Deleted Scene: Magnolia, Frank Meets Phil

INT. EARL'S HOUSE - THAT MOMENT

      The DOGS go crazy barking.  Phil walks away from Earl and answers
     the door.  Frank standing there.  Phil looks a bit surprised and
     fumbles a moment...They stand in doorway and speak very quietly;

                                 PHIL
                      Hello.  Frank.  Frank TJ Mackey.

                                 FRANK
                      ...are you Phil...?

                                 PHIL
                      Yeah. I was trying to get in touch
                      with you.  We got disconnected.

                                 FRANK
                      I got your message.  That you were
                      trying to get me -- right?

                                 PHIL
                      Yes.  I didn't know how to find you.
                      Earl asked me, so I looked through
                      the address books and there was no number,
                      nothing --

                                 FRANK
                      Is Linda here?

                                 PHIL
                      She's not here, she went out.
                      I'm sorry.  This is all just so,
                      I don't know what, what to do -- your
                      Dad asked me to try and track you down.
                      To get you and I did, I called the number --
                      Do you wanna come in?

                                 FRANK
                      Yeah let's...maybe just stand.

                                 PHIL
                      These Dogs'll calm down -- you just
                      have to come in --

      He steps in the door and the dogs start to settle down a bit.

                                 PHIL
                      He's in here.

                                 FRANK
                      Let's just wait one minute and stay here, okay?

 
                                PHIL
                      Ok.

      BEAT.  They stand in the foyer and the dogs eventually calm down
     and go away.  BEAT.

                                 FRANK
                      How long have you taken care of him?

                                 PHIL
                      For six months.  I'm the day nurse...

                                 FRANK
                      Uh-huh.  What's going on?

                                 PHIL
                      He's...I'm sorry...so sorry...I've seen
                      this before, you know and you don't....
                      He's going very fast....Frank...um....

                                 FRANK
                      Is he in pain?

                                 PHIL
                      I just...he was...but I gave him,
                      I just had to give him a small dose of
                      liquid morphine.  He hasn't been able to
                      swallow the morphine pills so we now,
                      I just had to go to the liquid morphine...
                      For the pain, you understand?

                                 FRANK
                      ...uh-huh...

      BEAT. Silence, then:

                                 FRANK
                      How long...you think?

                                 PHIL
                      Um...soon tonight...I think, yes?
                      Tomorrow...I mean...very soon...very...

                                 FRANK
                      When did he go off chemo?

                                 PHIL
                      About three weeks ago.

                                 FRANK
                      .....have you ever seen this..I mean,
                      never mind, you said --

                                 PHIL
                      I work as a nurse, for a profession --

                                 FRANK
                      Uh. huh.

                                 PHIL
                      I'm really sorry.

                                 FRANK
                      He's in here --?

                                 PHIL
                      Yeah.

      Phil starts to guide him, Frank holds him back.

                                 FRANK
                      No, let's just wait one minute,
                      let's just stand here one minute or so --

      BEAT.  They stand.  HOLD.

                                 PHIL
                      I've heard your tapes on the phone.

                                 FRANK
                      Oh yeah.

                                 PHIL
                      When they put me on hold, to
                      talk to you...they play the tapes.
                      I mean: I'd seen the commercials
                      and heard about you, but I'd never heard
                      the tapes ....

                                 FRANK
                      Uh. huh.

                                 PHIL
                      It's interesting.

                                 FRANK
                      Mmm.

      Long pause.  Then: