Innocent When You Dream: ACT ONE
ACT ONE
SCENE1
Night.
At rise: Lights up on DAN, an 80-year-old Japanese-American man, climbing out a window. There's a trellis outside and he carefully picks his way down it. Once on the ground, he walks to the corner bar and sits down. A bartender (FRANK) pours him a bourbon, neat.
DAN WHOA! (He stands up suddenly, startled.)
FRANK Hey, hey, old timer, you OK?
DAN Uh...uh, Frank?
FRANK No, it's Bill. You know, Bill?
DAN Oh! Uh, Bill. Your last name wouldn't happen to be, uh, "Fujiyama," would it?
FRANK What? No, it's “Macintosh.” You know, like the computer? (pause) Uh, the apple?
DAN Oh. Yeah. Sure.
FRANK Hey, man, you know me. Are you OK?
DAN Yeah, sure, just...got distracted...by the TV.
DAN drinks and stares at a TV screen. What was a baseball game becomes old video footage of a dusty desert and barracks; a typewriter types "yes" and "yes," then "no" and "no" on a questionnaire; soldiers in the forests of Europe; a man falling past an old building. A woman smiles at him, and waves goodbye. DAN rises suddenly, startled. He suddenly falls to the ground, clutching his head as the song ends.
FRANK Hey! Old man. Dan! DAN! (FRANK comes out from behind the bar and stands above DAN, suddenly oddly detached.)
FRANK (cont'd) There's something you oughta know about Grace that'll maybe help you get on with your life. (GRACE, the woman who waved goodbye in the video enters and stands over DAN.)
GRACE Blue skies Smiling at me Nothing but blue skies Do I see...
(DAN, still clutching his head and writhing on the floor, utters a terrible sound.)
GRACE (cont'd) Dan. It's OK. It's OK. You know? Someday, it'll be like it never happened.
(FRANK looks at GRACE, extends his arms out, as if inviting her to dance, and the two of them dance off as Dan still clutches his head on the floor.)
Lights out.
Night.
The sound of medical equipment beeping. In darkness, a woman's voice (JOY) is heard from OS:
JOY (O.S.) Oh my God, I'm so sorry it took me so long, but they shut down every airport in or around Washington yesterday! I had to wait until everyone who got bumped found a flight, then I think I got the very last seat on the very last plane tonight and you'd think I was Osama Bin Freakin' Laden the way they treated me! I mean, what the hell profile do you think I fit?
MERV (O.S.) Very, VERY Angry Little Asian Girl?
JOY Two days! TWO DAYS it takes me to get here! (Lights up as JOY and MERV enter (both in their 40s); JOY’S dressed as a professional, while MERV is a somewhat shabbily-dressed professor.)
JOY (cont'd) Where is he?
MERV Right here. (They enter a hospital room. DAN is covered by a sheet, hooked up to monitors, with a breathing tube inserted in his mouth.) (pause)
JOY Aw, Dad. Dad.
JOY (cont'd) (Recovers; turns back to DAN, overly distinct, as if speaking to a foreigner:) Hi, Dad. Long time, no see. Dad, I got here as soon as I could.
MERV Joy, he's all there, he can hear you fine.
JOY Sorry. (Still overly distinct:) Dad, you're in good hands. This is a good place. I did a lot of research while I was on the plane, and this is one of the best places to be if you've had a stroke. (To MERV) He knows he's had a stroke?
MERV Yes.
JOY He's really all there?
MERV It hit him in the brain stem, and they're still assessing the damage, but apparently, all his higher functions are unaffected. He can lift his right arm and move a bit, right Dad? (DAN motions to MERV to come closer.)
MERV (cont'd) What is it, Dad? (DAN grabs MERV’S collar with unexpected force, pulls him to him. DAN points toward the door.)
MERV (cont'd) Dad. Joy's here. Did you see her? She flew all the way from Washington. (DAN pushes MERV aside. Motions toward JOY; points at the door.)
MERV (cont'd) (To JOY) He wants to go home.
JOY Dad. Dad, you have to stay here. You're hooked up to life-support machines. You can't go home. At least, not tonight. OK? (DAN points to the door.)
JOY (cont'd) Dad, do you understand? You can't go home because you're hooked up to life-support. If we took you home, you would die. (DAN points to the ceiling.) Joy looks up.
JOY (cont'd) What? What the hell's up there?
MERV Dad. (He points at himself, then the ceiling; her, himself, then the ceiling.)
JOY What? What do you want, Dad?
MERV Dad. We'll talk about this in the morning, OK? We just want to be with you for a while. Joy just wants to see you.
JOY What is he...? He's NOT saying... (DAN points at her.)
JOY (cont'd) (To MERV) Why's he pointing at me?
MERV You're a lawyer.
JOY Not a practicing one.
MERV I think he thinks that you can help him in ways that I haven't been able to...just yet. (pause)
JOY Dad, I think I need to talk to Merv a sec, OK? (DAN points at them both, then points downward.)
JOY (cont'd) What's that mean, "Go to Hell?"
MERV No, I think he wants us to talk right here.
JOY Dad...OK, fair enough. (As if to a child) We're not hiding anything from you, OK? I just have to find out what's happening. (To MERV) Merv? What does my having a law degree have to do with the ceiling?
MERV He thinks you can help him get out of here, one way or another.
JOY Clarify.
MERV Alive...or dead. (pause)
JOY No.
MERV He's been spelling in my hand. He can spell words like..."home"...and..."die." (DAN nods.)
(Long pause.)
JOY Oh, Dad. Merv, you've told him, right? It's impossible to know how bad things are, yet. It looks really bad right now, but it's too early to tell how much of a recovery... (DAN stops her with a "halt!")
JOY (cont'd) Right, Merv?
MERV (Doubtfully) Right. (DAN waves them off. He closes his eyes.)
JOY You want to go to sleep? That's good, Dad, sleep is good. We'll be right here. (They regard him for a couple of beats. JOY finds a chair and sits.)
MERV Amazing, huh? He's like that knight in that Monty Python movie: No arms, no legs, but he still wants you to get closer so he can bite you to death.
JOY He's got an arm.
MERV And it's still freakishly strong. (DAN motions them away with his arm. MERV nervously eats snack chips.)
JOY Are you OK? You're eating.
MERV Oh. No. Not at all. Are you?
JOY You've been here all day?
MERV Yeah. I don't know how they tracked me down, because they found him in a bar. Apparently, he's been sneaking out of the Home--he climbs out the window, climbs down a trellis, and goes drinking. He must've fallen and hit his head, and at first, they thought the damage was from the fall, but now they know that he had a pretty big stroke.
JOY How much does he know?
MERV I think he knows all of it.
JOY Thus... (She points at the ceiling.)
MERV You got it.
JOY You're sure that's what he means?
MERV He literally spelled it out for me. (pause)
JOY It's too soon! I mean...YOU'RE not thinking about it...are you?
MERV Well...of course, we have to talk, you and I...and... consensus...is important...but basically...yeah.
JOY We are not having this conversation!
MERV Look...I know it's a lot to take in. But it's good that he's thinking things through now. His brain is swelling, so it's going to get worse before it gets better; he could easily lose his ability to communicate. They haven't been able to tell me a best-case scenario, but I don't think you come back very far from damage to the brain-stem. 24/7 care seems to be a really likely best-case. And one doctor did give me a worst-case scenario. (pause)
JOY I take it, this worst-case scenario is NOT death?
MERV They call it "Locked-in Syndrome": He could lose all function except his higher brain--his thought. He could become completely and totally paralyzed, but still be all there. Locked in.
JOY (She sighs) Holy...
MERV ...moly.
Joy So he knows?
MERV He's got a pretty good idea of what's happening and clearly, he's already made up his mind. You know Dad.
JOY Are you kidding? I don't know him at all.
Lights shift.
1943. The sound of wind, blowing and whistling. Lights up on some kind of cluttered, tar-papered storage space. A much younger DAN bursts in, then struggles to close the flimsy door. GRACE is already there, holding a rag to the beginnings of a black eye.
GRACE (Screams) Oh!
DAN (Startled) Huh! Jesus! Just about gave me a heart attack! What are you doing here?
GRACE What are YOU doing here?
DAN The wind...!
GRACE Oh. Me too.
DAN Hey, you're hurt!
GRACE I'm OK.
DAN Who did this to you?
GRACE Nobody. The wind. A piece of wood... (pause)
DAN A piece of wood? (GRACE nods.)
DAN (cont'd) The wind? (GRACE nods.)
DAN (cont'd) Well, which one is it?
GRACE The wind...blew a piece of wood...
DAN Baloney. (GRACE shrugs.)
DAN (cont'd) Come on. I just want to know. Someone did this to you.
GRACE I'm really OK, I just need to get cleaned up, but I thought I'd wait in here until the wind dies down.
DAN (Looks more closely at her eye.) Jeepers, Grace, that's a black eye!
GRACE How'd you know my name?
DAN You don't know mine?
GRACE Ummm. Yes, it's um...
DAN Dan.
GRACE Dan, that's right. (beat) Well, maybe I should be going then.
DAN Why?
GRACE What's it going to look like when the wind dies down?
DAN Dusty.
GRACE No, I mean, two people coming out of a storage shed.
DAN Oh, good point. Don't want people talkin'. (He doesn't move.)
GRACE Unless...you want to be a gentleman and...
DAN I ain't going, there's wood flying around out there.
GRACE Oh.
DAN Unless you want to tell me what really happened, put my mind at ease about that wood.
GRACE I did tell you! (beat) OK, all right, I guess I'll just get going then.
DAN No, wait, I was just kidding, don't go.
GRACE Why not?
DAN It's...still windy.
GRACE It's only wind.
DAN Yeah, well, that wind sure beat the heck out of you.
GRACE Is it really that bad?
DAN Dontcha got a mirror?
GRACE Back at home.
DAN That's a long ways away. So tell me...what happened?
GRACE Listen, just let me stay here for a while, I'll tell you what happened. Just...not now.
DAN When, then?
GRACE Later.
DAN Later, when?
GRACE Someday.
DAN Jeez. OK. All right. I give up, your Grace.
GRACE "Your Grace"?
DAN Yeah. That's what people call you, you know.
GRACE They do?
DAN Yeah.
GRACE Why?
DAN 'Cause. You're kinda...well, some people think...
GRACE What?
DAN Some people think you're snooty.
GRACE What do you think?
DAN That you're snooty.
GRACE Maybe I don't care.
DAN Maybe that's what makes you so snooty. (pause)
DAN (cont'd) For instance, how come you never go to the dances?
GRACE 'Cause I'm snooty.
DAN On the other hand, some of the guys...think you're pretty, anyways.
GRACE Snooty girls don't care about things like that. (pause)
DAN You know what? I know how you can get rid of your snooty reputation.
GRACE Be nice?
DAN Well...yeah, that might work. But that'd just take too long. (beat) Here's my idea: You could go out with me. You go out with me, everyone will think, "Boy, I thought she was some snooty city girl, but you know, she's going out with that loudmouthed country bumpkin, so I guess she must be all right."
GRACE You want me to go "out" with you?
DAN Yeah.
GRACE "Out" where? Out to the Casbah? "Out" into the desert? "Out" over the mountains?
DAN Sure, what the hell. Right over the fence, let's make a break for it, you and me, whaddya say?
GRACE I say, "let's go!"
DAN OK! (They don't move.)
GRACE You're not moving.
DAN There's wood flyin' around out there. (pause)
GRACE You wouldn't want to go out with me anyway.
DAN The heck I wouldn't!
GRACE It just...wouldn't work.
DAN How do you know?
GRACE I'm a loner.
DAN Maybe only until now.
GRACE I guess I'm not very Japanese-y. I'm just not good at fitting in.
DAN Well, you can't just give up; giving up is for the old people.
DAN (cont'd) It's just that...so may of those old Issei...boy, they're taking it hard! Mrs. Hayashi never leaves her barracks, seems like. I mean, when does she eat? When does she go to the latrines? Mr. Matsumoto's drunk all the time, and the Nishis seem like zombies! But you've had it rougher than anyone else I know! Everyone knows your parents killed themselves before they even got here! See? They gave up! (GRACE slaps him hard across the face. They stare at each other, both shocked. DAN touches his face.)
DAN (cont'd) Jeez, Grace, you didn't have to HIT me.
GRACE I'm sorry, Dan. I don't know why...I... (GRACE cries.)
DAN That's OK. What happened to you? That's rough, that's really rough, I mean, finding them both...there...that must've been horrible...
GRACE (She croaks) Dan, please. Stop.
DAN Listen. My mom died back in the horse-stalls at the Assembly Center before they sent us here. Some kind of blood-poisoning, I guess, I mean, I don't know, the doctor never even came. Anyway, we had a funeral for her, and that was terrible, but you know, there was a dance that night. And I could hear the music. And this is why you should go to the dances, because it cheered me right up.
(He sings) Blue skies, smiling at me, Nothin' but blue skies do I see. Bluebirds, singing a song Nothin' but bluebirds all day long...
(GRACE cries.)
GRACE I'm sorry!
DAN I know, I know, I'm a terrible singer. No more songs. There, there. It's OK. It's OK. Dan's here. Your new friend, Dan. Your good friend, Dan. It'll be OK. It'll all be OK. We'll all get out of here some day, it'll be like this never happened. We'll go home, we'll get jobs. Normal jobs. We'll get married. We'll live our lives, we'll have kids. We'll buy a house. And we'll fill it full of all our stuff. And our kids'll get good grades and they'll be happy and they'll go to college, and they'll get married, and then, we'll have grandkids. And we'll be old. And we'll think back on our lives. And we'll never even think about this place, ever again. Never. Never ever. It'll be like it never happened.
GRACE (Whispers) Shikata ga nai, neh?
DAN No. It'll be like it never happened. (The sound of wind comes up, then fades; lights change.)
Present. In the darkness, we hear a steady munching of something crunchy, interspersed with the sounds of hands grabbing crunchy things out of a big plastic bag. This goes on for quite a while as the lights finally fade up: Back at old DAN’S hospital bed. His snores are mingled with the sound of electronic beeping and the sounds of people eating something crunchy.
JOY (Crunch, crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch, crunch.)
MERV (Crunch, crunch, crunch. Crunch. Crunchcrunchcrunch.) (Pause. JOY holds up a big Ziploc bag full of Chex Party Mix.)
JOY (Brightly) Chex Party Mix. Makes everything a party. (Pause. MERV snorts. JOY snorts.)
JOY (cont'd) What are we doing, just sitting here, staring at him?
MERV Sitting here staring at him.
JOY But why?
MERV I don't know. It's an interesting perspective. He looks...almost vulnerable.
JOY Shouldn't you get some sleep, Professor? Aren't you teaching that crazy Charlie Chan course in just a few hours?
MERV It's "The Semiotics of Charlie Chan." And it's an important study of...yeah, it's crazy. Naw, I called my TA, she's got my notes, and she's a better lecturer than I am anyway. What about you? Will Asian-American civil rights survive without you?
JOY Well, if the last administration couldn't kill us, nothing will...
MERV What are you going to do?
JOY My staff...my poor overworked staff...will try to pick up as much slack as they can. Plus... (She pulls out a pocket PC.) My souped-up Crackberry.
MERV Yay! Now, you can be working ALL THE TIME.
JOY Yeah. Eating party mix and sending emails, all from the comfort of my father's death bed. (A short silence as that one lands with a thud.)
JOY (cont'd) Sorry. I'm getting more and more inappropriate as the night goes on, huh?
MERV Well...does this mean...that we've decided?
JOY No.
MERV Look, we have to talk about it. Despite all his talk about putting him in a Hefty bag when his time came, he never filled out an advance directive. The hospital thinks he can recover, so they're not willing to take him off the machines; if we want this, we'll probably have to be...proactive.
JOY What the hell does THAT mean?
MERV We have to be clear that this is what we want and that we're united and...well, we were counting on you to figure out what else we needed to be.
JOY We?
MERV Me. And Dad.
JOY Hey, you guys used to hate each other. Since when did you become his mind-reader?
MERV I didn't hate him! He didn't hate me!
JOY I just don't understand how you know so much all of a sudden...
MERV This is the guy who asked us to shoot him if he ever ended up in a wheel-chair and couldn't do it himself.
JOY He just said that to get us off his back about smoking.
MERV You know that's not true. (pause)
JOY So, what, are you talking about smothering him in his sleep?
MERV I don't know, that sounds really hard...
JOY Merv!
MERV Just kidding. Sort of. I HAVE talked to the hospital hierarchy, and we're talking to a Dr. Park tomorrow. He's going to evaluate Dad, and then he'll tell us what our options are.
JOY It's been two DAYS, Merv, why are you in such a hurry?
MERV The fact of the matter is, there's only so much the hospital can permit. They can take him off his life-support machinery, if they judge that he's capable of making that decision, but...if he's then strong enough to make it on his own, well, then we ARE talking about smothering him.
JOY Will you just stop it, you're starting to freak me out.
MERV I'm sorry, but we need to talk about this while...
JOY No! Shut up! No, OK? I just don't hate him like you do! (pause) I don't want to lose him. I mean, Mom's already gone, if we lose Dad...
MERV It's not about what we want, it's about what he wants!
JOY HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT HE WANTS?
MERV AT LEAST I'M THINKING ABOUT HIM!
JOY OH, I GUESS I'M BEING SELFISH, HUH? Fine. He's all I got. I'm divorced, looking down the barrels at 50, he's all I got, and chances are, he's it for me, he's my man, I'm all alone, and I don't want to lose him, OK? Cameron's gone...I'm alone...and Dad's been sort of there for me.
MERV Really? Dad? Emotionally available?
JOY Well...no, that'd be pushing it. I mean, I'm not talking hugs and declarations of love and support. But you know when I told him what was happening with Cameron, he offered to go over there and "straighten him out"?
MERV Wow. Still the tough guy. You declined?
JOY Yeah. But I appreciated the offer. (pause)
MERV Hey. Just between you and me: Were you trying to run Cameron over in that parking lot?
JOY I spend my life in civil rights, and now, I'm just the crazy Asian bitch who tried to run over her husband.
MERV Crazy Asians! It's the new thing! We're ALL NUTS!
JOY Crazy Asians! We're not just shooting up colleges any more!
MERV But Dad was cool, huh?
JOY Yeah. He thought it was funny! (To DAN) What am I gonna do without you, Dad? (DAN raises his hand slightly: Hey, over here.)
MERV What is it, Dad? (DAN points at a pillow on a chair.)
MERV (cont'd) You want another pillow? (MERV grabs a pillow and starts to bring it to DAN, but when he gets close enough, DAN grabs the pillow with his good hand, and pulls it to his face.)
MERV (cont'd) Whoa, whoa, Dad, what the hell you doin'? (MERV yanks the pillow away. DAN starts to pull out his breathing tube, and MERV struggles with him.)
MERV (cont'd) DAD! Stop it, you've got to stop... (DAN punches him in the nose with his good hand. MERV reels backwards.)
MERV (cont'd) Son-of-a-BITCH!
(Lights shift.)
SCENE 5
1946. A bar. Could be the same bar as before, only 60 years ago. Dark and smoky--a dive. Young DAN enters, wearing the uniform of a Nisei soldier; a private. He stands.
DAN Hello? Hello? (A Nisei bartender FRANK appears.)
FRANK Sorry, I was in the back. Wanna beer?
DAN Sure. Whatever you got. (FRANK pours and slides him a draft.)
DAN (cont'd) Say, do I know you?
FRANK I'm told we all look alike.
DAN I've been told the same thing.
FRANK Just get in? (He motions toward DAN’S uniform.)
DAN Just passin' through. F Company. Damn train stops here, then I gotta get on a bus tonight. (FRANK says nothing.)
DAN (cont'd) How long you been back?
FRANK Six months.
DAN Hell’s bells, you must've got back early, ya lucky son-of-a-bitch. What happened, you get hurt and get an early ticket home?
FRANK Not exactly.
DAN Didn't serve?
FRANK I did some time. Just...not with the army.
DAN Oh yeah? You M.I.S.?
FRANK Not exactly.
DAN Well what the hell you talking about, then?
FRANK Nothing. Just...don't want to trade no war stories, OK?
DAN Hell, no, I can respect that. I was a litter-bearer half the time, so most of my war stories...well, I plan to forget them as soon as possible.
FRANK OK.
DAN Hell of a thing, huh?
FRANK What?
DAN This. Life. I don't know. (He takes a long drink, drains his mug. FRANK takes it and fills it again.)
FRANK On the house.
DAN Nah, I can't let you do that.
FRANK 'Course you can.
DAN Well... (DAN raises his mug in thanks and drinks.)
DAN (cont'd) This wouldn't be the old Hamamoto place, would it?
FRANK Uh...yeah, that's right.
DAN Heard something about this place before, back in Minidoka. Issei couple? Some kinda tragedy right before the Evacuation? (pause)
FRANK Well...I wouldn't know about that. Before my time.
DAN I knew the daughter. Grace. Grace Hamamoto. Is she here? (pause)
FRANK Uh...no. Sorry.
DAN Hey, where're my manners? Dan. Dan Yamada. (He extends a hand. Frank takes it.)
FRANK Frank Fujiyama. (DAN pulls FRANK over the bar, grabs him by the scruff of the neck, and spits in his face.)
DAN I know who the hell you are, you son-of-a-bitch! (FRANK pushes DAN away.)
FRANK You don't know nothin'!
DAN I know a god-damned coward when I see one!
FRANK I know a god-damned fool when I see one. (DAN hits FRANK in the face and knocks him down. FRANK stays down.)
DAN Get up. Get up! You know how many people died? Fudge is dead! Lefty! Jack lost a leg and an arm!?
FRANK I don't even know who they are...!
DAN Scotty's gone! (DAN kicks FRANK hard; FRANK grunts. GRACE runs out from a back room.)
GRACE What are you doing? Stop it! STOP IT! (She shoves a shocked DAN away from FRANK’S prone body; she keeps a wary eye on him as she helps FRANK to his feet.)
DAN Grace?
GRACE Get out of here, Dan.
DAN What are you doing here...you're in your bare feet!
GRACE Get out, or I'll call the police.
DAN Did you just come out from the back...?
GRACE Leave us alone, Dan.
DAN Oh, no. Grace. You and that No-No Boy?
GRACE Me and nothing.
DAN You got that right.
GRACE Get out of here, Dan. (She half-carries FRANK to the back room.)
DAN I've been lookin' for you! You left camp, and I never even got to tell you that I joined the Army and... (GRACE reappears from the back, quickly shutting the door.)
GRACE What's the matter with you, anyway? Didn't you hear me say I was going to call the police?
DAN You owe me.
GRACE WHAT? I OWE you? What...do I OWE you?
DAN We had a deal.
GRACE We did?
DAN That day...in the wind...you told me that you'd tell me how you got that black eye if I let you stay...
GRACE You...you tracked me down for THAT?
DAN Well...no. I just...wanted to talk to you. (GRACE stares at him for a beat, shaking her head in disbelief. She turns and goes into the back room.)
DAN (cont'd) I just wanted to talk to you! (He calls to her "I just wanted to talk to you!" but no words come out. Puzzled, he tries again.)
(Lights shift.)
(Music )
(Back in the hospital. DAN sits up in bed, mouthing something silently.)
JOY Dad, here's my hand. Dad! Try spelling it into my hand! (JOY gives DAN her hand and DAN spells something into it.)
JOY (cont'd) "Want to talk"? Oh, no, Dad, you can't. Remember? You had a stroke? (DAN nods his head, slowly, then turns away.)
JOY (cont'd) (To MERV) Merv, he can't talk to the doctor now, he's confused!
MERV Let's just see how it goes. (DAN nods.)
JOY Dad, do you want me to tell the doctor to come back later? (DAN shakes his head, slowly.)
(DOCTOR PARK, a young Asian man, enters, carrying a pineapple.)
DOCTOR PARK Mr. Yamada? I'm Dr. Park, do you remember me? (DAN nods, unsure.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Someone left this pineapple back at the nurse's station. Are you from Hawaii, Mr. Yamada? (DAN shakes his head.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Have some Hawaiian buddies? (DAN nods.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) OK, good. This is probably for you, then. (He hands it to JOY.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Katonk? (DAN nods.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Well, you're obviously all there. Listen, Mr. Yamada, your kids tell me that you keep trying to pull out your breathing tube. Do you understand that you need that tube? (DAN nods.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) I know it's really uncomfortable, but you really need that tube. Do you know that you will die without it? (DAN takes his good hand and tries to pull it out: Kill me now).
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) No, no, Mr. Yamada! Please stop that right now, or I'll have to ask the nurse to restrain your hand. Do you understand? (DAN stops and glares at DOCTOR PARK: I'm not a child).
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Now, I know you're pissed off. You have a right to be. But if you keep trying to pull out your tube, I'm going to think that maybe you're not listening to reason. And I have to believe that, given the circumstances, you are not in the proper frame of mind to make any decisions.
JOY Dr. Park. Don't challenge him like that.
DOCTOR PARK Is that what I'm doing? I'm simply making an assessment of his state of mind...
JOY I'm just saying that you'll just make him mad if you threaten him...
DOCTOR PARK I'm sorry, are you his daughter? (DOCTOR PARK looks at his chart.) Ms...Yamada-Hanke?
JOY Yes.
DOCTOR PARK Are you the Joy Yamada-Hanke...who tried to run her husband over in a parking lot?
JOY As a matter of fact, yes I am.
DOCTOR PARK Huh. OK, I'm listening.
JOY He's pretty old school, if you know what I mean.
DOCTOR PARK I think I do.
JOY And if you tell him he's in no position to decide anything, you're just going to provoke him into proving you wrong.
DOCTOR PARK I understand, but...
JOY You have to listen to us: He knows what he wants.
DOCTOR PARK Listen. I'm Asian.
JOY I noticed.
DOCTOR PARK So are you.
JOY I noticed that, too.
DOCTOR PARK I would not let MY father make this decision at this time.
JOY So?
DOCTOR PARK That's all I'm saying.
JOY I don't get it. You're Asian, I'm Asian, you wouldn't let your father...? I'm just not getting you.
MERV Joy.
DOCTOR PARK Family. Asians...we're big on family?
JOY Huh. (pause) What about filial piety?
DOCTOR PARK Your father's depressed, pissed off...
JOY So am I...
DOCTOR PARK Well, then all the more reason to wait. We can have this conversation later.
MERV When? When do you think he's going to be any LESS depressed and pissed-off?
DOCTOR PARK After you've all had some time to think about this. (DAN starts to pull out his tube again: No, now—do it now!)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Mr. Yamada! (He goes to restrain DAN, who promptly slugs him.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Jesus! (To MERV) Can you help me here?
MERV You're on your own, doc. (DOCTOR PARK ties DAN’S good arm to the bed railing.)
JOY What are you...? Stop that! We don't want him restrained!
DOCTOR PARK LISTEN! Obviously the emotions are running TOO HIGH at the moment to make any kind of life-changing decisions, and this is, by definition, a LIFE-CHANGING DECISION.
JOY I thought you said you were Asian.
DOCTOR PARK Yes, I did.
JOY Then you know we only have two emotional speeds in our families: 0 and 100 mph. If you want us to be bloodless and emotionless and REASONABLE when we tell you that our father wants to die, and we want him to die, then we'll do it; we'll do it right now. OK? Ready? Dad? (DAN nods.)
JOY (cont'd) Merv? (MERV gives a "thumbs up.")
JOY (cont'd) And me? (She raises her hand.)
(pause)
DOCTOR PARK I'll come back when everybody's calmed down. (DOCTOR PARK leaves.)
JOY Hey! Doc! Did you park in the staff parking lot today? What time do you get off? Vroooom! Vrooooom! (Threateningly, like a car getting ready to run him over) (pause)
JOY (cont'd) Sorry, Dad. We're going to have to go above his head. I'll untie your arm, but if we're going to get you what you want, you've got to stop taking matters into your own hands, OK? (DAN stares at her, then slowly nods.)
MERV (As JOY unties DAN) Good job, Sis--Glad to have you aboard.
Light shift.
SCENE 7
The back room of GRACE’S bar. GRACE wraps FRANK’S injuries. DAN climbs out of his hospital bed and listens outside their door.
FRANK You never told me about any crazy boyfriends.
GRACE He was never a boyfriend.
FRANK He was SOMETHING.
GRACE Don't tell me YOU'RE jealous?
FRANK Ha, ha. No. He seemed to know who I was, how come I didn't know who he was?
GRACE You knew WHAT he was. And I think he probably just sniffed out what you were.
FRANK Are. Which "what," by the way?
GRACE The "No-No" what.
FRANK That still doesn't answer the question. Who was he?
GRACE I think...maybe...he had a crush on me. Once. For about a day.
FRANK Some crush.
GRACE Sorry about that.
FRANK At last! An apology!
GRACE Listen, once this place gets into the black, I'll start paying you, honest.
FRANK Will that include combat pay?
GRACE Funny. Don't make that joke out there.
FRANK I'm serious. That guy's coming back, you know.
GRACE He isn't the first guy to take a poke at you...
FRANK For what I done? Or didn't do?
GRACE Well...yeah.
FRANK Yeah. I should take up boxing. Or judo. Or buy a knife.
GRACE Stop it. You're not funny.
FRANK Yes, I am. We both are. What kind of customers are we going to get in here, outside of the rough crowd we get now? You and I...we're never going to win any popularity contests.
GRACE We don't have to win any contests, we just have to sell a lot of booze. That's why this is going to work. I kind of like our rough crowds. We got a lot in common with them, you know.
FRANK Like having no where else to go?
GRACE See? In business just a few months, and already, we're thinking alike. (GRACE finishes cleaning FRANK and taping up his ribs. They are face to face.)
FRANK Waddya know? A tender moment. Who'da thunk?
GRACE Not me.
FRANK Not me, either. (They move farther apart.)
FRANK (cont'd) Seriously, why is that guy so stuck on you?
GRACE I...I was crying one day. And he was nice to me.
FRANK You mean that charming boy whom you just threatened with the police?
GRACE Yeah. He comforted me.
FRANK Ah hah, so you ARE to blame. I knew it! Leading on that poor boy. You tease!
GRACE Yeah, that's me. Jeez, you think so?
FRANK Nah, I'm sure he's crazy enough to make up feelings for the both of you. (pause) What are you going to do? He came here looking for you, he's not going to go away.
GRACE Maybe...I'll just tell him the truth.
FRANK Maybe...you're crazy.
GRACE Maybe...he'll leave me alone after that.
FRANK Maybe...he'll get the whole bar shut down. In fact, why don't you take a peek inside the bar and make sure he's gone?
GRACE (As she starts to go to the door to look out) He just didn't understand, he just didn't know that I couldn't ever... (GRACE goes to the door, looks out. DAN stands on the hospital bed. She sees him.)
GRACE (cont'd) Oh my God.
FRANK What? (pause)
GRACE Nothing. (She stares at DAN; he stares back at her from his hospital bed.)
GRACE (cont'd) Nothing at all.
SCENE 8
The hospital: night has fallen. In the darkness, we hear the sound of the machine that's helping DAN breathe as the lights come up slowly. MERV sleeps in a chair next to DAN, his head slumped on DAN’S bed. DAN lifts his right arm and drops it on MERV’S head. MERV jumps up.
MERV HEY MAN, DON'T HIT ME! (DAN raises his arm and drops it again.)
MERV (cont'd) Sorry, Dad, uh...guess I'm a little jumpy. What are you doing? What's with the arm, what's that mean? (Hopefully) "I'm sorry?" Are you trying to say you're sorry for hitting me? (Silence and no motion.)
MERV (cont'd) OK, sorry, what the hell was I thinking? A Nisei man apologizing! I must be plumb loco! (DAN gestures him closer.)
MERV (cont'd) You think I'm an idiot? No way. If you want to hit me, you're going to have to get up off that bed and chase me. (DAN gestures him closer.)
MERV (cont'd) Oh, you want me to smother you? Guess what? Yesterday, you reminded me that it just doesn't pay to get too close to you, so if you want to go home, or if you want to fly up to heaven with the angels, or whatever, then you're just going to have to wait. (DAN gestures him closer.)
MERV (cont'd) What? (DAN extends his finger.)
MERV (cont'd) Spelling time? (He sighs.) (MERV gets closer and gives DAN his palm to "write" in.)
MERV (cont'd) F...i...n...d... "Find."
MERV (cont'd) OK. "G...r...a...c...e." (pause)
MERV (cont'd) "Grace." Find Grace. You're not getting religious on me are you? (DAN resumes.) "H...a...m...a...m...o...t....o"
MERV (cont'd) "Hamamoto. Find Grace...Hamamoto." (pause)
MERV (cont'd) Oh. Dad. What the hell?
Lights shift.
SCENE 9
GRACE What are you doing back here? I thought you left a long time ago. Weren't you just passing through?
DAN Turns out, I've got some buddies from F company in this town, and one of 'em got me a job.
GRACE Dan, what do you want from me?
DAN I just want to know: Why did you run away from Camp? Why did you run away from me?
GRACE I didn't run away! I got out on a work furlough, I worked as a housekeeper in Cincinnati...and I had no reason to go back.
DAN What about me? That day we met, that was special...
GRACE Dan. Forget about me. Forget about that day.
DAN I...I can't.
GRACE Yes, you can. It was a mistake.
DAN Not for me.
GRACE Yes. It was.
DAN I have to tell you something: This is not just about that one day. When I was...in Italy with the 442? I thought a lot. About why we live. Why we were born. What we're supposed to do in this life. And I thought about...holding you that time when...when you were crying. That made me feel good. Trying to make you feel better made me feel better than anything else in my whole life. And I thought...oh, that's what we're supposed to do in this life! Fall in love. Have a family. Make each other feel better. I mean, it sounds obvious, something people do all the time, without ever thinking about it. But I thought about it over there. All the time. One of my best buddies...well...he survived the war and...everything. And when we were done mopping up over there, and they were going to ship us back? He said, "Dan, our lives have been turned upside down for the past five years, and now, it's all over and we're just supposed to go home and live a normal life?" A day after that, he killed himself. Shot himself with a German pistol! I was one of his pallbearers, and while I was carrying him, I thought, "A normal life, huh? Sure sounds good to me!" (pause)
GRACE Dan. Look at me. I live here in this bar. I'm not a normal person. You would not have a normal life with me.
DAN See, but that's it. I can GIVE you a normal life.
GRACE You can't. I can't. You want to know how AB-normal I am? I really like this dirty awful place. It's home to me. Dan, you're really lucky. You know what you want. You don't know how lucky that is. Go get it. Go get your normal life.
DAN I came here...I came to this town...to get you.
GRACE You did? Dan. Dan. That's crazy. I'm sorry. You're a good man. A smart man. The woman you're looking for is out there, and she's going to want the same thing you do, and you'll be able to talk to her...and she'll be so happy to have someone who WANTS to talk to her. But...you have to go out THERE in order to find her, because you'll never find her in here. Trust me. (They look at each other.)
DAN It's that guy...Frank...isn't it?
GRACE Dan...if it were, I'd tell you. (DAN turns around, walks back toward his hospital bed. He dons his hospital gown and sits next to JOY.)
SCENE 10
JOY sleeps in a chair next to DAN’S bed. He strokes her face.
JOY Huh! What? Dad?
DAN Didn't mean to wake you. You had some slobber...He gestures on the side of his face.
JOY Oh. Thanks.
DAN You should go home.
JOY Yeah, thanks, but I'll stay.
DAN Why not? You can take me with you.
JOY To my house? To stay?
DAN Why not?
JOY Yeah, why not?
DAN I'm a good guest.
JOY I know you are, Dad.
DAN I'll stay out of your hair.
JOY I know you will, Dad.
DAN And now that old Cameron Honkie's out of the way...
JOY "Hanke," Dad...
DAN ...there might be room for your old man.
JOY Yeah, OK, Dad. Listen, as long as you're awake, mysteriously fully functional, and all talkative and everything...can I ask you something?
DAN Shoot.
JOY After Mom died...you had all those women chasing after you...how come you never remarried?
DAN Why should I have?
JOY Well, for one thing, you might not've ended up in that home.
DAN If it weren't for Cameron, I wouldn't have.
JOY No, Dad, it was me. AND him, I guess. I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted you as a permanent house-guest...
DAN The "Cameron Honkie" thing?
JOY Yeah, he really didn't like that.
DAN Sorry.
JOY No, don't be sorry. Turned out, he really didn't like me, either.
DAN You're better off.
JOY Thanks.
DAN Should've run him over.
JOY I did try.
DAN Say! I'm a dying man. Why don't I kill him?
JOY Oh, Dad, thanks, that's a really sweet offer, but that's OK. You still didn't answer my question.
DAN I forgot it already.
JOY OK, let me ask a different one: Who's Grace?
DAN Nobody!
JOY It's OK, Dad, I mean, we know you had a life before us. Don't be embarrassed, just help us find her.
DAN There was no Grace.
JOY What did you mean, then, "Find Grace"?
DAN Maybe that's what I meant. Maybe I meant, "It's a graceless age, and you gotta find grace."
JOY Huh. That doesn't sound like you at all.
DAN Or, "A stretcher will come from grace and gather us up."
JOY What does that mean?
DAN Maybe the stretcher is love.
JOY Now I know I'm dreaming. My Nisei father talking about love and grace.
DAN Just because we don't talk about it, doesn't mean we don't know about it.
JOY Huh. Never thought about that.
DAN Besides, how do you know that it's you that's dreaming?
JOY What?
DAN Maybe this is MY dream.
JOY OK, Dad, now you're just totally blowing my mind. Are you high?
DAN As a kite.
JOY Oh, yeah. Well, as long as you're high and all...can we speak frankly?
DAN Always the best time.
JOY I'm scared.
DAN Why? I'm the one who's dying.
JOY Yeah, but I'm the one who's going to be alone.
DAN What?
JOY Forget it, Dad. Not your problem. Let's get you all hooked up again. (He climbs back under the covers, and she hooks him back up to his various machines. While she does this:)
DAN Hey, Joy?
JOY Yeah?
DAN It'll be all right. Don't worry about being alone, it'll be all right, no matter what.
JOY Oh, Dad. Easy for you to say.
DAN To love is all that matters. You'll be fine, because you know how. You couldn't be a big-time civil rights hero if you weren't full of it.
JOY Oh, I'm definitely full of it. But that's really nice! I wish...listen! Before I tube you...could you tell me one more thing?
DAN I have always loved you...unconditionally.
JOY Oh! Wow. That is so perfect!
DAN And I was so glad when you were born and I saw that you were a girl. Because girls rule.
JOY Ooh. Nice touch. (JOY tubes him. She looks at him.)
JOY (cont'd) Daddy. Oh, how can I let you go?
FRANK, drunk, reclining, talking to an unseen person:
FRANK Question 27: "Are you willing to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered? Yes or no?" Uh...that depends. Will you let my mom and dad outta this place?
Question 28: "Do you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States and foreswear any allegiance to the Japanese Emperor? Yes or no?" Um, no, I can't foreswear any allegiance to the Japanese Emperor because I never had any to begin with, so I think you're asking me a trick question!
Everyone was talking about it, but to me...(He shakes his head.) You know, the funny thing is, I really didn't think they'd take us. I really didn't. Things were bad, and I was worried about my parents, because I thought, "Hell, the Issei are probably screwed, they can do anything to THEM, they're not citizens." And then the FBI came and took so many of the old guys away, and rumors started flyin' around that the Army was building some kind of camps for the Japanese...well, I took U.S. History, I knew they couldn't take US away. I mean, us Nisei, because we were citizens. I knew it! They can't just put citizens in jail for no reason, I mean, they TEACH you that in school! So when they did...(He trails off.)
You know, when we were riding on that bus out to the desert, we had no idea where we were going. They blacked out the windows, so it was even worse. Then one guy started saying that they were taking us out to the desert to shoot us...I thought that was crazy, but then I thought...hell, I was wrong about them taking us away, maybe I'm wrong about that too...who knows what they might do? (beat)
So then, there we are in Camp. Some people were OK about how things went. Some people weren't. Some guys were pretty sore, like me. Some guys went nuts. To tell you the truth, I was just trying to get by, like everybody else. Until they gave us those questionnaires to sign. (beat)
And I just couldn't do it. I just couldn't do it. I wanted to write in "Yes, Yes," but I just couldn't do it. I knew there'd be trouble, but I had no idea! I had no idea. (He closes his eyes.)
SCENE 12
Lights up, bright as day. It's morning, and JOY and DAN are in their same positions. MERV enters.
MERV Good morning everyone! (JOY wakes up, groggy. DAN opens his eyes.)
JOY Oh my God, why so damn cheerful?
MERV (To DAN) Dad! Dr. Park has seen the light. He's going to be here in just a couple of minutes. But I wanted to talk to you about something important first. Listen, Dad: I found a news clipping on the Internet about a Fumiko and Tsuji Hamamoto and their daughter Grace...is that her? (No response.)
MERV (cont'd) There was something about a murder/suicide right before the Evacuation? Grace was in the Children's Village? (No response.)
MERV (cont'd) Dad? Do you want to wait, do you want me to...? (DAN swats MERV.)
MERV (cont'd) OW! Dad, Jesus, all right! You were the who told me to find her... (DOCTOR PARK enters. DAN points at him, points upwards, then starts miming pulling out the tube, then he points upward. They all stare.)
(beat)
MERV (cont'd) Hey, Dr. Park, I guess that means he's ready.
DOCTOR PARK Are you sure? (Dan makes a "gun" out of his fingers, points it at his temple, and "fires." Repeats. Repeats again. Then, slowly, very definitively points at the ceiling, keeps his hand up. They all look at him.)
JOY Christ. OK. Dr. Park? We're ready.
DOCTOR PARK Mr. Yamada? Your kids signed all the papers for this. Do you know what's happening? (DAN points to mouth/tube, points to ceiling.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Right. Very good. And this is what you want? (DAN nods.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) OK, so I'm going to pull out your breathing tube. And it's going to be uncomfortable, you'll want to gag. What I want you to do is to give me a biiiiig cough when I count to three, OK? (DAN nods.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) (To MERV and JOY) Are we all ready?
JOY Wait! Dad...um...I love you! (DAN nods.)
(beat)
JOY (cont'd) (sotto voce) Merv?
MERV What? Oh yeah! Uh...me too, Dad. (DAN nods.)
DOCTOR PARK OK. Now. Are we all ready? (All three nod.)
DOCTOR PARK One...two... (DOCTOR PARK pulls on the tube going into DAN’S mouth...)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) ...Three! (The whole tube comes out and DAN coughs, violently, then quiets down...and then begins to breathe on his own. Everyone watches for a couple beats.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) Well. Hm. Wow. Very good, Mr. Yamada. You're breathing on your own.
(To MERV and JOY) He's breathing on his own. Huh. That generation. Tough SOBs. They sure don't make 'em like they used to.
(To DAN) Mr. Yamada? Are you uncomfortable? (The effort has exhausted DAN, whose eyes are now closed, and whose head is slumped forward. He breathes with a great deal of effort, but manages to nod his head.)
DOCTOR PARK (cont'd) How would you like a morphine drip? (Eyes now closed, DAN nods again, slowly.)
MERV Could I have one, too?
JOY Dr. Park? What happens now?
DOCTOR PARK Now...you wait.
JOY For how long?
DOCTOR PARK For however long it takes. I'll go order that drip.
DOCTOR PARK exits. The exhausted DAN’S head falls to his chest. MERV and JOY are startled and unsure of what to do, until DAN begins to snore very loudly. MERV and JOY watch their father snore as the lights fade slowly to black.
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