Scene 29
GLASS ties POUBELLE on a gurney.
POUBELLE
Qu'est-ce que vous faites?
GLASS ignores her.
What are you doing? Please, Monsieur?
GLASS
You stopped wanting to learn about anything years ago.
POUBELLE
Please tell me what you are doing to me.
GLASS ignores her.
Please tell me! Please talk to me.
GLASS
I'm taking blood.
He piles empty blood bags next to her.
POUBELLE
How much? Why are you doing this?
GLASS
Hold still.
POUBELLE
Please, Monsieur, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—
GLASS
Why do you act like this? You used to be such a good girl. I've had enough—
POUBELLE
Please, Monsieur! Why won't you listen to me? Why haven't you ever listened to me?
He takes a long needle and begins to extract blood into a bag.
GLASS
Why did you dig that hole?
POUBELLE
Why are you doing this?
GLASS
Why were you running away?
POUBELLE
We weren't, Monsieur!
GLASS
Stop lying!
POUBELLE
Because—because, Monsieur! Because I couldn't take it anymore!
MAX enters the room with ANGELIQUE behind him.
MAX
What are you doing?
GLASS turns and sees MAX with ANGELIQUE.
GLASS
Take her to her room. I'll take her's next.
MAX
What are you doing to her?
GLASS
Take Angelique to her room, please.
MAX
What are you doing in here?
GLASS
Following your lead, Dr. Street.
MAX
My lead?
GLASS
Yes, I'm harvesting blood to inject into the other twin.
MAX
What!
GLASS
Isn't that the latest you've come up with for your plants? This will be the final experiment. Your research states that relationships create not only experience but biology… well I'm taking a page out of your book. Poubelle needs room so I can take it out of Angelique and put it in her. I'm completing one with the other… I'm done waiting. I'll complete the connection myself.
MAX
It could be dangerous. I haven't even done the experiments with the plants yet!
ANGELIQUE
Poubelle?
POUBELLE
Oui?
ANGELIQUE
Je suis désolé!
GLASS
Well, now we'll know, won't we?
MAX
But that experiment is dangerous.
GLASS
The girls are the research, Street, and progress cannot happen without risk.
ANGELIQUE
Poubelle!
ANGELIQUE runs up to her sister but GLASS grabs her and shoves her to the floor. She hits the ground hard.
GLASS
Get away from her!
MAX runs over to where ANGELIQUE is lying on the floor holding her head. He picks her up and cradles her to his chest.
MAX
Are you okay? Your head?
ANGELIQUE
Si vous plaît! Ma soeur!
MAX
It's okay. Everything will be okay.
He smoothes her hair in an effort to calm her down.
GLASS
What is this, Street?
MAX
Nothing.
GLASS
It doesn't look like nothing. It looks like you've been dipping into the petri dish. Sampling the controls, are we?
MAX
Don't talk to me about mixing the work with the personal.
POUBELLE is losing strength.
POUBELLE
Monsieur? Si vous plaît.
MAX
Let her go!
GLASS
You're done! Get off the premises!
MAX
You need to stop! Please, you are taking too much out at one time. You're going to end up killing her.
GLASS picks up a syringe and holds it up to POUBELLE's neck.
GLASS
You take one step closer and I'll inject this into her blood. She'll die of an embolism.
MAX
Why are you doing this?
GLASS
Get out; you've never understood what I'm looking for. Just get out.
MAX
Put down the needle!
ANGELIQUE
Please, Monsieur! Please let her go.
POUBELLE
Monsieur, what good am I to you dead? Please, please, I'll stay here with you if you'll let my sister go. Monsieur, please, we can do whatever you like, take as much out of me as you wish.
ANGELIQUE
Non!
POUBELLE
Please, Monsieur? I'll help you, I'll look at the books and study up on where you want to start; you can take off my skin so that it's just the veins, just, please, you know Angelique couldn't stand it. She won't last, but I'm strong. Her headaches, she already lost so much blood a long time ago. Please, it would make sense.
GLASS
I have given you ten years.
POUBELLE
You want to know what love is, Monsieur? Isn't that why we are here? You told me once, a very long time ago, that to get through life we create distance, to get through this life—
GLASS
Quiet—
POUBELLE
Non! We create distance so that we can cut the piggy and survive the car crashes; you told me this, Monsieur. This is when I went away from you, this is when I knew I couldn't be your protege, because, Monsieur, I can't protect myself like you.
GLASS
Why would you leave me? Why did they leave me?
POUBELLE
Monsieur, why can't you see that we love you?
GLASS weakens at this.
During POUBELLE's pleading MAX has snuck up near GLASS. He hits the syringe out of his hand. MAX handcuffs GLASS. They find something and tie him to his chair. ANGELIQUE rips off a portion of her nightgown and gags him with it.
ANGELIQUE
Oh, ma Belle, ma Poubelle.
POUBELLE relaxes and we see just how weak she has become.
Get it to stop. Get the blood to stop!
MAX takes out the tubes and puts pressure on the spot where the needle has been inserted into POUBELLE's arm.
Is she all right? Will she be all right?
MAX checks her vitals. He looks at the bags of blood next to her and falls silent.
You can do something, can't you? Please do something! I need ma soeur!
POUBELLE
It's too late, isn't it, Monsieur?
ANGELIQUE
Non, it's not. He's a doctor. He can help you. He can fix anything, right?
MAX
You've lost a lot of blood.
ANGELIQUE
Then put it back in her. Put it all back!
MAX
We can't. A transfusion would be too much of a shock. We have to get help.
ANGELIQUE
Help me lift her.
MAX
She can't be moved.
POUBELLE
Ange, you have to go!
ANGELIQUE
Non, not without you!
POUBELLE
You have to… please go!
MAX
We'll take that beat-up old truck and if it breaks down we'll walk until someone picks us up.
ANGELIQUE
I want you to put it back in her!
MAX
We can't! This is the only chance we have.
ANGELIQUE
Non, I don't want to leave, Poubelle.
POUBELLE
Splits, you have to. You are my Split Lip. You have to go get help. I'll be right here when you get back.
ANGELIQUE goes up to her and touches her face.
ANGELIQUE
I love you.
POUBELLE
Go with Max, he'll take good care of you.
ANGELIQUE looks unconvinced.
Je t'aime. Now let me talk to Max… alone.
MAX
Get a blanket for your shoulders.
ANGELIQUE hesitates.
POUBELLE
Go!
ANGELIQUE nods and leaves the room.
I won't be here when you get back, will I?
MAX
No.
POUBELLE
She's seen so much loss already. You have to make sure she survives this. Promise to take good care of her.
MAX
I will.
POUBELLE
I love her.
MAX nods and rushes out.
POUBELLE is left looking at GLASS.
Monsieur, when I woke up, I was choking on loneliness, hemorrhaging on Maman et Papa. Alone. I look over and see my sister sleeping. I will drown splashing in the blood but I cannot, I cannot give up and drown because she is there and I cannot let her drown in her own chest. So, Monsieur, I hook my hand on to my ribs and I climb them like a ladder. I crawl up my slippery throat and wait to exhale. She knows nothing of this, that I have drowned in my chest many times, because when I do this I do it alone. I stay because of her. You left us, Monsieur, you wouldn't let us in. You are a part of me and I you. I love you. It hurts too much, doesn't it? It hurts but it completes us. Tu me manques.
She closes her eyes and dies as GLASS watches her.
The end.