Trench Sick

Santa Rosa, CA
1944

PAGE ONE (FIVE PANELS)

1. A grand marble foyer of a hosiery factory. Empty, except for warm afternoon sunlight.
2. A man appears, ROBERT, covered in fine ash. Dark cloud around him. ROBERT is a tall, gangly fellow, with a gray-streaked high and tight. He wears dark navy coveralls and carries a dark beanie, and he stands on the right side of the foyer.
3. He coughs into his dusty hat.
4. He wipes his face, grimacing
5. A young woman appears at the far end of the foyer, DINA, laughing and talking with her friend. DINA is a stunning woman of 30, wearing red lipstick and a smart navy suit. Her hair is waved, but not outrageously. She is distracted by her friend, and is not watching where she’s going.
   DINA: Can you believe that girl?
   DINA: Lyin’ right through her teeth–
   DINA: Tellin’ the tallest tales imaginable!
   ROBERTA: But what if her story is true–

PAGE TWO (FIVE PANELS)

1. ROBERT is stunned by DINA, and gapes at her as she walks by him. She pays no attention to him.
2. The two women walk up steps, right side of the marble foyer.
   DINA: If she’s telling the truth, then I’m a unicorn.
   DINA: There’s nothing worse than a liar, Roberta.
   DINA: Nothing.
   MR. GRUNER (offspanel): Mr. Fabian!
3. ROBERT turns, guilty.
   Inset: He salutes like a soldier.
   ROBERT: Sir, yes sir!
4. Mr. Gruner, a portly older man with a red face, waves a hand, telling him to relax.
   GRUNER: At ease, soldier.
   GRUNER: This is not the front.
5. Mr. Gruner looks him up and down as Robert stands clutching his hat.
   GRUNER: Late again.
   GRUNER: And what is that filth all over you?
   GRUNER: Ash?
   GRUNER: Sigh
   GRUNER: Walk with me.

PAGE THREE (FIVE PANELS)

1. Large Panel (½ the page): They walk above a factory floor, on a narrow iron catwalk. There are rows and rows of hosiery machines, and workers down below. Mr. Gruner walks ahead of Robert, yelling back at him. Mr. Gruner looks stressed.
   COMIC SOUND: CLATTER
   COMIC SOUND: KATHUNK
   COMIC SOUND: CLANK
   GRUNER: JUST FIVE MINUTES.
   GRUNER: VERY BUSY.
2. Mr. Gruner sits at his desk, fumbling for something in the drawers. He looks exhausted and very red in the face.
   GRUNER: MMMPH.
   GRUNER: (muttering) This factory is going to kill me.
3. Mr. Gruner looks straight at Robert, folding his shirt sleeves up.
   GRUNER: Now, Mr. Fabian, you know I sympathize with your–
   GRUNER: Situation.
4. Robert looks eager and grateful.
   ROBERT: Yes, sir–
   ROBERT: I do appreciate it–
5. Mr. Gruner lights a cigarette.
   GRUNER: But do the doctors have any idea when all this will calm down?
   GRUNER: Have they told you what you have?

PAGE FOUR (FIVE PANELS)

1. Profile Shot: Robert is sweating. He looks very unwell. Mr. Gruner is staring down at him, cigarette in hand, elbow on desk.
   ROBERT: Malaria, sir.
   GRUNER: Malaria.
   GRUNER: In California.
2. ROBERT looks down at his hands, clearly uncomfortable and blushing.
   ROBERT: No, sir.
   ROBERT: From the–from the front, sir.
3. MR GRUNER looks sad. ROBERT is blushing, but looking at Mr. Gruner.
   GRUNER: I see.
   ROBERT: They tell me–well, they can’t really say why it keeps going–
   ROBERT: It’s a rare case, sir.
   ROBERT: But I really, truly appreciate you givin’ me another shot, sir–
4. Mr. Gruner sighs.
   GRUNER: I know you’re a hard worker–
   GRUNER: When you show up, that is–
5. Mr. Gruner is shocked and worried by something we don’t see.
   GRUNER: Mr. Fabian?!

PAGE FIVE (SEVEN PANELS)

1. Large panel: ROBERT experiences what appears to be a flashback. He’s in the trenches of France, doubled over in pain. He is sweating bullets as the soldiers around him continue shooting. A plane flies overhead.
   GRUNER: Mr. Fabian?
2. ROBERT comes to, pale as a ghost, laying on the floor. We see him from above.
   GRUNER: Robert?
   GRUNER: Can you hear me?
3. We see up from ROBERT’s perspective lying on the floor. Mr. Gruner is very worried.
   GRUNER: Robert, you can’t keep going like this.
4. We just see Mr. Gruner’s feet as he yells offscreen to his secretary.
   GRUNER: Dolores!
   GRUNER: Ring for the doc, willya?
5. ROBERT pushes himself up. He still looks dizzy and ill.
   ROBERT: No, I–
   ROBERT: I’m fine.
   GRUNER: My boy, you don’t look fine.
6. MR. GRUNER helps ROBERT to stand.
   GRUNER: Take some more time.
   GRUNER: You’ll always have a job here.
7. MR. GRUNER goes back to his desk. His back is facing us.
   GRUNER: But do me a favor.
   GRUNER: Tell me next time–

PAGE SIX (THREE PANELS)

1. Large panel: zoom-out shot of the room: MR. GRUNER turns around, and he is shocked. ROBERT is gone.
   GRUNER: …if you can’t make it to work.
2. MR GRUNER sits, yelling to Dolores offscreen.
   GRUNER: Dolores!
   GRUNER: Forget the doc.
   GRUNER: But bring me some aspirin.
3. MR GRUNER holds his forehead with one hand.
   GRUNER: (Muttering) And tell me why that damn kid is always disappearing.
   GRUNER: Like he wasn’t even here.

PAGE SEVEN (SIX PANELS)

1. Zoom-in: We see rain falling on dirt.
2. A soldier leans against a trench, dirty and smirking.
   SOLDIER: Hiding again, chickenshit?
3. We see ROBERT, shaken and shocked, standing in the trenches that we saw previously, but now it’s night. A soldier walks by, looking disdainfully.
4. The soldier pokes ROBERT in the chest.
   SOLDIER: Next time try and stick around for the war we’re fighting, capisce?
5. Robert wipes his face with a dirty hand. The soldier has moved on.
6. We zoom out, looking at the trenches from above. ROBERT stares at the sky sadly.
   ROBERT: Goddamnit.