(INT. Hospital waiting room. Darren and Chris are sitting on a bench, Chris lying on his side with his head on Darren’s lap, his eyes closed as Darren softly strokes his hair. Darren stares straight ahead, the silence of the room interrupted by an announcement from the intercom)

ANNOUNCEMENT
Dr. Greenburg to the OR. Code Orange.

(The room is submerged in silence again for a few minutes before Chris speaks, roused from his nap)

CHRIS
What’s a Code Orange?

DARREN
No idea.

CHRIS
I’m going to be so tired on the set tomorrow.

DARREN
You can go home if you want.

(Chris sits up and looks Darren in the eye. The both know Darren doesn’t want that)

CHRIS
I…I don’t know what to say, Dare.

DARREN
(snaps) Then don’t say anything.

(Chris looks hurt)

DARREN
(softer now) I’m sorry. I just…I was getting used to the idea of being a father, you know?

CHRIS
I don’t know. I’ve never actually had sex with a girl and gotten her pregnant.

DARREN
Whatever.

CHRIS
Darren?

DARREN
Yes, Chris?

CHRIS
Is this going to be it for us?

DARREN
(looks hurt that he would suggest it) No. I mean…I won’t have to get married now.

(Chris settled beside Darren and rests his head on his shoulder. They hold hands and it’s silent for few minutes, before Darren speaks)

DARREN
(whispers) What if she dies?

(Chris doesn’t have a chance to respond. Serena’s mother, Patty, comes into the waiting room, hysterical, supported by Serena’s brother, Charlie)

PATTY
Oh, Darren! You’re here!

(Darren pushes Chris away and stands, hurrying over to Patty and hugging her tightly)

DARREN
Is she ok?

PATTY
Darren, sweetie, I’m so sorry about the baby.

DARREN
Is Serena ok?

PATTY
(covers her mouth and looks away as she fights the urge to cry again) No.

CHARLIE
She’s awake, for now, but only because a machine is keeping her alive. She doesn’t want to stay this way though. As soon as she falls asleep, she wants to be taken off life support.

DARREN
So she’s going to die.

CHARLIE
(nods sadly) You can say goodbye now. She’s in room 246.

(Darren just stands there for a minute, then turns towards Chris, who is sitting still)

DARREN
Will you come with me?

(Chris nods, stands, then takes Darren’s hand)

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Thirteen: Funeral for a Friend
Scene 2

(INT. Darren walks into Serena’s room alone, surprised at how lifeless she looks)

SERENA
(barely more than a whisper) Darren.

DARREN
What happened?

SERENA
(crying) I’m so sorry, Darren. This is all my fault.

DARREN
I want to be mad. I really do.

SERENA
She was our baby. You have every right to be mad.

DARREN
Except you’ll be gone too, soon.

SERENA
Don’t cry for me.

DARREN
We were getting married in two days.

SERENA
Good thing the family is all in town, huh?

DARREN
How could you do this to me? After all you put me through to get what you wanted?

SERENA
I’m a jealous bitch, ok? I wanted to catch you with Chris and I got myself killed.

DARREN
This is out of jealousy?

SERENA
I’m so sorry, Dare. You have to believe that I loved you.

DARREN
Loved?

SERENA
I loved you when you were straight. Before Chris.

DARREN
You know, after I met him, you never had a chance.

SERENA
I know.

DARREN
I’m really sorry for that.

SERENA
Don’t be. The heart knows what it wants.

DARREN
You’re dying.

SERENA
I know.

(He steps up to her bed and tries to hold her hand, but she pulls away. Her face is covered in tears. Darren looks away. It’s quiet except for their crying)

SERENA
Is Chris here?

(Darren nods)

SERENA
Do you think I could speak to him for minute?

(Darren nods again and steps outside the room)

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Thirteen: Funeral for a Friend
Scene 3

(INT. Chris awkwardly steps into Serena’s room)

SERENA
You know, I never really noticed before, because I was too busy hating you, but you’re actually pretty cute.

CHRIS
I’m glad I have your approval.

SERENA
Ok here’s the deal, I didn’t want to talk to you about you. I wanted to talk to you about Darren.

CHRIS
I love him. We both love him. I want him. You want him. Let’s hiss and fight over him until your last breath.

SERENA
Cut the crap, Colfer. Sit down.

(Chris raises an eyebrow, then sits)

SERENA
Do you really love Darren?

CHRIS
Of course I do.

SERENA
Would you give up anything for him?

CHRIS
Anything.

SERENA
He’s a really special guy.

CHRIS
I know.

SERENA
Don’t make the same mistake I did, Chris. Don’t let Darren go. He’s special, and he loves you.

CHRIS
I wasn’t planning on it.

SERENA
You say that now, but one of these days, he’ll pull some stupid something and you’ll get mad and that’ll be the end. You can’t…you can’t ever let that happen. You need to hold onto him.

CHRIS
I will.

SERENA
Promise me, Colfer. Promise me you’ll love him forever.

CHRIS
I promise.

SERENA
He deserves that, you know. To be loved.

CHRIS
I’ll do my best to keep him happy.

SERENA
You can do so much more for him than I ever could.

(Chris doesn’t respond. He just looks down at his hands folded in his lap. Serena’s breath is getting labored and her eyes are starting to drift closed)

SERENA
Chris?

CHRIS
Yeah?

SERENA
Will you stay with me?

CHRIS
Why? You hate me.

SERENA
No I don’t. Please, just until I fall asleep.

CHRIS
But what about…

SERENA
If you don’t mind, I really don’t want those puppy eyes to haunt my soul for all of eternity.

CHRIS
Like I would be much better.

SERENA
Chris?

CHRIS
Yes, Serena?

SERENA
When I’m asleep, do you think you could flip the switch?

CHRIS
You want me to kill you?

SERENA
I’m already dead.

CHRIS
You couldn’t find it in your heart to ask this of anyone you actually cared about?

(Serena smiles weakly in response. Chris feels the energy changing in the room. It won’t be long now. He starts to cry silently, and reaches for her hand. She squeezes his softly, a smile on her pale and bruised face, and her eyes drift closed. A few minutes pass, and Chris is sure she’s asleep. He pulls his hand away and eyes the machine on the other side of her bed. Solemnly, he stands and moved around the bed and places his hand over the first switch. He’s crying, shaking, now as he flips the first, then the second, then third switch. Not looking at her, he goes to the door and steps out of the room, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.)

CHRIS
She’s gone now.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Thirteen: Funeral for a Friend
Scene 5

(INT. At night, in Chris’s bedroom. Both him and Darren are asleep. Darren is tossing and turning. Suddenly, Darren wakes up with a start and launched himself at Chris, hugging him tightly and startling him.)

CHRIS
What the hell, Dare!

DARREN
Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me. Please! Please, Chris, please!

CHRIS
(over the initial shock now, he hugs Darren back) Never. I wouldn’t ever leave you.

DARREN
Promise me! Promise me you’ll never leave. Or die. Please. Promise me, Christopher!

CHRIS
I promise, Dare! I promise, I’ll never leave your or die.

(Darren is sobbing into Chris’s t-shirt, his face pressed hard against Chris’s chest. Chris hugs him tightly, rocking him gently as he tries to sit up)

CHRIS
What’s the matter?

DARREN
I had a dream…and you died. One second you were there and the next you were gone and I can’t lose you, Chris. You’re all I have now.

CHRIS
I’m yours forever. I love you.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Thirteen: Funeral for a Friend
Scene 6

(INT. Serena’s funeral. Chris is standing behind Darren looking uncomfortable as Serena’s sister Rebecca throws her arms around Darren, crying)

REBECCA
She’s really gone.

DARREN
I’m so sorry.

REBECCA
You were the best boyfriend she ever had.

(behind them, Chris rolls his eyes)

DARREN
She deserved more than I could give her.

(a man comes up behind Chris. It’s Serena’s father, Bill. He looks at Chris with narrowed eyes and taps on his shoulder)

BILL
Are you the bastard who killed my daughter?

(Chris looks surprised. Darren looks over, sensing Chris might be having trouble.)

CHRIS
She asked me to turn it off. It’s what she wanted.

BILL
(moving closer, looking angry) So you’re confessing to murder?

CHRIS
The doctor said she couldn’t live on the machine for more than a day anyway!

BILL
(yelling) That was one more day I could’ve had with her!

(Bill punched Chris in the eye, causing him to stumble back with a surprised cry and hit the wall. Darren, who at this point is extremely overprotective of Chris, charges at Bill, shoving him.)

DARREN
Don’t lay another finger on him!

(Charlie appears right as Darren pushed Bill. He grabs Darren and pulls him back, then punches Darren swiftly in the stomach. This angers Chris, who tries to shove Charlie away from Darren.)

BILL
Killed my daughter, now you’re after my son too?

(Bill shoves Chris so hard against the wall, a painting down the hall falls. Chris sinks to the floor, clutching his chest as he gasps for breath. The wind was knocked out of his lungs from the impact. Darren sinks to his knees beside Chris, cradling his bruised face in his hands. A group of men from the funeral home appear)

MAN ONE
Is everything alright here, gentlemen?

BILL
No! He…

CHRIS
I only did what she asked! I did not kill her.

(Bill steps closer and glares at both Chris and Darren, then he focuses on Darren)

BILL
Pay your respects, then leave.

. ~ . ~ .

Episode Thirteen: Funeral for a Friend
Scene 7

(EXT. Chris is leaning against the back wall of the apartment building, looking out at the parking lot. One side of his face is swollen and he lets out a long sigh as he lifts a half smoked cigarette to his lips. Darren approaches quietly. Chris doesn’t notice until he speaks)

DARREN
Smoking is kind of gross.

CHRIS
Yeah well, I needed to relax after, you know, killing someone.

DARREN
I think it’s really brave that you did that for her.

CHRIS
You know, swollen eyes aren’t exactly conductive to progress when filming a fucking movie.

DARREN
It’ll heal soon enough. You’ll be back to your normal, beautiful self in no time at all.

CHRIS
You’re so full of it. (Takes a long drag from the cigarette)

DARREN
Smoking is kind of gross.

CHRIS
I don’t care.

(Darren chuckles and reaches out, taking the cigarette from Chris’s fingers. He drops it on the ground and stops it out)

DARREN
If you need something to take the edge off, I’m sure I could help you out.

CHRIS
You’re a bitch.

DARREN
Aw, but I’m your bitch.

(Chris smiles and stares into Darren’s eyes, then he takes Darren’s hand they head inside)