HALLWAY: Childs cautions to Palmer as he prepares for one last blow. 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 are several sticks of dynamite. He holds the flare dangerously close to the fuses.
MACREADY: Anyone messes with me -- the whole camp goes. . . Come on, Childs, burn me. . . Put those torches on the floor and back off!
HALLWAY: They do. The men step backwards carefully. MacReady follows them out into the hall.
MACREADY: Back off! . . . Way off!
They heed, retreating further down the hall. MacReady glances behind him.
MACREADY: You asshole!
CHILDS: You would've done the same thing.
PALMER: Don't argue with 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. MacReady, still in control of the dynamite and flare.
MACREADY: So help me I mean it!!
He appears to mean it. They don't seem anxious to test him. They skid to a halt. Nauls crawls away, quickly.
NAULS: It's cool MacReady. It's cool, man, come on!
PALMER: Yeah . . yeah man, just relax!
MACREADY: Anybody touches me . . . and 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. Nauls listens to Norris' chest. MacReady stands. A beat.
NAULS: He's not breathing!
MACREADY: Go untie the Doc. Get him in here, and bring the others. . . From now on no one gets out of my sight.
INFIRMARY, MOMENTS LATER: 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 then rips open his shirt and pounds his fist on Norris' chest. No response. Copper climbs up on the table and straddles Norris' chest. Copper desperately continues, trying to revive Norris.
MACREADY: So you sweethearts were about to have yourselves a lynching party, huh! Well, I just may have to put an end to you on general principle, Nauls. . . Ever occur to the jury that anybody could have gotten to some of my clothes and stuck them up the furnace!?
Clark is eyeing a scalpel on a nearby table.
CHILDS: We ain't buying that.
COPPER: Quit that bickering over there! Windows, wheel that fibrillator over here.
Windows pushes over the portable fibrillator.
COPPER: Put some gelatin on those paddles.
Unnoticed, Clark paws the contents of the instrument tray behind his back.
CHILDS (to MacReady, threatening): You're going to have to sleep sometime, MacReady.
Clark's hand has found a scalpel. He gently lifts it out, bringing it to his side.
MACREADY: I'm a real light sleeper, Childs. . . And if anyone tries to wake me . . .
Copper holds the electrical prongs over Norris' chest. Windows depresses the "on" button.
COPPER: Clear!
Dr. Copper presses the prongs onto Norris' chest and shoots a bolt of current. Norris' body heaves upward. A slight crackling sound and an odd chirp.
Copper checks Norris' neck for a pulse. Nothing. Buzzz. Frustrated, Copper gives Norris another hit from the prongs.
COPPER: Clear!
A horrifying sight. Norris' chest rips open as Copper's hands bursts through, a large gaping hole with large white sharp fangs lining the inner walls of the chest cavity.
Another row of teeth can now be seen under the ridge of open flesh just outside the inner row of white fangs, only these are more jagged, discolored, almost like primitive stone spearheads. The lethal canines slam shut on Copper's arms.
Copper screams in agony. A hideous mewing escaping from Norris' distorted mouth. The men jump back, incredulous.
Copper instinctively yanks his arms back, severing both at the forearm area. A vision of bloody terror.
Copper's non-stop agonizing scream ends as the traumatized doctor descends from view.
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