Inside the nurse’s office, Agnes sits heavily onto her seat at the desk. She looks at the form Bina has filled in. She looks up at Bina, her expression unfriendly and weary.

AGNES: Fifteen, ne?

She shakes her head at Bina. Bina looks terrified.

BINA: W-will it hurt?

AGNES: If you are old enough to have sex, you are old enough for this abortion. I can’t say if it’s going to hurt, well, not now maybe, but later. The other nurse will talk to you about what to take afterward. I’m just going to get you ready. I see here you filled out all the health questions, family history, Okay. You left the part about your sexual history blank. Why? Look where you are! How can you be shy now?

BINA: I – I don’t know. I’m not… I don’t feel like talking about it.

Agnes looks up, for a moment she seems like there might be empathy in her eyes.

AGNES: Were you raped?

Bina shakes her head. Quickly the empathy disappears from Agnes’s face. She sighs and rolls her eyes.

AGNES: When was the last time you were sexually active? And did you use protection?

BINA: Um, th-three months ago. That – that was actually the only time. I only just found out now – about the pregnancy. My, my … period is never on time.

AGNES: Come on now. Don’t lie, this is important, there’s no point hiding anything from me now, I will know soon anyway. But we have to do an HIV test and we can’t do it too soon after the last time you had sex or else we won’t get correct results.

BINA: But I just came here for an abortion. I didn’t come to get tested. He said – he said he was safe.

AGNES: I don’t know why you girls are so foolish. Day in and day out, I have girls like you in here. You listen to these boys, have a good time with them, then you are in here telling me you didn’t think it could happen to you. Now look, fifteen, pregnant, and now maybe also infected with HIV. You must be more careful, I’m telling you.

Bina starts to cry. Agnes ignores her, and scribbles notes on the paperwork in front of her.

AGNES: Do your parents know you are here? You don’t have to tell them, but how are you getting home afterward?

BINA: We are taking the bus. Me, me and Cynthia, my friend.

AGNES: Don’t use tampons or have intercourse at least two weeks after the procedure, alright? Can you manage that?

Bina is sobbing quietly, nodding.

AGNES: Why are you crying? You don’t want to do the abortion? I have to tell you that you can change your mind, you know. But I don’t recommend having a baby at your age.

BINA: It’s not that. I can do the abortion, I’m not ready for a baby, I’m still at school.

AGNES: Well then maybe, if you can just keep yourself to yourself for a few more years, you can have a hope for some kind of future, ne? I don’t want to see you back here again.

Bina is sobbing more noticeably now, her shoulders shaking and her head down.

BINA: He said, he said that I made him feel bad if I asked for a condom. As if I thought he was dirty or something. He said I didn’t love him if I asked for it.

AGNES: You don’t need to listen to everything they say, you know.

BINA: You don’t understand, Mrs Moholo, he begged me. I thought I was hurting him.

Agnes clicks her tongue.

AGNES: Don’t understand? Hah, I understand all too well. But now it’s too late for crying.

Agnes hands over the chart she was scribbling in.

AGNES: Here, take this chart with you and give it to the next nurse. She’s going to take your blood for the HIV test. You will get your test results quickly, so you don’t need to spend all day worrying about it.

Bina takes the chart, not making eye contact with Agnes. Agnes looks puzzled for a moment.

AGNES: How did you know my name is Mrs Moholo?

Bina turns, still crying quietly, and does not answer her. She leaves the room.

Tell us: what do you think of Agnes’s attitude to Bina?