The Corresponding Trees

Cast:

Charlie Parker: Man in his late thirties with dark curly hair and dark blue eyes. He is wearing blue jeans and a brown dress shirt. His eyes aren't as sharp as they once were so he wears glasses. He is friendly and outgoing, but is starting to notice that he is losing interest in the things he once loved. He thinks there might be something wrong with his tree but doesn't want to stress anyone out so he keeps these worries to himself.

Kristen Parker: Charlie's wife. In her mid thirties. She has long dark hair and dark eyes. She is wearing a black and white floral dress with a shawl wrapped around her bare shoulders. She is quiet but friendly and is madly in love with Charlie, she would do anything for him. She has noticed a change in his behavior is beginning to worry.

Doctor Stevens: Kristen's brother and the best tree surgeon around. He has been in the practice for 21 years and is very skilled in the art of tree planting, reconstruction, and healing. He is the only one Charlie and Kristen would trust with their tree problems.

Scene I:
          Kristen and Charlie are sitting at the dinner table eating grilled steaks with a glass of wine for each of them. Charlie is on the left end of the table and Kristen is facing him on the right. It is getting dark outside and the chilly night air is slowly pouring in through the open window, making the shear curtains dance. There is a sudden gust of wind and the papers that were sitting on the table in front of the window blow around the room, breaking the dead silence.

Kristen: (Jumps up at the sound of the papers blowing around and walks over to the window to gather them up) Charlie are you okay? You've been awfully quiet and you haven't even lifted your wineglass. Did everything go alright at work today?

Charlie: (Grabs wineglass and holds it up close to his eyes as if inspecting it) I don't feel like having wine tonight. I already have a slight headache. (rubbing his forehead) And no, work is fine. I've just been really tired. I probably just need to get more sleep.

Kristen: Story of our lives. But hon, you've just seemed so down lately. You're sure there's nothing bothering you? Nothing you want to talk about?

Charlie: Alright, how is it that the second I become worried about something, you immediately know something is wrong?

Kristen: (A sly smile spreads across her face) You know very well that our corresponding trees do more than just make us fall in love. (straightens her posture and says in a matter-of-fact tone) I can sense when you're upset.

Charlie: (and innocent/confused look is on his face) Well then how come I can't sense when you're upset?

Kristen: That's because I'm a woman. We're professionals at hiding feelings.

Charlie: Well that doesn't seem very healthy, (slightly insulted look on his face) and you should feel comfortable with telling me when something is bothering you!

Kristen: Look who's talking! You've been acting strangely, and I know something is up. (sighs) please tell me what's wrong so I can help you.

Charlie: (pauses and has and unsure look on his face) Alright. (inhales deeply and looks down as he speaks) I think there is something wrong with my tree.

Kristen: (face grows pale and voice turns frantic and shaky) Charlie! You should have told me as soon as you noticed! What if it is falling into autumn? What if the leaves start falling off? Your tree could die! Then what will I do? You know that if a corresponding tree dies, the other one will overgrow and eventually break! How selfish can you be?

Charlie: (Looks up and speaks with a calm and steady voice) Kristen, you need to calm down. I'm still not sure if that's what's really wrong. There's definitely something up in there, (gestures to head) but we can't jump to conclusions. (looks at wife's unsatisfied face and switches to an optimistic tone of voice) I'll call your brother! He's the only one I would trust with something like this.

Kristen: (still looking quite worried) I'll call now and ask if he can see you tomorrow morning. This is serious Charlie.

Scene II:
          Kristen and Charlie are waiting in in an ER operating room for Dr. Stevens to come in. Charlie's condition has actually worsened overnight from the argument with Kristen and he is sitting at the end of an operating table blankly staring at the floor. He seems completely unresponsive and is tired from having test work done all morning. Kristen is holding her husbands relaxed hand with both of hers. She is looking at the medical posters around the room to distract herself from her husband's worsening condition. Doctor Stevens walks in the door at around noon and greets his sister and brother-in-law with a smile. Kristen is unable to control her emotions at the sight of her big brother and tears of anxiety immediately well up in her eyes. Charlie slowly looks up at the sounds of the door shutting and his wife crying.

Kristen: (Lets go of Charlie's hand and walks toward her brother for an embrace) Michael, please tell me he'll be okay.

Dr. Michael Stevens: (releases Kristen and furrows brow) Kris, it's not as bad as it could be. But the test results show that his tree is at the end of autumn. (notices the sudden worry on Kristen's face and softens his tone to break the rest of the news to her) We can stop it from going into winter but the process is risky and we don't have much time.

Kristen: (Voice is strong although tears are still shining in her dark eyes) What do we need to do?

Michael: Our best bet is to take a healthy seed pod from a donor with a corresponding tree, it's quite typical that (Kristen interrupts)

Kristen: I'll do it. (Pauses and looks at Charlie) I'll do anything to have him back to the way he used to be. (Looks back at her brother)

Michael: Great. (Looks into Kristen's eyes) Kris, this is really brave of you, I'm proud.

Kristen: (Folds arms over chest and hunches shoulders as is she were cold and looks over at Charlie) I have to, I love him.

Michael: (Tone switches from concerned big brother to professional tree surgeon) Alright, let's get started right away. We have no time to waste. (Walks over to sink and scrubs arms and hands, talking to Kristen over his shoulder) Go ahead and help Charlie get situated on the operating table. He's too unresponsive to try and explain the procedure so you can go ahead and lay his head on the chill block to put him under. (Gathers up operating tools from left of the sink)

Kristen: (As she lays Charlie's head down she kisses his still lips and walks over to her operating table, which is parallel to his) Okay Michael, the chill block has taken effect on his tree, I think he's asleep now.

Michael: (Walks over to her table with a model of a tree and x-rays of Charlie's dying tree) Okay, I'm going to quickly explain the procedure. (Lifts model) I'm going to take a pod from your tree and replace it with the dead pod in Charlie's tree that caused the seasonal change (setting down model and pointing to the infected pod on the x-ray) And your tree will be healthy enough to sprout a new pod to replace the one I will be taking.

Kristen: And how will the one pod effect Charlie's tree? Isn't the whole tree infected?

Michael: Yes, but what I'm hoping is that the healthy pod will trigger his tree back into spring and will start to bloom. If it is successful, the leaves will immediately return and we'll know he's better before you even wake up.

Kristen: Okay Michael (Pulls him into a hug) I trust you with my life. (releases him) I'm ready for you to begin. (Lays down on the table and situates her head on the chill block. The sudden cold stuns her tree into temporary hibernation and she falls into a deep sleep)

Michael: (Reaches for his scalpel on the medical tray and goes to work. He cuts into his sleeping sister's head to get to her tree and carefully rummages through strong, healthy branches to locate and remove a healthy pod. He temporarily sets it on the medical tray and absent mindedly waters her tree before sewing her head up. He removes the chill block and replaces it with a heat lamp to make the temperature proper for her and her tree to wake up.
        He then moves over to start working on Charlie. He repeats the procedure that was just performed on Kristen except instead of removing the healthiest pod, he takes out the weakest and most infected. He quickly sets it on the medical tray, careful not to let the infection get on his skin. He frantically looks around for the biohazard container and curses himself for leaving it across the room. He murmurs to himself) I'll throw it away when I get him sewed back up (He then takes the healthy pod and attaches it to the branch with a missing pod. There was an immediate burst of green as the tree started to bloom and Dr. Stevens gave a sigh of relief. Charlie's coloring came back and the sad expression that had been stuck on his face for months melted into a small relaxed smile. He sewed Charlie back up and replaced the chill block with a heat lamp. He had done it!)

Charlie: (Almost immediately wakes up) Michael! (Sits up) I feel absolutely 100 percent better! You're a genius! (Grabs Michael's hand for a manly handshake)

Michael: Excellent! (Grabs Charlie's Shoulders) Don't get too excited, you need rest (Releases shoulders) I'll go check and see what's taking so long with your sleepy wife. (Turns to walk toward her bed and freezes from shock before sprinting to her side)

Charlie: (Jumps up from the table and follows Michael) What's happened to her? Why is her skin so pale? (Touches Kristen's cheek) She's freez... (Pauses as a horror-struck look washes over his face) Michael, tell me what's wrong with her!

Michael: I don't know! I did everything right! Found the pod, removed it, watered her tree, and sewed her back up! (Raises hands behind his head and shuts eyes as he realizes his fatal mistake. He speaks quietly) The water!

Charlie: Water? What water? Explain yourself, she's my wife and I need to know what's wrong with her, now!

Michael: (Falls to his knees and covers face with hands) I watered her tree before sewing her head back up! I confused a transplant with a re-seeding! (Pauses while the mistake sinks in) I drowned her tree.

Charlie: (Not even trying to hold back tears, sobbing and walking to his dead wife's side) How could this happen? (Cups her head in his hands and rubs her temples with his thumbs. A few minutes pass and not a word is spoken. Charlie then kisses his wife's forehead and whispers) I love you. Our trees will grow together again soon. (He stands up straight and notices a tiny branch starting to grow out his ear. He repeats to himself) Our trees will grown together again soon. (He walks to the exit and walks out the door leaving Michael still sitting on the floor and his dead wife's body on the operating table)