Breathe Page #10

Tid carries the soaking screaming child back.

TIDHe’s all right. He’s fine.

ROBINMy fault... I’m sorry.

ON ROBIN -Gazing at his frightened screaming son.

Overwhelmed with the awareness of his own powerlessness.

77 INT. ROBIN AND DIANA’S BEDROOM, FURLONGS -NIGHT 77

Jonathan enters in his pyjamas, all alone. Comes to Robin’s

bedside.

ROBINCome to say goodnight?

JONATHANSorry, Daddy.

ROBINYou must be careful, you know.

Jonathan nods, gazingly solemnly back at him.

ROBIN:

Don’t want any accidents... Don’t

want you hurt.

JONATHANDon’t want you hurt.

The little boy reaches out one hand and strokes hisfather’s face. He’s imitating what he’s seen his mother doso many times. Robin smiles, very touched.

78 INT. DRAWING ROOM, FURLONGS -DAY 78

It’s winter, and very cold in the drafty old house. Ice onthe windowpanes. Robin is wrapped in blankets in hiswheelchair, and wears a hat and mittens. Diana, also wellwrapped, is carrying out the chore of sucking the fluid fromhis lungs.

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She’s so used to this now that she can talk while she works.

Robin of course can’t speak, his breathing suspended untilshe’s done.

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DIANA:

Bloggs told me the other day that

all our friends were convinced

I’d give up on you. Apparently

they saw me as some kind of

pampered nitwit.

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She finishes and reinstates the breathing tube.

ROBIN:

You were a pampered nitwit.

DIANADidn’t stop you running after me.

ROBIN:

I’ve got nothing against

nitwits... so long as they’re

pretty.

DIANAWell, you’re stuck with me now.

ROBINJust think... All those affairs Icould have had.

DIANA:

And me.

ROBIN:

It’s not too late.

DIANAWhat, and come back to find you’vepopped off while I’m out?

ROBINYes, that would rather spoil theparty.

JONATHAN comes in, now FIVE YEARS OLD, carrying a photographalbum. He too is well wrapped.

JONATHAN:

Look! I found Daddy!

CLOSE SHOTS of black-and-white photographs in an album:

pictures of Robin in uniform, surrounded by friends from hisregiment, the Greenjackets.

Diana goes to look at the album.

DIANAThat’s Daddy when he was a soldier.

JONATHAN:

Daddy’s a soldier!

He turns the page. Now the photographs show Diana and Robinin Kenya, surrounded by elephants.

DIANAThis is us in Africa, where youwere born.

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Jonathan doesn’t even notice the contrast between hisfather then and now. He likes the wild animals.

JONATHAN:

Wow! Elephants! You saw

elephants!

ON DIANA -Finding it painful to look at the pictures. She

looks up and meets Robin’s eyes.

JONATHANYou were luck-ee-ee.

He settles down on the floor, absorbed by the photographs.

Diana leaves Jonathan looking at the album, and returns toRobin. She’s smiling but she has tears in her eyes. She bendsdown to kiss him. Her tears slightly moisten his cheek. Shebrushes the wetness from his face.

JONATHANI wish I could go to Africa.

DIANADo you, darling?

She goes on gazing down at Robin. She mouths silently to him,

Sorry. He mouths back: Me too.

DIANAI’d better sort out tea.

79 SCENE DELETED 79

79A INT. KITCHEN, FURLONGS -DAY 79A

Diana puts on the kettle, and then stands by the kitchentable, holding it as if to steady herself, and closes hereyes. Sometimes it just feels too hard.

She hears the voices coming faintly from the drawing room.

JONATHAN (O.S.)

Can we go to Africa, Daddy?

ROBIN (O.S.)

That would be fun.

JONATHAN (O.S.)

I could push you.

ROBIN (O.S.)

Rather a long way to push me.

JONATHAN (O.S.)

I don’t mind.

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79B INT. DRAWING ROOM, FURLONGS -DAY 79B

Diana carries the tea tray in. Jonathan goes for the cake atonce. As Diana pours tea for herself and Robin

ROBINThis chair pushing... Just how hardis it, over a long distance?

DIANAHarder than a pram, I can tell you.

ROBIN:

(to Jonathan)

Well, Jonathan... We’re going tohave to do some more thinking.

80 SCENE DELETED 80

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81 EXT. FURLONGS -DAY 81

ON ROBIN -Grinning as he rises slowly upwards.

He’s in his wheelchair, which is on the powered tail-gate ofa converted Bedford van. The MECHANIC who has built it is nowshowing Robin and Diana how it works.

MECHANICAs per your design, Mr Cavendish.

Takes up to three hundred pounds.

The tail-gate reaches the van’s floor level. The mechanicrolls Robin and his chair into the back of the van, andcloses the rear doors.

MECHANIC:

(to Diana)

Hydraulic lifting mechanism. Youwon’t see that on a Bedfordanywhere else.

IN THE VAN -Robin looks round the enclosed space.

Outside, the mechanic repeats the process in reverse. Robinis wheeled back out.

MECHANIC(proud)

What do you think?

ROBINIt’s wonderful... But it has adesign fault.

MECHANICWhat’s that?

ROBINIt’s rather dark in the back...

It makes me feel like luggage.

MECHANIC:

(taken aback)

I just thought -being as thewheelchair has to be got in -theback seemed...

His voice falters under Robin’s steady gaze.

ROBINHave you ever sat in the back ofthe van?

MECHANICMe? Well, no. But then I’m not I’m

not

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ROBIN:

Luggage?

(Beat)

Please don’t think I’m notgrateful... I suppose it has to bethis way.

MECHANICYou want to sit in the front?

ROBINWould it be very difficult toarrange?

MECHANICI suppose if I took our the frontseat...

He’s peering at the space in the front, working out how itcould be done.

ROBINYou’ve done such marvellous work onthe tail lift.

82 EXT. COUNTRY ROAD -DAY 82

HIGH ANGLE -Down the road comes the Bedford van.

IN THE VAN -Diana driving. And beside her, in thepassenger seat space, Robin in his wheelchair. The slidingdoor is open beside him, the wind blowing in his hair.

Jonathan sits behind with Benjy. The respirator hissesaway, drawing its power from the car battery.

Robin loves the open spaces, the wind, the freedom. Hestarts to sing in his croaky voice

ROBINWhen I get to heaven... tie me to atree...

For I’ll begin to roam and soon...

You’ll know where I will be...

Diana and Jonathan laugh and join in as he sings.

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ROBIN/DIANA/JONATHANI was bo-orn...

Under a wand’rin’ star...

A wand’rin’, wand’rin’ star...

CRANE UP to see the road and a wide view of the surroundingcountryside as the Bedford van drives on.

83 SCENE DELETED 83

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84 SCENE DELETED 84

84A SCENE DELETED 84A

84B SCENE DELETED 84B

85 EXT. GARDEN, FURLONGS -DAY 85

Some years have passed. It’s now 1970.

A crowd of friends fills the garden. JONATHAN, NOW TENYEARS OLD, is playing cricket in the field beside thegarden with a mix of his friends and older guests. A ringof small girls holds a dolls’ tea party, watched by Tid.

Bloggs Blacker is by the terrace table, hacking at a ham,

talking to Teddy Hall. David Blacker carries plates of foodto guests, among them Colin Campbell and RORY STEWART, agood-looking man in his 40s.

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