Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die Page #4

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I would not like to live in a world

where anyone could die

more or less at any time,

more or less on a whim.

Maybe there are

better ways of doing it.

'That evening I went to meet

Peter and his wife Christine,

who had just arrived in Zurich.'

Would you care to knock?

Is that a doorbell? Nope.

'Peter was about to be assessed

by a doctor hired by Dignitas.'

Hello. Good evening, hello.

Try to stand up again.

It's difficult alone, is it?

Yes, I really have to

get to the point of balance.

I'm afraid the floor

is rather slippery.

'The doctor had to make certain

that Peter was of sound mind,

'and that he understood

the process of drinking the poison

that would kill him.'

Have you ever felt depressed

during the time of your illness?

No, I'm not a depressed

sort of person.

I've, I've, I've...

..had mixed feelings about it,

of course,

but I wouldn't call it depression.

You have to drink

two different things.

I believe that's correct, yes.

I think one is to assist one

in retaining the second, because

it's an unpleasant-tasting...

Yes, that's true.

And your stomach would reject it

immediately,

as if it would know

it is no good for your health.

Yes, I see. Yes, I understand.

Usually within about 10-15 minutes

death comes in

because you stop breathing.

You have no oxygen.

Well, that sounds fine.

It's a wonderful release. Yes.

You should drink it quick

and in one go.

Don't start sipping.

If you start sipping

and put the glass down,

you will go to sleep

and it will not kill you.

You must drink the whole lot...

In one go. ..in one go. Right.

Could we have two glasses?

I will show you.

So you have a look.

Try to keep your mouth closed.

Have a look how you can do it.

Well, that's perfect.

That's perfect.

You will have no problem at all.

I would like you to think about it

again. Yes. Till tomorrow.

Take your time. Right.

You can always say no.

I understand that.

The other man I'd met in England,

young Andrew,

had already had his two assessments

by a doctor

and been given the green light.

'He was due to die the next day.'

And then it was time

to say goodbye to Andrew.

OK. I've composed myself,

and are you ready for this?

We're going to go and meet Andrew.

Yes, I think I'm absolutely

ready for Andrew.

OK. Let's go.

Let's go and say goodbye.

He's going now,

if I can put it like this,

because the going is good.

And he doesn't want to wait longer.

He shouldn't be dying now,

he shouldn't be forced to die now.

I feel for his family that he's

chosen a time just before Christmas.

It's such a blob in the diary.

That was his decision.

I think it's a bad one

for the people left behind.

He might be coming

to the end of HIS life,

but he has to give consideration

to those he's leaving behind.

I'd like to hear

what he has to say about that.

Yes, Rob, you be the one to ask him.

Hello. Hello.

Sir Terry, how are you?

I'm fine. And yourself?

Long day.

One day there will be protocols

for occasions like this.

What do you say?

There'll be a card you can get...

"Congratulations

on your forthcoming, er...death!"

The ironic thing I've found

over this past couple of days

is I've absolutely

fallen in love with Zurich.

You know you've got to go,

but there's the mountains,

so many nice things you see

and you think... Do I...?

Do I have to go? Argh.

You and me and Terry

are sitting here

and you're saying you like Zurich

and it's like, "Come on,

"let's all go off to CERN tomorrow,

let's go to the visitor's centre."

There's still so much life

left in you.

Why did you choose now?

I was having such big problems,

so quick,

there was a genuine fear

about the practicalities of,

if I don't do it soon

I won't be able to do it at all.

It's been difficult enough

for me to get this far,

and I'm lucky that

my folks came along.

And I didn't think they would.

I didn't feel as though I had the...

I couldn't ask anybody. That would

be a real awful thing to do to them,

ask them for the ultimate - "Do you

mind helping me to kill myself?"

This is the deadline

as far as you are concerned?

You're still going to go? Oh, yeah.

You're absolutely definite? Mm-hmm.

The die is cast.

What more can I say?

'Andrew told me that his mother

'was not very keen on his

proposed journey to Switzerland.

'I was surprised, therefore,

when I met her.'

We're here with him to support him.

So as a mother I am going

to swing like this next week.

Should I have torn up the passport?

You know, anything

in desperation to keep him.

But it's selfish. 'Tis a selfish

and not a loving thing to do.

I don't think like Andrew thinks

on this one.

I always think

tomorrow is another day.

It's just so stressful

and so hurtful for us all

to have to be in a country

that isn't home.

And I'm going to have to go home

tomorrow without my son.

And I shall, in due course,

apparently,

get some ashes delivered.

We'll just have to get through it

because we can't bear

to think of him lying in a bed,

in some of the conditions

we know he could possibly end up in.

It took me a long, long while

to realise

that the quality of life

that he has now is not acceptable.

Doesn't matter

what anybody else thinks.

It is their decision,

and I think it's their right.

You've probably done more good

with that speech

than I have in a long time.

It wasn't a speech.

It's what I feel here.

Well, exactly. It was what you feel.

It is what I feel.

Definitely what I feel.

He'll be very, very missed, and I'll

be very, very lonely without him.

We'll miss him, too.

Once again. On the other side.

Absolutely. Take care.

There is a young man

going to die today,

and so we thought we'd have a drink.

Here's the thing!

Met him last night and he gave me

a list of his favourite albums,

one of which he was

going to have played

as he passed away.

Nimrod is a good one.

MUSIC:
"Nimrod" by Elgar

Andrew has gone, and I assume

has gone around about now.

MUSIC SWELLS:

Crikey.

To Andrew.

Wish you were in England.

Here's to that.

'We went back to witness Peter's

second and final assessment,

'to see whether the doctor

would allow him to die.'

Hello!

Hello, Mr Smedley. Good morning

to you. I'm sorry to be so late.

When I see people

with these illnesses,

for me it is quite difficult to

decide, is it the right time to go.

If I say no,

you have to go home, you can't die.

Understood. Yes, I...

I understand what you're saying.

You are the only person who can

decide which is the right moment.

You're sure you want to do this?

Oh, yes. I've been always

quite convinced all the time.

Have you been listening

to yourself, or have you

been talking to your wife?

Oh, no, it's my own conclusions.

If he was listening to me,

he'd stay at home for Christmas.

It's amazing but it's much easier

for the one who can go

than for the ones who have to

stay behind. I understand that.

I obviously don't want him to go,

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