Okay. Have you been speaking abnormally?

JEFF:

No.

BRIAN:

Have you fellows noticed anything?

JAMES:

Not.. really.

BRIAN:

Interesting. How long has this been going on?

JEFF:

A day.

BRIAN:

Well, there may still be hope for you. If you were, I don't know, a month in, you'd probably have more frequent hallucinations, be very agitated and aggressive, be threatening to hurt yourself and your friends, you wouldn't speak normally, you'd have paranoia, think everyone is against you, things like that. I find it odd that these symptoms weren't around earlier, given your.. age. Have you noticed anything else?

JEFF:

Um... sounds seem very amplified. Like that clock over there.

(We show the clock, ticking loudly)

JEFF:

It was so loud I couldn't sleep.

BRIAN:

Hm.. haven't really, run into anything like that, but a lot of issues with Schizophrenia are still mysterious. We don't know too much about them. So.. running into something new, here. Well, from all this, I'd say you have a mix of two DSM-IV-TR classes of Schizophrenia. One is Paranoid, and the other is Catatonic. Do you have uncontrollable movements, as well?

JEFF:

Y-yes.

BRIAN:

Ok, so that's a yes. Do you ever find yourself staring at nothing? The wall, the floor, the sky?

JEFF:

Well, that happened this morning.

BRIAN:

We call that the Thousand-Yard stare, it results from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

JAMES:

So what's causing it?

BRIAN:

That's... what we're going to find out. Were you ever abused by friends or family when you were young?

JEFF:

No.

BRIAN:

Have you ever abused yourself with drugs or alcohol?

JEFF:

No, definitely not.

BRIAN:

Were you ever in the military?

(Everyone pauses)

JEFF:

Yes.

BRIAN:

Did anything ever happen to you. Torture. Did you see something happen.

JEFF:

I don't know.

BRIAN:

Do you remember anything from your military leave?

JEFF:

Certain things.

BRIAN:

How long ago was this leave?

JEFF:

I got back two days ago.

BRIAN:

There's your answer.

JAMES:

What?

BRIAN:

Something must have happened while he was away. He was either tortured, or he was kept as a hostage, or he saw a person get brutally killed. I can't... I can't figure out the cause in this little evaluation we have here.

CHARLES:

So what should we do?

BRIAN:

You're going to have to take him to a professional. I can't treat him here. And, if they can pull out that memory, you'll have to relive what happened to you.

give me your approvals and criticisms, I'm BEGGING YOU!