"Wisenheimer" Part Five

Pilot/Episode 1: "The Phone Call" (Part Five)

Every week, a few pages post, in the spirit of serial storytellers like Dickens and Maupin—and this content is for paid subscribers only! Five bucks a month? C’mon, such a deal.

DISCLAIMER: “WISENHEIMER” is for adults over 18. If produced, it would bear an MA rating. It’s for grown-ups. There is sexual content and the story deals with strong adult themes, as well as socio-political satire and comedy. “WISENHEIMER” is an original work of fiction, written entirely by me, all rights reserved.

You can view the video pitch deck for “WISENHEIMER” here. And for a brief primer on basic screenplay stuff for easier reading, this is helpful.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT

Miriam lies in bed with her wrist bandaged and in a sling. She’s groggy. Hart sits on the bed holding her other hand.

Naomi and Neil confer with the DOCTOR. Through the glass wall of the room, MacKenzie is visible in the corridor, on her phone.

DOCTOR

The wrist’s a sprain, but not too bad. I’m waiting on some x-rays. I gave her something to help her sleep. She’ll be here a few days.

NAOMI

Great--

NEIL

--It’s great that it wasn’t worse.

DOCTOR

I’m not a neurologist or dementia specialist, but it may be time to consider placing your mother in care--

HART

--I care for her--

DOCTOR

--Under professional care--

NAOMI

We can’t afford “professional care!” Medicare covers bubkes for dementia.

DOCTOR

Our social worker’s coming in to talk to you. Maybe she can help you find resources.

NAOMI

Fine.

NEIL

Thanks, Doctor.

The Doctor turns to go.

MIRIAM

(slurring) Good night, Isabel... kiss the kids for me...

DOCTOR

(smiling) Will do.

He leaves.

NAOMI

I’ll have what she’s having.

NEIL

Is Ezra coming?

NAOMI

He’d better be.

IN CORRIDOR

MacKenzie talks on her phone in hushed tones. 

MACKENZIE

It was fucking nuts. She talked in German and everything. Said the Nazis were coming.

MALE VOICE (V.O.)

Damn. Crazy old Jews and their Holocaust shit.

MACKENZIE

Well, I mean, she’s just a sick old lady.

MALE VOICE (V.O.)

She should be locked up.

MACKENZIE

Yeah. Ugh. Get me outta here.

HOSPITAL ROOM

A KNOCK on the door.  RO WILSON (40s) an elegant transgender woman, comes in. She wears a hospital pass around her neck on a lanyard.

RO

Mr. and Mrs. Cantwell? Ro Wilson. I’m the social worker.  

NEIL

(offering his hand) Neil. This is Naomi. My daughter Hartleigh. And this is Miriam.

RO

Good to meet you. You’ve had quite a night.

NAOMI

It was fucking “Schindler’s List.”

NEIL

Nay--

RO

No, I can imagine. I’d like to help. If you’re up for it, I could use a little background.

NEIL

Sure, sure.

RO

What do you do for work, Neil?

NEIL

I have my own business. Home security systems.

RO

And you, Naomi?

Deadpan, Naomi points at Miriam.

RO

Right. Miriam’s been with you how long?

NEIL

About a year.

RO

Do you know what kind of dementia she has?

NEIL

The neurologist thinks Alzheimer’s. Put her on a couple meds. I don’t know if they’re working. 

RO

So, tonight--you told the doctor she thought she was escaping from the Nazis?  Is Miriam a Holocaust survivor?

NAOMI

How old do you think she is? No. Her father escaped the Nazis in the thirties. His whole family was exterminated.

RO

Why was she speaking German?

NAOMI

How do I know?  She only spoke German with Zaidie--my grandfather. 

NEIL

He was a famous conductor. Ezra Schoenberg?

Ro looks up from her note-taking.

RO

Ezra Schoenberg? So Miriam... is Miriam Schoenberg Wise, the violinist?

NAOMI

Yep.

HART

You know her?

RO

I’m a Motown girl.  But, yeah, I know a little about her...

HART

She was amazing.

RO

I’ve heard that. 

Ro puts her notebook away.  

RO

You guys have done an amazing job. But clearly, Miriam’s going to need full-time care. It’s a process to apply for Medicaid, but I can help you with that. And, if we find the right facility, it’ll pay for almost everything. It means keeping Miriam at your place for a while longer. Is that okay?

HART/NEIL

(overlapping) Yeah, totally--Absolutely--

NAOMI

No.

Naomi chokes back emotion.

NAOMI

I can’t. I really can’t. We can see what Ezra’s prepared to do.  But I’m done.  Look, Ms.--

RO

Ro--

NAOMI

Yeah, um, we’ll call you, okay? I’m on overload. 

NEIL

I’ll swing you home and come back for the girls.  That okay, Hart?

HART

Yeah, great.

Naomi leaves the room.  Neil shakes Ro’s hand.

NEIL

Thanks. We really do need your help, so...thanks. Be right back, Hart.

Neil exits the room.

IN CORRIDOR

MacKenzie sees Neil leaving as he passes her.

MACKENZIE

Dad--?

He’s gone already, with Naomi. MacKenzie rolls her eyes.

IN HOSPITAL ROOM

Ro comes over and sits near Hart. Miriam sleeps.

RO

You seem really close with her.

HART

Yeah.

RO

So... your uncle is coming. Have you met him yet?

HART

Not yet.

MacKenzie comes in. She flinches when she sees Ro.

HART

That’s my sister, MacKenzie. This is Ro.

MACKENZIE

Hey. What’s “Ro” short for?

RO

I made it up.  A long time ago.

MacKenzie looks Ro up and down.

MACKENZIE

Dope. 

She slumps into a chair, pulls out her phone, puts earbuds in. 

MacKenzie texts.

MACKENZIE (TEXT)

This is turning into a total freak show OMG

Her thumbs work furiously as she continues texting.

Hart leans in to Ro, speaks softly.

HART

So. What are your pronouns? (indicating herself:) She, her, hers.

RO

(indicating herself:) She, her, hers.

They smile at each other.