ACf TWO ScENE.2 AGNES.I'm frightened!
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Docroll. Don't be. I cannot make you say or do anything you do .not wish to say or do. Sit back and relax. .
Fme. Now imagine that you are listeningto a chorus of angels. ]heir music is so beautiful and so real that you <:an toUch it. It surrounds you like a very warm and.
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comfortable of water. The water is so warm you hardly know that it's there. All of the muscles in your body are melting into the pool. The water is just under your chin. But you must remember that this water is musi~ and if you are Su1>mersedin it you <:an still breathe freely and deeply. Now the water covers your chin. Your mouth. your nose. and your eyes. Close your eyes. Agnes. Thank you. When I count to three. you will wake up. Can you hear me? AGNEs.Yes.
.Docroll. Who am I? AGNES.Doctor Livingstone. Docroll. And why am I here?
AGNES. To help me.
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Dotc'FDR.Goad. Would .voulike to tell me why you're here? AGNES.Becaqse I'm in trouble. Docroll. What kind of trouble? (silence) What kind of trouble, Agnes? AGNES... I'm frightened. ])OCTOll.Of :what? AGNES~ Of telling you. Docroll. But it's easy. It's only a breath with sound. Say it. What kind of trouble, Agnes? (AGNES struggles. then Stlj1S:) AGNES.I had a baby. (silence) DocToR. How did you have a baby? AGNES.It came out of me. DocTOR. Did you know it was going to come out? AGNES.Yes. DoCroll. Did you want it to come out? AGNES.No. DocroR. Why? AGNES.Because I was afraid. DocToR. Why were you afraid? AONES.Because I wasn't worthy. DOCTOR.To be a mother? AGNES.Yes. DocroR. Why? (AGNES begins to cry softly.)
AGNES.May I open my eyes now? DocroR. Not yet. Very soon, but not yet. Do you know how the baby got into you? AGNES.It grew. Docroll. What made it grow'l Do you know'l AGNES.Yes. DocroR. Would you like to tell me? AGNES.No. DocroR. Did you know from the beginning that you were going to have a baby? AGNES.Yes. DocroR. How did you know? AGNES.I j!JS1knew. DocroR. What did you do about it? AGNES.I drank lots of milk. DocroR. Why? AGNES.Because that's good for babies. DocroR. You wanted the baby to be healthy? AGNES.Yes. DocToR. Then why didn't you go to a doctor?
AGNES.Nobody would believeme.
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Docroll. That you were having a baby? AGNES.No, not that. DocToR. What wouldn't they believe? (silence) Agnes, did anyone else know about the baby? AGNES. Yes.
DocroR. Who? AGNES.I don't want to tell you. DocroR. Did you tell this other person or did 'this other person guess? AGNES.She guessed. DOCTOR.One of your fellow sisters. AGNES.Yes. DOCTOR.Will she be angry if you tell me her name? AGNES.She made me promise not to. DocroR. All right, Agnes, rm going to ask, you to open your eyes in a moment. When you do, you will see your room at the convent. It is the night about four months ago when you were very sick. Around six
d't'l~.w.uu-~ AGNES.I'm afraid. DocroR. Don't be. rm here. All right? "
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AGNES Yes.
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DocTO~.Now teUme what you did this'eV~!'_ fore you went to bed. AGNES.late. DocroR. What did you have for dinner? AGNES. FISh. BrusSels sprouts.
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DocroR. You don't like brussels sprouts? AGNES. I hate them.
DocTOR.What else?
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AGNES..Alittle coffee. Some sherbet for dessert. That was special. DocroL And then what? AGNES.We got up, deared the ,table. and went to chapel for vespers. DocroR. Yes? AGNES.I left. e8rly~uselwasn't feeling very well. DocroB..
Wbat;was~ViJjjng?:' . .-:-' ..-'_.~~'.". -. .. - . :-"".-.. - ....-.-
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AGNES.Just tired. I had my milk . . . (and went to bed.) DocTOR. Who gave you your milk? AGNES.Sister Margaret, I think. DocroR. Was it Sister Margaret who knew about the baby? (silence) All right, Agnes, lees go to your room. Ready? AGNES.Yes. DocroR. I want you to open your eyes, and to see your room as you saw it bn that night. What do you see? AGNES.My bed. DocTOR. What else is in the room? AGNES.A chair. DocToR. Where is that? AGNES.Here. DocToR. Anything else? AGNES.A crucifix. DocroR. Above the bed? AGNES.Yes. DocroR. Anything else? (silence) Agnes? What do
you see? Something different?
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AGNES.Yes. DocroR. Something that's not normally in the room? AGNES.Yes. DocrOR. What is that? AGNES.A wastepaper basket. "(silence) DocToR. Do you know who put it there?' AGNES.No. DocToR. Why do you think it's there? AGNES.For me to get sick in. DocroR. Are you ill? AGNES.Yes. DocToR. What do you feel? AGNES.A pain in my stomach. I feel as if rve eaten glass.' (She holds her stomach in a contraction.) AGNES.I have to throw up. (8he tries.) 1 can't. (contraction) It's glass! One of the sisters has fed me glass! DocToR. Which one? AGNES.I don't know which one. They're all jealous, that's why. DocTOR. Of what? AGNES.Of me! (contraction) Oh God. Oh my God. Water. It's all water! DocTOR. Why doesn't anyone come? AGNES.They can't hear me. DocroR. Why not? AONBS.They're all in vespers. DOCTOR.Can you set them? AONIS. I can't. It's clear on the other side of the buildins. (contl'tlCtlon) Oh no, please. Please. I don't want this to happen. I don't want it. DocToR. Where are you? AGNES.On the bed. (contraction) Oh God. Oh my Ood. (sharp intake of breath) DocToIl. What is it? AGNES.Get away from me. ~1l.Wh~ . AGNES.00 away! I don't want you here! DocroB.. Is someone in the room with you? Agnes? AGNES. Don't touch me! Don't touch me! Please! Plcue don't touch inel (contraction) No, I don't want ',to-1Iave the baby.aow. I don't want jt! Why are you
maklna me do thist~(Contraction. She begins to SCI'«lIIL)
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DocroR~lt'sallrigbt,.Ape.,. No.one'sgoingto hurt you. AONBS.¥1)Uwant to hurt'my-baby! You want to take
my babyl'(eontnzclion) , ~ Stop her-.-SiiJ.IHmn',herse1fl ,
DocroR. No, let her go . . . (for a moment~) MOTHER. (rushing to AGNES) I"mnot going on with
this. . . (anymore.) DocTOR. No!
(As MOTHER touches her, AGNES screams, striking MOTHER and pushing her away.) AGNES.You're trying to take my baby! You're trying to take my baby! (scremn and contraction) Stay in! Please stay in! (several violent and final contractions) MOTHER.Stop her! Help her! AGNES.BITCH! It's not my fault, Mwiuny. WHORE! It's a mistake, Mummy. LIAR! DocroR. Agnes, it's all right. One, two, three. It's all .
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right. (AGNES relaxes.) It's me. Doctor Livingstone. It's all.right. Thank you. Thank you. How do you feel? . A~; .Frightened. J)QriTQ.;;iIt'shard .. ..
:it? <
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enough to go through it once, isn't .. .
. ...AGNES{.Yes.'
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Do you remember-whatjust happened?
AoNiJs.-Yes.-
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DocroR. Good. Do you think you're well enough to stand?AGNES.Yes. (She does.) DocToR. There. (AGNES embraces the DOCTOR. As she leaves, .she begins to sing.) AGNES. Ave Maria, Gratia plena, Dominus tecum.