Very Bad Things

ADAM: (freaking) I didn’t do anything! I’ll turn your pathetic ass in!

BOYD: Adam! Calm down.

ADAM: I won’t calm down. I can’t do this. We can’t do this. It won’t work. It will not work.

BOYD: It has worked.

ADAM: I’m talking about DNA samples, fiber optics, search parties, they got infrared scanners, FBI scientists. They figure this shit out. They always figure it out.

BOYD: They won’t figure it out.

ADAM: I got children. I’ve got a life.

MICHEAL: You got a retarded kid and a fat pig wife.

ADAM: You fucking bastard!

Adam attacks Micheal, slashing, biting, mauling, the brother’s go down hard, slugging it out on the ground.

EXT RESTAURANT

Liz is back at the restaurant door.

LIZ: Keith?!

Fisher bolts over to Liz.

FISHER: Everything’s OK. Just some more preparations.

LIZ: Are they fighting?

FISHER: No baby. We’ll all be right in.

Fisher pushes her inside and charges back to the...

PARKING LOT

Fisher helps break the fight. Adam and Micheal try to contain their rage.

BOYD: This is going to stop right now. Right now!

MICHEAL: (seething) You will not screw this up.

ADAM: Don’t you threaten me you little rat fuck.

MICHEAL: Don’t you fucking threaten me – I’ll fucking kill you.

ADAM: Go home!

MICHEAL: You go home!

Boyd pulls Micheal to his car.

BOYD: Why don’t you just cool out. Go home and go to sleep.

Boyd opens Micheal’s car door, puts him in.

BOYD: Just go home, chill the fuck out. Okay?

Micheal starts his car. Boyd shuts the car door.

BOYD: Just go home.

MICHEAL, eyeballs Adam. Adam eyeballs him right back. Micheal hits the gas and screeches away.

BOYD: All right. Let’s all go back in. Adam? You’re cool right?

ADAM: No. I’m not Boyd. I am not cool at all.

Reluctantly, they start back in.

A hundred or so feet away, Micheal’s car comes to an abrupt stop. They all turn. Micheal turns his car around, idles for a moment.

INT. MICHEAL’S CAR

Micheal in a trance, staring at the guys watching him.

MICHEAL: Mr. Fucking Minivan...

He hits the gas.

EXT PARKING LOT

Wheels spin, rubber burns. The guys watch as Micheal speeds full throttle, like a battering ram, right at Adam’s beloved minivan.

ADAM: NOOOO!!!!

Adam jumps between the minivan and Micheal’s car.

INT. MICHEAL’S CAR

Micheal’s expression turns to horror. He slams on the brakes, but it’s too late.

EXT. PARKING LOT

Micheal’s car crushes Adam like a sandwich meat between his car and the minivan. Metal, flesh, severed limbs, Adam explodes like a gnat.

CUT TO:

THE HORRIFIED EXPRESSIONS OF BOYD, MOORE AND FISHER

79   INT. UCLA EMERGENCY – WAITING ROOM      79

Chaos. The room is filled with people from the Rehearsal Dinner. 

Black-eyed, nose broken, LOIS sobs, surrounded by her kids and Liz.

Boyd and Fisher talk to the POLICE.

BOYD: It was just a crazy freak accident. He thought the car was in reverse... He didn’t realize.

The COP takes notes.

MICHEAL sits in a corner by himself. Ghost white. Trembling.

COP: Was there some sort of an argument?

FISHER: No. Nothing like that.

COP: We heard there was some arguing going on. Some loud talk.

BOYD: No. No. We were just all outside just talking.

COP: What were you talking about?

BOYD: The wedding. We were talking bout how it was going to be one of the last times for us to all be together with Fisher not being married...

COP: A lot of people seem to think there was some hostility out there.

BOYD: (getting righteous) Well I can’t really comment on what “a lot of people” thought. I can only tell you that we had a horrible accident here and were all feeling extremely traumatized and your questions are a bit poorly timed. We’re in full on grieving mode right now thank you very much Officer...Randone.

FISHER: Easy Boyd.

BOYD: No easy Boyd! I got a best friend in there in pieces, How about a little sensitivity?

Boyd storms off, goes and sits with Micheal. Fisher stays with the cop.

COP: That’s all I wanted to know.

A DOCTOR appears in the doorway.

DOCTOR: His situation is critical. He’s asking to speak to his wife.

SHOTS of the guys eyeing each other nervously as Lois slowly gets up and follows the Doctor into a treatment room.

The guys move to the door, where they can see Lois, leaning over the hospital bed, talking to Adam.

POV GUYS

Adam hooked up to dozens of wires, etc...

Lois leans over to kiss him. Adam appears to be whispering something to her.

ON THE GUYS

Watching Adam speak to Lois...Nervous.

POV GUYS

Lois has her ear to Adam’s mouth. He is clearly speaking to her. Lois is sobbing when...ALARMS GO OFF IN ADAM’S ROOM.

A MEDICAL TEAM rushes into the room. Adam is a v-tach – Heart’s not beating. The team injects medicine, defribulates. Lois watches in horror as her husband dies in front of her...Finally a DOCTOR calls time of death.

Lois collapses on the floor.

WAITING ROOM

The guys have witnessed Adam’s death. Micheal turns in horror. Boyd, Fisher and Moore stare. Liz rushes to Fisher, throws her arms around him, overcome with grief.

80   INT. DENNY’S – LATE NIGHT        80

Fisher, Boyd, Moore and Micheal eat eggs.

BOYD: The need to know is clear. What did Adam tell Lois? That’s the name of the game. What did Adam tell Lois? What does Lois know?

MICHEAL: Ball park sausages.

BOYD: You want some breakfast meat. Micheal. Is that what you want?

MICHEAL: (clearly starting to crack) Franco Harris has a flare for the dramatic. The former Pittsburgh Steeler running back, beat known for “The Immaculate Reception,” his improbable sixty yard Ricochet Reception. I say Ricochet Reception has made a bold move on corporate America. (inappropriately loud) Harris has lead a group of investors in the purchase of the Park Sausage Company. By taking on the challenge of resurrecting Park’s, Harris is engaged in the equivalent of a sudden death overtime.

BOYD: Easy Micheal.

MICHEAL: (on a roll) He must take an open-field run to profitability through excessive debt large competitors and dwindling market share. Before the clock runs out.

CUSTOMERS are starting to pay notice.

MOORE: Shut up Micheal.

MICHEAL: (screams) I KILLED MY BROTHER!

All eyes on Micheal. Boyd is immediately up trying to get Micheal out of the booth. Casually, sweetly...

BOYD: Okay. Time to fly.

Fisher helps Boyd lift Micheal, who is becoming more and more frenzied.

MICHEAL: I ran down my brother in cold blood. Shame on me! Shame! Shame! Shame!

WAITRESSES, COOKS and LATE NIGHT DINNERS stare, confused as the HOWLING Micheal is carried to the door.

MICHEAL: (struggling) Time to pay the man. “For if we confess our sins he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Fisher and Boyd struggle with Micheal.

FISHER: (tipping Waitress) Thank you.

She watches them haul Micheal outside.

POV WAITRESS

Micheal thrashes wildly in the parking lot.

81   EXT PARKING LOT       81

MICHEAL: “Kill one man and you are a murderer! Kill millions and you are a conqueror – Kill all and you are a God!”

Micheal breaks free, starts running away. Boyd, Moore and Fisher give chase. Moore dives on Micheal’s back. Fisher helps Moore hold Micheal down while Boyd gets the car.

MICHEAL: (calming down) “The memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot.”

Boyd is there with the car. They load Micheal into the back seat, climb in and disappear into the night.

82   INT. CAR – DRIVING         83

Boyd drives, Fisher rides shotgun, Moore’s in the back trying to contain Micheal.

BOYD: You will get yourself together here mister. Are you hearing me?

Micheal, now catatonic, stares out the window.

FISHER: He’s cracked up.

BOYD: He is not cracking up.

FISHER: Boyd...What have we done?

BOYD: What did you ask me?

FISHER: What?

BOYD: What is the question you asked me?

FISHER: I said, what have we done?

BOYD: Yes, you did. Now that is the question! That is exactly the question we should be asking ourselves. You tell me Fisher. What have we done?

FISHER: I don’t know! I just want to get married.

BOYD: Say it again.

FISHER: What?

BOYD: What you just said. Say it again.

FISHER: I just want to get married.

BOYD: Exactly! Exactly my point.

MOORE: What’s your fucking point?

BOYD: I’m not talking to you?

FISHER: What’s your point?

BOYD: You want to know what you are doing here?! You are love pumping. You are protecting all that is sacred and beautiful and in sync with poetry and sunsets and little newborn babies. You are walking the walk. This is it Fisher, the real stuff. You love this woman. Love is second to nothing. I love you. I love Moore. I love Micheal. This car is full of love, and nothing – absolutely nothing – supersedes love, man. Nothing. We will do what it takes. Whatever it takes.