Having already thrown Ortolani in solitary on a multitude of occasions for fighting, Tim McManus lets Ortolani know that every prisoner and guard in Oz hates him or is scared of him (or both), something Ortolani does not seem to mind. Instead of placing him in the hole again, McManus sends him to work in the AIDS ward, hoping to teach him a lesson in tolerance. Disgusted at the prospect of working with homosexuals and fearful of being exposed to the disease, Ortolani asks Nino to get him out of it, which he refuses. While he serves his time in the AIDS ward, Ortolani develops an infatuation for Dr. Gloria Nathan, who believes his violent tendencies could be eased with medication. Although Ortolani is initially disgusted by the patients surrounding him on the ward, he begins to form a bond with Emilio Sanchez, a heroin addict who is close to death after contracting the disease through needle sharing. Sanchez eventually asks Ortolani to help him die and end his suffering. Ortolani doesn't agree immediately, but returns later to do as Sanchez asked him, disconnecting him from life support and smothering him to death.