Breathe Page #5

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 23.

BLOGGSSorry. I’m not being very cleverhere.

Robin tries again. He’s mouthing three words. Bloggscatches the lips-together form of an M.

BLOGGS:

Mmm. ‘Mum’?

DAVIDWhy would he say ‘mum’?

BLOGGSMaybe he wants to see his mum.

DAVID:

(watching Robin)

Ma? Moo? Me?

Robin mouths ‘Yes’.

DAVID:

‘Me.’

Robin goes back to mouthing his three words.

BLOGGS:

Eh. Me. Aye.

DAVIDEh. ‘Get’ -is the first word‘get’?

BLOGGS:

Or ‘let’?

DAVID:

‘Let -me -lie’?

BLOGGSHe is lying. Sorry, Robin. You mustthink we’re awful chumps.

Robin mouths again. David suddenly gets it.

DAVID:

‘Let me die.’

Robin closes his eyes, sinks back exhausted.

BLOGGS:

Let me die.

DAVIDWell, that’s pretty bloody final, Imust say.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 24.

40 EXT. OXFORD -DAY 40

Diana walks through Oxford lanes with her brothers Bloggsand David. Students rattle past on bikes, dodging them asthey go. Diana is putting on a good face, refusing to besorry for herself.

BLOGGSDiana, darling. How can we help?

DIANAOh, I shall manage.

BLOGGSHow are you off for money?

DIANAI’ve got my share of what Motherleft us. That’ll keep us goingfor a while.

DAVIDTalking to Robin was rather likeone of those ghastly party gameswhere you don’t know the rules.

DIANAIt was clever of you to get him tosay anything at all.

Bloggs comes to a stop.

BLOGGSWhat he said was, ‘Let me die’.

Diana meets Bloggs’s eyes. Giving nothing away.

DIANAWell, we can’t, can we?

As they resume their progress down the lane

DAVIDDo you mean we can’t even thinksuch a thing, or we don’t know howto do it?

DIANABoth, I suppose.

BLOGGSMakes no odds, really. I had a sortof a word with the Consultant. Hewouldn’t hear of it.

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 25.

DAVIDNot what they do.

BLOGGSHe said it’s not a good way togo. Several minutes of agony.

DIANANo. I don’t want that.

BLOGGSOf course not.

DAVIDOn the other hand, you have alife too.

BLOGGSYou are allowed to think ofyourself.

41 INT. WARD, OXFORD HOSPITAL -DAY 41

Diana sits by Robin’s bed with her baby on her lap. Robinlies with his eyes open, but he’s not looking at either ofthem. The baby is fascinated by the rise and fall of therespirator.

DIANAHe couldn’t go on having no name.

I decided to call him Jonathan. Ihope that’s all right.

No response from Robin.

Diana watches him in silence.

DR ENTWISTLE now joins them accompanied by his entourage,

which includes Dr Khan. He checks his notes. Speaks inprofessionally cheerful tones.

DR ENTWISTLEWell, Mrs Cavendish. We do havesome progress to report.

DIANA:

Progress?

DR ENTWISTLEWe’re learning to swallow again.

DIANA:

We are?

DR ENTWISTLEIt’s more significant than itsounds.

(MORE)

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 26.

DR ENTWISTLE (CONT'D)

At present we have an inflatedcuff round our tracheotomy tube,

to stop food or drink going downour windpipe. If we can swallowagain, the cuff can be removed,

and air can get to the larynx.

Then we’ll be able to talk again.

Diana takes this in.

DIANAMight there be other progresstoo?

DR ENTWISTLEThis is about as good as it’sgoing to get, I’m afraid.

(to Robin)

How are we this morning?

Robin stares back at him in silence.

DIANAWe wish we were dead.

A twitch in Robin’s face. Was it a ghost of a smile?

DR ENTWISTLE(not listening)

Good, good.

Dr Entwistle moves on. He can be heard at the next bed,

speaking breezily to another paralysed patient, PADDY.

Paddy, a 40-year-old ex-soldier, is on a respirator likeRobin.

DR ENTWISTLEGood morning to you, Paddy.

Ticking along as usual, I see.

42 EXT. OXFORD HOSPITAL GARDEN -DAY 42

Diana sits on a rug in this open quadrangle, an area of baldgrass, watching over baby Jonathan as he wriggles on histummy beside her. Tid is pouring cups of tea for them from aThermos flask. Diana’s face is turned away from us.

Baby Jonathan manages a short burst of crawling.

TIDThere’s a young lad who’ll be onthe move before we know it.

Diana turns to her. Now we see the strain on her face.

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DIANAHe never looks at him, Tid. Hecan’t bear even to look at him.

TIDYou don’t know that.

DIANAYes, I do. I know everything he’sthinking. Each time I go there Ihope he’ll have changed. But hecan’t bear to look at his own

son.

TIDI loved my home, but when I left, Icouldn’t turn and look back. Iloved it too much.

DIANA:

Oh, Tid.

The baby makes gurgling noises.

TIDThere. Listen to him. He’ll betalking soon.

43 SCENE DELETED 43

Breathe -Pink Revision -28 June 2016 28.

44 INT. WARD, OXFORD HOSPITAL -NIGHT 44

ON ROBIN -Seen through a gap in the curtains that surroundhis bed. NURSE MARGARET, a smiley friendly young woman, israising Robin in a hoist, removing a used bedpan, wiping hisbottom.

Diana is on the other side of the curtains, watching every

move.

Robin is lowered back onto his bed.

NURSE MARGARETLet’s give you a suck, shall we?

She takes the breathing tube out of Robin’s neck andinserts a suction tube. A glugging sound as the fluid inhis lungs is drawn out into a container.

Diana, watching, holds her breath.

The breathing tube is re-inserted, and Robin breathes

again. So does Diana. Nurse Margaret makes him tidy.

NURSE MARGARETAll comfy now?

She pulls the curtains open. Paddy’s eyes follow the Nurse

with admiration.

Breathe -Pink Revision -28 June 2016 29.

Diana moves forward so that she’s on Robin’s eye-line.

DIANAThey tell me you’ve been learningto talk.

Robin gazes at her. His lips move, preparing to talk. Then,

slowly, slurring every growly word

ROBINI’m... sorry.

DIANAThat’s not what I want to hear.

ROBINYou... are... so... lovely.

Diana smiles.

DIANA:

Better.

Robin gazes at her a moment longer. Then his eyes close.

Diana reaches out one hand and strokes his head, his face.

Just sits there stroking him.

45 SCENE DELETED 45

46 SCENE DELETED 46

47 INT. WARD, OXFORD HOSPITAL -DAY 47

The HOSPITAL CHAPLAIN is visiting Robin, sitting close,

murmuring his professional consolations.

CHAPLAINAn old priest I knew once, a veryholy man, he used to say, ‘ThoseGod loves most he allows tosuffer most.’

Robin lies, eyes open, gazing up at the ceiling.

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CHAPLAINWe can’t know the mind of God. Wecan only know that whateverhappens to us is somehow part ofhis plan.

Robin makes a noise that might be a reply.

CHAPLAIN:

I’m sorry, I missed that.

ROBIN:

(indistinct)

Closer.

CHAPLAIN:

What’s that you say?

ROBIN:

Closer.

CHAPLAIN:

Yes. Right.

He moves his ear so that it’s near Robin’s lips.

Robin spits in the Chaplain’s ear. It’s a feeble attempt ata spit, but unmistakable. Paddy, in the next bed, sees it.

The Chaplain stands. He takes out a handkerchief, wipes hisear.

CHAPLAINYes. Well. I’ll be moving on.

He leaves Robin’s bedside, glancing round to see if anyoneelse saw what happened, and leaves. Paddy speaks so Robincan hear.

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