The Alpha step team has just completed their show and on the last step, NINO has collapsed in REGGIE’s arms.
REGGIE - Nino! Nino! Yo, Nino blacked out!
BOBBY - Oh shit! Nino!
(BOBBY lightly smacks NINO’s face. No response.)
BOBBY - Oh my God! Get a doctor!
(LARRY and REGGIE prop NINO up across their shoulders. They walk him clear from the stage. There are lots of people around congratulating different teams on a good show. Nobody really notices what has happened to NINO yet.)
REGGIE - Here, sit him down over here! He can get some air until the medic comes. Oh shit man! I told his ass not to do that damn flip! Shit!
LARRY - Nino man! Wake up!
(LARRY looks into NINO’s face. It looks as if he is sound asleep. The other Alphas start to come around. SUEDE comes over.)
SUEDE - Yo man, is he alright?
REGGIE - He had been having chest problems in practice. I think he may have over exerted himself tonight.
SUEDE - Oh man!
REGGIE - Where is the medic!
BOBBY - Fuck it man, let’s get him to the hospital ourselves! It is like a zoo in here!
WIL - Aight let’s go!
(The Alphas start to pick NINO up as DEXTER and CANDACE run over.)
CANDACE screams - Oh my God! Nino! Oh my God!
DEXTER - Is he alright!
BOBBY - Help us get him to the hospital!
(As they carry NINO, more people start to realize that there is something seriously wrong. CANDACE is crying hysterically and screaming.)
CANDACE screaming - Nino! Baby wake up! Oh my God! Hurry up let’s go!
(People start to back out of the way as the Alphas rush through toward the stage exit. GREGG runs out.)
GREGG - Oh shit! I just heard! He’s out?
BOBBY - Yeah, come on!
GREGG - Ok, Shareesa! Shareesa!
(SHAREESA runs over.)
SHAREESA - Oh my God!
GREGG - Shareesa! Make sure Candace is breathing and doesn’t hyperventilate!
SHAREESA - Oh my God! Oh my God!
GREGG - Shareesa!
SHAREESA crying - Huh?
GREGG - Take care of Candace while we go! Come on!
(They all burst through the back door and run to Quinton’s car which he has pulled around to the back.)
REGGIE - Hurry up, get him in.
CANDACE sreams - Niiiiiiiiiiiinoooooooooo! Baby please! Please baby wake up! Oh my God oh my God!
GREGG - Candace, come in my car!
CANDACE - No! No! I’m not gonna leave him!
(CANDACE jumps into QUINTON’s car with BOBBY and DEXTER. Everyone else jumps in their own cars and speeds to the hospital. NINO is in the back seat still unconscious.)
CANDACE crying - Oh please be ok! God please help him! Please Nino baby!
(CANDACE bends over and kisses NINO on the cheek.)
DEXTER - Come on man! You can snap out of it! Come on man!
(QUINTON is speeding to the hospital. He flies through a red light at an intersection without thinking twice. GREGG is following with SHAREESA and REGGIE.)
REGGIE - Shit! Got damn! I knew I shouldn’t have let him step! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!
GREGG - Man you knew you couldn’t keep Nino from stepping! Don’t blame yourself! He’s fine. Just lost his wind.
SHAREESA crying - Are you sure? How do you know?
GREGG - It happens in sports all the time. Sometimes when you get winded, you lose oxygen to your brain. Causes you to black out for a few minutes. I bet Nino will be awake by the time we get to the hospital.
QUINTON - We’re almost there Nino! Hold on bruh!
CANDACE screaming - Oh Jesus! Jesus! Nino baby wake up! Oh God please wake up! Is he breathing?
(DEXTER looks at NINO's body as he lays in the back seat.)
DEXTER - Yeah...yeah, he's breathing! He's breathing!
QUINTON - Ok, we're almost there!
BOBBY - Good! Hurry! Hurry!
CANDACE screaming - Oh Jesus! Lord God bless him Jesus! God, my Nino! My baby!
(QUINTON speeds up the driveway at the hospital. His car screeches to a halt at the emergency room. Everyone jumps out frantically. BOBBY runs inside. The other car pulls up.)
BOBBY - Help! Help! I need a doctor! Somebody!
(A doctor runs over.)
BOBBY - It's my friend, he is unconscious outside!
DR. RAINER - Ok!
(He runs and one second later is back with a stretcher and two medical attendees. They all run outside where the guys are trying to get NINO out of the car.)
DR. RAINER - Excuse me! Let me get through! Darnell, get his lower extremity. Chito, secure his back. On three, on the stretcher! One, two, three!
(They roll NINO onto the stretcher and quickly pick him up.)
DR. RAINER - What happened to him?
BOBBY - He has angina and he was...
DR. RAINER - Angina? At his young age?
BOBBY - That is what they told us!
DR. RAINER - Ok!
REGGIE - But he was in a step show tonight!
BOBBY - He wasn't supposed to over exert himself!
DR. RAINER - Is anyone here related to the patient?
REGGIE - Uh...
DEXTER - Wait! She is his fiancee!
DR. RAINER - Come with me maam!
(Dr. RAINER and CANDACE run down a long hall through double doors. DEXTER, QUINTON, BOBBY, REGGIE, GREGG and SHAREESA are standing there staring down the hall.)
SHAREESA crying - What happened? What happened to him?
REGGIE - He was fine the whole show! Or so it seemed! And then, he does the flip with Larry! And then...
BOBBY - It all happened so fast!
(GREGG hugs SHAREESA who is crying hard.)
GREGG - Shhhh baby. Nino is gonna be fine! I can just feel it!
QUINTON - Why don't we all sit down. I am sure they will have to run tests and it may take a minute. No sense in all of us standing up.
(Everyone starts to take seats in the emergency room lobby.)
SHAREESA - Maybe I should try and go back for Candace. She may need me.
GREGG - Yeah, maybe you're right.
(But as GREGG and SHAREESA get up, they notice CANDACE coming back down the hall.)
GREGG - Here comes Candace!
(Everyone stands up.)
GREGG - Well is he alright?
CANDACE crying - They have to run tests and I cannot stay back and...and...my baby!
(SHAREESA embraces CANDACE and everyone throws their arms around them. DEXTER starts to cry and walks away.)
CANDACE crying - My baby! Oh God Nino!
GREGG - Candace he is gonna be fine. I just know it. He just lost his air and blacked out for a minute.
(JASON, LARRY and WIL run into the emergency room.)
JASON - What happened?
QUINTON - They are running tests. We don't know yet.
WIL - I'm sure it is nothing major. Leave it to Nino to scare the hell out of everyone!
(Everyone manages a giggle.)
REGGIE - I knew we shouldn't have fuckin' let him step!
GREGG - Look, everybody just calm your nerves. The brother is gonna be back out here joking with us about this whole thing in a little while aight? Let's not get to blaming and woulda shoulda coulda. Fact is, we will all kill him if he tries to step again!
QUINTON - Amen to that!
(DONTE and OCTAVIA run into the emergency room.)
DONTE - How is he? I got here as fast as I could!
BOBBY - He is in the back. They are checking to see what’s up.
(OCTAVIA goes and sits with SHAREESA and CANDACE.)
DONTE - Man, what happened? I heard he looked fine throughout the whole show.
BOBBY - I know. I think everything put together was just too much. In rehearsal, we would do a step and stop. But to do the whole show, and then he went and did that flip...it was just too much.
OCTAVIA - Are you ok girl?
CANDACE - I am losing my mind Octavia. Oh God I hope he is ok.
OCTAVIA - I am so sure that it is nothing. He should be fine.
CANDACE - I pray that he is.
(OCTAVIA holds SHAREESA’s hand.)
Meanwhile at the step show...
SUEDE - Did yall enjoy yourselves tonight?
(The crowd cheers.)
SUEDE - Once again I wish to thank the pan hellenic council here at Ahpla for allowing me to participate in the show and for supporting step correct. Give yourselves a hand.
(The crowd claps.)
SUEDE - Ok, the moment of truth. The judges have come back with their decision on the show. So can we have all the step teams on the stage right now?
(Everyone starts to come up.)
SUEDE - Give a hand to these brothers and sisters that put on a wonderful show! Give it up! There are no losers, we are all winners. I know that the Alpha step team is not present. One of their members took ill and they had to take care of that. Let’s hope for a speedy recovery for him aight!
(Everyone claps.)
SUEDE - Ok, ladies first. For the sorority competition. In third place, give it up for the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority incorporated!
SGRHOS - Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee yiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!
SUEDE - Aight! In second place, the ladies of...
(silence)
SUEDE - Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority incorporated!
(The ZETAS start jumping up and down and hugging each other.)
AKAS - Skeeeeeeeeeeeee weeeeeeeeeeeee!
SUEDE - But it doesn’t...say...which team. Hmmmm, I gotta find out in a second. Aight first place, and this year’s Ahpla University homecoming step show champion’s trophy goes to the blue and white family! Zeetaaaaaaaa Phiiiiii Beeeetaaaaaaaaaaa Sorority incorporated!
(The ZETAS run to the front of the stage. They are jumping up and down. TONYA is crying as she holds KAIYA. DENIECE picks the trophy up. The Zetas in the audience are doing their call.)
SUEDE - Congratulations to all the ladies. And now for the brothers. Third place goes to...the brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity incorporated!
RONNIE - Rooooooooof! Roooooooof!
(The crowd cheers.)
SUEDE - Aight! Second place goes to...
(silence)
SUEDE - The brothers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity incorporated!
SIGMAS - Bluuuuuuuuue phiiiiiiiiii! Yooooouuuuuu knooooooooooow!
(One of the Sigma step team members comes forward and accepts the trophy.)
SUEDE - Give it up for the brothers of Phi Beta Sigma one more time!
(The crowd cheers.)
SUEDE - And this year’s homecoming champ for the fraternities goes to the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity incorporated! Give it up!
CANDACE - What the hell is taking so long! It’s just a simple test!
(CANDACE stands up and tries to go through the double doors. GREGG grabs her.)
GREGG - Candace wait!
CANDACE crying - No! I need my baby! Niiiiiinooooo! Niiino!
GREGG - Candace, let the doctors do their jobs. Please!
(SHAREESA runs over and LARRY grabs CANDACE as well.)
GREGG - Just remain calm. He should be right out and Nino will be right behind him.
SHAREESA - Gregg is right Candace. Let’s go sit back down over here.
OCTAVIA - I’ll get you something to drink Candace.
(As everyone settles down, the door opens and DR. RANIER walks out.)
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