As the person in charge of set safety, Bob's job was meticulous.
Filming on a tropical island, how could he not prepare antivenom for snake bites? The chances of encountering a venomous snake here weren't exactly low. So, Bob had repeatedly stressed to the crew's medic to ensure they had antivenom on hand.
Since he'd gone over it multiple times, there shouldn't have been any issues.
"Look, we've got the antivenom," Luke said to Depp. "You're gonna be fine."
"That's a relief. Talk about luck!" Depp's tense nerves finally started to ease.
Suddenly, someone tapped Luke on the shoulder, pointing toward Bob in the distance, gesturing for him to head over.
Why not just bring the antivenom over? Was there something they couldn't say here?
Though puzzled, Luke reassured Depp before walking over to Bob.
"What's up? Don't tell me the antivenom's missing," Luke said.
"No, it's right here," Bob replied.
"Then why not bring it over? Hurry up and give Depp the shot!"
"We've got the antivenom, but… we forgot the allergy test kit. That's on me," Bob admitted.
"Forget it. Stocking the medical kit isn't your job. I'll fire that medic when we get back!" Luke said, fuming.
The crew had an on-set medic, but he'd likely spent the previous night fooling around with a local and caught a cold. Now he was holed up in the hotel with a high fever, not joining the crew today.
Truthfully, administering the antivenom was simple enough that Bob could handle it, so the medic's absence wasn't a huge deal.
But bringing the antivenom without the allergy test kit? That was a complete screw-up.
"I checked the manual," Bob said quietly. "For a krait bite, you need 1,000 units of anti-krait venom. That's a big dose. If it triggers an allergic reaction, it could be deadly."
"So what do we do? Give him a smaller dose and rush him to a hospital?" Director Verbinski joined them, speaking in a hushed tone.
"No way," Bob replied. "Too little, and the venom could spread, putting his life at risk. Even if he survives, he could end up with serious complications."
"When the harm's this close, you take the lesser evil. Give him the full dose of anti-krait venom," Luke decided, taking charge.
Someone had to make the call, and while Verbinski was technically the better fit, he clearly didn't want the responsibility.
So, Luke stepped up.
After working together on several films, Luke and Depp had become good friends. When Depp was injured and at his most vulnerable, his first instinct was to turn to Luke—a sign of the trust he had in him, especially since Luke had saved his life once before.
Recently, Depp had also been there for Bob during a rough breakup, which had brought their group even closer.
Luke couldn't just stand by and watch Depp suffer.
"Do it like I said. If anything goes wrong, I'll take the heat," Luke said.
"Alright, I'm on it," Bob replied.
With Luke's orders, Bob prepared the injection. He drew a full syringe of anti-krait venom from a sealed glass vial, gently pushing the plunger to expel a bit of air, along with a few drops of the pale yellow serum.
"All set. This shot'll fix you up," Bob said, reassuring Depp as he administered the IV injection.
"Just rest, and you'll be good," Luke added, calming Depp's nerves.
"Alright, I'll close my eyes and chill. Hope I can open them again," Depp said, his mood lifting enough to crack a joke.
Not long after, Depp drifted into a deep sleep.
"Let's keep an eye on him," Luke said, standing up and walking aside with Annie.
"I can't believe there was actually a snake. Depp's got the worst luck. He'll be okay, right?" Annie asked, still shaken.
Earlier, when she'd asked Luke to accompany her to the bathroom, she'd wondered if she was being too paranoid. Then, this happened.
"Our medic dropped the ball. No allergy test kit. Let's hope he doesn't have a reaction," Luke said.
Deep down, he was worried. Murphy's Law—whatever can go wrong, will.
"Depp! Depp! Can you hear me?" Bob's panicked shout came moments later.
"Luke, get over here! Depp's out cold!"
Luke rushed over and saw that Depp, lying on the ground, had changed drastically in just a few minutes. His face was swollen, red spots dotting his skin, and his breathing seemed labored.
It was clear: he was having an allergic reaction.
"Got any antihistamines?" Luke asked immediately.
"Yeah!" Bob pulled a blister pack of antihistamines from the medical kit and handed it to Luke.
"That's good news," Luke said, relieved.
With antihistamines, Depp's symptoms should stabilize. After that, they could get him to a hospital in Phuket for treatment, and he'd likely be fine.
But when Luke pried open Depp's mouth and saw his throat swollen to the size of a quail egg, his brow furrowed.
How were they supposed to get a solid pill into him like this?
Even if the pill could dissolve in water, there was no way they could get it down his throat in this state.
What now?
The allergic reaction was severe. If they didn't act, it could be catastrophic.
But how could they administer the medicine?
"Luke, this isn't actually gonna go south, is it?" Verbinski asked, looking lost.
"What do we do?" Bob added, frantic.
He was genuinely worried about Depp. They'd been hanging out a lot lately, and by the unspoken code of bro-hood, they were tight.
Bob could only put his faith in Luke, the guy who always pulled off miracles.
"Clear everyone out. Just the four of us stay," Luke said suddenly, referring to himself, Bob, Depp, and Verbinski.
"Got it!" Verbinski immediately shooed the crew away.
Luke handed an antihistamine pill to Bob. "You're doing this."
"Huh?"
"Follow my lead. Take off Depp's pants."
"What?!"
Bob did it anyway, though it was his first time undressing a guy. It was a moment he'd rather forget—mortifying.
"Rectal administration!"
"You're seriously going there?! My hands, my eyes—they're done for!"
Amid Bob's wails, he and Depp cemented their most infamous shared history.