"Once upon a time..." "there was a hospital that had no beach, and neither soccer field, school yard or birthday parties." "At hospital, everything goes at a different pace." "It's difficult to get used to this life." "It might seem like there's no time, that nothing ever happened." "But it was the other way round, really, there was a lot going on." "But all, at a different pace." "Many people think that once you're here, everything stops, but I believe that here, you can find a good reason to live." "And in this hospital, it was me who was living, and although for the two years that I was here," "I had no friends, but I didn't lose hope." "And every morning, when the sun came out." "I imagined with all my strength, that this day, some boy would arrive, a boy who would change everything." "Excuse me, do you know what time the operation will be?" "No, but the doctor will tell you that himself." "But we were told the operation would be in the early morning, and we've come from Andorra, you know?" "Hey Lleó" "Hi Juanma" "Hello" "All right?" "Okay." "So stay that way, right?" "You want some?" "He can't, he's fasting, they operate on him today." "Your loss, this is great." "Lleó, introduce yourself, be polite." "I'm Gavina (Seagull), and he's Lleó (Lion)." "No kidding, those are our names." "My mother was like a hippie." "Not like hippie, she was a hippie." "Hippie, but not of the 60's, but of the 80's." "That's even worse." "My name's Nuria." "Hello." "Hello Lleó." "Hello." "He's Jordi." "Those really are traditional names." "We came here from Andorra." "And what's the operation?" "They have to cut off my leg." "I have a tumor in the tibia." "I love these silences, nobody knows what to say, do they?" "This silence is nothing compared with, when they see that you're missing a leg." "This really is a silence!" "Don't pay any attention to him Lleó, he likes to show off." "Do you want to come on a tour and I'll show you around?" "I don't think I can, the doctor's coming shortly." "The doctors here, never come the day you're admitted," "They don't want to scare you." "Come on, are you coming or what?" "I see that mother gives the orders," "I'm going off for a spin." "And nearby, the lives of everyone else continued, as if no one was sick at all." "Or is it that when you're well, you don't think about people sick in hospital." "I never imagined myself there, and I suppose, that another boy, who right now could be playing in a yard, hasn't thought about it either..." "What are you doing?" "Are you stupid or something?" "I'm sorry Ignasi, I thought I could score." "You idiot, you thought you could score, When's the last time you scored?" "Get off me, shithead." "I don't know why the hell pigs like you are allowed to play." "Hey, get up, nothing happened, man, ok." "You never know when you're gonna get sick." "And even if he's the meanest guy in school, you feel bad about him getting ill." "And more, if you become my roommate." "Lleó!" "Lleó!" "Man!" "how are you Sonia?" "Finally I've found you." "I hope you going to class today, it's two days since you last went." "Yes, yes..." "I've been in treatment." "You don't have rehab until twelve o'clock, don't lie." "Do you always accuse people who are cripples of lying?" "Look, you may not believe me, but it's true, they changed the dressing today as the wound was bleeding." "Do you want me to call rehabilitation, liar?" "Sodding mobile phones, have have put an end to good lies." "Come on..." "Let's go." "An equation is an equality that is only verified by specific values..." "Where are you going Lleó?" "To greet my friends." "But you have to do maths." "But I'll catch a disease here." "Please study." "Sorry man." "I've already studied this, in my school we did this in the 2nd grade." "You're new, aren't you?" "I've been here 2 weeks, why?" "Because it surprises you that they explain things that you already know." "I didn't want to come." "Yeah, me neither." "Does it hurt?" "This?" "No..." "And does it hurt you?" "Being so thin I mean." "Very funny." "Don't be angry." "I've heard it said that lame people are bad tempered." "Bad tempered no, but little assholes yes, that we are, yes." "But it's nothing, I just fell down, that's all." "Then you have something, right?" "Yes, but I'm not a..." "Just wait, Soon the doctor will come to see you." "I don't need a wheelchair, I can walk." "Sit on the bed." "Damn, this one likes to sleep, eh?" "And such a sleep." "He's in a coma, his name's Roc, and we're very careful with him, he's under my protection." "Should you do something to him, You and I will have words." "This boy smelt of football, I liked him, I love football." "I knew what he would do, they all thought by doing this I'd wake up." "Mr." "Benito!" "How are you today, Lleó?" "Hung, as always." "I can't wait to get my new leg." "Yeah, I imagine so, but there's still a few weeks left." "I'd love to get out of here, and be with my friends." "Who were you in the group?" "What do you mean?" "In every group of friends there are always six types of people." "The leader, the handsome one, the smart one, the indispensable one, and the second leader, who would be a leader if there wasn't a leader," "and the girl, yeah." "I've never heard of this." "How many were in your group?" "In my home town?" "Six... jeez thats good." "Which one were you?" "Aren't the leader and the indispensable one the same?" "No, no, no..." "Without the indispensable one, the group ceases to exist." "Without a leader, everything remains the same." "Well I guess it sounds pretentious, but I was the leader." "Without me it's business as usual, and who were you in the group?" "Don't ask me, it's about you, I don't know how to tell you." "Sometimes I wonder if there's anyone better to be treated by, than you." "I think not." "It may sound pretentious, but I was the handsome one." "It does sounds so, yes" "What a pair of pretentious... eh?" "I'd give you some eh?" "But they have to operate on you, and until the doctors say otherwise." "I can't, sorry." "Cool it, you'll get really bad spots." "You're Toni, right?" "Jordi." " Jordi, that's right." "Hell Josep, you always get confused," "I think you should stop calling us by name, and call us like all the doctors do, "boy"." "Studies have shown that calling by name is good for the user." "Is the user the patient?" "Yes." "Help yourself to a pastry Josep." "Lleó, don't call me Josep, you must call me Doctor Josep." "Then as from now, "Dr Josep", I want you to call me "User Lleó"." "Don't listen to Lleó." ""User" Lleó." "User Lleó" "Listen, where's your mother?" "Mama, there's a kind of doctor..." "Are they operating on him already?" "No we won't operate today." "A boy came in, and they're still operating on him." "Go on." "We can't do the operation until tomorrow." "Well, he hasn't eaten." "Don't worry," "I'll tell the nurse to bring you something now." "Take care Toni..." "Jordi." "I'll call your father to tell him the operation will be tomorrow." "Okay." "Jordi, they'll bring you a reheated meal, it's disgusting." "If you want to eat something good, come with me." "Put on your pyjamas and grab a chair, otherwise they'll think you're a visitor, and I hate to be seen acompained by visitors in the hallway." "Where are we going?" "To find your food on the third floor." "Is my food is on another floor?" "We're going to relocate." "Relocate where?" "One" "Two" "Three" "With these, it's possible to obtain everything in the hospital." "Do you exchange books for food?" "Yes." "And you'll obtain it for me for a Stephen King." "If you could have anything, what would you want?" "I don't know..." "Think hard, man." "Why?" "Because today will be your last meal with that leg." "So?" "So you need to give the leg a good send off." "When I lost mine, I gave it a farewell party." "Really?" "Yes, a doctor told me that, and I thought, why not?" "It deserved it, and I invited people who had something to do with the leg." "I'll pass..." "I'd do it, Eh?" "I did it, and then I didn't have the phantom pain." "What phantom pain?" "It's the sensation of having a leg when it's no longer there." "Now with much respect, many people, say she's the sister of Don Vito Corleone." "Rather fat what?" "Don Vito." "Hello Mrs. Herminia." "Hello Lleó." "Let's see what you've brought me, lads." "We have everything:" "Monzo, Stephen King, everything." "I like that." "Since I also I have everything." "Ice cream, chocolate, pastries." "Don't you smell them?" "Not even a single doctor has come, I've been waiting for 3 hours." "and how did the match end?" "..." "As usual, I'll take care of giving fatso a beating when I come back..." "Yeah, I'm bored stiff here, okay, gotta go, see ya." "Where are your parents?" "Working." "And the school attendant that brought you?" "He's gone for a smoke, eh, what do I have?" "It's a little complicated," "I prefer to wait until the person responsible for you comes," "I'll return then, when your parents arrive, or your smoking teacher." "What are you looking at?" "We've made a good deal with Stephen King." "If you can, make sure they don't give you paperbacks, they wouldn't give anything to us." "Okay." "Wow... this has to be a motorcycle accident or car at least." "It could be anything." "Whenever they come at this speed and these lights, it's a motorcycle or car accident." "What is it Andreu, an accident?" "Yes Lleó, a motorcycle." "And what motorcycle was he on?" "A 250cc I believe." "Yeah?" "from the injuries it looks more like a 500cc." "Wait here please." "Excuse me, can I smoke here?" "No." "Yes, but no," "I smoke here as it's the closest place to the rooms where it's ok to smoke," "Let's say it's my secret place to smoke." "Can I share it?" "Yes, but later I'll have to kill you." "you understand right?" "Fully understood." "Who do you have sick?" "Is it that obvious?" "Couldn't I be a visitor?" "No, visitors don't want to spend time close to the rooms, they use smoking as an excuse to go away." "Do you spend a lot of time here?" "For 2 years, my son's been in a coma." "I'm Sorry." "He'll be fine, I'm sure." "He's only getting out of two boring years, because when he wakes up he'll have to go straight to college." "What about yours?" "He has cancer of the tibia." "I see." "And how is he?" "I cannot say that he'll be fine," "I guess a leg doesn't grow back, does it?" "He'll have a normal life, really, they can do everything with an orthopedic leg." "I know a few boys and it's not noticable at all." "But he already had a normal life..." "Sorry." "Don't worry," "I'm grateful for your confidence." "I feel for you, really." "And what about your son?" "What happened?" "Roc, we were..." "I have to go now, room 118, whenever you need to talk." "And yours?" "What's he called?" "Jordi, 114." "Very good, courage... goodbye." "Goodbye." "Hey?" "How's my grandson?" "Good, we're closing already, the truth is he's been lucky." "Really?" "What he needs is to spend time in hospital to completely recover." "A long time?" "For a few weeks, he's broken everything that could be broken." "Damned motorcycles." "In half an hour we'll take him to a room." "Since he's seventeen we'd normally put him with the adults, but probably he'd be better off with teenagers, what do you think?" "Well, he is seventeen." "Maybe with the adults then, what do you prefer?" "I don't know, ask him." "He's sedated now." "If you want to call his parents and..." "No no, he doesn't have parents, they died in a car accident some time ago." "You decide." "Then, perhaps better in with the children." "We'll notify you when he's moved to the room." "Yes, yes, thanks." "About the party, do you really think it's a good idea?" "Sure." "Who did you invite that had something to do with your leg?" "I invited a boy, who was a goalkeeper that I scored 40 goals against with my right leg." "And who else?" "I also invited a girl, who I was playing footsie with under the table," "Really?" "The main thing is that she came to the party but, we didn't play footsie." "Do you have a girlfriend?" "No, do you?" "I did, but when I came here we had to split up, because she couldn't cope with this." "And where are the girls here?" "I haven't seen any." "They're on another floor." "Why?" "They're old-fashioned, man." "Will you do the party?" "I don't think so, I'm from Andorra, my friends aren't here." "Well, I don't have my folks here either," "I'm from Canet, which means that I have no one here." "Who were you in your group?" "How do you mean?" "There's an guy who does rehab with me, who told me that the people of a group are divided into:" "the leader, the handsome one, the smart one, the essential, the 2nd leader who'd be leader if there wasn't a leader, and the girl." "Who are you?" "I don't know." "Are you clever?" "Average..." "What does that mean?" "I don't know, average is average." "Well, if you say so, you probably are." "Or perhaps you're the 2nd leader, who'd be a leader if there wasn't one." "Yes, maybe you're this." "I might be." "And who are you?" "The leader." "We could form a group and do your party." "Are you serious?" "Why not?" "I always say that I won't die of cancer here, but of boredom." "And so for now, who are we?" "Well I'm the leader, and you're second leader" "Leaders of who, if we're only two?" "Most tricky will be to find the girl." "Well I met one today, who's perhaps the ideal girl for the group." "She's feisty enough, you want to meet her?" "Toni, Toni, can you hear me?" "How are you feeling?" "Well, I'm sorry grandpa." "Relax, no harm done." "maybe the bike was a little too big." "It was fun until I crashed." "Now let's put him in bed, one, two, and three." "Is she pretty?" "Well, let's say her body is... different." "Look, that's her, what do you think." "She's a bit thin." "Well man, what do you think?" "but she's okay, right?" "Man, yes." "What's she doing?" "I don't know." "Wait, drop back a little." "Where's she going?" "To be sick." "You're a beast!" "You'll see now." "Damn it man, you're an animal." "Now, you'll see how she's been going to vomit." "I haven't gone to be sick, but to see what you wanted." "Hello." "Hello." "What have you been looking at for half an hour." "We were looking to see if you were the perfect girl to invite to the party." "A celebration here?" "Of what?" "A farewell to Jordi's leg tomorrow," "And we want to have a party." "Very funny." "It's true." "Is it true that they amputate tomorrow, and you're around the hallways like it's nothing?" "Man, it's been two months since I knew they had to cut it off." "And when someone's known it for that long, in the end you get used to it." "But..." "I know that tomorrow I'll be scared shitless." "Sorry." "Me too." "And what is the party?" "Ah, then you'll come?" "I don't think the nurses will let me, but at least I'll know what it is." "Well..." "The idea is to see off Jordi's leg, and everything that relates to it." "And what time is it?" "At eleven." "Well, better at 12, which is just when the nurses change shift." "I don't think I can, bye." "Well, if you dare it's room 114." "Result." "She's incredibly thin." "Yes, it's called an anorexia, one of the screwed up ones, she'll spend time here until she recovers." "Do you think she'll come?" "No, I don't think so." "Well, if she came and was seriously interested, she'd be the perfect girl for the group." "How many do you want in the group, as I've noticed you've proclaimed yourself leader." "Well, hey as second leader, you'll have to ensure your mother leaves the hospital, eh?" "Or there'll be no party." "How can I tell her to go?" "It's impossible." "Then, there'll be no party." "It's up to you." "Throwing a party in a hospital isn't easy." "But I was lucky, every day I had one, especially for me." "My favorite time of day." "No, please, not clowns..." "It's bad enough waiting here, without having to put up with a clown." "It's not for you!" "It's for him!" "Him?" "Aha, him." "Isn't he in a coma?" "Yes, and?" ", and?" ", he hears everything, and sees everything." "You're a little crazy." "Yes, yes, yes, You'll see now when I begin, he changes like crazy, and he seems to smile." "Yeah yeah yeah." "just watch." "Ladies and gentlemen, the world moment we've been waiting for, the presentation of the star-star star-star the biggest star in football, the superrrrr Roc!" "oe oeeee oe oeeee." "But first!" "We'll do a moment of tantric meditation!" "Dammit, he seems happier." "And he is happier!" "And... what happened to him?" "He had an accident." "How long ago?" "Two years." "Has he been 2 years like that?" "Aha!" "This leg, no, this one, this leg!" "And... his parents?" "His parents, his parents love him very much, and come to see him every day, every day, every day to Roc." "I tell you something!" "his mother loves him so much that she even became a hospital clown to spend more time near him, I wanted him to smile." "Do you want to do me a favour?" "Hey!" "Hey!" "You'll do me a favour, won't you?" "It depends..." "Talk to him, yes?" "You're his roommate." "He hears everything, and sees all." "Do we have a deal or don't we have a deal?" "Okay man." "I thank you with all my heart, I thank you with all my heart." "but I have to go, I have to go, bye boys, thanks handsome!" "I thank you with all my heart, I thank you with all my heart, lalara lalala..." "Hello Toni!" "Hello." "Hello." "You must be the boy's grandfather." "Yes, Yes sir." "I guess you already know why I've come." "I guess because I was on a motorcycle." "Smart one, the boy..." "I can imagine." "Can we have a word in private?" "Ah, no, it's not necessary, you can say what you want in front of him." "I think they want to call the Police grandpa." "No, it's not exactly that." "Toni has no driver's license." "No." "The only one hurt was him, but he could have caused a fatality." "Didn't you realize that it was dangerous?" "I'll have to call social services." "Today was his birthday, he's seventeen." "and the only thing he wanted was to ride a motorcycle for a while," "Hasn't he already had sufficient punishment with the accident." "I'm sorry, but I'll have to call them anyway, there are procedures, and these procedures have to be followed." "But..." "I am afraid that I might lose custody." "Don't worry, I don't think that'll happen." "Sorry." "That bastard!" "What?" "That bastard!" "Is what I said." "What, what did they say?" "No, they haven't told me..." "they were waiting for you." "What have you done?" "Nothing!" "Nothing..." "Is there a doctor around here?" "She'll come in a moment now, you're not the only one on this floor, a little patience." "I sometimes think that I'm not the only one that's in a coma, there are many people in this hospital, who don't know how to talk, nor want to." "I've never been in Barcelona on St. Jordi's," "They say that they all go with flowers for the street, right Lleó." "Yes, but more for the center than hereabouts." "Where's your hotel?" "Don't try it on with me!" "No, we don't have a hotel, my sister lives in Barcelona." "but I think tonight I'll stay here to sleep." "You'd better go to aunts house, It's ok mother?" "I'll be fine." "That chair looks very comfortable." "Really mother, tomorrow will be a long day, get some rest." "Are you sure?" "Yes, he'll have fun, yes, the nights here are like a party, right?" "What do you mean?" "Nah, it's a joke, for a laugh." "And your parents Lleó?" "We still haven't met." "we've only seen Gavina." "It's just that I've been here for 9 months now, and my father only comes on Saturdays." "They've operated on me 6 times and he's used to it now." "And these bracelets?" "Ah, they're the 6 operations I've had, every operation they put one on, and well, it shows your blood group." "And you still haven't taken them off?" "No, this is like my rank, this is equivalent to Captain General." "Tomorrow they'll put one on you eh, Jordi?" "Just look how this encourages me, now I really want them to operate on me." "fool." "Alright, I think I'd better leave you, ok." "I'll come tomorrow morning at 6, ok?" "Okay." "Are you sure you want me to go?" "Yes." "If you need anything or are nervous or something, call me." "Mama..." "Now what?" "Now, we wait for the guest, right?" "Are you the boy's father?" "If the boy is this one here, yes, what up?" "what's he have?" "we spend the whole day here, 'cos he fainted." "Can we talk outside?" "Yes, sure." "What does my son have?" "We don't know." "Should I tell him?" "No, not at the moment, it's better not to scare him." "And can't he change rooms?" "He's in here with the dead child..." "He isn't dead, the other boy's in a coma." "Yeah, whatever, but I don't like it." "We'll try to find another room, But it's impossible today." "I have to go to work" "Don't worry, the nurses will take care of him." "You don't have anything, but you have to remain here." "they'll discharge you tomorrow," "Understand me?" "Okay." "I'm going, hey, no messing around with the dead child, I mean comatose." "Lunch will come soon, in less than an hour, I hope." "Can't you stay?" "Until it arrives?" "No, sorry, I can't." "Come on, a glass of milk and off to sleep, eh?" "Jordi, You can't drink, at 6 am you have an operation." "I know" "If you need anything just call." "Yes, you call and maybe they'll come..." "Drink your milk and go to sleep." "Has anyone come asking for us?" "Nobody's asking about the lion king." "Sorry, we haven't had much success with the announcement of the farewell party for your leg." "It doesn't matter." "Yeah, but... we haven't succeeded in forming the group, we're missing four." "Well, it's not so easy to create a group from scratch," "And being based on the theory of a friend of yours from rehabilitation." "How did the theory go again?" "Damn, it's clear that you're not the smart one." "Let's see... there's the leader, the handsome, the smart one, the essential one, the 2nd leader who would be leader if there was no leader, and the girl." "You know what?" "It's occurred to me what we might have in common." "What do you mean?" "Each of us here has one and it could be our sign." "I still don't have any." "Well, you'll get one tomorrow." "Yeah, but if you give me one of yours we could start the group, right?" "You and me?" "Man... we have to start somewhere." "Well, I've never given one of my bracelets to anyone." "Yeah, but the fact is that, leaders are generous." "Will you take good care of it?" "Yes." "Really?" "Yes." "Thanks." "No problem." "I'm gonna look for a Coke in nursing, in case I can't sleep." "Do you want something?" "No." "Does it hurt?" "What?" "When they amputate the leg, do you feel it?" "Does it hurt?" "No... it leaves like a sigh." "Are you afraid?" "Very." "Relax, it'll be ok, you'll see, besides," "What would happen to our group without the second leader?" "What a big party!" "This is a success!" "How are you?" "Nervous, but well." "And what's the idea of the party?" "Your friend explained dismally." "I don't know..." "Lleó said if you invited people that had something to do with your leg, when you say goodbye to it you won't feel so bad." "It's strange to be losing a leg on St. Jordi's Day, isn't it?" "I always thought it'd be cool to be in Barcelona for my saints day, and for once I'm..." "It'll be my first year that I didn't receive any roses." "Sure you will, you'll see." "It's not important, I really have to go, if I'm caught here..." "You know what?" "When Lleó told me, I did think of a way to say goodbye." "I thought, I'd like to do one last dance on two legs." "It might be a nice way of saying goodbye." "It sounds great." "Come on." "Now we'll place you on the trolley." "Can I go to the bathroom first?" "Sure, it's just over there." "Doctor, his vital signs have dropped." "Charging, clear..." "Now!" "Hello!" "Hello!" "Do we know each other?" "Yes, from sight, at the hospital" "I Don't need your crappy friendship." "Just who do you think you are?" "How can you say who's your friend and who isn't?" "What are you doing here?" "You can't lie very well at all." "Whenever you lie you touch your eye." "No way." "There are new developments in the operating room, if you'd like to accompany me." "But he's ok, Jordi?" "It must be a shit not having a leg, right?" "It must be a shit not having a brain, right?" "How much money do you need?" "26,000 Euro" "Damn, this leg costs a fortune." "What do you want?" "I want to be friends with you." "You have to pass a test if you want to be our friend." "We want to know who allowed you to take it without permission." "What?"