The Changeling (2023) s01e02 Episode Script

1
[VICTOR LAVALLE] Did you know
that the oldest known lullaby
is a 5,000-year-old Babylonian song?
"Little baby in the dark house,
you have seen the sun rise.
Why are you crying?
Why are you screaming?
You have disturbed the house god.
Tell me your journey. Each of you.
Tell me your life's voyage, and
I will tell you who you are."
[KNOCKING]
Hello?
Emma.
What are you doing here?
I've been calling and
texting for a week.
Six-month check for you and Brian.
He's not here. I have somewhere to go.
What?
- You understand he needs a checkup?
- [SCOFFS]
Okay, where are we going?
I stopped checking my phone. That's
why I didn't know you were coming.
Stopped when?
Hmm, about a month ago.
Emma! Emma!
- [DRIVER SPEAKING SPANISH]
- [HONKS]
Apollo takes the baby to
the park every morning.
He doesn't sleep much anymore either.
Brian?
Apollo. Having nightmares.
We're all a mess.
[KIM] You could try a little
Benadryl to help you sleep.
You can take a little
while you're breastfeeding.
I'm worried about you, Emma.
I see you, and I feel worried.
- [ELEVATOR DINGS]
- [TENANT SPEAKING SPANISH]
[PANTING]
[BUZZES]
[TENANT] Can I help you?
I heard about you from the message
board. You were told I'd come.
[LOCK CLICKING]
Who sent you?
Cal sent me.
I hope these are useful.
- [GASPS]
- [CHAINS RATTLE]
[LOCKS CLICKING]
- [SIGHS]
- What the hell is in there? Emma?
- [BOTH GRUNTING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
- [CHAINS RATTLING]
Chains. Chains?
Emma. Emma.
[KNOCKING]
[GROANING]
- [LILLIAN] We're here.
- My mom and your sister are here.
- [BABY COOING]
- [SMACKS LIPS] Oh, baby.
Red bean soup, meat
loaf, mashed potatoes,
lasagna, samosas, two quiches, oxtail.
Thank you.
Oh, I love this little munchkin.
- [LILLIAN SIGHS] Mmm. [SIGHS]
- [SIGHS]
Apollo tells me you're having trouble.
I had the same problem with him.
I didn't have my mother with me
either. Flying with closed eyes.
Flying blind.
- It just takes time.
- [APOLLO] Yeah.
I'll help. Let me see what you're doing.
[EMMA] Um
- Good morning. All awake?
- Oh, wait.
- [BABY COOS]
- Hmm.
Oh. Too bad.
- What?
- Your breasts are wrong.
- [APOLLO] Mom.
- Lillian.
Come on. All right. Let's not do that.
Just To the kitchen, Mom.
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
Easier to know it. Sad truth
is better than a happy lie.
[SIGHS]
Mom [SIGHS] thanks for
bringing the food, honestly. But
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
Brian.
That's his name.
Brian. Brian.
- [SIGHS] All right.
- You honor an invisible man.
Did you come here to ruin
the day for everybody?
- Looks like it.
- [CHUCKLES]
- [GRUNTS, CHUCKLING]
- [CHUCKLING]
- [EMMA SNIFFS]
- [BABY COOING]
- [EMMA] Mmm.
- [KIM] When a baby is born,
a mother is also born.
[BABY SNORTING]
She never existed before.
The woman existed, but a mother
is something absolutely new.
Mmm. I just wanna be the perfect mom.
- [BREATHES DEEPLY]
- [SIGHS]
[KISSES]
[KIM] You're his perfect mom.
Well, I learned from the greatest.
- [PARENT] I had a rooster ♪
- [TELEVISION CHATTER]
And she is spinning again.
And [SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]
That rooster pleased me ♪
I held my rooster ♪
By the old willow tree ♪
- [SNIFFS]
- Ow.
Stop complaining.
[EMMA] You know who I'm talking about.
[BABY COOING, CRYING]
[EMMA] I had a cat ♪
My cat pleased me ♪
I held my cat ♪
By the old willow tree ♪
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[KNOCKING]
[KNOCKING CONTINUES]
[LAVALLE] After two months
of little to no sleep,
a person might suffer panic attacks,
paranoia, and phobias
no lullaby can soothe.
[KNOCKING]
I don't understand.
Where are the buttons?
- [APOLLO CHUCKLES]
- Oh!
- Oh. There we are.
- There he is.
- It's a smartphone, Mom.
- Oh.
How's he sleeping?
Ah, I read something that said
he should be at six to nine hours.
[SIGHS] I'll believe it when I sleep it.
Hi.
- Hey.
- Babe.
- What?
- Ooh. Oh.
- Hey, can you Sorry. I'm gonna
- [APOLLO] Oh, yeah.
We're trying to limit the screen
time. It's not good for him.
A telephone?
Yeah, he's just a little too young.
He's too young for
it. I'm too old for it.
So instead, we'll spend the
whole night playing games
- Uh-huh. [CHUCKLES]
- and hugging.
[LILLIAN] Nice. Ooh.
[CHUCKLES]
So, where are we baptizing him?
Uh, we actually weren't
Unless one is born of water
and spirit, he cannot be saved.
Saved from?
The dark creatures of the world.
[SIGHS] Thanks, Mom.
Yeah, thank you, Mom.
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
- Oh, wait. Right there.
- [EMMA KISSING]
- Oh, my God. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
Thank you.
You're thanking me for a gift?
You are a gift.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
Mmm, I've missed you. Not you. The wine.
- [EMMA CHUCKLES] Mmm.
- [SLURPS] Mmm.
[STAMMERS] Oh, that's good.
[EMMA SIGHS]
Can I just You just got a little
- What?
- A little Mmm.
- There you go. Mm-hmm.
- Thank you.
[CHUCKLES]
So, what's happening with the appraisal?
That dude's slow. Slug turtle.
Think you can trust him?
- Mmm
- 'Cause you know,
he's probably taking breaks
every five minutes to jerk off
to puppet porn [CHUCKLES, SNORTS]
or something. [CHUCKLES]
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
There she is.
People tell you all about
how you'll love your baby
more than you'll love anything
in the world [INHALES]
which is true.
But now you have this
thing that you love so much,
you'll have to kill yourself
if anything happens to it.
They don't tell you that.
- Right. [STAMMERS]
- They don't say that.
Everything's right except that
part about killing yourself.
Mmm. No. Mm-mmm.
He dies, I die.
[SMACKS LIPS] Sorry, you're on your own.
- Okay, well, if you were gonna do that
- Mmm. Mm-hmm.
how would you do it?
Jump off George Washington Bridge.
- [CHUCKLES] What? You?
- [CHUCKLES]
Yes. Me.
I would not have had you pegged
for someone that would
jump off a bridge.
- Why? Mmm. I want clean.
- Sorry. It's something
I just wanna [INHALES
DEEPLY, IMITATES CRASH] plop.
- You know? [CHUCKLES]
- [LAUGHS] Belly flop. [CHUCKLES]
- [LAUGHING]
- [EMMA LAUGHING] Yeah.
[CLICKS TONGUE] Hey, you wanna
Hey, you wanna do a thing?
[APOLLO] I'm so glad we went out.
You know, it really feels
like we turned a corner.
You know?
[YAWNS] Handsome boy.
Hey, I gotta get you right now.
Here.
Boom!
Oh, my God. Like father, like
son, huh? [CHUCKLES] Handsome.
Hey, Shoji. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLING] Hey, man. Good to see ya.
- Hey. Say, "Hi."
Good morning.
- Hello.
- Hey.
Hey, Imogen.
- Hey, how's Emma?
- You see?
- How's the breastfeeding? Yeah?
- Oh, she's good. She's Tired. You know.
- We're trying, but we'll get there.
- [BABY CRYING]
We'll get there.
- Hey.
- [SHOJI'S PARENT] Hey, look at your buddy.
- Staring contest?
- Ready?
- Yeah. Go.
- Go.
[BOTH] Oh!
[APOLLO] Hey.
- Hey, look at this.
- It's your friend
- who won the staring contest.
- I know you. I know you.
[CHUCKLES] Say, "Hi."
- [SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
- Nothing?
- [SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
- [APOLLO CHUCKLES]
- [EMMA] Two months old today, bubba.
- [SIGHING, GRUNTS]
Two.
- Two, two, two months. [CHUCKLES] Wow.
- [EXHALING SHARPLY]
Hey. There's a new dad saying
when we start him on solids
- Mmm.
- that we should use avocado.
Because if we use the sweet
stuff like bananas, fruit ,
then all he's gonna want is sweet stuff.
Will you just please make sure
he doesn't get too cold today?
- You know?
- Yeah.
Oh, and coconut oil.
Or too warm.
It's supposed to be good for rashes.
He's just so little.
He needs me, Apollo.
I know. We know.
But we need your job
and health insurance.
[CLICKS TONGUE] Eight weeks
maternity leave is criminal.
It is.
Look at him.
- I know.
- [WHISPERS] He's just perfect.
[BREATHES SHAKILY] How will I breathe?
[BREATHING SHAKILY]
- Through your mouth, silly. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
[APOLLO] Let's I'm gonna
put you Sit you over here.
Give you some cushioning here.
All right, you'll be safe
and sound. Talk to you soon.
[SIGHS]
[CHUCKLES] Boom. All
right, let's do this.
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
Oh.
Hey, buddy. You good?
Okay.
[CAR HONKS]
[CARS HONKING]
[PEOPLE CHATTERING]
Hello?
I just had a baby, but cool.
- [COWORKER 1] This is the loaf.
- [COWORKER 2] Do we have everything?
- [ALL SPEAK INDISTINCTLY]
- [COWORKER 2] Thank you.
[COWORKER 1] Here,
the halves-and-halves.
- These look so good.
- Hi.
[ALL GASPING, CHEERING]
- Welcome back! [CHUCKLING]
- Welcome home, beautiful. Aw.
[ALL CHEERING, LAUGHING]
- We missed you.
- [COWORKER 1] Aw.
- Thank you. Fuck.
- [CLICKS TONGUE] Aw.
- I'm clearly batshit now. [CHUCKLES]
- [ALL LAUGHING]
- You will never stop crying now.
- No.
- [CRIES, SIGHS]
- Coffee and carrot cake.
[COWORKER 3] We saw all the
ones Apollo posted online,
but we want more.
- He sent me so many. You'll see.
- Let me see.
- Apollo took him to work today. So
- Aw.
- [ALL GASP] Oh, my God.
- Oh, no, stop it.
[APOLLO] Here we are.
[APOLLO] Okay.
[APOLLO] Let's go book-hunting.
I didn't have that much gear
when I was fighting in Fallujah.
Now I'm in my own little dirty war.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
Whoa. Look at this.
- Yeah.
- Nice.
Grandmother. Died four months ago.
Get this. I asked to use the bathroom,
and they said they didn't have one.
Four bedroom house, no bathroom.
- Imagine that.
- Yeah.
Well, you would think that'd
be something you figure out
- before you get the house, right?
- You'd think.
[APOLLO] Uh-huh.
- Well, looks like Grandma likes books.
- Still haven't checked the basement.
- Thought I'd, uh, leave something for you.
- Oh.
Uncle Patrice scared of a
little dingy old basement.
We'll split whatever you find 60-40.
Look me in my eye.
Tell us what happened in
Iskandariyah, Uncle Patrice.
Tell your dad I said, "Fuck you."
Oh. [CHUCKLES]
Can you say, "PTSD"?
Huh? [SINGSONGS] PTSD.
I'm starting to understand
why your pops abandoned you.
- Oh, come on. [LAUGHS] Low blow.
- Ah.
[BREATHES HEAVILY]
[WHISPERING]
- [EXHALES] Whoa!
- [BANGING]
[BREATHING HEAVILY] Sorry.
Oh, well.
All right, the mystery of boxes.
I've always loved it.
That's 'cause you never
know what's inside.
What's that?
Ah, you wanna hear a story
about a box? I got one for ya.
My father, your grandfather
[GRUNTS] his name was Brian West.
You're actually named after him.
When I turned 12, he left
a box at my door. [CHUCKLES]
And inside that box
were a pair of tickets
to he and Grandma's first date, movies,
a little children's book he read
to me, and a bunch of other stuff.
Yeah, I know. It was kind
of like a time capsule.
What's the name of the book?
Well, since you asked so nicely,
To The Waters And The Wild.
It's a good one.
[BOTH] "A baby is a dream made real.
But dreams are the
fairies' favorite meal.
There at the window,
they watch as it sleeps.
The child so beautiful,
the fairies weep."
Let's see what else we got
here. [SIGHS, BREATHES SHARPLY]
Oh, looks just like more
[CHILDREN CHATTERING]
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
[CHUCKLES] Hi.
- Hi.
- What you looking for?
The Imaginaries. [SMACKS LIPS] Yep.
[EMMA] What the fuck?
Where'd it go? [SIGHS]
[APOLLO] Oh!
- Oh. [CHUCKLES]
- Apollo? What?
- Oh! [CHUCKLES]
- What are you doing?
Give him to me. What Hi.
- Oh, my God. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
- What is it? What?
It looked like
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
Apollo, he's actually latching.
- What a day. What a day.
- [CHUCKLES, GASPS]
Big boy.
What?
- [STUTTERS] To Kill a Mockingbird.
- That's right.
A true first edition.
Original cover. It's in pristine
condition. Not a scratch.
Nice find.
Now, a book like that could get
us, hmm, $10,000 or something.
- Ten? [CHUCKLES] No. What?
- [CHUCKLES]
But Harper Lee does not sign books.
- Well, she signed this one. [CHUCKLES]
- [GASPS]
- Wait, who's Pip?
- Childhood best friend. Prolific writer.
A name that you've probably heard of.
Truman Capote?
- Boom! [CHUCKLES]
- What?
Yes. Yeah.
Oh, my God.
That's not even the best part.
Look at what she wrote to him.
[EMMA] "The daddy of our dreams."
- [STAMMERS, CHUCKLES]
- Yeah.
- We can get an apartment. A place to live.
- Yeah.
Let's get an appraisal
before we go into escrow.
But yes, baby.
You are the god, Apollo.
- [SIGHS, GRUNTS]
- [CHUCKLES] Look at him.
- One more time.
- [CHUCKLES]
- You are the god, Apollo.
- Mmm.
Mm-hmm.
[BRIAN CRYING]
[EMMA SIGHS] I know. [SHUSHING]
[BRIAN CONTINUES CRYING]
What's going on? [SHUSHES, SIGHS]
Hey, what's wrong? Hmm?
[SIGHS]
What's going on? Huh?
[APOLLO HUMMING]
[APOLLO] Oh. There he is.
I am so glad you brought the kid.
[CHUCKLES]
You look like Master Blaster.
Oh. Who runs Bartertown?
Master Blaster runs Bartertown.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
Although I feel like Brian
and I are more similar to, um,
Kuato and his brother.
You really gonna compare your
baby to motherfucking Kuato?
The martians love Kuato, excuse me.
He's like their George Washington.
Or Martin Luther King.
Oprah. [BREATHES SHARPLY]
You're a weird dude, my man.
- Yeah. I know.
- [BRIAN COOING]
[SNIFFS, GROANS] Stinky butt.
[SIGHS]
[GROANING]
Here we go.
Don't get used to this.
I'm not doing it forever.
Problem?
[SIGHS] Apparently people
have never seen a baby
get their diaper changed before.
[GRUNTS] There you go, big boy. Okay.
Did I tell you how happy
I was you brought the kid?
You know, you and Dana
should really think
about having a kid, just saying.
Yeah, you might be right about that one.
I mean, how else will I know
the joy of walking around
with a handful of warm human shit?
- [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES, CLICKS TONGUE]
He's too young for that carrier.
Huh?
[CHUCKLES] His legs
splayed out like that
could cause hip dysplasia. Yeah.
Oh, okay. How old are yours?
Hmm?
- Your kids?
- Oh, I don't have kids. [CHUCKLES]
- Oh. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLING]
- Call me when you do. [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
[CHUCKLING] "Fuckoffy."
- What?
- [CHUCKLES]
Call him "fuckoffy."
Well, it's just like regular coffee,
only instead of sitting
around, chatting,
discussing brat-rearing,
you simply have a hot
cup of "shut the fuck up."
[APOLLO] Sounds good. I'm down.
I could come around at 6:00 Oh. 9:00?
I I meant it. [STAMMERS]
Yeah. I don't know.
- Not thirsty, apparently. Hmm.
- I guess not.
- Was it the way you said it?
- It might be.
- [CHUCKLES] Thank you.
- [CHUCKLES]
Yeah, you're welcome.
Find anything good in that basement?
[SIGHS] No, it was just a bust.
I was looking for somewhere to thro
You know what? Here. Just hold
that for me. Yeah. [GRUNTS]
[APOLLO] "Fuckoffy".
- Guess I'll just put it with Grisham.
- [APOLLO] Who wants some fuckoffy?
[SIGHS]
[INHALES SHARPLY]
I've forgotten something.
[INHALES DEEPLY] I'm forgetting stuff.
Mm-hmm. It's mommy brain.
You will forget 20 things a day,
remember five, then forget them again.
Uh-huh.
- I forgot my son once.
- [CHUCKLES]
In his car seat, on the roof of the car.
Went into the house, only
remembered at dinner time.
- [CHUCKLES] What?
- [CHUCKLES]
Yes, he was fine. He
slept right through it.
- Oh, good. [CHUCKLES]
- Yeah.
You're okay. Carry on, my love.
- Thank you.
- Okay.
[GRUNTS]
[CHIMES]
[PANTS]
What the fuck?
[BREATHES SHAKILY]
[PEDESTRIAN] Excuse me.
[BANGING]
Emma?
Man, it's dark. Emma!
[BANGING]
[SHUSHES] It's okay.
- Emma.
- [GASPS]
[SIGHS] It's you. [BREATHES DEEPLY]
What are you doing?
I found this group for moms online.
The Wise Moms. [CHUCKLES]
Uh, they said this was the
best way to black out the room.
Okay. I I thought we
weren't sleep training yet.
Why did you lie Brian down
- on that driveway?
- What?
In the driveway, you laid him down.
Oh [STAMMERS] um, I
was trying to do something,
and he was strapped to
me. So I put him down,
just only for a few seconds.
But But wait, how did
you even know about that?
Uh You sent me a
picture and then deleted it.
No, I didn't.
[CHUCKLES] What do you mean?
You keep sending me
pictures then deleting them.
What are you
Babe, I don't even think that
that's possible on the phone.
- [STAMMERS] Are you okay?
- [SCOFFS]
Babe.
Hey, hey, you never said hello to Brian.
Here.
[SIGHS]
- Yeah, big boy.
- Okay, but it's gone.
- Can you look? It's gone. It's not here.
- What
[SIGHS] I don't know, baby.
Well, maybe your phone's broken.
We can get that fixed. It's easy.
[BRIAN COOING]
- Ow! [GROANS, BREATHES HEAVILY]
- What?
- What?
- Ow. [BREATHING HEAVILY]
[SHAKILY] He bit me.
No, he doesn't even have teeth.
- You okay though?
- [SIGHS]
How would I know that you laid him
on a driveway if you didn't send it?
Who took it? Who took the photo?
'Cause it was it was of the
two of you from across the street.
Baby, I don't know.
Hi. Hey, bub. You're okay though. Hmm?
[APOLLO SIGHS]
It's just weird.
Mmm. So weird.
Maybe I'm
I'm so tired. Maybe I imagined it.
The other day, I got in the
shower with all my clothes on.
Mmm.
- Socks, shirt, beanie.
- [CHUCKLES]
We're tired. [SWALLOWS]
[STAMMERS]
Mmm. Thank you.
Yeah.
[SIGHS]
[SHUSHES, SIGHS] He's sleeping.
[SHUSHES]
[APOLLO] Think we should move him?
[EMMA] No, he'll be okay in here.
[GROANS]
[APOLLO GROANS] Make
way for the sandman.
- [CHUCKLES, GROANS]
- [GROWLING, SIGHS]
[BOTH SIGH]
This is the furthest we've
slept from him since he was born.
[BREATHES DEEPLY] Mmm. Mm-hmm.
[EMMA] Mmm.
- [BREATHES DEEPLY, SIGHS]
- [SIGHING]
[IN PORTUGUESE] Be careful
what you wish for Emma.
[ECHOING LAUGH]
[BRIAN CRYING]
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
- [BRIAN COOING]
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[SHUSHES]
Apollo!
Apollo. Apollo, look.
Look. [BREATHES SHARPLY]
- Okay, baby, I see it. It's
- Yeah?
It's 4 a.m. He needs
to eat? [GROANS, SIGHS]
No. No, Apollo, just look. It's
there. Look at it. [BREATHING HEAVILY]
- There's nothing on there, baby.
- Yes, there is.
There's a photo that I just saw.
- Here, I'll take him.
- What? There wa There was a photo.
[GRUNTS] There you go.
It's just your diaper.
You're fine. [INHALES DEEPLY]
What the fuck?
- It's okay. It's okay, big boy.
- [BRIAN CRYING]
- Where is it? [BREATHING HEAVILY]
- You're okay.
- [CRYING CONTINUES]
- It's okay.
[BRIAN CRYING]
[SIGHS]
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
[LAVALLE] After six months
of inability to sleep
comes mania, delusion,
rapid weight loss.
Sleep, child.
Oh, if only would and could
close those teary wearies.
[MEDICAL RECEPTIONIST,
DISTORTED] Brian Kagwa?
Brian Kagwa?
[CHILD] My giraffe!
He's enchanting. [CHUCKLES]
How's he sleeping?
- [BRIAN SCREAMS]
- [GASPS]
- Doesn't.
- [DOCTOR] Hmm.
How's he feeding?
Well, the the baby wouldn't
latch in the beginning.
[DOCTOR] Mm-hmm.
Um [STAMMERS] then
he just totally changed.
[DOCTOR] Hmm?
Now he's ravenous.
Oh, that's great.
He bit me.
Okay, I don't think Let me see.
Nope. No teeth.
So, Emma, what are your concerns?
[CLICKS TONGUE] Um, well,
there's a few of them.
Um [STAMMERS]
can't quite explain.
[SNIFFS] But mostly I I just
wanna make sure that he's normal.
Oh, yes. He's perfectly normal.
Emma, how's your mood been?
I [STAMMERS] I don't know. Fine.
- Don't you dare.
- [BRIAN CRYING]
[BRIAN SCREAMING]
[SCOFFS] You little fucker. You
little fucking fucker. [PANTS]
Have you had any thoughts
about hurting yourself?
- [STAMMERS]
- Or the baby?
[CHUCKLES]
What are we gonna do, baby? Hmm? Hmm?
What are we gonna do? Because
we can't go on like this.
Okay? Huh?
We both know something's not right,
don't we? So what's it gonna be?
What is your suggestion?
Because one of us is
gonna have to change it up.
One of us is going
to have to give it up.
So tell me right now,
what is it gonna be?
Fuck off.
Oh, fuck. You're the
real devil, aren't you?
That's what I fucking
thought. Get out of my way.
- [CAR HORN HONKS]
- [PERSON] It's not a baby!
[SCREAMS]
- [PERSON] It's not a baby!
- Look, we're all screaming now.
- Are you fucking happy?
- It's not a baby!
[BRIAN CRYING]
[APOLLO] Emma. Where'd you go?
[EMMA] I took the baby for a walk.
- Thought it might calm him down.
- Okay, okay, okay, okay.
- It didn't. Three, two, one.
- I got you. It's okay.
[SIGHS] Motherfucker.
- Emma! Don't Goddamn it.
- He's an asshole!
- [SIGHS] She doesn't mean that, okay?
- Oh, yes I do.
- He's the devil!
- She doesn't mean it. She Okay?
[CELL PHONE BUZZES]
Hello.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
[LAUGHING]
[LAUGHING CONTINUES]
[APOLLO] What's funny, Emma?
Nothing.
[APOLLO] Okay.
Um, that was Dr. Calero.
She said that you brought
Brian to see her earlier.
Well, she's worried about you.
And Brian.
That's sweet.
Yeah, and I'm worried too.
Okay? [STAMMERS] I think
you should see a doctor.
[SMACKS LIPS] Yeah.
I know that's what you think.
I know n no one's gonna believe me.
I know that now. Um
So
I'll go.
Okay.
Do you think we can afford it if, um
- Yeah, it's okay.
- if they're gonna prescribe me something?
We'll figure it out. All
right? We'll figure it all out.
[SNIFFLES, SIGHS]
Thank you.
I do love you, Apollo. And the baby.
Yeah, and Brian.
Yeah.
I, um [CRIES]
I just need to find
my way back to myself.
- That's all. Then I'll be okay.
- I know. I know. I know.
- Then we'll be okay. [CRYING]
- Hey.
I'm gonna support you
always. Look at me. Always.
[BREATHES HEAVILY, SOBBING]
[APOLLO SIGHS]
[EMMA] Cal sent me.
I hope these are useful.
- [GASPS]
- [CHAINS RATTLE]
- [LOCKS CLICKING]
- [EMMA PANTS]
What the hell is in there? Emma?
- [BOTH GRUNTING, BREATHING HEAVILY]
- [CHAINS RATTLING]
Chains. Chains?
Emma. Emma.
April 14th, 1990.
[EMMA GRUNTS]
You don't remember that day?
I remember what you've told me.
Which is?
I don't wanna play this game.
What?
You and me came back from school,
and the trucks were already there.
The house was on fire.
Mom and Dad were stuck inside, and
the firemen took us to the hospital.
Still don't get why they
took us to the hospital.
That's what I told you, yes.
But now I'm gonna tell
you what really happened.
[KIM] Mom told us we could
skip school and stay home.
We ate Cap'n Crunch and watched TV.
Watched TV and ate Cap'n Crunch.
Then Daddy got home.
[SIGHS] Why aren't the kids at school?
I want them close.
[PARENT 2] I just got off the
night shift. I need some sleep.
I don't want them here making noise.
I need them close!
You're crazy.
Baby, let me do your hair.
That was my hair.
I had a rooster ♪
No.
I had a rooster ♪
That rooster pleased me ♪
Ow.
Stop complaining.
I don't remember that.
[SIGHS]
I knew the day was all wrong.
Hey, hey. Wake up, wake
up. House is on fire.
We gotta go. Come on! We gotta go.
Come on. Let's go, let's go, let's go.
We were in the house?
Did Dad try to carry Mom too?
Mom set the goddamn fire.
Come on, come on, come on.
Let's go. Let's go. Let's go.
- No!
- Whoa. whoa. Let her go!
I can't leave you orphans.
We should all go together.
And you look at Mom,
and you say three words.
Let me go.
[CRYING] Please.
[CRIES]
[CRIES]
But he dies in the fire. Right?
They took us to the hospital to
treat us for smoke inhalation.
We were there five days and then
foster care till I turned 18.
[EMMA] Why wouldn't you
tell me any of this before?
Why did you change your mind?
Because you've got the
same look on your face
that Mom had that morning.
Sometimes I look at Brian
and I don't think he's my son.
Maybe it's his eyes.
Or [SNIFFLES] I don't know.
Because he looks like Brian,
but it's like he's someone else's son.
Emma, you're exhausted.
You had to go back to work way too soon.
And when you were just a baby,
your mother and father
were taken from you.
It doesn't surprise me at
all that you might be worried
that you're gonna lose the person
you love most in the whole world.
[SNIFFLES]
[LAVALLE] By end of month six,
hallucinations and panic
attacks become more pronounced.
The person becomes unresponsive or mute.
This is the final progression.
[WHISPERS] Oh, there you go, big boy.
Come on. Mmm. Yummy, yummy, yummy.
Morning.
Morning, Mommy.
[BRIAN] Dada.
What? Oh, my God. Okay.
Wait, say that again. Do it again.
Do it again. Do it. Say it again.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Okay, okay, okay, okay. Come on.
Dada.
[LAUGHING]
Yes. Okay. Oh, you're
gonna be Internet famous.
Oh, my God. That is amazing.
So, the, uh, appraisal,
um, guy I was talk
I wanna get the baby baptized.
Brian. She's talking about you, Brian.
Ooh, that's a big boy. [LAUGHS]
Your mother has been asking
ever since he was born.
I thought we should finally do it.
[APOLLO] Good job.
His appetite is getting amazing.
He's eating more than me now.
I made an appointment at
the church around the corner.
Holyrood. Father Hagen. Seems nice.
When?
Today, in an hour.
Wow.
Okay. Glad you decided
to include me in that.
You don't have to be there.
I can take him on my own.
What are you talking about?
You're not going anywhere
with my son without me.
[SIGHS] Emma, why is
your phone in the garbage?
- I got another text last night.
- Okay.
- A photo of you and the baby
- Sure.
in the Zipcar.
He was in the car seat.
Photo was taken through the window,
like someone crept right up
next to the baby. I don't
- Brian!
- [GASPS]
- His name's Brian.
- [BRIAN CRYING]
[SIGHS] I'm sorry, baby. I know. I know.
That was loud. That was loud.
"Got him."
What?
That's what the text said.
Right under his picture,
in caps. "Got him."
Show me. Show me a photo.
Show me where it says that.
- They're gone. You already know that.
- Show me at least one text that says
- They're gone.
- Because it never happened.
Let's just go. Let's get ready.
We're not going to
church with you, Emma.
You probably want to get him an
exorcism rather than a baptism.
The message board said we can try
therapy or church, and we can
Well, I'm delighted you think
a bunch of old women can tell us
how to live our lives and raise our kid.
But you know what the problem is, Emma?
You know what it really is? It's you.
You're the fucking problem, all right?
Why don't you go take
another pill or something?
Where you going?
You don't see.
But you will.
Hey. No matter what happens,
you're coming with me.
[LAVALLE] "Who has disturbed
me?" says the house god.
It is the baby who has disturbed
you. The baby has scared you.
Making noises like a drunkard
who cannot sit still on his stool.
He has disturbed your sleep.
"Call the baby now," says the house god.
God, forgive me.
[BRIAN CRYING]