WE NOW SEE A MONTAGE OF CIVIL WAR FOOTAGE SUPERIMPOSED OVER THE SCENE FOR A FEW MOMENTS AS JOHN GETS MORE AND MORE AGITATED AND SCREAMS OUT.
This wakes John up and he looks around quickly, seeing Jed and realizing that his fever and the shakes are back.
JED
I am sorry John, your sickness is back
and I am out of herbs.
John nods and then thinks a moment, recalling something.
JOHN
Its alright Jed. ...
(beat)
I remember seeing some willow trees a
little north along this stream here. If
you boil the bark it will help with a
fever and headache better than those
leaves you were giving me.
JOHN
Sure. Go ahead and take my horse. She's
a bit touchy right now but she's fast.
JED
Thank you but I can run rather quickly
John. I will return soon.
Before John can say anything, Jed is up and gone into the darkness. Feeling a bit dizzy he shakes his head and lays back.
JOHN
Ain't no man can out-run a horse Jed.
(beat)
Why don't you know that?
John passes out for a few seconds. It seems that way at least until a hissing on the fire wakes him suddenly as he looks to see a man we will call PA sitting by the fire.
Pa takes a drink of the broth and then spit it out into the fire, making it hiss again.
PA
That don't make no sense! Boil up a
perfectly good rabbit instead of fryin'
it up proper.
JOHN
(weakly)
Pa? Is that you?... It can't be!
PA
What? Of course its me! Why wouldn't it
be, son?
JOHN
'Cause you're dead! You died in '59
from the flu.
PA
(laughs)
Johnny boy, that don't matter none! ...
If you think about it hard, you can
figure it out.
John digests this and takes a drink from his canteen while he does so.
JOHN
You're just another part of my fever
aren't you?
PA
In a way I reckon I am. But most
important, I'm a part of you that's
talkin' to you now. Do you follow me
son?
JOHN
Kind of... I guess you're just a dream
or somethin' talking to the awake part
of me. Right?
PA
Right.
(looks around)
You got any thin' to drink round here
son? That rabbit water tastes awful.
JOHN
Sure. There's a bottle of whiskey in my
saddle bag there. Help yourself.
Pa does so and John watches the man emit an AURA as he moves.
JOHN
So what are you doin' here? ... Did you
have something to tell me?
Pa gets the bottle and helps himself to a swig before offering the bottle to John who takes a friendly swig and then coughs from the kick. Pa takes it back and then sits back down, closer enough to John to share the bottle.
PA
You figured right boy. You need to
realize somethin' important, and you
need to decide to do somethin' about
it.
JOHN
Like what? I know I'm probably dyin'
but Jed is here to help. ... He even
wrote a letter to Abby and Ma for me.
PA
He sure did, but have you really looked
at Jed son?
JOHN
What about him? He seems a little
strange but he's alright.
PA
He talks funny son, and I don't mean
like he's a foreigner. He don't talk
like them Irish from the next town
over, or even that English or Dutch
preachers that we had at church.
JOHN
Well, maybe he's from somewhere else.
PA
No son. Think about it. He don't have
no accent at all. Its like he learned
to speak without ever hearin' anyone
say anythin' before.
John thinks of this and takes a swig of booze before handing it back to Pa. Pa takes a swig before he continues.
PA
You're probably right son. He's from
somewhere else, but I don't know where
he would be from. ... Look at the way
he acts. ... How does he know what
herbs to use and he don't know how to
use a gun proper.
JOHN
Oh Pa, he just didn't know what make of
rifle I had.
PA
No son, you know and I know, that one
gun is pretty much the same as another.
Think about it and you'll see he didn't
really know much about that rifle
before you thought about it.
JOHN
Oh Pa,...
PA
Don't "Oh Pa" me! You said it yourself
boy. I'm just a part of your dreams
tryin' to tell you somethin'! Now
listen! ... Why didn't he get them
herbs right away? He only did it after
you thought of it.
JOHN
So what are you sayin'? That Jed's a
part of my imagination too? That I
thunk him up?
PA
No son, I don't think you did, but you
have to think of something else. ...
Where did Jed come from? What were
those lights in the sky the other
night?
John thinks about this and then looks around, getting his cup of broth and taking a drink of it. When he turns back around he starts to speak...
JOHN
You know what Pa?
But Pa is gone and only the whisky bottle sits in his place.
John, picks up the whisky bottle and takes a large drink, shaking a little bit as he coughs, then reaches over and grabs his rifle, bringing it to him and checking it
before grabbing the ammo pack.
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