The Atomic City Page #2

Wasn't he sitting next to you?

Yes.

When did he leave? Didn't you see him go?

No. I was watching the puppets.

All right, now, wait a minute.

Now, pick the next card, mrs. Ostrich.

[carrousel music plays]

You're home early.

Little bit.

Everything all right?

Sure, fine.

It's here, huh?

I didn't know where you wanted to put it.

There's a long cord. We can decide later.

[static]

There's nothing on till 5:00.

Darling, there is something wrong.

Gus Schambach was burned...

Overexposed to radiation.

Oh, I'm sorry.

How bad is it?

They can't tell yet. Not for a few days.

Frank... Yeah?

Why do we stay here?

Now, wait a minute, honey.

I'm not that upset.

Gus will be back in the lab

in a week or two.

Don't you ever get tired

of the barbed wire...

having an FBI man on your heels

every time you step out of the main gate?

And the signs...

"Contaminated area. Restricted area.

"Don't give classified information.

Don't talk to strangers."

Don't do this, don't do that.

I diagnose this as a mild case of jitters

brought on by one inattentive husband

who ought to know

how to say hello to his wife.

Hello.

Hello.

What time we due at the dance?

You want to go?

I think it's what we both need.

I'll call for a sitter.

You usually phone before this.

Hey. What's boiling up inside you, honey?

If we're going to the dance,

I'll need a sitter.

It'll keep. First,

let's find out about you.

This is the first hint I've had

that you didn't like living here.

Oh, I didn't mean it to sound like that.

You know I love our home, our friends.

I'm proud of you, getting to the top,

all the recognition you've won.

It's been wonderful for all of us.

But what, honey?

Can't be the barbed wire and the signs...

Not after six years.

What is it?

Nothing that makes sense.

Well, then...

Talk nonsense, but tell me.

Maybe we've been forgetting Tommy.

He's spent all but one year

of his life in Los Alamos.

You make it sound like Siberia.

What's wrong with living here?

Good schools, good climate...

Good companionship.

Everything a normal kid wants and needs.

Are you sure, Frank?

Sure.

I've been wondering

whether living in this atmosphere

is normal life for a child.

There are 4,000 kids living in town.

They look normal to me.

I don't know. When I was a child,

I'd say to my mother,

"When I grow up, I'll be a nurse,"

or "When I grow up, I'll be a doctor."

It was always, "when I grow up."

All kids talk like that.

Tommy doesn't.

Tommy doesn't say "when."

Today at lunch, he said, "if I grow up."

If he grows up... How normal is that?

Darling, you're magnifying a slip of

the tongue into something gigantic.

No, it wasn't a slip of the tongue.

Tommy doesn't talk about the future.

Children in normal surroundings do.

You did. I did.

[doorbell chimes]

I'll get it.

Addison?

Sign here, please.

Thank you.

Frank?

Frank!

[speaking Spanish]

Excuse me, please.

Where's the nearest telephone?

Across the patio, seorita.

Thank you.

[speaking Spanish]

Yes. Yes.

I'm very sorry, miss Haskell.

Tommy should've told you

he was going to leave early.

I picked him up outside the hotel.

But, dr. Addison,

you had no right to do that.

I ran all over the fiesta

looking for him. It was horrible.

Tommy deserves a paddling

for not telling me.

I'm sorry. I'm to blame.

You certainly are. It was completely

thoughtless of you.

I'm sorry.

Tommy's ticket won the bicycle.

Oh?

Oh, h-he'll be very happy he won.

Tell him he has

one week to claim the bicycle.

No, I... Can't tell him now. He...

He--he went to the store with his mother.

He'll have to present the ticket

in the lobby of the La Fonda.

They're keeping the unclaimed prizes there.

He must appear in person by next Saturday.

Yes. I'll tell Tommy.

Now promenade 'em two by two

Just get 'em on home, as you always do

You honor your partners, corners all

And that's it, boys,

that's it, that's all

Frank, I heard your Tommy

won the big prize this afternoon.

Yeah, that's right.

Lucky kid.

You're talking about

one of the country's top physicists.

And you're talking to a schoolteacher

who almost stopped breathing

this afternoon because of him.

Excuse me if I look a little confused.

It happened at the puppet show.

Tommy just upped and left

to meet his father outside the hotel.

At least your top physicist

might have found out

if I knew Tommy had gone.

[ring]

[ring]

[ring]

[ring]

Hello?

No, no esta.

[speaking Spanish]

Say, Charlie, if Elmer comes in,

tell him to call his mother.

May I, Martha?

You know you can't

monopolize your wife, Frank.

Excuse us.

Look, Gregson, I'm just getting some air.

Sure. Alone.

Doctor, we're outside Los Alamos.

I'm tired of having a policeman at my heels

every time I step outside the gate.

You been aggravating the doctor?

Looks like it. All of a sudden, too...

After going steady for so long.

He's probably upset about Gus Schambach.

Yeah. You running a story on him?

Just that he's been hurt.

Nothing on how it happened.

Like the newspaper business?

I'm getting pretty good.

I worked undercover

as a dishwasher one time--

Watch it.

My mistake.

Did Frank get to see

doc Schambach in the hospital?

Yeah. He was there most of the afternoon.

Oh?

Hiya, Frank. Enjoying yourself?

Yeah.

How's Tommy? Why?

I heard you had to paddle him

this afternoon.

No.

[telephone rings]

No, I didn't.

Hello?

Hello!

Excuse me.

Yes.

Hello?

Please, hello--

Hung up. They just asked

my name and hung up.

I hope nothing's wrong at home.

No, no. Everything's fine.

When me and the missis are out,

we always worry

something's wrong with the kids.

Telephone rings, and we're scared.

Watch it, darling.

People are looking at us.

Frank.

Let's go home.

Good night, mrs. Addison, doctor.

Good night, Gregson.

They haven't hurt him.

I have to call the police.

No!

You know what they want.

I can't do it. You know--

Don't! I won't let you!

There isn't any choice!

There must be some other way!

There has to be.

Maybe they'll take money.

I wish they would.

We'd raise it someway, somehow.

But it isn't money, Martha.

How can you be so sure? You don't know.

Let me talk to them first. Please, Frank!

All right, darling.

All right.

We'll wait and see what they ask.

We'll wait and see.

[bells ringing]

[telephone rings]

Hello.

Yes.

Just a minute.

Excuse me, lady, are you mrs. Addison?

Yes. Yes, I am.

Someone wants you on the telephone.

Hello.

Is this mrs. Frank Addison?

Yes, this is mrs. Addison.

You know why I'm calling.

You want your son back safely, don't you?

I do, I do.

Then tell your husband

to play ball with us.

Tell him he doesn't have to worry

that we'll ever tell what he did.

He'll do whatever you say.

Now, tell me, is Tommy all right?

He's fine. We won't hurt him,

not if your husband follows instructions.

Here, Tommy, talk to your mother.

Hello, mama. I'm all right, mama.

Tommy, darling,

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