JEFF
How the hell can you flash back to a place you’ve never been?
DENISE
Jeff, I’m scared.
Jeff takes her in his arms.
JEFF
You’re not the only one.
DISSOLVE TO
INT.—BEDROOM—LATE THAT NIGHT
Dinner’s been reheated and eaten, Megan’s been put to bed, but Jeff is still shaken. Denise, in pajamas, sits up in bed, pillows propped up against the headboard bookcase. Jeff, still dressed, stands by the window, looking out, his back to her.
JEFF
(dully)
I have to go away.
DENISE
Go away? You’re talking crazy, Jeff.
JEFF
(turns to face her)
Crazy? Tell me what’s crazy! A man in a wheelchair who leaves tracks in my carpet and vanishes into thin air, that’s crazy. One moment I’m in Megan’s room and the next I’m in some hut in Nam, that’s crazy. But it’s happening, all of it’s happening.
(beat, then earnestly)
Denise, don’t you see? It’s happening on account of me. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m the cause of it.
DENISE
You haven’t done anything—
JEFF
(interrupts)
No? I can think of something I did. I was drafted, Denise. I chose Canada instead. And now …
(beat, confused)
… now it’s catching up with me, somehow. Maybe Nam was my fate, maybe I was supposed to die there. Maybe this legless ghost is the guy who went instead of me, or someone who died because I wasn’t there.
He turns away again, stares back out the window.
DENISE
That’s your guilt talking, not you. And for what? You said no to a dirty little undeclared war. You helped to stop the war, damn it. You know that.
JEFF
All I know is that I’ve got to leave. If I go, maybe you and Megan will be safe.
Denise gets up from bed, walks over to the window, puts her arms around Jeff, hugs him. He does not turn.
DENISE
Jeff, please. Whatever is happening, we can face it together.
CLOSE ON JEFF
Worried, but softening. He doesn’t want to go, not really.
JEFF
Maybe you’re right.
He turns toward her, to kiss her.
SMASH CUT TO
INT.—BROTHEL—NIGHT
Jeff completes the turn to find himself standing in the bedroom of a brothel in Saigon, a young Vietnamese prostitute standing there with her arms around him, waiting for his kiss. The light flooding through the window is red, garish. Jeff CRIES OUT and thrusts the prostitute away roughly. She stumbles and falls.
JEFF
No, no! Not again.
He backpedals, and runs from the room wildly as the woman gets back to her feet.
CUT TO
EXT.—MCDOWELL HOUSE—NIGHT
As Jeff’s Datsun revs up, backs out of the driveway, and screams off down the street, Denise comes running out of the house, a bathrobe flapping around her legs, shouting for him to stop.
DENISE
Jeff! Jeff! Wait!
The car screeches around a corner and Denise stands there, shaking, slumped in despair.
TIME CUT TO
INT.—DENISE’S OFFICE—THE NEXT DAY
A busy Legal Aid office. Denise is a staff attorney, with a private glass-walled cubicle. She’s working on some briefs, although it’s clear from her face that she’s depressed, unhappy, worried. When her com line BUZZES, Denise lifts the phone.
DENISE
Yes, Susan.
SUSAN
(O.S.)
Your husband’s on five.
DENISE
Thanks.
(pushes phone button, eager)
Jeff? Where have you been? I’ve been so worried.
We HEAR Jeff’s voice over the phone. It has a hoarse, raspy tone; he sounds strained, uncertain.
JEFF (O.S.)
Denise? Is it you?
DENISE
Of course it’s me. Where are you? Are you all right? You sound strange.
JEFF (O.S.)
Strange?
(beat)
I … I’m fine, Denny. How are you?
DENISE
Denny? You haven’t called me Denny since high school. Jeff, what’s the matter?
JEFF
I just … need to see you, Denny. Just for a little while. I’m at home, Denny. I need to see you.
DENISE
I’ll be right there.
She HEARS the click as the phone is hung up. She rises, hurriedly stuffs her briefcase, heads through the door into the outer office, where she pauses by the receptionist’s desk.
DENISE
Susan, I’m going home for the afternoon. Ask Fred to cover for me.
SUSAN
Sure. I hope nothing’s wrong.
Denise nods grimly, and exits.
CUT TO
INT.—DENISE’S CAR
She has a worried look on her face as she drives home.
CUT TO
LEGAL AID OFFICE
The outer office. Susan has just hung up the phone as Jeff comes through the outer door, haggard and unshaven, wearing the same clothes we saw him in the night before. Susan’s obviously surprised to see him.
JEFF
(weary, abashed)
Hi, Susan. Denise in?
SUSAN
She went home about five minutes ago. Right after you called.
JEFF
Right after … I called? I never called.
SUSAN
Of course you did. I put you through myself not ten minutes ago. I ought to know your voice by now.
JEFF
(stares, with dawning apprehension and fear)
My God!
He turns and runs from the office.
CUT TO
EXT.—MCDOWELL HOUSE—DAY
as Denise’s car pulls up. She walks to the kitchen door.
INT.—KITCHEN
as Denise enters.
DENISE
(calls loudly)
Jeff? I’m home.
There’s no answer. Denise frowns. We TRACK with her as she walks through the kitchen and into the living room.
DENISE
Jeff? Are you there?
Silence for a long beat, and then, from upstairs, comes Jeff’s voice … except that it’s not quite his voice, it’s a little harsher somehow, with a bitter edge to it, a rasp. And it’s weak, a bit faint, as if talking was an effort.
VET
Denny? I … I’m here, Denny.
Denise moves upstairs, down the hall.
DENISE
Jeff?
VET
Here. Back here.
The voice is coming from the bedroom. Denise enters. The drapes are pulled tight, the room is very dark.
DENISE
Honey?
Silence. She crosses the room, pulls back the drapes, and as daylight floods the bedroom, the door SLAMS, Denise whirls.
DENISE’S POINT OF VIEW—WHAT SHE SEES
The Vet, legless, in fatigues, sits in his wheelchair, blocking the only exit from the room. We HOLD on him for a long beat, and for the first time we see that he is Jeff McDowell. A gaunt, hollow-cheeked Jeff McDowell, his scraggly beard doing little to disguise obvious ill-health. His speech patterns are rougher, cruder; this Jeff has been educated by Vietnam and VA hospitals, not colleges and universities. His eyes are deeply sunken; he looks at her like a starving man staring at a feast.
BACK TO THE SCENE
Denise is terrified for a beat, and then she recognizes him.
DENISE
(scared whisper)
Jeff?
The Vet smiles a tremulous, tentative smile. He looks almost as scared as she does.
VET
They call me Spaceman. I got the name in Nam, on account of the
movies I liked.
(beat)
You’re looking good, Denny. Even better than you did back … back when we were together.
She backs away, shaking her head.
DENISE
This isn’t happening … Jeff … what am I saying, you’re not Jeff, you can’t be Jeff.
The Vet rolls toward her.
CUT TO
EXT.—FREEWAY—DAY
Jeff’s car is barreling through freeway traffic, cutting in and out, hurrying home. He comes down an exit ramp, speeds along a residential street.
INT.—JEFF’S CAR
Behind the wheel, he looks grim and intent, a little frightened.
CUT TO
THE BEDROOM
The Vet rolls forward as Denise backs away from him.
VET
You want to see my dogtags? I’m Jeff McDowell, just as much as he is. You want to test me? Go on, I know all the answers. We met in high school, working on the school paper. Your parents are named Pete and Barbara. The first time we went all the way was on your couch, the night they went out for an anniversary dinner and I came over to watch War of the Worlds on your color TV. You’ve got a birthmark on the inside of your thigh, about an inch—
DENISE
(interrupting)
My God … you are Jeff. What … What …
VET
(looks down at missing legs)
What happened? Is that the question? Vietnam happened, Denny. Vietnam and the draft lottery and a mine.
DENISE
You didn’t go to Vietnam. You went to Canada. We went to Canada, together, we got married up there. You taught up there until the amnesty.
VET
(bitter laugh)
I’m still waiting for my amnesty.
DENISE
How … how did you get here? Where did you come from? And why? What do you want from us?
VET
I just want …
Before he can finish, they HEAR the sound of squealing brakes from outside.
CUT TO
EXT.—MCDOWELL HOUSE—DAY
Jeff’s Datsun screeches up into the driveway, behind Denise’s Volvo. He opens the door, rushes inside.
INT.—LIVING ROOM
as Jeff bursts in through the kitchen door.
JEFF
(wild, yells)
Denise! Where are you? DENISE!
He looks around the room, snatches up a fireplace poker.
CUT TO
BEDROOM
where Denise hears him yelling.
DENISE
(shouts)
JEFF! Here, I’m up here.
VET
Denny, please. I don’t have—
DENISE
(louder)
JEFF!
We HEAR Jeff’s footsteps pounding up the stairs and a moment later the door bursts open as he enters, brandishing the poker. The Vet wheels his chair around and backs off.
JEFF
Stay away from her! Leave her alone—
Jeff stops dead, as the full realization hits him. He stares.
JEFF
(softly)
You’re … me.
VET
(soft, weary)
Bingo.
JEFF
This isn’t happening, this is some kind of—
VET
(interrupts)
Dream? Yeah. But are you dreaming me or am I dreaming you?
(beat)
I don’t give a damn either way. I think we’re both real. I think that back around 1971 we came to this fork in the road, and you went one way, and I went the other, and we got to … different places.
Jeff slowly lowers the fireplace poker. He’s pale, scared.
JEFF
Then … those flashbacks I’ve been having … those are …
VET
(hard smile)
Mine, brother. Part of the baggage. I guess they just come with me. And you and me, we’re the same person, right? I could feel it happening … leaking. But I couldn’t stop it. We just got too close.
DENISE
Jeff—
Both of them turn to look at her.
DENISE
(continues, with difficulty)
I mean … Spaceman … in your … road … what happened to …
VET
To us, Denny? You and me?
Denise nods.
VET
You died in a motorcycle crash while I was in Nam. The guy you were riding with didn’t believe in helmets.
Denise looks sick, turns away. The Vet stares off into space, remembering something, and when he continues his voice is dead, hollow, full of pain.
All the time I was over there, I knew I’d be coming back, I knew I’d find you again and make it right between us … and then your mother wrote me that letter.
(beat, with great difficulty)
I was short, man. I was so short. I shoulda known better, but I wasn’t thinking right, wasn’t paying attention. You got to pay attention. I felt it when I stepped on it. It makes this sound, this little click.
(looks at them)
That kind of mine … it don’t go off when you step on it, you know. It’s when you take your weight off. The rest of the guys just looked at me. I told them to get the hell away, and they backed off one by one, but they all kept looking at me, staring at the dead man who was standing there shouting at them. Even when they were all out of range, I couldn’t move. But they were watching me, all of them watching me, and finally I couldn’t take it no more. I jumped.
(bitter laugh)
We never could jump very far, huh, Jeffy?
CLOSE ON JEFF
For a beat, the silence is profound.
JEFF
You saved them. You saved their lives.
BACK TO THE SCENE
VET
Yeah. They gave me a medal.
JEFF
You saved them.
(turns away)
And I didn’t. That’s it, isn’t it? I wasn’t there.
He flings the poker away violently, and it smashes off a wall. Jeff turns back, angry.
JEFF
All right, then. Guilty, I’m guilty. I took … the other road. But whatever … retribution is due, it’s mine. Denise and Megan have nothing to do with it. Whatever you have to do, leave them out of it.
ANGLE ON DENISE
as she listens to Jeff with fear, horror.
DENISE
No!
(looks to Vet)
I went with him to Canada. We decided together. I’m part of him, and everything that happens to him.
ANGLE ON THE VET
After a long beat, he smiles gently.
VET
I know. That’s why I loved you, Denny.
(to Jeff)
You don’t understand, man. You think I’d hurt them?
(laughs)
And they say us vets are crazy.
BACK TO THE SCENE
JEFF
Then … why? Why are you here?
VET
Good question.
(grim smile)
I’m dyin’, man.
DENISE
My God …
VET
The doctors never tell you, but I feel it coming. And it’s okay … I lost everything important a long time ago … my legs, my girl, my future. Even Jeff. And Spaceman, he didn’t have nothing but some real nasty memories.
(beat)
I was in the VA … waiting to get it over with … and I kept thinking about Denny, you know? Wondering how it would of come out if I’d done it different. I guess I just … wondered myself here, huh?
(laughs)
I always liked ghosts, but I never thought I’d be one.
The Vet turns his wheelchair to face Jeff.
Dreamsongs 2-Book Bundle Page 88
