_Lights come up. Brian is lying on the l...

Lights come up. Brian is lying on the living room floor, with a syringe by his arm. Deb enters. Sees him and runs to him. Kneels.

DEB Brian, what’s wrong? (sees needle) Aw, Jesus Christ! Not shootin’ up too!

BRIAN Wha?

DEB I thought you swore off the pills. And now you’re shootin’ up instead? You get that shit from Deke?

BRIAN (groggily) None of your business. Just leave me alone.

DEB How can you say that to me? This is Deb -- the woman you’re supposed to love and the mother-to-be of your child.

He pushes her away and falls back down on the floor.

DEB You pushed me. You know that? Seven months pregnant and just back from a full day’s work and you pushed me. Well, I ain’t gonna stand for it, Brian. No sir, not this good, hard-workin’ woman. (takes his face in her hands) Look at me, honey. We got a kid on the way. It don’t matter whether or not you got a job. He’s gonna need a father. You hear me? A father! Not a goddam junkie.

BRIAN Please, just f#ck off!

DEB F#ck off? Did you say “f#ck off”? You think you can talk like that to me? Well, you’re f#ckin’ wrong!

She gets up and goes to the kitchen. She comes back.

DEB Look at me, Brian. I ain’t gonna be stuck with a man who gives up on himself. Unless you straighten up, I’m leaving you. Leavin’ you on the next express.

BRIAN What?

DEB I said I’m leavin’ ya.

BRIAN Like hell!

DEB (pulls out a butcher’s knife) That’s what you know! You see this? You don’t get off drugs and get back to bein’ the man I married, I gonna do somethin’ truly awful.

(points knife at tummy)

I’m gonna kill the baby. Kill your baby and my baby -- kill him and kill myself in the process. Because you don’t deserve us. You don’t deserve to be a father. You don’t deserve to be a husband. You hear me? You don’t deserve nothin’ at all! Now, tell me, you gonna stop all this nonsense or not?

(lets knife go down a bit)

You ain’t no drugged-out loser, Brian. You’re a winner, at least, you was. Just got to get back to the man you were. ‘Member when you told me -- you never have to worry, Deb, ‘cause I’m not just a worker. I’m an American worker. A man of steel. So don’t count me out. Now, look at you. Down for the count. It don’t have to be this way, Brian. You can be that man again,. You just have to want to. Do you hear me? You just have to want to be the man you always was, no matter what the world tries to do to ya. The man you always was, not some drugged-out loser who don’t deserve nothin’, nothin’ in this world.

(holds up knife again)

Now tell me, what’s it gonna be? Or I’m gonna drive this knife right into your baby and into myself. And you ain’t gonna have nothin’, nothin’ in this world for the rest of your life but our blood on your hands!

BRIAN (still groggy) All right. Don’t get carried away, for Christ’s sake. I’ll find a way.

DEB Don’t bull sh#t me, Brian. Swear to God you will stop what you’ve been doin’ to yourself and start to think about your family again. Come on, say it. I swear to God I’m gonna stop all this nonsense.

BRIAN Swear to God.

DEB You promise me you mean it!

BRIAN Yeah. I mean, I mean it.

DEB (drops knife) Thank God for small favors.

(falls on her knees and holds him) Oh, sweetie, we can’t go on like this. I need somethin’ from you. Need it bad.

I NEED YOU TO BE

THE MAN YOU WAS.

NEED YOU TO BE

THAT MAN SO BAD.

DON’T YOU SEE?

IF NOT YOU, WHO

AM I SUPPOSED TO LOVE,

TO LOVE AND HOLD ABOVE

ANY MAN I EVER KNEW?

IF NOT YOU, WHO

THE PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN

GONNA SEE’S NOT BEATEN DOWN,

SO THEY HAVE SOMEONE TO LOOK TO?

WHEN YOU’RE THE MAN YOU WAS,

‘STEAD OF DECIDIN’ YOU’RE THROUGH,

AIN’T NO OTHER MAN ALIVE

CAN HOLD A CANDLE TO YOU?

IF NOT YOU, WHO

IS OUR SON GONNA HAVE TO CALL

HIS DAD FROM THE TIME HE CAN CRAWL

TILL HE’S A GROWN MAN LIKE YOU?

AIN’T NO ONE IF NOT YOU --

NO ONE IN THIS WORLD

IF NOT YOU.

DEB Now, promise me you won’t go back on your word. Promise me, Brian.

BRIAN I just did, didn’t I? Mind if I just sleep it off.

DEB Not here, sweetheart. You come to bed. Come on, I’ll help you up. And when you wake up, I want you to be back to the man I married, the good, strong man I took as my husband.

She helps him up and helps him walk toward the bedroom. Lights fade down

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