Act II
Scene 1:
The Next Morning
Lights come up to reveal a dimly lit hospital room. Hunter is sitting on Holly’s bed, sorting through a few of her personal things. The room is exactly how Holly left it before she was taken into surgery.
Hunter reads a card and she wells up with tears. She puts it in a box and finds Holly’s open laptop computer on the bedside table. She touches it.
She begins to cry. After a moment she looks at the computer and slams her fist down on it. The screen saver clears revealing and unsaved document on the desktop. Hunter sees it and picks up the computer, she reads aloud.
Hunter: I wanted to write this before things got any worse. Dr. Gray just told me I need a heart transplant. I don’t know how long I’ll…
Holly’s voice is heard overlapping with Hunter’s as she reads.
Hunter/Holly: Have to wait, or what will happen but…
Hunter’s voice fades out. Holly, continuing to speak, appears as a figure of Hunter’s imagination.
Holly: I don’t ever want you to think of me as your sick, dying sister.
Transitions into song… ending with:
Please remember me like this
A happy girl, your little sis
Instead of the sickness that took me.
Keep me safe inside your heart
Even though we are apart.
Grow up, live your life and be happy
But please, live for me
Holly’s “ghost” goes to Hunter and gives her a gentle touch, which Hunter does not acknowledge. Holly exits.
Hunter: (sung)
I hope you weren’t afraid
as you finally slipped away.
I know you always dreamed
to just grow up one day.
A dream that won’t come true,
so I must live for you.
I’d like to think you’re in a better place
I’ll always remember you…
With that smile on your face
Nurse enters pushing a new patient, Shelby in a wheelchair
Shelby: Who’s that? What is she doing in my new room?
Hunter: Wait, what’s going on? This isn’t a good…
Nurse: I’m sorry, Hunter, but I have to move a new patient into this room now. You can come back and finish packing in about an hour or so.
Shelby: Hello! Nurse! I’m a paying customer over here!
Nurse: I’ll be right with you…dear.
Turns back to Hunter shaking her head.
Some days are easier than others.
Hunter: Can’t I just grab her things? I don’t want…
Nurse: Hunter, I promise everything in here will be left as it is.
Shelby: Oh my God, could you just give me some painkillers instead of standing around talking? Seriously… Kill me now.
Hunter: (Turning on Shelby) It’s not always about you, you know.
Shelby feigns a noise of severe discomfort
Nurse: Hunter, why don’t you step out for a bite to eat or something? I’m really sorry.
Shelby: I hate this place!
Nurse: (Turning back to Shelby). Oh, it’s not that bad Honey! I promise, pretty soon it’ll feel just like home.
Hunter begins to leave. As she goes, Shelby continues to complain.
Shelby: Yeah right…if this was like home, I’d have all my stuff with me. This sucks!
Hunter exits. Blackout
Scene 2:
Moments later that same morning
Eve and Lila are in their hospital room. Eve lies in bed while Lila sits in her chair across the floor. Lila struggles to stand up and slowly walks to Eve’s bed.
Lila: Can we talk about it?
Eve: I guess so…
Lila: I mean we don’t have to if you’re not up for it.
Eve: I guess I’m just -
Lila: Embarrassed?
Eve: Yeah.
Pause.
Lila: Well I’m glad you didn’t do it.
Eve: Me too.
Pause. Lila sits beside Eve on her bed
Lila: Why did you want to…?
Eve: I thought it would be better than all this.
Gestures towards bed, I.V and monitors
Lila: I just don’t understand. I’ve been in treatment for months now and killing myself has never even crossed my mind.
Eve: Well at least you have a chance of recovering.
Pause
Lila: I never thought of it like that. (Beat) Hey, why don’t we just forget it? No use dwelling on the past. Just know that I’m always here if you need me. You can even wake me up in the middle of the night if you need to talk. Not after chemo though, that might get ugly.
They laugh
Eve: Sounds good to me.
SONG: Make yourself at home reprise.
As the song comes to an end,
Lila takes Eve’s hand as a sign of friendship and trust
Eve: Thank you.
Nurse enters, a look of sadness on her face
Lila: Time for lunch already?
Nurse: Lila…
Lila: Don’t look so upset. I won’t complain about the menu today.
Nurse: Lila…I need to talk to you…in private.
Lila: We can talk here. (Smiling at Eve) No secrets, right?
Eve smiles at Lila
Nurse: (Brief pause) Lila I have some bad news about Jeremy.
Lila: What?
Nurse: There was an accident, in Jeremy’s unit. A bomb explosion.
Lila: Oh my God! Is he okay?
Lila stands weakly as Eve sits up in her bed
Nurse: I’m afraid it was a direct hit. He died on the way to the hospital at the army base.
Lila: (Becoming emotional) No…no…it must be a mistake. He promised he would come back…he promised!
Nurse: I’m so sorry honey.
Lila collapses onto the floor sobbing. Eve gets up. She and the Nurse surround Lila as the lights fade.
Scene 3:
Later that day
Lights come up on a crowded cafeteria. Hunter enters with a tray of food and looks for a place to sit. Seeing an open seat next to Eve, she goes and sits.
Eve recognizing Hunter from the café, gasps in surprise and starts to choke a little bit on the food she’s been eating. She coughs.
Hunter: Are you ok?
Eve: Y-yeah I'm fine. Thanks.
Tries to stop coughing, making it worse
Hunter: I guess that's a natural reaction to hospital food huh?
Laughs at her own joke. Hunter suddenly recognizes Eve from before
Hunter: Hey…I think…Don’t you work at that café on 12th Ave.?
Eve’s eyes widen.
Eve: Um….oh…. no. I don't even… drink coffee.
Hunter plays along
Hunter: That's probably a good call. I'm pretty sure I'd be 3 inches taller by now if I wasn’t a slave to that damn mermaid.
Eve tears the lid off of a red Jell-o
Hunter: Are you really going to eat that? You are a far braver soul than I considering all the rumors I've heard around here.
Eve: (laugh) Yeah. People here sure do take Jell-o seriously, don't they? They either love it or they hate it and no one's in-between.
Hunter: I for one think it's ironic that the staple food of a hospital would look so much like a blood clot.
Eve pushes the jell-o to the side
Eve: Well, now I know what side I'm on.
Hunter: Oh wow. Sorry. I swear I need a muzzle sometimes.
Eve: Don't worry about it. I'm a vegetarian, so I'm pretty sure that food made from cow bones is cheating anyway.
Hunter: Vegetarian? I know all about that… My sister is the same way… You don't know her do you? Holly Flendale?
Eve shakes her head no
Hunter: Right. Why would you? I feel so politically incorrect thinking that all vegetarians must know each other.
Eve smiles kindly at her joke, but Hunters face turns serious.
Hunter: She died… I'm just picking up her stuff.
Eve's smile quickly fades from her face and is replaced with a look of compassion. Not really sure what to say.
Eve: Sorry…about your sister.
Hunter: No, no, no. You have nothing to be sorry about. I didn't say that to make you feel bad...
Eve: Well…it's not your fault either or anything.
Hunter looks down at the food on her tray
Hunter: I don’t know about that. We got into this argument yesterday. It was stupid…I was stupid. She was about to have a heart transplant and I yelled at her. I told her that I hoped she felt good about somebody dying so she could live. I can’t help but feel that I am the reason she…it’s all my fault.
A moment of silence between them.
Eve: I bet she didn’t see that way.
Hunter: Maybe not. I'm not religious or anything… but I really hope Holly is somewhere nicer than here. Somewhere nicer than the life I made for her.
Eve: I… Think she must be… and she knows. She knows that you love her and she…she forgives you.
Hunter: How can you be so sure?
Eve: Well… my name is Eve…so I'm kind of an expert in all things holy.
Hunter looks surprised at Eve and smiles.
Hunter: Don't take this the wrong way, but if I needed to get closer to God, Eve is not the biblical character I would look to for guidance.
Eve laughs
Eve: Fair enough.
Hunter: Hey… I'm sorry for being such a bitch to you at the café. I'm working on being a decent human being, I swear
Eve: No worries. I think that my barista days are over anyway.
Hunter: That's probably a good call… I mean…Shit. Sorry.
Eve: (Smiling) Look, I messed up a Vanilla Latte. I mean if that isn't a sign then I don't know what is.
They laugh
Eve: Well…I better get back to my room. The nurse isn't someone you want to stand up… trust me.
Eve and Hunter rise. They hug goodbye.
Hunter: Thank you…for listening
Eve: Yeah.
Eve exits. Lights fade
Scene 4:
Sometime after lunch
Lights come up as Eve enters her hospital room. Lila is on her bed crying. Eve crosses to her.
Eve: Lila…if there is anything I can do…
Lila: (Snapping) Well there isn’t!
Eve turns back to her side of the room
Lila: Eve…I didn’t mean to yell
Eve goes to Lila
Eve: It’s okay. I wish there was a way to bring him back. I hate to see you in such pain.
Lila: (Looking up at Eve emotional) Why? Why did this happen? Is this some sort of cruel joke?
Eve: (Trying to comfort her) No…I don’t think…I don’t know why these things happen.
Lila: (Crying hard) It should have been me. I’m the one with cancer. It doesn’t make any sense.
Eve: You’re right it doesn’t make sense. Losing someone never does. When my mother died I wanted to run away, as far away as I could. I wanted to find someplace, anyplace where I wouldn’t feel the pain.
Lila: Did you ever find it?
Eve shakes her head
Eve: All I ever found was one empty town after another. Only to end up right where I started.
Pause
Lila: It isn’t fair.
Eve: You’re right Lila, none of this is fair but you can’t let it ruin you. He’s gone. You just have to trust that wherever he is, he’s okay.
Lila: (Crying) Then why does it hurt so much?
Eve: You are so strong, Lila. I’ve been watching you fight cancer like it’s nothing. I know you’re strong.
Lila: (Shaking her head) No. Jeremy was the strong one. I don’t think I can do this without him.
Eve: Look, we agreed that we would be there for each other right? I’ll be here to help you through this.
Lila smiles weakly.
Lila: I miss him so much.
Eve: You’re lucky that you had someone like Jeremy in your life, to have been loved so perfectly by someone.
Lila: Eve…I’m so scared…
Eve: I am too. But we’ll get through this.
Eve takes Lila into her arms and rocks her tenderly
Lights fade
Scene 5:
Late afternoon.
Lights Up. Hunter enters Shelby’s room. She glances at Shelby then grabs a box and resumes packing up Holly’s things.
Shelby: Wow, I’ve been here for three hours and this is already the worst experience of my life. Could they find a more uncomfortable bed than this? It’s like sleeping on a piece of plywood.
Hunter doesn’t look up at Shelby and continues to pack.
Hunter: You’ll get used to it.
Shelby: What are you doing? Are you being released?
Hunter: No, these were my sister’s things.
Shelby: Oh...is she going home? Lucky her!
Hunter stops packing and looks at Shelby.
Hunter: No. She died in surgery. Yesterday
Shelby: Sorry, I didn’t realize…
Hunter: It’s ok.
Several moments of silence
Shelby: What was her name?
Hunter: Holly. Holly Flendale.
She resumes packing
Shelby: Wait, Holly? You’re her sister?
Hunter: Yeah.
Shelby: I go to her school!
Hunter: Hmm...
Shelby: That’s crazy. I had no idea Holly had a sister. I had History with her last year, she seemed... nice. We didn’t really talk that much. She was pretty quiet.
Hunter: She was.
Shelby: So, you must be in college then?
Hunter: No, I’m a senior at your school.
Shelby: Really? I’ve never seen you before.
Hunter: I’m not there very much.
Hunter starts sorting through get well cards.
Shelby: You seem really cool.
Not really knowing how to respond.
Hunter: Thanks.
Shelby: So that History class I had with Holly was with Mr. Mills. You ever have him?
Hunter stops packing
Hunter: Oh God…not Mills. Yeah, last year I had him for AP Civics. Worst teacher I have ever had.
Shelby: I know right? I think Holly was the only one in there with a passing grade. He is literally the oldest man I’ve ever seen. What other teacher still uses a chalkboard?
Hunter laughs
Hunter: He smells too.
Shelby: God, I know! It’s like a subtle mix between cat piss and tuna fish.
They laugh uncontrollably for a few seconds.
Hunter: How did you end up in here anyway?
Shelby: I broke my pelvis in a cheerleading accident.
Hunter: I heard about that.
Shelby: Yeah, that little freshman Becky Jacobson dropped me during a basket toss. Don’t ask me how she made the team. I can’t walk for two weeks. My life is a living hell right now. Watch me gain 20 pounds.