Dammit 1

	Stephen and Hugh are pacing the boardroom.


Stephen		Dammit Peter.

Hugh		John?

Stephen		Dammit four times round the car park and back in
		for another dammit.

Hugh		Do I get the feeling that something's on your
		mind, John?

Stephen		Come on, Peter, you know what the hell I'm
		talking about.

Hugh		At a guess I'd say that this had something to do
		with the DDL Enterprises takeover bid?

Stephen		You know it's funny, Peter. Four years. Four hard
		years I've put into building up this Health Club.
		And now I'm supposed to stand by and let a bunch
		of wet-arsed college kids take it all away from me.

Hugh		I know, John.

Stephen		If only Marjorie hadn't left us the way she did ...

Hugh		Marjorie? Hell John, you can't go blaming yourself
		for that. You and Marjorie had ...

Stephen		Had what, Peter? A marriage that was nothing
		more than a bad joke, and not even a very
		good one?

Hugh		You made some mistakes, John, that's all. You
		and Marjorie had different ideas about where the
		company was headed. End of story.

Stephen		But dammit, Marjorie was good, Peter.

Hugh		A good wife, or a good business partner?

Stephen		Is there a difference, Peter?

Hugh		I hope so, John.

Stephen		And now, while we're up to our arses in a major
		takeover scrap, she's sunning herself in the South
		of France.

Hugh		South of Wales actually, John.

Stephen		Well, wherever the blue-rinsed hell she is. Oh
		what a damned fool I've been.

Hugh		John, listen to me, this is no time for you to start
		feeling sorry for yourself.

Stephen		But dammit all sideways, Peter ...

Hugh		John. Do something for me. Take a look out of
		this window.

Stephen		What is this, Peter? Some sort of game?

Hugh		No game, John. Look out there and tell me what
		you see.

Stephen		I see a car park.

Hugh		Well that's funny, John. Because the last time you
		looked out of that window, you saw an idea. Don't
		you remember?

Stephen		Yes. I remember.

Hugh		I thought so.

Stephen		I remember thinking that that would be the best
		place for the car park.

Hugh		Dammit John, I'm talking about the big idea.
		The dream that you and I shared. The dream
		of a health club that would put Uttoxeter on the
		goddamned map once and for all.

Stephen		Yeah, well maybe ...

Hugh		Maybe? Maybe? I don't believe I'm hearing this.
		What the hell's happened to the old John?

Stephen		We pulled it down when we built the car park.

Hugh		Dammit John, you're not hearing me.

Stephen		Peter I ...

Hugh		Don't Peter I me! We've got that close. And you're
		going to lie down and just walk away.

Stephen		Peter, don't hassle me. I'm tired.

Hugh		Tired be damned!

Stephen		A man's got to know when he's licked, Peter. And
		I know the feeling. I've been licked before.

Hugh		The Lord's Saints preserve us.

Stephen		Did I ever tell you about the time Marjorie licked
		me? Licked me good and proper? Well I've got the
		same feeling now, Peter, and it's sore. Maybe it's
		time to move on.

Hugh		John. I'm going to tell you what I see out of this
		window.

Stephen		Is this another of your games, Peter?

Hugh		Same game, John. Different rules. (Looking out) I
		see Tom and Sally and Debbie ...

Stephen		I thought Sally was off with the flu ...

Hugh		Exactly, John! Exactly! But she's come in today
		because she believes in you! God knows why!
		She believes in what you're trying to do here in
		Uttoxeter. And you're going to just turn your back
		on those kids? You're going to walk away from ...
		dammit, I make no apology, a vision?

Stephen		Dammit Peter, maybe you're right.

Hugh		You're damn right maybe I'm right.

Stephen		Damn, double damn, and an extra pint of damn
		for the weekend.

Hugh		Daaaaamn!

Stephen		Right, Peter.

Hugh		Damn?

Stephen		Get a fax over to Cliff at Harlinson's.
		Extraordinary General Meeting, 3.00p.m. today.
		Call Janet, and see if we can pull Martin in from
		... where the hell is Martin?

Hugh		High Wycombe.

Stephen		And get Sarah in here. We've got an agenda to
		work up.

Hugh		Welcome back to the fight, John. Sorry if I was a
		little rough on you back there.

Stephen		Hell, Peter, I deserved it. I was a damned fool.

Hugh		And if Marjorie calls ... ?

Stephen		If Marjorie calls ... (Pause) Tell her I'm busy.

Hugh		DAAAAAAMN!

Hugh		Moira Stewart ... and Jill
		Gascoigne ... neither of them
		wrote back. Can you believe these
		people? I mean how much trouble
		can it be to just bung a pair of
		stockings in the post?