1. KEEP GOING
by
Denitria Barnett
c. 2014
Denitria Barnett
Oglethorpe University
4484 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30319
912-507-5725
dbarnett@oglethorpe.edu
3. 1
(Two beds sit on stage, made with stark
white sheets. DARCY and MICHELLE are
dressed in short-sleeved scrub-like gowns.
DARCY sits on her bed, stage left, reading a
book. MICHELLE sits on her bed, curled
into a ball and sniffling.)
DARCY
Could you stop?
(MICHELLE continues to cry.)
DARCY
My god. It’s not that big a deal.
MICHELLE
(softly)
You were bleeding.
DARCY
Happens.
MICHELLE
There was so much of it…
DARCY
Yeah, that tends to happen when you slit your wrists.
(DARCY looks over at MICHELLE’s scars.)
But you would know all about that, wouldn’t you princess?
MICHELLE
Don’t call me that.
DARCY
Why? Does it bother you, princess?
MICHELLE
Stop it.
DARCY
I’ll say what I like.
MICHELLE
Shut up!
4. 2
(MICHELLE throws her pillow at DARCY. DARCY dodges it.)
DARCY
You’re new here, aren’t you?
MICHELLE
Why do you care?
DARCY
Just answer the question.
MICHELLE
Why should I?
(DARCY glances over to MICHELLE, then returns to her book.)
Fine. What do you mean by ‘new’?
DARCY
New. As in new. As in “of recent origin, production, or purpose”. As in “now existing or
appearing for the first time”. As in, I’ve never seen you here before.
MICHELLE
Well…you’re new too, aren’t you?
DARCY
Ha! Please.
MICHELLE
How long have you been here?
DARCY
This time? About four months.
MICHELLE
This time?
DARCY
Yep. All in all, I’ve been in and out of here for seven years.
MICHELLE
Seven years?
DARCY
Yep.
5. 3
MICHELLE
Just for –
(Pause.)
DARCY
(quietly, mocking)
Suicide?
MICHELLE
(hysterically)
No. No, I – It’s fine. It’s fine. I’ll just go to this appointment –
DARCY
Evaluation.
MICHELLE
Appointment, and it’ll be fine. Everyone will realize that this is just one big misunderstanding.
DARCY
Chick, you’re in a mental institution. You’re not going anywhere until some dude in a white coat
comes and pushes you out the door.
MICHELLE
My family will come get me.
DARCY
Your family put you in here.
MICHELLE
Why are you talking to me?
DARCY
Because you are demented.
MICHELLE
You’re one to talk.
DARCY
You’re right.
(MICHELLE marches over and takes DARCY’s book.)
MICHELLE
And would you stop reading that frikin’ book?!
6. 4
DARCY
It was more interesting than you, princess.
MICHELLE
Screw you!
DARCY
I’d rather you not.
MICHELLE
Ugh! I can’t even believe this right now! I’m sitting in a room with some psychopath –
DARCY
You’re in a ward, princess.
MICHELLE
Shut up! (continuing) In some sort of hospital –
DARCY
Mental hospital.
MICHELLE
Fine. Fine! A mental hospital. You happy?! We are in a mental hospital and you’re just sitting
there reading (she checks the book cover.) Sylvia Plath. Sylvia Plath! That’s great. That’s just
frikin’ great.
DARCY
She’s a good writer.
(MICHELLE collapses onto the floor.)
MICHELLE
I can’t deal with this. I can’t do this.
DARCY
Hey. (she sighs.) Look, kid. What’s your name?
MICHELLE
Michelle.
DARCY
Michelle, look –
MICHELLE
What’s yours?
7. 5
DARCY
Does it matter?
MICHELLE
(looking down)
I don’t know.
DARCY
Look, you came to this place looking like a beaten puppy, and I don’t think you’ve made eye
contact with a single person since you got here.
MICHELLE
Why should I have to?
DARCY
I mean you don’t have to, but I think a lot of people would rather speak to a face than that bald
spot on top of your head.
(MICHELLE frantically checks her head. DARCY laughs.)
I’m kidding.
(Silence.)
I didn’t look at anyone my first time here either.
(Silence.)
Maybe the top of my head was a bit more interesting.
MICHELLE
Would you stop?...I just want to get out of here.
DARCY
No one wants to be here, princess.
MICHELLE
Michelle.
DARCY
Look princess Michelle, I’m trying to help. I’m trying to sit here and have a little pow-wow with
you about what’s going on. Because the way you’re throwing these little tantrums is going to
make sure they put you away in a real hellhole, and denial only gets you so far. It’s scary here. I
know that. And if you’re new, you’ve got a million different things going through your head,
none of which are good.
8. 6
(Beat.)
MICHELLE
Maybe you’re right.
DARCY
I usually am.
MICHELLE
So, what was your first time like?
DARCY
Eh. A little messy. Lots of fumbling. He finished so quickly –
MICHELLE
Here! I meant here! You’re first time here!
(DARCY laughs.)
DARCY
Learn to take a joke, will ya? Let’s see. They took me through evaluation and assigned me to…
Dr. Sydney. God, he was a fox.
MICHELLE
A hot doctor? Sounds like something out of a porno.
DARCY
He looked it. He was so concentrated on my progress. And I was so concentrated on his arms.
Dear god, those arms.
MICHELLE
Is that why you got readmitted? Because you couldn’t think of anything but his arms when you
got out?
DARCY
No, I got readmitted because of the car crash.
MICHELLE
Car crash?
DARCY
Straight into a telephone pole. God, Dad was livid. The landlines were down for a week and we
didn’t have cell service that month.
MICHELLE
Why would that bring you back here? People wreck cars all the time.
9. 7
DARCY
Most people don’t plan on doing that though.
(Beat.)
MICHELLE
Wow.
DARCY
Yeah. Let’s see, when I downed a full bottle of Advil, they gave me Dr. Clara. For the LSD and
Ex mix, it was Dr. Delaney, for the bridge jump it was Matthews, then Dr. Rodrick –
MICHELLE
Woah, woah, woah. What?!
DARCY
Yeah, this bitch of a universe just won’t let me die.
MICHELLE
No, seriously, how messed up are you?
DARCY
I took ex and acid and chased them down with a bottle of whiskey. You tell me how fucked up I
am.
MICHELLE
Just – How would you – Why would you – Didn’t someone stop you?! Your friends?! Your
family?!
DARCY
Look, you’re not my fucking mother, alright?
MICHELLE
Well, someone has to be. Who –
DARCY
No. No one has to be, and who ever tries can follow both my parents to their fucking graves.
MICHELLE
Oh.
(Pause.)
My dad died too.
10. 8
(Pause.)
DARCY
I’m sorry.
MICHELLE
Thanks. I’m sorry too.
DARCY
Thanks…I guess all’s well that ends well, yeah?
MICHELLE
Well, that’s morbid…god, I’m in a mental ward.
(DARCY picks up her book and continues to read.)
DARCY
Welcome to paradise, princess.
MICHELLE
Holy shit, I don’t want to be stuck here for the next seven years.
(DARCY snickers.)
DARCY
Look, mine’s kind of a special case. I’m here on a state mandate because no one else can handle
me. You still got family?
MICHELLE
Yeah, my mom. And my grandparents.
DARCY
Were they the ones that signed you in here?
MICHELLE
Yeah.
DARCY
Well look, you’ve already come to terms with the fact that you’re in here. That’s miles away
from where I was at my first evaluation. Now, you’ve got two options. Either find your inner
track star, like I did, and bolt once they come to open that door. You’ll get about five strides out
before security will bring you back kicking and screaming like you were when you got here.
MICHELLE
Yeah, I don’t think I wanna do that again.
11. 9
DARCY
Then you get to walk, of your own free will, down those halls, around the corner, to the doctor’s
offices –
(LANA enters.)
LANA
Michelle? The doctor’s ready for you.
(MICHELLE prepares to leave. DARCY stops her.)
DARCY
And you keep going. Until you’re better. The first time around.
(LANA exits. MICHELLE stops in the doorway.)
MICHELLE
Hey, um…Thanks.
(DARCY smirks, then shoos MICHELLE away. MICHELLE exits. DARCY lays
back on her bed. A moment passes.)
BLACKOUT
