Lab Journal Entry #41

[matril]

"A Rescue"

Int, same motel room. TORI is sleeping fitfully. Someone else – WALTON – is holding the camera, having just turned it on, messing with the focus. The camera is set on a table, and WALTON begins gently nudging TORI.

WALTON
(Off) Hello? Wake up, please. (Leans over her, face still obscured) Still breathing. Thank goodness. Burning up, though. (Another nudge) Um, Tori?

TORI
(Stirring restlessly, groans, blinks and tries to sit up) Hannah?

WALTON
Shh. You have a vicious fever. You need to get some fluids. (Pulls out thermos from offscreen, helps a delirious TORI the drink) That’s good. Now, can you swallow this? (Offers pill) It should bring down your temperature a bit.

TORI
Who –? (Obeys, then grows weakly frantic) Can’t rest. Have to – stop – thing –

WALTON
No, it’s all right. It’s time to sleep again.

TORI
(Too feeble to fight) Okay. (Drifts back to sleep)

Cut. TORI is sitting up in bed, the fever mostly gone, but still weak and ill. WALTON is sitting in a chair next to the bed

TORI
(Raspily) I’m grateful, of course. But I have no idea who you are. Should I?

WALTON
I guess not. That’s all right. Dr. Roberta Walton. I’m a fan of your vlog.

TORI
A – fan?

WALTON
A follower, in any case. We share a lot of interests. Your work –

TORI
(Shrinks) I don’t want to talk about my work.

WALTON
Understandable. Sorry. In any case, I’ve been following your vlogs almost from the beginning.

TORI
And then you decided to find me?

WALTON
(Sensing her discomfort) Not in a stalkery way! I mean, I’ve been worried about you for months now – all of your followers have – but there was so little we could do about it other than words of support. Then, a couple weeks ago when you said you’d gone into Canada, I realized you might not be that far from where I lived – and I started hearing stories about a Sasquatch roaming the woods. But I still wouldn’t have deliberately started looking for you if it wasn’t for your last video. You were really quite sick, that was obvious – much worse than a minor cold. If I didn’t find you and get you the help you needed, I was afraid no one would. As it happened, I recognized this motel. I knew right where to go.

TORI
(Still frowning) How did you get in here?

WALTON
Well, um, I had to break in through the window. I’m sorry. I couldn’t figure out any other way to help you, and by then your fever was dangerously high. I could see you convulsing in your bed.

TORI
So...you saved my life.

WALTON
I guess. But I also broke into your room and invaded your privacy, which is pretty awful now that I think about it. I’ll get out of here right this second if you –

TORI
No. It’s all right. (Pause) It looks like my vlog has finally had some use beyond recording all my horrible mistakes.

WALTON
(Hesitates, wanting to say more but thinking better) You’d better get some more rest.

TORI
Yeah. (Pause) Thank you.