Original subtitles

- [Bat] There's a reason they called it the wild west.

- I wanted to welcome our newest practitioner, Miss.

- Anderson.

- Where's the doc?

It's my boy.

He's hurt bad.

- [Bat] Women doctors were rare in the old west.

- Are you the doctor?

- Yes ma'am.

- [Bat} They had to fight for respect

and for their patients' lives.

This is the true story of doc Susie's greatest case.

- For the love of God.

Please save my son.

(Train horn blaring)

- [Bat] I was just a young man

when I first headed west.

In the years that followed,

I became a cowboy, a gunslinger

and even served as sheriff of Dodge city.

One of the most lawless towns in the country.

My name is Bat Masterson.

Now I'm a reporter and I've come west again to chronicle

the world that I know best.

The American west.

Lure of gold, land, destiny.

Flooded the frontier with men, both good and bad.

These are the incredible, true tales of the wild west.

Out west, the only thing more dangerous

than catching a bullet is catching a cold.

Every fever,

every cough could mean a meeting with your maker

and finding a good doctor was never a sure bet.

I had no idea my cold

would lead me to meet one of the unsung heroes

of the old west.

- Afternoon, ma'am.

I'm passing though on my way to Denver

and appears I have acquired a fellow traveler.

I am sorry about the hour, but is a doctor in?

- Come inside.

- Susan Anderson, doctor of medicine.

- I thought I told you to sit tight.

- You're the doctor?

- If you're the patient.

- I, I assumed your husband.

- A husband would be news to me.

Sit down.

Breathe in.

Out.

- So you're credentialed by Michigan?

- Again.

- Truth be told I, I skipped the whole schooling part.

It's terribly easy to forge a diploma these days.

(Bat coughs.)

- And they say, laughter is the best medicine.

I graduated university of Michigan.

Though not without some difficulty.

- With the curriculum.

- With the funds.

My father cut off my tuition about halfway through.

- Why would he do that?

- He wanted to encourage the pursuit of a husband

in place of a degree.

- Well, doc,

have I come to Frazier to shake hands with the Reaper?

- You have a high fever and a rather caustic wit.

I can help with one of them.

- What is this?

- It's a new medicine from Germany.

It'll help bring the temperature down.

- No offense doc, but I've survived enough miracle cures

to know the old ways are still best.

- Well you're in luck,

salicylic acid has been around since the pharaohs.

The synthesized version has all the benefits

without the side effects.

- What's it called?

- Aspirin.

- After you finished medical school, where'd you go?

- Why?

- Oh, I'm a, something of a scribbler.

- I suppose I should be flattered.

Does the scribbler have a name?

- Call me Bat.

- I moved back to my hometown to start a private practice.

Cripple Creek was the last great gold claim in Colorado.

Wasn't gold that lured me there.

Mining was dangerous work.

Where there were miners there were patients.

Johnny be careful. That's morphine.

- Sorry Suse.

Thought I had it.

- You have to start taking things one at a time.

- Where's the fun in that?

- Life's not all about fun.

- Oh, that's true.

I hope I never find out.

- Well, you can laugh,

but you didn't have to borrow your way

through medical school and borrow some more

to open an office.

- Suse.

Listen to your baby brother,

you can spend all your days worrying the sun won't come up.

But I don't because I'm sure it will.

There's only one other thing I'm sure of.

- Which is?

- You.

(Johnny coughs.)

- That's a nasty cough.

- Ah, it's nothing, just woke up

with a frog down my throat this morning.

- No, no, no.

Your nodes are swollen.

Come sit down.

- Don't fuss.

- It's nothing, me and my nodes

just stayed out too late is all.

- Johnny?

Do you really think people will come?

- They'll be knocking the door down.

- I'm impressed that you've been able

to build your own practice.

Do you receive any offers of help from anyone?

- Depends on how you define help.

- Evening ma'am, I'm Ned Digby.

- Digby, the surgeon.

- Well, I wanted to welcome our newest practitioner, Ms, ah.

- Anderson.

That's very kind of you.

- How are you finding the location?

- To be honest, it's been a bit of a slow start.

- I'm not surprised.

You can't expect working folk

to warm to the idea of a lady doc.

There are some things that will simply never change.

- You don't think so.

- Well that's why I'd like to be of help.

I know the tribulations of trying

to get a fledgling practice off the ground.

Well, that's why I'm more than willing to refer my clients.

Of patients I don't have time for,

to help you build your reputation.

- That's very kind.

In exchange for?

- Call it a finder's fee.

But say 40% of your earnings.

- That is quite the offer Mr. Digby.

But I'm afraid that I don't believe

a reputation is something to be bought.

So I'll just have to earn it for myself.

- Careful doctor,

don't let your vanity get in the way of good business.

- This fledgling rises early, Dr.

Goodnight.

- Well I find it hard to believe

a woman like you gets rattled easily.

- A woman like me.

- A woman with your self-confidence.

- There's a fine line between feigning confidence

and actually having it.

I will learn that lesson the hard way.

- Where's the doc?

- What happened?

- It's my boy, he's hurt bad.

- Okay, set him down.

- Oh god, he's a mess.

He got into some bad shot in the Gulch.

- Bad shot?

- Dynamite.

- Where is he?

Moses?

- Don't touch him.

No, he's still breathing.

But his pulse is very faint.

- Are you the doctor?

- Yes ma'am.

- Then save him.

For the love of God.

Please save my son.

- Drink this.

- Mr. Pugh, can I have you come hold this please?

Thank you.

His right arm and leg are broken.

The wounds on his torso will mend.

My chief concern is saving the arm from infection.

- Can you do that?

- With a septic cleaning, dressing and redressing,

muscle excision if necessary.

Yes, I believe I can.

- So you've done this before.

- Well.

- I reckon I'd like to get another set of eyes on him.

- Mr. Pugh, can I help you doctor.

- Relax, Dr. Anderson.

I was sent for.

- I'm sorry, doc, but I got to do right by my boy.

Dr. Digby's got more experience.

- Mr. Pugh, your son requires surgery.

- What a surprise.

- These wounds will become infected causing sepsis

and eventual organ failure.

Amputation is our only recourse.

He'll have to lose the arm.

- I do not concur.

That is a dire scenario.

One that I can avoid with treatment.

- Can you promise that?

This is not some academic exercise, madam.

You are no longer in the classroom.

You look these people in the eye

and you guarantee you can save this arm.

Mr. Pugh, time is growing precious.

- Let's move him.

- Wait.

Mrs. Pugh.

I will respect whatever decision that you make,

but there's something that you need to know.

- Eda, we need to move him.

- Wait, I need to hear this.

- That wound is fresh.

Yes, there was a high risk of infection,

but it hasn't happened yet.

- Thank you for your brilliant diagnosis doctor,

but you've wasted enough time.

- Amputation may be necessary,

but it should be our last resort.

I know that I am young.

I know that I have no reputation

and I know that I can keep your boy intact.

All I'm asking is that you give Moses a fighting chance.

- Otis, he stays.

- Now wait a minute.

- I said he stays.

- Thank you for your consultation doctor.

I have a lot of work to do.

- I'll give you three days.

At the first sign of infection I'm taking that arm.

(orchestral music begins)

- Still high, but coming down.

- Where were we?

- You were just about to get some sleep.

- Not yet.

Did your treatment work?

Did the boy improve?

- I couldn't bear to tell Moses' parents,

but his life was hanging by a thread.

You're not taking them tonight, Digby, you hear me.

Father, what's wrong.

- It's John.

You need to come up to the house.

- Johnny.

- Hey Suse.

I may not have followed your advice to the letter.

- Is it the white plague?

- I think it's influenza.

With bed rest and water it could pass.

- But it could get worse.

- Yes.

- It could turn into pneumonia.

- A doctor in the family and you let this happen.

- Pop, don't.

- I'd like to be left alone with my patient.

- How's the boy.

- Don't worry about that, all right.

Here, take this.

- Yeah.

- We're going to get you better.

(Johnny coughs.)

- Suse.

- What's happened with the boy?

- I don't know if he's going to survive the night

I asked his parents to trust me.

I begged them.

- You should be with him.

- No, I need to be right here.

- Hey, I ain't going anywhere.

I've got too much life left to waste.

That boy needs you.

- Johnny, don't ask me.

I'm not asking, doc.

You go and get to work and you see him through.

- Where have you been?

He's burning up.

Doc, what are you planning to do?

- I just need a moment to think.

- That does it, I'm waking the surgeon.

- Wait.

- Mr. Pugh, open up all of the windows.

- Say what?

- Do it.

- Mrs. Pugh, put a pot on the stove to boil.

We need to get his temperature down.

We need him to break a sweat.

- Have you used this method before?

- Of course.

Breathe in for me Moses, breathe in.

That's a good boy, breathe in.

Yeah.

(Birds chirping.)

- Mama, mama?

Can I have some water?

Papa.

- Thank you doctor.

- I understand your patient's recovering.

- He has a strong will.

- I congratulate you doctor.

- Thank you.

- You think you're a miracle worker?

Don't fool yourself.

There's skill and there's luck.

You'll find out soon enough.

Neither can save them all.

- I saw it.

I didn't expect to see an angel so soon.

- None of that now.

Heaven's not interested in you.

(Johnny coughs.)

- Feeling's mutual.

How's the boy?

- Alive.

And in one piece.

- You did it Sue.

You saved him.

- And you're next.

For once in your life,

you have to listen to me.

- You know I always follow doctor's orders.

- [Susan] Johnny held on for five days.

I did everything I could.

- It's a hard thing.

Lost three brothers, myself.

- Digby was right.

I couldn't save everyone.

I decided there was nothing left for me in Cripple Creek so.

So I came here to Frazier.

I thought I was done with medicine.

It wasn't done with me.

Goodnight, Mr. Masterson.

- [Bat] Doc Susie's medical practice in Frazier, Colorado

lasted all the way until 1958.

Despite the humble beginning of her medical practice,

Doc Susie would go on to treat thousands of patients

over a 50 year medical career.

- Dr. Anderson, your coach is ready.

- Moses, it's very heavy.

- I think I can handle it.