Cold Open – Chandler’s Apartment
It’s a typical Saturday morning. Joey is over, playing Nintendo. Chandler is making coffee. Ronnie’s door is closed.
"Man, she’s been in there all weekend?" Joey said
(worried, covering it with sarcasm)
"Yeah, either she’s writing an emo novel or she’s turned into a bat." Chandler said
"Should you check on her?" Joey asks him
"I tried yesterday. She said she was “breathing fine and not on fire,” so I let it go." He said
"That’s… a low bar, man."
They both pause. Chandler puts the mug down slowly.
"Yeah. It is." He said worriedly
He walks over to Ronnie’s room and knocks. No answer. He knocks again, harder.
"Ronnie?" Chandler said
---
– Ronnie’s Room
Chandler pushes the door open. The room is dim. Music is playing softly. Ronnie is lying on the bed, too still. There are empty pill bottles on the nightstand.
(horrified whisper)
"No. No no no."
He rushes to her side. She’s breathing—but barely. He grabs the phone.
"9-1-1. Yes, please—my sister—she’s not responding—I think she took something—please hurry—" Chandler said on the phone
---
– Hospital Waiting Room (Later)
Chandler sits in the waiting area, face pale, hands shaking. Monica rushes in first, followed by Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, and Joey. They all look shaken.
"Chandler—oh my God. Is she—" Monica said worried
"She’s alive. They pumped her stomach. She’s unconscious. They said it was close." He told the group
Everyone sits in stunned silence.
(quietly)
"Pain doesn’t disappear just because we love someone. But love still matters. That’s why she’s still breathing." Phoebe said
---
– Hospital Room (That Night)
Ronnie lies in the bed, pale, hooked to an IV. Her eyes flutter open. Chandler is in the chair, watching her. His eyes are red, but he smiles softly.
(weakly)
"I didn’t mean for you to find me." She said to him
"Then who, Ronnie? Who was supposed to find you?" He asked her
She looks away, tears forming.
"I was tired. It’s like I’m screaming inside and no one hears it. Not even me sometimes." She said as she looked away from him
(voice cracking)
"I heard you. I just didn’t know how loud the silence had gotten."
He moves closer, taking her hand carefully.
"You don’t have to be okay. You don’t have to be “fixed.” You just have to stay. That’s all I want. That’s all I’ll ever want."
---
Jake Visits the Hospital
Later that day, Jake arrives with a crumpled piece of paper. Chandler nods and quietly steps out to give them space.
"I wrote something. Dumb poem. Or a song. Maybe both. I don’t know." He said to her
(small smile)
"I’d like to hear it. Later." She said to him
"Okay. I’m here. Not just in the fun ways. In the awful ones, too."
"I don’t know if I deserve that." She told him
"Then I’ll believe it for you until you can." He told her
---
– Monica and Rachel’s Apartment
The group is sitting quietly, shaken but united. Chandler enters. Everyone looks up.
"She’s sleeping. Stable. They’re recommending a longer-term treatment center. Somewhere safe. Quiet. Focused." He said
Monica asked him"Are you okay?"
Chandler takes a breath. The first real one in hours.
"No. But she’s alive. And that’s enough for today." He told her
---
Ronnie’s Sketchbook (Weeks Later)
Ronnie’s new sketch shows a tiny figure curled under a tree. A storm above. But one line shines through the clouds:)
“The worst moment wasn’t the end. It was the silence. And I survived it.”
YOU ARE READING
After The Silence
Fanfiction(season 1-10) --- Ronnie Bing was never supposed to be noticed. But after a breakdown, an overdose, and a silent goodbye, she's learning what it means to stay alive. This is her story - the quiet kind of survival. Mature contact s6-7-8-9-10
