INT. GREY SLOAN MEMORIAL –  HOSPITAL CORRIDOR – DAY

Link stands just outside the NICU doors, phone pressed to his ear.
His back is against the wall. 

On the other end of the line:

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Link?
Oh my God — sweetheart.

Link closes his eyes.
For half a second, the weight lifts.
Just enough to hurt.

LINK
(quiet, careful)
Hey, Mom.

A pause. He swallows.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
We’ve been calling.
We’ve been so worried.

LINK
Can you talk?
I don’t want the kids to hear.

MAUREEN
Of course.
(worried)
Is— is everything okay?

He almost laughs. It comes out as breath.

LINK
No.
Not really. 

He bends forward slightly, hand coming up to his forehead, rubbing slowly.
That’s all he can give her.

Another pause. He hears her breathing — steadying herself for him.

MAUREEN (V.O.) 
I’m here.
Tell me.
 
Link opens his eyes, staring straight ahead.

LINK
Babies are here.

A beat.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Oh.
Oh, thank God.

Her relief comes fast. Unfiltered.
It lands hard — almost too hard.

LINK (CONT’D)
They’re in the NICU.

A beat. Her relief shifts.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
Are they okay?

Link exhales slowly.

LINK
They’re doing about what you’d expect
for babies born two months early.
They need help breathing.
And right now, all we can do is watch them closely.

Something in her tone tightens.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
(worried)
And Jo?

There it is.

Link’s jaw tightens.

LINK
She went into cardiac arrest. 

A beat — sharp, involuntary.

LINK (CONT’D)
They got her back.
She’s stable now.
 
The word feels fragile in his mouth.

LINK (CONT’D)
She hasn’t woken up yet.

Silence.
Heavy. Shared.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
(in shock)
Oh, honey…

LINK (CONT’D)
We’re taking it one hour at a time.
That’s as far into the future as he can go.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
What can I do?

LINK
I wish I knew.

A beat.

LINK (CONT’D)
Are Luna and Scout nearby?

A soft sound from her — understanding.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
They are.
They’ve been asking about you.

LINK
Can I talk to them?

MAUREEN (V.O)
Of course.
 
The line shifts. Movement. Distant voices.

Then—

LUNA (V.O.)
Daddy?

Something in his face breaks open — just a crack.

LINK
Hey, bug.

SCOUT (V.O.)
Grandma said you’re still at the hospital.

Link hesitates.

LINK
Yeah.
I am.

A beat. He steadies himself.

LINK (CONT’D)
Listen — I wanted to tell you something important.

They go quiet. Attentive, curious. 

LINK
(it costs him)
Your baby sisters are here.

LUNA (V.O.)
They’re here?!

SCOUT (V.O.)
Like… born?

LINK
(a small, careful smile)
Yeah.

Their excitement bursts through — fast, bright, unfiltered.

For one moment, Link lets it reach him.

He smiles.
A real one.

LUNA (V.O.)
We have sisters?

SCOUT (V.O.)
Two of them?

LINK
Two.

LUNA (V.O.)
Are they cute?

LINK
(smiles)
Yeah.
They really are.

SCOUT (V.O.)
Are they crying?

LINK
Mostly they’re sleeping.

LUNA (V.O.)
Are they tiny?

LINK
Very.

A beat — their imaginations racing.

SCOUT (V.O.)
Can they hear us?

That one lands.

Link swallows.
LINK
No.
They are in another room, sleeping.

A breath.

The joy softens into wonder.

LINK (CONT’D)
They came a little sooner than expected.
They’re very tiny.
So the doctors are keeping a close eye on them,
just to make sure they’re okay.

They take that in.

LUNA (V.O.)
Is Mom with you?

The smile fades — not gone, just contained.

LINK
She’s resting.

That’s enough for them.

SCOUT (V.O.)
When can we meet them?

LINK
Soon.
Not yet.
But soon.

LUNA & SCOUT (V.O.)
Yay!!

LINK
I love you both so much.

LUNA & SCOUT (V.O.)
We love you Daddy!

He closes his eyes.
He lets that stay.

Only then—

LUNA (O.S.)
(to Eric)
Grandpa! Grandpa!
We have sisters!

ERIC (V.O)
Oh— that’s wonderful.

Already, their focus is drifting — naturally, happily.

The phone shifts back.

The background noise fades.

It’s just him and his mom now.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
We’ve got them.

Link doesn’t speak right away.

LINK (CONT’D)
They sounded so happy.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
They are.

Silence.

LINK
(quiet, finally exposed)
What if I make it real for them
and then it isn’t.

That’s the confession.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
You told them what was true today.
That’s what matters.

A beat.

LINK (CONT’D)
I don’t know how to do this without her.

MAUREEN (V.O.)
You won’t have to.

His breath shakes. He can’t stop it now.

The call stays open. No fixing.

No answers.

Just a son, held up by a voice on the other end of the line.

LINK
I’ll call again in a couple of hours.
Okay?

MAUREEN
Alright, honey. 
Call me anytime. 
We love you. All four of you. 

FADE OUT.