Eleanor: Give me that button, you foolish girl!
Maya: Touch me again and see what happens.
Eleanor: You think a security camera frightens me? I own half the board of this hospital!
Maya: You don't own the police.
Eleanor grabbed Maya's wrist, twisting it sharply to pull her hand away from the call button. Maya let out a muffled scream into her oxygen mask as pain shot up her arm.
David: Mother, stop! Someone is coming!
Eleanor: Be quiet, David! Hold her other arm down!
David: I can't do that. She's hooked up to the monitors!
Eleanor: Do you want us to be thrown out on the street? If the trust fund passes to her fully on Friday, we lose the house, the cars, and the business!
David: There has to be another way...
Eleanor: There is no other way! Sign the paper, Maya, or I will pull this oxygen mask right off your face!
Maya stared back at Eleanor with unflinching eyes. Despite her broken ribs and bruised skin, a quiet fire burned inside her chest.
Maya: Pull it then. Add murder to your charges.
Eleanor: You think I won't?
The heavy door swung open, and Nurse Sarah rushed into the room, followed closely by an orderly.
Nurse Sarah: What is going on in here?! Why did the emergency alarm trigger?
Eleanor: Oh, thank goodness you're here, nurse! My stepdaughter suddenly panicked and started grabbing at her tubes!
Nurse Sarah: Ma'am, step away from the bed immediately!
Eleanor: I was just trying to calm her down! She's hysterical!
Maya: She hit me...
Nurse Sarah: What did you say, sweetie?
Nurse Sarah leaned down closer to Maya's mask, her eyes widening as she noticed the fresh red mark on Maya's cheek over the older bruises.
Maya: She slapped me. Check the ceiling camera.
Eleanor: That's absurd! She's on heavy pain medication, nurse! She's hallucinating!
Nurse Sarah: I didn't ask for your explanation, ma'am. Please stand near the door.
David: Mother, let's just go outside...
Eleanor: Don't tell me what to do, David! Nurse, we are her family! We have legal power of attorney!
Maya: No... they don't. My lawyer filed the revocation yesterday.
Eleanor's face drained of color as she stared at Maya in disbelief.
Eleanor: What revocation? You were in a coma yesterday!
Maya: I woke up at midnight. Attorney Vance came while you were asleep at your estate.
Nurse Sarah: Orderly, call hospital security to Room 402 right now. Nobody leaves this floor.
Eleanor: You can't detain us! This is false imprisonment!
David: Mother, please, just stop talking!
Nurse Sarah: Keep your hands where we can see them. Security is on their way up.
Maya rested her head back against the pillow as the heart monitor settled into a steady rhythm. The red light on the ceiling camera kept blinking, capturing every twitch of panic on Eleanor's face.
Maya: Five years of abuse ends today, Eleanor.
Eleanor: You haven't won anything, you little parasite! My lawyers will tear that revocation to pieces by morning!
Maya: Try all you want. The tape doesn't lie.