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EMILY: I’m sorry about this. You can say no. It’s important that you know that and that’s not, um—I shouldn’t be giving you a choice—there are other options.
PT: Bullshit
HANANIAH: Say no to what?
EMILY: This one needs some place to stay. Just for the night.
Ruthie looks at Hananiah, then looks at Emily.
RUTHIE: I think he’s going to have to be cleaner. To stay here. (To Hananiah) Right? (To them) There are things in there.
Emily hugs Ruthie.
HANANIAH: “Things” are my clothes. They’re in the drawers to your left.
EMILY: We’ll come back for him in the morning.
As they haul him into the bedroom:
We’re going to need towels or something to lay on the bed if you don’t want this on the coverlet.
Ruthie darts after them. After a bit, Hananiah sits.
RUTHIE (Offstage. She’s sliding towels under his feet): A bit higher, okay? Just for a moment.
SOMEONE (Offstage): Watch the boots, watch / the boots.
Sound of minor breakage.
Oh / shit.
RUTHIE (Offstage): That’s fine. No really. Okay . . .
PT : Okay.
Jeremiah is in place.
Some moments of silence.
During which Emily crosses back into the room with one of the group, speaking to him in a low voice.
(Offstage) This one all right?
RUTHIE (Offstage): That’s fine. Anything in there
There is a longish whispered consultation at the door, during which:
PT (Offstage): This would be easier with a skirt. Can you just? Okay.
Then he exits. Emily crosses back into the offstage bedroom.
There is a pause.
Ruthie reenters the room.
RUTHIE: They’re getting him changed.
There’s a bit of a pause. Hananiah looks up.
HANANIAH (Gently): Will you take my hand?
He holds out his hand.
Bit of a pause.
RUTHIE: I think probably I’d better not.
He looks at her. She looks at him. Then looks away. He stands up. She looks at him.
And don’t—no.
PT enters.
PT: What he really needs is a bath but he’s too hard to handle passed out. Monica’s going after him with a wash cloth but hopefully he’ll be up for a shower tomorrow. (To Hananiah) I like your stuff. It’s actually it’s been a long time since I went through someone else’s closet. It reminds me of, like, my older brother when we were in high school. I was always going after his football jersey. Man, that used to piss him off!
There’s a little pause.
You don’t mind if I rummage in your fridge do you?
Ruthie points out the kitchen. PT goes off.
Emily appears in the doorway.
EMILY: He has been intermittently conscious. I think it’s just exhaustion. PT?
PT appears with a small hunk of cheddar.
PT: Cheese okay?
EMILY: PT can you give me a hand? And actually, Ruthie? (Ruthie gets up. As Emily goes off with PT) You’re not going to want him on your bed tonight I imagine. He looks like a thrasher.
(From off) Okay if you can just, by the leg—PT, easy.
PT: Yeah okay and you—
EMILY: —okay, okay—
They’re maneuvering Jeremiah into the room and onto the couch. He is wearing jeans and a T-shirt. His feet are bare.
RUTHIE (To Hananiah): Will you get a blanket from the pelican chest?
EMILY: Easy, and over, and over. Okay
They get him set down.
good.
(To Ruthie) You don’t have a washing machine do you?
RUTHIE: No.
EMILY: PT get a garbage bag or something for his robes. Oh and the—
PT has started into the kitchen.
RUTHIE: They’re under the sink.
EMILY: boots. Get one for the boots. Don’t forget the boots, they’re in the—
Hananiah brings the blanket over; sees Jeremiah’s face for the first time. Freezes.
HANANIAH: I thought he was in custody.
Jeremiah, disturbed by all the jostling, rouses and kind of half rears up, looks up and on seeing Hananiah, launches into prophecy.
JEREMIAH:
Hananiah.
Hananiah Behold, I am against them that prophesy
false dreams. I will feed them with wormwood
and make them drink the water of gall
Is not my word like as a fire? Saith the Lord!
There is an internal struggle. The Lord wins.
And like a hammer
that breaketh the rock in pieces: Behold, I am
Briefly, Jeremiah wins:
No.
A struggle.
No.
Jeremiah loses.