Crushed Shells and Mud
Page 7
(Imagining DEREK to be an intruder.) No!
DEREK
It’s okay!
It’s me.
Derek.
I was
I was there!
SARAH
How did you find us?
DEREK
I don’t know.
I just walked.
SARAH
You can’t be here.
DEREK
I just had to find you.
SARAH
It’s over now.
DEREK
How is she?
SARAH
She’s in a bad way.
DEREK
Can I speak to her?
SARAH
She’s with her own people, now.
DEREK
Her own people?
SARAH
She’s not one of yours.
DEREK
I don’t have a people.
I don’t have anything against your / people.
SARAH
(With contempt.) Looking around to see if anyone has spotted you. In your hat, and your sunglasses. Your disguise.
DEREK
I burn easy.
SARAH
You do not know heat.
DEREK
I was just
SARAH
There are plenty of you with ‘justs’ and good intentions.
But you don’t know.
LYDIA
(Who has not seen DEREK yet.) Who is it?
DEREK
(Moving towards her.) Lydia?
SARAH
(Moving to stop him.) Boy.
DEREK heads for LYDIA, but SARAH gets in the way.
DEREK
Lydia.
LYDIA
Derek?
SARAH tries to escort him away from her, but DEREK dodges her. He catches LYDIA’s gaze.
Pause.
DEREK
Please.
SARAH
You must go now.
DEREK
Lydia, I’m
SARAH
She’s too weak.
LYDIA
Derek, what the fuck?
SARAH
You’re not well.
LYDIA
(To DEREK.) Why have you come?
Pause.
DEREK
I needed to know you’re alright.
LYDIA
Yeah?
DEREK
I’m so sorry.
I’m so sorry.
I can’t stop / thinking
LYDIA
No?
DEREK
About why this has / happened.
LYDIA
No I bet you can’t.
SARAH
(To LYDIA.) Don’t excite yourself.
DEREK
And how shameful I am.
LYDIA
Don’t worry about it.
DEREK
How awful.
LYDIA
I’m glad you are.
(To DEREK.) I’m glad you’re weak
And ugly and nasty.
I’m glad you’re a coward.
Pause.
DEREK
Yes.
SARAH
(To DEREK.) You must go now.
LYDIA
Let him stay.
SARAH
It’s time for your shot.
LYDIA
(With force.) Let him stay.
SARAH
As your carer I can’t allow it.
LYDIA
Let him stay!
She struggles with the exertion of this.
Pause. SARAH accepts.
SARAH
I’m going to prepare her dose.
I’ll be a minute.
And then you must leave.
Pause. DEREK nods.
LYDIA
Why have you come?
DEREK
I told you.
LYDIA
No, that’s not all.
What else?
What else is on your mind?
There’s something else.
Pause.
Something’s happened.
Pause.
DEREK
It’s just
When
Afterwards
There was blood on my hands.
Your blood, and
LYDIA
Were your hands cut?
DEREK
No.
LYDIA
Did you wash them?
DEREK
Yes.
But
It was like
At that moment.
I knew something had changed.
Inside me.
Something was born.
Something
Something wrong.
He closes his eyes.
And I thought… what if I have it?
LYDIA
Derek, you idiot.
DEREK
Maybe I’ve always had it.
LYDIA
You idiot.
DEREK
I’ve always known it.
LYDIA
Derek, it’s real.
DEREK
I know.
LYDIA
It’s a real thing, it’s not
Look.
Pause. She gets herself up. She unbuttons her blouse. Pause. He looks at the mark, fearfully.
Look.
Look at me!
Look at the death all over me.
It’s real.
It’s inside me.
It’s black and sticky
It’s ice.
It’s boiling.
It’s hard.
It’s an oil slick.
It’s real.
I can see it if I close my eyes.
I try to pin it down but I can’t.
It drives me mad.
You think you’re like me?
You think you’re like me?
Pause.
She reaches out for him. Her hand, slowly, to his head.
She moves to kiss him. He flinches.
LYDIA cries out.
DEREK
Sorry.
She starts to struggle.
I’m so sorry.
LYDIA struggles.
(Shouting for SARAH.) Miss!
Miss!
LYDIA begins to faint.
SARAH emerges, rushing into action, feeling
LYDIA’s forehead.
SARAH
Help me get her lying down.
DEREK gently lays LYDIA down, her head resting on his chest. SARAH gives LYDIA a glass of water.
LYDIA is profusely sick – on herself and on DEREK.
SARAH goes back inside. DEREK stares at LYDIA.
SARAH quickly returns with a syringe that she injects in LYDIA’s arm.
Pause. DEREK gets up. He walks away from the cottage.
Where are you going?
DEREK
I need to get this [sick] off.
SARAH
You can clean up inside.
DEREK closes his eyes in a panic.
I could do with your help.
DEREK
Sorry
SARAH
Derek
DEREK
I didn’t realise the mark was so awful.
LYDIA
Derek, wait
DEREK
(Panicking.) I’m sorry, I can’t
DEREK hesitates.
I’m so sorry.
He trips off quickly, before starting to run.
Scene Two
Beware Them Beware Them
PETER preaches to his followers.
PETER
Beware them, beware them, for they are coming!
These creatures, we talk of smoking rabbits out of holes
But what poisons run in their blood if they bite you?
These creatures who dare not speak their real names
Who mask their contamination.
They look like you or I, unless you’re looking
Unless you know the signs and they betray a look, a slip, a naked arm.
And in His light we will find them. And we will root them out.
Beware of footpaths and what may lie in wait.
Of handsome youngsters too easy to smile.
Beware lazy bearded men who say they love to hike
Who say ‘oh, it could never happen here’.
Who invite you to their cottage in the woods.
An innocent remark about a fire and teacakes.
When you’re in it’s too late.
Beware them for they are coming!
And when the time comes we must be ready.
When they make their move we must be ready.
When the time comes we will be ready.
And in His light we will find them. And we will root them out.
Scene Three
Conspirators
By the caravan. A week later.
Towards the end of the day. DEREK sits on top of the caravan looking at the sea.
VINCENT enters. DEREK starts, turns round – it looks like he hasn’t slept for days.
VINCENT
It’s alright.
It’s me.
I’ve come here every day hoping you’d be back.
Are you alright?
DEREK
Yeah.
VINCENT
Where have you been?
Everyone’s been looking for you.
It’s a lovely evening.
We could go to the pools, like we used to.
Look for tiddlers.
Pause. DEREK turns back to look at the sea.
I was thinking, this morning
About that time you found that cormorant with the broken wing.
And you tried to help it.
DEREK
I should never have done that.
VINCENT
It was kind.
DEREK
It died.
VINCENT
I always felt a better person after I’d been with you.
Pause.
There’s a group of us.
Young people.
With the League.
We’re going to do all kinds of things
Start something positive!
Community things!
Clean things up!
Pause.
I miss you, Derek.
I wish I saw more of you.
Peter wants to see you, too.
He really esteems you.
He wants to be a father to you like he’s a father to me.
Old friend?
Will you see him?
Please?
He’s asked me.
Pause. DEREK turns round, and nods. VINCENT goes off, and gives the signal to PETER, who enters, carrying a four-pack of lager.
PETER
I just wanna start by saying thank you, Derek.
Thank you for agreeing to meet me.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
(Of the sea.) It’s beautiful isn’t it?
This is where the battle’s being fought, Derek.
This is what we’re fighting for.
DEREK looks away.
I can see you’re a really good kid.
A nice kid.
You’ve never deserved this.
This was other people. Not you.
It’s not your fault this happened.
We should get you some new clothes.
PETER indicates VINCENT’s shirt.
Look at this shirt!
I got Vince this shirt, it’s nice, isn’t it?
DEREK
Yeah.
PETER
Would you like a shirt like that?
DEREK
Maybe.
PETER
Go on, Vince.
Beat. VINCENT doesn’t understand.
Take it off.
VINCENT
Eh?
PETER
Take off your shirt.
DEREK
No, it’s / alright.
PETER
(To VINCENT.) Go on, you can swap.
You got plenty of shirts, Vince!
DEREK
It’s alright, Peter.
PETER
Vincent.
VINCENT
It’s new!
PETER
(To VINCENT.) What have I talked about?
Loving kindness? Eh?
Pause. VINCENT takes off his shirt.
(To DEREK, still on top of the caravan.) Come on, get down.
DEREK climbs down.
VINCENT gives the shirt to DEREK.
VINCENT’s torso is clear of marks.
(Of VINCENT’s body.) Look at that good clean English trunk!
(To DEREK, of the shirt.) Go on, try it on.
DEREK
What, here?
PETER
We’re all men of the world, Derek.
Pause.
What’s the problem, Derek?
Pause.
DEREK
I don’t want to take his shirt, Peter.
PETER
(Approvingly, of DEREK.) You learn from this kid, Vincent.
VINCENT
Yeah.
PETER
Loving kindness.
Pause.
(To DEREK.) Go on, son.
Go on. Try on the shirt.
Let’s see you.
Pause. DEREK closes his eyes. He slowly takes his shirt off, as if he doesn’t know what will be underneath. There are no marks.
Look at that!
Good clean English trunk.
DEREK puts VINCENT’s shirt on.
It looks good, that does!
DEREK
Yeah?
PETER
Wonderful.
PETER
Do you want a beer, Derek?
DEREK
No, I’m alright.
PETER
Have a beer, mate, go on.
PETER takes a beer and gives it to DEREK.
DEREK tastes the beer, and doesn’t much like it.
How do you like it?
DEREK
I don’t much like beer.
PETER
Bit bitter?
DEREK
Yeah.
PETER
We should have started you on cider.
DEREK takes another sip.
That’s right. Keep going, you’ll get a taste for it.
You are a man, you know.
You have been growing.
I’ve seen it.
I’ve seen you become a man in these last weeks.