THE SETUP
Vincent is less than thrilled that everyone spends so much time worrying about his younger brother Cian, but no one seems to be concerned how Vincent is doing.
Both brothers are still reeling from the untimely death of their friend Byron – Vincent’s best friend since childhood, and Cian’s unrequited love.
Vincent was at Byron’s hospital bedside every day, but Cian, terrified, could only bring himself to visit twice.
However, Byron’s ghost visits Cian, while Vincent is left to struggle with just fading memories of his best friend.
(A speech from this scene is also posted on this site as a monologue for Vincent: “Jealous of Ghostly Visitations”)
VINCENT
I was there every day. I know your schedule. You could have stopped in a dozen times. It’s not like you didn’t know.
CIAN
We’re back to visiting Byron in the hospital? That was —
VINCENT
Two years ago, I know. Considering you’re still palling around with the corpse in question, I think you’re in a lousy position to start lecturing me on unresolved issues.
CIAN
I visited.
VINCENT
Once. You visited once.
CIAN
Twice.
VINCENT
The second time, you walked in, I left the room, Byron dropped dead. That doesn’t count.
CIAN
You don’t honestly blame me for —
VINCENT
He was fine when I left him with you, goddammit.
CIAN
Maybe he figured it was the only way he could make his escape.
VINCENT
From what?
CIAN
From you.
VINCENT
I swear, if you weren’t my little brother —
CIAN
Let’s just step outside and think of it as sibling rivalry.
VINCENT
I’ve got enough dead people in my life right now, thanks.
CIAN
You’ve got to admit, the way you were hovering over him, it’d be hard for anyone to make a graceful exit.
VINCENT
How would you know if I hovered or not? You were never there.
CIAN
You wore out my answering machine with hourly reports. If that’s not hovering —
VINCENT
So — what? You were a breath of fresh air or something when you bothered to show up?
CIAN
Maybe I made it easier for him to let go.
VINCENT
You? Let go? That’s almost funny.
CIAN
I can’t help it. That he talks to me. You think I enjoy being delusional?
VINCENT
Excuse me while I puke.
CIAN
I have no control over it. He just —
VINCENT
He was my best friend. My best friend. To you, he was — what? — someone convenient to be hung up on so you didn’t have to go out and develop any real personal life, take any real chances? Fellow member of your little homosexual sorority? I mean, look at you. Dead two years, he wasn’t even your boyfriend, and here you are still playing the widow, haven’t even so much as gone out on a date — unless of course you count my girlfriend — just how many people are you planning on stealing from me anyway?
CIAN
What does any of this have to do with — ?
VINCENT
I was there every day! You visited once. But he comes to you. How do you think that makes me feel?
CIAN
It’s probably all in my head.
VINCENT
But you see, I don’t have that. All I’ve got is past tense. And that shit fades so fast. There’s this huge chunk of my life now that’s gone completely out of focus. Before, if I got lost or confused or off track, all I’d have to do is talk to him, not even about the problem, just talk about anything, because he understood me. He was everything I’d lived through.
Now I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing anymore.
And he comes to you.
(photo: 1997-1998 production by The Subterranean Theatre Company (Los Angeles, CA); l-r, Doug Sutherland as Cian, and Tom Sonnek as Vincent)
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