*11am—Tristan's apartment—Tristan is on the phone.
"Hey there?"
"Isn't, it a little bit early to be calling?"
"I don't think so. Besides, I missed hearing your beautiful voice."
"You only left here a few hours ago."
"I know."
"So what could you possibly have to say to me?"
"Let's see…I had a lot of fun last night, and I hope you'll let me go out with you again." Tristan answers slyly.
"Sure…name the day and time."
"Today, 10 minutes."
"Alright…but you better be taking me somewhere nice."
"Absolutely.
*Same Time—Nearby by Hospital.
*Jess is standing the hallway, leaning despairingly against the wall as a gray haired doctor explains the situation to him.
"…So, your wife is fine…probably some premature contractions…happens all the time with first pregnancies, we're doing some tests just to make sure." The solemn doctor smiles faintly at Jess before heading back to the nurses' station.
*Hospital Room.
Jess walks in; a dazed look on his face. Rory is lying on her side talking to a nurse.
"I'll be back in a few minutes." Rory's nurse replies, passing Jess as she exits.
Jess collapses into the chair to the right of Rory's bed.
A weak smile crosses Rory's lips as Jess strokes her hand. "What did he say?" She whispers.
Jess sighs, "He said, it's probably just early contractions…its common…he says."
Rory lets go of Jess' hand, her eyes fixated on her stomach. "I don't think that's it, something's wrong, I know it is"
*6pm
*Tristan and Laura exit the movie theatre.
"I can't believe I just sat through that."
"What? That was a great film." Tristan replies defensively
"It was a cartoon." Laura quips.
"So, that makes it a bad film. Get a grip, Laur."
"Ok…" She answers grabbing hold of Tristan's backside.
"Whoa!" Tristan says in faked despair. "Come on, we just met yesterday… I think we're moving a little fast here." Tristan smirks.
"…Oh. So I guess going back to my place is out of the question." Laura quips hurrying past Tristan.
Tristan's face turns pink as he pulls her back, " I didn't say that." Laura smiles at Tristan, leaning in for a kiss. Tristan puts his arms around her. "…This feels nice."
Laura looks up at Tristan, "Yea, it does."
"So…how about we— Tristan's words go unheard, drowned by the ringing of his cell phone.
Reluctantly, Tristan answers it. "Look, buddy…I know I said I'd be there at three but—
"Tristan." A hoarse voice resounds through the phone.
"Who is this?" Tristan asks confused.
Tristan pulls the phone away from his ear as a bang is heard, followed by cursing from the caller.
"J-Jess?" Tristan questions. "What was that?"
"My knee."
"What'd you do?"
"…Hit it against the wall."
"Why?"
"Because."
Taken back by the screaming in the background, Tristan raises his voice, "Where are you?"
There is silence at the other end.
"Jess?"
"I-I have to go, just do me a favor, there's a key under the mat in the hall…can you pick up some clothes for me…and my cell phone."
"Alright sure…where am I bringing this stuff?"
"Harvard Hospital."
"What?!"
"Look, I really have to go…go to the 4th floor nurses station, they'll tell you where to go."
"Alright…wait Je— The phone clicks before Tristan can continue.
Tristan sighs, turning to Laura. "Come on we have to go."
"What's going on?"
"It's Rory…" Tristan answers, devastated.
"Is she alright?"
"I don't know."
*1/2 hour later.
"3rd door on the left." A nurse points down the hall.
Tristan turns towards the hall, but Laura holds back."
"I think I should wait out here." Laura says meekly.
Tristan's eyes soften, "No, come in. Please." Tristan holds out hand to Laura, she takes it. Quietly they move down the hallway.
Immediately Tristan spots Jess standing outside, Jess walks towards him.
"Hi." He says quietly.
"Hey." Tristan nods at jess, holding tightly onto Laura's hand. "I-Is she ok?"
"The doctors say so." Jess says looking down at his feet. "I just came out here…so she could sleep."
"What happened?"
"I don't know, she had some pains…so we came down here, and they told us it was nothing…we'd be out of here by 1…around 3 they came in, told us the baby's heart rate was dropping."
"Oh my God." Laura says uncontrollably.
"So, they hooked up these machines…to monitor everything, and since then nothing's changed…so they decided to keep her over night."
"Well, here's your stuff."
"Thanks, man." Jess sighs.
The two men stand awkwardly beside one another, unsure of what to say. Laura breaks the silence.
"Have you eaten?"
"No, but it's ok…I don't think my stomach could handle anything fried." Jess says flatly.
"What about soup?"
"Don't go to the trouble."
It's no trouble…Tristan, give me your keys I'll run home and be back in half an hour.."
"Here." Tristan takes out his keys and hands them to Laura. Laura retreats but Tristan follows behind her. "I'll come with you."
"No, stay here. Your friend needs you. I'll be back." Laura replies kissing Tristan goodbye.
Tristan joins Jess who is now leaning against the wall. "So, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine…I just, I don't know what to do" Jess involuntarily runs his fingers through his hair.
"…Man, you should have seen her in there, she knew something was wrong…. way before those ass holes did…but she just sat there, waiting, holding my hand…I could see the tears in her eyes, but she just stayed calm. You know, she was actually sat there, comforting me...." Jess' eyes become cloudy as the muscles in his neck tighten "She's the one in the hospital…yet I'm the one crying like a baby, I just wanted to pick her up and hold her, but I couldn't even hold her hand. Jess holds out his arm.
Tristan frowns at Jess' shaking form, turning his back to Jess he mutters, "I'm sorry…"
"So am I."
"Hey there?"
"Isn't, it a little bit early to be calling?"
"I don't think so. Besides, I missed hearing your beautiful voice."
"You only left here a few hours ago."
"I know."
"So what could you possibly have to say to me?"
"Let's see…I had a lot of fun last night, and I hope you'll let me go out with you again." Tristan answers slyly.
"Sure…name the day and time."
"Today, 10 minutes."
"Alright…but you better be taking me somewhere nice."
"Absolutely.
*Same Time—Nearby by Hospital.
*Jess is standing the hallway, leaning despairingly against the wall as a gray haired doctor explains the situation to him.
"…So, your wife is fine…probably some premature contractions…happens all the time with first pregnancies, we're doing some tests just to make sure." The solemn doctor smiles faintly at Jess before heading back to the nurses' station.
*Hospital Room.
Jess walks in; a dazed look on his face. Rory is lying on her side talking to a nurse.
"I'll be back in a few minutes." Rory's nurse replies, passing Jess as she exits.
Jess collapses into the chair to the right of Rory's bed.
A weak smile crosses Rory's lips as Jess strokes her hand. "What did he say?" She whispers.
Jess sighs, "He said, it's probably just early contractions…its common…he says."
Rory lets go of Jess' hand, her eyes fixated on her stomach. "I don't think that's it, something's wrong, I know it is"
*6pm
*Tristan and Laura exit the movie theatre.
"I can't believe I just sat through that."
"What? That was a great film." Tristan replies defensively
"It was a cartoon." Laura quips.
"So, that makes it a bad film. Get a grip, Laur."
"Ok…" She answers grabbing hold of Tristan's backside.
"Whoa!" Tristan says in faked despair. "Come on, we just met yesterday… I think we're moving a little fast here." Tristan smirks.
"…Oh. So I guess going back to my place is out of the question." Laura quips hurrying past Tristan.
Tristan's face turns pink as he pulls her back, " I didn't say that." Laura smiles at Tristan, leaning in for a kiss. Tristan puts his arms around her. "…This feels nice."
Laura looks up at Tristan, "Yea, it does."
"So…how about we— Tristan's words go unheard, drowned by the ringing of his cell phone.
Reluctantly, Tristan answers it. "Look, buddy…I know I said I'd be there at three but—
"Tristan." A hoarse voice resounds through the phone.
"Who is this?" Tristan asks confused.
Tristan pulls the phone away from his ear as a bang is heard, followed by cursing from the caller.
"J-Jess?" Tristan questions. "What was that?"
"My knee."
"What'd you do?"
"…Hit it against the wall."
"Why?"
"Because."
Taken back by the screaming in the background, Tristan raises his voice, "Where are you?"
There is silence at the other end.
"Jess?"
"I-I have to go, just do me a favor, there's a key under the mat in the hall…can you pick up some clothes for me…and my cell phone."
"Alright sure…where am I bringing this stuff?"
"Harvard Hospital."
"What?!"
"Look, I really have to go…go to the 4th floor nurses station, they'll tell you where to go."
"Alright…wait Je— The phone clicks before Tristan can continue.
Tristan sighs, turning to Laura. "Come on we have to go."
"What's going on?"
"It's Rory…" Tristan answers, devastated.
"Is she alright?"
"I don't know."
*1/2 hour later.
"3rd door on the left." A nurse points down the hall.
Tristan turns towards the hall, but Laura holds back."
"I think I should wait out here." Laura says meekly.
Tristan's eyes soften, "No, come in. Please." Tristan holds out hand to Laura, she takes it. Quietly they move down the hallway.
Immediately Tristan spots Jess standing outside, Jess walks towards him.
"Hi." He says quietly.
"Hey." Tristan nods at jess, holding tightly onto Laura's hand. "I-Is she ok?"
"The doctors say so." Jess says looking down at his feet. "I just came out here…so she could sleep."
"What happened?"
"I don't know, she had some pains…so we came down here, and they told us it was nothing…we'd be out of here by 1…around 3 they came in, told us the baby's heart rate was dropping."
"Oh my God." Laura says uncontrollably.
"So, they hooked up these machines…to monitor everything, and since then nothing's changed…so they decided to keep her over night."
"Well, here's your stuff."
"Thanks, man." Jess sighs.
The two men stand awkwardly beside one another, unsure of what to say. Laura breaks the silence.
"Have you eaten?"
"No, but it's ok…I don't think my stomach could handle anything fried." Jess says flatly.
"What about soup?"
"Don't go to the trouble."
It's no trouble…Tristan, give me your keys I'll run home and be back in half an hour.."
"Here." Tristan takes out his keys and hands them to Laura. Laura retreats but Tristan follows behind her. "I'll come with you."
"No, stay here. Your friend needs you. I'll be back." Laura replies kissing Tristan goodbye.
Tristan joins Jess who is now leaning against the wall. "So, how are you doing?"
"I'm fine…I just, I don't know what to do" Jess involuntarily runs his fingers through his hair.
"…Man, you should have seen her in there, she knew something was wrong…. way before those ass holes did…but she just sat there, waiting, holding my hand…I could see the tears in her eyes, but she just stayed calm. You know, she was actually sat there, comforting me...." Jess' eyes become cloudy as the muscles in his neck tighten "She's the one in the hospital…yet I'm the one crying like a baby, I just wanted to pick her up and hold her, but I couldn't even hold her hand. Jess holds out his arm.
Tristan frowns at Jess' shaking form, turning his back to Jess he mutters, "I'm sorry…"
"So am I."
