My project for course: The Zero Draft: How to Start Writing a Novel

Main setting:
a small house with an upstairs office in College Park, Metropolitan Atlanta Area, Georgia

Characters:
Marlon - a middle-aged remote worker who specializes in IT. He lives with his parents so he can care for them in between work.

Johnny - Marlon's father, who loves telling stories about his youth, even when he repeats himself. He suffers from Alzheimer's.

Marge - Marlon's mother, who cares for hanging potted plants, her "hanging garden". She talks to Johnny often, to keep him engaged. She suffers from osteoporosis.

Claire - a nurse from the at-home care service Marlon hires. She sets up a routine for Marge and Johnny, gaining their and Marlon's trust.

Francine and Jackson are Marlon's coworkers who sympathize with him and his dilemma.

Act 1

Sequence 1:
Marlon sits in a personal office on the second floor of his small house in College Park, Georgia, US. He works remotely as an IT Specialist, while his parents, Johnny and Marge, spend their time downstairs. Retired, Marge tends to her hanging garden while Johnny tells stories of his youth. Marge and their son Marlon don't mind that he repeats his stories, especially while Marlon cooks and organizes his parents' medicine.
Marge has osteoporosis and Johnny suffers from Alzheimer's, which makes it difficult for middle-aged Marlon to continue the routine of caring for them downstairs and working on his computer upstairs. Fall and Winter are harder as Marge falls more often, and the changing leaves make it difficult for Johnny to recognize his surroundings. One day, Marge falls and breaks her legs; Johnny searches for someone to help his wife, but gets lost outside. Marlon, a man least likely to ask for help, finds his dad and takes his mom to the ER. His car breaks down on the way home. Marlon reluctantly reasons with himself that it was the old car's time to go.

Sequence 2:
Marlon starts out searching for at-home care services both online and around the city of Atlanta, Georgia, taking the bus and using what's left of his Personal Time Off to make it on time. Eventually, he runs into dead ends due to the cost of the services and runs out of personal leave at work. Desperate, he resumes the search online and finds a website to an at-home care service that accepts all insurance. He doesn't see the phone number on the site but he finds an online application to get started with the service. Marlon is skeptical and decides to wait, to think a bit more about it, but then his mother sprains her wrists. He signs up and waits for further instruction.

Act 2 A

Sequence 3:
Marlon waits an agonizing week, working longer hours to make up for his time caring for his parents without having to owe time. He applies for Family Medical Leave in the process. Marlon answers the door on a Monday to a man in a gray suit who introduces himself by the at-home care services' name. The man gives a brief run-through of the the service details and has Marlon sign the contract without letting him read the fine print. Marlon asks more about the service - when will it start, who is coming, how often and how much will they charge him - but his questions are ignored. Days go by without another word from the service, leaving Marlon to to work longer to care for his parents. Marlon answers the door on a Friday and meets the nurse, Claire.

Claire introduces herself and reassures the wary Marlon that everything will be fine. Marlon lets her in and introduces her to his parents. Marge is now in a wheelchair until her legs and wrists heal, and Johnny is slowly but surely getting worse with his memory. Claire inspects the kitchen and bathroom, giving Marlon a breakdown of her routine, and showing him how she sets up the regimen for her clients, promising to bring healthy food for her next visit. Marlon has been approved for Family Medical Leave and is worried about his parents, so he stays as Claire works.

Claire arrives at the same time for two weeks straight, weekends included. She talks to Marge and Johnny as she prepares their meals and organizes their medicine, and even takes them to the doctor and for walks in popular city parks. Marlon is impressed and sees that his parents are smitten with her. Johnny starts to ask Marlon "So, when is the big day," confusing Claire for Marlon's fiancé. Marlon starts to relax.

Sequence 4:
After those two weeks, on a Monday, Marlon opens the door to a completely different nurse, who is all business. The nurse lets himself in, despite Marlon's objections, and uses the notes in Claire's handwriting to start Marge and Johnny's routine. Marlon's parents are confused at the sight of the new nurse. Marlon asks the nurse where Claire is, to which the nurse responds that she'll be back. Marlon searches again for a phone number on the website, but can't find it.

On a Saturday, Claire visits the the house while another nurse, as different nurse each day of that week, tends to Marge and Johnny's needs. Claire talks to Marge and Johnny for a bit, easing their tension, but Marlon asks her for an explanation. Claire suggests that she and Marlon go to a food market in the city and offers to pay his bus fare. Marlon agrees. On the bus and at the market, Claire gives Marlon a little more information about the at-home care service and asks Marlon open-ended questions about his life, goals and expectations in general. On the ride back, they start to talk about Marlon's job and what he wanted to do in his youth. When Marlon starts asking Clair about her life and career, Claire quickly changes the subject, though Marlon doesn't catch it.

Though different nurses arrive during the week, Claire comes by randomly once a week to care for Johnny and Marge. After another month, Marlon's Family Medical Leave runs out, forcing him to go back to work. Marge's bones heal, but the bones in her legs don't set properly as expected, causing her to stay in the wheelchair a little longer. Now that Marlon is working again, Claire is the only one who takes care of Marge's hanging garden.

Act 2 B

Sequence 5:
A full week goes by without Claire visiting. As newer nurses show up, the nurses' attitudes gradually get worse. Marlon starts to notice that the newer nurses stop bringing Claire's notes. Marge and Johnny even start to complain about the nurses. Marlon thinks at first that it's because of the attitudes of the nurses. Then he starts to notice his dad's behavior and outlook getting worse. His mother Marge gets more sluggish and wary of the nurses, which is contrary to her outgoing personality. Claire visits once every two weeks, then every three. Marlon sets Claire aside and lets her know that he's worried about about his parents' care and that the newer nurses aren't working out. Claire gives Marlon a number to reach her and waters Marge's now dying plants for what turns out to be the last time.

Sequence 6:
Marlon checks on his parents during break and notices Johnny has become withdrawn. Marlon asks his mom Marge what's going on, only to find that she can't remember what day it is. Marlon checks their medicine boxes and discovers that their medicine is disorganized and mixed together. He questions the nurse in the kitchen to get to the bottom of the problem. Rather than explain herself, the nurse leaves the house and doesn't return for the day.

As the days go by, Marlon finds that silverware is missing, then a photo album, then a checkbook. Marlon kicks out one of the nurses for neglecting Marge and Johnny and watching TV for hours instead. Johnny and Marge start to smell like they haven't been bathed in days. One day, Marlon notices that his parents are hungry and prepared their lunch; he goes upstairs to find a nurse tampering with his computer. Marlon calls Claire, but the number is out of service. He searches his computer and finds a bug/spyware. He then tries to access the at-home care service website, but learns that he's been blocked from the webpage. Finally, he reaches out to his supervisors and coworkers for help, his first time in 12 years.

Act 3

Sequence 7:
Marlon's supervisors and coworkers trace the bug to an office in Albany, New York. Marlon's supervisors then grant leave to him and two volunteering coworkers, Francine and Jackson, to help Marlon and his parents. Concerned with Marlon's credit, Francine rents a van to for Marlon to take his parents to an assisted living facility in Rockdale County, that is dedicated to helping his parents. Jackson purchases affordable plane tickets for the three coworkers to go to Albany, New York. They reach the at-home care service headquarters, where Marlon is directed to the top floor and asked to wait for the CEO to let him in. When Marlon is finally guided in the office, he sees Claire sitting at the desk as CEO.

Marlon is confused, but Claire explains that there is nothing confusing about making money. The at-home care service is Claire's only business to succeed, and she recalls having to fight to keep it afloat. Marlon wants out of the service, his money reimbursed, and the missing items returned. Claire reminds Marlon of the contract he signed. Claire recites from the contract that Marlon gave the service full reign over his house and belongings, and that the service is not held liable for any damages or theft at the place of residence. She then states that there is no getting out of the contract without paying a large fee of the company's choice.

When Claire is done speaking, Marlon pulls out his phone, which has been on call the whole time, and tells Francine that she is on speaker. Francine then states that Jackson is getting a lawyer and that she has told local New York and National news of the story and Claire's claims. Marlon then gives Claire an ultimatum: release Marlon's family from the contract or face public exposure.

Sequence 8:
Marlon leaves the headquarters and goes back to Georgia with Jackson and Francine. Jackson still wants to sue, but Marlon asks him to let it go. Marlon thanks them both for all they've done for him and his family. Marlon reunites with his parents and lets them know that not only will they never see those nurses again, but he "found" the missing checkbook. Marlon offers to take Marge and Johnny back home, but Marge politely refuses and states that the assisted living facility is good for them. Johnny agrees in his lucid state. Marlon hugs his parents and goes back home.

Marlon goes back to work and adjusts to an empty home. He regularly checks his bank account and calls his parents everyday to check on them. On the weekends, Marlon visits his parents, sometimes bringing Francine and Jackson with him.