Episode #2: “Truck Stop Trauma”

Scene 1: Accident Scene - Evening

The moon shines down from the black night sky, illuminating a devastated accident scene. Steam billows upward from the crashed car’s engine and blurs the flashes of the red and blue lights of the emergency vehicles. Paramedics rush to attend to the accident victims: Coach Joe Foster and truck driver, Bill Elkins. Slowly, Joe Foster gains consciousness, as he feels the sensation of warm blood trickling down his face. He graduates from a state of shock, to an overwhelming sense of pain as he starts to comprehend the fact that he has been in a car accident, with an eighteen wheeler truck. Bruised and battered, Joe Foster is placed on a stretcher by paramedics. Coach Foster musters his last bit of strength to communicate with the paramedics. He desperately exclaims, “I’m Joe Foster, call my wife, Sara, it’s our anniversary”. Always concerned with others first, even in the face of disaster, Joe’s focus is his wife and family.

Nearby, at the accident site, a police officer questions truck driver, Bill Elkins, about the facts of the accident and the circumstances leading up to the misfortune. Bill Elkins cooperates with the officer, as he politely tries to recall the facts surrounding the regrettable incident. Bill shows remorse for hitting Joe’s vehicle and inquires about the condition of the car driver. Bill admits that he must have dozed off while driving and tells the police officer that he is usually capable of staying up long hours to drive. Bill further explains to the officer that his almost super human capacity to remain awake driving for hours, was the reason he was nicknamed “Superman”. Bill shows the officer his Superman tattoo on his arm. As Bill Elkins speaks, the police officer recalls the horror of many other accidents caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel. A rather disgusted police officer shakes his head and replies, "I know one thing, you’re no superman”.

Scene 2: Memoria lHospital Emergency Waiting Room, Nashville Tennessee - Evening

A frantic and shocked Sara Foster rushes into the Memorial Hospital Emergency room. She hurries to the nurses station and urgently inquires about her husband, Joe’s condition. Beautiful emergency room nurse, Virginia Hollister, attends to the many demands of her position in the E.R., as she answers Sara’s questions about her husband’s condition.

While in the E.R. waiting room, Sara Foster, beside herself with worry, nervously dials the telephone to reach her sister, Linda Johnson. Linda wishes she could be at her sister’s side, but must remain at the Foster residence to take care of Sara and Joe’s children, Jeremy and Jackie.

Scene 3: Coach Joe Foster’s Residence Kitchen - Evening

Linda awkwardly makes conversation with Sara to pass the time as they eagerly wait to hear an update from the doctor about Joe’s condition. Each minute they wait, seems to last an hour. A million images run through Sara’s head, as she secretly fears the worst. Linda makes every effort to disguise her own anxiety about the fate of her brother-in law, as she apprehensively chooses her words to talk to Sara.

Scene 4: Memorial HospitalOperating Room - Evening

The mood in the operating room is extremely stressful, as Dr. Grant Lawrence performs an emergency surgery on Coach Joe Foster. During a crucial part of the surgery, the tension mounts, as a change in Joe’s vital signs cause a nurse to exclaim, “Dr. we’re losing him!” Dr. Lawrence reacts to the situation and does his best to save his patient.

Scene 5: Memorial Hospital Emergency Waiting Room, Nashville Tennessee - Evening

After completing the risky surgery on his patient, accident victim, Joe Foster, the devastatingly handsome Dr. Lawrence storms into the emergency waiting room. He approaches the E.R. Nurse Hollister and inquires about the whereabouts of his patient’s wife. Sara Foster quickly ends the phone conversation with her sister, Linda so she can gain information from the doctor. Tired, dripping with perspiration, an exhausted, Dr. Lawrence speaks to Joe’s frantic and desperate wife. Dr. Lawrence indicates that Joe’s condition is fragile and that he might be paralyzed, as a result of the terrible accident with the eighteen wheeler truck. Sara sobs as she hears the dreadful news. All her hopes are immediately dashed and replaced with horror. Sara prays for her husband to live through the night.

This was hardly the blissful end to their wedding anniversary, that Sara spent all day imagining. As a matter of fact, Sara wished the whole thing was a nightmare that would soon end.

Will Coach Foster live and give his wife the best anniversary gift she could ask for? Or will their anniversary date become the saddest day in the lives of Joe’s loving family?

Stayed tuned for the next exciting episode of “Coach Foster Fights Back”.