Waiting for protocol – SBNation.com

A football stadium. An excerpt from Jan Vertonghen's injury against Ajax plays in silence, then ends.

VERTONGHEN is sitting on the ground, holding his head. He's bleeding. He tries to get up, gives up, sits down.

Enter ALDERWEIRELD.

Vertonghen: There is nothing to do.

Alderweireld: I begin to arrive at this opinion. All my life, I tried to make myself understood, saying Toby, be reasonable, they will settle something someday. And I took over the fight. (He broods, thinking about the fight.So, here you are again.

V: I have a headache.

A: Did they beat you?

V: No no. An accident. (He makes gestures.) Goalkeeper, cross, fist. I have a headache.

A: It hurts?

V: It hurts! He wants to know if it hurts! (Pause.What are we doing here?

A: We are waiting for the protocol

V: (desperately) Ah! (Pause.) Are you sure that happens?

A: What?

V: Are you sure. Protocol.

A: They said by the sideline. (They look at the sideline.) Wait and see.

V: Are we losing?

A: Yes.

V: Is this the right sideline?

A: To my right or to your right?

V: Maybe we should be there.

A: There … what are you insinuating? That we are in the wrong place?

V: The protocol should be here. I have a headache.

A: We do not know for sure if there is one.

V: And if it does not come?

A: You will come back.

V: And then again.

A: Perhaps.

V: I have a headache.

A: You are without mercy.

V: Are we losing?

A: Yes.

V: D & # 39; agreement. (Vertonghen sits on the grass. Alderweireld paces up and down. Vertonghen goes to sleep. Alderweireld finally stops before Vertonghen.) Jan! … Jan! … JAN!

Vertonghen wakes up with a start.

V: (restored to the horror of his situation) I was asleep! (Desperately.Why do not you ever let me sleep?

A: I was feeling alone.

V: I had a dream.

A: Do not tell me!

V: I dreamed that we were surrounded by younger and faster footballers (he is standing) to do things younger and faster around us, (he opens his arms wide) and all we could do was watch them –

A: Do not tell me!

V: (s & # 39; sit). I have a headache.

A: Let's wait and see what they say.

V: Who?

A: Protocol.

V: ha

A: I am curious to hear what we are supposed to do. Then we will take it or we will leave it.

V: I would have sworn I heard screams.

A terrible cry at your fingertips. Alderweireld collapses on the side of Vertonghen and stand between them.

Enter Doctor and Poch. The doctor leads Poch with a rope around his neck, so that Poch is the first to enter. Poch carries a large bag containing drinks, a first aid kit, a spare kit, training cones and a football. The doctor wears a thong with an ID card.

V: (low voice). Is it him?

A: Who?

V: (trying to remember the name). Uh …

A: Protocol?

V: Yes.

DOCTOR: I introduce myself: doctor!

A: Not at all!

V: He said protocol.

A: Not at all!

V: (shyly, to the doctor). You are not protocol, sir?

RE: (terrifying voice). I'm a doctor! (Silence.) Doctor! (Silence.) This name means nothing to you?

Long silence

A: (compliant). I once met a Brazilian called Doctor. He had a beard.

RE: (peremptory). So who is this protocol? You took me for him.

A: (surprised). You do not know? I thought you should know –

V: (they start talking to each other). We do not know him very well –

A: – hardly, in fact –

V: – I have never met him. Or is it –

A: – could not tell you what it

V: – he –

A: – they –

V: – looked like. But –

A: (with hope). – you should know-

V: (with hope). – you should know?

RE: (after a break). No idea. (Vertonghen sinks to the ground.) Now, let's not say more. (In Poch.) Water! (He examines the bottle carefully, then throws it into Vertonghen's face.) Bandages! (He takes the roll of bandages and wraps it around Vertonghen's head, until there is only a small slit in his mouth..) Can you see? (Vertonghen shakes his head.) How many fingers do I have? (Vertonghen shakes his head again.) Well. (In Poch.) Sit down. Return! Further! (For Vertonghen.Now, that's it. All sorted. Happy Days!

Silence. Alderweireld is seated. Vertonghen, unable to see, walks cautiously up and down.

RE: (after a while). How did you find my attention? (Vertonghen and Alderweireld look at him absently.) Well? Poor? Poor? (He grabs Poch's face and forces the sides of his mouth with his thumbs.) Smiley? (Then down.) Sad face?

A: Oh, very good, really good.

V: (under the bandages). Excellent.

RE: Bless you both. (He lets Poch go.I need such encouragement. (He waves the thong to Poch.) Do you hear? (For Vertonghen.Do you want to see him dancing? (For Poch.) Dance! Dance! (He throws the thong at Poch, who catches him.)

POCH: On the other hand

RE: Stop! Stop!

During Poch's imminent tirade, he pulls all the items from his bag, one by one, and throws them to the ground. Initially, the doctor ignores them, but then he begins to gather them frantically until he is completely slumped at Poch's feet, holding everything in his arms. Meanwhile, Vertonghen lies flat on the ground, while Alderweireld passes from attentive to distressed, then returns, before finally organizing a violent intervention.

P: (after a break). To dare, it is to do, it is dare to do, considering the circumstances of the mission present in the works of Blanchflower and Greaves, come to us and treat us like big bullets. here is where we find the extent of the man here in the refusal to defuse brings back unfinished business risky risky venture to dare is to do the work of Butcher and Souness with regard to the look in which we must remember the idea of ​​the man as being but as an assertion as an intervention as argument with the idea of ​​no longer arguing, there is to the man who goes on and then there is the non-man who does not do it but here, here, without a doubt, who rings your ears in my eyes in your eyes where your eyes have passed the skull the skull the bandages of white lily that we wrapped around his head leaking the lily of his eyes that looked behind my eyes your eyes get that your tactics are on your board so fast they move and we move and they move again and it does not seem not just that the exit is through I've never encountered a problem that a closed fist could not solve you just have to want it more and if they want it more than you want it more more more a man two fingers side by side and up and down and man up and forward he n There are no systems in place and there is no place in the systems and we move between the two nothing and collapse the skull the skull the pursuit of sports excellence, it is also to dare, but also, despite the progress of physical culture, that man is wasting and not feeding on pines, there are no two species of paracetamol and a splash of water and a bananananananananana. I tell you to resume, alas, alas, because no one has any place in a system with any interest in stopping you, you or your skull, the skull fades and we lose more and more our brilliance , we hit the brain, the skull, the skull! audere is! skull! facere-

Alderweireld dominates him and puts a hand on his mouth. Poch drops the cord and Alderweireld lets him go. Long silence Poch leaves the stage and the Doctor follows him, depositing and collecting pieces as and when.

V: I have a headache. (Pause). Let's go.

A: We can not.

V: Why not?

A: We are waiting for the protocol.

V: (desperately). Ah!

The Ballboy enters. Alderweireld looks at him with hope. Vertonghen does not see it.

BALL BOY: Are you-

A: Yes!

B: You are?

A: What?

V: (angry). Who is it?

B: (fear). This is not my fault

A: What's not it?

B: They told me to come. He told me to bring you a message.

V: Who?

B: Protocol. It says-

A: Ah!

B: – The protocol says he will not come tonight but surely tomorrow.

Silence. Ballboy leaves.

V: I can not come back like this.

A: That's what you think.

End of first half