New Adult Story Overview Part 1

Scene one:

     It is evening and Harper and Bastien are sitting together in a small but well furnished room, their evening of conversation and drinks coming to an end. Harper finishes some anecdote about his own recent studies in neurosurgery, concluding that the recent progress in the field has been quite remarkable and has a very promising future for young surgeons like himself. He goes on to ask Bastien how his own work, in neurophysiology, has been going. Bastien seems disinclined to answer Harper’s question, but eventually begins to explain his current medical study. Bastien admits that his foray into shock therapy has been not fruitful. The effectiveness of shock therapy as a treatment for epilepsy has been negligible, and without positive results, he would soon lose his funding and be forced stop his research. However, Bastien insists that his last patient will be his break through. She is a young women with severe epilepsy and unlikely to survive her next seizure, but Bastien knows he can save her. 

     The evening concludes and Bastien begins to depart for his own dwellings. Harper insists they must meet up like this more frequently, and Bastien agrees that they should, just like when they were in university together not so long ago.

Scene Two: 

     Harper absent mindedly fumbles about his office, not entirely sure what it is he was looking for in the first place. It's late and outside rain is falling heavily along with the occasional lightning strike. Harper seems to have given up his search and looks ready to retire, however his plans are interrupted by a loud banging on his door.

     Harper is shocked, and slightly horrified, to see Bastien outside his door. Bastien himself, is a mess and over his shoulder he supports another equally bedraggled limp figure. Bastien shouts at Harper to let him in, and this shocks Harper back into the moment and he quickly ushers them inside.

Scene Three:

     A young woman, presumably the one Bastien was carrying, is now laid on the couch with a blanket wrapped around most of her body. Harper, being the more medically proficient of the two, is kneeling next to her taking her pulse and checking her breathing. Bastien anxiously paces the room, apparently having changed into slightly ill-fitting but dry clothes. Harper concludes with relief that the sleeping women is safe for now, however, his attitude changes as he demands Bastien explain who this woman is and what is going on. Bastien beings an excited and disorganized explanation about everything that had happened. This woman was in fact the patient he had mentioned last they spoke, and that he had cured her epilepsy. His research had been a success, though it had ultimately required some unorthodox and ethically questionable means. At this point in the explanation, Harper stops him, insisting that Bastien explain exactly what he had done to this woman and why she was in such a state. Bastian admits to administering the shock therapy far above safe levels and inducing more seizures as part of the treatment, however, he claims that his patient was in full cooperation, knowing that if this aggressive experimental treatment didn’t work she would most likely die anyway. Harper seems displeased but allows Bastien to continue his story. The rest of the tale mostly consists of Bastien realizing that, though he had cured her epilepsy, his patient was now quite unwell and in need of medical care. However, Bastien’s own paranoia about his work being stolen and the potential criminal charges from an unsympathetic ethics board, lead him to Harper’s doorstep, the only person he felt he could trust.

     Harper appears wearied by the whole story, but he hardly seems inclined to cast Bastien and his patient out. He agrees to let them both stay and to help look after the women until she is awake and better. However, Harper makes his disapproval of Bastien’s methods obvious, and warns him that his help will only extend so far.

Scene 4:

     It is now the very early morning, Bastien is asleep in a nearby chair and the young women is still on the sofa. Harper has not left her side and is uncomfortably asleep on the floor, his head awkwardly supported by the sofa arm. He must have fallen asleep listening to her pulse, because his hand is still gently holding her wrist.

     Harper wakes up and is momentarily confused, not yet remembering the events from last night. He is surprised to see the woman on the sofa and alarmed at their proximity. He quickly attempts to disentangle their hands and move away, but in that moment she also begins to awake up. Harper becomes caught in her gaze as she opens her eyes. Seeing his intent to leave, she calmly asks him not to go yet, to at least wait till it is fully morning. Harper freezes unsure what to do but eventually acquiesces to her request, settling back onto the floor and letting her hold onto his hand. After a little while, Harper asks her what her name is. The woman begins to respond but stops suddenly, she looks alarmed. And in that moment, they both realize what has happened- she has lost her memory.