Apologia (NHB Modern Plays) by Alexi Kaye Campbell

Author:Alexi Kaye Campbell [Campbell, Alexi Kaye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780013091
Publisher: Nick Hern Books

ACT TWO

Scene One

The middle of the night, a few hours later. The food has all been cleared away. SIMON is sitting at the table with KRISTIN. SIMON is fully dressed but KRISTIN is in her dressing gown. He has taken the handkerchief off his hand and KRISTIN is inspecting his palm.

KRISTIN. There’s definitely some in there.

SIMON. Okay.

KRISTIN. Little pieces of glass. Tiny splinters.

Pause.

We’ll have to get them out.

SIMON. Fine.

KRISTIN. How did you do it?

SIMON. I got off the train. I was walking down the road looking for a cab. It was raining.

KRISTIN. Claire should have brought you here.

SIMON. I was trying to do up my shoelaces. There was broken glass in the undergrowth by the road. I lost my balance and fell on it.

KRISTIN. There’s definitely some in there.

SIMON. It could have been worse.

KRISTIN. So let’s get it out.

She stands and walks over to a cupboard. She opens it and takes out a first-aid kit.

I’ve been looking forward to the day this thing would come in handy.

She brings it over to where he’s sitting. She sits down and opens it. She starts to take out all the contents of the box, laying them out carefully on the table.

Are you sure you don’t want something to eat?

SIMON. I’m not hungry.

KRISTIN. We can’t warm it up, I’m afraid, but you could eat it cold.

SIMON. I said I’m not hungry.

KRISTIN. Let me know if you change your mind.

She opens up a bottle of disinfectant and dabs a little of it onto a piece of cotton wool.

The evening didn’t go quite as we expected.

SIMON. I heard.

KRISTIN. We had a heated discussion.

SIMON. Claire said.

KRISTIN. On various subjects.

SIMON. Okay.

KRISTIN. But if there was one overriding theme, I suppose it would be priorities.

SIMON. Priorities?

KRISTIN. What’s important. The things that count.

SIMON. I see.

KRISTIN. The choices that define us.

SIMON. That’s interesting.

She begins to dab the disinfectant onto his palm.

KRISTIN. We’ll put this disinfectant on it and then I’ll use the tweezers to get the glass out.

SIMON. Thank you.

KRISTIN. But it doesn’t need stitches.

Pause.

The thing about Claire and me is that we’re very different kinds of people.

SIMON. Are you?

KRISTIN. We don’t always see eye to eye.

SIMON. No.

KRISTIN. So it’s inevitable that there’ll be a little friction between us, isn’t it?

Pause as she continues to apply the disinfectant to his open palm.

How are the two of you?

SIMON. How are we?

KRISTIN. I imagine it will be harder now that you’re not working.

SIMON. Will it?

KRISTIN. Money, for a start.

SIMON. I see.

KRISTIN. Until you feel better. Until you feel ready again.

SIMON. Money?

KRISTIN. Until you feel you’re strong enough.

SIMON. Strong enough?

KRISTIN. To find another job, I mean.

SIMON. Oh.

KRISTIN. But that money, or rather lack of it, shouldn’t be a reason –

SIMON. What?

KRISTIN. For you to feel trapped in any way.

SIMON. Trapped?

Pause.

KRISTIN. I suppose what I’m saying is that I can lend you money. As much of it as you need.

SIMON. Okay.

KRISTIN. Give you money. And then when – if – you ever feel you can afford to pay me back, well, then you can.

SIMON. I see.

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