Flashback In A Blackout

Scene - Hospital Ward ' Hostel Ward
Props - Some empty bottles . Toolbox ' Doctors Bag

Actors - Characters

Mr Mackin ' Resident
RN ' Sister on Duty
AIN ' Nursing Assistant
Workman '
Mrs Mackin-
Doctor Fergus
Mrs Mackin '

Two nurses stand at the nurses station looking through notes and reports .

Dialogue Begins

AIN - I am exhausted . I feel like I don't have enough strength left to finish the shift ."

RN - "There are never enough nurses and never enough pain killers and never enough time to do all we have to do ."

AIN ' "We all could use a holiday ."

RN - "The buzzer is on in room 24 ,can you jus check Mr Mackin and see if everythings ok ?

The AIN makes her way to room 24 and mutters

AIN '"lf I don't get a break soon, Ill be the one screaming for help around here ."

The RN makes her way into room 24 and tends to the injured man who is lying on the floor with an empty whiskey bottle in his hand . She takes the bottle from him and gets rid of it .
Mr Mackin who is slightly intoxicated puts on a brave a smile in his effort to make little of his situation tells a funny story .

Mr Mackin ' " Did you hear joke about the man who told the Doctor, I think I'm a telephone and the Doctor said ,
If you're no better tomorrow give me a ring . "

AIN ' (Laughs) - Sure enough the only thing that's infectious around here is your humour . Where did you hide the bottle this time ."

Mr Mackin -"Next door in room 25 .

The AIN switches off the buzzer and helps him back into his bed .

AIN -"You don't mean to tell me you hid your bottle in with old Star Sergeant Roberts the most well mannered and well liked man in the whole place .'

Mr Mackin ." That's him . He has a real heart of gold . That's why he let me hide my bottle there .

The AIN checks around the room anmd finds two other bottles stashed away .

AIN '"Right then that's it . Mr Mackin . You're definitely getting a visit tomorrow from Doctor Fergus Campbell the local alcohol group recovery person . You're going to get help with your drinking problem .

Suddenly all the lights go out . There is a blackout . Mr Mackin has a panic attack .He has a flashback . Something from his past troubles him . The AIN goes to the RN for help .

RN- I don't know what's going on . It must be a power cut or something We should have our back up generator kick in soon "

AIN - "There is a problem in room 24 with Mr Mackin .He's screaming out something about the bombs that fell on his house and something about his son running away . What should I do ?"

RN- "I'll contact his wife and get the Doctor on the phone . I'll give him something to settle him down ."

AIN '"Better rethink that one he's been drinking in his room again ."

RN - "Drunk .

AIN '"He's going to wake up the whole place if we don't keep him quiet ."

RN ' "I won't have him upsets the sanity of everyone in the place . Lets see if we can't sort this out until family members and the allied heath team arrive .

As they make their way to room 24 they are met in the corridor by a workman in overalls carryng a toolbox .

RN -" Can you return to Mr Mackin . I'll be there in few minutes .

AIN- "Ok . That's if I can see my way there in the dark .

RN ' "Just follow the screaming . You'll get there ok "

AIN - "If you hear another high pitched scream its me and you better get there fast ".

Workman ' " Can I see the sister in charge ."

RN-" I'm the sister in duty how can I help ?

Workman ' I'm here to fix the electricity . It's a overload that requires a trip rewire on the master trip "

RN- "The powerboard is near room 24 at the end of the corridor . Follow me "

Workman and RN make their way to room 24 where a conversation between Mr Mackin and the nursing assistant is in full swing .

Mr Mackin ' " Can't you see I'm injured . My wife' has gone crazy . The house has been bombed and my son's run away half insane and what of all the others who have been wounded ."

AIN- "It's ok Mr Mackin just calm down . You have a fever and you need to lie down and rest .

The RN and the workman come into the room .
Mr Mackin gets slightly more agitated .

RN- "What's all this nonsense about Mr Mackin . "

Workman -" Don't talk to him like that ."

RN-" I beg your pardon ."

The workman goes over near the bedside and crouches down .

Workman ' "Can you give me a list of injured .

Mr Mackin '" The numbers growing and still there is no one here to help ."

AIN- " Are you one of the allied health team ?"

Workman ' "I'm just a spark but I think I can help ?

RN- "If you wouldn't mind leaving it to us sir . We are the nurses on duty ."

Workman- "Well believe it or not . My name is Mike Mackin and I can relate to what my Father is saying . I'm his son who ran away after he hit the bottle . He often gets flashbacks of the war . Please let me help . I can reach him where he is ."

RN- "Ok then . If you are his son , I'll allow you to assist ."

Ain- "Have you contacted Mr Mackins wife ?

RN- I'll do that now . Will you be all right ?

AIN' - I'm fine

Mr Mackin- "Can you help me carry or drag the injured . We must re-allocate the injured ."

Workmen -"Men can't you hear what he said . Snap to it . Get those injured out of here now and make room for them in make shift beds ."

"Mr Mackin ' "About time . It has come to my notice since I am the highest rank here at present that we must vacate from here into a safe area .'

Workman -  On your command I'll take the wounded one by one
out into the open ."

Mr Mackin settle back down quietly and falls asleep on his bed . The workman goes to fix the light problem . As the lights come back on again in walks the Doctor and Mr Mackins wife . She meets her lost son in the corridor and stares at him in a state of disbelief .

Mrs Mackin ' "Mike is it really you ? Where have yo been for ten years ?"

Workman '"Mum I just had to get away . Dads constant flashbacks had me going insane . I needed time out ".

The doctor walks into the hostel and asks to see Mr Mackin . Another resident from the hostel gets up and approaches the doctor .

New Resident ' "Dear Lord what we have here today is a problem and Lord there has never been a problem that you and I can't work out . So Lord when I said let there be light that was no problem for you ."

RN- "Come on now Liz . Would you like a nice cup of tea . It's the right time for you to come with me ."

They walk off .
Suddenly Mr Mackin comes walking down the corridor . He has a bottle in his hand .

Mr Mackin ' " Doctor Fergus would you join me in a drink ?

Doctor ' " It's just as well we all have a sense of humour around here because its good to laugh . It's the real medicine in life "

Everone there breaks out in fits of laughter . The laughs continued for a while and fades out .
The RN returns as the AIN signs off .here shift

RN - "Are you making any communication about tonights incident ?

AIN ' "Well what can I say . The dark turned to light and the nurses on duty treated the walking wounded ."

RN - " How are we ever going to ask the Doctor to confirm that one ?

AIN ' "Just on that issue . The Doctor has recommended a few weeks away in detox for Mr Mackin and has grabbed the last few bottles from inside his fold up chair . "

RN- " The Doctor seems to know more about Mr Mackins secret stash that we do . Maybe we should add a recommendation that search the entire building for other hidden bottles ."

The doctor laughs and takes no negativity over the comments .

Doctor '"Well now that everything's seems quiet again I better get out and treat other wounded members of the community "

He puts a few of the bottles into his bag and exits . The RN and the AIN burst out in fits of laughter again . The AIN does this little funny walk and begins to sing a little well known song ,

AIN "Ten green bottles sitting on the wall and if one green bottle should accidentally fall ."

She is joined in the song by the RN ,

RN - "There'll be nine green bottles . Thanks for coming in for the shift . Why don't you have an early mark tonight . You look tired . The relief should be here any moment . Go on . Good night ."

AIN ' "That sounds great . Good night .'

Help arrives and once again the hostel was quiet and another night awaited the arrival of the dawn .

The End

By Paul McCann