Poison IVy

Poison IVy



























A one-act by Meg Miller

















Set in the present time, a hospital.







Characters

Elizabeth Tallman- Girl, six years old. Daughter of Donna Tallman and the late Robert Tallman. Attends Green Valley elementary school.


Donna Tallman- Woman, thirty-two years old. Mother of Elizabeth Tallman. Widowed. Commercial and film producer at Zone Five Studios. Very successful and wealthy.


Jack Fields- Doctor at Sacred Heart Hospital, thirty years old. Goal oriented, loves children, and a genuinely good person.


Walter Cook- Homeless man, sixty-seven years old. Always sour, pessimistic, not very nice.






















Setting: Set in a hospital room. There are two beds, one on either side of the stage facing the audience. There is a curtain in between the beds splitting the stage in half. There are a few machines and IV drips, mostly on stage right, a door stage up- left. There is an old man sleeping on the bed stage right who is dowdy and unshaven. His grimy bag lay on the floor next to him. The stage is hardly lit, only so much as to see slight figures of what is on the stage. Lights come up on the left half of the stage as Jack, a thirty one year old attendant brings in Elizabeth, a six year old girl on a wheel chair. Donna, Elizabeth's thirty-six year old mother in a blazer and matching skirt who is talking on a cell phone, follows them. Donna stands in a corner talking on the phone as Jack speaks with Elizabeth.

JACK
Alright, Elizabeth. Now I'm just going to put you up on this bed so you can rest. (Helps her into the empty bed)

ELIZABETH
Thank you Dr. Fields.

JACK
Now I'm going to ask you some questions about yourself, and I need you to tell me the truth, ok?

ELIZABETH
Ok.

JACK
What where you doing right before your mom brought you here?

ELIZABETH
I was at the fair with Kristen and my mom. We were on the Ferris wheel and-

DONNA
Dr.? Can I excuse myself for a minute? I just need to finish up this call.

JACK
Well, actually I need you in here to answer some questions also. It's only going to take a few minutes, and it's really important that I get all of the information correct.

DONNA
Yeah, alright. (To the person on the phone) I'm gunna have to call you back. (hangs up)

JACK
Thank you. Besides, you're really not supposed to be on a cell phone in the building. The signals mess up some of the machines. Now, Mrs. Tallman, does Elizabeth have any allergies?

DONNA
Well, only bees, and she's only been stung once in her life. But other than that, no. I don’t think so… No. (Jack writes on the pad of paper that he is carrying. Short pause) We should really get Sophie in here. I mean, she knows more about this kind of stuff…

JACK
Well, for now, I think that this will be fine. If you would like to call her using one of the hospital phones and get back to me later with any new information… but I don’t think that this is anything serious anyway.  (to Elizabeth) Alright, now have you had any trouble breathing within the past couple of weeks?

ELIZABETH
Nope.

JACK
(To Donna) Any history of serious diseases in your family? There isn't that much information about your father's side…
   
    DONNA
No. Nothing. Are you sure that she is going to be ok?


JACK
Yes, Mrs. Tallman. I just need to take precautions in case its something more. (Now talking again to Elizabeth. Taking out his stethoscope) Any pains in your chest? (She shakes her head "no". He listens to her heart) Can you take a deep breath for me please? (she does. He repeats this action three times on different areas of her chest. On the third time, he leaves the instrument there a little longer.  He  takes his stethoscope off) Alright. Now I need to go take some tests, so I want you to try to sleep.

ELIZABETH
Ok.

JACK
(Elizabeth snuggles into the bed and shuts her eyes. As Jack is leaving, he pulls Donna to the side) Can I have a word with you?

DONNA
Of course.

JACK
I just wanted to let you know that she is showing some real progress already. She is pronouncing words more clearly and the twitch is completely gone.

DONNA
That’s good. Do you think that we will be able to leave today?

JACK
Its hard to tell really. I should be able to let you know after the tests.

DONNA
Alright. Thank you.

JACK
However, there have been cases similar to this where the symptoms have been small, yet they result in something more.

DONNA
But, nothing to worry about right? I mean, that’s only a one in a million chance of happening.

JACK
I just wanted to make you aware of what the possibilities are. In the mean time, I really need you to find out if there are any genetic diseases that run in your family.

DONNA
Um… my great grandfather died of sickle cell disease I think, but that’s it.  And I try not to talk about my father in front of Elizabeth, just so you know.

JACK
I understand.

DONNA
Thank you.

JACK
(Gives her a nod and walks to the door. Donna goes over and sits in the chair that is set by Elizabeth's bed. Jack pulls out his recorder and says something into it that Donna and Elizabeth are unable to hear.)
Slight murmur is present. Possible heart conditions. Do follow-up blood testing for non-genetic diseases, starting with Atrial Fibrillation, Peripheral ventricular Condition, ischemia, and cardiomyopathy. (he exits)

DONNA
Alright honey, you asleep? (pause) Lizzie? (no answer, Donna opens up her cell phone, dials, and begins to talk.) Steve? Yeah, sorry about that, I'm at the hospital with my daughter. No nothing, well, its probably nothing. No, not me. Yeah. She just passed out but I don’t want to take any chances because of Hawaii. I don’t want her to get sick down there. So is the conference all set up? And you called everybody? Ok, good. No, she won't mind. I'm bringing Sophie down with us so I can get away for a while to go to the conference. (pause) It wont be. (some voices of doctors are heard from the door) Now, I have to go. OK. Bye. (hangs up the phone. picks up a magazine from the bedside table and begins to read it. Lights come down on that half of the stage and up on the other.)


In the room next door, the man that had been asleep, Walter, wakes up. He sits up in his bed, then swivels his legs around so that they are hanging off the side of it. He sits there for a beat or two, looking down, rubbing his eyes and his face. He gets up out of his bed slowly to walk around the room. He comes to a skeleton in the corner of the room and plays with its arms for a second. Moves on to some cotton swabs and tongue depressors in jars. Takes a tongue depressor out and uses it on himself. Gags a little bit. He puts it back in the jar, looks around to see if anybody is coming. He cautiously goes over to pick up his bag, brings it back and begins to stuff some of the medical supplies into it. Leaves one or two supplies in each jar, replaces the lids, and carries his bag with him as he inspects the room like a child with an Easter basket looking for eggs. Some voices are heard outside of his room. He quickly puts his bag back on the floor, gets into his bed, and pretends to be asleep. Jack enters.)

JACK
(puts his note pad down on the counter. Takes out a pen and marks on the pad. Looks at his watch and then at Walter.) Mr. Cook, are you awake? It's four o'clock, Mr. Cook.

WALTER
(Grumpy) I'm up now, thanks to you. Damn doctors, always disrupt your dreams right when they start gettin' good.

JACK
Yes, well, I just wanted to let you know that I ran the tests.

WALTER
(Sarcastically) Well, isn’t that swell. Golly Mr. Doctor man! Please tell me what I already know! I'm sick aint' I!

JACK
(trying to be understanding) Mr. Cook, I can understand how you must feel, but I assure you…

WALTER
(Sarcastically) Assure me. (Grunts) Last time one o' yer kind assured me anything was six years ago when my daughter left takin' everything I had, including my little granddaughter. And then, my dog died. And I assure you, doc, I was sadder bout the dog. But go on, what where you sayin'?

JACK
Mr. Cook, you have something called Peripheral Vascular Disease. Now this is a very serious issue that needs addressing as soon as possible.

WALTER
(sarcastically) Well, I was thinking about re-scheduling all my non-existent meetings with Elvis and Big Foot. So why don't you tell me how I'm gunna die now?

JACK
The source of this is in the tissues of your heart. It is only in the beginning stages of decay, but over the next few days, it will eat away at your heart, lungs, pancreas, and the rest of your body until you die.

WALTER
That’s all?

JACK
You need a heart transplant.
WALTER
I need to be left alone. (Lays back down)

JACK
There is a heart already at the hospital. You can claim it if you just sign these. (referring to the papers in his hand) They will be here on the counter. I understand that this is hard to hear, but once you have the surgery, the disease will be completely out of your system. (Pause. Walter rolls over in his bed.)  I have to go. I have another case to work on, but I'll be back to check up on you in about an hour.

WALTER
(mumbles. Jack exits)

(Lights start to go down on that side of the stage and up again on Elizabeth's. Lights remain up on Walter's side as he sits in deeps thought. Donna is sitting among papers and files and wearing reading glasses. She works diligently while Elizabeth sleeps. Elizabeth wakes up.)

ELIZABETH
(sleepy) Hi mom.

DONNA
(Breaking briefly from her work) Hey sweetheart. How 'ya feelin?

ELIZABETH
Alright. Can I have something to eat? I'm really hungry. (Walter hears this. He gets up and realizes that there are people on the other side of the curtain. He goes to the curtain to listen)

DONNA
Yeah, sure. What do you want?

ELIZABETH
Can I have a grilled cheese and a soda?

DONNA
Sure. I'll call down and see what they can do.(Picks up the phone and dials. Jack enters)

JACK
Excuse me. Can I have a word with both of you?

DONNA
(hanging up the phone) Yes, of course.

JACK
Well, I just wanted to let you know that the tests came back.

DONNA
Oh, good. So can we leave soon?

JACK
I'm afraid not. They came back positive for a disease called cardiomyopathy. This means that your heart isn’t strong enough to pump blood through your body.

DONNA
(Pause. Quietly.) So, what do we do?

JACK
At this point, the disease has grown so that the only thing we can do is perform a heart transplant. Now luckily, we have one new heart that is a perfect fit for your daughter.

ELIZABETH
(Scared) Am I OK?

JACK
Yes. You are going to be just fine. Your heart is just a little tired and needs a replacement.

ELIZABETH
Is it going to hurt?'

JACK
No, no. Not at all. You wont even be awake for it. And as soon as you wake up, there wont be anything wrong at all.

DONNA
Are there any other options?

JACK
No. And even if there where, this has the highest success rate out of everything.

DONNA
And she is sure to get a heart in time?

JACK
We are prepping the room right now. All I need is for you to sign a few papers. (Takes out a pen and some papers and hands them to Donna. She looks over them and signs.) Thank you. We will be ready for her in about a two hours. I'll come back to get you then. Meanwhile, there will be a nurse coming in with a machine that will keep your heart going until the surgery can be performed.


DONNA
Thank you Dr. Fields.

ELIZABETH
Thank you.

(Walter hears Jack coming back to his side of the room and hops back into his bed. Lights stay up on both halves of the stage. Jack comes in and looks at Walter for a beat. Then he goes over to the un-touched papers that he had left on the counter.)

JACK
You didn’t sign the papers.

WALTER
What do you want?

JACK
The heart cannot go to you.

WALTER
What?

JACK
There is another person that needs it. A six-year-old girl. She is the one next door.

ELIZABETH
Mommy, I miss daddy.

DONNA
I know you do sweetie. I do too.

ELIZABETH
Sophie said that he is looking over me all the time.

WALTER
(sternly) She can wait. I need it more.

JACK
You can go another day or so without it. If she doesn’t get this heart within the next four hours, she will die.

WALTER
What if there isn’t another heart by tomorrow? What am I supposed to do then? Just slowly wither away?

DONNA
That’s right. He watches over you everyday. Because I can't always be there with you, daddy keeps his eyes on you so you don’t get hurt.

ELIZABETH
Sophie said that if I pray really hard, that he can hear me.

DONNA
That’s right. He listens to everything that you say.

ELIZABETH
Can I try?

(Elizabeth and Donna bow their heads and put their hands together in prayer.)

JACK
Mr. Cook, I don’t think you understand. If that little girl in there doesn’t get that heart, she will die.

WALTER
(Shouting) What about me?!?

ELIZABETH and DONNA
And now I lay me down to sleep…

WALTER
I am just supposed to sit here and hope that some son of a bitch dies with a heart that will miraculously work in my body?

ELIZABETH and DONNA
I pray the lord my soul to keep…

JACK
Mr. Cook, I have no other choice, the heart is going to the girl.

ELIZABETH and DONNA
If I should die before I wake…

WALTER
(almost to tears shouting) I am not ready yet! I refuse to sit back as you take my one chance of survival and throw it away on some bitch of a girl! I am not ready to go! I am not ready!

ELIZABETH and DONNA
I pray the lord my soul to take.

(Blackout)
Scene 2


(Pause. In the dark we hear a heartbeat. Faint and slow to start. The lights on the right side of the stage come up as Walter wakes up startled. He sits in his bed for a beat. He gets out of the bed and stands in the middle of his room for a beat or two. He looks around scared as the heartbeat steadily increases speed and volume. He puts a hand to his chest and looks down. The lights come up on stage left where we can see Elizabeth in her bed, hooked up to a machine. Walter looks toward stage left with his hand still over his heart.)

WALTER
(faintly) I'm not ready yet.

(He slowly goes to the curtain and pulls it back. The heartbeat is getting faster and louder. He walks over to Elizabeth. He looks at her, first in fear, then with anger.)

(a little louder) I am not ready yet.

(He goes to the machine. The heartbeat is now loud and fast. He pulls the plug to the machine and all at once, the heartbeat stops. A pause. He looks at Elizabeth, dead in her bed.)

I am not ready yet.

(He plugs the machine back in and the distinct noise of "the flat line" is heard. Blackout.)

(Lights come up on both sides of the stage. On stage left there is Donna, sitting in the chair next to Elizabeth's empty bed. On stage right, Walter's things still lay on the floor, but Walter isn’t there. Donna is crying with her face buried in her hands. Walter enters through the door stage left to get to his room. He is now shaven, but still in his grungy clothes. Donna sees him out of the corner of her eye and sits up.)

DONNA
(They both look at each other. Donna is still crying a little) Dad? Dad is that you?

WALTER
Sorry lady, but…

DONNA
Dad, its me. Donna.

WALTER
(Squinting) Donna? (Pause) Donna! What happened? Is everything ok? Where's Lizzie?

DONNA
(Goes up and hugs him, crying harder now. He does not respond to her hug as he is putting things together in his mind. Jack enters)

JACK
I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Cook? We need to get you to the O.R. now.

WALTER
(Pause. To Donna) I need to go. (To Jack) I'm ready.


(Blackout)