Welcome Home: SCENE FOUR

EXTERIOR FENCED PASTURE BEHIND EMILY’S HOUSE — DAY
EMILY IS WALKING WITH HER IRISH WOLFHOUND O’HOWLORAN.


EMILY
He’s not a bad person, O’Howloran. And he really does love that Clumber Spaniel. (BEAT) What’s not to love, huh? So he loves Churchill, and he’s scared. It is scary, seeing someone you love being miserable and not knowing how to help. (SHE STOPS) Am I walking too fast for you? (RESUMES WALKING WITH O’HOWLORAN AT HER SIDE) He’s just posturing, that’s all. It’s what men do when they’re scared. (BEAT) Women cry. It’s easier. (LOOKS AT HER WATCH) Lunchtime’s over, big boy. Back to the house.



CUT TO:
INTERIOR RECEPTION AREA — DAY
ESTRELLA IS AT THE MAIN DESK.
A FRANTIC TEENAGED BOY ENTERS, PULLING A LITTLE RED WAGON. HELD ONTO THE WAGON WITH BUNGEE CORDS IS A SMALL ANIMAL HABITAT, MEASURING 2’ BY 2’ BY 3’. THE HABITAT IS MADE OF A HEAVY WIRE FRAME, OVER WHICH IS STRETCHED HARDWARE FABRIC OF SMALL MESH. THE BOTTOM OF THE HABITAT IS A 4” DEEP TRAY FILLED WITH SAND. INSIDE THE HABITAT ARE:
A 2’ TALL FICUS TREE IN A POT
A POTHOS VINE, ALSO IN ITS OWN POT
A DISCONNECTED WATERFALL
A SMALL DISH OF ICE CUBES
A VITALITE UV TUBE WIRED TO THE TOP OF THE HABITAT. THE LIGHT’S ELECTRIC CORD IS ATTACHED TO THE HABITAT’S OUTSIDE EDGE WITH A BUNGEE CORD.


ESTRELLA
Who’s this?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
(WHISPERS) Camo.

ESTRELLA
(WHISPERS) Who’s Camo?
WALTER RAVANCZEK
(WHISPERS) My chameleon.

ESTRELLA
(WHISPERS TO THE HABITAT) Hi, Camo. (TO THE KID, STILL WHISPERING) And who are you?

A. MICHAEL ENTERS, STANDING IN THE DOOR FROM THE HALLWAY.


WALTER RAVANCZEK
(WHISPERS) Walter Ravanczek. With a “Z.”

ESTRELLA
(LOOKING AT THE COMPUTER) (WHISPERS) Olga?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
(WHISPERS) Yeah, that’s my mom.

ESTRELLA
(WHISPERS) Why are we whispering?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
(WHISPERS) Because he’s already stressed, and I don’t want to make it any worse.

ESTRELLA
(WHISPERING)Uh-huh.

A. MICHAEL
(VERY SOFTLY) What have we got?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
My chameleon. Camo.

A. MICHAEL
(WHISPERS, TO ESTRELLA) Send him to exam room two. But give me a minute, first.


CUT TO:
INTERIOR EXAM ROOM #2 — DAY
A. MICHAEL IS SITTING ON THE FLOOR, FACING THE DOOR.
WALTER RAVANCZEK ENTERS, PULLING THE HABITAT ON ITS LITTLE RED WAGON.
A. MICHAEL AND WALTER RAVANCZEK WILL SPEAK QUIETLY THROUGHOUT THIS SCENE.

A. MICHAEL
Nice habitat.

WALTER RAVANCZEK
Thanks. I made it.

A. MICHAEL
Nice transport.

WALTER RAVANCZEK
What? The wagon. It’s my kid brother’s. Little rat.

A. MICHAEL
So what’s up with Camo?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
He hasn’t eaten anything today. And I don’t know what he ate last night.

A. MICHAEL
Last night? Why don’t you know what he ate last night?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
Because my stupid little brother let him out of his habitat last night, and I didn’t know it until I found him on Mom’s begonia.

A. MICHAEL
How long was he out?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
(CLOSE TO TEARS) Hours. And he’s not eating this morning. (WALTER OPENS THE DOOR OF THE HABITAT AND PUTS HIS HAND INSIDE. A SMALL, GREEN CHAMELEON CRAWLS OUT OF THE FICA TREE AND ONTO WALTER’S HAND.) Mom uses a pest control guy, and I’m scared Camo ate some poisoned bugs.

A. MICHAEL
(VERY SLOWLY INSERTS HIS OWN HAND INTO THE HABITAT, HOLDING IT JUST BELOW WALTER’S HAND) You don’t need to worry about that. Chameleons won’t eat anyone who’s already dead.

WALTER RAVANCZEK
Right. Right. (HE MOVES HIS HAND SLOWLY, SO THE CHAMELEON STARTS TO MOVE ONTO A. MICHAEL’S HAND.) Hey, look. He likes you.

A. MICHAEL
How about his weight?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
It’s been staying steady. I weigh him on the first and fifteenth of every month.

A. MICHAEL
Yeah? How?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
On my mom’s Weight Watcher’s food scale. It’s really keen. Measures Camo to the tenth of an ounce.

A. MICHAEL
Nice. Did you weigh him when you found him today?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
No. I was so scared I just disconnected everything so I could bring him to you.

A. MICHAEL
(VERY SLOWLY TAKING HIS HAND AND THE CHAMELEON OUT OF THE HABITAT) What had to be disconnected?

WALTER RAVANCZEK
Well, you know. I had to empty the waterfall and get the hose off, and disconnect the Vitalite. Everything else just stays in there.

A. MICHAEL
Okay, Camo, let’s see how you’re doing.

A. MICHAEL PERFORMS EXAM:
(LOOKS INTO CAMO’S EYES) Eyes look good.
(LOOKS IN CAMO’S MOUTH) All symmetrical in there. That’s good.
(PULLS UP A BIT OF SKIN ON CAMO’S BACK) Umm, nice hydration. (TO WALTER) Ice was a good idea.
(EXAMINES CAMO’S TOES AND TOENAILS) Uh-huh.
(VERY GENTLY PALPATES SIDES OF CAMO’S BODY WITH THUMB AND INDEX FINGER) Nice tone. Feels good. You’re a lucky boy, Camo. Walter’s taking really good care of you. (TO WALTER) I think he’s just feeling stressed from his adventure. Take him home, give him back his waterfall and light. If he hasn’t eaten by 9:45 tomorrow morning, call me. There are some tests we can run, but I don’t want to do that unless Camo really needs them.

WALTER RAVANCZEK
You mean he’d have to come in the car again?

A. MICHAEL
No, if we need to do a fecal or blood test, I’ll come to your house. We don’t want to stress Camo any more than we absolutely have to. (A. MICHAEL GENTLY PUTS CAMO BACK INTO THE HABITAT. THE CHAMELEON CRAWLS ONTO THE FICUS TREE. A. MICHAEL CLOSES THE DOOR OF THE HABITAT.)


(CONTINUED)