"The Downward Spiral" by DJ Clawson and Rygar First draft - 5/25/04 Final draft - 6/10/04 SCENE 1 - WILLY'S ROOM, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH This room, left almost entirely untouched for months, is eerily dark, save for a glowing ring of light peering through the cracks around its door. With a creak, the doorknob slowly turns, and the door swings inward, partly bathing the room in light that is followed by a faint shadow -- the one cast by WILLY DUWITT, returning home. Jittering, Willy hesitantly sets one foot in the room, then the other. He looks around uneasily, as if something is going to attack him. Gradually, he steps all the way into his room, then gingerly shuts the door behind him. WILLY (almost whispering) I'm home. Willy blinks, then removes his glasses and rubs his eyes. The room is now dark again, and it's hard to see. By memory, he walks over to his photon accelerator and deactivates it. With a whoosh, the darkness fades, and the room's ceiling light illuminates the room. Willy closes his eyes, reacting to the sudden harshness. WILLY Aah! Willy quickly shakes it off. He realizes he's just nervous, and nothing can hurt him here. He's home. He's safe. He looks around the room, finding everything just where he left it: his telescope, his computer, his model planes. The familiar surroundings comfort him, reminding him he's where he wants to be. WILLY I'm home. I'm ... (starts breathing quickly) I'm really home. A few tears of joy stream down Willy's cheeks. He still can't entirely believe it, but it's true. The toads can't get him here. His crew can't find him here, so he can't disappoint them further. All that's here is his parents, who he knows will always love him. With a sudden burst of energy, Willy runs to the door and opens it, finding his house's hallway ahead of him. He bounds down it. WILLY (calling) Mom! Dad! Hoping for his parents to respond, he feels a tinge of worry when he hears nothing. WILLY (thinking) A little less enthusiastically, Willy walks over to the stairs and hurries down them. He reaches the bottom and stands alone in the downstairs living room. He looks around the well-lit space. Everything is so familiar, yet forbiddingly alien at the same time. WILLY (calling) Mom? Dad? Willy looks around once more, as if hoping to find his parents hiding behind the couches or in the closet. Becoming a little worried, he walks into the kitchen. WILLY Hello? (nervously) It's Willy. Your son. I'm home. The DuWitts are not in the kitchen, either. Willy looks in the sink and notices a few dirty dishes. WILLY They're definitely back from India. (worried) Where are they? Looking around again, Willy barely notices the table and chairs in the room. It feels empty, void of life. Feeling a cold chill, he turns around and heads for the laundry room, feeling lost in his own home. WILLY (still calling out) Mom? Dad? Don't you want to see me? (beat) Don't you love me anymore? Willy searches the rest of the rooms downstairs, with no success. He also glances out the windows, hoping to spot his parents outside. Not finding them anywhere, he begins to worry. Where are they? Why aren't they here and happy to see him? Are they hiding from him? Scared, weak, and starting to panic, Willy works his way back to the living room and drags himself up the stairs using the banister. He determinedly heads back to his parents' bedroom, sure he'll find the answer to his questions there. Entering the master bedroom, Willy feels another cold chill. The room seems smaller, more constraining than it used to. The bed is unmade, but everything else seems in order. Willy has never really explored this room, and he doesn't intend to now. WILLY (hoarse) Mom? Dad? (fighting back tears) Where are you? Limply, Willy loses feeling in his legs and falls to his knees. The tears are coming quickly now. He can't help it. He expected to come home to warmth and comfort, not isolation. WILLY (crying) Why aren't you here? Why don't you love me? Willy's face scrunches up as he begins rambling to himself. WILLY They left me. They don't love me anymore. They think I left them, so they left me. (hands trembling, in between tears) I *did* leave them! I failed them. I failed everyone. I failed my friends. I failed the toads. I failed my family. (shaking, head hanging) I'm a failure. I'm worthless. No one wants me. Willy sits and cries for a few minutes, feeling utterly and completely alone. He finally finds the strength to pull himself up off the ground. Weakly, he begins stumbling toward the door on the far end of the room, which leads to a bathroom. WILLY (taking short, shallow breaths) Worthless. Willy very slowly steps into the bathroom. He walks up to the sink and looks at himself in the medicine cabinet mirror. He doesn't even recognize himself -- his hair is long and dirty, he's unshaven, his glasses are different, and his face is streaked red from tears. In a fit of anger, Willy lets out all the hatred he's felt toward the toads and toward himself but kept bottled up inside. He punches the mirror hard, shattering it and badly cutting his right hand. Willy doesn't even feel the pain. He's numb inside. Once again, he looks at the mirror. His image dances around the shards of glass, presenting a broken, fragmented vision of himself. His stomach feels empty, and another cold chill races down his spine. Gulping dryly, Willy reaches up with his bloody hand and opens the medicine cabinet. He clumsily reaches around, knocking over a few bottles before finally grabbing one. He pulls it out and brings it up close to his face, his hand trembling severely. Not blinking, he reads the label. Satisfied, he begins breathing even more heavily and erratically. He shuts the medicine cabinet, glances at himself in the broken mirror, and then closes the bathroom door. SCENE 2 - THE DUWITT RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH One hour later. The house is eerily quiet. Nothing makes a sound. Sunlight is shining in brightly through the windows, but the lights are all off. Breaking the silence, the front door swings open, and DR. DAVID DUWITT steps through it. DR. DUWITT Phew. Dr. DuWitt takes a few steps into the house. His wife, MRS. SUSAN DUWITT, follows him through the door and shuts it behind him. MRS. DUWITT (taking off her coat) I thought those customers would never leave. DR. DUWITT (checks his watch) It's only 5:30. They barely even held us up. MRS. DUWITT I know, but I haven't bought groceries for dinner yet, let alone started to cook them, and the organic supermarket is a ten-minute drive ... Mrs. DuWitt suddenly freezes in place. She raises her face slightly, as if feeling something in the air. MRS. DUWITT Do you feel that? DR. DUWITT (puzzled) Feel what? MRS. DUWITT Something's wrong. DR. DUWITT I don't know what you're ... MRS. DUWITT Upstairs. With a sense of urgency, Mrs. DuWitt throws her coat on the ground and races for the stairs. Dr. DuWitt, concerned, quickly follows after her. By the time he hits the stairs, she's on the second floor. He works his way up the stairs as she runs into their bedroom. DR. DUWITT Honey, what are you ... Dr. DuWitt falls silent as a piercing shriek reverberates through the house. His eyes widen. DR. DUWITT (alarmed) Susan! Dr. DuWitt scrambles to the top of the stairs and into the bedroom. He doesn't see his wife, but he notices that the light is on in the bathroom. MRS. DUWITT (shakily) Willy, Willy ... DR. DUWITT Willy? What? Bounding over to the bathroom, Dr. DuWitt sees his son lying sprawled on the floor, completely motionless. A small pool of blood rests beside his hand, and there's more blood on the sink and on the broken mirror. His wife is kneeling beside Willy, almost in shock. DR. DUWITT (feeling cold) Willy! Oh my God, what happened? MRS. DUWITT I don't know. He's ... Mrs. DuWitt then notices the open bottle lying next to Willy on the floor. It's completely empty. MRS. DUWITT My medicine. I just ... (panicky) I just had it filled yesterday! DR. DUWITT (kneeling down by Willy and checking his pulse) He's still alive. I'll call 911! Shaken, Dr. DuWitt runs to the phone and begins dialing. Mrs. DuWitt stays next to Willy, grasping her son's left hand in her right. A tear streams down her red cheek. SCENE 3 - WAITING ROOM, UCSF MEDICAL CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt sit nervously in the waiting room, hoping that a doctor will come out and give them good news. They've been there for half an hour, and they only get more worried as time goes on. They hold hands and talk a little, but they can't keep their minds focused. Finally, after what seems to them like an eternity, a NURSE comes over to them. NURSE You can go see your son. (pointing) Down the hall, to the right. Room 11. I'll buzz you in. DR. DUWITT (unfocused) Thank you. The DuWitts walk down the hall of the emergency room, halfway between in a panic and in a trance. After turning the corner, they walk until they reach room 11. Not bothering to knock, they burst in. Willy is lying asleep on a stretcher in the middle of the room. An IV is attached to his arm, and his breathing is shallow but regular. He's now wearing a hospital gown. A thin, young DOCTOR is standing next to him. MRS. DUWITT Willy! DOCTOR Are you Mr. and Mrs. DuWitt? DR. DUWITT (harried) Dr. DuWitt, yes. MRS. DUWITT (quickly) How is our son? DOCTOR Calm down, please, ma'am. My name is Doctor Collins, and ... MRS. DUWITT (hysterical) How is my son?! DR. DUWITT (squeezing his wife's hand supportively) Honey, please ... COLLINS Willy's going to be all right. We had to pump his stomach, but we got to him in time. He's going to live. MRS. DUWITT (trembling) Oh, thank God. Mrs. DuWitt reaches out to touch her son. Her shaking hand stops just short of his face, then she reaches over and gently strokes his hair. MRS. DUWITT Willy ... (sniffling) He's going to be all right, Doctor? COLLINS Willy's going to be fine. He should be awake tomorrow. However, we'd like to keep him in the hospital for a few days. DR. DUWITT Of course. (noticing) Wait, are those the glasses he had on him when we brought him in? COLLINS I believe so, yes. DR. DUWITT I've never seen them before. MRS. DUWITT (looking) You're right. COLLINS Really. When was the last time you saw Willy before this? Another tear runs down Mrs. DuWitt's cheek as her husband steps up to answer. DR. DUWITT Months. It's a long story. We don't ... COLLINS (as Dr. DuWitt trails off) Perhaps I should ask you a few more questions, then. SCENE 4 - PARKING LOT OUTSIDE UCSF MEDICAL CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH The sun is starting its descent as the DuWitts walk toward their Volkswagen beetle in the parking lot. They talk back and forth as they get in the car and Dr. DuWitt starts the engine. MRS. DUWITT (worried) Are you sure we shouldn't stay with Willy? DR. DUWITT (obviously a little distracted) There's nothing we can do for him. He's not going to wake up that soon, and even then, the doctors need to be with him. MRS. DUWITT (as her husband pulls out of the lot) If you say so, but ... (looking out the window) So we're just going to go home? DR. DUWITT How do you think he got in the house? MRS. DUWITT (turning back to Dr. DuWitt) What do you mean? DR. DUWITT The front door was locked, and he didn't have a key. Remember? It's been on his desk these past few months. We locked all the windows, too. MRS. DUWITT I'm more concerned with where he was than how he got in ... (shaking) I don't even want to think about it. I'm just happy he's alive! DR. DUWITT So am I. But I want to get to the bottom of this. I want to know what happened to our son. The drive home is mostly silent. SCENE 5 - HOSPITAL ROOM, UCSF MEDICAL CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Half an hour later, Willy is lying in his bed, just barely awake and staring straight up at the ceiling. His right hand is fully bandaged up. Restraints keep him tied to the bed, though he isn't struggling against them. He appears to be mildly sedated. After knocking, Dr. Collins comes in. COLLINS (checking the chart) Willy DuWitt? WILLY (calmly) I'm in a hospital. COLLINS You sure are. The ER, in fact. My name is Doctor Collins. Do you know why you're in a hospital? WILLY (serious) The toads put me here. Not quite expecting that, Dr. Collins pauses for a second before pulling out his pen and continuing. COLLINS (jotting down notes on his clipboard) And why did the toads put you here, Willy? WILLY They wanted to take me away from my parents. COLLINS Well, I'm afraid they didn't quite succeed. Your parents helped get you here. This energizes Willy, who leans forward. WILLY Where are they? COLLINS At home right now, I'd expect. It's pretty late, and we told them we'd take care of you for the night. WILLY (repeating) My parents brought me here ... (softly, with a smile) They love me. Somebody loves me. Dr. Collins frowns and begins writing some more. COLLINS Now, Willy, I'm afraid I have to level with you here. The toads aren't the reason you here. You tried to ... WILLY (shaking his head) Yes, they are. They brainwashed me and had me work for them, so they could take over the aniverse. COLLINS (pausing) The aniverse? WILLY Yeah, the aniverse. They wanted me to build a mark-5 photon accelerator for them, because they knew I'd built one for the UAC. COLLINS (scribbling) What's the UAC? WILLY The United Animals Coalition. COLLINS And how did the toads know about you? WILLY I'd fought against them when I worked for Captain O'Hare. COLLINS Captain O'Hare. He's not a toad, too, is he? WILLY Of course not. He's a hare. The UAC is just mammals. Well, they say that, but there're some birds and fish and stuff, too. COLLINS Who else works for the UAC? WILLY On Bucky's ship, there was Jenny, Bruiser, Blinky, and Deadeye. There were two other ships, and a couple outposts and stuff. We had to deal with Fritz a lot, and Mimi was always sticking her nose where it didn't belong ... COLLINS (writing everything down) How did you meet Captain O'Hare? WILLY When I crossed dimensions with my photon accelerator. COLLINS And when was this? WILLY Three years ago. Almost exactly. COLLINS Three years ... (checking Willy's patient info) Were you in middle school then? WILLY Yeah. COLLINS And you must've been really smart, to build a ... (checks his notes) Photon accelerator. WILLY Yeah. I got the best grades in the whole class. COLLINS Were you popular? WILLY No. I got picked on a lot. COLLINS Did you have any friends? WILLY (hesitantly) Not until I met the crew. COLLINS How were things with your parents? WILLY (blinks) They were OK. We didn't really get along. They were always worried about the ecosystem and eating tofu and stuff. COLLINS (finishing his notes) I see. (looking at Willy) You're not making any of this up, are you? Playing a joke on ol' Doctor Collins? WILLY Why would I make this up? Don't you believe me? COLLINS Of course I do, Willy. I think I'm going to look into this O'Hare business. You should probably get some more rest. WILLY (frowning but still weak) You don't believe me. COLLINS I didn't say that. WILLY Can I see my parents? COLLINS Soon. WILLY (insistently) I want to see my parents ... COLLINS Just lie back and relax, Willy. You'll get to see your parents real soon. Dr. Collins smiles and steps out of the room softly, leaving Willy all alone. Outside, Dr. Collins walks down the hall a little quickly. COLLINS (thinking) SCENE 6 - THE DUWITT RESIDENCE, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH With a sigh, Dr. DuWitt enters through the front door, his wife following him. He looks around alertly. DR. DUWITT You check the doors and windows. I'm going to look at his room. MRS. DUWITT (hesitantly) All right. A bit nervous, but more curious than anything else, Dr. DuWitt heads up the stairs. He walks down the hallway and into Willy's room. Once inside, he begins looking around for any clues. Meanwhile, Mrs. DuWitt scurries around the bottom floor, seeing if any of the windows and doors are broken or ajar. Finally concluding that nothing is amiss downstairs, she decides to join her husband upstairs. Reaching the second floor, she slowly steps in the room and glances around. MRS. DUWITT Everything looks the same. The light's still on and everything. DR. DUWITT (inspecting the closet) Yeah, this is all the same. But something just ... seems different. Can you feel it? MRS. DUWITT (perking up slightly) You're right. It's like there's some sort of aura in this room. Some energy. (beat) Wait. I've felt it before. DR. DUWITT You have? When? MRS. DUWITT When I first opened Willy's door when we got back to India. I tried to open it, and it sort of ... pushed back for a moment before it opened. I told you about it. Remember? DR. DUWITT I'd completely forgotten about that. (scratching his head) But what in here could generate power like that? The only piece of equipment in here that really works is Willy's computer, and that's been off for months. (beat) Unless ... Getting a crazy idea, Dr. DuWitt looks to the side, glancing at the photon accelerator. He inspects the orange apparatus, from its dials to the "Do Not Disturb" sign Willy placed next to it. Dr. DuWitt walks up to it slowly, feeling a slight tingle when he gets closer to it. DR. DUWITT The accelerator's off. MRS. DUWITT (walking toward her husband) And it was on before? DR. DUWITT (putting his hand on top of the accelerator) Yes. I mean, no. It can't ever be *on*. It's just a model. But the handle was in the "on" position. (beat, looking closer) I *thought* it was just a model. Curious, Dr. DuWitt grasps the handle of the accelerator. Holding his breath, he pulls it down. Nothing happens. SCENE 7 - HOSPITAL ROOM, UCSF MEDICAL CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Willy is lying in bed, trying to get some sleep, when a knock at the door catches his attention. The door glides open smoothly, and a balding, middle-aged DOCTOR steps through. DOCTOR (smiling) Hello, Willy. My name is Jason Matthews, and I'm a psychiatrist. WILLY What? (warily) Why are you here? MATTHEWS They asked me check on you, see how you were doing. How do you feel? WILLY I'm OK. A little queasy. MATTHEWS Do you know what you did? Willy looks away from the doctor, ashamed. WILLY Yeah. MATTHEWS Mind telling me why you did it? WILLY I was just ... (trying not to think about it) It's just been really hard lately. MATTHEWS What's been hard? WILLY I was away from home for so long, and it hurt for so long. When I finally got home, my parents weren't there. I thought maybe they'd left me ... MATTHEWS You know your parents called the ambulance, right? WILLY Yeah. MATTHEWS And you know your parents love you, right? WILLY (managing a smile) Yeah. MATTHEWS Now, why were you away from them for so long? WILLY I was ... (thinking) Why do I have to tell you? I already told that other doctor. MATTHEWS They asked me to double-check, to make sure he got the story right. WILLY (defensively) You said you were a psychiatrist. MATTHEWS That's correct. WILLY (agitated) You think I'm crazy! Dr. Matthews remains composed and does not react to Willy's sudden change in intensity. MATTHEWS Why would I think that? WILLY You think I made the aniverse up! MATTHEWS (sounding genuine) The aniverse? What's the aniverse? WILLY (caught up in his emotions) That's where I've been! That's what kept me away from my parents! (calming down a little) That's where the toads brainwashed me. MATTHEWS But you were only missing for a few months. I heard you went to the aniverse years ago. WILLY Yeah. MATTHEWS How did you get there? WILLY I built a photon accelerator that took me there. MATTHEWS All by yourself? WILLY My dad worked on it when he was at MIT. I had his notes and stuff to go by. MATTHEWS OK, so this machine took you to the aniverse. What did you do there? WILLY I was an engineer on Captain O'Hare's spaceship. MATTHEWS Could I meet Captain O'Hare? WILLY ... no. MATTHEWS Do you have a picture? What does he look like? WILLY He has green fur, and he's about three-and-a-half feet tall. He's ... (realizing, quickly) I'm not crazy! MATTHEWS Calm down, Willy. I'm just here to talk. WILLY I didn't make it up! I didn't make any of them up! MATTHEWS Didn't make who up? WILLY Everybody! Jenny and Blinky and Deadeye and Fritz and Amadeus and the Corsair Canards and the Aldebarans and ... MATTHEWS Aldebarans? WILLY Magic witch cats that hate men. (sitting up straighter) Stop doing that! MATTHEWS Doing what? WILLY Making me say stuff that sounds crazy. I'm not crazy. MATTHEWS I don't like to use the word "crazy." WILLY I'm *not*. Dr. Matthews does not respond, but he sits down neatly in the chair beside the bed. WILLY Are you going to wait here until I give in? MATTHEWS I'm not challenging your beliefs, Willy. I just want you to talk to me. WILLY About what? MATTHEWS Anything that comes to your mind. WILLY I want to see my parents. MATTHEWS It's too late to have any visitors tonight, but we'll give them a call first thing in the morning. I'm sure they'll come visit soon. WILLY Will they take me home? MATTHEWS Willy, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay here until you demonstrate that you're mentally stable enough for us to release you. That may be a long time. WILLY What? MATTHEWS Do you have any friends you want your parents to contact? WILLY I ... no. MATTHEWS I see. Do you have any peers at all that you're close to? WILLY No ... not really. MATTHEWS Does this make you lonely? WILLY It used to. MATTHEWS And then what happened? WILLY And then I got my job. People who appreciated me. People who cared about me. MATTHEWS Your parents care about you. What's the difference between them and your space friends? WILLY (without thinking) My parents love me, but they don't understand me. They're into karma and auras and crystals and all that crap. They wouldn't let me get a computer for the longest time because it was too "elitist." MATTHEWS And Captain O'Hare understands you? WILLY He appreciates me for stuff I want to be appreciated for -- my mechanical skills. My obsession with science. My inventions. (beat, gathering his wits) Wait. Where are you going with this? Are you leading me into something? MATTHEWS I'm not leading you anywhere, Willy. WILLY You're lying! You're trying to convince me of something. MATTHEWS Willy, you're a scientist, right? WILLY (hesitantly) Yeah ... MATTHEWS Then it's only fair that you examine every possibility and test it against the existing evidence. WILLY Um ... I guess. MATTHEWS Would you then examine the possibility that your loneliness and isolation from your peers might have led you to create a fantasy world in which you are appreciated for your scientific talents? WILLY (upset) I didn't create the aniverse! MATTHEWS Let's test your hypothesis against existing scientific evidence. Can you produce any physical evidence that the aniverse exists? WILLY My memory stone! MATTHEWS What's that? WILLY It's the round gem Jenny gave me so she could communicate with me when I was at home. MATTHEWS OK. You have a circular piece of crystal. Your parents run a new-age store, right? Wouldn't they sell things like that? WILLY Fine. (thinking) Hold still. MATTHEWS What? WILLY I'm going to levitate your pen. MATTHEWS (a little confused) What? WILLY I've got Aldebaran powers. It's a long story. Just watch. Willy closes his eyes and concentrates on the pen in Dr. Matthews's breast pocket. Nothing happens. Straining a little, Willy tries harder, pointing his fingertips toward the pen. His fingers start shaking. The pen remains still. MATTHEWS Willy ... WILLY (giving up and opening his eyes) I'm just tired. And I haven't practiced in so long ... MATTHEWS I'm afraid you're not making a very good case for yourself, Willy. WILLY I know there's something ... (quickly) The photon accelerator. MATTHEWS Didn't you build it from your father's notes? WILLY But it works! My dad's model didn't work. MATTHEWS Fair enough. How does it work? WILLY It's created a rift in the space-time continuum -- a tear that allows me to cross through dimensional barriers. MATTHEWS But *how*? WILLY I ... don't know. I never understood it. It just worked when I turned it on. MATTHEWS Does that make sense? Is it logical? WILLY I dunno. It's just always sort of worked. I tried to figure it out, but I couldn't. And I was so happy to have friends ... Dr. Matthews glances at his watch. MATTHEWS I have to go check on some other patients. I want you to think about what we've discussed, and I'll see you tomorrow. OK? WILLY (distracted) OK ... Dr. Matthews leaves, closing the door behind him. Willy closes his eyes and squirms tiredly. WILLY (to himself) Jesus Christ ... (beat) Why did I tell that stupid doctor? (thinking) But in the silence, it's hard for Willy not to turn things over in his mind. WILLY (thinking) (beat, thinking) Willy turns on his side, trying to gain some measure of comfort and peace. WILLY (thinking) (beat) <... which was just what I wanted, wasn't it? Didn't this all happen about the same time Doug McKenna really started pushing me around? Didn't I wish I had friends to support and protect me?> (sighs) Willy rubs the side of his face and frowns. WILLY <... or I really am crazy.> SCENE 8 - WILLY'S ROOM, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH Dr. DuWitt has just pulled the handle of the accelerator down, with his wife looking on. Nothing is happening. DR. DUWITT (a little disappointed) Well, it was worth a shot. The room suddenly falls dark, as if all the light was simply sucked out of it. DR. DUWITT Whoa! MRS. DUWITT (startled) What happened? DR. DUWITT Nothing. I just pulled the switch, and ... (blinking) Oh my God. It's not a model. MRS. DUWITT You're joking, right? (beat) You mean our son built a working photon accelerator? DR. DUWITT I can't think of any other explanation for this. (looking around) If nothing else, that explains the power failures. MRS. DUWITT But what is it *doing*? It's supposed to accelerate photons somewhere, right? So where are they going? DR. DUWITT I ... don't know. The windows suddenly catch Dr. DuWitt's eye. He grabs the flashlight on Willy's desk and kneels by the windowsill, holding the light beam up to it. It doesn't even begin to penetrate it. Mrs. DuWitt watches over his shoulder as he presses his palm against it, making a blubbery indentation. DR. DUWITT It feels like week-old blackberry gelatin. (beat) I don't think anything can enter this room -- not even light. The accelerator's thrown some sort of field around everything. MRS. DUWITT (concerned) What does this all mean, David? What does this have to do with Willy? Biting his lip, Dr. DuWitt looks around again. He finally notices the tiny ring of light escaping from the cracks between the room's door and its frame. DR. DUWITT I think whatever's behind that door will answer our questions. MRS. DUWITT (looking at the light) Should we go through? DR. DUWITT I don't know what else we can do. Grasping the flashlight tightly, Dr. DuWitt advances toward the door. MRS. DUWITT You're not leaving without me, are you? Dr. DuWitt turns around and looks at his wife. He smiles nervously. DR. DUWITT Are you ready? MRS. DUWITT Are you crazy? Of course I'm not. (beat) What? I didn't say that was stopping me. Let's go. Mrs. DuWitt walks forward and stands beside her husband, who's right beside the door. Taking a deep breath, Dr. DuWitt grabs the doorknob and twists it. SCENE 9 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WATERSHIP HOSPITAL, GENUS The room is empty of hospital personnel. With a flash and an echo, Willy's door reappears on the far end of the room. A minute later, the door opens creakily, and a wide-eyed Dr. DuWitt steps through, followed by a nervous Mrs. DuWitt. Not knowing what to expect, they seem confused when they encounter a simple hospital room. DR. DUWITT This ... looks like a hospital. MRS. DUWITT (looking around) You're right. But why would Willy's door lead to a hospital? DR. DUWITT (looking at the photon accelerator) I don't know. (looking back up) I also don't know where we are, exactly. I don't know how Willy got the accelerator to work, but we could literally be just about anywhere. MRS. DUWITT Everything's so ... small. The hospital bed, the doorframe ... it's like everyone here is four feet tall. Dr. DuWitt bites his lip again and looks at the hospital room's actual door. DR. DUWITT Let's keep going. MRS. DUWITT (taking her husband's hand gingerly) All right. The pair advance toward the door. As they get near it, though, it swings open, nearly hitting them. Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt step back, and they catch a glimpse of the panda NURSE stepping through the door, carrying a tray. NURSE Willy, are you back ... (looking into the room, startled) Aah! The nurse drops her tray in confusion and terror. The DuWitts react as well, having never seen a three-foot-tall anthropomorphic animal before. DR. DUWITT (loudly, dropping the flashlight) Aah! MRS. DUWITT (shrill) Eek! All three of them take a step back, but they all manage to maintain their composure to some extent. MRS. DUWITT (shaking) Oh my God. Oh my God. DR. DUWITT You're ... you're ... MRS. DUWITT Get it away! NURSE (already no longer fazed) My goodness! I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting ... you ... you must be Willy's parents. DR. DUWITT (shaking it off) You know Willy? NURSE Y-yes. I'm his nurse. MRS. DUWITT His *nurse*? But you're a panda! (exasperated) Where *are* we? NURSE Watership Medical Center. DR. DUWITT No, what ... what *planet* are we on? NURSE (a little confused) You're on Genus, of course. DR. DUWITT Genus? There's no ... (beat) I don't ... I don't think we're even in our own dimension anymore. MRS. DUWITT (gasping for breath) No, really? NURSE Is there anything I can help you with? DR. DUWITT (quickly) Willy. Why did Willy's door take us here? NURSE I'm afraid I don't know all the details. I'll page Dr. Lurie. The nurse moves to the wall and activates a paging comm. NURSE He should be on his way. DR. DUWITT I ... (softly, still disoriented) Thank you. Thirty tense and silent seconds pass before DR. LURIE walks into the door. DR. LURIE Lauren, you paged me? (spotting the DuWitts) Oh, my. MRS. DUWITT A wolf! (backing up) Keep away from us! DR. DUWITT Susan, calm down. The ... panda said he could help us. DR. LURIE I assume you're Willy's parents? DR. DUWITT That's correct. Who are you, and how do you know our son? DR. LURIE My name is Dr. Lurie. Willy's been in my care ever since ... (realizing) Wait. Willy never told you about the aniverse, did he? MRS. DUWITT The what? DR. DUWITT Is that where we are? DR. LURIE Yes. Willy's files say you live in an alternate dimension from ours. DR. DUWITT (blinking) Well, that makes as much sense as anything else at the moment. MRS. DUWITT (weakly) I don't know if I can handle this. DR. DUWITT But why was Willy here? Why does he come here? DR. LURIE He's an engineer for ... well, I suppose Captain O'Hare can explain things better than I can. MRS. DUWITT Captain O'Hare? He actually exists? DR. DUWITT Just not on Earth, apparently. (insistently) Willy's mentioned Captain O'Hare to us, though he obviously left out a few ... details. Can we talk to him? DR. LURIE I'll see what I can do about contacting him. I don't believe he's on a mission at the moment, but I wouldn't know. MRS. DUWITT Mission? What do you mean, mission? DR. LURIE Shooting at toads, usually. Or he might just be on patrol. DR. DUWITT Shooting? ... (realizing) What sort of ship did Willy work on? DR. LURIE Captain O'Hare pilots one of the UAC's wartime frigates. This strikes the pacifist DuWitts hard. MRS. DUWITT (angrily) War? You put my baby in the middle of a *war*? DR. LURIE (taking a defensive step back) Madam, I assure you that I personally was against it from the start. DR. DUWITT (also upset, but trying to remain calm) You said Willy was in your care. What happened to him? Why was he in the hospital? DR. LURIE (sighs) I'm afraid you're not going to like any answers I have for you. Willy was kidnapped by the toads -- the aggressors in a war that spans this entire dimension. They brainwashed him and forced him to work for them. He was finally rescued, but the trauma affected him deeply. He was in a coma for some reason I still can't figure out. He finally woke up and demanded to go home, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. The DuWitts's jaws are hanging open. Mrs. DuWitt recovers first. MRS. DUWITT *Brainwashed*? DR. DUWITT (enraged) When did this happen? DR. LURIE He was kidnapped by the toads nearly four months ago. They held him for about two months, and then we had him for just under two months ourselves. MRS. DUWITT That's right after we left for India. DR. DUWITT And did you give him any kind of medical care? DR. LURIE As much as we could, though we don't know much about humans medically. We looked after him while he was comatose. After he woke up, I tried to help him work through his pain psychologically, but he refused to cooperate. He kept insisting that I let him go home, and I eventually had no other choice. DR. DUWITT Well, you should have tried a little harder, dammit! Do you have any idea what just happened? DR. LURIE (worried) I'm ... afraid not. Furious, Dr. DuWitt tells Dr. Lurie what happened to Willy after he arrived home. The news stuns the wolf. DR. LURIE (shoulders slumped) It's my fault. I shouldn't have let him go home. I should have made sure he was all right before I let him ... (sitting down in a chair, weakly) By Frith, I am so, so sorry. DR. DUWITT This ... this is insane. This is ... (regaining his composure) Get this O'Hare character over here right now. He has a *lot* to answer for. (quickly) Actually, no. I want to see the ship. The Righteous Indignation, or whatever it's called. DR. LURIE (still mad at himself) I ... I'll see what I can do. And ... I'm very sorry about this. (standing back up) Please try to make yourselves comfortable. I'll be back after I place the call for Captain O'Hare. Dr. Lurie steps out of the room. Still a little stunned, the DuWitts stand still, poised and uncertain. The panda nurse smiles uncertainly. LAUREN You're welcome to have a seat. Can I get you anything? Water, maybe? DR. DUWITT No ... no, we're fine. MRS. DUWITT I can't believe this is happening. Why didn't Willy ever *say* anything? DR. DUWITT I don't know, honey. But we'll get to the bottom of this. (sighs) I hope. (smiles weakly) I always wondered why the hell there was a pleasure boat called The Righteous Indignation. At least *that* finally makes sense. Already tired, Dr. DuWitt sits down on the hospital bed. Mrs. DuWitt sits down next to her husband and cozies up next to him. He puts his arm around her and holds her tight, trying to comfort her even though he can't comfort himself. SCENE 10 - PILOTING BAY, THE VALKYRIE CAPTAIN BUCKY O'HARE and FIRST MATE JENNY are running a systems check on the The Valkyrie. It's running the best it has in years, thanks mostly to Mike's efforts. Since the ship isn't scheduled for patrol this evening, the other crewmembers are nowhere to be found. During the systems check, the main comm activates. Bucky answers it and is somewhat surprised when Dr. Lurie's face appears. BUCKY (eagerly, into comm) Dr. Lurie. Is Willy back yet? DR. LURIE (over comm, looking down) I'm afraid not, Captain O'Hare. And there are some people who would like to meet with you and see the ship. Bucky's blood runs cold as he senses the near-despair in Dr. Lurie's voice and demeanor. He's never known the strong-opinioned doctor to be like this. BUCKY Who? DR. LURIE Willy's parents. Bucky's jaw falls open as Jenny lets out a soft gasp. They'd never even considered this happening, and they don't know how to react. BUCKY I ... (blinking, hesitantly) Of course. Send them up. We're in Dock Six on Orwell. DR. LURIE (nods) I'll send them up with an escort right away. Bucky, almost in a trance, shuts off the comm and then turns to look at Jenny, who is similarly stunned. JENNY What are his parents doing here? Willy said he never told them about the aniverse. BUCKY I don't know. But this can't be good. (gulps) Do you think something happened to Willy? JENNY I don't know. I tried contacting him an hour ago but couldn't get through. I figured he just had other things to worry about ... (beat) What are we going to tell his parents? Bucky hesitates before responding, trying to come up with a good answer. BUCKY I don't know. The truth, I guess. JENNY You realize they're going to be furious. BUCKY Of course. Bucky looks at Jenny for a moment, then goes back to the systems check, not knowing what else to do. Jenny frowns, then returns to the console as well. After about fifteen minutes, a loud knock is heard from the main bay. Bucky turns to look at Jenny once more, then begins climbing down out of piloting. Jenny follows, wordlessly. Now in the main part of the ship, Bucky walks up to the main hatch. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he opens it. As Jenny takes her place right behind Bucky, the large circular door swings open slowly, revealing a small mouse ESCORT and two tall, angry-looking humans. ESCORT (immediately sensing the tension) I'll, uh, just wait out here. Dr. DuWitt takes a step forward. Still not being used to the aniverse, he's a little scared by the freakish hare and cat in front of him, but his anger completely overrides that. Mrs. DuWitt hangs back, as she's still a bit too terrified to confront the situation head-on. DR. DUWITT You're Captain O'Hare? BUCKY (assuming military posture) Yes, sir. I am Captain Bucky O'Hare of the S.P.A.C.E. frigate The Righteous Indignation, and this is my ship's first mate, Jenny. Dr. DuWitt, though angry, isn't sure what to say first. He has a million things he wants to scream in anger, considering what these people have apparently done to his son. Finally, though, the first thing that comes to mind is relatively benign. DR. DUWITT (looking at the exterior of the frigate) This piece of junk is your ship? Bucky, expecting a much harsher question, is slightly startled. BUCKY This frigate is a temporary replacement for our actual ship, The Righteous Indignation. I misspoke earlier; I'm still not entirely used to having this ship. DR. DUWITT What happened to your old ship? BUCKY It was lost in battle, sir. DR. DUWITT (getting angry) And did you put my son in the middle of this battle? JENNY (piping up) Actually, sir, we lost the Righteous while rescuing Willy from our foes. They had kidnapped him, and we risked everything we had to get him back. DR. DUWITT Well, you shouldn't have let them take him in the first place. (scowling) In fact, you shouldn't have ever let him fight for you! I want an explanation, and I want it immediately! BUCKY (maintaining his composure) How much do you know? DR. DUWITT (upset) I don't know anything, except that you have a lot of explaining to do. BUCKY I suppose I should start from the beginning, then. Willy appeared literally out of nowhere about three years ago. We were in the middle of a battle, and our photon accelerator had malfunctioned. After our android repaired it ... DR. DUWITT (a hint of curiosity escaping from behind his fury) Android? BUCKY (not missing a beat) Please let me finish, sir. Blinky repaired it as best he could, and in desperation, I activated it. The next thing we knew, Willy's door appeared in the main bay of our ship. We'd never seen anything like him before, and we were, well, hesitant to accept him. But he gladly fixed our accelerator, saving us all from certain death. (beat) He insisted that we let him be a part of our crew. We needed a warp drive mechanic, and Willy was the most talented engineer I'd ever seen. We agreed to sign him up. Dr. DuWitt pauses a moment to let everything sink in. He can't quite believe that his son has been gallivanting around in a parallel dimension for years without ever telling him or his wife. DR. DUWITT And the war? What's this about a war? BUCKY For over a decade, we've been fighting against the Toad Empire, an organized force bent on conquering and enslaving the entire aniverse. The toads are controlled by a huge computer program known as KOMPLEX that keeps them all brainwashed. My crew is one of the three assigned to combat the toads and keep them from overrunning this entire dimension. Again, Dr. DuWitt tries to comprehend all this. It's very difficult, though. DR. DUWITT So you're fighting against an all-powerful, brainwashing computer? BUCKY Essentially, yes. DR. DUWITT (angrily) And you expect me to believe this pile of ... MRS. DUWITT Honey ... DR. DUWITT Excuse me. But still, you can't expect us to believe that. BUCKY (not sure how to convince him) I ... JENNY I understand this must all be very difficult for you to comprehend, Mr. and Mrs. DuWitt, but please believe us when we say that it's the truth. DR. DUWITT That's Dr. DuWitt. I have a Ph.D. That means I'm not stupid. I don't think I can say the same for the rest of you, though. Why didn't Willy ever tell us about this? BUCKY That was his decision. DR. DUWITT You didn't even check to make sure his parents were OK with you throwing him in the middle of a war?! (exasperated) You've been a part of our son's life for three years! In that time, he's probably spent more time with the two of you than he's spent with us! And you don't think we deserved to know? Bucky shrugs. He has no real answer for him. DR. DUWITT (stepping into the ship, angrily) You irresponsible twit! MRS. DUWITT (following her husband in) David! BUCKY Look, if you want me to apologize, I'm sorry. I didn't know how old Willy was when I took him on. I'd never seen a human before. And when I found out ... it was pretty late. He wanted to stay on. I couldn't say no. It was a bad decision, and I'm kicking myself for it ... DR. DUWITT Bad decision? Your bad decision nearly cost him his life! BUCKY We've always tried to keep Willy out of the forefront of our battles ... JENNY (taps Bucky on the shoulder) I don't think he's talking about that. BUCKY Huh? JENNY (to the DuWitts) Where is Willy now? There is a pause as Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt hesitate. MRS. DUWITT He's ... in the hospital. BUCKY (surprised) Why? Dr. DuWitt takes the lead and explains the situation. Dumbfounded, Bucky slumps onto the small bench beside him. Jenny stands strong beside him, but she is obviously also shaken. BUCKY Great Mother ... JENNY I knew it. I knew something was wrong when I couldn't reach him. I just never thought ... BUCKY Great Mother, what have we done? Bucky and Jenny embrace, and there is a long silence as they begin to process this new information. It hits them both harder than either of the DuWitts expected, so they give them some time and explore the ship. No words pass between the married couple, but they are on similar wavelengths. They venture into engineering, where Dr. DuWitt notices the corner of some notebook paper sticking out of one of the storage bays. He pulls on the latch and it falls open. The bay is filled with items that are obviously Willy's -- a tool belt, the baboon suit, a notebook in Willy's handwriting, and more. One of the items, he grabs and pulls out. It's a crumpled, wrinkled shirt -- Willy's dress uniform, to be exact. David runs a thumb across the black nametag that proudly reads "DuWitt, William." MRS. DUWITT (snapping her husband out of his reverie) David? What are we going to do? DR. DUWITT I don't know. MRS. DUWITT They care about him. DR. DUWITT I can tell. But they're also irresponsible. I'm going to ask to talk to their superiors. The hatch opens, and Bucky and Jenny enter engineering. Jenny is a perfect picture of forced stoicism, and Bucky is more or less a mess. As Bucky steps in, he attempts to straighten up and assume a military stance. BUCKY Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt, we apologize for our disgraceful behavior. We put your son in danger and failed to inform you about it. We couldn't stop Willy from helping us, but we could have at least informed you of the situation. As his parents, you deserved to know. DR. DUWITT I want to speak to your superiors about this. BUCKY I can arrange that. (noticing) I see you found Willy's things. We'd removed them from our old ship after the toads captured him. We put them back in this ship for when he woke up. You ... you can keep them. (beat, softening) And when you think it's possible, we would really like to see Willy. DR. DUWITT Haven't you done enough damage? BUCKY With all due respect, Dr. DuWitt, we love Willy. He's been like a son to us. He's the most incredible kid any of us have ever met, and the idea that he was almost taken from us just tears us apart. We just want to see him -- to know that he's OK ... Bucky loses some of his military composure as he's talking. Jenny rubs his back and whispers something in his ear. MRS. DUWITT We'll think about it. DR. DUWITT (exhaling impatiently, but trying to understand) Can you get us in touch with your superiors? We'd like to speak with them. JENNY We'll go place the call to the Chairman. I know this ship is a little small for you, but please try to make yourselves comfortable. Jenny leads Bucky out of engineering. Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt stay in the small space, looking through Willy's things. They both begin to tear up slightly. SCENE 11 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE A harried, nervous Fritz is burning his way through a stack of papers. There's no other sound around -- it's late, and everyone else has gone home. When the comm on Fritz's desk beeps, his first impulse is to ignore it. The noise doesn't go away, however, and he finally answers it. Bucky's face appears on the screen. FRITZ (into comm) Bucky, what is it? I'm kinda busy. BUCKY (over comm, spiritless) Any chance you can pencil in a meeting for a few minutes from now? FRITZ (annoyed, going back to his paperwork) Very funny, Bucky. Of course not. Meetings have to be scheduled at least a week in advance. BUCKY Even for Willy's parents? Fritz drops his pen. FRITZ (after a moment) Shit. (to Bucky) You're kidding me, right? BUCKY I'm afraid not. FRITZ (sighs) Every time something happens that's the last thing I needed to have happen, a new thing takes its place. (rubbing his face) Frell. Yeah, send them in. I can only give them a few minutes, though. Bucky nods and turns off the comm. Fritz takes a deep breath. Frustrated, he gets the urge to knock the stack of papers off his desk, but he calms himself and focuses. FRITZ Why me? SCENE 12 - ENGINEERING BAY, THE VALKYRIE Bucky steps into the bay, where the DuWitts are still looking through Willy's belongings. BUCKY (still not doing so great) The Chairman of the United Animals Coalition has agreed to see you. He's as high up as it gets. Just ask your escort to take you to Chairman Warner. DR. DUWITT (putting down Willy's notebook) Thank you. We'll be back for these sometime. BUCKY (nods) Of course. Dr. DuWitt takes Mrs. DuWitt's hand and begins to lead her out of the room. As they cross by Bucky, Mrs. DuWitt leans toward him slightly. MRS. DUWITT Thank you, Captain. BUCKY (a bit surprised) You're welcome, ma'am. The DuWitts exit the bay, then the ship. Bucky sighs and picks up the notebook Dr. DuWitt was just looking through. BUCKY (flipping through pages) Willy ... (stopping) I'm sorry. Bucky slams the book shut and closes his eyes, holding back a tear. BUCKY I'm so sorry. SCENE 13 - CHAIRMAN WARNER'S OFFICE About half an hour after the call with Bucky, Fritz hears a knock on the door. He puts down the pen and tries to tidy up his desk a bit. FRITZ (calling) Please come in. Fritz straightens his jacket and stands up as the DuWitts open the door and enter the office. The mouse escort smiles weakly and stays behind. The DuWitts look a little flustered from being whisked all around Genus, but they still appear determined as they approach the desk. FRITZ Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt. (shaking their hands in turn) Sorry we have to meet under such trying circumstances. Please have a seat. Struck by Fritz's odd charisma, the placated DuWitts sit down on the two chairs facing the desk. The chairs are a bit on the small side for both of them, but they manage. Fritz pulls a folder from one of the piles on his desk and opens it. He removes the contents -- two security passes -- and slides them across the desk in the direction of the DuWitts. FRITZ Your visas. I had them made right after I took office, just in case. Please keep them on you while traveling in the aniverse. They'll allow you to come and go as you please. The DuWitts take and inspect them. DR. DUWITT (confused) How did you know our dates of birth? FRITZ The Security Council makes a point to do its homework involving members of the fleet. DR. DUWITT (suddenly) Then you must have known my son is a child! Fritz sighs, expecting this. But instead of responding, he rises and goes to his file cabinet. FRITZ I want to show you something. It takes several moments for Fritz to find the manila folder he's looking for. Plucking it from the drawer, he walks around the desk and leans against it, facing the DuWitts with the folder out in front of him. FRITZ This is this year's officer reviews. Every officer of the S.P.A.C.E. fleet was reviewed by a psychiatrist, who then made recommendations to me, the chairman of the Security Council. Based on those recommendations, I make adjustments to fleet schedules and rosters. Fritz opens this envelope. The documents are in aniversian print, so the DuWitts can't read them, but it's obviously Willy's file, as it contains a picture of him. FRITZ This is Willy's file. Fritz flips through several pages of scribbled notes before finding what he wants. FRITZ I know you can't read anversian script, so I'll read it to you. This is the recommendation Dr. Lurie made six months ago. (puts on his reading glasses and reads aloud) "Based on multiple interviews and the information provided to me by the Security Council about Engineer DuWitt's age and background, it is my feeling that while Mr. DuWitt is a stable, sane individual, he is probably too young to handle many situations that may arise from his position in the fleet. He therefore should be removed from active duty immediately and put on a scientific committee or somewhere else where his engineering abilities could still benefit the fleet but his safety would be assured." Fritz flips the file around so they can see it again and points to something else. In different ink and handwriting, in the bottom corner of the sheet, is a small body of text. FRITZ This is what I wrote. (turns it around again so he can read it) "While suggestions have been noted, it is the feeling of the Security Council and of his superior, Captain O'Hare, that Engineer DuWitt should be cleared for active duty." Fritz closes the folder, taking off his glasses. DR. DUWITT (simmering) You knew ... FRITZ We didn't know what was going to happen. What Willy went through on the Toad Homeworld, no living person has gone through and come out alive. To be brainwashed by their machines, to fight it himself to the point of driving himself insane, and to then be rescued and deprogrammed -- we've never had a case of that in UAC history. (beat) But we did know we were exposing someone so young to unbelievable danger. The only people who read this file were Lurie, O'Hare, and me. Lurie ruled no. O'Hare ruled yes. I was the final authority. (beat) So it's my fault. DR. DUWITT (seething) You put a child -- *my* child -- in the front lines of war! FRITZ Yes. As did my three predecessors. You see, we all made this decision because Willy has been an invaluable part of the UAC. His technical genius has given us an edge that has allowed us to save thousands, maybe millions, of lives. Your son would be a hero throughout the aniverse if they understood just how much of his hard work and engineering feats have jumpstarted our fleets and enabled us to liberate planet after planet from the grasp of the Toad Empire. DR. DUWITT I don't care about the Toad Empire! I care about my son! FRITZ And this is what your son cares about. You want to be involved in his life? This is what he does. He's chosen to spend his free time fighting an incredible evil and injustice instead of playing video games and goofing off with other kids his age. You're fighting corporate dumping, and he's fighting a multimedia Hitler. And you wonder why you aren't on the same wavelength. DR. DUWITT I didn't come here to be accused of anything! I came here to get an explanation! FRITZ And you got it. I'm guilty. I made a bad call. Every chairman has made a bad call about Willy's involvement in the war. It almost cost him his life. I'm sorry. I could say I'm sorry all day long, but it wouldn't change the fact you should also face, which is that your son has done an unbelievable amount of good for the aniverse. He's a hero. You should tell him that; it might make him feel better. I'd tell him, but he wouldn't believe me. I'm just a politician, paid to tell people what they want to hear. But you're his parents. You need to make the difference. Having nothing else to say for the moment, Fritz walks back around the desk and sits back down in his chair, waiting for their response. DR. DUWITT Do you know where our son is now? FRITZ I'm afraid not. I've had a busy few days and haven't had a chance to keep up with Willy. I knew he had gone home, but considering your presence here, I assume something has happened. Dr. DuWitt fills Fritz in. The Chairman isn't moved, at least not outwardly. Once Dr. DuWitt finishes, Fritz chooses his words carefully. FRITZ Your son is an amazingly resilient being. He's survived things that no mammal should be able to. I have full confidence that he'll be able to bounce back from this. Not quickly, perhaps, but eventually ... DR. DUWITT And then what? You drag him back to this place and put him back on active duty? FRITZ I'm not putting Willy DuWitt on active duty unless his psychiatrist clears it and his legal guardians clear it -- they being you, of course. DR. DUWITT Don't hold your breath. (to his wife) Let's go. I don't think we're going to get much out of these people other than hollow apologies. Mrs. DuWitt stands and tries to look stern. MRS. DUWITT Chairman, I appreciate your seeing us on such short notice. We're going to go now and look after our son, but don't think this is the last time we'll meet -- or that you'll be forgiven so easily. FRITZ (nodding) Understood. Thank you. The DuWitts leave the office. Dr. DuWitt speaks to the escort as he closes the door. DR. DUWITT Take us back to the hospital. After the door shuts, Fritz shakes his head. FRITZ They still don't see how special he is. (softly) No wonder Willy chose the aniverse over them. SCENE 14 - WILLY'S HOSPITAL ROOM, WATERSHIP HOSPITAL, GENUS Dr. and Mrs. DuWitt enter the room, accompanied by Dr. Lurie and Lauren. The humans still appear somewhat upset. DR. DUWITT (being as civil as possible) Thank you for getting us in touch with Captain O'Hare. DR. LURIE It was the least I could do. If there's anything else I can help you with, don't hesitate to ask. MRS. DUWITT We may have some more questions for you later, but right now, we want to get back to our son. DR. LURIE Don't let me keep you. Please give Willy my regards -- and my apologies. DR. DUWITT You don't need to apologize, Doctor. The Chairman showed us what you wrote in Willy's evaluation, and I think you're the only one who understands how serious this situation actually is. (walking up to Willy's door) You ready, honey? MRS. DUWITT (taking her husband's hand) Yes. Dr. DuWitt reaches for the doorknob. He braces himself, just in case something else weird happens, then opens the door. Willy's dark room appears in front of them. Though somewhat foreboding, this glimpse of Earth is a comforting sight for the DuWitts, who smile as they step through and close the door behind them. SCENE 15 - WILLY'S ROOM, SAN FRANCISCO, EARTH The DuWitts step into the darkened room. Mrs. DuWitt stays by the door, while Dr. DuWitt, now without a flashlight, feels his way over to the photon accelerator and grabs the handle. DR. DUWITT I hope this works. Dr. DuWitt pulls the handle upward, into the "off" position. The lights in Willy's room suddenly turn back on. Mrs. DuWitt, blinking in response to the sudden brightness, opens the door again and sees the hallway of their house outside it. MRS. DUWITT Thank goodness. (to her husband) I need to ... think about all this. DR. DUWITT So do I. (looks at the photon accelerator) One of these days, I'm going to take a look at this thing. I can't *believe* Willy got it to work. (frowns slightly) But for now ... Dr. DuWitt reaches over to the back of the photon accelerator and unplugs it. DR. DUWITT Good riddance. (quietly) Another dimension. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it. MRS. DUWITT Do you think ... (looks back at the door) Do you think Willy will want to go back? DR. DUWITT (sighs) That's his decision, I suppose, though I definitely don't want him to. But we have other things to worry about right now. MRS. DUWITT (walking up to her husband) David? DR. DUWITT Yes, honey? MRS. DUWITT I ... I don't know why, but I feel so ... so scared. Dr. DuWitt takes his wife in a warm embrace. DR. DUWITT So am I, Susan. So am I. But we'll get through this. All three of us. Dr. DuWitt closes his eyes as he continues holding his wife close. DR. DUWITT I promise. THE END