ROMULUS
(In his sleep:)
Sorry. I’m sorry. Cassie, please… [etc.]
SCRUBS
You gonna shake him before the whole world hears?
DEME
Quiet as quiet can be out there.
SCRUBS
I can be quiet. Don’t mean I ain’t there.
(Beat. Deme nudges Romulus awake.)
DEME
You were dreamin’ again.
SCRUBS
Screamin’ more like it. Cassie, I’m sorry. Cassie, please.
DEME
You got anything like a heart in there?
SCRUBS
Ripped it out. Better that way.
ROMULUS
(Beat.)
I always want to have one. If I don’t, just as soon be dead.
SCRUBS
If ya do, gonna get you dead.
ROMULUS
(Beat.)
You think they’re out there?
DEME
Who?
ROMULUS
The people that live here.
SCRUBS
Well they ain’t in here.
DEME
You mean are they still…
ROMULUS
Yeah.
DEME
Dunno. But when’s the last time you saw somebody past 20?
ROMULUS
They gotta be out there.
(Beat.)
That man. The man from New San Francisco.
SCRUBS
Ghost man.
DEME
Over 12 had to fight.
SCRUBS
12 by 12 by dead.
ROMULUS
I’m makin’ it past 20.
(Beat.)
To infinity and beyond! What’s that from? I think it’s something I heard when I was little. But I don’t remember what it was.
(Romulus picks up a coloring book that’s been partly colored in.)
They had kids.
(Beat.)
Didn’t finish.
SCRUBS
Let’s finish it!
ROMULUS
With what?
(Scrubs rummages and finds a trio of crayons.)
SCRUBS
Crayons! I love crayons!
DEME
When you seen a crayon?
SCRUBS
Back in the day. 64 colors Crayola. Built-in sharpener.
(Beat.)
We ain’t all fancy pants like you with a TV and books.
(Beat.)
They only got yellow, blue and red.
ROMULUS
Stop.
SCRUBS
I’m just finishing it.
ROMULUS
Don’t.
(Beat.)
Someday if they come back, maybe the first thing they’re gonna do is finish coloring, only they’ll see it’s colored in. And maybe that’s all they been thinkin’ about the whole time, and we took that away from them.
SCRUBS
Finders keepers.
ROMULUS
I know. But this is different.
(Beat. Scrubs puts down the coloring book. Beat.)
I miss my watch.
DEME
It didn’t even work.
ROMULUS
I can still miss it.
SCRUBS
I miss the party pool…and getting in before you!
ROMULUS
Did not!
SCRUBS
Did always! Friday night is party night.
(She waits for someone to join in, but nobody does.)
Make the work week come out right.
(Beat.)
Reckon they got the spa? When they got New San Francisco, you think they killed the spa too?
DEME
Scrubs!
SCRUBS
Sorry. Adam said I was trouble with legs.
(Beat.)
Maybe if we don’t think so much…
(Beat.)
Ain’t nothin’ tryin’ to dead us this very sec.
(Encouraging:)
Friday night is… Friday night is…
DEME
Party night. Make the work week come out right.
(Not singing:)
I can’t sing.
SCRUBS
He can’t neither.
ROMULUS
I can too.
(Singing:)
Friday night—
ROMULUS, SCRUBS AND DEME
is party night.
Make the work week come out right.
(The conversation stalls.)
SCRUBS
I thought I heard a bird. Day before yesterday.
ROMULUS
Me too.
SCRUBS
Hoot hoot hoot.
ROMULUS
It was a caw caw caw.
SCRUBS
Hoot.
ROMULUS
Caw.
(They dance around each other, making rival “hoot” and “caw” sounds.)
DEME
Quiet down.
SCRUBS
Road is still.
ROMULUS
Still still.
DEME
Stop!
(Beat.)
Get some sleep. Gotta make the daylight count.
ROMULUS
You sleep. I had enough dreams tonight.
DEME
You see that dawn start to wake, you shake me.
(Scrubs and Deme settle in to sleep while Romulus watches. Long beat.)
SCRUBS
Maybe I got a little piece, a little piece of heart that I’m savin’, hopin’ I gotta use for it someday.
ROMULUS
Figured.
SCRUBS
Why ya say that?
ROMULUS
‘Cause you’re smart like that.
SCRUBS
Whatever.
(Beat.)
‘Night.
ROMULUS
‘Night.