Dawson’s Creek Script Archives
515 – Downtown Crossing

Transcribed by Bryan

[Scene: Show starts with the ending scene from the previous episode.  Joey makes a quick snowball with the new fallen snow.]

Joey:               2 to 3 is the count. Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded. Sammy something is up to bat. Potter's one last shot at immortality. The windup, the pitch. [Snowball hits a nearby crosswalk sign.] Ahh! And the crowd goes wild!

[Scene: Joey is walking down the sidewalk, snow all around, humming "Close to You."  She passes by a bank and then reverses her direction and enters the bank.  While gettin some money from an ATM machine, she calls Professor Wilder on her cell phone.  Meanwhile, there is a guy trying to get into the bank in the background.]

Joey:               Hi, Professor Wilder? Ok. David, then. Feels weird. Um, so I'm done here. Is--is it ok if I still stop by? Ok, well, I'm just about to get on the "t", so... I'll see you in a bit. Bye.

[She grabs her money, heads out the bank, and starts walking down the sidewalk.]

Joey:               [Humming] Close to you [Humming] Close to you [Humming]

[A guy stealthily walks up behind her.]

Mugger:         [Pops out of nowhere.] Hey.

Joey:               [stunned expression] Hey.

Mugger:         I didn't mean to scare you or anything.

Joey:               Well, you did, so...

Mugger:         So, where you headin'?

Joey:               Home.

Mugger:         Where's home?

Joey:               Uh, none of your business.

Mugger:         Ooh, snotty. I like--[She steps in front of him and starts walking.  He follows.]  Hey. I'm not gonna mug you or anything, if that's what you're worried about.

Joey:               Good to know.

Mugger:         [Still keeping up with the girl.]And I'm not about to force myself on you. I can get my own dates. Thank you very much. Don't look so relieved. As far as potential rapists go--

Joey:               Look, I don't mean to be rude, but--

Mugger:         Hey, hey, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, who is this guy? Why is he violating my envelope of space? Well... truth is, I was wondering if you had any money that I could borrow.

Joey:               No.

Mugger:         No? You're not even gonna think about it?

Joey:               I've thought about it, and I said no. [Increases her walking speed.]

Mugger:         See, this--this... is the problem with the world. I mean, you put yourself out there. Y-you make yourself vulnerable. They just shoot you down without a second thought.

Joey:               Listen. I'm sorry. I don't have any money, ok? And seriously, you're scaring me, and I ju--I just want to get home.

Mugger:         Ok. Fair enough. I'm sorry for the hassle. Want me to walk you home?

Joey:               No. [Walks ahead.]

Mugger:         That's understandable, but you know, you should be careful, sweetheart. I mean, it's late. Next guy you come across, he might not be as nice as me. [stays back for a moment]

 

[Sirens in the background.]

 

Mugger:         Be good. [Pops in front of her again] Actually, you know what? Uh, I've given it some thought, and I'd rather if you did lend me that money.  [Pulls up his shirt revealing a gun stuck in his jeans.]  How's that work for you?

 

[Joey is shocked and scared.]

 

[Special, solemn opening credits]

 

[Scene: The stranger has a gun in his hand and its pointed at Joey.]

 

Mugger:         What? You think I'm just gonna let you walk off once the handgun's made an appearance? Give me a break. [Pulls Joey over to the side of a building.]  Let's go over here. Come on. Just give me what you got. I assure you this will all end reasonably well.

Joey:               Look, I don't have anything to give you.

Mugger:         First of all, hon, you just walked out of an ATM. Secondly, rich little college girl like you... where do you go? Harvard? Wellesley?

Joey:               Worthington.

Mugger:         Ha ha. See? That's very nice.

Joey:               Doesn't make me any less broke at the moment.

Mugger:         Are you gettin' scared? Don't be scared.

Joey:               That's easy for you to say. You're holding the gun.

Mugger:         Ok, be scared, but just so you know, I really don't have any intention of using it. [Puts gun back in his jeans.]

Joey:               Right. This from the guy who 5 minutes ago said he had no intention of mugging me.

Mugger:         Just trying to put you at ease.

Joey:               Maybe you should have thought twice about, I don't know, mugging me.

Mugger:         What's done is done. Water under the bridge and whatnot. I think we're gonna have to get past it. I mean, if we're gonna have a successful mugger/muggee relationship here. Don't you?

Joey:               Is there any chance that gun may accidentally go off in your pants, because that would be really great.

Mugger:         You know what? [Pushes Joey hard against a nearby wall.]You, young lady, are a wise-ass, you know that? And I may just have to shoot you yet. [Grabs a hold of Joey's arm] Let's go. Gimme what you got. Come on.

Joey:               [hand him the money.] 20 bucks. You scored.

Mugger:         Come on. You gotta be kidding me. This is barely bus fare.

Joey:               Guess I left my wads of hundreds in another jeans.

Mugger:         Well, you got a cell phone or something. Right?

Joey:               No.

Mugger:         Telling me the truth?

Joey:               Yes.

Mugger:         So it's ok if I pat you down? 'Cause that might be kind of fun.

 

[Joey reaches in her coat and gives him her cell phone.]

 

Mugger:         Oh, cool.

 Joey:              [Trying her hardest to hold her composure.] Yeah, I hope you get a decent signal in prison.

Mugger:         Tone. Watch it. [looks at phone] Oh, wow. This is a nice one. This is, like, really light. Aesthetically pleasing. Can I, uh, go on the internet with this thing?  

 

[Joey slowly takes a few steps back, while he is checking out the phone, and kicks him.  Joey grabs her cell phone from the pavement and runs away, while dialing someone...police probably.  The mugger catches up and tackles her to the ground.]

 

Joey:               [Shouting in agony.] Aah! Aah!

Mugger:          Ha ha ha. That was not cool.

Joey:               Sorry.

Mugger:         Are you crazy? How do you know I'm not gonna kill you for that?

Joey:               Is that what you're gonna do? You gonna kill me?

Mugger:         I don't know. I haven't made up my mind yet.

Joey:               Well, in the meantime, get the hell off of me!

Mugger:         Ha ha ha ha ha

 

[He helps her to her feet.]

 

Mugger:         Give me that damn cell phone. What is your name?

Joey:               That's none of your business.

Mugger:         [Cocks gun] What is your name?

Joey:               Joey.

Mugger:         Joey. I like Joey. I've always liked boys names for girls. It's cute.

Joey:               My parents will be thrilled. Are we done here?

Mugger:         What do you think, Joey?

Joey:               Look, you have my money and my cell phone. What else do you want?

 

[A moment of staring.]

 

Joey:               Well, you're gonna have to kill me then.

Mugger:         Don't flatter yourself. You got a credit card? ATM card? One of those jazzy little check cards that are all the rage these days? If you have it, give it to me. Don't screw around. Give it to me. Unless, of course, you want me to pat you down. [She hands him her wallet.] Thank you. [Sighs] Well, credit card's fairly useless. You'll just cancel that first chance you get. Unless of course, I kill you. [Joey gives him a deadly stare.] Kidding. [Looks in her wallet.]Oh! ATM card. Ok. Here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna go down to the little ATM vestibule over here. You're gonna take out all your money, and you're gonna give it to me.

Joey:               I only have $27 in my account.

Mugger:         I don't buy that for a second, Joey who goes to Worthington.

Joey:               Well, it's true.

Mugger:         [Puts arm around her shoulders.] Prove it.

 

[They walk together into the bank, over to the ATM machine.]

 

Mugger:         All right. Work your magic. I won't look.

Joey:               [Brings up her account.] 47 bucks.

Mugger:         I get kicked in the gut for 47 bucks?

Joey:               No. Don't forget the cell phone.

Mugger:         [Brings up her savings account.] What about your savings? [Joey has a worried look on her face as her account displays $507.72.] Disco. Hee hee hee! Don't worry, sweetie. I'm sure daddy'll cut you a check first thing Monday. Oh, you so want to punch me in the face right now, don't you? I mean, I understand, I really do, but I got bills to pay. Sorry if that's slightly more important to me than you buying yourself a new pair of manolo blahniks.

Joey:               Did you ever think of getting a job?

Mugger:         Hey. I have a job.

Joey:               Oh, yeah? Doing what?

Mugger:         Not that it's any of your business, but I guess you could say I'm in sales.

Joey:               [sarcastically]Let me guess. Telemarketing?

Mugger:         Ha. Funny. More like pharmaceuticals.

Joey:               Oh, you're a drug dealer.

Mugger:         Ohh, you say that with such disgust.

Joey:               Oh, I didn't know your industry was worthy of such honor and respect.

Mugger:         You know, I've got some clients that go to Worthington.

Joey:               Hmm. You should stop by sometime. We can catch up.

Mugger:         You know, call me crazy, but I like you, Joey. I mean, except for that little kung fu kick out there, you've made this experience a very pleasant one. A lot of people, they would have pissed their pants by now, but you, you held it together, kept your sense of humor. You know what? I'm not even gonna hold that violent little outburst of yours against you.

Joey:               Gee, thanks.

Mugger:         I mean, another time, another place...

Joey:               what?

Mugger:         You and me might make a scorching couple.

Joey:               You must be dipping into your supply.

Mugger:         You cannot tell me that you don't find me the slightest bit attractive.

Joey:               Oh, yeah. You're a real catch. Except for maybe that little part about you being a lowlife criminal.

Mugger:         Oh, yeah. That's original. Let's pick on the drug dealer. That's an easy target.

Joey:               Can I go now?

Mugger:         No, you can’t. I have another question for you.

Joey:               What?

Mugger:         Are you a virgin?

Joey:               Could you be any more of a dick right now?

Mugger:         Yeah. I could kill ya, or worse, even. Uh, uh, uh, uh! Just screwing with ya. I do have another question though, if that's ok.

Joey:               What?

Mugger:         Ok. You're a girl.

Joey:               Yes.

Mugger:         Do you have a boyfriend?

Joey:               No.

Mugger:         Well, have you ever had a boyfriend?

Joey:               Yes.

Mugger:         Ok. So, if you had a boyfriend right now and you were mad at him, what might be the best way to get back in your good graces?

Joey:               Somebody actually dates you?

Mugger:         Hey, somebody actually married me.

Joey:               Sorry to hear that, for her sake.

Mugger:         Yeah, well, somebody's gotta fall in love with the drug dealers of the world. I mean, are we not human, Joey? Are we no less divine?

Joey:               I guess you're right. Even Hitler had a girlfriend.

Mugger:         Exactly. Eva Braun, and she was one smitten kitten.

Joey:               I can't believe I'm even participating in this conversation, but...did you ever think of getting her something?

Mugger:         Flowers?

Joey:               Well, how pissed is she?

Mugger:         Well, she's really pissed. Nature of the crime? My dabblings in the underworld and what not.

Joey:               Oh, you're gonna have to do much better than flowers. [Starts to walk off.]

Mugger:         That's a nice jacket.

Joey:               [Turns around.] Thanks.

Mugger:         Where'd you get it?

Joey:               It was a gift, I think.

Mugger:         Can I have it?

Joey:               Are you kidding me? No.

Mugger:         Uh, uh, uh! Wasn't really a question. [Pulls his shirt up, again revealing his gun.]

Joey:               You're stealing my coat? I can't believe you're stealing my coat!

Mugger:         What difference does it make at this point? I don't think it really--

Joey:               it's freezing outside!

Mugger:         Yeah. It sure is. Tch tch. That's not my problem. Gimme the coat. [She takes her coat off.] Oh, my god. Oh, wow. This is a really nice one. Well, this is just her size. She's gonna love this. Thank you.

Joey:               [Disgusted look on face.] Glad to be of service.

Mugger:         Well, I guess this is good-bye. Oh, by the way, you can go to the cops and all that, but trust me, it's a waste of time.

Joey:               Thanks for the tip.

Mugger:         Yep. Ok. Well... [he removes her scarf from the coat, walks over and wraps it around her neck.]  You take care.

 

[Joey puts her hand to her face and looks bewildered and disgusted.  She exits the bank and starts walking down the sidewalk, shivering when she hears someone whistling.  She turns and sees the mugger standing in the middle of the road waving goodbye, when a car races by and hits him.  He is thrown against the car's window, hits the pavement, and shows no sign of movement.  The car quickly does a u-turn and speeds off.  Joey is shocked by the turn of events and stares at the fallen mugger.]

 

[Scene: Joey walks over to the fallen mugger, leans down and grabs her coat.  Then she looks around, sees no one and then leans down to search the mugger's pockets for her phone.]

 

[Grunts]

 

Mugger:         [Coughs] Don't. [Grabs her hand]

Joey:               I'm calling for help.

Mugger:         Yeah, right. You're gonna call the cops.

Joey:               Of course I am, but I'll ask 'em to bring a band-aid or 2. You need help.

Mugger:         [Coughs.  Blood oozing from his mouth.] I'm fine.

Joey:               Yeah, you look like hell. I thought you were dead.

Mugger:         Yeah, well, I'm speaking. I'm clearly not dead.

Joey:               Yet.

Mugger:         Give me it. Give me it.

 

[Takes the phone from her and throws it down the street.  Joey starts to go after it, but he pulled his gun on her yet again.]

 

Mugger:         [Grunts] Hey! You stay or die.

Joey:               You're not gonna shoot me.

Mugger:         I'm not? You sure about that?

Joey:               Yeah. You like me, remember? I've made this experience a very pleasant one.

Mugger:         Yeah, well, that's all well and good, hon, but I ain't going to jail.

Joey:               No, you're going to the hospital. Then jail.

Mugger:         [Cocks gun] Not if I have any say in it.

Joey:               Ok. I'm gonna walk over there, pick up my phone, and if it still works, I'm gonna dial 911, and I'm gonna get you an ambulance. You want to shoot me, go right ahead.

Mugger:         [Pulls trigger, click] Aah!

Joey:               It was never loaded?

Mugger:         I never actually got around to buying the bullets. Looks pretty cool, though, huh? [Coughs]

Joey:               I'm calling.

Mugger:         Hey, come on. Just go home. I'm fine.  

Joey:               Yeah. You look fine.

Mugger:         [Fights to stand up.] Wait. [Falls back down.]I'm fine. Fine. [Coughs] [Grunts}

Joey:               [Starts towards the phone.] How about that ambulance?

Mugger:         [Chuckles] Sure. Why the hell not?

Joey:               [Walks back over to him.] They're on their way.

Mugger:         Cops, too?

Joey:               Of course.

Mugger:         [Laughs] How happy are you right now?

Joey:               Oh, yeah. This is exactly how I like to spend my nights.

Mugger:         Well, you can't deny the poetry of it all.

Joey:               What are you talking about?

Mugger:         You think this was an accident? This was no accident, sweetheart. I mean, I get hit by that car after I do something crappy to you. Kicked in the ass by karma. Who'd have thunk it? [spits up blood and places a cigarette between his lips]

Joey:               Is there something I can do?

Mugger:         [Coughs] You have any heroin?

Joey:               Not on me, no.

Mugger:         Then shut up and leave me alone. [attempts to light his cigarette]

Joey:               Tone. Watch it. [Walks over to help him light his cigarette.]

Mugger:         [Coughs] Mmm. You smoke?

Joey:               No. My mom, lung cancer. Swore I never would.

Mugger:         [Chuckles]

Joey:               What's so funny?

Mugger:         My old man. Lung cancer, too. Didn't stop me, though.

Joey:               So, is that what you deal? Heroin?

Mugger:         No. "X," mostly. You ever tried it?

Joey:               No. I'm not really into drugs.

Mugger:         Yeah, I don't like 'em, either. They just really seem to like me.

Joey:               Can I ask you a question?

Mugger:         Does it look like I'm going anywhere?

Joey:               You're a drug dealer. Fairly lucrative profession, right? So, why do you go around terrorizing college girls in the middle of the night?

Mugger:         Well, Joey, the industry in which I toil, it goes through periodic dry spells. This just happens to be one of them. Plus, I have a very high-maintenance wench of a wife.

Joey:               How does the little lady feel about your line of work?

Mugger:         She's not a big fan, actually. In fact, she finally kicked my ass out last month. I've been trying to worm my way back into her heart ever since.

Joey:               You want me to call her?

Mugger:         No.

Joey:               Well, I'm sure she'd probably like to know about this.

Mugger:         Yeah, well, I don't want her to know, ok? [Grunts] [Groans] [Coughs]

Joey:               How'd you guys meet?

Mugger:         High school. Tenth grade. She liked me. I never even saw it. Never gave her the time of day. Then one day, she smiled at me. No particular reason. It was the end of me. It's funny how things are always shifting like that. One day, you have the upper hand, you're in control, and...the next, you're totally at somebody's mercy. Kind of like me and you. [Chuckles]

Joey:               There is no me and you.

Mugger:         Can I ask you something?

Joey:               Does it look like I'm going anywhere?

Mugger:         Why are you being so nice to me?

Joey:               [moment of silence] It doesn't take a doctor to know that you're in pretty bad shape.

Mugger:         But most people probably would've left me for dead by now.

Joey:               Well, most people don't want to see you put in jail as badly as I do.

Mugger:         [Coughs, chuckles] That's a good point.

Joey:               My father used to deal drugs.

Mugger:         [Laughs] Really? That's right. I think I saw him at a union meeting once. How's he doing?

Joey:               He went to prison. He's there right now. My whole life, I was trying to figure out why someone would do something like that. He had a wife, 2 daughters that thought he was a damn superhero. [moment of silence] Maybe that's why I'm being so nice to you.  I want to know why.

 

[Ambulance and police arrive on the scene.  Paramedics rush to care for the mugger while a cop helps Joey to her feet.]

 

Police Officer: You ok, miss?

Joey:               Oh, yeah. I'm fine.

Police Officer: So, this guy mugs you, then gets hit by a car?

Joey:               Those are the cliff notes, yeah.

 

Police Officer: Wow. That happened more often, I'd be out of a job. Come on. You should take a ride to the hospital. Have 'em take a look at you.

Joey:               It's ok. I just... I just want to go...

 

[Scene closes with the paramedics and police officer kneeling beside the fallen mugger.]

 

[Scene: Joey is sitting on the edge of a bed in a hospital.  She scans the area.  Her vision starts out hazy and slowly clears up.  Doctor walks over to her.]

 

Doctor:           Well, all's well that ends well, Miss Potter.

Joey:               I'm ok?

Doctor:           Yeah, you're fine. You're fine. You were in shock, which, given what you've been through this evening, is understandable. Have you spoken to the police? [shakes head] Well, go home and get some sleep. Anybody we can call for you?

Joey:               No. I'll be fine.

Doctor:           Ok, then, young lady. You take care of yourself.

Joey:               Excuse me.

Doctor:           Mm-hmm?

Joey:               [With a concerned look on her face.] How's the guy?

Doctor:           Oh, the creep who mugged you? Oh, he's great. He's in surgery right now. Lots of internal bleeding.  [Walks off.]

 

[Joey starts walking down a hospital corridor, holding her coat.  She still looks out of it.  She goes through a pair of doors and sees a little girl standing alone in the hallway.  She walks over to the girl.]

 

Joey:               Hi, sweetheart.

Sammy:           Hi.

Joey:               Where's your mom and dad?

Sammy:           You have pretty hair.

Joey:               Aw, thank you. You have pretty hair, too. Why don't we go see if we can find your mom and dad, huh?

Sammy:           Ok. [Looks down another hallway and starts screaming.] Mama!

Grace:             [Talking to nurses at a window.]She has brown hair, blue eyes. She has to be here somewhere. [Hears and sees her daughter running towards her.  They hug.  Joey slowly walks up to the two.]  Oh, baby. I'm so sorry. Mama got distracted. Thank you so much.

Joey:               No problem. She's a cute one.

Grace:             Yeah, she's a cute one, all right, especially when she wanders off like that. Thanks again.

Joey:               No problem. [Joey walks past them.]

Grace:             Could you do me an enormous favor? I'm sorry. Forget about it.

Joey:               No. What?

Grace:             Could you maybe sit with her for a minute? I'm trying to find my husband.

Joey:               Absolutely.

Grace:             You're a doll. Thank you.

Joey:               Come on. [She and the girl walk over and sit in some nearby chairs.]

Sammy:           It's way past my bedtime.

Joey:               I know. You must be tired.

Sammy:           Yeah. My daddy's sick.

Joey:               I'm sorry about that.

Sammy:           Sometimes he takes me to the movies.

Joey:               Yeah? That's nice of him.

Sammy:           Yeah. He's not feeling so good. He got hit by a car.

 

[Mother walks up and hands Joey a cup of something...more than likely, cup of coffee.]

 

Grace:             [Sighs, chuckles] Here.

Joey:               Oh, thank you.

Grace:             I can't thank you enough.

Joey:               Oh, it's my pleasure.

Grace:             I just hate the way they look at me, you know? Can't she just take care of her kid? What's your name?

Joey:               I'm Joey.

Grace:             It's nice to meet you, Joey. I'm Grace. [Chuckles] And this little pain in the butt is Sammy.

Joey:               Guys' names for girls. That's cute.

Grace:             You sound like her father.

Joey:               So, is he gonna be ok?

Grace:             I don't know. He's in surgery. Car accident or something. They won't give me all the details. We're not together.

[The pieces begin to fit together, and Joey realized her husband was her mugger]

 

Joey:               Well, I hope everything turns out ok.

Grace:             So, um... what brings you to this special place in the middle of the night?

 

Joey:               Uh... I got mugged, actually.

Grace:             Are you ok?

 

Joey:               Oh, I guess so. I'm still a little shook up.

Grace:             I can imagine. I'm sorry, Joey. That must've been horrible.

 

Joey:               Yeah, it pretty much sucked.

Grace:             Well, at least you're alive to tell the tale, right?

Joey:               That's true. So, tell me about your husband.

Grace:             [Sighs] He's... what you'd call a loser.

Joey:               Sorry.

Grace:             [Laughs] He wasn't always that way. We just got married way too young. Hadn't figured out who we were yet. You know, long story. Blah, blah, blah. Are you in school?

Joey:               Yeah.

Grace:             Good for you. Keep it that way. I dropped out to follow him to the city. He was gonna be Kurt Cobain, and I was gonna be his Courtney. [Laughs] [Sighs] Didn't quite work out that way. The worst part is, this little one loves him to death. Little girls and their daddies. Breaks my heart. [Chuckles] I finally kick the creep out a month ago. We finally have some peace in our lives, and she wakes up crying for him in the middle of every damn night. I mean, how do you look in those big blue eyes and tell her she's better off without her father?

Joey:               Well, is there any chance that you two will work things out?

Grace:             [Chuckles] Yeah, maybe... if you know a couples therapist that specializes in liars, thieves, and junkies. I'm sorry. This is so not your problem.

Joey:               No. Hey, I asked.

Grace:             This guy who mugged you, did he get away?

Joey:               Uh... not exactly, no.

Grace:             Did they catch him?

Joey:               Uh, he, uh... he held me up at gunpoint. Um, he emptied my bank account, stole my jacket, and said good-bye. But as he was crossing the street, um...he was hit by a car.

Grace:             Wow. How's that for justice? [She watched as Joey stared at her in silence.] Where did this happen?

Joey:               Downtown crossing.

Grace:             [Holding back anger and tears.] Of course. I think I owe you an apology, Joey. I think the scumbag who mugged you was probably my husband.

Joey:               Well, if it makes you feel any better, he was-- he was nice about it.

Grace:             [Laughs] Great. Maybe they can put that on his headstone-- that he was nice about it. He screwed up his daughter's life, but he was really nice about it. [Sighs] I think I'm about done here. [Picks Sammy up in her arms and starts walking down the hall.]

Joey:               [Catches up to the mother.] You're not gonna stay?

Grace:             No! Why the hell would I? To see how he is. I don't care anymore. Whether he lives or dies, what difference does it make to me at this point?

Joey:               For her sake.

Grace:             Trust me. She is better off without him. [Sighs] Look, I'm sorry about everything. I wish there was something I could say or do to take away what happened to you tonight, but I can't... so, please, let's just move on, ok?

Joey:               Look, I'm sorry. I know this is none of my business, but for some reason, I somehow feel like it is, and so I'm just gonna say it. I've been that little girl. She doesn't know her dad's a loser. She thinks he's pretty much the greatest thing in the entire world, so if things don't go exactly his way tonight, wouldn't you like to give her the chance to--

Grace:             To what? To say good-bye? You're right about one thing, Joey. This is none of your business. [Walks off.]

 

[Doctor appears around the corner, almost bumping into Joey.]

 

Doctor:           Well, hey. What are you still doing here?

Joey:               Uh, good question. Um, if you're looking for his wife, she just--

Doctor:           You, actually. He's asking for you.

 

[Scene: Joey and the doctor is standing outside the mugger's hospital room, looking at him through the huge window.]  

 

Doctor:           This guy's in bad shape. That car banged him up pretty good. You know what a sucking chest wound is? Nah, never mind. We did what we could. Now we're just waiting to see if he needs more surgery. You're well aware you don't have to do this, right?

 

[Joey enters the room and sits down in a chair by the mugger's bed.  He has cuts and bruises all over his chest and there are all kinds tubes...regular hospital scene.]

 

Mugger:         [Coughs] How do I look?

Joey:               Pretty bad. Hideous, actually.

Mugger:         [Laughs and coughs] You know, I'd say I'm sorry to you, but, uh...

Joey:               Yeah, what's the point? It's not like I'd forgive you or anything.

Mugger:         Fair enough.

Joey:               I met your family.

Mugger:         They're here?

Joey:               They were. Your wife and I got talking. She left.

Mugger:         That's my Gracie.

Joey:               Your daughter is, uh, really beautiful. It's a shame she has such a dickhead for a dad.

Mugger:         Well, sounds like your dad was a bit of a dickhead, too. Look how well you turned out.

Joey:               You don't know anything about me.

Mugger:         True, but from what I can tell, you're pretty smart... and funny... and reasonably hot, and I imagine most of your friends like having you around... most of the time, when you're not smartin' off with that little mouth--

Joey:               What do you want?

Mugger:         [Laughs and coughs]

Joey:               I mean, you asked me to come in here. What do you want?

Mugger:         [Sighs] Well, you asked me why. I wanna tell you.

Joey:               Why what?

Mugger:         Why, with all the good things in this life, your father would choose the bad? I mean, I figure it's the least thing I can do for shoving that gun in your face tonight.

Joey:               I'm listening.

Mugger:         You wanna know why I needed that money so bad? A couple of weeks ago, Gracie let me walk Sammy to school. Why the hell she did, I have no idea. Must have been a moment of weakness. She gave me 500 bucks to pay for her day-care. What do I do? Drop my daughter off at school and spend the money on dope.

Joey:               Heartwarming story. What's your point?

Mugger:         Well, the point is, I love my wife. I love my daughter, but... I am who I am. Nothing's gonna change that. I mean, you wanna know why people do the things that they do. There is no why, sweetheart. They just do.

Joey:               That's crap. If you really loved your daughter, if you really loved her, you wouldn't do those things.

Mugger:         No, you're wrong. I do love my daughter. [Laughs] I love her very much. I love her so much it's easier just being stoned. You know, it's not like I can overcome every tragic flaw I have. It's just not possible, you know?

Joey:               Let me ask you a question. She comes to you in 15 years and asks you why you couldn't get over yourself for her, and what do you say?

Mugger:         Grow up. Get on with your life. Don't blame me.

Joey:               I really admire that tough-guy bravado. You know what? It just doesn't track. I mean, you obviously cared enough to want to get that money back. And now it looks like you're gonna die alone. How does that feel?

Mugger:         Big deal. Everybody dies alone.

Joey:               Great. Good answer. Well, I'll let you get to it. [Starts walking to the door.] Have a nice afterlife.

Mugger:         Hey. Do you think she'll ever forgive me?

Joey:               Your daughter?

Mugger:         Yeah.

 

[Joey starts to leave the room, but instead decides to sit back down.]

 

Mugger:         [Labored breathing]

Joey:               My tenth birthday, my father takes me to the park, and if you knew Mike Potter, you'd know that was a pretty big deal. I mean, he never really had time for stuff like that... but he took me, and we played for hours-- jungle gym, swings, everything-- and I was so happy. He was so popular with the people, and... everyone seemed to know him, and... I was so proud to be his daughter. I mean, he was, like, the mayor or something. It wasn't until years later that I realized he was dealing drugs to them.

Mugger:         Heartwarming story. What's your point?

Joey:               My point is... my dad did a lot of crappy stuff. I mean, this is the guy who cheated on my mom with a cocktail waitress while she was dying of cancer. He let me and my sister down time and time again, so many times and in so many ways, it became funny. But you know what? That day at the park... it still goes down in the books as my favorite day ever.

Mugger:         Oh, yeah?

Joey:               Yeah.

Mugger:         [Laughs weakly] [Coughs] Hey. What was that song you were singing?

Joey:               Um... what song?

Mugger:         You were singing a song just before...

Joey:               You walked into my life.

Mugger:         Yeah.

Joey:               Oh, that's just a... song my dad used to sing to me.

Mugger:         Oh, yeah? [Sniffles] How'd it go? [Weakly, mumbling] Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near? Just like me they long to be

Joey:               [Softly] They long to be

Mugger:         close to you

Joey:               close to you

Mugger:         why do stars suddenly appear

Joey:               suddenly appear [Stronger] Every time you are near? Just like me [She starts to cry.]

Mugger:         just like me

Joey:               they long to be

Mugger:         they long to be

Joey:               [Softly] Close to you

 

[Joey looks up and is stunned.  She has a somewhat sad expression on her face when she realizes that he has died.  The doctor and nurses rush in.  Joey slowly drifts out of the room, walks down the hall, turns the corner and sees Grace at the nurse's window.  Sammy comes over and grabs her mother's hand as they both see Joey appear around the corner.  Joey slightly shakes her head and Grace turns around, puts her hand over her face, sits down and cries.  Joey walks over and kneels by Sammy.]

 

Joey:               Hey, sweetie.

Sammy:           Did my daddy do something bad to you?

Joey:               No. He did something really nice for me.

Sammy:           He did?

Joey:               Yeah. I was crossing the street, and I wasn't paying any attention, and there was this car coming, and it was gonna hit me, but then your daddy came out and pushed me out of the way. He saved my life tonight.

Sammy:           [Turns to her crying mother.] Did you hear that, mama? Daddy's a hero.

[Grace kneels down and hugs her daughter.]

Grace:             [Silently mouths] Thank you.

[Joey gets up, looks back at the sobbing mother and daughter and pulls out the money that the guy tried to steal from her earlier.  It looks like she is going to put it back in her pocket and walk away, but instead she walks over and stuffs it in the mother's coat, hanging on a chair.  She then walks down the long hallway and out the doors at the end of the corridor.  She had somewhat of a understanding, but still a sad expression as she exited the hospital.]

[End Credits.]