The Caretaker Script

By: C.S. Krstich

BLACK FADE IN:

EXT.

PRESENT.

URBAN STREET.

DAY.

SILENCE. URBAN STREET seen from the air. A Swarm of cars crowding each other as they pass in opposite directions.
RODNEY KOSKA, a middle aged man is crossing the street, we hear his voice low as he is muttering to himself. The sound of the street comes up suddenly as we hear the screech of tires and a car barely stops before hitting our man crossing the street. Rodney is startled as he looks bewildered at the car and hears the honking horns. INT. RODNEYS HOME. DAY.

Rodney walks in the front hall carrying paper shopping bags full of groceries. RODNEY Im home, I bought some groceries. Ill be there in a minute. INT. KITCHEN DAY.

The sound of moaning is low, while Rodney is putting away the groceries.
RODNEY Ill be right there Stella! INT. ESTHELLAS BEDROOM. DAY.

Rodney walks into his mothers bedroom, ESTHELLA KOSKA. Esthella is very small, shrunken and unmoving; she is barely able to turn her eyes to follow Rodney as he

comes in.
RODNEY Are you thirsty, Ill make you some soup in a minute. Oh I can smell it, you need to be changed.

INT.

Kitchen

DAY.

Rodney makes some soup. He is moving slowly, a man under great strain. He drops the bowl and breaks it, the frustration in him wells up and he grips the edge of the sink as if he is about to fall, his breathing is deep and raspy.
INT. ESTHELLAS BEDROOM. DAY.

Rodney enters the room with a tray that has a bowl of soup on it. He sits next to his wife and slowly starts to spoon feed her.

RODNEY Im going to talk to the insurance company again. They have to give us the money to pay for a nursing home for you. They have to give you the care you need. INT. Kitchen DAY.

Rodney is on the phone with the insurance company.

RODNEY My wife needs her coverage. She needs care. What the What do you mean her coverage is But weve paid. But But INT. MAILROOM DAY.

Rodney is at work, delivering the mail in an accounting office. He is walking around muttering to himself, the others in the office pay no attention to him. He is all

but invisible to the others in the office. His boss, TONY SOTTI, looks up as Rodney is passing his office and shakes his head.
RODNEY My wife needs her coverage. She needs care. What do they mean her coverage is But weve paid. Weve paid. Theyll pay, they will pay. INT. TONY SCOTTIS OFFICE DAY.

Rodney shuffles into his bosss office, his head down.

RODNEY Tony Mr. Scotti, I need to leave early, its my wife. You know how she is, I need to get home. TONY SCOTTI Rodney, Rodney, this cant go on. I know your wife shes in bad shape, but I need you here, I need someone here to do the work, you cant keep takin off, I cant keep having you leavin early. If you cant do the work Im going to have to get someone else. Im goona have to lay you off. RODNEY Im sorry, Mr. Soctti, there just isnt anyone else. I have to be there to take care of her. The fucking insurance company is fighting us, those motherfuckers wont give us the money to hire anyone or they wont even pay to put her in a nursing home. Im sorry. She needs me, if Im not there, she wont make it. TONY SCOTTI Im sorry too Rodney, but if this keeps up, Im gonna have to let you go. I need someone I can rely on. Go on get outta here. Things are slow right now.

(He yells as Rodney is leaving) This cant go on, I need a worker thatll work a full day.

EXT.

URBAN STREET

DAY.

Traffic is moving along pretty quickly. There are moments with lots of cars in the street and then long periods of no cars. INT.

BRITNEY ERROWS SUV

DAY.

BRITNEY ERROWS is driving her SUV engrossed in a telephone conversation.

BRITNEY You kissed him, you really kissed him. Thats so gross. I though you didnt even like him.

Yeah I know he has money but if you dont like him. Oh he gave you jewelry. EXT. URBAN STREET DAY.

Rodney is walking along, talking to himself. He turns to cross the street from between 2 cars. He is so engrossed in his monologue that he doesnt see the SUV coming. INT.

BRITNEY ERROWS SUV

DAY.

BRITNEY ERROWS looks up and sees Rodney coming out from between the 2 cars, she drops the phone, hits her car horn as she hits the brakes, but she is too close and going too fast.
EXT. URBAN STREET DAY.

Rodney goes flying. He is lying on the street. As Britney comes over to him, Rodney looks up at her, at first she is a blurry angelic image and then slowly everything fades to black.

INT.

HOSPITAL, RODYNEYS ROOM

DAY.

Rodney opens his eyes to see NURSE #1, she is injecting medication into Rodneys IV. As he moves she realizes that he is waking up. She bends over his bed touces his forehead with a tenderness that is unexpected from a professional before she picks up his hand to check his pulse.
Nurse #1 There you are. We were afraid you wouldnt wake up. Dont try to move, you going to be really weak for a while. Youve been under for a long time.

Rodney tries to talk. His words are very soft and jumbled. The nurse bends over him trying, putting her ear close to his mouth trying to understand what his words.
RODNEY How how long? Nurse #1 Three weeks. RODNEY My wife my wife!

Rodney starts to sob.

INT. RODNEYS HOME. DAY.

The police enter Rodneys house. They start to sniff and take out handkerchiefs to put over their mouths and noses. They search the rooms until they come to Estellas room.
INT. ESTHELLAS BEDROOM. DAY.

She is lying on the bed, not moving. The older of the police walks over to her, and shakes his head.
POLICE #1

Call the morgue. Tell them weve gotta body for them.

As POLICE #2 brings the headset to his lips.

POLICE #1 Tell them its no hurry, shes been dead for while. HOSPITAL, PHYSICAL THERAY ROOM DAY.

INT.

Rodney is barley able to lift himself, but while he looks in great pain he still soldiers on through his therapy.
THERAPIST #1 Mr. Koska, you can take a break if you feel a lot of pain. You dont have to do this all at once.

Rodney in silence continues with his travails.

Scene 10 Rodney finally goes home, he breaks down on his mothers bed, he has a cathartic cry before deciding to get revenge.
INT. RODNEYS HOME DAY.

Rodney wonders through his house. He is still moving with stiffness in his whole body. He picks up a photo of him and his wife from the side table in the living room. He carries it with him as he goes to his wifes bedroom.
INT. ESTHELLAS BEDROOM. DAY.

He enters the bedroom and collapses on the bed. His whole body heaving as he cries great sobs.
RODNEY Stella Im going to make those pigs pay for this. Im going to make them feel the pain they made you suffer

Scene 11 Rodney researches weapon, munitions, and the structure of the insurance company.
INT. RODNEYS LIVING ROOM DAY.

Montage of Rodney researching weapon, munitions, and the structure of the insurance company.

RODNEY Ill make those bitches pay for this the fucking pigs. They think they can just decide who will live or who will die. Ill show them what its like to have no chance to be up against the wall.

Scene 12 Dressed as a messenger, Rodney goes up to the presidents floor at the insurance company.

EXT.

INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICE BUILDING

DAY.

Rodney arrives in front of the Insurance company office building dressed as a bike messenger. He chains up his bike and enters the building
INT. INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICE BUILDING DAY.

Rodney walks in through the lobby, nods to the guard and enters an elevator.
INT. INSURANCE COMPANY ELEVATOR DAY.

Rodney presses the top button and steps to the back of the elevator. He exhales a deep breath, he grips the rail behind him till his knuckles are white. The door opens to reveal the presidents office of the insurance company.
INT. INSURANCE COMPANY TOP FLOOR RECEPTION DAY.

Rodney exits the elevator and walks up to the

receptionist. He pull out a letter.

RODNEY Hi there, got a delivery for ya. RECEPTIONIST Thank you.

Rodney reaches into his bag and pull out a gun. He aims it at the receptionist she starts to scream
RODNEY Shut the hell up or Ill kill ya. Where is he? Take me in there or Ill fucking kill ya.

The receptionist backs up and toward 2 large doors. She reaches behind herself and opens the doors.
INT. INSURANCE COMPANY PRESIDENTS OFFICE DAY.

Rodney walks in with his gun pointed at the receptionist. JOHNATHAN HARGOVE CORNWALL III, president of the large insurance company jumps up from his desk.
JOHNATHAN HARGOVE CORNWALL III What the hell is this!!!!! RODNEY This is your insurance rebate. You overpaid and my wife died because of you. Now Im here to deliver your premium. JOHNATHAN HARGOVE CORNWALL III Wait a second, wait a second. I dont make those decisions. The adjusters make all those decisions. RODNEY Really, so your life depends on what your adjusters do. Welcome to my world motherfucker. Now you have to die because your adjusters decided that the insurance didnt cover your disease. RECEPTIONIST

Please dont kill me. I had nothing to do with any of that. Hes the one that made up those rules. I dont want to die. JOHNATHAN HARGOVE CORNWALL III Shut up Denise! Shut up hes not going to kill either of us. Your not are you. You look like a reasonable man. You would kill someone who didnt do anything to you. RODNEY Stupid shit.

Rodney empties his gun into JOHNATHAN HARGOVE CORNWALL III. He walks over to his bleeding body.
RODNEY No shithead I wouldnt.

He drops the clip out of his handgun and loads another clip into it. He turns to the receptionist who is now on the floor cowering and whimpering.
RODNEY All right were gettin outta here. You lead dont do anything stupid. Ill be right behind you. Remember my gun will be pointed at you the whole way. INT. INSURANCE COMPANY TOP FLOOR RECEPTION DAY.

They walk into the elevator with Rodney pressed into the back of the receptionist.
INT. INSURANCE COMPANY ELEVATOR RODNEY Press the second floor button. DAY.

She presses the second floor button The elevator goes down, it takes what seems an eternity. The door opens onto the second floor.
RODNEY

Lets go to the stairwell! INT. INSURANCE COMPANY STAIRWELL DAY.

The two of them walk down the stairs. The soundof their footsteps is so loud it feels like it echoes through out the building.
INT. INSURANCE COMPANY First FLOOR RECEPTION DAY.

As they exit the stairwell there is guard right in front of them.

GUARD #1 Hello Denise what are you doing taking the stairs. Whos your friend? RECEPTIONIST Look out hes got a gun!

Rodney pushes her out of the way and runs to the entrance and out of the building.
EXT. INSURANCE COMPANY OFFICE BUILDING DAY.

Rodney runs out of the office building. He runs across the plaza.
GUARD Stop, stop!!!

Rodney turns his head.

RODNEY Fuck you!!!

Rodney shoots at the guard as he runs into the street. A car is speeding toward him, the driver, hits the horn as he slams on the brakes. Rodney turns toward the car in surprise as he is hit and sent flying. The screen goes to black as the car horn becomes the long drawn out sound of the heart monitor sounding off

an alarm.
INT. HOSPITAL, RODYNEYS ROOM DAY.

The room is filled with nurses and doctors trying to bring Rodney back to life. They use everything they can but they finally give up.
Doctor #1 Thats it, death was at 2:53 pm.

The nurse is looking down at Rodney as she pulls the cover over him.
Nurse #1 Thats strange doctor. Doctor #1 Whats that nurse? Nurse #1 He looks like he has a smile on his lips, almost like he is happy.

They leave the room. THE END