The Alligator People Page #4

of control standards-.

You'vejust got

to understand, Paul.

I haven't the slightest

idea what will happen.

Tomorrow night.

Tomorrow night.

Paul...

your mother phoned

about your wife.

You should've

told her, Paul.

I couldn't.

The thought ofjoyce

ever seeing me like this-

I just couldn't.

I've agreed to talk

tojoyce in the morning.

- But-

- She's going to know everything.

Yeah, get the big one.

You're Mrs. Webster?

Yes.

Dr. Sinclair is expecting me.

The doctor said for you

to wait in his office.

Take him out.

Put him in a cage alone.

We'll run the test series

on him in an hour.

And bring in

another specimen.

I hope you'll excuse me,

Mrs. Webster...

keeping you waiting.

This experiment

was urgent-

The most urgent

of my life.

So, you're a trained nurse,

Mrs. Webster?

- Yes. Yes, that's right.

- Good.

Then you know something

of the life processes...

of the higher

and lower orders.

In species like ourselves...

with a highly developed

nervous system...

bodily functions

are controlled principally...

by the brain and the nerves.

But in creatures with a less

complex nervous development...

life processes are governed

by chemical substances...

secreted by

ductless glands.

and carried

in their bloodstream.

Like hormones?

Being a doctor, I was

tremendously impressed...

by the healing power

ofjust one hormone-

Hydrocortisone.

And it occurred to me how much

more potent this hormone would be...

in a creature with

a simpler nervous system-

One that depended

on that hormone to live.

For example...

there are some small lizards

that when attacked...

detach their tails

completely.

Yet, in a very

short time...

well, this little fella was well on his way

to growing a new one.

There are even

one or two species...

that can replace an entire limb

ifthey've lost one.

Here's something

intriguing-

Two similar

muscular charts.

You might think they were

the same animal...

but as you know,

this is a man-

This is

an alligator.

This is all very

interesting, Doctor...

but you were going

to tell me about Paul.

Everything I've said

concerns Paul.

I knew I'd found

my life's work.

I wanted to extract this

wonderful reptilian substance...

and use it to cure

human injuries.

Mrs. Hawthorne-

She was still

Mrs. Webster then-

She remarried

after Paul's father died-

Mrs. Hawthorne

financed my researches...

and set up this clinic.

Well, did you succeed?

I isolated

a protein chemical...

from the anterior

pituitary glands...

of crocodilians.

- Our common variety is the alligator.

- Alligator?

I injected this substance

into the veins ofvolunteers-

Horribly injured,

hopelessly mangled accident victims...

on the point of death.

It was miraculous,

Mrs. Webster.

Not only 070' those

dying men and women live...

but in an incredibly short time,

they were completely whole-

Mangled limbs

as good as new...

as ifthey'd

never been injured.

And Paul was

one of these?

The worst of the lot.

There was scarcely a bone in his body

that wasn't broken-

face completely gone...

horribly burned'

Nobody would even know

you were in a plane crash.

That's what I said to Paul

the night we were married.

Can you imagine my feelings?

I thought I'd stumbled

on the medical miracle of the ages.

- It certainly seems so.

- Then, over a year later-

Doctor, can you come right away?

It's number six again.

Excuse me.

I'll be back soon.

Maybe you'd better

come along, too.

Another sedative,

Doctor?

No.

I'm afraid the brain tissues

have been affected.

Try a sun ray.

Yes, Doctor.

Who are these?

My prize patients.

My medical miracles.

- Well, then, these symptoms are-

- The aftereffects.

They began to appear

in varying degrees...

about a year after

the treatment.

Why? How?

Isn't it obvious?

There was an additional

secretion...

in the pituitary injection

besides the healing hormone-

Something

I didn't know about...

but, in its way,

even more powerful'

And the sun ray?

The sun ray has a strong

depressant effect...

on reptiles.

Makes them lethargic, dormant.

Reptiles?

But these aren't-

They are, aren't they?

Your patients

are turning into-

Alligators.

In effect,

you can say that.

- Alligator people.

- And Paul?

His symptoms were

the last to appear.

When his final test

proved positive...

I had to wire him

on the train.

He's quiet now.

We can go.

Is there any hope for...

for the people?

There may be

a possible chance...

but a slight one-

A shot in the dark

and very dangerous.

Your husband insists upon

taking that chance tonight.

What is it?

Massive radiation-

Gamma rays

from a cobalt bomb...

combined with

high intensity X rays-.

We've already noted

in Paul...

definite positive reactions

to X-ray treatment...

but what will happen

with this...

- I don't know.

- I want to be here.

- I don't think that's wise-

- I want to be here.

I want to see Paul. I want

to talk to him before-

You can't keep me

away, Doctor.

No, I guess I can't.

Maybe I haven't even

got the right.

Paul, please.

Don't run away again.

Dr. Sinclair explained

you were coming tonight and why.

I wanted to be here.

Oh.

Paul, it doesn't

make any difference.

I'm your wife,

and I love you-.

Oh, Paul, darling.

You know all about

tonight?

Dr. Sinclair explained.

He told me about the X-ray treatments...

and how much better you are-.

I know this'll do it,

Paul.

Why, radiation therapy

works wonders.

It'll have to.

You'll come out

of that laboratory...

as handsome as ever.

Joyce...

I love you.

You know that.

I wouldn't have done this

to you- let you see me.

I'd rather have died!

Oh, Paul, please.

Don't say that.

We're... ready, Paul.

If you still want to.

I still want to.

Very well.

Stand by

for lowering position.

- Ready, Paul?

- Ready.

Oh, Paul, do you

have to do this-...

take this chance,

knowing the danger?

Whatever happens,

either way...

I'm better off

than the way I am now.

Oh, Paul.

I'm sorry for the way

I treated you.

Paul was so desperate

to keep you from knowing.

We did everything we could.

Now that I know you,

I'm sure we were wrong.

I'm sorry.

Terribly sorry.

Manon!

Where is he?

- Who?

- Paul.

He's not here.

You get out of here.

Mrs. Hawthorne ordered you

off this place for good.

I know where he is,

where he's got to be!

With the others!

Now you go on!

Get out!

Controls and timing

must be precise.

When you're dealing

with radioactivity...

and billions ofvolts

of energy-...

the slightest

deviational standard...

even a few seconds

of excess time-.- ...

and anything might happen.

What's the exposure

interval, Doctor?

No more than 3O seconds.

Absolute maximum.

I determined that

on my test alligators.

Definitely.

30 seconds.

No more.

Paul.

Yes?

I'll never be able

to tell you...

how sorry I am-.

Don't blame yourself.

I certainly don't.

Who can know everything?

You're not God, Mark.

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