"Doug!" "The results don't have anything to do with the accident." "All this time I'm worrying about HIV, and I get hepatitis C?" "Why not apply to a Locum Tenens program, filling in for vacationing surgeons?" " They pay you a bundle to step in." " What's that?" "Eight, ten grand, for a couple weeks." "Can you say, "father"?" "Can you say, "daddy"?" "Yeah!" "Hey, Peter!" " Good morning." " Hey, good morning." "Wow!" "All this for just two weeks?" "It's been 30 below in north Minnesota." " Will you be the only surgeon there?" " No, one of three." "So you're all set." "It's tough getting Reece squared away." "Carla can't pick him up on Thursday and that's Jackie's rough day." "But other than that..." "Well, I can cover." "No, no." "Come on." "I couldn't ask you that." "You didn't." "I just offered." "What are friends for?" "Okay." "Yeah." "Have Dr. Edson follow up on these before discharge." "A front's crossing the Rockies." "I hope you packed your long johns." " I'm wearing my long johns." " Peter!" "Good thing I caught you." "Locum Tenens folks just called." "Change of plans." "You're needed elsewhere." "Better hustle." " Flight to Atlanta leaves in an hour." " Atlanta?" " From there to Biloxi." " I didn't sign up for Biloxi." "You pick up a car in Biloxi then drive a few hours to LaVerne." "LaVerne?" "Whoa, wait a minute!" "I signed a contract." "They can't just switch this now." "That's what the fine print's about." "It's a medical necessity." "If you back out, we'll look un-Hippocratic." "You'll need the dough if you accept the cardiothoracic fellowship." "You're offering a cardiothoracic spot?" "Not officially until May." "But between you and me..." "Prestigious fellowships always pay the least." "Like it's an honor to let them get you deeper in debt." "Have a good trip." " Sorry, it's the rules." " Let me up." "I work here." " I could lose my job!" " I feel like an idiot." " You being discharged today?" " Yeah, one final indignity." "Excuse me, miss." "I'll take over from here, okay?" " Be my guest." " Okay." "Go, go, go." "You're lucky you didn't break any bones." " The windshield looks a lot worse." " I'm sorry about the hep C." "It doesn't scare me." "Dr. Makadon thinks I'll respond well to the meds." " Where you off to?" " Doing a stint at a rural hospital." "At the last minute they stuck me in the middle of nowhere." "A place called LaVerne, Mississippi." " You're kidding!" "LaVerne?" " You know it?" "I have aunts and uncles in that part of Mississippi." "The Murdocks." "I could give you some numbers." "I don't know about free time." "I haven't been there since I was a kid." "I loved that place." "I used to climb trees and get dirty." "They're all great cooks." "Well, I'll keep an eye open." "If you run into any of my relatives, just don't mention my HIV status." " Of course not." " I haven't told my family." " Just give them my love." " Yeah, yeah." "Sure." "Hey, how you doing?" "Can't complain." " Is there a phone inside?" " Sorry." "Car broke down." "I need to call the hospital in LaVerne." "Son you in LaVerne." " Is there a hospital here?" " Who are you looking for?" "Okay, I'll tell you, this looks real good." " Maureen!" " IKeep the patch on." "Excuse me." " This gentleman looking for you." " Miss Chapman, I'm Dr. Benton." "Oh, I'd given up." "They said you'd be here yesterday." "I didn't know until this morning." " You're here for a month?" " No, no, no." "Two weeks." "Hear that, leg?" "You got two weeks." "I'm the nurse practitioner." "I'm supposed to stay off my feet but all these patients keep getting sick." "There's no hospital here?" "I mean, just the clinic?" "Our nearest hospital is 80 miles, in Green Cove." " Did you walk here?" " His car broke down on Jones Road." "Oh." "Well, my boy is good with engines." "Sonny!" "He'll take care of you." " Is the head doctor on duty now?" " Dr. Benton you are the doctor." "And please don't tell me that you're a dentist." " Okay, sweetie." "IKeep that..." " I'm a fifth-year Surgical Resident." "Oh, lord!" " Sonny, Dr. Benton's car broke down." " Yeah, I seen it." " Do you think you can fix it up?" " You're hurting." " Get to bed." " Well, I need to help him get settled." "No, no, no." "You know what?" "There are only a few patients here." " What time do you close?" " When the last patient's gone." "Have you ever practiced medicine?" "I can handle it." " Let's go." " All right, suit yourself." "Weather like this, folks sit out here and you can see them inside." "I expect you'll find everything where it should be and..." "Everybody, this is Dr. Benton, from Chicago." "He'll take care of y'all." "All right." "Who's next?" "Bentons?" "I don't recollect any Bentons." "My family's not from around here." "So, what can I do for you today?" "Might have been some Bentons over near Hattiesburg." "I believe it's so." "There was the schoolteacher, Benton, over to Winona." "She was a white lady." "Died of consumption." "Coughed herself to the grave." "Ms. Johnson, what is your complaint?" "Oh, I ain't got no complaint." "No need to complain." "Complaining make it worse, what they say." " Do you have a medical problem?" " No." "Just a burn." "Okay." "Where's the burn?" "I believe there are some Bentons up off the riverfront." "Maybe "Benders." Maybe they was Benders." "Benders." "Mr. McCoy?" "Ruth Blalock?" " They left?" " It appears so." " Jesse Morgan?" " That's me." "I figured I'd let you look at my leg." "That's okay, Mr. Morgan." "You can stay seated." "Sorry it took so long." " Pretty nasty looking ulcer." " Yes, sir." "I tried mustard seed on it." "That usually stops my leg from aching." "No, you're gonna need some antibiotics." "Stay off this foot and soak it three times a day in warm water, okay?" "Stay off it?" "And soak it?" " Where do I put this, doctor?" " Excuse me?" "I'm sorry." "Put it on the counter." "We'll send it out to the lab or however it's done." "Do you have a phone number?" "Oh, Maureen tells me on the spot." "You take this in the backroom and you do your test." " Mr. Morgan." " Miss Pearl." "How about the greens?" "You can pick out the hamhocks." "No, thank you." "I'll have another biscuit." "After Dr. Rajiv he lasted about a month we sort of gave up." " It's hard to keep a doctor here." " Well, I can see why." " No offense." " None taken." "We was fine until you tried being more stubborn than the mare." " Fractured your leg?" " My knee ligaments and a herniated cervical disc." "Guess it's lucky you don't mind lard." "I'm sorry you missed your son." "Well, had he gone to bed?" "I heard you send your love." "No." "My son is deaf." "So the phone is of no use to us." "I'd arranged for a video-phone hookup at the hospital in Minnesota." " I guess you don't have one here, huh?" " Maybe, in Green Cove." "Now, did Sonny get you settled in the trailer?" "I don't work for him." "Maybe you saw the motor home behind the clinic." "I'm afraid it's a little cozy for a man your size but..." " It'll be fine." " And take care when you open the door." "Or did you get it grounded, Sonny?" "Damn!" "Oh, shit!" "Take the temperature every four hours." "Call me if..." "Or see Dr. Benton at the clinic, if it doesn't drop below 100 by tomorrow." " Thank you." " Busy day?" " No, not at all." " Since half my patients come here." " It'll take time for some of them to accept you." "No, it won't." "I'm not staying." "You don't need a surgeon." "If you're gonna get any rest, you need a doctor that everyone can accept." " This isn't just about race." " I don't care what it's about." "So you only came for the money?" "You can get by with a nurse." " Sonny hasn't even fixed your car yet." " It's okay." "I'll find a ride." "So, thanks for the ride." "Best reason we've had to go to work all year." "When we get to the dock, you make sure every woman sees you getting out our truck!" "All right!" "Your Jake hears this, he won't go out on no boat no time soon." "Amen to that." "Now tell me something." " Now, is you really a doctor?" " Yeah." " Take a look at Annie hand then." " Becca, I'm driving." "Go on, show the man your hand." " Has you ever seen the likes of that?" " It's a pretty bad infection." "The shrimps." "They got poisons in their head." "If I were you, I'd take antibiotics and rest, give it time to heal." "Stop working?" "Unless you gonna stow me up to Chicago." "I don't think I could afford to keep a woman like you." "Hold on." "What's that?" "Oh, hell!" "Help!" "Help me!" "Help me!" " Help him." " Sir, sir." "Lie down, I'm a doctor." "Branch caught in the throttle." "I couldn't get it out of gear." " Don't move." "Russell." "My boy." "Find my son." " Your son was with you?" " In my lap." " Okay." "I'll find him." " He's only 4!" "He couldn't have gone far." "Ladies, over here!" "Oh, my God!" "Oh, my God!" " I need you to drive to a phone." " Nearest town's five miles." " Sir!" "Do you have a phone?" " Yes!" "Next driveway." "My wife's home." "Go!" "Go!" "Call an ambulance!" "Tell them it's a matter of life or death!" "Good morning, doctor." "Hey." " Staying off that foot?" " Soaking it three times a day!" " What?" " Anyone tell you smoking kills you?" "No!" "You the first." " Adelina, you been shopping?" " What it look like?" " Got something for me?" " IKnow she do, Hubert." "Yeah." "A smack upside your head." "Wait, you ain't showed us yet." " And I ain't going to." " That girl crazy." "I think it's looking a lot better, Tavius." "Come back in a couple days." "We'll take it off then." "All right?" "Did you decide not to go?" "You can go and get some rest." "I'll take over." "Somebody's waiting for you." "Sally?" "I'm Sally Mannon." "We didn't get a chance to meet last night." " Oh, yeah." "I saw you." " She told me about the accident." " So how's your husband and son?" " Fine, thanks to you." "I brought you a pie." "Sweet 'tater." "I hope you like that." "Mrs. Mannon, are you kidding?" "It's my favorite." "I'll dig in right now." "He gave my boy oxygen all the way to Green Cove." "You bagged him for 80 miles?" "In the back of a pickup." "This is delicious." "I'm sorry." "It's the best thing I've had here." "I gotta go." "God bless you." "Oh, thank you." "You gonna stay, then?" "It's not that busy." "That's because I make rounds on Tuesdays." " Rounds?" " House calls." "I heard one of the Ebee girls is pregnant." "They live far out." "I'm sure she hasn't had any prenatal care." "I haven't done OB since med school." " Well, never mind." "I'll go." " No, no, no." "Look." "I'm not saying no." "I'll go if I can use your truck." "Sonny hasn't fixed my car yet." "You can't get there by car." "What y'all want?" "I'm Dr. Benton." "Miss Chapman sent me to check on your daughter." "She don't need checking." "That it?" "All right." "Hurry up before your pa gets back." "You know how he is." " Go on." "Hurry." " Sir?" "Doctor?" "Sir?" "If you don't mind I was feeling faint yesterday." "Want me to examine you?" "Ma says you can check me out here." "Believe me." "You don't want to go in." "I'm concerned about your blood pressure." "It's a little high." "Have you had other problems besides dizziness?" "A little bit of blood came out last week." "Well, I'm no specialist." "But I think you should get an ultrasound and blood tests in Green Cove." "What's going on?" "Papa, Dr. Benton is looking after me." "This would be the doctor for you, wouldn't it?" " Sir, your daughter needs some tests." " She don't need nothing from you." " Her blood pressure is elevated." " Melanie Irene, get in." "Get this man off my property." "Melanie's had enough help from his kind already." "See what the authorities say." "You can call the president as far as I'm concerned." "Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to do for my kid." "Reece." "The "A" hand knuckles rub against one another in circles." " Wash." "The prone right hand is drawn..." "Wash your hands, Reece." "Reece, wash your hands." "Mr. Morgan?" "Oh, morning, doctor." " I told you to stay off that foot." " And wash it three times a day." "Why are you walking on it?" "I can't wash my foot without water, now, can I?" "Have a good day, doctor." "Your glucose level is too high." "What do you want it to be?" "Adelina, answer the doctor." "Between 70 and 120, sir." "Nurse Maureen diagnosed you a month ago." "You should have better control over your diabetes." "You checking your glucose level three times a day?" "You check it after you drank that soda?" " Adelina!" " I only took a sip." "That's one sip too many." "If her glucose isn't under control she'll damage her kidneys, heart, even go blind." "She could have another seizure." "It was my fault for not bringing her in." "I don't think highly of doctors since we lost her mama." "Okay." "All right, you gonna show me how to inject this?" "No, sir." "All right." "Well, I'll show you." "Been shopping?" "Yeah." "Thought I'd cook some vegetables, if you don't mind." "Be fine." "How'd the clinic go?" "Adelina Young came in with a glucose level of 280." "Grandmother claims they haven't gotten insulin or glucose strips." " Oh, Lord!" " She doesn't understand the routine." "Adelina should've received diabetic teaching." " That's not gonna happen." " Try a sub-Q insulin pump." " Heard of those?" " Something newer than leeches?" "Look I'm just trying to raise the standard of care." " We should expect 100o/o." " I do." " But I've learned to settle for 60o/o." " 60o/o is failure." " It takes time for..." " They've had a month!" "Adelina is an athlete." "She's probably scared that this will end that." " She could go into a coma!" " Don't you think I know that?" " I don't know." "Maureen!" "Maureen, you gotta come!" "Something's wrong with Melanie!" "She's been laboring and the baby won't come!" " Dr. Benton?" " No, I want you, Maureen." "You're a damn fool, Eli." "I can't move that fast." "Just think of Melanie." "Well, come on." " Oh, sweet Jesus!" " I need more light!" "The generator's busted!" "Get on outside!" "Go on!" "Oh, Mama, help me!" "Melanie, I need you to relax." "Okay?" "I know." "I know." "Come on." "I don't think the head is engaged." "Damn it!" "I feel the foot!" " What does that mean?" " The baby's upside-down." " What are you doing?" " Looking up how to deliver this baby." " You don't know?" " I'm a surgeon, not an OB." " Any flashlights?" " A couple." "Get them!" "And blow out these candles!" "I'm gonna use ether if I find it." "Okay, I need you to breathe nice and easy." " I can't!" " You're gonna have to try." " What are you doing to her?" " She has to be sedated." " A uterus rupture could kill her." " I might, once I see the bastard." " You hush!" " Mrs. Ebee hold this over her face, letting it drip onto the mask like this." " All right." " She brought this on herself." " Mr. Ebee, can you read?" " Of course I can." " Go!" "I need you to read off this computer screen now." "You do it, Mama." ""Insert... the right hand into the ker... ker..."" " Cervix." "Cervix." "Okay, that's it, come on, go on." ""Push the head and with the left hand external bring the rump down."" " "Rump."" " Stop." " Okay, go on." " "Lift the feet up and push the head over the pelvis rim."" "Oh, damn it!" "All right." "Come on." "All right." "I got one foot out." "All right there's the other one." " Damn it!" "Head's stuck." " Oh, please, Jesus!" "Okay, okay, come on." "Come on." "All right, we're almost there." "Okay, stop the drip." "Hey." "Okay, you got a granddaughter." "She looks just like an Ebee." "See, Eli?" "I see." "Melanie's damn lucky." "How are you feeling?" "Happy." " Is my baby okay?" " Yeah, she's fine." "You know, from what your father said, I have to ask:" "Is there any chance the baby's father is black?" " You see her baby." "She's white." " I know." "So you know, a lot of African-American babies don't get full pigmentation until a few days later." "So if there's any chance of that, for both your safety you need to let me know." "Okay?" "I got worried." "It was a breech." "Mother and baby are fine." "But I have to take them to LaVerne." "Not in my boat." "Hey, doc." "Don't take off just yet." "Here." "There's no charge." "Maureen?" "Much obliged, Eli." " That took a lot for him to offer." " I don't want his money." "The baby's jaundiced." "I hope they can stay at your house." " Jaundice usually goes away." " No." "Tell them that the mother and baby have to be taken in." "How you doing?" "I don't want to talk about it." "Good." "I didn't come here to talk." "Come on." " Morning, doctor." " How are you doing, Mr. Morgan?" "Did you drop that big jug of water off on my porch?" " Yeah." " I sure want to thank you." "But I had to come to town anyway." "If I don't sit in this chair, who's gonna do it?" "Hey." " Hi." " You're on your feet again." "I only got your help for a few more days." "Thought we could hold down the fort here, and send you to the pharmacy." "How's the baby?" "Her jaundice doesn't appear any worse." " Melanie's itching to go home." " Sonny go get Dr. Benton his keys." "It's only been three days." "If the baby's pigment were gonna darken, it would've started." "Probably." "It was smart, the way you handled Ebee." "You know, you may have a flair for country medicine after all." " I don't think so." " Oh, I don't either." " I don't feel like driving 80 miles." " Adelina and her grandma are willing to keep you company." " She says she doesn't trust hospitals." " Well, she must be sweet on you." "And I heard they have the video phone hooked up." "Might could see your son." "Dr. Benton said the pump is better." "I'll consider giving you one if you learn to control your glucose by the time we get them." "How's that?" "I'm a little more concerned about another finding, though." "Dr. Benton, did you detect a pansystolic murmur in Adelina?" " A murmur?" " Yes, sir." "I thought I appreciated a slight murmur along the left sternal border." " The echo shows a VSD." " What's that?" "No." "I didn't listen to her chest." " She was in for her diabetes." " What's wrong?" " Adelina's heart has a small hole." " A hole?" " From the diabetes?" " No, it's unrelated." " She's probably had it since birth." " Uh-huh." "It should be repaired before it gets worse." "Excuse me." " What does he mean by repaired?" " It's a simple surgery." " I'm having surgery?" " I don't want her cut." "You never said I needed surgery." " I missed it." " Dr. Benton, call is ready." "Excuse me, please." "Reece, what are you laughing at?" "Reece, come on." "Come on, wash your hands." " Ex{y:i}cuse me, Dr. Corday?" " Okay." "They're actually saying that we've got to go now." " Thanks, Elizabeth." "Four more days." " Right." " I'll be home on Friday." " He'll be thrilled to see you." "Okay, Reece." "I gotta go." "Bye-bye." "Bye-bye!" "Come on, Reece, say bye-bye." "You going home this Friday?" "Yeah." "But Dr. Brookes will find you a good surgeon." "And what else is he gonna find wrong with her?" "Mrs. Deane, I know it's hard to plan ahead, but if we could set the date..." "I'll think it over." " Yes, ma'am." " You shouldn't put this thing off." " What about next week?" " I'll think about it." " But you will call Dr. Brookes, right?" " As soon as I can." " That took a while." " Ignorance, just ignorance." "There's no reason why a kid in this century couldn't..." "What happened?" " They found Jesse dead." " Oh, man." "In front of Sugg's Store after you left." "Was it MI?" "Why didn't you page me?" " It could've been his heart, a stroke." " Or an embolism." "He said his leg ached and I..." " I should have checked him out." " He was an old man." "There was nothing we could do." "God rest his soul." "Funeral's Friday." "I've been saying Jesse wanted to lay with his wife in our churchyard." "But he born a Catholic." "And I know he'd want the sister to offer a prayer." "What sister?" "May the angels lead you into paradise." "And may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the Holy City the new and eternal Jerusalem." "And may the choir of angels welcome you." "Where Lazarus is poor no longer, may you have eternal rest." "Eternal rest, grant unto him, O Lord." "And let perpetual life shine upon him." "And may he rest in peace." "Goodbye, Jesse." " Amen." " Amen." " You's a liar." "You do not." " I do too." "You just stick it and push the insulin." "Adelina thinks she's gonna be a doctor one day." " Hubert!" " That's what you said." "What's wrong with that?" "She'd make a fine doctor." "I changed my mind." "Oh, yeah?" "Why's that?" "Because doctors act like they know everything when they don't." "Yep." "We make mistakes." "I made a mistake with your diagnosis." "But I learned something just because of you." "I am sorry, Adelina." "It's okay." "Oh, that was for me?" "If you're thinking of arguing with Grandma Deane, I'd save my breath." "Adelina needs surgery." "I just can't leave." "Well, I'll work on her." "She'll come around." "Finished packing?" "I appreciate you sticking it out here." " I didn't do anything." " What?" "Well, maybe not by Chicago-surgeon standards." "But you took good care of LaVerne." "I love this town." "I guess that's hard for you to understand." "Yeah." "Well, I'm not the missionary type, you know?" "Well, I never did well with a doctor over my shoulder." "This is a good place for a nun with authority issues." "What's your specialty gonna be?" "Bet you've thought it out." "Five years ago I decided to go into cardiothoracic." "Well, no wonder it stung you to miss that heart murmur." " I missed it too." " Yeah, but you're a nurse." "Look out, now." "I don't know." "This last year I've been I've been distracted, with my son and all." " Well, it's not easy raising a child." " Well, you would know that." "I've just had Sonny the last few years." "I took him in when his folks died." "Being a parent's a full-time job." "Yeah." "It's hard work but I love being with my son." "Oh, man." "Well, being with people." "It's as simple as that, isn't it?" "And what a blessing when you can hear the sound of your own heart." " Shrimp boat blew down in South Port!" " How many hurt?" " I'm a doctor!" "How bad?" " Sank the boat." "Guy blew through the roof." "Boat's bringing him in." " Pulled a guy out." " Why's it there?" "Raising the outriggers." " How long?" " 15 minutes." " Too long." "Can you get me out there?" " IKenny's boat's right here." "Doc needs to get to the boat!" "Round up a first-aid kit and fresh water!" " You got it!" " Go!" "Go!" "Here we go." "Nice and easy!" "Maureen, we got two bad injuries:" "A flailed chest with evisceration and a partial amputation of the thigh." "Bottled water and two first-aid kits." "Lay them down over here." "Didn't secure their propane tank." "Rolled into the engine room hit the boiler." "Whole boat blew." "If we stabilize the chest wall, he'll breathe." "Don't die on me." "I need a small fishing fly and some leader." "Anyone have fishhook pliers?" " I got a needle-nose in my box." " All right, go!" " Sonny!" " Yeah!" "He's gonna die without your help." "I need some Saran Wrap." " Saran Wrap?" " Right!" " What is that?" " Shrimp factory!" " Try them!" "Go!" " Where's the ice?" "I got flies and leader here." "Peel the fur and feathers off the small one." "Thread it and rub alcohol over it." "I need alcohol from the kit!" "Maureen, how you doing?" "Leg's ischemic." "We don't get the tourniquet off, he's losing it." " Ice ain't that clean." " Just pack it around his leg." " How's yours holding up?" " I've got a faint pulse." "Where the hell is Sonny?" "Here you go, Dr. Benton." "I had to steal it." "Listen carefully, I'm depending on you." "Over here." "I'm gonna stabilize his chest with the Saran Wrap." "Wrap it around him." "Here we go." "Roll him." "Lift him up." "Here we go." "Let's go!" " Any gauze or bandages over there?" " I've used it up on this fellow." " I need something to hold in his guts!" " My T-shirt?" "Fine, take it off." "Here!" "Here we go." "You stay here." "Give me your hand." "There." "As long as you feel a pulse, he's alive." " Lf it stops, let me know." " Needle's threaded." "All right, you ready?" "I'll tie the superficial femoral artery to stop the bleeding." "Release the tourniquet slowly so I can isolate the artery and clean out any clots." "Okay." "Now, tighten the tourniquet." "Here we go." " How are we doing there, Sonny?" " Breathing." "Still has a pulse." "Good." "Good." "Come on, cut!" " Nice work, Dr. Benton." " Yeah." "You too." "Guess I ought to try to borrow a shirt." "Sonny." "You did good today, man." "We were mighty lucky there was a surgeon in town." "And I'm sorry you missed your flight." "Well, I'll catch one tomorrow." "You leaving so early?" "Yeah." "I gotta take care of something." "Hey, you're back." "So, how was it?" "Different." "Congratulations." "Robert Romano told me you're a shoo-in for a cardiothoracic spot next year." "Cardiothoracic is a pretty time-consuming specialty." "I have a son, you know?" "What are you doing here anyway?" "I'm visiting Jeanie." "Hey, Jeanie." "Peter, hey." " How was the middle of nowhere?" " It wasn't bad." " I didn't run into your family." " Oh, well." "So..." " You had a setback, huh?" " Yeah." "The plasma will help." "Damn it!" "Peter, don't touch me." "For God's sake, I'm poison." "I can't do this." "I can't." "You can't do this alone." "Yeah?"