Draft pilot: "Apocalypse Madrid" (Working Title) By Laila Ruiz Castillo

Rought draft of a TV series pilot comissioned by "Think Mol Films" production company, for development of a first season.

SOLICITUD DEP. LEGAL: M-003037/2013

LUCAS HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. DAWN. INT. An old house in downtown Madrid. It has been renovated, so its bright and comfortable. The ceilings are high and the parquet is new. Yet the living room is a complete mess. Empty licour bottles cover the floor. The ashtray looks like a cake stuffed with candles. JARED, 22, lays asleep on the sofa, and SAM, 23, is snoring on the floor, wrapped around a blanket. Rays of sunlight dawn upon JARED. The radio is automatically turned on triggered by an alarm. We distinguish a low voice in the background. A Spanish announcer bids good morning to the listeners, while soft rock music begins to play. ANNOUNCER Comenzamos el programa de hoy con algo suave para sobrevivir al lunes y vayis de buen humor al curro...(We begin todays progrsm with something soft so you can arrive at work in a good mood...) JARED opens his eyes. Hes bare-chested, and reaches for his t-shirt. Hes very British-looking, with curly blond hair, blue eyes and reddish cheeks. Hes suffering from a terrible headache. He runs out of the room and we hear a gruesome sound, like someone vomiting. JARED walks back inside. He looks around for SAM and finally sees him on the floor. SAM, on the other hand, is of mixed background, perhaps of Indian or Caribbean descent. He is very handsome, even when snoring. JARED nudges him with his foot. SAM doesnt stir.

LUCAS HOUSE. TERRACE. DAWN. EXT. JARED walks out to the terrace and looks out. The milky sunlight of a Spring morning in Madrid caresses his face. Its a busy day downtown. The terrace looks out to the heart of old Madrid, (perhaps one of the streets near Plaza Mayor) and many people hurry down the street. SAM walks up to him. He has put on his usual pair of dark-rimmed hipster glasses, and is wearing a Sonic Youth T-shirt. A cigarette dangles from his mouth. They both look out without saying a word, like letting the pleasant feeling sink in. Then SAM speaks. Both of them make a very convincing American accent.

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SAM Saigon. Shit. JARED nods in approval. A solemn expression rushes into his face. JARED Im still only in Saigon. Every time I think Im gonna wake up back in the jungle. When I was home after my first tour... SAM (Interrupts him violently) Give me back my surf board, Lance! JARED gets the scare of his life and they both burst out laughing. They speak in normal English accent. JARED You bastard! Their laugh dies out after a few seconds. They smile and look out again. JARED Ah. Look at this! I mean just look at this. He points out towards the street. JARED This is the way life should be, you know? Carefree. Spanish people dont care what other blokes think. They live free. SAM smokes a cigarette. SAM Hmm. JARED Like Luca. She invites us over without even knowing us. She isnt looking for sex, or money, or anything really. Shes the sweetest person Ive ever met. And Ive never seen anyone happier than her. A loud CRASH! is heard from the living room. They both walk back inside.

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LUCAS HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. DAWN. INT. LUCA, a 27 year old girl, is in her underwear swinging an ax towards the wall. She crashes it mercilessly into the cement, once, twice, and three times. Then she kicks it burning with rage. She yells out a jungle-like cry. LUCA Hijos de puta! Hijos de puta! JARED Whoa, whoa! Luca, what are you doing? LUCA looks at them. Then she hands them a shovel and another ax. LUCA Break it all! Theyre coming! JARED Wait, what? Whos coming? LUCA Just break it, break it! LUCA screams once more and bangs the ax against the table, splitting it in half and sending all the glasses and dishes through the air. They crash against the floor and break into smithereens. The image freezes. OFF JARED Well, that was our first day in Madrid. And our first hangover. But first let me tell you how we got here.

LONDON AIRPORT. (GATWICK? HEATHROW?) DAY. INT. JARED and SAM stand by a phone box in the airport. They carry huge backpacks, and look excited and impatient. SAM holds the receiver. A male voice at the other end picks up. SAM imitates a very loud sissy female voice. He has a northern accent. SAM Hello, is that you, Rob?

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OFF ROB Yeah, who is this? SAM Its Shereen. So how you doin, love? JARED holds his laughter. ROB takes a while to answer. OFF ROB Sorry, who? SAM You know who. From Brighton, love. Another silence. OFF ROB Look, I dont know you. OFF SAM Yes you do! From that hostel near the pier. OFF ROB Oh...that was...what, a year ago? SAM Im a very good stalker. I thought Id come by and pay you a visit, love. Ive got your address in Spain and everything. OFF ROB What? How did you...? Listen, if this is a joke... SAM (In his usual voice) Are you breaking up with me, you wanker?! Silence. ROB storms into laughter. SAM and JARED laugh. SAM No but seriously, were at the airport. We should arrive in a couple of hours. OFF ROB Great, Im ready for you two. Try not to make my life hell when you get here, all right?

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ROB and SAM chuckle. SAM Hell? When have we made hell for you? Well be on our best behavior. You should be honoured weve finally accepted your invitation. OFF ROB You mean invasion, you invited yourselves. SAM looks confused. OFF ROB Look, when you make plans like these you have to check with the person first, you know? SAM I know. Look Im sorry man, we thought that maybe... OFF ROB Im messing with you, Sam. Get your ass in here. SAM laughs. SAM Got it. See you soon. SAM hangs up. SAM (To Jared) Were set to go. In the distance, SAM sees CARRIE, JAREDS girlfriend. He moans. SAM Except...shes here. JARED Well I have to say goodbye! SAM Its just five bloody days, Jared. JARED You know how she gets.

6. SAM I know. Just dont make it eternal as usual, the plane leaves in half an hour. JARED Ok. 3 LONDON AIRPORT. (GATWICK?) DAY. INT. The THREE of them are standing against a wall near a drinking fountain. JARED and CARRIE lean against the wall, hugging and kissing. SAM is sitting on top of his enourmous backpack a few inches away from them. He looks miserable and impatient. It seems like this has been going on for a while now. CARRIE Will you call me? JARED Everyday. CARRIE Im going to miss you. JARED Ill miss you, love. They kiss a very long and meaningful kiss, then their bodies separate. SAM stands up, ready to leave, but then the couple hugs again. SAM sits back down. CARRIE I dont know what Ill do without you. JARED Its just five days. Itll be all right. He hugs her. SAM stands up again. But then CARRIE smiles at JARED and walks up to him once more. SAM sits back down. CARRIE You look good. Spanish girls are going to love you. JARED I dont think so! But Ill be thinking of you everyday anyways.

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CARRIE Really? SAM, to himself, shakes his head "no". JARED Really. CARRIE All right. Bye, sweetheart. JARED Bye. They embrace once more. SAM stands up. JARED turns to leave but then kisses her again. SAM sits down again. JARED Be good, OK? Dont fight with your dad. SAM stands up again. CARRIE shakes her head, tears in her eyes. CARRIE I wont. But... SAM is tense. He pauses waiting to see if he should sit again. JARED But what? CARRIE What if he yells at me again? SAM sits back down again, looking suicidal. JARED Just ignore him. And call me, OK? CARRIE What if he just doesnt speak to me? SAM stands up. SAM Oh for Christs sake, its Ryan Air! They dont even wait for Her Majesty, so lets get going.

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JARED Right. They kiss goodbye for the last time, and part. 6 LONDON AIRPORT. SECURITY CONTROL. DAY. INT. CARRIE waves at them as they go through airport security. JARED This is why you dont get laid more often. SAM Why? Because I prefer catching a flight rather than talk about her daddy issues, is that it? JARED Because you dont sweet-talk them. SAM You dont need to sweet-talk girls in Spain, you dont even need to speak in Spain, they just throw themselves at you. JARED That better be true, cause no matter how drunk you get them you still dont get any. SAM You dont even need to get them drunk in Spain. They laugh. JARED You want a girl who can put up with you and enjoy Apocalypse Now. That doesnt exist. SAM Is that really too much to ask? JARED Girls who like Apocalypse Now are easy to find, but one who puts up with you hasnt been invented yet.

9. 4 MADRID. OUTSIDE AIRPORT. DAY. EXT. Upon arrival, they stand outside the airport waiting for the bus. They check the bus stop signs and look around hopelessly. JARED Nothing is in English. SAM Its the airport, it has to be in English. JARED Im telling you its not. SAM sees a middle-aged airport WORKER and walks over to him. SAM Excuse me. Which bus takes us downtown? The WORKER speaks unintelligible English. WORKER Dau tau. SAM Downtown. Bus. Madrid. WORKER Madrid, yes. Dis Madrid. SAM ...Thanks. WORKER All rai! The WORKER smiles and leaves. (We see a quick montage of all the people SAM asks, everybody has a very strong Spanish accent.) SAM Downtown? WOMAN Go all rai, all righ, all righ...two three hander metros. Go life. Life, and finish. ----------------------------------------------------------

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SAM Madrid center? MAN Auto down. Metro up. SAM looks at him frustrated. ---------------------------------------------------------The YOUNG MAN speaks extremely fast, as if he was proud of knowing the language, but when heard it is completely impossible to understand. YOUNG MAN Ah! Go righ ba tween two handred metres, stray, wal stray furmi nis, go down estair. Der manee bus, I don know number, ju can ask de. But maybe insigh metro lane eigh...ees posibul go Nuevos Ministerios. Ju chain lane for, ten. Ten take ju Plaza de Espaa or Malasaa. SAM Pardon? -----------------------------------------------------------8 MADRID. OUTSIDE AIRPORT. BUS STOP. DAY. EXT. Finally, SAM and JARED end up at a bus stop. A bus awaits, and they doubt whether or not to go in. An OLD MAN motions them to get inside. JARED This is the bus? Are you sure? OLD MAN Ok. No problem. There is a twinkle of malice in the OLD MANS eyes. From inside the bus, SAM and JARED look at him pale and frightened. The doors slam shut. The OLD MAN waves goodbye at them as if they were soldiers going to war.

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OUTSIDE INDUSTRIAL PARK. DAY. EXT, JARED and SAM are stranded on what seems to be an industrial plant. A large grey impersonal building, some sort of factory, lies behind them. In front of them there is only an infinite road. The silence is interrupted by a few cars once in a while. In the curve next to them, several PROSTITUTES stand around smoking. The WORKERS from the factory look at the two new arrivals confused. JARED I told you we shouldve just called Rob. SAM Oh, come on! Dont blame it on me. JARED We should call him. SAM No, lets sort this out. We take the bus back and change at that roundabout we saw, remember? A PROSTITUTE walks up to JARED. PROSTITUTE Hola, mi amor. JARED No, gracias. Uh...we go Madrid center. You know? How to get there? PROSTITUTE You hot man. JARED and SAM stare at her blankly. SAM No please. No gracias. The PROSTITUTE snaps the cigarette butt in their direction and JARED sways his head, missing it by a few centimetres. SHE walks away. JARED That was uncalled for. SAM Well, shes likely been here for hours, you cant blame her for being grouchy.

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A FAT WORKER walks up to them. Hes wearing a blue uniform, a cap and has a bushy beard. He smiles at SAM. FAT WORKER Hola, mi amor. SAM (Fast, to Jared) Call Rob. 10 CAR. INT/EXT. DAY. ROB has picked up the two lost souls and they are going through the highway listening to music. JARED is in the back-seat, ROB drives and SAM sits in the passenger seat. ROB So he got kinky? SAM I was close to shitting my pants, really. JARED is laughing whole-heartedly. ROB After a few days youll pick up on the Spanish pronunciation. How long are you staying in the end? SAM Until Friday. Five days. ROB Thats terrible. You should stay for a week or more. SAM And where do we get the money, love? ROB Spain is very cheap compared to the UK, and you can stay at my house, anyways, so you wont be paying for accommodation. Look, here we are. ROB parks near what looks to be a small, broken-down house from a village in the South of Spain. It doesnt look like Madrid at all. (Probably somewhere in the Lucero zone.)

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ROBS HOUSE. HALL. INT. DAY ROB enters the house followed by SAM and JARED, who look around helplessly. ROB Its Sunday so were having lunch with my girlfriends parents. Dont be shy.

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ROBS HOUSE. DINING ROOM. INT. DAY. SAM and JARED walk into the living-room. ROB introduces them to his girlfriend. ROB This is Marta, my girlfriend. ROB presents MARTA, a sweet young girl who kisses them both on the cheek. They werent expecting it and feel extremely uncomfortable. SAM Oh, thats...youre friendly. ROB then goes on to introduce them to a very long line of people. SAM and JARED look around awkwardly. As they say hello to each PERSON, they are kissed on the cheek. Each kiss is different, but the two friends are almost panicking near the end. ROB This is Martas aunt, and this is her aunts second cousin, and her daughter. This is her brother, his wife and her sister, and these are both her grandmothers sisters and their third niece. SAM Third niece? ROB It means her great-grandmothers mother was the second cousin of Lucas mom. SAM Ah. Pardon...wh-? Well, nice to meet you.

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ROB And this lovely lady is Martas cousin, Luca. LUCA is definitely a sight for sore eyes. Shes older than them, about 27, has wild wavy hair, and sparkling eyes. She looks cheerful yet lemme fatal. LUCA Nice to meet you. I dont speak English very well. SAM Well youre the first person weve understood since we got here! LUCA translates the phrase in Spanish to the rest of the family. At the same time, EVERYONE bursts out laughing extremely loud and SAM looks around in shock. (During the meal, EVERYONE looks at them intrigued and even point at them once in a while. JARED and ROB couldnt be more uncomfortable, in fact they dont say a word. LUCA, MARTA and ROB make comments about them in Spanish, which sends the family into new roars of exaggerated laughter.) 13 ROBS HOUSE. FRONT DOOR. EXT. DAY The front door swings open and JARED and SAM practically run out, hardly stopping to put on their jackets. ROB, MARTA and LUCA watch them from the door. ROB You sure you dont want to take a nap? Its Sunday. JARED Thats fine, really. Well meet you downtown later for drinks. JARED and SAM begin walking very slowly away from the house, trying not to arouse suspicions that they want to leave as soon as possible. MARTA Why dont you leave your stuff here? SAM Well find a hostel.

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ROB What? Guys, you can stay over. Martas grannies are only staying for a few days. MARTA Youd have to share a room with them though, we hardly have any space. SAM Dont worry, we dont want to intrude. ROB Its no bother, man. SAM No, no. Thats fine, really. Well meet you both downtown. ROB Right. 10 p.m., Huerta Street. SAM Got it! From the door, LUCA, MARTA and ROB watch them scamper away chuckling to themselves. 14 LUTERO NEIGHBOURHOOD STREET. DAY. EXT. SAM and JARED walk in a hurry down the street. They look close to panic. JARED Is that really Rob? Hes changed so much. SAM Hes been here three years, its only natural hed change. JARED Yeah but...thats not the Rob I know. Hes some other creature passing off as Rob. SAM Luca is beautiful though.

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JARED Shes hot. Very hot. SAM I wouldnt say hot, but she is beautiful. JARED Same thing. SAM No its not. They argue as they walk down the street. 15 MONTAGE CLIPS. MADRID STREETS. DAY. EXT. The following short clips take place in the old center of Madrid. SAM and JARED walk around happily. Its a bright and busy day. The crowded streets, terraces, and charming buildings, make the boys fall into a doze of wonder and peace. 16 BAR. NIGHT. INT. Rock and roll music blasts inside the bar. SAM and JARED, along with LUCA, MARTA and ROB drink beer after beer while they laugh and take pictures. The five of them drink five shots at the same time, and dance in a lazy, sexy way. The inebriation has taken hold them and they are having a great time. During the night, CARRIE calls JARED three times. He ignores the calls, until he decides to ring her up. Shes very angry for having ignored her phone calls, asks what hes been up to, does he miss her, etc. SAM, when drunk, is very cynical and quiet. LUCA teases him, and flirts very bluntly, without subtleties. This scares SAM and he goes outside to smoke. He meets JARED, whos talking to CARRIE on the phone. He looks miserable. JARED (On the phone) Im really sorry, love. I really mean it. Of course I mean it! When have I lied to you? SAM rolls his eyes. JARED glares at him.

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JARED All right. Ill call you tomorrow and sort it out, OK? I love you. Bye. JARED hangs up and SAM stares at him, inhaling his cigarette. SAM Whats the matter? JARED We had agreed to Skype at 12, and I had completely forgotten it. To tell you the truth I wasnt really in the mood. SAM Im not surprised. JARED Hey, whats with you? Youre being a real asshole. Its fine if you dont like her, just dont bother me about it. SAM Im not the one whos not in the mood to talk with my girlfriend. JARED Yeah? Well youve never really had a girlfriend that I know of, so you dont have much experience on the matter. SAM If I had a girlfriend it would be the furthest thing away from Carrie. JARED is getting nervous. He looks at him with a mixture of outrage and unbelief. He wonders whether he should get violent. SAM keeps his cool and just stares back coldly. JARED What the hell is wrong with you? JARED walks up to him, menacing. SAM Jared, relax.

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JARED You relax! SAM Look, I wasnt going to tell you this. JARED Tell me what? SAM takes a moment to answer, calculating how exactly he should say this. SAM Ive heard things. JARED What things? SAM About Carrie. How she cheats on you. JARED is paralyzed. JARED Who told you that? SAM Jared, we all know. Nobody wants to tell you though. Seeing as how youve been together five years, and... JARED You ALL know? Who knows? SAM Everybody. Theyve seen her. JARED How do you know they arent lies? Have you seen it? SAM Not me, but James did. And Kim. JARED Maybe theyre lying. They dont like her. Have you considered that? SAM shrugs.

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JARED Get your facts straight before you say something like that. SAM nods. JARED walks up and down. Then kicks a garbage can. JARED Do you know who shes been with? SAM Nobody we know. Look Im sorry. You had to find out sooner or later. JARED nods. JARED Lets get drunk. I want a shag. SAM That was not the reaction I was hoping for. 17 BAR. NIGHT. INT. The party goes on. JARED is seen talking to many GIRLS. He comments to SAM how pretty they are, one is boring, another one ugly, etc. SAM asks him to cool down, but SAM is unstoppable. He definitely wants revenge. MARTA and ROB leave early. 18 STREET. NIGHT. EXT. At the end of the night, LUCA kisses SAM in the street. But hes a chunk of ice. He doesnt kiss back. LUCA stares at him with curiosity. LUCA Youre strange. SAM So Ive been told. LUCA Dont you like me? SAM looks at her. He turns toward JARED, whos kissing a SPANISH GIRL in the street corner. LUCA stares at SAM intently. SAM just walks away.

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OFF JARED Everybody has different ways of coping with a broken heart. Whether youre a man or a woman, in the end pain is the same for everyone. SAM walks staring only at the ground, taking his time to smoke the cigarette. 19 LUCAS HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. INT. NIGHT. We find ourselves in the same apartment from scene 1. JARED, ROB and LUCA have come to spend the night. The three of them drink and laugh. 20 LUCAS HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. INT. MORNING. We fast-forward. The first scene is repeated: JARED wakes up and runs out of the room, we hear him vomiting in off. OFF JARED Ways of coping with a hangover, however, are universal. JARED walks back into the room. OFF JARED But lets get back to where we left off. 21 LUCIAS HOUSE. LIVING ROOM. EXT. MORNING. We fast-forward once more, past Scene 2, and arrive at the frozen image of LUCA smashing the table with her ax. A police siren is heard in off. LUCA continues to destroy her apartment with the ax: she breaks paintings, cupboards, glass windows, etc. The BOYS watch dumbstruck until finally, SAM grabs her by the shoulders, and caresses them in an attempt to calm her down. SAM Hey, Luca, calm down. Look at me. Whats going on? LUCA Im being evicted. The police are here to take my house away.

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SAM What? Theyre kicking you out? Now? LUCA continues to smash things. LUCA Its not uncommon. You people up there in England dont know whats going on in this country. Its a tragedy. JARED Why are you being evicted? LUCA Which planet are you from? Because I cant pay my house! Because Im broke, because the bank says so. Because were living a crisis, and people cant pay for food, or rent, or anything. Sure, you think were carefree. You have no idea whats going on here. Were having 500 evictions a day. SAM Wait, youre the proprietor of this house? Youre paying mortgage? LUCA This house used to belong to my grandparents. My grandfather died a few years ago, my grandmothers in a nursing home now. I came to live here when I was working in an Ad Agency. I could afford it. With the help of my parents we were going to pay the last year of mortgage, but my father was fired from his job a few months ago. And so was I, but I didnt tell them. I lied and said the bank had given me credit to pay for the house. And now time has run out and here they are, the bastards. But they wont take my familys house that easy. If they want it for the bank, they can have a shithole for a house. Now help me break this wall. LUCA points at an ax in the ground.

22. SAM Theyre evicting you...because you cant pay for four years of mortgage? LUCA smashes a wall repeatedly, and SAM hugs her, in a desperate attempt to calm her nervous breakdown. LUCIA cries against his shoulder. LUCA I thought Id have one more fun night here before it all collapsed...today was the last day I had to come up with the money. A knock on the door is heard. LUCA yells out in Spanish. LUCA No me voy a ir de aqu! Os podis ir a la mierda todos! OFF POLICA Luca. Abra por favor. No nos lo ponga difcil. LUCA (To Sam and Jared) Just open the door. 22 LUCAS HOUSE. DAY. EXT. LUCA, JARED and SAM are led out the front door by the police. A CROWD has gathered around the building. The TV CREW are here as well. The PEOPLE are outraged, and yell and scream insults at the police. Some of them are holding signs with slogans against eviction and the politicians. The POLICE are leading LUCA out. One POLICEMAN grabs her by the arm to keep her from struggling away. Not in an aggressive way, but its enough to have LUCA yank her arm away. LUCA No me toquis! A m no me toquis! LUCA pushes the POLICE MAN away, and he counterattacks by grabbing hold of both her arms. POLICE MAN Si no se comporta le puedo poner esposas, usted ver. SAM pushes the POLICE MAN away.

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SAM Hey! Just let her go! JARED Sam, are you mad? Let go of him! 23 POLICE STATION. CELL. INT. DAY. SAM, JARED and LUCA sit in a jail cell. Its similar to a waiting area of a hospital. There are a few other other PEOPLE around them, not many. A PROSTITUTE, a GYPSY and an OLD MAN. Around them everything is quiet except for a few phones ringing, like an office at 8 am. The THREE of them are wearing handcuffs. LUCA is asleep, snoring. An ENGLISH LAWYER enters the cell and sits in front of them. He looks jolly and positive. LAWYER So the good news is, you can leave in a few minutes. And youll be free to visit Madrid just like every other tourist. The embassy has sorted out the paperwork. JARED And the bad news? LAWYER The bad news is...youll have to stay in the country a while. Aggression against the police is not an easy matter to tackle. SAM What aggression?! They were the ones who made the aggression! JARED (To Sam) Shut up. JARED sighs and rubs his forehead with the palm of his hand. JARED We have a flight back to the UK on Wednesday. LAWYER Out of the question.

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JARED So...when can we return? LAWYER Well... JARED A week? The LAWYER licks his lips and winces. LAWYER There might be a trial. SAM A trial? Are you joking? LAWYER Its highly unlikely, I trust the embassy can make other arrangements. But it will take a while to sort out. JARED Again: how long? LAWYER A month. Maybe more. JARED groans in desperation. The LAWYER stands up. SAM points at LUCA with his head. SAM What about her? LAWYER Well see what we can do. SAM nods. LAWYER Im going to make a call, but Ill be right back. And have no doubt that well clear up this mess as soon as possible. The LAWYER smiles and leaves the cell. JARED (To Sam) Im going to kill you.

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SAM Look on the bright side. You can split up with Carrie through Skype. You can turn off the sound as soon as she begins crying like a whale. JARED Dont speak to me. Theres a long silence. JARED Madrid. Shit. SAM (In American accent) Saigon. Shit. Every time I think Im gonna wake up back in the jungle... JARED Oh bloody hell, Im not in the mood, Sam. SAM continues his monologue, as LUCA opens an eye and follows his words. Her eyes are still closed. SAM When I was home after my first tour, it was worse... LUCA, SAM Id wake up and there was nothing. When I was here, I wanted to be there. When I was there, all I could think of was getting back into the jungle... LUCA, still with eyes closed, smiles. LUCA Apocalypse Now. Great film. LUCA leans on SAMS shoulder and falls into a deep sleep. SAM looks at her tenderly. An involuntary smile escapes his lips, and he looks peaceful.