no more, please don't!
what?
john, play the sinatra.
play the sinatra.
is he going to be alright?
i know him. that's noel.
is there any chance?
noel, noel, it's me, mary. from 17th street.
i'll get you some.
it's not so rare. he grew up on our street. he's had a rough life and he's a little crazy from it, but that's no excuse for not giving someone a lousy cup of water.
my father's dying, noel.
it's my first cigarette in over a year.
it's the waiting that's killing me, not knowing, you know? it's really hard on my mother. the doctor doesn't think my father'll make it. he says he was dead too long, after six minutes the brain starts to die and once that goes, close the door.
i mean if he was dead, i could handle that.
i'm not so sure. my father and i haven't spoken in three years. when my brother called to say my father was having a heart attack, that he'd locked himself in the bathroom, all the way going over i was thinking how i was gonna tell him what a bastard he was. then when i got up the stairs and we moved him onto the bed, i thought of all these other things i wanted to say.
right now, i'm more worried about my mother than anything. they won't let her see my father.
that's what i told her. if she could just see him a second, then i could take her home.
hello again.
you shouldn't smoke.
that's my brother's problem. he's passed out inside.
that boy you brought in, he was shot, wasn't he?
he's dead, huh?
i think this place stinks.
did you see my father?
it's crazy in there. what's wrong with that doctor? he keeps mumbling, poking himself in the eye when he talks to me.
thing is, i'm supposed to be the fuckup. the one on the stretcher in there--that's supposed to be me. with my parents crying out here. i got a lot of guilt, you know what i mean?
my father's in a coma, now my mother's going crazy. it's like she's in a trance.
i'd take her, but then who would stay here?
you saw him?
thank you.
yes?
i'll be right down.
he's better, isn't he?
i knew. i sensed it when i heard your voice.
i know. it's awful, isn't it? night of the living cheerleaders.
i was going nuts in that waiting room so i came back to check on my mom.
sleeping.
you can't kill my father that easy. he'll fight forever. like with me: hasn't talked to me in three years. but it's okay. sometimes you have to put things behind you.
okay.
dad, can you hear me? open your eyes if you can hear me.
he squeezed my hand!
he's moving, doctor. he grabbed my hand. move your hand, dad, one more time. ) see. see.
he hears me. open your eyes, dad.
you sure? i know my father would hate to be tied down. he wouldn't even go to the dentist.
he's better, though, right?
look, i'm sorry, but it's important to me. i mean, a week ago i was wishing he was dead. and now i want hear his voice again, just once more-- you know what i mean?
i'm not really hungry.
my father was a great man, you know. there was nobody he wouldn't help. you know that crazy guy noel who i gave water to last night? he lived in our house for almost a year. a total stranger he'd do anything for, his own family though .
not as good as nino's.
yeah, or saint anthony. you from the neighborhood?
on yeah? i went to holy name. where'd you go to high school?
like everybody else--except us. always standing on the sidewalk waving goodbye to moving trucks. your parents .  ?
you married?
is it always this bad in here? i mean, how does anyone survive?
how long you been doing this?
wow, you musta seen some things, huh? what's the worst thing you ever seen?
you must get a lot of overdoses. i bet you picked me up a couple of times.
maybe not. i was a different person then. does everybody you meet spill their problems on you like this?
i better go check on my father. thanks for the pizza. i owe you one. maybe when he gets better, you know, when we're done with all this.
i'm all right. i just can't stand to see people tied up. i'm in the waiting room for hours, listening to noel screaming. the only reason he's screaming is 'cause he's tied up.
don't say that. i wanted to cut my father loose too. they told me he almost died and five minutes later they say he's better and i go in. it's killing me seeing him fighting like that. look, since you're here, maybe you could do me a favor. i need you to wait for me outside this building, okay? i have to visit a friend who's sick.
i'm only asking because it's a dangerous building. there's been some robberies, a woman was raped not long ago. this woman i'm seeing, she'll want to talk to me all day, but if i can point to you out the window and say you're waiting, i can be out quick. if anything happens, i'll be in apartment 16m.
if i'm not back in fifteen minutes, hit the buzzer. that way she'll let me go.
no, i'll be fine. i'm just visiting a sick friend.
i shouldn't have asked you to come.
promise you won't go inside.
i just have to relax a little. not feel so guilty all the time.
don't be a cop. if you have any doubts about this, it's my fault.
you go on home, okay. i'm fine, really. i don't need you. thanks.
no, no.
i can walk.
let go of me. you shouldn't have come up. i told you not to. you could have gotten us both killed.
you and cy have a nice talk? he tell you about sunrise enterprises, helping people? well, i've seen him hurt people. why are you following me?
you remember noel, from the other night, how noel is now? he wasn't always like that. he was my brother's best friend. cy or tiger or one of those other goons put a bullet in noel's head. he was in a coma three months. crazy ever since.
this is my place.
what is it? you want to help me, you feel sorry for me? keep it to yourself.
or maybe you wanna fuck me? everyone else has.
i've been clean two years now. i got a job. i paint when i'm home. don't bother anybody. then all this shit happens.
oh no you don't. you can't stay here.
everyone, this is the medic who brought my father in. frank, these are some of my father's friends.
i heard cy coates was brought in. he looked pretty bad.
too bad. he called me up today, can you believe that? i don't know how he got my number. he asks me do i want to come over and see him, i tell him i'd rather go to a leper colony. he says there's a new gang that wants to kill him, take over the business. i told him i hope he's right. that they kill him. that's what i told him.
ok, last night i was weak. it won't happen again. and all that shit i said--it was just because i was stoned. forget it.
i wish these people would leave already. i can't listen to another story. did you see him? that doctor says the brain is coming around. they're waiting for the heart to stabilize. i don't know who to believe. he says they still have to keep him tied up.
no, we just ate. i only remember how tough my father was. now i know he had to be like that, to make us tough. this city'll kill you if you aren't strong enough.
this is not a good time.
who is it?
come on up.