The Snake Pit

Celia Sommerville:
And we're so crowded already. I just don't know where it's all gonna end!

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
I'll tell you where it's gonna end, Miss Somerville... When there are more sick ones than well ones, the sick ones will lock the well ones up.

Mrs. Greer:
Good afternoon, my dear. I don't think I've had the pleasure of seeing you here before.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
I'm Virginia Cunningham. I came from Five.

Mrs. Greer:
Nobody comes to One from Five. Even I had to spend a few days in Two before coming here. And I, my dear, have money.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
That must be convenient.

Mrs. Greer:
My husband, Mr. Greer, is very wealthy. I have more jewels than I can possibly wear. You, of course, are a charity patient?

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Oh, no. It so happens that my husband, Mr. Cunningham, is very wealthy. My diamonds simply weigh me down.

Mrs. Greer:
I have the Hope Diamond!

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
I have the Hopeless Emerald! It carries the Cunningham curse. You've probably read about it.

Mrs. Greer:
Mr. Greer...

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Your husband?

Mrs. Greer:
Mr. Greer, my husband, considered buying it, but it has a flaw. You see, you can't put an imperfect stone on the most beautiful hands in the world.

Robert Cunningham:
Tell me what have you been doing all these months?

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Working 18 hours a day and being lonely 24.

Miss Greene:
You get off the rug, Virginia Cunningham! Come on! Come on! Get off of there! I've told you a dozen times we do not walk on our rug.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Why not?

Miss Greene:
Because we don't! Understand? We're the only ward that has a rug. It's new, I mean it's clean, and we mean to keep it that way.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Why don't you hang it on the wall?

Miss Greene:
Your wisecracks might have been appreciated in other wards, but in 12 they don't go over.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Is this 12?

Miss Greene:
And what did you think it was? One?

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
How long have I been here?

Miss Greene:
Too long.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
It was strange, here I was among all those people, and at the same time I felt as if I were looking at them from some place far away, the whole place seemed to me like a deep hole and the people down in it like strange animals, like... like snakes, and I've been thrown into it... yes... as though... as though I were in a snake pit...

Doctor Mark Kik:
A snake pit?

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Later, weeks later, I understood. I remembered once reading in a book that long ago they used to put insane people into pits full of snakes. I think they figured that something which might drive a normal person insane, might shock an insane person back into sanity. Did you ever hear of that?

Doctor Mark Kik:
Yes.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Well, it was just as though they'd thrown me into a snake pit. And I was shocked into thinking that maybe I wasn't as sick as the others... and I really might get well.

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
[sighs] It's funny.

Doctor Mark Kik:
What is it?

Virginia Stuart Cunningham:
Everything you've said seems to make sense. I feel as though I know it, [places hand on her heart] here...

Doctor Mark Kik:
But you don't quite understand it all, here? [points, with his pipe, to his head] Don't worry, it doesn't matter. You may never know *why* everything happened, but now you do know *how* and *where* it started, and that *does* matter. Look, it's as though you were in a dark room, like this one... [turns off light switch]... now. And you wanted to turn on the light. But, you couldn't, because you didn't know where the switch was. Now you *do*. You may never know *why* turning that switch makes the light go on, but you don't *have* to. As long as you know *where* it is, you don't ever have to be afraid being in the dark again. And that, I'm sure, you'll be able to do very soon.

Dr. Jonathan Gifford:
Now now, doctor, we're not trying to minimize the importance of the treatment you're giving your patient.

Dr. Curtis:
The trouble is for you each case is 'the one,' and for us it's one of thousands.

Doctor Mark Kik:
Yes, Curtis, one of thousands, even millions. But only by trying to make each case 'the one' can we really help the patient.

Dr. Curtis:
I happen to have here some of the more recent statistics. Ah yes, here they are. Sometimes even we doctors must face reality.