Beginning Screenwriting: Original Character Biography Part I
Both Elizabeth and Mrs. Smith were, ironically, checked into the hospital on the same days – December 31st. Elizabeth, however, was not there because of labor pains. After a spicy chili dinner Robert cooked, Elizabeth believed that both she and the baby were having massive heart attacks and she should be immediately taken to the hospital. Robert, half concerned for his wife and half concerned about the contest, had to be “re-assured” that she “wasn’t going to have the blessed baby” that night. “Instead of that stupid contest,” she screamed, “you might concern yourself with the fact that both me and the baby will be dead by morning if you don’t do something.” Once at the hospital, Doctor McKinney assured her that it was only a bad case of heartburn but that she might as well spend the night there just in case. Doctor McKinney had a hidden agenda behind wanting Elizabeth to stay, however, as he had Mrs. Smith lying in bed only two rooms down. The good Doctor enjoyed the bit of media time he was getting from the paper’s contest and this, he knew, would really get the town talking. He made sure to re-assure both husbands that both women were admitted only for routine check-ups.
It looked as though the Smith family was going to be a clear winner in the contest, as Mrs. Clancy was reluctantly allowed to go home the next day because she felt absolutely great. Mrs. Smith on-the-other-hand, though her water had not yet broken, was still feeling periodic labor pains. January 1st, 1953 came and went with nothing exciting to report. Elizabeth had to bear the burden of having Robert ask her if she’d felt any labor pains yet as he walked nervously back and forth all day. Even Mrs. Smith was contemplating going home that day, as she knew she wasn’t going to be bearing any children and her back ached from the uncomfortable hospital bed.
January 2nd was an eventful day for both families as, at 5:15am, Mrs. Smith’s water broke and ironically enough, at 12:10pm, Elizabeth too lost her water. The entire town, especially Tom Jones, was elated at the news. He sent his bright young reporter, Barry Miller, to the hospital to get a picture of the two dad’s shaking hands. It was, however, very anticlimactic after Elizabeth’s arrival because neither woman was having regular labor pains. Two hours
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