Love Sick Doctor
- By Claire Hinds
- Published 12/21/2007
- Drama
- Unrated
Claire Hinds
I am 27 yrs old, enjoy writing short stories and screenplays. I live in Central Scotland, and am a civil servant.
View all articles by Claire Hinds
EDNA MORRIS sits alone at her kitchen table.
She is a woman in her fifties, greying hair scraped back into a ponytail.
The cooker sits behind her, an old tea kettle on the hob with steam slowly rising from it.
A window sits to the back of the room also, the view into the back garden where a bird house stands in the middle of the small patch of grass.
EDNA talks directly to the camera.
EDNA:
She thinks no one knows what’s going on. We’re not daft round here. It’s a quiet area, we notice who comes and goes.
She’s always been one to watch. There’s always been strange men coming and going. Young men at that. There was one here just last night, didn’t leave until just after eight this morning. All suited up like it’s quite normal to appear at ten o’clock at night and not leave until the next day.
She’s only been here for five months. I knew her kind the minute she moved in. Very first week she had two different young men over to stay. Must be half her age. Never understood what they see in her.
If my Dave had still been here he’d say to just forget about it all. He was always telling me that. Just sit back and forget what goes on outside. He always said if we were happy together then nothing else mattered.
Of course, he wasn’t exactly happy. Not until he met Brenda.
EDNA stands and moves to the cooker, where the tea kettle is whistling.
She pours the hot water into a waiting cup, then returns to sit at the table.
She drinks intermittently from the cup as she speaks.
EDNA:
He says it was all my fault. I spent too much of my time worrying about everyone else’s lives and forgetting about our own. I don’t know how he can say that, considering he was never here. He’d be working all day, then come home long enough to have me make his dinner then he’d be off again. I knew what he was up to. The same thing her across the road is up to. Spending time with everyone but who you’re meant to be with.
Of course, she isn’t just happy with the one man. Poor Doctor Matthews probably thinks he’s the only one she’s seeing. He’s been here three times this week. Each time he pulls up in his big fancy car, and each time she answers the door in that fancy lingerie she thinks we can’t see. If I meet him on the street I don’t think I can hold my tongue. Just last night she had one of her young men over. He arrived just as I sat down to watch the news. I missed the story about the Middle East because of her carry on. She thinks no one notices the car sitting outside, while inside she goes around
turning off all the lights but the front bedroom one. Are we not meant to guess just what she’s up to?
EDNA stands and moves to a cupboard.
She pulls down a biscuit tin. She selects a custard cream from inside and replaces the tin.
She moves back to the table.
EDNA:
She’s at least ten years older than Doctor Matthews. Not that I’m shocked at that since all her gentleman callers seem to be half her age. I think I’ve seen her father there a few times since she moved in. I can say it’s her father since this poor old man arrives early in the morning and is gone before Countdown starts. She’s not interested in entertaining him like she does the others. He’d be mortified to know what she gets up to in full view of the street.
EDNA has finished both the tea and the biscuit. She stands, and moves to the sink where she deposits the cup.
EDNA:
It’s just not right. Not in this street. My Dave used to say we were like that lot on Neighbours. The worst that happened was someone’s dog getting run over. Well, she’s changed all that. And it’s just not right.
EDNA leaves the kitchen, shaking her head.
(FADE OUT)
(FADE IN)
EDNA sits in an armchair in the living room
She is dressed all in black. She holds a black handkerchief in both hands.
EDNA:
Cancer. At her age. She was only forty five. Why does God insistent on singling out the innocent ones?
EDNA shakes her head, bringing the handkerchief to her eyes to wipe away an imagined tear.
EDNA:
She had two boys, brought them up on her own. Youngest was only twenty. Now he’s left with no-one. He was such a good boy too. Visited at least twice a week, stayed over every time even though he works miles away. Such a nice lad, always had a smile if you passed him in the street.
Of course, the doctors should have had more of an input. She’d been diagnosed months ago. They should have been able to offer her a much better treatment. That young Doctor Matthews is a nice lad, but he’s too young to know just what’s what down at the surgery. Had it been me, I’d have insisted on someone with a bit more experience.
EDNA sighs deeply.
EDNA:
Of course, had it been me Dave would have insisted I had the best treatment there was. I’d have been seen everyday. It was good that Doctor Matthews came as often as he did to her, but my Dave would have had someone here every day just to be safe.
In the end she was on her own. Her son had gone down south for a conference. They say she called the surgery but the doctor on call had been on another call out.
EDNA shakes her head slowly.
EDNA:
Such a nice young girl. She shouldn’t have been alone. Not at the end. She should have had someone there with her.
FADE OUT.
She is a woman in her fifties, greying hair scraped back into a ponytail.
The cooker sits behind her, an old tea kettle on the hob with steam slowly rising from it.
A window sits to the back of the room also, the view into the back garden where a bird house stands in the middle of the small patch of grass.
EDNA talks directly to the camera.
EDNA:
She thinks no one knows what’s going on. We’re not daft round here. It’s a quiet area, we notice who comes and goes.
She’s always been one to watch. There’s always been strange men coming and going. Young men at that. There was one here just last night, didn’t leave until just after eight this morning. All suited up like it’s quite normal to appear at ten o’clock at night and not leave until the next day.
She’s only been here for five months. I knew her kind the minute she moved in. Very first week she had two different young men over to stay. Must be half her age. Never understood what they see in her.
If my Dave had still been here he’d say to just forget about it all. He was always telling me that. Just sit back and forget what goes on outside. He always said if we were happy together then nothing else mattered.
Of course, he wasn’t exactly happy. Not until he met Brenda.
EDNA stands and moves to the cooker, where the tea kettle is whistling.
She pours the hot water into a waiting cup, then returns to sit at the table.
She drinks intermittently from the cup as she speaks.
EDNA:
He says it was all my fault. I spent too much of my time worrying about everyone else’s lives and forgetting about our own. I don’t know how he can say that, considering he was never here. He’d be working all day, then come home long enough to have me make his dinner then he’d be off again. I knew what he was up to. The same thing her across the road is up to. Spending time with everyone but who you’re meant to be with.
Of course, she isn’t just happy with the one man. Poor Doctor Matthews probably thinks he’s the only one she’s seeing. He’s been here three times this week. Each time he pulls up in his big fancy car, and each time she answers the door in that fancy lingerie she thinks we can’t see. If I meet him on the street I don’t think I can hold my tongue. Just last night she had one of her young men over. He arrived just as I sat down to watch the news. I missed the story about the Middle East because of her carry on. She thinks no one notices the car sitting outside, while inside she goes around
EDNA stands and moves to a cupboard.
She pulls down a biscuit tin. She selects a custard cream from inside and replaces the tin.
She moves back to the table.
EDNA:
She’s at least ten years older than Doctor Matthews. Not that I’m shocked at that since all her gentleman callers seem to be half her age. I think I’ve seen her father there a few times since she moved in. I can say it’s her father since this poor old man arrives early in the morning and is gone before Countdown starts. She’s not interested in entertaining him like she does the others. He’d be mortified to know what she gets up to in full view of the street.
EDNA has finished both the tea and the biscuit. She stands, and moves to the sink where she deposits the cup.
EDNA:
It’s just not right. Not in this street. My Dave used to say we were like that lot on Neighbours. The worst that happened was someone’s dog getting run over. Well, she’s changed all that. And it’s just not right.
EDNA leaves the kitchen, shaking her head.
(FADE OUT)
(FADE IN)
EDNA sits in an armchair in the living room
She is dressed all in black. She holds a black handkerchief in both hands.
EDNA:
Cancer. At her age. She was only forty five. Why does God insistent on singling out the innocent ones?
EDNA shakes her head, bringing the handkerchief to her eyes to wipe away an imagined tear.
EDNA:
She had two boys, brought them up on her own. Youngest was only twenty. Now he’s left with no-one. He was such a good boy too. Visited at least twice a week, stayed over every time even though he works miles away. Such a nice lad, always had a smile if you passed him in the street.
Of course, the doctors should have had more of an input. She’d been diagnosed months ago. They should have been able to offer her a much better treatment. That young Doctor Matthews is a nice lad, but he’s too young to know just what’s what down at the surgery. Had it been me, I’d have insisted on someone with a bit more experience.
EDNA sighs deeply.
EDNA:
Of course, had it been me Dave would have insisted I had the best treatment there was. I’d have been seen everyday. It was good that Doctor Matthews came as often as he did to her, but my Dave would have had someone here every day just to be safe.
In the end she was on her own. Her son had gone down south for a conference. They say she called the surgery but the doctor on call had been on another call out.
EDNA shakes her head slowly.
EDNA:
Such a nice young girl. She shouldn’t have been alone. Not at the end. She should have had someone there with her.
FADE OUT.