CWS Calendar - Day 17
Task: Write a dialogue, starting with one of the sentences from August 16th. Only write what your characters are saying, do not give any additional information. In the end of the dialogue it should have become clear: who is talking; the general situation; the emotional undertone.
I wasn't sure which one to take, and the first one seemed too much "schoolbook", so I just went with the second one... *shrugs*
“Have you seen the doctor, yet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“...”
“I don't get you. I mean, you've been trying to get pregnant for how long now? Two years? Three?”
“Nearly three.”
“Nearly three! And you know you're in an at-risk group.”
“It's not that bad...”
“You're over thirty...”
“Thirty-two. That's nothing.”
“... and a heavy smoker...”
“One package a day! Come on!”
“... and let's not get me started on all those all-night parties and the binge drinking.”
“It's not as if I'm taking drugs or something like that...”
“I thought you wanted this baby!”
“I do!”
“Then why aren't you going to that prenatal exam?”
“...”
“I don't get you. You're my best friend, Lindsey. Please, help me understand this.”
“...”
“Please?”
“You want another coffee?”
“... Yeah. Sure.”
“Okay.”
“...”
“It's just... You know how Marc's mother died last year, right?”
“Yeah. It was pretty surprising. A heart attack, wasn't it?”
“Yes. Only, it turned out it wasn't just a heart attack...”
“Say what?”
“You remember how her speech slurred and the diabetes?”
“What do you mean? She had some illness? What's that to do with you?”
“Oh God, Naomi! What do I do?”
“What? Lindsey, sweetie, what's wrong?”
“Marc's mum died because she had something called Friedreich's ataxia.”
“Okay. What's that?”
“It's an inherited disease that causes damage to the nervous system, and the heart, and the spinal cord, and ...”
“I'm still a bit lost here, sweetie.”
“It's a genetic disorder that can be carried by healthy people for generations before it breaks out again. When two carriers have children together, there's a one-in-four chance that the child is born with it.”
“So, is Marc a carrier?”
“...”
“Seriously? Man, that sucks. But you aren't, right?”
“I don't know.”
“You didn't check?”
“It's not that easy. Do you know what a genetic analysis costs?”
“So, you don't want to go to the prenatal exam, because you're afraid of what the amniocentesis will show? I'm not sure that's how it works, Lindsey.”
“Yeah, I know. It's stupid.”
“You really need to go, you know? Especially if there's a chance for something like this.”
“I'm just so afraid of what the doctor might find...”
“I understand that, sweetie. But you need to make sure that everything is fine. For your baby.”
“... I know.”
“You don't need to go along. I can come with you, if you want.”
“Would you do that?”
“Sure. What are best friends for?”
“Thanks, Naomi. Really, I mean it.”
“I know.”
I wasn't sure which one to take, and the first one seemed too much "schoolbook", so I just went with the second one... *shrugs*
“Have you seen the doctor, yet?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“...”
“I don't get you. I mean, you've been trying to get pregnant for how long now? Two years? Three?”
“Nearly three.”
“Nearly three! And you know you're in an at-risk group.”
“It's not that bad...”
“You're over thirty...”
“Thirty-two. That's nothing.”
“... and a heavy smoker...”
“One package a day! Come on!”
“... and let's not get me started on all those all-night parties and the binge drinking.”
“It's not as if I'm taking drugs or something like that...”
“I thought you wanted this baby!”
“I do!”
“Then why aren't you going to that prenatal exam?”
“...”
“I don't get you. You're my best friend, Lindsey. Please, help me understand this.”
“...”
“Please?”
“You want another coffee?”
“... Yeah. Sure.”
“Okay.”
“...”
“It's just... You know how Marc's mother died last year, right?”
“Yeah. It was pretty surprising. A heart attack, wasn't it?”
“Yes. Only, it turned out it wasn't just a heart attack...”
“Say what?”
“You remember how her speech slurred and the diabetes?”
“What do you mean? She had some illness? What's that to do with you?”
“Oh God, Naomi! What do I do?”
“What? Lindsey, sweetie, what's wrong?”
“Marc's mum died because she had something called Friedreich's ataxia.”
“Okay. What's that?”
“It's an inherited disease that causes damage to the nervous system, and the heart, and the spinal cord, and ...”
“I'm still a bit lost here, sweetie.”
“It's a genetic disorder that can be carried by healthy people for generations before it breaks out again. When two carriers have children together, there's a one-in-four chance that the child is born with it.”
“So, is Marc a carrier?”
“...”
“Seriously? Man, that sucks. But you aren't, right?”
“I don't know.”
“You didn't check?”
“It's not that easy. Do you know what a genetic analysis costs?”
“So, you don't want to go to the prenatal exam, because you're afraid of what the amniocentesis will show? I'm not sure that's how it works, Lindsey.”
“Yeah, I know. It's stupid.”
“You really need to go, you know? Especially if there's a chance for something like this.”
“I'm just so afraid of what the doctor might find...”
“I understand that, sweetie. But you need to make sure that everything is fine. For your baby.”
“... I know.”
“You don't need to go along. I can come with you, if you want.”
“Would you do that?”
“Sure. What are best friends for?”
“Thanks, Naomi. Really, I mean it.”
“I know.”