SURGERY By /u/politicalslut

INT. BLACK ROSE PUB - NIGHT A dark, dingy pub in the Waterfront district of Downtown Boston. The bar is pretty full, which is impressive for a night when the Red Sox arent playing. A MAN in a courderoy jacket and button down shirt sits alone, sipping a beer. He rolls his shoulder as if he has injured it. The BARTENDER comes up to him on the other side of the bar. BARTENDER Buddy, if its someone youre waiting for, it might be time to go home. The man looks up at him. MAN You ever read "Don Quixote?" BARTENDER Nope. MAN Too bad. I was going to insult you, but if youve never read it itll fall on deaf ears. Thank you for your concern. He lifts up the half-empty (or half-full?) glass of beer and waggles it at the bartender. MAN (CONT) Im afraid I have to go back to work now. Thanks for the beers. As he gets up to go, the bartender asks: BARTENDER What do you do? MAN Im a surgeon. He is at the door. BARTENDER Its gotta be hard to operate drunk! As the man pushes open the door and leaves into the cold Boston night, he mutters to himself.

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MAN Nah. It makes it easier. EXT. BLACK ROSE PUB - MOMENTS LATER The man exits onto the street, looks left and then turns right. Out of an alley on his right comes a man with glasses in a peacoat turned up against the cold. He catches up to the other man and walks beside him. GLASSES You ready, John? JOHN No. GLASSES Good. Just remember, Ill be downstairs in the ambulance. JOHN If I get out of there at all. They have a lockdown system. Glasses pulls out a tablet from the inside of his coat and shows him the screen. GLASSES See this? Its in ascii. JOHN Youll have to translate. Ive slept with women before. GLASSES You could at least pretend to like me. JOHN Never been a great actor. GLASSES Fine. Long story short, it means, in virginspeak, that it wont lockdown. Ill control it. The men have reached Mass General Hospital, which looms brightly up before them, illuminated with sickly blue lights, paramedics bustling, and horny medical students disappointed theyve gotten the night shift.

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GLASSES (CONT) Here we are. Good luck. JOHN Youll be here. Twelve minutes. GLASSES Wouldnt miss it for the world! Ive been practicing my getaway driving. JOHN They have online classes for that too? He turns and walks into the building. Behind him, the man in glasses stares at his retreating figure and furrows his brow. INT. MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL - OPERATING ROOM - NIGHT Four minutes later, John is changed into his sanitary medical blues. A NURSE comes up to him and hands him a mask. He puts it on. He turns on the water faucet and stares at himself in the mirror. FLASHBACK TO: INT. MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL - EXAMINATION ROOM - DAY Days earlier, John stands before a plain, redheaded WOMAN. Her eyes are red. John tries to console her. JOHN Its arm surgery. Itll be fine. REDHEAD Do you know how many people want my husband dead? John breaks eye contact with her. He cant bear to look her in the eyes. REDHEAD (to his back) Promise me youll do your best, doctor. John is silent. BACK TO:

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INT. MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL - OPERATING ROOM - CONTINUOUS John finishes washing his hands, and dons plastic disposable gloves. He tucks something in his waistband and pushes open the door. A SURGICAL AIDE crosses the room towards him. In the background, a PATIENT lies unconscious on the table, with NURSES rushing around him, preparing for surgery. SURGICAL AIDE Hes ready. JOHN Thanks. Crossing to the operating table, John peers down over his mask at the face of the patient, gaunt and sallow. He pulls out a scalpel and carves a "V" shape onto the mans forehead. Blood seeps out. A nurse sees. She SCREAMS. SURGICAL AIDE What are you doing!?! John pulls a gun from Before he can get any and he goes down. The bolt, but they follow his waistband and turns on the aide. words out, blood seeeps from his chest nurses scream again, and one tries to in similar fashion.

He turns to the patient. Pressing the gun to the patients temple, he fires. INT. MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL - HALLWAY - NIGHT John walks hurriedly out of the operating room and into the hallway. It is empty, but not for long: FOOTSTEPS and SHOUTING can be heard behing him. Just as he turns a corner, three DOCTORS appear at the other end of the hall and enter the operating room. SCREAMS. INT. MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL - STAIRWAY - NIGHT Throwing away his mask and hat, John now sprints down the deserted stairway. Every step ECHOES up and down, magnifying the sound of each footfall. John mutters to himself. JOHN Come on. Be here. Be here. Two floors above him, the doors burst open and a doctor looks down the stairwell.

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DOCTOR There he is! ALARMS break the silence just as John gets to the bottom floor. He hesitates and pushes on the door; it opens. EXT. MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL - NIGHT John is almost at a run now, hurtling out into the parking lot and looking around desperately. JOHN BE HERE!! He looks hopelessly left and right, but no ambulance is to be found. Glasses has deserted him. John SCREAMS. CUT TO BLACK THE END