Panic in the Streets Page #9

But that's a chance, and it's in the future.

You can't spend the rest of your life...

You know, you're a pretty lucky guy

right this minute.

Lucky?

- Holy smoke.

- You are.

You've done exactly what you

planned you were going to do...

...when you were a junior

in medical school.

- How many people can say that?

- I don't know.

But I do know I've got exactly $38

in the savings account.

So, every once in a while you...

you get a guilty feeling...

...that you've been

missing out, or...

...that you owe something to...

...to me or to Tommy

or somebody or other.

Then you take it out

on whoever happens to be around.

Mostly I'm around.

So?

So stop feeling sorry

for yourself.

- Yes, ma'am.

- And don't get smart with me.

If there's a plague here,

you're the most important guy in town...

...and not only to me.

Yes, ma'am. So?

So that's all.

Well. How long you been

cookin' that one up?

You'd be surprised.

Housework leaves

a lot of time for thinking.

Some of it I...

I thought up a few weeks ago.

About the time

I decided that...

Tommy wasn't gonna be

an only child anymore.

- You decided what?

- You heard me.

Well, for Pete's sake.

Do you mind?

You son of a gun.

You said yourself that... that it was bad

for Tommy to be an only child.

Well, what do you know?

- And, Clint, aside from Tommy...

- You gotta stay away from me, honey.

Aside from Tommy, I...

I have no intention...

...of being too old to

enjoy my grandchildren.

Hm! How do you like that?

Don't worry about the money,

Clint. We'll work it out.

I'm not worried.

This is nice.

I guess the reason I did it was because

I knew you really wanted it.

I like you, Clint.

It's only fair that you get

some of the things you want.

I guess that's

the real reason.

Clint?

Hey!

- What's up?

- I don't know, but it ain't good.

- Well, what's going on?

- They just told me to get you and bring you over here.

Look.

Sorry I had to call you here...

...but my office and my home

are crawling with reporters.

Now I find you've arrested one. What's the matter

with you, Warren? Have you lost your mind?

- If the desk sergeant hadn't made a mistake, he'd be there still.

- Yeah, I know.

- What imbecility prompted...

- He did it on my authority, Mr. Mayor.

- Your authority?

- Yes, sir.

What authority is that?

You're an adviser here, Doctor, a guest...

...and you can oblige me by confining

your authority to your own duties.

Where's Mackey?

We can't fool around with this any longer.

I told him to get over here right away.

He should be here any minute now.

All I want is a simple statement of fact.

That shouldn't take him too long.

Mr. Mayor, we already got a line

on one of the dead man's friends.

- His name is Poldi...

- Have you made any arrests yet?

- No, sir.

- When will you?

- It's hard to go out...

- I'm sorry.

- We can't wait that long for you. Sorry about the delay.

- Yeah.

- Have you got it with you?

- Yes, sir. Best I could do on such short notice.

- How are you, Doctor?

- About the same.

That's all I wanted.

I had Mackey make up a statement...

...a complete explanation

of the facts as they stand.

Before I give it to Neff here,

I want a confirmation from you...

...that the disease can be contained,

and there's no reason for panic.

Our only chance for full cooperation,

Clint, is to inform the public.

You agree?

No. The minute he prints it, the men

we're looking for will leave the city.

Now, I told you once,

and I'll tell you again.

Anyone leaving here with...

with plague endangers the entire country.

The entire country hasn't got it.

We have. A woman died here last night.

- This problem lies right here in our own community.

- Community? What community?

- Do you think you're living in the Middle Ages?

- Oh, come now.

Anybody that leaves here can be

in any city in the country within 10 hours.

I could leave here today and be in Africa tomorrow.

And whatever disease I had would go with me.

- I know that.

- Then think of it when you're talking about communities!

We're all in a community...

the same one!

- Give me a cigarette.

- Take the pack.

- Can I go now?

- All right.

There are about four more hours

before the morning edition.

Then I'm wasting

my time here.

Do what you can, Tom.

I couldn't hold Neff.

Strangely enough, I find myself in complete

agreement with you, but I couldn't hold him.

- He can color a story any way he wants.

- Yes, he can.

But that's his privilege.

I won't take it away from him.

And I won't say

it isn't better that way.

- What is it, Bob?

- Mind if I take off now, sir?

All right, but I want to be on the radio

in the morning at 9:00.

I'll be here by then, sir.

I'm not going to lie to you.

I'm taking the kids upriver

to their grandmother.

- Oh.

- I'll be in your office by 8:30, but I gotta do it.

All right.

- Well, here we go.

- Don't get any wrong ideas.

- He'll be there in the morning, and he'll stay there.

- Yeah, sure he will.

And kids are kids.

Nevertheless, here we go.

- You want some coffee?

- Naw, I don't think so.

To tell you the truth,

I'm scared to death.

I want to call Washington

and start getting some help in here.

Well, Dan, I seem to remember you as the guy

that talked me into running for this office.

Hm! I was hoping

you'd forget that.

Good-bye, Father.

If you need me, Mama, send Vince.

I'll be right over.

Thank you, Father.

- This is Poldi's mother.

- Hello.

This is Blackie, his best friend.

He wants to help him.

Yes, I heard he was sick,

but I can't find him, Mama.

- He's not in his room. I was worried about him.

- No, no, he's home.

Always when he's sick he comes home.

But he's dying this time.

Oh, no, no, Mama. He's not gonna die.

I'm not gonna let him.

I'm gonna send for

a doctor for him.

But the neighbors already,

they have sent for somebody.

Yes, but, Mama, this is my doctor.

He's the best.

He'll make Poldi well. You'll see.

Now, you tell Vince to go and get him, huh?

You see that Vince gets the doc.

- Say, where did Fitch say he was going?

- He went to breakfast.

He didn't go to breakfast. I've been looking

for him. Now, find him and bring him over.

- You hurry up.

- God bless you, Blackie. God bless you.

That's great, Poldi. Drink it up.

It'll do you good.

I'm gonna take care of you.

It's just you and me, huh, Poldi?

Just you and me.

We're gonna...

Hiya, Blackie. I was just gonna get ya.

I was gonna get ya...

- Only Poldi was so sick, I didn't want to leave him.

- Shouldn't have done it.

Shouldn't have done it.

He says we shouldn't have

done it. He says...

What'll we do, Blackie?

- Shouldn't have done it. Shouldn't have it!

- Take it easy. Take it easy.

- Do what he says. Shh.

- Shouldn't have done it!

I'm sorry, Poldi, but there's nothing

we can do about that anymore.

The first thing we gotta do

is get you well.

You hear me?

We gotta get you well.

I sent Vince for a doctor. Vince is gonna

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