Characters                                                                              
Audrey Blake
Dr. Rhodes
Mrs. Blake, Audrey’s mother
Rose, Audrey’s imaginary friend
Patient

SETTING

Doctor's Office

ACT ONE
SCENE ONE
A room with a bed, a desk with a laptop, a backpack, and a dresser. The room is very clean and neat. The entrance to the room is up right.
(Audrey and Rose are sitting on the bed, laughing at some joke.)
MRS. BLAKE: (Shouting from offstage.) Audrey! Dinner’s ready! (Pause.) Who are you talking to?
ROSE: Go away!
AUDREY: No one! Just watching a video! (Quietly to Rose.) Shut up!
(As she is saying this, Mrs. Blake walks in. She cannot see Rose.)
MRS. BLAKE: What are you doing?
AUDREY: I’m just… talking to myself.
MRS. BLAKE: That’s the third time you’ve said that this week. How many times will you use that excuse before you tell me what’s really going on?
AUDREY: Nothing’s going on!
MRS. BLAKE: (Warning.) Audrey.
AUDREY: (Thinks for a moment.) I’m talking to Rose.
ROSE: This should be interesting.
MRS. BLAKE: Who is Rose?
AUDREY: My friend.
MRS. BLAKE: (Looking around the room.) And where is this friend?
AUDREY: Sitting right next to me.
(There is a shocked silence before Mrs. Blake starts to look upset.)
MRS. BLAKE: There is no one in here but us, Audrey.
(Audrey looks down at the bed, ashamed.)
MRS. BLAKE: (Takes a calming breath.) I am going to schedule an appointment with a doctor. We are going to go together after you get home from school tomorrow. Meanwhile, I am going to call your father and explain the… situation. Do I make myself clear?
AUDREY: Yes.
(Lights fade.)
SCENE TWO
A room with 2 chairs, an old couch, and a desk with a desktop, papers, and other knick knacks. The entrance to the room is up left. Audrey is wearing a school uniform and Mrs. Blake is in a pantsuit.
(Dr. Rhodes is sitting down at the desk chair writing notes on a clipboard. Mrs. Blake is in the chair closest to the exit. Dr. Rhodes stands up as Audrey and Rose walk into the room.)
DR. RHODES: Hello Audrey. My name is Dr. Julianne Rhodes. (The two shake hands.) How are you doing today?
AUDREY: (Quiet.) Good.
ROSE: Be better if I wasn’t here.
(Audrey sits in the chair opposite Mrs. Blake. Rose lays back on the couch and gets out her phone.)
DR. RHODES: Can you tell me why you’re here today, Audrey?
MRS. BLAKE: She’s here because she’s talking to people that aren’t there!
ROSE: Now that’s just rude.
MRS. BLAKE: It’s not normal, and it needs to stop! I cannot have my daughter making a fool of herself three weeks before the election!
DR. RHODES: I was asking Audrey, Mrs. Blake.
(Audrey looks down at her hands.)
DR. RHODES: (Gently.) Audrey, this is a safe place…
ROSE: Have you been imagining Mommy dearest too, or is she just ignoring her?
DR. RHODES: …And I need you to answer honestly so that I can be as helpful as possible. Now, can you tell me if it’s true that you are seeing or hearing things that others aren’t?
AUDREY: I guess.
MRS. BLAKE: You guess?
DR. RHODES: What sort of things have you been experiencing, Audrey?
AUDREY: (Audrey pauses for a second, looking nervous.) Sometimes, I can hear gunshots outside my window at night, along with sirens. Other times, I feel bugs crawling all over me. I can hear violin music when it’s really quiet, like during a test. Sometimes the shadows will move in weird ways. For a while I thought that people could read my mind, and that’s why I didn’t have many friends. Because they all thought I was too weird. Most of the time, I see Rose.
(Throughout this admission, Mrs. Blake has been getting more and more irritated.)
MRS. BLAKE: That’s absolutely ridiculous.
DR. RHODES: Who’s Rose?
AUDREY: She’s my best friend. I’ve known her for a couple years now, since Grandma died, and she’s been there for me when no one else has. She shows up mostly when I’m nervous or scared.
DR. RHODES: Is Rose in the room with us right now?
AUDREY: (Hesitantly.) Yes.
MRS. BLAKE: There is no one in this room but us! She has never known anyone named Rose, and she’s…
(Audrey cowers away from Mrs. Blake.)
DR. RHODES: (Sharp.) Mrs. Blake, may I ask you to leave the room at this time?
(Mrs. Blake glares at Dr. Rhodes and Audrey in turn before storming out. Dr. Rhodes stares after her until she has left the stage.)
ROSE: (Staring over her phone at the exit.) Well, that was dramatic.
DR. RHODES: Now Audrey, if you could please tell me more about Rose…
(Lights fade.)
SCENE THREE
(Dr. Rhodes is leading Mrs. Blake back into the room. Audrey is sitting in the chair and Rose is now sitting up on the couch. Mrs. Blake sits down in her chair again, and has appeared to have calmed down. Dr. Rhodes sits down at the desk.)
DR. RHODES: The MRI results won’t be in for another day or two, but there is a strong possibility that what Audrey is experiencing is paranoid schizophrenia.
MRS. BLAKE: What does that mean?
DR. RHODES: It means that Audrey is more likely to experience symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions than she is other symptoms, such as apathy or a lack of social interest.
MRS. BLAKE: How is it treated?
DR. RHODES: If the results come back positive, she will be prescribed with an antipsychotic. You should start to see a significant drop in symptoms after a  month of taking the medication daily.
ROSE: (Standing up.) Oh hell no. You don’t get to drop me just so you can play normal.
MRS. BLAKE: That sounds wonderful. When can she start treatment?
DR. RHODES: Before we go any further, Mrs. Blake, you both need to be aware of something.
MRS. BLAKE: What’s that?
DR. RHODES: Audrey has the right to refuse medication in favor of  some other form of treatment.
ROSE: Problem solved. You don’t take the medication. Just say you’ll go to therapy or whatever.
MRS. BLAKE: That’s ridiculous! She is my daughter, and she will take the medication!
DR. RHODES: Audrey is 18. It is therefore her decision to make, and hers alone, Mrs. Blake.
ROSE: You are not taking that medication!
MRS. BLAKE: You will take that medication!
(Audrey looks back and forth between them, looking panicked.)
AUDREY: STOP! Just… let me think.
(They all stop, shocked, before Dr. Rhodes stands up and escorts Mrs. Blake out of the room. Rose shoots a disgusted look at Audrey before following them out.)
(Lights fade.)
SCENE FOUR
(Dr. Rhodes is in her desk chair while Audrey has moved to the couch.)
(Lights on Dr. Rhodes and Audrey.)
DR. RHODES: Take all the time you need Audrey. The choice is yours, and no one else’s to make.
(Audrey fidgets for a few seconds before answering.)
AUDREY: I just want to be normal. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. To feel like I wasn’t some freak. I want to finally feel like I don’t hate myself for something I can’t control. For my mom to stop looking at me like I’m a disappointment and be proud of me again.
(During this speech, Audrey has gotten up and started to pace.)
DR. RHODES: (Nods slowly.) That’s fair.
AUDREY: But… this is all I’ve known for so long. I’d feel… empty without it. Without Rose. This has been so real for me, more than school sometimes. Rose makes me smile on days when I can barely stand to be around myself. I can’t imagine what it would be like if that was just… gone.
DR. RHODES: Do you want my opinion?
(Audrey nods.)
DR. RHODES: No one has the right to make this decision for you. They don’t understand what you’re going through. Ultimately, you have to deal with this the way you feel is best, not the way Rose or your mom wants you to.
(Audrey sits back down on the couch before speaking.)
AUDREY: I knew something like this would happen eventually. I’ve known for a while now that I’m not exactly normal, and I thought I was okay with that… but things have been getting worse lately. I’ve seen Rose every day this week, where I used to see her once every couple weeks. That’s why Mom caught me the other day. (Audrey shakes her head.) I’d been so careful to make sure no one found out.
DR. RHODES: You could have gotten help before now, but you didn’t. Why?
AUDREY: Because I didn’t want to make this choice.
(Dr. Rhodes looks sympathetic, reaching out to grab her hand for a second.)
DR. RHODES: I’m sorry, Audrey, but you have to choose now. Maybe that’s for the best.
AUDREY: I don’t know that I’d say that… you’re sure that it’s schizophrenia?
DR. RHODES: As sure as I can be.
AUDREY: (Deep breath.) I’ll start taking the medication.
SCENE FIVE
A room with a desk with a desktop and a neat stack of papers. There are two chairs. The entrance to the room is up left.
(Audrey is sitting at her desk, writing notes. Dr. Rhodes knocks before walking into the office.)
DR. RHODES: (Nods head, smiling.) Dr. Blake.
AUDREY: (Smiles.) Dr. Rhodes.
(The two hug.)
DR. RHODES: How are you?
AUDREY: I’m doing really well, actually.
DR. RHODES: That’s good to hear. I have to admit, when I heard that we were getting a new coworker, I wasn’t expecting to see a familiar face.
AUDREY: (Shy smile.) I wanted to have the chance to help people like you helped me.
DR. RHODES: So you’re still taking your medications, then?
AUDREY: Everyday. (Pause.) I still see Rose sometimes. She won’t talk to me anymore. She thinks that I abandoned her... I can’t help but miss her sometimes. She was there for me when no one else was.
DR. RHODES: I’m sorry.
AUDREY: Don’t be. Everyone has to move on eventually, right?
(Dr. Rhodes and Audrey both look up when someone knocks on the door.)
DR. RHODES: I’m guessing that’s a patient?
(Audrey nods, looking nervous.)
DR. RHODES: (Smiles.) Good luck.
(Dr. Rhodes exits. The patient walks in and sits down. Audrey shakes the patient’s hand and introduces herself.)
AUDREY: Good morning, Mr. Lott. You can call me Dr. Blake. How are you doing today?
(Lights fade.)

FIN.