COFFEY (O.S.)

Boss? Needs ta see ya down here.

PAUL

This is not a good time, John

Coffey. Not a good time at all.

COFFEY (O.S.)

But I needs ta see ya, boss. I

needs ta talk t'ya.

Paul sighs. Things couldn't get much worse than this. He

rises with a supreme effort, walks painfully down the Mile...

COFFEY'S CELL

...and finds Coffey waiting at his bars.

COFFEY

Closer.

PAUL

I'm alone here right now, John.

Figure this is close enough.

COFFEY

Boss, please. I got to whisper in

your ear.

Paul blinks. Maybe it's the fever clouding his brain, or

maybe...hell, is this what being hypnotized is like? He tries

to shake the sensation off, comes a little closer.

DEL

Boss? You know you not s'pose to

do dat.

PAUL

Mind your business, Del. What do

you want, John Coffey?

COFFEY

Just to help.

His hand shoots out, grabs Paul by the collar, jerks him

close. Paul makes a panic-grab for his revolver...

...but Coffey lays his free hand atop Paul's, eases his grip

from the gun--no need for that. Coffey's hand then drifts

slowly down, easing to Paul's crotch...

PAUL

(stunned, frozen)

What are you...doing?

...and something goes WHUMP through Paul's body. He arches

back with his mouth agape and arms outstretched as a rush of

energy seems to pass from Paul through Coffey's hand...

...and then it's over. Paul comes back to the real world,

weak against the bars, realizes Del is hollering in his cell:

DEL

HELP! JOHN COFFEY'S KILLING BOSS

EDGECOMB! HELP!

PAUL

Del, Chrissake, settle down, I'm

fine...

It dawns on him that he really is fine. Fever's gone. So is

the pain in his groin. John Coffey, though, seems to be

having trouble. He sits down on his bunk, bends forward,

gagging like a man with a chicken bone caught in his throat.

PAUL

John? John, what's wrong?

Paul fumbles his keys to the lock, unsure if he should open

the door, watching the big man's contortions grow stronger

like a cat trying to cough up a hairball...

...and then comes an unpleasant, gagging/retching sound as

Coffey's lips draw back from his teeth in a kind of godawful

sneer...and he exhales a cloud of what look like tiny black

insects. They swirl furiously in front of his face, turn

white...and disappear. Paul just stares, stunned. Softly:

PAUL

What did you do, big boy? What did

you do to me?

COFFEY

I helped it. Didn't I help it?

PAUL

Yes, but...how?

Coffey shrugs--it's something that just is.

COFFEY

Just took it back, is all. Awful

tired now, boss. Dog tired.

He rolls onto his bunk, faces the wall. Paul just stares at

him, stunned. He turns and walks up the Mile, his stiffness

and pain now gone. Del watches him go by, also stunned:

DEL

What dat man do to you? He throw

some gris-gris on you?

(off Paul's look)

You look diff'int! Even walk

diff'int. Like y'all better!

PAUL

You're imagining thing. Lie down,

Del. Get you some rest.

Paul continues up the Mile...