Breathe Page #9

Teddy connects the leads and the motor turns. The chain

drives, and the bellows rise and fall.

A few turns and the chain falls off.

TEDDY HALL:

Bugger.

CLOSE SHOTS -The motor’s position is adjusted -the chainis tightened. An aircraft seat is bolted on. Wheels for thecontraption come off a bicycle.

74 INT. DRAWING ROOM, FURLONGS -DAY 74

CLOSE ON a record player as the pick-up arm descends on a

spinning LP.

The SOUND OF TRUMPETS: the Grand March from Aida.

75 EXT. TERRACE, FURLONGS -DAY 75

The French windows to Robin’s room are wide open. To thesound of the Grand March, out comes a strange procession.

It’s led by Robin, seated in a home-made WHEELCHAIR with abattery-operated pump. Teddy Hall pushes the chair. Dianawalks alongside, watching closely to see that Robin’sbreathing tube stays in, and that the pump keeps pumping.

It makes a gentler sound than the static respirator. Tidand Jonathan and Benjy follow behind.

On the terrace a small crowd of friends applaud: Bloggs andDavid, Colin Campbell, Mary Dawnay, Katherine Baring, HarryTennyson.

ON ROBIN -Looking a little alarmed at being lurched about

but thrilled to bits.

The procession marches round the terrace to the stirringsound of Verdi’s trumpets, and comes to a stop in the midstof the crowd of smiling friends.

COLIN CAMPBELLThere’ll be no stopping him now.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 50.

MARY DAWNAYIt’s terrifying. What if itbreaks?

Diana and Teddy Hall study the respirator. It still seemsto be working.

DIANA:

(to Robin)

How does it feel?

ROBIN:

Wonderful.

TEDDY HALL:

A little fast?

ROBIN:

Perhaps a little.

Teddy clicks the lever on the bicycle gears that regulatethe chain. The machine pumps a little more slowly.

TEDDY HALL:

Better?

ROBIN:

Yes.

BLOGGSHow long will the battery last?

TEDDY HALLUp to three hours, we think.

HARRY TENNYSONIsn’t this a case where a littlemore certainty would beappropriate?

TEDDY HALL:

There’s a mains lead too.

ROBIN:

Teddy. You’re a genius.

TEDDY HALLTo be honest it all turned out tobe pretty basic. I used a bicyclechain and Sturmey Archer gears. Idon’t know why it hasn’t beendone before.

ROBINBecause you’re not a doctor...

There’s no one to tell you itcan’t be done.

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 51.

75A INT. OXFORD HOSPITAL -DAY 75A

Diana wheels Robin in his wheelchair into the hospital lobby.

DIANA:

We have an appointment with Dr

Khan. Robin Cavendish, for his

check-up.

IN HALLWAY -Diana wheels Robin down a hallway and into award. This is the same ward from which he escaped, stilloccupied by many of the same paralysed patients onrespirators. As Diana wheels Robin between the beds, thepatients stare. Some are amazed, but some look confused, evendistressed. Robin’s former neighbour Paddy is grinning allover his face. Beside him stands Nurse Margaret, also lookingon in wonder.

Robin says to Diana

ROBINTake me to Paddy... Hey, Paddy!

PADDYRobin!... You jammy little beggar!

Dr Khan comes into the ward and sees the wheelchair. Heapproaches, his face filled with admiration.

DR KHANThis is really quite something!

Dr Entwistle enters, and stares at them in frigid silence. Headvances towards them, turning his anger on Dr Khan, as ifRobin and Diana aren’t there.

DR ENTWISTLE:

Did you give permission for this

contraption to be brought into my

ward?

Dr Khan starts to answer, but Dr Entwistle isn’t interestedin any excuses.

DR ENTWISTLE:

It’s hard enough for our patients

to accept the conditions of their

lives without raising false hopes

that can only leave them more

dissatisfied. Where you come from

it may be common practice to play

games with people’s lives, but here

it is not. Is that understood?

He stalks off out of the ward.

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 51A.

ROBIN:

The man’s a pompous idiot... Don’t

you want to smack him?

DR KHAN:

Believe me, I’m used to it.

Breathe -Blue Revision -26 June 2016 52.

DIANAYou’d think he’d want to getwheelchairs like this for his otherpatients.

ROBIN:

(to Paddy)

Paddy, you owe me a fiver.

PADDYNot so fast, pal... You could dropoff your perch tomorrow.

(to Dr Khan)

How safe is it, Doctor?

DR KHANI don’t know, Paddy. It’s the firsttime I’ve seen anything like it.

ROBIN:

(to Paddy)

Does four miles an hour with... thewind behind you.

Dr Khan is examining the wheelchair.

DR KHAN:

(to Paddy)

I’d advise waiting a little whilelonger. Test its limits.

ROBINQuite right... Find the breakingpoint.

DIANAWe’re not testing Robin till hebreaks.

ROBINYes, we are... That’s exactly whatwe’re doing.

DR KHANLet’s get on with this check-up,

shall we? See what state you’re in.

As Diana wheels Robin away to an examination room, followedby Dr Khan, Paddy speaks to Nurse Margaret.

PADDYIf he doesn’t make it, who pays memy fiver?

75B SCENE DELETED 75B

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 53.

75BA SCENE DELETED 75BA

75C EXT. OXFORD HOSPITAL -DAY 75C

Diana wheels Robin back out onto the street.

DIANAYou’re doing better than all hisother patients. That’s what hesaid.

ROBINPoor old Paddy... I wish we couldhelp him to escape too.

Two PASSING WOMEN pause to stare at Robin. They assume he canneither see nor hear them.

FIRST WOMANIt isn’t kind to let them out likethat.

SECOND WOMANOn the street, where everyone cansee.

ROBINBelieve me, ladies... My distressis greater than yours.

The women hurry on their way, shocked.

FIRST WOMANDid he speak? Was that himspeaking?

76 EXT. GARDEN, FURLONGS -DAY 76

JONATHAN’S POV -MOVING THROUGH sun-dappled bushes in thedepths of the garden towards a light-filled gap -andthere, across the wide lawn, sits Robin on the terrace inhis wheelchair, Benjy curled up on his lap. Beside him sitsTid, reading her book.

LITTLE JONATHAN, now aged 5, is exploring the fringe of thepond.

The phone rings:
an amplified external ringer. Jonathan wavesat his father.

TID(to Robin)

Should I answer that?

ROBINYes, yes. I’ll be fine.

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 53aA.

Tid rises, puts down her book, and goes into the house.

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 53A.

Jonathan moves closer to the shore of the pond. A flickerof light as a fish flashes through the water. Fascinated,

Jonathan looks closer.

Across the lawn, Robin is watching, calling something we’realmost too far away to hear.

ROBIN:

Jonathan! Be careful!

Jonathan turns back to look at his father -and slips onthe pond’s verge -and tumbles into the water.

ON ROBIN -Horrified.

ROBIN’S POV -The place where Jonathan had been standing,

now empty. The distant sound of splashing. Distant cries.

ON ROBIN -Helpless, frozen. Then he comes to his sensesand presses at his bell. The bell rings on his wheelchair.

Breathe -Green Revision -8 July 2016 54.

Tid comes running out of the house.

ROBINJonathan. Pond.

Tid runs to the pond. Benjy jumps off Robin’s lap andfollows her. Robin watches as she pulls Jonathan out of thewater. He hears his screams, at their most intense now heis safe.

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