This scene was written in response to a prompt from my advisor at school. The prompt was to write a scene with two people sitting at a table with a flower on it, and there is an issue between them of which they never speak of directly. I'm sure you can tell what's in my head right now that influenced what I chose to do here. I'm not in love with it, I think it's a bit generic, but this is the first unedited draft. I might work on it more later to make my point a little more sharply made.
(A young man, JOE, and a young woman, GAIL, sit at a table dressed in the clothes of the American 1940s. Between them sits a vase containing a large daisy with a ribbon around. They seem ill at ease.)
GAIL: It’s really pretty, Joe.
JOE: I thought you might like it.
GAIL: It was real thoughtful of you.
(They pause uncomfortably.)
GAIL: So… was it just to bring me the flower, or is there something else?
JOE: There’s something else.
GAIL: Yeah?
JOE: Got my papers back from the recruitment office.
GAIL: What about them?
JOE: 1A.
GAIL: What are you talking about? I thought you got your 4F already.
JOE: That was at the Frederick office.
GAIL: You went back again to another office?
JOE: Used my granddad’s address. Went downtown.
GAIL: You can’t do that, Joe!
(He shrugs.)
GAIL: And they took you there? What about your asthma?
JOE: Aw, Gail, it’s not real asthma.
GAIL: They still won’t take guys with it.
JOE: It only happens once in a while.
GAIL: You left it off, didn’t you?
JOE: Told you, it’s nothing.
GAIL: You know it’s against the law to lie on your forms. Why would you do that?
JOE: I want to serve, Gail. It's important.
GAIL: Joe, I know you think it's sure a fine thing to go soldiering, but can’t you hear God when he’s yelling at you? You were 4F! You don’t have to go! There’s plenty of boys lining up to go over and get themselves killed.
JOE: It isn't about have to. Gail, I should. I wouldn't feel right otherwise.
GAIL: You wouldn't feel right? And what about me?
JOE: What do you mean?
GAIL: Am I supposed to stay here all by myself and wait for you to come back?
JOE: You don’t have to do that.
GAIL: Or wait to get a letter in the mail that says you’ve been lost at sea or got a bullet in your back?
JOE: I know that’s not fair.
GAIL: You didn't even think about me, did you?
JOE: No, Gail. That’s why I came over here. To say goodbye.
GAIL: They aren't shipping you out already?
JOE: Gail. I’m saying you don’t have to wait for me. You don’t owe me that.
GAIL: Joe! How could you?
JOE: I got to do the right thing. By the country and by you.
GAIL: You think breaking things off is going to make me feel better? Like that's going to make me stop worrying?
JOE: I can't promise you all the things you deserve. You shouldn't have to waste your life waiting around for somebody who might, well...
GAIL: You might die, Joe! You might not come back! Doesn't that scare you?
JOE: Christ, Gail, of course it does.
GAIL: So go volunteer at an office! Get a job at a factory! Help out someplace where you aren’t going half the world overseas to die.
JOE: Somebody's got to do it.
GAIL: Let somebody else!
JOE: It’s not right, Gail! If I stayed, what would that make me? What kind of man would I be then?
GAIL: You don’t give a damn about me.
JOE: That’s not true!
GAIL: No, you got to go on and be a man. Leave me, go get killed, doesn't matter. Either way, I got to be alone, and I have to hurt for you, and there’s nothing in the world I can say to keep you from making it that way.
JOE: It's not just my choice.
GAIL: I don’t understand! You got a clean way out, I’m begging you not to go… there are guys who run to Mexico for that. Why are you doing this? Why’s it got to be you?
JOE: That’s what the whole damn country said! Let somebody else take care of it, they said. And look what happened. Half of Europe is a wreck now. And they’re just going to keep going until somebody stops them. Somebody's got to go out there and stand up, damn it.
GAIL: But I don’t want to lose you. I don't want you to leave, and I don't want you to die. I thought... I thought you wanted me too.
JOE: I do.
GAIL: We can have that. If you don't go, we can have all of that.
JOE: This is too important. It's the right thing to do.
GAIL: And that’s more important to you. That’s more important to you than me.
JOE: It's not that. It's not about what I want.
GAIL: And you'd rather do that than stay here and make a life with me.
JOE: I don’t want a man for you who wouldn’t.
(He takes the daisy out of the vase and tries to offer it to her.)
GAIL: Well. I guess you get your wish, then.
(GAIL turns and walks out.)
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