S3E1- Where Am I?

Summary

I Witness: Season 3, Episode 1 – "Where Am I?"

Podcast Information:

• Title: I Witness
• Host/Author: Northwest Christian School, Red Five Media
• Episode: Season 3, Episode 1 – "Where Am I?"
• Release Date: April 23, 2025

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Introduction: A Journey into the Unknown

"I Witness" continues its tradition of weaving suspenseful narratives that delve deep into human emotions and mysterious circumstances. In Season 3, Episode 1, titled "Where Am I?", listeners are introduced to Emily, a young woman grappling with personal turmoil and an unforeseen medical crisis. This episode masterfully combines elements of psychological drama, medical thriller, and spiritual exploration, all underscored by immersive sound design and compelling storytelling.

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Plot Overview: From Virtual Reality to Medical Emergencies

The episode picks up with Emily reflecting on her troubled upbringing. She shares, "My dad, he drank a lot. And when he did, it was like everything else just disappeared. It was like I was invisible." (00:51). This sense of invisibility and isolation sets the stage for the unfolding drama.

Emily and her friends engage in the "Elysium Experience," a virtual reality simulation developed by Dr. Cole and Dr. Miller. However, the experience takes a dark turn when Emily suddenly collapses, leading to a frantic medical intervention. As Dr. Miller assesses her condition, he notes, "We got an 18-year-old female, unresponsive, no trauma, no signs of overdose. BP is 90 over 60. Heart rate is 52." (03:19). The medical team identifies a brain mass causing increased intracranial pressure, necessitating immediate surgery.

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Character Interactions: Navigating Crisis and Faith

Throughout the episode, the interactions between Emily, her friends, family, and medical professionals are pivotal. Emily's vulnerability is palpable as she says, "It's hard to open up now. Even with you guys." (00:51), highlighting her struggle with feeling unseen and isolated.

As Emily grapples with her unconscious state, a mysterious figure named Dr. Cole appears, engaging her in a profound conversation about faith and existence. At one point, Emily questions, "I asked you before, why didn't you come earlier?" (16:03), to which Dr. Cole cryptically responds, "Have you ever noticed that some doors don't open until you actually knock?" (16:26). This dialogue introduces a metaphysical dimension to the narrative, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural.

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Emotional Themes: Isolation, Hope, and the Search for Meaning

The episode delves deep into themes of isolation and the yearning for connection. Emily's recounting of her childhood underscores a pervasive sense of loneliness: "I was completely alone. It's hard to open up now." (00:51). Her subsequent collapse serves as both a literal and metaphorical breaking point, forcing her to confront her inner struggles.

Amidst the medical crisis, hope emerges through the support of friends and family. When Emily hears from Dr. Cole, she seeks answers: "Why is this happening to me? What is happening to me?" (04:42). Her interactions with Dr. Cole challenge her beliefs and prompt introspection about faith and destiny.

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Critical Moments: The Confluence of Science and Spirituality

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the interplay between scientific investigation and spiritual inquiry. Dr. Miller's medical assessment juxtaposes Dr. Cole's spiritual guidance, creating a tension that propels the narrative forward. For instance, when Dr. Cole assures Emily, "You asked for something more. Something beyond the noise. Something real." (18:12), it raises questions about the intersection of faith and medical reality.

The revelation of Emily's brain tumor adds a layer of urgency and mortality, while her conversations with Dr. Cole offer a contemplative respite, inviting listeners to ponder the deeper meanings behind her predicament.

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Conclusion: An Unresolved Mystery with Profound Implications

As the episode concludes, Emily finds herself in a liminal space between consciousness and unconsciousness, grappling with newfound faith and the mystery of her existence. Dr. Cole's enigmatic presence leaves listeners intrigued and eager for more revelations in subsequent episodes. The blend of medical drama, personal struggle, and spiritual exploration ensures that "Where Am I?" sets a compelling tone for the rest of Season 3.

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Notable Quotes:

• Emily: "My dad, he drank a lot. And when he did, it was like everything else just disappeared. It was like I was invisible." (00:51)

• Dr. Miller: "We got an 18-year-old female, unresponsive, no trauma, no signs of overdose. BP is 90 over 60. Heart rate is 52." (03:19)

• Emily: "I don't feel very well." (02:50)

• Dr. Cole: "Have you ever noticed that some doors don't open until you actually knock?" (16:26)

• Emily: "Why is this happening to me? What is happening to me?" (04:42)

• Dr. Cole: "You asked for something more. Something beyond the noise. Something real." (18:12)

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Final Thoughts:

"I Witness: Where Am I?" skillfully intertwines human emotion with enigmatic storytelling, creating a narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The episode not only advances the overarching plot but also invites listeners to reflect on themes of faith, identity, and the quest for understanding in the face of adversity. As Emily navigates her uncertain reality, the listeners are left anticipating the next chapter in her journey towards truth and self-discovery.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Emily]

Previously on Eyewitness.

[Dr. Cole]

So the departments that I just mentioned have been working in tandem on a new virtual reality experience. And when I say experience, I mean it. Oh, hey, one thing I forgot to tell you guys. You're not all together for this adventure. See if you can find your way back to each other.

[Emily]

Wait, what?

[Dr. Miller]

Elysium Experience.

[Emily]

My dad, he drank a lot. And when he did, it was like everything else just disappeared. It was like I was invisible. And my mom? She was there. Physically, I guess, but not really. I'd be in the same room as them, but I was completely alone. It's hard to open up now. Even with you guys.

[Friend 1]

Emily, I'm so sorry for the loneliness you felt. No one should have to grow up feeling unseen.

[Emily]

But maybe being here with us and with your friends, it's a chance to start again.

[Dr. Cole]

If you're here for a room, I'm afraid we're full.

[Joseph]

Please, my wife. We've come so far and she's due soon. We just need somewhere to rest.

[Dr. Cole]

There's no room inside, but there's a stable out back. It's nothing special that you'll have shelter from the cold.

[Emily]

Joseph, it's time. He's coming.

[Joseph]

I'm here, my love.

[Dr. Cole]

What do you need?

[Emily]

You're so beautiful, my child. My Jesus.

[Friend 1]

I can't believe it.

[Emily]

I've heard this story countless times, but I never imagined it this way. It's perfect. He's perfect.

[Dr. Miller]

Elysium Program ending.

[Friend 1]

Are you okay, Emily?

[Emily]

I don't feel very well.

[Dr. Cole]

You don't look so good. Are you okay?

[Emily]

I think it's.

[Dr. Cole]

She passed out. Someone call 91 1.

[Dr. Miller]

All right, we got an 18 year old female, unresponsive, no trauma, no signs of overdose. BP is 90 over 60. Heart rate is 52. Respiration shallow at 10. Pupils sluggish, non reactive on the right. GCS is 6.

[Paramedic]

How long has she been down?

[Dr. Miller]

About less than 20 minutes. Other student said she didn't feel well, passed out.

[Emily]

Sinus Brady at 48. BP still low.

[Paramedic]

Give her liters saline, wide open. Get a cbc, cmp, tox screen, blood gas and coags. Have troponin ready just in case. Dr. Miller.

[Doctor]

Yes, Doctor. Dr. Cole. What do we have?

[Paramedic]

18 year old, sudden onset headache, passed out, unresponsive. Pupils sluggish.

[Emily]

Right.

[Paramedic]

Worse than left.

[Doctor]

BP low, bradycardic Any signs of trauma? Drug use?

[Paramedic]

No.

[Doctor]

Okay, let me check her eyes. Emily? Emily, can you hear me? This is Dr. Miller. I need you to wake up. Okay, right pupil's blown. Let's get a CT, stat. Could be a bleed, mass or increased ICP. Any thoughts, Dr. Cole?

[Paramedic]

No.

[Doctor]

Okay, let's move. Reassess post CT. Let's.

[Emily]

Hello? Is anyone. Anybody there? Where am I? What is this place? It looks like. Like nothing. Just white emptiness. I don't see anything. What am I doing here? It's okay, Emily. Just think. Think. What is the last thing you remember? Why don't I remember anything? What is happening to me? Okay, okay, okay, okay. You just need to regulate yourself, okay? I'm a little limited here. Because there's literally nothing to see. It's literally nothing. Oh, okay. Box breathing. Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. Okay, that helped. I feel a little better now. Hello? Is anyone here? Anyone? Is anyone here in this. Whatever this is? God, please help me.

[Dr. Miller]

Emily? Emily, can you hear me? Emily, can you hear me? This is Dr. Cole. I need you to wake up, okay?

[Emily]

Hello? Can you hear me? Hello? Hello? Why is this happening to me? What is happening to me?

[Dr. Miller]

Emily, I need you to wake up.

[Emily]

I can hear you. Can you hear me? Who are you?

[Dr. Cole]

That was a doctor. Emily.

[Emily]

Whoa. Who are you? How do you know my name? Where am I? What am I doing here? What is going on?

[Dr. Cole]

Okay, okay. Where would you like me to start?

[Emily]

What?

[Dr. Cole]

Well, you asked five separate questions. Which would you like me to answer first?

[Emily]

I. Where am I?

[Dr. Cole]

Well, that's a little hard to explain.

[Dr. Miller]

Emily, hear my voice. I need you to wake up.

[Emily]

That. What was that?

[Dr. Cole]

Oh, that's Dr. Cole.

[Emily]

Who?

[Dr. Cole]

He's the doctor that's taking care of you right now.

[Emily]

Wait, what?

[Dr. Cole]

Well, he's one of the many doctors.

[Emily]

Okay, I'm getting even more confused now.

[Dr. Cole]

I'm sure you are.

[Emily]

Okay, then can you help me be less confused?

[Dr. Cole]

Well, like I said, it's a little hard to explain. Tell me the last thing you remember.

[Emily]

Well, I was. I was with some friends. We just. Oh, my gosh. What were we doing? Why can't I remember it?

[Dr. Cole]

I know. It's like trying to remember a dream. Just keep going.

[Emily]

Oh, I remember. We just got done with that. That thing. Oh, what's its name? That. Elysomething.

[Dr. Cole]

The Elysium.

[Emily]

Yes, that.

[Dr. Cole]

And then what?

[Emily]

What do you mean?

[Dr. Cole]

What happened next?

[Emily]

Uh, well, I wasn't feeling well, and that's all I can remember.

[Dr. Cole]

You don't remember anything else?

[Emily]

No.

[Dr. Cole]

Emily, you passed Out.

[Emily]

I did?

[Dr. Cole]

Yeah.

[Emily]

What does that mean?

[Dr. Cole]

Well, it means that right now you're laying in a hospital bed and the doctors are trying to figure out what happened and how to help you.

[Emily]

Wait. What are you saying?

[Dr. Cole]

I mean exactly what I said. You're unconscious. You're in a hospital, and a team of doctors and nurses are with you.

[Emily]

No, no, no. You're joking. You. You can't be serious.

[Dr. Cole]

I'm really sorry, Emily, but I am.

[Emily]

So what's wrong with me?

[Dr. Cole]

We'll get to that later. But that's not why I'm here.

[Emily]

Then why are you here?

[Dr. Cole]

Well, I'm here because you asked me to be.

[Joseph]

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[Emily]

91 1. What is your emergency?

[Friend 1]

Please, you have to help me, okay?

[Emily]

I want to help you. You. What is the address of your emergency?

[Friend 1]

I. I don't know.

[Emily]

I've been kidnapped.

[Joseph]

Watch. Don't hang up. Exclusively at don't hang up movie.com on May 9th.

[Emily]

Quinn, what do we do?

[Friend 1]

I don't know.

[Emily]

Where do we go?

[Friend 1]

I don't know, Jen. I don't even know if we're allowed to see her.

[Emily]

Well, why don't we go ask?

[Friend 1]

By we, you mean me, don't you?

[Emily]

Oh. Thank you for volunteering.

[Friend 1]

Excuse me. We're here to see Emily. She was just brought in.

[Emily]

And can I ask, are you family? We're her friends. Please. We just want to know if she's okay. I'm so sorry, but right now only immediate family is allowed to visit.

[Emily's Mom]

I'm here to see my daughter. They just brought her in. Her name is Emily?

[Emily]

Yes. They're running some tests right now. She should be back soon.

[Friend 1]

Excuse me. Did you say you're Emily's mom?

[Emily's Mom]

Yes. Do you know Emily?

[Friend 1]

Yeah. We're her friends. We were with her when it all happened.

[Emily's Mom]

I need you to tell me everything that happened. Is there a room we can wait in?

[Emily]

Of course. This way.

[Emily's Mom]

Please. Tell me everything.

[Friend 1]

Well, we were doing this VR experience thing at the tech Lab on campus. We just finished the simulation, and when it was over, she said she didn't feel good. A second later, she just collapsed.

[Emily]

She seemed fine before that.

[Doctor]

Excuse me, Mrs. Harper?

[Emily's Mom]

Yes? Is Emily okay?

[Doctor]

Before I say anything, is it okay to speak freely with everyone present?

[Emily's Mom]

Are you too comfortable being in here?

[Friend 1]

Of course.

[Emily's Mom]

Her friends can hear anything you tell me. Go ahead.

[Doctor]

This is going to be hard to hear, but the CT scan confirmed that Emily has a mass in her brain. A tumor, about the size of a golf ball. It's causing increased pressure, which explains her symptoms.

[Emily's Mom]

A tumor? Is it. Is it cancer?

[Doctor]

We won't know until we remove it and run it through pathology, but right now our focus is on relieving the pressure. If we don't act quickly, the swelling could cause irreversible damage.

[Emily's Mom]

Surgery now.

[Doctor]

Yes, we need to act immediately. We'll perform a craniotomy to remove the mass and relieve the pressure, and we're going to do everything we can.

[Emily's Mom]

Oh, my gosh.

[Friend 1]

Mrs. Harper, do you mind if I ask him a question? Yes. After the surgery, will she wake up?

[Doctor]

We're hopeful, but brain surgery carries risks. Bleeding, infection, even potential complications with speech or motor functions. We won't know for sure until she's out of surgery.

[Emily's Mom]

What happens if we wait?

[Doctor]

The pressure will continue to build. She could have another episode, and it could be fatal. We really need to operate now.

[Emily's Mom]

Please, just save my daughter.

[Doctor]

We'll take good care of her. This procedure will take some time, so a nurse will show you to the waiting room. You'll be more comfortable there.

[Emily's Mom]

Thank you.

[Emily]

Wait. I asked you to be here.

[Dr. Cole]

You did. Quite insistently, actually. I. Oh, I'm not complaining. Some people wait their whole lives to ask. Some never do.

[Emily]

I don't remember asking.

[Dr. Cole]

It's more like a deep sigh of relief. In a way. Something in your heart sparked it and.

[Emily]

You believed, and you just showed up.

[Dr. Cole]

Not exactly how it works, but let's just say when you reach, I reach back.

[Emily]

That's not ominous at all. But why now?

[Dr. Cole]

What do you mean, if?

[Emily]

I asked you before, why didn't you come earlier?

[Dr. Cole]

Does your house have a front door?

[Emily]

Yeah.

[Dr. Cole]

What happens if you stand in front of it?

[Emily]

What?

[Dr. Cole]

What happens if you stand in front of the door?

[Emily]

I don't know. Nothing.

[Dr. Cole]

Okay. What happens if you knock?

[Emily]

I don't know.

[Dr. Cole]

Have you ever noticed that some doors don't open until you actually knock?

[Emily]

Okay, that's really vague.

[Dr. Cole]

And yet, here we are.

[Emily]

Yeah. I still don't get it.

[Dr. Cole]

You will. Eventually. Maybe. No promises.

[Emily]

Wow. So helpful.

[Dr. Cole]

You say that, but you're still listening.

[Emily]

I don't have much of a choice, do I?

[Dr. Cole]

Sure you do. You could stop talking, cross your arms and do nothing until I disappear.

[Emily]

Would that work?

[Dr. Cole]

No.

[Emily]

Great. So I'm stuck here in this, whatever this is, with some cryptic, all knowing, whatever you are. I just don't understand why this is happening. Why now? Why me?

[Dr. Cole]

You really want to know?

[Emily]

Yes.

[Dr. Cole]

Alright. But answer me this first. Do you believe in faith?

[Emily]

Faith? Faith in what?

[Dr. Cole]

That's a question only you can answer.

[Emily]

Convenient.

[Dr. Cole]

Well, it's the truth. Faith isn't a one size fits all. It's personal. It's messy. It's questioned, tested, torn apart. And if it's real, rebuilt, stronger.

[Emily]

Are you saying I have faith?

[Dr. Cole]

I'm saying you wanted it and that's enough.

[Emily]

Wanted it?

[Dr. Cole]

You asked for something more. Something beyond the noise. Something real.

[Emily]

And that's why I'm here.

[Dr. Cole]

That's why I'm here.

[Emily]

I don't even know who you are.

[Dr. Cole]

Sure you do.

[Emily]

I don't.

[Dr. Cole]

You can say it.

[Emily]

Say what?

[Dr. Cole]

My name.

[Emily]

I don't. Jesus.

[Dr. Cole]

It took you long enough.

[Narrator]

We appreciate you spending time with us on Eyewitness. Between two worlds. Be sure to follow, share and come back for the next chapter. Eyewitness is powered by NCS online. Christ Centered Learning. Anytime, anywhere. Enroll [e-mail].