Sick Note (2017) s01e05 Episode Script

Airplane Mode

[ominous music.]
[she moans.]
Oh, Ash! [Becca moans.]
Ash! [Becca moans.]
Oh, Ash! Ash! [she moans.]
Oh, yeah, Ash! [echoing.]
Ash? [echoing.]
Ash, can you hear me? Ash? The doctors say that Mr.
Matthews has something called locked-in syndrome.
Uh, well, what's that? Think of him as being in airplane mode.
- So So, Ash could make a full recovery? - Mm You know when your plane lands, and you turn airplane mode off we don't know where the button is.
[Becca gasps.]
Right.
Um So, is there any way Ash could communicate? Sometimes with a phone, you do a thing called a hard reset, and usually when you turn your phone back on it starts working again.
You know when you're looking at your screen and you can see the update bar crawling from the left to the right and you just shout at it, "Just bloody turn on!" [background beeping.]
So So, we should shout at Ash? No! No, that won't work! I'll be at my station if you need me.
[door closes.]
[he sighs and clears his throat.]
- Where Where's Vanessa? - Uh, feeding Benny in the cafe.
You should take her home.
Yeah.
It's It's a good idea.
What are you going to do? I'm gonna stay with Ash.
You know, keep his mind active.
I can be late for work.
But you just make sure Vanessa knows that everything's going to be alright.
You know, this this locked-in thing [echoing.]
people get better from it.
Have you ever read, um, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly? Yeah, he made a full recovery.
Made a film about it.
I think it was on Netflix.
You You should watch it.
[background beeping.]
OK.
[eerie music.]
See you later.
[door opens and closes.]
Hey buddy.
[loud and clear.]
How's it going? [echoing.]
Can Can you hear me? Ash? [Daniel sighs.]
[80s-style electronic music.]
[she moans.]
Yeah! [frenzied electronic music.]
[Daniel.]
It's only six months and everyone will think I've beat cancer.
[echoing.]
I'm 100% positive he's not going to give the game away.
- How can you be so sure? - I am a qualified medical professional.
You pronounced him dead! I promise you he is unable to understand or communicate anything.
In that respect, he's very much like the frog that fell down the wizard's well.
- Wizard's what? - Oh, it's a lovely lovely tale.
- Frog couldn't find his mummy and daddy - OK, save save that for another time.
What are we going to do now? Well, I suppose we just wait for nature to take its course.
[echoing.]
I think I think he can hear us.
Hey, pal! Uh, did you have a nice sleep? Do you remember what happened to you Ash? Do you remember fucking my girlfriend? Andy? Andy, Andy, Andy? No.
[phone vibrates.]
[he sighs.]
OK, Becca's staying with Vanessa.
That gives us more time.
I'll just tell her that I've gone to work.
Right, well, uh if you're done with me here No, no, no, you you just stay by the door and tell me if anyone comes toward it.
Oh, you're going to give nature a helping hand.
What?! No! Of course not.
I'm just gonna I'm just gonna try and get some sense out of him.
Right, but I think it looks a bit suspicious with Just stand by the door.
Fine.
- And tell me if anyone comes near.
- Yes, of course.
[Daniel sighs.]
Hey pal.
[nurse.]
Here he is, Officer.
Moved him to a room when he came off the ventilator.
[suspenseful music.]
Hey, hello, Officer, uh I asked to be notified the second he woke.
He might have valuable information about his attempted murder.
[nurse.]
The doctor thinks it's too early to tell whether communication's possible.
- Yeah, he's he's in airplane mode.
- What? - Sometimes, with a phone - [Daniel mouths.]
- you do a thing called a hard reset.
- [Dr Glennis mouths.]
- Usually, when you turn it back on - I was told he had locked-in syndrome.
Yes, well, that's the medical term for it.
- I'll take it from here.
Thank you.
- Just don't wear him out.
And you are? Remind me again.
Uh, Daniel? Ash's best friend.
Yeah, yeah, and I just can't bear to see my friend like this.
Yeah, he's been through a lot.
Oh, I I just I just want you to catch the bastards that did it.
[he mouths.]
Get the fuck out! [he mouths.]
OK! Anyway, I've got serious work to do here so if you could leave now.
Tell you what why don't we go and get a coffee downstairs? Actually, I would love a coffee, but I'd like to crack on.
So, if you could get me one, you'd be doing myself and Mr.
Matthews here a huge favor.
Oh, but there's just so much choice, you know, there's a cappuccino a latte m-mocha? [Daniel.]
I really do think it's best if if you come with me.
I'll make it easy for you: black, medium-sized coffee, no sugar, sometimes known as an Americano.
Get one for yourself, courtesy of Her Majesty's police force.
Please knock when you come back with my coffee.
[uptempo jazzy beats.]
Fuck! Was it, uh, sugar or without sugar? - Is there a problem? - No, no, I just I couldn't remember if you wanted sugar or no sugar.
No sugar.
Thank you.
[electronic music.]
[music turns eerie.]
[echoing.]
Now, Mr.
Matthews, to help you communicate [clear.]
I'm going to point to a letter.
If you close your eyelid on the right letter, I'll write it down.
If you close your eyelid twice, it means delete.
If you move your eye to the left, it means new paragraph.
Move your eye to the right Maybe we'll start with you winking at the right letters.
With any luck, you'll spell out words and help me answer some questions and find out who put you in here.
[officer.]
I know.
I'll just point at Y or N for yes or no.
That'll make it a lot easier, won't it? [officer.]
Can you remember anything that happened to you? Anything at all? OK, yes! That was a Y.
[officer.]
Oh, my word.
Well done.
Right, so, can you tell me what happened to you by winking at the right letters? Another Y.
Fantastic! [officer.]
Right.
Now we know you can communicate, what do you want to tell me? OK.
[officer.]
Good work, Mr.
Matthews.
You're doing very well.
[officer.]
Mm [suspenseful music.]
Is what I've written here accurate? Are you a spy? [music builds.]
[phone vibrates.]
[door opens.]
[Daniel.]
Here we go! One black coffee without sugar.
I asked you to knock before you came back in! Sorry.
Thank you.
Sorry for snapping.
[he clears this throat.]
Can I ask you how well do you know Mr.
Matthews? Very well.
Yeah, no, we were friends for over 14 years.
- Was he ever away with work? - Not really.
No, um, why do you ask? And he works for the government? Yeah, yeah, I suppose so.
He's He's a tax officer.
Uh - Have you communicated with him? - I'm not at liberty to say.
But this is a much bigger case than meets the eye.
If I'm right, then, this could have major implications, not just for your friend but for the country.
[Daniel.]
Wow [officer.]
Yes.
I have to make a number of important calls.
[he moans.]
Oh - Let's get you out of here.
- Thank you.
- Who are you talking to? - Ash.
Why were you over there with your back to him? Um, I was I was just gonna sit on this this armchair and, um just see if, um, me sitting here made a difference with him.
I need your name and number in case I have any more questions.
I really think I might be onto something here.
Yeah, sure, um My number is 077 007 [door closes.]
[whimpering.]
Oh, God Oh! Oh [whimpers.]
Don't look at me.
Um [foreboding music.]
Oh! [music accelerates.]
What? You were gonna murder him? I wasn't, I promise.
I I had a little accident.
I was going to use this to mop it up.
I I'd never kill anyone.
Let Let alone old Andy here.
- Ash.
- Ash.
I wouldn't kill him.
You better get cleaned up.
- Go on, in there.
- Cold.
Has the policeman gone? Yeah.
I I just don't understand all those questions.
Did Ash really communicate with him? The officer seemed to think so.
He He said something about your friend being a being a spy.
His brain must be buggered, then.
Guess that works in our favor.
It doesn't look that bad, let's just leave and you can walk behind me.
Wh When I was a child, my auntie and uncle were trusted to look after a student residence, a b-b-big old rambling place.
[melancholy music.]
One year, we played hide-and-seek, and all the children were coupled with a grown-up, and so, Uncle Richard and I, we we ran off and we found a big old pair of curtains in a hallway.
And I could hear my auntie coming down the corridor, "Come out, come out, wherever you are.
" Oh, I was so terrified and excited I just couldn't hold it in.
I gave away our hiding place that night.
Auntie saw the puddle.
I was never allowed to play hide-and-seek again.
- Right.
We really need to go now.
- That That was almost 40 years ago.
And I am a big boy now but look, the same thing happens again.
[he cries.]
[Daniel sighs.]
Look, it was a very unusual situation.
You know, I think I might have done something worse in my time.
[Dr Glennis cries.]
Thanks.
Thanks, Daniel.
Look, it'll just be our little secret.
Along with all the others.
Let's go.
Hey, baby.
[he whispers.]
She said she was at Vanessa's! Who is it? Becca.
We wouldn't be here if you didn't wee yourself.
[Becca.]
You're so brave.
- Just just go out.
- I can't, I told her I'd gone to work.
Your relationship is never going to work if you lie to each other.
You go.
She wouldn't suspect anything, you've been here before.
Yes, in this very room when I swapped my phone for Ash's.
I think she'd be suspicious.
I mean Plus, I'm I'm very damp.
[Daniel sighs.]
Well, what do we do? Hide.
We've got to hide.
For fuck's sake.
Can you please try and keep it in this time? [Becca.]
Daniel's the one with cancer, it should be him in this bed.
You lying there reminds me of the last time we were together.
[Dr Glennis.]
Why is she here? I really hope it's not what I think it is.
[Becca.]
Vanessa is at home, Daniel is at work, it's just you and me.
What do you think it is? [Becca.]
I know, I've got a naughty idea.
Oh, I've got to look.
[Becca.]
I don't know if it's all the tubes or the fact you can only open one eye, but I have never wanted you more.
- Jesus! - You look pale.
Is it the chemotherapy? No, it's fucking not! Let's see if anything other than your eye is working.
[echoing.]
Maybe this will help.
Can you do this with a catheter inserted? Let's see.
- Do what with a catheter? - Quiet! I might know the answer.
[Becca.]
Oh, there is it.
I knew where to find it.
- What's she found? - Be quiet.
[Becca.]
How's that? Hm? Is it nice? [she whispers.]
I miss your touch.
- I can't believe I'm seeing this.
- What's happening? She's pleasuring him.
- And herself.
- Herself? How? Oh, it's like one of those videos on the Internet.
I can't believe she'd do this.
He's got locked-in syndrome.
Well, I mean, it's perfectly normal that he would have a large and, indeed, powerful erection.
[Becca moans.]
Oh, that's it.
Oh, that's it! Oh, yeah Oh That's it.
Oh, yeah [she screams.]
Yes! Oh! Oh! Oh, my God, oh! Oh! Oh! Ooh Wow [she giggles.]
I hope you enjoyed that.
Mm I did.
I doubt it.
He's probably unable to feel anything really.
Let's get this cleaned up.
Am I interrupting? Oh, no.
No, no, no.
Uh Ash's catheter wasn't working properly so I'm just cleaning him up.
Um, your top is undone.
Oh! [she giggles.]
Yeah, sorry, stupid buttons.
[she giggles.]
[background beeping.]
I'll just get rid of this.
Shit, shit! - [officer.]
Remind me who you are? - I'm Becca, Becca Palmerstone.
I'm a friend of Ash's.
My boyfriend Daniel is his best friend.
- Nothing that time.
- Well done.
Yes, he was in here earlier.
Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave.
- Why? - [officer.]
I really can't say anything.
Other than the fact that this could have a bearing on national security.
Please exit, I need to lock down this room.
- Well, what do I tell his wife? - Don't alarm her.
- He's in good hands.
- Yeah, I [Becca sighs.]
[door closes.]
This is Officer Haywood requesting two armed guards at the Thames Royal Infirmary, room 315.
As soon as possible and get them to be subtle, we don't want them freaking out the patients and staff.
Thank you.
Don't worry, Mr.
Matthews.
I won't let those Russian bastards get to you.
Right, needs must.
Oh, fuck! [phone rings.]
Officer Haywood speaking.
[he urinates.]
Yes, I did request armed backup, sir.
I have reason to believe this man was working for MI5 and that there is a real danger he'll be assassinated by the KGB.
[he continues to urinate.]
FSB? No, I wasn't aware they'd changed it.
Whatever they're called now, I believe they're the culprits.
Well, yes, I can come in and explain, but what about the armed guards? OK.
[he stops urinating.]
If you insist, but that's a big mistake.
[he zips up his fly.]
Fuck! [suspenseful music.]
Bloody thing.
[Officer Hayward mutters.]
[music builds.]
[phone rings.]
Haywood? [trickling.]
Yes, I'm on my way back in.
I'll be there in 20 minutes.
[door closes and Daniels sighs.]
- It's happened again.
- Yeah I thought so.
It's understandable.
- OK, this is our chance, let's go.
- Yeah I guess you were right about him then, finally.
- What do you mean? - His brain must be mush.
Whatever he's saying to Haywood is nonsense You know, making him think he was a spy, armed guards.
I mean, whatever he's saying, it's not about us.
Maybe now you'll stop underestimating me.
Yeah.
Maybe.
[Daniel.]
Oh, stop staring at me.
[echoing.]
I didn't put you here.
You did.
Oh - Use this to cover yourself.
- Thank you.
Although I think you may need one too.
- [Daniel sighs.]
For fuck's sake.
- I'm sorry.
If it's any consolation, I drink a lot of water so my my urine is is very clear.
- Let's go.
- OK, yes.
[phone vibrates.]
What now? [distant sirens.]
Nothing.
I just misremembered a film.
Goodbye, Ash.
[door closes.]
[Ash.]
I can move.
I can I can move.
I can I can talk.
I can I can move.
[Ash gasps.]
[continuous beep.]
[distant.]
Mr.
Matthews! Mr.
Matthews! I've got a cardiac arrest! I need some help in here, now! [continuous beep.]
[80s-style electronic music.]

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