George: Ow! Ow! No need. I'm feeling much better.
Mike: Yeah, right, right. You know, George, you really should have said that you had something that wouldn't show up on an X-ray, like, uh, whiplash, or, uh, hoof and mouth disease.
George: That bad first impression burned you deep, didn't it?
Mike: Not half as deeply as it burned Luke.
George: So I see. Mike, I spent 25 thousand miles thinking about it. The thing is, Luke is my blood. I never got to know my dad until it was too late. I don't want that to happen to Luke.
Maggie: Yes, thank you for calling.
Mike: I can't believe this George. Pretending he's hurt to get on Luke's good side.
Maggie: He's not pretending, Mike.
Mike: What?
Maggie: That was Dr. Kramer. He's spoken to George's doctor. George's back has deteriorated to the point, where if he doesn't stop driving his truck, he's going to be paralyzed.
George: The doctors call it cervical deterioration. I call it a pain in the neck.
Mike: Well, what are you gonna do when you stop driving?
George: Who's gonna stop driving?
Mike: George, the doctors say if you don't, you're going to be paralyzed.
George: Aw, they don't know nothin'. They told my friend Billy Bob he had 3-1/2 months to live. He lived 4-1/2 months.
Mike: George, what's so hard about changing jobs?
George: With an eighth grade education? Maybe I could be a supreme court justice. I only know three things; that's trucks, trucks, and trucks.
Mike: Well, I'm sure there's other jobs you could get, that, uh, you know, you could still be around trucks.
George: Like what?
Mike: Well, I don't know. You could, uh, you could lease big rigs. Or you could run a truck stop. Or, uh, you could sell those little silhouettes of girls they stick on mudflaps.
George: Those aren't sold; they're handed down from generation to generation.
Mike: So, when are you gonna tell Luke?
George: Luke is to know nothing about this. I don't want his pity. I just want a chance to get to know him better.
Ben: A three hour trip. That's what they told Gilligan.
Jason: Okay, so we got a little lost.
Ben: A little lost! Dad, we were halfway to Florida! If we hadn't stopped at that gas station, we'd be in Cuba by now.
Jason: Well, we're going the right way, now. The depot's a half a mile down the road.
Ben: Dad, it's 7:30! If they unload the truck in two minutes, and if we drive 195 miles per hour back home, I might actually be able to catch the last five minutes of that party.
Jason: Could be worse.
Ben: True. You could still be singing those Willy Nelson songs.
Jason: Ah, here's the depot right up here. We're going to get them to unload our tomatoes just as quickly as they can.
Jason: Hey, excuse me. We have, uh, tomatoes, what do we do with them?
Depot worker: Pull 'er into dock 19, Johnny.
Jason: (sighing) All right, great. Listen, these guys are gonna unload us right away?
Depot worker: You must be new to this route. Drivers unload their own trucks.
Luke: (singing) You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull….
Mike and Luke: (singing)…pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with Jim.
Mike: I love that song.
Luke: Yeah, mom used to sing it to me when I was a baby.
Mike: Yeah?
Luke: Check out this picture. Don't I look a lot like her?
Mike: Oh, yeah, gosh. Hey, George looks so young here. You got his smile, you know it?
Luke: Nah, I don't see it.
Mike: Hey, Luke, uh, I want to talk to you about something. Well, I really don't, uh…
Luke: Mike, if you're trying to talk about the facts of life, you're a little late.
Mike: If your dad keeps driving a truck, he's going to be paralyzed.
Luke: What?
Mike: Yeah. He won't listen to the doctors, and he sure won't listen to me. And I thought you'd want to know.
Ben: (laughing)I think we ended up with half the tomatoes on us.
Jason: (laughing)
Ben: Oh, yeah? You should have seen your face when you fell into the tomato bin.
Jason: Well, I was walking along, and the next minute I'm swimming in the red sea. I'm just glad George wasn't hauling fertilizer.
Ben: Well, the foreman said for a couple of city boys, we did all right.
Jason: Ben, there's no way you're going to make your party tonight, and, uh, it's all my fault, and I am truly sorry.
Ben: I had a great time, dad. Copy, good buddy?
Jason: 10-4. (laughing) Well, let's hammer down, and head for home!
Ben: (pulling horn cord) Yee-hah!
George: (groaning) I didn't mean to wake you up.
Luke: What are you doing?
George: Just trying to get this old body to the bathroom and pay the toll.
Luke: Oh, you must really be in pain.
George: Nah, it's nothing. Whoa! Slap me silly and shave me naked! (groaning)
Luke: Here. Let me help you up.
George: Ok, I'm coming. I'll be right there. (laughing)
Luke: What's so funny?
George: Well, when you were a little boy, I used to take you to the bathroom in the middle of the night so that you wouldn't wet the bed, and now it seems like you're doing the same thing for me.
Luke: Yeah, well, I don't remember anything back then.
George: I do. The only way you'd go back to sleep is if you heard your favorite song. (singing) You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind….
Luke: Yeah! Mom used to sing that to me.
George: Luke! Your mom was a lovely woman, but she couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. Don't you remember? You were terrified of all those monsters in the closet. (singing) You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger, and you don't mess around with….
Luke: Luke. It was you.
George: You loved it. Made you think you were bigger and stronger than any of those monsters.
Luke: You really did that?
George: Yeah. Sure. (groaning)
Luke: Look, Mike told me what's going on with your back.
George: Aw, that boy's tongue is loose at both ends.
Luke: You know, George, you're going to have to make a decision here.
George: I made one. I'm not gonna quit trucking. I don't wanna talk about.
Luke: So you're just gonna pretend like it doesn't exist? You know, that's typical. Its just like everything that's ever went on in the past thirteen years never happened. I want to talk about it, George. I mean, you come here after all this time, and you say what's past is past. Let's jump into a truck and watch the fireflies.
George: What Is was trying….
Luke: Look! You send me postcard after postcard, about the world's biggest prairie chicken. Well, what about the postcard that says "I'm sorry I ruined your life?"
George: Luke…
Luke: You know, you run from doctors the way you run from everything. Including your own son. What was wrong with me?
George: What was wrong with you?
Luke: Yeah. What was it, George? Why can't you just tell me?
George: I can't talk to you when you're like this.
Luke: Then you haven't changed. I don't think you ever will.
George: Luke! Luke! I'm not very good at this kind of talk. But if it's what it takes, I'll keep trying all night. But first, you've got to get me to the bathroom!
Jason: Ah, you should have seen us, Maggie. There we were, the wind in our faces, the open road before us…
Jason and Ben: …and tomatoes in our shorts.
Maggie: Oh, hi George.
George: G'morning. Is that you two? Thanks for running those tomatoes to Jersey for me.
Jason: Ah, piece of cake, George.
George: Oh, glad to hear it. Sometimes they try to pull a fast one on first timers, make 'em unload their own truck.
Mike: You're sure looking a lot better today, George.
George: Uh, yep, uh, about time to hit the road.
Mike: You, uh, you're leaving? Now that's great….that you're feeling better.
George: My back's loose enough for me to see over the wheel. I should make it to Tucson just fine.
Mike: So you're sure that driving that big rig is the best thing for you?
George: Oh, absolutely. As soon as I get there, I'm gonna sell it, and by myself a truck stop from an old buddy.
Mike: You're quitting trucking?
George: Well, Luke's a very persuasive young man.
Mike: Wow, Luke. Well, how'd you do it? What'd you say?
Luke: I said that I'm going with him.
Mike: What?
Luke: It's only for a couple of months, Mike. To help him set up.
Mike: Are you out of your cotton-picking mind? No offense.
Jason: Mike, a word.
Mike: Dad, I'm sorry, but I can't let him do this.
Jason: Well, you have to. Luke has to get to know his father.
Mike: Dad, he, he can't just pick up and leave like this. What about his life? What about us?
Jason: Mike, this is not your decision.
Luke: Mike, you taught me what it means to be there when somebody needs you the most. And I want to do the same for George. I mean, my dad.
Luke: Come on, you guys, don't look like that. It's only for a couple of months. I'll be coming back.
[truck horn]
Mike: (sighing) Well, uh, you'd better come back.
Luke: Try and stop me.
Maggie: Bye, Luke.
Jason: See you, Luke.
Chrissy: Goodbye, Luke.