FENDER: (clearly beat up and woozy) "Stop - "
OSCAR: "Are you okay? Well - I mean - you clearly aren't okay - but... are you... dying? Is that - Fuck. Sorry. That was a bad question. Uh. Sorry, I'm bad at this. I don't know what to do. Do you need to go to the hospital? I can take you there - "
FENDER: "No hospital... please."
OSCAR: "Is it just your face?"
FENDER: (he swallows his own blood and tries repositioning his jaw in preparation to talk) "They tried..."
OSCAR: "They tried what?"
FENDER: (he scrunches up his eyes at the memory; his voice is all weak and scratchy) "Cutting off..."
(Oscar looks down and sees a blood stain by Fender's crotch)
OSCAR: "No way - what - No, Fender - Did they - "
FENDER: (shakes head slowly) "Just cut my pelvis."
OSCAR: "Thank God. I mean - no - I'm not thanking him that you're hurt - just that you still have... your little friend." (cringes at his own words) "Why are you wet?"
FENDER: "Bucket of water..."
[Enter Basil]
BASIL: "Oscar?"
OSCAR: "I'm back here."
BASIL: "Lord Jesus - is that Fender?" (wheels herself into the alleyway; clearly panting) "Where's Ronny?"
OSCAR: "They left. Can we - can you - I need to take him somewhere - "
BASIL: "Calm down. Put him on my lap."
OSCAR: "But - "
BASIL: "My legs are numb and paralyzed, Oscar, I wouldn't be able to feel him on me even if he was unbearably heavy. This kid is 135 pounds, tops."
(Oscar helps Fender to his feet; as soon as Fender stands he passes out; he's positioned to lie across Basil's lap; Oscar starts pushing Basil's wheelchair down the street as fast as he can)
...
[His House, The Suburbs, 9:38 PM, Straight Sex?]
BASIL: "My dad's coming to pick me up in three minutes."
OSCAR: "You can sleep over if you want."
BASIL: "Nah, I need to take my meds. Text me how it goes, okay?"
OSCAR: (opening the front door to let her out) "Thanks, Basil. For everything. Literally. Everything."
BASIL: (proud smile) "I'll watch you cry and carry your beat-up friend in my wheelchair across town any night, Oscar. Any night."
[His room, His House, 9:42 PM, Painful Sex?]
(Oscar closes the door to his bedroom as softly as possible)
OSCAR: (whispering) "Fender?"
FENDER: (Fender sits up in the bed and squints; he's obviously confused) "..."
OSCAR: (observing Fender's state in the lamplight) "I think... you need... a shower..."
FENDER: (voice weak) "Am I at your house?"
OSCAR: "Yeah. This in comparison to your house is probably supremely anti-climactic. Come on."
[His ensuite, His House, 9:44 PM, Bathroom Sex?]
YOU ARE READING
Oscar Glyde Won't Heal Your Pride
HumorHe won't get his class under control. He won't make friends apart from the shamelessly unique school misfit. He won't serve sandwiches to the student body without lacing them with laxatives, at least once (maybe twice). Oscar Glyde won't do anything...
20: Riot at the Red Bean
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