Breathe Page #14

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 78A.

CLEMENT AITKENYou want to get out, give me ashout!

All the wheelchair-bound patients shout as loud as they can.

LATER -Diana is wheeling Robin across the car park to theirvan. Clement Aitken walks alongside Robin. Bloggs followsbehind.

ROBIN:

How many thousands worldwide?

CLEMENT AITKENTens of thousands. Maybe more. Noone’s ever believed it’s possibleto live as you do.

ROBIN:

So we should show them.

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DIANAWhat do you want now, Robin? Aworld tour?

She’s not serious. But Clement Aitken comes to a stop.

CLEMENT AITKENOf course! There’s a Europeanconference coming up in Germany, onseverely disabled living. All theso-called key experts will bethere. Oh, my giddy aunt! If theycould only see you...

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121A INT. RECEPTION, GERMAN HOTEL -NIGHT 121A

Bloggs is at reception, filling in forms. Diana, ColinCampbell, Clement Aitken and Harry Tennyson stand round Robinin his wheelchair. The GERMAN RECEPTIONIST keeps glancing atRobin.

BLOGGSThere. All done.

GERMAN RECEPTIONISTI think he should be in a hospital,

no?

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 79A.

BLOGGSYou’re quite right. No.

Beaming, he takes the room keys.

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COLIN CAMPBELLYou did check we’d be able to getthe wheelchair in, didn’t you,

Bloggs?

BLOGGSOf course I did. What do you takeme for?

122 INT. GERMAN HOTEL -NIGHT 122

Robin’s wheelchair jammed in the doorway to the bedroom.

Bloggs, Harry and Colin all trying to force it through,

watched by Clement Aitken and Diana.

CLEMENT AITKENWon’t go through. You’re not goingto make it.

BLOGGSOne more heave.

HARRY TENNYSONClem’s right.

BLOGGSNobody told me I was supposed tomeasure doorways.

COLIN CAMPBELLHalf an inch is all we need.

ROBINWe could take off the inner doorframe.

They look at each other. A burst of laughter.

BLOGGSShh! They’ll catch us.

ROBINDiana’s got tools.

They all look at Diana.

DIANAYou want tools?

LATER:

Wielding a hammer and screwdriver, Bloggs eases the last ofthe inner frame off the doorway. The wheelchair passes intothe room.

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COLIN CAMPBELLQuick. Close the door before anyonefinds out.

The door closes behind them. From within comes another burstof laughter.

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125A EXT. COUNTRY ROAD, GERMANY -DAY 125A

The van is now making their way down a country road betweentrees. They turn off and drive up to a manned barrier beforea grim-looking institutional building.

Clement Aitken speaks in German to the gatekeeper.

CLEMENT AITKENWir haben einen Termin mit demDirektor, Dr Langdorf.

The gatekeeper nods and raises the barrier. The van drive up

to the front of the building.

IN VAN:

CLEMENT AITKENI want you to see this, Robin. Letme go in first. You may come assomething of a shock.

125B INT. GERMAN HOSPITAL -DAY 125B

The German Director of the hospital, DR ERIK LANGDORF, comes

striding across the hallway to greet Clement Aitken.

DR LANGDORFDr Aitken, this is an honour. I amErik Langdorf, I am the director.

CLEMENT AITKENMy associates.

A glance back at Bloggs and Harry, who nod enigmatically. Dr

Langdorf leads the way.

DR LANGDORF:

Please.

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CLEMENT AITKENI’ve heard so much about your carefor the severely disabled. Thishospital is famous!

Dr Langdorf leads Clement Aitken, Bloggs and Harry into along ward. It’s spotlessly clean and orderly.

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Silent staff patrol the long lines of beds, where patientslie alongside hissing respirators. Everything is state of theart.

CLEMENT AITKENSuch excellent modern machinery!

And everything so clean! Such cleanmachines!

DR LANGDORFBest in Germany. Possibly the bestin the world. Our patients have anmedian life expectancy of sevenyears. We have one who has beenwith us for twelve years.

Clement Aitken turns and give a signal. Robin enters in hiswheelchair, pushed by Diana, accompanied by Colin Campbell.

Dr Langdorf sees him, and falls silent in shock.

Robin gazes at the patients in the silent ward.

ROBIN:

(to Diana)

Push me down the ward.

Diana pushes Robin past the beds where the polio patientslie, their respirators hissing away, keeping them alive. Thepatients gaze back at him with dulled eyes. The system hasrendered them entirely passive.

DR LANGDORFI don’t understand. The chair has arespirator? Is it safe?

A white-coated HOSPITAL OFFICIAL comes hurrying in.

GERMAN HOSPITAL OFFICIALEs tut mir so leid, Herr Direktor.

Ich habe ihnen gesagt, dass siegehen m.ssen. Wenn er hier aufunserem Gel.nde sterben w.rde…..

Dr Langdorf gives a jump of alarm.

DR LANGDORFSterben? Hier? Er muss gehen! Ermuss sofort raus hier!

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The official hurries down the ward and steers Diana and Robinback towards the exit. Dr Langdorf stares at Robin in hischair as he comes back towards him.

DR LANGDORFI’m sorry. He must leave.

CLEMENT AITKENOf course he must. How stupid ofme.

DR LANGDORFPlease understand we are adepartment of the Bundesministeriumdes Innern. If anything were tohappen...

CLEMENT AITKENThe Ministry of the Interior? Likeour Home Office. Don’t they run theprisons too?

DR LANGDORFI believe so.

Dr Langdorf doesn’t hear him, staring anxiously at Robin asDiana wheels him past him out of the ward. Clement puts outhis hand to shake.

CLEMENT AITKENThank you so much, Dr Langdorf. Ido hope we’ll be seeing you at theconference.

He leads his group out, exchanging glances with them as theygo: mission accomplished.

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Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 84.

127 INT. CONFERENCE HALL, MUNICH -DAY 127

The hall is packed with delegates. A banner reads: MANAGINGTHE LIVES OF THE SEVERELY DISABLED. Bloggs, Harry and Colinhave side seats. Dr Langdorf is near the front.

Clement Aitken is at the podium, the conference Chairman to

one side.

CLEMENT AITKEN:

May I begin by noting an

interesting fact. At this

conference on managing the lives of

the severely disabled, there are no

disabled people present.

CONFERENCE CHAIRMAN

Dr Aitken, forgive me. The severely

disabled are on life support

machines. How can they be present?

Clement Aitken beckons into the wings. Robin rolls onto the

stage, pushed by Diana. A gasp from the delegates.

CLEMENT AITKEN:

Allow me to introduce -Mr Robin

Cavendish.

He places a microphone for Robin.

ROBINGood afternoon.

The chairman and the delegates gape in amazement.

CLEMENT AITKEN:

Robin, tell the conference how long

you’ve been paralysed.

ROBINFifteen years.

CLEMENT AITKEN:

You’re kept alive by a mechanical

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