Birthday Girl Page #15

ALEXEI:

What do you mean?

NADIA:

You know what I mean babe, It's

enough. We can stop.

ALEXEI:

Do you want to stop?

NADIA:

Yes.

ALEXEI:

We'll stop then.

They kiss. He takes her hand, and notices the tie marks on

her wrists.

ALEXEI:

What's this?

NADIA:

It's nothing. I burnt myself.

ALEXEI:

That's not a burn.

NADIA:

It is. I did it cooking.

They sit there looking at each other.

ALEXEI:

On both wrists?

Nadia looks back at him. The seconds pass.

NADIA:

What? I did it cooking.

Alexei studies her face. She pulls a face. He keeps staring.

NADIA:

What?

They sit there in silence. Alexei is so big, and she is so

small.

NADIA:

Listen, I made you something.

Nadia leans over the bed, and searches in her bag. Alexei

watches her closely. She comes back up with the jumper she

has knitted.

NADIA:

Put it on.

He looks at the jumper, then back at her.

NADIA:

It's taken me weeks. I want to see

you in it.

She starts pulling at his shirt. Eventually he pulls the

jumper on. It fits perfectly.

NADIA:

Do you like it?

ALEXEI:

Yeah.

He is still staring at her.

NADIA:

Say thank you.

ALEXEI:

Thank you.

She takes his hands. He is still looking at her. He strokes

his hair. He places his big hand around her throat and holds

it there, holding her at arms length. She doesn't react, but

just looks levelly back at him. They sit like this for about

ten seconds, looking at each other.

NADIA:

We're going to have a baby.

Alexei seems not to relax. He keeps his hand there.

ALEXEI:

What?

NADIA:

You heard what I said. I'm pregnant.

I've been throwing up for weeks.

Alexei removes his hand. Now he seems shocked. He lights a

cigarette.

NADIA:

We're having a baby.

Pause.

ALEXEI:

A baby? What are we supposed to do

with a baby?

NADIA:

Name it.

She comes to him and holds him. He is still absorbing the

news.

We see Alexei's face over her shoulder, behind her back,

unreadable. Behind his back she rubs her wrists.

INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT

Some hours later, it's dark outside. John still tied to the

bidet. The door opens a crack and somebody slips inside. We

hear the toilet seat go down. As his eyes adjust he can dimly

see Nadia sitting on the toilet. She doesn't look at him. As

she finishes she finally turns and holds his eye. She stands

and slips out the door, leaving him alone.

EXT. DUAL CARRIAGEWAY - NIGHT

Cars crawl by on the road outside, their tail-lights

stretching over the hill.

The shot processes and fades into dawn and light.

The early morning commuters now use the carriageway.

INT. BATHROOM - DAY

Bright sunlight pours through a high window. John is still

on the toilet. He begins to try to struggle free.

After a great deal of fierce deadpan shimmying and pulling,

he succeeds in loosening his bindings. Freeing an arm, he

yanks the duct tape from his mouth and sits there panting.

The first thing he does is take a pee, then he drinks handfuls

of water. He catches his reflection but can't look at himself.

INT. MAIN ROOM - DAY

John collapses in an armchair, rubbing his eyes. He looks

shattered.

The Russians have gone.

INT. MOTEL BATHROOM - DAY

John in the shower, just standing there, letting the water

hit him.

INT. MOTEL MAIN SUITE - DAY

John dries himself in silence. He pulls on his trousers,

sits down to do his socks. One sock on, he walks to the

smaller bedroom. He opens the door and peers inside.

INT. SMALLER MOTEL BEDROOM - DAY

Tied to the radiator, gagged with duct tape, is Nadia.

John looks down at her. She looks away as her eyes fill with

tears.

He sits on the bed facing her. They stay like that for a

long moment before he reaches over and starts untying her

knots. He peels the tape off her mouth. Suddenly he slaps

her across the face.

Her head hits the radiator. Nadia gasps hard from the shock

of the blow. Without warning she slaps his face, equally

hard.

This starts a long silent fight; kicking, hitting, biting, a

real struggle.

Its intensity is almost sexual, but has the edge of real

violence. They end up on opposite sides of the room, both

panting, hurt and beaten.

NADIA:

(in English)

Great. You've split my f***in, lip.

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