Brian Clemens' Thriller 4.2 Nurse Will Make It Better

[michaellevenson]

A middle-aged gentleman, Fuller, is relaxing under a tree in his garden. Nearby a bonfire is burning, his wife walks up to the fire, bends down and picks up a piece of wood from the edge of the flames, oblivious to the scorching heat she carries the wood to her husband, who opens his eyes from his relaxing nap. Fuller screams as his wife shoves the wood into his face.



In a bedsit lying on a dirty mattress is a priest named Lyall, asleep and restlessly crying out as he sleeps,
Lyall, " fire and brimstone, FIRE AND BRIMSTONE NO! STOP HER MUST BE STOPPPED!!"


He awakes and reaches out towards a bottle of whiskey on top of a bible besides the mattress, and gulps down a mouthful, when there's a knock on the door. Lyall answers it to see Fuller.
Lyall, " I know why you're here, I can't help you."
Fuller, " you must please help....look!"
Fuller shows Lyall his left cheek, it's horribly burnt.
Lyall, " help you Fuller? Help you?!"
Lyall pulls open his shirt, Fuller turns away in disgust, Lyall has a huge third degree burns over his whole chest.

 

[michaellevenson]

Edgar Harrow is the American ambassador to England and lives in a rural house outside a charming English village. It's Sunday morning and he needs to go to church, part of his duty as ambassador. He has three daughters, the youngest Suzy a teenager doesn't really want to go to church, but Edgar insists, middle daughter Ruth is ready to go but the eldest Charley is excused. Suzy thinks this is very unfair, but Charley as the eldest is waiting for her boyfriend to arrive, as Edgar Harrow says, " Charley doesn't have to go because......oh..she's Charley that's why."
Edgar, Ruth and Suzy leave along with Carson a security man, detailed to act as Edgar's bodyguard at all official engagements, and who lives in the house with the family.
Simon Burns, Charley's boyfriend turns up, on horseback , with a second horse for Charley.
Charley outside the house looks at the mare that the rich Simon has bought her as a gift. She admires Simon's stallion, but Simon warns that," he's a brute Charley, you couldn't control him."
Suddenly Charley jumps on Simon's horse and gallops off across the moors.
Simon jumps on the mare and chases after her.
Simon , " Charley come back ....you can't control him.."
Charley riding happily until she reaches a ditch, the horse refuses to jump over it and stops, Charley is hurled off, into the air, and crashes down on her back.
Simon, " are you okay Charley?"
Charley screams, " MY LEGS....I CAN'T FEEL MY LEGS."


Charley in bed screams at her nurse, and chucks her food at her.
" GET OUT GET OUT! "
The nurse runs out of the house, passing another nurse walking up the front path.

The new nurse is Bessy Morne, Edgar Harrow greets her in the hallway , " my daughter is a very difficult patient Bessie."
Bessie, " I know dear the agency has told me."
Ruth is there, " my sister was very active before her accident."
Bessie, "Yes, my previous patient was not dissimilar."
Bessie is shown into the bedroom, Charley in bed, crippled, in an extremely agitated state.
Charley, " who the hell are you?"
Bessie, " I'm your new nurse "
Edgar and Ruth leave the room at Bessie's request.
Charley, " I'll run you out like I have with all the others."
Bessie, " that's not nice dear, we don't want to start off on the wrong foot."
Charley, " GET OUT....GET OUT."
Bessie smiles....then punches Charley, out cold instantly.
Bessie, " nurse will make it better."

 

[michaellevenson]

Carson downstairs asks Ruth, " who's the new addition to the household?"
Ruth, "Bessie Morne, the new nurse."
Carson, " jesus!...not another one. I suppose I better do the usual checks on her."

Bessie speaks to Edgar Harrow and details the terms of her employment here. She insists on being treated as one of the family, including eating at the family table with everyone else, so to engender respect between her and Charley. Also asks for the bedroom next to Charley meaning Ruth has to move to another room.
Charley awake now with Bessie says, " you hit me."
Bessie, " I'm sorry dear, but the rest would have done you some good. Now let's make you nice and pretty, can't let people see you like this."
Charley, " I don't want people to see me."
Bessie, " you say that now but when you're well again..."
Charley, " I'm not going to get well, I broke my back."
Bessie, " I can make you well again, if you believe in me. A lot will have to come from you, but I really can make you well. We'd have to have a pact between us, a bond no one could break."
Bessie goes over to the window, out in the grounds is Carson walking a brown Labrador called Porter. The dog pulls at his lead, Carson struggles with it, Porter growls looking up at Bessie.
Carson shouts up, " he's not really fierce, bark is worse than his bite."
Bessie turns from window, " who is that gentleman?"
Charley, " Carson, dad's security man, lives with us."

Carson re-enters the house with Porter and says to Ruth, " just seen the new nurse, Porter didn't like her, hackles rose up, and I sooner sometimes trust a dog's judgement rather than people's. "


Next day Ruth sees Charley in her room, she is much changed, cheerful, Bessie is in there too.
Ruth, " you seem much better today Charley."
Charley, " yes, I'm going to get better aren't I Bessie."
Bessie " of course dear."

Ruth is not too happy and leaves, after she's gone Charley picks up a book Bessie gave her, an ancient book.
Charley, " I've almost finished it Bessie ,how soon."
Bessie " well no need to rush, Rome wasn't built in a day...( under her breath)..took less than a day to destroy it, by fire I remember."

Ruth sees her father, " Father I think we need to find a new nurse."
Edgar, " are you joking, Bessie has been a marvel, Charley is a happier girl now, certainly a quieter one."
Ruth, " Bessie has been feeding Charley nonsense about getting well again."
Edgar, " Bessie must know what she's doing, probably psychological, get Charley interested again."
Ruth, " and what happens when the letdown comes?"


Late at night Bessie in her room, looking out of window, Porter is outside sitting on the grass staring up at the window growling, Carson can be heard, " come on Porter inside."

Next morning Carson is out in the grounds calling after Porter.
" Here boy, Porter, here boy."
Carson stops in horror, Porter is hanging from a tree!
At breakfast everyone is miserable as sin.
Suzy, " poor Porter, he was such a nice dog."
Carson, " if I get my hands on whoever did this...."
Bessie is enthusiastically eating her porridge, smiling, no awareness apparently of the sadness around her.
Bessie, " probably been worrying sheep, you know what these farmers are like. Aaahh, that was delicious, now if you excuse me I'll go and look after my little charge."
Bessie leaves, Ruth says, " Porter never worried sheep did he?"
Carson, " no never."

Alone after breakfast Ruth goes up to Carson, "something is wrong."
Carson, " you feel it too? An air of malevolence."
Ruth, " how did Bessie check out?"
Carson, " we've run into a problem there."
Ruth, " no background?"
Carson, " no quite the opposite, Bessie has a lineage going back as far as we can trace but we can't find her birth certificate, we screwed up somewhere or Bessie is older than Methuselah."

 

[michaellevenson]

Bessie enters Charley's bedroom, Charley says clutching Bessie's book to her chest.
" I think I'm ready Bessie, when ?"
Bessie, " how about tonight suit you?"
Charley, " yes!"

At evening meal the family gather except Bessie who is upstairs with Charley.
A strange ritual is taking place, sort of black magic, Bessie is muttering an incantation while holding a bottle of what looks like blood. Charley too eyes closed muttering an incantation. Suddenly the glass bottle shatters, blood everywhere.
Downstairs the French windows rip open, a draught whistles through the dining room. The wind increases in speed, Carson protective of the ambassador shields him gun at the ready. The wind dies down Edgar jumps up, " Charley!!"
Everyone runs out into to the hall, and looks in astonishment as Charley descends the stairs, walking, smiling into her father's arms.
Edgar, " thank God."
Bessie is up the top of the stairs and under her breath says mockingly "God?"


Simon comes round as soon as he's heard the news.
Simon, " it's really true?"
Ruth, " really."
Simon, " I can't believe it."
Ruth ," just don't expect too much too soon."
Simon, " she is okay?"
Ruth, " something's not right."
Charley comes downstairs and up to Simon, they kiss, and leave arm in arm, Bessie calls out to Charley, " don't forget my dear, be faithful."

Carson confides in Ruth," I'd really like to get a look inside Bessie's room, can you keep her busy Ruth."
Ruth, " I'll try."


Simon is driving his sports car along a country lane, Charley beside him, she seems effervescent, laughing. In front of them they see a cyclist , an old man, Charley says, " run him down Simon."
Simon, " what!?"


Charley grabs the wheel, " I SAID RUN HIM DOWN. "
Simon grapples to get control of the wheel, the cyclist ends up in a ditch but otherwise unharmed, Charley roars with laughter then tries to slash Simon across the face.


Ruth tries to convince her father that something is wrong and Bessie is a bad influence.
Edgar, " why this persecution of Bessie."
Suzy the teenager says " she's jealous of Charley and Simon, Bessie told me. If Charley tires of him I wouldn't mind having him."
Ruth, " SUZY!"
Suzy, " well I wouldn't, Bessie says I'm old enough to have a boyfriend, Bessie says I'm old enough for anything."
Ruth, " Father I'm trying to save this family."
Edgar, " from what?"
Ruth, " I don't know....yes I do...from Bessie."
Edgar, " there you go again with Bessie."

Later - In the kitchen is Suzy and Bessie who has been told by Edgar Harrow that she can stay as long as she wants. Ruth enters and says " Suzy do you want to come over with me to the farm to collect the eggs, they said we could have as many as we want."

Suzy ignores her sister, and just smiles at Bessie. Ruth persists, " that young foal is up on its feet now, you'd like to see that?"
Suzy (to Bessie), " I'd like to see it Bessie."
Bessie, " well run along dear."
Ruth, " would you like to come Bessie?"
Suzy, " oh please Bessie."
Bessie, " very well dears why not."

 

[michaellevenson]

Carson now has the opportunity to sneak into Bessie's room. He enters surveying what seems to be usual possessions of an aged lady. He sees a wooden box on the dressing table, the size of a jewellery box.
At the farm Suzy, Ruth and Bessie are in the barn carrying a basket each, collecting eggs.
Carson meantime opens the mysterious box and looks shocked.

Bessie suddenly stops her egg collecting, her face cold and stony, she leaves barn,
Suzy, " Bessie where you going?"
Suzy and Ruth leave barn....Bessie is nowhere to be seen.


Carson spins round, Bessie is standing there even though seconds earlier she was a mile away!!
Bessie, " oh dear, you know don't you."
Carson gets his gun out, Bessie shakes her head, "won't do you any good dear."
Carson pumps several bullets into her, without effect. Suddenly Carson gasps, blood comes out of his mouth, Charley is behind him holding a long hat pin that is covered in blood because she stuck it in Carson, who falls dead.
Bessie, " that wasn't necessary dear, not necessary at all, still it showed willing. Now get me my box of tricks."

Ruth and Suzy get back, Charley shows them Carson's body, sitting downstairs at the dining table slumped over.
Charley, " it must have been a heart attack, there's not a mark on him."
And indeed there is no mark on Carson, no stab wound, nothing.


In her bedroom Charley is at the dressing table when Bessie comes in with Suzy, " look my dear we have another disciple."

 

[michaellevenson]

Ruth has after contacting the agency found out that previously Bessie had been nursing Mrs Fuller, she goes to see her.
Mrs Fuller is in her garden pruning roses when Ruth turns up.
Ruth, " Mrs Fuller I've been in touch with the nursing agency and they tell me you
were ill recently and made a remarkable recovery thanks to your nurse Bessie Morne."

Mrs Fuller, " oh yes, dear Bessie how is she do you know her , she is remarkable."
Ruth, " yes Mrs Fuller that's why I'm here, can you tell me anything about her background."
Mrs Fuller becomes angry, " you don't like Bessie do you.....I must.....I.must."
Mrs Fuller tries to attack Ruth with the secateurs, Mr Fuller runs over and drags his wife away.
Fuller, " PLEASE LEAVE US ALONE FOR GOD'S SAKE."
Mrs Fuller cackles insanely, Ruth hurriedly departs.


Simon confides in Ruth after the cyclist incident, " you tried to tell me something was wrong, I should have listened."
Ruth, " let's go for a spin."

Driving along, Simon is with Ruth who says, " Simon you're a safe driver aren't you?"
Simon, " never had a crash why?"

Charley is on the phone, a deliciously evil mischievous look on her face.
Charley ( phone), " Mrs Heron...Charley Harrow here.....much better thank you...yes I'd love to come to another garden party..especially if your husband is there..that's why I'm phoning..your husband yes.....we're good friends...in fact more than that......much more..."


Later an ambulance arrives at the Harrow house, Ruth on a stretcher is taken in.
Simon explains to Edgar," sorry sir, I've never had a crash before. "

In her bedroom Ruth is in bed, doctor examines her, then turns to a worried Edgar, " there's nothing physical at all, just shock, total paralysis, she'll come out of it in her own time. Meanwhile home is the best place for her. Lucky you were still here Miss Morne."
Bessie, " don't worry doctor I'll take good care of her."
Edgar and the doctor leave, Bessie leans over the paralyzed Ruth and squeezes her left cheek rather roughly.
Bessie, " can you hear me dear, yes I'm sure you can, I can make you well again like I did with your sister, of course a lot will depend on you, your commitment, we'd have to become soul mates."
Bessie looks deep into Ruth's eyes, suddenly a man's voice emanates from Bessie.
" you know who I am don't you, I'm the collector, The Collector Of Souls, three so far, not a bad haul from one house."


As soon as Bessie is gone Ruth jumps out of bed, it's a deception, she picks up the phone and dials a number , a phone rings in the dingy bedsit of the priest Lyall Simon answers it, Lyall is asleep on the mattress in a drunken stupor.
Simon, " yes Ruth I'm here, but how can he help us, he's a drunk."
Ruth, "I checked, he's the only one, get him over here."
Simon wakes Lyall who then stirs.
Lyall reaches out towards whisky bottle, " please hand me.."
Simon picks up bottle, but Lyall says, " no the bible."
Simon, " sorry."
Under the bottle is a bible, Lyall takes it, "understandable mistake , I am but a mortal man."
Simon, " isn't everyone?"
Lyall, " no, that is a mistake you must not make., I am the last of the Brothers of Charity, there were 15 of us, but each encounter diminishes us...come we haven't much time."

Ruth has entered Bessie's room and opened her ' box of tricks' and is appalled, she runs onto landing to see Bessie.
Bessie " oh my you were playing tricks on old Bessie, you didn't need me at all, you've seen into my box of tricks, don't know why it should disgust you, it's just things people do."
Suddenly the front door opens Lyall comes in with Simon, Lyall shouts up to Bessie, " STOP LUCIFER, SATAN GET BACK."
Lyall holds his bible in front of him as a shield.


Bessie walks down the stairs, " oh Brother Lyall the bible, I'm mentioned in there several times, not my taste though not enough fire and brimstone for me."
The bible is instantly transferred to Bessie's hand, she laughs and wills the bible to burst into flames.


Lyall grabs a sword on display on the wall, " DIE LUCIFER"
Bessie suddenly turns into a little girl in a white dress as Lyall was about to strike.


Lyall " I CAN'T DO IT."


The sword turns into a snake, hissing spitting , Lyall throws it away, the sword clatters to the ground, it was an illusion as was the little girl.
Bessie " what an imagination you have Brother Lyall."
A whisky bottle appears from nowhere in Bessie's hand, she unscrews top, " aahh, here Brother Lyall can I tempt you, you know you want to."
Lyall, " NO, ALCOHOL IS THE DEVIL'S BREW."
Ruth watching from above runs into Bessie's room, picks up her wooden box that contains....the mysterious tricks of her trade, and runs with it to the top of the stairs and tips it upside down. Black ash pours out, a psychic wind engulfs the house, Bessie screams as the ash covers her, she dissolves into dust.
Charley is screaming, she crawls into the hallway, " MY LEGS...MY LEGS I CAN'T FEEL THEM..HELP!!"
The wind dies down, the visitation is over, all is as before Bessie arrived at the house, Charley paralyzed, Suzy no longer under a spell.
Lyall has a burn mark across his face he stands and looks heavenward.
Lyall , " each encounter leaves its mark."



Cast;
Bessie.....Diana Dors
Edgar Harrow...Cec Linder
Charley...Linda Liles
Simon.....Michael Culver
Ruth....Andrea Marcovicci
Carson...Ed Bishop
Lyall...Patrick Troughton
Suzy...Tiffany Kinney
Fuller.....Alan Wilson
Mrs Fuller....Wendy Williams
Girl in Bridesmaid dress....Linda Robson

 

[michaellevenson]

Thriller (1973)