Testament of Youth Page #14

She tries to pick up the delicate porcelain cup, but her

hand shakes so much, it’s impossible. The cup chinks loudly

against its saucer. Her parents exchange a worried glance.

CUT TO:

112pt6

OMMITTED. 112pt6

Salmon Revision 21.04.14

71

113 INT. SITTING ROOM, LEIGHTON HOUSE, LOWESTOFT - DAY(WINTER)113

Vera sits, straight and still, on a couch. Mrs. Leighton is

nearby, red-eyed, lost in her own world. Roland’s younger

sister Clare, 15, is there. So is Victor, now in uniform.

Grief isolates them all.

Mr. Leighton stands before them, reading from a letter.

MR. LEIGHTON

It’s from an officer in his

company. (Reading)...died of

wounds at Louvencourt clearing

station.

VERA:

What was he doing at the front?

Mr. Leighton looks at her blankly - in shock.

MRS. LEIGHTON

Why was he in a trench?

Mr. Leighton scans the letter.

MR. LEIGHTON

Suddenly sent there by all

accounts, for a big push.

VICTOR:

There was nothing in the papers.

MR. LEIGHTON

Never happened. False alarm. He

was out mending wire.(Scanning

the letter) Shot by a sniper at 2

am while bravely carrying out

duties. Taken straight to

Louvencourt, died late

afternoon...noble and painless

death.

VERA:

That’s a long time after he was

shot! What happened?

Mrs. Leighton, agitated, gets up; none of them want to

think about this.

MR. LEIGHTON

Painless...I suppose the man

would know.

Mrs. Leighton goes over to a record collection, pulls out a

gramophone record.

MRS. LEIGHTON

He loved this piece....

Salmon Revision 21.04.14 72

She turns away, close to tears. Vera feels someone taking her

hand - looks down. It’s Clare, smiling at her through tears,

reaching out. Vera gives her hand a quick squeeze, but she

can’t respond to the emotion...

114 EXT. GARDEN, LEIGHTON HOUSE - A LITTLE LATER 114

Vera is standing there, in a bleak wind, as Victor comes

out and joins her. After a moment -

VICTOR:

I’m off to France in a few days.

VERA:

Oh Victor...

VICTOR:

(trying to keep it

light)

Yes, funnily enough the eyesight

doesn’t seem to be such a problem

anymore.

VERA:

Will you see Molly before you go?

Victor quickly nods....He struggles to find the words -

VICTOR (CONT’D)

He always told us to seize the

moment, Vera, remember? He was so

good at that...living to the

full.

Vera manages a smile - nods.

VICTOR (CONT’D)

A painless, noble death...It’s

important to hold onto.

VERA:

(detached)

He had nearly a whole day after

he was shot. Why was there no

message for us?

Victor doesn’t know what to say.

VERA (CONT’D)

I have to find out what happened.

Someone must have been there with

him.

Victor looks at her, eyes brimming with sadness.

Salmon Revision 21.04.14

73

115 INT. DORMITORY, CAMBERWELL - DAY (WINTER) 115

Vera sits at a small desk, reading a letter. On the desk

before her are a few other letters, and blank writing

paper.

VERA:

(under her breath)

Thank you for your letter...I’m

sorry not to be of more help...

Frustrated, she screws the letter up into a ball, chucks it

away, then picks up a pen, and starts intently writing.

116 INT. WARD, 1ST LONDON GENERAL - DAY 116

Vera notices Betty and two VADs. They’re looking at her,

obviously wanting to say something. Vera turns impatiently

away - she has no interest in hearing it -

BETTY:

Vera

Vera turns. Her closed expression is not encouraging.

VAD 2

We’re sorry for your loss.

VAD 1

He’s in a better place now.

VERA:

(sharp)

I doubt he’d agree with that.

BETTY:

Time heals all wounds.

VERA:

I have no desire whatsoever to be

healed!

She pushes through them, and walks away. The women look

miserably at each other.

117 INT. ANNEXE, CONVALESCENT HOME, LONDON - DAY 117

Vera, holding a letter, walks through an annexe in a

convalescent home.

Salmon Revision 21.04.14

74

118 INT. CONVALESCENT SUN ROOM, LONDON - CONTINUOUS 118

She enters a large, light-drenched sun room dotted with

recovering soldiers. She enquires of one of them, he points

to a young man in convalescent blues - GEORGE - at the far

end, one arm in a sling. As Vera approaches, she takes in a

tall, slim young man with an attractive face - nothing much

of the soldier about him. A Nurse is helping him to his

feet.

VERA:

Excuse me I’m Vera Brittain,

fiancee to Roland Leighton

George realises who she is - his expression closes, with

gentle weariness.

CONVALESCENT NURSE

The officer’s not receiving

visitors today.

GEORGE:

(a gesture to the nurse)

I did write to you, Miss Brittain-

VERA:

Yes, thank you, and I’m sorry to

bother you again, it’s just

GEORGE:

(interrupting, gentle)

There’s really nothing more I can

say.

VERA:

But you - you did see Roland at

the clearing station that day

George starts limping painfully away, propped up by the

nurse, who tut-tuts disapprovingly at Vera.

GEORGE:

Comfort yourself that it was a

quick and painless end.

VERA:

Everyone keeps saying that, but

Roland lived for hours after he

was shot!

George didn’t know she knew this.

GEORGE:

(closing it down)

I’m sorry for your loss.

He keeps walking. Vera hesitates - then pursues him.

Salmon Revision 21.04.14

75

VERA:

I understand. You’re afraid I’ll

make a scene. You think I’ll throw

myself around like some hysteric.

And why should you be the messenger

of some terrible end? You’ve never

even met me!

He turns to look at her - she sees the hesitation on his

face.

VERA (CONT’D)

I need to know the truth. It’s the

one thing left I can do for him.

A beat. George gestures to the nurse, who leaves them. Vera

waits.

GEORGE:

Would you like to sit down?

VERA:

I’m fine.

George clears his throat. This is difficult.

GEORGE:

It was a messy wound, low down in

the abdomen. They operated, they

did their best. I was in the bed

next to him. He didn’t stand a

chance.

Vera looks straight at him the whole time.

GEORGE (CONT’D)

He came round for a few hours.

VERA:

Did he say anything? Was there a

message?

GEORGE:

(gentle with her)

The pain was too great, Miss

Brittain. It made anything else

impossible.

Vera remains steady.

VERA:

I see. Yes, that would explain it.

(Pause) Did he - suffer a great

deal?

George just looks at her - then nods.

Salmon Revision 21.04.14

76

Vera closes her eyes for a brief moment, struggling to deal

with this.

GEORGE:

They’re short of everything in the

clearing stations, it’s chaos, not

enough medics for the number of

wounded. They were waiting for

morphine stocks.

VERA:

Did some arrive?

GEORGE:

He got a dose near the end.

Vera’s relieved to hear this.

VERA:

Were there - any words? Anything?

George is silent.

VERA:

Please...

GEORGE:

He said - Lying on this hillside

for six days has made me very

stiff.

Vera looks at him - then down, defeated by this.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes