LYZA is stage right, seated in a straight chair at a small round table, across from a matching, empty chair. She is wearing a shapeless hospital shift, gazing out at the grounds (directly at the audience). She wears no jewelry other than a distinctive hospital band around her left wrist. Her face is strangely expressionless. Other conversation areas are filled with various individuals, who converse in pantomime throughout this scene, including entering and leaving. Their age, race, sex, et al., are irrelevant, but the patients must all be adult. A NURSE enters stage left, BOLO slightly behind her. BOLO is wearing a suit, hair neatly combed. The NURSE is saying something—BOLO is not listening, his eyes sweeping around the room. The NURSE leads BOLO over to rods area. 

NURSE: Edith, look who's here! (NURSE indicates BOLO with her right hand as she walks behind LYZA, putting her left hand on LYZA'S shoulder.)

LYZA: Bolos Is that you? (Her voice is strained, weak from lack of practice. Her affect is flattened…her speech is a question, not an expression of delight.)

BOLO: (Starts toward her, perhaps as if to give her a kiss. Seeing her lack of response, he plays with the back of the empty chair, finally sits down across from her.) Yeah, it's me. How are you doing, girl?

NURSE: She's doing just fine, aren't you, honey?

LYZA: Yes.

NURSE: Well, I'll just leave you two alone for a bit. Remember, Edith, there's no smoking in here. If you want to smoke—

LYZA: (Interrupting) My name is Lyza. And I don't smoke.

NURSE: (Patting LYZA's shoulder before walking away) Okay, honey. (She gives BOLO a meaningful look behind LYZA's back.)

BOLO: Sorry I couldn't come before this. They said no visitors until—

LYZA: (Interrupting) I know.

BOLO: I was at the trial too. A few times. I stayed back in the—

LYZA: (Interrupting) I know. I saw you there.

BOLO: Your lawyer was real good.

LYZA: (Runs both hands through her hair, shifts her body posture to one more focused and alert. This is subtle, not melodramatic.) He had to be. The way it works, if the jury found me guilty, I couldn't inherit any of his money. Then he wouldn't get paid.

BOLO: Yeah…I didn't really get that part.

LYZA: It's really not so complicated. They said I was NGI. Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. Isn't that insane? I mean, think about it. How could insanity have a reason?

BOLO: (Uncomfortable) Yeah, right.

LYZA: It wasn't any mystery what happened. I mean, when the police came, I was still there. With him, I called them myself. If you murder somebody, you go to prison. My lawyer said if that happened, I wouldn't get any money. Because you can't profit from murder, or something like that. I was the only person in Daddy's will. All the money was supposed to be mine. But I couldn't get it unless the jury said I was crazy when I…did it.

BOLO: Everybody goes crazy once in awhile. I've seen people—

LYZA: (Interrupting) Thank God for the pictures.

BOLO: Huh?

LYZA: I told them…the police…I told them I didn't know why I did it. I didn't remember doing it. Just…kind of waking up and seeing him there. They were very nice to me. The police are always nice.

BOLO: Maybe in your neighborhood.

LYZA: They found the pictures. They didn't have to look around so much like they did, in the basement and his den and all. They found the pictures and that's what saved me.

BOLO: What pictures, baby?

LYZA: Of…me. When I was little. With my Daddy. He took pictures of it. He had…other ones too. Other little girls. The detective said he would…trade them. The pictures. When my lawyer showed the pictures to the jury, you could see them…change. They were different after that. They believed me.

BOLO: So how come you—?

LYZA: (Interrupting) He had a video too. Of me…doing things. He was like the director. I was the performer. I always wanted to be in a movie.

BOLO: Hey, look girl, you don't have to—

LYZA: (Interrupting) You believe me, don't you, Bolo?

BOLO; Yeah. Sure. I saw it myself. When you—

LYZA: (Interrupting) Not…then. That was…I don't really remember it. But…now. You believe me now, don't you?

BOLO: Believe what? You said—

LYZA: (Interrupting) That I was crazy when I…did it?

BOLO: Sure. That doctor, the one who testified, he said something about a "fugue state." I looked it up in this book. I really didn't understand it all, but he was saying you just went out of your mind. From the flashbacks and all. It could happen to anyone. I had this partner, he served with me. In Vietnam. One time he just—

LYZA: (Interrupting) I told you. Remember, a long time ago? In that place where you work? I told you then. When I auditioned.

BOLO: I don't work there anymore. After you, I—

LYZA: (With an impatient gesture, childlike) I told you.

BOLO: Okay, okay…told me what?

LYZA: That I'm a good actress. (Standing up) Come on, let's walk a little bit. It's hard for me to get exercise in here. I'm going to get grounds privileges next week. I could have gotten them quicker, but I didn't want to recover too soon.

BOLO: (Holding out his hand, which LYZA takes, wrapping one arm around her as they slowly stroll across the stage) You mean you—?

LYZA: (Interrupting) Survived? Yes, that's what I did. That's what they call themselves, the ones who went through it. Survivors. Daddy taught me a lot.

BOLO: You never were—?

LYZA: Crazy? Sure I was. After that…thing happened. On the phone. Where you work. Where you used to work, all right? I guess I was crazy then. I went to a therapist. She brought it all out. It took a while, but it all came out.

BOLO: And that helped you, right?

LYZA: I guess. But it just went on and on. The therapist, she helped me with some things. Like, now I understand why I can't stand vanilla. Anything vanilla. Ice cream, milk shakes…But she wanted me to do things, and I couldn't. I just couldn't.

BOLO: What things?

LYZA: Heal. She said, you can't heal until you forgive. She wanted Daddy to go into counseling. With me. So I could forgive him and he could heal.

BOLO: Did you—?

LYZA: I went to see him. Alone. He didn't deny it. Denial, isn't that a funny word. Therapists love their funny words. It's not "denial" when they say they didn't do it…they're just…liars. But not Daddy. He said I wanted to do it. That I liked it. He said it helped me. There was a knife in the kitchen. I don't remember much after that. Except looking down at him and thinking that he wouldn't heal.

BOLO: Jesus!

LYZA: It doesn't matter. It's over now. I'm fine. Real fine. I've been off the Suicide Watch for a couple of months now. Soon they'll even stop the medication. I perform now. In group. And when I get out, I'm going to act again. I'm a good actress. A real good actress. And I can sing too. Sing and dance. Remember?

BOLO: Yeah.

LYZA: I'm glad you came, Bolo. You're a nice man. But I don't want you to come again, okay' I have to be a different person soon, and you'd just remind me of…well, you know.

BOLO: Lyza…

LYZA: Mary. I'm going to be Mary soon. And then I won't know you.

BO(LO: Look, maybe we could—

LYZA: (Gently) No, we can't do anything. I'm going to do things by myself. You have things to do too. By yourself.

BOLO: I could, maybe fix it, Lyza. Help you fix it, anyway. If you—

LYZA: I won't. And you can't fix this, Bolo—you don't know how it works. Just forget it, all right? You should maybe get that motorcycle you were talking about. Go west, ride some waves or whatever.