Dominican College of San Rafael - Firebrand Yearbook (San Rafael, CA)

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Nurse: Now you boys turn out your lights. (She goes over and takes the thermometer from Harry ' s mouth) Hmph. I still think you should be out o£ here instead of babying yourself along; just an over-grown baby. (She turns off his light.) Now get to sleep. Harry: (Mumbles) Heart of stone, that ' s what she has. (He turns over on his side.) Nurse: And you two do the same. I ' ll go over and take care of Number Four. Mike: (Catching her skirt) Oh, please, Miss Scott, leave him alone. He doesn ' t feel so good. Harry: Yeah, leave him alone. Don ' t you go bossin ' that kid around, you female, you. Henry: (In a small voice) I ' m afraid I have to agree, Miss Scott. Nurse: (In a very stern voice) MR. Blain, MR. Davidson, MR. Kline . . . Who do you think yoti ' re talking to? Turn oft those lights. (Lights are turned quickly off. Nurse walks over to the fourth bed and turns on the bed lamp. The three men sit up in their beds and watch her. She goes to the end of the room, takes a bed screen, and puts it between the fourth bed and the others. The men in the other three beds lie down. The stage is now in complete darkness except for the lighted scene around the last bed.) 108

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your recreation inside instead of outdoors getting some exercise. Henry: I ' m inclined to disagree with you, my dear Miss Scott. One never ruins one ' s eyes doing what is right and . . . Nurse: And I suppose you ' ll disagree with me that your bottle of cod-liver oil is also missing? Henry: Not so hasty, my good woman. (He pro- duces the bottle) You see, I followed the instructions quite rigidly, and it is empty. (He gives her a com- placent smile.) Nurse: Now aren ' t you the good boy! Just for that I have a surprise for you. (She goes out the door on the right.) Harry: Apple polisher, that ' s what you are. Henry: Elementary, my good fellow. I threw the stuff out of the window this morning. The result of a well-rounded education. Nurse: (Coming back in) Here you are, Mr. Kline, a brand new bottle. Noav sit up and take it like the good boy you are. (Gives it to him. He chokes and gurgles, and Mike and Harry laugh.) The next time you throw stuff out of the window, by the way, make sure you know where you are throwing it. That was the second change I had to make this morning. Henry: (Sliding into his blankets) Oh, dear me . . . 107

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Nurse: (Softly) Thomas, Thomas . . . time to take your temperature. (She pulls down the blankets a bit, revealing a blonde, tousled head. She sits down in the chair beside the bed.) Now look here, son, it ' s been a good four weeks now, and never once have I shown you my iron hand, now, have I? (A muffled sound is heard from Tom) As a matter of fact, I ' ve been most lenient, but now I think it ' s about time we got some things straightened out. To be frank, I think it ' s just aboiU time that you were learning to walk again. You ' re needed, and badly, on the outside. Tom: (In a bitter voice, raising his head a bit) Help? How can I be of any help, ever again? Nurse: So that ' s what ' s bothering you now, is it? And all the time I thought you were really sick. You disappoint me, Thomas Dewey. (Very soberly she looks down at his upraised face.) You know your fel- low companions over there, don ' t you? (She motions towards the other beds) Well, I don ' t like to give them too much credit, but all of them were worse off than you . . . much. But what ' s old Blain going to do? He ' s starting a night club for poor suckers. And what ' s young Mike going to do? He will be a big engineer in a few years. And Kline? He ' ll be teaching history again in a few months. And what about you? I, ah, hear you play the piano. Well, you still can. What ' s the matter 109