TODD'S NIGHTMARE - PART ONE

PREVIOUSLY

Todd: (Quietly:) It's all suddenly going wrong somehow. I don't know how to stop it, Tea.

[They look in each other's eyes, as Tea continues to stroke Todd's hair.]

[Scene ends.]

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[Scene: Todd's bedroom at night. For once he has the lights off and seems to be asleep.]

Todd: (Tosses and turns, running in his sleep and becoming caught up in the bedclothes. It becomes evident that he is in the midst of a bad dream as he tosses and turns and especially runs on the bed in his sleep. He begins to moan, clutching a large soft pillow against his chest with his right arm as he lies on his right side. Shafts of diffuse light seep in through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his room, to which his back is turned. He begins to be more audible in his noises, until he is screaming full-bore and still running. He begins to form words as he screams, and it becomes more clear he seems to be trying to fend off an attack in his sleep.)

Todd: (Screaming in his sleep now and clearly terrified:) No! NO! No! No! Daddy, NO! No, Daddy! No! No, Daddy! Stop it! Heeeelllllpp! Mommy! Mommy, help me! No, Daddy! Stop it! Don't hurt me, Daddy! Don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me!

Tea: (In the darkened hallway, Tea comes to Todd's door. She opens it cautiously as his last screams are heard and without turning on the lights in the hallway or his room, she stands in the doorway and watches him, unsure if he's really having a nightmare or if he's still faking all this. He continues to flail about a bit more as she does so and then seems to settle down again as she watches. As his wife again, she feels obligated to see this through. She crosses the room on cat feet, and crosses to the bed to observe Todd, who is apparently still very much asleep. She stands by the bed and assesses this before going to him on the bed. She sits on the bed next to him to face him and begins to tentatively stroke his hair away from his face, and discovers he has been crying and still is weeping in his sleep a little. She touches his face, and his eyes suddenly open, his body jerking as if startled awake. Todd sits up suddenly and stares warily at Tea, as he draws his knees to his chest around the pillow and leans his back against the headboard.)

Tea: Ohhhh. It's ok. You had a very bad dream and your screams woke me. I was concerned.

Todd: (Trying to conceal how vulnerable and fragile he feels:) I'm ok. (Buries his face in the pillow.)

Tea: No, I can see that you're not. What you were screaming was not the voice of someone who is sleeping soundly. (Tentatively strokes his hair with a finger very lightly.) Not someone who's "ok".

Todd: (Looks up at her again, and jerks his head away from her hand:) I'm ok.

Tea: (She withdraws her hand placidly, watching him.) Can I keep you company for a little bit? Just so I feel a little less concerned about you?

Todd: (Thinks hard about this a moment, considering how much to reveal. He doesn't really know what he was dreaming about, he's just very shaken up.) (Quietly.) Ok. (They watch each other a moment.)

Tea: You don't have to talk about it if you're not ready to, ok?

Todd: (Nods.)

Tea: I'm right here. Whatever that was about is not happening here and now, ok? You're ok.

Todd: No I'm not.

Tea: (Sweetly but firmly:) Yes, you are. At least as far as what you were dreaming not happening right here and now. It sounded really awful. Do you remember any of it?

Todd: (Truthfully:) No. I'm sorry I woke you up and you had to come in here and hover over me. I hate anyone hovering over me.

Tea: I know. Am I hovering? (Pats bed. Bounces up and down a little.) Nope, I'm definitely on the bed and not hovering.

Todd: (Still very serious and wary, he watches her eyes closely.) (Pause.)

Tea: (Sees him watching her intently.) Not funny, huh?

Todd: (Shakes head. More tears.)

Tea: Ohhh. I won't push you, ok?

Todd: (Regaining composure. Quietly.) Thanks.

Tea: (Smoothing his hair away from his face gently, he flinches the first few times, then closes his eyes as if trying hard to absorb this gentling and to settle down. Cooing quietly to him in Spanish, saying little nothings of endearment, almost a lullaby, Tea strokes his face gently, he seems to almost melt momentarily, deeply affected at the contact. It is very clear that they love each other deeply, but there is a lot of awkwardness between them to overcome in showing this to each other.)

Todd: (Opens his eyes and watches her intently as she does this for a little while, face impassive but intently focusing on absorbing what's happening and scoping out what Tea is doing, still wary. He seems to relax after a little while more of this gentling.)

Tea: Do you want to try to sleep again now?

Todd: (Quietly.) Yes. (He watches her closely.)

Tea: Lie down again. I'll tuck you in if you'd like?

Todd: (Quietly.) Ok. (He's still watching her closely as he unfolds and crawls under the covers again, still clutching the big pillow and back on the same side.)

Tea: (Tea quickly straightens the tangled bedclothes, and tucks him in. She moves around the bed, one hand moving down his body and holding his foot as she crosses to sit behind him on the bed. She sits behind Todd, leaning with one hand in front of his waist and the other gently laid on his back. She sits that way with him for several beats. She reaches up and strokes his hair again very gently.) Rest. Close your eyes. I'm right here. I'll stay until I'm sure you're asleep again, ok?

Todd: Ok. (Closes his eyes.)

Tea: (Stays and continues stroking his hair and then his face as he appears to drift off. After she is sure he is asleep, she leans down and lays over him and hugs him, laying her head on his shoulder. She kisses him once and slowly gets up from the bed and leaves the room, closing his door behind her. Todd remains asleep.)

[The next day.]

Tea: (On phone next morning, looking a bit tired:) Viki, hi.

Viki: (On phone in her study/livingroom:) Hi, Tea. Anything wrong?

Tea: Yes. Your brother apparently had a really awful nightmare last night.

Viki: He did?

Tea: Uh-huh, and I went to comfort him and stayed with him until he drifted off again.

Viki: He let you?

Tea: Yes, he did, so it must've been pretty bad.

Viki: Did he tell you what it was about?

Tea: No, he wouldn't discuss it. From what he was screaming, it seems to be about something Peter Manning must've done to him, but I don't know what. When I came in he was all tangled in the blankets and sweaty -- you know: he'll never admit to this, but it was obvious he was crying in his sleep. He claims to not remember what it was about. I don't think he's faking.

Viki: Interesting. See if he tells you anything more about this. Peter Manning was a monster, and as you know he was quite brutal to Todd. I met him towards the end of his life many times and he was monstrous to everyone, but most especially to my brother. He reminded me a lot of Father at times, very unnerving.

Tea: I can see why it would be. Todd sounded terrified.

Viki: I wish I knew more about Todd's childhood.

Tea: Maybe one of us should talk to Sam about these nightmares. Maybe he knows something from the past that could help Todd.

Viki: I'll speak to Sam.

Tea: Ok. Let me know what Sam can tell you. Whatever it is, it's awful. That's what I have for you right now, I'll -- (turns around and sees Todd coming down the stairs in his pjs, looking a little haggard, hair a mess.) --

Viki: Tea?

Tea: Mmm? Oh, sorry. Todd's awake. I need to go, but I'll keep you posted.

Viki: Please do, and I'll try to talk with him myself. Tell him I said hi.

Tea: Ok. Bye, Viki. (Turns to Todd.) Viki says hi.

Todd: (From the stairs, quietly, suspicious:) What did you tell Vik about me?

Tea: Nothing bad. I'm worried about you, I thought she would like to know about the nightmare you had last night.

Todd: (Apparently genuinely puzzled.) Nightmare?

Tea: Whatever. I know you don't want to discuss it yet, and that's fine. Starr slept right through it.

Todd: Is Starr ok?

Tea: Yes, she's fine.

Todd: And you didn't wake me up??

Tea: She needed to get to school and you'd had a bad night. I didn't want to wake you. She missed you, but I told her you were finally sleeping. She knows you don't sleep well.

Todd: Whatever. (Todd shrugs, crosses past her to the kitchen and disappears.)

Tea: (Following him into the kitchen.) Todd?

Todd: (Heard from the kitchen.) I don't want to talk about it!

Tea: (Enters the kitchen.) Todd? (Shows him a drawing Starr has left for him on the countertop.)

Todd: (Regards the drawing, seeming touched by his daughter's gesture.) I'm sorry I wasn't up to help with Shorty, Tea.

Tea: You needed the sleep. (Pause.) Todd?

Todd: NO!

Tea: Why not?

Todd: I don't want to talk about it.

Tea: I do. You made me go to check in on you. (Immediately regretting it.)

Todd: Wonderful! Now your coming into my room is my fault?

Tea: I'm sorry. (Pause.) You remember that?

Todd: I think I do. Someone came into my room, but I may have dreamed that.

Tea: Why won't you talk about this?

Todd: I don't want to talk about it.

Tea: Are you scared?

Todd: (Truthfully, looking right at Tea:) No.

Tea: Then why? I'm not asking you to tell me the dream, I just want to know why you won't discuss it.

Todd: I don't expect you to believe this, but I don't remember it.

Tea: What?!

Todd: I told you.

Tea: Nothing?

Todd: Nothing.

Tea: You're joking.

Todd: For once I'm serious.

Tea: I'd be really surprised if you didn't.

Todd: Be surprised.

Tea: Nothing at all? Do you remember my coming into the room and comforting you?

Todd: (Recoils.) Bleah!

Tea: Very funny. You were very upset.

Todd: (Honestly, incredulous:) I was?

Tea: You don't remember any of last night?

Todd: (Warily.) Nothing. Maybe you dreamed it?

Tea: (Sighs, throwing up her arms and then growls in frustration at Todd. Tea walks off, shaking her head.)

Todd: (Looks baffled momentarily, and then shrugs it off. He opens the refrigerator door.)

[Scene ends.]