Young Man With A Horn Page #7

Nobody knows what we're doing

except us, the guys that do it.

They don't hear us.

They just hear the words.

We could drop dead tomorrow,

and nobody would know the difference.

Are you really okay?

- Sure.

- Sure, you are.

You're gonna stay okay.

You come along with me.

I got a little fixer-upper for you.

- I'm all right.

- Come on.

After this, you better get some sleep.

We got a recording session, remember?

Down again.

Hey. Like giving a dog a bath,

trying to fix you up.

Only you could've told me

you were going to shake.

You're my pal, Smoke.

You're the only guy left

who cares what happens to me.

Rick!

That's all, boys.

Man, he's really washed-up.

All you need is some sleep.

Get out of here, won't you?

Leave me alone.

All right, Rick.

Rick, it was wonderful up to the finish.

We'll get it right.

Come on, we'll try it again.

We'll work till we get it. Here.

I don't want it.

I don't want to ever see it again.

Give it away.

Give it to some kid who wants

to play an instrument.

Only tell him not to fall in love with it.

That's what you told me once, wasn't it?

But the record's fine, Rick.

They only buy records to learn the words.

Nobody cares about the music.

- All we have to do is cut off the last part.

- Why don't you leave me alone?

- I won't let you do this to...

- Leave me alone.

What are you trying to do, Rick?

Kill yourself?

Because you tried for something

that didn't exist?

That's what you've done all your life.

What do you think a trumpet will do?

That note you were going for.

That thing you were trying for.

There is no such thing, Rick.

Not on the trumpet.

He dropped out of sight after that,

and word got around he was washed-up.

The truth is, the only thing in the world

he felt safe with was his trumpet.

And when that let him down too,

he just couldn't take it.

He went to pieces,

but not in any small way.

Habit is a remarkable thing.

It escapes no one.

Not even Rick, as sick as he was.

Because, at this point,

he did a very strange thing.

I'd like to see a trumpet

you got in the window.

No, not that one.

That one. On the end there, see?

Oh, on the end.

- This one?

- There.

But it's no good, the valves are busted.

It can't play.

- That's the one I want.

- I'll be honest with you.

It's junk. I've been meaning

to throw it out.

- You don't want this one, mister.

- How much?

Seventy-five cents. It hasn't got a case.

- That's all right.

- I'll put it in a paper bag for you.

Remember, I told you it was no good.

Now, don't come back and complain.

Thank you.

Hey. You're drunk.

Hello?

Yeah.

I'll be right down.

A taxi driver brought him in.

I assumed it was voluntary.

It's no fault of ours, obviously.

This is an alcoholic cure. We're not

expected to handle medical cases.

It's pneumonia.

You should get him to a hospital.

- Why didn't you send him to one?

- We didn't have authorization.

You've got it now.

Get an ambulance.

I'm taking him out of here.

Call these numbers.

Tell them to get here right away.

- Mrs. Martin, is that his wife?

- Yes.

- And the other one?

- She's not his wife.

- Hi, Smoke.

- Hi, Rick. It's good to see you.

I don't feel so good.

A funny thing happened to me yesterday.

I got lost.

I'm getting you out of here, kid.

It's gonna be all right too.

He's fine. He's doing fine.

The ambulance will be here in just a minute.

Jo's here.

It's Jo.

Used to work for him.

We couldn't get along.

Never could get along with a band.

You're gonna be all right, Rick.

We have a lot of dates to play.

Sure, we... We can play some

of the old ones.

The good ones we used to play.

You and Smoke and me and Art.

Hey, where is it?

They don't have to listen to us.

We can play for ourselves.

We got no words. We...

We can't say what we mean, we...

...just gotta feel it.

Hear it?

Jo, hear it?

You said I tried for something

that didn't exist.

There's no such note.

Hear that note, Jo?

It's clean and sweet.

Gee, that's a good note.

You see, Rick was a pretty hard guy

to understand.

And for a long time,

he didn't understand himself.

But the desire to live is a great teacher,

and I think it taught Rick a lot of things.

He learned you can't say everything

through a trumpet.

A man doesn't destroy himself...

...just because he can't hit

some high note that he dreamed up.

Maybe that's why Rick went on

to be a success as a human being first...

...and an artist second.

And what an artist.

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