A Fighting Man Page #2

all your fighters leave you, man? Huh?

- Because you steal them from me.

- Yeah.

Same reason why your wife left you.

The same reason why I left you.

Just give me a piece of the kid.

Hey, look.

You line up something for King, hm?

Someone the kid could handle, huh?

More than just a warm body,

but somebody he could beat, huh?

I want it kept local.

I don't wanna bear the expense

of bringing somebody in here.

What about Charlie Simms?

No, he's in prison. Armed robbery.

Teddy Bigfoot?

Teddy Bigfoot? Teddy Bigfoot,

man, he's a lot of Bigfoot.

Man, he's 350 pounds now.

- Bigfoot, yeah.

- Yeah.

Hey.

How about Sailor O'Connor?

- Sailor?

- Yeah.

Is he still fighting?

No, but it might not really matter.

I mean, if I could get him

to take one more fight.

- People loved him.

- Yeah, yeah, he was very popular.

Everybody wanted to see if he

was gonna get knocked down.

- Yeah.

- And every fighter wanted to be the first.

That's a good hook, man.

Yeah, that'd be big if King

could knock Sailor down. Heh.

- That's good.

- Yeah. I'm gonna run it by King.

- I'll talk to Sailor.

- Yup.

- Hey, I want a piece of the kid.

- Not going to happen, man.

- Well, we'll see.

- Yeah, yeah.

Why should we bother

to go see the doctor?

What's there to talk about?

If you're dying, you're dying.

I know I'm dying.

How do you know?

Tell me you wouldn't know if you

were rotting from the inside out.

It's cancer.

Cancer, rot, no difference.

Ma...

Aw. Don't get all melancholy on me.

I think it'd be good if you and I

went and saw a doctor together.

- Yeah, well, you go see him if you want.

- Ma, there may be some pain.

How long did he say I have?

- Ma.

- Oh, don't be such a baby.

How long did he say I have?

Six months.

I'm sorry.

Sorry for what?

No one's getting out alive.

Is there anything I can do for you?

Well, it might be nice to take one

last trip to Ireland before it comes.

That'd be nice. Maybe you and me.

Yeah.

King, come on.

Go box. Go box!

Let's go home.

She's been in for five years.

She's asked me to be there

- for her parole hearing.

- You gonna go?

I don't know.

I've gotten to know her a lot better

through the letters that she sent me.

She wants to speak with

you if she gets out.

I can't do that.

You can try.

Sean, I don't have it in me.

Sailor, her loss is

as great as yours.

Is it?

I'm sorry. Loss can't be measured.

No. No, it can't.

Do you want her to

continue to suffer?

Do you

want her to continue to suffer?

Yeah. I think I do.

Don't you think she's

suffered enough?

Sean, I thought we agreed,

you can't measure suffering.

Do you have no pity for her?

You know, my ma has a

saying about pity:

Pity arrests the heart

and unites it with those

who have wronged us.

I need to go see Rose.

Won't do any good,

she's at war with God.

Yeah.

You taking confessions

today, Father?

You have nothing to confess,

other than what we

just talked about.

Yes.

I'm remorseful, yes.

And I know what that

means, really means.

I violated the most basic

and primary of relationships.

Destroyed the lives that

were entrusted to me.

I'm a ghost.

Haunting of what's left of life,

until there is no life.

But the pain I suffer

is nothing compared

to the pain I caused.

Quit pushing. Quit

pushing there, King.

- We shouldn't have let him do this.

- It's done. Forget it.

Thank you again for seeing me.

The mayor has got an

election coming up,

and he would really love

to have your support.

Thanks. Well, you tell him

to come see me himself.

Well, you know, the mayor,

he's... He's a very busy man.

Oh. Oh, Well... Heh.

Thank God. Thank God that I

have absolutely nothing to do.

And the truth is, I don't

believe in politics.

You don't? Well, what do

you believe in, then?

I believe in, um,

the luxuries of life.

Food, shelter, clothing.

You know? You tell your mayor that

and then tell him come

and talk to me. Okay?

We need some more bread over here.

Okay, come on.

What's on your mind?

- I got a fight coming up.

- You got a what?

A fight.

A fight? I thought we

left it all behind.

It's just one fight.

You feeling some

need to get punished

because I'll take a hammer and beat

you with it, if that's what you'd like.

- No.

- Well, then why?

Do you feel you gotta prove

something to somebody?

- Huh?

- No.

No. So why?

I miss it.

Okay, well, I mean,

you know, I miss it too.

But I don't miss getting

my face busted up.

Mikey, it ain't the same for me.

What ain't the same?

Life. Life as a civilian.

So... So, um,

when you get in the ring, you

feel more civilized, is that it?

It's the fight I know.

Well, there's just... There's a lot

of fights out there, a lot of them.

I mean, if that's what you want,

we got a lot. We can find them.

I'm suited to this one.

Well, I could argue that.

Your record ain't that good, you know.

Heh. I'm sorry, but it's the truth.

Even when I lost, I knew who I was.

I was a fighter.

All right, look, let's just

cut the bullshit. I, um...

I mean, bottom line is, I really

don't want you to fight again, okay?

I'd like you in my corner.

I can't, man. I just can't do that.

Well, help me get ready.

I can't do that either.

You've always been there with me.

I always will be.

But I don't have to be there

and watch you get destroyed.

- I've never been knocked down.

- Well, that's great.

That's great. We'll keep

it like that, okay?

All right. Just...

Just one more. One more fight.

No.

Because I love you, man, I do.

I love you and I do

not see the need.

- I told you the need.

- You didn't tell me sh*t!

What'd you tell me?

"I didn't get knocked down."

What, do you wanna prolong this, or extend

this stupid, idiotic legacy you got?

That's what you told me.

I can't do this without you.

Please, man, just don't

do this to me, okay?

I need your help on this.

Jesus.

I just... I just can't. I just...

I just can't.

Take his head off, King!

Come on, ref.

Come on, let him go. Let him go.

Come on, old man!

Kill him, Sailor!

Finish him off, King!

Oh...

You gotta punch back

or we'll stop it.

You're getting schooled, Sailor!

Once more into the fray.

Sailor!

What you doing here, Eddie?

I wanna talk.

- About what?

- A fight.

Look, do you wanna fight?

I haven't had a fight in four

years. That's a long time.

Look, it doesn't matter.

You got a reputation.

Sixty-three fights,

never knocked down.

That's right.

Yeah, and a lot of people would pay

to just see something knock you down.

Come on, Sailor, you don't

tell me you don't miss it.

Yeah, I miss it.

Who would I be fighting?

He's a kid. His name

is King Soloman.

Never heard of him.

Cubby likes him.

Oh, he's with Cubby.

How is Cubby?

He's good. But, look,

I used to have this kid,

and he's gonna be mine

before the fight.

What about you? You got management?

Does it look like I got management?

I could line you up

with some stuff.

I don't think so.

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