The hallway outside DR. LEVITICUS's office. It's nighttime and mostly everybody is asleep. The hall is long and very dim. DR. LEVITICUS's office door is on the R; on the other side, UL-DL, are several other doors, all closed and locked. A JANITOR's mop and bucket stand beside the office door. Everything is white and starkly antiseptic-seeming [sic]. All is perfectly silent for a moment or two, but then faint footsteps can be heard. F. M. enters, looking around him carefully. He has escaped the ward temporarily and is checking out the institution. As he looks around a faint sound comes from DR. LEVITICUS's office; the doctor is talking on the phone again. F. M. stops, cocks his head to the side, and, stepping silently, puts his ear to the door to eavesdrop. DR. LEVITICUS's voice comes more clearly.
DR. LEVITICUS (Offstage) I've told you, it's all worked out. You have nothing whatsoever to worry about.
F. M. shifts his place slightly, still listening. There is a noise down the hall. Startled, he looks around for a place to hide. He ducks behind the wall facing DR, waiting for whoever it is to go by. A JANITOR strolls up, gets his bucket and mop, and wheels them off, DCL, whistling, not casting one glance at the escaped patient. F. M. stands very still for a moment, then looks around to see if anybody else is coming, and resumes his post at the door.
DR. LEVITICUS (Offstage) Of course. It's all settled. Yes, we've agreed on the price and everything. Ten grand to get them all out of here by the end of the week. Then this place will be as quiet as the tomb. Yes, they're going downstate someplace, to this dinky little institution out in the middle of nowhere. I suspect it'll be a little cramped but they can handle it. (Pause; F. M. frowns) Yes, then we can continue and tear the whole thing down. Lord knows there's enough places for loonies as it is. Don't you agree? (Pause, then a chuckle) Yes.
The sound of footsteps again. F. M. gives a small growl of annoyance and ducks behind the wall; this time a PSYCHIATRIST and an errant PATIENT go by, talking to each other.
PATIENT But--but I was only trying to test if the electricity gets into the--into the room, so I can figure out a way to help us so we don't get electrocuted. What's the crime? I mean, the Man Who Shot Liberty Vallance [sic] didn't have to go through this, did he?
PSYCHIATRIST Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on. Let's get you back to Ward 1. And if you break out again, it's to solitary for you. [Note--Mr. Cady erroneously corrected this to read, "It's too solitary for you." In response I penciled in parentheses, "by this, I meant, 'You're going to solitary confinement'").]
They exit, DCL, not seeing F. M., who goes back to his post and continues listening once again.
DR. LEVITICUS [Note--I forgot to put in an "offstage" notation.] Dr. Conroy? What about him? (Pause) Oh, don't worry about him, I'm sure he can live off of food stamps until he finds himself a better job. (Chuckle) Yes, that it is. Yes. All right. All right, I'll be seeing you next week, and we can work out the details of the demolition. Yes. Goodbye.
The sound of footsteps. F. M. darts back behind the wall as DR. LEVITICUS enters the hallway from his office; he stretches his arms and smiles in the darkness, then walks towards the audience, turning to go the same way the janitor did, DCL and offstage. F. M. is left alone. He stares after the doctor for a minute or two, then steps out to the mouth of the hallway, a scowl growing on his face.
F. M. "Loonies," are we? Well. I'll show you just how "loony" we can be. Watch out, "Dr." Leviticus. ("Doctor" he says with a sneer of contempt) The "loonies" are only just getting started. (Exit DCR)
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