So...Like, Short Stories and Stuff?

Elevator

A/N: I'm not really sure what made me decide to write this, but I got the idea in drama class. We had to do a mime scene where multiple characters came into an elevator. I decided it was a pretty good plot, and converted it into a short story with dialogue! Here's what my group and I came up with...

It goes without saying, that cheating through medical school was not the most intelligent thing to do.

And yet, it was still done by a young man named Paul Whelam. Why would he do such a thing? Something so stupid and unthinkable? How did he do it? We may never know. He was obviously intelligent enough to figure out how to cheat. And he never ran into any sort of problems. It did cause quite a deal of trouble one day however.

It wasn't any sort of out of the ordinary day. Paul was walking about the hospital, doing the usual. Giving guessed diagnostics. Prescribing patients to drugs he knew nothing about. Very normal for him.

He came up to the elevator, ready to go home. He pressed the button that was about level with his solar plexus. He then waited. It took a few minutes for the elevator to arrive. Once it did, he stepped inside, not noticing what was going on until the doors had closed.

On the floor, were two women, both no older than 18. They were both collapsed, one breathing raspily. He wasn't even sure if the other was breathing!

Off to the side, was a grandmother and a young boy, the age of five. He stopped poking the one in the corner long enough to wave to Paul. Paul waved back awkwardly, and felt panic taking over. What was he supposed to do?

The elderly woman noticed his white coat. "You're a doctor! Do something!"

His mind raced. Finally, an excuse came to him. "I'm off duty ma'am..."

"These two people are dying!"

Paul hoped that wasn't the case. That wouldn't look good on him.

"I'm sorry, but I--"

The elevator reached its stop, shakily. The old woman fell forward, landing on top of the pile. Her grandson turned away and started pressing all the buttons on the elevator. The doors closed before anyone could come in, much less look inside.

Paul decided it was time to try something. He grabbed one of the younger girls' wrists, trying to check for a pulse. Where was it? He had no idea.

The woman's eyes opened slightly. Paul wasn't sure how, but he'd found the pulse and it was waking her up. At least he thought.

In all truth, she was just awakened by him grabbing her arm. She looked at him oddly, and took a glance at her surroundings, still drousy.

"Yeah! Come on, you can do it!" Paul encouraged.

She saw the other woman, and looked back up at him. "I....she was high?"

Paul didn't understand.

The lady continued. "She was high. So I.....came to get a doctor?" She didn't appear to be sober herself.

Paul looked at the other woman on the floor. When he turned back to the previously conscious woman, she had begun to fall back asleep.

"No,no,no,no,no! Get up!" He slapped her face repeatedly.

She didn't hear him, and went back to sleep.

The little boy looked at Paul. "What's happening?"

Paul ignored the little boy. He went over to the other woman, and shook her. Her body spassed, causing him to jump. He pushed the little boy over, now fully putting him in charge. What else could he do? This child could know more than him for all he knew!

The small boy poked the woman, and laughed as her body convulsed. Paul tried to think again. Nothing came to him, aside from the idea to repeatedly push the elevator button and make a break for it. Three women were unconscious, and he certainly couldn't do anything about it.

His stop finally came and he looked back on last time, before making a break for it.