It's late at night.
Mindy is sneaking into the clinic's OR. She is not wearing her scrubs; she's just wearing her everyday clothes. She leaves her coat and handbag on the instruments table and switches on an intense operation light. She eyes around and seeing nobody, she reaches to the operation table/bed and lies there. She starts to stretch her muscles, groaning a bit as she moves. Her articulations make little cracking sounds. Finally, she stops moving and just relaxes there, breathing out the stress of the day. Just when she is enjoying the first silent moment of the day, a door creaks. She stands up on the bed, alarmed, and looks around.
M (nervous): Hello...Hello?...Oh my god, oh my god…
She starts to pace around the OR as she hyperventilates.
M: Oh my god what was I thinking? A beautiful woman, alone in the middle of the night… in a deserted place full of torture instruments. It's so cliché. How didn't I see this coming? I might as well be in my underwear. I'm so dead…
Just as she is nearing the gallery window of the OR, the light on the other side lights up and there's Danny, with a numb expression, just across her. Mindy lets out a horrified scream and retraces her steps so quickly that she trips over the instruments table and falls down.
CUT ...
Mindy is on the operation table once again, and Danny is by her side stitching up some small wounds on her leg.
M (angry): What are you even doing here, you freak?! Ouch!
D: Stay down, soldier. Also, I could ask YOU the same.
Mindy is restless on the table.
D: Oh, stay still dear lord… I'm trying to work here, so don't be drama queen. Now tell me, why are you still at the practise?
M: Ugh, god… Well, if you must know, I was trying to find some peace and quiet spot to blow off some steam. It was such a busy day! I'm never going out of town again; it set me back aaaages.
D: Yeah, tough Monday for sure... but why didn't you go to the lounge room like always?
M: Oh, Jeremy is there seducing some receptionist from the holistic center. It's gross to even look at. Plus, my day is over.
D: Then how about some old-fashioned uh, I don't know… home?
M: I'm not a retard Danny… my brother is staying over during the break. He is still trying to get that rap career a go. It's killing me… I just wanted some quiet minutes…
D (trying to look indifferent): Was golden boy busy?
M: Yeah, church stuff… Speaking of which, what are YOU doing here at this "ungodly hour"? (mimicking The Godfather voice)
Danny finishes putting gauze over Mindy's leg and starts to pack up the instruments.
D: I don't even know what… Are you trying… Is that the God…? Nevermind… Well, truth is I was kind of – uhm – avoiding… someone.
M: You mean your ex-wife?
D: Yeah
M: Well, then sneak out the back and take a cab home!
D: No, that's the thing, you see? She's not waiting for me here. She's… there. At my house.
M (outraged): What?! You gave her your keys?
D (gesturing with his hands): I'm sorry, okay?! I panicked! I wasn't ready! And she was all talkative and I had a lot of work and I couldn't deal with her! And, and -
M: Whoa, Castellano, take five! Oh my god, look at that sweaty forehead! What's your damage, Heather?
D: Shit Mindy! Why must you use all these weird quotes? I don't even get them! (Sweating profusely). Dammit… damn sweat.
Danny starts wiping his face quite aggressively. Mindy hands him a gauze pad.
M: Oh… Oh she gets you alright…
D (with the pad in the middle of his face): What are you talking about?
M: She's the reason you're an oily mess dude!
D (trying to get off the pad that is now all wet and dripping): Whatever…
M: Here, let me get that for you
Mindy removed the pad carefully. Their faces were really close now, and Mindy swallowed nervously looking at Danny's dimples. Those damned dimples, so sexy… "UGH! Now you think he is sexy you stupid, stupid girl?"
Before that plane ride, she could have done this a thousand times and she wouldn't have felt a thing. But now, something had woken up inside her, and there was no way around it. She took more gauze pads and wiped his face slowly and gently.
Danny was cooling off, and was starting to really look at her face. She seemed concentrated on her task, and he considered her quite pretty for a moment.
Their eyes met for a minute and then Mindy stepped aside and threw all the wet pads in the trashcan. She peered around the corner of her eye. Danny seemed a little anxious but - weirdly enough - he didn't sweat anymore.
D: Okay, I'm out…
Danny then left the OR, leaving Mindy to grab her stuff quickly and follow him.
CUT ...
Danny is in his office, wiping out the remains of sweat on his shirt. Mindy walks in and shuts the door. Then she turns off the light.
M (whispering): Bend down, bend down now!
D: What?
M (whispering): Silence, you fool!
Mindy runs to Danny and tackles him to the floor behind his desk. A second later, a flashlight beam crosses the office.
M: It's security. I didn't even know we had security!
D: Yeah, we hired it after… you know… My friend, the punk…
The security guard opens the door, which makes Danny and Mindy jump a little. They end up sneaked in a corner behind the desk, their faces inches away from each other. Although they remain quiet, their chests become a little agitated – almost feeling the electricity between the bodies. Finally the guard leaves and shuts the door on his way out. The moonlight slips through the shutters, lighting Mindy and Danny's figures lightly.
M: You know, we could just tell him we are here, right? I mean, we are basically the owners of this place and -
Mindy shuts up when she sees Danny immerse in his thoughts, clearly distraught.
M: You need to talk to her. The sooner the better.
D (confused): What are you talking about?
Mindy gives Danny a tired look. He looks at her now understanding, apologetic.
M: I mean, don't you want to move on?
D: Well, sure but -
M: Then you need to talk to her Danny. It's the only way to move on to better, healthier things
D (mocking): Well, look who's the relationship master now?
M (defending herself): All I'm saying is: it worked for me. Now I can move on with... you know, Casey.
D: I know... But exactly who would I move on with though?
Danny gives her a mysterious yet meaningful look. Mindy gets flustered and moves away from Danny, blushing.
M: I – I don't know man. With, whoever! I'm just saying: do it. You will thank yourself – and me - in the morning.
Danny stands up carefully and helps Mindy up. When their hands touch the tingling warmth shocks Mindy once again. For a minute there they both stare at their intertwined hands.
D (looking at Mindy): Okay, I'll do it.
M (distracted, still looking at their hands): What?
D (letting go of her hand): I'm going home; I'm gonna face Christina.
M (surprised): Oh! Great.
Suddenly, Mindy feels like she might be planning her own funeral. What if Danny went to Christina and ended up back together with her? Wait a minute. So what if he did? She didn't care… she couldn't. Just because of some lame-ass comment made by a cocaine addict, she was now claiming Danny as his? Also, she had a boyfriend! A good Christian boyfriend that is – literally.
Obviously she was still keeping her eyes out for a future debacle (let's face it, there was always a very dark skeleton in her guys' closets), but everything was going good so far, and at least she was confident Casey wasn't a serial cheater. And he wasn't a sweaty wrecking ball either… A damaged, grumpy, sweet wrecking ball.
"Shit. Stop it, Mindy" she said to herself.
D (grabbing his stuff): Okay, I'm off. Wish me luck…!
Danny awkwardly patted Mindy on the back, and then turned to the door.
M: Danny
D (turning around): Yeah?
M (serious): Just remember... She broke you.
D (after a silent moment): … I wouldn't really call it that -
M: She broke you Danny. She did. Don't forget that.
D (with a crooked, sad smile): Yeah. Don't worry, I won't.
Danny left, and Mindy sighed. She put on her coat and picked up her handbag. She was about to open the door when she looked at the ceiling.
M: God, you saw nothing, okay? Nothing!