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 Edna a folder containing 
a few cleanly typed pages. Larch returns to the easel, to 
his painstaking work. Edna opens the file; as she and Angela 
read the contents, Larch recites from memory as he works.

			LARCH
	"Homer Wells, born Portland, Maine, 
	March 2, 1915..."

			EDNA
	Homer was born *here*, in, what was 
	it, 1922?

			LARCH
	"...graduated Bowdoin College, 1935, 
	and Harvard School of Medicine, 1939."

			ANGELA
	This is *your* life story, Wilbur! 
	You just changed the dates!

			LARCH
	"An internship and two years of 
	training at the Boston Lying-in, 
	South End Branch. For his age, he 
	was judged an accomplished 
	gynecological obstetrical surgeon; 
	he is also experienced in pediatric 
	care..."

			ANGELA
	You *invented* him! You've completely 
	made his up!

			LARCH
	Don't you understand? The board is 
	going to *replace* me! That's what 
	the "new blood" is *for*!

			EDNA
	You mean they'll replace you with 
	someone who won't perform abortions.

			LARCH
		(sarcastically)
	Well, we can only guess about that, 
	Edna. They *are* against the law.

			ANGELA
	These *credentials* are against the 
	law!

			LARCH
	We all know who trained Homer--his 
	credentials are as good as mine are. 
	Don't you be holy to me about the 
	*law*! What has the law done for any 
	of us here?

Edna and Angela think this over.

			LARCH
		(points at file)
	So here is my candidate. What do you 
	think?

			EDNA
	But what about school records? Homer 
	doesn't have any *diplomas*...

Larch turns the easel around. Attached is a parchment headed: 
"HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL"--it's a diploma-in-progress.

			LARCH
	He *will* have them, Edna.

The women are shocked, awed.

			ANGELA
	Oh, Wilbur, I don't know...
		(sudden thought)
	We don't even know where he is!

EXT. CIDER HOUSE, ROOF - NIGHT

			ROSE ROSE (O.S.)
	Where's that Homer?

Homer stands in front of a ladder that leans against the 
cider house; he starts to climb up, drawn by the murmuring 
voices, the soft laughter.

			JACK (O.S.)
	Who cares?

			MR. ROSE (O.S.)
	Now, now. He's a good boy.

			JACK (O.S.)
	Shit. We don't know what he is.

			MR. ROSE (O.S.)
	Jack, you gotta watch your language 
	'round my daughter.

Homer arrives at the top and sees everyone sitting on a long 
plank, a bench attached to the apex of the roof--obviously a 
popular spot.

			MR. ROSE
	Here he is.

No one moves.

			MR. ROSE
	Where's your manners? Make room for 
	Homer, so's he can enjoy the view.

			MUDDY
	What view?

Peaches slides over and Homer sits down.

			HOMER
	Are we supposed to be up here? The 
	rules said...

			MR. ROSE
	Homer, you the only one who's read 
	them rules, so you the only one who 
	feels like he's doin' somethin' wrong.

The others laugh.

			MUDDY
	*What* view?

			MR. ROSE
	Well, Muddy, we can look at all these 
	angry stars Homer's been readin' to 
	us about.

More laughter; Homer smiles, enjoying the teasing.

			JACK
		(gesturing toward the 
	     Worthington farmhouse)
	I bet the view looks better from the 
	Worthin'tons'.

			MR. ROSE
	You think so, Jack? Well... I wouldn't 
	want to be in that Wally's shoes 
	tonight.

			ROSE ROSE
		(playfully, teasing 
	     him)
	Daddy, I'd like to be in that Wally's 
	shoes *every* night.

			MR. ROSE
		(teasing her back)
	You lucky you in your work boots 
	tonight, girl...

			ROSE ROSE
	What's lucky about that?

Rose Rose is being physically affectionate with her father--
lightly punching his arm, rubbing the top of his head.

			MR. ROSE
	You know where that Wally is tonight, 
	darlin'? He's up there in them angry 
	stars.
		(gesturing at the 
	     dark sky)
	He's flyin' all around up there... 
	with them Japs shooting at him.

They all look up, imagining that. Homer more than the others. 
Rose Rose, looking thoughtful, rests her head on her father's 
shoulder. They are completely natural together.

EXT. CAPE KENNETH - APPLE MART - DAY

Homer and the pickers are loading crates of apples into a 
shipping truck. Olive and Candy are consulting some papers 
(the shipping tally) on a clipboard; Mr. Rose is standing 
beside them.

			MR. ROSE
	They all on board, Mrs. Worthin'ton.

			OLIVE
	Thank you, Arthur.
		(see is looking at 
	     Homer)
	And how is our Homer working out?

She catches Homer's eye; he smiles, then joins them. Mr. 
Rose puts his arm around him.

			MR. ROSE
	Oh, he's a smart young man, most of 
	the time--Wally was right about him.

Olive is looking over the rest of the picking crew.

			OLIVE
	No rotten apples?

			MR. ROSE
		(it's an old way of 
	     speaking that they 
	     have)
	No, no--not this year. Well... maybe 
	we got *one*, but it ain't Homer.

He means Jack, who gives Olive and Candy and Mr. Rose a 
furtive look. Olive smiles at Rose Rose, who comes up to her 
and Candy. Olive touches Rose Rose with affection.

			OLIVE
	Rose... dear girl, I'm sure I can 
	find you some other clothes.
		(to Candy)
	You must have some things that would 
	fit her.

Candy takes Rose Rose by the shoulders and turns her around. 
Rose Rose is enjoying this.

			CANDY
	I have a *ton* of things that would 
	fit you.

			MR. ROSE
	Now, now, Candy--this girl don't 
	need no more clothes, not for pickin'.

He starts leading his daughter away.

			OLIVE
		(charming)
	Arthur, there's no such thing as a 
	young woman who's got all the clothes 
	she needs.

Olive waves good-bye as she moves toward her car. Candy turns 
to Homer.

			CANDY
	So. Not bored yet?

			HOMER
	I'm *never* bored! It's all very... 
	different for me... here.

Homer has the hardest time looking at Candy.

			HOMER
	Uh... have you been *feeling* okay?

			CANDY
	When I'm not thinking about Wally. 
	I'm not good at being alone.
		(realizing)
	Oh, goodness. You meant... yes, I'm 
	fine. I...
		(struggling to change 
	     the subject)
	...I don't suppose you've seen a 
	lobster yet.

Homer shakes his head. He looks at the tractor and the empty 
trailer. Mr. Rose and the pickers are just watching them.

			CANDY
		(more seriously)
	You have to come to my dad's lobster 
	pound and see one, then.

			HOMER
	Okay...

Homer looks toward the pickers sitting on the flatbed when 
he hears the tractor start. Candy follows his gaze.

			HOMER
	I better go.

			CANDY
	I don't think Mr. Rose would leave 
	without you.

Mr. Rose gestures for Muddy to drive off; the tractor trailer 
pulls away.

			CANDY
		(laughing)
	Sorry!

Homer has to run to catch up.

			CANDY
		(calling)
	Come next week!

He jumps on the back of the departing flatbed between Mr. 
Rose and Rose Rose, as Candy watches him.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - DUSK

An anxious-looking WHITE PLUMBER is fixing the kitchen sink 
while the pickers (in their towels) stand around and watch.

Homer is putting on his best shirt. Peaches admires the shirt 
as Rose Rose cooks the night's supper on the wood stove.

			PEACHES
	Whoa--look at that Homer! He's gettin' 
	all dressed up for supper tonight!

			ROSE ROSE
	He ain't gettin' dressed to have 
	supper with *us*, Peaches!

The pickers all look at Homer, who looks guilty as he leaves.

			MR. ROSE
		(to the plumber)
	Don't let us make you nervous or 
	nothin'--we know you gotta job to 
	do.

			MUDDY
	Yeah, we can wait all night for the 
	water to come back on--you just go 
	on and take your time.

EXT. INLAND ROAD - DUSK

Homer pedals a bicycle down a dirt road.

EXT. LOBSTER POUND - DUSK

Ray holds a lobster up to the camera. We see the old-fashioned 
wooden pens, floating dockside.

			RAY
	Hungry?

Homer looks uncertain.

EXT. GANGPLANK, DOCK - DUSK

Homer and Ray and Candy go up the gangplank from the dock to 
the lobster pound.

			RAY
	They're the garbage-eaters of the 
	ocean's floor. The seagulls clean up 
	the shore. The lobsters clean up the 
	bottom of the sea.

			HOMER
	They eat everything?

			RAY
	Everything that falls to the bottom.

			CANDY
	It's time somebody ate *them*.

			RAY
		(to Candy)
	I was lookin' for Wally's letter. I 
	was gonna show it to Homer...
		(to Homer)
	They made him a captain already--
	*Captain* Worthington!

			CANDY
	Daddy, it's a letter to *me*.

			RAY
	He mentions Homer, too, you know.

			CANDY
		(awkwardly)
	Wally said to say, "Hello."

			HOMER
		(equally awkward)
	Oh! That's... nice.

			RAY
		(to Homer)
	Wally said the most spectacular hits 
	were in the oil fields at Yenangyat.

Later, through the window of the lobster pound, we see them 
eating lobster around a kitchen table. Laughter and some 
unclear dialogue drift to us.

EXT./INT. CAPE KENNETH/WALLY'S CAR - NIGHT

With the bicycle stowed in the trunk, Candy is driving Homer 
back to the cider house. They pass a drive-in movie theatre, 
the marquee announcing "CLOSED FOR THE SEASON." Homer stares 
in awe at the giant blank screen.

			HOMER
	A movie *outside*?

			CANDY
	Yes. But it's closed all the time 
	now, because of the blackout.

			HOMER
	People watched the movies in their 
	cars?

			CANDY
		(smiling)
	When they watched at all. Do you 
	like movies?

			HOMER
	Yes! I've only seen one, though.

Candy looks at him; he isn't joking.

			CANDY
	You've seen only one movie? Which 
	one?

			HOMER
	"King Kong". It's really good.

Candy laughs.

			CANDY
	I haven't seen "King Kong" since I 
	was a kid!

Homer laughs a little self-consciously; around her, he feels 
like he's *still* a kid.

INT. DINING HALL - EARLY MORNING

At one table, the children are happily eating apples; a few 
of the kids are stuffing apples from a big bowl into their 
pockets. At another table, Larch, Edna, and Angela sit around 
an open packing crate of apples. Larch takes a bite from an 
apple and spits it out. Angela takes the apple out of his 
hand.

			ANGELA
	That's a pie apple, Wilbur. Homer 
	said you're not supposed to eat it!

Angela hands him another apple.

			LARCH
	So he's an apple expert, is he?

Angela gives him a critical look as Larch takes a bite out 
of the new apple.

			LARCH
		(sarcastically)
	Oh my, yes! This is a *far* superior 
	taste--and crisp, too! You know, so 
	many apples are disappointingly mealy. 
	I wonder of most of the apples in my 
	life weren't meant for pies!

			ANGELA
	Wilbur, he picked them for us 
	himself...

			LARCH
		(incredulous)
	You don't find it depressing that 
	Homer Wells is picking apples?

Both Edna and Angela glower at him.

			LARCH
	Or that he can't be bothered to write 
	us a proper letter? A dissertation 
	on apples, we don't need!

			EDNA
		(annoyed)
	He probably doesn't make much money 
	picking apples--he must have had to 
	pay to send them, too.

			LARCH
	I wouldn't worry, Edna, that he 
	doesn't have money. If he gets hungry, 
	he can pick his dinner!

Larch angrily tosses the half-eaten apple into the garbage.

			EDNA
	Wilbur, it's a *gift*! How can you 
	be angry with Homer for sending us a 
	*gift*?

Larch stares into space, depressed. Then he examines the 
crate and finds the mailing label that says "OCEAN VIEW 
ORCHARDS--CAPE KENNETH, MAINE." He rips it off, holds it up 
triumphantly.

			LARCH
	I'll show him a *gift*! I'll give 
	him a gift he can *use*!

Larch storms out of the room.

INT. CAPE KENNETH - MOVIE THEATRE - NIGHT

A newsreel from the war is playing on the screen--soldiers 
marching, smiling, waving to the camera. Homer and Candy sit 
together watching. Homer is completely fascinated; Candy 
watches Homer as much as the news. Her expression changes 
when the newsreel cuts to footage from an air raid.

EXT. CAPE KENNETH - MOVIE THEATRE - NIGHT

Candy and Homer walk out of the theatre, under the marquee 
and past the poster for "Wuthering Heights."

			CANDY
		(disappointed)
	But you looked as if you liked it.

			HOMER
		(smiling)
	I *did* like it. All I said was, 
	"It's not 'King Kong'."

Candy makes a face, but in good fun.

			HOMER
	First she loved him, then she didn't, 
	then no one else could have him...

			CANDY
	She *did* love him!
		(teasing him)
	How many women have you known?

Homer is embarrassed; he ducks the question.

			HOMER
	And what did she die of, exactly?

			CANDY
	She was torn apart! She died of a 
	broken heart.

			HOMER
	Oh, sure!

Homer smiles and shakes his head; Candy starts to laugh.

			HOMER
	What's the *medical* explanation?

			CANDY
	Well, she was in a weakened 
	condition...
		(laughs)
	I don't know! What about "King Kong"?! 
	Is that medically possible?

Homer smiles; he knows she's teasing him, and he likes it.

			HOMER
		(mock serious)
	At least King Kong knew what he 
	*wanted*.

Candy pushes him playfully. They're both having a good time, 
*too* good a time.

EXT. ORCHARDS - DAY

Homer is picking apples in a big tree; Rose Rose is on a 
ladder in the tree right beside him. She's picking about 
twice as fast as he is, and he keeps dropping his apples. In 
another tree, Muddy is watching.

			ROSE ROSE
	What is you *doin'* with that Candy, 
	Homer?

			MUDDY
		(imitating Mr. Rose)
	He's makin' history, I suppose.

From the surrounding trees, the other pickers laugh.

			ROSE ROSE
	You ain't gettin' in no trouble, I 
	hope.

			HOMER
	No trouble.

In adjacent trees, both Peaches and Hero are picking apples; 
they can hear Homer and Rose Rose, too. (So can Mr. Rose.)

			PEACHES
	That Candy--she's the nicest girl I 
	know!

			MUDDY
	She's about the most beautiful girl 
	I ever seen--I don't know if she's 
	the nicest.

			HOMER
	She's the nicest *and* the most 
	beautiful girl I've ever known.

The men *oooh* and *aaah* at Homer's announcement--Mr. Rose, 
too.

			ROSE ROSE
	That sounds like you is in trouble 
	already, Homer.

			MR. ROSE
	That's right--that sounds like trouble 
	to me.

			HOMER
	I'm not in trouble.

			ROSE ROSE
	Yeah, you is. I know when people is 
	in trouble, and you is.

Camera closes on Homer's face; he keeps picking.

			LARCH (O.S.)
	His name is Homer Wells...

INT. ST. CLOUD'S - DINING HALL - EVENING

Edna and Angela face the Board of Trustees around a table. 
Larch circles the table as everyone reads the contents of a 
folder. Larch has provided a copy for each member. The three 
elderly gentlemen on the Board don't speak; they just nod 
their heads to everything Dr. Holtz or Mrs. Goodhall says.

			LARCH
	...and his *pathetic* resume is the 
	best I've seen. Though I find it 
	hard to believe the Board would be 
	interested in this character.

			DR. HOLTZ
	But he looks like an excellent young 
	man, a first-rate candidate!

			LARCH
	He looks like a bleeding-heart 
	missionary *moron* to me, but that's 
	going to be the problem with any 
	doctor interested in coming here!

			MRS. GOODHALL
	Do you know him?

			LARCH
	*No*! I don't want to know him! He's 
	doing *missionary* work--in *India*! 
	I wrote him *weeks* ago, but he's 
	either too holy or too busy to answer. 
	Maybe he got killed in the war!

Suddenly Steerforth bursts through the door, having been 
pushed from behind by Mary Agnes. The two stop when they see 
what's going on--not to mention Larch's stern expression. 
They back out. Mary Agnes winking at Dr. Holtz before the 
door closes. Mrs. Goodhall is ready to continue.

			MRS. GOODHALL
	I fail to see how someone courageous 
	enough to make a commitment to a 
	foreign mission is automatically to 
	be dismissed--that part of the world 
	requires precisely the kind of 
	dedication that is needed here.

			LARCH
	Does it *snow* in Bombay? One winter 
	here and we'll be shipping him south, 
	in a *coffin*!

			MRS. GOODHALL
	You can't think that a man who has 
	*served* under such conditions as 
	exist over there will be in the 
	slightest daunted by a little *snow*--
	have you no idea how harsh and 
	primitive and full of *disease* that 
	part of the world is?

			LARCH
	Then I suppose we can look forward 
	to catching various diseases from 
	him!

			DR. HOLTZ
	But, Dr. Larch, he seems exceptionally 
	qualified...

			LARCH
	I'm not talking about his medical 
	qualifications. It's the *Christian* 
	thing that bothers me--I just don't 
	see it being of much *use* around 
	here.

			MRS. GOODHALL
		(bitterly)
	I fail to see how a little 
	Christianity could *hurt* anyone 
	here!

			LARCH
	Anyway, I was just showing you this 
	guy as an example of what's available--
	I didn't think you'd be interested.

			DR. HOLTZ
	We're *very* interested!

			MRS. GOODHALL
	Yes, *very*!

			DR. HOLTZ
	You wouldn't be opposed to meeting 
	with him?

			LARCH
	I suppose it wouldn't hurt to *meet* 
	him. What's his name again?

			ANGELA
	Dr. Homer Wells.

			LARCH
		(mumbling)
	I just hope he won't expect us to 
	say *Grace* all the time.

The three elderly gentlemen repeat the name.

			MRS. GOODHALL
	It's a nice name, very New England.

			DR. HOLTZ
	Very *Maine*, a very *local*-sounding 
	name.

			EDNA
	*Very*!

INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT

A song plays on the old phonograph as a happy Larch and Angela 
dance. Edna interrupts them.

			EDNA
	I just wanted to ask you...

			LARCH
	Edna! Come dance with me! Let's be 
	foolish tonight.

			EDNA
	Does he *know* he's supposed to be 
	in India? Does he even *want* to 
	come back?

This causes Larch to take the needle off the record.

			LARCH
		(angrily)
	He's a field hand! What could possibly 
	hold him there?

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - RAINY DAY

The rain beats down on Olive's car. Homer gets soaking wet 
as he leans in to talk to Candy, who's behind the wheel. Mr. 
Rose calls to Homer from the doorway of the mill room.

INT. MILL ROOM - RAINY DAY

Mr. Rose is instructing Homer as they stand bottling cider 
in their yellow slickers and rubber boots. Rose Rose is hosing 
down the pressboards; Muddy and Hero and Peaches are operating 
the grinder and the press. Jack is stirring the vat. In a 
defiant, contemptuous way, Jack keeps flicking the ash of 
his cigarette into the vat. This make everyone uncomfortable; 
only Mr. Rose doesn't appear to notice.

			MR. ROSE
	Cider don't have no taste till later 
	in October--it's too watery now, 
	when we're usin' just them early 
	Macs and them Gravensteins. You don't 
	get no *good* cider till you're 
	pickin' them Golden Delicious and 
	them Winter Bananas, them Baldwins 
	and them Russerts...

			HOMER
	What about the worms? Most of these 
	apples are the drops--off the ground, 
	right? There have to be worms.

			MR. ROSE
	Of *course* there's worms, Homer! 
	And what is them worms, really? They 
	just *protein*, them worms! They is 
	*good* for you!

Everyone but Jack laughs. He takes a last drag on his 
cigarette, then deliberately drops it into the vat.

			MR. ROSE
	That just ain't right, Jack--your 
	cigarette's gonna end up in nine or 
	ten gallons of this batch of cider! 
	That ain't right.

			JACK
	Them people drinkin' that cider, 
	they don't know there's a cigarette 
	in there!

			MR. ROSE
	It's not that hard to find it in 
	there, Jack--it'll take you just a 
	minute. You just gotta go fishin'.

			JACK
	You mean *swimmin'*. I ain't goin' 
	in that vat to fish out no cigarette!

			MR. ROSE
	What business is you in, Jack? Just 
	tell me what your business is...

Jack looks for a translation from the other men, who are 
nervous.

			MUDDY
	Just say you're in the *apple* 
	business, man. That's the only 
	business you wanna be in. Just say 
	it.

Jack pulls a knife on Mr. Rose.

			PEACHES
		(whispers excitedly 
	     to Jack)
	You don't wanna go in the knife 
	business with Mistuh Rose--just say 
	you're in the *apple* business, Jack!

			JACK
		(to Mr. Rose)
	What business are *you* in?

We never see Mr. Rose's knife. We see the men circle each 
other: Jack takes a swipe at Mr. Rose's head--then he steps 
back, his yellow slicker slashed open. His slicker is opened 
up, right up the middle. His shirt underneath the slicker is 
slashed open, too--he feels his bare chest and stomach, 
feeling for the cut. But there's no cut--Jack's not bleeding, 
he's not even scratched. Just his clothes have been slashed.

			MR. ROSE
	I'm in the *knife* business, Jack. 
	You don't wanna go in the knife 
	business with me.

Muddy turns Jack around and views his slashed clothes.

			MUDDY
	You're lucky he didn't cut your 
	*nipples* off, man.

			PEACHES
	The good news, Jack, is you're half-
	undressed for *swimmin'*...

			MUDDY
	Yeah, that cigarette ain't hard to 
	find when you're properly undressed.

Jack starts to undress for the vat.

Mr. Rose ushers Homer and Rose Rose outside.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - RAINY DAY

Mr. Rose has cut his own hand in the fight. Homer's 
professionalism if offended to watch Rose Rose's amateurish 
efforts to stitch up her father's wound, but clearly this 
isn't the first time she's done it.

			HOMER
	Give men that. I know how to do it.

			ROSE ROSE
	Oh, I suppose you is a doctor, Homer?

			HOMER
	Almost.

			MR. ROSE
	I don't need no "almost" a doctor, 
	Homer.

Homer can't bear to watch Rose Rose at work with the needle.

			ROSE ROSE
	We should drown that damn Jack in 
	the vat!

			MR. ROSE
	Now, now, darlin'... Jack just needs 
	to know what business he's in.

			ROSE ROSE
	Yeah, you really showed him, Daddy--
	you just about cut your own hand 
	off, and all you cut off *him* was 
	his clothes!

			MR. ROSE
	You oughta know you don't go to jail 
	for cuttin' a guy's *clothes*. Ain't 
	that right, Homer?

Homer winces at the stitching.

INT. WALLY'S CAR - DRIVE-IN THEATRE - EARLY EVENING

Wally's car comes bouncing along the ditches of the closed 
drive-in. Homer is at the wheel; Candy calls out some driving 
instructions. The car comes to a stop next to a speakerpost. 
Candy leans out; she grabs the speaker and hangs it on the 
window. Homer sits back and drapes his arms out the window 
and over the seat. He feels great.

			CANDY
	You're a natural. You were born to 
	drive a car like this.

			HOMER
	You think? Maybe I was.
		(looks around)
	I love this place!

Homer looks up at the giant movie screen.

			HOMER
	The screen is enormous! Imagine King 
	Kong up *there*! Have you seen a lot 
	of movies here?

			CANDY
	Yes... and no. When you come here, 
	you don't really care about the movie.

Homer stares at Candy in disbelief.

			HOMER
	You don't care about the movie?

Candy looks at him for a moment.

			CANDY
	What are you so crazy about the movies 
	for?

			HOMER
	It was my favorite night at the 
	orphanage--movie night. We'd race 
	into the dining hall. Of course 
	everyone wanted to sit in front, so 
	we'd be packed in so tight you could 
	feel the kid next to you breathing.

			CANDY
	At least you were never lonely.

			HOMER
	I didn't say that. Growing up in an 
	orphanage, you're always lonely. 
	You're just never alone.

Candy is moved. Homer feels exposed; he tries to change the 
mood by making light of what he's said.

			HOMER
	You're not alone in the bathroom, 
	or... or in the shower... you're 
	never alone in wanting the last piece 
	of meatloaaf, or even in your own 
	bed on a cold morning.

Candy laughs.

			CANDY
	You don't miss it?

			HOMER
	I miss things. I miss... people.
		(with certainty)
	I miss reading to the boys.

			CANDY
	But you had so much *responsibility*.

			HOMER
	I never *asked* for any 
	responsibility.

			CANDY
	Just a little privacy.

Homer laughs.

			CANDY
	Privacy is exactly the point of drive-
	in movies.

			HOMER
	Did you come here with Wally--to 
	*not* watch movies?

At the mention of Wally they both look a little self-
conscious.

			CANDY
	Sometimes... movies mostly bore Wally.

			HOMER
	Ah-ha.
		(points to the speaker)
	So what is that--a radio?

			CANDY
	The *speaker*. For the movie sound.

Candy looks at Homer.

			CANDY
	Scrunch down like this.

Candy scrunches down in her seat; Homer imitates her. Homer 
is focused on the giant screen.

			HOMER
	How could you not *care* about the 
	movie?

			CANDY
	You just cuddle. You come to hug... 
	to kiss. You don't *come* here to 
	watch the movie.

			HOMER
		(teasing her)
	That's what *I'd* come here for. I'd 
	watch the movie.

			CANDY
	Not with the right girl you wouldn't.

Homer's expression changes from exhilarated to guilty. He 
leans back in his seat and looks straight ahead at the screen. 
Candy tentatively leans her head on his shoulder. Homer looks 
afraid to breathe.

From behind, with her head on his shoulder, they look like a 
normal couple. We track in toward the huge screen until we 
see only the screen. There are shadows on the black screen. 
Suddenly the movie "King Kong" appears.

INT. DINING HALL - NIGHT

"King Kong" is playing against the bare, white wall. Fuzzy 
is very weak, but he smiles at the sight of the love-struck 
Kong holding the screaming Fay Wray in his giant hand. Dr. 
Larch runs the projector; he sits close beside Fuzzy. When 
the film breaks in the predictable place, Fuzzy makes no 
protest. Dr. Larch looks at Fuzzy, who has stopped breathing; 
his eyes are closed.

			LARCH
	Fuzzy? Fuzzy?

They are alone in the dining hall. Larch has wheeled in Fuzzy 
for a private viewing.

EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - GRAVEYARD - MORNING

Buster helps Larch lower the small coffin into the grave. 
The tiny gravestone says "F.S."

			BUSTER
	What are you going to tell the little 
	ones?

			LARCH
	I'll tell them Fuzzy was adopted.

			BUSTER
	Why would the little ones believe 
	that *anyone* would adopt him?

			LARCH
	They'll believe it because they want 
	to believe it.

			BUSTER
	Shouldn't we tell Homer?

			LARCH
	If Homer wanted to know what was 
	happening here, he could pick up a 
	telephone and call us.

INT. BOYS' DIVISION - NIGHT

The boys in their beds listen to Buster inventing Fuzzy's 
"family."

			BUSTER
	It was a family with a better 
	breathing machine then the one Dr. 
	Larch built.

INT. ST. CLOUD'S - CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Larch leans against the wall, covering his eyes, overhearing 
the boys.

			BUSTER (O.S.)
	The family that adopted Fuzzy, they 
	*invented* the breathing machine. 
	It's their business... breathing 
	machines.

Larch pauses; he waits to see if they believe this.

			CURLY (O.S.)
	Lucky Fuzzy!

Larch almost breaks with a sudden sharp breath.

			ALL THE BOYS (O.S.)
	Good night, Fuzzy! Good night, Fuzzy! 
	Good night, Fuzzy Stone!

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - MORNING

As the men sit at the picnic table eating their cornbread, 
Rose Rose pours coffee. A jeep comes down the orchard road 
toward them. It's Olive. Mr. Rose leads the "Good mornin', 
Mrs. Worthin'ton!" greeting. Olive has an armful of clothing 
and a fairly sizable package; she brings the latter over to 
Homer.

			OLIVE
	Some mail for you, Homer.

Homer shakes the package; he puts the package beside the 
table, unopened. Olive turns to Rose Rose.

			OLIVE
	And some clothes for you, dear--
		(nodding to the cider 
	     house)
	let's go see if they fit.

Mr. Rose watches Rose Rose and Olive disappear into the cider 
house. The other men view Homer's package with curiosity, 
especially Peaches.

			PEACHES
	Ain't you gonna see what it is, Homer?

			MR. ROSE
	Mind your own business, Peaches.

			PEACHES
	Sorry, Homer...

INT. BUNKHOUSE - LATE AT NIGHT

Homer lies awake in bed; everyone else is asleep. Homer pulls 
the package out from under his bed, opening it just enough 
to see what it is; then he shoves it back under his bed.

EXT. OCEAN/BEACH - DUSK

The beach at sunset. Candy and Homer, dressed for cooler 
weather, are alone at the water's edge. From a paper bag, 
Candy is scattering some small, brightly colored pieces of 
broken glass.

			HOMER
	Aren't you worried that people will 
	cut their feet?

			CANDY
	Nobody will swim here until next 
	summer. By then, the water will have 
	rubbed the glass smooth against the 
	sand--there won't be any sharp edges.

She finds and old piece of glass among the stones and shells 
at the high-tide mark.

			CANDY
	See? That's last year's glass, or 
	from some year before. I put glass 
	here every year. The ocean makes it 
	beautiful.

Candy holds up a piece of glass to the sun for Homer to look 
at. The ocean is a gray-green color, the glass a paler shade 
of green.

			CANDY
	Give me your hand.

She rubs the smooth piece of glass against his hand, then 
throws it toward the water. It falls short. Homer retrieves 
it. Candy splashes him playfully. He chases her away from 
the beach, into the pine trees. Homer locks his arms around 
her, from behind. He can't let go. She lets him hold her, 
then breaks his grip. She turns to face him. She is taller 
then he is, older, obviously more experienced. She initiates 
the kiss. They drop to the ground right there; they make 
love by the roots of the tree, Candy guiding him.

EXT. WALLY'S CAR - BEACH PARKING LOT - NIGHT

They come out of the woods, walking toward the car, Candy 
leading. We hear Candy talking just before we see her and 
Homer.

			CANDY
		(increasingly upset)
	*Nobody* volunteers for the Burma 
	run--he said so himself. And nobody 
	knows *me* better than him! So how 
	am I supposed to feel? He's a bomber 
	pilot and I'm just selfish, I know. 
	Well, I'm *not* a brave little girl 
	and I'm *not* sorry.

She sits in the passenger seat, Homer in the driver's seat.

			CANDY
	I *know* this was right.
		(pause)
	I told you. I'm not good at being 
	alone.
		(pause; in a whisper)
	I told him, too.

Homer concentrates on starting the car.

			CANDY
		(repeating herself)
	I *know* this was right.

			HOMER
	Right.

Their expressions, as the car pulls away, belie their words.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - END OF DAY

Homer and Mr. Rose sit opposite each other at the picnic 
table. Rose Rose stands behind her father, her hands on his 
shoulders, watching Homer snip out Mr. Rose's stitches--very 
quickly.

			MR. ROSE
	Slow down, Homer--don't be in such a 
	big hurry.

			HOMER
	This is easy--I'm not hurrying.

			MR. ROSE
	You still doin' it too fast!

Job done, Homer leaves the table and hurries to the bicycle, 
pedaling away. Rose Rose watches Homer go, as Mr. Rose flexes 
his healed hand.

			ROSE ROSE
	He's in a big hurry, all right. I 
	told you he's in trouble.

EXT. CAPE KENNETH - LOBSTER POUND - EVENING

Candy and Homer sit on the dock. Candy still seems to be 
wrestling with her conscience. Homer throws snails in the 
sea. It's cold.

			HOMER
	Just tell me. Do you want me to go? 
	Do you want me to stay?

			CANDY
	It will be okay.

			HOMER
	*What* will be okay?

			CANDY
	We have to wait and see. I think 
	that, for *everything* in life, you 
	have to wait and see.

Homer throws a snail with more force.

			HOMER
	I'll just move on, get another job 
	somewhere.

Ray comes out onto the dock; he sees Homer throwing another 
snail.

			RAY
	Every time you throw a snail off the 
	dock, you're makin' someone start 
	his whole life over.

Candy throws a handful of snails into the water.

			CANDY
	Maybe we're doing the snails a favor, 
	Daddy.

Ray looks at the two of them; he sighs.

			RAY
	It's gettin' late. I think I'll pack 
	it in.

			CANDY
	Good night, Daddy.

Ray nods good night; he leaves. Homer looks expectantly at 
Candy.

			CANDY
	We'll just have to wait and see.

INT. WORTHINGTON HOUSE, DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Olive and Homer sit at the dining-room table, the remnants 
of an apple pie in front of them. Homer is still eating. 
Pictures of Wally are on the wall.

			OLIVE
	I used to hate it when Wally went 
	back to college--even when it was 
	just college! And this was when his 
	father was still alive... I hated it 
	even then. Naturally I hate this 
	more.

Homer nods in sympathy. His mouth is stuffed with apple pie.

			OLIVE
	What I mean is... I would like it 
	very much if you thought you could 
	be happy here, Homer.

			HOMER
		(wiping his mouth)
	Mrs. Worthington, I feel I'm very 
	lucky to be here.

			OLIVE
	There's not a lot of work in the 
	winter, and you'll have to tolerate 
	Vernon--even Wally despises him, and 
	Wally likes everyone.

Olive's thoughts drift; her eyes look up at a photo of Wally.

			HOMER
	I think Wally will be fine, Mrs. 
	Worthington--he seems indestructible 
	to me.

			OLIVE
		(distracted)
	I don't know.
		(intently at Homer)
	Just promise me one thing.

Homer is tense. Does Olive suspect about Candy?

			HOMER
	Uh... sure.

			OLIVE
	Just promise me that, if there's a 
	blizzard, you'll move into Wally's 
	room until it's over.

They both laugh, but Homer has a hard time looking her in 
the eye.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - DAY

The pickers are moving out; the harvest is over. Olive and 
Homer stand near the door to the bunkhouse, talking--we can't 
hear their conversation. Rose Rose and the other men walk 
past them, carrying the last of their belongings to the truck. 
Olive and Homer walk over to the truck.

			OLIVE
	Good-bye. Have a safe trip home. 
	Thank you, again, for all your hard 
	work.

			MR. ROSE
	You take care now, Mrs. Worthin'ton.

They shake hands.

			OLIVE
	Good-bye, Arthur.
		(she hugs Rose Rose)
	Homer, I'll see you tomorrow?

			HOMER
	Right.

Olive gets in her Jeep and waves as she drives off.

The truck is packed. Muddy tugs on a rope that secures the 
load.

			MUDDY
		(to Mr. Rose)
	We all set, I think.

Mr. Rose nods and gets in behind the wheel. Rose Rose and 
Muddy get in next to him. The others are bundled up for the 
ride in the open back of the truck.

As they're leaving, Homer waves good-bye--the pickers calling 
out to him.

			MR. ROSE
	You all take care of yourself, too, 
	Homer!

			PEACHES
	We see you next harvest.

			MUDDY
	Don't freeze to death, Homer.

			JACK
	Go on and freeze to death if you 
	want to, Homer.

			MR. ROSE
	Now, now, Jack--that just ain't right.

			ROSE ROSE
	You just stay out of trouble, Homer!

Homer stands looking after them, after they're gone.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - LATER THAT SAME DAY

Homer is alone, rearranging his stuff--spreading out a bit, 
making the place his own. (On the other beds, we see the 
mattresses rolled up on the bare bedsprings.)

			CANDY (O.S.)
	So, you're staying.

Homer turns; he hadn't seen Candy come in.

			CANDY
	Olive told me.
		(awkward pause)
	You might have told me yourself.

			HOMER
	I'm just waiting and seeing. Like 
	you said.

She smiles. He goes to her; they embrace.

BEGINNING A MONTAGE OF THE NEXT NINE OR TEN MONTHS.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE ROOF - MORNING

Homer, drinking coffee, is writing a letter on a note pad.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	Dear Dr. Larch, thank you for your 
	doctor's bag...

EXT. RAY'S LOBSTER BOAT - DAY

Homer is learning how to "haul" a lobster pot with Ray and 
Candy's guidance.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	...although it seems that I will not 
	have the occasion to use it.

EXT. LOBSTER POUND, FLOATING PENS - EVENING

Following Ray's example, Homer is trying to "disarm" the 
lobsters' big claws by blocking them shut with the little 
wooden wedges. Roy works quickly, never getting pinched. As 
Candy watches, Homer gets pinched.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	Barring some emergency, of course. I 
	am not a doctor. With all due respect 
	to your profession. I am enjoying my 
	life here.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT

Homer and Candy are naked. They have pulled two beds together 
and made a double bed. He can't take his eyes off her.

			HOMER
	I've looked at so many women... I 
	mean, I've seen *everything* about 
	them, *everything*... but I never 
	felt a thing. I felt nothing. Now... 
	with you... it *hurts*... to look at 
	you.

INT. DISPENSARY - DAY

Edna and Angela and Larch are all reading Homer's letter, 
their lips moving silently as they read the words.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	I am enjoying being a lobsterman and 
	an orchardman--in fact, I have never 
	enjoyed myself so much.

INT. WORTHINGTON HOUSE, FIREPLACE - NIGHT

Olive and Homer and Candy are playing a board game around 
the fireplace.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	The truth is, I want to stay here. I 
	believe I am being of *some* use.

INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Edna and Angela view him anxiously from the doorway as Larch 
furiously types and types.

			LARCH (V.O.)
	My dear Homer, I thought you were 
	over your adolescence, that period 
	which I would define as the first 
	time in our lives when we imagine we 
	have something terrible to hide from 
	those who love us.

INT. WALLY'S CAR - DAY

Candy is singing to the car radio, as animated and happy as 
we've ever seen her. Homer, driving, can scarcely keep his 
eyes on the road; he has to keep looking at her.

			LARCH (V.O.)
	Do you think it's not obvious to us 
	what's happened to you?

INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT

With the radio playing (a popular song), Homer hops across 
the bare floor, pulling on his boxer shorts; he opens the 
door to Olive, who's holding out an armload of blankets to 
him. He sheepishly thanks her. When Homer closes the door, 
we see a hidden (and stricken) Candy, naked from their 
interrupted lovemaking.

			LARCH (V.O.)
	You're fallen in love, haven't you? 
	By the way, whatever you're up to 
	can't be too good for your heart. 
	Then again, it's the sort of condition 
	that can be made worse by worrying 
	about it. So don't worry about it!

EXT. ORCHARDS - DAY

Vernon and Homer are working under an apple tree; they are 
poisoning mice.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	Dear Dr. Larch, what I am learning 
	here may not be as important as what 
	I learned from you, but everything 
	is new to me. Yesterday I learned 
	how to poison mice. You use poison 
	oats and poison corn.

INT. DINING HALL - EVENING

Supper chaos--Buster and Mary Agnes are doing their best to 
stop a food fight while Larch and Angela and Edna are 
completely absorbed reading Homer's letter.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	Field mice girdle an apple tree. 
	Pine mice kill the roots. I *know* 
	what you have to do--you have to 
	play God. Well... killing mice is as 
	close as I want to come to playing 
	God.

INT. MOVIE THEATRE - CAPE KENNETH

Homer and Candy are watching "Rebecca".

			LARCH (V.O.)
	Do I interfere? When absolutely 
	helpless women tell me that they 
	simply *can't* have an abortion, 
	that they simply *must* go through 
	with having another--and yet another--
	orphan... do I interfere? *Do* I? I 
	do not. I do not even *recommend*. I 
	just give them what they want: an 
	orphan or an abortion.
		(close on Homer)
	You are my work of art, Homer. 
	Everything else has been just a job. 
	I don't know if you've got a work of 
	art in you, but I know what your job 
	is. You're a doctor!

INT. BUNKHOUSE - DAY

The radio is playing a slow, sexy dance number. The fat ladies 
from the apple mart are dancing as they paint the interior 
walls of the bunk house.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	I am not a doctor.

			LARCH (V.O.)
	You know everything I know, plus 
	what you've taught yourself--you're 
	a better doctor then I am and you 
	know it!

Homer is finishing up painting the kitchen walls. When he 
gets to the list of rules, tacked on the wall, he removes 
the list and finishes painting under where the rules were.

			LARCH (V.O.)
	They're going to replace me, Homer! 
	The Board of Trustees is looking for 
	my *replacement*!

Two of the ladies unroll the rolled-up mattresses on the 
bare bedsprings, as Vernon enters with an armload of blankets 
and pillows.

			HOMER (V.O.)
	I can't replace you! I'm sorry...

Homer holds up the list of rules, rereads it briefly; he 
walks over to an unpainted beam, a support beam, and tacks 
the rules on this beam.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE, ROOF - MORNING

Homer reads Larch's letter, sipping coffee.

			LARCH (V.O.)
	Sorry? I'm not 'sorry'! Not for 
	anything I've done. I'm not even 
	sorry that I love you!

INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT

Larch sits on his ether-bed with a letter from Homer in his 
hand. He looks completely deflated. Angela is standing in 
the doorway.

			LARCH
	I think we may have lot him to the 
	world. He's not coming back.

END OF THE MONTAGE.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - EARLY EVENING

In the newly painted, spruced-up cider house, Homer and Candy 
are dancing to another slow, sexy song on the radio. He is 
untucking her blouse, feeling under her blouse--she starts 
to unbutton his shirt. They kiss while they dance. But the 
song changes abruptly on the radio to something fast and 
silly.

Homer responds to the music, dancing goofily--instantly out 
of the mood. Candy laughs, but she picks up a pillow and 
swings it at him, hitting him. He dances away from her. She 
throws the pillow; he ducks--the pillow lands somewhere near 
the door. Now Homer grabs a pillow and chases her from bed 
to bed. She shrieks--they're both laughing. They each grab a 
pillow and stand toe to toe whacking each other, laughing 
all the while, until he pins her arms behind her and, 
breathing hard--and despite the stupid music that broke the 
mood--they are passionately kissing again.

The sound of a truck is sudden and loud.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - DAY

Mr. Rose's truck has arrived. The pickers are hopping out of 
the truck, grabbing their gear.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - DAY

The door opens. Hero and Peaches barge in, as Homer and Candy 
are struggling to return the pillows to the beds.

			HERO
	Who's that?

			PEACHES
	It's that Homer!

Muddy is right behind them. He picks up a pillow, off the 
floor, looking for which bed it belongs on.

			MUDDY
	It's that Candy, too...

Then comes Mr. Rose, slyly smiling, taking it all in--there's 
no hiding what's going on. Homer and Candy are caught, their 
shirts untucked and half-unbuttoned--they're still out of 
breath. The pillows lie crazily on the beds, each one of 
which has been stepped on.

			MR. ROSE
	Don't this place look like home?

			PEACHES
	It look nicer then home!

			MR. ROSE
	What have you two been doin' to make 
	it look so nice?

Rose Rose enters. She looks hardened, toughened--not happy. 
She plops down her stuff on her bed, looking only at Candy.

			ROSE ROSE
	How is that Wally doing?

			CANDY
	Oh, he's fine! I just heard from 
	him. He's bombing all these places...

Homer tries to help out.

			HOMER
		(mumbling)
	...bridges, oil refineries, fuel 
	depots...

He peters out, knowing how sick of hearing this Candy is. He 
tries to change the subject.

			HOMER
	Where's Jack?

There is an uncomfortable silence.

			MUDDY
	He just wasn't up for the trip.

More silence.

			MR. ROSE
	That Jack just never knew what his 
	business was.

One look at Muddy and we know something pretty bad happened 
to Jack.

EXT. ORCHARDS - DAY

The pickers on their ladders, all picking. Homer is now a 
good picker; he looks over at Rose Rose. She is slumped 
against the ladder, not picking, completely ignoring an 
argument beneath them in the aisle between the trees. (Mr. 
Rose is checking over the apples Peaches has just picked.)

			MR. ROSE
	You pickin' nothin' but cider apples, 
	Peaches--I hope you understand that.

			PEACHES
	They ain't drops--I picked 'em off 
	the tree!

			MR. ROSE
	Then you pickin' 'em too fast--they 
	ain't no better than drops to me. 
	See that bruise, and that one? *Half* 
	of these is bruised! Look at this 
	one! It ain't got no stem! You might 
	as well *step* on 'em, too--they 
	only good for cider.

EXT. ORCHARDS - DUSK

In the aisle between the trees, Homer and Candy are arguing 
in one of the work vehicles.

			CANDY
	Do you think I'm having a good time? 
	Do you think I'm just *teasing* you? 
	Do you think I *know* whether I want 
	you or Wally?

			HOMER
	So we should "wait and see." For how 
	long?

			CANDY
	I grew up with Wally. I began my 
	adult life with him.

			HOMER
	Fine. That's all there is to it then.

			CANDY
	No! That's not all there is to it! I 
	love you, too--I *know* I do.

			HOMER
	Okay, okay--I know you do, too.

			CANDY
		(bitterly)
	It's a good thing I didn't have that 
	baby, isn't it?

Her sudden hardness leaves him speechless as they go their 
separate ways. Candy drives on.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - SUNNY MORNING

Breakfast time at the picnic table. Rose Rose by herself, 
away from the table. She does not look well; she suddenly 
goes back inside the bunkhouse.

			PEACHES
		(calling after her)
	Ain't you eatin' with us, Rose?
		(to the men)
	She used to eat with us. Now we ain't 
	good enough for her, I guess.

			HERO
	She ain't hungry, maybe.

			MUDDY
	She ain't hungry every mornin' 'cause 
	she's sick every mornin'.

Homer gets up to take his dishes inside.

INT. KITCHEN AND BUNKHOUSE - MORNING

When Homer comes in, Rose Rose is throwing up in the sink.

			HOMER
	You okay, Rose?

			ROSE ROSE
	I guess you must like watchin' me be 
	sick...

			HOMER
	I don't like watching anyone be sick.

Rose Rose lies down on her bed with the curtain open. There 
is something familiar about the way Homer approaches her 
bedside; he does so with the authority of a doctor. He sits 
on the edge of her bed with such complete self-assurance 
that she doesn't protest.

			HOMER
	How many months are you?

She just stares. But she doesn't stop him when he touches 
her abdomen. It's as if she knows that he knows what he's 
doing.

			HOMER
	You're not yet three months, are 
	you?

			ROSE ROSE
	Not yet. What do you know about it?

			HOMER
	I know more than I want to know about 
	it. Who's the father?

			ROSE ROSE
	Don't trouble yourself about it, 
	Homer--this ain't your business.

			HOMER
	But you don't look very happy.

			ROSE ROSE
	*Happy*! What are you thinkin'? How 
	am I supposed to take care of a baby! 
	I can't have a baby.

			HOMER
	Rose, please listen. Whatever you 
	want to do, I can help you.

She is taken back.

			HOMER
	What I mean is, if you don't want 
	to... keep the baby, I know a place 
	where you can go.

			ROSE ROSE
	You think Daddy's gonna let me go 
	anywhere? I ain't going *nowhere*.

She rolls over on the bed, facing away from him again.

			ROSE ROSE
	Why don't you just go back to your 
	pickin', Homer? I can take care of 
	it myself!

			HOMER
	Rose, listen--don't *do* anything. 
	You know, I mean to yourself. Please 
	listen...

			MR. ROSE (O.S.)
		(calling)
	Homer! Is this a workin' day or what?

EXT. LOBSTER POUND - EVENING

Homer and Candy are sitting at the dock.

			CANDY
	We should take her to St. Cloud's. 
	That much is obvious, isn't it? Let 
	her make up her mind when she gets 
	there...

			HOMER
	I told her! She doesn't feel she can 
	do that. Something about her father 
	not letting her go anywhere...

			CANDY
	Well, we have to help her!

Homer doesn't respond.

			CANDY
	We have to do *something*. Don't we?
		(beat)
	Homer?

Homer looks out over the ocean; he remains unresponsive.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - MIDDAY

Rose Rose is setting the picnic table for lunch when Candy 
arrives.

			CANDY
	Hi...

			ROSE ROSE
	Hi...

She keeps setting the table.

			CANDY
	I've got some more clothes for you--
	I just keep forgetting to bring them 
	with me.

			ROSE ROSE
	I don't need no more clothes, thank 
	you.

			CANDY
		(softly)
	Rose, I know what's going on. Homer 
	told me. I got pregnant, too--about 
	a year ago.
		(pause)
	I've been through this.

Rose Rose looks down.

			ROSE ROSE
	You ain't been through what I been 
	through, Candy.

			CANDY
		(doesn't get it)
	Yes, I *have*!

Rose Rose dismissively waves her hand.

			CANDY
	Who's the father, Rose?

Rose looks at Candy and shakes her head.

			CANDY
	You want to have the baby?

Rose Rose shakes her head again, more emphatically.

			CANDY
	I know where you can go. Homer and I 
	can take you...

			ROSE ROSE
	I can't go nowhere.

			CANDY
	Why?

Rose Rose stays silent.

			CANDY
	Is it the father? Does he know?

Rose Rose turns away from Candy.

			CANDY
	You can trust me. Is it Jack? It's 
	not Jack, is it? It's *Muddy*! Is it 
	Muddy?

			ROSE ROSE
		(almost wistfully)
	No. It ain't Muddy. Muddy's just...

Rose Rose stops; she can't even continue setting the table. 
Her voice turns bitter, despairing.

			ROSE ROSE
	It sure ain't Jack.

There, suddenly, is Mr. Rose, walking past them. He is 
uncharacteristically tentative.

			MR. ROSE
		(to his daughter)
	I'll be up top...

Mr. Rose leaves Candy and Rose Rose alone again. Rose Rose 
nods almost invisibly after her father. Rose Rose looks 
pointedly at Candy, nodding. Candy slowly gets it. Mr. Rose 
is the father! Rose Rose lets that sink in; she keeps looking 
at Candy with an ashamed expression.

EXT. ORCHARD - DAY

The pickers are at work, on their ladders, when Candy runs 
down the aisle between two rows of trees. She stops at the 
bottom of Homer's ladder, out of breath. Muddy and Peaches 
and Hero, in the treetops, are watching and listening.

			CANDY
	She won't go to St. Cloud's!

			HOMER
		(shrugging)
	Well, we can't force her. It's her 
	decision.

			CANDY
	You don't understand! It's her 
	father...

			HOMER
	Mr. Rose *knows*?

			CANDY
		(shouting)
	He's the *father*! He's her baby's 
	father!

The pickers can't help but hear this, too. Candy starts to 
leave, Homer running after her.

			HOMER
	Wait... *wait*! Are you sure?

			CANDY
	We've got to keep her away from that 
	bastard!

Candy leaves. Homer starts looking for Mr. Rose.

EXT. ORCHARD, NEAR CIDER HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

Smiling his enigmatic smile, Mr. Rose keeps slowly picking 
while Homer stands at the foot of his ladder.

			MR. ROSE
	I didn't see where you was pickin' 
	this mornin', Homer, but you musta 
	worked up a big appetite. You look 
	like you're serious about gettin' to 
	your lunch today!

			HOMER
	Is it true?

Mr. Rose stops picking, his eyes darting to see who's around.

			HOMER
	Are you sleeping with your own 
	daughter?

Mr. Rose, with deliberate slowness, comes down the ladder.

			MR. ROSE
		(slyly; still composed)
	I think you been stayin' up too late 
	at night, Homer.

			HOMER
	You're actually having sex with your 
	own little girl? Is that possible?

			MR. ROSE
	Ain't nobody havin' *sex* with my 
	little girl, Homer--that's somethin' 
	a father knows.

			HOMER
	You're lying. How can you... with 
	your own daughter!

Mr. Rose switches from sly to threatening in a split second.

			MR. ROSE
	Homer, don't you know what business 
	you in? You don't wanna go into no 
	business with me, Homer--ain't that 
	right?

			HOMER
	Go on, cut my clothes. I've got other 
	clothes.

Mr. Rose is indignant.

			MR. ROSE
	You a fine one to be talkin' about 
	lies. Shame! These people took you 
	in. That boy Wally's at *war*!

That takes some of the steam out of Homer's superiority.

			HOMER
	But she's your *daughter*...

			MR. ROSE
	And I *love* her! There ain't nobody 
	else gonna treat her as good as I 
	do!
		(looks away)
	I wouldn't do nothin' to hurt her, 
	Homer--you must know that.

Homer turns; he speaks over his shoulder as he walks away.

			HOMER
	She's *pregnant*. Do you know *that*?

By his expression--he looks as if he's been punched--it's 
clear that Mr. Rose didn't *know that*.

The other pickers are on their way to lunch; it's obvious 
that Muddy, Peaches, and Hero already know that Mr. Rose is 
sleeping with his daughter.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - PICNIC AREA - LUNCHTIME

Rose Rose is sitting at the picnic table when the pickers 
arrive for lunch, almost simultaneously with Homer. He looks 
at, then looks away from, Rose Rose. Mr. Rose is the last to 
sit down at the table as a very tense, wordless lunch begins.

EXT. ORCHARD - DAY

Homer is on a ladder picking apples. Muddy climbs a ladder 
on the other side of the same tree.

			MUDDY
	Don't mess in this, Homer, if you 
	know what's good for you.

			HOMER
	How long's this been going on, Muddy?

			MUDDY
	Long enough. You ain't gonna stop 
	it.

Muddy looks all around for Mr. Rose; then he gives Homer his 
knife.

			MUDDY
	There's my knife, Homer. It ain't 
	gonna do *me* no good. You give that 
	knife to Rose Rose, you hear?

Homer nods, pocketing the knife. As Muddy climbs down and 
moves his ladder to an adjacent tree, he keeps talking to 
Homer until he disappears in the leaves.

			MUDDY
	You best just watch you ass, Homer! 
	You don't wanna end up like Jack!

Homer thoughtfully continues his work.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - LATE AT NIGHT

Homer lies awake in his bed.

EXT. ORCHARD - LATE AFTERNOON, ANOTHER DAY

The pickers on their ladders in the trees; nobody is talking. 
In the late sun, the leaves have a reddish, fiery glow.

EXT. ORCHARD - ANOTHER DAY

It's much colder; the pickers are on their ladders in the 
trees again, but they're dressed for the cold. Homer is high 
on a ladder; he turns toward the view of the Worthington 
house when he hears a car come to a screeching halt in the 
driveway. Homer sees Candy get out of Wally's car; she leaves 
the door open and runs toward the house. Parked in front of 
Wally's car is an Army Jeep, with an ENLISTED MAN leaning 
against it. The indifferent soldier smokes a cigarette as he 
watches Candy run.

			CANDY
	No! No!

Homer descends the ladder and runs for the house, down as 
aisle between the row of trees. The pickers watch him run.

INT. WORTHINGTON HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY

Camera follows Homer into the Worthington house where, from 
the front hall, he sees Olive and Candy (in profile) sitting 
on the couch. We can't see who's talking, nor do we recognize 
the voice. As Homer comes into the living room, we see MAJOR 
WINSLOW sitting in a chair (also in profile), talking to 
Olive and Candy.

Major Winslow is a smooth, handsome well-briefed officer in 
the casualty branch of the Army Air Corps; he's done his 
homework, but he's not all business. He's painfully aware of 
the delicate nature of his report.

			MAJOR WINSLOW
	When the plane was hit, the crew 
	chief and the radioman jumped close 
	together. The copilot jumped third. 
	All on Captain Worthington's orders--
	the captain was still flying the 
	plane. None of the men of the ground 
	could see the sky--that's how thick 
	the jungle was. They never saw the 
	plane crash--they never *heard* it 
	crash. They never saw Captain 
	Worthington's parachute, either.

			OLIVE
	Why was he missing for twenty days?

			MAJOR WINSLOW
	Because the crew thought he'd gone 
	down with the plane. They were 
	hospitalized for almost a week in 
	China before they were flown back to 
	India. It wasn't until that they 
	sorted through their gear...

			CANDY
	Who cares about their *gear*?

			MAJOR WINSLOW
	Three men jumped from the plane, but 
	they had four compasses with them. 
	One of the crew jumped with Captain 
	Worthington's compass.

			CANDY
	He was in Burma for twenty days 
	without a compass?

			MAJOR WINSLOW
	He followed the Irrawaddy River, all 
	the way to Rangoon. Somehow he managed 
	to avoid the Japs, but not the 
	mosquitoes.

			OLIVE
	Then it's malaria?

			MAJOR WINSLOW
	It's encephalitis B. He's recovering 
	at Mount Lavinia Hospital, Ceylon.
		(pause)
	Uh... Captain Worthington is 
	paralyzed.
		(Olive gasps)
	Waist down. He won't walk.

Candy stands and leaves the room.

			MAJOR WINSLOW
		(to Olive)
	I'm sorry.

			HOMER
		(asks the major)
	There are no autonomic effects, are 
	there?

Major Winslow has to consult his notes.

			MAJOR WINSLOW
	No autonomic effects... that's 
	correct.

			OLIVE
	When will he be home, Major?

			MAJOR WINSLOW
	Four weeks or so, right around 
	Halloween.

INT./EXT. WALLY'S CAR - LOBSTER POUND - END OF DAY

Homer and Candy are sitting in the parked car in silence.

			HOMER
		(finally)
	There are no autonomic effects, just 
	the paralysis of the lower 
	extremities.

Candy stares at him, uncomprehending.

			HOMER
	Wally can have kids, a normal sex 
	life...

Candy cries.

EXT. LOBSTER POUND - EVENING

Ray is throwing snails in the water. Candy sits on the end 
of the dock, slumped on Homer's shoulder.

			RAY
	How about him not needin' the friggin' 
	compass! How about that?

			CANDY
	Daddy, *please*...

Ray knows that she wants him to leave. He shuffles off the 
dock, toward the house. He knows how they both must feel.

			RAY
	Good night, kids. Don't catch cold--
	it's gettin' cold already.

			CANDY
	Good night, Daddy.

			HOMER
	Good night, Ray.

Homer tries to cuddle closer, but Candy sits up, preoccupied.

			HOMER
	Just tell me. I'll do whatever you 
	want to do.

			CANDY
	Nothing.

			HOMER
	Isn't that like waiting and seeing?

			CANDY
	No. Nothing is nothing. I want Wally 
	to come home. I'm afraid to see him, 
	too.

			HOMER
	I know.
		(he kisses her)
	Is *that* nothing.

			CANDY
	No, don't--that's something. Nothing 
	is nothing.
		(Homer's sad smile)
	Don't even look at me. I want...

Candy buries her face in his chest.

			CANDY
	...to do nothing.

Homer holds her, doing nothing, while she sobs. As her crying 
subsides, Homer's thoughts are far away. With Candy slumped 
against him, hugging him, he doesn't look at her; instead, 
he looks out to sea and at the darkening coast, Candy's words 
resonating. An unfamiliar expression is on his face.

			HOMER
		(mumbling to himself)
	It's a tempting idea, I know... to 
	do nothing.

Candy is silent. Homer feels strangely agitated; he shifts 
his position.

			CANDY
		(groans)
	Please don't move, don't go anywhere.

			HOMER
		(overly genuine)
	*Go* anywhere? Of course not! That 
	would be *doing* something, wouldn't 
	it? We wouldn't want to *do* 
	something. Let's just sit here all 
	night!

			CANDY
		(irritated)
	If you're trying to be funny, Homer...

			HOMER
		(irritated, too)
	I'm not trying to be anything--I'm 
	just doing nothing! If I wait and 
	see long enough, then--with any luck--
	I won't *ever* have to make up my 
	mind! Decisions can be painful, after 
	all...

Candy is angry; she gets to her feet and stares hard at him.

			CANDY
	Stop it! Just cut it out!

			HOMER
		(mock surprise)
	You got up! You *did* something! If 
	you keep this up, you might be in 
	danger of making a *decision*!

			CANDY
	For God's sake, Homer, Wally's been 
	shot down!

Candy sobs. Homer puts his face in his hands for a minute. 
He regains his composure and stands up.

			HOMER
		(genuinely contrite)
	I know, I'm sorry.

			CANDY
		(yelling and sobbing)
	He's *paralyzed*!

			HOMER
		(deadpan; just the 
	     facts)
	He's *alive*. He still loves you.
		(pause)
	So do I.

			CANDY
		(anguished)
	What do you want me to *do*?

He faces away from her.

			HOMER
		(with calm resolve)
	Nothing. You're not the one who has 
	to do anything.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - NIGHT

Homer is in semidarkness as he walks toward the cider house.

			MR. ROSE (O.S.)
	Where do you think you're going?

			ROSE ROSE (O.S.)
	You gotta let me go, Daddy. Please...

Homer walks faster. When he gets to the cider house, he sees 
Mr. Rose and Rose Rose arguing. Rose is sitting on the 
bicycle, a bundle of her clothes tied up behind the seat.

			MR. ROSE
	You ain't goin' nowhere in the middle 
	of the night, girl!

			ROSE ROSE
	I ain't your business no more, Daddy. 
	Please let me go.

Rose Rose starts to pedal away, but Mr. Rose stops her. She 
starts to struggle.

			HOMER
	Hey, hey! Stop it. Maybe I can help.

They turn to see Homer.

			MR. ROSE
	You just go inside, Homer. We don't 
	need no help.

			ROSE ROSE
	That's right, Homer. This ain't your 
	business.

She tries to break free from her father and pedal away, but 
he stops her again. They keep struggling.

			HOMER
	Please listen to me! *Both* of you...

			MR. ROSE
	You forget yourself, Homer. This 
	here's my daughter! You got your own 
	mess to deal with--ain't that right?

Homer steps between them, which makes Mr. Rose furious.

			MR. ROSE
		(yelling)
	What business is you in, Homer?

			HOMER
	Mr. Rose, I'm in the *doctor* 
	business.
		(to Rose Rose)
	If you want, I can help you. You 
	don't have to go anywhere.

Rose Rose and Mr. Rose stop struggling. Suddenly Homer is in 
charge.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT

Muddy, Hero and Peaches smoke in their beds. Rose Rose opens 
her curtain and peers out from her bed. She gets up and goes 
toward the kitchen area in her nightshirt; she stops at an 
unused bed, now covered with white rubber sheeting--Homer's 
medical instruments are displayed and ready. Homer finished 
scrubbing his hands in the sink. His surgical mask is loosely 
tied around his neck.

Mr. Rose is looking at Homer's surgical instruments when 
Rose Rose joins him.

			MR. ROSE
		(to Homer)
	What's that? What's it called?

			HOMER
	One cervical stabilizer, two sets of 
	dilators--Douglas points. One medium-
	sized curette, one small; one medium 
	speculum, one large; two vulsellum 
	forceps.

			MR. ROSE
	There ain't no *almost* about this 
	stuff, Homer--ain't that right?

Homer ignores him; he keeps naming his equipment.

			HOMER
	Merthiolate, ether, vulval pads, 
	gauze--lots of gauze.

			MR. ROSE
	When it comes to this, you is the 
	real thing--is that what you sayin'?

Homer looks at Mr. Rose and Rose Rose.

			HOMER
	No *almost* about it--I'm a doctor.

Homer turns to Peaches, Hero, and Muddy.

			HOMER
	Get out of here, please.

Muddy herds Peaches and Hero out of the bunkhouse.

			MR. ROSE
	I'm stayin', Homer.

			HOMER
	Okay. Then you can be of use.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT

Mr. Rose wears a surgical mask; he is sweating, even in the 
cold, and his eyes look stricken as he watches Homer, who is 
performing the abortion. Mr. Rose holds the ether cone over 
Rose Rose's face. He drips some ether from the bottle on the 
cone.

Cut quickly for Rose Rose's etherized face... to Mr. Rose's 
eyes above his mask... to Homer working with his eyes trained 
on the speculum...

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - NIGHT

...to Muddy and Peaches and Hero huddled under the overhanging 
roof in the rain.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT

Mr. Rose is having a hard time breathing.

			HOMER
	You better get some air.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - NIGHT

The cider house in the rain. Mr. Rose staggers out; he stands 
there in the rain, trying to regain his composure. He starts 
to scream.

Another angle: huddled under the overhanging roof, Muddy and 
Peaches and Hero are watching him.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - RAINY DAY

Rose Rose, curled in a fetal position, listens to the rain 
on the roof. Candy sits on her bed beside her. She helps her 
to sit up, to drink a glass of water; then Rose Rose lies 
down again. Rose Rose's expression never changes while Candy 
talks to her. Mr. Rose lies in his bed in the exact same 
fetal position as his daughter; he too, is listening to Candy. 
Homer is putting away his instruments.

			CANDY
	The bleeding should taper off 
	tomorrow, but it can come back again. 
	The cramps will ease up, almost 
	entirely. The bleeding is usually 
	much lighter in two days. As long as 
	the bleeding isn't heavy, it's normal.

Muddy enters the cider house from out of the storm. He glances 
at Candy and Rose Rose; then at Homer. Then he speaks to Mr. 
Rose.

			MUDDY
	It's that Vernon--he keeps askin' 
	where you and Homer and Rose Rose is 
	at.

			MR. ROSE
	Tell that Vernon to mind his own 
	business, Muddy.

			MUDDY
	I told him that you all is sick.

			MR. ROSE
	Tell him what you want, Muddy--*you* 
	is the crew boss today.

Hero and Peaches, dripping wet, come inside. Peaches is 
standing next to the list of rules tacked to the kitchen 
support beam.

			PEACHES
	Look at that. Them same damn rules 
	is tacked up again!

Homer has finished putting his instruments away.

			MUDDY
	Why don't you put them damn rules in 
	the wood stove, Peaches?

As the men are murmuring their approval of this idea, Rose 
Rose interjects.

			ROSE ROSE
	I want to hear what they are, first.

The men groan, but Mr. Rose won't oppose his daughter on 
this subject--not this time. He just lies there.

			ROSE ROSE
	Homer, let me hear what they are.

Homer begins to read.

			HOMER
	"One: Please don't smoke in bed."

			MUDDY
	We heard that one already, Homer.

			HOMER
	"Two: Please don't go up to the roof 
	to eat your lunch."

			PEACHES
	That's the best place to eat lunch!

			HOMER
	"Three: Please--even if you are very 
	hot--do not go up to the roof to 
	sleep."

			HERO
	What do they think? They must think 
	we're crazy!

			MUDDY
	They think we're dumb niggers so we 
	need dumb rules--that's what they 
	think.

			HOMER
	This is the last one.

The men groan, in mock disappointment.

			HOMER
	"Four: There should be no going up 
	on the roof at night."

			PEACHES
	Why don't they just say, "Stay off 
	the roof!"?

			HERO
	Yeah, they don't want us up there 
	*at all*!

Homer crumples the list and throws it into the wood stove.

			ROSE ROSE
		(to Homer)
	That's *it*?

			HOMER
	That's it.

			ROSE ROSE
	It means nothin' at all! And all 
	this time I been *wonderin'* about 
	it!

			PEACHES
	They're *outrageous*, them rules!

			MR. ROSE
	Who *live* here in this cider house, 
	Peaches? Who grind them apples, who 
	press that cider, who clean up the 
	mess, and who just plain *live* 
	here... just breathin' in the vinegar?
		(he pauses)
	Somebody who *don't* live here made 
	them rules. Them rules ain't for 
	*us*. *We* the ones who make up them 
	rules. We makin' our *own* rules, 
	every day. Ain't that right, Homer?

			HOMER
	Right.

Camera closes on Candy.

INT./EXT. WALLY'S CAR - DRIVE-IN THEATRE - EVENING

Homer and Candy sit and stare at the blank screen; they don't 
look at each other. Candy grips the steering wheel of the 
parked car.

			CANDY
	Please don't make me say it again.

			HOMER
	No, that's not it--I just want to be 
	sure I understand you.

Candy slumps forward with her forehead on the steering wheel.

			HOMER
	I *helped* you not to think about 
	Wally. You were so upset--you couldn't 
	stand worrying about him, about his 
	being killed and not coming back--
	but when you were with me, you could 
	stop worrying... well, for a while, 
	anyway. This is how I helped you, 
	right?

			CANDY
	Please... that's enough. I *loved* 
	you, too--you know I did.

			HOMER
	"...did." Well, okay.

			CANDY
	Please don't...

			HOMER
		(sarcastically)
	And now that Wally's coming back, 
	and because he'll certainly *need* 
	you...

			CANDY
	You say that as though it's some 
	awful thing!
		(angrily)
	I never stopped loving Wally!

Homer lets that sink in.

			HOMER
		(still sarcastic)
	At least there's no more waiting and 
	seeing. At least I got to see the 
	ocean.

Candy covers her face in her hands and cries uncontrollably, 
unstoppably. Homer's anger keeps him impervious to her tears--
another "first" for him. He turns and looks at her with an 
almost clinical curiosity; then he goes back to staring at 
the blank screen.

EXT. ORCHARD - IN FRONT OF THE APPLE MART - DAWN

The rain has stopped but the grass is wet, the trees 
glistening in the dawn light as Wally's car stops and Homer 
gets out. The car exits the frame in one direction; Homer, 
walking, exits the frame in another.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE - DAWN

As he walks toward the cider house, Homer sees Muddy and 
Peaches and Hero waving to him from the roof.

			MUDDY
	Rose Rose has runned away!

			PEACHES
	She took off in the night!

			MUDDY
	She took off on the bicycle, man.

Homer starts jogging, then running toward the cider house. 
Muddy comes down the ladder to meet him.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - EARLY MORNING

Rose Rose's bed is exposed. The curtains are flung open; her 
bed is empty. Mr. Rose is still in his bed, in the fetal 
position we have seen before. Mr. Rose's trancelike expression 
doesn't change as Homer and Muddy enter.

			MR. ROSE
	Ain't nobody gonna find her, Homer--
	she's long gone.
		(pause)
	I swear, I didn't try and stop her--
	I just wanna touch her hand before 
	she go. That's all I wanna do, I 
	swear.
		(pause)
	Where'd she get that knife, Muddy? 
	That looked like *your* knife--what 
	I seen of it.

Muddy is scared; he looks to Homer for advice.

			MR. ROSE
	If that was your knife, Muddy, I 
	wanna thank you for givin' it to her--
	no girl should be goin' *hitch-hikin'* 
	if she don't got a good knife with 
	her.

			HOMER
		(seeing the blood)
	Where'd she get you?

			MR. ROSE
	She just plan misunderstand me--I 
	was tryin' to give her my knife, I 
	was just reachin' to touch her hand. 
	But I understand if she misunderstand 
	me--it's all my fault, ain't that 
	right?

Homer takes the blanket off him; Muddy gasps. Homer tries to 
examine Mr. Rose's wound. Mr. Rose smiles at him.

			MR. ROSE
	It's too late for the doctor now, 
	Homer--ain't that right?

Homer doesn't answer; he knows Mr. Rose is a goner.

			MR. ROSE
		(proudly)
	She's *good* with that knife! She's 
	real fast. She's a lot better with 
	that knife than *you* is, Muddy! And 
	who do you suppose taught her?

			MUDDY
	*You* taught her, I suppose...

			MR. ROSE
	That's right! A girl's gotta know 
	how to defend herself, don't she?

He winces in pain at Homer's examination.

			HOMER
		(surprised)
	There's more than one laceration, 
	more than one cut.

			MR. ROSE
	That's 'cause I sticked my *own* 
	knife in the wound--after she go, I 
	sticked my *own* knife in there. I 
	poked it all around, I just tryin' 
	to find the same place she got me.

Homer finds Mr. Rose's knife. There's blood everywhere.

			MR. ROSE
	You listen to me: you tell them police 
	how this happen, you tell it *this* 
	way, you hear? My daughter, she runned 
	off--and I so sad about it that I 
	stabbed myself. I so unhappy that 
	she gone, I killed myself--that what 
	you say, you hear? That the true 
	story--ain't that right?

Homer and Muddy exchange a glance. Mr. Rose, with his blood-
soaked hand, suddenly grabs Homer by the throat.

			MR. ROSE
	Let me hear you say that! I so unhappy 
	she runned away that I killed myself--
	that what happen here, ain't that 
	right?

			HOMER
	Right?

			MUDDY
	That what happen--you lost you only 
	daughter so's you killed yourself! 
	That's what we say, all right.

			MR. ROSE
	That's right. I know you understand 
	how I feel, Homer--you is breakin' 
	them rules, too. Ain't that right?

Mr. Rose dies. Muddy turns away. Homer closes Mr. Rose's 
eyes.

EXT. CIDER HOUSE, ROOF - MORNING

Muddy and Hero and Peaches are sitting close together on the 
roof, like banished children. It is from their perspective 
that we see the police car and the ambulance--two men carrying 
the body out of the cider house, and a cop or two talking to 
Homer and Olive, and Homer talking to them. We hear no 
dialogue.

EXT. APPLE MART - DUSK

Homer and the men load crates of apple jelly onto a truck. 
The mood is solemn; they work with tired focus. Candy drives 
up. The men are evasive with her; they find a reason to work 
across the mart. Candy walks to Homer, stands next to him. 
They say nothing for a moment, until Candy breaks the silence.

			CANDY
	Do you think she'll be all right?

			HOMER
	She knows how to take care of herself.

Candy looks away; she can't think of what to say. She shoves 
her hands into her pockets, finds a letter there, which she 
hands to Homer.

			CANDY
	This came for you a couple of days 
	ago. Olive asked me to bring it. 
	With everything happening, I guess 
	she forgot.

			HOMER
	Sure. Thanks.

Homer looks at the letter from St. Cloud's; he puts it 
unopened in his pocket without a second thought. Candy can't 
let things end there.

			CANDY
	I know you don't think much of being 
	needed, or of me for that matter...

			HOMER
	I'm sorry for what I said about Wally 
	needing you. It was... unnecessary.

			CANDY
	No, I'm the one who should be sorry. 
	You have every right to be angry.

			HOMER
	No. You warned me. I didn't listen, 
	but you warned me.

Candy looks surprised.

			HOMER
	You told me you weren't any good at 
	being alone.
		(pause)
	You told Wally, too. Right?

Candy can only stare straight ahead.

			HOMER
		(relenting)
	He's going to be fine, Wally's going 
	to be fine. I know he is.

A tear rolls down Candy's cheek, Homer wipes it away; then 
he stops touching her and looks off into the quiet orchards.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT

The pickers lie in their beds, smoking. Homer is undressing. 
He pulls the letter out of his pocket and sits down on his 
bed. Homer opens the letter without enthusiasm and begins to 
read.

			ANGELA (V.O.)
	Dear Homer, I am writing to tell you 
	about Wilbur.

INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT

Music is playing on the old phonograph as an exhausted Larch 
gives himself ether.

INT. GIRLS' DIVISION - NIGHT

Edna is getting the girls ready for bed. Music continues 
Over.

INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT

Larch has twisted himself on the narrow bed so that his face 
is unusually close to the windowsill, and when the ether 
cone starts to fall off his face--and his slack hand trails 
down, off the side of the bed--the cone becomes caught against 
the windowsill.

He tries to turn his face away from the cone, but he presses 
his face into the sill--thus holding the ether-soaked cone 
over his mouth and nose. His hands twitch, he's trying to 
wake up; the hand that holds the ether bottle lets the bottle 
fall. The bottle shatters against the sill; the ether spreads, 
running red with blood from a cut on Dr. Larch's hand or 
finger. Music continues Over. It's a funeral.

INT. CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Buster is bringing in the wood as the music plays Over. Buster 
smells the spilled ether. He heads toward the dispensary, 
sniffing. Camera follows him into the dispensary.

In the dispensary: Buster approaches Larch's ether-bed.

			BUSTER
	Dr. Larch? Dr. Larch?

He drops the armload of wood and runs for help.

INT. DISPENSARY - NIGHT

Angela enters. She feels for Larch's pulse; Larch is dead. 
Angela opens a window. She pull's Larch's body away from the 
windowsill. Buster joins her on the bed.

			ANGELA (V.O.)
	I can assure you that the overdose 
	was entirely accidental.

INT. BUNKHOUSE - NIGHT

Homer finishes reading the letter; he puts it down, gets up, 
and walks to a window. He stares into the night.

			ANGELA (V.O.)
	Let us be happy for Dr. Larch. Dr. 
	Larch has found a family.

			THE BOYS (V.O.)
	Good night, Dr. Larch! Good night, 
	Dr. Larch! Good night, Dr. Larch!

Homer wipes a tear off his cheek.

EXT. PICKERS' TRUCK - CIDER/PACKING HOUSE - MORNING

The truck is packed for the long trip south; it passes by 
the packing house, which looks closed for the season. No one 
else is about. Muddy is driving slowly, his arm out the open 
window. In the back, huddled among their belongings, are 
Peaches and Hero (on one side) and Homer (on the other). The 
pickers are trying to draw Homer into their conversation, 
while Homer is giving the apple farm a good-bye look. He has 
made up his mind about something.

			MUDDY
	You ever see a palm tree, Homer?

			PEACHES
	He ain't never been outta Maine!

			HERO
	Ain't you sick of pine trees, Homer?

Homer just smiles and shakes his head.

EXT. WORTHINGTON HOUSE, DRIVEWAY - MORNING

As the pickers' truck drives past, Homer is on the side of 
the truck nearest the Worthington house and driveway; he 
sees Olive and Candy and Ray helping Wally out of the car 
and into a wheelchair. A NURSE stands by.

Wally is wearing what appears to be an oversized officer's 
coat or flight jacket, his face looking small in the overlarge 
clothes. He can't move his legs at all, and his mouth is 
drawn into a tight-lipped smile.

			PEACHES (O.S.)
	Let me tell you somethin' about 
	Florida, Homer.

			HERO (O.S.)
	The Sunshine State!

			PEACHES (O.S.)
	It's so nice 'n' warm down there, 
	you can pick them grapefruits and 
	oranges *naked*, if you want to.

Olive is dissolved in tears. Candy is sobbing; she kisses 
Wally, without ceasing, while he haltingly touches her face, 
her hair.

In the truck the smile is gone from Homer's face. He shakes 
his head.

			HOMER
	Thanks, guys... I'd like to go with 
	you. But I've got to move on.

			MUDDY
	Yeah, well... you could move on with 
	*us*, man! You could move on somewhere 
	*warm*!

			PEACHES
	Homer, stayin' in Maine ain't movin' 
	on!

This makes all the pickers laugh, but Homer just smiles and 
shakes his head. He watches the Worthington house disappear 
from view.

INT. MOVING TRAIN - PASSENGER CAR - NIGHT

A CONDUCTOR, taking tickets, comes to Homer, who is better 
dressed than we've ever seen him; he is looking at his sober 
reflection in the black window-glass of the night train when 
the conductor gets his attention. When the conductor moves 
on, Homer takes Angela's letter out of his breast pocket; he 
skips ahead to the end.

			ANGELA (V.O.)
	Dr. Larch often wondered how the 
	world was treating you.

EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - GRAVEYARD - AFTERNOON

			ANGELA (V.O.)
	He talked a lot about you, hoping 
	you would be of use, whatever you 
	were up to.

Angela and Buster and Mary Agnes and Edna carry Larch's 
coffin; they set it down by the raw hole. The pile of fresh 
dirt stands out against the new snow; the hole is black 
against the new white.

			EDNA (O.S.)
	"Oh, Lord, support us all the day 
	long..."

We see the wheelbarrow with the gravestone.

			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

We see the faces of the girls praying for Larch (Mary Agnes, 
too) as Edna finishes her favorite prayer.

			EDNA
	"Then, in Thy mercy grant us a safe 
	lodging, and a holy rest, and peace 
	at the last."

INT. MOVING TRAIN - PASSENGER CAR - NIGHT

Camera closes on Homer, sleeping to the sound of the rocking 
train. Angela's letter lies in his lap.

			THE GIRLS (O.S.)
	Amen! Amen! Amen!

EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - TRAIN STATION - EARLY MORNING

The train stops, blowing snow. Homer steps off the train 
carrying a suitcase and Dr. Larch's bag. The disapproving 
stationmaster is still disapproving. Music plays Over, 
something triumphant.

EXT. ST. CLOUD'S - THE HILL - EARLY MORNING

Homer makes his way up the hill toward the orphanage. Music 
Over.

EXT. ORPHANAGE - EARLY MORNING

Edna is breaking up fights; this time, instead of fighting 
over snowballs, the orphans are fighting over their pumpkins. 
Suddenly Homer tops the brow of the hill and they all see 
him. Buster is the first to catch sight of Homer; he runs 
toward him. Mary Agnes also sees Homer; she immediately turns 
away and runs inside. Music FADES OUT Over.

INT. LAVATORY - EARLY MORNING

Mary Agnes crashes into the bathroom and stumbles up to the 
mirror; she starts to fix herself up with shaking hands.

INT. ORPHANAGE, FRONT HALL - EARLY MORNING

Everyone has heard the news; they come on the run. The 
children flock around Homer, hugging him. Homer takes Angela 
and Edna in his arms. Mary Agnes joins the group. Homer takes 
in how changed, how attractive she is. They smile awkwardly 
at each other.

INT. BOYS' DIVISION - EVENING

Homer's suitcase is open on the bed; we see Homer's hands as 
he begins to unpack. Smaller hands reach in and root through 
the clothes.

			CURLY (O.S.)
	Did you bring something for me?

Curly continues his search. Homer thinks for a second; then 
reaches into his pocket and pulls out the piece of pale-green 
glass.

			HOMER
	You know what? I did.

Homer hands the piece of glass to Curly.

			HOMER
	It's from the ocean. It's for you.

Curly is duly impressed; he walks away to examine his new 
treasure. Homer continues unpacking. He pulls his X ray out 
and puts it aside.

			BUSTER
	What are you doing here?

Homer turns to see Buster, Mary Agnes, Angela, and Edna in 
the doorway.

			MARY AGNES
	We made up a room for you.

			ANGELA
	Wouldn't you be more comfortable by 
	yourself?

Homer smiles; he nods.

Angela and Mary Agnes start to put Homer's things back in 
his bag. Edna picks up the X ray and looks at it with a somber 
expression.

			EDNA
	Homer, do you know what this is?

			HOMER
	Sure. It's my heart.

			ANGELA
		(shakes her head)
	Actually, it's Fuzzy's. There's 
	nothing wrong with your heart.

			HOMER
	Fuzzy's?!

			EDNA
	Dr. Larch wanted to keep you out of 
	the war, Homer--that's why he did 
	it. That's why he told you it was 
	yours.

Homer is stunned; he puts his hand to his heart.

			ANGELA
	I think he worried about his own 
	heart. He said it would never stand 
	up to Homer Wells going off to war.

Homer takes that in; he nods. Mary Agnes touches him 
sympathetically.

INT. LARCH'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Homer looks at his fake diplomas; they are now framed and 
hanging on the office wall. Homer surveys the office, as if 
for the first time; he sits down in the desk chair, as if 
slowly getting used to his new position.

INT. BOYS' DIVISION - NIGHT

Homer reads to the boys from "David Copperfield". While his 
voice is strong--positive, optimistic, certainly reassuring 
to the boys--there is in the conclusion of the chapter 
something that distracts him. He seems to hesitate; he misses 
a line or two, and perhaps he purposely skips one or two 
others. (Possibly Homer's eyes wander ahead, to the title of 
the next chapter: "I Make Another Beginning.")

			HOMER
	"Thus I began my new life, in a new 
	name, and with everything new about 
	me... I felt... like one in a dream... 
	The remembrance of that life is 
	fraught with so much... want of 
	hope... Whether it lasted for a year, 
	or more, or less, I do not know. I 
	only know that it was, and ceased to 
	be; and... there I leave it."

Homer stops and looks at the boys' faces.

			CURLY
	What happens next?

Homer smiles.

			HOMER
	That's tomorrow, Curly. Let's mot 
	give the story away.

Homer puts out the lights and leaves the boys in the familiar 
semi-darkness. Seconds, later, the closed door to the hall 
is flung open, flooding the room with light from the hall, 
and Homer, dressed in his long white laboratory coat and 
looking every inch the doctor, delivers his best imitation 
of Larch's popular blessing.

			HOMER
	Good night, you Princes of Maine! 
	You Kings of New England!

On Copperfield and Steerforth and Curly as the door to the 
hall is closed and semi-darkness prevails in the room again. 
Copperfield, smiling, shuts his eyes. After a second, the 
wide-eyed Steerforth shuts his eyes, too. Then Curly.

The last to close his eyes is Buster.

			         FADE TO BLACK:

			    THE END