1 EXT. STREET CAR ACCIDENT NIGHT
First Person-POV: Cold air crystalizes the breath of a young girl. She looks down at her hands, covered in blood, glass, and some gravel.
Looking around we can make out trees and lights with blurry vision. The sounds of a car alarm intertwined with the sounds of liquid and steam hissing. Distant screams.
There is a car, hazard lights blinking. A car accident. A bad one. A body hangs out the car's
driver seat still strapped in. The person falls to the ground, both hands catching her fall as blood spills to the floor. She starts to cough painfully.
The sounds of ambulances approaching permeate the air.
She falls to her side as people crowd around her. Some on phones recording, some watching
curiously.
The young girl falls to the ground. Laying on her side. Just then someone from the outside crowd walks up to her. She reaches out to the figure.
The figure kneels down on the glass-covered road. It's Mr. Bear.
He lays down next to her, the crowd behind them doesn't seem to be reacting to this.
He looks at the girl and caresses her face softly, her vision going fading. Mr. Bear falling into
darkness:
MR. BEAR
It's okay my child. Death is nothing to fear.
The young girl's body starting to convulse.
CUT TO:
2 INT. HOSPITAL BATHROOM ROOM
Nera stands in front of a mirror. She's wearing a red turtle neck. her hair is down and her make up seems a little runny. As though she may have been crying.
She stares ahead.
She looks pale, maybe a little under the weather.
She then turns the faucet on in front of her and splashes water on her face, drying it off with
some paper towels. She looks in the mirror and pulls her hair back making a ponytail.
She composes herself. The sounds of a crash bleed into the air, with a shellshock tone raising in the distance until:
There's a knock on the door snapping Nera back to reality.
NERA
Be- be out in a second.
She takes her lab coat and puts it on taking one last look at herself.
3 INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY NIGHT
The new residents make their rounds. Their SUPERVISOR giving them the rundown for the night.
Three students follow the Supervisor as she delegates work. NERA stands in the back following
along.
SUPERVISOR
Anthony, you forgot to sign your patient's discharge form last night, please don't let that happen again. There was an accident on the 82 so expect some of Mercy Med's overflow to head over this way...
As the group continues moving through the hall, Nera's attention is drawn by the moaning coming through an ajar door.
She sneaks from the group to investigate it.
4 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM NIGHT
NERA walks into the room. Moonlight peaking through the window. The sounds of machinery keeping patients alive, ring through the air.
There are different patient cubicles in the room, Nera walks over to the cubicle at the end of the room.
An older man lays in the bed covered in a blanket. He is covered in sweat, stirring in his sleep. Nera stares at him, almost studying him.
He looks anxious. Sweating from the pressure. Or is it from resisting death?
Nera walks over to a machine and increases his morphine. The man stops tossing and turning, sleeping restfully.
Nera hesitates, looking at the man, watching him drift to sleep.
Nera exits the room.
5 INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY NIGHT
Nera walks into the hallway, pacing. She sits down on a nearby bench, her shaking hands wiping the sweat off her brow.
Mr. Bear sits down next to her.
MR. BEAR
Death is nothing to fear.
Nera composes herself keeping her gaze from the man next to her.
NERA
Excuse me?
MR. BEAR
I was once afraid of death. Afraid of the pain, the suffering. But with death comes peace. Therefore... death is nothing to fear.
Nera looks over at the man ready to explode but stops. She turns back.
Her expression completely changed.
NERA
It's not death that I fear...
MR. BEAR
Tell me, child. What do you fear?
CUT TO:
6 INT. REC HALL NIGHT
NERA stands before a group. A podium in front of her. It's a therapy group.
A man in front pours himself a coffee and sits in front. There are 8 people there sitting and listening to Nera as she speaks.
NERA
I was 16 when I died. It happened so quickly I don't even remember most of it, but at the same time, I remember all of it so vividly, every day. My family had gotten up for an early morning breakfast run, Izzy had his little blue backpack, my dad had his fresh pack of Newports and we were on our way. I was reading, getting ready for a biology test and...
Nera looks up at the crowd and in the back of the room, she can see MR. BEAR staring back her.
He is just sitting with the crowd.
Nera's expression melts. She composes herself.
NERA (CONT'D)
All of a sudden... A man, about 55, fell asleep behind the wheel. See the uh, he was hoping to make it home for his kid's birthday. Instead, he ran a red light right into my family's van and in an instant, it was all over. In an instant, so much damage was done. We rolled, hit a tree and when the smoke cleared I was able to get my little brother out of the back but... his head was split open and I could see the pain in his face. My father was coughing up blood, terrified because he didn't know how to protect us... and I... I went into cardiac arrest. And everyone watched. Mesmerized by my pain. For 5 mins, deprived of oxygen, peacefully asleep. I've seen it. The moment when death is a realization. Knowing that they have no time left. All you can do is suffer. A pain no one else can feel but you... and then you slip into the darkness.
7 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM NIGHT
NERA walks to the same cubicle as the night before.
Reaching the old man as before. He looks worse now. Pale, sweaty and in a lot more pain.
Nera watches again.
He turns to her and their eyes meet. Although her expression is still one of intrigue, she walks over and holds his hand. He whispers something, inaudible with his lack of energy. Nera pulls a syringe and vial out of her pocket and she fills it as much as she can.
She walks over to his IV and inserts the syringe. A few seconds go by before the man starts to convulse and shake, dying painfully.
Nera watches with interest.
8 INT. REC HALL NIGHT
A therapy group sits facing NERA as she stands at a podium. Everyone seems still as Nera speaks to the group.
NERA
It feels so good to get that off of my chest. I hope you all understand. I have learned since then. I've heard your stories and all the pain you've felt. Now nothing is filled with pain. Just sleep. I just want to keep you from hurting. You are safe now.
REVEAL:
The group sitting before Nera is comprised of dead people. Cups in their hands. A paleness to their skin.
In the crowd of dead people sits MR. BEAR, watching quietly. He looks at the now dead crowd and then back to Nera.
NERA now adorned with a bear mask stares ahead.
NERA (CONT'D)
Death is nothing to fear.
CUT TO: BLACK