The Incredible Hulk (1978) s04e14 Episode Script

The Harder They Fall

(ROARS) And you saw what happened? I got a story for you.
(ROARS) You know, David, it doesn't take a genius to figure out you're tied in with that creature.
(TIRES SCREECHING) (DAVID YELLING) I can't feel anything from my chest down.
You're gonna be crippled, David.
David! (ROARS) NARRATOR: Dr.
David Banner, physician, scientist.
Searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have.
Then, an accidental overdose of gamma radiation alters his body chemistry.
And now, when David Banner grows angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs.
(ROARS) The creature is driven by rage and pursued by an investigative reporter.
Mr.
McGee, don't make me angry.
You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
The creature is wanted for a murder he didn't commit.
David Banner is believed to be dead.
And he must let the world think that he is dead until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.
(ROARS) (TIRES SCREECHING) (DAVID YELLING) (WOMAN SHRIEKING) Oh, my God.
Call an ambulance! Right.
I couldn't control it.
Tried to.
Better not move him, man.
Is he dead? Oh, my God, is he dead? (SIRENS BLARING) DR.
HART: How are his kidneys? JUDY: They're functioning.
Do we have his latest x-rays? JUDY: Radiology's sending them over now.
Mr.
Blackwell.
David.
David.
Where am I? You're in the hospital.
I'm Dr.
Hart.
(MOANING) I can't move.
Well, that's to be expected.
You had a pretty rough time of it.
Also we've got you in a device to immobilize your spine.
You don't understand.
I can't feel anything from my chest down.
All right, David, one more time.
Try and flex the big toe of your left foot.
It's been three weeks.
It still won't move.
I'm going to be frank with you.
When you had some return of sensation, I was hoping for some muscle return.
But these are the facts.
You have a partial lesion of the spine, and the healing process seems to have gone as far as it will.
You're saying that further regeneration is impossible.
I'm not going to hold out any false hopes.
It would be a miracle if your spine healed any more than it has.
You're gonna be crippled, David.
I'm sorry.
Are you sure there isn't anybody that you want me to contact? Your friends, your family? No.
Well, we're gonna move you out of here tomorrow morning down to Ward 4.
I wanna get started on physical therapy right away.
Get the most out of those muscles that you still can use.
I'll be by to check up on you.
Well, that's it.
Nothing to be done.
That's not true, David.
You may be a paraplegic, but you've still got arms, and your mind.
With physical therapy, you can Physical therapy won't make me walk.
No.
It won't.
But it'll help you learn to be self-sufficient.
You're not going to be here forever.
Well, I'll see you in the morning, and introduce you to the boys.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING) PATIENT 1: Come on, guys.
I'm gonna stick with what I got.
I'm happy with the way they fall.
Hey, Bobby.
Hope you're in shape.
Never better.
Thanks.
Who's the new guy? David Blackwell.
They brought him in this morning.
Hasn't taken his nose out of that book since.
Mmm.
Morning, fellas.
Good morning.
Bobby.
Hey, Doc.
You ready for the big game tonight? Yeah, if you give Bobby the okay.
PAUL: He's the best shooter in the ward.
We're gonna need him.
Ward 6 is pretty tough.
It's only a little basketball.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
All right, you don't start, and you only play five minutes a quarter.
That's it.
Thanks, Doc.
Okay.
Hey, what's this, what's this, what's this? Hey, well, it's all part of the rehabilitation program, Doc.
(LAUGHING) If that were true, you're on your way to full recovery.
(PATIENTS LAUGHING) PATIENT 1: You bet, Doc.
Okay, guys, back to the game.
PATIENT 2: Gentlemen, four ladies.
He starts therapy this afternoon.
Now I don't think I'm ready.
Well, the sooner you start, the better your body's gonna respond.
I'm not ready.
I'll be back about 3:00 to take you down to therapy.
Maybe you're ready, maybe not.
We'll find out together.
Lucky to have her.
She's the best.
Paul Corton.
I'm sports coordinator, resident counselor, messenger service, basketball coach, you name it.
Look I appreciate the interest.
I know it's part of your job.
Right now, I need time.
Sure, man.
If you need anything else, just let me know.
Okay? See you men on the court, PATIENT 3: Okay, Paul.
Talk to you later.
(PATIENTS MUTTERING IN AGREEMENT) All right, David.
Now, you're gonna pick up your head and throw it to the right.
At the same time, you bring your left elbow back in a flexed position.
Then you're gonna take your head and right shoulder to the left, while pressing down on the mat with your right arm and right shoulder.
Then you're gonna take your left shoulder to the right, while pushing yourself up into a sitting position.
Push.
I can't.
Give it a fair try.
I wanna go back to the ward.
David, I know this is tough.
I want to go back.
All right.
When did you say you were shot? I don't know, sometime early this morning.
Well, I tell you, this wound looks like it's been healing for about three days.
I know.
I mean, there's scar tissue formed over it.
It's almost as if your body were working faster than usual.
Yeah.
Very strange.
DAVID: And now, I go through changes.
KATIE: And it always comes from anger? Yes.
Or pain sometimes.
NEWS ANNOUNCER: The incident is still under investigation, but whatever the green creature was, the damage is extensive.
Witnesses said it's a miracle no one was killed.
You okay? Come on, let's go to the basketball game.
Take your mind off things.
Come on, be a good game.
Lots of action.
Some of those guys were hurt worse than you.
Thanks.
Go ahead.
Look, man, I I know what you're going through.
When they told me I was crippled, I thought I'd lost everything.
My lady, my business.
I went through the whole bit.
Anger, depression, self-pity.
But I got over it.
You have to.
I mean, my lady and I, we wouldn't have made it no matter how many legs I had.
And my store, my sporting goods store, hell, any day now, the feds will be coming through with my loan, and I'll be right back in business.
You see, man, I'm still doing what I want to do.
Just 'cause you can't walk, life doesn't stop.
Just changes.
How it changes is up to you.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING) (CROWD CHEERING) (EXHALING DEEPLY) (GROANING) (ALL EXCLAIMING) Hey, Paul, you coming to the party, man? We got to celebrate.
Yeah, I'll be with you in a minute.
Okay, fine.
(GROANING) Want some help? (BREATHING DEEPLY) PAUL: Get these leg rests out of the way.
Straighten that wheel to you, so the wheel doesn't tip.
All right, now grab a hold of the rail with your left hand.
Give me your right.
All right, you're gonna go through some pain.
Just go through it, man.
Pull yourself to a sitting position.
Come on now.
(GRUNTING) Okay, come on, come on, go through it.
Attaboy! (BREATHING DEEPLY) Good, you're doing fine.
You're doing fine.
Okay.
Put your left hand on top of this rail.
On top.
There you go.
Now, move it back so you get a good angle.
Now, put your right one on top of my seat.
(GROANING) Okay, now, put Do a push-up.
Swing yourself into the chair.
Good, man, good.
All right, you're doing fine.
You're halfway.
You're halfway.
All right.
Let's get this left leg up first.
There we go.
Now the right.
We cross it over, so it won't fall.
There you go.
Now, with both hands grab the trapeze.
Go on, reach.
The triangle.
Grab it, reach.
You got it.
There you go! Both hands.
You remember a chin-up, huh? (GROANING) You remember? Do one big one, man.
Do one now.
Now! Do it! Do it! There you go.
(GASPING) Good, man.
Good.
All right, David, now lever yourself up.
Good.
Again.
Now, you try it.
Oh, you're kidding.
No, come on, try it.
(SIGHING) (CHUCKLING) (GASPING) (CHUCKLING) Don't worry about it.
You'll get it.
You'll get it.
PAUL: One good thing about not having much, it sure is easy to move.
DAVID: Have you heard anything about your loan yet? Any day now.
Just waiting on that government red tape.
As you can see, this is the last inventory of Corton's Sporting Goods.
Hmm.
Ah! Here it is.
My starter's gun.
PAUL: Unfortunately, hospital regulations forbid the use of blanks.
Use your imaginations.
On your mark, get set, bang! (BOTH EXCLAIMING) (CHUCKLING) I don't mind if you guys try to kill yourselves.
Just don't endanger the staff.
Oh, Nurse, Nurse You might have won the race.
I won the war.
Be a night on the town if you make it up to the top.
PAUL: Go, man.
Go! Attaboy, David! All right, all right! You did it.
All right, man.
Way to go.
(CHUCKLING) You did it.
Free food.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING) PAUL: I did college in three years, captain of the football team, Phi Beta Kappa, the whole bit.
Tried pro football for a while, then I got me a sporting goods store.
Built the business up to where I was just getting ready to make a franchise deal.
A whole chain of them.
Sounds good, huh? Yeah.
Well, there was a fire.
It started in the back of the shop, spread to an apartment above.
I went up to help a kid who was stuck on a fire escape.
Got the kid down just before the fire escape collapsed.
I came down a lot faster and harder.
"Lucky to be alive," they said.
Anyway, you know the rest.
I've been working at the hospital ever since.
What about you? What's your story? Not much to tell.
I've been moving from town to town.
Hope you got that out of your system.
(MEN LAUGHING) What's the matter? I got a hunch it's freak-show time.
What do you mean? Hey, excuse me, all right? I just wanna tell you guys that I'm proud of the sacrifices you made.
I was in Korea.
I know how tough you Nam vets had it.
I think you've got us confused with somebody else.
I wanna buy you boys a drink.
No, thanks.
I insist, okay? Another round for these brave boys.
Look, man, we're just trying to have a little conversation here, okay? Hey, let me do my part, all right? DAVID: Thanks.
Maybe another time.
You drink up, boys.
And remember, it's on Al Barnett, Hey, hey, hey, come on, forget him.
I don't want his money.
Paul.
Hey, friend.
Yeah.
Next time, give at the office.
Is there something wrong with my money? (BARTENDER GROANS) Hey, boy, I'm talking to you.
Can't you hear me? BARTENDER: Al! Al, that's enough, that's enough.
If you weren't in that wheelchair Don't let that stop you.
Let go of me! Al, take it easy! Hey, let's call it a night.
(MEN CLAMORING) Okay by me.
(DAVID SCREAMING) PAUL: David! Hey, my buddy went down the stairs.
Will you please help him? Hey, my buddy went down the stairs! You got to help him.
Hey, listen, somebody! (GRUNTING) He's in trouble! (GROANING) (ROARS) (WOMAN SCREAMING) MAN: What is that thing? (WOMAN SCREAMING) MAN: Let's get out of here! (PEOPLE MUTTERING) (GROANING) (GROWLS) (ROARS) (GROWLS) (ROARS) (ROARS) (POLICE SIREN WAILING) (ROARS) This is amazing.
There must have been further regeneration.
I just can't believe it could happen, let alone overnight.
Maybe it was the fall.
The fall? It's possible.
Well, I suppose it's possible.
Stranger things have happened.
I just have never been around them.
All right, let's see if you can move the big toe of your left foot.
What about your other foot? (CHUCKLING) What about your legs, David? You know that miracle I was talking about? I think you're going to be able to walk again.
Of course, you'll need to be fitted with braces.
Well, if this regeneration continues, you may not even need them.
I wish I knew what had done this.
A lot of patients who could use the same.
I never wanted my legs more than when I saw you go down those stairs.
You did what you could, and I appreciate it.
Doc says you're getting some return of movement in your legs.
Some, yeah.
Oh, that's great.
Really.
Maybe I should fall down some stairs.
Is that for real? BARTENDER: Are you gonna put my picture in The Register? Yeah, we should have a photographer here by tomorrow.
My wife will flip.
Hey, maybe I shouldn't clean the place up.
Oh, no, go ahead.
I mean, people might not believe it.
I tell you, I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it.
It's okay.
It's all right.
Listen, this creature, now, where'd he come from? The basement.
He came right up those steps.
Was there anybody else down there? Only this guy in a wheelchair.
Say, should I wear a tie for the picture? Lt'd be nice, yeah.
The guy in the wheelchair, what did he look like? Average, brown hair.
Well, I'd never seen him before.
But I had seen his friend.
Friend? Another crippled guy.
He's been in here before.
I don't know his name.
He's from one of the hospitals in the area.
Guys in wheelchairs, you tend to remember them.
Do you know which hospital? No.
Well, there's only a couple in the area.
One on Third, one on Dickens.
Third Okay, listen, thanks.
Thanks for your time.
Hey, what do you think? A suit or a sport coat? Do you got a blue suit? Can't go wrong with a blue suit.
BERNIE: It's a straight flush.
Don't worry, guys, your luck's bound to change.
It better.
That's the fifth hand in a row I've lost.
The only way to change your luck is to stop using Bernie's deck.
The voice of a very sore loser.
Mail call.
BERNIE: All right.
Okay, everybody.
Let's take a 10-minute break.
And then you can take me to the cleaners.
PATIENT: Sounds good to me.
Paul, isn't there some rule about staff members gambling with the patients? (CHUCKLING) Well, I got to do something till my ship comes in.
You know what they pay me here.
I think your ship just docked.
Looks like a government envelope to me.
All right.
They must print these checks on tissue paper.
PATIENT: Paul? "Due to the recent tax cut, our funds have been greatly reduced.
"We regret that we are unable to grant your loan request.
" PATIENT: Oh, man.
He was counting on that, too.
BERNIE: A form letter.
(GROANING) (GASPING) (GROANING) Hi.
Hi.
Somehow, I don't think you're here to work out.
You helped me a lot.
I'd like to help you, if I can.
I guess I acted like a kid.
Nobody felt that way.
(SIGHING) Thanks.
Sorry about the loan.
Oh, listen, no big deal.
I'm going over to East Valley Savings.
They made my loan the first time.
I think they'll come through again.
As a matter of fact, I better go make myself more respectable.
(TELEPHONE RINGING) (WHISTLING) Hello.
Yeah, hello.
Is this Paul Corton? Yeah.
My name's Jack McGee.
I'm a reporter with The National Register.
The front desk referred me to you.
I'd like to ask you a couple of questions.
Could you call me back, Mr.
McGee? I'm late for an appointment.
This'll just take a couple of seconds, and it could mean some money to you.
$10,000, as a matter of fact.
Well, that sounds great, but I'm afraid my appointment could mean a whole lot more.
Is there a number where I can get back to you? Yeah, okay.
I'm at the Ameri-Han Hotel.
It's 555-2368.
Call you back.
Mr.
Corton, I really don't think we can help you.
Why? You short of money? Right now, with the prime rate being what it is, new federal guidelines, the general state of the economy, money's tight.
Extremely tight.
You can't give me a loan? We're making very few to small businesses.
Hardly any.
But you are making them.
Mr.
Corton, if you had some collateral, a stronger credit history, a more recent employment record even, we might be able to do something.
But under the circumstances, it's just impossible.
You made me the loan before.
My insurance company paid it off.
I'm good for it.
Yeah, but you've had no credit history since then, and the economy's in an entirely different condition.
Do you know what interest rates are now? Interest rates.
Why don't you tell me the real reason you're turning me down? I beg your pardon? What other requirements can't I fill? Or maybe I'm required to stand up and walk to get a loan.
Could that be it, Mr.
Melton? Mr.
Corton, I assure you, your handicap is not a factor.
Come on, I'm not stupid.
You made me the loan five years ago.
The only real difference between then and now is that I'm in this wheelchair! Mr.
Corton, I don't make the rules here.
(HUFFS) Yeah, Mr.
McGee, I was in that bar.
And you saw what happened? Listen, I got a story for you.
Yeah, I was hoping you would.
Now, the man that you were with Mr.
McGee, I'm giving you my story.
Yeah, fine, okay.
What happened in the bar? I'm talking about something else.
I'm talking about people.
People who get the short end of the stick just because they sit in wheelchairs or walk with braces.
Do you have any idea what that means? Yeah, I think I do, and I'm very sorry.
But what I really need to know about is the other night.
Mr.
McGee, don't give me a song and dance.
Just because a person's legs are crippled doesn't mean his mind is or his feelings.
People gotta learn that! Yeah, I'm sure you're right, Mr.
Corton Look, maybe I could get somebody on my paper to do a feature on this.
I'm tired of maybes.
I want someone to listen now! Well, fine, good.
I could be over there in a couple of minutes.
You tell me what I need to know, and I'll do everything I can to get your story printed.
My story first, Mr.
McGee! Well, I'm not in the position to make that kind of a promise.
(SIGHING) Of course not.
Paul, how am I doing, huh? Paul? Hey, wait a minute! Come on, Paul, I can't move that fast.
The bank turned you down.
Good guess.
I'm really sorry.
Where are you going? Back to reapply.
I've got something that might persuade them.
What do you mean? I've been fooling myself, David.
Government, banks People don't want to know about me.
About cripples.
Even my old girlfriend.
What I told you was bull.
We never would have broken up if it hadn't have been for this.
And you know something else? I'm getting tired of the whole deal.
I'm gonna turn some heads around.
You watch the news tonight.
Paul, what's in the briefcase? They say I'm not qualified for a loan.
They'll see how qualified I am when I rob their bank.
Oh, come on, Paul, that's not going to help! I'm gonna give the money back on local TV.
All I want is the publicity.
But it's not worth the risk! Hey, it's just a starter's gun.
Nobody's gonna get hurt.
Really? Well, bank guards don't happen to use starter's guns.
I'll take my chances.
Either way, people'll listen.
Paul, this isn't the way to do it.
You gonna tell me the way? You're on your feet, man, and I'm still in this chair.
You gonna tell me what to do? No.
Oh, come on, Paul! Hey, can't you read the sign? "Handicapped only.
" Yeah, yeah, I know.
I'm just gonna be a minute.
Keys are in there.
Yeah, but the keys don't matter.
Where you going? I'm gonna have that thing towed, you know.
I'm even gonna call the police.
Paul! (GROANING) Come on.
What's with this guy? Come on, move it! (HONKING) (CONTINUES HONKING) Come on! (HONKING) Can't you learn how to drive? Move it! (HONKING) Come on! Come on! Move it! (MOANING) You idiot! (GASPING) Dumb idiot.
I'm gonna break the guy's face.
Come on, get out of there.
Don't make me pull you out.
(ROARS) (PEOPLE SCREAMING) (ROARS) (ROARS) (ROARS) My truck.
(ROARS) So, if I can be of any service at all, please don't hesitate to call.
You can be of service to me, Mr.
Melton.
Oh, Mr.
Corton.
I'm afraid I can't see you now.
You're gonna have to.
I have an appointment I'm canceling it.
(ROARS) (GASPING) (ROARS) (ALARM BLARING) (PEOPLE YELLING) (ROARS) No.
Please, please Stay away! Please, no.
(STAMMERING) Don't hurt me.
Please don't! Stay away, stay away.
Please don't.
(ROARS) (SCREAMING) (ROARS) (POLICE SIRENS BLARING) (TIRES SCREECHING) Yeah, that McGee's really been on my tail.
You know, David, it doesn't take a genius to figure out you're tied in with that creature.
What's it all about? I wish I could tell you, but I can't.
That's cool.
I won't put you or that green thing on the spot.
Stopped me from doing something pretty stupid.
So, what's your plan? Oh, work here till I get the money together.
What about you? Not sure.
You're a lucky man, walking again.
I won't deny I'm jealous.
Well, envious anyway.
But at least my shoes last a long time.
(CHUCKLING) Will you keep in touch? I'll try.
Goodbye, Paul.
Goodbye, David.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR) Come on in, Mr.
McGee.
What can I do for you?
Previous EpisodeNext Episode