Crash
January 21st, 2021
Starring: Ned (male, early 60’s), Edwin (male, 40-55)
A hot tub, at a resort somewhere in the tropics. Ned sits alone, half-submerged, drinking a cocktail. He watches a small airplane circle above and around the resort, pulling one of those long advertisement banners. Ned’s viewing is interrupted by Edwin, who slides into the hot tub, holding a beer with two sips left. They meet eyes and nod, acknowledging the other’s presence. Ned’s eyes drift back to the plane. Edwin finishes his beer, then spies Ned’s drink.
EDWIN
What is that?
NED
This? A raspberry mojito.
EDWIN
I wish I saw that on the menu.
NED
It wasn’t. I asked the bar guy to find some in the kitchen, crush em up, throw em in. They had some at the breakfast bar this morning, figured I’d ask.
EDWIN
Guess I didn’t notice.
NED
I try and keep my eyes open. Side effect of the job.
EDWIN
What do you do?
NED
Air traffic control.
EDWIN
Wow. I don’t think I’ve met anyone who does that before.
Do you enjoy it?
NED
Most days it’s pretty boring. But that’s good. It means all’s well.
EDWIN
No crashes, you mean.
NED
We try avoiding that.
…
EDWIN
But I assume you’ve had stuff happen.
NED
Over a long, soon-to-be-ending career, yes.
EDWIN
Like what?
NED
I don’t love talking about it.
I have a fear of making people afraid of flying. When I say too much, that tends to happen.
EDWIN
I’m not easily fazed. I was an ER surgeon before I went private practice.
NED
It’s your vacation. I’d rather not mess—
EDWIN
Please, I’m interested! I don’t know if I’ll ever meet another air traffic controller in my life!
Hit me.
…
NED
Well
I’ve bounced around a few towers over my career. I’m in Phoenix now. But about 20 years ago I was working out of Newark. New Jersey.
EDWIN
Sure.
NED
It was my third or fourth month there. I’d been there since 5. There was a bottleneck trying to get out that morning, so I was helping with that, getting everyone up and out. We sent out one last flight around quarter to 9. A few minutes later, I started hearing a lot of chatter on comms.
The first plane had hit the towers.
EDWIN
...oh—you’re talking about
NED
Yep.
EDWIN
You were in the tower on—?
NED
The control tower. But yes.
When the other one hit, we sent out messages to our planes in the air, checking in, explaining what happened, trying to keep calm. We sent one out to our 8:45, and we got the all-ok back.
It wasn’t. That ended up being the fourth plane.
The one where they crashed in Pennsylvania—?
EDWIN
Yeahohsure I remember
...
Wow.
NED
A few minutes too late. We should’ve ordered a landing right when we knew. But we kept them flying.
…
EDWIN
Wow.
Yeah no I
I see why you
Yeah
Jeez
Silence, save for the jacuzzi jets bubbling. Edwin’s face has been drained of everything.
NED
Are you ok?
EDWIN
Yeah no it’s just
That’s heavy
I wasn’t—
NED
I told you—
EDWIN
I know but I wasn’t expecting the tie-in with the whole...
…
How do you get over that?
NED
Time. Doing my job, staying alert. All you can do, really.
Edwin nods, still trying to wrap his head around it.
EDWIN
I’m gonna get a drink. Maybe a mojito.
...
Can I get you something?
NED
I’m set, thanks.
...
But you should ask for the raspberries, it’s worth it.
EDWIN
I uh...I just might.
Edwin nods awkwardly and gets out of the tub, shuddering. Maybe he’s cold, maybe he’s shaking off the willies. Ned sighs and sits back, closing his eyes. He opens them to look back up at the ad-plane, making its slow loop. He sips his mojito.