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    Will To Live
    Will To Live
    Will To Live
    Ebook191 pages1 hour

    Will To Live

    By Abbe Alexander

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Deus ex machina. In these days of organ transplants, chromosomal splicing and extended life support methods, the future for a patient is a bright one indeed. Or is it? What happens when a man's drive for life approaches a legal dead end? Only one woman who cares deeply for him can save him. But will she survive?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAbbe Alexander
    Release dateAug 7, 2017
    ISBN9781370541348
    Will To Live
    Author

    Abbe Alexander

    Abbe Alexander has written in various genres which, include novels and thrillers. She is an entrepenure in self-owned businesses and has traveled extensively abroad. She has written for the recording industry and movie studios. She writes poetry, lyrics, screenplays and short stories.Two writers who influenced her are John Grisham and Lee Child.Abbe's screenplays and scripts are available through her agent, YourEditorship1@aol.com. These screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the agent.

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      Book preview

      Will To Live - Abbe Alexander

      The following work is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

      Any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

      ISBN 9781370541348

      Copyright 2009

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

      Abbe's screenplays and scripts are available through her agent, YourEditorship1@aol.com. The screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the agent.

      Photography and Jacket design are original works of author.

      First Edition 

      WILL TO LIVE

      ACT I

      Ext: The camera scans the grounds of the hospital where fall is making itself known in the form of rain, falling leaves of all colors swirling to the ground in a hint of winter wind. It is dark and wet and the camera focuses in on the beginnings of a fall storm enveloping the grounds and creating an eerie atmosphere. In the background the piano plays a very sad tune called Melancholy.

      Narrator

      (Katherine Gilchrist speaks the music theme playing softly in the background)

      Stephen Milford Hastings was twenty-eight years old when his entire world suddenly crumbled before his eyes. The cause of this train wreck was a derailment of his general well-being that appeared to develop over a number of years.

      Stephen became my friend in the ninth grade. We were like buddies, even though I was a girl. I heard people call him gay, but that never bothered me. He was just a good friend. The other girls thought he was cute, and so did I.

      He actually ended up becoming one of my best friends later in life as the result of an incident in my nursing career which challenged my attitude toward him and toward life. This close brush with the grim reaper then changed my professional decision making from then on.

      I still remember that cold, dark rainy night when everything seemed lost and an eerie feeling of doom crept over me as I walked toward Stephen's room, hoping not to be alarmed, and sensing the threat I knew would be awaiting me once I crossed its threshold. Stephen had been admitted to Harmony Lodge after living for twenty years as a survivor on cocktails of the medical persuasion that made life possible, but at times intolerable. I remember knowing I had to do my job: remain calm and professional. Somehow though, when the reality of death hits us, the rules we set down through the laws we create to govern our lives seem to bend at warp speed.

      Ext: Katherine drives up and parks in front of the Care facility. Sees a man open the back door of the care home, exit the facility and enter his old beetle automobile parked in the parking lot. Immediately she sees a cigarette burning in the window of the car. She walks past him into the care facility door and proceeds to look for the nursing station to find nora blake the relief RN.

      INT: rest home nursing station dimly lit.

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST and Nora Blake are standing and sitting respectively at the old nursing station engaged in conversation, while the call bell light blinks down the hall.

      NORA BLAKE

      I'm so sorry for hauling you out in the middle of the night like this. I just didn't know what else to do. If we weren't agency nurses and I was used to this place I would have just done whatever the supervisor told me. You know that.

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      Oh, I know, don't worry about it. I would have done the same thing in your position. Where's his chart?

      NORA BLAKE

      Stephen's chart is right here. But look! It has the non-intervention code on it. You know what that means. Plus, the fact that his call light's on and has been for the last half hour.

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      How long has it been since you went to check on him?

      NORA BLAKE

      Oh, about an hour, but I didn't like what I saw. He doesn't look good to me at all. In fact, I think if something isn't done immediately he'll probably be dead by morning. That's why I called you. He needs IV antibiotics stat, and he can't get those in this place.

      (she looks down at the floor in distress and helplessness)

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      What does the supervisor have to say for herself?

      NORA BLAKE

      You mean himself. That's The problem. I think he's hiding somewhere. I don't think he really like Mr. Hastings too much, if you catch my drift.

      (Nora stares sternly at Katherine)

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      No, I don't know what you mean. Come on, what's going on here? If this guy's life is at stake, you have to tell me what the problem is. We're running out of time playing these kinds of games.

      NORA BLAKE

      I can't tell you exactly, but he spiked a fever about three hours ago, and then he just started shaking like a leaf. Then he broke out in perspiration all over his body. I've changed the bed and sponged him down a couple of times and tried to put a change of clothes on him to keep him dry, but he just keeps shaking and keeps complaining he is so sick. You go look at him, please, somebody's got to talk to him.

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      He's going to get dehydrated without an IV and his electrolytes will go out.

      NORA BLAKE

      Yes, and that will kill him, even if the fever doesn't.

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      Yeah, well, give me a flash light, I need to be able to see what he looks like he's not conscious and I don't want to turn the light on in the room.

      NORA BLAKE

      Yeah, OK, here you go.

      (hands her a flashlight)

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      Just cover for me, I'll go as quickly as I can.

      NORA BLAKE

      OK.

      Katherine proceeds to a room at the end of the hall. as she enters the room it appears very dark and empty. The PATIENT, A man of 50 years, covered in sweat and thrashing about in an entailment of sheets, lays prostrate in front of her.

      She aims the flashlight at the figure and moves toward him to get a closer look TO assess his condition.

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      Stephen, can you hear me?

      Stephen hastings

      (Stephen opens his eyes at this point, his voice is shaky and he sounds as though he is almost in tears)

      Yes, oh yes. Help me! For God's sake please help me. I'm so sick. I'm so scared.

      (he begins to cry)

      What's wrong? Please, please for God's sake what's wrong with me?

      (breaks down completely)

      Katherine steps back into the shadows for a minute in silence. She then gets closer to the bed and pulls back the covers to reveal the marks and ravages of disease on Stephen's body. the camera scans his body downward revealing a mass of contusions and then tilts back up to his face. She suddenly lets out a small gasp when she realizes she recognizes the man as Stephen, her old high school friend.

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      (she then begins speaking to Stephen)

      Stephen, listen to me. I know you Stephen. We went to high school together. Don't you remember me? I'm Katherine Gilchrist.

      STEPHEN HASTINGS

      Katherine! Katherine, oh my God, it can't be! Katherine Gilchrist, is it you? It's you! Thank God. Oh, thank God, you're here! You have to help me! You can, can't you?

      (begins to hyperventilate and cry again)

      Help me Katherine. Please, please.......

      (grabs onto her jacket sleeve)

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      I don't know how I can do much Stephen. What can I get you? Is there anything you need?

      (she grabs a glass off the night stand and holds it up to his mouth)

      Here, try to drink some of this water so you don't get too dehydrated. Can you drink this?

      STEPHEN HASTINGS

      (becoming more desperate)

      What's wrong with me? You must know what's wrong with me. I know you know, you're smart. You were always smart. You have to tell me. We're friends, you know, you and I, we're old friends.

      (begins to cry again)

      I'm so scared!

      (begins to sob convulsively)

      Am I going to die? I feel like I'm....

      II feel like I'm going down into a black hole.

      (sobs even more and is having trouble talking)

      ... Feel like I'm going to die. Am I going to?

      (he pauses to get his breath)

      I'm not going to die am I? That's what you won't tell me isn't it? You know I'm going to die. You know it don't you. But you can't tell me can you? You're not suppose to are you?

      KATHERINE GILCHRIST

      Stephen, you have to try to calm down! I don't think this is going to help your condition.

      STEPHEN HASTINGS

      (Stephen's voice becomes louder and higher pitched.

      (he is choking between sobs and gasping for breath)

      ! What's wrong with me? Please tell…have to know. Am I ....am…to....

      (breaks down sobbing uncontrollably)

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