CURTAIN

Lights up SR
(BEN wheels in LAUREN from SR.)

BEN: We’re here.
LAUREN: (Pause) Yep.
BEN: (Walks around and kneels down to face LAUREN) You can do this. I know you can.
LAUREN: But what if I can’t. What if the doctors were right all along. They told me I would never be able to walk again.
BEN: Honey, that was 6 years ago. Back then they didn’t know that there would be a surgery created to fix it.
LAUREN: What if the surgery didn’t work!
BEN: What if it did, Lauren! (Holds her hands) You don’t know until you try.
LAUREN: (Starts to cry) I’m scared.
BEN: Me too. But no matter what happens in there I will still love you; wheelchair and all. (Wipes a tear from LAUREN’s cheek)
LAUREN: (Pause) Okay.
BEN: Ready?
LAUREN: (Nods) Ready.
(Lights up SR.)
(BEN wheels LAUREN CS where HANNAH stands, holding the door open)
HANNAH: Hi, guys! Come on in! (Walks around BEN and LAUREN) So, Lauren, are we ready to try and walk today?
LAUREN: (Nervous) Um, yea, I just have one question.
HANNAH: Go ahead!
LAUREN: What happens if the surgery didn’t work?
BEN: Lauren.
LAUREN: What if I can’t walk.
HANNAH: (Gently) Well, (Pause) that’s what we’re here to find out. So, let’s head over to the bars.
(BEN wheels LAUREN to SR where there is a set of parallel bars.)
HANNAH: Alright, Ben, if you could stand at the other end and I’ll help Lauren on this side.
(Ben walks to the other side)
HANNAH: (Holds out hand) Okay, Lauren, are you ready?
LAUREN: (Grabs HANNAH’s hand and struggles to stand. She grasps the bars and shakes her head)
HANNAH: Is everything alright?
LAUREN: I don’t think I can do this.
BEN: What, why, what’s wrong?
LAUREN: I just...I don’t think I was meant to walk.
BEN: What do you mean?
LAUREN: I got into that accident for a reason.
BEN: It wasn’t your fault!
LAUREN: Yes it was! I deserve to be paralyzed, Ben!
BEN: Lauren! Don’t say that! No matter what happened, we still got the surgery so we could get it fixed!
LAUREN: But the doctor’s said--
BEN:--Screw the doctors! We are here now.(Pause) Look at you, you’re already standing!
LAUREN: I’m only standing with the help of the bars, I can’t--
BEN:--Lauren, (Pause) I love you. (Pause) But d*****, I am not going to wheel you down the aisle!
LAUREN: What?
BEN: (Gets down on one knee) Lauren, I knew from the moment we met that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. (Pause) You are the most beautiful, most loving and caring woman that I have ever met. (Takes out a box from his back pocket and opens it; revealing a ring) Now I want you to walk down here, and accept my proposal!
(LAUREN starts to cry and slowly walks, step by step, towards BEN.)
HANNAH: (Following HANNAH) That’s it, Lauren! Take your time. Step by step.
LAUREN: Oh my gosh...I’m-I’m walking!
BEN: (Crying) Yes! Yes, come on! You’re almost there!
(LAUREN takes her last step into BEN’s embrace)
BEN: (Holds LAUREN’s hands) So, what do you say?
LAUREN: Yes! (Hugs BEN)

BLACKOUT