(water trickling sound) (baby chattering) - Few days ago, I started off at a new job as a forklift driver and they had me do like service on the forklifts and ended up just like coming down on my hand.

(forklift honking) (forklift beeping) I was really excited about the job 'cause I'd just come from working in a kitchen.

Washing dishes and prepping food, just miserable work.

And I got there and it was paying more.

I was excited.

And that happened on the second or third day and I was like, "Like, are you serious?"

I just start and then this happens.

So it kind of put a damper on everything that I had planned behind this new job.

It's so hard having this cast on with my daughter.

Trying to change her, everything, and then like being in pain too.

She's all over the place.

Jump, jump.

Go run around, burn some energy.

- [Daughter] All right, daddy.

All right, daddy.

- Where are you going?

- [Daughter] All right daddy.

- My kid's mom really... She's not...

I told her about it and she's not like a help at all.

I call my kid's mom and asked her if she was coming to get our daughter but she normally picks her up today.

And it's always like a runaround with her.

- [Daughter's mom] Hello.

- Hello?

- [Daughter's mom] Yeah.

- Hey, so are you ready to get her or no?

She kinda made it seem like it was a big deal for her to come get her.

She was like, "Wow, I gotta figure all this out.

Figure out a babysitter 'cause I have to go to a wedding."

Yeah, well, what time is the wedding at?

Compromises, compromises, I have her five days a week.

What do you mean compromises?

Okay, this past week was the second time you took her in the morning on the weekend.

She's around your schedule but I gotta work around this all the time.

And you always say it's an inconvenience.

When I have something coming up, I'll let you know ahead of time, like I told you.

Do you know how much more expensive child support all this could be?

I don't get a day off either, man.

When are you picking her up?

(somber music) Yeah, no, away from the fence baby.

Come on.

So, I'm hoping she comes and picks her up.

But I mean, if not, I'm not gonna be surprised.

I wouldn't be shocked.

Come on.

(baby mumbles) Yeah, come on.

Come on.

(baby mumbles) Yeah.

Being hurt at work, you know, getting injured, definitely like emotionally messed with me a little bit.

Feel like a bum, you know?

Come on, I'm 27 years old and I gotta kid.

I can't be bouncing around like this.

Not a good time in my life, mentally, everything.

It's a little harder for me though 'cause I don't have my right hand anymore.

I definitely started drinking a lot, you know, using it for like a coping mechanism.

Just to kind of like, I guess, you know, numb myself a little bit.

You know, to where like, I really don't care.

You know, whatever.

You know, I'm fine, I'm cool.

Hey, where you going?

Let's go.

I can't be drinking every day, all morning, throughout the day.

Come on.

Be careful.

Good job.

I wanna be able to get my daughter away from the environment that I grew up in and how I grew up.

(brooding music) Zion, Illinois is a really small town.

It's a very, very low income area.

There used to be an old nuclear power plant in Zion, Illinois.

I know the city survived off of it.

Everybody worked there but they ended up shutting that down.

And from what I've heard, that caused Zion to kinda spiral down.

- So that was the power plants down there that shut down and it's just looks like a big wasteland now.

It's a shame.

- [Gary] I grew up right down the street from like a project housing.

And I remember growing up they used to call it, Murderville.

There was a lot of fights, a lot of violence.

- [Matt] There's Prey right there.

He just got shot last week.

Prey what up?

- [Prey] Hey ya, how you doing?

- [Matt] This is my guy right here.

He was just with me last night.

Hey, how you doing man?

- [Prey] Good.

- [Matt] Good to see you, man.

Let me see what, let me see.

Is this the... Man!

You feel it's feeling okay?

I see it's outside of the cast and stuff, yeah?

- [Prey] (Indistinct) I'm getting there.

- Alright brother, love you man.

He was in North Chicago.

He got shot in his arm.

Great kid though, man.

What a great kid.

- [Gary] I had some pretty bad memories there, man.

- [Matt] Was there an arrest that day?

I don't even remember why we were here that day.

Was it- - We were having... People were like using credit cards and sending us laptops and we were pawning them.

- Yes, that was what that was, man.

- [Gary] Right there in number four.

- And 'cause I remember how desperate you seemed and it looked like zombies.

And my man, I was like, the Lord just told me to like, let's just have a heart to heart with them.

I just remember saying, "You guys, you're not gonna live much longer if you keep doing this."

- [Gary] I had a really bad overdose here one time.

- [Matt] Did you really?

- Yeah.

Right before my daughter was born.

It was...

Looking back at it now, I put myself through a lot.

You know, just for something that is pointless.

It scares me so much thinking that my daughter can very easily get wrapped up into that and just throw her life away.

That would break my heart.

That would just, that's the one thing that really scares me about like falling like really hard.

Once in a while I just like pop it up on somebody, seeing how they're doing.

Like my friend, Eddie, I've met him coming out of prison and we clicked up like right away.

Like super, super tight when I first met him.

- I was what?

13?

14?

At the damn time.

You gotta remember this.

I come from dope dealers and drug dealers.

You know what I'm saying?

Dope heads and straight up fiends.

I do this.

- [Gary] We've been through some very, very thick together.

- Hey, mom.

- [Eddie's mom] I'm on the phone.

- [Eddie] Don't come in the front, okay?

- Eddie's mom is awesome.

She's like one of my moms.

How you doing?

- [Eddie's mom] I'm good.

How are you?

- [Gary] Pretty good, pretty good.

I gotta bring my little one by.

You gotta see her.

- Oh, wow.

- Yeah, she's a little cutie.

- She's so big.

Yeah, she is beautiful.

- One of the last time she saw me and it was rough, I was bad on heroin.

Been clean off of...

I mean, I still drank but as far as like opiates and all that, been clean about four years now.

- Really?

- She bailed me out a couple of times with my parole officer.

We've always stayed really tight.

- Like I told him, you know, you guys are like my kids.

You know what I'm saying?

He has a very handful of people that I can actually say that about.

Be ready, be prepared and don't fall back to your old ways, you know?

Because she doesn't... She's with you.

She doesn't have her mom like that.

So who is she gonna depend on?

- [Gary] Me.

- Right.

So I strongly advise you, stay on the course that you're on because she needs you more than anything in this world.

- Yeah.

- Like I said, I'm happy that you're in a better place.

I'm proud of you that you're in a better place.

- [Gary] Thank you.

- You're like one of my kids.

But it's okay.

It's okay to let certain people go and certain friends go.

They're not the ones that are caring for your daughter or putting food in your mouth.

Yeah, I'm happy for you.

- [Gary] All right- - All right, take it easy.

- [Gary] I love you, thank you.

- You too.

- Imma tell you this.

Ain't nothin' nice where we live at.

Ain't nothin'.

Nothin' nice.

You the only person that actually got sober and actually left this.

You can try to go ahead and stay away from it but are you really?

I mean, it's all up to you brother.

- [Gary] Love you and your mom.

(dog barking) - Shut up!

(shot firing)