Short3

*this short is available as an MS Word file with standard formatting

FADE IN:

INT. STUDIO - NIGHT

Female news ANCHOR.

ANCHOR

The city of Windsor lost its final remaining neuro-surgeon
today, as Dr. Unkar Singh left his practice at Windsor Memorial
to pursue higher-paying opportunities in the United States.
Our correspondent, Stephen Jones, has the reaction from
patients and the public.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

STEPHEN starts his interview with a SMOKING PATIENT, slumped over in his chair.

STEPHEN
How do you feel about Dr. Singh moving to the U.S.?

SMOKER
Not much.

Stephen thinks for a moment.

STEPHEN
Do you have anything to add?

SMOKER
Who's the genius that gave us socialist healthcare?

STEPHEN
That would be former Prime Minister Tommy Douglas,
voted the Greatest Canadian of All-Time last
year in a CBC poll.

SMOKER
Oh.
(After a pause)
Fuck him.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOSPITAL SIDEWALK - DAY

Stephen walks toward the camera. A few patients wander around.

STEPHEN
Many questions were raised today for patients
scheduled in Dr. Singh's surgery. Who will perform the
essential operations, with Toronto hospitals stretched to
overflowing, and no one at hand to deliver urgently
needed care?

A middle-aged patient nearby collapses. His IV stand and fluid bag crash on top of him.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - DAY

Stephen drives somewhere with a CANCER PATIENT from the hospital. A golf-ball sized tumor sits atop his head. He still wears his dressing gown. He looks blue-collar.

STEPHEN (v.o.)
That's when Randy McNewell decided to look for
help elsewhere in Windsor, from the only people
still willing to cut his head open and remove the
malignant growth.

CUT TO:

INSERT - TV SCREEN

An old 50s horror movie.

ZOMBIE
Brains!

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - DAY

Still driving.

STEPHEN
I took Randy to the local cemetery in his search
for a member of the undead to come
through where the medical profession had
failed him.

CUT TO:

EXT. CEMETERY GROUNDS - DAY

Randy and Stephen walk slowly. There's a lot of people around.

STEPHEN
(v.o.)
We weren't the only ones there that day.

Orderlies toss aside shovels as they finish digging a pit. A FRAIL PATIENT approaches an ORDERLY at the edge of the pit.

FRAILTY
What's going on?

ORDERLY
Look, a sea-gull.

The orderly points vaguely at the skyline. The patient doesn't look where he points, merely stares sadly at him, then gets pushed into the pit.

A shovel flies up from the pit, turning end over end, then clatters back down from whence it came.

STEPHEN (v.o.)
Then were plenty of people from the hospital,
but we didn't succeed in finding zombies. Randy
said we should look elsewhere.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - DAY

STEPHEN
(v.o.)
On our way to a heavy-metal concert, we passed
skid row when he asked me to stop.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET CORNER - DAY

A HOMELESS MAN sits propped up against a liquor store. Randy and Stephen look at him. Randy isn't sure about it.

RANDY
Let's give it a shot.

CUT TO:

INT. JAIL CELL - DAY

Policemen watch the strange operation.

STEPHEN
(v.o.)
With a bit of help from the police, we were ready.

Randy stands in the middle of a jail-cell, bent over at the waist, with a lamp-shade on his head. Only the tumor protrudes.

The homeless guy/zombie? is chained to the wall, a DEPUTY on the other side of the wall slowly pays out slack as directed by his supervisor.

STATION CHIEF
Easy... slowly...

ZOMBIE
Brains!

The zombie bolts, suddenly powerful, and clears the distance between himself and Randy in a flash. After a struggle, Randy shoves him off and falls back, missing a portion of his head.

Randy staggers toward waiting constables, who charge past him to tackle the zombie and knock Randy over. Paramedics pick him up and carry him out the door.

CUT TO:

EXT. CEMETERY PARKING LOT - DAY

A wailing ambulance screeches to a stop. A stretcher containing Randy fires out from the back doors.

Randy sits up and realizes where he is.

RANDY
You fucking assholes!

He jumps off the stretcher and runs to the ambulance's driver-side door. He throws out the driver and climbs in. The ambulance takes off.

CUT TO:

EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Stephen helps Randy inside the emergency ward.

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN

INT. STUDIO - NIGHT

Randy sits between the news anchor and Stephen at the desk. His head is wrapped with bandage.

ANCHOR
How do you feel, Randy?

RANDY
Okay. The zombie got the tumor, but
took most of my frontal lobe with it.

ANCHOR
Can you tell us what that means for your
physical health?

RANDY
That part of the brain controls things like violent
restraint, reason, and compassion. I am also no longer
able to abandon a course of action once I have
started it.

ANCHOR
What does the future hold for Randy McNewell?

RANDY
Well I've just been discharged from the hospital
and now I'm going home. I think I'll check and see
if my kid remembered to cut the lawn.

The anchor and Stephen share a laugh.

ANCHOR
You'll sleep well tonight.

FADE OUT.