EXT. HOSPITAL GROUNDS - DAY

The BEAR, PHIL, JOHN and STEWART are driving balls down the range. CHARLIE, SARAH, NATALIE, KATRINA, GAV and MALCKY sit watching them on various garden chairs.

JOHN We can take them to court! I can lodge papers by tomorrow. At least we can get them to postpone for a while, buy us a little time.

PHIL No. We'd be wasting time. They've made their minds up.

KATRINA No. John's got a point. If we take court action we can get publicity, get public opinion behind us.

STEWART You're pissing in the wind. Why on earth do you think they're going to give a damn about us? Ten incurables that won't accept the inevitable. They've done far worse than this in their time.

GAV That's right.

KATRINA We've got a good case.

CHARLIE Just wake up! For God's sake. Wake up.

SARAH To what?

CHARLIE Och... I just... listen... I know we've all got different backgrounds and we don't all see the world the same, but when it comes to being shafted by authority, you're on my turf. Can't you see it? We're expendable!

THE BEAR Aye, Charlie you're right there. The thing is if you want to change a decision like that, you've got to do it before it's made. What was it again about the figures you drew up?

NATALIE It's bad. The best treatment, well in fact the only treatment costs a hundred thousand pounds per patient, and that's on a bulk deal for ten of us. The survival rate is only about one in ten. So they'd have to spend at least one million just for the statistical probability of one of us surviving. I don't have a hundred grand burning a hole in my pocket, do any of you?

Everyone shakes their heads.

NATALIE (CONT'D) Well then we're toast.

MALCKY We could rob a bank!

SARAH I'm not getting into that sort of carry on.

KATRINA I would.

SARAH This is getting stupid.

JOHN I don't know. A silk stocking over the head does have a certain appeal.

SARAH If we got caught doing it we'd get shot. I'm sorry. No way.

PHIL No, Sarah's right, it's crude. And even if we did get enough cash for a few of us to get treatment, what about the rest? And who gets it and who decides? I don't want to play
God.

NATALIE It was some prick playing God that's got us here tonight.

PHIL Exactly.

THE BEAR One million... if we could get together one million we could all get treatment.

JOHN Hold on I'll just get it from my locker. How the hell can we raise one million?

THE BEAR I don't know yet, just let me think. If we got a million, and with about a one in ten chance of pulling through, one of us could just survive.

PHIL Aw, dream on.

THE BEAR All right then wise guy, riddle me this. What if the dream comes true? The group pauses in contemplation.

THE BEAR (CONT'D) Scams. We need a scam.

JOHN It would have to be a bloody big scam to get that sort of money together.

CHARLIE Well you're the lawyer son, becoming a crook shouldn't be that hard.

The BEAR thinks aloud.

THE BEAR Each of us is capable of doing a big enough scam to bring in a hundred thousand. We're not going to be here. So we'll need an office or something.

NATALIE Why don't we just stay with our families and treat it like a job we'd come into each day.

NATALIE bends down to put a ball on the tee as GAV and MALCKY stand behind her gazing admiringly.

THE BEAR We can't mess it up. People coming out and in each day? No. We've got to stay focused. A big house! Rent a big enough house so if you want to see your family they can come and stay, but they don't interrupt.

GAV All very good, but how we going to pay for all this? Big houses cost big money. Just to get a scam off the ground needs cash.

SARAH Hold on a moment! A minute ago we were talking about doing this the proper way, the legal way. John, you're a lawyer. Tell them what happens if you do this kind of thing.


JOHN I'll tell you what happens if we don't.

JOHN takes out his wallet, pulls out his Gold Card and throws it into the golf ball bucket.

JOHN (CONT'D) There's a grand left on this. Let's do it.

SARAH I don't believe this!

KATRINA chucks in some pocket change. SARAH looks to the others for support. Frustrated, she pulls a club from the bag.

SARAH (CONT'D) So how's this done?