The Man Who Came to Dinner

Sheridan Whiteside Comes Out

His name is Sheridan Whiteside, but anyone who is allowed to come close enough to call him anything calls him Sherry. Of course, Daisy Stanley doesn't know this, but if she did that's what she would call him. Just to impress her friends. And her friends would be very impressed.

His nurse - a young woman with flaming red hair called Agatha Preen rushes through the door from their spare bedroom, grabs two pillows from the couch and runs back to Whiteside. His voice - prim and proper, with all of the trimmings of somebody who could do great in life, comes roaring through the doorway. "Great dribbling cow, get back in here!"

"How is he? Is he coming out?" Daisy calls after Miss Preen's disappearing back, with a sense of unrivalled eagerness.
The doorbell rings, and Richard, Daisy's young son and a perfect example of a proper young man should be, immediately rushes to let whoever it may be inside.

Joan, a friend of Richard's, comes rushing out of the library where Sherry is, checks the couch and runs up the stairs.

"What's the matter?" Daisy asks. "What is it?"

"They want pillows." Joan says as she passes by her on the way back from raiding Richard's room.

Miss Preen comes back out, looking defeated as Sherry shouts after her, "Don't call yourself a doctor in my presence! You're a quack if I ever saw one!"

Richard reenters the house and shakes a few brown parcels at his mother. "More packages. One's from New York, one from San Fransisco... dad is going crazy upstairs, with that bell ringing all of the time."

"There was one from Alaska earlier this morning," Daisy tells him as Miss Preen passes back through the double doors carrying yet another stack of pillows. As they open, Daisy and Richard can hear Sherry shouting his head off.

"Doesn't that bird brain of yours ever function?" He screams, and Miss Preen is right back out of the room again, and she comes up to Daisy.

"I-I'll get them right away!" She calls back to Sherry, and then says to Daisy, "He wants some Players Club cigarettes."
"Should he be smoking?" Daisy asks, an air of concern to her voice.

"No, but he can't be convinced." Miss Preen tells her. "Believe me, I've tried."

"They have them at Kitchener's." Richard chimes in. "I'll run down and get 'em." He's off before either of the ladies can protest, and Daisy's right back on Miss Preen for answers about Sherry.

"Tell me, is he- are they bringing him out soon?"

Miss Preen is weary as she answers. Her hair is a mess, and there are dark circles under her eyes. "We're getting him out of bed now. He'll be out very soon." Joan descends the stairs with another three or four pillows, having gone to June Stanley's room this time. "Thank you." She says, slumping back into the couch before again Sherry's voice shrills from the other room.

"Trapped like a rat in this hellhole!" He screams, and Miss Preen rushes back in. Her entrance is followed by a snappish "Get your fish-hooks off me!"

The doorbell rings again, and this time it's answered by June, who is Richard's female counterpart in that she is a perfect young lady where Richard is nothing but a gentleman. "This is certainly a busy house." She remarks to herself.

Sarrah, this time a friend of June's, passes out of the kitchen with a glass of orange juice. As the doors open and she steps into Sherry's room, Daisy and June can again hear his voice as he spits out "You have the touch of a sex-starved cobra! "

"His voice is just the same as it is on his podcast!" Sarrah chirps as she comes back out.

June returns, ushering in Daisy's friends, Abigail Dexter and Jeanie McCutcheon. "Good morning!" Jeanie says, and Abigail nods delightedly.