The English Patient Page #17

KATHARINE:

You will. You will.

Then she turns sharply from him and catches her head against the

gatepost, staggers at the shock of it, then hurries away.

132*.INT. THE PATIENT'S ROOM. MORNING.

Hana sits with the English Patient - the room shuttered against the

morning light. His breathing is noticeably worsening, a shudder of a

breath, the shallow rise and fall of his chest perceptible. Hana

frets, touches his wrist, feeling for the pulse.

THE PATIENT:

I'm still here.

HANA:

You'd better be.

THE PATIENT:

Don't depend on it. Will you?

That little bit of air, each day

there's less of it, which is al right,

which is quite all right.

She squeezes his hand, suddenly overwhelmed.

THE PATIENT:

(brightly)

I've been talking to Caravaggio - my

research assistant - there's meant to be

a ghost in the Cloisters. I can join him!

There's some kind of noise from the garden. Muffled shouts.

THE PATIENT:

It's the boy.

Hana goes to the window, opens the shutters. The day pours in.

132A*.EXT. MONASTERY OLIVE GROVES. DAY.

Hana sees Kip - barely visible - standing at the far perimeter of the

garden in the olive groves, HIS HANDS RAISED ABOVE HIM, HIS LEG HELD

OUT STRANGELY. WIRES run from his foot in all directions as if he'd

trodden in some elaborate steel cobweb.

133EXT. MONASTERY OLIVE GROVES. DAY.

Hana appears at the edge of the Olive groves and hurries towards Kip,

who hasn't moved. He shouts warning her.

KIP:

Go to the left! Keep to the left! There

are mines and trip wires everywhere!

Hana stops, hoists up her skirt and circles left, tentative in the long

grass. He shouts, doesn't want her close.

KIP:

Get Hardy. He's on the other side of

town. In the hills. Get him to hurry.

She keeps coming, can see that he needs her.

HANA:

It's okay - I'll help. Please.

KIP:

The mines, the wires, there's a trick.

Some explode if you stretch the wires,

some if you cut them.

HANA:

What do I do?

KIP:

There's a mine here, but the others are

far enough away, I think at least to

give me a chance. I have to work out

which one to cut before I fall over.

HANA:

So I follow the wires?

KIP:

You get Hardy.

HANA:

I follow the wires.

She kneels at his feet and tries to trace the tangled route of the web.

KIP:

Don't touch them.

She follows one wire back to the closest mine, and traces another back

to Kip's foot. Then she finds another one leading off to a second mine

some thirty metres away.

HANA:

Why would anyone do this?

KIP:

I've done this. I've had to do this.

Then Hana's suddenly tense.

HANA:

Give me a second.

She turns and tiptoes RIGHT THROUGH THE DANGER AREA, straight to what

had seized her attention. Kip is appalled.

KIP:

What are you doing?! Hana!

Heedless, she dodges another mine and its web of wires just as THE

TORTOISE clambers onto a clump of rock, which is, in fact, ANOTHER

CONCRETE-COVERED MINE.

Hana snatches him up as he ambles towards the metal. She turns,

holding the protesting animal in triumph. HER FOOT SNAGS ON A WIRE.

She has to ease it off, in arabesque, still clutching the tortoise.

She goes sideways to the safe zone - setting down the animal. Then

she's back with Kip. He's seething. She is strangely elated.

KIP:

What is this business with you and

explosives? Do you think you're immune?

HANA:

I promise you that was the right thing

to do. He's my good luck.

(she gets the pliers from his belt,

and hands them to him)

Now cut. This one.

(she indicates the wire)

I hope we don't die.

KIP:

Okay. Get away from here. Quick.

HANA:

I'm not scared. So many people have

died around me. But I would be a

shame for us.

(shrugs)

I don't feel like being shy.

KIP:

You must get away. Before I cut. I'm

not cutting if you're here.

He's struggling. He's going to topple over if he cuts.

HANA:

Actually, you can't cut, can you?

You'll fall over. Give me the pliers.

KIP:

No.

But he hands them over.

HANA:

Kiss me. Before I cut. Just in case.

KIP:

Don't talk. Check again. Lie flat and

then cut.

Hana checks, lies down. He bends as close to the ground as he dares

AND KISSES HER, THEN SHE IMMEDIATELY CUTS.

134INT. THE PATIENT'S ROOM. CONTINUOUS.

The Patient lies in bed. He's agitated by the silence. SUDDENLY

THERE'S AN EXPLOSION. He tries to shout, a croak which quickly reduces

him to coughing and breathlessness.

THE PATIENT:

Hana! Hana! Kip! Hana!

He tries to move. He can't. He's frantic.

FOOTSTEPS, as someone hurtles up the stairs. It's Hana. She's ashamed

to have forgotten him. She rushes to him.

HANA:

I'm sorry. I forgot you'd be worrying.

We're all safe. It was a mine, but not

the mine. Nobody's hurt. I'm sorry.

She calms him. He's exhausted. His eyes shine.

135EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD. ITALY. LATE DAY.

Hana clings onto Kip as the TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLE hares along the circling

road. She has her arms around his waist. His head turns to her for a

second and she smiles.

136EXT. ROAD BLOCK. TUSCANY. DUSK.

Kip and Hana have been detained at a ROAD BLOCK. Kip is being

questioned at a sentry post, his papers over-thoroughly inspected and

accompanied by several meaningful glances at Hana, who waits, standing

by the motorcycle. One of the SOLDIERS saunters over and returns her

papers.

SOLDIER:

And you're definitely traveling with

him of your own free will?

HANA:

Yes.

SOLDIER:

(clearly disapproving)

Just wanting to be sure. And he's

taking you to church?

HANA:

(deadpan)

Yes. We're going to a funeral. A cow has

died. And in his religion they're sacred.

The Soldier isn't sure what to make of this. He signals to his

companion who returns Kip's papers. Kip walks back to the motorcycles.

He says nothing. He kicks the starter. Hana gets on, slides her arms

lovingly around him.

137EXT. BRIDGE. ITALY. DUSK.

IT'S GETTING DARK. The bike, headlights on, crosses a bridge. Kip has

strapped on his crimson emergency light as they sail along the winding

crest of mountain ridge that is a spine down Italy.

138EXT. AREZZO. DUSK.

Kip steers the motorbike into the deserted PIAZZA.

They dismount and Kip starts to unbuckle his bulging satchel and unload

the panniers. Hana still doesn't know what's in store and looks

questioningly at Kip as he walks up to the door of the CHURCH.

139INT. CHURCH. DUSK.

They enter the Church. It's in almost total darkness. THEN A FLARE

SUDDENLY ILLUMINATES THE INTERIOR. It's magnificent. Kip holds the

flare, crimson on one arm, green pouring up from the other. Hana walks

behind him, still perplexed. There is PROTECTIVE SCAFFOLDING

EVERYWHERE, AND SANDBAGS PILED UP HIGH AROUND THE ALTARS, AND THE

STATUES.

A SECOND FLARE. Kip has appeared through A SECRET DOOR high in the

church, literally emerging from one of the frescoes which are

momentarily visible. He flings a rope over the rafters.

Now Kip circles Hana with the rope, MAKING A SLING across her waist and

shoulder. He lights a smaller flair and hands it to her before

disappearing.

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