Fade to black.
SCENE SEVEN — ENEMY TERRITORY
Speeches by Becky, Chris and Daniel are projected on to the gauze.
Becky The first time you go out in public is horrible. Shops are the worst. I was terrified of someone bumping into me, of falling over. Then when you do, your pride really takes a hit. In some ways the kids are the best. They stare, but they just say it like it is, too. ‘Mummy, why has that lady got one leg?’ That kind of thing.
Chris When I got out of hospital I felt like I was in a cage. I just sat by the window in my mum and dad’s house, watching the world go by. I was scared to go outside. In the end my parents just said, ‘Right, Chris, let’s take you out.’ I was frightened of everything at first. I still can’t do bonfire nights. Any bangs, a car, a balloon, and I still shit myself.
Daniel How I think of it is, I’ve got my old brain, and my new brain. My old brain was the one that evolved for the first thirty-eight years of my life. It was me. My new brain, that’s the one I was given when I was blown up. I mean, in an instant, I became a different person. And people don’t always understand. When I say my brain hurts, or I have trouble thinking, or that I get really tired they’ll say, ‘Oh yeah, I get that sometimes too.’ It’s frustrating, because I don’t like the new me. I don’t always recognise myself, and they just don’t understand.
Becky When you’re in a FOB, or a base, anything outside those walls is dangerous territory. That’s where the stuff is going to happen. It can feel the same when you come back too. Outside the PRU, outside the safety of your room, that’s where stuff can happen. But you have to get out there, don’t you? You have to.
Lights come up to reveal a lapdancing club. Two backlit screens show the silhouettes of two Dancers. A Waitress is taking a drinks order from two Businessmen.
Charlie, Richard, Marc, Roger, Ali, Dave, Frank, Simi and Darren all enter.
As Becky, Chris and Daniel join them Charlie wheels downstage.
Charlie You know what my nickname was in the Corps? Foxtrot. And no, not for my fancy fucking footwork either. Charlie Fowler. C.F. — in NATO phonetics, ‘Charlie Foxtrot’. In Army and Navy slang — ‘Clusterfuck: a situation disintegrating in every direction at once.’ I won’t lie to you, for a while there, after this happened, I became my nickname.
I mean, I was a fucking mess. And I wasn’t alone. There’s the denial phase, the ‘sitting on your ass playing Xbox, pissing everyone off’ phase, the meds, the pain … But we’re soldiers, you know. What do they teach us in training? Adapt and overcome. And that’s what you do, eventually.
Beat.
In the end, for me, there were two things that really made that happen. The first was realising that just like you fight for your mates, your boys, out there, on the ground, so you can fight for them here too. It might be just a phone call, an email, dropping round. But you can look out for each other here just like you did on tour. I mean, whenever we pushed into new areas in Afghan, we went as a patrol, didn’t we? And it’s the same here.
He starts to wheel back upstage towards the scene in the club.
When we push into that uncharted territory, as much as possible, we do so together.
He wheels a bit further before turning back to the audience.
Oh, yeah, the second thing? Well … actually, you know what? You’re about to hear about that now anyway.
He wheels on to join the group.
Ali Charlie Boy! What’s your poison?
Charlie Beer. Thanks, man.
Richard Are we all here?
Daniel Er, yeah. Aren’t we? I thought I counted everyone off …
Ali Jesus! Who put the guy with the neuro injury in charge of numbers?
Richard And the kitty!
Becky Not any more. I’ll take that, shall I?
Daniel I could have sworn …
Leroy enters.
Leroy Great, thanks for that, lads. Had to be carried up by old Tweedledee and Tweedledum out there, didn’t I?
The two Dancers come out from behind the screen and begin to mingle among the Soldiers as the Waitress takes drinks orders.
Dancer 1 Hello love. You interested in a private dance?
Leroy Er, yeah, I guess so. Is it a lapdance?
She looks at his legs.
Dancer 1 Well, it’s hardly going to be a waltz is it, darling? Yes, it’s a lap dance.
Leroy That’s lucky, cos a lap’s all I got!
Leroy and Dancer 1 go behind the screens.
Ali All right, darling?
Waitress Evening, sir.
Ali You know what a fat penguin does?
Waitress I’m sorry?
Ali Breaks the ice! Get it? Breaks the ice …
The two Businessmen approach Charlie and Chris.
Businessman 1 All right, lads? Having a good night?
Businessman 2 Are you all, er, veterans, then? Is that it?
Charlie Well, some of us are still serving. We’re soldiers but, yeah.
Businessman 1 Well, I think you do a fantastic job. Really. People don’t recognise it enough.
Businessman 2 I’ve got a friend who was in the Army.
Charlie Right. Great.
Ali (to the Waitress, as she passes) Are your feet sore, love? Cos you’ve been running through my mind all night!
Businessman 1 Look, will you let us get you all a round. Please. It would be our pleasure.
Charlie No, honestly, you’re all right, mate.
Ali Shut up, Charlie. Jack and Coke please, mate, cheers!
Businessman 2 Waitress! Waitress! A round for these lads, please. On us.
Businessman 1 So, have you been overseas?
Charlie Yeah.
Chris Yeah.
Businessman 2 Iraq, was it?
Chris No, Afghan.
Businessman 1 Wow. Really? Did you see any action?
Charlie looks at their missing legs.
Charlie Er, yeah? A bit.
Chris Some.
Businessman 2 Did you kill any?
Charlie Sorry?
Businessman 1 I think what he’s asking is whether you killed anyone over there?
Beat.
Did you?
Charlie Er, I don’t really want to –
Businessman 2 How many? Do you know?
Chris Look –
Ali (to the Waitress) Hey, love! Is there a mirror in your knickers? Cos I can see myself in them later!
Businessman 1 I imagine it’d be hard to tell? From what I hear you don’t often see them, do you?
Roger joins the group.
Roger Look, mate, thanks for the drinks and everything, but do you mind not asking those kind of questions?