Destination
Time: The present
Act I, Scene 2 (Scene 1 is here)A pre-op room at Community Hospital an hour later. Evan is still on the stretcher. A nurse is cutting his pants off as a police officer stands at the foot of the bed with a note pad. Evan is still bandaged. An IV drip hangs above him. Lynn is sitting by his side. Black and white are standing on either side of the stretcher.
Officer: How would you describe the road conditions?
Evan: How do you mean?
Officer: Was the road wet? Dry? Bumpy? Smooth?
Evan: Smooth and dry.
Officer: How would you describe the weather?
Evan: Warm night. Clear.
Officer: What kind of motorcycle were you driving?
Evan: An ’84 Kawasaki 1000.
Officer: Big bike. (Pause) You licensed to drive motorcycles in California?
Evan: Yes sir.
The nurse finishes and exits.
Officer: Do you have insurance?
Evan: Not on my bike, no.
Lynn: Officer, is this going to take much longer? I really think it would be better if Evan could rest.
Evan: (testily) Mom, let the officer ask his questions.
Officer: Not much longer Mrs. Worthy.
Lynn: Fine.
Officer: Tell me about the accident, What happened?
Evan: Well, I was driving west bound on Hudson Blvd in the Number Two lane. I was coming up on making a right turn at Hamilton to go to my house. About a half a block from Hamilton, this car, about 60 feet in front of me pulls away from the curb—not to merge into traffic, but to make a U-turn so that it would end up traveling east on Hudson. It pulled out so quickly from the curb and so sharply that I had no escape route and all I could do was hit the brakes and pray.
Officer: How fast were you going?
Evan: 35 or 40, maybe.
Officer: You sure?
Evan: Yes sir.
Officer: And you said you first saw the car pull out when you were how far away?
Evan: I’d say 60 feet, maybe 70.
Officer: Okay, that’s it for now. I’ll give your mom the information on how to get a report. Mrs. Worthy, if I could see you for a moment.
They exit. Black and white stand on either side of Evan looking down at him. Black bends over him and looks into the bloody bandages. A big smile spreads over black’s face.
Black: Oh this is going to be a good one. Major facial damage.Right eyelid completely torn off. Severe impact to right eye, but it managed somehow to stay intact and in the eye socket—damn the luck! Nose sheered and crushed from the bridge down. Upper jaw broken and—wait a minute, let me count—one, two, three four, seven . . . oh my! (pause) 12 broken teeth including the four front which were also sheered off when his face came in contact with the door frame. That’s gotta hurt!
White: You are evil.
Black: Thanks for noticing you giant angelic turd. (White turns away from Evan) Oh my badness! Careful. Careful! Don’t turn your back on me my dear. You never know what might happen. Oh look! (White half turns) Through the bandages you can just make out the glisten of the tempered glass that has packed up his sinus cavity! That must have happened after the impact with the door frame.
White: (Rubbing his temples) Must you?
Black: Oh yes, I must. Observe: Our poor unfortunate young lad here, seeing no possible exit as the car pulled from the curb in front of him, did his best, as evidenced by the swelling and severe abrasions to the left knee and shin, to lock the brakes and lay the bike down keeping it between him and the car. Poor dear had no idea that he was creating a catapult that would launch him upwards into the side of the car.
White: Are you through?
Black (smirking): Well, there is one other thing. But it can wait.
White: Wait a minute. I know that simpering grin. What’s wrong.
Black: No big deal. Really.
White: Come on. Out with it.
Black (dramatically): Well, if you must know! It seems everyone in charge of keeping this kid alive has failed to take into account… of it’s nothing really.
White: What, dammit!
Black: Just some internal bleeding is all!
White: Oh is that it?
Black laughs loudly and Evan stirs.
Evan (turning towards black): Hey… what?
White jumps and Black freezes like an escaping convict caught in a prison yard searchbeam.
Black: Oh shit!
White: He sees you!
White covers up his mouth, but it’s too late. Evan cranes his head around.
Evan: Uh and I can see you too! Who are you people?
Black (relaxing): People? Oh, that’s rich!
Evan: What’s going on?
Black: Well now! I’m guessing he’s worse off than I previously thought.
Evan: Worse off?
White: What do we do?
Black: Do? You know damn well there’s nothing we can do. All we can do is wait.
Evan: Wait for what?
Black: For whatever happens.
Evan (wincing): I don’t understand.
Black: Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be much longer now.
Evan’s body relaxes as he goes unconcious, and the machines monitoring his pulse and heart rate start sounding jarring alarms as his vitals go erratic and then flatline. White and Black step back from the bed and in a few seconds hospital personnel pour in through the door one pushing a crash cart as the stage fades to black.
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