Scene 12
ANGELIQUE is sitting in her room when MAX comes in to examine her. She is very timid with him at first.
MAX
Ms. Marcel?
ANGELIQUE doesn't respond but stares at him.
How are you this evening?
She stares at him.
Um, maybe we could… I'm here to do the checkup. Dr. Glass is with your sister.
ANGELIQUE
Oui.
MAX
Pardon?
ANGELIQUE
Yes.
MAX
Yes, so I—if that's all right with you, I'm going to do tonight's examination.
She is silent.
Should I get Dr. Glass?
ANGELIQUE
Non.
MAX
Okay, then you don't mind if I proceed?
ANGELIQUE
No one has ever asked me if I minded before.
MAX
Pardon?
ANGELIQUE
These checkups toujours.
MAX
Maybe you would prefer—
ANGELIQUE
But it's fine.
MAX
Well, yes, right. Could you please sit up on the table?
ANGELIQUE
We usually start standing.
MAX
You do? Oh, then—
ANGELIQUE
I will sit.
She does so.
MAX
How are you feeling tonight Ms.… Ms. Marcel?
ANGELIQUE
My sister is ill… with a cold.
MAX
Yes, she's with the doctor. Are you feeling the same? How are you—
ANGELIQUE
Fine, Monsieur… Docteur?
MAX
Street. My last name is Street… like the kind you walk on, but you can just call me Max.
ANGELIQUE
Angelique, that's what your chart says, doesn't it?
MAX
Yes.
Beat.
ANGELIQUE
My sister calls me Split Lip.
MAX
…Like the kind from a fight?
ANGELIQUE
Peut-être.
MAX
It doesn't bother you?
ANGELIQUE
It's just a nickname.
Beat.
When Poubelle and I were small and my papa, he used to call us his… c'est quoi? You know? Un bleu, his—his bruises.
MAX
His bruises? Like bruises… (points to his knee)
ANGELIQUE
Did Poubelle do that?
MAX
I must have banged it on that tub.
ANGELIQUE
Papa said when we were born he loved us so much that it bruised his heart. He'd kiss Poubelle's head and say, "Bonsoir, ma bleue."
MAX
Huh.
ANGELIQUE
Whenever he went out he'd say, "I've got to kiss my bruises before I go."
MAX
You must miss him.
ANGELIQUE
Poubelle is starting to resemble him, you know?
MAX
Why does she call you…
ANGELIQUE
Split Lip? Because of l'accident.
MAX
Oh.
ANGELIQUE
"Angelique"—last I heard it right it was a sound hanging in the air before the scraping.
MAX
I—
ANGELIQUE
Split Lip.
She points to her lips.
It is the truth, isn't it? It is only a word for the truth.
MAX
I'm sorry.
ANGELIQUE
Non, it's stupid, is it not? Only a word.
MAX
Sometimes words can mean a lot.
ANGELIQUE
Ah, oui? Les mots sont importants? Une langue entre deux personnes?
MAX
Pardon? I don't speak—
ANGELIQUE
Monsieur made us read books in English so we could learn English words.
MAX
So he could converse with you.
ANGELIQUE
He never learned French.
MAX
Studies have recorded that different areas of the brain are affected by different words; positive or negative, they affect different synapses.
ANGELIQUE
Is that what you study?
MAX
No.
ANGELIQUE
What then?
MAX
Bond and attraction.
ANGELIQUE
Ah, oui? That is what you call it?
MAX
Yes.
ANGELIQUE
Words mean a lot, eh? You have studies?
MAX
Yes.
ANGELIQUE
Peut-être… like love.
MAX
Love?
ANGELIQUE
Love is a big word… is it not?
MAX has forgotten himself and straightens up and looks at her with professional scrutiny. He takes out an instrument to look into her ears.
MAX
So you are feeling fine? Not like your sister?
ANGELIQUE
Is it not?
MAX
No pain in your sinuses? Um, let's see here.
He checks his chart.
All right, um, lymphs, eyes, ears, throat… menstrual cycle?
She looks down shyly.
ANGELIQUE
Not right now.
MAX
Just checking off the list. Any pains?
ANGELIQUE
Do you know what it means?
MAX
What what means?
ANGELIQUE
What you are studying?
MAX
You?
ANGELIQUE
Love, amour.
MAX
Do I know how it works?
ANGELIQUE
You study it. Do you know what it is?
MAX
That's what we are doing. Any symptoms of any kind?
ANGELIQUE
Headaches.
MAX
How long have these been affecting you?
ANGELIQUE
Since I got here, since l'accident.
MAX
How long do they last?
ANGELIQUE
Until I lie down and shut my eyes.
MAX
Could be migraines. Any problems with your vision?
ANGELIQUE
When I close my eyes I can see colours pumping around my eyelids.
MAX
(mutters to himself) Lightning.
Leg up.
ANGELIQUE
Monsieur?
MAX
Yes?
ANGELIQUE
What are you doing here?
MAX
I'm examining you while Dr. Glass is with your sister.
ANGELIQUE
Non, ici. Qu'est-ce tu fais ici?
MAX
Pardon?
ANGELIQUE
What are you doing here? Ici. In this place?
MAX
I'm helping Dr. Glass.
ANGELIQUE
Why?
MAX
The work he's doing is very important.
ANGELIQUE
This?
MAX
He's trying to find out. To find out…
ANGELIQUE
To find out what love is.
MAX
Yes.
ANGELIQUE
And what is in it for you?
MAX
Knowledge.
ANGELIQUE
Oh, oui? You want to find it?
MAX
Yes.
ANGELIQUE
You want to find it? Break it apart and slice it on to slides for your microscope?
MAX
Humankind is a naturally curious species.
ANGELIQUE
What do you love?
MAX
Pardon me?
ANGELIQUE
You? You love what? You must love something to come here and mix vitamins into our puddings every day. Well, what is it? What do you love?
MAX
I don't know.
ANGELIQUE
I don't know is not a very scientific explication.
MAX
…Plants.
ANGELIQUE
You love plants? Like, you love eating salads?
MAX
I find them fascinating. I'm working on an experiment right now that I think will prove very interesting.
ANGELIQUE
Oui?
MAX
I'm making films for plants… Plants are very sensitive to light, photosynthesis. I hypothesize that film would be the perfect method to stimulate them, due to its projection of light. I'm filming pollination and projecting it onto plants.
ANGELIQUE
Pour—what for?
MAX
To excite them. To make them want to reproduce.
ANGELIQUE
But why?
MAX
To see if plants want other plants.
ANGELIQUE
You want to see if plants can love?
MAX
Relate to each other—yes.
ANGELIQUE
You with your careful words. You love this?
MAX
I find it terribly fascinating.
ANGELIQUE
(trying the new English word) Fascinating.
MAX
Any digestion problems?
ANGELIQUE
No. Always questions to us… Our health. What would you like me to say? "Yes. Awful problems." Or wait! Were those my problems? Bloating in my belly or Poubelle's? It is hard to tell, you know? When you are a twin, it's hard to tell which one you are when you wake up in the morning.
MAX
Stick out your tongue.
ANGELIQUE
I'm sorry. I was only kidding.
MAX
That's fine.
ANGELIQUE
Non, look, that's good. Plants—that's good.
MAX
Arm out.
ANGELIQUE
I love things too. I love… when I was little Poubelle and I used tell stories about being in my maman. We used to say, "Maman, you would not believe it. It was like lying down on bread and looking up through the jam."
MAX smiles.
Yes, we used to say that and there wasn't an ounce of truth in it but I loved saying it all the same. Poubelle always said, "Oui, Maman, looking out of your tummy was like raspberry jam. The kind without seeds."
MAX
There have been accounts of twins remembering before birth.
ANGELIQUE
Ha, Monsieur. You kid. You kid me!
MAX
It's true.
ANGELIQUE
Non, non, it is more fun than with Dr. Glass. You joke… you know, Monsieur Max… you know these films you make?
MAX
Yes?
ANGELIQUE
You know what that means? That means you make plant pornography?
MAX
(smiles) I suppose. I suppose I'd never thought of it like that.
ANGELIQUE
My sister taught me that word. She got it from the newspaper. Do you sell it?
MAX
No… I doubt anyone else would want it.
ANGELIQUE
That's good. What else? What else do you love?
MAX
Science. I guess I love science. I find it to be the most fascinating thing.
ANGELIQUE
I love nighttime more than daytime. I love my language. Nuit. I love my word for it. Nuit… I think that must be a positive word.
MAX is feeling around her jaw.
MAX
Inflammation?
ANGELIQUE
You love this word? Inflammation?
MAX
No. Do you have any inflammation?
He mimes inflammation the best way he can… perhaps by illustrating puffiness of the stomach.
ANGELIQUE
Oh! Non.
MAX
It's nice to see you laugh. It's a good sign of health.
ANGELIQUE
I don't see you laugh much, Monsieur.
MAX
I love science. I love this.
He points to a scar on her shoulder.
ANGELIQUE
The scar? Non, non, you can't. It's so ugly.
MAX
No it's not. It's fascinating. Look at the restorative properties of biology. Look at what your skin has done to close itself up.
ANGELIQUE
It's bumpy and disgusting.
MAX
No, look—look how shiny the skin is. How pink.
ANGELIQUE
Non, non.
MAX
It looks like an inside-out kiss.
ANGELIQUE
A kiss?
MAX
Yes a… a…
He gives her a quick kiss on the top of her head to demonstrate the word.
ANGELIQUE blushes.
ANGELIQUE
Un bec?
MAX
Yes, a kiss.
ANGELIQUE
Un bec… Tu veux me donner un baiser? Ici?
She brings the scar up to his mouth, thinking that he has asked to kiss it.
MAX
Yes. It looks like an inside-out kiss.
She brings the scar right up to his mouth.
ANGELIQUE
Voilà.
She waits for him to kiss it. He waits too, not quite understanding.
Voilà.
He kisses the scar simply to comply with her wish. It is a soft, gentle kiss.
MAX
Um, voilà… un, um, kiss.
They stare at each other.
I'm sorry, Angelique, I—
ANGELIQUE
One question, Monsieur.
MAX
Yes?
ANGELIQUE
Is love a positive word or a negative word?
POUBELLE is heard calling from backstage.
POUBELLE
Splits? I'm done getting checked out.
POUBELLE enters just as the two shift away from each other.
What are you two doing? Are you done?
MAX
Uh, yes, yes. I think we've completed the examination. Thank you, Miss… ah… Miss Marcel.
MAX awkwardly leaves. POUBELLE watches him leave and turns towards her sister.
POUBELLE
Mon Dieu! He is strange, isn't he, Splits? Look what I've got.
She reaches under her shirt and pulls out a small trowel.
ANGELIQUE
Where did you get that?
POUBELLE
In a box by the doorway. I think it belongs to the new doctor.
ANGELIQUE takes the trowel and holds it like a precious thing.
What is he doing? Making a garden?
ANGELIQUE
He's looking for love… between plants. He's looking for love between plants.