Breathe Page #8

arms but the dog wriggles free. Jonathan topples over, trying

to get him back. As he scrabbles about on the floor he pulls

unknowingly on the power cord.

The respirator stops.

Robin, helpless in bed, makes a clicking noise in his mouth:

his distress signal.

Jonathan, entirely unaware of the crisis, chases after Benjy.

Dog and child run out of the room.

Robin’s eyes show his mounting fear. He keeps making the

clicking noise. He can hear the radio playing in the kitchen.

A squeal of pain from Jonathan in the hall.

DIANA (O.S.)

Jonathan! Are you all right?

The seconds are passing. Robin’s eyes close. He stops makinghis noise.

Diana’s footsteps in the hall. Jonathan whimpering.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 44.

DIANA (O.S.)

It’s just a bump. No damage done.

Here, I’ll kiss it better.

Now at last she comes into Robin’s room.

DIANARobin -Oh my God!

She races for the machine, finds the plug, pushes it back in.

The regular hissing begins again. Robin opens his eyes.

DIANAI’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.

ROBINThat was interesting.

DIANAHow did it happen?

ROBIN:

Jonathan... Fell over... Just an

accident.

She puts out one hand, still shaky from the shock, to stroke

his cheek.

The distant roar of an engine

68 EXT. FURLONGS -DAY 68

A pale blue Mercedes convertible sweeps across the lawn in

front of the house.

IN CAR -The driver is a big genial eccentric, TEDDY HALL.

On the passenger seat beside him in a cardboard box sixbottles of wine rattle and clink.

69 INT. ROBIN’S BEDROOM, FURLONGS -DAY 69

Teddy Hall works a corkscrew into a bottle of wine. ColinCampbell lights two candles on a birthday cake. There’s asmall party happening round Robin’s bed. Diana has littleJonathan on her lap in his best clothes, while Tid looks on.

Friends from Kenya are here: Mary Dawnay and KatherineBaring. And of course Bloggs and David Blacker.

TEDDY HALL:

Best claret I’ve got. Spent the

war in my air raid shelter.

POP! Out comes the cork. Teddy Hall fills the glasses he’s

also brought with him.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 45.

BLOGGSLooks like a good drop, Teddy.

TEDDY HALLIt is good. Good wine deservesgood glasses.

He gives Diana a glass

TEDDY HALL:

For the lovely Diana.

And glasses for the others.

TEDDY HALLMary. Katherine. Bloggs. David.

Tid?

Tid shakes her head.

TID:

No, no, not for me.

DIANA:

Tid only drinks Dubonnet.

TID:

And only on my birthday.

Diana arranges Robin’s glass with a straw that he canreach. Teddy raises his glass.

TEDDY HALLTo Jonathan. Happy birthday.

ALL:

To Jonathan.

ON LITTLE JONATHAN -Gazing back, enjoying the attention.

DIANA(to Jonathan)

Now you blow out the candles.

She helps Jonathan blow out the candles. They all clap.

Jonathan claps.

Diana starts cutting up the cake. Teddy Hall studies therespirator. Robin sips wine through a straw.

ROBINI wonder what it would be like toget drunk... given that I’mlegless already.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 45A.

TEDDY HALL:

What you have to do with mechanical

devices is stress-test them. Find

their breaking point.

BLOGGS:

Interesting experiment, Teddy. Of

course, Robin would die. But you’d

probably be able to improve the

machine.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 46.

DAVIDAll progress has its price.

Teddy Hall is too intrigued by the machine to hear this.

TEDDY HALLThe weak link is the power supply.

Power can fail. Power frequentlyfails.

MARY DAWNAY:

Do stop it, Teddy.

TEDDY HALL:

Just hypothesising.

BLOGGS:

It is his job.

DAVIDHe’s an Oxford professor. He hasn’tgot a job.

DIANAThere’s nothing to worry about.

It can be worked by hand.

MARY DAWNAY:

What about in the night?

DIANA:

I’m here.

KATHARINE BARINGBut you have to sleep some time.

DIANAIf Robin needs me, he wakes me.

BLOGGSHe makes this noise, like a duck.

He makes a quacking sound.

DAVID:

More like a chicken.

He makes a clucking sound.

Robin makes his own clicking noise in his mouth. They alllook at him.

ROBINNot much, is it? I’d rather have abell.

He sees Teddy Hall watching him closely.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 47.

TEDDY HALLWhat can you move?

Robin moves everything that moves: mouth, tongue, eyebrows.

BLOGGSYou can move your head. I’ve seenyou do it.

Teddy holds his palms on either side of Robin’s head.

TEDDY HALLMove your head.

Robin moves his head. It’s such a small move it’s almostinvisible.

TEDDY HALLI think I can have some fun withthat.

70 INT. TEDDY HALL’S WORKSHOP -DAY 70

The large workshop is cluttered with machine tools, partsof clocks, electrical devices, and all sorts of litter. Inthe midst of all this, Teddy Hall is at work bodging up apadded lever connected to a bell. He’s setting itssensitivity, making it so that a very slight pressure ringsthe bell.

71 EXT. GARDEN, FURLONGS -DAY 71

Little Jonathan races round and round the lawn, chased byBenjy. Tid sits on a garden chair reading a detectivenovel. Jonathan’s push chair stands empty beside her.

Jonathan charges up to the French windows to Robin’s roomand presses his face to the window panes. He bangs on theglass.

72 INT. ROBIN’S ROOM, FURLONGS -DAY 72

Jonathan’s cheery little face outside the window, smilingand banging. The eternal wheeze and clank of therespirator.

Robin is in bed, studying stock prices, the Financial Timesopen on a rack before him. A heap of old copies of theFinancial Times lies on the floor.

He hears Jonathan banging and smiles for him. Then hewinces. He moves his head. We now see Teddy Hall’sapparatus fixed to the bedhead enables him to sound a bell.

Diana appears.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 48.

DIANA:

Bottle?

ROBIN:

Please.

Diana takes a cloth-covered glass urine bottle from atable, draws back Robin’s bedclothes, and carefullyarranges him so he can relieve himself.

We hear the sound as he pees.

ROBINYou know the Marconi shares Ibought?... Justin’s hot tip...

They’ve almost doubled in price.

DIANAI hope Justin gets something out ofit.

ROBINOf course he does... He gets theagreeable sensation of havinghelped... someone less fortunatethan himself.

DIANAPoor Robin, paralysed for life.

ROBINAnd his poor wife. I hear she’s asaint.

They grin at each other a little guiltily: making fun ofother people’s pity.

A squeal of laughter outside, a burst of yapping. Robinlooks out of the French windows.

ROBIN’S POV -Jonathan has got hold of his push chair. He’spushing it busily up and down the terrace, followed byBenjy.

He finishes peeing. Diana removes the bottle, straightensthe bed, heads for the door.

Robin watches little Jonathan racing his push chair on theterrace.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 49.

ROBINCall Teddy, darling... I’ve hadan idea.

73 INT. TEDDY HALL’S WORKSHOP -DAY 73

CLOSE ON a metal frame onto which has been bolted anelectric motor and a bellows. A bicycle chain links thetwo. Wires run to a 12 volt battery.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes