Owen Sheers - The Two Worlds of Charlie F

The Psychologist exits.

And the casualties. That’s what’s so fucked up. They’re the very people you always said you’d fight for. The ones you said you’d protect. The ones you love.

Charlie reaches a hand out towards Lauren. She takes off her engagement ring and places it in his palm, then turns away.

Dave reaches towards Marie. She stares at him as if she doesn’t know him, then places a child’s toy in his hand before turning away.

Frank reaches towards Michelle. She looks at the baby, then at him, then turns away.

Music: ‘Someone to Hold’ by Antony and the Johnsons.

The three women begin to dance with the three men. Ali and Leroy enter in wheelchairs and swap with Frank and Dave.

As the dancers exit Richard appears in close-up, projected on the screen.

RichardWhen I was in hospital, my mum, bless her, she quit her job to stay with me. She’d be trying to care for me, and I’d be like, really snappy, telling her to fuck off, go away. Then straight away I’d think, ‘Why did I do that?’ It’s weird, you want it, you do. But then you’ll be a twat, and tell them to fuck off. It’s like being two people.

The lights come up to reveal Richard on stage. He appears naked, watching YouTube clips of IED explosions.

( On screen. ) But she’s amazing, she is. She’s always been there when I needed her. I’d go out on the piss, and she’d find me later, in her kitchen, fucking laughing at YouTube clips of IEDs. Just going crazy.

Tracy enters. She fetches a blanket to wrap around her son. At first he pushes her away, but then he accepts her embrace.

( On screen. ) Then ten minutes later, I’d be in her arms, crying. She’s had to put up with so much. But she’s always supported me, always.

Fade to black.

SCENE SEVEN — ENEMY TERRITORY

Speeches by Becky, Chris and Daniel are projected on to the gauze.

BeckyThe 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.

ChrisWhen 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.

DanielHow 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.

BeckyWhen 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.

CharlieYou 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.

AliCharlie Boy! What’s your poison?

CharlieBeer. Thanks, man.

RichardAre we all here?

DanielEr, yeah. Aren’t we? I thought I counted everyone off …

AliJesus! Who put the guy with the neuro injury in charge of numbers?

RichardAnd the kitty!

BeckyNot any more. I’ll take that, shall I?

DanielI could have sworn …

Leroy enters.

LeroyGreat, 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 1Hello love. You interested in a private dance?

LeroyEr, yeah, I guess so. Is it a lapdance?

She looks at his legs.

Dancer 1Well, it’s hardly going to be a waltz is it, darling? Yes, it’s a lap dance.

LeroyThat’s lucky, cos a lap’s all I got!

Leroy and Dancer 1 go behind the screens.

AliAll right, darling?

WaitressEvening, sir.

AliYou know what a fat penguin does?

WaitressI’m sorry?

AliBreaks the ice! Get it? Breaks the ice …

The two Businessmen approach Charlie and Chris.

Businessman 1All right, lads? Having a good night?

Businessman 2Are you all, er, veterans, then? Is that it?

CharlieWell, some of us are still serving. We’re soldiers but, yeah.

Businessman 1Well, I think you do a fantastic job. Really. People don’t recognise it enough.

Businessman 2I’ve got a friend who was in the Army.

CharlieRight. Great.

Ali( to the Waitress, as she passes ) Are your feet sore, love? Cos you’ve been running through my mind all night!

Businessman 1Look, will you let us get you all a round. Please. It would be our pleasure.