Musical: Jonah ~ Dialogue fragment

Context:	In the belly of the Whale
Jonah slowly comes to his knees, shaken by his experience.
Whale:	Jonah?
Jonah looks up. He looks around with uncertainty. The Whale speaks as if he already knows who Jonah is.
Whale:	Jonah, is that you?
Jonah:	I’m Jonah. And you? [He tries to locate the source of the voice] Are you –
Whale:	[cutting in] I trust you didn’t bruise any ribs on the way down.
Jonah sits up. He feels his ribs.
Jonah:	No - no - I think they’re all right.
Whale:	What I meant was: my ribs!
Jonah:	[touch of horror] Your ribs? You mean – [He looks around fearfully] You mean – I’m inside you?
Whale:	I thought you might have gathered that by now.
Jonah:	[with mild horror] I’ve - I’ve been swallowed. Oh no!
He gets up and moves helplessly this way and that, looking at his surroundings, inspecting a whale rib or two.
Whale:	Now, Jonah, count your blessings.
Jonah:	Blessings?!
Whale:	You jumped overboard, remember? You might’ve drowned.
Jonah:	I - I - wanted to drown.
Whale:	Running away again. No, Jonah, it’s not going to happen that way.
Jonah:	So you - actually - saved me.
Whale:	Something like that.
Jonah:	Are you - are you some kind of - fish?