A Rough Beginning

Sunday 16 November 2008

Sketch summary: Rob is helpless and asking "why" minutes after an emergency c-section from which is wife is now clinging to life and his newborn son is being prepped for surgery for a hole in his heart.

Cast:
Rob - Joshua Martin
Maryanne - Nina Welding
Doctor - Harold Rodgers

Credits:
Director - Harold Rodgers
Author – Nina Welding

Script:


As scene opens the doctor is talking to Rob, we can’t hear it, but he is obviously affected by what he has said. The doctor puts his hand on Rob's shoulder in consolation then exits. Rob goes to the chair and sits down. He’s a wreck. His mother Maryanne enters.

MARYANNE
[As she is entering] Sorry Rob, the coffee machine is broke. [She sees Rob's demeanor] Rob?

ROB
I don’t get it, Mom. One minute we’re at our weekly check up in the doctor’s office and the next we’re here. No problem through the whole pregnancy … and now … this.

One minute they’re doing an emergency C-section because of the baby’s heartbeat and the next the nurse is telling me they’re trying to stabalize Jody and my son’s in the neonatal unit being prepped for surgery because he has a hole in his heart. But I’m not supposed to worry because they have a pediatric cardiologist on staff.

MARYANNE
Oh, dear. [pause] Did the doctor say anything else?

ROB
He just said to wait here, and someone would be back soon with more information.

MARYANNE
Then I’m sure someone will be back soon.
We’ll just wait right here. [trying to be positive]

ROB
How do I just … wait? … What am I thinking … what could I do anyway? There’s nothing I can do for either my wife or my son right now. I don’t even know what’s happening or why it’s happening.

MARYANNE
Honey, I know how hard this is for you…of all people, you never
have been very good at waiting, for anything. You’re a “get in there
and fix it” kinda guy …

ROB
Why? Why in the world would God let this happen?



Director's Notes:
Originally Maryanne was to enter with a couple of cups of coffee and say "I don't know how good it is, but it's coffee." In our first run through, Nina realized that there was no place to put the coffee down, so we broke the coffee machine.

The author originally envisioned a Laura Petrie type character for mom, thus the name of our main character, Rob, which was Dick Van Dyke's character on the show.

Although I didn't have any lines, I loved my part. I got to dress in scrubs, put on those footie things, hair thingy and mask. The sketch would not have been the same without my character. My philosophy, why only have two when three would make it better. :-)