Page 193 - Student: dazed And Confused

LEE
Spinal damage. They don’t know
how bad.
NANA
What happened?
LEE
There was a storm. The mirror
exploded and I think it was meant
for me.
NANA
You can’t think like that. It
could easily have been Craig or
little Paul or that girl.
23.
MAXIE
Daddy’s waiting. Come on.
He starts pulling at the woman’s arm and dragging her
towards the automatic entrance doors. Lee puts a handful
of coins in the pay and display machine then slides into
the car, keys in hand.
LEE
Don’t take the stairs.
HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - MOMENTS LATER - INT
Lift doors slide open and Nana and Maxie step out into the
too quiet white corridor. There is a cleaner coming down
the corridor with a squealy supply trolley. He passes with
barely a glance.
MAXIE
I don’t like it here.
Nana bends down and scoops him into her arms. She takes a
deep breath and hurries down to the ICU. Through the large
internal window she sees only medics in scrubs. A nurse
sees her, name checks her and opens the door to let them
in.
HOSPITAL ICU - CONTINUOUS - INT
Patients lie hooked up to beeping machines and coloured
drips. Felix occupies the bed nearest the window. A white
coat is scribbling on a chart by the bed. Maxie scrambles
down, climbs on top of Felix and lies atop him in a hug.
No-one says a word though the humming of machinery, the
ventilated breathing in the room seems to fill the ICU with
noise.
NANA
Is he okay to be up there?
24.
The white coat says nothing, finishes his writing and
breezes out of the room. Felix has needles and tubes
coming out of his arms and hands and sticky pads running
from his chest to monitors. She stands a foot from the
bed, watching as the medicines travel along clear tubes.