The Edge of Sleep (2024) s01e04 Episode Script
The Dream People
1
When I look up
from my pillow ♪
I dream you are there ♪
With me ♪
Though you are far away ♪
I know you'll always
be near to me ♪
I go to sleep ♪
Sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
I go to sleep, sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
I look around me ♪
And feel you are
ever so close ♪
To me ♪
Though tears that flow ♪
From my eyes ♪
Bring back memories of you ♪
To me ♪
I go to sleep ♪
Sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
I go to sleep, sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
With me ♪
What the hell is that thing?
Nurse lady.
Linda!
It looks like a burn
in the frontal lobe.
I don't know, I've never
seen anything like it.
Okay.
Hey! Dave?
Yeah, this?
Too much.
It's gotta be
government, right?
I mean, who else could burn
a goddamn triangle
into your brain?
It's not the government.
When I worked at Cynagen,
we got dozens
of government contracts.
We tinkered with pathogens,
neurotoxins--
all kinds of bad shit.
It's something that kills you
when you fall asleep.
No one's ever heard of that.
You know, you keep talking
about your fancy-ass pharma job,
but what the hell you doing
working in a shithole
like this, huh?
When I worked there,
I saw things
bad things.
And I tried to blow the whistle.
Their lawyers came down
hard on me.
Lost my license.
And here I am.
Okay.
Okay, but this is still
your area of expertise, right?
You can
You can figure this shit out.
Linda, we
we wanna be helpful.
Whatever you need.
What I need?
What I need is a team
of the hundred best virologists
working around the clock
for 18 months straight.
Could you get me that?
Because that's the only way
we have a chance
at beating this thing, okay?
I'm sorry.
I just
I just need a minute to think.
Where is
that damn daughter of mine?
Would it kill her
to send me a text?
The stress is gonna kill me
before the cancer does.
I'm sorry.
Why don't you take a nap?
You can put your feet up
on my bed.
I'm okay.
Thank you.
What's the matter, kiddo?
Hmm?
I know there's something
you're not telling me.
I can see it on your face.
What's wrong?
What do you want?
Dave?
Dave, what's going on?
I'm okay.
Just, you know,
processing some things.
Can I help?
Katie, I'm scared.
I don't know what the hell
we saw down there.
It's okay, you can
You can talk to me.
Katie, have you ever considered
that there might be
some things about me
that you wouldn't want to know?
Dave
you are a good person.
You are good.
And that's
that's not gonna change,
no matter what you tell me,
no matter what you say.
Now, Dave
when you go to sleep,
I want you to speak
to The Dream People.
They won't hurt you.
I promise.
We'll be watching you sleeping.
We'll be right there
with you, sweetheart.
Now, when you find them,
I want you to look
right at them,
and ask, "What do you want?"
Can you do that?
"What do you want?"
- Louder.
-"What do you want?"
Ooh, that's very good.
And, Davey, we think it's okay
if you don't wanna do this.
It's completely up to you.
Will it make
the bad things go away?
We don't know, honey.
We hope so.
It's going to make
the bad things go away.
I promise, it will.
And after
the bad things go away,
we're gonna find
the exact same pajamas for me,
but in size medium, ladies.
A lady?
Yes.
Ah!
You see, Dave's entering
REM sleep now.
This is where dreaming begins.
Dave, this is Dr. Castaneda.
I want you to follow
the sound of my voice.
I want you to follow
the sound of my voice.
Dave,
you are in a safe place.
You are in your bedroom.
Nothing can harm you here.
I've reassured him.
Now I'll give him
an instruction.
Dave, I want you
to leave your bedroom.
I want you
to walk through the door
and look for The Dream People.
Look--
Look for The Dream People
people people.
Look--
Look for The Dream People
You're in a safe place.
Look for The Dream People.
What do you want?
- What is that?
Oh, that's-- that's nothing,
it just, um
You should wake him up now.
It's really nothing
to be worried about.
Wake him up!
No. This is not the time
to panic.
Help!
Wake him up!
Get Get out of my way!
Wake up, Dave.
Wake up!
Wake up, Dave!
Wake up, Dave! Dave!
Listen to my voice.
I want you to wake up.
What
have you
done?
I was at my best
a few years ago.
When I met you.
Katie, when we were together
the nightmares
stopped being a flood
they just trickled in.
But then, a few months ago,
they started coming back
The Elephant Monster,
The Dream People.
Every night,
I've dreamed of death.
I'm so sorry that you thought
you had to go
through that alone.
You had your own demons.
You didn't sign up for mine.
Yes, actually, I did.
All you had to do was ask
and I would've been there.
You have got to face
this darkness.
I should know.
It will eat you from the inside.
Ma'am.
I just need you
to shoot straight with me.
What's with the skeleton crew?
Why is everyone so upset?
And why won't you
call my family?
Linda!
- Hey!
Oh, this ain't good.
Uh, hey.
We got a situation in here.
They just through here.
- Linda!
What are you doing?
I don't expect you
to understand,
but we've come to a decision.
What are you talking about?
She's dying.
The lymphoma
is causing her pain.
This way, we might actually
learn something.
I don't--
I don't understand.
If we scan her brain,
the imaging
might help us understand
what's causing all of this.
But
we have to run the MRI
as she's falling asleep.
It's the only way
to get results.
She's gonna kill her.
We're gonna monitor her
as she goes to sleep.
Open the door!
She volunteered.
What?
I told her the truth.
That everyone she loves
is probably dead.
Her kids. Her family.
Her friends.
And that if she does this,
she might save us.
Save you.
Hey, look,
I don't like it either, but
Linda!
If you do this,
you are a murderer.
Do you understand?
Katie!
It's okay, sweetie.
Ruth.
Linda, open the door!
I'm sorry.
Linda! Open the door!
Easy, easy, easy.
You ready?
Kind of a stupid question.
Is it done?
It's done.
I found something.
What?
There was a spike
in her Alpha and Beta waves
right before her heart stopped.
That's when she died.
What does that
even mean?
It means she died in a dream.
I don't understand.
I don't know what else to say.
She died during a dream.
Maybe the dream killed her.
I don't
I don't understand.
I don't know
what you want me to say.
She died during a dream.
That's impossible.
I mean, what kind of dream
what kind of dream
can you die in?
I don't know,
but it must've been
a pretty bad one.
You know what?
I'm getting real sick
of your shit!
I need answers,
and I need 'em now!
I don't have any answers.
Three tours, man!
I survived three tours--
three tours--
and you're telling me
this is how I'm going out?
I just wish we had more time.
I'm gonna go to sleep.
Yeah, no shit.
We all gonna go to sleep, man.
No. Now, Ruth
how long did it take
for her to die
after she went to sleep?
Um
about three minutes.
Three minutes?
Okay.
Let me sleep
for two and a half minutes,
and then wake me up.
Dave, what are you saying?
Well, she died in a dream.
She died in a dream, right?
So, let me fall asleep
and start to dream.
And then, when I wake up,
maybe we'll learn something.
Learn what?
We'll learn why I did this.
What the hell is that?
Scarring looks
a couple weeks old.
What the fuck is that, man!
Why does it look like the scar
in that person's brain?
You got something
to do with this, man?
Maybe I do!
I swear
Maybe I do, okay?
I don't know.
But let's find out.
- I swear
- Let's find out.
Let's find out.
- Let's find out.
- No.
No.
No, mm-mm.
We're out of options.
We don't know anything.
Just let me go to sleep
for two minutes--
just two--
and then wake me up.
You can do that.
That might be hard.
Your body's so sleep-deprived,
once you go to sleep,
you might not wake up.
Wait a sec.
We're not actually
entertaining this idea?
If he wants
to go through with it,
I'm gonna help him.
We're all gonna die anyway.
Maybe we'll learn something.
Dave
we're all really tired.
If we just think this through.
I have.
I mean, you know my nightmares.
And it's like
you've been saying,
I can't keep running
from the things that haunt me.
I can't.
I'm just tired of running.
I can handle a bad dream.
I've been doing it
my whole life.
I'm gonna start the timer
as soon as you're out.
What the hell is that?
This is Plan B,
in case you don't wake up.
Okay, I'm ready to go.
I'm waking you up
in two minutes.
Two minutes.
If you don't wake up,
I swear to God,
I will go into that head
and kill you myself.
Okay.
I will.
I know.
This is the easy part
falling asleep.
Yeah, easy.
When I look up
from my pillow ♪
I dream you are there ♪
With me ♪
Though you are far away ♪
I know you'll always
be near to me ♪
I go to sleep ♪
Sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
I go to sleep, sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
I look around me ♪
And feel you are
ever so close ♪
To me ♪
Though tears that flow ♪
From my eyes ♪
Bring back memories of you ♪
To me ♪
I go to sleep ♪
Sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
I go to sleep, sleep ♪
And imagine
that you're there ♪
With me ♪
With me ♪
What the hell is that thing?
Nurse lady.
Linda!
It looks like a burn
in the frontal lobe.
I don't know, I've never
seen anything like it.
Okay.
Hey! Dave?
Yeah, this?
Too much.
It's gotta be
government, right?
I mean, who else could burn
a goddamn triangle
into your brain?
It's not the government.
When I worked at Cynagen,
we got dozens
of government contracts.
We tinkered with pathogens,
neurotoxins--
all kinds of bad shit.
It's something that kills you
when you fall asleep.
No one's ever heard of that.
You know, you keep talking
about your fancy-ass pharma job,
but what the hell you doing
working in a shithole
like this, huh?
When I worked there,
I saw things
bad things.
And I tried to blow the whistle.
Their lawyers came down
hard on me.
Lost my license.
And here I am.
Okay.
Okay, but this is still
your area of expertise, right?
You can
You can figure this shit out.
Linda, we
we wanna be helpful.
Whatever you need.
What I need?
What I need is a team
of the hundred best virologists
working around the clock
for 18 months straight.
Could you get me that?
Because that's the only way
we have a chance
at beating this thing, okay?
I'm sorry.
I just
I just need a minute to think.
Where is
that damn daughter of mine?
Would it kill her
to send me a text?
The stress is gonna kill me
before the cancer does.
I'm sorry.
Why don't you take a nap?
You can put your feet up
on my bed.
I'm okay.
Thank you.
What's the matter, kiddo?
Hmm?
I know there's something
you're not telling me.
I can see it on your face.
What's wrong?
What do you want?
Dave?
Dave, what's going on?
I'm okay.
Just, you know,
processing some things.
Can I help?
Katie, I'm scared.
I don't know what the hell
we saw down there.
It's okay, you can
You can talk to me.
Katie, have you ever considered
that there might be
some things about me
that you wouldn't want to know?
Dave
you are a good person.
You are good.
And that's
that's not gonna change,
no matter what you tell me,
no matter what you say.
Now, Dave
when you go to sleep,
I want you to speak
to The Dream People.
They won't hurt you.
I promise.
We'll be watching you sleeping.
We'll be right there
with you, sweetheart.
Now, when you find them,
I want you to look
right at them,
and ask, "What do you want?"
Can you do that?
"What do you want?"
- Louder.
-"What do you want?"
Ooh, that's very good.
And, Davey, we think it's okay
if you don't wanna do this.
It's completely up to you.
Will it make
the bad things go away?
We don't know, honey.
We hope so.
It's going to make
the bad things go away.
I promise, it will.
And after
the bad things go away,
we're gonna find
the exact same pajamas for me,
but in size medium, ladies.
A lady?
Yes.
Ah!
You see, Dave's entering
REM sleep now.
This is where dreaming begins.
Dave, this is Dr. Castaneda.
I want you to follow
the sound of my voice.
I want you to follow
the sound of my voice.
Dave,
you are in a safe place.
You are in your bedroom.
Nothing can harm you here.
I've reassured him.
Now I'll give him
an instruction.
Dave, I want you
to leave your bedroom.
I want you
to walk through the door
and look for The Dream People.
Look--
Look for The Dream People
people people.
Look--
Look for The Dream People
You're in a safe place.
Look for The Dream People.
What do you want?
- What is that?
Oh, that's-- that's nothing,
it just, um
You should wake him up now.
It's really nothing
to be worried about.
Wake him up!
No. This is not the time
to panic.
Help!
Wake him up!
Get Get out of my way!
Wake up, Dave.
Wake up!
Wake up, Dave!
Wake up, Dave! Dave!
Listen to my voice.
I want you to wake up.
What
have you
done?
I was at my best
a few years ago.
When I met you.
Katie, when we were together
the nightmares
stopped being a flood
they just trickled in.
But then, a few months ago,
they started coming back
The Elephant Monster,
The Dream People.
Every night,
I've dreamed of death.
I'm so sorry that you thought
you had to go
through that alone.
You had your own demons.
You didn't sign up for mine.
Yes, actually, I did.
All you had to do was ask
and I would've been there.
You have got to face
this darkness.
I should know.
It will eat you from the inside.
Ma'am.
I just need you
to shoot straight with me.
What's with the skeleton crew?
Why is everyone so upset?
And why won't you
call my family?
Linda!
- Hey!
Oh, this ain't good.
Uh, hey.
We got a situation in here.
They just through here.
- Linda!
What are you doing?
I don't expect you
to understand,
but we've come to a decision.
What are you talking about?
She's dying.
The lymphoma
is causing her pain.
This way, we might actually
learn something.
I don't--
I don't understand.
If we scan her brain,
the imaging
might help us understand
what's causing all of this.
But
we have to run the MRI
as she's falling asleep.
It's the only way
to get results.
She's gonna kill her.
We're gonna monitor her
as she goes to sleep.
Open the door!
She volunteered.
What?
I told her the truth.
That everyone she loves
is probably dead.
Her kids. Her family.
Her friends.
And that if she does this,
she might save us.
Save you.
Hey, look,
I don't like it either, but
Linda!
If you do this,
you are a murderer.
Do you understand?
Katie!
It's okay, sweetie.
Ruth.
Linda, open the door!
I'm sorry.
Linda! Open the door!
Easy, easy, easy.
You ready?
Kind of a stupid question.
Is it done?
It's done.
I found something.
What?
There was a spike
in her Alpha and Beta waves
right before her heart stopped.
That's when she died.
What does that
even mean?
It means she died in a dream.
I don't understand.
I don't know what else to say.
She died during a dream.
Maybe the dream killed her.
I don't
I don't understand.
I don't know
what you want me to say.
She died during a dream.
That's impossible.
I mean, what kind of dream
what kind of dream
can you die in?
I don't know,
but it must've been
a pretty bad one.
You know what?
I'm getting real sick
of your shit!
I need answers,
and I need 'em now!
I don't have any answers.
Three tours, man!
I survived three tours--
three tours--
and you're telling me
this is how I'm going out?
I just wish we had more time.
I'm gonna go to sleep.
Yeah, no shit.
We all gonna go to sleep, man.
No. Now, Ruth
how long did it take
for her to die
after she went to sleep?
Um
about three minutes.
Three minutes?
Okay.
Let me sleep
for two and a half minutes,
and then wake me up.
Dave, what are you saying?
Well, she died in a dream.
She died in a dream, right?
So, let me fall asleep
and start to dream.
And then, when I wake up,
maybe we'll learn something.
Learn what?
We'll learn why I did this.
What the hell is that?
Scarring looks
a couple weeks old.
What the fuck is that, man!
Why does it look like the scar
in that person's brain?
You got something
to do with this, man?
Maybe I do!
I swear
Maybe I do, okay?
I don't know.
But let's find out.
- I swear
- Let's find out.
Let's find out.
- Let's find out.
- No.
No.
No, mm-mm.
We're out of options.
We don't know anything.
Just let me go to sleep
for two minutes--
just two--
and then wake me up.
You can do that.
That might be hard.
Your body's so sleep-deprived,
once you go to sleep,
you might not wake up.
Wait a sec.
We're not actually
entertaining this idea?
If he wants
to go through with it,
I'm gonna help him.
We're all gonna die anyway.
Maybe we'll learn something.
Dave
we're all really tired.
If we just think this through.
I have.
I mean, you know my nightmares.
And it's like
you've been saying,
I can't keep running
from the things that haunt me.
I can't.
I'm just tired of running.
I can handle a bad dream.
I've been doing it
my whole life.
I'm gonna start the timer
as soon as you're out.
What the hell is that?
This is Plan B,
in case you don't wake up.
Okay, I'm ready to go.
I'm waking you up
in two minutes.
Two minutes.
If you don't wake up,
I swear to God,
I will go into that head
and kill you myself.
Okay.
I will.
I know.
This is the easy part
falling asleep.
Yeah, easy.