A Bold Bluff

In the midst of a flu epidemic, three men seek refuge from
the chaos. In the process, they face their own humanity and
mortality.

FADE IN:

EXT. STREET – NIGHT

Three men, COOLIDGE, BROWN and BIGELOW, are wandering in the
streets in search of shelter and food. Brown is being
carried along by the other two men. All around them, the
city is in the throes of an influenza epidemic. A shortage
of the vaccine, along with overwhelmed medical facilities,
has led to widespread sickness, violence, desperation and
death.

BIGELOW
We have to get him into a safe
place so he can rest. He’s really
not doing well.

COOLIDGE
You don’t think I know that? Geez,
look at the guy! Not that we’re
doing so hot either.
Yelling can be heard nearby, and distant explosions/gunfire
signal that the city has become an outright war zone.
Coolidge is on edge and begins to fall apart.

COOLIDGE
This is just nuts, man. I can’t
believe this is happening! If it
was 2012, maybe I’d accept it but
we’re a whole year away from that
and…

Bigelow interrupts Coolidge’s conspiratorial ramblings.

BIGELOW
Listen, man, you need to get a
grip. Right now we have to get
inside and away from all the
crazies out here. Lord knows I
don’t wanna get shot at again.

Brown is in and out of consciousness. During a moment of
lucidity he chimes into the discussion.

BROWN
Where are we? I’m cold. I…I wanna
lay down.

BIGELOW
Hang in there, buddy, we’re trying
to find a place.

The nearest building is a veterinarian’s office. The window
has bars in it but the front door does not.

COOLIDGE
Hey, check it out. What about in
there? Looks easy enough to break
into.

BIGELOW
Finally, Coolidge. A useful idea.
Help me get him over there, would
ya?

INT. VETERINARIAN’S OFFICE – NIGHT
The office is small and appears to have been abandoned in
haste, as there are loose papers and trash strewn about.

COOLIDGE
Man, do I need a smoke! Food would
be nice but I think a cigarette
would be even better.

BIGELOW
Really? You’re surrounded by death
and sickness and you wanna suck on
a cancer stick?

BROWN
Water? Is there water?

BIGELOW
Coolidge, can you look around for
some water? I’m gonna help Brown
lay down somewhere comfortable.

COOLIDGE
Yeah, I’ll check this place out.
Coolidge walks into the next room, in search of something to
drink. In the process he realizes where they are.

COOLIDGE
Hey Bigelow! This is a vet’s
office. Maybe there’s medication we
can use!

BIGELOW (O.S)
Anything we find is gonna be for
animals, you dumb ass!

COOLIDGE
Have you seen what’s going on out
there? We’re ALL animals now!

Coolidge mutters to himself as he ignores whatever Bigelow
is saying to him.

COOLIDGE (CONT’D)
I warned you our treatment of
animals would kick us in the ass.
That’s how this damn swine flu
started.

Coolidge keeps looking around for water, but finds something
more interesting.

He talks to himself, as he makes his discovery.

COOLIDGE
Holy shit! What’s this?
Holding a vial in his trembling hand, he reads the letters
printed on its label.

COOLIDGE
H1N1…no way! What the hell are
the odds of -

Bigelow has come into the room to see what Coolidge is
muttering about.

BIGELOW
Are you talking to yourself
in here? What’s that?

COOLIDGE
Jesus! You scared the hell
outta me.

COOLIDGE (CONT’D)
It just says H1N1 on it. It could
be a vaccine, but what if it’s the
virus?

BIGELOW
Why would a vet’s office have the
virus? Lemme see it.

Coolidge pulls the vial away from Bigelow.

COOLIDGE
What happened to everything in here
being for animals, huh? And maybe
this place was testing the virus on
animals.

Bigelow has had just about enough of Coolidge’s paranoia.

BIGELOW
You listen to me, you freak! Our
friend is out there dying right
now. If this can help him then we
have to try it. Nobody’s coming to
help us.

COOLIDGE
If it’s the virus, then it’ll kill
him for sure. We should test it on
ourselves since we’re healthier.

BIGELOW
Oh what the hell is the use? It’s
probably for dogs. Wouldn’t work on
us anyway! Dammit!

Bigelow kicks a chair over, in frustration.

COOLIDGE
We’re not that different from dogs,
Bigelow. Haven’t you seen those
paintings of dogs playing poker?

Unexpectedly, Bigelow chuckles after hearing this statement.
He calms down and lightens up a little.

BIGELOW
Those things always creeped me out.
Seriously, dogs sitting upright
with cards in their paws. Drinking
alcohol.

Bigelow realizes how thirsty he is, and how long it has been
since life had any sense of normality.

BIGELOW (CONT’D)
Oh what I wouldn’t give for an ice
cold beer.

COOLIDGE
Do what you want with this stuff.
I’m gonna keep looking around.

Coolidge sets the vial down. Bigelow sits on the floor, with
his head in his hands. Coolidge goes to another room.

COOLIDGE
Where the hell is the light in
here?

The only light in the room is from street lamps outside,
which luckily are quite bright.

COOLIDGE
Is that…no way! Haha! A carton of
cigarettes? I can die a happy man
now.

The carton is open, with packs of cigarettes spread across a
table. Three chairs surround the table, and there are
playing cards scattered about. One seat has the majority of
cigarette packs.

COOLIDGE
Wow, someone was cleaning up!
Smokes are as good as money to me.
What do we have here?

Coolidge looks at the cards that sit in front of the
winner’s chair.

COOLIDGE
A pair of deuces? Haha. Unreal.

Coolidge calls back to Bigelow in the other room, as he
walks back in that direction.

COOLIDGE
Hey Bigelow, you’re not gonna
believe this. I found a whole
carton of cigarettes. They were
being used as poker money, and the
winning hand was this crazy …

Coolidge enters Bigelow’s room, to find him passed out on
the floor, covered in sweat. He doesn’t appear to be
breathing.

COOLIDGE (CONT’D)
… bold bluff.

Next to Bigelow’s body is the H1N1 vial. It’s empty, and a
needle lays on the floor nearby.

FADE OUT

THE END