Pamela enters Chris' room. Chris is bent over on her bed, involved in a favorite hobby she hasn't worked on for a long time -- stringing tiny Native American beads. Pamela puts her hand gently on her head. She pulls quickly away.
Pamela:
You're home early from school today, Chris. Can we talk?
Chris:
I don't want to talk about it.
Pamela:
How do you know what I want to talk about?
Chris:
I know. Everybody wants to talk about one thing.
Pamela:
Look, I know it won't be easy.
Chris:
You don't know anything.
Pamela:
Here's the situation. In a case like this -
Chris:
I am not going to testify. Isn't it bad enough that I got raped, and that the whole world knows, because of Joe?
Pamela:
That isn't what I came in to talk to you about. Just put that out of your mind for now.
Chris:
I can't put it out of my mind.
Pamela:
I didn't come in here to talk about you testifying. There is only one thing you have to think about now and that is your health. I want to get you to a doctor. You have to see a doctor.
Chris:
I don't want anybody touching me. I don't want some strange man -
Pamela:
I have found a female gynecologist. She's very sensitive, a very fine woman, she works with Dad.... I made an appointment for an hour from now -
Chris:
In an hour? And you didn't tell me?
Pamela:
I just got the appointment. It was very hard, but Dad helped me get it.
Chris:
But why didn't you tell me?
Pamela:
I'm telling you now! I just made the appointment. We'll leave in about half an hour, so I wanted to have a few minutes to talk to you first.
Chris:
What are you afraid of - that I have AIDS?
Pamela:
You have no idea what this...guy might have.
Yes, he could have AIDS; yes, he could have another sexually transmitted disease. You have to be checked.
Chris:
And if I have AIDS? Then what?
Pamela:
Then we'll deal with it. But I don't think you have AIDS.
Chris (voice rising):
It's just getting worse. Every time I think it's as bad as can be, it gets worse. Are you also thinking that I might be pregnant?
Pamela:
Calm down, Chris. It's not going to be easy for you, but we have to find out what your medical situation is. This gynecologist is a nice lady, Chris -
Chris:
You don't understand, you've never been through anything like this. You never had anything bad happen to you.
Pamela:
You don't know what's happened to me in my life, okay? Maybe some day we'll talk. There's a lot about me you don't know. And this is not the time or place to go into it, but...trust me on this one. She's dealt with other cases like yours; this is not the first time, and she's...you've got to do it. I know you don't want to do it. I will be there. If you want, your father can meet us at the hospital, if that makes you feel better. We will give you any support that you need. If you want to be alone with her, you can be alone with her.
Chris:
You're not my mother. Don't act so nice to me, like you care about me, want to be with me, take care of me...You came, you took my father away, you make a whole other family that I didn't want...I got raped, I have AIDS, I'm probably dying -
Pamela:
You're not dying, Chris, and what makes you think I don't care about you?
Chris:
You have Judith - Miss Perfect. You have all your kids who are so perfect.
Pamela:
My children are not perfect, and you children are not perfect, and your father and I are not perfect. We're all just human beings like everybody else. And right now, you're a girl who had a horrible, awful experience and we want to help you. And this is the most important thing to do right now. And if you want somebody else to help you, someone to talk to -
Chris:
I don't want to talk to anybody else! It's enough! Fine, fine. I'll go. I will go, but I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to talk to the doctor, you can tell the doctor, I'm just going to be there.
Pamela:
Fine. I will be there, I will talk to the doctor. If she has any specific questions, I'll help you answer them.
Chris:
I don't want you to come. I want my father.
Pamela:
Okay. I'll drive you to the hospital and you'll meet your father there. And if you want me to leave you alone with him, that's also okay.
Chris (barely a whisper):
Okay.
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