Transcript: (3x21) Payback

From Bravo 3/44th

Directed by: Jim Johnston

Written by: Jerry Patrick Brown

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[01.35] Tripler Army Hospital

MASON:  ??? trauma to the muscle tissue’s healed nice and tight. There’s not much we can do about the bone damage. You’re lucky, you’re young an’ your bones are dense. An older man could have lost that leg.

MCAY: Yeah, well I feel really great Colonel, I’m ready to go back.

MASON: There are other options. You could take an early-out.

MCKAY: I don’t wanna go out, I wanna go back in the air.

MASON: If you go back on duty, it’ll be a ground job Lieutenant.

MCKAY: Ground job? I’m not a grease monkey Colonel, I’m a pilot.

MASON: Not with this profile. You know the requirements Lieutenant. One, one one – all the way across, every profile category. (?Don’t take offense?)

MCKAY: Colonel, I’m a pilot. I’m a damn good pilot. The Army needs me. The guys need me. I can still fly.

MASON: You can’t fly combat with this profile.

[02.52] After this, do what?

MASON: Take the early-out Lieutenant.

MCKAY: And do what? Uh? After this do what?

MASON: You’re ??? are unimpaired. Your reflexes are good. Keep up the therapy, you’ll be able to walk without the cane. Maybe just a little limp. You should still be able to fly as a civilian. There are good jobs for men with your experience.

MCKAY: Yeah, yeah. I can ferry three piece suites into a hot L-Z right? Oh no, I know what I can do, I can give traffic reports over the radio. Yeah, sure. Charlie turns a truck load full of grunts into coleslaw on the express way, I can give a play by play description. Well, that sounds great. Yeah, my sign off can be “have a nice day”. I can’t wait Colonel, it sounds great. Thanks.

[03.40] The Bronx

RUIZ: Morning mama.

MAMA RUIZ: You didn’t sleep again, didn’t you?

RUIZ: You kidding me? I’m still half asleep.

MAMA RUIZ: At five or six maybe. Sit down, I’ll fix you a nice breakfast.

RUIZ: No, no mama. Cereal’s fine – I’m not very hungry.

MAMA RUIZ: Can’t eat and can’t sleep, it because you don’t get out. You stay in this apartment all day long. You’ve been home over two months now an’ you spend the days alone all time. You gotta get out, you gotta meet people. Find a job (?mi hijo?)

RUIZ: Ladies on the block telling you you’ve got a worthless son Ma?

MAMA RUIZ: (?Mi hijo?) I pinch the hair of anybody says a thing like that.

RUIZ: You know I came home with some money Ma, I still got some.

MAMA RUIZ: Man’s got to have a job to go to Alberto, it’s the way it’s supposed to be.

RUIZ: I’ve tried to get a job, but all the jobs I can get, I’m competing with kids. I’m not a kid any more Ma. I got something to offer.

MAMA RUIZ: I know Alberto, I know it. You give so much to the army, you’d think that they would help you boys with a thing like this.

RUIZ: Ma, look. I’m gonna see a man about a job today. Warehouse job – a good job. It’s gonna be okay.

[05.15] Billings, Montana

SPUD: Looks off-center to me.

PERCELL: Give me a break. I got ??? off-center. Get out of here and let me work.

SPUD: Okay, I guess you don’t want to hear about that sweet little Billie Jean.

PERCELL: Well now you watch your mouth you talk about her boy. The woman I love.

SPUD: The woman you’d like to love you mean.

PERCELL: Alright, I’ll go with that.

SPUD: Well you’ve been pestering Lucille about fixing you up with that little cherry tomato. What you doin’ tomorrow night?

PERCELL: Alright, what about tomorrow night?

SPUD: What about me an’ Lucille, you an’ Billie Jean. Dancing, drinking, wining, romancing…..

PERCELL: Oooh, I’m all over it, I’m there.

SPUD: Alright, seven-thirty Canyon Club?

PERCELL: Yeah, you got it.

[06.02] Meet Tran

CASH(?): Percell!

PERCELL: Yeah?

CASH(?): This here’s Tran. Take him over there, get him started ??? that staircase.

PERCELL: Er-look—um, Cash(?) I’m only about half done here. You think Spud could go ahead and do that?

???: Yeah—yeah---anyone. It ain’t brain surgery.

[06.37] Near Tay Ninh, Vietnam

[07.20] This ain't bad

[08.19] Be a gook kid

[08.44] Old Fort, North Carolina

[09.41] Welcome home William

[10.38] Hospital, Vietnam

[11.51] Mouthy screw-up

[13.02] On patrol, Vietnam

[14.32] Blind, not crippled

[15.44] Los Angeles, California

JOE: What d’you fly, Hueys?

MCKAY: Yeah mostly. Drop guys off, pickin’ ‘em up, fire support, that sort of thing. I did get hold of a Cobra once though or maybe it had hold of me, I’m not so sure. Mostly I was just doin’ what you’re doin’. You know, shuttle service. Although I don’t suppose you have to hose the blood out of your birds at the end of the day.

JOE: Not so far.

MCKAY: Yeah

???: No, I did have a guy flying for me once, a Nam pilot. He had a load of executive types one day. This guy had a flashback or something, you know. He started taking evasive maneuvers, went down to the treetops, started wiggling around all over the place. Well I’ll tell you, we did have to hose some breakfasts out that day.

MCKAY: I bet you did. Yeah well knock on wood, that type of thing hasn’t happened to me yet. I tell you I can do the job for you Joe. You know flying a chopper, a helicopter is just natural for me.

JOE: Maybe, uh, just a little exciting?

MCKAY: Hell yes man, it’s great, there’s nothing like it. It’s on the edge. I mean, you know, I like it. You know it’s obvious I love to fly. It’s not a job for me, it’s what I do, you know, it’s what I am.

JOE: McKay, I—uh

MCKAY: Look, Joe. I’m not dangerous. I’m not a head case. I’ll be good for your business, believe me.

JOE: I wanna believe you McKay. I can’t take the chance. You mark it on your calendar – one year from today, you’re still flying straight and steady, I’ll make a place for you. Okay?

MCKAY: Yeah okay.

JOE: Good luck kid.

[17.37] Smoking break

[18.39] More stress in the stockade

[19.17] No more shots

[20.05] Don't bite

[20.45] Palace of pleasure

[22.12] Date with Billie Jean

PERCELL: It’s kinda late, ??? maybe she’s changed her mind.

SPUD: Lucille’s always late. Relax.

PERCELL: Yeah.

LUCILLE: Hi Danny

PERCELL: Hi.

LUCILLE: That’s him.

PERCELL: Hi, Danny---Percell.

BILLIE JEAN: Billie Jean.

SPUD: Can we get some more beers over here.

PERCELL: Lucille tells me you work for a lawyer.

BILLIE JEAN: Hmm, I’m a secretary.

PERCELL: Oh, so you’re not a lawyer?

BILLIE JEAN: No I’m not a lawyer. So what do you do? I mean I know you work with Spud so I guess you’re in construction.

PERCELL: Yeah, yeah. I’m a—I’m a carpenter.

BILLIE JEAN: Oh, and how long have you known Spud?

PERCELL: I just met him when I got back.

BILLIE JEAN: You got back?

PERCELL: Vietnam. Yeah, I was over there for a while. I just got back a couple of months ago.

BILLIE JEAN: You were in Vietnam?

PERCELL: Uh ha, infantry.

BILLIE JEAN: Doesn’t it –uh—doesn’t it bother you?

PERCELL: I’m sorry, I beg your pardon?

[23.32] Need to talk Lucille

BILLIE JEAN: Lucille, I think we need to talk.

SPUD: We’ll find out.

BILLIE JEAN: Lucy, how could you do this to me?

LUCILLE: What are you talking about? What’s wrong?

BILLIE JEAN: You heard him. Two months ago he was in Vietnam killing innocent people, burning their homes.

LUCILLE: Danny’s a nice guy.

BILLIE JEAN:  ??? crazy with drugs too. What makes you think that I’d wanna go out with somebody like that?

LUCILLE: Why don’t you just come back to the table and talk to him a little. He’s really a nice guy.

BILLIE JEAN: I couldn’t be such a hypocrite. And you should be careful, he’s probably dangerous.

LUCILLE: Billie Jean….

BILLIE JEAN: No! I don’t want anything to do with him.

LUCILLE: I’m sorry Danny. It was --- the war.

PERCELL: Yeah, well. Thank’s anyway.

[24.50] Don't wanna be sober

[25.50] Big trouble Doc

[26.49] Prayers for William

[28.23] Vietnam

[28.41] Under strength

[29.21] Direct exchange

[30.05] What I gotta do?

[30.56] New guy, Ruiz

CLAYTON: You’re the new fella right – Ruiz?

RUIZ: That’s right Pop.

CLAYTON: The name ain’t Pop, it’s Clayton.

RUIZ: Okay Clayton, good to meet you.

CLAYTON: I ??? all the men so I know who’s a stranger and who’s not.

RUIZ: Makes sense.

CLAYTON: Hear you was in Vietnam.

RUIZ: Is that right?

CLAYTON: Well?

RUIZ: That’s right I was there.

CLAYTON: Waste of time.

RUIZ: Excuse me?

CLAYTON: Waste of time. Waste of your time an’ the tax-payers money. Over there ten twelve years, didn’t get one damn thing, lost it. Wasted our money.

RUIZ: Now just wait a minute. What about all the guys that died over there?

CLAYTON: Guess they wasted more time than anybody.

RUIZ: And what the hell would you know about it?

CLAYTON: I was in a real war. We kicked Hitler’s ass. We won. That’s where I got this.

RUIZ: Got what?

CLAYTON: The voice, got shot in the throat – it wasn’t any good after that. But we won.

RUIZ: Yeah Pop, you won. But I bet that’s the only thing you ever did that meant anything. Me, I got a job now. I’m gonna make something out of myself. If we lost it, we lost it. But I tell you one thing, I sure as hell ain’t gonna be living it when I’m as old as you.

[32.51] Vietnam - playing cards

[33.33] Payback

[34.19] Briefing new men

[34.58] Come calling again William

[35.52] Don't bunch up

[36.56] Where's Philips?

[37.30] Get 'em sarge?

[37.40] Ruiz and the pigeons

RUIZ:

It was so hot all the time; hundred five, hundred ten. Sweat so much guys were dropping from heat exhaustion. Bugs, mosquitos, leeches - didn't even have to get in the water to get leeches, they just dropped off the trees on you.

The people, they sometimes acted like they liked us, other times like they hated us. We could never tell which was real. Booby traps everywhere, I could open a door to this ??? and the whole place would blow up. Walk through the woods - the ground would open up. Some guy in a hole would shoot you and - poof - disappear.

Walk through a place, firefights with charlie - we'd ambush them, they'd ambush us. We'd clear 'em out and by the time we were on the chopper out of there they were back. They always came right back. It was like this game something that wasn't real.

The officers, the officers would say "go over there and do that" "come over here and do this" and we would do it. But it never made no difference.

That old guy Clayton was right we justed wasted our time. I mean guys---guys that you see back home bagging groceries or something, they'd be over there, their guts would be hanging out all open, or their arms and legs be blown off, God knows what.

For what? For nothing. We used to say it too "don't mean nothin'" "don't mean nothin'". Maybe that's why we said it, 'cos it really meant so much. It meant so much.

[40.58] Don't remember that

[42.09] Danny calling Roo

RUIZ: Hello

PERCELL: Roo?

RUIZ: Percell?

PERCELL: Hey buddy, how y’doin’?

RUIZ: Great man, great. You?

PERCELL: Can’t—can’t complain. Found myself a job, I’m holding on to it.

RUIZ: Me too. I enrolled in night school.

PERCELL: Hey Roo, that’s great man. Good for you. Hey, who knows one of these days you may be president of IBM or something.

RUIZ: You got it. I’m glad you called, it’s real good to hear your voice.

PERCELL: Yeah, it’s real good to hear your voice too.

RUIZ: You hear from any of the guys?

PERCELL: Nah. You know I tried writing them couple of times – couldn’t finish.

RUIZ: I miss ‘em. Sometimes I even miss being over there.

PERCELL: Yeah, hell it’s too late to go back now, huh.

RUIZ: It’s just that sometimes I feel like it was the only family I ever had.

RUIZ: Danny, you okay?

PERCELL: Yeah. Yeah man, I’m okay – you know.

RUIZ: Yeah, I do know.

[45.09] Indianapolis, Indiana

[46.13] Bringing bird back in

[46.46] Wooly Bully

End

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