8/15/2019 Sides - The Messenger

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The Messenger

WILL MONTGOMERY, Staf Sergeant, 26, is looking up.

!"T!IN !NT#ONY $TONY% STONE, &'s, (usta)*e, s*a+e *ea - a r/, orl - ear/)ollege gra uate *o 0oine t*e !r(/ on a lark an so(e*o ne+er le1t. Ton/ )*e)ks *is

at)*.

TONY

We’re just there for the notification.

Not God. No heaven.

Will looks at Tony. Something about this guy is off.

He’s sizing Will up, cold, professional.

DORSETT

The job is about character. I’ve had soldiers goout on notification and break into stutters. Menso nervous they read from a script, or get thename. The address. Too many tears.

Tony shakes his head.

DORSETT (cont’d)I need men of solid stature. Articulate.Compassionate. Men who lead with their hearts.You’re a model soldier. You saved your buddies.Hell, you’re a goddamn hero.

Will starts saying something-- changes his mind.

8/15/2019 Sides - The Messenger

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The MessengerTONY

Casualty is a soldier who’s been...

(reading:)“killed, wounded, missing, captured, beleagueredor besieged”. Course our job’s mainly aboutkilled. Will rubs his eyes over and over.

TONY (cont'd)What you actually need to do is pretty simple.Read the guidebook. Learn the script, stick to thescript. Fill in the blanks from the casualtyreport. Can you do that?

Will nods. Tony smiles slightly - we’ll see.

TONY (cont’d)

Never say stuff like “lost”, or

“expired” or “passed away” - things peoplemisunderstand. I know a guy once told this old

lady that her grandson was no longer with us. Shethought he defected to the enemy and startedcalling him a traitor.

Tony chuckles, shakes his head. Will nods.

TONY (cont’d)We need to be clear. Need to say

“killed”, or “died.” What we don’t say is “thebody”, or “the deceased.” We call each casualty byname. We honor them. You with me?

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The MessengerTONY (cont’d)

Don’t speak to anybody other than the Next of Kin.No friend, no neighbor, no co-worker or mistress.Hours of operation are 06:00 to 22:00 hours. Wedon’t want to wake anybody up in the middle of thenight – though if you ask me, hitting them withthe news at the crack of dawn is not exactly agreat way to start their day, breakfast-wise.

WILLWhat if the next of kin is not around?

TONY

We leave. We don’t wait. We don’t lurk. We comeback later. This is a zero defect mission. A purehit and git operation.

WILL

That it, sir?

TONYOne more thing. You do not touch

the N.O.K.

WILL

NOK.

TONYAvoid physical contact with the next of kin unlessit’s a medical emergency, like if they have aheart attack. You’re representing the Secretary ofthe Army, not Will Montgomery. So in case you feellike offering a hug or something - don’t. It’llonly get you in trouble.

8/15/2019 Sides - The Messenger

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The Messenger

WILLI’m not gonna offer any hugs. So... that’s it.

TONYNo. These are the rules. But that’s not the job.The job is about... something else. You gotta doit before you can understand.

Will taps his fingers nervously on the table. Tony stares at them. Willstops tapping.

TONYHey, Sergeant. One more thing.

Will stops. Turns.

TONY (cont’d)We make it our business to deliver the news within

24 hours from positive ID. The ideal is withinfour. We’re racing CNN, FOX, Drudge Report, what-have-you. Not to mention any soldier with a cellphone or a webcam. The whole point is we gotta bethere first. So, if you’re in bed, or church, orthe ballet, this baby stays on.

He extracts a pager from his pocket. Hands it to Will. Then produces hisown beeper, sets it off. THE RING TONE HAS BEEN CUSTOMIZED TO SOUND LIKEFUNEREAL CHURCH BELLS.

WILLYou gotta be kidding me.

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The MessengerTONY

Tried and true. Long battery life too. Can’t bebeat.

Suddenly, they hear THE SOUND OF “RETREAT” PLAYED BY A BUGLE OVER THE BASEPUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEM.

TONY (cont’d)I know what you’re thinking.

Will blinks -- so Tony’s a mind reader...

TONY (cont’d)

You’re thinking: ‘shit, I’m a goddamn decoratedwar hero with three months left to serve and theydraft me into the angels of death squadron. I geta beeper, a canned speech, and a lunaticcommanding officer to surf a fuckin’ ocean ofgrief. Am I right?

WILL

More or less, sir.

(a beat) Am I right?

Tony smiles. Doesn’t answer. Maybe.