Afterlife (2005) s01e03 Episode Script

WOMAN: Daniel, remember.
Be hospitable.
Daniel? And offer her a drink, remember? We're only watching a DVD.
It's no big deal.
(DOORBELL RINGING) Go, quickly.
And don't talk to her, all right? Just go.
WOMAN: Have a good time.
(DOOR CLOSING) Where did that come from? That lipstick tastes of bananas.
I like bananas.
Sorry.
Don't be.
Slow down.
There's no hurry, is there? No.
I know.
-I thought you wanted.
-Just relax.
Sorry, I have to go for a wee now.
Glasses.
It's no good, you'll have to turn around.
I can't see a thing without them.
Okay.
(TRIP HOP PLAYING ON STEREO) -DANIEL: Shut up! -Daniel? DANIEL: I'm not listening.
I'm not listening! -Daniel? -DANIEL: Don't come in.
Don't come in! DANIEL: Shut up! You're lying.
Shut up! You're lying.
Daniel? Hello? (GIRL SOBBING) Oh, my God! What's happened? Frankie! What's happened? Daniel! Daniel, get down here now! -Oh, bugger, you're on time.
-Yeah.
Terrible habit, I know.
Okay.
Robert, I can't do it.
-Remember why we're doing this.
-Yeah.
Your book.
It's not just for the book, it's meant to be helpful for you.
You've got a thing about these kind of places.
-Do you blame me? -No, but it's unhealthy to keep it bottled up.
Maybe this'll help to get it out of your system.
ROBERT: You were a nurse up in Manchester, weren't you? I wouldn't have thought a hospital would hold that many terrors for you.
ALISON: Yes, but I was an A&E and geriatric, not psych.
I was helping people, not locking them up.
MAN: They should know who I am.
They should know who I am.
Me, they should know who I am.
-Are you okay? -What do you think? ROBERT: Talk about it.
Describe it.
The smell of disinfectant to disguise other smells, squeaky shoes on squeaky floors needles.
-Is she a doctor or a patient? -Ajunior doctor.
Hi, Julie.
ROBERT: What was the reason for you being sectioned? Wasn't it something to do with some kind of accident? -I don't feel too good.
Can I sit down? -Of course, I'll get a glass of water.
You'll have nothing but stumps if you carry on doing that.
It's not nice when they think you're bonkers when you're not, is it? No.
There's this guy on my back.
He's real, but they don't believe me.
They're trying to make him go away, but they can't.
They never will.
-Who's that young man over there? -Daniel.
He's quite floridly disturbed.
Hallucinations, visual and auditory.
Persecutory voices.
He's a very interesting case.
Maybe even your territory.
Why does he do bad things all the time and I get the blame? -Who? -Daniel.
Not me Daniel.
Daniel Two.
-He's this.
-Look, I think he's getting agitated.
-He comes to me and he.
-I think that's enough for today.
No, I want her to stay.
Let her stay.
Don't go! Don't go, please? Please don't go! Don't! They won't listen to me.
Will you come back and see? Come.
Daniel, I'll come back.
I'll come and visit you, I promise, okay? Okay.
Shut up! Some of us are trying to get some sleep in here, you know! (DANIEL SCREAMING) Almost from the time he could talk, it was Daniel Two this, Daniel Two that.
His invisible friend, growing up alongside him.
The school psychologist did all these tests.
Said it was a phase he'd grow out of.
He didn't.
I used to have to buy two bags of sweeties.
Two lots of pocket money.
He'd say Daniel Two would get angry if you didn't.
And Daniel Two would hurt him.
MOTHER: Psychotherapists, psychoanalysts.
FATHER: He'd fluctuate.
Sometimes he would be fine for days, weeks.
And other times it was unbearable.
You know, when you wake in the middle of the night, terrified, but it goes away.
They say schizophrenia is like that, but it doesn't go away, it stays like that, day in, day out.
It's like living in your worst nightmare.
FATHER: When he's screaming, sometimes I pray to God that I never see what he sees.
Did you ever confront him with evidence that he harmed himself? He'd always blame Daniel Two.
And if you disagreed with him, he'd get violent, so, you didn't confront him on it at all.
You accepted it.
At school he'd make friends, of course, but when they knew they'drun a mile.
Frankie didn't.
She stood by him.
Thanks very much, but I'm not hungry.
It's not for you.
He doesn't eat, but he doesn't like to be ignored.
Gay! Gay! Can you see him? Can you see him, right now? No, I can't.
Good, because if you'd said yes, you'd be lying.
Because he isn't here now.
He won't come out while you're here.
The meds make me eat a lot.
Dr Sharma says it'll stop the voices.
I said, ''I haven't got two voices.
I've got him.
'' Is, erm.
Is Daniel his real name or is it a name that you've given him? I don't know.
-Is he someone who's died? -I don't know! I don't know! I don't know anything! -If I did I'd tell you, wouldn't I? -Do you know this woman? Yes, yes.
She's a colleague of mine.
She's just about to leave.
Look, I know people are telling you that Daniel is schizophrenic, -but that is not necessarily the case.
-Alison.
Please, will you listen to me? There are certain people who can see, talk to spirits of the dead.
-They're not imagining it.
-FATHER: Who is this woman? Who are you? I'm someone who's trying to help your son.
-My son is ill.
-I'm very sorry if we've offended you both.
I think we'd better go.
-ROBERT: That went well.
-It did actually until you lot came in.
Why didn't you tell me you were coming down here.
Alison, the boy is mentally ill.
The scratch? How can he do the scratches when he's gnawed his fingernails -nearly down to the bone? -It's psychosomatic.
Dermographia.
It happens in highly stressed individuals.
Dr Sharma's doing everything she can.
Alison, psychiatrists can be right.
I'm sorry.
Oh.
Are you okay? Yeah! It's just a cramp.
It's okay.
I'm all right.
I'm okay.
Well, have you eaten? My place is 1 0 minutes away.
What, so that you can observe me some more? No, so I can make you a sandwich.
Bollocks to a sandwich.
Have you got any calvados? When I was a therapist, I used to say to my clients, ''When you cross the gangplank, you leave daily life behind.
'' Who do you think you are, Captain Pugwash? Sorry, it's a bit of a tip.
I've been meaning to do some work on it, but I never seem to get around to it.
So, you used to be a therapist? Why did you stop? Because a lot of the time, it smacks of middle-class indulgence.
I'm lying.
I wasn't very good at it.
Ohis this where you say what a nutter I am? -You're welcome to read it if you like.
-No.
Cheers.
You know in your bones Daniel is a schizophrenic, don't you? But you can't admit it, because if he is, what does that make you? You're right.
You are a crap therapist.
That's very good.
That's very funny.
Please, take a seat.
The other day, you were about to tell me about your accident.
Oh, was I? I'm not your enemy.
I'm trying to understand if there's something, some experience you went through.
Went through? You want to know what I went through? Okay, okay.
I'll tell you what I went through.
I died.
-When was this? -1 999.
Somewhere between Preston and Manchester.
Literally.
On the train tracks, to be precise.
Well, what happened? Alison? I was coming back.
I was coming back from a funeral.
From my Auntie Vi's funeral.
She was the one who first told you you had powers, as a child? Yeah, she understood me.
She was the only one.
-I want to go now.
-What do you remember? Anything? Mobiles going off, like.
God, what are those insects called, you know in cowboy films? -Cicadas? -Cicadas.
-And that's when you thought you died? -No.
I knew I'd died.
Because I was being dragged down a tunnel towards light.
And then I saw Vi.
And she said, ''What are you doing here, Ali? ''You shouldn't be here.
You go back.
You've got work to do.
'' I believe you.
I've read a lot of accounts about this kind of experience.
The brain is starved of oxygen, rush of endorphins, euphoria.
The cells dying around the rim of the retina, causing a tunnel sensation.
No.
There was a reason I wasn't allowed to die.
I was given a second chance, so that I could help spirits to be free.
Even if it means not being free myself.
Why aren't you free? Alison, why can't you be free? I want to go.
I want to go now.
Alison, look.
Let's wait and see if the drugs make Daniel any better, okay? Drugs don't make the spirits go away, Robert.
They just make you terrified of them.
In the bathroom, it wasn't me.
No, it was the illness.
No, I mean it really wasn't me.
There was no one else there but me and you, Daniel.
-But did you see me do it? -No.
Well, what did you see? The door opened and I just felt a bang on my head and I fell on the floor and.
Well, then.
Well, then.
That's what I'm trying to tell you, it's him.
It's him.
Daniel.
He only exists because you're not well.
Remember that.
-Are you sure? -Yes, I'm sure.
Hey, you're going to get better, yeah? Next time I'm down from college, we'll hang out.
Have a real laugh.
Don't ever be frightened of anything again, will you promise me that? Is he dead, that actor? Is he alive or is he dead? Daniel? -Daniel, what.
-Get out of here.
Go, didn't you hear me? Just go! I said, get out! Get out of here! Get out of here now! Go, get out! Get out! No, no! It's obvious he's not responding.
Let's keep the sedative at the same dose, and up the olanzapine to 1 5ml a day.
(DISTANT LAUGHING) (PHONE RINGING) -Hi there! This is Tina.
How are you today? -Yeah.
I'm ringing with some great news.
Your name has been picked at random and all you have to do to claim one of our many exciting prizes, is ring the phone number.
You can't come in here.
I live here.
MOTHER: What are you doing? I'm praying.
Praying for our son.
Christopher.
What if there are such things as restless spirits? Our son is sick, Sheila.
There is no other possibility.
Accept it.
Now please, please don't ever raise this subject again.
Have you seen Daniel Two? No.
No, I haven't.
Do you think my son's telling the truth? I think that he's telling the truth as he feels it.
-What does he want? -Daniel? No.
No, Daniel Two.
I have no idea.
I came to Daniel because I thought that I could do something, but perhaps you're talking to the wrong person.
Look I don't care what my husband believes.
I don't care what the doctors believe.
I don't care what you believe.
I just care about my son.
Please, please help him? I'm not sure that I can.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
When we wake from a dream we don't think dream characters are real because we can discriminate between mental events, i.
e.
, thoughts and feelings and events in the world, i.
e.
, you sitting there listening to me now.
This is called source monitoring.
But, people who see ghosts, like schizophrenics, are statistically very bad at it.
They believe in that subjective experience as truth.
And.
And in the case of mediums, use it to great social and interpersonal effect.
But, we'll get on to that next time.
Get an early coffee.
That's all for today.
Thank you.
Christopher.
Hello.
So you believe in all this claptrap? Not at all.
But I'm interested in human beings.
Belief systems, delusions.
And that's what I study.
The scientific mind.
How glorious.
Look, I understand your anger, and I don't blame you.
But in fairness, Alison came back because Daniel wanted her to come back.
I'd like to know exactly how you think a woman like that could possibly help my son.
Schizophrenia is a brain disorder.
Well, it may or may not be organic.
We don't know.
I mean it can lie dormant, and then kick in with hormones, or a viral infection, or stress.
-It's a chemical imbalance? -Yes.
I believe it's a chemical by-product of environmental influences.
You believe? Yeah.
Well, science can teach us everything, it seems, except the most important thing of all, how to live our lives.
And what happens after it, if anything? I'm absolutely certain what happens after death, Dr Bridge.
That's why I think life is so precious.
A blessing.
Every child, however imperfect, is a special giftfrom God.
You know, we're human beings.
And you've intruded into our lives.
Tell her to leave my son alone.
I come up here sometimes.
It helps me say to myself, however bad I feel, however lost I feel, -at least, I'm not falling.
-You'll never fall.
Oh, will I not? I can't see Daniel Two.
Daniel's schizophrenic, isn't he? You said it yourself.
He's vulnerable and I might have made it worse.
I might have colluded with his madness.
Well, you've learnt from it.
You've grown.
-Forget about him.
-No, I can't, I've got to go and see him.
I've got to talk to him.
I've got to tell him to cooperate with his doctors.
It didn't work for me, but it might for him.
This is an important step for you, Alison, to acknowledge that.
-I'm doing it for him, Robert.
-Yeah, yeah, I know.
I don't know what to say.
I'm used to disagreeing with you.
So why change the habit of a lifetime? Daniel? Daniel, it's Alison.
Can I come in? It's important.
Oh, Daniel, are you all right? What's happened? Tell me.
Daniel? (ALISON SCREAMING) Help me! DANIEL: It wasn't me.
It was Daniel Two.
I didn't do anything.
It was Daniel Two.
Daniel Two did it.
It wasn't me.
It wasn't me.
It was Daniel Two.
You don't believe me, it wasn't me.
He's killing me.
I didn't do anything! Don't you think you're just saying that supernatural belief is high in people who have had a supernatural experience? Isn't it more interesting to ask which came first, the chicken or the egg? The belief or the experience? You didn't want me to just dot the I's and cross the T's did you? Did you ever? You know, I miss our sessions when the whisky came out after Josh'd gone to bed.
You can mention his name, Barb.
I'm not going to collapse like a house of cards.
Now, I think I need to insert something about conformational bias, flesh it out a little.
Robert, do you ever feel you want to talk? Properly.
I don't mean to me, I mean to somebody.
(CRASHING) What the hell was that? -Alison.
Shit, what happened? -I've seen him.
Look at me.
Look at my face.
Look at what he did.
Are you happy now? Just take it easy.
Take a few deep breaths.
You think you're so clever, ''it's all in the mind''.
You almost had me believing you, you shit! And look at me.
Look at my face! Robert, will you listen to me for once in your life? I've never seen one like him.
I looked into his eyes and there is nothing there.
It's like he's not dead and he's not alive.
-I don't know what he is.
-Don't worry.
It's going to be okay.
Don't worry? They've got that poor kid locked up for his so-called safety.
He's not safe.
Daniel Two's got him exactly where he wants him.
Listen.
You've got to talk to those idiots.
You've got to make them understand.
No, Alison.
You've got to understand.
Daniel is a dangerous, violent patient.
Did Daniel do this? Did he? Who are you? Barbara Sinyard, his boss.
Hello.
Fantastic.
Another psychologist.
It's exactly what I need.
Daniel didn't do this.
It isn't in Daniel's head and it isn't in mine.
Okay? Daddy.
(CAR HONKING) (CAR TYRES SCREECHING) (PHONE RINGING) Yeah? DR SHARMA: Robert? I've got a bit of a problem here.
Your friend's at the hospital and she won't leave.
Shit! Okay.
I'm here to see Dr Sharma.
She's expecting me.
I see what Daniel sees.
And because Daniel is blitzed with drugs, Daniel Two is more powerful than ever! -I don't think you're qualified.
-I don't want an intellectual debate about this! ALISON: Your son is almost already destroyed by this -by this thing.
-Alison, calm.
She's deranged.
How can a person like this be allowed through the doors? -It's totally irresponsible.
-He's in a seclusion suite.
-He's been sedated.
He's in no danger.
-No, he is in danger.
Look what Daniel Two did to me! I've seen how malevolent he can be! -Rubbish! That's rubbish! -Stop it! ALISON: Sheila, Daniel Two is with your son now.
I swear.
If he's not with him, then he very soon will be.
-Please, please, please help me to stop him.
-How can I? -Alison! -No! You've heard Daniel talk about Daniel Two all these years.
-Please think, is there anything.
-There is no Daniel Two! There is! There is! He's here.
He's here now.
He's in there.
Who is he? I don't know if he's human.
-All I can feel is his rage.
-DR SHARMA: Get some nurses.
I'm going to have her removed.
ALISON: Daniel! Daniel! They can't help him.
You help him, please.
Oh my God, Sheila, you know who he is.
Who is he? Oh, tell me.
Think! You know! Daniel! ALISON: Sheila, help me! Think if there is something that you know, then tell me.
Let me help your son.
Daniel! Daniel! He's in there.
He's in there now, with your son.
He's in there now.
Sheila, he's going to hurt your son.
He's going to kill your son.
You've got to stop him.
You've got to help me stop him.
Please! Please, open this door! They're both my sons! -Okay, Alison.
Come with us.
-Robert.
Robert help me! -Help me Robert! Robert, help me! -Let her go.
That's not necessary.
(SHEILA CRYING) You wouldn't know me as a 1 9-year-old.
My head was all over the place.
Boys.
I wasn't a vicar's wife in those days.
I had an abortion.
Gone, part of me.
Then when I met you, what attracted me what I needed so much was that faith, that strength, that moral certainty you wore like armour.
I meant to tell you at first.
Then I heard you giving your views on the subject, about how life was God's alone, to give and to take.
I wanted to tell you but I couldn't.
I wanted to admit it to myself, but I couldn't.
I lied to myself, I kept it inside.
I was young and weak and scared and stupid.
What I did wasn't wrong but denying he ever existed, was.
I was his mother.
I am his mother.
Do you forgive me? Do you forgive me? I can't live with a person who can commit that kind of act.
Then, you can't live with me.
ROBERT: You have quite a gift.
To pick up on her latent sense of guilt.
To draw it out of her like that.
And that explanation satisfies you, does it? All through Daniel's childhood, she may have told him about the other Daniel in all sorts of subconscious ways she wasn't even aware of.
Sometimes, all spirits want is to be acknowledged and then they can move on.
-Let's get out of here.
-Oh? Are you sure you want to? I thought you wanted to keep me here.
I didn't exactly see you rushing to my defence.
How? -What was I supposed to do? -Oh no, please stop, Robert.
You're a tosser.
They're tossers but you're an even bigger tosser because I trusted you.
I thought that you were different but you're not, are you? Mrs Rabey? Hi, Mum.
-How are you? -I'm fine.
You know the only reason that I'm doing this with you, don't you? -Tell me.
-Your child.
I'm sorry, I have to go.
Look, all you have to do is open the door to the possibility.
No.
After all you've seen today? Especially after all I've seen today.
Okay, well, I won't give up.
-For Josh's sake.
-Josh's sake.
Please.
He's trying to contact you but he can't.
That's why he's doing it through me.
Someone who can reach you.
And what makes you think you can reach me?