Hospital Hallway — Day
The hospital hallway is unusually quiet. Doctors and nurses move quickly from room to room while Larry stands outside Bethany’s hospital room, looking exhausted and worried. He keeps glancing through the small window in the door.
Bethany is lying in the hospital bed, resting under the observation of the medical staff. Larry takes a deep breath. He looks angry, but underneath the anger is fear.
Suddenly, the elevator doors open. Charlotte steps out. She is holding a beautiful flower bouquet in both hands. She looks worried as she walks down the hallway, unaware that Larry is standing nearby.
Charlotte approaches Bethany’s room. Before she can enter, Larry notices her. His expression immediately changes.
LARRY: What are you doing here?
Charlotte stops. She looks at Larry, then at the hospital room.
CHARLOTTE: I heard Bethany was here. I just came to see how she’s doing.
Charlotte lifts the bouquet slightly.
CHARLOTTE: I brought these flowers for her.
Larry stares at the bouquet. He doesn’t look impressed. Instead, his frustration grows.
LARRY: Flowers? You think flowers are going to fix this?
Charlotte’s face becomes nervous.
CHARLOTTE: Larry, I don’t understand. What happened?
Larry steps closer. He points toward Bethany’s room.
LARRY: Look at her. Look at what happened to Bethany.
Charlotte looks through the doorway. Her eyes widen when she sees Bethany lying in the hospital bed.
Bethany’s Room — Continuous
Charlotte slowly walks inside. She places the bouquet on a nearby table. Larry follows her. Charlotte looks at Bethany with concern.
CHARLOTTE: Bethany… what happened to her?
Larry’s anger finally boils over. He grabs Charlotte by the collar and stops her near the doorway. Charlotte freezes.
LARRY: You want to know what happened? Look at this! This happened because of you!
Charlotte becomes frightened and confused.
CHARLOTTE: Because of me?
Larry points toward Bethany.
LARRY: If you hadn’t encouraged Bethany to get that weight-loss surgery, none of this would have happened!
Charlotte shakes her head.
CHARLOTTE: Larry, I never wanted Bethany to end up in the hospital. I was only trying to help her.
LARRY: Help her? Look where your “help” brought her!
Charlotte looks toward Bethany again. Her expression changes from confusion to genuine concern.
The Truth Comes Out
A doctor enters the room carrying a medical chart. Larry immediately turns toward him. Charlotte steps back.
DOCTOR: She’s stable now.
Larry looks relieved for a moment.
LARRY: What exactly happened to her?
The doctor looks at both of them.
DOCTOR: Bethany developed an infection after the procedure.
Charlotte’s eyes widen.
CHARLOTTE: An infection?
The doctor nods.
DOCTOR: Yes. The medical team is treating it, and we’re monitoring her closely.
Charlotte looks toward Bethany.
CHARLOTTE: But she doesn’t have some serious illness?
DOCTOR: No. The issue we’re dealing with is the infection. She does not have another disease causing this situation.
Charlotte lets out a quiet breath. For a moment, she looks relieved. But Larry remains furious.
LARRY: You hear that? This all started after that surgery!
Charlotte turns toward him.
CHARLOTTE: Larry, I understand why you’re angry, but I didn’t cause the infection.
LARRY: Maybe you didn’t cause the infection yourself, but you pushed her toward that surgery!
Charlotte looks down. She struggles to find the right words.
CHARLOTTE: I never thought something like this would happen.
LARRY: Neither did I!
Larry looks toward Bethany. His voice becomes quieter.
LARRY: She trusted us. And now she’s lying in a hospital bed.
Charlotte Tries to Explain
Charlotte takes a step toward Larry.
CHARLOTTE: I came here because I was worried about her. I brought flowers because I wanted her to know I care.
Larry looks at the bouquet. Then he looks back at Charlotte.
LARRY: If you really care about her, then give her some space.
Charlotte’s eyes become emotional.
CHARLOTTE: Larry…
LARRY: No. I don’t want excuses right now.
Charlotte remains silent. Larry points toward the hallway.
LARRY: You need to leave.
Charlotte looks at Bethany one more time.
CHARLOTTE: Can I at least say goodbye?
Larry pauses. He looks toward Bethany, then back at Charlotte.
LARRY: Keep your distance.
Charlotte slowly nods. She picks up the bouquet from the table and looks at it for a moment. Then she realizes Bethany might appreciate having the flowers there. She places them back down.
CHARLOTTE: I hope she gets better.
Larry says nothing. Charlotte turns and walks toward the door.
Hospital Hallway — Moments Later
Charlotte steps into the hallway. She looks back through the doorway. Larry is standing beside Bethany’s bed. Charlotte’s expression is filled with guilt and worry. She walks away slowly.
Larry watches her leave. Then he turns back toward Bethany. His anger fades for a moment. Only concern remains. He sits beside Bethany.
LARRY: You just get better, Bethany. That’s all I care about.
Bethany remains resting. Larry gently looks at her, hoping she will recover soon.
Outside the Hospital Room
Charlotte reaches the elevator. She presses the button. The doors open. Before stepping inside, she looks back toward Bethany’s room one final time. She quietly speaks to herself.
CHARLOTTE: I never wanted this.
The elevator doors close. Back inside the room, Larry sits beside Bethany. He looks at the flowers Charlotte left behind. For the first time, his anger seems to soften. But the damage to their relationship has already been done.
The camera slowly pulls away from the hospital room. Bethany rests. Larry stays by her side.
And somewhere down the hallway, Charlotte walks away wondering if Larry will ever forgive her.