'Would you ... hold my hand?'
Tony took his partner's right hand. The right shoulder was the one that had taken the bullet, and Tony thought Frank would have no use of that extremity, but the cold fingers closed around Tony's hand with surprising strength.
'You know what?' Frank asked.
'What?'
'You should do what he says.'
'What who says?'
'Eugene Tucker. You should jump off. Take a chance. Do what you really want with your life.'
'Don't worry about me. You've got to save your energy for getting better.'
Frank grew agitated. He shook his head. 'No, no, no. You've got to listen to me. This is important... what I'm trying to tell you. Damned important.'
'Okay,' Tony said quickly. 'Relax. Don't strain yourself.'
Frank coughed, and a few bubbles of blood appeared on his bluish lips.
Tony's heart was working like a runaway triphammer. Where was the goddamned ambulance? What the hell was taking the lousy bastards so long?
Frank's voice had a hoarse note in it now, and he was forced to pause repeatedly to draw breath. 'If you want to be a painter ... then do it. You're still young enough ... to take a chance.'
'Frank, please, for God's sake, save your strength.'
'Listen to me! Don't waste any more... time. Life's too goddamned short ... to fiddle away any of it.'
'Stop talking like that. I've got a lot of years ahead, and so do you.'
'They go by so fast ... so fucking fast. It's no time at all.'
Frank gasped. His fingers tightened their already firm grip on Tony's hand.
'Frank? What's wrong?'
Frank didn't say anything. He shuddered. Then he began to cry.
Tony said, 'Let me see about that first aid kit.'
'Don't leave me. I'm afraid.'
'I'll only be gone a minute.'
'Don't leave me.' Tears streamed down his cheeks.
'Okay. I'll wait. They'll be here in a few seconds.'
'Oh. Jesus,' Frank said miserably.
'But if the pain's getting worse--'
'I'm not ... in much pain.'
'Then what's wrong? Something's wrong.'
'I'm just embarrassed. I don't want anyone ... to know.'
'Know what?'
'I just ... lost control. I just. ..I... peed in my pants.'
Tony didn't know what to say.
'I don't want to be laughed at,' Frank said.
'Nobody's going to laugh at you.'
'But, Jesus, I peed ... in my pants ... like a baby.'
'With all this other mess on the floor, who's going to notice?'
Frank laughed, wincing at the pain the laughter caused, and he squeezed Tony's hand even harder.
Another siren. A few blocks away. Approaching rapidly.
'The ambulance,' Tony said. 'It'll be here in a minute.'
Frank's voice was getting thinner and weaker by the second. 'I'm scared, Tony.'
'Please, Frank. Please, don't be scared. I'm here. Everything's going to be all right.'
'I want ... someone to remember me,' Frank said.
'What do you mean?'
'After I'm gone ... I want someone to remember I was here.'
'You'll be around a long time yet.'
'Who's going to remember me?'
