raameen02

[raameen02]

Look behind you..

[raameen02]

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

(Two Nursing Assistants are walking on their hospital floor casually talking about the political climate in the U.S.)

CASSANDRA: It’s crazy how we have to choose between Biden or Trump… like they’re both old just die already! America is so dumb.

NALA: America is dumb. Half the people are idiots and half of them are normal… it’s like our hospital floor”.

CASSANDRA (chuckling): I know like why are we still here I just want to go home-

(The hospital alarm sounds. “CODE BLUE IN ROOM 432. MEDICAL EMERGENCY CODE BLUE IN ROOM 432. CODE BLUE IN ROOM 432.”)

CASSANDRA: Oh my god. What is he saying? Room 432? Where is everyone?

NALA: I don’t see any of the nurses!

Cassandra rushes down the hall. Nala follows. Cassandra enters room 432. The patient is lying still on the bed, eyes closed.

CASSANDRA (glancing at the whiteboard): What’s his name? Oh my god. Um, Jim. Jim! JIM! JIM!

Cassandra shakes the patient, who remains unresponsive. Cassandra checks the patient’s pulse. She does not feel anything.

CASSANDRA: Oh my god, I have to do CPR. Okay, um, Nala.

Nala does not respond. She continues staring at the patient.

CASSANDRA (forcefully): NALA! GET AN AED!

Nala jumps and rushes out of the room.

Cassandra positions her hands over the patient’s sternum, hands shaking. She interlocks her fingers and begins to push down forcefully at a steady rhythm.

CASSANDRA: 1… 2… 3… 4…. 5…

Nala returns to the room with an AED. Cassandra continues to do chest compressions as Nala sets up the AED.

CASSANDRA (breathing heavily): This guy’s a trainwreck.

Nala glances at Cassandra, then back to the patient.

NALA (scared): So what’s our plan, to keep him alive?

Cassandra stares at Nala.

CASSANDRA (breathing heavily): Oh my god, I can’t believe you just asked that. Nala, get a grip. We’re his only hope at this point. He has a family, we have a duty - shit, how many compressions did I do?

AED MACHINE: PLACE PADS ON PATIENT.

CASSANDRA: I’m taking his gown off. Get the pads ready.

Cassandra removes the gown as Nala places the AED pads on the patient’s chest. Nala pushes a button on the AED machine.

AED MACHINE: GENERATING SHOCK.

Cassandra returns to chest compressions as the shock generates.

AED MACHINE: SHOCK READY. ADMINISTER SHOCK.

Cassandra steps back.

NALA: Ready?

CASSANDRA (out of breath): Yeah.

NALA: ALL CLEAR.

Nala pushes the button. Nala and Cassandra watch as the patient flinches due to the shock. Cassandra checks for a pulse.

CASSANDRA: Oh my god, I think I feel it. Oh my god. Do you feel it?

Cassandra steps back as Nala checks the patient’s pulse.

NALA: Yeah I think I feel it too.

CASSANDRA (putting her fingers back on the patient’s neck): Oh my god, did we do it? Wait, it’s really weak now. Maybe we should-

Three nurses barge in.

NURSE 1: We got it from here. You can leave.

NURSE 2: Yeah, get out please.

CASSANDRA: Okay, we did CPR and his pulse seems to have come back-

NURSE 1: We got it, thanks.

Cassandra and Nala exit the room as the nurses promptly shut the door behind them.

NALA: Okay, we literally got there first and saved the man’s life and that’s how they treat us? The people here are so off-putting.

CASSANDRA: I can’t believe we just did that. I’m so proud of us.

NALA: Yeah… that was cool I guess.

CASSANDRA: I hope I never have to do it again though.

NALA: You did great.

A call bell starts ringing. Cassandra checks to see who it is, then starts walking down the hall.

CASSANDRA: I should go take this. Can’t believe we just did that. See you in a bit.

NALA: See you.

[raameen02]

I chose to make a costume for the character in "On the Exhale". Specifically, the scene where she is going to a bar in hopes of catching the senator's attention and is invited back to his home. She mentions that she goes shopping to find the "dress she's sure will catch his eye". In my mind, this was the dress I envisioned. It is a tight, pink body dress paired with pink diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, a black and white clutch purse, pink lipstick, and heavy makeup such as mascara. Her hair is straight and falls over one shoulder. The outfit is elegant but simple, highlighting that dressing up this way is not normal for this character. It is outside of her comfort zone, so she keeps her hair, accessories, and the dress overall relatively simple. Her posture with clutching her arm also shows how uncomfortable she feels in the outfit. I tried to express that dressing up this way is due to an agenda (to catch the Senator's attention) and not because she wanted to dress for herself.

[raameen02]

Quotes

"America is so dumb, half the people are idiots and half of them are normal... it's like the hospital floor we work on."

"So what's our plan with this guy? To keep him alive?"

"The people here are so off-putting."

"This guy's a trainwreck."

"If he really cared, he'd call for a permanent ceasefire."

"Pardon my demeanor, I still like you guys."

"Let's go down to Puerto Rico and find my niece."

[raameen02]