87. EXT. THE WRECK - SIX FORTY-FIVE IN THE MORNING

The rain continues to fall.

Ratchett and two men come down the tracks and arrive at the wreck. They’re met with dead fires and no one in sight.

The men’s clothes are torn, and they’re bloodied. Ratchett’s briefcase has large scratch marks across its surface. One of its corners is bloody.

RATCHETT (Breathless): Where the fuck did everyone go?

PASSENGER: Czy zostali uratowani?

Ratchett looks to the two surviving men.

PASSENGER #3 (In very broken English): S...save. To, er...to doctor.

Ratchett nods.

INSPECTOR CLAUDE (Calling): American.

The three men turn to see Claude coming down from the lounge car.

A glass SHATTERS in the carriage.

RATCHETT (Breathless): Thank God y’all still here.

Claude opens the tattered umbrella.

RATCHETT (Breathless): We found shit.

INSPECTOR CLAUDE (Slowly): You found nothing.

Ratchett rubs his eyes, trying to mask his disappointment.

RATCHETT (Voice breaking): We were attacked by wolves.

He looks pained. His jaw tenses.

RATCHETT: We found nothing, and four men’re dead because of it.

Claude puts his hand on Ratchett’s shoulder.

INSPECTOR CLAUDE (Softly): You did your best.

A beat.

INSPECTOR CLAUDE: We put our faith in Bellanger now.

Ratchett looks around. The bareness of the site is almost gut-wrenching. What remains scattered around are the tattered clothes used for bandages. The pots for clean water are filled to the brim with rainwater, and are still overflowing.

Claude begins moving off.

INSPECTOR CLAUDE (Whispering): Prepare for the worst.

Ratchett watches him return to the carriage, a grim expression on his face.

He turns to the other two men, and gestures them towards the carriage.

RATCHETT (Gesturing): Go rest.

The two passengers look at each other and nod. They gently pat his shoulder before going up to the carriage.

Ratchett SWALLOWS loudly and puts his briefcase to the side. He takes a piece of metal and begins digging another mass grave.

Susan SCREAMS O.S.

88. INT. LOUNGE CAR - SAME TIME

Susan lies back down and, throwing her arm over her eyes, begins SOBBING.

SUSAN (Sobbing): David! M-Michael!

She GASPS for a moment, and continues CRYING. Abigale holds her tightly.

Gabriel rushes to her.

GABRIEL (Calmly): Mrs. Benjamin, you need to calm down.

Susan doesn’t.

SUSAN (Sobbing):  I wanted to say goodbye to them! I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.

Abigale pulls Gabriel to the side.

ABIGALE (Quietly): Gabriel, I’m so scared.

Gabriel is shaking.

GABRIEL (Hyperventilating): Abigale, I know I said I wanted to study lacerations, but this...this is too much for me. I’ve seen so many people die. So much blood on my hands.

Gabriel inhales slowly.

GABRIEL (Hyperventilating): I’m beyond scared now. I just want to go home.

Gabriel turns and heads to the other end of the carriage.

Abigale looks towards Claude, who’s watching everyone like a hawk. Their eyes meet, and a saddened look crosses his face.

He nods and mouths the words -

INSPECTOR CLAUDE (Mouthing): Prepare for the worst. I’m so sorry.

Abigale begins HYPERVENTILATING and puts her hand over her mouth. Her shoulder suddenly moves, and she goes back to her SOBBING mother.

SUSAN (Sobbing): I want to go home. I want to go home.

Abigale grabs her mother and pulls her into a tight hug.

She’s crying.

ABIGALE (Softly): Me too, Mum.

A beat.

ABIGALE (Softly): I’m so sorry.

Susan clings to Abigale.

89. EXT. THE FOREST - SAME TIME

Bellanger and his group of survivors continue forward. They’ve been scratched and bitten up by the local insects, and are covered in mud. Their wet clothes hang from their bodies, slowing them down.

Susan’s SOBBING is heard distantly in the background.

Passenger #4 stops and begins attracting the attention of the others.

PASSENGER #4: Hei...! Hei!

The others step forwards.

In the distance is a small, rural train station with a town situated behind it.

BELLANGER (Disbelief): Dio mio.

Bellanger turns to the others.

BELLANGER: Troverò un telefono. Vai a trovare il dottore. Stiamo riportando aiuto.

The group runs towards the station platform. Some YELP in celebration.

90. EXT. THE WRECK - EIGHT IN THE MORNING

The rain lets up. The sun breaks through the cloud cover.

91. INT. LOUNGE CAR - SAME TIME

There’s absolute silence. Scattered COUGHING from the humidity adds to the stillness of the lounge car.

It’s like the lull after the crash.

Jasper is asleep. Susan lies with her arm over her forehead. She’s frowning, and her eyes are red.

SUSAN (Whispering): Abigale...

Abigale turn to her mother. Susan blinks slowly.

ABIGALE (Whispering): Mother?

SUSAN (Whispering): I’m sorry.

Susan puts her arm at her side and turns to look at her.

SUSAN: Oh, sweetie.

Susan puts her hand gently on her daughter’s face.

SUSAN: Maybe I wasn’t ready for you to grow up yet. Maybe I wanted you to be different from how you were. But I’m sorry for it. I’m sorry I kept pushing you.

A beat.

SUSAN: How did they go?

Abigale’s breath softens. She grabs her mother’s hand.

ABIGALE (Whispering): Michael went, with me and Jasper at his side. I made sure he was safe, and that he knew I was there.

Abigale’s eyes drop.

ABIGALE: I had all these ideas that you wouldn’t approved of ready to go because I always thought you never liked me.

Susan turns to her side.

SUSAN: Sweetheart, that isn’t true!

ABIGALE: It felt like it. I just...always wanted to feel like I was your child, like how Father treated me.

Abigale sighs.

ABIGALE: When I thought you were dead, I wasn’t thinking about how I’d go on. I was thinking about you. About Michael, Dad, Jasper. I was so scared I was going to go into this world alone.

A beat.

ABIGALE: But now, I just want to go home.

Nearby, Ratchett SIGHS.

RATCHETT (Softly): Sweet words, girlie girl.

Abigale turns to Ratchett.

A pause.

RATCHETT: Can I join you in this family dream?

ABIGALE: There’s nothing back home for you?

Ratchett shakes his head.

RATCHETT: I came over here for business. I’m already fired since I missed my meeting.

A beat.

RATCHETT: I wish I could go back. But I got no home and no one who’ll miss me.

Another beat.

RATCHETT: "Kick a man while he’s down, he’ll remember it forever." My ma told me that.

Ratchett stands up. Gabriel moves towards Jasper with a change of bandages.

ABIGALE: Are you still going to go to Constantinople?

Gabriel goes to changing his bandages.

GABRIEL: If we get saved, I’ll fucking swim the Channel back to London. I’ll go to Constantinople after I’ve...recuperated for...

ABIGALE: Three days?

He cracks a weary smile.

GABRIEL (A light chuckle): Please. Try two months. My Nan lived for Victorian vacations.

He stands.

GABRIEL: I don’t want to go home, like you all do. More than anything, right now, I want to live.

A beat.

GABRIEL: It’s really simple when you think about it. But right now, when you look at where we are...it really isn’t that small of a request.

Another beat.

GABRIEL: If I can’t have that, then...I want just one person to live. One person, from everyone here, to go on.

Gabriel moves off.

Susan looks back to the ceiling and drops her hand from

Abigale’s face.

SUSAN: I want to see you two survive, sweetheart. You and Jasper.

Abigale reaches out for her mother’s hand. She can’t take it.