The Edge Of A Forked Tongue

The Edge Of A Forked Tongue

By Paul McCann

Introduction :

An  82 year old woman  is being discharged after 5 days in hospital for hypertension

Setting :

Its afternoon change over shift in a busy hospital . Lots of people are coming and going  . In the nurses station a handover is taking place and suddenly a call assist alarm sounds . It is coning from a room at the end of the corridor . The EN who has just come on duty and she goes to check the call .

 

Three actors in the cast

Nurse knocks on the door and enters the room .  He switched off the call assist alarm and turns to the patient who looks upset and is murmuring .

Dialogue begins

Ms Forks : (Murmurs) Its enough to make me want to scream . This place is a circus not a hospital and I’m sick of all the clowns around here . I’m sick of everything .

Male  EN : Ms Forks its Paul  . What is wrong ?

Ms Forks : What  I can’t hear you .  

Male  EN : Ms Forks you pressed the alarm . Are you ok .

Ms Forks : Speak up. I can’t hear what you’re saying .

Male  EN :(pointing to his ears) Have you got your hearing aids on Ms Forks ?

Ms Forks : “What . I cant hear a work you’re saying .

The nurse checks her hearing aids and discovers that they are turned down low . He adjust the volume to high and puts them in her ears .

Male  EN : “Can you hear me now Ms Forks ?”

Ms Forks : “Finally.“ 

Male  EN : “Are you ok, the call alarm was going .

Ms Forks : “I don’t know how that happened but as you’re here I need to ask you about my medication . I was about to take my tablets and I noticed they are blue and mine are brown .   

Male  EN :”Let me have at look at them .”

Ms Forks : (She hands the nurse the packet ) I might be deaf but I’m not blind.  

Male  EN : You’re right these tables are Mr Knives , Ms Forks . I’m very sorru about that and I’ll see to it that you get your medication .

Ms Forks : “Not good enough . You people are full of excuses . Too many apologies , too many mistakes , too many times as far as I’m concerned .“

Male  EN : ‘I’m sorry , I mean . How can I help you Ms Forks ?”

Ms Forks : “I’m being discharged , so there’s nothing you can do even if you tried . I’ll go home to my garden and try to forget this place ever existed .“  

Male  EN : “Its been such a pleasure to get to know you Ms Forks and I’ll always remember you . I always look for ward to seeing you when I come to work . I’ll miss you .

(Ms Forks is lost for words for a moment . She mellows a little), 

Ms Forks : “ How long have you worked here ?”

Male  EN : “Ten years now Ms Forks ?”

Ms Forks :  “Well you must know what you’re doing then .”

Male  EN : “ I’m still learning and people like you are a great help . Being a male nurse is not always easy .  Most older women have a problem with that but you’ve always allowed me time to help you . Is there anything I casn do for you Ms Forks .”

Ms Forks :  ‘Well then if it will help you and prevent anyone from suffering what I have had to suffer in here then , Ok I’ll tell you .“

Male  EN : “ Thank you for that Ms Forks. You will make me a better nurse .“

Ms Forks : ‘Its awful getting old . Don’t get old Paul . I’m on my own and I have no one to help me . Tomorrow I have to leave because they need the room for someone else, I need to pack my things and get a taxi home . “

Male  EN : “ Ms Forks , I’ll help you pack tonight before I leave and organize the taxi or some other transport with home care service . Oh and by the way I don’t think I can stop from getting old ,‘ 

Ms Forks : ‘Thank you for that ,.well get old but what ever you do . don’t get sick .“

Male  EN : “ Ok I’ll write that down .“

Ms Forks : ‘ Another thing I’ve been here 5 days , now they tell me I need to have blood test done . Why could they do that when I was in here ?”

Male  EN : “ Because they assessing your hypertension and looking at other factors related to your overall care plan that has not been updated and part of that is to have a CT scan of your abdomen , some blood tests and follow up appointments with your doctor as well as here the hospital .“

Ms Forks : ‘As I said before , don’t get sick when you get old , it’s very inconvenient .”    

Male  EN : “ The RN will see you tomorrow before you leave and give you all the details about the appointments and home care services that will assist you with transport and support through all them procedures you have ahead of you Ms Forks “. 

Ms Forks : “Now I don’t feel as old as I did before . I think worry makes you feel a lot older that we are .‘  

Male  EN : “ Ok I have to go and make some notes Ms Forks . It was nice to talk with you .”

As turns to leave Ms Forks calls him 

Ms Forks : “Oh by the way . They took my walking stick from me . Can you make sure I get it back , It belonged to my Mother “

Male  EN “ I will . Why did they take your walking stick ?”

Ms Forks : ‘Because I hit the doctor with it one day .“

Male  EN : ‘Did you really ?”          

:Ms Forks “ Yes I did but I’m smart . I hit him where it won’t show .“

Male EN : “ Now where did you learn that  .“

Ms Forks: “ As I told you , it was my Mother’s walking stick  and I hit the doctor on the B ,U , M .“

Male EN: “ If I get you the walking stick you must promise not to hit anyone else with it Ms Forks.‘

Ms Forks “ I promise I will as long as I remember to keep my promise ,”‘ 

Male EN :’ Ok then I’ll bring you the walking stick later .“

Ms Forks : The things about getting old is we loose our memory . So its possible I might forget what it was I promised you . “

Male EN : “ That’s a good excuse Ms Forks . I must remember that so I can use that when I get old . Talk to you later , Bye ”

Ms Forks “ Thank you for helping me feel better . Bye “.

The End

.