Ditch (7 page)

Mrs Peel
What d'you mean?

Burns
We're doin' prizes.

Mrs Peel
Prizes?

Megan
Prizes!

Mrs Peel
Alright. You first.

Burns
I'd like to have a dance.

Beat.

Mrs Peel
What d'you mean?

Burns
I'd like to dance.

Mrs Peel
(
Indifferent.
) Alright.

Burns
You and me.

Turner
What?

Mrs Peel
I aint dancin'.

Burns
Man can't dance alone.

Mrs Peel
I aint dancin' with you, Burns.

Megan
I will!

Burns
Thought you was gonna' win?

Beat.

Mrs Peel
Alright. Stakes it is. I want a' go out on them moors with yer and get a deer.

Burns
Alright.

Turner
What?

Burns
(
To
Megan
.
) Ready?

Megan
begins the tasting, starting with
Mrs Peel
's three cups.

Megan
They all good.

Mrs Peel
sniffs with pride and
Megan
moves on to
Burns
's cups.
Megan
maximizes her time as the centre of attention – she sips, slurps, ponders and gurgles.

Megan
They all good!

Mrs Peel
You win.

Turner
pats
Burns
on the back,
Megan
claps,
Mrs Peel
smiles.
Bug
enters, his left arm is now a stump.

Turner
You're early.

Bug
drops his bag down.

Turner
Nothin's ready.

Bug
S'alright.

Megan
looks as if she might burst into tears, she leaves.

Burns
(
Shakes his hand.
) Good to have yer back.

Bug
Good to be back.

Turner
Where the fuck you been?

Turner
slings his arms around
Bug
, they wrestle and laugh.
Mrs Peel
leaves.

Turner
Fuckin' leavin' me.

Burns
Let's have a drink.

They belt one back
.

Turner
(
Nods to the stump.
) So, what happened there then?

Bug
Lost it.

Turner
It giver yer any trouble?

Bug
Can hurt. Just adaptin' to it.

Turner
Least you can still pull your prick.

Burns
How's Brian?

Bug
We were nowhere near his regiment.

Burns
What? But you were south.

Bug
Couldn't get no word to him.

Turner
How's James?

Burns
You get my letter to him?

Bug
I'm sorry, Burns.

Turner
He doin' us proud?

Burns
A they bringin' any a' 'em back?

Bug
There are soldiers . . . there are soldiers . . .

Beat.
Burns
sits down.

Turner
Want somethin' to eat?

Bug
I'm alright with this.

Turner
What'd they drink over there?

Bug
Rum.

Turner
S'alright.

Bug
Yeah. Prefer whiskey.

Turner
We aint got much a' it.

Bug
They shippin' less over?

Turner
Halved our supplies, s'only thing we get short a'. Way we set up here now, we eatin' none a' that tinned shit. It gonna be steak and taters we puttin' on the fire tonight. Times we back here we getting' meat and two veg, stews with mash . . . all kinds a' shit. And then there's breakfast. Full on fried breakfast!

Bug
Sounds good. So what's been goin' on?

Turner
Jack shit been happenin' out here.

Bug
Not many Illegals?

Turner
We aint been gettin' many. Its impossible to do the job, just the two a' us out there. (
Chinks Bug's flask.
) But that's all set to change now eh?

Bug
What about outside?

Turner
(
Shrugs
.) Government set up a lottery for them that want kids.

Bug
They lifted the ban?

Turner
S'lottery, Bug.

Bug
Right.

Turner
One in ten thousand. How long it take to get back?

Bug
What about China?

Turner
(
Shrugs
.) What about it?

Bug
Allies declared war two week ago.

Turner
Aint affectin' us, none a' our troops a' bein' deployed.

Bug
It a different war they startin' over there.

Turner
How long it take to get back?

Bug
Near on three days.

Turner
Shit.

Bug
Yeah. Tried to get a few winks on the train up there.

Turner
Too worried for that, I bet.

Bug
Well . . . I'm gonna go crash for a couple a' hours.

Turner
Now?

Bug
nods.

Turner
You just got here.

Bug
I'm tired, Turn.

Turner
Alright.

Bug
goes back
to his bag.

Bug
Bought you a piece a' kit back.

Turner
Arh, yes! It some a' their kit?

Bug
Yeah.

Turner
Vest? Pair a' eyes?

Bug
Aint nothin' like that. It a radio.

Bug
gives the radio to
Burns
.

Burns
(
Nods.
) Good to have yer back.

Turner
I'll come and get yer in a couple a' hours.

Bug
nods and leaves.

Turner
Why the fuck dint you tell me he'd got a stump?

Burns
I dint know.

Turner
Must a' looked like a right cunt, dint know what to say.

Burns
Coulda fooled me, pullin' his prick.

Turner
I can't treat him like he's disabled. It's Bug, same old, arm or no arm. And anyway, that's what yer supposed to do . . . acknowledge it.

Beat
.

Can you ride a horse with a stump?

Burns
shrugs, drinks.

Burns
Now we know how come he's back.

Turner
Yeah.

Burns
Never seen him like that.

Turner
Tired, s'all.

Burns
More than that.

Turner
Couple a' hours sleep he'll be right.

Burns
Seen it in his eyes.

Burns
leaves with the radio
.

Turner
He gonna be fine.

Scene Two

Stables. Evening.

Megan
is sat, she has been crying.
Turner
enters stealthy.

Megan
(
Spins round.
) You scared me!

Turner
Whooah. You been cryin'?

Megan
No.

Turner
Looks to me like you have.

Megan
Haven't.

Turner
(
Offers her a fag.
) Fag? You sure?

Megan
Don't smoke.

Turner
Since when?

Megan
Never liked 'em much.

Turner
Used to smoke a lot a' mine to say you din't like 'em.

Beat.

Turner
Want a' talk about it?

Megan
Nothin' a' talk about.

Turner
Might help if you did. I'll take a guess. You seen what happened to Bug and you worried about James.

Megan
Why would I be worried about him?

Turner
I seen him headin' over here at night, Megan. And I knowed you in here too. I dint say nothin' to you about it. Just accepted it I guess. Don't mean that I stopped . . . shit, you know . . . carin' about you.

Megan
looks at
Turner
.

Turner
S'how you holdin' up?

Megan
Miss him. Miss him a lot.

Turner
Yeah. I bet he's missin' you too. Who wouldn't? You're quite a girl Megan. I'll tell you somethin' from experience. When a man's been with you it's pretty hard to come back from that. Yeah. You really set the standard for me. Raised the bar. And in all sorts a' ways, not just . . . (
Laughs with embarrassment.
) You know. Shit. I aint no good at this. I just wanted to see you were alright. I'm gonna' go. Leave you to it.

Turner
walks away.

Megan
Stay.

Turner
Well, alright.

Megan
We could talk.

Turner
I'd like that.

Beat.

Megan
Bird flew inta the kitchen window yesterday.

Turner
Yeah?

Megan
I was right there in front a' it washin' the dishes when it hit the glass. Made a big thuddin' sound, scared me. Then it flew off. But it left somethin' behind. A white powder in the shape a' it wings. Like a ghost a' it. I been lookin' at that all day and no one seen it, not even Mrs Peel. I dint tell her, case she rubbed it away.

Turner
I'll have to take a look at that.

Megan
Won't be there no more cause a' the rain.

Turner
Some things just don't last long enough, do they?

Beat.

Megan
Never knowed you cared about me.

Turner
I'm no good at sayin' stuff like that.

Megan
That mean you'd look out for me?

Turner
I done it before, remember.

Beat.

You were gonna be sent away.

Megan
I know

Turner
Don't seem like it.

Megan
You told me. But it different now.

Turner
It sure is. S'like you been avoidin' me.

Megan
You'd help me if . . . if I needed it?

Turner
You know I would.

Megan
James would too.

Turner
But he aint here.

Megan
He gonna come back. Just don't know when.

Turner
takes out his flask politely offers
Megan
a drink.

Megan
I shouldn't.

Turner
Why?

Megan
It too early for that.

Turner
Have a slug anyway, for old time's sake.

Megan
drinks; spills some down her chin.

Turner
Looks like you forgotten how to handle your drink.

They both laugh; she gives him back the flask.

Turner
Come on, you can do better than that.

Megan
shakes her head.
Turner
insists.
Megan
has another drink.

Turner
S'like old times. We did have us some good times together. You remember that time when you, me and Bug been up all night drinkin'? You were drinkin' like a fish, couldn't get enough a' the stuff.

Megan
I got work to do now.

Turner
Laughin' and smilin' you were.

Megan
tries to pass but
Turner
blocks her way.

Turner
You do have a lovely smile. Really lights up a room, lights up . . . (
Smiles.
) Anyway, so there we all are with an empty bottle on the table between us. Not a drop left. And you . . . (
Laughs.
)

Megan
Don't!

Turner
You took hold a' the bottle.

Megan
Please don't.

Turner
And let us both have a go. Didn't you? What's this . . . tears? No, no, you don't understand. I dint tell James about it. I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't spoil what you got goin' there. Cause, it would. Wouldn't it? I mean, if he knew that what sweet Megan here likes (
shakes his head and laughs to himself.
) and I mean really likes is bein' fucked dirty. He would feel insecure about that. Cause he didn't fuck you like that. Did he? (
Sympathetically.
) I dint think so.

Megan
Leave me alone.

Turner
I wish I could, but when you look at me with those sad eyes a' yours, s'like lookin' at a deer before I slam it down to the ground. Gets me hard.

Turner
takes off his jacket,
Megan
edges backwards.

Turner
See, all's I want is to throw you a nice, hard fuck. Yeah, that's right. (
Edges forwards.
) All's I want is to take that nice long hair a' yours and use it like a pair a' reigns. (
Grabs
Megan
's hair.
) Alls I want is to saddle up and –

The horses whinny.
Burns
enters.

Burns
What's goin' on here!

Turner
releases
Megan
.

Turner
Nothin'.

Burns
I don't give a flyin' fuck that you out here in the wilderness, you wanna' shove that dick a' yours in somethin' I suggest you start takin' a likin' to livestock. That understood?

Turner
nods.
Burns
steps aside.
Turner
leaves.

Burns
He bother you again, you come to me about it.

Burns
makes to leave.

Megan
It a good sign, Bug comin' back?

Burns
You seen his arm.

Megan
He came back alive.

Burns
They don't bring the dead back.