Brenda is in her room at the hospital, where Larry has just told her that Dr. DeSalvo has recommended that she terminate her pregnancy.

Brenda: Terminate my pregnancy? What are you talking about?
Larry: Dr. DeSalvo recommends trying to take the baby now through cesarean section. That would stop the toxemia.
Brenda: My baby's not ready to be born yet, Larry! He's not strong enough!
Larry: Brenda, our tests indicate that his lungs are sufficiently developed to take this risk. Yes, he would be premature and would require extraordinary measures to sustain him, but it's the best chance we have saving you both.
Brenda: No, I am not gonna let you do it. You know what you are asking me to do? You are asking me to risk my child's life to save my own, and I will not let you take this child!

--end scene--

Larry: God, I wish I wasn't a doctor now. I wish I was a miracle worker. But, Brenda, in order to save your life, we have to take this chance.
Brenda: Why can't we wait just a few weeks? Why does it have to be now, Larry?

Larry sighs in exapseration and jumps up from where he's been sitting on her bed to begin pacing.

Larry: You don't understand -- we don't have a couple of weeks! If you continue to have seizures, we could lose you and the baby!
Brenda: Oh, God! This is so unfair. I mean, why can't we just find a way to give this baby a normal birth and a normal life, Larry?
Larry: Brenda, you've got to stop thinking emotionally.
Brenda: Oh, what do you want me to do? You want me to use my nurse's training and be objective about that?
Larry: Yes, yes, exactly. Exactly!
Brenda: Oh!

Larry sits back down on the bed with her.

Larry: Listen to me. You're pretending that if you disregard your own life, the baby will be just fine. Well, that doesn't work that way. You know that!
Brenda: Well, I do know that if I have a seizure, the baby could die. But I also know that if I give birth to this child now, it doesn't stand a chance! And if we could just wait a few weeks, Larry! I mean, what did -- what did Dr. DeSalvo -- did he give us some odds here?
Larry: Yeah, about 25% or less.
Brenda: Okay, well, that's a whole lot better than 10% --
Larry: Brenda --
Brenda: -- or 5% --
Larry: Brenda, stop it!
Brenda: -- or 3%.
Larry: Stop this. You've got to stop thinking in this fantastic manner. You -- it just isn't gonna work, honey.
Brenda: Listen -- you're not God any more than Dr. DeSalvo is, and you don't know. But what I do know is that I have to try and protect this baby, and if I try and give birth to it now, he doesn't stand a chance. No, I'm just -- no, I'm not gonna do it. You're not gonna take this child, and that's the end of it.

--end scene--

Brenda: Larry, don't be angry with me.
Larry: I'm not angry with you.

He gets off the bed again to begin pacing.

Larry: I'm just so damn frustrated, I could scream. You're not thinking rationally.
Brenda: I am thinking rationally. I'm just using a different rationale.
Larry: Death is not a rationale. Brenda, if you die, and some miraculous way your baby survives, who's gonna take care of it? He's already lost a father -- now you want to kill the mother!

Larry sits back down on the bed.

Larry: Listen to me -- if Steve were alive, he'd be arguing just as I am. He would want you to do anything possible to stay alive!
Brenda: Damn it, Larry, if Steve were alive, I wouldn't be hanging onto this baby as hard as I am! And I haven't forgiven fate for murdering Steve, and I haven't forgiven God either. So it is up to me now to make sure that Steve's place is still in this world. Don't you understand that?
Larry: Yes, but do you honestly think Steve would want you to make the sacrifice? Damn it, he died saving your life.
Brenda: That's right -- he did. And now I'm gonna save our baby's.

Larry jumps off the bed again, now furious.

Larry: I can't take this! I cannot take this! Brenda, you're talking about dying and death like it's some sort of everyday activitiy like brushing your teeth! What am I gonna do without you? What would I do with these feelings I have? If you die, it would kill me, Brenda, because I love you!

Brenda looks at Larry in shock, and he quickly sits back down on the bed to console her as she begins to cry.

Larry: I'm -- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blurt it out like that. It's something that had to be said. Maybe my -- my feelings matter now. This can't be a surprise to you.
Brenda: Oh, Larry, it is a surprise. I didn't know. I know you care about me, but I didn't know. I guess -- oh, man, I'm not ready to deal with this right now.
Larry: (putting his hands on her shoulders) Listen to me -- even if I didn't love you, I would be arguing against you right now.
Brenda: (nodding) Listen, did DeSalvo talk to Dr. Spencer about all this?
Larry: Yeah, and he concurs. Brenda, you can keep looking, but you're not gonna find many doctors who are gonna go against this medical evidence.
Brenda: Oh, Larry, I need some time to think. You've given me a lot to think about. I need to be alone right now. I just need to just -- just be alone right now.
Larry: All right, all right, listen, I'm -- I'm sorry this is so painful for you, and I am sorry if I've made things worse.
Brenda: I mean, that's the thing about love, I think. Sometimes it makes it better, and sometimes, Larry, it does make it worse.
Larry: Yeah.

Larry gets up from the bed and goes out the door while Brenda lies back in bed and looks terrified.

--end transcript--