[He pulls one out and hands it to her.]
[Cut to the Brown house. Dr. Brown is sitting on a chair next to the fire. Ephram walks in.]
EPHRAM: I'm sorry I worried you last night.
DR. BROWN: What makes you think I was worried?
[Dr. Brown remains silent for a moment.]
DR. BROWN: OK, I was worried.
EPHRAM: I'm sorry. I'll call you next time.
DR. BROWN: There won't be a next time. You're grounded for the next two weeks, that means no TV, no phone, no going out.
EPHRAM: Is that all?
DR. BROWN: If I ever hear that you cut class again? It'll be for a month. Understand?
EPHRAM: Yeah. Understood.
DR. BROWN: Good. So... you missed the assembly.
EPHRAM: Look, I already know about safe sex. OK? Mom covered it with me.
DR. BROWN: Maybe she did, but I haven't.
[Dr. Brown motions for the seat next to him. Ephram sits down.]
DR. BROWN: [cont'd.] When I was first working in New York, I had to perform a lumbar puncture, it's basically a spinal tap, on this kid who'd been brought in. Couldn't have been more than 17 years old. Good looking, clean cut, well to do family. His name was Alfie. I remember that because it was so unusual. Anyway, I did the LP, assessed that there was no meningitis and went about my rounds. But I couldn't stop thinking about Alfie all night. I found out later that the doctors were performing all sort of tests. A couple of days later, I went back to Alfie's room just to check him out. Thinking maybe I could figure out what he had. But Alfie was already dead. 17 years old. Six months and thousands of Alfies later, his sickness finally got a name.
EPHRAM: AIDS.
DR. BROWN: I needed you to know why I had to come to your school, Ephram. I needed you to hear that story because I want you always to be careful. I can't afford to lose another person I love.
EPHRAM: Why didn't you tell me that before?
DR. BROWN: I have no idea how to get your attention, Ephram.
EPHRAM: What's that supposed to mean?
DR. BROWN: It means, I don't know what to say to you. One day you you seem to hate me. The next day you still hate me and other days you just... hate me. I mean, that's that's not a lot to work with. So if you could maybe let me know when I do say the right thing, I'll make a note of it, and and I'll do it more often, OK?
EPHRAM: Yeah. Sure, I mean I-I can maybe do that.
DR. BROWN: Great. Thanks.
DR. BROWN: You're still grounded.
EPHRAM: I know.
[Ephram stares at his father for a while.]
[Cut to the forest during the day. Edna is dragging her son through the bush.]
DR. ABBOTT: Did I mention I only had three hours of sleep last night?
EDNA: About a hundred times now! I swear, you yammer on like an old woman. Besides, we're almost there.
DR. ABBOTT: Almost where? We're in the middle of Forest Oblivion. If I didn't know you better, Mother, I'd think you brought me out here to knock me off. On second thought...
[He tries to get away but Edna grabs hold of him.]
EDNA: Come on!
[They reach the clearing.]
EDNA: You see that?
DR. ABBOTT: The Kissing Bridge! Yes, of course I see it. Mother, why in the world...
EDNA: Your pops and I shared our first kiss on that bridge. He proposed to me on that bridge. And the day I found out I was pregnant with you, I took him down here and told him. I know you think I got on with things too quick after he was gone, I probably did, but your father's death, Harold, is what made me realize, more than ever, just how valuable our one shot at life is. And I didn't want to miss a second more of it. Anyway, I loved him very much! I wanted you to know that.
[She pulls out a detonator sitting on a branch and turns the trigger, blowing up the bridge.]
