Original subtitles

Where's the doctor?

Why do you want him?

Well, why do you think?

The boy needs help.

Maybe so, mister, but he won't get it here.

I said, where's the doctor?

Over there.

Hey, wait a minute.

You get him outta here.

Doc Langland won't go anywheres near him.

Why, there isn't a doctor within a hundred miles

that would touch that kid with a 10-foot pole.

Well, how did it happen, Ted?

Well, he just all of a sudden fell down, Mrs. Summers.

He grabbed his side, like, and fell down.

This man who took him, you say his name's Randall?

Yes, sir.

I told him not to bring Carey to no doctor.

I told him.

He didn't even listen.

He just told me to come get you and...

then he took off for town.

All right, boy. Go on home, now.

Well, you gonna go after him, Mr. Summers?

Go on, Ted. You better get on home.

Go tell Mag we'll be bringing Carey.

Tell her to get ready.

Man: Hello, Carey.

Hello, Doctor.

Now, where does it hurt, Carey?

I see.

Now, does it hurt real bad when I do this?

I had to do that, Carey. I'm sorry.

Am I gonna die, Doctor?

Of course not.

Now, you just try to relax.

Will you do that for me?

Are you a relative?

Uh, no, sir. My name's Randall.

I found the boy out in the woods there.

I don't know nothin' about sickness,

but I knew he needed help.

What's your interest in this, Mr. Randall?

I got none, other than I know he needed some doctoring.

Well, you shouldn't have brought him here.

Not to me, anyway.

Say, what's going on around here, anyway?

When I found that boy out in the woods, he had a playmate with him.

When I told him I was gonna take this boy into town to a doctor,

he looked at me like I was gonna go out and shoot him.

This boy needs an operation right away.

Yeah.

You better get at it, then.

I can't operate without permission.

That's why I asked if you were a relative.

Is he in that much danger?

I'm afraid he is.

Well, I sent his playmate over to tell his folks I took the kid into town.

I imagine they'll be here anytime now.

Can you wait?

You go ahead and operate.

I'm a relative. You got my permission. Go ahead now.

I'm afraid you don't understand the situation, Mr. Randall.

Hello, Tom.

Have you touched him?

No.

Now, don't you worry, son.

They ain't gonna lay a hand on you.

Mag will fix you up good as new.

I'll settle with you later, mister.

Just a second, Tom.

You've got nothin' to say to me, butcher.

Tom, I know how you feel about doctors.

Maybe you've got a reason.

But I have to tell you this:

If you take Carey away from me now,

he won't have a chance.

Have you any idea what's wrong with your boy?

Oh, bellyache,

fever.

Most likely, all them crabapples he ate last night.

No, it isn't the crabapples.

Your boy has acute appendicitis.

Fancy words. Don't mean nothin'.

You know what an appendix is, don't you, Tom?

It's an organ. Sometimes it gets infected.

If you don't take it out, it can kill you.

That's what you say.

No, it isn't what I say.

Almost all doctors know about the appendix now.

Tom, please, let me take it out.

Carey will be all right.

Sure. That's what they said about my old man.

So I let 'em cut him.

And you know what happened.

That was different, Tom.

Your father had a serious disease.

Besides, it was a long time ago.

We've learned a great deal since then.

All I know is he was alive when they put him on that table,

and he was dead when they took him off.

Whatever it is that's wrong with Carey...

Easy, son...

Mag will fix it.

Tom.

If you love that boy, you'll let me operate.

Langland, Carey's my only child.

He means more to me than anything on this Earth.

And that's why I'm not gonna even let you touch him.

Excuse me, mister.

Now, I know this is none of my business...

That's right. It isn't.

If anything goes wrong with Carey,

it'll be because you didn't bring him to me in the first place.

Well, nothin' better go wrong, mister,

because if it does,

I'll kill you, so help me God.

What's he got against you, anyhow?

Oh, it's not me personally.

Tom's father had a disease that nobody knew much about,

except that it was killing him.

The doctor thought an operation might help.

Would have, too,

but Jake was too weak to stand it, and he died.

Well, who's this woman they're talking about?

This, uh, Mag or something?

Maggie Blake.

They call her the healing woman,

sort of a female medicine man, you might say.

Oh, I suppose she's a competent enough midwife.

Got sense enough to put kids to bed when they're running a fever.

The Indian charms and amulets

are mostly for effect, I guess.

Make people think they're getting their money's worth.

Tom isn't her only patient, you know.

Before Boulder Creek had a doctor,

everybody went to her.

Some folks still do.

Tell me something.

If she had to, could she operate on the boy?

Mr. Randall,

she couldn't take a bullet out of a cake of soap.

And in his present condition,

Carey can't possibly live more than a couple of days.

In other words, you're telling me there's nothing you can do.

Not now.

Yes? What is it?

- Miz Summers? - Yes.

Well, uh, my name's Randall.

Well, you shouldn't have come here, Mr. Randall.

My husband's upset with what you did.

Well, I'd like to have a little talk, if you got the time.

Tom isn't here. He's out getting medicine for the boy.

Yeah, I know. I passed him up in the woods.

He was trying to catch some frogs.

That the kind of medicine you mean?

You have no call to talk that way.

Tom's doing what he thinks is best for the boy.

I didn't say he wasn't.

I said he was trying to catch some frogs.

Look, ma'am, I've been sitting out there

waiting for your husband to leave because I want to talk to you.

Why?

I hate to see a nice boy like that die

because his parents are too stubborn

to try and help him.

Now, you think that old witch is gonna cure

a stomach full of poison with a couple of dead frogs,

well...

Now, you listen to me, Miz Summers,

that boy's got acute appendicitis.

Please. Stop.

You believe in all that nonsense,

all right, I'll ride outta here right now.

Otherwise, you haven't got much time.

Give the doctor your permission to operate.

That's the only thing that's gonna help him,

is just an operation.

You're a liar!

Get up.

Now, you get outta here, Randall.

If I ever see you again, I'll kill ya.

You're killing your son, mister.

Isn't that enough?

Goodbye, ma'am.

If you ever do that again, and I'll tear your head off.

Tom.

Does Carey have appendicitis?

No.

Well...

Dr. Langland said...

Dr. Langland don't know what he's talkin' about.

All them fancy words. Appendicitis.

Mag says there ain't no such thing.

Now, what do you think about that?

What does she say it is?

Well, she...

she thinks it might be a curse.

Where you goin'?

To see my boy.

Mag says the spell won't work if anybody's there.

Now, don't you look at me that way, you hear?

He's my boy, too.

Tom.

He needs us.

Well, don't you think I want to see him?

How do you think I feel waiting...

wondering if my only son's gonna die?

It's the hardest thing I ever had to do.

But you don't have to do it.

Yes, I do.

And I will, if it'll help Carey.

And so will you, Amanda.

How do you know it'll do any good?

I don't.

I only know the healing woman's helped us before.

Well, not in anything like this.

Tom, this isn't just a plain bellyache. The doctor said...

Don't you ever mention that word again.

Only time I ever went to a doctor,

I lost somebody I loved.

We stay here.

When there's news, Mag will bring it.

You want another drink?

No. One's my limit.

When you're the only doctor in a town,

you gotta stay sober.

Pity, too, because I'd like very much to get drunk tonight.

Think he's still alive?

The boy? If he is, he's going through hell.

Yeah.

- Doc. - Hmm?

Got an idea.

You better forget it.

Why?

Tom would kill both of us.

Well, I'm not gonna stand here

and drink myself to death over it.

He'll calm down after the operation,

when he knows the boy's all right.

What makes you so sure?

Well, he'd be grateful, wouldn't he?

What if the operation were to fail?

You scared?

Killing a boy?

Yes, I'm scared.

And that's not all. It's against the law.

Legally and morally, no doctor can force anyone into an operation.

Well, if it's a question of the boy dying...

Even if it's a question of the boy dying.

Oh, I recommend that a glass of whiskey be taken internally

every 10 minutes. Good night.

Good night, doc.

Well, Mrs. Summers, this is a surprise.

Mr. Randall has told me that my boy has appendicitis.

Is that the truth?

- Yes. - How serious is it?

As serious as it can get.

And an operation would save him?

Would have yesterday. Now it may be too late.

Well, you're not sure of that.

No, I'm not. That's true.

But I can't guarantee anything.

You have my permission to operate.

How about Tom?

He doesn't know I'm here.

That's what I thought.

Amanda, you're sure you want to go through with this?

Dr. Langland, I love my husband.

He's good and he's kind.

And Carey means the world to him.

But I think he's wrong now.

And even if it means he never forgives me,

even if it turns out that...

It's something I have to do.

Well, let's get on it.

You want to come with us?

Yes.

Whoa. Haw!

Come on.

- Mag: Who is it? - Open up.

Go away. Spells must not be broken.

Josh: Doctor.

Get out of here.

What are you doing?

Don't touch that boy.

I want you to be quiet, ma'am.

Who are you to tell me to be quiet?

What do you mean, breaking in and interrupting me like this?

They have my permission.

What?

Keep that woman quiet.

Well, I won't have it.

Mr. Summers turned the boy over to me.

He's mine.

You hear? He's mine!

Listen, ma'am. If you won't be quiet,

I'm gonna put you on out of here.

You understand that?

Your husband know about this?

It's none of your business.

Well, I'm leavin' here.

I don't like the smell of butchers.

- Miz Summers. - How is he, Doc?

Well, Miz Summers, there's no use lying to you.

Carey's in very serious condition.

That ride over here...

I don't know how much good we can do with this.

Is there a chance?

Maybe.

Do what you can.

I'll need help.

You got it.

What can I do?

- You? - Yes.

This isn't gonna be very pleasant.

What do you want me to do?

I'll need plenty of boiling water.

That's why I'm telling now.

Get up.

They're killing him with knives!

- He'll die! - He'd better not! Hyah!

- Carey? - Take it easy, Summers.

Tom, what are you gonna do?

What do you think I'm gonna do?

Now, listen to me. I gave them permission.

There. You wouldn't believe me.

You...

Langland, take your hands off my boy.

Tom, in heaven's name, I can't stop now.

You can and you will...

You move an inch without me tellin' you to, mister,

and I'll empty this thing into your legs. You understand me?

You just stay right here until the doctor's through.

Well, it's all over.

I wish I could tell you that everything's all right.

I can't.

By moving him here, you robbed him of a lot of strength.

He needed immediate care.

But I think he's gonna make it.

If your wife hadn't given us permission when she did...

Carey would be dead right now.

Well, you might thank him.

He's the one that saved your boy, mister.

- He was scared. - Of what?

Doctors are men, they're not magicians.

They make mistakes.

But they're learning.

Isn't that right, Doctor?

Yeah. We're learning.

Mr. Randall?

I can't tell you how sorry I am.

Forget it.

Nah, I'll never forget it, Mr. Randall.

Never.

Hey, say...

Um, you wouldn't happen to have a nice little charm for a black eye, would you?

Thanks, anyway.