Juliet: (after who-knows-how-long of trying on dresses) Those will work. (turns to her Nurse) Do you mind leaving me alone tonight?

Nurse: Not at all, dear. (mumbling to herself) With the husband she's getting, she might as well get used to it.

(Enter an excited Lady Capulet)

Lady Capulet: Need any help?

Juliet: No, madam, we've figured out the best things for me to wear tomorrow at the ceremony. So if it's okay with you, I'd like to be left alone now. Let the Nurse sit up with you tonight.

Lady Capulet: Alright, then…. (goes to Juliet)

Juliet: Mom… are you crying?

Lady Capulet: No mother ever wants to see their child grow up so quickly. After tonight, you'll be swept away to the palace! (hugs her tightly) I'll miss you my dear!

Juliet: (groaning) Uh, Mother? Can't… breathe!

Lady Capulet: (releases Juliet as she gasps for air) Oh! Sorry, dear. (stands and begins to walk offstage) Good night, my child. (Both she and the Nurse exit)

Juliet: Farewell. Good knows when we shall meet again. (pulls out the vial, shaking) I don't know if I can do this…. Nurse! (covers her mouth) What good can she do here? (looking at the vial) What if this doesn't work? I'll have to marry the Count in the morning? (groans) Why must I marry him? He's so….

Author: Conceited? Rude? Arrogant?

Juliet: Old!

Author: That was gonna be my next guess.

Juliet: The vial could be anything! Poison, wine-!

Author: Or a huge bottle of Nyquil!

Juliet: (glaring at Author) Are you quite finished?

Author: (giggling under her breathe) Yeah, go ahead.

Juliet: What if, when I am put in the tomb, I wake up before Romeo comes to save me? Won't I suffocate? Will I die of suffocation before Romeo comes? Or if I live, I'll be surrounded by death and darkness. There will be bones hundreds of years old in that tomb, my ancestors' bones. Tybalt's body will be in there, freshly entombed, and his corpse will be rotting. Will I hear shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth, that living mortals, hearing them, run mad—? If I wake up too early, won't I go insane with all these horrible, frightening things around me, start playing with my ancestors' bones, and pull Tybalt's corpse out of his death shroud? Will I grab one of my dead ancestor's bones and bash in my own skull? Oh, look! Methinks I see my cousin's ghost seeking out Romeo, that did spit his body upon a rapier's point. Stay, Tybalt, stay! Romeo! (holding up vial as if to toast someone) Here's drink. I drink to thee. (She downs the concoction, and with a quick gasp, she drops)

(Applause is heard in the audience)

Director: Great job! I think that's the best I've seen you do, Jules! (no response) Jules? (still no response) Oh my God.

(He, along with the Author and Tech Guy run to Juliet)

Tech Guy: (checks for a pulse) Well… she's still alive.

Director: (breathing a loud sigh of relief) Thank God!

Tech Guy: It looks like she's only asleep. But what could make her knock out?

Author: (takes the vial and sniffs, groaning in disgust)

Director: What is it?

Author: (looking at Juliet) When I said Nyquil, I was only joking.

Director: Well, how long will she be out?

Author: With the amount she just took, probably a couple of hours.

Director: Meaning…?

Author: Around the time she's scheduled to wake up in the show.

Director: (nodding his head) Okay. That should work then. I thought she was dead.

Author: Well, I'm not entirely sure if my calculations are entirely accurate….

Director: (epicfacepalm)

Welp, this turned out to be an interesting chapter.

Tech Guy: How the heck did you know it was Nyquil?

Meh, I've had some cases of the cold and flu in the past. Who wouldn't recognize the smell?

Tech Guy: Non-sick people.

Exactly.