Francine's Tonsils transcript

Prologue: The Lakewood Elementary School Cafeteria Lunchroom
Arthur, Buster, Sue Ellen, Fern, The Brain, Muffy, Carl, Jenna, Maria, George and Binky are sitting at their school lunch table and they are all having their own lunch.

Francine walks up to the table, a lunch tray in her hands.

Francine: [Whispering Hoarsely] "Hey, you guys, how's it going?"

Arthur: "Hey, Francine, is your throat still sore?"

Francine: [Whispering Hoarsely] "Yeah, and my head's hurting as well too."

Francine sits right down at the school cafeteria table.

Francine takes 1 bite of her lunch. She chews it for a little while and visibly has trouble swallowing it. Right After much struggling, she finally swallows it and breathes deeply.

Buster: "Are you alright, Francine?"

Francine: (to Buster, Whispering Hoarsely) "I think so, Buster, I've just been having some issues with eating lately."

Arthur: (to Francine) "Does it taste terrible or something?"

Francine: (To Arthur, Whispering Hoarsely) "No, Arthur, I just can't swallow very often, it just doesn't go down."

Buster points to an item on Francine's lunch tray

Buster: " Does that mean you're not gonna eat that?"

Francine's right hand motions right above the tray.

Francine: [ Whispering Hoarsely] " Go for it."

Buster begins eating Francine's lunch.

The Brain chimes in with some advice.

The Brain: "Francine, I think you should see a dr. and nurse right away, you might have strep throat."

Muffy: " What exactly is strep throat?"

The Brain: " Strep throat is a terrible bacterial infection of the throat, it's a moderately serious infection, and it requires antibiotics to treat respectively."

Francine: (to The Brain, Whispering Hoarsely) " I'm way ahead of you, Brain, I've got a dr.'s appointment right after school."

Fade to another black screen........

Binky: (reading the title card) Francine's Tonsils

[Gong Resonates]

Arthur: AAAAAAAAAAAH!

Scene 1: Dr. Greenberg's office
Dr. Greenberg's office is spacious and well lit, there are some counters on 1 single wall, a patient table in the middle of the room, and some chairs against 1 single wall, where Laverne is sitting.

Francine sits right on the patient table.

Dr. Greenberg enters.

Dr. Greenberg: "Francine, Laverne, good to see you again."

Laverne: " Thanks for seeing Francine, Dr. Greenberg, she's been having some trouble recently."

Dr. Greenberg: "So, what seems to be the problem, Francine?"

Francine tries to speak in her normal voice.

Francine: (hoarsely, straining) " My throat's been hurting really-"

Francine can't continue speaking in this voice, she's interrupted when she's forced to cough all the time.

Laverne: "Francine's been getting a lot of sore throats lately, this is her 8th bad 1 this year."

Dr. Greenberg: " I see, are there any other symptoms?"

Francine resorts to whispering in Dr. Greenberg's left ear.

Francine: [ Whispering Hoarsely] " I haven't been able to swallow anything, so I've had to eat chicken noodle soup a lot, and I'm also getting a lot of headaches."

Dr. Greenberg: " Well then, I'll begin with a full examination."

Dr. Greenberg removes a thermometer from his coat pocket. He puts it right in Francine's mouth just as he inspects Francine some more.

Dr. Greenberg takes out his dr.'s flashlight and examines Francine's hidden ears.

Dr. Greenberg: " Oh, yes."

He puts on his stethoscope and puts it right on Francine's back.

Dr. Greenberg: "Hmmm..."

Dr. Greenberg puts his stethoscope back around his neck and removes the thermometer from Francine's mouth and he examines it.

Dr. Greenberg: " Well Francine, I hate to break it to you, but you have a high fever as well too."

Laverne is visibly concerned about this.

Laverne: (Concerned) " Oh my gosh, does she have the flu?"

Dr. Greenberg: " No, I don't think that's quite it."

Dr. Greenberg turns to Francine directly.

Dr. Greenberg: " Can you open your mouth, please, Francine?"

Francine opens her mouth and Dr. Greenberg shines his flashlight into it.

Dr. Greenberg: " Just as I thought it would be."

Dr. Greenerg stops examining Francine's mouth and turns off his flashlight.

Dr. Greenberg: "Francine, I hate to be the bearer of serious news, but your tonsils look terrible."

Francine: [Whispering Hoarsely] " My tonsils?"

Dr. Greenberg: " Yes, of course, the entire back of your throat is very swollen and irritated."

Laverne: " What dp you think we can do?"

Dr. Greenberg: " Well, we can try to treat it like any other sore throat, but Francine's had so many in such a very short time that I think it's time we consider our other option."

Laverne: " And what exactly would that be?"

Dr. Greenberg: " A tonsillectomy surgery to remove Francine's tonsils."

Francine:  [ Whispering Hoarsely] " Would that work? just taking them outta there?"

Dr. Greenberg: "Why s ure, if there are no tonsils, then you can't have a tonsil infection."

Laverne: " Do you really think that it's bad enough to need any type of surgery?"

Dr. Greenberg: " Well, we could just treat this sore throat, but she would probably keep getting a lot more unless of course her tonsils are removed."

Dr. Greenberg removes a business card from his coat pocket.

Dr. Greenberg:  " Here's the card of a specialist, and If you decide to go through with the operation, just give him a call."

Scene 2: The Frensky family's apartment (night time)
Catherine, Oliver, Laverne and Bubby  are eating a solid meal.

Francine is eating a bowl of chicken noodle soup.

Catherine:  "Whoa, Francine's been eating chicken noodle soup all day and night."

JANE Honey, Arthur can't eat anything else right now, his throat is very sore.

D.W. But it's just a sore throat; he's not really sick.

DAVID D.W., Arthur's throat is really swollen. He actually can't swallow anything else. It's very painful.

D.W. How bad can a sore throat be? I've had them before, but I still ate dinner!

JANE This is a different kind of sore throat, Arthur's going to have to have surgery so that he won't get them anymore.

Arthur suddenly drops his spoon into his soup bowl.

ARTHUR (Shout Whispering Hoarsely) What!? You mean I'm actually getting that surgery to get my tonsils out?!

JANE Well if you don't, you're just going to keep having a sore throat.

ARTHUR (Whispering Hoarsely) But the doctor gave us some medicine for my throat, if that'll take it away, why do I need surgery?

JANE Because the medicine will take this sore throat away, but you would just get more later.

FADE TO:

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - NIGHT

Time has passed, and the kitchen is empty except for Arthur and Jane, who is talking on the phone.

JANE (On Phone) I understand... alright! We'll see you then.

Jane hangs up the phone.

JANE (To Arthur) You have an appointment for a pre-surgery checkup in two days. He said to take the medicine that Dr. Bailey gave us in a meantime.

ARTHUR (Protesting, Whispering Hoarsely) But the medicine always tastes terrible!

Jane begins pouring dark red, thick liquid from a prescription bottle into a dosage cup.

JANE But it'll help you get better.

She holds the cup out to Arthur.

JANE Here, the faster you drink it, the faster it'll be over.

Arthur takes a gulp of the medicine and recoils in disgust.

ARTHUR (Disgusted, Whispering Hoarsely) Ugh! How long do I have to take that?

JANE The doctor said to take it until we go in to see him, he'll tell us what to do from there.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. THE HOSPITAL - DAY

Arthur is sitting in a waiting room with David, Jane, and D.W.

Arthur's voice and throat are much better than before, thanks to the antibiotics prescribed by Dr. Bailey.

ARTHUR (Leaning to Jane and David) When are we going in? I'm getting nervous from sitting here.

D.W. (Selfishly Reassuring) Don't worry, Arthur. I'm sure you'll be just as brave as I was.

Arthur sits back in his chair, annoyed with D.W.

A SECRETARY walks through a door in the waiting room.

SECRETARY (Calling Into Room) Arthur Read?

The entire family simultaneously raises from their seats.

SECRETARY (Motioning To Back Room) Back here.

The family goes through the door where the secretary stands.

INT. THE BACK ROOM - DAY

This is a room similar to a doctor's office where tests are conducted and patients are documented, similar to where D.W. was tested before her surgery.

Everyone except Arthur is sitting. A NURSE enters via a door.

NURSE #1 Arthur! I hear that you are needing your tonsils removed. I'll make sure that you're all ready, then Dr. Greenberg will check you up before you leave.

MONTAGE:

A) Arthur having his height recorded

B) Arthur having his weight recorded

C) Arthur having his blood pressure recorded

D) Arthur being analyzed with a stethoscope

END MONTAGE

Arthur is now sitting in a chair next to the rest of his family.

NURSE #1 And now it's time for the blood sample.

ARTHUR (Uneasy) Blood sample?

D.W. It's OK, Arthur. I know that most people can't be as brave as I was. It's alright if you cry a lot.

NURSE #1 Nobody's going to be crying today.

NURSE #1 First we just get this rubber tube and wrap it around your arm. It makes the vein easier to see.

She wraps the tube around Arthur's arm.

NURSE #1 Then we just put in the needle.

She inserts the needle into Arthur's arm, filling a vial with blood.

Arthur looks a bit uncomfortable, but does not speak.

NURSE #1 All done.

D.W. That's it? Are you sure you don't need to take more?

The Nurse laughs.

NURSE #1 Yes, I'm sure. I'll go get Dr. Greenberg.

After a brief wait, DR. GREENBERG enters.

DR. GREENBERG Arthur! How are you feeling?

ARTHUR Better after taking that medicine from Dr. Bailey.

DR. GREENBERG Well, that's good to hear. So, I understand that you're getting a tonsillectomy.

JANE Well, he's just been getting so many sore throats, and we don't like to keep having to see him hurting so much.

D.W. Well, most of us don't.

DR. GREENBERG (To Arthur) Well then, let's have a look at your throat.

Dr. Greenberg shines a doctor's flashlight into Arthur's mouth.

DR. GREENBERG Yep, those are definitely infected tonsils.

ARTHUR Really? But I feel pretty much fine. How could I still have an infection?

DR. GREENBERG You see Arthur, people feel better after just a couple of days of taking the medicine, but that doesn't mean they're all better. In fact, if you stopped taking the medicine right now, the infection would come back worse, and we wouldn't be able to use that medicine to cure it anymore!

JANE Oh!

DR. GREENBERG That being said, you're tonsils look... Well, pretty bad. It's good that you decided to get them out now, it'll save you a lot of sickness in the long run.

DAVID So, exactly how will the operation go, Dr. Greenberg?

DR. GREENBERG It's quite a simple operation, and we've done hundreds of them. Practically all of them go without issue. We will put Arthur to sleep before taking the tonsils out right through his mouth. The entire thing is done in just 45 minutes or so, and most people go home the same day as the operation.

JANE So he won't even need to stay the night in the hospital?

DR. GREENBERG Nope, he'll be back home and free to rest in comfort.

Dr. Greenberg's pager rings.

DR. GREENBERG Oh! I have to get to another patient. You'll be speaking with the anesthesiologist next, he'll be the one who helps put you to sleep. Should I have a nurse take you to his department?

D.W. Gets up from her seat.

D.W. No, I know where it is. Come on, Arthur, I'll lead the way.

D.W., obviously happy with being a tour guide, leads Arthur, Jane, and David out of the room.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. THE HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY

D.W. is walking her family through the hallway of the hospital. She looks a bit confused.

ARTHUR D.W., do you know where you're going?

D.W. Sure I do, I remember it from when I was here.

DAVID Really D.W., we could just ask for directions.

D.W. No, I know it's right here, somewhere...

D.W. suddenly runs ahead of the family and points to a door.

D.W. Here it is! I told you I knew where it was.

SHOT: THE SIGN NEXT TO THE DOOR THE SIGN READS: UROLOGY DEPARTMENT

DAVID (Doubtful) I don't think that's it, D.W.

Arthur looks to a door that is one door down from the urology department.

ARTHUR Is it this one?

SHOT: THE SIGN NEXT TO THE DOOR THE SIGN READS: ANESTHESIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

DAVID There it is!

D.W. I knew that, I was just seeing if you would notice!

Everyone walks through the door.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. ARTHUR'S ROOM - NIGHT

Arthur is packing a suitcase with items. Jane is assisting him.

D.W. enters the room.

D.W. Why are you packing a suitcase?

JANE In case Arthur has to spend a night in the hospital. We would want him to be comfortable if he had to stay.

D.W. didn't the doctor say the whole thing would take 45 minutes?

JANE Well, sometimes things don't always work out just right during surgery. If something happens, they might need to have him stay.

D.W. reaches to Arthur's suitcase. She picks up Stanley.

D.W. You're taking Stanley to the hospital?

Arthur snatches Stanley from D.W.'s hands.

He nervously moves his glasses around on his face as he speaks.

ARTHUR (Slightly Nervous) No D.W., he must have fallen in when we were moving something.

JANE D.W., don't you have something else to do while we finish up packing?

D.W. walks out of the room.

Arthur looks back to his suitcase as D.W. pokes her head through the doorway.

D.W. (Sarcastically) And Arthur, you should work on moving your glasses when you lie.

D.W. runs away before Arthur can reply to her.

Arthur looks slightly upset that D.W. noticed him move his glasses.

He places Stanley back in his suitcase.

FADE TO:

INT. ARTHUR'S ROOM - NIGHT

Arthur is in bed, being tucked in.

D.W. and Jane are in the room.

JANE Goodnight, Arthur. Tomorrow we'll go to the hospital early in the morning.

D.W. Yeah, and you'll get your tonsils ripped out!

ARTHUR D.W.!

JANE (To D.W.) Honey, try to be nice to your brother when he's recovering from the surgery.

D.W. Recovering? I never had to recover from my ear surgery.

JANE He'll need a while before he's back to normal. This surgery is a bit more serious than your ear surgery.

Jane turns her attention back to Arthur.

JANE Goodnight, Arthur. See you tomorrow.

Jane turns the light off.

Arthur drifts off to sleep and into a dream.

INT. AN OPERATING ROOM - ARTHUR'S DREAM - DAY

Arthur is under anesthesia, doctors surrounding him.

DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT Are we ready to begin the surgery?

DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT #2 But wait! Where is Dr. Greenberg? We can't preform the surgery without him!

D.W. walks into the operating room, dressed like a doctor.

D.W. That's alright, I'm here for Dr. Greenberg.

D.W. steps up on a stool to be tall enough to reach the operating table.

D.W. picks up a scalpel.

DOCTOR'S ASSISTANT Are you sure you know what you're doing?

D.W. Don't worry, I saw this on TV.

Before D.W. can make an incision, we fade back to Arthur's room.

INT. ARTHUR'S ROOM - MORNING

ARTHUR (Talking In Sleep) No, no D.W. You're not a doctor!

Jane walks up to Arthur's bed.

JANE (Shaking Arthur Gently) Arthur?

Arthur wakes up.

ARTHUR Huh?

JANE It's almost time to go to the hospital. Are you alright?

ARTHUR Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just... nervous.

FADE TO:

INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Arthur has a hospital gown on. He is on the bed, Jane and David standing in the room.

A SECOND NURSE enters.

NURSE #2 Arthur, are you ready for surgery?

Arthur looks at Jane and David, then back to the nurse.

ARTHUR I guess so.

DAVID (To Arthur) You'll be fine. We'll all be waiting for you when you wake up.

Arthur is wheeled away on the bed to the O.R.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: What happened in "Operation: D.W." where D.W. was carried into the O.R. was completely unrealistic, they would NEVER allow that in real life. Also, David would not be allowed into the O.R. with D.W.]

INT. THE OPERATING ROOM - DAY

Arthur is on the operating table, the ANESTHESIOLOGIST speaking to him. He places a mask on Arthur's face.

ANESTHESIOLOGIST Alright Arthur, count backwards from ten.

POV: ARTHUR

ARTHUR Ten... Nine... Eight

As Arthur says eight, his eyelid closes briefly.

SLAM CUT TO:

INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

POV: STILL ARTHUR

Arthur opens his eyes, which to the viewers (And Arthur) have only been closed for one blink.

The doctors and machines have been replaced with Jane and David.

JANE How do you feel, Arthur?

NOT ARTHUR's POV ANYMORE.

ARTHUR (Groggy) Where are the doctors?

Arthur grabs his throat.

ARTHUR (Whispering) Why is my throat hurting so bad?

DAVID The surgery's already done. Your tonsils are already out.

ARTHUR

(Whispering) Am I going to have to stay here tonight?

DAVID Nope, we'll be able to go home in a few hours.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. ARTHUR'S ROOM - DAY

Arthur has just gotten home from the hospital. He is in his pajamas and is climbing into bed.

Just as he starts to get comfortable, D.W. walks in. She is dressed in her medical outfit as seen in "Arthur's Chicken Pox"

ARTHUR (Noticing D.W., Hoarsely) Oh no...

D.W. Arthur, the doctors said that you need to drink water, not sleep.

ARTHUR D.W., I don't want to drink anything right now.

D.W. produces a cup of water and climbs onto Arthur's bed.

D.W. (Ignoring Arthur's Protest) Here, I brought you some water.

D.W. holds the cup right next to Arthur.

Arthur pushes the cup away.

ARTHUR (Annoyed, Hoarsely) D.W., I said I didn't want any water!

D.W. begins to forcefully give the cup to Arthur. Arthur begins to resist with more strength.

D.W. Arthur, you need water or You'll get dehhybrated! [Intentional Misspelling]

During the struggle, D.W. manages to spill the entire glass of water on Arthur.

ARTHUR Hey!

D.W.

Now look what you did!

D.W. (Calling To Jane) Mom! Arthur won't drink his water!

Jane comes in, concerned.

JANE What's going on here?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) D.W.'s trying to be a doctor again, she's making me drink water.

JANE (To D.W.) D.W., stop bothering your brother if he's trying to rest.

JANE (To Arthur) Arthur, I know you don't want to, but you should try to drink water, it'll help you heal.

D.W. But Mom, Arthur will never drink his water unless I make sure he does!

JANE I think that we can trust him. Why don't you help me downstairs?

Jane takes D.W. by the hand and walks her out of the room

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY

D.W. stops walking and looks up at Jane.

D.W. (To Jane) Mom, I thought that the surgery was supposed to make Arthur better, why does he need to rest like he's still sick?

JANE Well D.W., to help Arthur stay healthy in the long run, the doctors had to cut the back of his throat, so he'll be hurting for a while.

D.W. Then why won't you let me help him?

JANE You can still help him, just try to not do anything that bothers him. Remember how he treated you before your operation? Try to do that for him.

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - EVENING

Arthur walks into the kitchen, where David is preparing dinner. Jane is also in the kitchen.

Arthur walks into the kitchen, still in his pajamas.

DAVID Hi Arthur, how about some dinner?

Arthur frowns and shakes his head.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) No thanks. I don't feel like eating anything.

D.W. suddenly runs into the kitchen with a glass of apple juice.

Arthur screams (The best he can) when he notices D.W. offering him liquid.

D.W. How about some apple juice?

Arthur stops, noticing that D.W. is not forcing him to take the juice.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Alright, thanks.

He takes the juice and starts to drink it.

Jane gets up.

JANE How's your throat, Arthur?

Arthur stops drinking his juice.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) That's why I came down, it's killing me! Is there anything you can do?

JANE The doctors gave me some medicine to help with any pain you have, do you want to take some?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely)

Sure, anything to help.

Jane walks over to a counter and pours a dosing cup full of liquid medicine into it.

Arthur drinks it and coughs.

JANE (Concerned) What's wrong?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) It still hurts to swallow anything!

JANE I know it does, but you still need to drink a lot to help your throat to heal, you don't want to end up back in the hospital because you didn't drink enough!

Jane takes the juice glass from Arthur and refills it.

JANE Here, have some more juice, the doctors said that room temperature drinks would be easier to drink.

D.W. Will Arthur ever be able to eat regular things again?

JANE Oh sure he will, he'll start getting better tomorrow probably.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. ARTHUR'S ROOM - NIGHT

Arthur is asleep, but it does not appear to be a restful sleep. He is tossing and turning in his bed.

FADE TO:

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - ARTHUR'S DREAM - MORNING

Jane and David both sit at the table. Arthur walks in.

DAVID Morning, Arthur. Are you ready for your surgery today?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Yeah right, I would hate to have to go through with that again.

JANE Again? What do you mean again, Arthur?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) What? Don't tell me you don't remember that I had surgery yesterday!

D.W. suddenly calls into the room.

D.W. (O.S, Mocking) Arthur's scared to have his tonsils out!

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Am not!

Arthur turns around and looks at D.W.

Arthur screams when he sees D.W., she is toweringly tall, about eight feel tall.

Jane speaks to Arthur, but she is not in the shot.

JANE (O.S) What's wrong, Arthur?

Arthur turns around and sees Jane: she is a large elephant.

Arthur turns and looks at David: He is a lion.

David roars at Jane, who trumpets back at him.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you know that you call the sound an elephant makes a "trumpet?"]

ARTHUR (To Self, Hoarsely) I need to sit down...

Arthur reaches for a chair, but as soon as he touches the chair it turns into a pile of goo, which puddles on the floor.

ARTHUR (Shouting) What's going on!?

INT. ARTHUR'S ROOM - MORNING

Arthur snaps awake from his dream and looks at the clock, which reads 8:10.

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - MORNING

Arthur walks into the kitchen again. Jane, David, and D.W. are in the kitchen.

JANE Good morning, Arthur. How are you feeling today?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Still not very good, my ears hurt too now.

D.W. Is Arthur going to need ear surgery now?

Jane laughs.

JANE No, D.W. It's just another side effect of the surgery, your ears and throat are closely related. I'll get you some more medicine.

While Jane doses the medicine as David speaks to Arthur.

DAVID Did you at least have a good night's sleep?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) I had the weirdest dream, I don't think I've ever had one where things made less sense.

DAVID Sometimes that can happen to you after the medicine they give you.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely, Protesting) Then why do I keep drinking more of it?

Jane hands the cup of medicine to Arthur.

JANE Because otherwise your throat and ears will keep hurting.

Arthur frowns and gulps the medicine down.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) I'm not sure how much more of that I can swallow.

DAVID Speaking of swallowing, are you going to want to swallow some breakfast today?

ARTHUR I don't know, I think I might just wait until lunch.

SHOT: D.W.'S ARM POPS UP INTO THE SHOT, HOLDING A GLASS OF JUICE

Arthur takes the juice.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Thanks, D.W.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. THE READ'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

Arthur is sitting on the couch, watching Bionic Bunny.

D.W. sits on the floor next to the couch, she does not look interested in Bionic Bunny and is instead playing with her toys.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely, To D.W.) Thanks for letting me watch Bionic Bunny, D.W.

D.W. looks up to Arthur.

D.W. Well, you did let me watch what I wanted when I got surgery, so I figured I should too, even though Mary Moo Cow is much better.

Arthur ignores D.W.'s thinly veiled insult to Bionic Bunny and continues to watch.

After just a few more seconds of watching, the doorbell rings.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) I'll get it.

INT. THE HOUSE ENTRANCE - DAY

Arthur opens the door to find Buster standing in the doorway.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Hey Buster, what's going on?

BUSTER Gee, you sound terrible, Arthur. How do you feel?

ARTHUR I'm still feeling pretty bad, my throat and ears hurt a lot. How's everyone else at school?

BUSTER We all went to the Sugar Bowl today. I brought you your favorite: Extra Orange-y Orange soda.

Buster takes out a bottle of soda and hands it to Arthur.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely, Looking At Bottle) Finally, something I actually want to drink.

Arthur speaks to Buster in a more direct manor.

ARTHUR I haven't eaten anything since before my surgery, and everyone's been making me drink tons of other stuff.

Arthur opens the bottle and takes a drink.

CUT TO:

INT. THE READ'S COMPUTER AREA - DAY

Jane is working on the computer.

Suddenly, she is interrupted by the sounds of Arthur choking and coughing.

She instantly stops working and runs over to the entrance of the house.

INT. THE HOUSE ENTRANCE - DAY

Arthur is coughing and looks to be in pain, the bottle of soda in his hands.

Buster is in the doorway, concerned about Arthur.

Jane runs to Arthur's side and takes the soda from his hands.

JANE Arthur! You shouldn't be drinking this! The orange has acid, it burns your throat. The fizz also causes burning

Arthur starts to recover.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Now you tell me...

JANE Why don't you come with me into the kitchen, we'll find something more suited to your throat.

Arthur turns to Buster.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Thanks for stopping by, Buster.

Jane and Arthur exit.

FADE TO:

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - DAY

Arthur sits at the table. Jane is standing up, holding the bottle of the soda.

JANE Arthur, you know that you shouldn't have been drinking soda, they told you that at the hospital.

ARTHUR I know, I guess I just forgot. I got sick of drinking nothing but water and juice all day.

JANE Well, then maybe you want to move on from juice and try eating some food for lunch today?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Well what can I eat? It still hurts to swallow anything that I need to chew!

FADE TO:

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - LATER - DAY

Some time has passed since the last scene. Arthur is sitting at the table, eating a bowl of chocolate pudding.

Plates of another lunch item are placed on the table for the rest of the family.

DAVID (Calling To Elsewhere In House) D.W., lunch is ready!

D.W. runs into the kitchen and sits at the table. She notices that Arthur is eating pudding.

D.W. Hey, that's not fair!

JANE What's not fair, D.W.?

D.W. Just because Arthur's throat hurts, that means that he can eat pudding for lunch!?

JANE D.W., Arthur's throat is still healing. If he ate food that was hard to swallow or needed a lot of chewing, he could hurt is throat, so he'll be eating soft foods like pudding for a while.

D.W. How long is 'a while?'

JANE At least a week, maybe longer.

D.W. pouts as the scene fades.

INT. THE READ'S LIVING ROOM (WITH GRANDFATHER CLOCK) - DAY

Arthur and D.W. are playing checkers at the coffee table.

D.W. finishes making her move.

D.W. Do you want something to eat, Arthur?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Sure D.W., how about a freezy-pop?

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - DAY

D.W. enters the kitchen, where Jane is doing some paperwork.

D.W. Mom, Arthur and I want freezy-pops, could we have some?

JANE Sure, I'll get you some.

Jane gets up and opens the freezer, taking out the box of freezy-pops.

She removes a single red freezy-pop.

JANE Oh, there's only one red one left, the rest are orange and purple.

D.W. OK, I'll take it-

D.W. pauses.

D.W. I'll take it to Arthur, and I'll have a purple one.

JANE That's very nice of you, D.W.

D.W. begins to walk away, but she turns back to Jane.

D.W. Mom, aren't you worried that Arthur's going to need husky pants again after eating all of this dessert?

JANE No D.W., Arthur's body actually needs all of the energy and sugar in these foods to help repair his throat faster.

D.W. nods and begins to walk away again, but turns again.

D.W. But what if the freezy-pop hurts his throat? Maybe we should just give him some juice.

JANE D.W., if you really want the red freezy-pop, you can just say so.

D.W. smiles shyly; she did not think her plan would be discovered.

D.W. No, that's OK, I'll give it to Arthur.

INT. THE READ'S LIVING ROOM (WITH GRANDFATHER CLOCK) - DAY

D.W. gives the freezy-pop to Arthur.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Thanks, D.W.

D.W. So Arthur, how long are you going to keep eating pudding and freezy-pops?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) I don't know, but I'm not exactly complaining. Even though my throat still hurts, at least I get to eat food like this!

FADE TO:

INT. ARTHUR'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Arthur is in bed, being tucked in by his dad.

DAVID Goodnight, Arthur.

ARTHUR Night, Dad.

David turns off the light and leaves the room.

FADE TO:

INT. ARTHUR'S ROOM - MORNING

Arthur wakes up and puts on his glasses. He looks at the clock.

SHOT: CLOCK, READING 8:14

ARTHUR (To Self, Hoarsely) Oh no! I'm late for school!

Arthur hastily gets ready for school, similar to how he did in "Arthur's Underwear"

Arthur dashes out of his room.

INT. THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS - MORNING

Arthur can be seen running down the stairs. He quickly dashes into the kitchen.

INT. THE READ'S KITCHEN - MORNING

Arthur suddenly stops in his tracks when he notices David in the kitchen, next to a pot on the stove.

DAVID Oh, good morning, Arthur! How did you sleep?

ARTHUR (Confused, Hoarsely) Dad? What are you doing? I'm late for school, it's Monday!

David laughs.

DAVID Arthur, you can't go to school yet, the doctors said that you'll need to recover at home for a while.

David looks down at the pot.

DAVID Now, how about some oatmeal?

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Ummm, sure.

Arthur sits at the table and begins to eat his oatmeal.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. THE READ'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

Arthur is sitting on the couch, he is reading a book.

D.W. enters the room.

D.W. Why are you back from school so early?

Arthur looks up from his book.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) I didn't go to school today, the doctors said that I need to let my throat heal.

The doorbell rings.

Arthur gets up and walks to the door.

INT. THE HOUSE ENTRANCE - DAY

Arthur opens the door. Once again, Buster is standing in the doorway.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Hi Buster. You didn't bring any soda this time, did you?

BUSTER No, I brought something less fun: Homework.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely, Slightly Disappointed) Oh, I forgot that I'd still have to do homework.

Arthur takes the stack of homework from Buster.

BUSTER So how's your throat? Everyone at school wants to know.

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) It's still hurting, but I think it's starting to feel better. I still can't eat anything except pudding, oatmeal, and other soft things.

BUSTER Look on the bright side: you get to eat as much pudding as you want!

ARTHUR (Hoarsely) Yeah, I guess that's pretty good. Tell everyone I said hi, I'll probably be back at school soon.

Arthur closes the door and walks away.

ZOOM IN: CALENDAR IN THE ENTRANCE.

The calender has all dates up to March 11th X'ed out.

After a FADE, a more Xs have been added, up until the 16th of March.

FADE TO:

INT. THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS - MORNING

Arthur is walking down the stairs when the phone rings.

He runs down the remaining stairs and answers the phone.

Arthur's voice is no longer hoarse.

ARTHUR (To Phone) Hello?

BUSTER (On Phone) Arthur? Are you still alive? You haven't been at school all week!

ARTHUR (To Phone) Tell me about it! It's terrible! I haven't eaten any real food since the surgery, and I've just been sitting at home!

BUSTER (On Phone) Well, that doesn't sound so bad.

ARTHUR (To Phone) It wasn't at first, but it got boring after a few days.

BUSTER (On Phone) Any idea when you'll be able to eat normal food and go back to school again?

ARTHUR (To Phone) Actually, we're going to the Doctor's office soon to have them check my throat. Hopefully, they'll tell me that I can eat and go to school again.

BUSTER (On Phone) That great! Tell me how it goes.

FADE TO:

INT. A HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Arthur is sitting on the table in the middle of the room.

Jane, David, and D.W. all sit in chairs in the room.

Dr. Greenberg enters.

DR. GREENBERG Hello Arthur! How is your throat holding up?

ARTHUR It's a lot better than before, it was horrible right after the surgery!

DR. GREENBERG Well, let's take a look at it.

Dr. Greenberg examines Arthur's throat. He also does a few general checks, similar to a normal check up.

DR. GREENBERG Well Arthur, I would have to say that you are healing very well.

ARTHUR So can I go back to school and eat normal food now?

DR. GREENBERG You can go back to school, yes. You can also eat most foods, but I would still say nothing like chips or pretzels.

Arthur smiles as the scene fades.

TRANSITION TO:

INT. THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA - DAY

Arthur is back at school, he is sitting in the cafeteria with his normal group.

Arthur has a tray in front of him, on it is a hamburger and a drink.

The scene comes in as Arthur is finishing the telling of his tonsillectomy tale.

ARTHUR So now my throat isn't hurting as much, and the doctor said that I can eat almost anything I want!

BUSTER

So does that mean that you aren't going to give me your food anymore? Because that hamburger looks really good.

ARTHUR Sorry Buster, this one's mine!

Arthur takes a bite of his Hamburger as the scene fades.

FADE TO BLACK