Push (Part two of 3)
Part 1 was posted on July 31
Scene two
Lights up
Enter Sister Michael and Sargent Philip Hayes. Make their way to sit either side of the desk.
Hayes: Thank you for the tapes.
Sister: Not at all Sargent. I am however surprised you need them. She was seen leaving with the child.
Hayes: Actually the tapes are to see if she was seen arriving with the child.
Sister: I'm sorry?
Hayes: Arriving. We can't use the tapes themselves in court, and besides we have witnesses who saw her leaving with the child.
Sister: So why take the tapes.
Hayes: To see if she took the baby in the first place.
Sister: Oh. Didn't Nurse Dowd see her take it?
Hayes: Actually no. That and the fact that she says it's hers.
Sister: Oh dear.
Hayes: It could be a simple misunderstanding after all. A new mother takes the wrong baby from the nursery. The baby was about a day old, as was hers.
Sister: But she lost the baby.
Hayes: That's not what she says.
Sister: Ah, denial. Understandable.
Hayes: She says you did.
Sister: That's nto exactly fair!
Hayes: (talking over her) Swapped baby cases are fascinating. You did hear about that case in Germany? The family didn't find out that the non identical twins they brought home weren't even brothers until they were twelve.
Sister: Miss Murphy's child died shortly after birth.
Hayes: You see, the two families ended up in the same town. One set of twins and one only child. And all three looked alike. They kept getting mixed up.
Sister: I don't think you understand, it's not a swapped baby.
Hayes: The twins were supposed to be identical, so they did a skin graft.
Sister: Skin graft?
Hayes: Took a square off the one child and put it on the other two. An identical twin wouldn't reject the graft.
Sister: I'm sorry Sargent Hayes but I can't see what this had to do with...
Hayes: (interrupting) Medical testing has moved on since then.
(pause)
Hayes: A simple blood test can tell if Miss Murphy is the mother of the child.
Sister: Type testing does not prove conclusively that she is the mother. It discounts but it does not prove.
Hayes: I know. Both of then having the same blood type is inconclusive. I'm talking about a D.N.A. test.
Sister: Surely such a test is prohibitively expensive.
Hayes: Such long words... It was. The costs have come down substantially since they first became available.
Sister: Is such a test necessary?
Hayes: Normally, no.
(pause)
Hayes: Usually in the case of a stolen baby like this its fairly clean cut. The so-called mother has not given birth recently. Thus proving that she couldn't be the mother of the baby. Everyone agrees that Lizzie Murphy gave birth shortly before the theft.
(pause)
Hayes: Furthermore, normally the actual parents of the baby come forward to press charges or at least claim that they are the parents. This is not the case.
Sister: But she isn't the parent of the child.
Hayes: Prove it.
(pause)
Hayes: Normally in a murder case there is a body.
Sister: Are you accusing me of murder?
Hayes: No. But we have a missing baby and a mystery baby both born around the same time. You can see the symmetry.
Sister: So you think the child is hers.
Hayes: I don't know. Nothing suggests that the child is hers, however there is no real evidence that it isn't.
Sister: What do you mean. I was with her baby. I saw him die!
Hayes: But there is no physical evidence.
Sister: What about the heart monitor pages.
Hayes: It matches a disconnection. And you are a biased witness. At the moment its your word against hers.
Sister: If it is her baby, how did it show up in the lobby?
Hayes: Everyone is assuming that the real mother put him there. It could have been a staff member.
Sister: Are you suggesting an orchestrated attempt to steal a baby?
Hayes: Actually I was suggesting someone finding a live baby in the mortuary and trying to stay out of trouble. Should I be investigating a scheme of some kind?
Sister: Of course not.
Hayes: You know Sister Michael, you shouldn't suggest such things. It's not like I trust you.
Sister: But I'm a nun.
Hayes: Depending on the way this case goes, you are a potential suspect.
Sister: Yet you have left the hospital in charge of the child.
Hayes: It's the safest place for a newborn baby. Besides, the extra security will make sure that the child stays in here for a few days.
Sister: Do you wish us to take the samples or are you getting someone to take it.
Hayes: Someone should be along from the lab. Certain legal procedures need to be followed.
Sister: Of course.
Hayes: In the meantime, we'll be analyzing those tapes. I'll be in contact soon.
Exit Hayes. Light down duing exit
End of scene 2
Part 1 was posted on July 31
Part 3 will was posted on September 15
This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real people and events is coincidental.
Hopefully the formatting is a bit easier to read.
Will
Tags fiction writing play stageplay childbirth stillbirth birth malpractice hospital postmortem1984
Scene two
Lights up
Enter Sister Michael and Sargent Philip Hayes. Make their way to sit either side of the desk.
Hayes: Thank you for the tapes.
Sister: Not at all Sargent. I am however surprised you need them. She was seen leaving with the child.
Hayes: Actually the tapes are to see if she was seen arriving with the child.
Sister: I'm sorry?
Hayes: Arriving. We can't use the tapes themselves in court, and besides we have witnesses who saw her leaving with the child.
Sister: So why take the tapes.
Hayes: To see if she took the baby in the first place.
Sister: Oh. Didn't Nurse Dowd see her take it?
Hayes: Actually no. That and the fact that she says it's hers.
Sister: Oh dear.
Hayes: It could be a simple misunderstanding after all. A new mother takes the wrong baby from the nursery. The baby was about a day old, as was hers.
Sister: But she lost the baby.
Hayes: That's not what she says.
Sister: Ah, denial. Understandable.
Hayes: She says you did.
Sister: That's nto exactly fair!
Hayes: (talking over her) Swapped baby cases are fascinating. You did hear about that case in Germany? The family didn't find out that the non identical twins they brought home weren't even brothers until they were twelve.
Sister: Miss Murphy's child died shortly after birth.
Hayes: You see, the two families ended up in the same town. One set of twins and one only child. And all three looked alike. They kept getting mixed up.
Sister: I don't think you understand, it's not a swapped baby.
Hayes: The twins were supposed to be identical, so they did a skin graft.
Sister: Skin graft?
Hayes: Took a square off the one child and put it on the other two. An identical twin wouldn't reject the graft.
Sister: I'm sorry Sargent Hayes but I can't see what this had to do with...
Hayes: (interrupting) Medical testing has moved on since then.
(pause)
Hayes: A simple blood test can tell if Miss Murphy is the mother of the child.
Sister: Type testing does not prove conclusively that she is the mother. It discounts but it does not prove.
Hayes: I know. Both of then having the same blood type is inconclusive. I'm talking about a D.N.A. test.
Sister: Surely such a test is prohibitively expensive.
Hayes: Such long words... It was. The costs have come down substantially since they first became available.
Sister: Is such a test necessary?
Hayes: Normally, no.
(pause)
Hayes: Usually in the case of a stolen baby like this its fairly clean cut. The so-called mother has not given birth recently. Thus proving that she couldn't be the mother of the baby. Everyone agrees that Lizzie Murphy gave birth shortly before the theft.
(pause)
Hayes: Furthermore, normally the actual parents of the baby come forward to press charges or at least claim that they are the parents. This is not the case.
Sister: But she isn't the parent of the child.
Hayes: Prove it.
(pause)
Hayes: Normally in a murder case there is a body.
Sister: Are you accusing me of murder?
Hayes: No. But we have a missing baby and a mystery baby both born around the same time. You can see the symmetry.
Sister: So you think the child is hers.
Hayes: I don't know. Nothing suggests that the child is hers, however there is no real evidence that it isn't.
Sister: What do you mean. I was with her baby. I saw him die!
Hayes: But there is no physical evidence.
Sister: What about the heart monitor pages.
Hayes: It matches a disconnection. And you are a biased witness. At the moment its your word against hers.
Sister: If it is her baby, how did it show up in the lobby?
Hayes: Everyone is assuming that the real mother put him there. It could have been a staff member.
Sister: Are you suggesting an orchestrated attempt to steal a baby?
Hayes: Actually I was suggesting someone finding a live baby in the mortuary and trying to stay out of trouble. Should I be investigating a scheme of some kind?
Sister: Of course not.
Hayes: You know Sister Michael, you shouldn't suggest such things. It's not like I trust you.
Sister: But I'm a nun.
Hayes: Depending on the way this case goes, you are a potential suspect.
Sister: Yet you have left the hospital in charge of the child.
Hayes: It's the safest place for a newborn baby. Besides, the extra security will make sure that the child stays in here for a few days.
Sister: Do you wish us to take the samples or are you getting someone to take it.
Hayes: Someone should be along from the lab. Certain legal procedures need to be followed.
Sister: Of course.
Hayes: In the meantime, we'll be analyzing those tapes. I'll be in contact soon.
Exit Hayes. Light down duing exit
End of scene 2
Part 1 was posted on July 31
Part 3 will was posted on September 15
This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real people and events is coincidental.
Hopefully the formatting is a bit easier to read.
Will
Tags fiction writing play stageplay childbirth stillbirth birth malpractice hospital postmortem1984
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