Scene 5

Setting: A classroom.
Scene 5
A whiteboard/chalkboard/white sheet/paper is available to write on.

Shawn:
It is my responsibility to understand her.
What could I have been watching for so it didn't get like this?
What can I do to make sure this doesn't happen again?
What do I do if this happens again?

What is it like to be suffering like she is?

I could make notes.
I could find out more about what medication she's on.
I could find out if she's taking the right medication.
I could never get in trouble again.
I could never raise my voice again.
I could never get angry again.

I could disappear.

There must have been something going on that I should have recognized.

I should have noticed when she was working too hard.
I should have noticed when she wouldn't get out of bed.
I should have realized it wasn't funny when she gazed off into space.
I should have been more sensitive to her feelings.
I should have talked to her at breakfast.
I should have taken her emotions more seriously.
I should have taken her reactions more seriously.

I should tell her I'm sorry.

What is it that she's really diagnosed with? How old was she when this started, and how long did it take for her to get help? I'm sure they've changed medication over time, so was there a time when some of it was better and is it an option for us to go back to that? How did people decide she was showing enough... symptoms to get help, and did she get help on her own at first, or did somebody else take her to get help? How many times has she been in hospital, and was it always because she tried to take her own life? How many different ways has she tried? Is it always an overdose?

And why do we always go back to the beginning and start all over again?

It is my responsibility to find out. It's my responsibility to help her.