OVER BLACK

Sound of a needle catching on a record player.

Fade in:

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

We fly past family PHOTOS on the wall showing two young boys and their father. A record player spins next to the Beach Boys album, Pet Sounds. JIM GREER (55, stout with graying hair) sits down in an easy chair and reads the NEWSPAPER. The date shows it is 1995.

Offscreen, two boys argue.

LIV (O.S.)

Hey, wait up!

LIVINGSTON ("LIV," 13) runs after CONRAD ("CON," 16). Liv is red in the face. Carrying a SOCCER BALL under one arm, Con hurries past Jim. Jim furrows his brow his older son.

JIM

Con, why is he upset?

CON

I don't know.

Jim raises an eyebrow.

JIM

Why won't you let him play one game with you?

CON

Just look at him.

He gestures at Liv, who glares at Con.

CON

He's little and uncoordinated.

LIV

Shut up!

JIM

Liv, watch it. Con, he's your brother. Be nice.

CON

He's a leech.

JIM

No, he looks up to you. Don't make me ground you.

Con looks at Liv, who is cheered.

CON

C'mon, Leech.

LIV

Alright, I’m playing on your team!

Liv snatches the BALL from Con and rushes out the door.

CON

(after Liv)

I'm not giving you any pointers!

JIM

I know he seems like a pain right now, but you’ve got to cherish this relationship. One day, you might be all each other has.

CON

I'll be in the Air Force before that'll happen.

Con follows Liv. Jim sighs and returns to his paper.

EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

Con walks fast. Liv trails behind, jabbering.

LIV

...and then I'll dribble the ball and score the winning goal. The crowd'll go wild!

CON

What crowd?

LIV

(embarrassed)

Well, there's her.

They approach a house where a teenage girl, MARTHA (15, soft brown eyes and hair) is helping her MOTHER unload groceries from the back of a car. As they walk, Liv waves shyly and Martha smiles.

CON

(Sotto)

Martha Lang? Shit, you can’t like Martha Lang!

LIV

Why not? I see her on my paper route.

CON

Because...because you’re too damn young.

LIV

Shut up! When I'm older, she'll wanna date me.

CON

Like that'll happen.

MARTHA (O.S.)

Con, will I see you at the game?

The brothers stop in front of Martha's lawn.

CON

As long as you’re there to cheer me on.

MARTHA

Who’s the kid?

CON

He’s nobody.

LIV

Shut your damn mouth! I’m Liv and you’re beautiful, Martha.

MARTHA

Nice to meet you, Liv.

Con grabs Liv’s shoulder and steers him forward.

CON

C’mon, Leech, we’re gonna be late.

MARTHA

Bye, Liv. Bye, Con.

Liv grins.

LIV

So that’s why you didn’t want me at the game, huh?

Con walks quickly after Liv in the direction of a grassy park. A paved road separates the brothers from the park.

They begin to cross.

SCREECH! A CAR swerves onto the street.

The car heads for the brothers. Liv drops the soccer ball and shoves Con forward--it's too late. Con collapses on the other side of the street and turns around. He looks in horror at Liv.

The car speeds away, fishtailing. The SOCCER BALL dropped by Liv rolls across the street, coming to a stop at the curb.

CON

Liv!

He runs for Liv, who is lying in the middle of the street.

CON

Liv, can you hear me?

He cradles Liv. Con touches Liv's head and he gasps. Blood shimmers on his fingertips. Close up of Liv's face as a bloody trail seeps into the asphalt.

Zoom out, showing Con helpless.

CON

Liv!

INT. HOSPITAL ENTRANCE - AFTERNOON

Liv is rushed into the hospital on a gurney. At the entrance, Con stands with Jim, crying. Jim clutches Con's shoulders. Closeup of Con's face and bloodshot eyes as he watches nurses guide the gurney down the hall and through double doors into the emergency room.

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - EVENING

Con sits beside Liv, who is in a hospital bed. Liv's eyes are closed and a breathing apparatus sticks out of his mouth. A HEART MONITOR beeps next to him.

Jim sits next to Con, talking to a DOCTOR.

JIM

How long will he be like this?

DOCTOR

The typical coma lasts a few days.

With luck, he'll wake soon.

The Doctor leaves. Jim walks to Con and places a hand on his shoulder. Con can't take his eyes off his brother.

Fade to black.

TITLE CARD: WOULDN'T IT BE NICE

(As "Wouldn't It Be Nice" plays)

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Time lapse on Liv in the bed. NURSES and DOCTORS check in on Liv, coming and going in a fast-forward motion. The room switches between dark and light. A FRAMED PHOTO appears on Liv's bedside table of Liv, Con and Jim.

The camera begins to slowly pan 360 degrees around the room. We see subtle changes to the room as time continues to pass: a nurse comes and goes whilst her fashion style updates to that of the mid-2000s, the equipment around the room becomes more modern, etc.

More pictures of Con and Jim appear on the walls: in each, Jim appears older and grayer and Con appears taller. Con graduates high school; he unpacks boxes at a college dorm; he joins the ROTC.

Finally, as the song comes to a close, the camera finishes its 360 journey around the room, returning to the hospital bed. It stops as it focuses on the bed.

Instead of a 13-year-old boy in the bed, Liv is now a 25-YEAR-OLD MAN. Facial scruff lines his jaw and neck. He's handsome with a boyish quality. He's skinny from muscle atrophy.

SUPER: 12 YEARS LATER

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

The HEART MONITOR next to Liv's bed beeps steadily, then...

The power goes out. The MONITOR turns off for a fraction of a second.

As the hospital's backup generator kicks on, the heart monitor resumes beeping. The camera zooms slowly in on Liv's face. His mouth twitches. His eyelids flutter, then slowly open. He looks around the room.

POV shot as we see the room through Liv's unfocused eyes.

Liv stretches out, then winces.

A bird chirps through the open window. Liv's heart monitor continues to beep. He looks at it, confused. He stares at the IV in his arm and touches it, then his eyes widen. He begins to breathe heavily. He reaches for his face and feels his scruff. He hyperventilates.

Suddenly, a NURSE appears in the doorway, looking down at a clipboard in her hand. Focused, she wanders to the bed.

Liv clears his throat.

LIV

Huh--Hullo.

The Nurse tenses up. She looks at Liv, then gasps. She drops the clipboard and runs from the room.

NURSE

Doctor Callahan! I need you in here!

Liv looks dismayed.

LIV

(to himself)

Hello...hello.

He wiggles his toes and stretches again. He tugs at his IV.

DOCTOR CALLAHAN (O.S.)

I wouldn't do that if I were you.

Liv looks in confusion at DOCTOR CALLAHAN (50's and balding) standing in the doorway.

DOCTOR CALLAHAN

Livingston Greer? It's a pleasure to meet you. We've been monitoring you for quite some time.

LIV

Where am I?

Callahan walks to the bedside and sits down in a chair.

DOCTOR CALLAHAN

You're in a hospital.

LIV

Why?

DOCTOR CALLAHAN

What I'm going to say may come as a shock.

(deep breath)

You were in an accident when you were thirteen.

LIV

But...I am thirteen.

Doctor Callahan shakes his head.

DOCTOR CALLAHAN

Not anymore. You were in a coma for a long time.

Wincing, Liv sits up in bed. He looks shocked.

LIV

How long?

Callahan hesitates.

DOCTOR CALLAHAN

Twelve years.

Liv looks scared.

LIV

What year is it?

DOCTOR CALLAHAN

(gently)

2007.

LIV

No! No, no, no.

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