The Normal Heart Page #2

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and the hardest one to answer.

Doesn't common sense tell you

you should cool it for a while?

(ALL LAUGHING)

(CLAMORING)

NED:
Why not?

It doesn't leave much to look forward to.

What if it turns out that you're wrong?

Let her speak!

The worst that could happen

would be that you cooled it for a while.

No! Excuse me! Excuse me!

That is not...

Excuse me.

That is not the worst that will have happened.

Guys will become frightened of sex,

they will lose our self-respect

that we fought very, very hard for.

We will be scapegoated worse than ever.

The world will think we're carriers

and the moral majority

will have even more of a field day.

(CLAMORING)

MAN:
I am not coming back

until that b*tch on wheels is gone.

Wait! I see more cases each week

than the week before.

Half of all my patients die.

Okay, I hope she winds this up, 'cause

I've got a tiny little orgy in New Rochelle.

Where's the health department?

Where's the Mayor?

Shut the f*** up, John.

Oh, you shut the f*** up, hon!

What were the numbers?

(VOICES OVERLAPPING)

ls every gay meeting like this?

Half these people just showed up to get laid.

NED:
Quiet! Quiet!

We're starting a group!

We're starting a health crisis group.

We're gonna meet here again.

Next time bring some f***ing food!

TOMMY:
Hey, hey, hey. That's not nice.

- Welcome to gay politics.

- (ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

(CLEARS THROAT) Yeah. I'm very late for

an important meeting with Craig Claiborne.

He's expecting me.

(TELEPHONES RINGING)

(TYPEWRITERS CLACKING)

Hi, Felix Turner.

- And you are?

- My name's Ned Weeks.

You're very cute.

You caught me at a rough moment, all right?

I have a deadline.

The First Lady's coming to town.

I've been told you're gay.

And you might be able to help me

get some vital information in The Times.

You've been told?

And who was it who told you?

Oh, honey, everybody's talking about it.

(CHUCKLES)

Why does everyone gay

think that I run The New York Times?

I can't help you with this.

I'm sorry to hear that.

What would you suggest I do?

(CHUCKLES) Take your pick.

I got 23 parties, 37 new restaurants,

12 new discos.

Listen, I can't get anyone here

to write another article.

I've talked to half a dozen reporters

and the guy who worked on the first piece.

Mr. Leather? Yeah, no.

No one here will write about it, and I can't.

Look, we're very compartmentalized.

You wouldn't want science

to write about sweaters, would you?

It's a very peculiar feeling

having to go out and seek support

from the straight world for something gay.

(WHISPERING) I wouldn't know about that.

I just write about gay designers

and gay discos and gay chefs

and gay models and gay rock stars

and gay celebrities and gay everything.

I just don't call them gay.

Isn't it time you start?

(SCOFFS)

- Look, I really do have a deadline.

- Hmm.

- And you wouldn't want me to get fired.

- Hmm.

Would you?

Guys like you can be a pain in the ass.

- You in the book?

- Yes.

NED:
Hi, guys. Give to gay cancer?

Hi, give to gay cancer?

No? Hi, give to gay cancer?

Hi, sir...

Hi, give to gay cancer?

There's a cancer in the gay community.

Can you give to gay cancer?

There's a crisis in our community right now.

We could really...

We could use a little help.

- No?

- I think you could be a little less aggressive.

Less... We've tried that.

Can you give to cancer in our community?

Hi, give to gay..-

Hi, give to gay cancer?

(SNIFFLES)

BRUCE:
It's funny. My mother sent flowers

and I had never told her I was gay.

I just told her that Craig had died.

I think she knew.

I think somehow mothers always know.

Doesn't spending $5 million

on a house frighten you?

It scared the sh*t out of me

even having you handling my finances.

You can have a house anytime you want,

which reminds me,

your account needs more money.

You're not doing too badly.

I miss you being in the movie business.

I like movies.

Do I detect a note of approval

from the big brother that called me Lemon?

I don't want a house.

Then why have you been searching

in the country for so long for?

No fun living in it alone.

This Bruce,

is he someone you're seeing?

(SCOFFS) I see him. He doesn't see me.

Ben, could your law firm take this on for free?

What's it called? Pro bono?

We started an organization. I told you.

There's this new disease...

Now this sounds like just another excuse

to keep from writing.

Why Can't you just say yes?

I told you, because we have a committee

that decides that kind of a thing.

But you're the senior partner

and I'm your brother.

Hey, Mario. How's Homer?

If you're not gonna help,

I'm gonna have to find somebody else.

- Well, you're more than free to do that.

- I don't want to do that.

I want my big brother's

fancy, famous, big-time major law firm

to be the first straight New York law firm

to do pro bono work for a gay cause.

I would be real proud of that, and you.

I'll ask my partners' approval

at the next meeting.

I'll lobby them.

You don't sound like a very sure vote.

Okay?

You're getting better at it.

BROOKNER:
I'm seeing three to four

new patients a week.

I've got seven in ICU.

The whole hospital only has room for 30.

I've had to admit some of them

under other illnesses. That's a no-no.

I've got 20 in private rooms they can't afford.

Okay, what about the guys who don't

have health insurance? Artists, actors?

I've got eight of them in another ward

where I shouldn't put them.

Why don't you wear gloves and a face mask?

I never have and I never will, and I'm still here.

Why is all the food sitting outside their rooms

like this? It's getting cold.

It's always cold because the appropriate staff

won't bring it into the rooms,

so it sits and rots until one of my staff can.

SANFORD:
Park right there.

Right there. Yeah.

Park there. Yeah. Right through the tunnel.

Take the tunnel. We'll take the book back.

I know him. Can I go inside with you?

Only if you wear all the protective sh*t.

If you don't, I don't.

SANFORD:
No, no, no. Over there.

Go the other way.

No, are you listening to me?

Are you listening to me? Go back.

Hi, Sanford.

You see it? Take the tunnel.

Go ahead. Ride straight through.

How are we doing, soldier?

I want my dog.

Can you please bring me my dog?

He won't be able to live without me.

I want my dog.

I want my dog.

Go ahead. That's right. Good, good.

No, take the book back.

Right there. Go park. Park right there.

Can you please bring me my dog?

He won't know how to live without me.

(TV BUZZING)

Don't bother.

Who's going to bring me my dog?

His name is Skip.

He'll come when you call him.

Please. (GASPING)

I miss him.

(SOBBING)

I miss him.

BROOKNER:
Can you imagine this at 19?

Your first boyfriend

you were gonna spend your whole life with.

(DOOR OPENS)

- Excuse me.

- MAN:
Yeah?

You're the TV guy.

Please go to room 407 and fix it.

No, I'm not gonna do that.

Fix the TV! It's your f***ing job.

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