Baby Duckling

Characters:

Lola - eighth grader in middle school, 14

Avana - a Junior in college, 20

Setting:

Sometime in mid-March in Avana’s bedroom. Early afternoon sunlight shining through the open window. Now.
Avana is sitting in the middle of the room. Taking everything out of her backpack.

Avana: I’m ready to go back. 

Lola: You just got back. It’s been like two weeks. (Lola is sitting on a corner of Avana’s bed.)

Avana: Two weeks too many.

Lola (snorts): You were so excited to be back home. Now look at you.

Avana: I was. I am… it’s just been rough.

( A pause.)

Lola: Is it because you're sick?

Avana: Yes? All these hospital trips are making me feel like a lab rat. I mean, I hate needles and blood. And that’s what I deal with every time I go –

Lola: I know how much you dislike going but it’s for your own good.

(Another pause)

Lola: It is for your own good.

Avana: I know.

Lola: Do you?

Avana (exasperated): Yes Lola.

Lola: You don’t act like it.

(Lola turns the T.V. off. At the same time Avana opens a binder and starts separating papers she will throw away from those she will keep.)

Avana: What is that supposed to mean?

Lola: It means that you’re not treating this as seriously as you should be. (Lola looks at Avana.)

Avana: What? (She looks up from her task and locks eyes with Lola.)

Lola: You act like going to the hospital is just a chore.

Avana: Because it is. How else am I supposed to be acting? I go once or twice a week already–

Lola: It’s for your own good!

Avana: But it's not helping.

(A beat of silence.)

Avana: I’ve been going to the hospital. I was going back at where school is. I had to leave early this semester so I could come home and see my primary physician. So yes, I’m well aware that it’s “for my own good”. But it is a chore and I’m tired of it already.

Lola: It's only been two weeks.

Avana: Its been two weeks here. It’s almost two months since it started.

Lola: It hasn’t been too bad.

Avana: I hate needles and blood.

Lola: I know. I do too.

Avana: I’m tired of being poked around. Every visit involves them taking my blood.

Lola: They’re doing it to help.

Avana: It’s uncomfortable.

Lola: But it doesn’t hurt.

Avana: They gave me a PAP exam.

(Lola looks away.)

Avana: That was extremely uncomfortable. I felt like I was walking funny for like two days afterward.

(Avana gives a light laugh. Lola shudders.)

Lola: They’re just trying to cover all the bases.

Avana: They made me go into a private room. Put on that damn gown where my ass cheeks are hanging out. Then I had to lay there with my legs spread out so the male doctor could poke around.

Lola: Why didn’t you ask for a girl doctor?

Avana: I had been waiting to be seen for two hours already.

Lola: You could have waited some more.

Avana: I didn’t care if it was a woman or male. Doesn’t change the fact they were going to be staring at my vagina.

Lola: I would’ve asked for a girl.

Avana: Well I didn’t cause it wouldn’t have changed my circumstances. Someone was going to be digging that plastic rod in to stare into my vagina no matter what and I didn’t want to give myself more time to let my anxiety build up just because I asked for a female doctor. Plus, if you’re so worried about male doctors checking on you then you don’t have to worry too much. They’re required to have a female nurse in the room when they’re doing it.

Lola: (Lola makes an odd face.) So she was just watching him?

Avana: Oh yeah, she was watching him examine my vagina right behind him, so I had two people staring at me. Both genders too. Best of both worlds.

Lola: That's really not funny.

Avana: I kinda find it funny now.

Lola: Eww.

Avana: You’re going to have to go to a gynecologist eventually.

Lola: Not anytime soon though.

Avana: (She goes back to arranging her papers.) Best you know what you’ll be walking into then.

Lola: (She starts twiddling her thumbs.) I mean, but you do know this is all just being done for your own good though. It’s so that they can help you.

Avana: It doesn’t feel like it though. Look at what happened to Mom.

Lola: Mom was different.

Avana: What it really? They ran tests after tests on her. Only to never know what was going on until it was almost too late.

Lola: That's not going to happen to you. You can’t just assume that! That's exactly why you need to keep going to the hospital. You need to keep running those tests. That way they can figure out what's wrong. And you need to start pushing at them to do more. You can’t just give up!

Avana: I’m not giving up hun. (Avana sighs. Puts her papers aside. Stands up and sits beside her sister.) Look at me, please. I’m not trying to fight. Not today. Not with you, ok?

Lola (sighs): (Lola still twiddling her thumbs and looking down at her lap.)

I know.

Avana: Then can you look at me?

(Lola looks up at her.)

Avana: I’m really not giving up. As much as our parents and you seem to think. I’m just tired. I’m tired of having to go to the hospital all the time. I mean my arm is still bruised from the last visit –

Lola: I didn’t know that. Why is it bruised?

Avana: It’s because of how often they take blood out. It doesn’t hurt. It’s just uncomfortable.

Lola: Are you sure?

Avana: Yes sweetie. I’m not in any bad pain.

Lola: Good.

Avana: (Avana gives Lola a small smile. Nudges her with her shoulder.) I’m seriously not just giving up. The hospital visits are really draining, but I still want to figure out what’s wrong so I’m going to keep going anyway.

Lola (sniffs): Promise?

Avana: Yes, I promise. Being sick isn’t really the reason why I want to go back to school though.

Lola: What is it then?

Avana: I’m more tired of Mom and dad bugging me about how I’m not taking care of myself than anything else. I swear they’ve never been the type to coddle me until this began. It’s just too much. And I miss my friends.

Lola: You’ve got me though. I’m your friend. (She rests her head on Avana’s shoulder.)

Avana: (Avana ruffles her hair.) Oh, best believe I know. (She snorts) You won’t let me forget it.

Lola (sniffs): That’s right and you’re stuck with me.

Avana (sarcastic): How terrible. Whatever shall I do.

Lola: I’m serious you can’t get rid of me.

Avana: Oh the horror.

Lola (whispers): You can’t leave either, ok?

Avana: (Wraps her arms around Lola’s shoulder and squeezes her into a hug). Why would I ever try to leave when I know you’ll follow no matter where I go. It’s like gum on the bottom of my shoe. (overlapping) Won’t get off no matter how much I scrape at it.

Lola (gapes): (overlapping) I am not like nasty gum! I’m more like a cute baby duckling.

(Avana and Lola both burst out laughing.)

Avana: Oh my god, you’re delusional too!