Also, here’s a link to the draft of Pro-Choice which was submitted to ACTF:

Pro-Choice: 10/24 Update

PRO-CHOICE

A One-Act Play

DRAFT 10/24/15

PRO-CHOICE

CHARACTERS

CAST:

SAVANNAH, f, 33. Protagonist who just wants one thing.

ZACH, m, 32. Her stubborn husband.

DOCTOR, f, 41. Covers all necessary specialists.

INTERN, m/f, 27. Naïve, but has good intentions.

TIME: the present.  However, the time will jump back and forth.

SETTING: somewhere in the U.S.

Pro-Choice: a One-Act Play

SCENE I: HOSPITAL ROOM

(SAVANNAH lays in bed as ZACH sits by her side, holding her hand as they both smile at each other, in the middle of a conversation.  Then, the DOCTOR steps in with a younger INTERN.)

DOCTOR

And how are you feeling today, Savannah?  Good?

SAVANNAH

A little headache-y, but what else do you expect from terminal brain cancer?

(There are slight chuckles exchanged between the DOCTOR and the couple, which confuse the INTERN.)

DOCTOR

Well, Savannah, now that we’re here, we may as well start.  Would you like to fill us in on the patient?

SAVANNAH

(Professionally, as if she were the INTERN.)

The patient was diagnosed with brain cancer when her doctors found a frontal lobe tumor.  After rigorous treatment—haha, get it?  “Rigor”?  Because of rigor mortis—okay—which involved surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, the patient has decided that, since the tumor shows no signs of subsiding, she would rather focus on end-of-life care at this point.  When the time comes and the cancer decides to finally pollute her entire brain, ceasing all activity, including breathing on her own, those decisions will be made by the patient’s…

(Takes note of the man right next to her.)

…extremely attractive husband.

ZACH

Yes, I will.

(Winks at SAVANNAH.)

SAVANNAH

(Looks down at her wrist as if she were wearing a watch.)

Speaking of whom, he should be here in about…

(ZACH to gently nudges her arm.)

DOCTOR

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

SAVANNAH

Well, four years of medical school and only two months of actually getting to use that knowledge are finally paying off.  Figures I would be my only important patient.

DOCTOR

Nuh-uh.  You are still my patient.

SAVANNAH

Only because I’m paying you.

(They weakly laugh again.)

DOCTOR

Savannah, we’re going to take you in for an MRI today to see how far the cancer’s progressed so we can get a better idea of what to do down the line.  Any questions?

SAVANNAH

Okay.  Nothing we haven’t done before.  I’m ready.

DOCTOR

You sure you want to do this?  I mean, we can be even more aggressive than this if you just keep an open mind—

SAVANNAH

Yes.  I definitely am.  Look, I appreciate your fighting for me, but I’m done now.  There’s no need to waste any more energy on me.  I’m fine with it.  Truly.

DOCTOR

All right then.  It’s your call.

INTERN

(This will not stand!)

But I don’t get it.  Don’t you want to live?

DOCTOR

Doctor…stand down.

INTERN

Our job as doctors is to make sure that she survives this.  The least we could do is keep trying.

DOCTOR

No, our job is to respect her wishes.  Now, if you’re not willing to do that, I will find someone who will.

(Both doctors take a moment to stare each other down.  After a beat, the INTERN looks away and the DOCTOR nods to SAVANNAH and they both leave the room.)

ZACH

I have to say: I don’t completely disagree with that intern.

SAVANNAH

(Starting to get annoyed.)

Zach…I’ve already made up my mind, so there’s no point in—

ZACH

(Calmly.)

Shh…I know, honey.  I know.  I just wish you could’ve talked to me about it first.

SAVANNAH

We already did.  And you know what?  It wouldn’t have mattered anyway because this is something I want.  It has nothing to do with you.

ZACH

Fine.  You’re the boss.

SCENE II: LIVING ROOM

(Loud music and chatty people pollute the environment, including the DOCTOR and INTERN —as different characters—who are aggressively making out in the corner.  At CS, teenage ZACH stares at the couple, so teenage SAVANNAH distracts him.)

SAVANNAH

You’re in my history class.

(Waves her finger into thin air as if trying to magically summon the right name.)

Zach, right?

ZACH

Wow.  I didn’t think you even noticed me.

SAVANNAH

Of course, I did.  You’re the quiet one who always sits in the back.  I heard you’re, like, a genius or something.  Is that true?

ZACH

(Shrugs.)

Meh, I get by.

SAVANNAH

Of course, you do.

(She extends her hand.)

I’m Savannah.  Sav, for short.

ZACH

(Grins and shakes it.)

Pleasure to meet you.  Officially.

(He winks, clicks his tongue, and points at her to try to charm her, which is awkward, but still cute.)

SAVANNAH

(Giggles.)

Wow, you’re so adorable!  So who invited you to this party anyway?  This doesn’t seem like your scene.

ZACH

Actually, it’s my house, so showing up was sort of unavoidable.

SAVANNAH

(In awe.)

Wait, this is your party?

ZACH

My older sister’s.  She’s the more sociable one.  Obviously.

SAVANNAH

Well, you’re not so bad, yourself, Zach.

ZACH

(Smirks.)

Really?  Well…thanks.

SCENE III: BEDROOM

(SAVANNAH is on bedrest, her eyes fixated on a piece of wall in front of her.  She and ZACH are currently in shock so he keeps himself busy by tidying up the room a bit.)

SAVANNAH

So…radiation sorta worked.  Thought we got all of it.  Ever since I relapsed, the chemo didn’t do much either.

(Looks at ZACH, but takes a few beats to say what’s on her mind.)

Zach, I don’t think I can take it anymore.  Trying to survive this—it’s too much for me to handle.

(She uses a beat to build confidence and then makes an official statement.)

I don’t wanna do it anymore.

ZACH

Why not?  We can just try the radiation again.  I know it didn’t actually work the first time, but it almost did.  You were in remission, so who’s to say it won’t work a second time?

SAVANNAH

Six months, Zach.  I was healthy for six months.  And, even then, I knew it’d come back.

ZACH

What are you saying?  You’re just giving up after everything you’ve been through?  All those years, you fought like hell and it’s come to this?

SAVANNAH

I’m not giving up.

ZACH

You’re saying we’ve run out of options and now, you’re telling me that you’ve had enough.  That clearly sounds like you’re throwing in the towel.

SAVANNAH

But nothing’s working.  I’ve accepted that.  I’ve known that, ever since I saw those scans, Zach.

ZACH

What, so you’re saying you’re such a good doctor that you predicted all along what this cancer could do?  Is that it?

SAVANNAH

(Practically interrupts him.)

There’s absolutely nothing predictable about cancer!  All I did was…  “Expect disappointment to avoid disappointment”.  You taught me that.  Even when the doctor told me I was in remission, I knew I’d relapse.  That’s why I didn’t panic about it.  I just let nature take its course and this is where it’s gotten me.  That’s all this is.

ZACH

You really believe that, Savannah? Do you really believe that you can just wave a white flag after everything you’ve been through? The IVF, the miscarriage, the rape—

SAVANNAH

(She doesn’t want to hear more.)

No!  I don’t really believe anything anymore.  I’ve lost faith in a lot of things.  But this?  I feel it in my body.  I’m all worn out.

ZACH

Come on. You can’t possibly think that this bullshit is—

SAVANNAH

Say what you want, Zach, but I’m done.  All I want now is to just spend my last days with you. That’s not a lot to ask for, is it?

SCENE IV: LIVING ROOM

(Continuing from the previous scene, a light cue takes us to the past.  SAVANNAH and ZACH cuddle in bed with his hand on her stomach.)

SAVANNAH

All right, baby names! Brainstormbrainstormbrainstorm…

ZACH

Okay, how about Rupert?

SAVANNAH

After Ron from “Harry Potter”?

ZACH

No, after my grandfather.

SAVANNAH

Zach, our baby’s not a British politician.

ZACH

(With sass.)

You don’t know that.

SAVANNAH

(Snaps and laughs.)

No, how about…Gabrielle?

ZACH

For a girl?

SAVANNAH

(Sarcastically.)

No, for a boy.

ZACH

Hey, I’d be down with that.

SAVANNAH

Not the bullies in the playground.

ZACH

I really like Anna though, for a girl.

SAVANNAH

Really?  Just…Anna?

ZACH

What’s wrong with that?

(A lightbulb clicks on over his head.)

Sav-annah.

SAVANNAH

It’s just too simple!  Boring!  At least the special part of my name is the first syllable, hence it’s my nickname.  Nobody calls me “Anna” for short. It’s simply just “Sav”.

ZACH

(Rubs her stomach as SAVANNAH speaks from the heart.)

She definitely feels like an Anna to me.

SAVANNAH

(Mocks his sweet tone.)

Aw, well, guess what?  You’re not the one carrying her.

ZACH

Fine then.  Let’s compromise.

SAVANNAH

(Interestedly.)

How would we do that?

ZACH

One of them could be the middle name.  Anna Gabrielle.

SAVANNAH

(She shakes her head, rejecting the prospective name.)

Sounds like “Anne of Green Gables”.

ZACH

What?  How?

SAVANNAH

“Anna Green Gabriel’s”?  How about Gabrielle Anna.

ZACH

(Thinks for a beat.)

What if we put them together?

SAVANNAH

Like “Annabrielle”?  That sounds a lot like “inebriate”.

(To her stomach.)

No way we’re getting you drunk till your 21st birthday, kid.  And maybe not even then.

ZACH

Gabriellanna?

SAVANNAH

Too much. 

(Something clicks.)

Gabrianna.

ZACH

Gabrianna.  Huh…I like it.

SAVANNAH

(Rubs her stomach.)

Yeah…I think she likes it, too.

ZACH

Okay…so, if this is a baby girl, we’re definitely going with Gabrianna.

SAVANNAH

Aw, jeez.  I have to pee again.

ZACH

Okay.

(Lets her go.)

SAVANNAH

I seriously think this baby thinks my bladder is some kind of—whoa…

(Doubles over and moans.)

ZACH

(Alarmed, immediately goes to her aid.)

Hey, you okay?

SAVANNAH

I think so.  I just—

(Screams even louder as ZACH helps her back onto the couch.)

Zach, something’s not right.

ZACH

Shit.

(Grabs his cell phone and dials.)

You think it’s happening again?

SAVANNAH

Dear God, I hope not, but it feels all too familiar.

ZACH

(As SAVANNAH starts crying out again.)

Hello?  It’s my wife.  She’s almost three months pregnant and we think she’s having another miscarriage.  Yes, another!  1405 Robinson Avenue!  Please hurry!

SCENE V: HOSPITAL ROOM

(SAVANNAH lays in bed, in even worse condition, wincing throughout most of the scene.  She still has the energy to talk and shift in bed, but if she needs to move around, a wheelchair is required.  The DOCTOR enters with a clipboard and her INTERN.)

INTERN

Hi, Savannah.  Where’s Zach today?

SAVANNAH

Work.  Someone’s got to pay these medical bills.  They’re piling up.  Man, it takes a shitload of money to die these days.

INTERN

(Tries not to let this bother them.)

Can you update us on your pain level?  On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the—

SAVANNAH

Feeling like I got run over by a dump truck and dragged for 10 miles like a little puppy dog, who just wanted to have fun and chase the damn thing for a few minutes, rather than be completely mauled by the sucker?

INTERN

Yeah…

SAVANNAH

12-and-a-half.

INTERN

(Gets ready to jot it down on SAVANNAH’S file.)

That’s your pain level?

SAVANNAH

Try miles.  It feels like I was dragged for 12.5 miles.  Are you sure you can’t give me anything to get that down to at least an eight?

INTERN

We already did.  You’re getting 1mg of Dilaudid.

SAVANNAH

(Puts her hands together in prayer position.)

Could you please do me a favor and give your favorite patient a little more than that?

(The INTERN looks over at the DOCTOR for confirmation.)

DOCTOR

(Nods.)

Up her dosage to another milligram.

SAVANNAH

Thanks.  You’re officially my favorite doctor.

DOCTOR

Oh, I wasn’t your favorite before?  You hurt me.

SAVANNAH

No, for a while, it was that hot one with the dimples.  You were just a close second.  In fact, if I weren’t already married or dying, I’d be doing it with him in an on-call room like they do on “Grey’s Anatomy”.

DOCTOR

(Unintentionally ignores SAVANNAH.)

Make sure it’s one more milligram, not a milliliter.  The last thing we need is for you to scream profanities in the lobby again after you realized you could’ve said the wrong dosage.  And, if it turns out you actually did give it to her in milliliters this time, I swear—

SAVANNAH

Then God forbid I O.D. before I’ve died of a potassium overdose anyway.

INTERN

(Gives SAVANNAH a look and then faces the DOCTOR again.)

Yes, ma’am.

(The INTERN goes to a medicine cabinet in the room to get the syringe and injects it into the needle that was already taped to SAVANNAH’S arm.)

DOCTOR

(To SAVANNAH.)

I’ll check on you later.

(Exits.)

INTERN

(As soon as the DOCTOR is out of earshot.)

You’re being an idiot.

SAVANNAH

Excuse me?

INTERN

How could you not want to keep fighting?  You can still beat this.

SAVANNAH

(Sits up.)

Not you, too.

INTERN

There is a way for survival.  There always is.

SAVANNAH

Wow.  Our youths are so bright, yet have such closed minds.

INTERN

No, you’re the one with the closed mind.  There are countless doctors out there who all agree that, if we just figure out another way to approach this tumor, you can still survive.  You’re just not strong enough to realize it.

SAVANNAH

Sometimes, dying is surviving.

INTERN

What the hell does that mean?

SAVANNAH

Survival is measured in more than one way.  The way you, and the rest of society, think of it, is in terms of life and death.  People say that you survived a car accident or that a marriage has a 50% survival rate, as if simply ceasing to exist was the only way a person doesn’t pull through.

(She starts getting excited about her decision.)

I may not be surviving in terms of living, but I’ve survived by dying on my own terms.  I have the upper hand here.  I have a choice in how and when I get to die.  How awesome is that?

(The INTERN stares, even more puzzled.)

Okay, poor choice of words, but you see my point?  I’ve accepted this tumor a long time ago and that has nothing to do with strength.  It’s all about survival.  Even in death, I can say I survived because nothing was stolen from me.

INTERN

But you chose to die based on the information we have now.  If we go back for another MRI, then—

SAVANNAH

What do you think would happen?  The tumor is going to shrink miraculously?  Listen: by now, it doesn’t matter how far it’s progressed.  Now, it’s about dying comfortably.  That’s it.  I want to be euthanized.

INTERN

What, like a dog?

SAVANNAH

At this point, I’m just as useful as one, so why shouldn’t I be able to go the same way?

INTERN

I’m sorry.

SAVANNAH

You get it now?

INTERN

No.  All due respect, you’re still the dumbest patient I’ve ever treated, but the last moments of your own life are what you make of them.  Who am I to get in the way of that?  You deserve to make that choice by yourself, but only because you’re a human being, not a dog.

SCENE VI: THEIR BEDROOM

(SAVANNAH and ZACH have just finished in bed.  ZACH rolls to his side—the one closest to the audience—and they are both panting heavily.)

ZACH

Okay, that was literally my best work.  No way we didn’t make a baby this time.

SAVANNAH

(Disinterestedly.)

We won’t know for sure till we check in a couple weeks.

ZACH

Yeah.

(A beat.)

So you think we did it this time?

SAVANNAH

(She sits up so her body faces away from the audience.  She slips on her underwear and puts on her robe.)

Like I said: we won’t know until I take a pregnancy test in a couple weeks.

ZACH

Come on, you’re not going to be the least bit hopeful this time?

SAVANNAH

(Coldly.)

When you’ve felt your baby simply slip out from between your legs, come and find me so we can talk about how easy it is to hope.

ZACH

There was nothing wrong with you then.  The pregnancy just didn’t take anymore.

SAVANNAH

But how?  How exactly does that happen?  How does a pregnancy just…stop?

ZACH

Well, if you’ve lost all hope, then why are we still trying?

SAVANNAH

Because I know we still have the slightest chance.  Doesn’t mean I have to plan a baby shower.

(She sinks down on the bed, at ZACH’S feet.)

ZACH

Hey…it’s gonna work this time.

SAVANNAH

How could you be so sure?

ZACH

I’m an optimist, babe. You know that—

SAVANNAH

(Interrupts him.)

Disappointment, Zach.  “Expect to avoid”, remember?  Take all your optimism somewhere else, so I don’t get sick of this positivity bullshit.

ZACH

(He wants to cheer her up.)

Wanna go again?  Just for us?

SAVANNAH

Zach, we literally just did it.

ZACH

But that was for the kid.  This time, it’s just for us.  So, what do you say?  Another round?  You know, for fuck’s sake?

(Grins at his own joke.)

SAVANNAH

(Trying to be patient.)

Nah…I’m too exhausted.

ZACH

Come on, it’s been a while since we’ve had sex that wasn’t for the purpose of biological production.

(Tension builds up as he strokes her shoulder and kisses it.)

Babe…come on.

SAVANNAH

(She fiercely shoves him aside.)

Zach, seriously, stop it! 

ZACH

(He doesn’t stop his advances.)

I just want to get intimate with my wife. Is that so wrong?

SAVANNAH

(She gives him a loud slap across the face.)

JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

(As he puts his hands up in defeat, SAVANNAH stands up and glares at him for a beat and tries to regain her composure.)

I told you: I’m not in the mood.

(She huffs and exits exasperatedly.)

SCENE VII: HOSPITAL ROOM

(The DOCTOR stands next to ZACH as they go over some forms, but they still stand close to SAVANNAH, who is stuck in bed.)

DOCTOR

(To SAVANNAH.)

You ready?  I have some forms that need some going over.

SAVANNAH

That’s the DNR, right?

DOCTOR

Correct.

ZACH

I’m sorry, the what?

DOCTOR

“Do Not Resuscitate”.

SAVANNAH

It means that if my heart stops, they legally can’t make any effort to bring me back.  Under my specific orders.

ZACH

What, are you kidding me?  If they choose not to shock you back to life, doesn’t that sort of go against everything we’ve worked for?

DOCTOR

It’s what the patient wants.

ZACH

Bullshit.  You’re her doctor.  Your job is to save her, so do that!

SAVANNAH

(With a scolding voice.)

Zach, please.

DOCTOR

(Interrupting SAVANNAH.)

Except when she chooses differently.  Zach, I understand your heartache, but, at the end of the day, Savannah is the one who gets to decide what happens to her body.

ZACH

(Almost evilly.)

Yeah, that’s enough out of you, Kevorkian.

SAVANNAH

(Before he can cause further damage.)

Oh, my God, Zach, shut up!

DOCTOR

(She tries to maintain her civility, so goes back to SAVANNAH.)

We can try this again later, okay?

(Exits as the scene continues.)

ZACH

Sav, I can’t do this anymore.

SAVANNAH

Zach, don’t.

ZACH

(Grows in desperation.)

No, I need to say something!  For once, will you please just hear what I have to say about it before you go off saying it’s still your choice?!

SAVANNAH

Fine then.  Go ahead.

ZACH

You can’t throw it all away just because you’ve lost hope.

SAVANNAH

This isn’t me losing hope!  This is me fighting for my life!

ZACH

Then do it!  Fight!  Because this isn’t all about you.  This is my life you’re hurting, too.  What do you expect me to do without you?

SAVANNAH

Live the life you want.  Zach, I won’t be getting any better.  My health is deteriorating and there’s nothing we can do about it.  And that’s not me expecting disappointment; it’s fact.  If we went home right now, I’d still be dying, bedridden, and you’d still have to take care of me.  Tend to my every need: assist me to the bathroom when I warn you early enough that I don’t make a mess, bathe me everyday—

ZACH

(Automatically.)

I would not mind that.

SAVANNAH

(Loosens up a bit to smile at him, but continues anyway.)

…Feed me through injections because anything I swallow, I’ll just choke on.

ZACH

Yeah, but, you see, I want to do all those things, Sav.

SAVANNAH

But I don’t want you to.  You already put your life on pause just so I could keep mine.  And now, I’m telling you: you’re off the hook.

ZACH

But you are also my life.  I need you—

SAVANNAH

(Why can’t you see the point already?!)

I’m in agony, Zach!  It hurts everywhere in my body!  The rest of my life will be just like this!  It’ll involve endless torment and, unless they finally have a cure for cancer in my lifetime, it’s all I have left!  That, and the ability to get this final say!

ZACH

But you’re not dying.  You’re just acting like it because you think you’re on some soap opera.  If you just stay alive for a little longer, then you’ll be in less pain.  You just gotta hold on.

SAVANNAH

This was never about my death sentence!  It’s about when my ability to choose was stolen from me.  Look, when I was…raped…he shoved his hand over my mouth and I can still remember the bitter taste of garlic and sweat on his palm.  He said that, if I made any attempt to call for help, he’d kill me, but still have his way with my body and you’re damn right I believed him.  I wasn’t taking any chances and, since it was essentially my choice to go through this dead or alive, my choice was literally life or death.  So of course, I chose life.

I heard every single whimper that came from my mouth…squealing like a pig, mentally pleading to God to stop this torture.  That bastard forced himself inside me and I can still hear our bed thumping against the wall, harmonizing with the rattling of the lampshade.  When I found the courage to ask him politely to stop, he got off on it.  Told me to keep begging for my life because he was now my master.

Do you even know what it’s like to have your sense of freedom taken away like that?  It’s brutal, and the worst part of it is, as it keeps happening, you never know if you’re going to make it out alive.  All you have, at that moment, is the hoping and the praying that your life will get back to normal after this, even though you know it won’t.

Bottom line is, ever since he robbed me of my freedom, I haven’t found a single decision that’s been easy for me to make.  You wanna know why?  It’s because I didn’t think it was my right to choose.  But this?  My death?  That’s the very last choice that I know is mine.  And, to be honest, it was the easiest.  At this point, I may never know who actually raped me that night or if he’s ever going to pay for what he did to me.  But please, Zach…don’t you rape me, too.

ZACH

But it is your choice.  And mine, because I’m your husband.  We make these decisions together.  And I’m saying you can still kick this cancer in the ass and live.  You just gotta let the meds do their thing.

SAVANNAH

But they’re not magic.  I’ve given all my options a chance and now look.  My body is just going to get worse to the point where I’m being kept alive in an unnatural way.  Now tell me: is it really living if you’re stuck with a tube down your throat the rest of your life?  Are you alive if you’re attached to a bunch of machines that are only meant to sustain your life, not improve it?

(Several beats, which ZACH uses to avoid eye contact as long as possible.)

You know what?  Fine.  Keep torturing me.  I’ve lasted this long.  What’s a couple more weeks?

ZACH

Time I get to spend with the woman I love.

SAVANNAH

There you go again.  Making it all about you.

ZACH

What?

SAVANNAH

(Sharply.)

I just want to stop hurting, Zach.

ZACH

So do I.

SCENE VIII: HOSPITAL ROOM

(SAVANNAH is sitting up, waiting anxiously on the bed.  She keeps checking her phone and then goes back to staring nervously at the floor.  Then, ZACH enters with the DOCTOR behind him.)

ZACH

Jesus, are you okay?  I’m sorry I wasn’t there.  It’s just, after our fight, I needed some air—

SAVANNAH

(Trembling.)

Where the hell have you been?

ZACH

That doesn’t matter.  What matters is, are you okay?

SAVANNAH

(In shock, still trying to absorb what had just happened to her.)

Zach, I was…I w…I…

(Oh, screw it.)

It feels like someone just tore apart my insides and suffocated me with them!  How do you think?

ZACH

I know. I shouldn’t have left you in the first place.

(He makes an attempt to comfort her physically, which backfires on him.)

SAVANNAH

(She does what she can to make sure he doesn’t lay a finger on her, even if he’s her husband.)

No, don’t!  Don’t you dare touch me.

ZACH

(Keeps both hands up in surrender.)

Okay.  I’m sorry.

SAVANNAH

(When she’s calmed down.)

Just stay close though.

ZACH

Anything you want, Sav.  I’m here.

DOCTOR

(Slowly and carefully.)

You said to wait till your husband got here to do the rape kit.  Is it okay if I get started?

SAVANNAH

(Nervously.)

Yes.  I’m ready.  Let’s just get this over with.

(Winces.)

Ow.  Son of a—

(Grabs her head and groans.)

DOCTOR

What’s wrong?

SAVANNAH

I got a headache all of a sudden.  It’s killing me.

DOCTOR

You might be slightly concussed from the assault.  I’ll take you to get an MRI after this, just to confirm.

(She is now sitting at SAVANNAH’S feet.)

Okay.  You ready?

SAVANNAH

(Still rubbing her temple.)

Yeah.

DOCTOR

Okay.  Put your legs up please and place your feet on the footrests.

(SAVANNAH obeys and shuts her eyes.  She reacts to whatever the DOCTOR is doing, and tilts her head away from the audience.)

SCENE IX: HOSPITAL ROOM

(SAVANNAH sits up in bed while ZACH keeps his hand interlaced with hers.  The DOCTOR enters with a folder and a very sad look on her face.  She remains quiet even as she clears her throat and speaks.)

DOCTOR

Savannah, we got the results back from your MRI and it turns out it isn’t a concussion.

SAVANNAH

Then what is it?

(After a few beats.)

Hello?!  What’s wrong with me?  Is it epilepsy?  Schizophrenia?  What?

(Anxiety immediately turns to impatience.)

You know what?  Just hand me the scans.

DOCTOR

Savannah—

SAVANNAH

(Enunciates.)

Show me the scans.  Now.

(The DOCTOR reluctantly hands them to her. SAVANNAH takes them out and holds them up to the light.  As soon as she sees it, she glares and takes a closer look.  Once her eyes confirm her suspicions, she lowers her arm and places the X- rays back inside the folder.)

ZACH

What?  What is it?

SAVANNAH

(Slowly, as she is also taking in this shocking information.)

There is a mass on my right frontal lobe.

ZACH

What?  Like, cancer?

SAVANNAH

(Nods and then speaks to the DOCTOR.)

What’s the prognosis?

DOCTOR

We’re going to have to surgically remove what we can.  Course of treatment will depend on how much tumor we find.

SAVANNAH

And, if you don’t get the whole tumor?  What then? Chemotherapy?

DOCTOR

(A beat.)

Let’s just worry about that after the surgery, okay?  You just get some rest.

SCENE X: HOSPITAL ROOM

(Lights give off an eery, dreamlike setting. A comatose SAVANNAH—played by a dummy— lays in bed with tubes and machines.  ZACH uses her body as a pillow and sleeps.  Suddenly, SAVANNAH shows up behind him, laying a hand on his shoulder.  When she speaks, her behavior is lighter than the real SAVANNAH’S.)

SAVANNAH

You know, waiting around, holding vigil for her, won’t bring her back.  Then again, neither will anything else at this point, so you may as well continue.

ZACH

I have faith.  My girl is coming back.

SAVANNAH

I know, but you have to understand that that’s never going to happen.  The woman you love is gone.

ZACH

(In denial.)

No.  As long as her heart’s still beating, she’s still here.

SAVANNAH

It wouldn’t be.  Not as long as that machine is pumping her blood.  Hey, I get why you don’t want to pull the plug.  The problem is, whatever miracle you expect to come out of this, it’s too late. Savannah already died.  Her body just hasn’t caught up to it yet.  The part of her that gave her life—everything that made her her own person—is officially gone.  Dead.  Stuck.  But gone.  Are you even listening to me, Zach?

(As ZACH walks away from her, she gets more forceful.)

What you’re doing right now is delaying the inevitable and that’s unhealthy for the both of you. The only thing to do is pull that trigger.  That’s literally all that’s left.  Zach, as I lay on this bed—if I could scream, I would.  I would beg you to stop, to release me once and for all.  You’re the only one who can stop me from being in any more agony, you just gotta make that call.

ZACH

What kind of husband would I be to say it’s okay to kill my own wife?

SAVANNAH

The absolute best.  Because right now, she’s suffering the most she’s ever been.  The most.  And you were there for all that shit she went through.  That was nothing—that was a paper cut compared to what’s going on right now.

ZACH

(Takes a beat to stare at the SAVANNAH laying in bed.)

You’re lying. Look at her: she’s lying perfectly still.  Not in any pain.  She’s just asleep.

SAVANNAH

(She’s lost all her patience now.)

Zach, you are not in my body, so stop pretending like you know what I’m going through!

ZACH

Well, you’re not in my mind, so stop pretending that you know how I feel!

SAVANNAH

That’s completely different!

ZACH

(It’s become a competition for him.)

Oh, is it now?!

SAVANNAH

Yes!  It is!

ZACH

How?!

SAVANNAH

Because your pain will eventually end! Mental pain subsides over time, but, with the little time I have left, I’m stuck with this physical agony, Zach.  All I have left is excruciating misery for the rest of my life, but you?  You have the time to heal.  So take it.

ZACH

And what makes you think this is so easy?  How is that you’re telling me to let go when it means you’re gone for good?

SAVANNAH

You think this is easy?  I wanted to build a future with you and, for a minute, we actually had it. And that’s the worst part: I’m the one who only had it for that minute, but you still have a chance to be happy as long as you let go.

ZACH

(Attempts to shut her out.)

Why don’t you just leave me alone, okay?  You’re really starting to get on my nerves.

SAVANNAH

(Snickers.)

Do you hear yourself right now?  The irony in that?

ZACH

Why can’t you just let me be at peace?

SAVANNAH

(Sarcastically.)

Come on!  Keep ‘em coming!

ZACH

I just need time to grieve!  Why can’t you just give me that?

SAVANNAH

(Seriously now.)

Because grief comes after someone’s already died.  You need time to grieve?  That just means that your brain has already comprehended that I’m dead more than you do.

(She points at the dummy in the bed.)

Funnily enough, I’m the one who’s actually braindead here.

Zach, you spent almost our entire marriage, taking care of me, making sure I was always safe and comfortable.  That part of our journey is over.  It’s time you actually found a way to do that for yourself.  Just because I don’t have a future doesn’t mean that yours should be taken away. Just try, at least.  Stop being a coward and try.

(She gives him a genuine smile of encouragement.)

You’ll be okay, Zach.  I’ll be okay.  I promise.

SCENE XI: BEDROOM

(ZACH is laying in bed with his hand on an urn, which is on SAVANNAH’S side.)

ZACH

I was never much of a talker.  Well, you knew that better than anyone else.  After all, you’re the one who dug me out of my shell.

(He awkwardly smiles during a beat.)

I’m sorry.  This is just too weird for me.  Someone at support group told me that she talks to her husband’s urn every night.  I don’t know, that’s just weird.  She says that it’s essentially the same thing as visiting someone’s grave and talking to them, and that’s a lot more public than whatever this is, since it’s all out in the open.  But, anyways…here it goes:

(Another uneasy pause.)

So…I went out to lunch with my sister.  She’s good.  Oh, and she finally has a boyfriend after all that bitching about dying a virgin.  It’s official: even if she dies tomorrow, it’d be impossible for her fear to arise again.  And now, I’m talking to my wife’s ashes about my sister’s sex life.  Cool.

(He lets out a brief chuckle, and then a beat.)

Has this ever happened to you where, way back in elementary school, you learn that you can’t take unless you give back?  It made sense.  I mean, it’s a negotiation, so it’s only fair.  “I’ll trade you this for that.”  “You want my pretzels?  How about I give you the entire bag for your packet of Gushers?”

Obviously, that was a much simpler time.  Before you ever knew that everything you deserve could be taken away in the blink of an eye.  That’s not how the universe works though.  It always takes, and nothing is given back. 

(He backs off.)

All right, fine.  I’ll give it some credit: it gives, and then, seventeen years later, takes the gift back from us like the cold-hearted bitch it is.

(A beat as ZACH gets lost in his angry thoughts.)

We were supposed to grow old together, Sav.  They called us partners for a reason: you were the hero and I was your sidekick.  That’s how it always was.  But what’s the sidekick supposed to do now?  Find another hero to tag along with?  It was always Bonnie and Clyde.  Mulder and Scully.  Hell, Brad and Angelina!

You told me that all you wanted for me was to move on.  Start my own life.  I know I promised I’d try, but there’s just no more trying anymore.  It’s too hard, knowing that you and I will never be in the same place again.  At least, until it’s my time.  I can’t wait for that to happen though.  I honestly can’t anymore.

(A dark beat as he very slowly sighs.)

Well…

(Another beat as he strokes the urn.)

Goodnight, Sav.

(He gives the urn a kiss and pulls the covers over half of it.)

SCENE XII: LIVING ROOM

(The final flashback: SAVANNAH approaches ZACH as the DOCTOR and INTERN—once again, as different characters—stand around, having their own conversation, drinks in hand.)

SAVANNAH

You freaking out about it again?

ZACH

What do you think?  It’s just nerve-racking.

SAVANNAH

Just relax, okay?  You’re going to be the next J.K. Rowling!  This book release party is for you. This is your night!  Then, by next week, that novel of yours is going to be #1 on everyone’s bestseller list.

ZACH

I’d rather just believe that that’s never going to happen.  You know…”expect disappointment to avoid disappointment” kinda thing. 

SAVANNAH

What?

ZACH

Nothing. Just something I say to myself during times like these.

SAVANNAH

Honey, for once, everything is falling into place.  We can finally have a normal life now that your writing career’s taken off, we have our own house, and our family’s about to get bigger.

(She places a caring hand on her own stomach.)

So stop sweating it, drink lots of booze—especially on my behalf—and enjoy the party.

ZACH

(Kisses her.)

What would I do without you?

SAVANNAH

I love you, too.

(They hug.)

You got this, Zach.  I know you do.

(SAVANNAH kisses ZACH again as lights fade to black.)

Hey, guys!

Sorry I’ve been MIA for a few weeks. I’ve been focusing on getting some plays written for ACTF. So far, I’ve submitted “Pro-Choice”, I just entered my first ten-minute play, which I just posted here!

Role Model: a 10-Minute Play about Selena Gomez

Please read! Enjoy! Post feedback!

Thanks!