Hospitalised

(FADE IN, TELEVISION ON LOW IN BACKGROUND)

KATE: Hello. A new face. When did you arrive?
CHRIS: This morning. Don't I know you?
KATE: The bread shop, I suppose. I seem to recognise your face too. Have you met Jenny yet? She's from Newtown too.
CHRIS: I don't think so. Everyone seems to be in the operating theatre. At least, all the smokers do. There were a few in the television room.
KATE: (LAUGHS) All the moaners. I'm not surprised you didn't stay there.
CHRIS: What are you in for?
KATE: They don't really know. I had an ectopic pregnancy a few years ago, and I thought it might be another. They've been having a good look around inside me today.
CHRIS: Have they found anything?
KATE: I don't know yet. Hopefully everything will be fine and they'll let me go home in the morning. What are you in for?
CHRIS: A hysterectomy. I was in about five weeks ago for a biopsy. They found pre cancerous cells but they're not sure whether they caught them all.
KATE: So they're whipping it all away. Are you bothered?
CHRIS: No, not now. If it had happened ten years ago, I might have felt different, but I'd no intention of having any more children at my age.

KATE: What've you got?
CHRIS: One boy, Sam. He'll be fifteen tomorrow. Have you any children?
KATE: A girl, Emma. She's nearly eleven. I'd have liked more, but I'm getting a bit past it now. Anyway, I'll have to wait and see what happens. There might be one there at the moment.
(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES, SHUFFLING FOOTSTEPS)
KATE: You look rough.

JENNY: You don't look so bright yourself. (SIGHS) I'll feel better when I've had a fag.
KATE: Don't count on it. My first one made me throw up.
JENNY: It's the anaesthetic. Hello, a new admission?
KATE: She's in for the big one. Sorry, I don't know your name.
CHRIS: Chris.
KATE: I'm Kate and this is Jenny. Chris is from Newtown too, Jenny.
JENNY: I see what you mean about the cigarette. I'll put it out. It must be tea time. I'm gasping for a drink.
CHRIS: I think I heard the trolley a few minutes ago, before I came out here.
KATE: Great. Where's Pippa?
JENNY: She didn't go down till lunchtime. At least, that's when she said she was going.
CHRIS: That's right. She was here when I arrived. It was about twelve when she went down.
(FADE OUT)

(FADE IN. NIGHT IN HOSPITAL WARD, SOUNDS OF MONITORING MACHINE, OCCASIONAL COUGHS AND GROANS. FADE OUT)
(FADE IN. SAME LOCATION EARLY MORNING)

NURSE WHITE: Oh, you're sitting up. How are you feeling?
CHRIS: Not so bad, thanks. When can I get up?
NURSE WHITE: (LAUGHS) You're in a hurry! After lunch I should think. It's breakfast in bed for you.
KATE: (IN A RATHER WEAK VOICE) You didn't expect to see me back in here, did you?
CHRIS: Who is it? I can't see properly without my specs on.
KATE: It's Kate, your little friend who went home yesterday. They rushed me back in last night, by helicopter. (LAUGHS WEAKLY) I hope they take me back the same way the pilot was quite dishy but I wasn't fit to appreciate him.
CHRIS: What happened? I thought they said there was nothing wrong.
KATE: Another ectopic pregnancy. It didn't show up on the X ray because it was wedged against the ovary. They've taken my tube and part of the ovary.
CHRIS: Poor you. It's bad enough that happening once, but twice...........
KATE: Well, at least I've got Emma. It'd be worse if I was like that French girl who was discharged yesterday. She didn't have any kids and it was her second ectopic too.
CHRIS: (THOUGHTFULLY) I knew someone was in a bad way last night, but I never guessed it was you. I wasn't in the real world after my operation yesterday.
KATE: They said it was a real emergency. I've still got a bag of blood down here. They said they'd probably move it later today.
(FADE OUT)

(FADE IN. SOUND OF CARS IN BACKGROUND)
PIPPA: Poor Kate. She doesn't look too good does she?
JENNY: She's still cracking jokes though even though it's painful.
PIPPA: That's Kate she's a marvel.
(SOUND OF DOOR OPENING AND SHUFFLING FOOTSTEPS)
JENNY: You're doing well. I didn't think you'd be up and out here so soon.
CHRIS: I'm dying for a smoke.
(SOUND OF LIGHTING CIGARETTE AND INHALING DEEPLY)
PIPPA: Staff Nurse says the smokers are always the quickest to recover. They try to discourage smoking, but they have more trouble with the non smokers.
CHRIS: That's because we've got to get out of bed and come out here. I'll tell you what. I'm glad it's not winter. Anyway, most of the nurses smoke, and some of the doctors. I don't know where they go for a quick fag. You don't see them out here.
JENNY: Pressures of the job. I'm not surprised they smoke. I wonder when that young doctor gets any sleep. She always seems to be around.
CHRIS: Hmm. You wonder how they all manage to be so bright and cheerful with all the hours they work. (PAUSES) There was a lot of noise coming from the side ward as I came past.
PIPPA: It's disgusting. It's a five month abortion. The stupid woman wouldn't make up her mind whether she wanted the kid or not she's already got three others, all by different fathers.
CHRIS: So what's happening?
PIPPA: They're inducing it. They've no choice at this stage.
JENNY: (OBVIOUSLY UPSET) But the baby could be born alive.
PIPPA: They make sure that doesn't happen. I think they inject the foetus with something.
CHRIS: Isn't that older woman in there? You know, the one who's just lost a baby.
PIPPA: Yes, it's bad, isn't it? I think they should keep the abortions away from people like that. It's upsetting enough to lose your own baby without having to listen to someone else getting rid of theirs.
(PAUSE)
CHRIS: Have you heard any more, Jenny?
JENNY: I'm going home soon. I'm not having the operation yet. I need to think about it.
CHRIS: I've heard of people having fibroids removed without having a hysterectomy. I'm sure it isn't necessary.

JENNY: Well, Mr Hardy says there's no choice. I might see if I can get a second opinion. I don't have many child bearing years left, but there's still a chance.
PIPPA: Have you lost many?
JENNY: Three so far. But they don't seem to know why.
CHRIS: I don't blame you. I'd have thought twice about having it all whipped away if I'd been younger and didn't have a child. As it is it was the best solution for me.
PIPPA: You seem to be making a quick recovery.
CHRIS: It's not so bad I just have to move carefully.
JENNY: The others who had the op on Monday are still bent double.
CHRIS: (LAUGHS) It doesn't help. I started off walking like them, but it was no more painful when I straightened up.
(DOOR OPENS, SHUFFLING FOOTSTEPS)
PIPPA: Well, look who's here! Are you all right, Kate?
KATE: (PANTING A LITTLE) Wanted a smoke. They've let me bring my bottle with me. (LAUGHS BRIEFLY) Ooh, that hurts!
JENNY: You're looking very pale. Are you sure you should be up?
KATE: I can't stand lying in bed all day. (SIGHS AS SHE LIGHTS UP) That's better.
PIPPA: You gave us all a bit of a shock last night. We didn't expect to see you again.
KATE: It's just my luck. I'll tell you, if I'd been born a triplet, I'd have been the one on the bottle.
CHRIS: (LAUGHING) Don't, Kate! It hurts when I laugh.
KATE: (LAUGHING) I can't help it. It hurts me too. (PAUSES) And d'you know what they've done? Lost my knickers.
PIPPA: (LAUGHING) How did they manage to do that?
KATE: I don't know. They took them off in the operating theatre, and now they can't find them. At least it wasn't my wig.
(THEY ARE ALL LAUGHING. CHRIS AND KATE GROANING OCCASIONALLY)
KATE: Never mind. There's one good thing about this. My hair might grow again.
JENNY: Why's that?
KATE: Well, I lost it all after my last ectopic pregnancy they said it was the shock to the system. So I thought this time it might reverse the process....... Oh, and what else d'you think they did? They shaved off my pride and joy the only bit of hair I had left on my body.
CHRIS: (LAUGHING) If you don't stop it, I'll have to go back to bed. I can't stand much more of this.
(THE DOOR OPENS)
NURSE GREEN: Mrs Barnes. You can get dressed now. Your husband's here to collect you.
JENNY: Thanks, Nurse. (STANDS UP) Well, take care of yourselves, girls.
CHRIS: Good luck, Jenny. I hope you manage to sort something out.

(FADE OUT)

(FADE IN. MORNING IN WARD AT BREAKFAST TABLE)
CHRIS: I brought my own muesli for breakfast. I remembered from last time that there wasn't much choice. Anyone want some?
PIPPA: Yes, please.
ALICE: You're looking well. I wish they'd give me a hysterectomy.
CHRIS: I'm quite a bit younger than you, Alice. I don't think they like to operate on older people unless they really have to.
PIPPA: She's right, Alice. They throw you about a lot in that operating theatre.
ALICE: But look at her! You wouldn't think she'd had a big operation.
CHRIS: It might not look like it, but it feels like it.
ALICE: It's this ring. I keep having to go to the clinic to have it changed. I hate that. I don't see why they can't take it all away.
KATE: Perhaps they will, Alice. They're trying to sort out your other problems first.
ALICE: I know. My skin's awful. Don't you think that would be better if they operated?
CHRIS: I shouldn't think that has anything to do with your womb, Alice.
ALICE: (SIGHS) Never mind. I'm only eighty. It's about time I started enjoying life. I've made a few plans for when I go home. I'm going to start smoking again, pop down to the pub for a few every night, and I'm thinking of putting a red light outside my window.
PIPPA: (LAUGHING) I'd get your insides sorted out first, if I were you.
(FADE OUT)