Stephen's Story Accused

GUARD UNLOCKS DOOR

SHE SOUNDS IN DISCOMFORT

DOG WHINES

DOORBELL RINGS

-Hello.

-Hiya.

-Is your dad in?

Yeah. Yeah.

Dad?

FOOTSTEPS

-Charlotte?

-Yes.

-Hiya. I'm Peter.

-Good to meet you.

-Thank you.

-Nice to meet you.

This is Stephen.

Charlotte's going to be looking after your mum for a while.

-How d'you do, Stephen?

-How d'you do?

-Please, come in.

-Thanks.

ROCK MUSIC PLAYS

-Hiya.

-Hiya. Sorry to hear about your mum.

Thanks.

-Can we get two cappuccinos?

-Yeah, small, medium or large?

Large.

-Right.

-Can you bring them over?

-Yeah.

-Cheers.

And she's definitely dying?

Yeah.

And are you dead sad an' that?

Yeah.

-Can I come?

-What?

Can I come to the funeral?

If you want, yeah.

-Your mum and dad?

-Lanzarote.

THUNDER RUMBLES

MOANING

Now, this puts you in charge, Which is exactly as it should be.

You feel you need a shot, you give yourself a shot, OK?

MUM BREATHES SHALLOWLY

My advice is plead guilty and ask the judge for a psychiatric report upon yourself.

No. No way.

Will a report do any good?

-I'm not mad.

-Can't do any harm.

-Will it help reduce his sentence?

-No.

-It might.

-It won't.

Say nothing, the judge gives me x number of years,

I do them and come out.

Say I'm mad, he puts me in hospital and I stay there

till I can prove that I'm not mad and that could be forever. Yeah?

Peter...

We say nothing.

-I think I want to raise this with the judge.

-I don't want you to represent me any more.

(I think we should go get the boys.)

-(They're whispering to each other.)

-(Eh?)

Shh, shh.

(What'd she say?)

-(Ste...)

-(She's coming.)

I think you should join your father.

Is she going to die?

She hasn't got very long.

DOM STARTS TO CRY

Come on. Come join your father.

No.

It's a chance to say goodbye.

Do you like your job?

Yes.

You buzz on it, yeah?

Yes.

Watching other people die.

Other people that other people love.

No-one you love, of course.

I'd be angry too, Stephen.

-You gave her that thing.

-Syringe drive.

-Yeah. That's why she's dying so soon.

-You'd' have kept it from her?

-Yeah, I would.

If you'd done that, she wouldn't be dying today, you're right.

She'd be dying tomorrow. In pain.

Pain caused by the fact that...

That you love her, you want to hang on to her.

I don't love her like you do, no.

But that helps me do the right thing.

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

-Come on. Come and say goodbye.

-No.

No.

You'll regret it.

No.

DOG PANTS

DOG BARKS

MUFFLED MALE VOICE

RADIO STATIC

Urgh!

SOUND OF GLASS BREAKING

-FEMALE VOICE:

-Stephen!

Stephen!

CACOPHONY OF VOICES

CHARLOTTE'S VOICE: Feel you need a shot? Give yourself a shot.

Feel you need a shot? Give yourself a shot.

-PRIEST:

-Lord Jesus, our redeemer.

You willingly gave yourself up to death

so that all might be saved and passed from death to life.

We humbly ask you to comfort your servants in their grief

and to receive Catherine Jane into the arms of your mercy.

You alone are the holy one. You are mercy itself,

By dying, unlock the gates of life for those that believe in you.

Forgive Catherine Jane her sins...

ELECTRICITY BUZZES

GUESTS CHATTER

Look, it gets to you, something like this.

Gets to you in here, gets to you in here. OK?

So we look out for each other, yeah? Yeah?

Yeah.

That means if Dom's not coping, you come and tell me, yeah?

And the same with Stephen, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Right?

-Right.

Just ourselves.

Nobody else involved.

Just ourselves. Right?

Just ourselves.

DOM QUIETLY SOBS

'Stephen...'

WHISPERING

WHISPERING GETS LOUDER

SOUND OF HELICOPTER

SOUND OF HELICOPTER GETS LOUDER

WHISPERING CONTINUES

SOUND OF HELICOPTER EVEN LOUDER

POLICE SIRENS

CHATTER AND LAUGHTER

Thank you. Hi, Stephen.

Hiya, Liv. Can I have a Coke, please.

My dad died when I was 15. So I do know how you're feeling.

It's like you go out because you need some company,

but then when you're out, you can't be even arsed,

and everything just seems irrelevant,

because the person you most loved in this whole world isn't here any more.

What is it with you lot?

I've been trying to figure out why someone dying turns you all on.

What?

I think it's because there's no genuine emotion in your own lives,

so when you see it in someone else's yous want to share it.

So, OK, you can.

When we finish here, right, we can go back to yours,

and I'll open my heart and we'll have a cry and a good shag.

Is that how you imagined it, Liv? Was there a soundtrack as well?

Fix You by Coldplay or Robbie Williams even.

Fuck you.

If he gets this... No, he can't really do it.

He cannot do it. He'll be unbearable again.

BOYS: Ohhhh!

They're all wondering can the veteran do it again?

Can he teach these two young upstarts

the true meaning of the word class?

Who's the daddy?

Surely not, surely not.

Ah!

Look at that!

All right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

HE WHISPERS: Stephen.

Stephen. Ste!

-What?

-Wake up and see. Come and see.

Come and see. Come on.

Now.

MOANING AND PANTING

Who do you think she is?

Some slapper.

MOANING AND PANTING CONTINUES

WOMAN'S MOANING GETS LOUDER

WOMAN LAUGHS

So what do you do for lunch then? >

-STEPHEN'S FATHER:

-We've got a can lad,

and that's his priority to find a chippy or a cafe.

-No healthy eating then?

-What about you?

Packed lunch. I always have a packed lunch.

I never know where I'm going to be, you see. Could be somewhere remote.

Could be somewhere where you wouldn't trust anyone with food. And it's miles cheaper, of course.

Cheaper and healthier.

You remember Charlotte?

Yeah.

-Hello, Stephen.

-Hiya.

-I was hoping to be gone before you got up, I'm sorry.

-I couldn't sleep.

See you.

-No, I'll see you to your car.

-No, no. I'm fine.

No, I'll... I'll see you to your car.

DOOR SLAMS CLOSED

What's she like?

Come and see.

It's the nurse.

Yeah.

That's mad.

CAR STARTS

In here.

Sit down.

I'm going to ask her to move in with us.

You OK with that?

It's too soon.

Too soon for who?

It's a tribute to your mother.

What I had with your mother, I want to have again.

There's no greater compliment. She'd understand...

It's not a compliment.

It's not a compliment and it's not a tribute,

and to say it is is to talk absolute shite

because all we've got of Mum is her memory.

That's all we've got.

And you should respect it and treasure it,

and you don't respect it by pulling some bloody slapper

-when she's only been dead a few months.

-She's not a slapper!

She's not a slapper, right?

Right.

You think your Mum would want me to be alone?

Do you think that woman

would want me to spend the rest of my days alone?

'Too soon...'

It's too soon.

Oh, God.

It'll be fine.

-Hiya.

-Hi.

-All right?

-Tea?

-Please.

DOG GROWLS

DOG BARKS

DOG WHIMPERS

It's just a trial run. All right?

I've kept my place on so, if it all goes tits up, I've got somewhere to retreat. OK?

-OK, Stephen?

-Yeah.

I'll do most of the cooking. Not all of it, most of it.

And when I do, you can wash up, yeah?

No ironing. I don't do ironing.

So if you want anything ironed, you do it yourself

or find the money to pay for it. OK?

DOG GROWLS

We try and make this work, yeah?

-Stephen?

-Yeah.

GLASS BREAKS

Why did you smash up your telly?

They were talking about me.

-The people on the telly were talking about you?

-Yeah.

Right...

-I thought he was better.

-He is. He's fine. Come on.

So your dad was saying you were really bright at school.

Why didn't you stay on?

We were saying you could always go back,

find a couple of A levels that you liked.

Needn't be your old school either. You could pick any one.

Needn't even be a school. College or night school.

You could carry on working and do them at night school

-if you fancied that. Yeah?

-Yeah.

Cos your dad was saying that you never really talk about your job.

Your heart doesn't seem to be in your it.

So if you think that leaving school was a mistake,

you can always correct it.

That's if you fancy it. Do you fancy it?

You could do German.

Your dad said you were always pretty... Fuck it!

Yes, I'm drinking too much and I'm talking too much. And you know why?

Cos I'm the only one making the effort.

I think that is unfair. So bloody insensitive.

-What?

-We said we were going to try.

-I am trying.

HE SCOFFS: You're treating her like crap.

-She's pissed.

-She's just told you why she's pissed.

We have to try, yeah?

We agreed, otherwise this is going to be a total nightmare.

-Do you like her?

-That doesn't matter.

Do you think she's someone Mum would've liked?

Does it matter?

It matters.

Hello, Stephen.

You're chucking the mattress out?

Yeah.

Cos Mum died on it?

-Yeah.

-Well, that's why I want to keep it.

Cos Mum died on it.

Look, it's not just that your Mum died on it. It's also because...

We should've spoken to you about it and we didn't. Sorry.

We can't bring your mother back but we'll respect her memory.

I know it's important that you have everything you need to remember her by,

but please, Stephen, for me,

just this one thing for me, not the mattress.

OK?

Thanks.

HE MOUTHS

'"Never quite there." What exactly do you mean by "Never quite there"?

'If you're saying there's something wrong with my son, there isn't. It's you. You bore for England.

'You're the worst teacher on the planet. He's never quite there

'because your maths class is like watching paint dry.

'Nobody in your maths class is ever quite there.'

CHILD'S LAUGHTER

Sorry.

I was a bit...

Listen. I don't mind the rudeness. I will put that down to the grief,.

But what I do mind, what really sticks in my craw,

is the suggestion, no, the bloody bare-faced accusation,

that I would ever,

EVER, listen to Coldplay.

You don't look like a footballer.

You can't go by that. Wayne Rooney looks like a binman.

-SHE LAUGHS: So what position?

-Up front.

-There's only one thing stopped me playing for City.

-What's that?

I'm shite.

-This is mine.

-Flat?

-Yeah.

-Your own?

-Yeah.

I bet you wish you hadn't been so rude to me now. Hm?

Yeah.

Call me, yeah?

OK.

-That was nice.

-Thanks.

Yeah, nice one.

-Thanks. Your turn to wash up.

-I'll do them later.

I'd sooner you did them now, Stephen.

Well, I've got to cover for someone in work.

-When?

-Eight.

-That gives you time.

-No, I've got to make some calls as well.

-And the calls take priority?

-Yeah.

I'm sorry, I don't like that.

-What difference does it make when I do them?

-I'll do them.

-No, you won't.

-It makes a lot of difference. Do them after work, you'll be tired.

-Don't worry about me.

I'm not worrying about you. Do them tired and you won't do them properly.

-Your dad'll be home soon. He doesn't want to eat dinner surrounded by mess.

-I'll tidy them up.

-That's not good enough, I'm afraid.

-Well, it always used to be.

It's not now. Your dad's just done a hard day's work

to feed and shelter you and you're quite happy for him to eat in shit?

-In shit...?

-That is a lack of respect for your father.

More than a lack of respect - it's contempt.

It's a few pots and pans. It's not shit.

-Did your mother allow it?

-Leave my mother out of this.

I can't, I'm afraid, cos when you act like a spoilt child it reflects on how she's brought you up

and I think you should be aware of that.

-I don't want you talking about my mother!

-PLATES CLATTER

You've got a responsibility to your mother's memory.

Everything you do reflects on her. Good or bad, it reflects on her!

Tea?

Nice one, Ste. Ta.

-Here we go.

-Cheers, lad.

Any good?

Not bad.

Sorry, by the way.

-What for?

-Leaving the dishes till now.

No problem.

-Jenks, come on.

-Where are you going?

-Taking Jenks out for a walk.

-Now? It's midnight.

-I'm fine.

-I'll come with you.

-No, you won't. Come on, boy.

TV CHATTERS

ECHOING VOICE: I've been watching that bitch.

I've been studying her very, very closely.

She's a crafty cow, Stephen. You need to watch your back,

and your dad's back, of course. She'll blame everything on the illness

because she knows you've got her sussed.

This is her way out.

"The poor boy's sick, the poor boy's deluded."

So what do you say?

You say it's Catch-22, isn't it?

Things happen that drive people mad.

You tell them, but they don't believe you because you're mad.

Pete! Pete! I couldn't do anything... >

-Aw, Jenks...

-What happened? Lie him down.

-A car hit him...

-Move, move! Lay him down.

I tried to stop him running out, but he just...

-Stephen, ring the vet.

-He's OK, he's OK.

-Now!

-Jenks? Jenks?

-Oh, he's just bleeding.

-Aw, there's blood everywhere. CRYING:

-I'm sorry.

-Are you OK?

-He's still breathing.

-He'll be all right.

-Oh, God...

-Jenks. Jenks. Stephen! Call the bleeding vet!

I'm looking for a number!

They did all that they could.

I'm so sorry.

I wish I could have stopped it.

What make of car was it?

I don't know.

What did the driver say?

-I can't remember.

-So he said something?

-Yeah.

-So he must've jammed on?

-Yeah.

-Well, was he angry because he had to jam on the brakes?

-What are you going on about?

SHE SOBS

Bye, Jenks.

Can we get another one?

I don't think that's a very good idea.

Why not?

You get kids pets so it can be their first experience of loss.

You've had enough in your lives.

Yeah, let's leave it, eh, lads?

-'Where?'

-Here. I think it's food poisoning.

-You vomiting?

-No.

Then it's not food poisoning.

You're sweating.

It's hot.

It isn't.

Are you stressed?

Yeah.

More than last time?

Yeah.

Why do you think that is?

My dog died.

You wish to represent yourself?

-Yes, your honour.

-I'm willing to adjourn,

to give you time to find a new counsel.

No, thank you, your honour.

Would you like time to talk it over with your father?

No, thank you, your honour.

KNOCK AT DOOR

You OK?

No.

-Stomach again?

-Yeah.

So, have you got a girl?

What's her name?

Olivia.

Have you, er...?

No.

Why not?

Have you tried?

No.

A girl likes a trier.

Look, I'll never love you like your mother did.

And you'll never love me that way either.

But it doesn't mean we can't get along.

Yeah?

Yeah.

So we'll try, yeah?

We'll try again?

A little harder.

Yeah, right.

Anything you want to say?

What? What is it?

When you were looking after Mum...

..did you fancy Dad?

-Truth?

-Yeah.

Yeah.

Did he fancy you?

No. No.

What?

You think he did?

-Did you kill our dog?

-What?!

Did you kill our dog?

No!

Oh, for God's sake! Fucking hell!

'I've been watching that bitch, you need to watch your back

'and your dad's back, of course.

'I've been studying her very, very closely.

'She's a crafty cow, Stephen.'

-What are you doing?

-Swapping.

-I gave that one to your dad.

-Well, he likes the fatty ones. I don't.

Put them back.

-What?

-Put them back.

-What's the problem?

-Nothing.

-Do you want to swap?

-If you...

-I don't want you to swap, right?

Right.

-What are you doing?

-I'm not eating it.

-Aw, Stephen...

-For God's sake!

-Stephen, stop!

Give me it! Give me it. Here.

Thank you.

RAISED VOICES NEXT DOOR

-NEXT DOOR:

-Now he thinks I'm poisoning him.

-That boy is ill.

-No, he's not.

-INDISTINCT WHISPERING

-..poison him? He's lost the plot.

He needs to see a doctor. He needs sectioning.

-WHISPERING GROWS LOUDER

-I'm not going to section my own son.

-Dom, have you seen me phone?

-No.

-Have you been using it?

-I've got me own.

It's all right, you can all stop searching so frantically now.

Thanks.

What is it?

-What?

-What are you looking at me like that for?

Like what?

-See you, boys.

-See you later.

-Yeah, I'll see you later.

-See you.

SHE SCREAMS

INDISTINCT WHISPERING

SHE SCREAMS

WHISPERING GROWS LOUDER

SHE MOANS IN DISTRESS

She did all the things a good nurse does.

Mopped her fevered brow and gave her medicine and wiped her arse

and all the time she's doing that, she's thinking,

"I'm shagging your husband. And when you die, he's mine. All mine."

And then Mum gets really sick, she can't talk,

so she stops just thinking it - she tells her it.

"I'm shagging your husband, and when you die he's mine. All mine."

And then Mum's last few days being looked after

by this bitch who hates her. This bitch who's killing her,

this bitch who's pumping her full of morphine to speed her on her way

and smiling at Dad and talking about easing the pain. This bitch who's...

Can I see you when I finish?

Please.

OK.

I'll see you later.

POLICE SIRENS WAIL

Wait...

Stop it!

What are you doing?!

A girl likes a trier.

No, she doesn't.

She doesn't.

She's poisoning me.

Who?

The bitch. She's poisoning me.

You need help, Stephen.

Help?

With this.

You're going to argue that the attack was justified?

-That you were defending your brother?

-Yes.

And that's your only defence?

Yes.

Then I have to tell you that such a defence is likely to fail.

It's still true.

Right. Bring the jury in.

DOOR LATCH CLICKS

GIGGLING

Oh, Jesus.

FURNITURE THUMPS

Call the police.

Be careful, Peter. Police, please.

FURNITURE CLATTERS

-What are you doing?!

-Sorry to have bothered you.

-Where is it?

-We don't need you.

-Where's what?

-The poison!

I'm sorry, but you've got to do something, Pete.

-Look at him! He's crazy!

-Just give us a minute, will ya?

Stephen.

Stephen!

I'm sorry, son, but I'm going to have to put you in hospital.

God knows, I don't want to do it, but you need help.

I've been smoking a lot of dope since Mum died.

I'll stop that and I'll be OK. I promise.

I'll be OK. I promise.

-DOOR CLOSES

-Stephen?

Listen, I know that you and Charlotte haven't been getting on

very well lately and that's fair enough. I'm not knocking you for it.

I just think that part of the reason might be

that you don't see her as a permanent fixture in my life -

then there's no need to try.

So I was thinking it might be better all round

-if we give her more of a permanent place in all our lives.

-No, no.

What?

You're marrying her.

Yeah.

HORN HONKS

HORN HONKS

HORN HONKS

Twat!

-Change it.

-It's the only one I've got.

-Wear one of mine.

-Don't want to.

-It's a wedding, not a funeral. Change it.

-No.

Take it off or I'll take it off for you.

You're not wearing a black tie, you self-indulgent little prick!

Your loss is no greater than Dom's and he's coping!

It's no greater than his and it's certainly no greater than mine!

The only thing that's greater is your...selfishness, your ego,

-your fucking self-absorption!

-She's a slag!

-What?!

She's a slag and you and her were doing it while Mum was dying.

-Doing what?

-Sex. You and the slag, while Mum was dying.

HE WHIMPERS

So that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love

in the presence of the Church's minister and this community.

Christ abundantly blesses this love.

LITURGY GROWS MUFFLED

WHISPERING

WHISPERING GROWS LOUDER

..and so, in the presence of the Church,

I ask you to state your intentions.

I want you to apologise.

No.

In that case, I want your key.

-You want my key?

-I want your key.

-You're throwing me out?

-Stephen, just apologise. Please.

-Where am I supposed to go?

-I want your key.

Because of what I said? But it's true.

This is his home. Dad, Dad, you can't...

-I want your key!

-It's all right Dom, it's OK.

She killed Mum.

She got a bit impatient waiting for her to die so she upped the dose.

She killed Jenks.

And she'll kill Dom.

I want your key.

Don't eat anything she cooks.

Ste... Stephen... Ste!

DOOR SLAMS

What d'you want?

You said to come round.

Yeah. Round. Not in.

I'm freezing my bollocks off here.

I'll let you come in if you promise to go the doctor's in the morning.

There's nothing wrong with me.

But there will be if your bollocks drop off.

CANNED LAUGHTER ECHOES

OK.

Ste!

Have you been the doctor's?

-Yeah.

-Why?

-Get in Dom.

-Dom. Dom, why?

Hey!

Hey! Fuck.

'Would you like to see someone? Someone who could help.'

-A psychiatrist?

-If that's what you'd like.

No, he'd put me away. And I need to be around to look after Dom.

How can you take care of him when you're not living there?

What was wrong with him?

Oh, I can't tell you that, I'm sorry.

-His stomach? How is he?

-I can't tell you that.

-I want to talk to Dom.

-'Who is this?'

-It's ME. Put him on.

-'Can't, I'm afraid.'

Why are you answering his mobile?

I'll tell him you phoned.

DOORBELL RINGS PERSISTENTLY

DOOR BANGS

-What d'you want?

-I want to talk to Dom.

-You can't.

-I need to talk to Dom?

-You can't!

-Why not?

-Cos he's having a lie down.

-Why?

Cos he's not well.

What's wrong with him?

It's just an upset stomach.

Look, just go away. Go away, son.

No, I want to see him! I want to see him and I...

Just go away! Just go away or I'll have to phone the police!

You'll phone the police? OK.

Police, please.

There you go.

I was getting pain in my guts all the time,

but I stopped eating her food and the pain stopped, too.

Dom's still eating it and he's still getting pain

so it doesn't take a genius to work out what's going on.

Dom?

I've got a bug, Stephen, and I... And I caught it off you.

That's bollocks. She's poisoning him.

For God's sake, Stephen, why?! Why would I do such a thing?!

Charlotte, please! D'you think I'd let that happen?

You and Dom mean the world to me, how could I?

You know what you've got to do.

-That boy is ill...get him sectioned!

-I'm not going there!

If you don't mind me saying,

you've got a bit of talking to do as a family.

Hey. Your job's to prevent crime, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Well, I'm telling you, if you go right now there's going to be a serious crime committed

because either she dies or Dom dies so I'm going to have to kill her...

I didn't hear that, son.

If I hear something like that, I've got to act on it

and that means locking you up and what good are you to anyone then?

So you go back in there and talk to your dad. Right?

Right.

CAR DRIVES AWAY

-I want you to come with me, Dom.

-No.

-She's killing you.

-For God's sake, Stephen...

-She's not.

Come with me, mate, or something horrible is going to happen.

-Nothing's going to happen, Stephen. Look, you're...

-Please.

-I can't take any more of this.

-You're ill, mate. Up here.

-I'm not. I'm not. I'm not ill.

-You're imagining things.

-Ever since Mum.

-I'm not.

She'd never harm us and Dad loves us so why would she harm us...?

-Get him out of the house.

-Dad's right, if we can just...

-Stephen, no!

-Urgh!

Oh, my God! What have you done?!

-Now, now!

-What have you done?

-Get an ambulance!

I did it for Dom. I did it for Dom!

I did it to save the life of my brother!

Put the knife down, you prick! 36 Ramires Drive.

Someone's been stabbed and she's losing a lot of blood.

It had to be done.

How could you do something like that to him, you prick?

She lives, you die, it had to be done.

-Charlotte, don't you go to sleep!

-It had to be done.

After all he's been through, and you're the sensitive one, yeah?

Mum always used to say you're the sensitive one.

Well, you're not. You're not. You're shite. You are one selfish bastard.

And she was totally wrong about you, Stephen,

cos you are so far up your own arse, you prick,

and if Mum was here now she'd be saying the same as me.

Stephen, you are one selfish bastard!

Members of the jury, are you agreed upon a verdict?

We are.

Do you find the defendant guilty or not guilty of attempted murder?

Guilty.

Stephen Cartwright, I'd like to order a psychiatric report on you.

It could only be to your benefit.

Are you willing to co-operate with the preparation of such a report?

No, your honour.

Stephen Cartwright, I suspect you might have been suffering

from some sort of mental illness when you committed this offence,

but you refused to acknowledge it or have yourself medically examined.

Also, you are a juvenile.

In the circumstances, my hands are tied.

You will be detained for six years.

Take him down.

Where's Dom?

He's not well.

Dad?

He's not well either.

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