From: Riley <LMT94002@uconnvm.uconn.edu>

The City Update 10/25/06

Storyline:  A man or a cat?

The street-Gino is having car trouble.  Guido is calling the garage.
Tracey runs out of the building, yelling for a taxi that leaves without
her.  She tells Gino's guard to get the car out of there, she's trying to
get a cab.  He'd love to oblige, but his engine just went out.  She bangs
on the car as he walks away.  Where is he going?  Get it out of here!
Gino steps out of the car:  "Hey, Lady!  Is my car hurting your fist?"
Gino laughs.  Her again.  It's always a pleasure, he says.  She just
looks disgusted.

The City Bar--Is it Gino's fault the car broke down?  Tracey wants to
know how an engine breaks down when a car isn't even moving.  How should
Gino know?  Tracey trips down the step and twists her ankle.  Gino
supposes that's his fault too.  She says the whole, hideous day is his
fault.  He leaves.  Tracey flags down Tess and asks her how to get a cab.
"You just stand on the corner and put your hand out," Tess says.  Tess
recognizes her from the penthouse.  Tracey wants to konw who she is.
They make acquaintance.  Tracey might have saved Nick's life, Tess says.
Tracey tells her to buy her a drink sometime.  Right now, Tracey just
needs a cab.  Tess asks her what's wrong.  Her ankle.  Tess offers to
help her outside, but Tracey says, "Been there, done that," as Gino
smiles at her from across the room.  She tells Tess that "that clown's
limo is blocking 2 miles of the curb."  She means Gino?  Tess knows him?
Yes.  Tracey asks if it's just one big, happy family around here.

Tracey wants an aspirin.  Buck will be right there.  He's on the phone
trying to get information on Nick.  They won't tell him anything over
the phone.

A waitress goes up to Gino and says the specials are Veal Picada and
Fetuccini Alfredo, she thinks.  She can't read her own handwriting.  Gino
asks if the chef is italian.  Irish.  Gino laughs and says to give him a
cheeseburger--rare, and a beer.  Any kind, as long as it's cold.

How is it that Tracey knows Gino?, Tess asks.  They're practically going
steady, Tracey says.  She says it's a little joke.  The other night she
stopped in to meet some of the tenants and she had the misfortune of
meeting him and his charming daughter.  Carla, Tess smiles.  "Is that its
name?"  Tess knows she can be a little hard to take sometimes.  A little?
Tracey asks.  Tess says she's no dummy.  She has an MBA from Harvard.
Tracey wants to know why everyone feels compelled to tell her that.
Carla is Gino's financial advisor.  If it weren't for Carla, Tess doubts
he'd be as rich as he is today.  Tracey will bite.  How rich is he?  "He
could probably give away limos as party favors."

Gino is on the phone.  "Carla?  I haven't spoken to you in what, half an
hour?!"  Of course he missed her.  He's eating...He got a little hungry,
so he's eating...a salad...a salad and a club soda.  The waitress comes
and puts the food in front of him, saying what he ordered.  He says for
her to "sh".  He turns back to the phone.  "Of course, would I be lying
to you?"

Tracey asks waht business Gino is in.  A little bit of this, a little
bit of that, Tess says.  He practically owns half of Brooklyn.  Including
the bridge?, Tracey asks.  Tess wouldn't be suprised.  Tess says he's a
pretty sharp businessman.  Tracey asks if the "Brooklyn Soleitos are what
you would call a 'family'?"  Tess says he's very close to his family.
Tracey says Tess knows what she means.  The Soleitos are aggressive when
necessary.  Tracey says there's nothing wrong with that.  Not if she's on
his good side, Tess says.  Tracey says there's a certain fascination with
dangerous men.  "There's a certain fascination in big cats with stripes,
but I wouldn't want to get into a cage with one," Tess says.  "Not unless
you're really good with animals and carry a big whip,"  Tracey says.
Tess is sure Tracey has been konwn to carry one sometimes.  Her?  Buck
walks up.  He finally got them to tell him:  Nick is out of surgery, but
he doens't know how he is.  He's going up there.  Tess is going too.  She
introduces Tracey to Buck.  Tess offers to get her a taxi, but Tracey
says she's fine.  She's a really fast healer.  They says goodbye and
leave.

Gino says he won't buy the building.  The money isn't the point.  The
point is he's not interested.  She should stop nagging him.  He knows she
worries about how he handles his money...and his women.  She has nothing
to worry about.  He knows what he's doing.  Tracey is listening.  Ready
or not, here she comes.

Guido asks Gino if he should be eating that.  Gino says he's got his
daughter watching him and now Guido too.  Guido is just looking out for
him.  Gino tells him to just take care of the transportation.  Guido sits
down and asks Gino if he's really going to finish that.  Gino hands it
to him and tells him to eat it.  Guido had the old car towed to the
garage.  A new one will be here in a few minutes.  Tracey comes up and
Guido excuses himself before leaving.  Tracey asks if the seat is taken.
Gino says it's reserved for someone nice and quiet.  Tracey whispers,
"Excuse me.  Is this seat taken?"  Gino's not in the mood for any more
grief.  Tracey says how about a drink, if the offer still stands.  Gino
shakes his head in amazement and drinks his beer.


Storyline:  family

The doctor says to Richard, Lorraine, Angie, and Jacob that they are
having a problem.  Nick pulled through the surgery, he's in intensive
care, but Nick was a lot problematic risk.  He's coming out of the
anestesia now, but he's not very responsive, not at all in fact.  What
does that mean?, Richard asks.

City Bar--Tess plays a Nick River's song on the jukebox.  Someone walks
up.  He was at the concert.  He was great.  Wasn't she the one who sang
after Nick?  Yes, she was.  Tess was terrific too.  Does she know Nick?
When is he going to give another concert?  Tess doesn't know.  He says to
tell Nick to make it soon.  Tess will tell him when she sees him.  The
guy goes away and Tess starts to cry.

Angie asks if his body is rejecting the liver.  Not as far as they can
tell, but it's too soon to know.  At this point, they really can't
speculate on Nick's condition.  Zoey comes bouncing in, yelling.  The
show was a complete mess.  She hopes she didn't put them off the air, but
she brought a bunch of fan mail and a tape of Nick's concert...what's
wrong?  Angie says they're not really sure.  Richard tells her that Nick
got out of surgery okay, but he's not responding as well as they thought.
What does he mean?  Lorraine says it means he's dying.  The doctor says
he really can't say that.  Richard wants to see him.  Angie objects, but
the door says it's okay.  It might help to see people he cares about.
They shouldn't stay too long though, he's weak.  The doctor, Richard,
Zoey, and Lorraine leave to see Nick.  Jacob asks if it is as bad as it
sounds.  Angie tells him it could be.

As they walk in the doctor tells them not to expect oo much, at least not
for a while.

Angie is looking at the family tree.  She says Richard must have been
very touched.  Until Jacob rained on his parade.  They were talking
about hwo he never thought much about having kids and now he might want
to start thinking about them.  It just got to Jacob.  Jacob says he
shouldn't have let it.  Angie says it's not a question of let, it just
happens.  Jacob had David on his mind.  He should be over this by now.
Angie says there are no timetables on these things.  He tells her not
to get all philosophical on him.  Angie wishes there was something she
could do.  She's there, that's enough.  Angie starts tos ay he needs to
let himself feel, but stops and says no more philosophy.  He says what he
needs is a kiss and some coffee.  She doesn't want any coffee.  He leaves
She flashes back to her conversation with Tess.  Jacob comes back.  Angie
is staring off into space.  He welcomes her back.  When she said she
wished there was something she could do for him, there is.

Richard has a bone to pick with Nick.  Nick had him so caught up with
family that he forgot his taping.  Zoey did it for him.  Zoey says she
was awful.  Richard is sure she gave an Emmy winning performance.  Zoey
says he should have seen the tape.  They wanted her to adlib about
politics.  She got Gore and Dole confused.  They both have four letters
in their name.  Zoey brought Nick some fan mail.  She reads one to him.
Zoey also brought the tape form his concert.  It's in the top 40s now.
She thinks in a week or so, it'll be number one.  She starts playing it.
The nurse says they ahve to leave.  Zoey shuts off the music.  She tells
Nick they aren't going to let him go.  "Don't even think about it, Dad.
Don't even think about it," she says.  Nick opens his eyes.  "Kid."

Angie says there's a possibility that she will be able to...Jacob stops
her.  He loves her for wanting to do this, but he won't allow her to go
through something like that.  Angie says she wouldn't have to go through
anything, it's not an athletic event.  They just got married and he
doesn't want her stressing over trying to get pregnant.  They need to
concentrate on them right now.  She'll go on the conference then they'll
go on their honeymoon, then maybe they'll see what happens.  Angie starts
to tell him about the conference, but Tess and Buck walk up.  Angie fills
them in.  The doctor walks up and tells them Nick is starting to respond.
They celebrate.

Richard was a tad worried there for a minute.  "I'm too mean to die."
Richard says to keep up the good work because he wants to meet Nick's
brother someday.  Lorraine goes to him, crying.  She says she made a pact
with God that she wouldn't drink if he would bring him back to her.  She
says someone's watching.  Nick goes into cardiac arrest.  Richard calls
for help.  Lorraine sobs.  A nurse makes them leave as they start working
on him.

##################################################
"THE CHEAPNESS OF WRITING PAPER IS, OF COURSE, THE
REASON WHY WOMEN HAVE SUCCEEDED AS WRITERS BEFORE
THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED IN THE OTHER PROFESSIONS."
                         -VIRGINIA WOOLF,
                          PROFESSIONS FOR WOMEN

LISA MARIE TURCOTTE (RILEY)
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
STORRS, CT 06269
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