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nothing_rhymes_with_iantoI do not own Queer As Folk, CowLip does. I'm just doing this because I know people want the script available and the only ones I can find are wrong.
Season One, Episode Four
Season One, Episode Four
[Camera pan across the diner counter.]
MICHAEL: [Narrating] In case you weren't there, I gotta tell ya, last Saturday night at Babylon was....to die for.
[Camera pans up to show Brian, Emmett and Michael in a booth, eating. Michael and Emmett are next to each other. Close on Michael as he eats a piece of food. Brian looks at each of them. Emmett daintily eats a bit of food. Brian takes a bite of his food.]
EMMETT: Would somebody please say something? [Michael takes a bite of food. Emmett looks at him, so does Brian.]
MICHAEL: Okay. So, it's late, and I'm leaving Babylon, and there's this really hot guy... [Flashback to Babylon, Michael narrates his story. Digga Digga Daa by Erotimania plays. Michael walks through the crowd. A hot guy comes up and whispers in his ear.] And he's like perfect. [Out of the flashback.]
BRIAN: How perfect?
MICHAEL:[Nodding] Perfect. And we end up... at my place. [Flashback to Michael's apartment. Michael is kissing the guy's neck]
TRICK: So I work with emotionally disturbed kids, and I really love it. And I'm the captain of the gay waterpolo team.
MICHAEL: You're really well rounded. [His hand goes toward the trick's ass. Michael narrates.] So, we're making out, and in my mind, I'm picturing him in a speedo with a flag on it. [Back to flashback apartment]
TRICK: Say, have you ever been to Brazil?
MICHAEL: Um, no, have you? [He unbuckles the trick's belt.]
TRICK: I just came back. It's fabulous. [Michael pulls off his shirt]
MICHAEL: Great beaches, I hear.
TRICK: Yeah. [Michael goes down on his knees.] Only, they have these things.
MICHAEL: Things?
TRICK: Parasite things.They live in the sand and they sort of...burrow themselves right up in there.[Michael stands up, fast]
MICHAEL: He had them. Brazilian beach parasites in his ass!
EMMETT: [Laughing] Oh, God! Well, at least you found out before you got too far. [Michael shudders]
BRIAN: What about you?
EMMETT: We were just getting started. [Flashback to a leather dungeon. Emmett is getting into a bondage suit.] Feel like a 1991 Madonna video. Um, do you have this in a size larger?
TRICK: Can we hurry this along? [Emmett gasps] I've got a bride and groom to do in the morning.
EMMETT: So you're bi?
TRICK: No. They're dead. Car crash. [He shoves Emmett down. Back to the diner]
MICHAEL: You went home with....
EMMETT: An undertaker. Mm-hmm.
BRIAN: I fucked an undertaker once.
MICHAEL: You did? When?
BRIAN: [Widening his eyes, arching a brow, creepy-voiced] He told me sometimes they sew the mouths shut. [Emmett grunts in disgust]
EMMETT: What about you, Brian? What'd you do? [Michael looks at Brian. Brian looks at him, then to the side.]
[Flashback of Justin sitting naked on Brian's bed, waiting. Brian steps into the frame, also naked. He walks to Justin, steps onto the bed, then kneels in front of Justin. They begin making out. Back to the diner. Brian makes a face]
BRIAN: I made it an early evening.[Michael looks back at his meal.]
EMMETT: You know, um, when I go, promise you won't let them sew my mouth shut. Because when I get to heaven and I meet Natalie Wood I want to be able to say, "Natalie! It's Emmett! What happened that night?" [All laugh]
DEBBIE: Hey! Shouldn't you boys be getting to the hospital?
[She raises her eyebrows at them and walks off. Everyone goes solemn and looks down. Cut to a shot of Ted lying in a hospital bed. He is asleep.]
MICHAEL: Schmidt, Ted.
NURSE: Are you family?
[Cut to the Nurse's Station. Michael is leaning against the front desk. Brian and Emmett are behind him.]
MICHAEL: Friends.Uh, we know he's like, in a coma and everything, we'd just like to be with him for a little while, if that's okay.
NURSE: I'll see. [Michael flops against the counter. Brian is looking around.]
EMMETT: The Nurses's Station. I used to think it had something to do with radio. [In a deep voice] "All nursing, all the time."
WOMAN: Hello. [They look over. A shot of a small woman sitting in a chair] I'm Margaret Schmidt. I'm Ted's mother. [Michael moves forward] If you need permission to see him, I'll give it. I...I'm sure he'd appreciate it.
MICHAEL: I'm Michael. This is Emmett and Brian. We're Ted's friends.
MARGARET: He's still in the coma. [She purses her lips] He looks like he did when he was a boy. When he slept. [She shakes her head] They don't think he'll come out of it.
[Michael looks down. Emmett looks back at Brian. Brian looks at both of them. Michael sits beside Margaret.]
MARGARET: I sat by his bed...all night. About 5:00 o'clock in the morning it occurred to me... loving someone's not the same as knowing them.
[Michael looks at her, sympathetic. Brian rolls his eyes and spots the doctor from when Gus was born. Quick zoom to Brian's face. He looks at the doctor, who smiles at him. Brian watches him walk by.]
MICHAEL: Brian!
[Brian looks back at him. Michael frowns. Brian looks down, blinking. Cut to Justin's house. Pan from Justin's alarm clock to Justin, asleep. Birds are chirping.]
JENNIFER: [Calling] Justin, you're late. [Justin puts his head up, then flops back down. Jennifer walks in.]
JUSTIN: You're right. I'm up, I'm up. [He tosses off the covers.]
JENNIFER: You got ten minutes.
JUSTIN: I'm taking a shower, okay?
[He trudges to the bathroom. She begins to make his bed. The splashing of a shower. She looks down at his backpack and pulls out his sketchbook. She flips through his drawings. Slow zoom to her face. She flips to a page on which he has drawn naked men, shirtless men. She stares at it and flips to the next page, which is completely covered in Brian's name. Frantically, she closes the sketchbook and shoves it back in his backpack. She stands up again and closes her eyes.]
JUSTIN: I'm out of shampoo. [Her eyes shoot open at the sound of his voice. She blinks. He stares at her.]
JENNIFER: I'll get you some.
[She quickly leaves the room. He is standing with a towel around his waist. Cut to the hospital. The beeping of a monitor. Michael, Brian and Emmett are looking through the thin window in the door to the hospital room. A doctor is finishing with Ted. The doctor sees them and closes the curtain.]
EMMETT: Who do you think it was? I mean, who, uh, gave him the drugs.
MICHAEL: I bet it was that guy, Blake, who was cruising him all night.
EMMET: Think we should tell someone?
BRIAN: No. [He is leaning with one hand on the wall. He looks at them, blank-faced, slides his gaze to Michael. Michael looks back toward the room.]
MICHAEL: His mom said she'd call us if there was any change.
BRIAN: You know, he's the first. [Michael and Emmett look at him. Close up on Brian's face, looking toward the room.] The first almost dead guy I've sort of had sex with.
MICHAEL: You had sex with Ted?
EMMET: You never had sex with Ted.
MICHAEL: When did you have sex with...
BRIAN: [Interrupting him, clarifying firmly.] Sort of sex. At this semi-orgy.
MICHAEL: "Semi?" When?
BRIAN: [Staring at him. Then he blinks and frowns.] You know that weekend that John-John's plane went down?
EMMETT: Oh, God. They kept showing him on the beach with his shirt off. I didn't know whether to jerk off or weep.
MICHAEL: So did...so did you like, plan it?
BRIAN: [Michael smiles a bit, shakes his head.] It just sort of happened. [Michael shakes his head at him, miffed.] Things do. [Emmett chuckles.] It was Scott and Kevin, the Todds. [He nods. Emmett puts up his little finger and wags it] And Ted shows up with my taxes and all of a sudden, we're all doing it and...he even tried to fuck me. [He smirks]
MICHAEL: [Sort of whispering] He's in there! [Brian looks at him.] His life's like this [He gestures] dot on a screen. And it could be us.
BRIAN: No, it could not be us. [Michael looks at him.] Because we know better. We know not to believe pretty little blonde boys who tell you that "It's really good shit." [Emmett looks at him] Because that's what they all say. Ted didn't know that. [He moves his jaw to the side] And he didn't know that you only do drugs with your friends, because they're the only ones who give a fuck about you. [He slides his hands on to Michael and Emmett's shoulders. They look at him. He rolls his eyes.] Now I've got to go to work. I have to be brilliant.
[Cut to St. James' Academy. Justin is in English class.]
TEACHER: F. Scott Fitzgerald. [He looks at the class] Classic profile. Famously handsome. And "The Great Gatsby", which captures a particular American yearning, and what do I mean by that, hmm? [Justin is drawing a naked man sitting on a stool. Daphne sees his drawing and giggles] Justin?
[Justin looks up. Hobbes and his crony look at Justin.]
JUSTIN: Uh, yearning's when you want something really badly. Like... so bad it hurts. [Hobbes looks at him]
TEACHER: Exactly. It needs to hurt to be worthy of the word. Otherwise, it's just wanting. [Justin returns to drawing] As represented in the "Gatsby" by the green light across the water. [Close up of Justin's drawing. Justin looks up, listening, recognizing.] You can see it, but you cant touch it. [He looks at Hobbes. Hobbes hits his friend's back, his friend hits him. They mess with each other.] Mr. Hobbes! Mr. Hobbes, are your parents really paying for you to have another testosterone outburst?
HOBBES: I wasn't doing anything.
TEACHER: Exactly. But you will be after school.
HOBBES: I have football practice.
TEACHER: Not today. Today you'll be cleaning out the athletic room. [Hobbes looks pissed] The only thing we fight about in this room, Mr. Hobbes...is interpretation.
[Cut to the hospital. Michael and Emmett walk over to Margaret, who is in a chair.]
MICHAEL: Mrs. Schmidt, we're going to work. I-If you want, you can call me on my cell phone, if...
MARGARET: They said he took an overdose of a...a drug I've never heard of.
EMMETT: Well, h-he wasn't a...a drug user.
MICHAEL: He must've met someone that night...a-and took him home. [She looks down. Emmett looks at her.]
MARGARET: May I ask you something, Michael?
MICHAEL: Sure.
MARGARET: [Standing] If my son had been straight, [Michael's face changes. Emmett looks down] if he had taken a woman home, do you think she would have run off and left him there to die?
[He looks at her. She picks up her purse and walks away. They watch her leave. Cut to St. James Academy. It's after school. Chris Hobbes is cleaning up the athletic room, pissed. Camera pans out from him to show Justin standing in the doorway.]
JUSTIN: Need some help?
HOBBES: This sucks.
JUSTIN: Yeah. They need you at practice.
HOBBES: How do you know they do? I thought you weren't into like, sports and shit.
JUSTIN: Well, some.
HOBBES:Yeah, well, you sure keep it a secret. I'm supposed to get all this shit cleaned up out of here. [Justin picks up a box and puts it on the table] Wow, you're pretty strong.
JUSTIN: [Snorts] That's my other secret.
[He grins. Cut to Brian at his office. He tosses a file onto his desk.]
BRIAN: I cant do this fucking copy. [He puts his hand to his forehead.]
MELANIE: Excuse me for barging in. [She puts her bag on his table as he looks up] This wont take long. As you may or may not know, I'm Ted's lawyer.
BRIAN: So?
MELANIE: So you need to know Ted made a living will. Uh, do you have one?
BRIAN: No.
MELANIE: Well, you should. But, I'm not your lawyer, I'm his. [She hands him a paper. He doesn't take it, so she drops it on his desk.] He's made you responsible.
BRIAN: For what?
MELANIE: For deciding, should he ever be incompetent or unable to make a decision, whether to be kept alive by extraordinary measures or or be permitted to die.
[Brian blinks rapidly, frowns.]
BRIAN : Are you telling me that Ted wants me to decide whether or not to pull the plug?
MELANIE: I tried to talk him out of it.
BRIAN: [Frowning, glaring at her] And how long have you known about this?
MELANIE: It doesn't matter how long.
BRIAN: Yeah, it does.I'm this secret you two have been sharing. [He turns to face her] When were you planning on telling me?
MELANIE: I was hoping I wouldn't have to. That the situation would never arise.
BRIAN: [Angry] Well, it has! It's arisen now.
MELANIE: And now you know.
[He glares at her. Cut to the athletics room. Hobbes is leaning against the wall. He sighs. Justin tosses him a Pepsi. Close up slowdown of Hobbes' hand opening the can. Justin looks at him as he takes a sip.Hobbes holds the Pepsi out to Justin. Justin takes it from him. Slowmo closeup of their hands. Justin has a male symbol with a B in the middle drawn in red on his hand. He brushes his fingers against Hobbes' as he takes the can. Pandown shot of them sitting next to each other.]
HOBBES: Suzanne Shepley, big whore. She'll blow you, but she wont fuck you if you're in this school. Only if you go somewhere else, preferably catholic.
JUSTIN: She seemed like a dyke to me.
HOBBES: No, man, she's not a dyke. She's a whore. There's a difference. [They chuckle. Justin looks down. Hobbes looks at him.] So you know Mary Frances Cottallutto? So she comes over to interview me for the school paper, about being this great athlete and shit. and it's 4:00 o'clock and my mom wont be home till 6:00. [Justin smiles a little] So I tell her what a touchdown is like, she grabs my dick.
JUSTIN: No.
HOBBES: Yeah, she went for it. Not only that, she unzips my fly. [Justin watches him, glances down. Hobbes closes his eyes and envisions, rubbing himself.] She's got my dick. And she's got all these rings on. [Justin watches Hobbes' hand] And they're cold, but her hand is warm. And she's rubbing [He exhales, whispers] And rubbing. [Panting] Oh yeah. And then she's got to go home. You know, and I'm there. And I'm...[He sighs]
JUSTIN: You're hard.
[He glances at Hobbes then leans over and cups him. Shot cuts to him opening Hobbes' fly. He slides his hand in and starts jerking Hobbes off. Hobbes his panting. Justin is smiling. Hobbes groans, comes. The opening of a door.]
HOBBES: Shit. [Hobbes zips up. The teacher walks in and sees them.]
TEACHER: Shouldn't you be working?
HOBBES: I, uh, I am working, Mr. Horner. [He stands up. Justin grins. Cut to the baths.]
MAN 1: Hey, guys.
MAN 2: Hey.
[Michael and Emmett are sitting in the steam room.]
EMMETT: How come I cant get my glutes to look like that?
MICHAEL: Maybe you're not properly visualizing the muscle group.
EMMETT: Oh, I'm visualizing it, all right. On my face. [Michael snorts. They laugh. Brian joins them, flopping down and sighing.]
BRIAN: Why me? Why not his mother? [He looks at Emmett] Why not you?
EMMETT: Because I cant decide what to wear in the morning. Who, in their right mind, would give me power of life and death?
MICHAEL: I couldn't do it either.
BRIAN: I don't even like Ted.
MICHAEL: Oh, come on, you do so.
BRIAN: Well, not enough to be responsible for his fucking life!
EMMETT: Well, he must have wanted you for a reason.
MICHAEL: Maybe he's secretly in love with you.
BRIAN: I love you. I'm comatose. Kill me. [Michael looks at him and rolls his eyes.]
MICHAEL: It's not over yet, Brian. He could still wake up. [Emmett and Brian look at him. Cut to Justin's room. Weightless by See Spot Run plays. Justin and Daphne are lying on his bed, head to head.]
DAPHNE: Chris? No way!
JUSTIN: Then don't believe me.
DAPHNE: But I thought you were in love with that Brian guy.
JUSTIN: Me and Chris? That's not love, Daph. That's just fucking.
DAPHNE: Oh, and I thought it was detention.
JENNIFER: Justin?
DAPHNE: Oh, I gotta go. [They both get up. Jennifer walks in. Daphne is picking up her things] Hey, Mrs. Taylor.
JENNIFER: Hi, Daphne. [Daphne leaves. Jennifer looks at her watch.] Didnt you have art club this afternoon?
JUSTIN: I quit art club.
JENNIFER: You love art club.
JUSTIN: [Looking at her] I'm not interested.
JENNIFER: Since when? Just last week...
JUSTIN: You don't know everything about me! [Jennifer looks at him] A week's like a long time, things can change in a week. [He turns back to his CDs. She looks down.]
JENNIFER: Well, I thought you might like to know I'm going to Niketown. But, you're probably not interested in that either.
JUSTIN: [He looks at her] When?
JENNIFER: Now. And you can drive.
[She walks out. He follows her. Cut to the diner. Michael walks in. The clattering of dishes. He stops and watches Debbie putting dishes in the sink. She smiles at a customer and wipes her nose in a funny manner. Michael smiles. She sees him and grins, waving, then wipes her nose again and walks over. He's still smiling at her.]
DEBBIE: What?
MICHAEL: [He shakes his head] Just that thing you do with your hands. [He demonstrates] Like this.
DEBBIE: I do that, huh?
MICHAEL: Yeah, you do.
DEBBIE: Well, you should know.
MICHAEL: Yeah. [He looks down and sighs. She takes his hand.]
DEBBIE: People wake up from comas, sweetheart. [Michael nods and rolls his eyes.]
MICHAEL: Yeah, sure.
DEBBIE: Your Uncle Vic, how long was he in his?
MICHAEL Nine days?
DEBBIE: [Pointing] Ten. And I thought I'd lost him, I couldn't tell your grandmother it was AIDS at the time because she couldn't have dealt with it. [Michael shakes his head] I wanted to hear all about the white light, [Michael smiles] and the...the tunnel, and, and, and, did Aunt Theresa get to heaven? First words out of his mouth [She puts a hand to her cheek, flounces out] "Did I miss the Golden Globes?" [She laughs. He smiles, still looking down. She looks at him.] So how is he?
MICHAEL:[He looks up] The same. No change. I'm going to go back a little later. I thought I'd take something to his mom. [Debbie looks at him, tearing up, then walks over and kisses him.] What was that for?
[She waves the question away]
DEBBIE: Turkey meatloaf. Lemon bars. They're great today.
[Michael smiles. Cut to Justin and Jennifer driving. Just Feel Free by DuMonde plays.]
JENNIFER: You're a good driver.
JUSTIN: Better than you. [They chuckle]
JENNIFER: Okay, slow down. This is a bit too fast.
JUSTIN: This is normal! And you just said I was a good driver. [She smiles tightly and looks at him. He glances at her] What?
JENNIFER: Nothing. It's just nice. You laughed. It's been a while.
JUSTIN: You know, maybe you could get another car, let me have this for school.
JENNIFER: Oh, just hand it over, huh? [He nods, smiling a bit] I was twenty before I had a car. [Justin rolls his eyes] I was going out with Jay McLachlan. He could've been your father.
JUSTIN: That's stupid. I wouldn't be me.
JENNIFER: He was my first real boyfriend.
JUSTIN: I'd be totally someone else.
JENNIFER: I learned with him what a kiss really was.
JUSTIN: Gross! [She laughs] Don't tell me! I don't want to know.
JENNIFER: Well, now you do. [He chuckles. She looks at his right hand, which has the male symbol drawn on it in red with a B in the middle, presumably for 'Brian'. Her face falls, becomes stony. Her words are flat and serious.] So, do you have a boyfriend, Justin?
[The camera does a white-flash speed pan over to Justin who looks trapped. She stares at him. Justin's eyes are flicking back and forth. Neither know how to respond. There's a very awkward, pensive silence.]
JENNIFER: You can tell me, I promise you, I won't tell your father.
JUSTIN: I don't.
JENNIFER: Then who's Brian? [He frowns at her, realizing that she's been going through his stuff and that he's been 'outed.' Jennifer looks away. Justin pulls over and parks, opens the door and unbuckles his seatbelt] Justin! Justin!
[He slams the door closed and runs around the front of the car to the sidewalk, then begins to jog up the street, He runs across a lawn, up the street and away. Scene cuts to Michael walking in the doors of the Chapel at the hospital, holding a Styrofoam food container. He clears his throat gently]
MELANIE: Yeah, would you wish this on yours? [Brian makes a face like 'Yes, I would.' He blinks.]
BRIAN: He has better friends.
MELANIE: Well, that's for goddamn sure.
LINDSAY: [Scolding] Melanie, would you please...?
[Gus begins to cry a bit]
MELANIE: Look, did I barge in here at bath time? Was that me?
BRIAN: Fuck bath time, and fuck you! [Melanie points at him, her voice rising]
MELANIE: Hey, fuck you!
LINDSAY: Just stop it, both of you!
BRIAN: So, let's cut to the chase. Find somebody else. His mommy, or Michael, or Madonna, I don't care who!
LINDSAY: But he chose you.
BRIAN: Well, he chose wrong.
MELANIE: Yeah, that's what I said to him. I said Brian is not the person you want responsible for your life. [She's getting angrier, he voice rising, face contorting] He's a selfish, narcissistic, little fucking faggot! And let me tell you something, it's not because you suck cock, it's because you're a little fucking coward. [She points to the door.] So go. Get out. Now!
[He stares at her. Sound of Gus fussing. His gaze slides over to Lindsay, who sighs quietly and shakes her head, looks back at him, blinking. He looks back at Melanie and moves away. A shot of Lindsay staring sadly at them. Melanie follows Brian to the front and slams the door behind him.]
LINDSAY: You had no right talking to him that way. [Melanie turns and looks at her, on the verge of tears]
MELANIE: No right? Ted is lying there, on life support. He's probably never going to wake up and he is depending on Brian to show him the decency, the kindness, to release him.
LINDSAY: [Gently] That's all the more reason to be kind. [She moves closer to Melanie, stands in front of her and touches her arms.] After all, he's the one who has to do it. Think how hard it must be. Or if it were one of us. If it was me lying there and you had to pull the plug.
MELANIE: [Shaking her head, holding back tears] I'm not sure I could.
LINDSAY: Maybe that's why you're so angry at him. Because you know if it were you, you'd be as scared and angry as he is.
[They look at each other. Melanie leans in and leans her forehead against Lindsay's. They stand against each other and breath. Cut to Babylon. I Need Somebody by Iggy Pop plays. A beaded curtain parts and shows as Brian weaves his way slowly through the back room in a sort of daze. He he sees a blonde guy he likes and pulls the trick toward him. They kiss. Other guys come up to him, pull off his leather jacket part way. They begin lavishing attention on his body. He savors it. Then he rubs his face against one dark-haired trick. Suddenly, he grabs the guy's chin with his hand, which is cover by the sleeve of his leather jacket. He shoves the tricks away, pulls his jacket back on and slides his sunglasses back on even though it's dark in the back room. Then he slams out of a side door into the daylight in the alley. Cut to Justin and Daphne standing outside of Daphne's house. Close on Justin's face. He is distressed.]
JUSTIN: She knows. My mom knows.
DAPHNE: Holy shit.
JUSTIN: I've got to find Brian. [Cigarette smoke filters out of his mouth as he speaks]
DAPHNE: What for?
JUSTIN: He'll know what to do.
DAPHNE: [Rolling her eyes] Like he cares.
JUSTIN: He wants me.
DAPHNE: How can you tell?
JUSTIN: Because I can! [He slaps his hand down on the back of the car.] I'm going to live with him. I'm gonna be with him. You'll see. Now please, you've got to help me.
DAPHNE: I'm grounded. [He scoffs, turning away and mouthing 'Fuck.'] My mom said she'd better come home and find me reading Toni Morrison. [Justin takes a drag off his cigarette and turns to look at her. She sighs and rolls her eyes.] Well, they don't get home until seven. And you do beat 'Beloved.'
[She shoves him gently and they go to their respective sides of the car and get in. Cut to the dark interior of Ted's condo. The front door opens and Michael and Emmett walk in. Michael turns on the light. Emmett walks over to the side table next to the couch, moves the lamp over a little bit.]
EMMETT: That's better. I'm always telling him not everything in life needs to be centered. [Camera pans to Michael, who is standing in the kitchen next to the fridge]
MICHAEL: We can redecorate later. His mother's coming! [He opens the fridge and looks inside] Poppers. [He begins to toss things at Emmett as he finds them in the fridge] Cheddar, brie.
EMMETT: I don't think there are particularly strong shame issues attached to cheese, Michael.
MICHAEL: Fine! Whatever. You check out the bedroom, I'll work out here.
EMMETT: Okay.
[He leaves for the bedroom. Michael dumps the cheese in the trash along with the poppers. He opens drawer next to the TV, pulling out VHS tapes.]
MICHAEL: Falcon. Falcon. "You've Got Mail?" He masturbates to Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? [A flesh-colored dildo flies through the air and hits him in the head.] Ow!
[A few more dildos of varying sizes and colors fly through the air]
EMMETT: Found 'em!
MICHAEL: God! [He catches a huge black dildo as it flies at him] Jesus, look at this one!
[Emmett jumps out with a flesh-colored one the same size, brandishing it like a sword]
EMMETT: Hah!
[Michael makes a face and they begin to sword-fight with the dildos.]
MICHAEL: Touche!
EMMETT: In this case, tushy! [He hits Michael's ass with the dildo and Michael jumps away]
MICHAEL: Whoo!
EMMETT: Ha ha!
[Grunts of a struggle as they battle. Emmett stabs Michael in the chest and Michael falls, groaning and laughing, on to the couch. Emmett stands above him.]
EMMETT: Dead! Right through the heart! [He sits on Michael, then jumps back up and leaps over the back of the couch to the floor, pulling Michael up with him] Alright. There's like, a million of them in there. And we've gotta find them all.
MICHAEL: We must.
[Michael grabs up the other dildos from the floor. A shot of Emmett in Ted's bedroom, looking around. Michael tosses his in ta pile on the bed. Emmett opens up an armoire and stops. Taped to the inside of the door are a bunch of photos of Michael. Close up on a few photos. Emmett frowns at them, blinking.]
EMMETT: Michael. [Michael looks up] Come here.
[Lovin' You by Kristin W. begins to play as Michael approaches, staring at the shrine to him. The camera pans up the photos. Michael looks at Emmett, blinking, looks back at the photos. Emmett looks at him. They both look at the pictures. Cut to a pan down of the outside of Brian's building. Justin walks up and rings the buzzer. No answer.He tries again. Still no answer. He shakes the door, it's locked.]
JUSTIN: Shit! Fuck! [He backs up until he is standing in the street where he can see Brian's window. Daphne is sitting in the car behind him.] Brian! Brian!
MAN: [From somewhere above him] Shut up!
[Justin stares up at the building. Daphne honks the horn.]
DAPHNE: Justin, I've got to go home. [He heads towards the car.]
JUSTIN: But I- I have to find him.
DAPHNE: Well, what about the crazy lady?
JUSTIN: What crazy lady?
DAPHNE: You know, the weird one. From the diner.
JUSTIN: You mean Debbie?
[Cut to a shot of a pool table at Woody's. Blue Green by Velvet plays. Someone's out of focus hands make a shot. The person walks around the table and the camera focuses on Michael and Emmett sitting together at a table, drinking. Closer shot of them.]
MICHAEL: So what do you think it means?
EMMETT: [Smiling a little] I think it means he likes you.
MICHAEL: I think it means he loves me. [He looks overwhelmed]
EMMETT: Kind of flattering, in a way. He collects you the way you collect comics.
MICHAEL: It's just that...all this time I...I never knew.
EMMETT: There's a lot of things we don't know about each other. [He looks up, away, thinking] Like, did you know...I used to walk down the street in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, and the postman would spit at me?
MICHAEL: I don't know where my father was born. Or even who he is.
EMMETT: I sat with my dead grandma for an hour and held her hand, before I told anyone she was dead. [Michael reaches across the table and takes Emmett's hand] How come we never tell each other these things, huh?
[Cut to a shot of Justin standing outside Debbie's house. An over-the-shoulder shot of Debbie, with her hand on her hip.]
DEBBIE: Don't tell me. Brian. Am I right? [Justin nods. Debbie lets him in with a sigh.] Come on in. I'll make you a sandwich.
[He follows her inside]
JUSTIN: I actually just need to know...
DEBBIE: [Interrupting him] And don't talk. I can figure it all out. Have a seat, Honey. Right there. [She picks up the phone and dials as Justin sits down.] Michael? It's me. [Justin looks at her with a horrified face] You've got mail!
[Justin sighs, visibly deflating. Cut to Brian closing the door of his loft. Lindsay is standing behind him. He heads toward the kitchen area.]
LINDSAY: I just want you to know, Melanie feels terrible about what she said.
BRIAN: Do you think I care?
LINDSAY: Look, it's upsetting for all of us. But at a time like this, we could try showing a little compassion. [Brian looks at her] Especially for Ted. [A short silence as he glances back at the countertop. She stares at her shoes. Softer than before] Is there any word?
BRIAN: [Blinking at her, wearily] The machines stay he's still alive.
LINDSAY: Poor guy.
BRIAN: What about us? [She looks up at him. He laughs in a sardonic, melancholy sort of way.] We don't have any beeps or wires with little white dots telling us we're alive, so how do we know? [A little quieter. Tiredly, dejected] I guess we just, take each other's word. [He looks up at her. His eyes are glassy and blank, frightened and stressed]
LINDSAY: Maybe we know from what people expect from us. [He stares at her] I mean, take Gus. He needs me to feed him, to change him. Knowing that tells me I'm alive. So for me, right now, it's him.
BRIAN: What about me?
LINDSAY: [She moves closer to him] Ted needs you now. So maybe that's what tells you you're alive. [He smiles tightly at her, hiding distressed tears, looks down to hide his face. She takes his face in her hands and pulls him up to look at her. He peers into her face like a sad child.] You'll do the right thing. Whatever it is.
BRIAN: [Softly, obviously freaking out and doubting himself greatly] You don't know that.
[Cut to a hospital bed. Camera pans over Ted's prone body. Beeping of machines in the background. Brian's hand hovers in the air over Ted's face. The hand makes a wiping motion in the air above him.]
BRIAN: [Breathily, stressed] Fuck you. Fuck you. [He returns his hand to the bedrail. Whispering] Fuck you! [The camera pans up to his face. He is staring at Ted. His voice returns to normal.] For going home with some tweaked-out little twinkie and thinking you got lucky. [He bends closer to the bed. In an attempted patronizing tone] Did he let you eat his ass? Did he let you suck his cock? Well, I hope it was worth it. [His voice becomes harder again] And fuck you for choosing me. I ought to let you lie here forever. How'd you like that? [He stares at Ted, his eyes glassy, blinks slowly] Can you hear me? [He sighs, tears evident in the way he's holding his mouth, but none in his eyes. His voice softens again] You know, you're not so bad-looking. In fact...you look better like this. You should die more often. Or live. So that I dont have to say yes. Yes, I'll do it. I'll give you what you want. What you need. But don't think it's for you. It's not. It's for me.
[He stares at Ted, blinking back tears. A hand curls around his shoulder. For a moment, his expression is surprised that someone caught him so vulnerable. He turns and sees the hot doctor he was checking out earlier. He stands and kisses the doctor. They strip and make their way to the empty bed by Ted's. The camera pans close on Ted. Sounds of fucking. Ted opens his eyes and slowly looks around him. He sees Brian fucking the doctor and stares at them with lids half-closed.]
TED: [Softly] Jesus!
[Cut to a shot of Justin at Debbie's house. He's eating a sandwich.]
MICHAEL: This is my house. You've got your own. Go home.
JUSTIN: [With his mouth full] I can't.
MICHAEL: What?
JUSTIN: [He swallows] I can't. My mom knows.
DEBBIE: Well, she can go to my P-FLAG group at the center, every other Tuesday. I'll get her a T-shirt and a button.
MICHAEL: Ma, please!
DEBBIE: "Ma, please!" what? I'm proud to have a gay son.
MICHAEL: We know!
DEBBIE: [Petting Vic's head] And brother.
VIC: Thanks, sis. [He takes his pills as she wraps her arms around him from behind.]
DEBBIE: I've always said it isn't who you love, but how you love. Genitalia is simply God's way of accessorizing. [Vic chuckles]
MICHAEL: This isn't about you and the gay mother of the year award. This is about Brian's one night stand.
JUSTIN: Not just one!
MICHAEL: Don't bet on it! [Justin's face falls] And who here even cares?
VIC: [Looking interested] I do. [Michael sighs.]
JUSTIN: [Lying a little] My dad threatened to disown me. He called me a big queer.
VIC: He didn't hit you, did he?
MICHAEL: Oh, come on, Uncle Vic. You're not going to listen to this shit?
JUSTIN: That's why I have to see Brian. He'll let me stay with him.
MICHAEL: I don't think so.
JUSTIN: Well then.....I'll go to New York. I'll become a hustler and sell my body to gross, old homos.
VIC: I'll give you twenty bucks. [Debbie smacks his shoulder] Save him the train fare. [Michael rolls his eyes]
JUSTIN: [Standing] I'm going to throw up. I've gotta vomit...
DEBBIE: Upstairs bathroom. The one for guests and drama queens. [He runs up the stairs. They watch him disappear out of sight. Vic and Michael laugh.] It's not a joke, you know. Gay teens have a very high suicide rate.
MICHAEL: Unfortunately not this one.
[He presses speed dial on his cell phone as Debbie smacks his arm. Cut to a shot of Justin walking into Michael's old room. The wallpaper is a garish pattern of motorcycles. Justin grins a little. He glances at a wall of pictures. The camera circles him slowly as he moves toward it. He smiles a little and pulls a photograph of high school/college-age Brian and Michael off the wall. Cut to Debbie and the rest in the kitchen. Michael is sitting at the table now.]
DEBBIE: I'm calling his mother.
MICHAEL: It's not our business.
DEBBIE: He may be telling the truth. And even if he isn't, she's got to be worried. [Michael shakes his head slowly]
VIC: She's not worried. Now she knows. It's not drugs. It's not booze. He didn't buy an automatic weapon to take down to the Spanish club. It's just cock.
[The door bangs shut as Vic chuckles.]
BRIAN: Hi. [Michael stands. A shot of Brian walking across to the kitchen.] How did he find you?
MICHAEL: [Debbie throws her hands in the air] They all find her! And now he wont leave! [Brian and Vic smile at each other. Brian puts his hand gently on Vic's shoulder.] You gotta do something.
BRIAN: Like what?
MICHAEL: Like get him out of my house. He's upstairs.
BRIAN: All right. I'm going.
MICHAEL: This is not how I wanted to spend my evening.
BRIAN: [As he heads out into the living room] By the way... [He grins] Ted woke up. He's going to be okay.
[He heads up the stairs. Michael sighs and closes his eyes. Debbie crosses herself gratefully. Vic just smiles. Cut to Justin holding the photo of Michael and Brian. Camera pans up to his face. Sound of a door opening. Straight To Number One by Touch 'N Go plays. He looks up, puts the photo down and smiles a little, knowingly, then he turns. Brian is standing there.]
BRIAN: What are you doing here?
JUSTIN: Waiting for you.
[Cut to an overhead pan of Debbie, Michael and Vic sitting at the kitchen table.]
DEBBIE: Well, it's a relief, I'll say that. I like Ted. There's a real sweetheart in there somewhere. [She looks at Michael, who's staring at a point on the floor. He narrows his eyes.] Michael?
[Cut to Justin and Brian. Justin touches Brian's face, tries to kiss him. Brian moves away, pushes him back. Then he pulls Justin to him and kisses him. Fast pan to Michael's face. Michael narrows his eyes and looks up above him. Cut to Justin and Brian. Brian's shirt is unbuttoned. Justin moves down Brian's chest, then unbuttons his pants. Brian stares at him, then pulls him back up into a standing position and kisses him hungrily. Justin slides down his chest again, looking at Brian the whole time. Close shot as Brian closes his eyes. Light sounds of sucking are heard over the music. Camera circles around Brian as he leans his head back in ecstasy. Music fades out. Cut to the kitchen.]
DEBBIE: [Smacking her hands on the table.] I've decided.
MICHAEL: What? [She stands and moves to the sink]
DEBBIE: You and me. We're taking him home.
MICHAEL: Why you and me? Why...why me at all?
DEBBIE: Well, he can hardly go with Brian!
VIC: And if I go, it looks a little...[He gestures] Fagin and Oliver Twist.
MICHAEL: Leaving me, huh? The harmless one. Thanks a lot!
[Debbie smack him with her dishtowel. Brian and Justin come in from downstairs. Justin looks extremely self-satisfied. He grins and Michael and steals his chips from his plate. Michael stands up and glares at Brian.]
DEBBIE: [To Justin] I'm calling your mother. I'm taking you home.
JUSTIN: I'm not going.
DEBBIE: [Eyebrows raised, pointing at him] You get my tits in a knot, Sunshine, and you're going to be in deep shit. [She pushes him out of the way] 'Scuze me.
[She steps into the living room. Michael looks at her as she passes. Justin sits down at the kitchen table.]
VIC: What are you studying in school?
JUSTIN: Hmm?
VIC: Called conversation. [Brian chuckles. He looks at Michael, who glares at him, and his face becomes more serious.]
DEBBIE: Ready? [She looks at Michael]
MICHAEL: I need to talk to Brian. I'll be there in a second. [She glances back and forth between Brian and Michael, then looks at Justin and gestures for him to come with a finger. Justin follows her. Vic gets up, glances at Brian, and goes into the other room. Michael sighs, watches them go out the door, then turns to Brian.] Do you have anything to say?
[Brian looks up, away, thinking. His arms are fold defensively against him. He looks back at Michael]
BRIAN: No. [Michael nods]
MICHAEL: Well, I do. You can fuck him at your place, you can fuck him in his gym class, you can fuck him at the zoo. But you cannot fuck him in my mother's house. In my room!
[Brian stares at him, unsure of what to say.]
DEBBIE: [from outside] We're waiting!
MICHAEL: Okay, I'm going to go do this little job, and then I'm going to go see Ted at the hospital. You do whatever the fuck you want.
[He walks away. Brian stares after him, surprised, maybe a little embarrassed. Cut to Michael driving. Debbie is next to him in the passenger seat and Justin is in the back.]
DEBBIE: Nobody knows if it's nature or nurture, being gay. [A shot in the rearview mirror of Justin grinning] Now they're all saying you can tell by the length of the index finger. Although, all Michael's fingers are perfectly normal. He should have three kids and beer belly, and he's about as gay as you get! [She laughs. Justin smiles]
MICHAEL: Ma, give it a rest.
[Debbie rolls her eyes at him. Justin chuckles. Cut to them walking up to Justin's house. Debbie and Michael step up to the door. Justin remains behind, standing just beside the garage door. Debbie rings the doorbell. A musical chime is heard.]
DEBBIE: Listen! That's nice, huh? Not like that old buzzer at our house, huh! [Jennifer opens the door, looks at them] Oh, hi! Um...I was admiring your chimes. You have a real nice place here.
JENNIFER: Oh, thank you. Uh, you must be... [Justin pushes roughly through them and into the house, a pissed off look on his face.]
DEBBIE: Rude little shit, isn't he? [Jennifer covers her mouth with a hand, then moves the hand to her chest.] Um, I'm Debbie Novotny... And this is my gay son, Michael.
MICHAEL: Ma!
[Jennifer looks at them, a bit astonished, unsure of what to say.]
JENNIFER: I'm...Jennifer Taylor.
DEBBIE: Jennifer.
CRAIG: [From inside] Honey, who's there?
JENNIFER: [Calling back] It's no one.
[Michael and Debbie both look down, away. Jennifer steps a little ways out onto the porch and shuts the door slightly behind her. Her eyes flick between them]
DEBBIE: Listen...uh, if you ever need to talk to somebody, I work over at the Liberty Diner, on Liberty Avenue. 'Cause I know what you're going through. The finding out. I mean, I always knew about Michael. [She chuckles nervously] In fact, I told him, right? [He makes eyes at her. She smiles a bit at Jennifer.] To spare him the pain of having to tell me. So...Jennifer...don't ask, "Are you?" Because it's never a question. Just say, "I know."
JENNIFER: Uh...thank you. [She looks between them, points nervously behind her and steps inside, shutting the door. Michael rolls his eyes]
MICHAEL: You had to say all that?
DEBBIE: I was trying to help.
MICHAEL: You try too much. [They step off the porch together. Debbie wraps the collar of her extremely ugly orange-ish jacket around her, zips it up.] You're still wearing that same old coat.
DEBBIE: So someday you'll buy me a mink. [She chuckles] Huh. You're going to be a big success.
MICHAEL: Yeah, right. You'll freeze to death first. [Debbie slaps him hard in the back of the head] What was that for?
DEBBIE: You can be such an asshole!
MICHAEL: What'd I do?
DEBBIE: You don't know yourself. [She shakes a finger at him] "Know thyself." Some Greek said that. Who was it?
MICHAEL: Zorba? [He makes a 'no idea' face]
DEBBIE: I don't know. [He rubs the back of his head as she looks back at the house] I don't know anything. Now take me home.
[They step off the curb, off camera. Fade to black. Fade in on a hospital room. Margaret is sitting in a chair, watching Ted pack up his stuff.]
MARGARET: Are you sure I cant help?
TED: I can do it. It's no big deal.
MARGARET: I wish you'd let me drive you home.
TED: I already asked my friends.
MARGARET: Michael, Emmett, Brian. [He looks at her and smiles a bit] I met them while you were asleep.
TED: [Nodding] Oh.
MARGARET: They're very nice. Especially Michael.
TED: Yeah. Michael is....especially special.
MARGARET: Are you two....I mean...
TED: Oh, no. No, we, uh...he's just a friend.
MARGARET: Well, he's a very good friend. He was very kind to me. I'm grateful you have him.
TED: Yeah, so am I.
MARGARET: Because, more than anything, I worry that you're alone. And that there's no one to look after you.
TED: I can take care of myself.
MARGARET: Oh, I know you can. You've always been self-sufficient. I just, I wish you had someone to love you. I mean, if you did, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
TED: Mom, please.Let's, uh...
MARGARET: I'm sorry. I know that it embarrasses you. If I talk to much, or...I get too emotional. But I cant help thinking that...if you hadn't woken up, then I would never have gotten the chance to let you know how proud I am that you're my son. And that it doesn't matter to me what you are. I got over that a long time ago. And that whenever you're feeling alone or that no one loves you, that's not true. Because I do.
[Ted looks around embarrassed, nervous, swallows.]
TED: Thank you....Mom, for, uh, for saying that.
[She nods. He looks away. Cut to the darkened interior of Ted's house. Michael opens the door and turns on the light, stepping inside. Brian, Emmett and Ted follow him in. Brian and Emmett have bags full of groceries. Emmett turns to Ted]
EMMETT: Now say it three times and click your heels: "There's no place like home." [Ted smiles at him and shuts the door.]
TED: You know, you guys really didn't have to do this. All the flowers, and the groceries.
MICHAEL: One-stop shopping at the Big Q-Mart.
TED: Well, it's...it's nice...[He moves the lamp that Emmett had off-centered earlier to the center of the table] Only, can somebody tell me why I had to stay there three days after I woke up?
EMMETT: They wanted to make sure you're still alive.
BRIAN: On your best days, it's hard to tell. [Ted smiles and nods a sarcastic thank you]
MICHAEL: Okay, just so you don't freak out...your dildos are missing, and your porn. We had to move it all, in case your mom found it.
TED: [Nodding] Well, I expect all 33 back. Cleaned. [They all chuckle. Even Brian smiles a bit]
EMMETT: You should eat something, Honey.
TED: I'm not hungry. [He heads toward the bedroom.]
MICHAEL: We bought you a whole fucking chicken.
BRIAN: And you're gonna eat it.
[Shot of Ted walking into his bedroom. Michael follows him inside. Ted shakes his head a little, sighing.]
TED: It always looks so much smaller.
MICHAEL: What does?
TED: Your life. Especially after returning from a near-death experience.
MICHAEL: Like watching the Oscars. Immediately preceded by...
MICHAEL and TED: [Together] "The Barbara Walters Special!" [They chuckle. Ted looks at Michael.]
TED: I'm glad you're here.
MICHAEL: You are? [Ted nods] Well, uh, I um... [He's stuck]
TED: What?
MICHAEL: Um, uh...I'm glad you're here too. [Ted smiles and nods thanks] And if you ever want to talk about this, or other stuff...
TED: "Other stuff?"
MICHAEL: You know, if there's some....You know, if there's something you can't talk about.
TED: Like what?
MICHAEL: I don't know. You know, maybe if you talk about it, it might help it. But, you know, you might not get what you want...but...[He takes a breath, realizes he's babbling] Oh shit.
[Brian pokes his head in the doorway.]
BRIAN: Are you going to come eat the chicken?
MICHAEL: I'm going to arrange the daisies. [He walks out. Brian watches him leave. He moves to go, but stops and turns back when Ted speaks.]
TED: I saw you. [Brian raises his eyebrows for clarification] Fucking. When I woke up. [Brian moves into the room] I thought... "I'm in hell, and this is my punishment: watching Brian Kinney fucking for all eternity."
[Brian licks his lips and puts an arm around Ted's shoulder.]
BRIAN: You should be so lucky. [Ted nods with a small chuckle. Brian stares at him. His face becomes more serious. He slides his hand off Ted's shoulder and steps back. His voice becomes softer, more vulnerable] Why me? Why did you choose me?
[Ted looks at him. Brian frowns. He has a sheen of nervous sweat on his face. He sits down on the end of the bed. Ted looks down at him and shrugs as if the answer's obvious.]
TED: My mother couldn't do it. Michael and Emmett....couldn't do it. But you could, because you're a heartless shit. [Brian raises a brow] You could pull the plug, and you wouldn't cry. And you'd know when it's time to go.
[He gives Brian a gentle slap on the cheek and leaves the room. Brian sits there, staring at nothing. Dive In the Pool by Barry Harris feat. Pepper Meshay begins to play. Scene cuts to Babylon. Camera speed-shots in, then pans around the club. People are yelling. Shot of Brian and Michael dancing in the crowd. Close on Brian's face. He grins at Michael, who smiles back.]
BRIAN: I want it to be you.
MICHAEL: What?
BRIAN: [Slower, more defined] I want it to be you! I'll put it in writing.
MICHAEL: I want it to be you, too. You pull my plug...
BRIAN: And you pull mine.
[They smile at each other and continue dancing. Above shot of them together. Camera pulls out to show the club. Fade to black. Credits. End of episode four.]
Season One, Episode Four
Season One, Episode Four
[Camera pan across the diner counter.]
MICHAEL: [Narrating] In case you weren't there, I gotta tell ya, last Saturday night at Babylon was....to die for.
[Camera pans up to show Brian, Emmett and Michael in a booth, eating. Michael and Emmett are next to each other. Close on Michael as he eats a piece of food. Brian looks at each of them. Emmett daintily eats a bit of food. Brian takes a bite of his food.]
EMMETT: Would somebody please say something? [Michael takes a bite of food. Emmett looks at him, so does Brian.]
MICHAEL: Okay. So, it's late, and I'm leaving Babylon, and there's this really hot guy... [Flashback to Babylon, Michael narrates his story. Digga Digga Daa by Erotimania plays. Michael walks through the crowd. A hot guy comes up and whispers in his ear.] And he's like perfect. [Out of the flashback.]
BRIAN: How perfect?
MICHAEL:[Nodding] Perfect. And we end up... at my place. [Flashback to Michael's apartment. Michael is kissing the guy's neck]
TRICK: So I work with emotionally disturbed kids, and I really love it. And I'm the captain of the gay waterpolo team.
MICHAEL: You're really well rounded. [His hand goes toward the trick's ass. Michael narrates.] So, we're making out, and in my mind, I'm picturing him in a speedo with a flag on it. [Back to flashback apartment]
TRICK: Say, have you ever been to Brazil?
MICHAEL: Um, no, have you? [He unbuckles the trick's belt.]
TRICK: I just came back. It's fabulous. [Michael pulls off his shirt]
MICHAEL: Great beaches, I hear.
TRICK: Yeah. [Michael goes down on his knees.] Only, they have these things.
MICHAEL: Things?
TRICK: Parasite things.They live in the sand and they sort of...burrow themselves right up in there.[Michael stands up, fast]
MICHAEL: He had them. Brazilian beach parasites in his ass!
EMMETT: [Laughing] Oh, God! Well, at least you found out before you got too far. [Michael shudders]
BRIAN: What about you?
EMMETT: We were just getting started. [Flashback to a leather dungeon. Emmett is getting into a bondage suit.] Feel like a 1991 Madonna video. Um, do you have this in a size larger?
TRICK: Can we hurry this along? [Emmett gasps] I've got a bride and groom to do in the morning.
EMMETT: So you're bi?
TRICK: No. They're dead. Car crash. [He shoves Emmett down. Back to the diner]
MICHAEL: You went home with....
EMMETT: An undertaker. Mm-hmm.
BRIAN: I fucked an undertaker once.
MICHAEL: You did? When?
BRIAN: [Widening his eyes, arching a brow, creepy-voiced] He told me sometimes they sew the mouths shut. [Emmett grunts in disgust]
EMMETT: What about you, Brian? What'd you do? [Michael looks at Brian. Brian looks at him, then to the side.]
[Flashback of Justin sitting naked on Brian's bed, waiting. Brian steps into the frame, also naked. He walks to Justin, steps onto the bed, then kneels in front of Justin. They begin making out. Back to the diner. Brian makes a face]
BRIAN: I made it an early evening.[Michael looks back at his meal.]
EMMETT: You know, um, when I go, promise you won't let them sew my mouth shut. Because when I get to heaven and I meet Natalie Wood I want to be able to say, "Natalie! It's Emmett! What happened that night?" [All laugh]
DEBBIE: Hey! Shouldn't you boys be getting to the hospital?
[She raises her eyebrows at them and walks off. Everyone goes solemn and looks down. Cut to a shot of Ted lying in a hospital bed. He is asleep.]
MICHAEL: Schmidt, Ted.
NURSE: Are you family?
[Cut to the Nurse's Station. Michael is leaning against the front desk. Brian and Emmett are behind him.]
MICHAEL: Friends.Uh, we know he's like, in a coma and everything, we'd just like to be with him for a little while, if that's okay.
NURSE: I'll see. [Michael flops against the counter. Brian is looking around.]
EMMETT: The Nurses's Station. I used to think it had something to do with radio. [In a deep voice] "All nursing, all the time."
WOMAN: Hello. [They look over. A shot of a small woman sitting in a chair] I'm Margaret Schmidt. I'm Ted's mother. [Michael moves forward] If you need permission to see him, I'll give it. I...I'm sure he'd appreciate it.
MICHAEL: I'm Michael. This is Emmett and Brian. We're Ted's friends.
MARGARET: He's still in the coma. [She purses her lips] He looks like he did when he was a boy. When he slept. [She shakes her head] They don't think he'll come out of it.
[Michael looks down. Emmett looks back at Brian. Brian looks at both of them. Michael sits beside Margaret.]
MARGARET: I sat by his bed...all night. About 5:00 o'clock in the morning it occurred to me... loving someone's not the same as knowing them.
[Michael looks at her, sympathetic. Brian rolls his eyes and spots the doctor from when Gus was born. Quick zoom to Brian's face. He looks at the doctor, who smiles at him. Brian watches him walk by.]
MICHAEL: Brian!
[Brian looks back at him. Michael frowns. Brian looks down, blinking. Cut to Justin's house. Pan from Justin's alarm clock to Justin, asleep. Birds are chirping.]
JENNIFER: [Calling] Justin, you're late. [Justin puts his head up, then flops back down. Jennifer walks in.]
JUSTIN: You're right. I'm up, I'm up. [He tosses off the covers.]
JENNIFER: You got ten minutes.
JUSTIN: I'm taking a shower, okay?
[He trudges to the bathroom. She begins to make his bed. The splashing of a shower. She looks down at his backpack and pulls out his sketchbook. She flips through his drawings. Slow zoom to her face. She flips to a page on which he has drawn naked men, shirtless men. She stares at it and flips to the next page, which is completely covered in Brian's name. Frantically, she closes the sketchbook and shoves it back in his backpack. She stands up again and closes her eyes.]
JUSTIN: I'm out of shampoo. [Her eyes shoot open at the sound of his voice. She blinks. He stares at her.]
JENNIFER: I'll get you some.
[She quickly leaves the room. He is standing with a towel around his waist. Cut to the hospital. The beeping of a monitor. Michael, Brian and Emmett are looking through the thin window in the door to the hospital room. A doctor is finishing with Ted. The doctor sees them and closes the curtain.]
EMMETT: Who do you think it was? I mean, who, uh, gave him the drugs.
MICHAEL: I bet it was that guy, Blake, who was cruising him all night.
EMMET: Think we should tell someone?
BRIAN: No. [He is leaning with one hand on the wall. He looks at them, blank-faced, slides his gaze to Michael. Michael looks back toward the room.]
MICHAEL: His mom said she'd call us if there was any change.
BRIAN: You know, he's the first. [Michael and Emmett look at him. Close up on Brian's face, looking toward the room.] The first almost dead guy I've sort of had sex with.
MICHAEL: You had sex with Ted?
EMMET: You never had sex with Ted.
MICHAEL: When did you have sex with...
BRIAN: [Interrupting him, clarifying firmly.] Sort of sex. At this semi-orgy.
MICHAEL: "Semi?" When?
BRIAN: [Staring at him. Then he blinks and frowns.] You know that weekend that John-John's plane went down?
EMMETT: Oh, God. They kept showing him on the beach with his shirt off. I didn't know whether to jerk off or weep.
MICHAEL: So did...so did you like, plan it?
BRIAN: [Michael smiles a bit, shakes his head.] It just sort of happened. [Michael shakes his head at him, miffed.] Things do. [Emmett chuckles.] It was Scott and Kevin, the Todds. [He nods. Emmett puts up his little finger and wags it] And Ted shows up with my taxes and all of a sudden, we're all doing it and...he even tried to fuck me. [He smirks]
MICHAEL: [Sort of whispering] He's in there! [Brian looks at him.] His life's like this [He gestures] dot on a screen. And it could be us.
BRIAN: No, it could not be us. [Michael looks at him.] Because we know better. We know not to believe pretty little blonde boys who tell you that "It's really good shit." [Emmett looks at him] Because that's what they all say. Ted didn't know that. [He moves his jaw to the side] And he didn't know that you only do drugs with your friends, because they're the only ones who give a fuck about you. [He slides his hands on to Michael and Emmett's shoulders. They look at him. He rolls his eyes.] Now I've got to go to work. I have to be brilliant.
[Cut to St. James' Academy. Justin is in English class.]
TEACHER: F. Scott Fitzgerald. [He looks at the class] Classic profile. Famously handsome. And "The Great Gatsby", which captures a particular American yearning, and what do I mean by that, hmm? [Justin is drawing a naked man sitting on a stool. Daphne sees his drawing and giggles] Justin?
[Justin looks up. Hobbes and his crony look at Justin.]
JUSTIN: Uh, yearning's when you want something really badly. Like... so bad it hurts. [Hobbes looks at him]
TEACHER: Exactly. It needs to hurt to be worthy of the word. Otherwise, it's just wanting. [Justin returns to drawing] As represented in the "Gatsby" by the green light across the water. [Close up of Justin's drawing. Justin looks up, listening, recognizing.] You can see it, but you cant touch it. [He looks at Hobbes. Hobbes hits his friend's back, his friend hits him. They mess with each other.] Mr. Hobbes! Mr. Hobbes, are your parents really paying for you to have another testosterone outburst?
HOBBES: I wasn't doing anything.
TEACHER: Exactly. But you will be after school.
HOBBES: I have football practice.
TEACHER: Not today. Today you'll be cleaning out the athletic room. [Hobbes looks pissed] The only thing we fight about in this room, Mr. Hobbes...is interpretation.
[Cut to the hospital. Michael and Emmett walk over to Margaret, who is in a chair.]
MICHAEL: Mrs. Schmidt, we're going to work. I-If you want, you can call me on my cell phone, if...
MARGARET: They said he took an overdose of a...a drug I've never heard of.
EMMETT: Well, h-he wasn't a...a drug user.
MICHAEL: He must've met someone that night...a-and took him home. [She looks down. Emmett looks at her.]
MARGARET: May I ask you something, Michael?
MICHAEL: Sure.
MARGARET: [Standing] If my son had been straight, [Michael's face changes. Emmett looks down] if he had taken a woman home, do you think she would have run off and left him there to die?
[He looks at her. She picks up her purse and walks away. They watch her leave. Cut to St. James Academy. It's after school. Chris Hobbes is cleaning up the athletic room, pissed. Camera pans out from him to show Justin standing in the doorway.]
JUSTIN: Need some help?
HOBBES: This sucks.
JUSTIN: Yeah. They need you at practice.
HOBBES: How do you know they do? I thought you weren't into like, sports and shit.
JUSTIN: Well, some.
HOBBES:Yeah, well, you sure keep it a secret. I'm supposed to get all this shit cleaned up out of here. [Justin picks up a box and puts it on the table] Wow, you're pretty strong.
JUSTIN: [Snorts] That's my other secret.
[He grins. Cut to Brian at his office. He tosses a file onto his desk.]
BRIAN: I cant do this fucking copy. [He puts his hand to his forehead.]
MELANIE: Excuse me for barging in. [She puts her bag on his table as he looks up] This wont take long. As you may or may not know, I'm Ted's lawyer.
BRIAN: So?
MELANIE: So you need to know Ted made a living will. Uh, do you have one?
BRIAN: No.
MELANIE: Well, you should. But, I'm not your lawyer, I'm his. [She hands him a paper. He doesn't take it, so she drops it on his desk.] He's made you responsible.
BRIAN: For what?
MELANIE: For deciding, should he ever be incompetent or unable to make a decision, whether to be kept alive by extraordinary measures or or be permitted to die.
[Brian blinks rapidly, frowns.]
BRIAN : Are you telling me that Ted wants me to decide whether or not to pull the plug?
MELANIE: I tried to talk him out of it.
BRIAN: [Frowning, glaring at her] And how long have you known about this?
MELANIE: It doesn't matter how long.
BRIAN: Yeah, it does.I'm this secret you two have been sharing. [He turns to face her] When were you planning on telling me?
MELANIE: I was hoping I wouldn't have to. That the situation would never arise.
BRIAN: [Angry] Well, it has! It's arisen now.
MELANIE: And now you know.
[He glares at her. Cut to the athletics room. Hobbes is leaning against the wall. He sighs. Justin tosses him a Pepsi. Close up slowdown of Hobbes' hand opening the can. Justin looks at him as he takes a sip.Hobbes holds the Pepsi out to Justin. Justin takes it from him. Slowmo closeup of their hands. Justin has a male symbol with a B in the middle drawn in red on his hand. He brushes his fingers against Hobbes' as he takes the can. Pandown shot of them sitting next to each other.]
HOBBES: Suzanne Shepley, big whore. She'll blow you, but she wont fuck you if you're in this school. Only if you go somewhere else, preferably catholic.
JUSTIN: She seemed like a dyke to me.
HOBBES: No, man, she's not a dyke. She's a whore. There's a difference. [They chuckle. Justin looks down. Hobbes looks at him.] So you know Mary Frances Cottallutto? So she comes over to interview me for the school paper, about being this great athlete and shit. and it's 4:00 o'clock and my mom wont be home till 6:00. [Justin smiles a little] So I tell her what a touchdown is like, she grabs my dick.
JUSTIN: No.
HOBBES: Yeah, she went for it. Not only that, she unzips my fly. [Justin watches him, glances down. Hobbes closes his eyes and envisions, rubbing himself.] She's got my dick. And she's got all these rings on. [Justin watches Hobbes' hand] And they're cold, but her hand is warm. And she's rubbing [He exhales, whispers] And rubbing. [Panting] Oh yeah. And then she's got to go home. You know, and I'm there. And I'm...[He sighs]
JUSTIN: You're hard.
[He glances at Hobbes then leans over and cups him. Shot cuts to him opening Hobbes' fly. He slides his hand in and starts jerking Hobbes off. Hobbes his panting. Justin is smiling. Hobbes groans, comes. The opening of a door.]
HOBBES: Shit. [Hobbes zips up. The teacher walks in and sees them.]
TEACHER: Shouldn't you be working?
HOBBES: I, uh, I am working, Mr. Horner. [He stands up. Justin grins. Cut to the baths.]
MAN 1: Hey, guys.
MAN 2: Hey.
[Michael and Emmett are sitting in the steam room.]
EMMETT: How come I cant get my glutes to look like that?
MICHAEL: Maybe you're not properly visualizing the muscle group.
EMMETT: Oh, I'm visualizing it, all right. On my face. [Michael snorts. They laugh. Brian joins them, flopping down and sighing.]
BRIAN: Why me? Why not his mother? [He looks at Emmett] Why not you?
EMMETT: Because I cant decide what to wear in the morning. Who, in their right mind, would give me power of life and death?
MICHAEL: I couldn't do it either.
BRIAN: I don't even like Ted.
MICHAEL: Oh, come on, you do so.
BRIAN: Well, not enough to be responsible for his fucking life!
EMMETT: Well, he must have wanted you for a reason.
MICHAEL: Maybe he's secretly in love with you.
BRIAN: I love you. I'm comatose. Kill me. [Michael looks at him and rolls his eyes.]
MICHAEL: It's not over yet, Brian. He could still wake up. [Emmett and Brian look at him. Cut to Justin's room. Weightless by See Spot Run plays. Justin and Daphne are lying on his bed, head to head.]
DAPHNE: Chris? No way!
JUSTIN: Then don't believe me.
DAPHNE: But I thought you were in love with that Brian guy.
JUSTIN: Me and Chris? That's not love, Daph. That's just fucking.
DAPHNE: Oh, and I thought it was detention.
JENNIFER: Justin?
DAPHNE: Oh, I gotta go. [They both get up. Jennifer walks in. Daphne is picking up her things] Hey, Mrs. Taylor.
JENNIFER: Hi, Daphne. [Daphne leaves. Jennifer looks at her watch.] Didnt you have art club this afternoon?
JUSTIN: I quit art club.
JENNIFER: You love art club.
JUSTIN: [Looking at her] I'm not interested.
JENNIFER: Since when? Just last week...
JUSTIN: You don't know everything about me! [Jennifer looks at him] A week's like a long time, things can change in a week. [He turns back to his CDs. She looks down.]
JENNIFER: Well, I thought you might like to know I'm going to Niketown. But, you're probably not interested in that either.
JUSTIN: [He looks at her] When?
JENNIFER: Now. And you can drive.
[She walks out. He follows her. Cut to the diner. Michael walks in. The clattering of dishes. He stops and watches Debbie putting dishes in the sink. She smiles at a customer and wipes her nose in a funny manner. Michael smiles. She sees him and grins, waving, then wipes her nose again and walks over. He's still smiling at her.]
DEBBIE: What?
MICHAEL: [He shakes his head] Just that thing you do with your hands. [He demonstrates] Like this.
DEBBIE: I do that, huh?
MICHAEL: Yeah, you do.
DEBBIE: Well, you should know.
MICHAEL: Yeah. [He looks down and sighs. She takes his hand.]
DEBBIE: People wake up from comas, sweetheart. [Michael nods and rolls his eyes.]
MICHAEL: Yeah, sure.
DEBBIE: Your Uncle Vic, how long was he in his?
MICHAEL Nine days?
DEBBIE: [Pointing] Ten. And I thought I'd lost him, I couldn't tell your grandmother it was AIDS at the time because she couldn't have dealt with it. [Michael shakes his head] I wanted to hear all about the white light, [Michael smiles] and the...the tunnel, and, and, and, did Aunt Theresa get to heaven? First words out of his mouth [She puts a hand to her cheek, flounces out] "Did I miss the Golden Globes?" [She laughs. He smiles, still looking down. She looks at him.] So how is he?
MICHAEL:[He looks up] The same. No change. I'm going to go back a little later. I thought I'd take something to his mom. [Debbie looks at him, tearing up, then walks over and kisses him.] What was that for?
[She waves the question away]
DEBBIE: Turkey meatloaf. Lemon bars. They're great today.
[Michael smiles. Cut to Justin and Jennifer driving. Just Feel Free by DuMonde plays.]
JENNIFER: You're a good driver.
JUSTIN: Better than you. [They chuckle]
JENNIFER: Okay, slow down. This is a bit too fast.
JUSTIN: This is normal! And you just said I was a good driver. [She smiles tightly and looks at him. He glances at her] What?
JENNIFER: Nothing. It's just nice. You laughed. It's been a while.
JUSTIN: You know, maybe you could get another car, let me have this for school.
JENNIFER: Oh, just hand it over, huh? [He nods, smiling a bit] I was twenty before I had a car. [Justin rolls his eyes] I was going out with Jay McLachlan. He could've been your father.
JUSTIN: That's stupid. I wouldn't be me.
JENNIFER: He was my first real boyfriend.
JUSTIN: I'd be totally someone else.
JENNIFER: I learned with him what a kiss really was.
JUSTIN: Gross! [She laughs] Don't tell me! I don't want to know.
JENNIFER: Well, now you do. [He chuckles. She looks at his right hand, which has the male symbol drawn on it in red with a B in the middle, presumably for 'Brian'. Her face falls, becomes stony. Her words are flat and serious.] So, do you have a boyfriend, Justin?
[The camera does a white-flash speed pan over to Justin who looks trapped. She stares at him. Justin's eyes are flicking back and forth. Neither know how to respond. There's a very awkward, pensive silence.]
JENNIFER: You can tell me, I promise you, I won't tell your father.
JUSTIN: I don't.
JENNIFER: Then who's Brian? [He frowns at her, realizing that she's been going through his stuff and that he's been 'outed.' Jennifer looks away. Justin pulls over and parks, opens the door and unbuckles his seatbelt] Justin! Justin!
[He slams the door closed and runs around the front of the car to the sidewalk, then begins to jog up the street, He runs across a lawn, up the street and away. Scene cuts to Michael walking in the doors of the Chapel at the hospital, holding a Styrofoam food container. He clears his throat gently]
MICHAEL: Mrs. Schmidt? [She turns and sees him, smiles]
MARGARET: Michael.
MICHAEL: I don't mean to bug you. [He walks to her] I, uh, I brought you this. It's from my mom. Meat loaf, lemon bars. The lemon bars are really good. [She takes the container from him. She looks down, her face tight]
MARGARET: Well, there's, um, still no change, There watching, and waiting. So...I thought I'd take a small break.
MICHAEL: I'm sure you could use one. [She looks at him, smiles gratefully]
MARGARET: He mentioned a Michael. I said, um, "Tell me the name of one special friend." And he said, "Well, there's a Michael." [She smiles] Thank you for the food, dear. I'll, uh, stay a bit longer and then I'll go to his condo tonight.
[Michael's face falls. He suddenly looks very nervous and a little confused.]
MICHAEL: His...condo?
MARGARET: Oh, for pajamas. [He still looks confused] I don't know if he even wears them. But, if he does, he'll need them when, uh.... [She lets the sentence drop. They both stand. She cups Michael's face and smiles at him, then leaves the chapel. Michael pulls out his cell phone.Cut to a shot of Emmett at Torso, the phone is ringing. He picks up and speaks into his headset.]
EMMETT: Torso. [Screen splits. Emmett is on the left, folding and hanging clothes. Michael is on the right, standing in the chapel]
MICHAEL: It's me. [Emmett suddenly looks stricken. His voice is low.]
EMMETT: Oh my god. Is he dead?
MICHAEL: No, but he's gonna wish he was when he finds out his mom's going to his condo tonight, for pajamas! [He makes a face]
EMMETT: Oh shit! What if she finds his porn?
MICHAEL: And his magazines! And remember his 33rd birthday last year? [Emmett laughs, remembering]
EMMETT: When we gave him those 33 dildos, that was hilarious. [Michael shakes his head and looks exasperated]
MICHAEL: Well, it's not so funny anymore! We've gotta go there and find all 33! [Emmett looks up from what he's doing]
EMMETT: Wait!
MICHAEL: What?
EMMETT: What if he's given some as hostess gifts?
[Michael looks confused and exasperated, mouths the word 'what?' Scene cuts to Lindsay at home. She's holding Gus. Someone is knocking at the door and she walks to it, answers it. Brian stands there in sunglasses, his lips pulled into his mouth. He takes off his glasses and steps inside, all business.]
BRIAN: I don't have a lot of time.
LINDSAY: You have time to kiss your son.
[She follows him into the living room. Brian looks at Gus and his face softens. He takes the child gently, not taking his eyes off him. He glances at Lindsay, who gestures okay. He kisses Gus gently, staring at him.]
MELANIE: [Calling as she comes down the stairs] Hey, Honey, his bath's ready! [She stops at the bottom of the stairs when she sees Brian, who's hand Gus back to Lindsay.] Oh. Did we know he was coming?
BRIAN: No, we did not know.
MELANIE: Well, it'd be nice if you'd call first. [She's smiling at him patronizingly. She turns to Lindsay.] As I said, his bath's ready, so if you want me to take him-
BRIAN: [Interrupting her, loud and forceful and very pissed off] I don't give a shit what Ted wants! I'm not doing it, do you understand?
MELANIE: [Scoffing] I told him you'd be this way.
MELANIE: Yeah, would you wish this on yours? [Brian makes a face like 'Yes, I would.' He blinks.]
BRIAN: He has better friends.
MELANIE: Well, that's for goddamn sure.
LINDSAY: [Scolding] Melanie, would you please...?
[Gus begins to cry a bit]
MELANIE: Look, did I barge in here at bath time? Was that me?
BRIAN: Fuck bath time, and fuck you! [Melanie points at him, her voice rising]
MELANIE: Hey, fuck you!
LINDSAY: Just stop it, both of you!
BRIAN: So, let's cut to the chase. Find somebody else. His mommy, or Michael, or Madonna, I don't care who!
LINDSAY: But he chose you.
BRIAN: Well, he chose wrong.
MELANIE: Yeah, that's what I said to him. I said Brian is not the person you want responsible for your life. [She's getting angrier, he voice rising, face contorting] He's a selfish, narcissistic, little fucking faggot! And let me tell you something, it's not because you suck cock, it's because you're a little fucking coward. [She points to the door.] So go. Get out. Now!
[He stares at her. Sound of Gus fussing. His gaze slides over to Lindsay, who sighs quietly and shakes her head, looks back at him, blinking. He looks back at Melanie and moves away. A shot of Lindsay staring sadly at them. Melanie follows Brian to the front and slams the door behind him.]
LINDSAY: You had no right talking to him that way. [Melanie turns and looks at her, on the verge of tears]
MELANIE: No right? Ted is lying there, on life support. He's probably never going to wake up and he is depending on Brian to show him the decency, the kindness, to release him.
LINDSAY: [Gently] That's all the more reason to be kind. [She moves closer to Melanie, stands in front of her and touches her arms.] After all, he's the one who has to do it. Think how hard it must be. Or if it were one of us. If it was me lying there and you had to pull the plug.
MELANIE: [Shaking her head, holding back tears] I'm not sure I could.
LINDSAY: Maybe that's why you're so angry at him. Because you know if it were you, you'd be as scared and angry as he is.
[They look at each other. Melanie leans in and leans her forehead against Lindsay's. They stand against each other and breath. Cut to Babylon. I Need Somebody by Iggy Pop plays. A beaded curtain parts and shows as Brian weaves his way slowly through the back room in a sort of daze. He he sees a blonde guy he likes and pulls the trick toward him. They kiss. Other guys come up to him, pull off his leather jacket part way. They begin lavishing attention on his body. He savors it. Then he rubs his face against one dark-haired trick. Suddenly, he grabs the guy's chin with his hand, which is cover by the sleeve of his leather jacket. He shoves the tricks away, pulls his jacket back on and slides his sunglasses back on even though it's dark in the back room. Then he slams out of a side door into the daylight in the alley. Cut to Justin and Daphne standing outside of Daphne's house. Close on Justin's face. He is distressed.]
JUSTIN: She knows. My mom knows.
DAPHNE: Holy shit.
JUSTIN: I've got to find Brian. [Cigarette smoke filters out of his mouth as he speaks]
DAPHNE: What for?
JUSTIN: He'll know what to do.
DAPHNE: [Rolling her eyes] Like he cares.
JUSTIN: He wants me.
DAPHNE: How can you tell?
JUSTIN: Because I can! [He slaps his hand down on the back of the car.] I'm going to live with him. I'm gonna be with him. You'll see. Now please, you've got to help me.
DAPHNE: I'm grounded. [He scoffs, turning away and mouthing 'Fuck.'] My mom said she'd better come home and find me reading Toni Morrison. [Justin takes a drag off his cigarette and turns to look at her. She sighs and rolls her eyes.] Well, they don't get home until seven. And you do beat 'Beloved.'
[She shoves him gently and they go to their respective sides of the car and get in. Cut to the dark interior of Ted's condo. The front door opens and Michael and Emmett walk in. Michael turns on the light. Emmett walks over to the side table next to the couch, moves the lamp over a little bit.]
EMMETT: That's better. I'm always telling him not everything in life needs to be centered. [Camera pans to Michael, who is standing in the kitchen next to the fridge]
MICHAEL: We can redecorate later. His mother's coming! [He opens the fridge and looks inside] Poppers. [He begins to toss things at Emmett as he finds them in the fridge] Cheddar, brie.
EMMETT: I don't think there are particularly strong shame issues attached to cheese, Michael.
MICHAEL: Fine! Whatever. You check out the bedroom, I'll work out here.
EMMETT: Okay.
[He leaves for the bedroom. Michael dumps the cheese in the trash along with the poppers. He opens drawer next to the TV, pulling out VHS tapes.]
MICHAEL: Falcon. Falcon. "You've Got Mail?" He masturbates to Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? [A flesh-colored dildo flies through the air and hits him in the head.] Ow!
[A few more dildos of varying sizes and colors fly through the air]
EMMETT: Found 'em!
MICHAEL: God! [He catches a huge black dildo as it flies at him] Jesus, look at this one!
[Emmett jumps out with a flesh-colored one the same size, brandishing it like a sword]
EMMETT: Hah!
[Michael makes a face and they begin to sword-fight with the dildos.]
MICHAEL: Touche!
EMMETT: In this case, tushy! [He hits Michael's ass with the dildo and Michael jumps away]
MICHAEL: Whoo!
EMMETT: Ha ha!
[Grunts of a struggle as they battle. Emmett stabs Michael in the chest and Michael falls, groaning and laughing, on to the couch. Emmett stands above him.]
EMMETT: Dead! Right through the heart! [He sits on Michael, then jumps back up and leaps over the back of the couch to the floor, pulling Michael up with him] Alright. There's like, a million of them in there. And we've gotta find them all.
MICHAEL: We must.
[Michael grabs up the other dildos from the floor. A shot of Emmett in Ted's bedroom, looking around. Michael tosses his in ta pile on the bed. Emmett opens up an armoire and stops. Taped to the inside of the door are a bunch of photos of Michael. Close up on a few photos. Emmett frowns at them, blinking.]
EMMETT: Michael. [Michael looks up] Come here.
[Lovin' You by Kristin W. begins to play as Michael approaches, staring at the shrine to him. The camera pans up the photos. Michael looks at Emmett, blinking, looks back at the photos. Emmett looks at him. They both look at the pictures. Cut to a pan down of the outside of Brian's building. Justin walks up and rings the buzzer. No answer.He tries again. Still no answer. He shakes the door, it's locked.]
JUSTIN: Shit! Fuck! [He backs up until he is standing in the street where he can see Brian's window. Daphne is sitting in the car behind him.] Brian! Brian!
MAN: [From somewhere above him] Shut up!
[Justin stares up at the building. Daphne honks the horn.]
DAPHNE: Justin, I've got to go home. [He heads towards the car.]
JUSTIN: But I- I have to find him.
DAPHNE: Well, what about the crazy lady?
JUSTIN: What crazy lady?
DAPHNE: You know, the weird one. From the diner.
JUSTIN: You mean Debbie?
[Cut to a shot of a pool table at Woody's. Blue Green by Velvet plays. Someone's out of focus hands make a shot. The person walks around the table and the camera focuses on Michael and Emmett sitting together at a table, drinking. Closer shot of them.]
MICHAEL: So what do you think it means?
EMMETT: [Smiling a little] I think it means he likes you.
MICHAEL: I think it means he loves me. [He looks overwhelmed]
EMMETT: Kind of flattering, in a way. He collects you the way you collect comics.
MICHAEL: It's just that...all this time I...I never knew.
EMMETT: There's a lot of things we don't know about each other. [He looks up, away, thinking] Like, did you know...I used to walk down the street in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, and the postman would spit at me?
MICHAEL: I don't know where my father was born. Or even who he is.
EMMETT: I sat with my dead grandma for an hour and held her hand, before I told anyone she was dead. [Michael reaches across the table and takes Emmett's hand] How come we never tell each other these things, huh?
[Cut to a shot of Justin standing outside Debbie's house. An over-the-shoulder shot of Debbie, with her hand on her hip.]
DEBBIE: Don't tell me. Brian. Am I right? [Justin nods. Debbie lets him in with a sigh.] Come on in. I'll make you a sandwich.
[He follows her inside]
JUSTIN: I actually just need to know...
DEBBIE: [Interrupting him] And don't talk. I can figure it all out. Have a seat, Honey. Right there. [She picks up the phone and dials as Justin sits down.] Michael? It's me. [Justin looks at her with a horrified face] You've got mail!
[Justin sighs, visibly deflating. Cut to Brian closing the door of his loft. Lindsay is standing behind him. He heads toward the kitchen area.]
LINDSAY: I just want you to know, Melanie feels terrible about what she said.
BRIAN: Do you think I care?
LINDSAY: Look, it's upsetting for all of us. But at a time like this, we could try showing a little compassion. [Brian looks at her] Especially for Ted. [A short silence as he glances back at the countertop. She stares at her shoes. Softer than before] Is there any word?
BRIAN: [Blinking at her, wearily] The machines stay he's still alive.
LINDSAY: Poor guy.
BRIAN: What about us? [She looks up at him. He laughs in a sardonic, melancholy sort of way.] We don't have any beeps or wires with little white dots telling us we're alive, so how do we know? [A little quieter. Tiredly, dejected] I guess we just, take each other's word. [He looks up at her. His eyes are glassy and blank, frightened and stressed]
LINDSAY: Maybe we know from what people expect from us. [He stares at her] I mean, take Gus. He needs me to feed him, to change him. Knowing that tells me I'm alive. So for me, right now, it's him.
BRIAN: What about me?
LINDSAY: [She moves closer to him] Ted needs you now. So maybe that's what tells you you're alive. [He smiles tightly at her, hiding distressed tears, looks down to hide his face. She takes his face in her hands and pulls him up to look at her. He peers into her face like a sad child.] You'll do the right thing. Whatever it is.
BRIAN: [Softly, obviously freaking out and doubting himself greatly] You don't know that.
[Cut to a hospital bed. Camera pans over Ted's prone body. Beeping of machines in the background. Brian's hand hovers in the air over Ted's face. The hand makes a wiping motion in the air above him.]
BRIAN: [Breathily, stressed] Fuck you. Fuck you. [He returns his hand to the bedrail. Whispering] Fuck you! [The camera pans up to his face. He is staring at Ted. His voice returns to normal.] For going home with some tweaked-out little twinkie and thinking you got lucky. [He bends closer to the bed. In an attempted patronizing tone] Did he let you eat his ass? Did he let you suck his cock? Well, I hope it was worth it. [His voice becomes harder again] And fuck you for choosing me. I ought to let you lie here forever. How'd you like that? [He stares at Ted, his eyes glassy, blinks slowly] Can you hear me? [He sighs, tears evident in the way he's holding his mouth, but none in his eyes. His voice softens again] You know, you're not so bad-looking. In fact...you look better like this. You should die more often. Or live. So that I dont have to say yes. Yes, I'll do it. I'll give you what you want. What you need. But don't think it's for you. It's not. It's for me.
[He stares at Ted, blinking back tears. A hand curls around his shoulder. For a moment, his expression is surprised that someone caught him so vulnerable. He turns and sees the hot doctor he was checking out earlier. He stands and kisses the doctor. They strip and make their way to the empty bed by Ted's. The camera pans close on Ted. Sounds of fucking. Ted opens his eyes and slowly looks around him. He sees Brian fucking the doctor and stares at them with lids half-closed.]
TED: [Softly] Jesus!
[Cut to a shot of Justin at Debbie's house. He's eating a sandwich.]
MICHAEL: This is my house. You've got your own. Go home.
JUSTIN: [With his mouth full] I can't.
MICHAEL: What?
JUSTIN: [He swallows] I can't. My mom knows.
DEBBIE: Well, she can go to my P-FLAG group at the center, every other Tuesday. I'll get her a T-shirt and a button.
MICHAEL: Ma, please!
DEBBIE: "Ma, please!" what? I'm proud to have a gay son.
MICHAEL: We know!
DEBBIE: [Petting Vic's head] And brother.
VIC: Thanks, sis. [He takes his pills as she wraps her arms around him from behind.]
DEBBIE: I've always said it isn't who you love, but how you love. Genitalia is simply God's way of accessorizing. [Vic chuckles]
MICHAEL: This isn't about you and the gay mother of the year award. This is about Brian's one night stand.
JUSTIN: Not just one!
MICHAEL: Don't bet on it! [Justin's face falls] And who here even cares?
VIC: [Looking interested] I do. [Michael sighs.]
JUSTIN: [Lying a little] My dad threatened to disown me. He called me a big queer.
VIC: He didn't hit you, did he?
MICHAEL: Oh, come on, Uncle Vic. You're not going to listen to this shit?
JUSTIN: That's why I have to see Brian. He'll let me stay with him.
MICHAEL: I don't think so.
JUSTIN: Well then.....I'll go to New York. I'll become a hustler and sell my body to gross, old homos.
VIC: I'll give you twenty bucks. [Debbie smacks his shoulder] Save him the train fare. [Michael rolls his eyes]
JUSTIN: [Standing] I'm going to throw up. I've gotta vomit...
DEBBIE: Upstairs bathroom. The one for guests and drama queens. [He runs up the stairs. They watch him disappear out of sight. Vic and Michael laugh.] It's not a joke, you know. Gay teens have a very high suicide rate.
MICHAEL: Unfortunately not this one.
[He presses speed dial on his cell phone as Debbie smacks his arm. Cut to a shot of Justin walking into Michael's old room. The wallpaper is a garish pattern of motorcycles. Justin grins a little. He glances at a wall of pictures. The camera circles him slowly as he moves toward it. He smiles a little and pulls a photograph of high school/college-age Brian and Michael off the wall. Cut to Debbie and the rest in the kitchen. Michael is sitting at the table now.]
DEBBIE: I'm calling his mother.
MICHAEL: It's not our business.
DEBBIE: He may be telling the truth. And even if he isn't, she's got to be worried. [Michael shakes his head slowly]
VIC: She's not worried. Now she knows. It's not drugs. It's not booze. He didn't buy an automatic weapon to take down to the Spanish club. It's just cock.
[The door bangs shut as Vic chuckles.]
BRIAN: Hi. [Michael stands. A shot of Brian walking across to the kitchen.] How did he find you?
MICHAEL: [Debbie throws her hands in the air] They all find her! And now he wont leave! [Brian and Vic smile at each other. Brian puts his hand gently on Vic's shoulder.] You gotta do something.
BRIAN: Like what?
MICHAEL: Like get him out of my house. He's upstairs.
BRIAN: All right. I'm going.
MICHAEL: This is not how I wanted to spend my evening.
BRIAN: [As he heads out into the living room] By the way... [He grins] Ted woke up. He's going to be okay.
[He heads up the stairs. Michael sighs and closes his eyes. Debbie crosses herself gratefully. Vic just smiles. Cut to Justin holding the photo of Michael and Brian. Camera pans up to his face. Sound of a door opening. Straight To Number One by Touch 'N Go plays. He looks up, puts the photo down and smiles a little, knowingly, then he turns. Brian is standing there.]
BRIAN: What are you doing here?
JUSTIN: Waiting for you.
[Cut to an overhead pan of Debbie, Michael and Vic sitting at the kitchen table.]
DEBBIE: Well, it's a relief, I'll say that. I like Ted. There's a real sweetheart in there somewhere. [She looks at Michael, who's staring at a point on the floor. He narrows his eyes.] Michael?
[Cut to Justin and Brian. Justin touches Brian's face, tries to kiss him. Brian moves away, pushes him back. Then he pulls Justin to him and kisses him. Fast pan to Michael's face. Michael narrows his eyes and looks up above him. Cut to Justin and Brian. Brian's shirt is unbuttoned. Justin moves down Brian's chest, then unbuttons his pants. Brian stares at him, then pulls him back up into a standing position and kisses him hungrily. Justin slides down his chest again, looking at Brian the whole time. Close shot as Brian closes his eyes. Light sounds of sucking are heard over the music. Camera circles around Brian as he leans his head back in ecstasy. Music fades out. Cut to the kitchen.]
DEBBIE: [Smacking her hands on the table.] I've decided.
MICHAEL: What? [She stands and moves to the sink]
DEBBIE: You and me. We're taking him home.
MICHAEL: Why you and me? Why...why me at all?
DEBBIE: Well, he can hardly go with Brian!
VIC: And if I go, it looks a little...[He gestures] Fagin and Oliver Twist.
MICHAEL: Leaving me, huh? The harmless one. Thanks a lot!
[Debbie smack him with her dishtowel. Brian and Justin come in from downstairs. Justin looks extremely self-satisfied. He grins and Michael and steals his chips from his plate. Michael stands up and glares at Brian.]
DEBBIE: [To Justin] I'm calling your mother. I'm taking you home.
JUSTIN: I'm not going.
DEBBIE: [Eyebrows raised, pointing at him] You get my tits in a knot, Sunshine, and you're going to be in deep shit. [She pushes him out of the way] 'Scuze me.
[She steps into the living room. Michael looks at her as she passes. Justin sits down at the kitchen table.]
VIC: What are you studying in school?
JUSTIN: Hmm?
VIC: Called conversation. [Brian chuckles. He looks at Michael, who glares at him, and his face becomes more serious.]
DEBBIE: Ready? [She looks at Michael]
MICHAEL: I need to talk to Brian. I'll be there in a second. [She glances back and forth between Brian and Michael, then looks at Justin and gestures for him to come with a finger. Justin follows her. Vic gets up, glances at Brian, and goes into the other room. Michael sighs, watches them go out the door, then turns to Brian.] Do you have anything to say?
[Brian looks up, away, thinking. His arms are fold defensively against him. He looks back at Michael]
BRIAN: No. [Michael nods]
MICHAEL: Well, I do. You can fuck him at your place, you can fuck him in his gym class, you can fuck him at the zoo. But you cannot fuck him in my mother's house. In my room!
[Brian stares at him, unsure of what to say.]
DEBBIE: [from outside] We're waiting!
MICHAEL: Okay, I'm going to go do this little job, and then I'm going to go see Ted at the hospital. You do whatever the fuck you want.
[He walks away. Brian stares after him, surprised, maybe a little embarrassed. Cut to Michael driving. Debbie is next to him in the passenger seat and Justin is in the back.]
DEBBIE: Nobody knows if it's nature or nurture, being gay. [A shot in the rearview mirror of Justin grinning] Now they're all saying you can tell by the length of the index finger. Although, all Michael's fingers are perfectly normal. He should have three kids and beer belly, and he's about as gay as you get! [She laughs. Justin smiles]
MICHAEL: Ma, give it a rest.
[Debbie rolls her eyes at him. Justin chuckles. Cut to them walking up to Justin's house. Debbie and Michael step up to the door. Justin remains behind, standing just beside the garage door. Debbie rings the doorbell. A musical chime is heard.]
DEBBIE: Listen! That's nice, huh? Not like that old buzzer at our house, huh! [Jennifer opens the door, looks at them] Oh, hi! Um...I was admiring your chimes. You have a real nice place here.
JENNIFER: Oh, thank you. Uh, you must be... [Justin pushes roughly through them and into the house, a pissed off look on his face.]
DEBBIE: Rude little shit, isn't he? [Jennifer covers her mouth with a hand, then moves the hand to her chest.] Um, I'm Debbie Novotny... And this is my gay son, Michael.
MICHAEL: Ma!
[Jennifer looks at them, a bit astonished, unsure of what to say.]
JENNIFER: I'm...Jennifer Taylor.
DEBBIE: Jennifer.
CRAIG: [From inside] Honey, who's there?
JENNIFER: [Calling back] It's no one.
[Michael and Debbie both look down, away. Jennifer steps a little ways out onto the porch and shuts the door slightly behind her. Her eyes flick between them]
DEBBIE: Listen...uh, if you ever need to talk to somebody, I work over at the Liberty Diner, on Liberty Avenue. 'Cause I know what you're going through. The finding out. I mean, I always knew about Michael. [She chuckles nervously] In fact, I told him, right? [He makes eyes at her. She smiles a bit at Jennifer.] To spare him the pain of having to tell me. So...Jennifer...don't ask, "Are you?" Because it's never a question. Just say, "I know."
JENNIFER: Uh...thank you. [She looks between them, points nervously behind her and steps inside, shutting the door. Michael rolls his eyes]
MICHAEL: You had to say all that?
DEBBIE: I was trying to help.
MICHAEL: You try too much. [They step off the porch together. Debbie wraps the collar of her extremely ugly orange-ish jacket around her, zips it up.] You're still wearing that same old coat.
DEBBIE: So someday you'll buy me a mink. [She chuckles] Huh. You're going to be a big success.
MICHAEL: Yeah, right. You'll freeze to death first. [Debbie slaps him hard in the back of the head] What was that for?
DEBBIE: You can be such an asshole!
MICHAEL: What'd I do?
DEBBIE: You don't know yourself. [She shakes a finger at him] "Know thyself." Some Greek said that. Who was it?
MICHAEL: Zorba? [He makes a 'no idea' face]
DEBBIE: I don't know. [He rubs the back of his head as she looks back at the house] I don't know anything. Now take me home.
[They step off the curb, off camera. Fade to black. Fade in on a hospital room. Margaret is sitting in a chair, watching Ted pack up his stuff.]
MARGARET: Are you sure I cant help?
TED: I can do it. It's no big deal.
MARGARET: I wish you'd let me drive you home.
TED: I already asked my friends.
MARGARET: Michael, Emmett, Brian. [He looks at her and smiles a bit] I met them while you were asleep.
TED: [Nodding] Oh.
MARGARET: They're very nice. Especially Michael.
TED: Yeah. Michael is....especially special.
MARGARET: Are you two....I mean...
TED: Oh, no. No, we, uh...he's just a friend.
MARGARET: Well, he's a very good friend. He was very kind to me. I'm grateful you have him.
TED: Yeah, so am I.
MARGARET: Because, more than anything, I worry that you're alone. And that there's no one to look after you.
TED: I can take care of myself.
MARGARET: Oh, I know you can. You've always been self-sufficient. I just, I wish you had someone to love you. I mean, if you did, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
TED: Mom, please.Let's, uh...
MARGARET: I'm sorry. I know that it embarrasses you. If I talk to much, or...I get too emotional. But I cant help thinking that...if you hadn't woken up, then I would never have gotten the chance to let you know how proud I am that you're my son. And that it doesn't matter to me what you are. I got over that a long time ago. And that whenever you're feeling alone or that no one loves you, that's not true. Because I do.
[Ted looks around embarrassed, nervous, swallows.]
TED: Thank you....Mom, for, uh, for saying that.
[She nods. He looks away. Cut to the darkened interior of Ted's house. Michael opens the door and turns on the light, stepping inside. Brian, Emmett and Ted follow him in. Brian and Emmett have bags full of groceries. Emmett turns to Ted]
EMMETT: Now say it three times and click your heels: "There's no place like home." [Ted smiles at him and shuts the door.]
TED: You know, you guys really didn't have to do this. All the flowers, and the groceries.
MICHAEL: One-stop shopping at the Big Q-Mart.
TED: Well, it's...it's nice...[He moves the lamp that Emmett had off-centered earlier to the center of the table] Only, can somebody tell me why I had to stay there three days after I woke up?
EMMETT: They wanted to make sure you're still alive.
BRIAN: On your best days, it's hard to tell. [Ted smiles and nods a sarcastic thank you]
MICHAEL: Okay, just so you don't freak out...your dildos are missing, and your porn. We had to move it all, in case your mom found it.
TED: [Nodding] Well, I expect all 33 back. Cleaned. [They all chuckle. Even Brian smiles a bit]
EMMETT: You should eat something, Honey.
TED: I'm not hungry. [He heads toward the bedroom.]
MICHAEL: We bought you a whole fucking chicken.
BRIAN: And you're gonna eat it.
[Shot of Ted walking into his bedroom. Michael follows him inside. Ted shakes his head a little, sighing.]
TED: It always looks so much smaller.
MICHAEL: What does?
TED: Your life. Especially after returning from a near-death experience.
MICHAEL: Like watching the Oscars. Immediately preceded by...
MICHAEL and TED: [Together] "The Barbara Walters Special!" [They chuckle. Ted looks at Michael.]
TED: I'm glad you're here.
MICHAEL: You are? [Ted nods] Well, uh, I um... [He's stuck]
TED: What?
MICHAEL: Um, uh...I'm glad you're here too. [Ted smiles and nods thanks] And if you ever want to talk about this, or other stuff...
TED: "Other stuff?"
MICHAEL: You know, if there's some....You know, if there's something you can't talk about.
TED: Like what?
MICHAEL: I don't know. You know, maybe if you talk about it, it might help it. But, you know, you might not get what you want...but...[He takes a breath, realizes he's babbling] Oh shit.
[Brian pokes his head in the doorway.]
BRIAN: Are you going to come eat the chicken?
MICHAEL: I'm going to arrange the daisies. [He walks out. Brian watches him leave. He moves to go, but stops and turns back when Ted speaks.]
TED: I saw you. [Brian raises his eyebrows for clarification] Fucking. When I woke up. [Brian moves into the room] I thought... "I'm in hell, and this is my punishment: watching Brian Kinney fucking for all eternity."
[Brian licks his lips and puts an arm around Ted's shoulder.]
BRIAN: You should be so lucky. [Ted nods with a small chuckle. Brian stares at him. His face becomes more serious. He slides his hand off Ted's shoulder and steps back. His voice becomes softer, more vulnerable] Why me? Why did you choose me?
[Ted looks at him. Brian frowns. He has a sheen of nervous sweat on his face. He sits down on the end of the bed. Ted looks down at him and shrugs as if the answer's obvious.]
TED: My mother couldn't do it. Michael and Emmett....couldn't do it. But you could, because you're a heartless shit. [Brian raises a brow] You could pull the plug, and you wouldn't cry. And you'd know when it's time to go.
[He gives Brian a gentle slap on the cheek and leaves the room. Brian sits there, staring at nothing. Dive In the Pool by Barry Harris feat. Pepper Meshay begins to play. Scene cuts to Babylon. Camera speed-shots in, then pans around the club. People are yelling. Shot of Brian and Michael dancing in the crowd. Close on Brian's face. He grins at Michael, who smiles back.]
BRIAN: I want it to be you.
MICHAEL: What?
BRIAN: [Slower, more defined] I want it to be you! I'll put it in writing.
MICHAEL: I want it to be you, too. You pull my plug...
BRIAN: And you pull mine.
[They smile at each other and continue dancing. Above shot of them together. Camera pulls out to show the club. Fade to black. Credits. End of episode four.]
