Welcome Home: SCENE FIVE

INTERIOR TREATMENT AREA — DAY
EMILY AND A. MICHAEL ARE TALKING AS EMILY EXAMINES PAYCHECK.

EMILY
You know, even though Paycheck is big for a greyhound, he just seems about mid-sized to me, after having lunch with O’Howloran. But then, an overweight Labrador Retriever seems mid-sized to me after my Irish Wolfhound.

A. MICHAEL
He still needs more pounds on him.

EMILY
(TO PAYCHECK) You’re not much of an eater, are you, fella? (TO A. MICHAEL) Give me a handful of kibble.

A. MICHAEL
Why?

EMILY
I never met a greyhound who wouldn’t take a treat from your hand. (EMILY HOLDS OUT HER HAND AND PAYCHECK NIBBLES KIBBLES.) That’s my boy. (TO A. MICHAEL) Okay, you can put him back in his crate for now. I’ll have Robbie take him out and walk him through the clinic a couple of times this afternoon so he can start getting his bearings on his new home.

A. MICHAEL
(CLOSING THE DOOR ON PAYCHECK’S CRATE) This afternoon can’t have anything as interesting as I had while you were gone for lunch.

EMILY
Really?

A. MICHAEL
A genuine exotic.

EMILY
As opposed to a fake exotic?

A. MICHAEL
(GLARES AT EMILY)

EMILY
Okay, what did you see?

A. MICHAEL
A chameleon with clear eyes, symmetrical mouth, firm body muscles, and good hydration.

EMILY
So, why was he here? He? She? Could you tell?

A. MICHAEL
(ARCHLY) HE was brought in because HIS owner’s little brother let HIM out of the habitat.

EMILY
And?

A. MICHAEL
And his owner was afraid of poisoned bugs.

EMILY
Really?

A. MICHAEL
Really.

EMILY
So, what happened?

A. MICHAEL
I gave the chameleon a full exam, minus invasive tests, of course. Told the owner to call me at 9:45 tomorrow morning if there are any problems.

(BEAT)

EMILY
Nice job, Doctor. (BEAT) You like exotics?

A. MICHAEL
Oh, yeah. You?

EMILY
Me? Birds. After the dogs and cats.

A. MICHAEL
Well, yeah.



CUT TO:
INTERIOR EXAM ROOM #1 — DAY
ROBBIE IS CLEANING THE EXAMINING TABLE AND THE FLOOR.
CYNTHIA ENTERS CARRYING A BOX OF SAMPLES AND PRODUCTS FOR DOGS, CATS, AND BIRDS.

ROBBIE
Hey, Cyn.

CYNTHIA
Hey, yourself. (SHE BEGINS TO PUT ITEMS FROM THE BOX ONTO THE SHELVES ABOVE THE SINK.)

ROBBIE
Why so glum?

CYNTHIA
Hm? Oh, nothing.

ROBBIE
Is, too, something.

CYNTHIA
(STOPS STOCKING THE SHELVES AND TURNS TO LOOK AT ROBBIE.) How do you know that?

ROBBIE
I don’t know, Cyn. You just don’t have on your happy look.

CYNTHIA
Wow, a girl can’t get a thing past you, can she, Robbie?

ROBBIE
Okay, then. Why so glum?

CYNTHIA
Armando wants me to go to the Hamptons and stay with him and not come home for months.

ROBBIE
Who are the Hamptons?

CYNTHIA
Not who, where. New York.

ROBBIE
You would like New York, Cyn. Don’t they have lots of baseball in New York? And shows and stuff. And shopping. You love shopping, Cyn.

CYNTHIA
It wouldn’t be in New York City. Besides, it would mean being away from here. And what about Gideon and PooDoo? Why hasn’t Armando thought of them? How could I leave our dogs?

ROBBIE
My apartment manager says I can have a dog; so, I could take care of them for you. I could bring them to work everyday, and they would only miss you a little.

CYNTHIA
(GOES BACK TO STOCKING THE SHELVES) It’s just too long. (BEAT) I’d miss THEM, Robbie.

ROBBIE
Yeah. Yeah, you would.



(CONTINUED)