A sedan sits, idling at a red light, while the driver waits. She is distressed and her hands shake on the steering wheel. Twenty minutes ago, at about 3pm, everything was typical, not quite normal, but certainly typical. Sometime between then and now, there had been a phone call, and then a panic, and now a red light. Time passed although it seemed like it was passing very slowly. Second after second caused a sea of wondering.

“Will she be okay?”, was the only thought on the mind of this distressed lover.

30 minutes after the phone call, Harper; the distressed woman; arrives at the hospital. She walks around, searching; like a child lost at a carnival. 35 minutes after the phone call, she has found Skye, her lover. She sits by her, gripping her hand, just breathing. The lesbians look at each other, making eye contact, silent love is exchanged. The hospitalized lover has a hospital tube in her mouth, keeping her breathing continuous but her words obsolete. There is not much to say anyway. They wait, as if the cataclysmic collision can be corrected, undone.

An hour after the phone call a man, Eric, arrives at the hospital, searching for Skye. Eric searches less efficiently yet more disruptively than Harper. Eric is led by a nurse to her. He looks at her, laying in bed, clearly very injured. He puts his hand over his mouth is displeasure. Skye looks at Eric. Still no words are exchanged. Harper does not look to Eric, still keeping her eyes upon her lover. Her eyes are less distressed than a half hour ago. Eric comes closer and puts his hand on Skye’s hand, but she moves her hand away. Skye lays in bed attached to machines in the middle of the room, Harper sits on her right while holding her hand. Eric sits closer to the door, on her left.

An hour and a half after the phone call Skye begins seizing. Eric panics and begins pacing, Harper calls for help and hold Skye’s head for safety. Skye is in bed, seizing, wheeled away by nurses. Eric is still pacing, Harper holds in her sobs. Eric and Harper do not speak; they have only met briefly before this day.

Two and a half hours after the phone call Eric speaks to Harper.

“I know you probably know all the bad things about me. I just want you to know that I care about her…”

Neither expect a response.

After almost a whole minute, Harper replies.

“I understand. How could anyone not care about her? At least you’re not heartless.”

Eric thanks her. After a few minutes he leaves. He returns 15 minutes later with two trays of food and stands in front of Harper as she sits.

“Are you hungry?”, he asks.

Three hours after the phone call, Harper and Eric finish eating. They have both calmed down, their breathing is no longer shaky. Harper’s best friend Jack arrives. She breaks down and he comforts her.

Three and a half hours after the phone call, Harper initiates a conversation.

“She drives a Toyota Corolla.”

There is silence. Eric is confused and Jack listens for more.

“I drive a Jeep Cherokee,”  Harper continues.

“She didn’t have to crash,” Harper says, whimpering once and obviously struggling to contain herself.

“It's not your fault,” Jack says.

“We drive separate cars to work. We arrive at the same time, leave at the same time, teach at the same school, yet drive different cars.”

Jack understands. He moves his head lower to try to make eye contact with Harper as she has her head down with despair, “It's not your fault”, he assures her. Eric is not sure how to react.

“Do you know why we drive different cars?”

Jack is quite sure of why, yet does not answer because he assumes the question to be rhetorical.

“No, I don’t know, why?”, Eric asks, filling the silence and adding a small sense of awkwardness into the conversation.

“To hide that we’re together.”, Harper explains.

Eric understands and Jack rubs her back.

“We hide it. We pretend that it’s because being with your coworker isn’t admired, but we know the real reason why. Everyone knows we’re together, but we treat it like it's ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’...”

A moment of silence.

“It's painful. Our pride is… extinguished.”

“We slow dance in the kitchen sometimes.”

Eric feels emotional pain from knowing and imagining that. He misses her.

“It's beautiful.”, Harper says, simply reminiscing.

“It's not your fault”, Jack repeats.

“Do you and Steve ever hide?”, Harper asks, half curiously seeking justification and half attacking for a potential lack of empathy.

“When we visit his family we all pretend,” Jack relates.

Eric remains silent, having no sense of empathy, not being able to relate, barely understanding. He is straight.

“Why do we have to drive separate cars,” Harper says, breaking down again.

Five hours after the phone call, a nurse enters the waiting room and calls for Harper. The nurse explains that Skye will need surgery overnight.

Six hours after the phone call, at 9pm, Jack consoles Harper and asks if she will be okay alone. Harper says she will be alright. Jack goes home to Steve.

Seven hours after the phone call, Eric isn’t sure how to console Harper or how to ask if she is okay without him. He goes home to his girlfriend. He and his girlfriend get into an argument over their disagreement of Eric having not emotionally recovered from his relationship with Skye.

Eight hours after the phone call Harper is sitting in the waiting room.

Nine hours after the phone call Harper is sitting in the waiting room.

Ten hours after the phone call Harper is asleep in the waiting room.

Eleven hours after the phone call Harper is asleep in the waiting room.

Twelve hours after the phone call, at 3am, a nurse tells Harper that surgery has ended and that Skye is in an acute coma but emphasizes that Skye is strong and is biologically responding well.

Thirteen hours after the phone call Harper is almost having a panic attack.

Fourteen hours after the phone call Harper is asleep. She is woken up by a nurse notifying her that Skye is still in an acute coma. She is back in her hospital room and is able to be accompanied by Harper.

Fifteen hours after the phone call Harper is in the waiting room, asleep.

Sixteen hours after the phone call, at 7am, Harper is woken up by the arrival of someone visiting Skye. The visitor’s name is Camilla. Camilla walks from the door to Skye slowly, as if Skye is asleep, although everyone is aware that she is not asleep.

“How long has she been out?”, Camilla asks, ignorant to most of what has happened.

“Since 3pm yesterday.”, Harper answers, with a neutral tone.

“Why are you here,” Harper asks; less as a question and more as an insult.

Camilla considers answering her with the truth, “I love her”, but instead does not answer Harper at all.

Harper accepts Camilla’s silence as sufficing.

Camilla speaks softly to Skye in Spanish, Camilla’s native language.

Skye is a Spanish teacher. Harper does not know enough Spanish to understand Camilla.

Harper feels excluded in what Camilla has said, but isn’t sure how to express that.

Harper is displeased. She is displeased with Camilla’s presence, but even more so because of the exclusion. Harper truly does not hate Camilla; her aggression toward Camilla is partly out of jealousy, partly out of distrust, and partly out of grouchiness from lack of sleep.

Seventeen hours after the phone call a nurse brings breakfast to Harper and Camilla. Harper calls the school to notify the administration of what has happened and that neither Skye nor herself will be at work that day. The administration does not question why Harper must be with Skye despite how they pretend to be unaware that they are lovers.

Eighteen hours after the phone call, at 9am, Harper and Camilla remain sitting next to Skye.

Nineteen hours after the phone call, Harper and Camilla remain sitting next to Skye. A nurse notifies Harper and Camilla that only “the spouse” of the patient may visit for as long as they have. The nurse is disgusted by the homosexuality of the three women in the room but tries to disguise it as the rules of the hospital. Harper is enraged. Camilla is furious at first, then surprised and spectatory of Harper’s reaction. Harper is yelling at the nurse, exclaiming her validity in loving Skye.

“How dare you? I am her wife! I am her wife!”

A doctor enters the room to diffuse the situation. Harper and Camilla are able to remain in the room. The nurse is told to leave and to not interact with Skye’s visitors.

Twenty hours after the phone call Harper and Camilla remain sitting next to Skye.

Twenty one hours after the phone call Harper and Camilla remain sitting next to Skye. A nurse brings them lunch.

Twenty two hours after the phone call Harper and Camilla remain sitting next to Skye.

Twenty three hours after the phone call Harper and Camilla remain sitting next to Skye.

Twenty four hours after the phone call, at 3pm, Harper and Camilla remain sitting next to Skye. Jack arrives and Eric arrives soon after. Eric sees Camilla and he is shocked, followed by anger and resentment. Jack and Harper talk a lot. Eric and Camilla occasionally exchange hateful glares.

Twenty five hours after the phone call they all remain sitting in the room with Skye. Harper is still the only person holding her hand. Skye is still in a coma.

Twenty six hours after the phone call they all remain sitting in the room with Skye. Harper is still the only person holding her hand. Skye is still in a coma. A nurse brings everyone dinner.

Twenty seven hours after the phone call they all remain sitting in the room with Skye. Harper is still the only person holding her hand. Skye is still in a coma.

Twenty eight hours after the phone call they all remain sitting in the room with Skye. Harper is still the only person holding her hand. Skye is still in a coma. A doctor comes in and asks to speak in the hall with everyone.

“I am asking for your consent, Harper, to try to wake Skye up. I have made the evaluation that now is the best time to try to wake her up. Too early could have caused another seizure and the longer we wait, the further she goes into the coma.”

Harper consents.

Twenty nine hours after the phone call, at 8pm, Harper is anxious and shaking, holding Jack’s hand. Neither Eric nor Camilla are concerned with each other, both individually nervous about the situation. Camilla imagines seeing Skye once she’s woken up. It had been one year since they had seen each other in person and two years since the affair. Eric hopes that Skye will enjoy seeing him. Their divorce was rough, as he would not sign the papers and Skye engaged in the affair because of this. Harper only hopes that Skye will wake up, be okay, and begin her recovery.

The doctor enters the waiting room. He speaks to Skye’s visitors.

“She is awake.”

Everyone expresses a sigh of relief. Harper cries a little, softly.

“She is sensitive. The lights must stay off. Talking must be done quietly. Do not touch her too much. For safety purposes, only one person can see her right now.”, he continues.

Harper agrees and begins walking toward Skye’s room. Camilla objects.

“What if I want to see her…”, Camilla asks, nervously yet confidently.

“You don’t get to see her right now. I do,” Harper says forcefully.

“I haven’t seen her in a year.”

“Rightfully. In fact, you should leave before she is more abled.”

“You don’t have to be so harsh. We all know that you’re with her. I am no threat.”

Eric butts in, “But you are. And you have been, Camilla. Skye and I have history; I know her better than anyone.”

“This is not a discussion, I am seeing her first.”, Harper concludes.

Jack stands strongly next to Harper as the three other visitors argue.

Camilla: “You don’t understand. Skye and I have so much left unsaid. This would be what she wants.”

Eric: “You’re so selfish. You never loved her.”

Camilla: “Shut your mouth! You are the selfish one.”, she says, now making eye contact with Eric, seemingly ready to fight.

Harper: “You two are ridiculous.”

Camilla: “I’ve always loved her!”, she says to Eric, still keeping her eye contact with him.

Harper is shocked. Eric does not react to that statement, but instead responds to the one before it.

Eric: “You’re right. I am selfish. I miss her.”, he says, almost solely to himself.

Harper did not react or even notice Eric’s comment. She was focused on Camilla.

Harper: “Leave. Now.”, she commands Camilla.

Camilla: “I have given her up before and it was my biggest mistake. I will never do it again.”

Eric: “I have given her up too. She gave both of us up.”

Camilla looks away from Harper and back at Eric for a moment, then looks down.

Harper assumes her conclusion is agreed upon.

Harper walks to the room and no visitor objects.

Skye is happy to see Harper. It is dark in the room but they can see the shape of each other’s heads. They express all of their unique and exclusive ways to say they love each other. All their secret forms of reminding each other of their mutually titanic infatuation.

The other three visitors sit outside waiting. Eric has reached an epiphany and is focused on that. Camilla is sobbing. Jack feels awkward and eats a snack.

Thirty hours after the phone call, at 9pm, Harper is still alone with Skye. Eric leaves without seeing Skye; he is prepared to move on. Camilla books a flight back to her country; she is beginning to accept that she cannot be with Skye. Jack waits to hear back from Harper. Skye will be okay.

One week after the phone call, Harper arrives at the hospital after work and Skye is able to leave her room in a wheelchair as Harper pushes her. Eric and his girlfriend are happier together and predict a new beginning. Camilla begins to feel whole again and returns to doing the things she loves. Jack continues to support Harper. Harper and Skye have immense hope, and immense love.