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INT. Kildare County Hospital, 2:33am.
[THE SCENE OPENS: with POPE HEYWARD and KIARA CARRERA seated hopelessly clueless in a deserted waiting room, while JESSE-JAMES MAYBANK paces back and forth, biting away at whatever's left of his nail beds, with the image of JUDY ROUTLEDGE going into CARDIAC ARREST instilled into his mind.]
"It's been too long." He anxiously shakes his head, removing his red cap to reshuffle his hair, and flip it back on.
"No news is good news... I guess." Kie, deflated, has her head resting against Pope's shoulder.
"I don't understand how she just collapsed." says Pope, skeptic as ever.
"Like I said, maybe it was —"
"It wasn't a freakin' panic attack, Kie," JJ jumps in. "She stopped breathing. They had to perform CP-fuckin'-R on her."
"I know, Jay! I know!" The girl exclaims, massaging circles into her forehead. "I'm sorry. I... God, I'm just so confused."
"If anything happens to her..." Tears begin to wash over his glacier eyes, and he has to physically force himself to turn away so they can't see.
Slow footsteps trudge across the floor, and a hand plants itself on top of his shoulder.
"It's okay, man," Pope comforts him. "This is Jude — she doesn't go down without a fight. I mean, remember what she did to Barry?"
Reluctantly, JJ allows himself to peer over at his friend, and they both quietly chuckle. Anxious pearls of sweat glitter across his skin, and the corners of his eyes are damp, and distraught.
"Yeah, I know."
A nearby set of double doors squeak open, and Shoupe plods into the room, appearing rather sleep deprived himself.
Similar to the way they had back in the tent, the three of them bound over to his side.
"Well?"
"Any news?"
"How is she?"
"She's stable," He exhales, hands on his hips. "They think she should be awake sometime tomorrow. Her body is exhausted and needs to recover."
"But what actually happened?" Pope presses.
Shoupe trails a hand across his moustache. "They're still running tests." He beats around the bush, figuring if Judy had wanted to tell them, she would've done it herself. "You can go in now, if ya want to. Down the hall, third door on your left."
JJ disappears out the door quicker than the blink of an eye. Pope and Kiara exchange a mutual look of dissatisfaction, but trail after him.
He skids on the freshly mopped floor, strong sanitiser lingering around his nostrils as he rounds into one of the single rooms, almost sending the door flying off its hinges.
