Scene 14
Set: The Laboratory of Dr. Dendrobates.
LIGHTS UP LOW
BEATRICE enters dressed in dark clothing. She looks around the room and starts going through drawers and shelves. She goes into the next room, out of sight.
BEATRICE
What the hell?
What the hell?
DR. DENDROBATES enters. Beatrice enters carrying a mammoth, bloated, slimy bullfrog. It ribbits.
DR. DENDROBATES
What are you doing here?
What are you doing here?
DR. DENDROBATES sees the bullfrog in her hands
DR. DENDROBATES
What are you doing! Get your hands off him!
DR. DENDROBATES bats the frog out of Beatrice's hands. He throws his jacket over the frog and cradles it.
DR. DENDROBATES
No! No! It’s okay! It’s okay!
BEATRICE
His tank had fallen again! He was laying in a pile of broken glass. I don’t think he got cut! Check him! Check him!
DR. DENDROBATES
It’s too late. It’s too late.
BEATRICE
It’s not that bad! Check! I think he’ll be okay.
DR. DENDROBATES
He’s already dead.
BEATRICE
Look at your jacket! It’s moving. He’s okay!
DR. DENDROBATES
He doesn’t even know he’s dead.
No! No! It’s okay! It’s okay!
BEATRICE
His tank had fallen again! He was laying in a pile of broken glass. I don’t think he got cut! Check him! Check him!
DR. DENDROBATES
It’s too late. It’s too late.
BEATRICE
It’s not that bad! Check! I think he’ll be okay.
DR. DENDROBATES
He’s already dead.
BEATRICE
Look at your jacket! It’s moving. He’s okay!
DR. DENDROBATES
He doesn’t even know he’s dead.
The frog ribbits.
DR. DENDROBATES
This frog has had no contact with any living thing in more than two years. No frogs, no salamanders. He's been fed only high-protein gelatin with tweezers. Only the microbes that maintain his mucus membrane have been in direct contact with Specimen Zero Zero Three Three in more than two years, and a frog can't develop an emotional attraction with those! When he’s dissected, his brain is going to look like a Chinese noodle. He’s boiling alive in his own pleasure.
BEATRICE
What can we do?
This frog has had no contact with any living thing in more than two years. No frogs, no salamanders. He's been fed only high-protein gelatin with tweezers. Only the microbes that maintain his mucus membrane have been in direct contact with Specimen Zero Zero Three Three in more than two years, and a frog can't develop an emotional attraction with those! When he’s dissected, his brain is going to look like a Chinese noodle. He’s boiling alive in his own pleasure.
BEATRICE
What can we do?
DR. DENDROBATES begins to rifle through is desk drawers.
DR. DENDROBATES
Maybe there’s something...
BEATRICE
What? What?
Maybe there’s something...
BEATRICE
What? What?
DR. DENDROBATES pulls out a bottle of pills.
DR. DENDROBATES
A megadose. It might start working just in time to weaken the endorphins. It might just save his life. Open his mouth.
BEATRICE
You can’t give him that much! He’ll choke!
DR. DENDROBATES
You’re right, he’ll need to take it intravenous.
BEATRICE
If you give him that much, he’s going to die!
DR. DENDROBATES
What do you care? What are you doing here? I said I didn’t wish to be contacted! Get out! You trollop, get out of my house! Don’t ever let me see you around here again!
A megadose. It might start working just in time to weaken the endorphins. It might just save his life. Open his mouth.
BEATRICE
You can’t give him that much! He’ll choke!
DR. DENDROBATES
You’re right, he’ll need to take it intravenous.
BEATRICE
If you give him that much, he’s going to die!
BEATRICE lays her hand on Dr. Dendrobates's shoulder. DR. DENDROBATES shrugs Beatrice away.
DR. DENDROBATES
What do you care? What are you doing here? I said I didn’t wish to be contacted! Get out! You trollop, get out of my house! Don’t ever let me see you around here again!
BEATRICE runs out.
LIGHTS DOWN
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