THE NURSE ✎ enters ✎ — Here you are sweetheart, a nice cup of coffee and some toast. Have something. 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —I'm not very hungry, nurse. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — I toasted them myself and buttered them just the way you like them. 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —You're so kind, nurse. I'll just have a little coffee. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — Where does it hurt? 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —It's not hurting anywhere, nurse. But please warm me up like you did when I was sick... 🔊✎ Nurse stronger than fever, nurse stronger than nightmares, stronger than the shadow of the wardrobe that stares at you from the wall and keeps changing, stronger than the thousand silent insects that keep gnawing away all night long, stronger than the night itself with its mad song you can't hear; nurse, stronger than death. 🔊✎ Let me hold your hand like I did when you stayed next to my bed. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — What's wrong with you, sweetie? 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —Nothing, nurse. I'm just a bit little for all this. But no one except you needs to know. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — Too little for what, darling? 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —For nothing, nurse. And now you're here. I'm holding that good rough hand of yours that always puts everything right, I know it does. 🔊✎ Maybe it will put things right for me this time too. You're so strong, nurse. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — What do you want me to do, my little dovey? 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —Nothing, nurse. Just hold your hand there like that against my cheek. 🔊✎ (She stays there a moment with her eyes closed.) ✎ There we are, I'm not scared anymore. Not of the sandman, not of the wicked witch, not of the child-catcher... 🔊✎ (Another silence, then she continues in a different tone of voice.) ✎ Nurse, you know, Grace, my dog... 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —You have to promise me you won't tell her off any more. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — That thing that tracks in dirt everywhere with its stupid paws! You shouldn't even have it in the house! 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —Even if she gets everything dirty. Promise, nurse. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — So I'm supposed to let her get everything filthy and not say a word? 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — Oh, that's a bit much! 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —Please nurse. You know you love Grace, with that big kind head of hers. 🔊✎ And really, you love tidying up too. You'd be very sad if everything always stayed clean and neat. 🔊✎ So I'm asking you, please don't yell at her. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — Even if she pees on my rugs? 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —Promise you won't even yell at her then. I'm asking you, please nurse, please. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — You can be so cuddly. And you know how to use it. 🔊✎ Okay. Okay. I'll clean up and I won't say anything. You can twist me round your little finger. 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —And then, you've also got to promise me you'll talk to her, you'll talk to her all the time. 🔊✎
THE NURSE, ✎ shrugging shoulders. ✎ — Oh come on. Talk to animals ! 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —No, not the way you'd talk to an animal. The way you talk to a person, like you've heard me do it... 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — Oh, no no no! Play the fool at my age! But why do you want everyone to talk to that stupid animal like you do? 🔊✎
ANTIGONE, ✎ softly. ✎ — If, for some reason, I wasn't able to talk to her any more... 🔊✎
THE NURSE, ✎ who doesn't understand. ✎ — Not talk to her anymore, not talk to her anymore? Why not? 🔊✎
ANTIGONE, ✎ turns her head away a little and then adds in a hard voice. ✎ — And then, if she was too sad, if she always looked like she was waiting, her nose under the door like she is when I've gone out, maybe it would best to have her put down, painlessly put down. 🔊✎
THE NURSE ✎ — Have her put down, sweetie? Kill your dog? But what's got into you this morning! 🔊✎
ANTIGONE ✎ —No, nurse. 🔊✎ Haemon appears. ✎ Here's Haemon. Leave us now, nurse. And don't forget what you promised me. 🔊✎ Exit the nurse. ✎