Scene: Shayla is sitting on a park bench, her phone still in her hand, trembling. Her best friend Jordan rushes over after receiving her frantic text.

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Jordan:

(rushing up) Shayla! I came as fast as I could. What happened? You okay?

Shayla:

(barely holding it together) No… no, I’m not okay, Jordan. I just… I just got a call from Kai’s sister.

Jordan:

(kneels beside her) What? What did she say?

Shayla:

He… he was in an accident. A bad one. They’re saying he’s in critical condition… in ICU.

Jordan:

(shocked) Oh my god… Shayla. I’m so sorry. When? How?

Shayla:

Last night. Apparently, he was driving back from his mom’s place. A truck swerved into his lane—hit him head-on. They had to airlift him to the hospital.

Jordan:

(sits next to her, silent for a moment) That’s… that’s horrible. Do they know if he’s going to be okay?

Shayla:

They don’t know. They’re still running tests. He hasn’t woken up yet. They said it’s “touch and go.”

Jordan:

(puts an arm around her) I’m so sorry. I know how much he means to you.

Shayla:

(voice cracking) He is everything to me, Jordan. You know that. He’s… he’s Kai. The only person who ever really saw me.

Jordan:

You two have been through so much. He always talked about you like you were the light in his life.

Shayla:

I keep thinking about the last thing I said to him. It wasn’t even important. Just some dumb comment about him being late again. What if that’s the last thing he ever hears from me?

Jordan:

(gently) Don’t do that to yourself. You couldn’t have known. And Kai knows how much you care about him. You’ve shown it a million times over.

Shayla:

I feel so helpless. I can’t fix this. I can’t do anything.

Jordan:

You can be there. When they let you, go see him. Talk to him. Even if he can’t respond yet, they say hearing a loved one’s voice helps.

Shayla:

What if he never wakes up?

Jordan:

Then we’ll face it together. But don’t go there yet—not in your mind. He’s a fighter. You know that better than anyone.

Shayla:

(nods, wiping her eyes) He is. I just… I don’t know how to breathe without him. I didn’t even realize how much I leaned on him until now.

Jordan:

You’re stronger than you think. But it’s okay to not be strong right now. Cry. Scream. Whatever you need. I’m here. You’re not alone.

Shayla:

I want to see him. I need to see him. I can’t sit around and wait for a phone call.

Jordan:

Then let’s go. I’ll drive you. I’ll stay as long as you need. And I’ll be right there when he opens his eyes, okay?

Shayla:

(softly) Thank you… I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Jordan:

Hey, you’d do the same for me. Now come on. Let’s go see your guy. Let’s bring him some light.

Shayla:

(staring at her phone) His sister sent me a picture from the hospital. He’s… covered in wires and tubes, Jordan. He doesn’t even look like himself. I almost dropped my phone when I saw it.

Jordan:

(softly) I can’t even imagine how hard that is to see. But Shayla, that’s not him — that’s just his body fighting to heal. The real Kai is still in there.

Shayla:

(voice trembling) Do you think he can hear me if I talk to him? Even like that?

Jordan:

I do. Doctors say people in comas or unconscious states can still hear voices. You should tell him you’re there. Tell him to keep fighting.

Shayla:

I just… I never pictured us like this. We were supposed to go to that concert next month. He promised me he’d teach me that song on guitar. We had plans, Jordan. Plans.

Jordan:

(holds her hand tighter) And you’ll still have them. Maybe not right away, but you’ll have them. He’s too stubborn to miss a concert with you.

Shayla:

(chokes back a laugh through tears) Yeah. He always said, “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

Jordan:

See? Then trust that. Hold onto that. He’s fighting for you right now, I know it.

Shayla:

(whispers) I’m scared to see him. What if… what if I break down in front of him?

Jordan:

Then you break down. It’s okay. He’d want to know you’re there. And if he can’t see you, he can feel you. He’s your person, Shayla.

Shayla:

(wipes her eyes and breathes deep) I keep replaying everything in my head. The last time we were together, the way he smiled at me before he left. It’s like a loop I can’t stop.

Jordan:

Hold onto that smile. It’s a good memory. He’d want you to have that in your heart right now.

Shayla:

(nods slowly) Okay. I’ll go. I’ll see him. Even if it breaks me, I’ll be there.

Jordan:

And I’ll be right next to you, every step. We’re going to get through this — both of you.

Shayla:

(takes a shaky breath) Thank you, Jordan. Really.

Jordan:

Always. Now let’s get in the car. We’ll go to the hospital. You can tell him everything you need to say.

(They stand up together, Shayla leaning on Jordan’s shoulder as they walk toward the car, the weight of the moment heavy but not unbearable because they’re not facing it alone.)

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Would you like me to continue the story at the hospital (like Shayla’s first moment seeing Kai in ICU)? That

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End of Scene