"How do you find the words to say Good bye?"

Part One

Scene one—McKinnon house—late afternoon

Vicky is sitting on the couch reading a baby names book. Jake comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her.

Jake: Hey.

Vicky: (doesn’t look up from her book) Hi.

Jake walks around and sits down beside his wife on the couch. He looks at the book’s cover.

Jake: Baby names—what to name your child.

Vicky: (still reading) What about Emma?

Jake: Emma?

Vicky: For one of your daughters, Jake.

Jake: Oh. Right. Vic, listen, I thought we decided we’d wait to find out if the babies are girls or boys—

Vicky: Oh, no, you see, you decided that. I said they were girls. I can just feel it.

Jake: And you…know these things.

Vicky: (sets down the book) Oh, yeah. Yep. (thinks for a moment) Do you know what I’m really, really craving right now?

Jake: Wait, wait, wait! Let me guess…a T-bone steak with fries and a large salad with blue cheese dressing?

Vicky: No, but close. (thinks for a moment) Although that does sound really good, appetizing…But no. I’ll just stick with the chicken burger and french fries and onion rings. Oh, and you may want to slap a little sour cream on the fries. It tastes so much better.

Jake: (pretending to write down her order on his hand)…All right, will that be all, Miss?

Vicky: Well, since you asked, I’d love a double fudge chocolate cheese cake. Just a slice.

Jake: (laughs) I don’t think we have—

He sees the look on Vicky’s face.

Jake: (smiles and nods) We have it now.

Vicky: Good.

Jake: And, anything to drink?

Vicky: (sweetly) No, just a milk, please. Actually, I could use a cream soda float. You know, you fill up the glass right to the top—then you just drop in a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Or whatever flavor we have in the freezer.

Jake: (a bit confused) Got ‘cha. (takes her hand in his and kisses it softly) I will return.

Just as Jake disappears into the kitchen, the telephone rings. Vicky picks it up.

Vicky: Hello? Hi Joe. Yes. (listens to the person at the end of the line)…oh my God, is she okay? Uh huh. Okay, I understand. I’ll be right there.

Jake comes back into the living room as Vicky sets down the phone.

Jake: Did you say onion rings with the sour cream? (he sees the look on Vicky’s face) What’s wrong? Are you okay?

Vicky: (shakes her head) No, McKinnon, no. That was Joe on the phone.

Jake: What did he want? Vic, tell me what’s going on.

Vicky: (voice quivering) It’s Marley…she’s, um—she’s been in a bad accident.

Scene two—Bay City hospital—early evening

Vicky walks out of the elevator, followed by Jake. She walks to the main desk

Vicky: I’m Vicky McKinnon, my sister was brought in—Marley Hudson.

The nurse looks in a few files.

Nurse: Yes, dear. She’s in ICU 101. Just follow the—

Vicky walks off down the hall before the woman could finish giving directions.

Jake: Thanks. (jogs away to catch up with his wife)

Vicky looks around. Joe is outside Marley’s room, on his cell phone.

Joe: Okay. Yep. Listen, I gotta let you go. (puts his cell phone away)

Vicky: Joe, where’s Marley?

Joe: (signals to the room closet to him) In there, Vicky. The nurse will explain to you in the room.

Vicky: (nods and starts to walk into the hospital room. Jake squeezes her hand. She tries to smile back at him as she closes the door behind her.)

Jake: Thanks for calling, man.

Joe: No problem. From what the doctors told me, it sounds pretty bad.

Jake: What exactly happened?

Joe: Well, we’re still investigating, but it looks like Marley and Tyrone were in a bad accident off Highway 204…But, ah, Tyrone’s missing.

Jake: Missing…what do you mean, ‘missing?’

Joe: Missing as in ‘nowhere to be found.’

Jake: (confused) What about Marley?

Joe: Well, her injuries are pretty severe, but that’s really all I know. You’d have to talk to the doctor.

Jake: (nods) Thanks, buddy. (Joe gives him a pat on the back) I think I should—go in there—be with Vicky.

Joe: She needs you.

Jake opens the door and sees Vicky sitting in a chair by Marley’s hospital bed. Marley’s eyes are closed and she’s not moving. A doctor picks up a chart from the table and leaves. Jake quietly pulls a chair over and sits down beside his wife. There are tears in Vicky’s eyes and she has one hand over her face.

Jake: How’s she doing?

Vicky: (is silent for a moment) Um…the doctor said that she—she’s unconscious. (her voice is quivering. Tears begin to fall down her cheeks)

Jake puts his arm around her and she rests her head on his shoulder. Jake wipes off one of her cheeks with his hand.

Jake: Vic, I think you should take a little walk—with me. Get some fresh air.

Vicky: (shakes her head) No—no, I can’t. I have to stay with her, Jake. You know, she might wake up.

Jake: I understand. (stands up)

Vicky: I just would like to be alone with her right now.

Jake: (rests his hands on her shoulders and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek) You hang in there, I’ll be outside if you need me.

Jake closes the door behind him. Joe is still there.

Joe: I tried to get a hold of Donna, but there’s no answer anywhere.

Jake: She went out of town for the day. (looks at his watch) Try and give her a call in about an hour. Thanks for all your help, Joe. We appreciate it.

Joe: (shrugs) It’s my job. Listen, I’ve gotta run down to the station for a while. You okay here?

Jake: Fine. (Just as Joe is about to leave, there’s a long beep from Marley’s room.)

Vicky stands up and moves away from the bed as doctors surround the unconscious young woman.

Doctor: We don’t have a pulse!

Vicky: Is she okay—is she—(she is breathing deeply and stumbling backwards)

Doctor: Charge!

Nurse: Clear.

Doctor: (zaps Marley with the life compressors.) All right, again! Charge.

Nurse: Stand by…

Doctor: Clear!

Nurse: We have a pulse.

Doctor: (hands the compressors to the nurse) She’s stabilized. (The doctor and the nurse examine Marley for a few minutes. The doctor nods. She turns around to face Vicky) Are you related to this woman, Miss?

Vicky: Yes. Yes, she’s my sister.

Doctor: (looks back at Marley) All right, well, the situation’s gotten more complicated.

Vicky comes out of Marley’s room. Jake is there. They share a long hug

Vicky: Jake?

Jake: What is it, Vic?

Vicky: It’s Marley…she’s in a coma.