Backfire

Julie.

Oh, hello there.

- Hello, yourself.

- You got a minute?

Just about.

- Where's the cowboy?

- Over at the pool.

How is he?

Well, Steve,

these operations aren't any picnic.

Sure, sure, I know.

But I got the medicine for him.

Look at this ranch. Six hundred acres.

Good barns.

Ninety miles from Phoenix. Irrigation.

Another year of work to swell the kitty, you

add that to the VA loan, we're in business.

- You'll have to forget it.

- Forget it? What do you mean?

- He's going to pull out of this, isn't he?

- He'll pull out.

But he won't be able to go back

to rigging oil derricks...

...or working in lumber camps,

or anything like that.

He'll have to take it easy for a while.

- For how long?

- A year. Maybe more.

Hm. That's tough.

It'll be a lot tougher

if he has to come back here.

Yeah.

Well, that's that.

I'm sorry, Steve.

Have you told him?

I'll handle it.

Watch out, Jack.

- Hi, cowboy.

Hi.

Hello, fellas.

- How you doing?

- Fine, fine.

Pull up a stretcher

and I'll tell you all about my operation.

That's what I hear. Lucky 10th, huh?

Anything new on the VA loan?

Answered a lot of questions.

Filled in a form.

- The old routine, huh?

- Yeah.

No matter how you slice it,

it's still the Army.

You know, I've been thinking,

maybe we're backing the wrong horse.

- How do you mean?

- Ranching. It's a risky business, Bob.

I've been talking to a lot of guys.

You buy yourself a place,

put your heart into it.

Maybe the market drops out

from under you.

There's a drought, or your steers

get foot rot.

You're back where you started from.

Besides, I've been thinking

of something else, a gas station, maybe.

- A gas station?

- What's wrong with that?

At least when you sell a gallon of gas

you get the cash right in your mitt.

Now look, Steve, for three years

we were holed up inside a stinking tank...

...and all that time dreaming about space.

Enough space to call a ranch.

For three more years we save every nickel

we can lay our hands on.

We read ourselves blind

about cattle, fodder, marketing.

You think I can blow all that out

my barracks bag overnight?

You're crazy.

You want a gas station, okay.

Me, I still want the ranch.

- That's what I said.

- Huh?

The smell of gas makes me sick.

You get out of this place

and we start ranching.

Hark! The herald angels sing

Merry Christmas.

Peace on earth and mercy mild

- Oh. Hello, Miss Benson.

- Good evening, doctor.

I thought you were off tonight.

Oh, I was, sir.

But Florence had a heavy day,

and I don't mind.

That's nice of you.

I'm sure the patient in number 12

won't mind either.

Well, he can stand

a little Christmas cheer.

- Is he still worried about that friend of his?

- I'm afraid so.

That's too bad.

See he has a good night's rest.

I ordered a hypo. Repeat if necessary.

Merry Christmas.

It came upon a midnight clear

That glorious song of old

From angels bending near the earth

To touch their harps of gold

Peace on the earth, goodwill to men

Steve. Steve. Steve!

Bob, what is it? What's the matter?

Nothing.

I just had a crazy dream.

It must have been.

Here, you lie back.

You sounded as though

you were being scalped.

Oh, we...

We'd gone fishing.

Steve and me. Up in the mountains.

Next thing I knew,

he was falling off a cliff.

I tried to throw him a parachute.

It was all cockeyed.

It just goes to show you, always take

a parachute when you go fishing.

Yeah.

- I don't suppose he's called?

- No, he hasn't.

Not even on Christmas Eve.

Julie, would you phone his hotel again?

I just called this morning.

Why don't we wait until tomorrow.

Give him another day.

Wait. I've been waiting six weeks.

Something's wrong. I know it.

Steve's not the kind

to run out on anybody.

He came to L.A. just to be around

till I got on my feet again.

- Why should he suddenly disappear?

- Maybe he had to go out of town.

Where he can't get in touch with you.

There are telephones out of town,

and post offices.

He could have dropped me a card.

Well, you know what the mails are

at Christmas.

Bob, I just saw Dr. Nolan.

You've made your last trip to surgery.

What'd they do? Give up?

You'll be out of here in 10 days.

On the level?

Lucky 13, huh?

Well, you've been around here

a long time.

We get tired of the same old faces.

With one or two exceptions.

Same here. With one exception.

Why do you always get romantic

after your hypo?

Merry Christmas.

Say, there's package in the top drawer

over there. Would you get it?

Sure.

- This?

- Yeah. Go ahead, open it.

Merry Christmas to you.

It's very sweet of you.

Is that the best you can do?

Anything more is against regulations.

Tell them you couldn't read

the small print.

- Good night, Bob.

- Night.

Bob?

Bob Corey?

Are you Bob Corey?

It's all right, Julie.

I'm gonna sleep.

Don't go to sleep.

Bob, please.

I've come about Steve.

Steve Connolly.

He keeps calling for you.

Steve?

You must listen to me.

Tell me what to do. Steve is hurt.

Badly hurt.

Yeah, I know.

- It's the cliff.

- Cliff? There was no cliff.

You better call Julie.

They gave me something

to make me sleep.

No. Please.

Bob, please.

I'm sorry.

But you've got to listen.

I don't know what to do.

What...? What happened?

It was an accident.

His spine, it's smashed.

The doctor says nothing can be done.

I thought I was strong

but I can't stand it any longer.

The way he looks at me,

begging, the pain in his eyes...

...he asked me to put him out of it.

You mean, kill him?

Is it right, is it wrong?

That's all I want to know.

- Yes or no.

- No.

Tell him I said no.

The doctor's crazy.

They can put him together again.

- They did me.

- But he can't go on suffering like this.

It has been 10 days.

Ten days?

Tell him... Tell him 10 more.

I'll be out of here.

Tell him I said,

"Hang on no matter what."

That's what I wanted you to say.

There's a... A pad.

Write... Write the address.

Ten days.

Ten days.

Ten days.

Ten days.

Good morning.

- Morning, Corey.

- Hello, doc.

- How are you feeling?

- Fine, fine.

Look, I can leave today, can't I?

You said 10 days.

- Gonna hold me to it?

- I'm gonna try.

Well, let's have a look.

Up on the bed with you.

You know, Corey, you're gonna be

a famous man one of these days.

I'm writing a paper about you

for the medical journal.

Thirteen little operations

and look at you.

Practically a brand-new spine. That hurt?

No.

Look, doc, don't think I don't appreciate

what you're doing for me.

I'd like to get out of here

as soon as possible.

Of course. Roll over.

You must understand one thing, son,

you shouldn't do anything heavier...

...than push a pencil around

for the next year or two.

I hear you and your partner

have got a lot of plans.

For all I know my partner may be dead.

Oh, yes.

That exotic vision from the unknown

on Christmas Eve.

Complete with accent. Now, son...

Oh, I know it's a big joke

around the hospital, doc.

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