Fierce
[An office in a psychiatric clinic. A couch, a comfortable chair. Psychiatrist MAGGIE Delaney and her patient JAYNE French. They are standing, and just looking at each other. JAYNE is wearing a faded dark green sweat suit, and she has her arm in a sling. MAGGIE is holding a notepad.]
MAGGIE: Again.
JAYNE: Yeah. Again.
MAGGIE: But worse this time.
JAYNE: That’s what they tell me.
MAGGIE: Okay. So... are you ready to talk now?
JAYNE: You mean am I ready to listen.
MAGGIE: I mean both. Is that what they gave you to wear in jail?
JAYNE: Yeah.
MAGGIE: And when they were letting you out you didn’t feel like getting into your own clothes?
JAYNE: No this is fine. Besides, my clothes got pretty messed up when I got a little playful the other night.
MAGGIE: Playful? You think that’s what you were being. Not reckless? Not thoughtless? Not stupid?
JAYNE: Am I supposed to choose just one of those?
MAGGIE: [sitting in the chair] I think all three might fit. And the fact that you’re still alive is as close to a miracle as I’ve ever encountered. [off the file] Not only did you survive being hit by a fairly large truck, you seem to have suffered no ill effects from that epic drug cocktail they found in your system. Cocaine, heroin, extremely potent pain killers...
JAYNE: And I think I smoked a few joints too. [off her look] It was the weekend.
MAGGIE: You were walking in traffic.
JAYNE: I meant I don’t have a “drug problem.“
MAGGIE: Well that judge certainly thinks you do.
[MAGGIE gestures to couch. JAYNE hesitates then sits.]
JAYNE: Oh yeah, that judge. Well she’s used to dealing with hard-core addicts. I tried explaining to her that I didn’t fit the mold, but everything I said just seemed to baffle her.
MAGGIE: For example?
JAYNE: I told her I only used when I didn’t have anything better to do.
MAGGIE: She didn’t buy that, eh.
JAYNE: Actually she said “So what?”
MAGGIE: Well exactly. It doesn’t matter how often you get completely wasted, Jayne.
The point is, that when you do, you’re obviously a danger to yourself and to just about everyone you encounter.
JAYNE: Right. The “thoughtless” part. You’re talking about that man who drove his car off the road.
MAGGIE: To avoid you, yes.
JAYNE: Well obviously I feel bad about that.
MAGGIE: Do you?
JAYNE: Kind of.
MAGGIE: Kind of? Just kind of, Jayne?
JAYNE: Well what do I actually know about the guy? He could be a real jerk.
MAGGIE: You mean he might have had it coming.
JAYNE: Well that’s possible.
MAGGIE: And did you say that to the judge?
JAYNE: Am I an idiot? I told her I felt horrible about it.
MAGGIE: And she bought that?
JAYNE: Not completely. But I think it softened her enough to keep me out of jail. I mean as long as I came here for a while to... “get my life together.”
MAGGIE: You think that’s funny, do you?
JAYNE: Well come on. Getting your life together. Is there a model for that? The together life? You know, that judge looked like she had a few issues herself. Way too much makeup for one thing. Still doing herself up at that age? Kind of sad.
MAGGIE: Sadder than being a junkie?
JAYNE: Junkie. Yeah. There’s that word.
MAGGIE: You don’t like it.
JAYNE: Not when it’s used to make me feel bad.
MAGGIE: Well I’m sorry if I’ve hurt your feelings. But--
JAYNE: Look, try to pay attention. It’s just fun. I made decent money for quite awhile, and I can easily support a little recreational indulgence.
MAGGIE: Heroin isn’t a recreational--
JAYNE: Put me in a room.
MAGGIE: What?
JAYNE: Lock me up. Keep me under observation. You’ll see. No withdrawal symptoms. No shaking. No throwing up. I’ve got it under control.
MAGGIE: I’m pretty sure you’re wrong about that.
JAYNE: Well then we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
MAGGIE: No. Sorry. That’s not how it works here. You’ll have to acknowledge that I’m almost certainly right and that you’re definitely very wrong.
[MAGGIE smiles. JAYNE smiles back.]
JAYNE: That sounds a little arrogant to me. Do you tell that to all your patients?
MAGGIE: No.
JAYNE: So I’m special then.
MAGGIE: You might not be special, but you’re definitely unique.