Original subtitles

Now, stop that, you hear? Stop that!

Are you alright, Grandma?

No, it's serious, John-Boy. It's happening all over the country.

Rural doctors moving to the cities just to make a living.

John-Boy?

Is Grandma gonna die?

Oh, Livie,

I...I just can't go on without her.

I remember so well

the carefully designated crossroads of my life.

The points where one could stop

and thoughtfully consider which road to take.

But there were those other particles of time

in which decisions were made more quickly.

And in one snap judgment

irrevocable forces were set into motion.

I especially recall such a time affecting my grandmother

and my sister Mary Ellen.

The chickens take the pan away from you, Grandma?

I dropped it.

Something wrong, Grandma?

No, I...

Just hand me the pan.

You got sweat on your forehead. You know that?

Just go on back to your chores. Go on.

What in heaven's name?

Grandma, what's going on here?

Put that on the back porch.

What are you doing?

Something wrong?

Grandma, what's wrong?

I can't get my work done for being asked what's wrong.

But these are all clean.

I say they need scouring.

If you've something else to say, I'd listen.

Put that on the back porch.

Oh, I'm sorry! Sorry about that, Doc.

You're doing pretty well on that cane, John-Boy.

A lot better than I'd do on a motorcycle.

You ought to stay off of those things.

I fully intend to from now on.

You were asking me something?

I wanna be able to quote you on this, Doc, and...

I was wondering if I could say

that you were giving it some consideration about moving away.

Yes, I'd say that's a fair statement.

As a matter of fact, I'm going to Charlottesville today.

And if the offer I've had there

looks as good as it sounded on the phone, then I'll take it.

Then we'll leave just as soon as we can get packed.

You sound mighty anxious about that, ma'am.

Yes, well, I'm not sure "anxious" is the word.

I just can't afford to stay, John-Boy, it comes down to that.

It's a common problem in rural areas today.

Times are hard and the doctors are the last ones to be paid.

If they get paid at all.

This is what they give us instead of money!

Now how do we pay our taxes with a ham?

Or how do we have the roof fixed for eggs and watermelon pickles?

Well, don't worry about the roof.

John Boy, Len Porter paid for his son's tonsils with shingles!

That's right. Laugh about it.

Ma'am, hey, I'm... Hey, I'm sorry about that, Doc.

-I didn't mean to laugh. -No. No, no, John-Boy.

I started it. I started it.

Well...

I don't know, maybe...

Maybe people just think about doctors

the way they think about preachers.

As if medicine were a calling?

Yeah, they gotta eat what people bring 'em.

Gotta dress out of the poor barrels,

gotta be kind, gotta be patient,

gotta be available all hours of the day and the night.

Thank God for their many blessings.

I don't know, I guess that's true enough.

I wanted more than anything to become a country doctor.

Well, you got your wish.

Don't tell me you wanna give it all up now.

No, it's serious, John-Boy. It's happening all over the country.

Rural doctors moving to the cities just to make a living.

Here, read those.

Can I hold onto these for a while?

Yes, and someplace over here is a copy of the Hippocratic oath.

A stirring document, written some 400 years before Christ.

If you can find it and show me any place

where it says that the physician is more or less than human,

then I'd cheerfully give you a dozen eggs, some quince jelly

and a shingle.

Now, Erin, this is the switchboard.

Looks complicated.

-It is. But you'll learn it. -I hope so.

Now, these are your trunk lines along here.

Never give a busy signal unless all these lines are in use.

How do I know?

The red light, the line is busy.

Yellow light, the line is open.

Red, busy. Yellow, open.

Now, these are your ringing switches.

When you've plugged in the number being called,

push the switch forward, then release.

Forward and release, until the number answers.

Well, what if they don't answer?

Well, never give less than six rings before giving up.

A subscriber may be out of doors or occupied in another room.

Six rings.

Remain calm and cool at all times.

I do hope you're not excitable.

Am I?

Oh, no, I wouldn't say so, honey, no.

Never forget, Erin, this is the very nerve center

of Jefferson County.

Yes, ma'am.

Now, are you ready, child?

Now then, get me Len Bookings.

Head of the Volunteer Fire Department.

-Someone answered. -Tell him your business.

Hello, this is... Well, you don't know me.

No, no, no, there isn't a fire. I just...

No, my goodness, no.

Len?

Fanny Tatum here.

Just my new assistant practicing on the switchboard.

Tarnation, Fanny! You gone plumb out of your mind?

Now, Len! Shall we watch our language?

Enough!

I'm sorry.

It's not your fault, honey.

Maybe you shouldn't practice

with the head of the Volunteer Fire Department.

I take full responsibility for that.

It's the pressures of things here Mr. Walton.

It's been building.

I do need Erin to help me.

You think you can handle it, honey?

Your number, please? Thank you.

After school, and half-day on Saturday.

That's not too much to ask.

I've coped with the pressures of this job for...

Miss Fanny. They've answered.

Your number, please?

Grandma, if you would read these articles here,

you'd understand, it's happening all over.

Doctors don't leave because they're inhuman,

they leave 'cause they can't afford to stay.

-Well, then, let them go. -Let me see.

Grandma, Doc Vance is gonna leave.

And if he does, this whole area is gonna be in a fix for sure.

It's not fair to expect doctors to work for nothing.

People nowadays are working for nothing or next to nothing.

That don't make it right, but we owe them respect.

You can't eat respect, Pa.

Know what they're sending him?

Food, shingles for his roof...

Well, then he gets paid.

Grandma, he can't pay his bills with that stuff. He needs money.

Oh, good Lord. I've had my fill of this kind of talk.

What would you like to talk about, Ma?

Something that's got nothing to do with doctors or sickness

or unpleasant things.

I don't think that's too tall an order, Grandma.

Oh, Esther. Compose yourself and we'll talk about you.

Don't mollycoddle me.

I'll tell you this, if you work hard and mind your own business,

then you've got no time to get sick

and you won't need any doctoring!

She does seem to be off her feed.

I think it's a little more than that, Grandpa.

This stuff sure goes way back.

Well, Hippocrates lived in the 4th century BC,

and most of this stuff is from that period.

Listen to this, it doesn't even sound English.

"I swear by Apollo Physician, by Asclepius,

"by Health, by Panacea..."

That's it, that's what I'm looking for. Hippocratic oath.

"I swear by..."

"...making them my witnesses that I will carry out,

"according to my ability and judgment, this oath."

What do you need with that?

I'm gonna use this in my editorial.

I just don't see how Doc Vance can pick up and leave.

I don't think he wants to leave.

He's gotta make a living, Mary Ellen.

But there's such a need for doctors and nurses.

You know something, you must know somebody.

Some young doctor at the university.

That's got to be the answer for this.

Some young man who's not attached, no family

just starting out.

David Spencer. He's an intern at the University Medical School.

He came to mind pretty quick, didn't he?

He's got a way of doing that.

Yeah?

You know, when I finish up here, I'd like to be a country doctor.

Out in the backwoods somewhere.

Well, that could turn out to be Walton's Mountain.

Especially if Dr. Vance leaves.

You're going to take notes?

Yeah, if you say something I wanna write down.

John-Boy's got a newspaper, The Blue Ridge Chronicle.

We like to take a stand on certain things,

such as Doc Vance leaving,

the fact that most people don't pay doctors for their services,

and of course, we'd like to encourage some young doctors

to come out and work in the area.

You have that many people?

We've got all ages, all sizes and all ailments.

Somebody's always sick.

If we ever had any kind of an epidemic

I don't know what we'd do.

We're about to have one here if things keep going at the rate

they've been progressing.

-Really? -What is it?

It's a strain of intestinal flu.

Some aggravated cases have had to be hospitalized.

-Don't quote me on that. -Why not?

The Public Health Officer has to issue all statements

about epidemics. If that's what this is.

Well, I'd sure like to touch on it.

You think maybe I could mention the symptoms?

What are the symptoms?

A very sore intestinal tract,

some sharp abdominal pains, fever.

Cramps, nausea, marked loss of appetite.

Sounds like you two could open up a clinic on your own.

You know, what I would really like

would be a chance to work with a man

like your Dr. Vance for a while.

You know, watch him, learn from him.

Go his rounds with him, get to know the people.

It would be a great experience.

It's like extra schooling. You can't buy experience like that.

I'm glad you feel that way, because the way things stand

you certainly couldn't afford to pay for it.

Here you go, catch!

Now, stop that, you hear? Stop that!

Ben! Ben, here!

Ben!

Grandma? Are you alright, Grandma?

I told you not to throw that ball.

I'm sorry, Grandma.

It's alright, Ben. Don't fret.

Are you sick?

I'm glad you're here, Mary Ellen.

You been having those pains long, Grandma?

Is it kind of a sharp pain in here,

and then kind of sore all around?

And a fever. We gotta get you to bed.

Do you know what it is, Mary Ellen? Can you tell?

It's intestinal flu.

It's all over Charlottesville.

Now, come on, let's put you to bed.

-Come on. -No need to make such a fuss.

When the nurse says, "Go to bed" that's where you go.

Come on, Grandma.

You okay, Grandma?

Elizabeth, no visitors.

Let her stay.

Grandma, what you've got could be catching.

I don't want Elizabeth coming down with it, too.

Yeah, but they're in here.

Elizabeth, out.

You don't seem quite so hot. That's a good sign.

It is better.

Esther always feels better when I'm near at hand.

Mighty handy, growing your own nurse.

There's nothing to worry about.

I know if you keep that heating pad on your stomach,

you'll be fine by tomorrow.

-How's it look? -It looks great, just great.

Stands out on the page, just like I thought it would.

Go on, read it.

Really want to?

Yeah, read it.

Okay.

"Dry-cleaning special. Ladies' silk dresses, 50 cents..."

Not that. Read the editorial.

I'm not interested in that.

Why not?

I'm interested in the stuff that pays for editorials. Here.

Yeah, not bad at all.

Dr. Vance's pledge to you. You see that?

See, what I did was

I put the Hippocratic oath at the top there, see?

And then down below, I composed up a little something of my own.

I called it "The Patient's Pledge to His Doctor."

It says, "I..." You want me to read it?

Sure.

It says, "I fully recognize the financial needs of my doctor,

"that his costs of living are the same as mine,

"and in return for his dedicated services,

"I promise to pay as promptly as possible for those services,

"not in butter, eggs and pickles,

"but in the cash that he requires

"to sustain himself and his family ."

How's that?

Well, I like this better.

What?

"Pimento cheese sandwich and a Green River,

"here at Cookson's Drug Store in Rockfish."

Ben, some more paper, please.

I'm already late, John-Boy.

Just hold your horses.

John-Boy. Never knew you to deliver the paper before.

Well, I've never been so anxious for the Doc to see it before.

Is he back from Charlottesville yet?

No, I...

I was expecting a letter from somewhere today.

Somewhere? Where's somewhere?

Fredericksburg, Richmond.

He's looking into other situations.

Oh.

You want me to keep this for him?

I'd appreciate it.

Ma'am, it really sounds like you're planning on leaving.

Well, we have to do something.

Hurry up, John-Boy!

Eunice, you'll have to tell your mother I've been delayed.

I'm breaking in a girl to help me, and she's late.

That little Walton girl, Erin.

She had to be here at 4:00...

I'm sorry, Miss Fanny.

She just walked in, Eunice. I'll be there directly.

I know I'm late. I couldn't help it.

Four and one-half minutes exactly.

I would have been on time. I tried.

Trying is not good enough, child.

We must always be on time.

People depend on us. We're a vital service to this community.

My brother brings me, and he had to stop at Dr. Vance's.

No excuses, Erin. I won't hear of them.

I cannot abide excuses.

I just wanted to explain.

There is no explanation, child.

Punctuality is part of responsibility.

Yes, ma'am.

You assumed that when you took this job.

And don't forget, Erin, you came to me.

I did not seek you out.

I will, of course, be exactly four and one-half minutes late

upon my return.

That is how we learn.

Your number, please.

Can I get you anything?

No, Livie.

I feel bad.

Real bad.

Don't tell Zeb.

He knows.

You just gonna stand there holding that thing

or are you gonna pour some?

She's not doing well at all.

You think she's worse?

All she'll take is a little water.

She hasn't had a bite to eat.

That's not what worries you.

Her temperature's 102 and she keeps hugging that heating pad.

You haven't touched anything.

Not like you not to have your tea.

Just a little more water.

You just don't feel so good, do you?

Zeb, you take care of yourself.

John.

I think you'd better call Dr. Vance right away.

Livie.

Thank you.

Your number, please.

Erin, honey, get me Dr. Vance.

How do you know that?

You sure?

Well, get me Mrs. Vance, then. Maybe she's heard from him.

Ma's sick.

The Doc gotta be within reach.

I hear he's trying to pull out altogether.

Yeah, I know.

Mrs. Vance? Mrs. Vance, this is John Walton. I...

Yes, ma'am, I'm feeling just fine.

Mrs. Vance, we have to find the doctor. My mother's sick, and...

You don't know where he is?

Yes, ma'am, I would appreciate if you tried to find him.

Thank you, ma'am.

Do you know what ails Esther?

No. And we're through guessing.

Erin, honey, get me Ep Bridges.

No, tell him to come to the house. Don't call me back here.

Tell him Ma's gotta get to the hospital.

Yeah, that touring car of his will do just fine.

That truck is too rough a ride for her.

What's the matter with Grandma?

Well, of course I will. Right away.

Yes, I know how to call him.

Sheriff Bridges, please answer your phone.

Sheriff's office?

May I speak to Sheriff Bridges?

Well, where is he?

Don't you know?

You think he might be in the Rockfish area?

My grandma's sick and she has to go to the hospital,

and my daddy needs Sheriff Bridges.

Yes, I know what his car looks like.

Alright, I'll try.

My daddy? John Walton!

-Much obliged, Ep. -Need a hand in there?

They're inside.

Mama, is Grandma real sick?

More than we know how to care for.

Wouldn't do to let her know how worried we are.

But it's not like Grandma to be sick.

I wish I could help her.

You've been the most help of all getting the sheriff here.

Grandma. There we go.

-Liv will ride with you. -Come on, Grandma.

I'll follow in the truck.

You see that Ep drives nice and easy, Ma.

John-Boy, you better wait here for the rest of the children.

I will. You want us to follow you into Charlottesville?

No, I'll call Ike if we got any news.

Okay, we'll be there. Don't worry about us.

Better get you back to Miss Fanny's. She know you're gone?

Operator.

No, it was just a temporary problem here.

Nothing we can't handle.

Well, I know you've been patient. Thanks very much.

Operator. No, nothing we can't fix.

Ring who?

Very well. Don't mention it.

Operator. No, now it's all been taken care of.

Of course we can. Anywhere you want to call.

Glad to be of help.

Miss Fanny, I know you don't...

Want any excuses or explanations!

-There are none! None! -There's one.

I tried to call you.

Do you know this entire switchboard

was one enormous busy signal?

Please listen to me.

Never, since this board was first installed,

has it ever gone unattended.

Not for so much as a single minute!

I don't care!

Doc Vance is off somewhere and Mrs. Vance doesn't know where.

So I had to go and find the sheriff and bring him home.

-Oh, my dear child! -I rode home with him.

And I'd do it again!

-What's wrong at your house? -My grandma's sick.

The sheriff's driving her to Charlottesville to the hospital.

Now...

-There are things we can do. -But what?

Well, if Dr. Vance is in my part of the world, I'll find him.

You may just want to watch this.

I don't mind splinters.

A splinter, you see,

works up here in the palm of your hand, there's a sore spot,

comes to the surface and you yank it out

and it isn't sore anymore.

Whatever's wrong with Esther,

I wish it could be no more than a splinter.

Ma's in the right place for whatever she's got, Pa.

She stood the ride well. Thank God Ep got her here.

Are you the Waltons?

Yes, I'm John Walton. This is my father. This is my wife.

How do you do? I'm David Spencer. I'm an intern here.

I'm a good friend of Mary Ellen's.

We're real proud of Mary Ellen.

She's going to be a fine nurse someday.

Her grandma thinks she's a fine nurse now.

They sent me to tell you that there's a possibility

that Mrs. Walton may need surgery.

Surgery?

For what?

Well, they're examining her now. It's just a possibility.

-Who are "they"? -They're the best on our staff.

The best in the Commonwealth.

I wish I could be as sure of that as you are, young man.

Well, if they do choose to operate

Mr. Walton, they'll need your permission.

How am I to know what's right or wrong?

You might try praying on it, Grandpa.

Dr. Vance would've brought Ma to these same people, Pa.

Now, come on. They may need your permission.

Elizabeth, will you get the dog out of here, please?

-He won't go home. -Get him out of here.

John-Boy, don't use it. Daddy may be trying to call.

Maybe it's out of order, Ben. I gotta find out.

Hello, Miss Fanny? Miss Fanny, this is John Walton, Jr.

Me and the children are down at Ike Godsey's.

We're waiting for a call from my daddy, and I...

That's right.

Okay, thank you. I'll get off.

Well, it's working.

John-Boy, you know your daddy would call you

if he had anything to tell you.

Yeah.

This afternoon seems like a long time ago, Ike.

Elizabeth, get the dog out of here!

Come on, Reckless.

Hey, I got an idea. Why don't we all go play pool?

We'll teach you, too, Elizabeth.

No thanks, Ike.

Well, you all had enough to eat?

Yeah, we had enough at home, thank you.

-Ben? Jim-Bob? -If it wouldn't put you out any.

You had enough at home now, Ben.

You had enough.

Well, I'm sure that Corabeth has got some meat loaf left over.

You know, grape soda goes pretty good with meat loaf, Ike.

-Or strawberry, too. -Grape soda and strawberry.

Okay, grape soda and strawberry.

You want something, honey?

John-Boy?

Is Grandma gonna die?

I'm not waiting around here any longer.

Dr. Grierson, go to maternity.

Dr. Grierson, go to maternity.

-You want some coffee? -No, thank you, John.

I should have thought to bring some needlework.

-Well! -Here they are.

-Daddy. -Son.

-Daddy. -Honey.

Hi, Grandpa.

-Any word yet? -Not in a long time.

-You two look awful good to me. -Glad to see you.

David Spencer called me.

And she called me. I wish there was something I could do.

It's a comfort just to know you're here, Jason.

David said something about surgery.

You just don't operate on intestinal flu.

John, Zeb.

-Dr. Vance. -Doc.

I just wanted to let you know I'm here.

-It's a comfort you are here. -How on earth did they find you?

Well, you never wanna hide from Fanny Tatum.

-I'll go and see Esther now. -Alright.

Well, it sure sounded like that flu that was going around.

Must not be.

I must have made an awful mistake.

Oh, honey, you don't know that.

Don't you go blaming yourself. You did the best you could.

Dr. Foley, go to admitting, please.

Dr. Foley, go to admitting, please.

It's so big!

How do we know which room is Grandma's?

Well, they said it's room 111. Should be right around here.

You children go down Mama and Daddy, alright?

-I'm going to find Mary Ellen. -Okay.

There's Grandma's room.

Yeah.

-I want to go in and see her! -You can't do that, Elizabeth.

Yeah, but she'd be glad to see me. All of us.

At least I would if I were in there all alone.

-What was that? -That was an oxygen tent.

Does that mean that Grandma's worse?

Look, worrying isn't gonna help anything.

But there wasn't anyone to help her.

You should have left her alone till you got a doctor.

Ice packs should've been put on her.

Heat was the worse thing you could've done.

Well, you gave me all the symptoms yourself!

She had all of them! Abdominal pains, cramping,

sore intestinal tract, fever, loss of appetite.

I know. Some of the symptoms are the same.

Same as what, Doctor?

Intestinal flu and acute appendicitis.

Grandma has appendicitis?

It burst, and the peritonitis has spread.

Please, God, let Grandma live.

What's happened to her is all my fault.

Not hers.

I failed her.

I didn't mean to, I really... I really wanted to help her.

But I was wrong.

And I ask your forgiveness.

Please watch over her and keep her safe.

Grandpa.

I know. I know.

It sure is quiet in there.

Waiting is always the quietest time, Son.

And the longest. Never was much of a hand at it.

And I thought maybe it got easier when you got older.

It doesn't.

If she pulls through this

I'm gonna have to spend more time with her.

I wouldn't exactly say you've been a neglectful son,

if that's what's bothering you.

Back a ways, we used to spend more time together.

About the time my brother Ben died,

she got so she was leaning on me.

I'd come out on the front porch and see her sitting there

with that pained look in her eyes, and I'd say,

"Come on, Ma, let's go for a ride ."

That's what we'd do. We'd get in that old DeSoto I used to own,

we'd ride all over the place

back to Fluvanna County, where she was born.

It seemed to bring her some comfort.

I remember a time when I took her down

to Boatwright University.

I wanted her to see the place before I went off to college,

and we were walking down the hallway, and she...

She took a look at this sign up on the wall that said

they were giving a course in the Bible as literature.

She wanted to be sure I took that one.

-Did you? -Yeah.

She does get her way.

Right after your ma and me were married,

I wanted to get started on that home up in the mountains.

I wanted to build it right away.

She wouldn't hear that. She said

"No, you gotta stay here." So we did.

Then the children started coming and the years passed.

And here we are.

Yeah.

She knows how we feel about her.

That's gotta count for something in there.

Not the kind of woman to give up without a fight.

Couldn't find Mary Ellen anyplace.

Can't have gone far.

Not tonight.

Why don't you stretch your legs for a while?

How am I gonna manage that?

I'll sit in for you.

You don't feel like a mama.

Right now, I don't think she'd know the difference.

There you go.

Thanks, Jason.

I stepped on her dress.

What?

At our wedding. Didn't Esther ever tell you that?

She told me a little bit about the wedding

but she left out that part.

It was a June wedding.

It was that pretty little white church at Mount Shiloh.

Esther was holding onto a bunch of wood violets

that I'd picked for her.

And the church was real pretty, you know?

Smelled real good, too, what with the white oxeye daisies

and the running cedar that grows thereabouts

they used to decorate the church with.

It was a real solemn, pretty wedding.

Till the preacher says,

"Now you may kiss the bride."

I hauled off and gave Esther a good one, I can tell you.

Well, it must've been a little too long to suit Esther,

'cause she kind of gave me a shove and moved aside.

And when she did,

her dress ripped because I was standing on it.

Of course, everybody in the church, they begin to laugh,

and Esther, she turned and gave me such a look

I thought it was all over, I can tell you.

Then she reached out and gave me her hand...

Oh, Livie,

I... I just can't go on without her.

It's alright.

Tell me about Grandma.

She's come through a critical experience,

and we fully expect her to recover.

Thank God.

God seems to be the one to thank

and those fine surgeons in there.

You don't have to tell me. I know how wrong I was.

-I hope you really know. -I made a wrong diagnosis.

From you, any diagnosis is wrong.

Do you understand? You had no right. You are not a doctor!

Well, somebody had to do something!

That's no excuse!

I know why you did it.

The worry, the fear.

It's hard to think clearly at such a time.

But if you're ever to be a nurse, you must learn just that.

I'm ashamed.

Well, that's a beginning.

I have another message for you.

Your grandmother wants to see you.

I wonder if I can face her.

Well, I'm counting on you to face up to a number of things.

-Mary Ellen? -Yes, Grandma?

You always did take your own sweet time when I called you.

How do you feel, Grandma?

I'm fixing to feel a whole lot better.

Come over here, Mary Ellen. Come on closer.

Mary Ellen, I want you to forgive me.

Forgive you?

Yeah.

I can't think what got into me,

asking your help like you were a doctor. It's just...

It's just I'm so proud of you.

Proud?

Someday you're gonna make a fine nurse and make me even prouder.

The very idea of me putting all that weight on you,

asking you to know things you couldn't know.

I take all the blame,

and well I should.

Grandma, you've got it all twisted around.

Don't you tell me I got things twisted around. I know better.

Well, if it means that you forgive me,

and that you promise to get well,

then I accept your apology.

Mary Ellen,

things don't come easy in this life.

Most everything worth knowing takes a lot of hard work

and prayers.

Sometimes, you've got to learn the bad of things and go on.

That's a way of growing,

of being the best you can be.

You know, if things don't cost you something,

if they come too easy,

they don't seem to be worth much.

Our grandmother recovered to live long, good years with us.

And Dr. Vance decided to remain on Walton's Mountain.

People there, who had always appreciated him,

began to show it by paying him with money, when they could.

Mary Ellen stayed in nursing, where she surely belonged,

to learn all the things that she had to learn.

John Boy, will you take me to Miss Fanny's tomorrow?

Why don't you ride on Blue? He doesn't take gasoline.

What's that got to do with it?

Gasoline costs 15 cents a gallon, Erin.

Make her pay you, John-Boy. She's earning money now.

That's a good idea, Ben.

You can pay me, too, all your riding around.

Ben?

Ben?

I'm asleep.

Goodnight, Ben.

Goodnight, everybody.

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