Bringing Out the Dead Page #11

HAZMAT:

Burke. You won't believe it. He's

showing cognitive signs. He started

with spontaneous respiration, now

he's fighting to pull out the tube.

Had to sedate him. He's in a CAT

scan. I'm giving him every test I

can:
thromboytics, steroids,

nitrodrips, heparin.

FRANK:

What do you think?

HAZMAT:

Who knows? It's all lower-brain-stem-

activity. The heart refuses to

stabilize--he's coded eleven times

since he got here. This guy's a

fighter. Every time the Valium wears

off he starts yanking those

restraints.

FRANK:

The family know?

HAZMAT:

I wanted to bring them in, to see if

he'd respond to voices, but they

weren't in the waiting room. The

guy's daughter was in my face all

last night and when I finally have

something positive to tell her, she's

gone.

Frank nods, walks down Skid Row, passing Nurse Constance

lecturing IB Bangin:

NURSE CONSTANCE:

... you put poison in your veins and

now that you're breathing again you

can't wait to say thank you and go

back to poison shopping. Well, since

we saved your life, maybe you could

do us a favor and stop breathing in

another city next time ...

CUT TO:

EXT. FIRST AVE--NIGHT

12 Young heading up the avenue.

MARCUS:

I ever tell you about the time years

ago I was on this ledge uptown, trying

to talk this psycho inside?

FRANK:

Where the guy jumped and you almost

fell. No, you never told me that

story.

MARCUS:

No, you never listened. I was going,

man, if someone on high hadn't pulled

me in. I had put all I had into saving

this dumbass lowlife suicidal that

when he went down, there was a part

of me that wanted to go with him.

FRANK:

Make a left here. I want to stop.

CUT TO:

EXT. BURKE APT. BUILDING--NIGHT

Marcus stops the ambulance on 17th Street.

FRANK:

I'll be right back.

Frank gets out, walks over to the intercom, pushes the button

for 5A. Mary answers:

MARY (V.O.)

Yes?

FRANK:

Hello, I'm Frank Pierce, from the

ambulance last night. I brought your

father into the hospital and I just

learned some news.

MARY (V.O.)

I'll be right down.

Mary appears in a white sweater and simple gray skirt like

schoolgirls wear. The dark makeup is gone. She looks happy.

MARY (CONT'D)

He's better, isn't he?

FRANK:

Well, the doctor says he's showing

some movement. It's still early, it

might mean nothing, but I thought

you'd want to know.

MARY:

I knew. I sensed it when I heard

your voice.

FRANK:

You look so different.

MARY:

I know. It's awful, isn't it? Night

of the Living Cheerleaders.

FRANK:

I think it looks good.

MARY:

I was going nuts in that waiting

room so I came back to check on my

mom.

FRANK:

How is she?

MARY:

Sleeping.

FRANK:

I was just going to get some food.

Pizza. Maybe we could.

MARY:

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.

Mary steps to the curb, raises her hand for a taxi. None in

sight.

FRANK:

Be tough to get a taxi here. We can

give you a ride if you like.

MARY:

(looks at him)

Okay.

Frank opens the back doors of the bus, climbs in behind Mary.

They sit on the bench opposite the stretcher.

MARCUS:

Who's that?

FRANK:

She's the daughter of a cardiac arrest

I brought in last night. I told her

we'd give her a ride back to Misery.

Her father's showing signs of

improving.

MARCUS:

Oh, Frank, you've got it bad, so

much worse than I thought.

FRANK:

I'm hungry too. We gotta get some

food after this.

MARCUS:

God help us, he's hungry too.

Marcus turns on the radio, an old song from the sixties, as

they head uptown.

CUT TO:

INT. MERCY CRITICAL CARE--NIGHT

Frank and Mary walking past the triage station toward the

curtained corner where her father lies. Next to Burke, Dr.

Hazmat assists an AIDS patient amid a forest of IV tubing.

Mr. Burke lies prone, two IV lines hung from poles, intubated

by a hose running to the ventilator, a NG tube covering his

nose. His eyes are permanently half open. Burke's hands and

feet are tied by white nylon restraints. Mary takes her

father's hand as Frank pulls the curtain.

MARY:

Dad, can you hear me?

(beat)

Open your eyes if you can hear me.

A nearby patient SCREAMS. Mary Burke SCREAMS too:

MARY (CONT'D)

He squeezed my hand!

Dr. Hazmat and MILAGROS, an intern, walk over.

MARY (CONT'D)

He's moving, Doctor. He grabbed my

hand. Move your hand, Dad, one more

time.

(Burke's hand twitches))

See. See.

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