Kevin, Lucy and Chicken Soup

Kevin was up all night with a patient, and has gone home to rest in the middle of the afternoon.  He is dozing on the sofa when the doorbell rings. This doesn't awaken Kevin; next we hear insistent knocking at the door, and Lucy's voice calling out to Kevin.  This does wake him up, but he just listens, frowning, for a few moments.  When it becomes clear that she's not going away, he sleepily stumbles to the door, opens it, and heads back to the couch without even looking at Lucy.

K: "Whatever it is, it has to be done quietly."

L: "Okay.  Hey, you want to go see the Grateful Dead?"

K: "What did you say?"

L: "The Grateful Dead.  They're a group.  They're in concert in town tonight, and I thought we could go.  You know, pretend we're back in the sixties, and be flower children, you know.  Maybe we could call ourselves Sunshine and Donovan.  I bet you I could dig up some love beads and some patchouli oil somewhere, and, well, you could put this really sexy headband on, I mean, with your long, flowing hair, and it would be so much fun.  We could pretend it's 1967 and we could forget about all of our problems.  Besides, I do hear those Dead concerts can be rather a cultural event."

K: "I don't think so."

(Kevin wanders back to the couch, with Lucy following behind.)

L: "Oh, come on, it'll be fun.  Don't be a party pooper - let's just do it, let's go."

K: "I'm not saying the idea doesn't have a rather bizarre appeal; just, not tonight.  My sense of balance in the universe is all discombobulated."

(Kevin sits back on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table and removing his shoes.  He leans back and closes his eyes. Lucy sits down next to him.)

L: "Oh.  Okay, well, you know, I probably couldn't really find any tie-dyed stuff anywhere.  I don't really like tie-dye, come to think of it.  So, what are we going to do instead?"

K: "Oh, I'm doing it.  I mean, you're welcome to stay, just don't expect much from me."

(Lucy strokes his face.)

L: "You poor baby, you really are pooped,aren't you?"

K: "Mmm hmm."

(Lucy suddenly pulls her hand away from him and crosses her arms in alarm.)

L: "Oh, boy.  Oh, boy, oh boy, oh boy, do I sense a potentially dangerous situation happening here."

(Kevin opens his eyes.)

K: "Do I want to hear this?"

L: "Mmm mmm.  Mmm mmm.  I feel this motherly sort of instinct coming out in me.  All of a sudden I have this overwhelming desire to take care of you."

K: "Don't do that!  Ignore it, maybe it'll go away."

L: "Oh, I doubt it.  It's a primal thing."

K: (leaning his head back and closing his eyes again) "How primal?"

L: "Chicken soup!"

(Kevin opens his eyes and looks at Lucy)

K: "Really?"

L: "This is amazing.  It works every time."

K: "I rather would like some chicken soup."

L: "Okay..... okay, then you shall have it, I guess.  Oh, boy, let me just ask very quickly - you didn't happen to buy one of Lucky's disposal things there, did you?"

K: "No, I like a worm-free environment.  Lucy, are you sure about this?"

L: "Yes, I'm positive about it.  Don't you worry about a thing.  You just relax and stop looking at me like that.  I really can be a wonderful caregiver when I want to be."

Lucy heads for the kitchen with trepidation.  Kevin watches her go, doubt all over his face.  He finally shrugs and lies down on the couch, closing his eyes.  A bit later, he is tossing and turning on the couch, annoyed, while Lucy makes a lot of clattering noises in the kitchen.

L: "Kevin, where is your, um, soup starter?"

K: "My what?"

L: "You know, the soup starter, that powdery stuff you use - oh, never mind, I should have known you wouldn't have any.  How about chicken broth?"

K: "Um... upper left cabinet."

L: "Okay.  Kevin, how about a paring knife and... um... you know...the cutting board."

K: "Maybe it's easier if I just do it myself."

(This summons Lucy from the kitchen.  She runs into the living room.)

L: "No, no, no, no, no, no, you just stay put right there.  It just takes me a little time to acclimate myself in a strange kitchen. You do whatever you want to do, you know, enjoy yourself, take a nap.  I'll do this.  I'll find everything... somehow."

(She returns to the kitchen.)

K: "Think linear."

L: "Right.  Linear.  Linear."  (She finds two cans of chicken broth.) "Well, maybe, you know, quick and simple is best.  You know what, I always thought chicken broth was very comforting and nutritional all by itself.  Why dilute any of the flavor with carrots or celery, for that matter, or even chicken?"  (Lucy surrenders and heads back to the living room.)  "You know, I hope you don't mind, but maybe you could just have your soup out of a can..." (Lucy sees that Kevin is asleep and her tone becomes soft) "because I'm not very good in the kitchen. You poor baby, you've been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, haven't you?"  (She covers Kevin with an afghan.) "All right, then that's what you can do.  You can sleep, you don't have to worry.  You just relax, because I'm not going to let anything or anybody bother you tonight.  I'll make sure of it."

Lucy settles herself in Kevin's leather chair and watches him sleep. Later, we see her napping in the chair, covered by an afghan herself.  She wakes up with a start when Kevin begins to make noises in his sleep.  This is one thing she can't protect him from - his nightmares.  She stands up and walks over to him, watching him.  We see his dream - the hands reaching out in the water, Kevin swimming underwater, trying to open a car door, Grace struggling to get out of the car, and finally Kevin pulling Grace's dead body to the surface.  He wakes up with a shout of terror, gasping for air.  Lucy sits beside him.

L: "It's okay.  You were just having a bad dream."

K: "Grace."

L: "No.  No, she's not here.  I'm here, it's just me, see.  Just me, I'm here.  It's okay." 

Lucy pulls Kevin close so that his head rests on her shoulder; she wraps her arms around him and rocks him gently, reassuring him as one would a frightened child.  When we rejoin them, he is lying on the couch, his head resting on a pillow on Lucy's lap.  She strokes his hair.

L: "Better?  Why don't you tell me about the dream."

(Kevin sits up abruptly.)

K: "I don't remember it."

L: "You're lying to me."

K: "I'm sorry, Lucy.  I don't want to go into this tonight."

L: "I really think you have to, Kevin."

K: "No, I don't."

L: "Look, you have all this stuff bottled up inside of you.  You can't walk around like that.  You know, that person who made up that saying, 'Physician, heal thyself,' must have known what they were talking about.  I really think you need to get some serious therapy."

K: "Lucy, you don't want to go into this with me tonight.  That's good advice; please take it."

L: "Listen, pal, I have some good advice for you.  You need to work this out, see a shrink."

K: "I have a shrink, thank you."

L: "Well, apparently he or she is not doing you any good.  Look, Kevin, I'm going to be very honest.  I think you need to go to GH and ask someone for a good therapist, because you, my friend, are a complete walking disaster."

K: "Well, Lucy, I'm not interested in your opinion or your advice about my therapy.  You're not qualified to give any.  You know, Lucy, you have no inkling about the process of psychoanalysis.  And by the same token, you are uniquely unqualified to give any kind of opinion about my analyst.  Now, I'm sorry that I'm not coming to terms with my problems fast enough to suit you.  But I will not be goaded into disrupting what little progress that I am making in order to follow your timetable."

L: "Aren't you an insulting creature?  How dare you speak to me like  that?  You know, all I'm trying to do is help you."

K: "Lucy, I'm sorry."

(But it's too late; Lucy has had enough.  She collects her coat and purse and marches over to the door.)

L: "Yeah, you are sorry, aren't you?  You're a sorry excuse for a human being.  Do you think I'm going to stay here and take a - be a punching bag for you tonight?  Well, forget it.  You know something?  Why don't you go back to your stupid dreams, because if you are so attached to them, maybe that's all you deserve."

Lucy storms out of the house leaving Kevin alone and dismayed.

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