Stronger Page #8

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Well, maybe they don't teach

you manners in Amesbury, huh?

You say one more f***ing thing

about Amesbury, Patty,

I'll punch you in the f***ing face.

Do you understand that?

- Don't you... don't you threaten me.

- Get in the car!

Go. Get in the car.

You gonna let her

talk to me this way?

Yeah, just f***in' walk away.

You're not on the team.

So you wanna

tell me what's goin' on?

Uh, stress, lack of sleep,

uh, minor surgeries,

fittings for his legs.

Okay.

Physical therapy sessions.

His mom yelling at me

for every f***in' thing

I have ever done.

I knew this was gonna happen.

This is what you do, you just...

you take on too much.

You take on

other people's problems

and you forget yourself.

Uh, what the f*** is this?

Did... Please tell me

you found this in a dumpster

and you're playing

some prank on me.

I'm just kidding.

Okay. Uh... f***.

Um, how long?

Five weeks.

Does he know?

No.

I'm tellin' him tonight.

Here we go.

Yeah, so I saw...

Saw him on the news

again yesterday.

That's good rotation

on that.

It's like a shish kebab.

Burn that sh*t.

Oh, yeah, light that up.

Give him that...

That goddamn cowboy hat.

It's a whole event, that hat.

He really wear

that thing in real life?

You still talkin' about

that Mexican guy?

Costa Rican. Jesus, Bob.

- Welcome to 1965, buddy.

- You know what I meant.

For God's sakes.

I tell ya what, I'd really

like to meet that guy.

Costa Rican, Mexican,

Honduran, whatever he is.

I don't care.

Why?

He's a f***in' American hero,

Jeffie.

Not for him,

you wouldn't be sittin' here

- drinkin' beers on my tab.

- F*** that guy.

Come to think of it,

maybe he ought to pay.

Hey, Jeffie,

wasn't I supposed to take you

to pick up your girl,

like, 10 minutes ago?

Hey, you want...

Who wants another round?

I'll have one. Who's paying?

- Who you think?

- Not you.

Uncle Bob.

Hey, can I just get the check?

What's up?

- Can I just get the check?

- Oh, sure.

Yeah, four... four mai tais.

Give me an order

of fried rice

and some, uh, chicken wings.

Yeah, yeah.

I dunno.

I like pizza, too.

Don't forget my order.

Hey, you're the guy.

From the wheelchair.

One in the picture with the guy

in the f***in' cowboy hat?

Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Hey, that's awesome.

Hey, you know what?

Me and this

f***in' handsome guy,

we work, like, 10 blocks away

from where the bombin' happened.

- Yeah.

- It's f***in' crazy, right?

Yeah, like, right there.

- We were right there.

- Right there.

We saw

the whole f***in' thing.

- Hey, you know what, though?

- No sh*t.

Let me ask you. That whole thing,

it was a conspiracy, right?

Mai tais?

The whole thing

was a hoax.

Yeah.

It was like a f***in' false flag.

It was like it didn't happen.

It was all, like, bullshit.

F***in' so Obama could

send us to war with Iran.

We're not gonna tell anybody.

- What?

- You...

You got paid to do the bombing.

F***in' Obama

did this whole thing

so we'd go to a war

with Iran, bro.

What the f***

are you talking about?

- He's got a point.

- Hey, you know what?

We're already at war with Iran,

you f***in' douchebag.

Oh, yeah?

- Ooh.

- F***in' douchebag?

- The f*** you talkin'...

- F*** you.

- Calm down.

- Yo, this guy's f***in' phony-baloney.

- Easy, easy...

- Phony-baloney.

F*** you!

- Hey, come on, man!

- Say, take it easy.

Go f***in' make pizza,

you piece of sh*t.

F*** you, man.

You're f***in' nuts, buddy!

Come on!

Somebody f***in' hit me!

F***in' hit me, huh?

F***in' hit me!

F***in' hit me!

Hey, stop, stop.

I got your messages after,

when I was tryin' to call you.

That's such bullshit, Jeff.

You drunk?

Not anymore.

Were you ever gonna

show up tonight?

Or were you just gonna

leave me sitting there?

What is this?

- Open it.

- What is it?

- Open it.

- Why?

Open the letter.

"Someone small

and wonderful"

"is about to happen to you."

"Someone small and..."

Is this a f***in' joke?

No, it's not a joke.

Why would I joke about this?

Is this like a...

Yeah.

Like what...

I can't do this.

Someone else

you don't show up for.

Erin, you... you...

Jeff, I gave up

my family for you.

And my job.

I'm not giving this up, too.

This is bigger than you.

I thought you were careful.

Careful?

- I can't do this.

- I can't do it.

I can't raise a kid.

I can't look after him.

I can't... I can't look...

What am I supposed to do?

I'm supposed to chase after him?

Like, I'm supposed

to chase after him?

How am I gonna take care of him?

I'm gonna...

I'm gonna mess him up.

Yes, you are gonna mess him up.

But not because

you don't have legs.

Because you're

a f***ing kid still.

You let your mom push you around

like a baby in a stroller.

Oh, f*** you, Erin.

You do!

F*** you, Erin!

You just have to show up

for once.

- Show up?

- Yes.

- Show up?

- Yes!

I f***ing showed up for you!

I showed up!

I was standing there for you!

- Oh, f***in' what...

- And look what it got me!

So this is my fault, then?

I showed up for you!

All of this is my fault, right?

I showed up for you!

It doesn't scare me!

Just show up, that's it!

I can't! I can't! I can't!

I can't do it!

Why do you even want me?

Why? I'm such a fuckup!

Can't do it. I'm not...

I can't do it. I can't.

Don't walk away from me. Erin!

Erin!

Erin!

Don't walk away from me.

Erin! Erin!

Erin!

Erin, don't walk away from...

Erin!

Hey!

Mind your own f***in' business!

Hey!

Erin!

Hey!

Open the door!

Erin!

Erin. Erin.

Erin. Erin!

Please!

Please! Please!

Go help somebody else.

Lay back, I got you.

I got you.

Help somebody else!

Stay calm.

Go help somebody else.

I'm good.

This one's critical.

We need help.

Hold on. Just relax.

You're going to be okay.

Help is coming.

Over here!

We need a chair over here.

Erin...

Please, open the door.

Carlos.

Jeff.

Oh, you want one of these?

Uh... coffee, please.

Want a beer,

anything like that?

No. Thank you.

It's too early for me.

Not for me.

Well, thanks for showing up.

It's the least I could do.

So...

Yeah.

Why were you there?

At the finish line?

Yeah, I mean, y'know, like,

based on that hat

and my limited knowledge

of aerodynamics,

I assume it wasn't to run.

No, no, I...

I wasn't there to run, I...

I was there for my boys.

They were running in the...

No, no, my...

my boys are dead.

Sh*t.

They died years ago.

Uh...

Oh. Thank you.

Do you have kids?

Mmm. Uh...

Mm.

Alex, uh, was my oldest.

Uh, he was a Marine,

but he got killed

by a sniper in Najaf.

You know, the way I find out is,

a van pulls up in front

of my house, and...

and three Marines, they get out.

But I knew.

I knew before they rang

the doorbell, I knew.

And then I did something

very stupid, right?

I grabbed a can of gasoline

and a blowtorch,

and I ran past them and...

And I locked myself

in their van.

They tried to pull me out.

The...

the blowtorch sparked,

and I, um...

Those Marines,

they could have died,

and they saved me.

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