Their two drinks
sit beside each other on the pivot table that seems to float over her hospital
bed, supporting ache1’s glass of water and her visitor Brother Skunk’s
cardboard cup of coffee (alongside his gift of a bar of vending machine
chocolate, obviously untouched). Her E.T. doll sits newly intact adjacent, his
freshly reparative stitches providing analogue to her own still all too visible
damage.
Skunk: Okay so there's “E.T.”, what other films
ache1: My dad calls them “the pictures”
when she speaks it appears as if first she moistens and then flexes her healing lips to convince herself they will indeed prove capable of forming those words necessary
ache1: I’m not,
suddenly finding herself not entirely comfortable and so batting back the question
ache1: ..what about you, do you like “movies”?
emphasising the noun as if anomalous in her present setting
ache1: You have a favourite, favourites?
Skunk (laughing): I like all the, well, I, I call them the “lonely man” films.
ache1 (her one visible eye shooting about): Which is what? Gimme some examples.
Skunk: Jesus uh-, “Blade Runner”, “Taxi Driver”... “The Shining”, God so many of them...
thinking
Skunk: ehm... “Paris, Texas”, “Badlands”, “The Eleph-
catching himself
ache1: I don’t think I’ve seen any of these, I feel so stupid.
Skunk: What about, did you see “Falling Down”?
ache1 (firmly): No.
pause
ache1: Wasn’t that really violent though? I think it was an R so even if I’d wanted to I’m not, I’m too young.
Skunk (not quite listening): I’m sure there are heaps more...
ache1 (brightly): Well I guess “E.T.” fits right in too, since Elliott’s a lonely, uh... boy.
Skunk: What about, doesn’t he, he has his friends, all those kids riding round on their bikes at the end.
ache1: God no, no, they’re his brother’s friends. They’re the kids that wouldn’t let him join their game at the start. I think I read somewhere there was an ending where they, like at the start of the film where they’re all in the kitchen playing Dungeons and Dragons and Elliott wants to join in and they won’t let him, and then I think there was an ending exactly like that, except now Elliott’s the Dungeon Master, and after everything that’s happened they now sort of recognise, they acknowledge his...
switching to Yoda voice, fists up clawing at her face
ache1: “He has absolute power, yes.”
laughing, before her face registers an almost pantomimic facsimile of genuine shock, and when she reaches again for the water there is a noticeable tremor to her outstretched hand.
Skunk: Okay so there's “E.T.”, what other films
ache1: My dad calls them “the pictures”
when she speaks it appears as if first she moistens and then flexes her healing lips to convince herself they will indeed prove capable of forming those words necessary
ache1: I’m not,
suddenly finding herself not entirely comfortable and so batting back the question
ache1: ..what about you, do you like “movies”?
emphasising the noun as if anomalous in her present setting
ache1: You have a favourite, favourites?
Skunk (laughing): I like all the, well, I, I call them the “lonely man” films.
ache1 (her one visible eye shooting about): Which is what? Gimme some examples.
Skunk: Jesus uh-, “Blade Runner”, “Taxi Driver”... “The Shining”, God so many of them...
thinking
Skunk: ehm... “Paris, Texas”, “Badlands”, “The Eleph-
catching himself
ache1: I don’t think I’ve seen any of these, I feel so stupid.
Skunk: What about, did you see “Falling Down”?
ache1 (firmly): No.
pause
ache1: Wasn’t that really violent though? I think it was an R so even if I’d wanted to I’m not, I’m too young.
Skunk (not quite listening): I’m sure there are heaps more...
ache1 (brightly): Well I guess “E.T.” fits right in too, since Elliott’s a lonely, uh... boy.
Skunk: What about, doesn’t he, he has his friends, all those kids riding round on their bikes at the end.
ache1: God no, no, they’re his brother’s friends. They’re the kids that wouldn’t let him join their game at the start. I think I read somewhere there was an ending where they, like at the start of the film where they’re all in the kitchen playing Dungeons and Dragons and Elliott wants to join in and they won’t let him, and then I think there was an ending exactly like that, except now Elliott’s the Dungeon Master, and after everything that’s happened they now sort of recognise, they acknowledge his...
switching to Yoda voice, fists up clawing at her face
ache1: “He has absolute power, yes.”
laughing, before her face registers an almost pantomimic facsimile of genuine shock, and when she reaches again for the water there is a noticeable tremor to her outstretched hand.
