Harley, a homeless heroin addict in New York City, is obsessed with another homeless addict named Ilya, who is angry at Harley for a recent infidelity and is refusing to have anything to do with her. Desperate, Harley asks Ilya if he'd love her if she'd die, and he coldly says yes. Buying razor blades with money earned from begging and egged on by Ilya, Harley slits one wrist before Ilya and a friend of his, who panics and calls an ambulance. Harley is admitted to a psychiatric hospital.