Bleeding Has Stopped, Now What?

INT. GOURMET GROCERY STORE - NIGHT
Fancy store with exposed-brick walls and old French posters on the wall. Shelves full of expensive preserves, candies and fridge full of extensive, exclusive beer selection. Lawrence slowly scans through the shelves, strolling down the aisle with a grocery basket. He takes one of the preserves.
He pulls out a small piece of paper that has an exquisite hand written list of groceries: Goat Cheese, Ciabata Bread, Fig Spread, Hitachino Beer, Raspberry Truffle, etc.

LAWRENCE
Check, check, check, check and check.

He goes to the counter and puts the contents of the basket in front of a smiling aging HIPPIE GUY.

AGING HIPPIE GUY
Nice selections here. Have you tried our white truffles? We just got them shipped in from Monferrato yesterday.

The hippie guy slices the tiniest bit from his treasured white truffle the size of a cat s**t on to a plate, presents to Lawrence. Lawrence tastes it. Ugh.

AGING HIPPIE GUY (CONT'D)
It's an acquired taste, I know.

LAWRENCE
How much?

EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Lawrence walks down the empty street. He approaches his apartment building, getting the keys out. Lawrence notices something on the pavement as we pull back and reveal a body laying in front of the building. He checks the street and finds no one else. He looks over at the body. No movement. Lawrence hesitates.
He walks to the gate of his apartment and then looks back. He goes back to the body, observes it for a long time then with a sigh, he flips over the body. His eyes widen.
The man is bleeding from his torso. The man is Jim standing-tall, 35, a Native American in worn out clothes. Lawrence steps back. Uncertainty. He goes back to check Jim's pulse. Lawrence grimaces at Jim's breath.

INT. LAWRENCE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
The door opens and we see Lawrence slinging unconscious Jim over his shoulder. Lawrence flips the light switch. With great difficulty, Lawrence carries Jim across the floor to a couch. With a grunt, he drops Jim on the couch.
It's a small studio apartment. Tidy and classy; books spilling out of the shelves to the floor, but neatly stacked. Tiny desk in the corner and a laptop on it. An old fashioned turn table and tiny speakers. A small TV and stand. There are some Mexican style pewter and tin picture frames on the wall, desk and TV stand with pictures of Lawrence and a perky blond girl.

Lawrence, breathing heavily, goes to the direction of the bathroom, off screen. We hear the faucet running soon afterward. Jim tosses in sleep on the couch.

Jim's POV of foggy, wide shot of Lawrence, looking at him.
Lawrence is sewing up Jim's chest wound with a needle. Shirtless Jim is half awake. Lawrence has a full blown first aid kit next to him.

JIM
Ouch.

LAWRENCE
Hold still.

DiSSOLVE TO:

INT. LAWRENCE'S APARTMENT - LATER
There is a small French press coffee contraption on a tiny kitchen counter space. Lawrence pours some hot water into it.
Jim is sitting on a couch looking at his alien surroundings. Lawrence presses the coffee and into a mug that says "Kiss Me, I'm Sweet." He comes over to Jim and hands him the mug.

LAWRENCE
Hot. Be careful.

JIM
Thanks.

Jim sips the coffee. Lawrence sits himself down at his office chair at the desk. Jim smiles.

JIM(CONT'D)
That's a f*****g good coffee.

Lawrence smiles. Jim glances at his wound.

JIM (CONT'D)
Hey, where did you learn to do this?

LAWRENCE
It's nothing. I'm a pre-med student.

JIM
Yeah?

Jim swings his arm around.

LAWRENCE
You still gotta be careful!

Jim grimaces with pain.

JIM
What's your name?

LAWRENCE
Lawrence. Lawrence Westbrook.

Jim extends his hand out.

JIM
I'm Jim Standing-Tall.

LAWRENCE
Indian?

JIM
Spokane Tribe.

Jim drinks his coffee.

LAWRENCE
You want some more?

JIM
Don't mind if I do.

Lawrence brings the French press, pours coffee into Jim's mug. Jim looks at the coffee mug and laughs.

JIM (CONT'D)
So, Lawrence. Do you pick up drunken bleeding Indians off the street often?

LAWRENCE
No.

JIM
You are not a f*g, are you?

LAWRENCE
No.

Jim points at the picture on the wall.

JIM
That your girlfriend?

LAWRENCE
Yeah. That's Kim.

JIM
Man, if I was a woman, the way I was treated tonight, I'd sleep with you in a sec. She's gotta watch out.

Lawrence laughs nervously.

JIM (CONT'D)
What does she do?

LAWRENCE
She's in school to be a social worker.

JIM
Typical rich white girl tendency. You don't know what to do with your life, you got no skills, so you help other people. The least thing they could do. I see them everywhere in the soup kitchens.

LAWRENCE
That's one way to look at it.

They smile.

LAWRENCE (CONT'D)
Are you hungry?

JIM
I like this white man's guilt thing. Keep it coming Larry. I need some reparation!

Lawrence goes out of frame. Jim slowly gets up and takes the cordless phone near the couch. He dials *69. After the dial tone;

Kim (phone)
Hello?

Jim hangs up, unplugs the phone and goes back to the couch. Lawrence comes back with a plate full of bread and condiments.

JIM
Now look at that!

Jim scarfs the food down while Lawrence looks on. Jim looks at Lawrence.

JIM (CONT'D)
Aren't you gonna eat?

LAWRENCE
No. I had dinner. I'll eat some in the morning.

Jim finishes his coffee, wipes his mouth.

JIM
Hey, kid. Aren't you afraid of me?

LAWRENCE
Is there a reason I should be?

JIM
I'm a drunken Indian you picked up on the street. I could be a drug fiend. I could beat you up and take your money, your precious things. I'm much bigger than you, I could rape you and chop your head off.

LAWRENCE
I guess you could...
(pause)
But you won't.

JIM
You are full of optimism, aren't you? I can't figure out whether you are just goddamn naive or...are you a Jesus freak?

Lawrence shakes his head.

LAWRENCE
Listen. The world is what you make it out to be. We don't have to f**k each other to survive.

Jim shows the wound to Lawrence.

JIM
You wanna know how I got this cut?

Jim swallows soundly. His eyes glassy.

JIM (CONT'D)
I beat up this old white lady who gave me some money last night. And you know what? It was her grand son stabbed me with a pocket knife. I beat that little rascal to a pulp.

Lawrence is stunned.

LAWRENCE
What happened to them?

JIM
I don't know. I left them there, on the street.

Lawrence looks at the phone.

JIM (CONT'D)
You are so f*****g naive. Look around you. You got everything man. You go to a f*****g university, you got a nice place to live, you don't have to worry about money, where to sleep or anything. Did you know that the suicidal rate among Indian men in the Reservations is the highest in the world, and the rest of us die in other alcohol related diseases and car accidents? That our average life span is about 46 years?

Jim puts his hand in a fig spread jar, scoops out the spread with his hand.

JIM (CONT'D)
And you, white f*****g pre-med student, and the likes of you are eating fig spread, goat cheese and drinking beaujolais while I have to steal money from old ladies?

He throws fig spread at Lawrence's face. Lawrence is gripped with fear. Jim hurls the jar against the wall. It shatters. He wipes his hands on the couch.
Jim gets up. He goes to the desk, picks the laptop up.

JIM (CONT'D)
Take off your shirt.

LAWRENCE
What?

Jim comes over and drops the laptop on the couch. Jim raises his hand as if ready to hit Lawrence.

JIM
Take off your shirt.

Lawrence unbuttons his shirt, exposing his pale chest. Jim goes close to him as Lawrence shuts his eyes. Jim snatches his shirt from him and puts it on. It's a tight fit on Jim.

JIM (CONT'D)
Well whaddaya think?

Jim prances around. He then picks up the computer and his jacket.

LAWRENCE
Not my computer!

Jim raises his hand. Lawrence ducks.

JIM
Trust me, Larry. Your parents will get you another one. I need it more than you do.

Jim heads to the door. Slam. He is gone, leaving Lawrence crying on the floor.

Fade out.

Title "Next Day"
EXT. BOOKSTORE - DAY
Lawrence and Kim are walking down the street side by side. Lawrence notices something at the bookstore window. The sign says "Meet the Author of bestselling book, BLEEDING HAS STOPPED, Jim Standing-Tall" There is a picture of Jim smiling. Lawrence's eyes widen.

KIM
What's wrong?

INT. BOOKSTORE - DAY
Jim is surrounded by admirers, signing books, shaking hands. On his lap, his daughter, Samara, 5, looks on with bright eyes. Jim is wearing Lawrence's shirt.
Lawrence waits his turn. Jim notices him. He says something to his daughter silently. She runs out of frame. Jim gets up from his seat.

JIM
Lawrence! How are you my friend?

Lawrence leaves him hanging.

LAWRENCE
Where did you get that cut?

Jim laughs.

JIM
I was at this bar last night. I got drunk as a skunk. I don't remember anyth-

Lawrence punches Jim square in the jaw. Jim falls. People scream.

KIM
What the hell is wrong with you?

Some people helps Jim up from the floor.

JIM
It's alright. My friend had a rough night.

Lawrence walks out of the building.

EXT. LAWRENCE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
We see a heap of Lawrence's stuff outside the building. Some of them are in garbage bags and some of them are spilling out: French press, lots of different condiment, broken bottles, etc.

INT. LAWRENCE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
A pot on the stove. It's a cheap instant ramen noodle that's cooking in the pot. There is a case of ramen noodles on the kitchen counter and a family size Folgers.
Lawrence turns off the heat, takes the pot, goes across the now trashed apartment, sits down on the couch, starts eating noodle from the pot with a fork. There is a copy of Jim's book on the couch and his laptop in an opened UPS box.

Fade out.

The end

Reviews

[Writer CW Kirkland]

This is the first time I have read a script on the Cafe so I must admit that I am not familiar with the correct formatting. However, I did like the story. I had difficulty understanding why Lawrence would take Jim into his apartment...it seems more logical that he would help the Indian man while he was in the street, and then they might move the scene inside after Jim convinces Lawrence to trust him. There were a few minor grammar errors, and I noticed the use of slang in the scene directions (i.e., "Lawrence leaves him hanging.") Overall, I liked the story, but I would have liked more development in the beginning of the relationship with the main characters.