204
ACT 2 • SCENE 7
THE HOSPITAL
Steve and Nick are in the hallway outside of Mary Jane’s room. A DOCTOR enters. Steve is desperate for answers.
STEVE: Are you Dr. Woodson?
DR. WOODSON: Yes.
STEVE: I’m Steve. Healy. Can you please give me an update on my wife?
DR. WOODSON: In addition to oxycodone, she also had fentanyl in her system.
STEVE: What?!
DR. WOODSON: It’s a very powerful opiate, stronger than heroin.
STEVE: That’s not possible.
DR. WOODSON: Oxycodone is often contaminated with fentanyl. She might have gotten counterfeit pills off the street.
STEVE: No, she had a prescription. She got in a car accident; she was still having trouble with her back.
DR. WOODSON: Actually, she doesn’t have a current prescription with either of the doctors that you wrote down.
STEVE: Could this be a mistake? She’s an amazing mother. She’s obsessed with her health. Does she look like a drug addict to you?
DR. WOODSON: What do you think a drug addict looks like? (an awkward beat, then) Did you notice any erratic behavior?
STEVE: (breaking) Yes.
NICK: (taking over) Is she going to be okay?
DR. WOODSON: We have a lot to discuss.
STEVE: Nick, why don’t you go wait for Frankie?
Nick hesitates, then leaves.
DR. WOODSON: We have her on buprenorphine to help with withdrawals, but there could be serious long-term consequences from an overdose like this. Once she’s discharged, I would suggest she goes to inpatient recovery.
STEVE: She won’t do that.
DR. WOODSON: We strongly recommend it. I’ll be back in a few minutes.
Steve is relieved and terrified all at once. He addresses Mary Jane.
STEVE: Remember when we were younger before the kids, we’d party and drink too much and we would joke about going to rehab someday? Well, you did it! (to himself) Not funny.
No response, of course. Steve strokes her hair gingerly, takes a deep breath.
STEVE: I thought after all this time we were done surprising each other.
Steve sings “MARY JANE.”
STEVE: What’s the matter Mary Jane, you had a hard day1 / As you place the don’t disturb sign on the door / You lost your place in line again, what a pity / You never seem to want to dance anymore / Well it’s full speed baby in the wrong direction / There’s a few more bruises if that’s the way / You insist on heading / Please be honest Mary Jane / Are you happy / Please don’t censor your tears2
We see Nick bringing Frankie into the hospital. They are both distraught.
FRANKIE: (to Steve) This is my fault.
STEVE: No, it’s not.
He embraces Frankie. She turns to Nick, crying, and he leads her out of the room.
STEVE:
You’re the sweet crusader
And you’re on your way
You’re the sweet crusader
And you’re on your way
CHORUS:
Aah ee yah
Ooh...
Sweet crusader
Ahh... hey...
Aah ee yah
Ooh...
Sweet crusader
Ahh... hey...
1 “This song is just an opportunity to be intensely empathic. It’s saying: ‘I hear you. I see you.’ It’s the most beautiful thing for me to hear empathic words coming out of a male voice.”
2 “When I moved to L.A., I was incredibly lonely. I didn’t speak for six months, because in Canada, you don’t speak unless someone asks you a question. I thought, ‘At some point, someone’s going to ask me a question.’ But nobody did. No one really cared.”