The English Patient Page #4

17EXT. CONVOY SITE. ITALY. DAY.

The Convoy is in the final stages of loading up. Oliver passes the

vehicles, deep in dispute with a determined Hana, who is carrying some

sacks of rice.

HANA:

The war's over - you told me yourself.

How can it be desertion?

OLIVER:

It's not over everywhere. I didn't mean

literally.

HANA:

When he dies I'll catch up.

Oliver hovers as Hana adds the rice to a small cache of provisions,

then lays another blanket over the Patient.

OLIVER:

It's not safe here. The whole country's

crawling with Bandits and Germans and God

knows what. It's madness. I can't allow it.

You're not, this is natural - it's shock.

For all of us. Hana -

HANA:

I need morphine. A lot. And a pistol.

OLIVER:

(clutching at straws)

And what if he really is a spy?

HANA:

(impatiently)

He can't even move.

OLIVER:

If anything happened to you I'd never

forgive myself.

Hana nods. A tiny smile. Oliver shrugs helplessly.

OLIVER:

We're heading for Leghorn. Livorno the

Italians call it. We'll expect you.

18*.INT. THE MONASTERY. DAY.

TWO SOLDIERS are helping Mary and Hana carry the Patient into the

monastery. Hana indicates the stairs.

HANA:

Up there.

They struggle up the stairs, one of the Soldiers gasping as he narrowly

avoids falling into the void in the stairs. The cot almost tips up, at

which the Patient SUDDENLY SPEAKS, his voice cracked and rasping, but

still clearly aristocratic.

THE PATIENT:

There was a Prince, who was dying, and

he was carried up the tower at Pisa so he

could die with a view of the Tuscan Hills.

Am I that Prince?

Hana laughs.

HANA:

Because you're leaning? No, you're

just on an angle. You're too heavy!

Mary laughs. They reach the landing. Hana kicks open the door to the

CHAPEL.

HANA:

In here.

18a*.INT. THE PATIENT'S ROOM. DAY.

Hana lets Mary take the weight while she goes to the bed and pulls away

the drapes, sending up a cloud of dust. They lower the Patient onto

the bed. She turns to the SOLDIERS.

HANA:

Thank you.

She shuts the door on them, leaving Mary staring aghast at the room,

its faded frescoes, its mold, its chaos. Hana smiles, opens a shutter

to let a fierce envelope of light into the room.

HANA:

Good.

She goes to Mary and hugs her.

19*.INT. HANA'S ROOM. THE MONASTERY. DAY.

A smaller upstairs room completely bare. As Hana tugs off her uniform,

she looks out of the window to see the departing Convoy. A cotton

dress goes on over her head and she emerges looking suddenly younger

and rather fragile. THROUGH THE DAMAGED FLOOR OF HER ROOM SHE HAS A

VIEW OF THE PATIENT BELOW HER. SHE LOOKS AT HIM. NOW SHE HAS SCISSORS

AND STARTS TO CUT OFF HER HAIR, NOT AGGRESSIVELY, BUT IN A GESTURE OF A

NEW BEGINNING.

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