Catherine has been bullying Maya at college by making fun of Maya's father who uses a wheelchair. During a confrontation on the stairs, Catherine falls and ends up in the hospital, where she learns she will need to use a wheelchair for 6 months to recover from her injuries. Meanwhile, Maya's father Andrew runs into Catherine at the hospital and invites her over to try and resolve the bullying situation. To Maya's surprise, Catherine apologizes for her past behavior, explaining she was having her own issues at home.

1. Karma
By
Fay Yaxley
Fay Yaxley
4 Catalpa Way
Gorleston
NR31 8LD
Mobile: 07825 629289

2. INT.COLLEGE CANTEEN.DAY
It is a busy break time in the college canteen and
CATHRINE is buying a coffee. She is 17, quite smartly
dressed for a student. She is looking around with a slightly
malicious expression on her face. Her eyes alight on MAYA,
and we see them narrow and a rather nasty smile appear on
CATHERINE’S face. MAYA is also 17, her clothing is more of
a cute casual style. She is looking down at her feet as she
walks then CATHERINE hastily walks over to MAYA. CATHERINE
deliberately bumps into MAYA.
CATHERINE:
Watch what you’re doing GOODIE TWO
SHOES.
MAYA:
Ow
CATHERINE’S coffee goes everywhere and her face looks very
annoyed. MAYA walks away quickly.
CATHERINE then goes over to her small group of FRIENDS.
CATHERINE:
Just walked into Maya, didn’t get
the reaction I wanted.
FRIENDS:
Well, lets go sit on the table she
is at to get something better out
of her.
CATHERINE and her FRIENDS slowly make their way
towards MAYA and they sit directly next to her, like they
are sitting on top of her.
CATHERINE:
Hey Maya, so how is the crippled
dad?
FRIENDS:
Yeah, how is the legless man?
MAYA tries to ignore them as CATHERINE starts to
continuously poke MAYA in the arm.
MAYA:
Stop it, leave me alone.
CATHERINE:
(laughs)
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)

3. CONTINUED: 2.
CATHERINE: (cont’d)
Aww, Maya we are just trying to
have a little fun with you. Why?
Don’t you like it?
MAYA:
No, I don’t. Please leave me alone.
Maya gets up and begins to walk away. As she does so,
CATHERINE grabs MAYA’S bag and doesn’t want to let go.
MAYA:
Let go.
CATHERINE:
(sarcastically)
Okay.
Then with a look with a look towards her friends, CATHERINE
releases it quickly. MAYA stumbles. CATHERINE laughs a
little with her FRIENDS. When she regains her balance, she
walks off, trying to appear calm, not letting the tear that
is in her eye fall down.
FADE OUT
INT. MAYA AND ANDREW’S HOUSE. EVENING
Around the wooden dining table, MAYA and her dad,
ANDREW,they are eating dinner. ANDREW, who is a 40 year old
amputee. Wearing a dog tag with his name army name inscribed
in it.
ANDREW:
How was college Maya?
MAYA is picking at her meal with her head in her left hand.
MAYA:
Not too bad I guess, other than the
hassle from Catherine again.She
won’t leave me alone I dread seeing
her in the corridor. Just because
you’re in a wheelchair,she doesn’t
understand you and what you have
done how brave you were in the war
when you tried to detonate that
mine and had your leg blown off.
Her dad puts his arm around her to comfort her.
(CONTINUED)

4. CONTINUED: 3.
ANDREW:
Don’t worry sweetie, we’ll figure
it out somehow.
FADE OUT
EXT.COLLEGE STAIRS. DAY
MAYA is walking down the stairs to head to her lesson and
then sees CATHERINE walking up the stairs. With a determined
look, MAYA decides to talk to CATHERINE.
MAYA:
Catherine, can we talk?
CATHERINE:
Why? I don’t talk to a daughter of
a cripple.
MAYA:
Why do you pick on me? You always
pick on me. What have I ever done
to you? Please, I want to sort this
out.
MAYA slowly walks over to CATHERINE with a slightly angry
look in her face.
MAYA (CONT’):
I have done nothing but taken
the shit you say about my dad.
What has he ever done to deserve
getting called cripple, huh?
CATHERINE starts slowly backing away, being wary of the
stairs behind her.
MAYA:
My dad is so brave you wouldn’t
understand. The blood, sweat and
tears I put into looking after him
day after day and having to put up
with you and your fucking friends.
My life is so hard you DO NOT
understand how tough it is to deal
with your horseshit everyday and
then going home to care for my dad.
CATHERINE:
Maya your scaring me, please stop.
(CONTINUED)

5. CONTINUED: 4.
MAYA:
Please come here I want to talk to
you properly, please listen.
MAYA holds CATHERINE’S wrist to keep her close her but
CATHERINE struggles breaks free from MAYA’S grip.
CATHERINE:
(shocked)
Shit.
Then her foot slips and she falls down the stairs and ends
up in a bloodied heap at the bottom, screaming in pain. MAYA
tries to grab CATHERINE but can’t catch her in time and just
stares in horror but because she remains fixed to the spot
she appears emotionless.
FADE OUTS
INT.HOSPITAL ROOM. MIDDAY
CATHERINE, slightly dazed, is laying in a hospital bed in a
small, private ward. Her dad ,JOHN, is sitting beside her
bed holding her hand.
CATHERINE:
Dad, can you please go see where
the doctor is? They are taking
forever.
JOHN:
Okay then, I will sweetie.
JOHN kisses CATHERINE on the forehead and the just as JOHN
gets up the DOCTOR walks in with his clipboard with
CATHERINE’S scan results.
CATHERINE:
What is going to happen to me? I’m
scared, but not knowing how bad it
is makes it worse.
The DOCTOR shakes his head in disappointment, he looks at
his report and flicks through a couple of pages of the
information about her scan.
DOCTOR:
Well, I do have to inform you that
I have some bad news. We’re not
absolutely sure yet but there may
be a chance that we will have to
amputate your leg.
(CONTINUED)

6. CONTINUED: 5.
CATHERINE lets out a small scared laugh.
CATHERINE:
(shocked)
What??
DOCTOR:
We are going to see if there is
anyway we can let the leg heal
naturally but due to how bad your
accident was you may have to lose
your leg.
CATHERINE:
No, this c-can’t happen ple-e-ease.
DOCTOR:
I’m sorry if this news has upset
you but we will make sure your
recovery is as painless as
possible.
CUT TO
INT. MAYA AND ANDREW’S HOUSE. MIDDAY
Meanwhile, MAYA is with two POLICE OFFICERS sitting
on opposites ends of the curved corner sofa. ANDREW is next
to her in his wheelchair. He puts his hand on her shoulder.
POLICE:
Could you please explain what
happened?
MAYA:
W-well, what happened was that I
tried to talk to her nicely and she
had replied with ’Why? I don’t talk
to a daughter of a cripple’ and it
upset me that she called me that
because of my dad. Then I asked why
she had said that. My dad doesn’t
deserve being called that. I was
desperate to stop her saying that.
She started backing away from me so
I grabbed her wrist to stop her
moving away. Then she was
struggling to get away she then
broke free. But her foot slipped
off the steps and I couldn’t grab
her in time. Before she fell and
ended up in a heap at the bottom of
the stairs.
(CONTINUED)

7. CONTINUED: 6.
MAYA then tears up slightly. The POLICE look concerned and
ANDREW comforts MAYA,rubbing her back.
POLICE:
Well, this incident sounds serious.
We need you to be completely
honest, does Catherine often harass
you, like calling your dad a
’cripple’? Has that happened
before?
MAYA nervously shakes her head.
MAYA:
Y-No, she doesn’t.
POLICE:
You don’t sound too sure.
MAYA:
Nope, I’m sure she doesn’t.
ANDREW looks quite worried. He starts to get ready to go out
getting his coat on very slowly. He keeps looking down at
his watch and a letter headed from the Physiotherapy
Department with the date and a time of his appointment. He
looks up at MAYA, back to the letter and then back up to
MAYA and the POLICE.
ANDREW:
Sorry to interrupt, I don’t want to
leave you Maya while this is going
on but I have got to go to the
hospital for my Physio. I will be
back in a bit.
He rocks in his chair slightly but then heads over to the
porch way and leaves.
MAYA is on her own left to finish talking with the POLICE.
CUT TO
INT.HOSPITAL CORRIDOR. MIDDAY
About half an hour has passed and ANDREW wheels himself
through the electric double doors to the physio department
of the hospital. As he goes to the Reception area he spots
CATHERINE and her dad JOHN sitting patiently in the private
room and he wheels himself over to the room.
FADE OUT

8. 7.
INT.HOSPITAL ROOM. DAY
CATHERINE is still in her hospital bed with a NURSE checking
her charts at the end of the bed. On the locker next to
CATHERINE’S bed are some flowers that have slightly wilted
and a pile of books and magazines. Her dad, JOHN,
has stubble growth and dark shadows under his eyes. There
is a crumpled newspaper on the arm of the chair.
The DOCTOR they saw before knocks on the door of CATHERINE’S
room with a smile on his face and his clipboard in his hand.
DOCTOR:
Hello Catherine, how are you
feeling this morning?
CATHERINE:
A bit better.
DOCTOR:
We have good news for you.
CATHERINE:
Great, what is it?
DOCTOR:
We are pleased to say we don’t have
to operate on your leg. However,the
break is quite serious so you will
be in a wheelchair while the break
mends.
JOHN:
That is really good news.
CATHERINE:
How long roughly would I be in this
wheel chair?
DOCTOR:
I would give it up to 6 months for
a full recovery. During this time
period you will also have to come
back for physiotherapy to help you
to start walking again.
CATHERINE:
Thank you very much.
DOCTOR:
We can now discharge you and you
can leave.
(CONTINUED)

9. CONTINUED: 8.
CATHERINE:
That is really good because I have
got to go somewhere quickly.
The DOCTOR then gives her the discharge papers and a pen for
her to sign; then the NURSE brings her a wheel chair in and
puts it next to the bed so that they can leave.
CUT TO
INT. MAYA AND ANDREW’S HOUSE. DAY
MAYA comes in lugging shopping bags and places them down in
the porch way.
MAYA:
Dad I’m home.
ANDREW:
Hello Maya.
Then she walks through the door to the living room and stops
suddenly.
MAYA:
(puzzled/anxious)
What is she doing here?
ANDREW:
Maya, I invited Catherine over.
MAYA:
Why dad?
CATHERINE wheels herself over to MAYA and hugs her
tightly. CATHERINE gives a teary eyed, puppy dog face as
she looks towards MAYA.
CATHERINE:
Maya, I’m so sorry for how horrible
and mean I was to you.
ANDREW:
I saw Catherine the other day as I
was going to physio and I wanted to
introduce myself to show who I am.
I wanted to help sort this
situation out between you both.
CATHERINE:
Your dad explained why he uses
the wheelchair and how he bravely
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)

10. CONTINUED: 9.
CATHERINE: (cont’d)
fought for this country. I’m so
sorry that I picked on you about
it. I have just been having issues
at home which then made me take my
anger out on you to make myself
feel better. I really shouldn’t
have been hurting you so much and
been so horrible to you.
MAYA wells up with tears and hugs CATHERINE back.
MAYA:
I’m sorry that I have done this to
you. I really didn’t mean to put
you in a wheelchair.
CATHERINE:
Weirdly, I’m happy that you lost
your temper with me and gave me a
serious wake up call. Maya can I
please get to know you better? I
would like to become friends with
you.
MAYA wells up with tears and hugs CATHERINE back.
ANDREW, still sitting at the table makes some hand gestures
of eating off a plate to MAYA and points at CATHERINE; MAYA
nods.
FADE OUT
EXT.TOWN. AFTERNOON
A few months have passed and we see MAYA pushing CATHERINE
in and out of the shops, having a good time, laughing and
chatting as they build their friendship up and become
stronger together.
FADE OUT