ONLY HUMAN

EXT. ABORTION FACILITY DAY

A beautiful spring day.

A sign on a building reads: Choice Clinic for Women.

A 25-year-old biracial woman stands alone on the sidewalk. This

is MAYA SONDER, best known for putting others first. She is
petite, a late bloomer, with vibrant teal streaks in her hair.
She holds a sign that reads: You have other options. I will
help you.

INT. ABORTION FACILITY CONTINUOUS

WAITING AREA

The waiting area is dated and small, but clean. It contains a

reception desk and a row of simple chairs.

A patient, engulfed in an oversized sweatshirt, sits alone and

absent-mindedly flips through the pages of a magazine. She
clearly isnt reading it.

This is YESENIA, 22, pragmatic, resilient, suspicious. She

believes that she is under constant scrutiny, and always falls
short. She lacks formal education, but shes plenty smart.

PROCEDURE ROOM SAME

Like the waiting area, the procedure room is nothing special,

but it at least appears clean.

A tall curtain divides the room. The side closest to the door
contains an exam table and some gynecological equipment, which
is several years old.

A vacuum pump hums.

A bookish YOUNG WOMAN lies on the exam table, her feet in the
stirrups. An OLDER NURSE with gentle eyes stands by the Young
Womans side and holds her hand.

An elderly biracial man performs a procedure on the Young Woman.

This is DR. ANDREW ZEF, 74, fiercely independent and stubbornly
proud.

A flexible plastic tube emerges from between the Young Womans

legs; on the other end of the tube is an opaque canister.

The Young Woman emits a weak groan.

DR. ZEF (O.S.)

Hold still. Almost done.

The Young Woman squeezes the Older Nurses hand.

WAITING AREA CONTINUOUS

Yesenia nervously twirls her hair.

The CLINIC MANAGER, a no-nonsense woman in her 50s, appears from

the back.

CLINIC MANAGER
(to Yesenia)
Follow me, dear.

Yesenia stands and follows the Clinic Manager out of the waiting
area.

PROCEDURE ROOM CONTINUOUS

The Older Nurse strokes the Young Womans hair.

DR. ZEF (O.S.)

Turning off the suction.

The hum of the vacuum ceases.

The Young Woman grimaces as Dr. Zef removes the tubing from her
cervix. Her abortion is complete.

DR. ZEF
You did great.

OLDER NURSE
Just a moment longer and then Ill get
you out of those stirrups, okay
sweetie?
The Young Woman nods.

Dr. Zef disconnects the canister and carries it to the other

side of the curtain, shielded from the Young Womans view. On
the other side of the curtain is a plain table and chair.

He places the canister on the table. Also on the table is a

metal pan, with a layer of mesh to separate liquids from solids.

Dr. Zef sits down. He opens the canister and pours its contents
into the metal pan. Dr. Zefs body blocks the blood and guts
from view.

He hunches over the table. Although the embryos remains are out
of frame, it is clear that Dr. Zef is piecing them together.

Satisfied, Dr. Zef pours the contents of the pan into a red
plastic biohazard bag.

He drops the bag into a trash bin, which is labeled: MEDICAL

WASTE ONLY.

He peeks his head around the curtain and nods to the Older
Nurse. The Older Nurse helps the Young Woman sit up and slide
off the exam table.

INT. DR. ZEFS ABORTION FACILITY PROCEDURE ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The Young Woman is gone. The Older Nurse wipes down the exam
table.

Dr. Zef stands over a sink. He pushes a call button on the wall.

DR. ZEF
(into intercom)
Ready for the next one.

Dr. Zef turns on the faucet.

PREP ROOM SAME

The prep room is bare except for a few plastic chairs. It only
serves as a place to change clothes.

Yesenia stands in a medical gown and carries her clothes in her

arms. She sets her clothes down on a chair.
 YESENIA
All right, universe. Give me a sign.

Yesenias cell phone rings. The caller ID reads: Detention

Center.

There is a knock on the door. The Clinic Manager cracks the door
open. Yesenia quickly turns off her phone.

CLINIC MANAGER
Its time.

EXT. DR. ZEFS ABORTION FACILITY CONTINUOUS

Maya is on the phone.

MAYA
No, no saves today. You can pick me up
whenever. ... kay, love you.

She hangs up and sighs.

PROCEDURE ROOM CONTINUOUS

Dr. Zef washes his hands.

The room slowly tilts. Dr. Zef grabs the edge of the sink for
balance.

OLDER NURSE
Everything all right?

Dr. Zef shakes off his dizziness and the room returns to normal.

DR. ZEF
Yeah. Fine.

Dr. Zef finishes scrubbing up.

Dr. Zef uses his back to push open the door to the

NARROW HALLWAY

and calls down the hall for the Clinic Manager.

DR. ZEF
Come on, we dont have all -
He is suddenly overcome by nausea and vomits in the hallway.

The Clinic Manager rushes to him. Because the hallway is so

narrow, she navigates deftly to avoid slipping on the vomit.

CLINIC MANAGER
Doctor Zef!

DR. ZEF
I dont know what came over me.

Yesenia peers out the door of the prep room and takes in the
scene in the hall.

YESENIA
Ugh, gross!

The Clinic Manager frantically motions for Yesenia to stay in

the prep room. Yesenia does so and closes the door.

The Older Nurse appears behind Dr. Zef and places a damp
washcloth on his forehead.

Dr. Zef leans against the wall and takes a deep breath.

OLDER NURSE
Something you ate?

DR. ZEF
I havent had anything unusual. Feels
more like the flu.

CLINIC MANAGER
I thought you got a flu shot.

DR. ZEF
Well, if preventative measures worked
one hundred percent of the time, wed
all be out of a job.

CLINIC MANAGER
Glad your sense of humor is still
healthy, Doctor.

DR. ZEF
How many more?
 CLINIC MANAGER
Just the one. Ill take care of it. Go
lie down.

WAITING AREA - LATER

The Clinic Manager sits in front of a computer at the reception

desk. Yesenia, back in her street clothes, leans on the other
side of the reception desk.

Yesenia impatiently drums her fingers.

CLINIC MANAGER
Were terribly sorry for the
inconvenience.

YESENIA
Im already fourteen weeks. I cant
hide this bump forever.

CLINIC MANAGER
I have an opening on Wednesday.

YESENIA
I have to work. Saturdays are my only
day off.

The Clinic Manager scrolls through the calendar, looking for

Saturday openings, but finds none.

CLINIC MANAGER
Right, tell you what. Just come in on
Saturday, a week from today, and well
squeeze you in.

YESENIA
Youre sure?

CLINIC MANAGER
Absolutely.

EXT. ABORTION FACILITY CONTINUOUS

Maya is still on the sidewalk with her sign.

Yesenia walks out the front door. Maya sees her and beams.
 MAYA
You didnt go through with it!
Congratulations!

Yesenia looks puzzled. She approaches Maya.

YESENIA
How do you know that?

MAYA
Your posture, your expression, the
timing between you and the last one...
Ive been at this for a while.
(smiling)
Im so glad you chose life.

YESENIA
Are you, now.

MAYA
Life is messy, and hard, and amazing.
If theres anything at all I can do to
help, Im here for you.

YESENIA
Youre serious?

MAYA
Yes, of course.

YESENIA
I didnt choose life, exactly. The
doctor barfed in the hallway so I have
to come back in a week.

MAYA
Oh.

YESENIA
Yeah.

An awkward silence.

MAYA
Whats your name?
 YESENIA
Yesenia.

MAYA
Im Maya. Id still like to help you,
Yesenia. You dont have to have to come
back. You dont have to have an
abortion.

Yesenia sizes Maya up. She notices Mayas engagement ring.

YESENIA
(hostile)
Engaged, huh.

MAYA
(flustered)
Yes. Actually, todays our anniversary.

YESENIA
You probably have some sickeningly
romantic meet-cute story.

MAYA
No, we met... weird. How about you? Are
you seeing anyone?

YESENIA
Were standing outside an abortion
clinic. Take a wild guess how my
relationship is going.

MAYA
Thats fair. Im just trying to figure
out what kind of support system you
might have.

YESENIA
My family lives in Miami, my job sucks,
and I have the worlds shittiest
apartment.

MAYA
That is not true.

YESENIA
How do you figure?
 MAYA
Because I have the worlds shittiest
apartment.

Maya sees an opportunity to build rapport. Yesenia is determined

to one-up her.

YESENIA
Oh, I doubt that.

MAYA
My refrigerator door closes with a
bungee cord.

YESENIA
My upstairs neighbor is a heroin
dealer.

MAYA
My upstairs neighbors daughter is
learning how to play the clarinet.

INT. ABORTION FACILITY CONTINUOUS

Dr. Zef, better but still a little nauseated, walks across the

WAITING AREA

toward the front door. He looks out the window and stops in his
tracks. Yesenia and Maya gesticulate wildly MOS. They appear to
be in a heated argument.

DR. ZEF
(alarmed)
No, no, no.

Dr. Zef rushes behind the reception desk and flips a switch.

EXT. ABORTION FACILITY CONTINUOUS

YESENIA
You couldnt possibly understand --

Suddenly the sprinklers go off. Maya realizes the hard way that
she is standing directly over a sprinkler head.

Maya screams. In a matter of seconds, she is drenched.

Yesenia is dry. She dashes around the sprinklers and runs away.

Dr. Zef gazes out the window at his handiwork and smiles.

A car pulls up in front of Maya. The window rolls down; its

Mayas fianc, NATHAN BENNESON.

NATHAN
What happened to you?

Maya resignedly gets in the car without a word.

Nathan looks in Dr. Zefs direction and snarls.

INT. FANCY RESTAURANT FOYER - NIGHT

The restaurant is the perfect setting for a romantic anniversary

dinner date.

Nathan strides through the entrance. Maya follows reluctantly.

Her dress is still wet. She shudders from the sudden blast of
air conditioning.

Nathan puts an arm around Maya and they approach the MATRE D'.

NATHAN
We have a reservation.

The Matre D' looks at Maya and scoffs. The Matre D' turns to
Nathan with an expression that says Are you serious?

Nathan stares the Matre D' down.

NATHAN
Benneson, for two.

INT. FANCY RESTAURANT TABLE - LATER

Maya and Nathan sit at a candlelit table. Nathan savors every

morsel of his steak. Maya manages a bite of her pasta here and
there but is clearly preoccupied.

MAYA
Over which one of us has the shittier
apartment, of all things.
 NATHAN
(jovially)
Well of course you do, darling, its no
contest.

MAYA
I know youre trying to make me feel
better, but a child is going to die
because I said the wrong thing.

NATHAN
(seriously)
Whoa. We dont know that. Okay? You
cant think like that, youll drive
yourself crazy. Theres still time.

MAYA
She did say shed be back in a week.

NATHAN
See? You have a whole week to rehearse
what to say.

MAYA
I guess.

NATHAN
(deadpan)
Now, did you remember to mention the
clarinet?

Maya stares at him incredulously. Nathan tries to keep a

straight face, but quickly fails. He cracks up laughing.

Maya caves and joins in the laughter.

MAYA
Dammit, Nathan. Stop being so charming.

NATHAN
Cant be helped.