"Here." "Try this." "It should help." "One pill before meals." "Call me if you get heartburn." " Thanks, doctor." " My regards to your husband." "Take care, Mme Lacroix." "Mme Lemay, I'd like to dictate a letter before you go." "It's for the Medical Bulletin classifieds." ""General practitioner in remote area," ""fond of his elderly clientele, seeks replacement for a month,"" "and in brackets," ""(possible successor)."" "It's time, Pierrette." "You know, I don't have much choice." ""A possible successor who will make house calls." "Dr Yves Rainville, Normétal, Abitibi."" "Well." "That's it." "Thanks, Pierrette." "THE LEGAOY" " Welcome to Normétal." " Thanks." " How was your trip?" " Fine." "I like driving." "Good." "Things here are far apart." "Well, here it is, my home." "I hold an afternoon clinic, after house calls or rounds at the hospital in Macamic." "I do a day a week at Emergency, if need be." "It'll be far quieter than your ER experiences in Montreal." "Here's the examination room." " You make many house calls?" " As many as possible." "I like seeing how people live." " You're a dying breed." " Stuck in my ways." "Come." "Mme Lemay made up a room for you." "There's a hotel in La Sarre, but it's quieter here." "My secretary, Mme Lemay, cooks for me." "You'll meet her tomorrow." " Are you from here?" " No." "I was born in Verchères, outside Montréal." "I started as the company doctor in '63." "The mine closed in '75 but I stayed on." " The population has fallen by half." " How do they live now?" "Men travel far to work as loggers, miners." "Many go up to the Arctic." "There are few jobs here." "Why did you stay?" "You get attached." "It's my home now." "I felt I was useful." "People need a doctor." "I'm not sure I'll move here." "Just replace me during my trip, then decide." "Not long ago, this was unsettled land." "It was colonized less than 100 years ago." "Vast stands of trees." "Settlers arrived at the station and were dropped off in the woods:" ""You're on your own."" "They cleared this land by hand, like beasts of burden." "Now, the young are leaving, the fields grow wild..." "The wilderness won out." "This unit has about 40 patients." "We try to make it as homey as possible." "This floor is for semi-autonomous people." "The cognitively impaired are on Three." " Hello, Mme Dupont." " Hello, doctor." "Mme Dupont is our oldest." "She'll be 92 this year." "Hello, everyone!" "Dr Dion will be replacing me while I'm gone." "We have a small palliative care unit." "I'll introduce you to Manon." "I delivered her." "I came to see you before I go." "Not in school?" "They let us out." "Grandma brought us." "Dr Dion will replace me while I'm gone." "How's the pain?" "We can up the dose." "I want to stay awake." "I want to be with them while I still can." "Any news of Denis?" "I'll hate him 'til my last breath." "Best not to dwell on him too much." "I'll be gone a month." "If you want to reach me," "I'll have the nurses give you my cell number." "You're in good hands with Dr Dion." "Good day, Manon." "Courage." "Her husband left her when the cancer set in." "He hasn't called for six months." "Just as well." "He was abusing her." "This is a former sanatorium." "They called this "the cure"." "They wheeled patients in on stretchers and opened the windows, year 'round." "Hello, Mme Perron." "When I arrived here, Mme Perron owned the fabric shop on Main." "She was the most beautiful woman in western Abitibi." "In a large ER, we're..." "It's like we're outside people's suffering." "It's so impersonal." "That's normal." "We're supposed to stay detached." "You'd like to get closer now?" "I don't know." "Dr Rainville to the 2nd floor." " He's gone." " Yes, I know." "Did you notice anything last night?" "He died quietly." "As he wished, but I wish we'd gone together." "With our loved ones, we wish that, but it rarely happens." "Would you like to go?" "No, I want to stay here." "They'll come for him soon." "I'll wait." "Want some company?" "Not really." "Fine." "This is the old mine dumpsite." "The tailings were lying open until last year." "They were sodded over to contain the toxic run-off." "There were two headframes right behind there." "One black, one white, for the two mine shafts." "Up to 500 men worked there at once." "That's all gone now." "It's beautiful." "It's austere." "Many don't like it." "I don't know if you'll find what you're looking for here." "Dr Dion, this is Mme Lemay." "She'll handle your schedule, appointments, rounds, the office." " Do as she says and all will be fine." " I'll handle everything." "Dr Dion will replace me while I'm gone." "I'll take my leave." "It's all yours." "Here, doctor." "I'll be with you shortly." "I'm pregnant." "I don't want the baby." " When was your last period?" " Two months ago." " Did you do a pregnancy test?" " Two." " How old are you?" " Sixteen." " You know there are other options." " I want an abortion." "I just arrived." "I don't know what's available around here" "We go to Val-d'Or." "Take a week to think and come back." "I'll help you do whatever you want, but think about it properly." "I already have." "I know what I want." "Let me look into it, and come back." "As I said, we'll do as you want." " What can I do for you?" " Renew my prescription." "Which one?" "My Ativan's." "You still have two months' worth." "I lost the bottle." "Jacynthe?" "Poor thing." "I wish I could say she had hidden, redeeming features, or an unhappy childhood, but I can't." "She's mean to everyone." "Three kids by different men." "They're all in foster homes." "She's only interested in pills and booze." "She comes often?" "You haven't seen the last of her, but you can't do much for her." " You gave her the prescription?" " Yes." "I wouldn't have." "She's tried this too often with doctors around here." "But you did well." "We can't practice medicine without some sense of trust." "It's your gift to her." "Blood pressure's fine." "Any dizziness or weakness?" " You're taking your pills?" " Every morning, as Dr Rainville said." "How are your legs?" "They hurt, but I can walk." "You're managing all alone." "With no help." "A local girl sometimes comes to help." " You have many clients?" " No, it's more of a hobby." "People come to encourage me." "Anyway, they'd rather not go to La Sarre for gas." " You're still certain." " Yes." "Fine." "Call here." " Can you afford to go?" " I'll get the money." " How?" " Never you mind." "Abortion isn't birth control." "The clinic will put you on the Pill." "Come back here afterwards." "My mother's taking the kids." "She's only 64." "She's healthy." "She'll be around 'til they grow up." "My sister could, but she's in Montréal." "I want them in school here." "Are they doing well?" "Mathieu's a devil." "Corinne's a good girl, always reading." "They won't suffer." "My parents love them more than us." "They'll be fine." "If their father ever turns up, keep him away from them." " When did you take the painkillers?" " Dunno..." "Don't suffer needlessly." "Go ahead." "Just a little longer..." "Fine." "I'll go." "Shall I close the curtains?" "Leave them open." " Are you afraid of helicopters?" " I've never flown in one." "Mr. Roberge wants to see you." "Gilles Roberge." "You must have heard of him." "Roberge Transport  Bus Lines, airline, radio, Roberge Lumber..." "Owned half the region, sold it to the Americans." "His pilot will meet you tomorrow at the flight pad." "Your house, your lake, truly extraordinary." "It's so remote." "How did you do it?" "Brought it all in by helicopter, 170 trips." "I won't say at what price, but I found peace." "You don't get bored?" "They say it's fibromyalgia, but they don't really know." "They found nothing, even at the Mayo clinic." " You're in pain?" " Everywhere." "Sometimes I can't stand it." "When I called yesterday, I wanted to die." "What medications are you on?" "Anti-depressants." "Do they help?" "My only relief is taking hot showers." "And drinking." "You shouldn't." "Yeah, so they say." "I wish I had something else to propose, but your medication is the only effective option." "What can I say?" "It's useless." "Since when?" "I'm coming." "She passed away." " Was she alone?" " No, I was here." "Her kids came earlier with their grandmother." " Did you call them?" " Yes, they're coming." "Could you pronounce it?" "Manon was forty." "Forty." "Too young to die." "When elderly people die after living a full life, we're sad, we feel loss, but not the feeling of injustice we presently have." "We knew Manon." "We know her family, her children." "We are wondering..." "Why are you here?" "Great timing." "Please!" "This is the house of God!" "Don't look." "Everyone here remembers the Lord's Prayer, even infrequent church-goers." "The Lord's Prayer has phrases that come easily to us, and others that are more difficult." ""Give us this day our daily bread."" "Easy to say." "Everyone wants this." "Same with "Thy kingdom come," and "Deliver us from evil."" "But there are difficult phrases." "Some are particularly difficult for us in this church today." ""Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."" "How can we understand this?" "How can we accept that Manon's death is God's will?" "And another phrase is perhaps the most difficult:" ""Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."" "What?" "Who is this?" "Dr Dion in Normétal." "There's an injured man on Main by the school." "I'm nearby." "Send an ambulance." "OK, thanks." "I'm a doctor." "Where does it hurt?" " My leg." " Can you move it?" "What happened?" "Someone did this." "Should I call the police?" "The medics are in Poularies." "They'll be here soon." "You'll be fine." "I'm so ashamed." "Hello, Thomas." "Mr. Leclerc, I can't sign this." "You can work now." "Your X-rays are perfect." " What's it to you to sign it?" " I'd be lying." "Rainville signed it." "Because you were in bad shape." " What's your salary?" " Pardon me?" "How much?" "150-, 200 grand?" "Irrelevant." "You make $150,000 a year and you're blocking my measly Workman's Comp?" "Get a 2nd opinion." "You're signing it." "You should leave." "Get out." " How did this happen?" " At the bakery." "I was cleaning the kneader and it started up." " Can you feel this?" " Yes." "Flex." " Does it hurt?" " Not really." "You'll survive." "I'll disinfect it." " Are you applying for Comp too?" " No, thanks." "If I stop work, western Abitibi will have no bread." "How do you like it here?" "It's far away." "May I suggest something?" "Yes." "Go into the woods." "They're what's beautiful here." "Take your time." "Learn to look at the landscape." "Hello, Mme Laplante." " I came to see you." " I'm fine." "Come, sit down." "You're keeping the room?" "Yes." "I asked them... to leave Louis's bed here." "At first, I prayed the Lord to take me." "Seems he decided to make me wait." "It's not up to us." "You saw Thomas?" " Yes." " How is he?" "The same." "It's not easy." "I still wonder whether he should've lived with me." "He'd be in the same shape, and it would've hindered your work." "You've no cause for remorse." "Gaétane, do you regret..." "Regret what?" "Taking the veil." "Yet... all this..." "You don't feel you chose wrong?" "Like voting for the wrong side?" "Not when I think about my students." "I was useful." "Are you... sorry you got entrenched in Abitibi?" "I did what I could." "I could've done my work elsewhere." "I would've earned more, but I wasn't interested." "Like you." "Up there, I feel right at home." "And..." "And?" "There's the Abitibi sky." "The clouds." " You took her temperature?" " Half an hour ago." "It was 101." "Is she in pain?" "Any symptoms?" " She hasn't talked since the funeral." " Not a word?" "Their father wants the house." "Manon left no will." "Corinne knows." "Yes." "I'll examine her." "Does this hurt?" "I can't help if you won't answer." "Answer the doctor." "Give us a moment." "I'll tell you two things." "First, even if your father comes back to Normétal, you don't have to live with him." "You like it here?" "You don't want to go." "So you won't." "I promise you that." "What's the other thing?" "The second thing is... your brother needs you." "I'm still expecting you." "Coming." "On the way home, he felt ill at Duparquet." "Infarction." "You'll have to stay on a while." "Don't worry." " How's Dr Rainville?" " He's in stable condition." "We wanted to send him to Montréal, but he wants to stay here." "His life is here." "So, have you decided to stay?" "I haven't left yet." "When my father came up with the flies and saw the endless trees, he said he'd be back in St-Vallier the moment he got train fare." " He never left?" " No, he died." " He died young?" " He was 87." "He ended up staying 60 years." "What's this?" "We picked her up unconscious from behind a bar," "BP 100/60, pulse 62, breathing 10." "No ID." "She had crystal on her." " There's meth here?" " There is now." "Basic bloods and a tox." "We'll intubate." "I know her." "It's Line Cholette." "Get her file." "I put time of death at 10:20 p.m." "Good." " Was the family notified?" " Yes, they're coming." "Get the medics on the phone." "I'll take a breather." "Madame Cholette?" "Are you alone?" "My husband's up at Ragland mine." "What happened?" "She was found outside the bar." "When the medics arrived, she was barely breathing." "We tried everything." "Was she raped?" "Was she on drugs?" "Probably." "We'll know tomorrow." "I'd like to see her." "Did you call 9-1-1?" "You know who did?" "Did anyone see anything?" "I'm Dr Dion." "That girl died in my arms!" "She was 16." "Know anything?" "How about you?" "Someone sold her meth and no one knows who?" "She was 16!" "There's no way anyone will talk." "Leave it to the police." "Did you see anything?" "I just got here." "You're OK?" "Get some sleep." "Not much we can do..." "Depends on what you mean by "not much"." "Even general doctors save a life or two." "We don't lose them all." "We do in the end." "If that bothers you, you're in the wrong job." "Ultimately, we can't do much, but we prolong lives and alleviate suffering." "That's something." "Are you a believer?" "Well," "I believe one thing:" "One must serve others." "My sister, Gaétane, is a nun." "She once told me," ""You don't believe in God?" "Then don't dare play God."" "I came to see you." "Come in." " When is your husband back?" " He's flying in tonight." "Have you slept?" "Haven't slept for months." "She never came home..." "You have kids?" "You have no idea..." "I had four kids." "The other three are fine." "Married, employed..." "But that girl..." "That girl..." "How did we get her?" "It's not because we didn't love her." "Here's a baguette." "Thanks." "I sometimes make a batch for practice." "I thought a city girl might like one." "It's sourdough." "I keep a culture." "Well..." "Off to bed." "Have a good day." "You're lucky for someone who fell through a window." "The cuts are superficial." "Drinking again." "That's the worst you can do." "Don't stay here in this condition." "Winter's coming" "I have all I need." "Evacuating you would not be easy." "That's what helicopters are for." "Look, I don't want to come here every time you hurt yourself." "You were lucky this time, but one cut here and you're dead." " I'll do it right next time." " Fine." "You won't need me." "Your affliction may indeed be painful, but among the ordeals I see daily, yours is by no means the worst." "Good evening." "Come in." "Didn't feel like eating alone." "May I?" "Welcome." "Thank you." "You feel well today?" "As you can see." "Dr Demers might release me." "He may get me through this, not that I'm complaining." "I'll find an apartment." "You're staying?" "I don't know yet." "I'm not sure for how long." "I can't live with you forever." "You're right!" "A peach like you at home - how scandalous." "Anyway," "I'd rather have a doctor at home." "Let me help." "You're back." "Your leg's OK?" "Three more weeks." "You've seen your kids?" "Not yet." "You'll take custody?" "They're my kids." "I love them." "They're fine as is." "Their grandparents will fight for custody." "You won't win." "They're still mine." "May I make a suggestion?" "If I were you, I wouldn't move in." "This is my house." "The kids think otherwise." "It happened at 11:00." "I'll pray for him." " You're a peculiar baker." " It's a peculiar job." "Why?" "Turning night into day gives you freedom." "It's not your real job." "It's my father's bakery." "I was born into it." "You didn't stick to it." "I tried other things." "What?" "Something I quit." "Then, I followed my father." "I make good bread for people." "I feel useful." "What more could I want?" "So, Dr Rainville died." "This morning." "He delivered me." "Like half of Normétal." "An upstanding man." "Upright and good." "So, will you stay?" "We need a doctor." "I know." "Well," "I'll be off." "No baguettes tonight." "I'll give you a miche." "Thank you." "My brother used to say there are no bad people, there are only lost children." "Basically, we're all lost children." "We realize this when life catches up with us and we're confronted with grief, with sickness, with death." "My brother said he was here to help lost children." "I don't think one can do much better with one's life." "He said he was an atheist." "He may well have been." "But I believe in God." "I think my beloved brother was mistaken, and the Lord shall nevertheless welcome him" "into eternal rest." "Before Mr. Paul Gignac, notary at La Sarre, and assisted by nurse Gilberte Filion, present at Macamic Hospital," "Yves Rainville, doctor, residing in Normétal, hereby requests said notary to receive his will as follows:" "Article 1." "I bequeath my medical practice to Dr Jeanne Dion." "If she accepts," "I also leave her my Normétal house and its adjoining office." "Article 2." "I bequeath my remaining assets in three equal parts to my son, Thomas, care of the public trustee, my sister, Gaétane," "and Mme Pierrette Lemay." "Article 3." "I designate my sister to be my executor." "I have to think about it." "You understand." "No hurry." "Take your time." "I don't know if I can accept." "I don't even know if I want to stay." "You'll see." "It took my brother ten years to decide he'd settle here." "You know..." "My brother's giving you his most prized possession." "I don't know if I'm ready." "What brought you back?" "Dad was sick." "The bakery needed someone." " You could've refused." " Yes." " What were you doing in Montréal?" " Studying." " What subject?" " History." "I was doing a thesis on Abitibi's pioneers." "I spent a summer searching attics for letters." " You found some?" " Yes, hundreds." "What was in them?" "Nothing." "Ordinary life." "Births, land-clearing, weddings." "Those people were dirt poor." "Worked themselves to the bone, didn't complain." "Did you write your thesis?" "The bakery took over." "Do you regret that?" "Sometimes." "But all I really wanted was to read." "Lots of time for that here." "And space." "What's going on?" "The Pelletier kids are missing." "We're looking for them." "What happened?" "Yesterday, their father was waiting for them after school." "They left by the back, and ran home." "He showed up here at suppertime." "He wanted to talk to them but I wouldn't let him." "He left, but the kids were really upset." "They took off at dawn on their bikes." "They'll find shelter in a hunting cabin." "I can't sleep." "Still no news?" "Not from the hospital." "Don't worry." "They found shelter." "I don't know if I'll stay." "I can't handle this " "being so close to my patients." "Stay a while." "We'll go for breakfast in an hour." "It's morning." "Come and eat." "Lean over so I can take a listen." "It'll feel cold." "Corinne has an infection in a pre-existing heart deformity - bacterial endocarditis." "Sounds bad, but antibiotics can cure it." "She's had it for a while." "The cold night air exacerbated it." "We'll save her." "Don't be afraid." " Where were you?" " The hospital." " You spent the night there?" " Yes." "How is she?" "Still feverish." " Who's first today?" " Mme Giroux." "Give me a moment." "Mr. Roberge wants you at the lake today or tomorrow." "Tell him to go fly his helicopter to an American clinic." "There's been no change." "The antibiotics need time." "Go on home." "I'll stay tonight." "Come in." "I came by to see you." "I'm fine." "Waiting for snow." "It won't be long." "It snowed the other night." "I just love winter." "Me too." "She's in arrest." "Get help!" "70 joules." "Clear!" "How is she?" "Better." "It was touch and go." "Now she's out of danger, fever's down." "Antibiotics are working." "She'll survive." "I'm leaving." "Where?" "I dunno." "Alberta maybe." "I'm going to Montreal." "I'd like to see her." "Come." "Call, if you want." "I'll keep you posted." "Good luck." "This is Dr Dion." "Send an ambulance to Concession 4, Ste-Hélène." "Help is on the way." "I'm a doctor." "I'll get you through this." "You'll be fine." "Your baby's not hurt." "Open your eyes!" "Listen." "Stay with me!" "Your baby's alive, you'll both be fine." "The ambulance is coming." "Don't slip away, stay with us." "I'm scared." "Adaptation:" "Kathleen Fleming Anrà Médiatextes, Montréal" "Subtitling DVD:" "ONST, Montreal"