Hell on Wheels s03e07 Episode Script

1 [Piano playing melody.]
[Wind whistling.]
[Melody continues.]
[Bird screeches.]
[Retches.]
[Gagging.]
[Groans.]
[Piano keys tinkle.]
[Discordant piano notes.]
Water.
Aagh! [Discordant piano notes.]
No, wait, come back.
Uhh! [Groans.]
Please, please.
[Western folk music.]
[Groans.]
[Indistinct chatter.]
Today's sick list.
They're starting to spill over from the infirmary.
Crossed-out names means back to work? Crossed-out names mean deceased.
They're thirsty, but when we give them water It comes out both ends till they're dead.
Knock the spigots off the water tanks.
We're short on water as it is.
Knock 'em off, Dutch.
Bad water's making us sick.
Drought's driving the rats and snakes into the tanks.
Might be cholera in camp.
[All murmuring.]
What's the fix, Bohannon? Water.
Clean and clear.
Cures cholera.
I'll find us some.
What are you expecting us to do? Well, get to work, if you're well infirmary if you're not.
Spread the word.
Shit.
Y'all check your hands before you head to the cut.
All right? They're yellow like this, you go to the infirmary.
Come on, let's go.
So work without water? In this heat? Or die in the infirmary? Them's our choices? Tanks'll be full by lunch, Mr.
Hersch.
Got my word on that.
I ain't sending a hundred of my best men to an infirmary.
Lost too much for this damn railroad already.
Huh? Can I see your hands, Mr.
Bohannon? Plenty of water in Omaha, Mr.
Hersch, if that be your choice.
[Chuckles.]
Now, the good lord He was kind enough to leave me my thumb.
[Moves chair.]
And my trigger finger.
[Gun cocks.]
[Grunts.]
Get him a ticket to Omaha and a half-day's pay.
Congratulations, Mr.
Quinn.
You just made walking boss.
Hell we gonna find water out here? Nearest river's a five-days' ride with wagons.
Workers ain't gonna last that long.
Durant's got water in Cheyenne.
He ain't just gonna hand it over.
I'll ask him nice.
Hyah! You've seen the pictures of ships lining the wharves up and down the river Thames, haven't you, Nathan? Imagine--train after train, stacked up on spur lines.
North, south, east, west of the city.
Filling Cheyenne with trains like ships fill the port of London.
So you're planning to imagine this city into existence, then? Well, imagine, plan, build.
That's what we empire builders do.
We build an empire out of nothing.
And that's exactly what you have here--nothing.
In the middle of nowhere.
My controlling interest in Credit Mobilier will see this through.
You would squander the one valuable thing you have left on this pathetic whistle stop? No, it's over, Thomas.
We've lost.
The government sent word.
They're auditing my state treasury.
I need to be back in Boston next week, and the coffers need to be filled by then, or else I'm gonna be looking at the world from the inside out.
Everything I have is tied up here.
I-I couldn't possibly-- Except your controlling interest in Credit Mobilier.
W--Nathan! Wait, Nathan! I brought the head of the union pacific out here.
I brought the next president of the United States out here for your great play, Thomas, and you failed.
I made you a fortune! And it cost me everything.
You and your promises are nothing but hot air, like this-- this stifling little room, which I predict will become your mausoleum.
That's humorous, coming from such a fatuous ass as yourself.
Where are the certificates? - No.
- Hey! You're signing them over today! I will not! Then I will see to it that you are returned to jail, and not on the Hudson, but somewhere in my home state where, occasionally, an old newspaper will make its way, and you can read about Collis Huntington and the glory that could have-- no, should have been yours when he completes the railroad.
Don't push me, Nathan.
Idle threats, Tom.
Worth about as much as this fantasy town of yours.
- No.
- No.
Look, you're signing the-- [gunshot.]
Mr.
Durant? Oh, my God.
What have you done? What have I done? [Indistinct chatter.]
[Groans.]
Durant? Cullen Bohannon.
I'm on business.
Durant? Bohannon! What do you want? Business.
Come down.
[Chair squeaks.]
I come about water.
Much as you're willing to sell me.
I built this city in the middle of three streams.
Those streams have turned to sand.
[Sniffles.]
1 1/2 times market, in cash.
[Fly buzzing.]
What spooked your horse? This railroad will never be built.
Leave me alone.
I'll take that water by force, if need be.
Try! And I will open those tanks and flood the street before you fire a shot.
Yeah.
Yeah, you'd do that, wouldn't you? I certainly would.
[Piano key pinging.]
Miserable.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Sean.
Uh hello, Michael.
Michael, is it? How deep are you into it this time? Deep.
[Sighs.]
[Woman coughing.]
[Indistinct chatter, men coughing.]
Eva, are you feeling ill? No.
Stay as far away from these men as you possibly can.
[Baby coos.]
This place has beaten me down, Eva.
I can't drink the whiskey or the water.
Providence is urging me to take a train home.
[Baby cooing.]
I wanna go to New York with you.
Whatever your reasons, it's the right decision.
The baby wouldn't make it here.
How did you leave it with Mr.
Ferguson? I'll meet you aboard the last train.
Eva thank you.
[Indistinct chatter.]
- [Clicks tongue.]
- Hold up.
Where the hell are you men off to, Dutch? You promised water by lunch.
Never came.
Men dying by the dozen, Mr.
Bohannon, and we ain't gonna join 'em.
You deserting, then? Moving on to the Mormon fort.
They got plenty of water, food, and wives to marry.
- Couple days' ride.
- Says who? Mormon riders come through yesterday.
Them's U.
P.
wagons and them's U.
P.
horses.
Y'all get down now.
Mr.
Bohannon, we won't make it to the fort on foot in this heat.
You either get your ass back in the cutter, or you can hoof it in the heat.
It's your choice.
I ain't asking, Dutch.
[Cocks gun.]
I'd rather die in the move than stuck in hell on wheels.
[Men murmuring.]
Shit.
What the hell these Mormon riders? I ran 'em off twice already.
We ain't gonna be able to keep the men here unless we get water.
Durant give you any? We're on our own.
Look here.
According to surveyors, this here might be a spring.
That's 10 miles out.
And it look like just a drop of ink.
It's gotta be a spring.
Hoping it's a spring don't make it a spring.
And how a spring 10 miles out gonna give us water here? We'll pump it up with a windmill we'll build in pieces and then wagon train it out.
Round up all the carpenters and millers we got, knock it together.
[Exhales.]
Where you going? Gotta see if it's a pool of water or a spot of ink.
You don't look so good to ride.
You drink that bad water? Might've.
But this here is good.
You'll never find water if that cholera gets you first.
If I'm not back in a couple of days, you strike camp, tell Durant he was right.
He'll know.
[Clicks tongue.]
Oh.
Whew.
[Grunts.]
All right.
Here.
You smell something? [Horse snorts.]
[Bird chirping.]
[Groans.]
[Indistinct chatter.]
[Hammering continues.]
[Indistinct chatter.]
[Grunts.]
[Sniffles.]
Must have been two, three years since I felt heat this strong.
Whew! Mm.
Feel like Alabama heat, hear? Whew.
It's too hot for all that jawing, negro.
Ah.
Won't hear me complaining, though.
Yeah, I was built for it.
Thrive in it.
Live for it, hear? Reckon I done felt every kind of heat there is.
Uh-huh.
Dry heat, wet heat, windy heat, calm heat.
Hell, I done even felt cold heat.
What the hell is cold heat? [Chuckles.]
Know it when you feel it.
Yeah.
Yeah, I been feeling it at home ever since the baby come.
Hmm.
Don't you know nothing? That always happens.
Babies change things.
You get married, it'll all trim up good again.
Get you some hot heat, huh? [Chuckles.]
Look, you settle in, baptize that baby, give her a name, and all will be right with the world.
I hope you're right.
How come you never give that baby no name? Seem like every time I name something, somebody take it away from me.
Aw, man you're feeling down 'cause of all this sickness, huh? Ain't nothing gonna happen to you, me, Eva, or that baby.
Yeah.
Hmm.
You know what? Cholera would be a good name for a little girl if it don't mean what it means.
[Both laugh.]
You crazy.
I always wanted to call her rose.
Rose, huh? That's nice.
- Rose.
- Mm-hmm.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Some heat, huh? Hey, me and Psalms built a windmill today.
- Yeah? - Know something? It's gonna work.
Yeah.
That wind gonna turn the blades, shaft gonna pump the water, and water gonna spill and spill.
Hmm.
[Baby coos.]
Caught this breeze while we were trying it out.
Huh.
Sound like my little sister skipping rope in our pack dirt yard.
You know? Clickety-click.
Clickety-click.
How them rope girls sound? Aw, you know.
Tell me.
- Clickety-click.
- [Laughing.]
Clickety-click.
Clickety-click.
What? I just love you so much.
I love you too.
You love me, no matter which way I am? I love you every which way you is.
No matter what? No matter what.
[Fly buzzing.]
Get his feet.
[Grunts.]
You gonna help me or not? Did you have a hand in this? I came into the room, and it had already happened.
Durant handed me the gun.
And you took it? My boss handed it to me! Durant hired me to help him, and that's what I'm doing.
He's pinning this on you.
And who do you think the law is going to believe? Him or you? Uh you really think the law will come? He's a United States senator.
From Massachusetts.
Where Boston is! Did you ever think of that? Help me.
You'll help me.
Help me.
I'm done cleaning up your messes! I'm done cleaning up your messes.
I'm not cleaning up anyone else's.
Mick, please don't turn your back on me now.
[Sighs.]
I understand you're in need of a good magician.
Someone who can make all your problems [Blows.]
disappear.
[Exhales.]
I know how you feel right now.
You just killed a man.
And you don't know what to do.
Your legs barely hold you up.
You can't eat.
You're not able to sleep and the whiskey [Chuckles.]
the whiskey seems to have no effect at all.
Bugger off, Sean.
Go upstairs.
Start straightening up Mr.
Durant's room.
Now, you're not gonna run.
You're not gonna call any attention to yourself.
You're gonna do exactly as I say, do you hear me? Do I hear you? [Chuckling.]
But you're-- you're a saloon keeper, a-- a pimp, uh you run a bordello, for God's sakes.
[Laughs.]
Why would I listen to you? [Laughing.]
Ah, he was my he was my friend.
As for right now, that's my job.
It's gonna be some job indeed.
But it'll all be all right.
Sure, it's America.
You're probably not the first person to squeeze a bit of lead into a U.
S.
senator.
Oh.
[Chuckles.]
[Chuckles.]
No matter.
The magic the magic'll save you this time.
[Vomits.]
[Coughing.]
[Groaning.]
[Retches.]
[Insects buzzing.]
[Grunting.]
[Grunting.]
[Groans.]
[Piano playing.]
[Rock clatters.]
[Grunting.]
[Gagging.]
[Groaning.]
Mm.
[Grunting.]
Oh, whoa.
It's okay.
[Grunts.]
See? [Grunts.]
[Grunting.]
Where'd you get this? Hup.
Whoa.
[Insects buzzing.]
Got one more for the fire.
[Grunting.]
Grab his legs.
[Both grunting.]
Thank youMickey.
I never want to see you again in my life, Sean.
Ever.
[Fire crackling.]
[Sighs.]
[Dog barks in distance.]
[Baby coos.]
[Baby cooing.]
[Singing in Mojave.]
[Singing continues.]
[Slurping.]
[Bird screeching.]
Joseph Dutson? Bishop DutsonPlease.
Forgive me, bishop.
We expected you weeks ago.
The elders sent us to see you and your family safely back to camp.
Heathens.
They attacked my family.
Took my wife.
My boy.
There was so much blood.
I tried to save them, but my boy.
He was only just eight.
How horrible.
Let's get you to camp, shall we? Mm.
Look.
Found it! [Groaning.]
[Hammering.]
[Indistinct chatter.]
[Clatter.]
[Wheel squeaks.]
Come on now.
See if we can get it spinning.
[Hammering, indistinct chatter.]
[Wheel squeaks.]
Let it go.
Hey, cut that out.
Cut that out.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Yeah.
There we go.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Yeah.
Pumping now.
It's pumping.
- Come on.
- Sure is.
Come on.
Yeah.
It's pumping.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on now.
Coming in directly.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Come on.
Come on.
It's still pretty dirty.
There it go.
[Water splashing.]
- Not yet.
- Mud.
- Yeah.
It's--it's going.
- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
- Fresh water.
Come on, fresh water.
Fresh water, fresh water.
Come on.
Fresh water.
[All cheering.]
Thank you, lord.
[Chatter and cheering.]
Hey, get out of there! Back up, back up.
- Give that to him.
- Yeah.
Some fresh water here for you, Mr.
Bohannon.
[Gasps.]
[Coughs.]
Ahh! Ah! Fill them tanks! [Grunts.]
Ah.
Fill 'em up.
[Indistinct chatter.]
Hell are we supposed to do with a boy in a place like this? I was hoping you would know.
[Coughs, grunts.]
You all right? [Groans.]
Oh, hey, it's all right.
You're all right.
Is that all your stuff? Yeah.
Never was much for words neither.
All right.
You know what we call this out here? Railroad Bible.
You like it? Yeah.
Men say that luck's the only God left out here.
I reckon you were my luck today.
What, you wanna play? I'm pretty good at this, now.
Oh.
You sure you're up for this? Ohh.
Yeah, you're tough.
All right, best two out of three.
Ohh.
You're killing me.
[Train whistle blows.]
[Indistinct chatter.]
You're gonna love the city.
[Baby cooing.]
[Baby fusses.]
[Train whistle blows.]
[Bell clanging.]
You take good care of her now, Mr.
Toole.
You hear me? [Baby crying.]
You're not coming? Hey Eva Good-bye.
I don't even know her name.
Rose.
Her name is Rose.
All aboard! [Train conductor shouts in distance.]
Eastbound.
First stop, Omaha.
All points east, all aboard.
[Engine chugging.]