"THE CIDER HOUSE RULES" Screenplay by John Irving Production Draft FADE IN. BEGIN TITLE SEQUENCE. EXT. ST CLOUD'S - TRAIN STATION - DAWN An establishing shot of the rundown train station on an overcast morning. There's snow on the station platform. A train arrives and departs. LARCH (V.O.) In other parts of the world, young men of promise leave home to make their fortunes, battle evil, or solve the problems of the world. Behind the station, at the top of the hill, lies the St. Cloud's orphanage. LARCH (V.O.) I was myself such a young man, when I came to save the orphanage in St. Cloud's... many years ago. EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - ORPHANAGE - EARLY MORNING A man and woman (COUPLE #1) make their way toward the main entrance of the large brick building. LARCH (V.O.) Here in St. Cloud's, I have come to understand that promises are rarely kept, that the battle isn't so much against evil as ignorance, and that being successful can't hold a candle to being of *use*. The couple enters the orphanage, where we hear the sound of babies. LARCH (V.O.) Nor have I solved the problem I came here to solve. INT. ORPHANAGE - MORNING Two nurses, EDNA and ANGELA, chase CHILDREN--a morning routine. LARCH (V.O.) Even in the most enlightened times, unwanted babies will manage to be born. That there will always be orphans is simple not a problem to be solved. Here is St. Cloud's, we don't regard the sordid facts of life as problems. The camera goes up the stairs with some of the kids. INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - DAY We enter an office where DR. LARCH shows couple #1 their newly adopted son, HOMER, an infant who lies smiling in Dr. Larch's arms. LARCH (V.O.) In truth, we've only had one real problem. We close in on the infant until his face fills the screen. LARCH (V.O.) His name was Homer Wells. Dr. Larch hands over the infant to the adopting parents. LARCH I named him after the Greek writer. You know Homer, of course? Hesitant nods. (They don't look as if they read.) LARCH I made his name "Wells" because I could tell he was very deep. The parents look with pride at their adopted son. LARCH (V.O.) In truth, Nurse Angela named him-- her father *drilled* wells, and "Homer" was one of her family's umpteen cats. INT./EXT. ORPHANAGE - DAY At the front door, Larch and the nurses wave and call good- bye to Homer, they close the door. INT./EXT. ORPHANAGE - NIGHT The same door swings open; it's another night. The same couple is bringing Homer back. There is concern in their faces as Nurse Edna lets them in. INT. BOY'S DIVISION, DOORWAY - NIGHT Larch is delivering his benediction to the boys. LARCH "Good night, you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England!" As he turns, he is startled by Nurse Edna, waiting with couple #1 and baby Homer. ADOPTING MOTHER There's something wrong with him! He never makes a sound. Larch looks quickly at Homer. LARCH (V.O.) He didn't cry enough for them, if you can believe it. ADOPTING FATHER Do you think we could have a look at someone a little different? The mother hands over the baby to Larch. Baby Homer lets out a happy squeal as soon as he's in Larch's arms. The parents stare in disbelief. LARCH (V.O.) Thus was Homer Wells returned. He was too happy a baby. EXT. ORPHANAGE - DAY Angela and Edna call and wave good-bye to a two-year-old Homer, leaving with COUPLE #2. Larch stands on the porch and watches the family head down the hill. LARCH (V.O.) The second family has an unfortunate gift for getting sounds out of Homer. INT. COUPLE #2'S HOME - DAY Larch bursts into the home of the second couple and lifts a crying and bruised Homer out of his bed. There is rage in Larch's eyes as he looks at the couple. LARCH (V.O.) The rumor was true. They beat him. He couldn't stop crying. EXT. HILL, ST. CLOUD'S - DAY Larch carries Homer up the orphanage hill. LARCH (V.O.) Here is St. Cloud's, I try to consider, with each rule I make or break, that my first priority is an orphan's future. INT. DELIVERY ROOM - DAY The naked belly of a VERY PREGNANT WOMAN. LARCH (V.O.) Easier said than done. A tiny hand comes in with a stethoscope and puts it on the big belly. Young Homer's head, with the stethoscope around his neck, pops up behind the belly; he closes his eyes as he concentrates on listening to the sounds of the unborn child. Larch stops in the doorway, catching sight of Homer. He smiles faintly. EXT. COUPLE #3'S HOME - DAY The door opens to a THIRD COUPLE smiling at us, welcoming and embracing a sixteen-year-old Homer. Behind them waits the would-be STEPSISTER--an attractive girl, a little older then Homer. LARCH (V.O.) I told the third family to take good care--this was a special boy. INT. STEPSISTER'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Homer and the stepsister are in bed together. The parents burst in on them--the father chasing Homer around and around the bed, the mother beating her daughter, who covers herself with a pillow. LARCH (V.O.) It was Homer who took too much good care of himself. EXT. COUPLE #3'S HOME - NIGHT From her window, the stepsister watches Homer leave the house carrying his suitcase. Homer looks up at her as he walks to the street. EXT. ORPHANAGE - EARLY MORNING It's after dawn, but still a little dark, as Homer walks to the orphanage door, suitcase in hand. A HUGELY PREGNANT WOMAN arrives at the same time. They stand awkwardly next to each other, waiting for someone to answer the door. The woman is crying. Homer reaches out and takes her hand. HOMER Don't be frightened. Everyone is nice here. PREGNANT WOMAN Do you live here? HOMER I just belong here. The woman sniffles; she nods vaguely. The door opens. Nurse Edna lets the woman in and embraces Homer. LARCH (V.O.) What could I do with him? He kept coming back! INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - DAY Larch instructs an older Homer from "Gray's Anatomy." Homer is bored and looks out the window. LARCH Homer, if you're going to stay at St. Cloud's, I expect you to be of use. INT. DELIVERY ROOM - DAY Homer looks adoringly at Dr. Larch as Larch examines ANOTHER PREGNANT WOMAN. Larch waves Homer over; he places the boy's hand on the woman's abdomen, to feel the fetus kicking. LARCH (V.O.) But, in failing to withhold love, had I created a true and everlasting orphan? I had been too successful with Homer Wells. I had managed to make the orphanage his *home*. INT. OPERATING ROOM - DAY Larch closes a door quickly behind him (so that Homer doesn't see the ABORTION PATIENT in the O.R.) INT. DELIVERY ROOM - DAY Homer assists Larch in delivering a BABY. EXT. INCINERATOR - DAY Homer carries a white enamel pail to the incinerator. He looks inside the pail; he stops. LARCH (V.O.) God forgive me. I have *made* an orphan by loving him too much. Homer Wells will belong to St. Cloud's, forever. Hold on Homer's disgusted expression as he stares at the contents of the pail. END TITLE SEQUENCE. FADE OUT. We hear a song playing on an old phonograph. INT. DISPENSARY - DAY We see the song playing on the old phonograph. Dr. Larch is taking ether. He holds the bottle in one hand, the cone over his mouth and nose with the other. SUPER: ST. CLOUD'S, MAINE, MARCH 1943. When Larch dozes off, his hand loosens its grip on the cone; the cone falls off his face, and he wakes up. Then he puts the cone back in place, dripping more ether from the bottle to the gauze covering the cone. Pan the dispensary, which also serves as Larch's photo gallery and bedroom apartment. The ether-bed is separated from the room by a hospital curtain (the kind on casters). We see the recording revolving, the glass-encased cabinets of medical supplies, the old photographs of St. Cloud's. Homer enters, he stands uncomfortably, watching Larch for a moment. Then he turns around and walks back into the corridor. INT. CORRIDOR - DAY Homer calls out as though he's just coming down the corridor. HOMER Dr. Larch! Dr. Larch! INT. DISPENSARY - DAY Larch wakes up; he shakes off the ether haze. Homer reenters. HOMER We've got two new patients, one to deliver. Dr. Larch and Homer leave together. INT. CORRIDOR - DAY The *two* doctors walk briskly down the hall, a couple of professionals. LARCH First pregnancy? HOMER Yes, for both. LARCH (sarcastically) I presume you'd prefer handling the delivery. HOMER (tiredly; an old topic) All I said was, I don't want to perform abortions. I have no argument with *you* performing them. LARCH You know *how* to help these women-- how can you not feel *obligated* to help them when they can't get help anywhere else? HOMER One: it's illegal. Two: I didn't ask how to do it--you just showed me. LARCH What *else* could I have showed you, Homer? The only thing I can teach you is what I know! In every life, you've got to be of use. Homer and Larch split off and disappear into two different operating rooms. As he goes, Homer mumbles to himself, "Of use, of use, of use." INT. OPERATING ROOM - DAY Larch and Angela are preparing the ether for DOROTHY, a not visibly pregnant woman. The sounds of labor across the hall can be heard Over. LARCH (holds the cone) Have you ever had ether, Dorothy? DOROTHY Once, when they took out my appendix. ANGELA (looks for scar) No one's touched your appendix. DOROTHY Whatever it was... the ether made me sick. LARCH It won't make you sick this time, Dorothy--not the way I do it, just a drop at a time. DOROTHY I can't pay for this, you know--I got no money. LARCH One day, Dorothy, if you have any money, a donation to the orphanage would be very much appreciated. ANGELA Only if you can afford it. LARCH (holds the ether bottle) Try to think of nothing, Dorothy. Angela puts the cone over Dorothy's mouth and nose; Larch drips the ether on the cone. A newborn wails in the other O.R. Over. INT. DELIVERY ROOM - DAY Homer has delivered CARLA. A newborn baby is screaming in Edna's arms. Homer is attending to Carla, who is panting. HOMER That was good, Carla--that was *perfect*. Everything's fine. CARLA I don't wanna see it! EDNA You don't have to see it, dear. Don't worry. CARLA I don't even wanna know what sex it is--don't tell me! HOMER We won't tell you, Carla. You're going to be okay. EDNA Your *baby's* going to be okay, too. CARLA I don't wanna know! Larch pops into the delivery room; he peers at the baby. LARCH He's a big boy! CARLA Let me see him, for Christ's sake--I wanna see him. Edna shows the baby to Carla, who stares, then turns away. Larch whispers to Homer. LARCH Would you mind having a look at Dorothy? INT. OPERATING ROOM - DAY Angela sits with the still-etherized Dorothy while Larch and Homer confer over a basin containing Dorothy's uterus. HOMER There was no visible wound? LARCH No. The fetus was dead. Her uterus was virtually *disintegrating*--my stitches pulled right through the tissue! HOMER (mystified) It looks like scurvy. LARCH (derisively sarcastic) Scurvy! Ah yes, the curse of the old- time sailor, suffering long periods at sea with no fresh fruits or vegetables. Homer, Dorothy isn't a *sailor*! ANGELA She's a prostitute, isn't she? HOMER (to Angela) Did you look in her purse? LARCH (frustrated) I looked everywhere else! Angela hands Larch a bottle of brown liquid. ANGELA It's called French Lunar Solution. Larch wrinkles his nose at the odor. LARCH It's not ergot, it's not pituitary extract, it's not oil of rue... ANGELA It claims to restore monthly regularity. HOMER It's obviously an aborticide. LARCH Obviously. Larch wets his finger with the stuff, then touches it to his tongue. LARCH (spits) Christ, it's oil of tansy! HOMER I don't know it. LARCH If you take enough of it, your intestines lose their ability to absorb Vitamin C. HOMER In other words, scurvy. LARCH Good boy. Good job. And you call yourself "not a doctor"! (to Angela) Keep an eye on her--she's in trouble. As Homer turns to leave, Larch stops him; he points to the basin. LARCH Take care of that, will you? Homer stops, annoyed; he picks up the basin and empties the contents into a white enamel pail. INT. DINING HALL - AFTERNOON MISS TITCOMB is teaching math to some distracted boys and girls in a corner of the dining room. A blackboard on wheels is a mass of numbers. Homer, passing through the dining room with the white enamel pail, attracts the attention of BUSTER, a sixteen-year-old who is picking over a plate of pastries on a table. Buster immediately goes with Homer. BUSTER I'll help you. Homer shakes his head, keeps walking. Buster follows. Dr. Larch passes close to Buster. Buster makes a face, disgusted. EXT. INCINERATOR - AFTERNOON Buster and Homer tramp through the snow toward the incinerator. Homer still carries the pail. BUSTER He *sniffs* that ether! I've seen him do it! HOMER It's because he's too tired to sleep. He has to. BUSTER He *smells* like he could put you to sleep! HOMER He's a doctor, Buster--doctors smell like ether. BUSTER *You're* a doctor, Homer--you don't smell like ether. HOMER I'm *not* a doctor. I haven't been to medical school--I haven't even been to high school! BUSTER But you've studied with the old man for *years*! HOMER I'm *not* a doctor! BUSTER I'm sorry, Homer. Buster stands watching as Homer empties the pail into the incinerator. INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT With his head inclined to the giant ear of Larch's phonograph, FUZZY--six, thin, and pale and looking remarkably like an embryo--is listening to a recording. He can't hear what Larch and Homer are saying about him as they construct a humidified tent over a small hospital bed on wheels. The humidifier is operated by a car battery. LARCH Fuzzy is not uncommon. I tell you, there's something about the premature babies of alcoholic mothers. They seem susceptible to every damn thing that comes along. HOMER I haven't read that. LARCH I haven't, either. But you *will*. The morons who write the books should do a little research *here*. HOMER But isn't Fuzzy just... well, underdeveloped? LARCH When *doesn't* he have bronchitis? I wouldn't call his bronchial infections "underdeveloped." Would you? Larch plucks Fuzzy from in front of the phonograph and zips him into the breathing tent. Fuzzy smiles. As larch leaves, MARY AGNES, a pretty but tough-looking teenager, comes into the dispensary. HOMER What is it, Mary Agnes? Mary Agnes smiles at Homer; then she sticks her tongue out at him. Homer looks at her impassively, but as the moment continues his expression suggests his annoyance. Fuzzy starts to cough; he wheezes as he breathes. Homer leans down; he peers at Fuzzy through a hole by the zipper of the tent. MARY AGNES (garbled because of her tongue) Look! Homer examines Mary Agnes' tongue. HOMER Did you bite it? MARY AGNES I don't remember. HOMER (dismissively) It looks like you bit it--it'll be all right. MARY AGNES Maybe I was kissing someone and he bit me. HOMER (looks at her tongue again) No, you did it yourself. Maybe in your sleep. MARY AGNES I must have been *dreaming* of kissing someone. Homer is not responding to her come-on. He wheels Fuzzy into the hall. HOMER Story time, Fuzzy! INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - NIGHT In the girls' bunk room, Nurse Edna is saying prayers. The girls lie with their palms pressed together on their chests. EDNA "Oh Lord, support us all the day long..." EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - THE HILL - NIGHT The building of St. Cloud's is silhouetted against the sky. Carla, the woman we saw deliver the baby, is heading down the hill alone, she sobs, not looking back. EDNA (O.S.) "...until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done." INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - NIGHT In the bunk room again, with Edna and the girls. EDNA "Then in Thy mercy grant us save lodging, and holy rest, and peace at the last." ALL THE GIRLS Amen! Amen! Amen! INT. BOYS' DIVISION - NIGHT Dr. Larch is reading from Oliver Twist--the death scene of Bill Sike's dog. The boys listen in horror in their beds. LARCH "A dog, which had lain concealed till now, ran backwards and forwards on the parapet with a dismal howl, and collecting himself for a spring, jumped for the dead man's shoulders." Homer enters; he walks quietly to his bed in the far corner of the room, where he starts to undress. LARCH "Missing his aim, he fell into a ditch, turning completely over as he went; and striking his head against a stone, dashed his brains out. Larch turns out the lights. From the open doorway to the hall, Larch delivers his nightly benediction. LARCH Good night, you Princes of Maine! You Kings of New England! Larch closes the door, leaving them in the semi-darkness. One young boy runs into Homer's bed, nervously giggling. FUZZY (in his breathing tent) Why does Dr. Larch *do* tht every night? CURLY (about seven) Maybe to scare us... COPPERFIELD (about eleven) No, you jerk. STEERFORTH (about nine) Dr. Larch *loves* us! FUZZY But why does he do *that*? BUSTER He does it because we like it. The boys silently agree, Homer among them. EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - EARLY MORNING The girls, led by Mary Agnes, round a corner of the orphanage, towing a sled piled high with snowballs. MARY AGNES Buster is mine. You two get Copperfield and Curly. Nobody touches Fuzzy. They shriek as the boys suddenly surprise them. Buster throws two hard snowballs that hit Mary Agnes and CLARA (eight or nine) before Mary Agnes overwhelms him and repeatedly sticks his head in the snow. Copperfield, terrified of Mary Agnes, escapes. Curly misses, then tips over the sled of snowballs as Clara and the adorable HAZEL (five or six) throw him to the ground. Fuzzy drops his one snowball; he runs aimlessly in circles, coughing, as Nurse Edna explodes from a door of the orphanage. EDNA Stop it! No fighting! *Share* the snowballs! BUSTER (mouth full of snow) They're *our* snowballs! They *stole* them! MARY AGNES They attacked us--just like the Japs! Fuzzy coughs and wheezes, trying to catch his breath. EDNA Listen to you, Fuzzy! You've been running. You get to the shower! A NEW COUPLE comes up the hill. The orphans stop and stare, brushing snow off themselves, struggling to make themselves look presentable. Curly is desperate to look his best. Mary Agnes doesn't bother to pretty herself. She whispers to Clara and Hazel. MARY AGNES I know the type--they'll take one of the babies. INT. DINING HALL - MORNING The children are eating breakfast as the would-be parents walk around the tables, looking over the assembled orphans. Curly works on his table manners; he forks and eats a piece of pancake with elegance. Angela and Edna try to make the couple slow down by the older children, but the couple stop and stare at the adorable Hazel. INT. BABY ROOM - MORNING Larch and Homer are examining the babies. The doctors are checking the babies' grips, their eyes, ears, and throats. Angela appears in the doorway. ANGELA Wilbur, the adopting couple is waiting in your office. LARCH (irritated) Life is waiting. Angela disappears. Larch looks at the next baby's record (attached to the bed). LARCH Where's the name sheet? HOMER Nobody's named this one yet. LARCH It's my turn! Homer is tired of this game. Larch touches the child's forehead with his index finger. LARCH Henceforth you shall be... Little Dorrit! The baby starts to cry. HOMER He doesn't like it. (looks at the record) He's a boy, That's why. LARCH Can't a boy be a Dorrit? HOMER I don't think so. LARCH You do it then. Homer points his finger at the child's forehead like a gun. HOMER Henceforth you shall be... Little Wilbur. LARCH I'm not crazy about the "Little..." Homer is writing the name. HOMER Okay, he's just a Wilbur then. LARCH We haven't had a Wilbur here in a year or so, have we? We used to have *dozens*! They are interrupted by Copperfield, who comes running from the corridor. COPPERFIELD They picked Hazel! The idiots chose Hazel! INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - DAY Hazel is being fussed over by Edna. Hazel clutches a cardboard suitcase and a tattered rag doll. Mary Agnes, by far the oldest, sits on a bed. MARY AGNES If people want to adopt one of us, they should have to take the oldest first. EDNA Please, Mary Agnes! This is Hazel's special day--don't make her feel sad. MARY AGNES Hazel's practically the youngest of us. She should be the *last* to leave! CLARA At least Hazel can talk. Usually they take one of the stupid babies. MARY AGNES They take the babies so they won't ever have to tell them that they were orphans! HAZEL (begins to cry) I'm not a baby! MARY AGNES If you cry, Hazel, they'll just send you back. EDNA Mary Agnes, that's not true! Hazel cries harder. MARY AGNES That's what they did to me! EDNA You *wanted* to come back--that's why you cried. (to Hazel) You can cry if you feel like it, Hazel. You cry as much as you want. INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - DAY Homer is in the corridor outside the office, overhearing Larch's lecture to the couple adopting Hazel. LARCH It is strictly for our orphans' sake that I destroy any record of their natural mothers. Of course they will, one day, want to know. But orphans, especially, should look forward to their *futures*. Not back to their pasts. INT. WINDOW, CORRIDOR - DAY Homer sees Curly standing all alone by a window in the corridor; a suitcase is next to him. HOMER Hi, Curly. You going somewhere? Curly shakes his head. CURLY I thought they might take me. HOMER They wanted a girl. CURLY Nobody ever wants me! Homer embraces Curly and lifts him up, he grabs the suitcase and continues down the corridor. HOMER You're one of the best, Curly--we couldn't let just anyone take you. CURLY Dr. Larch wouldn't let just anyone take *any* of us! HOMER That's true. CURLY Nobody's asked for me, have they? HOMER Nobody special enough, Curly. CURLY You mean somebody asked? HOMER Only the right people can have you, Curly. Homer disappears into the boys' bunk room carrying Curly and his suitcase, leaving the corridor empty. INT./EXT. ORPHANAGE - DAY Faces in the windows; the orphans watch Hazel walking across the snowy lawn with her new parents. INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - NIGHT Edna (with the girls) gives her good-bye blessing to Hazel. EDNA Let us be happy for Hazel. Hazel has found a family. Good night, Hazel. THE GIRLS Good night, Hazel! Good night, Hazel! Good night, Hazel! INT./EXT. ORPHANAGE - FRONT DOOR - DAY The front door opens. The orphans excitedly run outside onto the green lawn, into the warm weather of spring. INT. DISPENSARY - MORNING Angela is singing along with the song on the phonograph, a more romantic song then before, which rouses Larch from his ether. He is grumpy, but she sings the song in his ear and won't give him back the ether cone; he rolls away from her, but she tickles him and bites his ear, coaxing him into a more playful mood. LARCH I was dreaming about you. How beautiful you were! ANGELA You weren't dreaming about me. LARCH I was! Playfully, she slips out of his embrace. ANGELA Then I wasn't beautiful. LARCH You were! You *are*! It was fantastic. ANGELA It was just the ether, Wilbur... INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Homer wheels a tray with glasses of water between the beds. A DISTRAUGHT PREGNANT WOMAN stops him by her bed. HOMER Are you okay? Can I get you anything? DISTRAUGHT WOMAN No one but me ever put a hand on me, to feel that baby. Don't you want to touch it or put your ear down to it? HOMER Okay. Homer touches the woman's belly. DISTRAUGHT WOMAN Put your ear there. Go on. Homer cautiously lays his ear against her belly. DISTRAUGHT WOMAN You shouldn't have a baby if there's no one who wants to put his face right there! She holds Homer's head against her belly; she presses his face into her. She shuts her eyes. Homer's eyes stare widely. Dr. Larch stops in the doorway; he watches with concern. DISTRAUGHT WOMAN Stay right there. Right where you are. Stay right here. Right here. EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - TRAIN STATION - DAY Homer at the train station, staring down the empty tracks. Buster is hanging around with him, kicking a rock. BUSTER Do you ever think about leaving this place to go find them? Homer makes no response. As the train approaches, Homer and Buster go sit on a loading cart. They see the distraught woman (no longer pregnant) from Homer's experience of a few nights ago; she is leaving St. Cloud's without her baby, waiting for the approaching train. Her face is a mask. The DISAPPROVING STATIONMASTER gives her a hard look. BUSTER I mean your parents. HOMER I know who you mean. I think about leaving here, but not to find *them*. BUSTER Why not? HOMER Whoever they were, they didn't *do* any of the things parents are supposed to do. Dr. Larch did those things, and Nurse Edna, and Nurse Angela. BUSTER Yeah. But sometimes I wish I could meet mine, anyway. HOMER What for, Buster? What would you do if you met them? BUSTER Uh... I'd like to show them that I can cook, a little. HOMER You cook very well! BUSTER And that I can drive a truck! HOMER (laughing) Better than I can! BUSTER Sometimes I want to meet them so I can kill them. Just sometimes. Buster is ashamed; he knows he's said the wrong thing. BUSTER Homer, you know I would never kill anyone--you know I wouldn't. HOMER I know. The slowly moving train has stopped. There are SOLDIERS leaning out the windows. Buster turns to see Mary Agnes walking past the train--she's doing her best to look grown- up, sophisticated. One of the soldiers reaches out and gently tugs on her hair. Mary Agnes is enraged; she spits at the soldier. BUSTER I think Mary Agnes could kill someone. HOMER I doubt it. She's just an... Mary Agnes spits at *all* the soldiers. HOMER ...emotional girl. The soldiers roll up the windows as Mary Agnes improvises some verbal abuse. BUSTER What's she so emotional about? HOMER (shrugs) I don't know. She got left here, like the rest of us, didn't she? Camera closes on Homer. INT. DINING HALL - NIGHT The orphans are watching King Kong, the part when the giant ape first captures the screaming Fay Wray. Intercut Kong with the orphans' rapt faces. Homer sits near the front, mesmerized by the film. Dr. Larch and Angela sit by the projector; Larch is reading a letter. Fuzzy points to the screen. FUZZY (coughing) He thinks she's his *mother*! King Kong is undressing Fay Wray in the cave. COPPERFIELD He doesn't think she's his mother, Fuzzy. FUZZY He does so! He *loves* her! CARLA How could she be his *mother*? Larch shakes the letter in front of Angela. LARCH (a harsh whisper) They want to replace me! The Board of Trustees wants to *replace* me! ANGELA (whispering back) They just want you to hire some new help. LARCH Some new *things* would be useful. I don't need any "new help." The film breaks--to huge cries of disappointment from the orphans. Fuzzy coughs and coughs while Larch fumbles with the projector. Angela turns on the light while Larch squints at the broken film. The orphans are chanting, "Kong! Kong!" LARCH Homer! I need you! Homer gets up and walks to the projector. LARCH I thought you took care of this. It always breaks in the same place. It's your splice, isn't it? HOMER (angry) It's *your* splice! You blame me for everything! Larch abruptly lets go of the film. LARCH Angela, we need a new movie, a new projector, a new typewriter--*that's* what they should replace around here! Edna comes in; she speaks to Larch, then quickly leaves. EDNA We have a delivery. Imminent, in my estimation... Larch turns to Homer. LARCH Homer, would you get this one? Homer shifts his weight to the other foot; aggravated; he stands there. HOMER She's a patient, right? She should see a doctor. Homer and Larch stare at each other. LARCH (trying to stay calm) Homer, you are a skilled and gifted surgeon. You have near-prefect obstetrical and gynecological procedure. Homer is also trying to avoid a fight. HOMER I just mean I'd rather fix the movie. Tonight. Larch can't hide his disappointment. LARCH Sure. Okay. You splice. I'll deliver. It is an uneasy peace. INT. BOYS' DIVISION - NIGHT (LATER) Homer is adjusting Fuzzy's breathing tent as the other boys climb into bed. FUZZY Homer... doesn't King Kong think the woman is his *mother*? HOMER Uh, sure--that's what Kong thinks, all right. FUZZY That's why Kong loves her! Larch comes in and walks over to Homer and Fuzzy. Larch and Homer exchange a look. HOMER I thought it was my turn. LARCH It is. I'll get this. You go ahead. Homer sits down with 'David Copperfield.' There is quiet anticipation while Homer readies himself to read. HOMER (reading) "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show." Larch continues to adjust Fuzzy's breathing tent. HOMER "I was a posthumous child. My father's eyes had closed upon the light of this world six months, when mine opened on it." FUZZY (whispers to Larch) His father's dead, right? LARCH (whispering back) That's right, Fuzz. Close on Fuzzy. HOMER (O.S.) (continues reading) "There is something strange to me, even now, in the reflection that he never saw me..." As Larch bends over Fuzzy to fix the breathing apparatus, Fuzzy whispers. FUZZY Is *your* father dead? LARCH (nods, whispers) Cirrhosis--it's a disease of the liver. FUZZY *Liver* killed him? LARCH *Alcohol* killed him--he drank himself to death. FUZZY But did you know him? LARCH Barely. It hardly mattered that I knew him. FUZZY Did you know your mother better? LARCH (nods, still whispers) She's dead now, too. She was a nanny. FUZZY What's a nanny do? LARCH She looks after other people's children. FUZZY Did you grow up around here? LARCH No. She was an immigrant. FUZZY What's an immigrant? LARCH Someone not from Maine. EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - NIGHT The orphanage in moonlight. Not a sound. EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - MORNING The children are chasing a ball near the incinerator. A VERY FRIGHTENED GIRL---not one of the orphans--is lying next to the incinerator. Edna kneels by the strange girl, who cringes with fear. EDNA No one's going to hurt you, dear. Have you come to visit us? We have beds, you know. Have you had any breakfast? What's your name? The girl won't speak; when Edna touches the girl's forehead, she pulls back her hand in alarm. INT. OPERATING ROOM - MORNING Edna is holding the head of the frightened young girl. The girl is feverishly hot and whimpering; she keeps looking at her feet in the stirrups as if she's an animal caught in a trap. Larch and Homer stand on either side of her. EDNA Her temperature is a hundred and four. LARCH (very gently) How old are you, dear? Thirteen? The girl shakes her head. The pain stabs her again. LARCH Twelve? Are you twelve, dear? (the girl nods) You have to tell me how long you've been pregnant. (the girl freezes) Three months? Another stab of pain contorts the girl. LARCH Are you *four* months pregnant? The girl holds her breath while he examines her abdomen; Homer very delicately examines the girl's abdomen, too. HOMER (whispers to Larch) She's at least *five*. The girl goes rigid as Larch bends into position. LARCH Dear child, it won't hurt when I look. I'm just going to *look*. Homer assists Larch with the speculum. LARCH Tell me: you haven't done something to yourself, have you? TWELVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL It wasn't me! LARCH Did you go to someone else? TWELVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL He said he was a doctor. I would never have stuck that inside me! HOMER Stuck *what* inside you? Homer holds the girl still--she is babbling on and on while Larch is examining her. TWELVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL It wasn't me! I would never do no such thing! I wouldn't stick that inside me! It wasn't me! Larch, his wild eye peering into the speculum, makes an audible gasp from the shock of what he sees inside the girl. Larch tells Homer to have a look. Larch then whispers something to Edna; she brings the ether bottle and cone quickly. Larch starts putting the cone in place, over the nose and mouth of the frightened girl. Homer bends to the speculum. LARCH (to the twelve-year- old) Listen, you've been very brave. I'm going to put you to sleep--you won't feel it anymore. You've been brave enough. Homer stares into the speculum; he closes his eyes. The girl is resisting the ether, but her eyelids flutter closed. EDNA That's a heavy sedation. LARCH You *bet* it's a heavy sedation! The fetus is unexpelled, her uterus is punctured, she has acute peritonitis, and there's a foreign object. I think it's a crochet hook. Homer has pulled off his surgical mask. He leans over the scrub sink, splashing cold water on his face. LARCH (to Homer) If she'd come to you four months ago and asked you for a simple D and C, what would you have decided to do? *Nothing*? *This* is what doing nothing gets you, Homer. It means that someone else is going to do the job--some moron who doesn't know *how*! Homer, furious, leaves the operating room. Edna lifts the girl's eyelids for Larch so that he can see how well under the ether she is. LARCH I wish you'd come to *me*, dear child. You should have come to me, instead. INT. CORRIDOR - MORNING Homer storms down the hall, then stops, pulling off his white coat. Angry, pacing, he kicks at nothing. EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - GRAVEYARD - EARLY MORNING Buster and Homer are digging the pit. Larch paces by the coffin of the 12-year-old girl. BUSTER What'd she die of? LARCH (inhales deeply) She died of *secrecy*, she died of *ignorance*... Buster nods, but he's totally bewildered. LARCH (to Homer) If you expect people to be responsible for their children, you have to give them the right to decide whether or not to *have* children. Wouldn't you agree? Buster doesn't get it. Homer has heard this too many times; he rolls his eyes. HOMER How about expecting people to be responsible enough to control themselves to begin with? LARCH How about this child? You expect *her* to be responsible? Homer looks away. HOMER I didn't mean her. I'm talking about... adults. (annoyed) You know who I mean! Larch studies him. EXT./INT. ST. CLOUD'S ROAD - TRUCK CAB - DAY Buster is driving the old pickup truck, with the shovels and a wheelbarrow in the back. Larch and Homer are in the cab, they are being bounced all over the cab by Buster's wild driving. Larch looks at Homer; he stares at him with a curious smile. HOMER What?! Larch says nothing. Homer gives him a look. LARCH (smiling) It's just a marvel to me that you still have such high expectations of people. HOMER I'm happy I amuse you. LARCH (to Homer) Try to look at it this way. What choice does Buster have? What are his options? Nobody will ever adopt him. (Buster considers this) HOMER Try to look at it *this* way. Buster and I are sitting right here beside you. We could have ended up in the incinerator! (Buster grins) LARCH Happy to be alive, under any circumstances--is that your point? Buster is distracted; he drives the truck into a ditch and it bounces around, missing a tree by an inch. He is up on the road again in a few seconds. HOMER Happy to be alive... I guess so. They are all distracted by a luxurious convertible that overtakes them on the hill to the orphanage. The fast car is driven by a handsome man in the uniform of the Army Air Corps-- a YOUNG OFFICER. From the passenger seat, a BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN smiles at them, rendering them speechless. EXT. ORPHANAGE DRIVEWAY - DAY The luxurious convertible (now parked) has drawn all the orphans to it. The handsome young officer (WALLY) and the beautiful young woman (CANDY) stand confused by the car; they are surrounded by the curious orphans, with whom they are painfully self-conscious. They are overly friendly to the children as they are anxious of Larch and Homer and Buster (in their gravedigging attire), who are getting out of the truck. Nervously, Wally gives the children chocolates. CANDY So many children. Are they all orphans? WALLY Well, this *is* an orphanage. The kids climb into Wally's car. CANDY Oh, they're getting into the car... watch your fingers! Curly tugs on Candy's dress, staring up at her, his face already smeared with chocolate. CURLY I'm the best. CANDY (sweetly) You are? WALLY (good with kids) The best? Wow! The best at *what*? CURLY I'm the best one. Curly's nose is streaming snot. Candy kneels beside him and holds her handkerchief to his nose. CANDY Here, blow... Curly tries to talk while she's holding his nose. CURLY I really *am* the best, I just have a cold. CANDY Blow! There, I bet that feels better. CURLY (sniffs) Yeah. The other orphans are dying with envy--Candy is so beautiful. (Some, like Buster, are torn between Candy and the car.) LARCH Curly, come here! CURLY (to Larch) *Tell* them! I'm the one. Virtually all the orphans have climbed into Wally's car. HOMER (to Wally) I'm sorry. They're not used to seeing a car like this. WALLY It's okay--I don't mind. Larch, scowling, presents himself to the new couple. WALLY We brought some chocolates for the kids. LARCH (witheringly) Chocolates. How *thoughtful*. Larch picks up Curly and carries him toward the boys' division. CURLY I'm the best! *Tell* them! LARCH You're the best, Curly. INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - DAY Homer is seated in the desk chair. The impressive couple sit in front of him. HOMER So, Mrs... CANDY Candy. Candy Kendall. Wally jumps up to his feet to shake Homer's hand. WALLY Wally. Wally Worthington. Wally sits down. The three sit still for an awkward moment. HOMER (to Candy) How many months are you? CANDY (whispers) Two. Homer writes on a piece of paper. Candy and Wally exchange a worried look. WALLY So, now, uh... you're not... I mean, do *you* do the-- HOMER No. Dr. Larch will be performing the procedure. WALLY (relieved) Ah, well... okay. Good! I just wondered... Edna pokes her head in the door. EDNA Excuse me, Homer. Dr. Larch said this one is your turn. Edna quickly sees that all three of them have misunderstood her. EDNA Oh, dear--I'm sorry. I meant the circumcision. That boy you delivered on Tuesday... HOMER Sure. Fine. Have you prepped him? EDNA I'll get started. Candy and Wally can't conceal how impressed they are with the young Homer. INT. CORRIDOR - DAY Homer walks down the corridor, dressed in his operating gown, as the door to the O.R. opens and Wally stumbles out, hurriedly opening a window. Wally breathes deeply to regain his composure. WALLY I think it was the ether--the smell got to me. (pause) God. This is all my fault. Edna comes down the hall with a dirt-stained, crying Curly who's covering one eye. EDNA (over the din) Steerforth got into the pantry--he's eaten all the pie dough. CURLY (sobbing) He wasn't sharing it, either. EDNA He's down the hall, throwing up. Homer nods to Edna, who is marching off with Curly. Wally smiles at Homer. HOMER What kind of plane are you flying? WALLY A B-24 Liberator. HOMER Liberator... WALLY Have you enlisted? HOMER They wouldn't take me. I'm Class IV-- I've got a heart defect. WALLY Really! Is it serious? HOMER No, it's not serious. I'm just not supposed to get excited. You know-- no strain, no stress. I try to keep calm all the time. Wally hears Homer's facetiousness--how tired he is of his heart condition. WALLY Oh, well. I don't imagine there's any strain or stress around *here*! Homer appreciates the joke. The door to the operating room that Wally exited opens into the corridor; Candy is being wheeled out on a gurney by Larch and Angela. Wally rushes to Candy's side. Homer follows slowly. Candy is groggy, coming out of the ether. WALLY How is she doing? LARCH Just fine. CANDY (slurred speech) Boy or girl? ANGELA It was nothing--it's all over. WALLY It's all over, honey. They walk Candy on her gurney. Homer looks after them. CANDY (slurred speech) I would like to have a baby, one day. I really would. ANGELA Why, of course--you can have as many children as you want. I'm sure you'll have very beautiful children. Larch wheels Candy behind a curtain. LARCH You'll have Princes of Maine! You'll have Kings of New England! Larch has a different tone of voice when he speaks to Wally. LARCH I suggest you find yourself some fresh air, Lieutenant. Wally is left alone in the corridor. INT. BOYS' DIVISION - DAY Cranked at three-quarters, Fuzzy sits in bed, wheezing and coughing. He's drawing with great intensity, using crayons on a piece of paper held by a clipboard. Homer sits on the end of Fuzzy's bed, cleaning up Steerforth. Homer pauses to look out of the window; he sees Wally, dashing and spotless in his uniform beside his flashy car. A life Homer might have had crosses his face. FUZZY (O.S.) Homer, when is Halloween? Homer turns to Fuzzy, who holds up his picture--a big pumpkin with a jack-o-lantern face. HOMER (distracted) Uh... it's the end of October. FUZZY Is that soon? Homer looks at Fuzzy; his little body is working hard just to breathe. STEERFORTH That's a few months away, Fuzz. (to Homer) I still don't feel so good. FUZZY (disappointed) Oh. It's the best time! How come we only get pumpkins once a year? Fuzzy coughs and coughs. HOMER Don't get too excited, Fuzzy. FUZZY Why can't we have pumpkins for Christmas, too? We don't get any good presents at Christmas, anyway. Homer looks out the window at Wally again. His decision forms. EXT. ORPHANAGE DRIVEWAY - DAY Homer approaches the flashy car, where Wally is still pacing. HOMER Has anyone offered you anything to eat? WALLY Actually, someone did. I just didn't think I could eat anything. An awkward silence, which Homer covers by examining the car. HOMER (trying to sound casual) I wonder if you might give me a ride. WALLY Sure! Be glad to! Uh... a ride where? HOMER (unprepared) Where are you going? WALLY We're heading back to Cape Kenneth. Homer nods, but he has no idea where Cape Kenneth is. HOMER Cape Kenneth... Wally nods. HOMER That sounds fine. INT. STAIRWAY/CORRIDOR - DAY Homer runs up the stairs, two steps at a time; he races into a corridor at full speed, exhilarated. Suddenly Dr. Larch appears in front of him. Homer stops abruptly, out of breath, unable to speak. INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - DAY As Homer stands guiltily, Larch rifles through an X-ray file, holding various X rays up to the lit screen. He quickly finds the one he's looking for, attaching it briefly to the screen for a confirming look--a heart X ray, which Larch waves at Homer as he talks. LARCH (sarcastic) Doubtless you'll let me know what immensely worthwhile or at least *useful* thing it is that you find to do. HOMER (restrained) I wasn't intending to leave here in order to be entirely useless--I expect I'll find some ways to be of use. LARCH In other parts of the world, I suppose there are other ways. HOMER (still restrained) Of course. LARCH (blows up) Are you really so *stupid* that you imagine you're going to find a more gratifying life? What you're going to find is people like the poor people who get left here--only nobody takes care of them as well! And you won't be able to take care of them, either. There's no taking care of *anybody*-- not out there! HOMER (feeling trapped) You know I'm grateful for everything you've done for me... LARCH (calmly) I don't need your gratitude. Larch hands Homer the heart X ray. HOMER (exasperated) I don't need this--I know all about my condition. LARCH It's your heart--you ought to take it with you. Camera closes on Homer with the X ray. INT. KITCHEN - LATE AFTERNOON Buster and Mary Agnes are serving the evening meal while Larch rails at Angela and Edna, who are helping Buster and Mary Agnes. The sound of children in the dining hall is intermittent and chaotic. EDNA Going where? Does he have a plan of some kind? ANGELA Will he be back soon? LARCH I don't know! He's just leaving-- (to Angela) you're the one who says he needs to see the world! (to Edna) *That's* what he'll do--he'll see the world! EDNA (stunned) He's leaving... ANGELA He'll need clothes... some money... LARCH Let him try to *make* some money! That's part of "seeing the world," isn't it? ANGELA (angrily) Oh, just stop it! You knew this was going to happen. He's a young man. LARCH (almost breaking) He's still a boy--out in the world, he's still a boy. ANGELA Just find him some clothes, Wilbur. He could use some clothes. Camera closes on Larch, fighting tears. INT. BOYS' DIVISION - AFTERNOON Homer is packing his things--we see the heart X ray, and some photos of Larch and Edna and Angela. Larch approaches Homer with a small bundle of clothes. LARCH (gently, almost reverently) I think these will fit you. Homer is grateful and ashamed. Before he can speak, Edna is there--a wad of bills in her hand. She tries to put the money in his pocket; when he refuses it, she simply puts the money in his open suitcase, stuffing the bills under his clothes. EDNA You'll need some money--just a little something, until you find a job. Larch and Edna retreat from him, humbly, as if they were his servants. EXT. DRIVEWAY - AFTERNOON As Homer puts his stuff in the truck of Wally's car, Angela can't resist touching his face. She is too upset to speak. From a window, Larch is watching the departure. He sees Homer saying goodbye to the children, embracing them. From another window, Fuzzy just stares. (Of course he's coughing.) We see Wally carrying Candy to the car. CANDY (groggy) I'm okay--I can walk. WALLY I don't want you to walk--I want to carry you. Should I put the top up? It might get cold. CANDY No--keep it down. I want to feel the air. She speaks to Homer, touching his sleeve, like a sleepy person, as Wally puts her gently in the backseat. CANDY (still groggy) Coming with us? It's always a good idea to have a doctor along for the ride. Homer gets in the passenger seat beside Wally, who starts the car; suddenly there is Curly. Homer can't look at Curly, who looks betrayed. Edna picks up Curly and carries him to the passenger-side window. Curly is sobbing. HOMER I have to go, Curly. I'm sorry. (to Edna) I couldn't find Buster. Will you tell him... He can't finish what he has to say. Edna kisses him good- bye. From the window, Larch watches the car leave. Buster, whittling a stick, isn't watching. INT./EXT. WALLY'S CAR - ON THE ROAD - AFTERNOON There is quiet as the journey gets underway. Wally keeps glancing at Candy in the rear-view mirror; she seems distant, lost in thought. Homer is taking everything in--the speed, the road, the wind in his face. INT. BOYS' DIVISION - NIGHT Angela speaks to the boys. ANGELA Let us be happy for Homer Wells... INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - NIGHT In the girls' washroom, in front of the mirror by the row of sinks, Mary Agnes is repeatedly slapping her face. Angela's benediction to the boys plays Over this scene of violent self-abuse. Except for the sound of the slaps. Mary Agnes doesn't make a sound. ANGELA (O.S.) Homer Wells has found a family. Good night, Homer! ALL THE BOYS (O.S.) Good night, Homer! INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT On his bed, Larch is taking ether. We hear the refrain from the boys in the bunk room Over. ALL THE BOYS (O.S.) Good night, Homer! Good night, Homer! Good night, Homer Wells! INT. WALLY'S CAR - NIGHT The radio is playing. Candy is lying down, her knees drawn up, in the backseat; she appears to be asleep, oblivious to Homer and Wally's conversation. WALLY Actually, the Army has given me leave twice. First when my father died, and now I'm on leave to help my mother-- I'm just trying to get her ready for the harvest. She's no farmer. Apples were my dad's business. And with the war on, she's short on pickers. Candy's eyes are open but her voice is groggy. CANDY (to Homer) Wally thinks apples are boring. WALLY (to Homer) I never said they were boring. CANDY You said, "Apples aren't exactly flying." WALLY Well, they aren't. Homer looks back at Candy. Her eyes close. HOMER I think I'd probably like the apple business. WALLY You're a little overqualified, aren't you? HOMER No, I'm not. I need a job. WALLY The only jobs are picking jobs. Picking apples is truly boring. Candy's eyes snap open and she sits up a little. CANDY There! You said it was boring. WALLY Well, *picking* them is! It's about as exciting as... walking! Candy seems irritated with Wally. Homer tries to engage her. HOMER Is your family in the apple business, too? CANDY No, but I work there--I like it. My dad's a lobsterman. HOMER I've never seen a lobster. CANDY Really? HOMER I've never seen the ocean, either. WALLY (amazed) You've never seen the *ocean*? Homer shakes his head, smiles. WALLY That's not funny... that's *serious*. EXT./INT. ROADSIDE/CAR - NIGHT The car is parked at the side of the road. Wally is half- hidden behind a tree. Candy and Homer are left alone in the car; there's an awkward silence as Homer pretends not to hear Wally's excessive peeing. Suddenly Candy starts to sob. CANDY I couldn't have a baby with someone who's leaving me--I didn't know what else to do! Homer is a doctor--he's used to postabortion reactions. HOMER I know. CANDY He's going to be dropping bombs on Mandalay! They're going to be shooting at him! HOMER Where's Mandalay? CANDY Burma! HOMER Oh... CANDY I can't have a baby alone. I don't even know if he's coming back! HOMER I understand. He doesn't, really. Wally returns. Wally leans over Candy to hug her. WALLY Honey, honey... of course I'll come back. Candy pounds on his chest with her fists. CANDY You don't *know*, Wally. You have no *idea*! Wally backs away. Candy sobs uncontrollably. CANDY Stay away from me! Wally signals to Homer to get out of the car. Later, Wally and Homer stand outside the car, overhearing Candy's weeping. Homer is smoking nervously. HOMER (strictly medical) This is all normal. Don't worry. The abortion procedure... it affects you. It's the ether, too. It'll take a little time. WALLY I don't *have* any time. There's a *war*! HOMER It's all very normal. Wally looks at Homer, who takes a nervous drag on his cigarette. WALLY You ought to cut that shit out--it's terrible for you. Homer looks at Wally; he sees the authority in his eyes. Homer drops his cigarette and puts it out with his foot. They notice that Candy has stopped crying. Wally finds Candy asleep in the backseat. EXT. WALLY'S CAR - ON THE ROAD - LATE AT NIGHT The lone car on the road. Snatches of war news from the radio are the only sound as the headlights illuminate the dark highway. EXT. COAST OF MAINE - MORNING The car is parked, with Homer sleeping in it alone. The sounds of the ocean increase as Homer opens his eyes. Homer gets out of the car and walks toward the beach, enchanted. There it is: his first view ever of an ocean, the horizon, the sun glimmering on the water. Candy is lying on a blanket in the sand. Wally is throwing rocks in the water. Homer takes it all in. When Candy calls for him, Homer walks up to her. CANDY I'm a little worried about the... (she gestures below her waist) ...about how much bleeding is okay. HOMER It should taper off tomorrow, but it can come back again. You have cramps? (Candy nods) They'll ease up, almost entirely. As long as the bleeding isn't heavy, it's normal. WALLY (O.S.) Catch! A football comes flying through the air toward Homer; it bounces off his chest. Wally laughs. WALLY (meaning the football) Give it here! Homer throws the football; it's clear he's never thrown one before. WALLY What was *that*?! Come over here! Homer runs over to Wally, who proceeds to show him how to pass the ball. Snatches of his instruction drift to Candy, who closes her eyes. "Put your fingers on the laces--no, it rests in your palm, like this! You want the laces up--yes, like that!" EXT. COAST OF MAINE - DAY (LATER) Homer and Wally sit on the beach a short distance from Candy's blanket. She appears to be asleep. Wally looks in her direction before he speaks to Homer. WALLY It's called the Burma run. It's about a seven-hour round-trip flight between India and China. Wally draws a crude map in the sand. HOMER "Burma run" because you fly over Burma... WALLY *And* over the Himalayas. That's called flying over the hump. On Candy's face: she's not asleep; she's listening. HOMER (O.S.) At what altitude? WALLY I've got thirty-five minutes to climb to fifteen thousand feet--that's the first mountain pass. Homer looks at Wally, thoughtfully. HOMER What lousy luck--I mean your orders... to draw an assignment like that! WALLY (conspiratorially) Actually, I volunteered. Homer is shocked; he looks back at Candy, lowers his voice. HOMER It's the flying, right? You love to fly, don't you? Wally nods; he also gives a look in Candy's direction before he responds. WALLY I love the bombing, too. But there's also the Himalayas--they have the most wicked air currents in the world. I wouldn't miss flying there for anything. Homer's smile suggests that he's impressed, but that he wouldn't have Wally's enthusiasm for the task. Wally laughs and puts his hand on Homer's shoulder. WALLY Uh, look... if you're serious about wanting a job, picking apples isn't that boring. HOMER Oh, I would love that, Wally. EXT. CAPE KENNETH - LOBSTER POUND - AFTERNOON The car is parked at a lobster pound. Homer sits in the car watching Wally carrying Candy's bag to the door. Candy stands outside the car; she shakes Homer's hand. CANDY I guess I'll see you around the orchards. Thanks for everything. HOMER Sure... I'll see you around. Candy turns and heads toward the house to catch up with Wally. A lobsterman in his boat is approaching the dock. It's RAY, Candy's father. Candy waves. "Hi, Daddy!" Homer glances at Candy and Wally on the dock, kissing good-bye. CANDY (whispering) I love you, Wally. WALLY I love you, too. See you tomorrow. EXT. OCEAN VIEW - WORTHINGTON HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON Wally drives up to the Worthington house; he gets out of the car. Homer sits in the car, admiring the beautiful farmhouse. WALLY Come on. You have to meet my mom. (conspiratorially) If it comes up, I've been at a wedding. That's where I met you, at the wedding. INT. WORTHINGTON HOUSE - WALLY'S BEDROOM - LATE AFTERNOON Homer as never seen such a room: the sports trophies, the photos of athletic teams, and of Candy with Wally. Model airplanes are everywhere. Mrs. Worthington's voice comes from the hall. OLIVE (O.S.) Wally? I expected you earlier... She appears in the doorway of Wally's room. Mrs. Worthington (OLIVE) is an elegant, fiftyish New Englander, as handsome as Wally, but more reserved. She is surprised to see Homer. WALLY This is Homer Wells--he's the most overqualified apple picker you'll ever meet, but he's dying to learn the apple business. Wally is taking his uniform off as he speaks, just dropping it on the floor as he quickly puts on some farm clothes. OLIVE How do you do, Homer Wells... Homer has never met anyone like her. HOMER How do you do... Mrs. Worthington starts picking up her son's uniform from the floor. She is politely curious about Homer. OLIVE Were you a friend of the bride or the groom? Homer looks confused; he seems to have forgotten about the alleged wedding. Wally puts his arm around Homer, urging him into the hall. WALLY Homer is everybody's friend, Mom... the bride's, the groom's, mine, Candy's, *everybody's*. Homer is embarrassed, but Olive is obdurately well-mannered. OLIVE Well, perhaps you'll come to dinner, Homer... Wally calls to her as he pushes Homer down the hall. WALLY Not tonight, Mom--he's got to meet *Mr. Rose*! EXT. CIDER HOUSE - DUSK Homer and Wally get out of the jeep at the cider house, a barnlike building with adjacent sheds and, behind it, line after line of trees--the apple orchards. Homer sees an outdoor shower where THREE BLACK MEN are showering. It is a wooden stall that leaves the shower's occupants visible above and below their midsections. A FOURTH BLACK MAN is caught naked, running behind the cider house and out of sight as he wraps a towel around himself. JACK You already used up the hot water! MUDDY You're usin' my soap, ain't you? JACK I ain't usin' no soap--it's too cold to bother with soap! MUDDY There ain't never enough hot water, soap or no soap. WALLY They're migrants. HOMER (no clue) Migrants? WALLY Yes. They pick fruit, all kinds. They travel up and down the coast with the seasons. (leaning close to Homer) The trick to Mr. Rose is, you have to let him be the boss. Homer wonders what that means as Wally reaches for the door of the cider house. Before Wally can knock, a pretty young black girl, ROSE ROSE, bumps open the screen door with her hip and throws a bucket of water in the grass--almost hitting Homer and Wally. ROSE ROSE That sink's backed up again, Wally. I thought you was gonna get me a plumber. WALLY Rose, this is Homer--Homer, this is Mr. Rose's daughter, Rose. HOMER Rose Rose? ROSE ROSE Pretty, ain't it? You a plumber? WALLY No, no--Homer is a new *picker*. He's going to stay here with you. This gets the attention of the men on their way from the showers. They walk over, towels around their waists. ROSE ROSE (suspiciously) He's stayin' *here*? The screen door swings open and shut again, startling them all, as MR. ROSE comes out of the cider house. MR. ROSE That daughter of mine sure is Miss Hospitality, ain't she, Wally? Grinning, Mr. Rose shakes Wally's hand. Rose Rose goes back inside the cider house as Mr. Rose shakes Homer's hand. Homer introduces himself. MR. ROSE You got lots of experience pickin', I suppose. WALLY Homer's got no experience, Arthur, but he's smarter then I am. He's a fast learner. Mr. Rose looks briefly at the men, who wait for his reaction. MR. ROSE This is history. Ain't that what you're sayin', Wally? I guess we makin' *history*... havin' this young man stay with us! Wally slaps Homer on the back; he goes inside the cider house to help Rose Rose with the plumbing. WALLY (over his shoulder) See you later. Homer looks at Mr. Rose for instructions. Mr. Rose stares back at him with his enigmatic smile. HOMER So. What should I do now? MR. ROSE Out back, there's a shed. It's just a mess. If that shed was better organized, I could put my truck in there. Homer looks at Mr. Rose with an uncomprehending expression. MR. ROSE If you're as smart as Wally says, you know you sometimes gotta do one job before you do another. Homer thinks that over. Later, Homer is cleaning out the shed. EXT. CIDER HOUSE - EVENING The pickers all sit down to supper around a picnic table. Homer with Mr. Rose, Rose Rose, and the other black pickers. Mr. Rose takes an apple from a bowl on the table. Then he pulls out a knife and opens it in one fluid motion; he's so fast, the knife seems to come out of nowhere. He begins to peel the apple. Homer eyes Mr. Rose, but Mr. Rose's focus is riveted to his apple and the long, perfect strand of peel dangling from it. MR. ROSE You did a good job with that shed, Homer. Peaches breaks the awkward silence. PEACHES What kind of a name is Homer? HOMER It's the name of a cat. Originally. Well, not *originally*. Homer decides to stop. Another silence. MR. ROSE Now, now--we all got names, sensible or not. (to Homer) Peaches is from Georgia, where we met him pickin' peaches. He's still better with peaches than hs is with apples. (Peaches grins) Jack here is new. And this here is Hero, 'cause he was a hero of some kind or other once. Ain't that right, Hero? There are some disrespectful suggestions from the pickers concerning what his heroism might have been. MR. ROSE And this here sensitive-lookin' fella is Muddy. The less said about Muddy, the better. Ain't that right, Muddy? Muddy scowls at Homer, but he smiles at Mr. Rose. INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT Homer unpacks his suitcase. (His bed should be nearest Muddy's and Mr. Rose's.) Jack lies on his bed, smoking. Muddy, also smoking, is sitting on his bed, sharpening a knife. Hero and Peaches are playing cards on one of their beds. Mr. Rose is finishing shaving. Rose Rose watches Homer unpack. ROSE ROSE What's that? HOMER It's just my heart. ROSE ROSE What you got a picture of your heart for? He holds up the X ray, in order to show her. HOMER There's a little something wrong with it. Just this part here--the right ventricle. It's slightly enlarged. ROSE ROSE So what? HOMER Yes, so what. It's nothing serious, really. Just a small defect. MR. ROSE It's big enough to keep you out of the war, I suppose. Ain't that right? HOMER Right. Rose Rose picks up the book that Homer has put on the bed. She studies the cover; it's "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. She puts it down, restlessly. MR. ROSE They told me I was too old to serve. PEACHES They told Muddy his feet was too flat! Everybody laughs, except Muddy. MUDDY (to Peaches) And you was "generally unfit," as I recall. Finished unpacking, Homer sits on his bed; he picks up "Great Expectations" and begins to read. Rose Rose sits down next to him, watching him read. Homer notices her interest. HOMER Do you like to read? ROSE ROSE (embarrassed) I can't read. Nobody taught me. Homer smiles politely and goes back to his book. Rose Rose keeps looking over his shoulder at the pages. ROSE ROSE (pointing to the page) What does it say there? Homer looks around at the pickers lying in their beds, smoking, listening. (Like bedtime stories at the orphanage, he thinks; however, the picker's attitude is suspicious, reserved.) HOMER (reading) "I looked at the stars, and considered how awful it would be for a man to turn his face to them as he froze to death, and see no help or pity in all the glittering multitude." Homer looks up; there's no response. HOMER (to Rose Rose) More? Some muttering, some giggling, mostly silence. Rose Rose wants more, but suddenly Jack jumps out of bed and stomps to the kitchen end of the cider house, where a piece of paper is tacked to the wall. Jack is talking to Homer all the way. JACK Since you're the one who's smart enough to read... what's this? Jack points at the piece of paper. Homer gets up and looks at it. HOMER It's a list of rules, it seems. All the men groan--Jack swears and Peaches laughs. ROSE ROSE *Whose* rules? MUDDY They're for us, I suppose. JACK Go on and read 'em, Homer. HOMER "One. Please don't smoke in bed." ROSE ROSE It's too late for that one! All the smokers laugh and cough in their beds. MR. ROSE (uncharacteristically blunt) Stop it, Homer. They aren't our rules. We didn't write them. I don't see no reason to read them. HOMER Okay... Rose Rose stomps back to her bed. Her father absently snaps his towel. INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT (LATER) Everybody is asleep, except Homer. He is staring at the ceiling in the quiet semi-darkness, the book lying on his chest. LARCH (O.S.) (distant echoing) Good night, you Princes of Maine! You Kings of New England. INT. BOYS' DIVISION - NIGHT Dr. Larch is standing in the doorway to the boys' room; he closes the door. INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT Homer, on his bed, closes his eyes. INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT Larch lies in bed with his eyes open. (No ether.) EXT. CIDER HOUSE - NIGHT The cider house and the apple orchard in the moonlight. EXT. ORCHARDS - MORNING Wally in his farm clothes at the wheel of the Jeep--he is racing through the orchards, dodging trees, with Homer in the passenger seat, hanging on for dear life. WALLY Remember this! In the morning, when the tall grass is wet, you can make the Jeep slide on the grass. Can you feel it? Homer is excited as Wally weaves among the trees--faster and faster. WALLY It's almost like flying. HOMER What about the trees? WALLY The trees are flak--antiaircraft fire from those geeks on the ground. Wally brakes hard. The Jeep comes to a stop in the packing- house area. Candy has been waiting on the loading platform. The pickers are working in the background. WALLY (defensively to Candy) I was just showing Homer the orchards... kind of a geography lesson. CANDY (good-naturedly) I know what you've been doing. She pulls an apple branch, with an apple to two, out of the vehicle's grille--or else the branch is wedged in the front - bumper or headlight area. Candy playfully starts poking Wally with the branch. CANDY (to Wally) You've been giving him a *flying* lesson! WALLY (teasing her) He *loved* it! (to Homer) Didn't you? HOMER Yeah, it was great. Wally gets the apple branch away from Candy. He pins her arms at her sides--he hugs her, kisses her. She doesn't struggle. CANDY (laughing to Homer) He thinks people *like* to get whacked by branches. WALLY *Homer* liked it! (to Homer) Didn't you? HOMER Yeah, sure. There's no stress or strain around here... They all laugh. Homer observes the happy couple. EXT. ORCHARDS - DAY Homer is walking with Wally and Candy. The orchards are beautiful. EXT. PACKING HOUSE - MORNING Much activity: the pickers are unloading apple crates from a full flatbed trailer. An angry-looking VERNON gives Homer an evil glare. Homer spills some apples lifting the crate to the loading platform. VERNON What's wrong with you? Mr. Rose takes Homer aside. MR. ROSE That's Vernon. You best stay away from him until he gets to know you better--then you best stay away from him *more*! Wally, in full uniform, appears from inside the packing house; he calls for Homer. MR. ROSE Out lieutenant's calling you, Homer. Mind your ass. Homer smiles are runs toward Wally. INT./EXT. PACKING HOUSE - MORNING Homer and Wally walk through the packing house, where the HEFTY, LOUD WOMEN sort through the apples rolling by on the conveyor tracks. Wally snatches an apple from one of them, giving it to Homer. WALLY (to Homer) You getting along okay? Before Homer can answer, the women interrupt. BIG DOT Where is that Candy? FLORENCE Did she leave you, Wally? DEBRA Who's the boy? Wally makes an effort to introduce Homer, but he's interrupted. FLORENCE Wally, you can marry Debra if Candy leaves you! BIG DOT Wally's gonna marry *me* if Candy leaves him! DEBRA You can marry all three of us, Wally! FLORENCE We can take turns. Wally puts his hand to his heart. WALLY You girls make it hard for a guy to go off to war. (points to Homer) But I'll leave my best man here to pinch-hit for me. As the women are left behind giggling, Wally continues talking to Homer. WALLY Uh... I'm shipping out sooner than I thought. I just wanted to be sure you were settled in--and happy enough, considering... (grabbing another apple from a crate) Are you bored stiff? Or can you stick it out for a bit? HOMER Uh... actually, picking apples is as much excitement as I want for a while. I'm grateful for the job. WALLY (his hand on Homer's shoulder) You're the one who's helping *me*, Homer. You're going to give my mom a little peace of mind while I'm gone. Candy, too. HOMER Well, sure... that's good, then. (awkward pause) All I mean is, I'm lucky I met you. WALLY I don't think so, Homer. *I'm* the lucky one. Homer shakes his head. Wally stops walking; they both stop. WALLY (more serious) You want to fight about it? Homer is unfamiliar with this kind of kidding around; at first he is startled, but then he laughs. Wally laughs, too. They shake hands. Mr. Rose calls out to Homer from the tractor. The pickers are impatiently waiting for him on the flatbed; they're going back to the orchard. Homer has to run to catch up to them. He jumps on the flatbed; he sees Wally waving good-bye. EXT. ORCHARDS - DAY High up in a tall tree on a couple of ladders, Mr. Rose and Homer are picking side by side. Mr. Rose is picking with high-speed perfection, but Homer is slower and fumbling--he drops an occasional apple to the ground. MR. ROSE You pickin' more cider apples then anythin' else. Them drops is good only for cider. And you pickin' the stems with the apples only half the time. They good only for cider, too-- if you don't pick them stems. (Homer watches him) The rule is, you wanna pick the apple *with* the stem, Homer. And see here... see that *bud* that's just above the stem? That's the bud for *next year's* apple--that's called the *spur*. You pick the spur, you pickin' two years in one--you pickin' next year's apple 'fore it have a chance to grow. You leave that on the branch, you hear? Homer nods; he picks more carefully, with more concentration. MR. ROSE (approvingly) That's better. I can tell you got yourself some education. Them's good hands you got, Homer. Them hands you got, they know what they're doin'-- ain't that right? HOMER I guess so... Homer can see over the apple mart parking lot from the top of the tree. He can see the driveway of the Worthington house, where Candy and Olive are saying a tearful good-bye to Wally. Distracted, Homer drops another couple of apples, which Mr. Rose observes with a wry smile. ANGELA (O.S.) Wilbur! Wilbur! INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - DAY Larch is doing something at his desk when Angela comes in. ANGELA Wilbur, you should read this. Larch stares at Angela, who holds a letter. ANGELA It's from the Board. Another letter. INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - NIGHT Dr. Larch stands in front of a mechanical drawing easel. He works intently with a calligraphic pen, but we don't see what he's working on. Angela and Edna sit at the desk; they're looking over the letter. ANGELA (quoting the letter) Uh... "merely suggesting that some new blood might benefit you all... someone with new ideas in the obstetrical and pediatric fields." (she looks up at Larch) I think they're just testing some ideas for our next meeting. EDNA Dr. Holtz seems nice. I think he only wants to help... LARCH He is a goddamn psychiatrist--of *course* he wants to "help"! He'd be happy if he could help *commit* me! ANGELA It's that Mrs. Goodhall you have to be careful of, Wilbur. LARCH One has to be more than "careful" of Mrs. Goodhall--she has sufficient Christian zeal to start her own country! I'd like to give her a little ether. EDNA So what are you going to do? Larch puts down the pen, comes around the easel, opens a drawer in a filing cabinet, and hands