Wearing Their Skin

INT. OUTSIDE LEVI'S ROOM.

MALE NURSE
She's been informed that you're coming, she's excited. I don't mean to scare you, but she's still a bit unpredictable, unstable if you will. There is a red button in there, if she tries to attack you, press it and you will be helped immediately. Do you understand?

WILLOW nods. The nurse takes his badge and runs it over the lock pad next to the door. The door unlocks, he opens the door, WILLOW walks through and he shuts the door behind her.

WILLOW directs her attention across the room toward LEVI.

LEVI is dressed in a hospital gown. She is skinny and sickly looking. Her face is sunken in, her eyes are teary and her arms are bandaged.

DULL VIOLET COLOR SURROUNDS HER BRIEFLY

LEVI
Oh my god. [takes a step forward] Is-is it-is it really you? [stumbles towards her and strokes her face.] Oh, oh, oh my god. It is you. [pulls Willow into a bear hug.] Where have you been? I haven't seen you in so long! Catch me up! How have you been?

WILLOW begins to shake and looks down.

Yea, this is emotional for me too. I mean, I haven't seen you since I got here. It's been what? A year? Like wow. Riles, you've really changed. You look like you've gained weight. [runs hands along her stomach] I'm so happy you're here. [pause]

WILLOW begins to cry.

Riles? You never cry? What-what happened?

LEVI pulls away and tries to meet WILLOW's eye, but fails.

WILLOW
You have no idea what has happened..do you? [another sob]

LEVI takes a step back.

LEVI
Riles, you're scaring me.

WILLOW holds her head in her hands.

WILLOW
It's Ryn.

LEVI looks broken, she hugs herself and retreats to the other side of the room.

LEVI
What happened to him, Willow.

LEVI balls her fists and begins to pace.

WILLOW
[sobs harder] I'm so sorry.

LEVI
[yells] Just tell me!

WILLOW
He--

Man offstage.

GUARD
We heard yelling, is everything okay.

LEVI keeps intense eye contact with WILLOW.

LEVI
We're great! Just so excited to see each other, you know how emotional girls are.

FOOTSTEPS RETREATING.

Finish your sentence.

WILLOW
He's..he's gone.

LEVI
What happened? [LEVI's voice wavers]

WILLOW
[hisses] It's all my fault, I sent him out for tampons and chicken noodle soup on a rainy night.

LEVI looks at her with pity.

LEVI
Hun, it's not your fault.

OVER VOICE
Willow looks at Levi with hatred, Levi gets to feel the sadness everyone told her to get over.

WILLOW
[strained] You don't understand!

LEVI
[eyes begin to clear and she takes a step forward] Of course I do. We both lost someone we love. What I don't understand is why you think it's your fault.

WILLOW
It was a murder investigation, the brakes were cut, but then they ruled it as a suicide because he was depressed, but I found another journal..and...and he wasn't. So it's still murder.

LEVI
Oh my god, so they never caught the guy? Do you have any suspicions of who it was?

WILLOW glares at her cruelly.

WILLOW
Who else do you think cut the brakes?

LEVI's jaw drops. LEVI lunges at her. WILLOW hits the red button on the wall. Guards rush in, dragging LEVI back.

LEVI
[screaming] You bitch! Do you have any remorse because of what you did to him? What you did to our parents? [voice cracking] What you did to me?

WILLOW starts to cry. Guards push WILLOW out of the room.