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Most mornings, Paulino Ramos sat under the small tree at the entrance of a busy Home Depot parking lot near Downtown Los Angeles. Other day laborers hanging around on the corner knew they could find their friend there, waiting in the shade for construction jobs. But in early September, they noticed Ramos, the sturdily built demolition worker, looked weak. He lost a lot of weight and he looked sad, says Fernando Sanchez, a day laborer whose main trade is roofing. He stares at the ground as he talks about Ramos. I think when someone thinks they re going to die, they know; they can feel it.