That’s why you are a nurse, and I am a patient.

In drama scene from one-act play Coffee Table, Nurse Stein keeps a situation calm with patient Melanie, by explaining they are friends.

Featured Scene – Coffee Table

NURSE STEIN: Hello, Melanie. How are your thoughts today?

MELANIE: I want to bash your brains in and see you dead.

NURSE STEIN: Don’t be silly. You know you can’t do that.

MELANIE: I certainly can.

NURSE STEIN: You know that you won’t.

MELANIE: Why won’t I?

NURSE STEIN: Because we are friends. And friends treat one another kind. I treat you kind, and you treat me kind.

MELANIE: I don’t like kind.

NURSE STEIN: What don’t you like about it, dear?

MELANIE: I don’t like the feeling. I like different feelings.

NURSE STEIN: Such as?

MELANIE: Such as bad things. Bad things make me feel good things.

NURSE STEIN: I know. I have similar thoughts myself.

MELANIE: When?

NURSE STEIN: All of the time, really. I think about things I shouldn’t do that aren’t right, and I refrain from acting on those impulses.

MELANIE: Why?

NURSE STEIN: Because I know deep down that if I wronged someone in any kind of way, I would feel terrible about it afterwards.

MELANIE: What if you felt good about it afterwards?

NURSE STEIN: Good?

MELANIE: Yes, what if it made you feel very good.

NURSE STEIN: I can’t recall a time when I’ve ever done something wrong and felt good about it afterwards.

MELANIE: That’s why you are a nurse, and I am a patient.

NURSE STEIN: There’s nothing wrong with that. Being a patient doesn’t mean you are insensitive.

MELANIE: I think that if I crushed your skull to pieces and saw it scatter around the room like a million rays of sunshine, I would feel quite happy. Yes, I believe I would feel quite happy about it afterwards.

NURSE STEIN: Name something you did that was distasteful, something wrong, and explain to me how it made you feel after.

MELANIE: Oh, I don’t want to.

NURSE STEIN: Okay. You don’t need –

MELANIE: He was pushing me, tugging at my clothing, and I- I pushed him very hard, and all kinds of things, then I went scattering down the stairs with him, but I felt relieved after it all.

NURSE STEIN: I see. Good.

MELANIE: It is always very good.

NURSE STEIN: It is good that you can talk about it.

MELANIE: He was attacking me.

NURSE STEIN: Am I attacking you?

MELANIE: No.

NURSE STEIN: So, why would you want to bash my brains in, as you put it?

MELANIE: I, I –

NURSE STEIN: Maybe it’s a good idea to treat me nice because I like treating you nice and we are friends.

MELANIE: Friends…

NURSE STEIN: Yes. Melanie, if I ever do something to upset you, I will hope that because we are friends, you would tell me, so I can make it right. The last thing I want is to ever upset you. You are my friend, I am looking after you, and I care about you. Don’t you care about me?

MELANIE: Hmmm.

NURSE STEIN: That’s okay. Just know that I care about you. Very much. (beat) Can I ask you something? How’s Andrew?

MELANIE: He’s fine.

NURSE STEIN: Have you seen him lately?

MELANIE: …No…

NURSE STEIN: Melanie, friends don’t lie to one another…has he been here recently?

MELANIE: …No…

NURSE STEIN: I see. Well, okay, Melanie, if that’s the way you want it. I will do my best to understand. It’s your life and your privacy.

MELANIE: Yes.

• To read the full ePlay Coffee Table, find purchase button below:

Scene Summary

In the one-act eplay Coffee Table, Melanie sits in her room in the psycho ward facility, talking with Andrew about the possibility of hurting Nurse Stein, but all isn’t as it seems in this one act play.

• Genre: Drama
• Length: ~5 minute scene
• Characters: 1 woman, 1 man
• Themes: patient, nurse, doctor
• Best For: 1 woman, 1 man drama scenes

FAQ

Related Drama Scenes

• The Dance
• Yell, Kick and Scream
• Nothin; but Good Things
• Man in the Picture Frame
• The World Changed Colour

Scene Source: Coffee Table

Coffee Table is a drama play script by Joseph Arnone, 2026.