My name's Conrad Steiner. I'm a doctor of medicine.
Tonight's story has the title, Flash of Darkness.
Guardian of birth, healer of the sick, comforter of the aged.
To the profession of medicine, to the men and women who labor in its cause,
this story is dedicated.
Tonight's presentation, the field of emergency first aid.
The object in point, an armband bearing the letters CD.
The case in point, Conrad Steiner, M.D., age 42, married, father of two children.
Although seemingly in good physical condition, he's actually in very grave danger.
The danger does not threaten him alone.
It is a vicious, virulent disease which may very well destroy all mankind.
Dr. Steiner's office.
Who's calling, please?
Yes, just a moment.
Dr. Steiner?
Yes, Miss Mitchell.
Telephone.
Mr. Wilcox.
He says it's important.
Hello, John.
I see.
Is it Tess?
All right, thank you.
Miss Mitchell, have we got any patients that can't wait until tomorrow?
No, nothing very serious.
Why, doctor?
Well, don't alarm them, but send them on home is the yellow alert.
Practice?
I don't know.
But send them on home anyway.
I'll call Miss Steiner, then we'll get over to the warehouse.
Did you get Mrs. Steiner?
No, I just hope she didn't pick today to go downtown shopping.
Kids are all right.
They're in school.
I sent the patients home, but they didn't like it.
If this is just another test, you're going to have some pretty unhappy patients.
We're going to have a pretty unhappy doctor.
Let's go.
Sure good to see you, Ed.
You can see how short-handed we are and how much of a showing.
What is this, Harry?
Another test?
You know as much about it as I do.
Huh.
Maybe Dr. Steiner has some information.
Hello, doctor.
Hi, doc.
What's the dope on this?
I don't know.
I got the same phone call you did.
That's all I know about.
Well, Mr. Sherman was pretty unhappy about my leaving the drugstore.
E-car coming up and everything.
I had a patient in the chair when they called me.
Already had the Novacane in.
Well, at least the tooth won't trouble him for a while.
Sure, I guess I'm a little excited myself.
I forgot all about it.
I've got a battery ready on my car.
We should be able to get some indication from Conrad.
Well, I just wish they'd get this over with.
I've got to get home and dress.
My friend Mr. Howard's having a big party tonight.
It's his birthday.
He gets awful upset when I'm late.
Honey, if they'd known that at headquarters, they'd never have called an alert.
Doctor, would you remember to call your exchange?
That's no practice alert.
Sure wouldn't pull a red alert for a test.
Well, does that mean we're in war?
We're in something, honey.
What about that radio, doctor?
No, we'd better get shelter.
You mean this is all the air raid shelter we've got around here?
If there's a bomb drop, they won't waste it on the suburbs.
Probably drop it on the city itself.
That's a good 14 miles away.
Well, you don't think this is just somebody's bright idea, do you?
Some kind of super test or something?
Get out of that shockwave.
We'll hit any second.
Come on, get out!
My God.
My God.
What's it down top?
It ain't close to me.
We wouldn't be talking about it.
My friend, Mr. Hartwood, his office is downtown.
It's right in the financial district.
Let's wait for the all clear.
There'll be plenty to do there.
I'll try control.
Good.
Ed.
It's 10 to 3 already.
A lot of people up there are going to need help.
Let's start moving these cases while we're waiting.
Okay, Doc, I'll try to find a couple of handshakes.
Don't freak.
This is wild.
Where's the warehouse?
They were short-handed.
Send us every available man you can find, will you?
Right.
There'll be two trucks out right away.
Morningside area was badly hit.
Their alter of control headquarters is asking everybody for help.
We'll check back for an estimate on the fallout pattern.
You want to try Laura?
No, I'll keep the lines clear.
She said she might go shopping.
Downtown?
I don't know.
I don't know.
We better get moving.
I'll check that battery radio in my car and see if it still works.
We can't trust the mains up there.
We better find containers and take emergency water out for this.
Where have you been?
It's been over an hour since we called control.
They promised to send help.
We're it.
All right, let's load up.
Except for four, we've got to be set up by dark.
Mobile first aid unit, zone three.
We've got orders to set up at the Morningside Arbory.
Can't go any farther.
Fire line's on state line.
We've been three hours coming each five miles.
This is the end of the line, for now anyway.
If you last win, the firestorm's up.
Like you could cook a steak at the next corner.
Is that a school over there?
Is it safe?
Radiological says the whole area's clean.
I don't know if it's had a structural attack, but it looks okay.
All right, that's where we set up.
How about the water mains?
Gone.
Everything's out.
Car, gas, phones.
All right, let's go!
Not much, but it's home.
It's in better shape than I thought.
Miss Mitchell!
We've got enough room to isolate the worst cases.
Use the auditorium as a holding area.
Mitchell will set up surgery down at the center.
Harry!
Yeah?
Just stopped a police car outside.
He's got a radio.
Well, ask him to call control of this zone.
Tell him where we're set up.
Tell him we need help.
A lot of it.
Right away.
Tell him we need stretcher bearers.
We need water.
We need water.
We need water.
We need water.
We need water.
We need water.
We need water.
We need water.
Right!
Let me get these desks cleared out.
Move in the supplies.
Use the desks to build a fire.
Get water boiling for the instruments.
Come on, let's do it.
I'd better change into my uniform.
Yeah, that'd be a help.
Civil Defense headquarters for this region has just released the news that Ground Zero
was approximately one block east of the Union Station.
Emergency aid is being rushed into all devastated areas in the state.
All reports are available at this time as to total damage of the nationwide attack.
The enemy is reported to have paid heavily in aircraft loss.
This is Connell Rads.
Keep tuned to this frequency.
Obey the instructions of your wardens and civil defense workers.
Emergency aid is being brought in.
Keep calm.
They've established Ground Zero, Union Station.
I'm not getting anything at all left from the downtown area.
Mitchell.
Any worried about your wife?
What happened, son?
There was a whole lot of preserves Mom had in the cellar.
This glass went flying all over the place.
Pretty lucky at that.
It's just scratches.
We'll have you fixed up in no time at all.
Mitchell, soap and water and a firelight.
No dressing.
You go with the nurse, son.
Doctor, will you fix up my brother?
He says he can't see.
I told him to stay inside, but he ran up the cellar steps.
He wanted to see it.
After the flash came, he fell back down.
Then when I went over to see him, that's when the glass hit me.
Almost our whole house fell in.
Is he looking at the blast?
He threw up four or five times.
The fire engine gave us a ride back.
He was sick all the way.
Mitchell, decontamination and take this boy down to isolation.
You can stay with your brother if you like, son.
Can you fix him up?
Well, he's a pretty sick boy.
I'd sure like to call my mom if I could.
She works downtown.
Do you know if there's a phone I could use, doctor?
Well, not right now.
Maybe a little later.
You go with the nurse.
Doctor, that little kid, is he going to be blind?
I won't bother him for long.
The amount of radiation he's taking, he'll be dead.
Doc?
That's all I got wrong with me.
Can you tie it off?
I notice you're pretty short.
You got him stacked up way into the street.
Can you use some help?
All we can get.
Okay, and count me in.
This is the last one.
What are they doing back there?
It's after midnight already and we're out of everything.
Go outside and stop anything that's got a radio on it.
Police car, fire truck, anything at all.
Call headquarters and tell them we've got to have supplies.
We've got casualties backed up for a block.
We need trucks to move these people back to hospitals and tell them to hurry.
Yes, doctor.
Mitchell saved that.
He'll have to make it on what he's got.
We ain't going easy with that, either.
The paddling there, doctor.
Dennis, do this closure, will you?
Well, I don't know.
The only suturing I've done has been in the dental field.
I don't know about this.
I don't think I can do it.
You're going to do a lot of things while this is over.
Gloves are right here, doctor.
This is the second alert since the drop.
I didn't hear any bombs the last time.
They wouldn't be using gas, would they?
That's the easy way out.
Well, I'll sew this patient up.
They can't blame me.
This number comes out looking like an upper plate.
Doctor.
Take her to isolation.
Aren't you even going to give her more feet?
I haven't got enough for the ones I can save.
I can't spare it for the hopeless cases.
But it's not right.
It's not human.
She's suffering.
She's in agony.
You think I know it?
I'm not practicing the kind of medicine you learned in nurse's aid class.
I'm not practicing the kind of medicine I learned either.
We're out of supplies and we're almost out of time.
Our job is to save the ones that can be saved.
You can call it inhuman.
All right, it is.
But these aren't our terms.
They're the terms that were handed to us.
Show them where to go, will you?
This way.
Medical advisors warn that all water must be boiled ten minutes before using because of contamination.
It started biologically.
All water must be boiled ten minutes before using.
Because of bacteriological contamination, all water from whatever source must be boiled ten minutes before using.
Persons suffering nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea should report immediately to a first aid station or hospital.
The enemy has sprayed any reservoirs with airborne bacteria.
It is important to remain calm.
Any illness should be immediately reported.
All water must be boiled.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff have released a preliminary report.
Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, Galveston, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego,
were all subjected to heavy nuclear bombardment.
Many secondary targets were hit.
Biological warfare has been extensively used.
From his headquarters near Washington, the President has warned of the possibility of further attacks.
The civilian population is asked to remain calm, to follow the instructions of their defense authorities.
The enemy suffered extremely heavy losses in yesterday's raids.
The Chief Executive emphasized that the nation's defense and retaliatory power is comparatively unimpaired.
All water must be boiled ten minutes before using.
Give Harrison Culp in the holding area, will you, Dennis?
He's swamped.
Where's the suture?
The heavy skin suture left, Doctor.
All right, let's have it.
Where do you want this stuff?
Medical supplies, where do you want to put them?
Put it down there or anywhere.
If you still got some powdered coffee left, you look like you could use some.
I'll get it.
I'm a lot better at that than I am at this piece of...
Thanks.
Who's Dr. Steiner?
I am.
I got a message for you about your wife.
She's working down at Zone 3, Control Center.
Says to tell you she's okay.
Thank you.
I'm supposed to take some of your people back in the empty trucks.
Wayne, get hold of Ed Banner.
Tell him I want to move all the people from the holding area into these trucks.
Yes, sir.
How is it outside?
I've never seen anything like it.
People are crazy.
Smash-ups.
Someone leaves their cars, loses their heads.
No way to keep the streets clear.
I don't know, you figure they'd calm down after the first shock.
Do all they can to bring things back to normal.
Crazier than ever.
Guy jumped on a running board, tried to take a truck away from me.
Almost broke my knuckles on him.
Crazy.
I've never seen anything like it.
Check in the holding area.
Soup.
Thanks.
Got the time?
Nearly six.
That's good.
At least we'll get some light now.
That's good, or my critical faculties are pretty low.
There's rioting in the outlying districts.
Heard it over the radio.
Wardens can't control the police either.
Maniacs.
They're worse than the enemy.
That's a sucking chest wound.
I'll have to close it.
Get her ready for surgery.
Yes, doctor.
This way, please.
Citizens are urged to remain in their homes and lock their doors.
Displaced persons, attention.
Displaced persons, go to the evacuation areas which have been set up.
The wardens will direct you.
Every illegal act performed now aids the enemy.
Looters will be shot on sight.
I repeat, looters will be shot on sight by order of the civil defense director of this area.
Keep your doors locked.
Isolation.
Profound shot.
Start IV plasma substitute.
No, we can't spare it.
Elevator feet.
Holding area.
Surgery room in his room.
Leave her here.
Put a splint on her.
It can reduce that fracture when they get her back to the hospital.
Holding area.
The prisoners are no longer taking punishment.
We're giving it.
Presidential headquarters announces that units of our standard air command took off from bases scattered all over the globe,
converged on the enemy's homeland, and delivered a crippling retaliation.
Every major center of enemy population, we're told, has been bombed.
Industrial concentrations have been devastated.
In the words of the president, America has suffered a terrible blow but has come up fighting.
Stay tuned to this frequency.
All bulletins will be relayed as soon as they're released.
This is Connel Radd.
This is Connel Radd.
Stay tuned to this...
Well, here we go again.
What do we do now?
Do what we can, do what we have to.
Ed, see if the phones are in yet.
We do not have a squad car call in. We've got to have relief.
We've got to get more supplies, more nurses.
These girls can't stay on their feet forever. It's been almost 24 hours.
Seems more like 24 days.
Well, anyway, they're getting the improvised hospitals into operation.
Anything more on the riding?
Yeah, they had a pretty rough time back in our own district.
They even sent in the trucks through...
See about the nurses, Ed.
Here you go, Doc.
Thanks.
Power's on, Doctor.
Ed tells me we've put over 1,500 people through here since we opened up.
Sounds like an underestimate.
I'm sorry I asked for relief nurses.
I guess we can make it if you can, Doctor.
Doc?
Yeah?
Truck's coming up now, four of them.
Guess we'll be able to clear up the Holden area for you, get rid of some of the congestion.
Any more news?
Towns up in the Central Valley have been getting radioactive fallout from the bomb that hit us.
Boy, it sure is rough.
Bulldozer's moving up.
Burial.
Burial?
What do you mean?
Look, the center of the city, it's nothing.
Nothing but a big crater.
Must be a couple of miles wide.
A couple of miles beyond that, the rubble's even too radioactive to dig bodies out.
I'm sorry.
We can't do anything about them.
Sally.
Let's take care of the living.
Doctor, look.
Doctor Steiner?
Yeah.
I'm Doctor Nagano.
We're relieving you.
You and your people are going back on the trucks.
After you've rested, you'll be assigned to a rear area hospital.
Oh, your wife, she's waiting for you at local control.
She's all right?
Yeah, it was a little difficult for a while, but the troops have moved in.
The rioting is under control.
Let me take over, Doctor.
You're worn out.
You'll need all the rest you can get.
The bacteria they dropped are going to cause a lot of trouble.
Thanks.
You're welcome, Mitchell.
Doctor.
My brother.
My brother, Jimmy.
Yes, I know.
We'll take you back with us.
Get some food, some rest.
It'll be better tomorrow.
It'll be a lot better tomorrow.
It'll be all right.
It'll be all right.
It'll be all right.