The Thing Page #19

NAULS:

Look, man...

PALMER:

When the lights went out...

NORRIS:

Would have been a perfect time...

PALMER:

Right. Garry was missing...

(pointedly)

... And Sanchez...

SANCHEZ:

(goes for him)

F*** you, Palmer.

Childs and Norris separate them.

NORRIS:

This is just what it wants... to pit

us against each other.

A pounding at the door sends the men jerking backward.

Nauls scampers to his feet. They tense.

MACREADY (O.S.)

Open up!

No answer as the men surround the door, their weapons

ready. Fear.

MACREADY (O.S.)

... Hey, somebody! Open up, it's

me, MacReady...

(still nothing)

... Come on, damn it... The towline

snapped. Been crawling around like

a seal out here...

NAULS:

(harsh whisper)

Bullshit! He's got to know damn

well I cut it!

The men keep their voices low.

PALMER:

Let's open it.

CHILDS:

Hell no.

More pounding.

SANCHEZ:

(shaking)

You think he's changed into one of

those Things?

NORRIS:

He hasn't had enough time.

CHILDS:

... Nothing human could have made it

back here in this weather without a

guideline...

MACREADY (O.S.)

... Where is everybody?! I'm half

frostbit!

PALMER:

Let's open it. Now...

CHILDS:

(edgy, hostile)

Why you so damn anxious to let him

in here...

PALMER:

(slightly trembling)

He's so close. Maybe our best

chance to blow him away.

CHILDS:

No. Just let him freeze out there.

SANCHEZ:

(voice cracking)

What if we're wrong about him?

CHILDS:

Then we're wrong.

The muffled breaking of a window down the hall. The men

turn.

PALMER:

The supply window!

SANCHEZ:

(terror)

What we going to...

NORRIS:

All right... all right... we've got

no choice now...

INT. SUPPLY ROOM

Pitch black. MacReady's voice is heard cursing as he

appears to be stumbling around, looking for a light

switch. He responds to the muffled voices at the door.

MACREADY:

What's going on out there?

HALLWAY:

Palmer stands by as Childs tries the knob. Locked.

CHILDS:

Damn it, he's got the keys.

Childs rips a nearby fire ax off the wall and begins

hacking away at the door.

INT. SUPPLY ROOM

MACREADY:

What are you doing?

CHILDS (O.S.)

You're a dead man, MacReady -- or a

dead whatever the hell you are!

MacReady begins to rummage through the supplies in the

darkness.

CHILDS (O.S.)

We found your clothes -- the ones

you tried to burn.

MACREADY:

What clothes?

CHILDS (O.S.)

You been made, MacReady.

Childs chops away. MacReady desperately continues

rummaging through the supplies.

MACREADY:

Someone's trying to mark me, you

bastard... trying to frame me.

HALLWAY:

Childs cautions to Palmer as he prepares for one last

blow.

CHILDS:

Move in slow now.

Crunch. The door gives. The men move in. Their blow

torches ready. They freeze.

MacReady stands before them holding a lighted flare. His

hair and clothing are covered with snow; his cheeks and

nose blackened by frostbite. Tucked under his arm is an

entire box of dynamite. He holds the flare dangerously

close to the open box.

MACREADY:

Anyone messes with me -- the whole

camp goes.

He appears to mean it. They don't seem anxious to test

him.

MACREADY:

Put those torches on the floor and

back off.

They do. He follows them out into the hall.

HALLWAY:

The men step backwards carefully.

MACREADY:

... back way off.

They heed, retreating further down the hall. MacReady

glances behind him.

MACREADY:

... Where's the rest...

Nauls and Norris, who have silently crept in through the

supply window, come flying through the hacked-up door and

barrel into MacReady. Both going straight for the flare.

MacReady spins Nauls off and rips into Norris, sending him

crashing violently into the wall. Nauls tackles

MacReady's legs, pulling him to the floor.

The others rush him. MacReady, still in control of the

dynamite and flare, bellow:

MACREADY:

So help me I mean it!!

They skid to a halt. Nauls crawls away, quickly.

NAULS:

It's cool, man. We ain't near you,

man... Stay cool...

PALMER:

Yeah, man, really. Just relax.

MACREADY:

Anybody touches me... we go.

Norris, lying on the floor, coughs as if gasping for

breath. He quivers for a moment and then is still. Nauls

crawls over to him and shakes him. A beat.

NAULS:

I don't think he's breathing.

Nauls listens to Norris' chest. MacReady stands.

MACREADY:

Go untie the Doc. Get him in here.

Bring the others, too...

(grins menacingly)

From now on no one gets out of my

sight.

CUT TO:

INT. INFIRMARY

Norris' body is plopped on the examination table. Copper

stumbles and is steadied by some of the men. MacReady

continues to keep his distance.

Copper places an oxygen mask over Norris' face. He then

rips open his shirt.

MACREADY:

So you sweethearts had yourselves a

little trial. I just may have to

kill you on general principle,

Nauls.

Copper begins swathing Norris' chest with a gelatin

substance.

MACREADY:

... Ever occur to the jury that

anybody could have gotten to some of

my clothes and stuck them up...

CHILDS:

We ain't buying that.

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