One Day at a Time
The lens pans across a highway, tentatively approaching a young woman sprawled out on the tarmac. She is grimy and dribbling slightly from her mouth, her eyes rolling back as she mumbles unintelligibly. Positioned next to her is a box with syringes, a spoon, and some unidentified powder.
An anonymous police vehicle comes to a halt in the distance, with lights flashing. From a skewed shot, we see two policemen disembark and approach the girl. They check her pulse and rummage through her belongings to find identification.
An officer extracts her ID and makes a note that she's an adult. With a shake of their heads, they lift her and put her in the back seat. While driving, she slumps over in the back seat.
Off-screen, the policemen debate their next steps. One proposes another night in the local jail as a deterrent. The other interjects, arguing it won't be effective.
She'll be back on the streets, repeating her destructive behavior. She needs rehabilitation. They should escort her to a sober living facility for detoxification.
The man who operates it has a knack for managing girls in distress. Perhaps he can mend her. They steer towards the facility.
The scene transitions to several days later. It's morning. The young woman, Angie, a petite vulnerable figure, awakens.
The room's brightness is overwhelming, prompting her to shield her eyes with the covers. She's unclothed beneath the sheets. The door swings open and a man steps inside.
He is neat and attractive, holding a lidded tray of food. Angie peeks out, nervously gazing at him, as the realization dawns that she's in an unfamiliar place. The man places the food down and introduces himself as Eric, the operator of the sober living facility.
She glances down and discovers her nudity, hastily covering herself, and inquires about her whereabouts and her clothing. Eric explains that she suffered an overdose and the police who discovered her brought her here. She's fortunate to have avoided jail.
She's been unconscious intermittently for almost 72 hours. Angie recollects nothing and appears disoriented. Eric takes a seat next to her, gently holding her hand.
It's alright, he comforts her. I understand what you're experiencing. I've been there too.
He recounts his personal struggles with addiction and presents her a 1-year sobriety token. Sober living has been successful for me, he reassures her. I've altered the course of my life.
It's all about small steps. I can assist you to do the same. if you're willing to place your trust in me. Angie buries her face in her hands, suffering from withdrawal symptoms.
She requests Eric to release her. She doesn't need to be here. Eric reminds her that the police specifically entrusted him with her care.
He's uncertain about their return. He endeavors to encourage Angie to share her story. She confides that she's a good person, with loving parents.
She just indulges excessively in revelries. If he'd let her leave, she pledges to return home and avoid repeating this mistake. Eric reiterates that he's under police scrutiny and has a duty to rehabilitate the girls who come to his facility.
Angie begins to weep, clutching the sheets around her. She implores and pleads with him. promising she'd do anything to just return home. Eric gazes at her intently for a while, his eyes occasionally shifting to the covered food tray.
I could potentially fabricate a story if the police returned. He says slowly. Angie brightens up and continues to plead and express her gratitude. Eric continues to muse, his eyes tracking the sheets wrapped around Angie as they start to loosen, revealing her breasts.
But, if I were to release you, he continues. You need to make it worthwhile for me. She questions his intentions.
Eric moves closer to her on the bed and instructs her to release the sheets. Startled, she leaps off the bed and rushes towards the door. It's locked.
She demands him to maintain distance. Eric calmly restates the situation. Look, I'm not here to harm you.
I'm here to assist you. But if you're not willing to stay here and you desire me to conceal your departure, you'll have to show me some respect. I'm merely proposing an exchange.
A bargain. You're acquainted with bargaining, right? This turns into a negotiation between Eric and Angie. After resisting, Angie ultimately decides it's worth sleeping with the counselor in exchange for an early discharge.
She provides her complete, conscious consent.
An anonymous police vehicle comes to a halt in the distance, with lights flashing. From a skewed shot, we see two policemen disembark and approach the girl. They check her pulse and rummage through her belongings to find identification.
An officer extracts her ID and makes a note that she's an adult. With a shake of their heads, they lift her and put her in the back seat. While driving, she slumps over in the back seat.
Off-screen, the policemen debate their next steps. One proposes another night in the local jail as a deterrent. The other interjects, arguing it won't be effective.
She'll be back on the streets, repeating her destructive behavior. She needs rehabilitation. They should escort her to a sober living facility for detoxification.
The man who operates it has a knack for managing girls in distress. Perhaps he can mend her. They steer towards the facility.
The scene transitions to several days later. It's morning. The young woman, Angie, a petite vulnerable figure, awakens.
The room's brightness is overwhelming, prompting her to shield her eyes with the covers. She's unclothed beneath the sheets. The door swings open and a man steps inside.
He is neat and attractive, holding a lidded tray of food. Angie peeks out, nervously gazing at him, as the realization dawns that she's in an unfamiliar place. The man places the food down and introduces himself as Eric, the operator of the sober living facility.
She glances down and discovers her nudity, hastily covering herself, and inquires about her whereabouts and her clothing. Eric explains that she suffered an overdose and the police who discovered her brought her here. She's fortunate to have avoided jail.
She's been unconscious intermittently for almost 72 hours. Angie recollects nothing and appears disoriented. Eric takes a seat next to her, gently holding her hand.
It's alright, he comforts her. I understand what you're experiencing. I've been there too.
He recounts his personal struggles with addiction and presents her a 1-year sobriety token. Sober living has been successful for me, he reassures her. I've altered the course of my life.
It's all about small steps. I can assist you to do the same. if you're willing to place your trust in me. Angie buries her face in her hands, suffering from withdrawal symptoms.
She requests Eric to release her. She doesn't need to be here. Eric reminds her that the police specifically entrusted him with her care.
He's uncertain about their return. He endeavors to encourage Angie to share her story. She confides that she's a good person, with loving parents.
She just indulges excessively in revelries. If he'd let her leave, she pledges to return home and avoid repeating this mistake. Eric reiterates that he's under police scrutiny and has a duty to rehabilitate the girls who come to his facility.
Angie begins to weep, clutching the sheets around her. She implores and pleads with him. promising she'd do anything to just return home. Eric gazes at her intently for a while, his eyes occasionally shifting to the covered food tray.
I could potentially fabricate a story if the police returned. He says slowly. Angie brightens up and continues to plead and express her gratitude. Eric continues to muse, his eyes tracking the sheets wrapped around Angie as they start to loosen, revealing her breasts.
But, if I were to release you, he continues. You need to make it worthwhile for me. She questions his intentions.
Eric moves closer to her on the bed and instructs her to release the sheets. Startled, she leaps off the bed and rushes towards the door. It's locked.
She demands him to maintain distance. Eric calmly restates the situation. Look, I'm not here to harm you.
I'm here to assist you. But if you're not willing to stay here and you desire me to conceal your departure, you'll have to show me some respect. I'm merely proposing an exchange.
A bargain. You're acquainted with bargaining, right? This turns into a negotiation between Eric and Angie. After resisting, Angie ultimately decides it's worth sleeping with the counselor in exchange for an early discharge.
She provides her complete, conscious consent.
Actors:
