Francessca lies on the floor of the
elevator car counting her contractions as Rego talks on the phone.
Francessca: How long was that?
Rego: What? (He say hanging up the
phone and coming to her)
Francessca: How many minutes since
the last time I asked you?
Rego: Twenty minutes. (He looks at
his watch then back at her)
Francessca: God! We’ve been in here
for twenty minutes!
Rego: Twenty-five minutes.
Francessca: So I’ve been in labor
for twenty-five minutes?
Rego: No, the timing between
contractions is twenty minutes we’ve been in here for twenty-five minutes.
Francessca: Okay (Relaxing just a
little gulping in air she leans back against the wall and closes her eyes) any
news on getting us out of here?
Rego: Last time I checked they were
sending men to work on it.
Francessca: When was that? (She
wipes the beads of perspiration from her forehead and sighs)
Rego: I’m not sure. (He looks
around the car in confusion for a clock)
Francessca: Well? (She opens her
eyes and stares at him)
Rego: Well what? (His head snapping
back to her his confusion mounting)
Francessca: Were you always this
dense? (She sits up a little glaring at him annoyed)
Rego: I beg your pardon? (Sounding
and looking offended at her sudden annoyance)
Francessca: Would you check again?
(She growls shooting him a death glare the same one she had at the church he
subconsciously grasps his midsection then reaches for the receiver)
Rego: Yes, yes of course I’m
checking. (He puts the receiver to his ear pressing the zero again) Hello
anyone there? Hello?
Scene shift Nurses station Jamie
walks to the counter placing the charts he was holding on top watching the
activity around the elevator.
Jamie: What’s going on? (He turns
to the Nurse standing next to him staring as if transfixed at the elevator
doors)
Nurse: Oh Dr. Martin I’m glad
you’re here!
Jamie: Why what’s happening?
Nurse: The elevator is stuck literally
between floors and there’s a pregnant woman trapped inside possibly giving
birth.
Jamie: Is she alone? (He runs his
hand through his hair and eerie feeling coming over him)
Nurse: There’s a man inside with
her.
Jamie: Are they both okay otherwise?
Nurse: I think so.
Workman: Hey I need some help (He
turns toward them waving his radio in the air) I have a guy in the elevator
patched in to my radio he needs some help in there.
Jamie: I’ll take it. (He walks
towards him feeling more anxious by the moment)
Workman: Press here to talk. (He
says handing him the radio and pointing to the button on the side)
Jamie: Thanks! This is Dr. Martin.
Rego: Jamie? (He stares at the
receiver then at Francessca who’s eyes become wide as saucers)
Jamie: Rego? (His heart pounding in
his chest)
Francessca: Jamie! (She says
reaching for the receiver)
Jamie: Is that Francessca? (He
squeals his face white with fear and loathing.)
Rego: Yes. (He reaches for
Francessca’s hand she holds it in a tentative grasp her fear winning over her
anger)
Jamie: Is she the one in labor?
Rego: What do you think! (He grinds
out rolling his eyes) YES! You have to get her out of here.
Jamie: Okay calm down let me talk
to her. (Rego holds out the receiver to Francessca only to have it snap his
wrist back as the cord reaches it’s limit)
Rego: I can’t the cord won’t
stretch that far I can hold up the receiver. (He holds it up pointing it at
Francessca who tries to lean forward as she yells at the receiver)
Francessca: Jamie get us out of
here! (She moans sounding on the verge of tears)
Jamie: They’re trying sweetheart.
Francessca: I don’t want our bay
born in a dirty elevator! (Fear and frustration tingeing her shriek her fist
pounding against the wall)
Jamie: I know honey they’re working
as fast as they can. Put Rego back on. (Rego pulls the phone away putting it to
his ear) How far apart are the contractions.
Rego: About twenty, minutes.
Jamie: Okay you’re going to have to
check for the babies’ head.
Rego: How do I do that? (His head
snapping back to Francessca laying quietly her head against the wall eyes
closed she was quiet he’d rather keep her that way and this sounded unpleasant
at the very least)
Jamie: You’re going to have to look
at Francessca’s vagina and see if you see the top of the babies’ head.
Rego: Oh Good God! (His face
flushes
Jamie: Come on Rego she’s depending
on you now lift up her dress and look.
Rego: Hold on (he lays the receiver
on the floor then turns a sheepish grin to Francessca) I have to check for the
babies’ head.
Francessca: Oh good grief! (She
rolls her eyes her face flushing scarlet)
Rego: I bet you didn’t think we’d
be this intimate again did you?
Francessca: Oh just look would you.
(She swats hat his head just missing him making him smirk broader He lifts the
hem tentatively peering under)
Rego: Everything looks familiar
nothing out of place. (He jokes enjoying Francessca’s embarrassment)
Jamie: Can you see the head? (He
screams in to the phone causing Rego to jerk his head and almost drop it)
Rego: No nothing yet. (Letting go
of her hem and stuffing back a guffaw of laughter at the hateful look she shot
him as she smoothed it down)
Jamie: Good we have some time. Do
you have any newspaper or blankets?
Rego: Where a relative re-cycle bin
in here. (He looks around at the bags strewn about the floor folded news copy
sticking out the corner of one)
Jamie: Are they clean?
Rego: Are they clean? (He looks at
Francessca reaching for the bag and plopping it in his lap)
Francessca: They’re all folded I
think so. (She shrugs they were still cleaner than the floor)
Rego: Yeah.
Jamie: Okay good you’re going to
need some other stuff I’m going to see if I can get it lowered to you. In the
mean time ask Francessca if she has a clamp or string, a knife maybe scissors?
Rego: Tell me again why would she
have these things? (He places the bundle to the side then scouts over to
Francessca)
Jamie: She’s an art teacher she
always has weird things in her purse! Just ask her! I’ll be right back hang in
there. (He turns to the workman next to him) Is there anyway I can get down
there?
Workman: Not right now the elevator
company if working with the fire department to secure the car and until they do
we can’t have people jumping around on top of it.
Jamie: Can we at least lower some
supplies down to them from the top?
Workman: We may be able to lower it
through the hatch on the floor above! Hey Pete see if you can find the harness
and straps (He takes his hat off swipes at the beads of sweat forming on his
brow)
Jamie: Nurse I need you to get
everything we need from obstetrics then go to Pediatrics and see if the still
have that big basket from Easter and get the on call doctor here stat!
Nurse: Yes doctor!
Jamie: Can you get the doors open
above so we can lower that stuff down to them?
Workman: I got them working on it
now doc.
Vinny: Jamie what’s going on? Hey
what’s up Bob?
Workman: W’sup Vinny?
Jamie: What are you doing here?
Vinny: I was putting in a bid for
the new parking lot, I was on my way out and I ran in to Pete from the maintenance
department I heard Bob here on the radio say you needed to lower some stuff
down to people trapped in an elevator?
Jamie: It’s Francessca and Rego and
she’s in labor. (His eyes worried and pleading)
Vinny: Holy Father, Mary and
Joseph! Well I got my harness straps and belts out of my truck I could climb
down without touching the car (The latter louder looking at Bob who’s mouth
flaps open then closed with a ready warning) open the hatch for ya and lower
the stuff in.
Jamie: How are you going to get
down there?
Vinny: They got hooks on the walls
just like a window washer! Plus, I’m insured! (He turns winking at Bob who’s
expression relaxes with the news)
Jamie: Thanks Vin.
Vinny: Forgetaboutit! You think I’m
not going to help out my girl? Plus her Grandmother would kill me! (He whispers
loudly giving Jamie’s ribs a playful nudge) Now where are we going? (Both he
and Jamie turn and look at Bob)
Workman: Follow me Vinny
Jamie: Nurse get that stuff up to
the 5th floor to me stat! (He turns running to the stairwell) Hang
in there honey helps on the way. (He say in to the radio as he runs up the
stairs two at a time. Cassandra presses the “ignore” button on her vibrating
phone then slips from her spot unnoticed she waits a moment by the steps till the
door closes above her then slinks up the steps behind him)
way to go Vinny
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