TODD'S RETURN - PART ONE
(Day 1)
[Scene: Winter at Llanfair, mid-January. Kitchen entrance behind house. Exterior shot. Todd appears, stumbles, looks confused but relieved, cold, with snow on his hair and clothes, his hair is unbrushed and still long, he is unshaven, clothes soiled and ripped in places. Goes to door, leans forehead on window wearily, twists left and leans against the left door frame but his legs give out and he slides down the frame to sit in the snow with his knees against his chest, his head down. His hands slip from his knees to the snow.]
[Scene ends.]
[Scene: Same place, some minutes later.]
Jessica: (Finds the man, stops in her tracks. Looks the figure over carefully, closely, kneels in front of him thinking hard and observing him. Stands up, unlocks the door.) Mom! Mom, are you home? There's a man in the snow by the door outside! Mom? (Crossing the kitchen.)
Viki: (Rushing into the kitchen.) Jessie? What's wrong?
Jessica: Come see. (Crosses back to the open door and directs Viki to the figure by the door.)
Viki: (Immediately sees the man.) That poor man! Help me get him inside.
[They try to rouse him, he is startled and backs away from them, and they see his face through his hair. Camera shows this from behind Viki, over her shoulder. Viki and Jessie huddle near him.]
Viki & Jessica: (In unison:) Todd??
Todd: (Blinks, confused, backs away a little.) Who?
Viki: (Turns to Jessica.) Jessie, call Larry. I'll stay with Todd.
Todd: (Looks intently at Viki, who looks back at him.) Who are you? Who's this Todd guy?
Viki: (Checking him over, and worried.) You are. (Touches his forehead and he backs away more.) You're burning up! (Raises her voice:) Jessie, bring some blankets for your Uncle!
Todd: (Out of it and confused.) Uncle?
Viki: (Touches his face.) Yes. You are my brother, Todd Manning. Do you know who I am?
Todd: Brother?
Viki: (Matter-of-fact:) We shared a father. (Urgent:) Please, you're ill, let us take you in.
Todd: Where am I?
Viki: Home.
Todd: (Impassive look, blinks once. Searches Viki's face.)
Viki: Yes, home. (Offers him her hands to help him stand up.)
Todd: (Takes her hands and tries to stand, with difficulty, sliding up door frame and leaning against it for support.) [Camera dollies up with him, slightly vertiginous.]
Viki: (Concerned.) When was the last time you ate something?
Todd: (Woozy:) Dunno.
Viki: I'll feed you, get you cleaned up. Some of your clothes are still here in your room. I couldn't bear to put them away.
Todd: This...is really...my home?
Jessica: (Returns, and helps Viki get Todd inside. Takes his arm over her shoulder and guides him into the kitchen with Viki's help.) The last home you knew, Todd. I'm glad you're back.
[They seat him at the kitchen table, Jessica proceeds to help him get his clothes off, but he is reluctant to undress in front of them. Camera very tightly frames them all. There is some sense of both crowding and worried fussing-over because of the camera framing.]
Todd: (Fighting off Jessica's hands.) No!
Jessica: (Worried and exasperated:) Mom?
Viki: (Gently:) Todd, honey: you're cold, wet, and running a fever. I can run a bath for you, and you can soak in a hot tub and warm up.
Todd: (Looking around the room warily.) I'm not sure I remember this place.
Viki: You've been in this room many times.
Jessica: (To Viki:) Larry says he'll be here soon to look him over.
Todd: (Starts to cough.)
Viki: (Taking control:) Ok, let's get you out of these clothes and get you warming up.
Todd: (Looks right at her, blinks. Allows her to help him out of his outer clothes.)
Viki: (Drapes him well with a big quilt, covering his legs with a throw blanket.)
Jessica: (Feeling useless:) I'll start some water for tea. (Crosses stage right of the kitchen to the stove, off camera.) (Jessica can be seen in the background as she busies herself filling the kettle from the tap at left stage of the table, and sets it to heat on the stove at far left stage.)
Viki: (Calls to Jessica's retreating form:) He likes coffee.
[Jessica is visible in the background as she busies herself.]
Jessica: (Off-camera:) Ok.
Viki: (Turns to Todd:)Would you like coffee?
Todd: (Watches Viki carefully, and nods. He is shivering.)
Viki: (Crosses to the opposite side of the big kitchen counter in the middle of the kitchen, and gets a clean kitchen towel from a drawer. Todd watches her every move. Viki returns and towels his hair dry, dries his face. He tolerates this well.) Jessie, could you get some aspirin for Todd?
Jessica: Sure. (Leaves the room via stage right doorway.)
Viki: (Holds his face and makes him look at her.) Todd, I know you're in there. It's going to be all right, you're safe here. You're ok.
Todd: (Looks into her eyes, very sad and frightened.) I don't know who you are.
Viki: (Holds him.) I know who you are. Let's start there...(Looks him in the eyes again.) Do you know where you are?
Todd: Your house?
Viki: Yes. (Releases him, faces him.) Do you remember anything about the people you used to know?
Todd: No. I don't even know...how I got here....I just walked and walked.
Jessica: (Returns with an aspirin bottle.) I just called Tea and left a message. (Gets a glass of tapwater for Todd, returns. Doses out two aspirins and hands them and the water to Todd.) Here.
Todd: (Accepts them quietly. Takes the aspirins and finishes the water. Kettle whistle startles him. He hands the glass back to Jessica, shaking.)
Jessica: (Puts the glass down on the table and takes his hands.) Mom, Todd's hands are like ice. (A little alarmed.)
Todd: (Coughing hard, sniffly.)
Viki: (Checks his forehead again. Frowns. Holds his face and looks at him.)
[Doorbell.]
Jessica: That's probably Uncle Larry. I'll go, Mom. (Goes to the front door. Camera remains on Todd and Viki. Todd watches Viki carefully.)
[Jessica returns, followed by Larry Wolek with a black medical bag.]
Viki: (Stands, her hand on Todd's left cheek. Larry approaches Todd, Viki releases Todd's face and gives Larry room.)
Larry: So...what have we here? Let me check you out, ok, Todd?
(Approaches Todd carefully, pulls up a chair to face him.
Todd watches Larry warily.) I see you still have that nasty
scar Luna gave you. (Gets out a digital thermometer and a
stethoscope.)
[Camera shows Todd and Larry from Todd's right, Viki and Jessica in the background to Larry's right.]
(To Todd:) Open up. (Inserts it under Todd's tongue. Puts
the stethoscope on, checks his watch, and listens to Todd's
chest through his shirt.) Breathe.....(Works stethoscope
around Todd's chest) .....Well, your lungs sound ok.
Jessica: He's just had some aspirin, we offered him a bath, but...
he hasn't eaten.
Larry: (To Jessica and Viki:) Well, I would get him checked out
further at the hospital, but right now he still seems
relatively healthy. (Turns back to Todd.) Get some rest and
food, Todd. This looks like just a bad cold. Jessica says
you don't know who we are, but these ladies are good people
and they love you. You're safe with them, ok?
Viki: (Brings Todd a mug of coffee and sets it before him.
Quietly:) It's hot....
Todd: (Looks at Viki a split second. To Larry:) Why should I
believe you?
Larry: Good question. We've known each other a long time, and while
you and I haven't always gotten along, I've been fair with
you. I am also one of your sister's oldest friends, and was
married to your late sister Meredith. My son Dan Wolek is
your nephew. We're brothers-in-law.
Todd: (Confused, overwhelmed:) Family?....Have I met him?
Larry: (Reassuring.) I know this is hard for you. Right now, let
us all help you get settled here and then we'll see what you
can remember, ok?
Todd: (Resigned.) I don't really have a choice.
Viki: [Camera focuses on Viki.] Not right now, no. You're ill.
[Camera shows scene from Todd's right, towards door.]
Larry: (Packing up.) Ok. Let me know if there's any change, and
I'll see him at the hospital in a few days, otherwise, ok?
The usual prescription: plenty of fluids, lots of rest, keep
the fever down, and keep him warm. Let him eat anything he
can keep down, and keep me posted.
Viki: Ok. I'll walk you out. (Viki and Larry exit.)
Jessica: (Out of earshot of the others, close to him:) Uncle Todd,
if you're faking any of this, I'll kill you. Once was bad
enough. I love you, but that was really bad. You really
hurt us. I'm still mad at you about it.
Todd: What'd I DO?
Jessica: (Thinking better of it.) Nevermind.
Todd: (Looks utterly baffled. Picks up coffee mug and warms his
hands with it. Looks up at Jessica again, still baffled.
Blows on coffee and takes a sip, eyes distant.)
[Scene ends.]
TO BE CONTINUED
(Thermometer beeps.) Open. 
