A Play:

Buying Medicine

By Liu Qinglin

Characters: X ------ Xiao Fei

S ------- Shopkeeper

D- ---- Doctor Li

O- -----Others ( O1, O2 O3 -----)

Ws ------ Wounded soldiers ( W1, W2,W3 -----)

H -----He zhenwu, a Japanese spy

W- ---- Woman

J ------ Japanese

Scene1

( At an old temple lie some wounded soldiers. D is examining their wounds.)

D: Good evening, everyone.

Ws: ( Together) Good evening, Dr Li.

D: Hello, let me examine you.

W1: Im all right. Theres no need to do so. ( W1 is about to fall down.)

D: (Helps him up) Your leg discloses you! Let me have a look. Ah, its going worse. Let me put some

medicine on you.

W1: No, it isnt necessary. There is little medicine left. Go to look after that young man. He has a high

fever. He seems fainted.

D: ( Takes W2s temperature. ) So he has! He needs an injection but we have none. Feed him these last three pills with warm water. What else can I do? Theres no medicine left.

W3: Dont worry, Doctor. I am young and strong. I am all tight now. Ill go and buy some medicine.

D: No, you are not all right. Your leg will bleed when you move. Lie down and have a good rest.

W4: So you can let me go . I can run very fast. The enemy cannot catch me.

( Just then, Xiao Fei comes in.)

X: Be quiet everybody. You must have a good rest. This is order, you know.

W1: But theres no medicine left.

X: Thats why Im here. Ive come to fetch the list . Ill go to town to buy medicine.

D: Have you got any money?

X: No.

D: ( Takes off her gold ring.) Take this with you. Perhaps you can change it for medicine.