A Young Doctor's Notebook & Other Stories (2012–2013): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

Russia, 1917. Straight out of medical school, a young doctor is sent to a remote village in the middle of nowhere to run a small hospital. The young doctor soon discovers that the realities of his profession bear no resemblance to his training and learns that textbooks are no help to him now.

Moscow, 1934.

They say happiness is like good health.

You don't notice it until it's gone.

Me...

I was happy in 1917.

I had just graduated from the University
Imperial Medicine and Dentistry of Moscow,

when I was sent in the remote
village of Muryevo to run a hospital

It was a long and arduous journey.

This journey takes long to get used to.

It's better now we have the road.

This is a road?



- Is that the hospital?
- Yeah.

Farewell to Moscow,

Farewell to the red and gold
Bolshoi theatre.

Farewell to...

shop windows.

Can you take me a little further?

Thank you.

A Young Doctor's Notebook.
Part 1.

Based on The Short Stories by Mikhail Bulgakov.

Anna!

The doctor... the doctor...

I'm sorry the doctor isn't here yet.

But Felcher can help you
if it's nothing too complicated.

No, no, no, I'm, I'm the doctor.



I am the doctor.

I am the doctor.

Forgive me it's just that...

the old doctor had a beard.

By "old" I mean the one before you.

Leopol'd...

Leopol'dovic.

He's quite a...

Well, no... I mean...

Sorry I shaved last week.

No I mean...

yesterday.

No wonder you're cold.
What kind of coat do you call this.

- I don't know...
- Forgive me Doctor.

Glad to have you here.

Really, very glad to have you here.

So glad.

But Moscow... Ah!

Dear, dear Moscow you must tell me everything.

Oh, yes so you...

you know Moscow?

No.

You must tell me everything.

Doctor this is Pelageya,

our junior midwife.

Do not let her distract you.

Oh, no.

No, no, I...

won't.

But he looks like a student.

Well, yes.

That's because I was a medical
student but I just gratuated.

And...

top of the class as well.

Fifteen 'fives'

Unprecedented.

So you're in safe hands.

Would the...

doctor care for a tour of the hospital now?

Yes... I think the doctor would.

Lead on and the doctor will follow.

So what's the... what's the capacity in here?

Thirty-five? Forty patients at a pinch?

Leopol'd Leopol'dovic would often have fifty in.

Would he?

Would he?

Oh... you have a marvelous stock of instruments.

Indeed, Sir.

It is all through the efforts of your predecessor...

- Leopol'd Leopol'dovic.
- Is it.

- Is it.
- He was in theater from dawn 'till dusk.

Was he?

Was he?

Bloody balance.

Wow... look at this stuff!

En garde!

- Carefull! You could take an eye out!
- No.

That's what this is for!

Oh that's right, this is all new for you, isn't it?

Is this...

an amputation saw?

A blunt amputation saw.

You have to work very hard to cut
through anything with that.

Watch out for the hot water tap.

It's lethal.

I must have hit my head on this a million times.

Yeah... I saw a lot of horror and tragedy in here.

Happy days.

Come along, doctor. Must you dawdle.

This is the dispensary.

Excellent

To the sweet shop.

Do I really used to look like that?

Leopold Leopoldovic insisted,

on a well stocked dispensary.

Did he?

Unlike him...

This is the key...

don't lose it.

Thank you.

Certainly insisted on a lot
of black ointment, the old doctor.

You must be tired, doctor after such
a long and argues journey.

Come, I show you the consulting room.

And then it's bedtime.

I only meant the...

it is a lot of black ointment.

Syphilis man, are you?

Yes, I mean, I suppose,
I take an interest...

Not that I...

Not that I have syphilis, obviously

That certain wouldn't be...

- the first thing I mentioned to you about...
- Stop talking.

Thank you

Here we are

Ah.. another portrait

Self portait

Leopold Leopoldovic was as prolific artist

- This magnificent and extensive library...
- Don't tell me...

Leopold Leopoldovic?

- Yes.
- It's very impressive.

I am certainly not going
to be bored of an evening

Oh Yes, we do have a lot of fun here

Only last month
I heard a very amusing anecdote.

Well, I have finished the mattress.

And that is all the hay
the horse can spare

Fortunately for you we had
to shoot the other horse

Thank you

For the mattress,
not for shooting the other...

I am sure that is absolutely fine.

At this point I could
probably sleep on the floor.

Oh its quite.. eh..

Oh its good,
its got quite a lot to give.

Good night doctor,
I've put water in the jug.

You will remember to brush your teeth?

Yes

Yes.. well.. good night

And thank you

Doctor

Now that

is a trunk

Yes

Yes it is

You can fit a lot of stuff in it.

You really can fit a lot of stuff in it

114 Items to be precise.

Or 127, if you count
a pair of socks as two items,

- Which I don't.
- No, so you've sad.

Feldsher... I really must go to sleep.

Of course.

You should have sad.

Have you ever read an atlas?

What? Yes, I suppose I have.

No but have you ever read an atlas?
Actually sat down and read cover to cover?

- No.
- Ah!

- We will.
- Yes thank you again, Felsher and good night.

Not at all, glad to have a company.

It's coming to back to me now
how complate nightmare he is.

And Pelageya say I look like a student.

- Well, I need a pair of spectacles.
- You have perfect eyesight.

I know, but to look older.

I think the boy you should
gate is more of a problem.

- What?
- You walk like a adultecent.

I do not.

It lacks authority, it's all your voice.

What's wrong with my...

Perhaps I, I need a beard like...

Leopold

Leopoldovic.

Come on.

It doesn't matter what you look like
in a operating theatre.

Experience...

that's what counts.

I can't sleep.

I will just listen to that wind howl.

I have missed that ***

Well, at least, no one's gonna
come out here, not in this weather.

If you're right there, it would have
to be something very serious.

And complicated.

Like a hernia.

God I'm so sick for that lecture

I knew it would come back and haunt me.

I should never have
eaten that mutton, right.

Where is it? What do I do? What do I do?

"Insipen. "

What the hell is insipen? No one ever sad anything
about insipen! What else don't I don't know?

Etherial sulphate of quininediglycolic
acid. It's not important.

Right, no, I haven't time for this,
I have a hernia to attend to.

Hold on.

Yes, I knew that.

It's...

sit the patient into a bath
and put hernia back in place.

Easy.

- Unless of course...
- What?

- it's a...
- it's a...?

- I don't know just tell me!
- A strangulated hernia.

Did you just make that up?

No, it's not the easiest
of operations on Earth.

I have to operate?

A knock like that does not augur well.

Is that you, Feldsher?
If it's about the atlases...

Come quickly doctor.

- What is it?
- There is a woman here from Dulcevo.

A Strangulated hernia?

No. Her labours isn't going well.

Oh, thank god!

Ehm, no... I mean...

I... uh.. i'll be right there.

E, ehmm...

I'll be right there!

I'm ruined.

Right, what seem to be
the trouble here then?

- It's transverse lie.
- Is it?

Is it?

Well, lets take a look, shall we?

Hello!

It's umm... it's gonna be alright.
Not long now.

When did... when did
the pain start?

We just have to look at things...
on the inside?

Yep.

- You know, she is not as ugly as I remember.
- What?

Pelageya.

Still I can't belive I actually...

lodine.

At least now an older looking doctor.

You know...

I think, I might just run back to the room
and have quick look in the gynecology textbook.

- Would that look bad?
- It is a little late for Doderlein, don't you think?

No, I don't. Of course Doderlein
"Operative of Obstetrics" that's it!

- Sorry...
- Doctor.

Yes?

Thank you.

- It belonged to Leopold Leopoldovic.
- Of course.

Because I'm sure he would
mind if you use it.

He is dead.

He was a lot taller than you.

Hello, again.

And in we go.

Welcome, gentlemen. Make
sure you have a clear view.

This part of the femal anatomy
is most regalling.

Yes, yes, come in, come in.

- This is one of our most dangerous...
- Excuse me.

- and difficult..
- Excuse me, gentlemen!

Two lives are at stake.

I do really mind want
to know that one day.

So the...

the midwife tells me you traveled
all the way from Dulcevo.

- Is that far?
- It's a small village just outside Grabilovka.

Gra... Grabilovka?

It's not far Gracevka!

Oh, yes. Where I got off the train!
?f course!

So I am new to the area
I don't know where anything is.

No, no, geographically of course!

Obviously I know a transverse
lie when I see one and...

this is one, well done Anna.

So we have here, as I just explained,

is a transverse lie which means
we must perform...

- A podalic version.
- Podalic version, yes, correct!

A procedure whereby the fetus
is manually turned within the womb.

Well done, Pelageya!

So let's perform it!
What are we waiting for?

- Feldsher prepare the chloroform.
- Of course.

Yes. Feldsher you... you chloroform...

and Anna you do... that...

and yes... you... just wait there.

And I will...

I will go and get my cigarettes!

No, no, no!

Damn that's what I wanted!

What?

There is no pictures?

I mean... diagrams?

"There is a strong possibility
of a spontaneous rupture of the uterus. "

Why... why... but what...

Why?

Come on. You know
what these words mean.

- Eclampsia.
- No.

Hemorrhage.

- Fetal asphyxiation.
- Oh god.

The poor mother!

And the father!

And what's he gonna do?
Come after me that's what.

He's probably built
like a ox.

What does the Doderlein
be to me then?

You're right, don't listen to Doderlein.

"The most frequent cause of... "

death... "

- They have to put that here.
- No, it's that Mathijsen.

Only then the renown dutch
orthopaedic surgeon

to reset all of my
broken bones.

Give me the book.

- What are you doing? I need that.
- No you don't.

Y- yes, I do, come on,
I don't have time for this.

Right... you have to go back
to the theater.

Give me the book.

- No.
- I won't jump for it. I won't demean myself.

- Give it back!
- No.

No! No!

Stop!

Wait!

What? No!

What are you doing?

What...

No, what...

What are you... doing?

God!

Get off!

- He's young.
- Yes, I know.

He's young, but he really
is a doctor.

He just gratuated.

He's all still fresh in
his mind.

Leopol'd... Leopol'dovic...

He was a very gifted and
vastly experienced surgeon.

He loathed the pedalic version.

But he did make one or two
useful observations.

So if you'd like to
hear what they are.

Yes.

I mean... it wouldn't hurt.

Well done.

Well done in there.

Lukich did well.

Well you did a passable
version, doctor, it was...

Confident.

If you like...

Pelageya can take care of
that smo?k for you.

No, no, I don't...

- I don't think it's necessary.
- It is.

You look ridiculous.

It makes you look even smaller.

Of course.

Is it me...

or does she have the most
unusually shaped vagina?

Well...

I...

I have had a...

A long...

and arduous journey.

Honestly... I think it's perfect.

Thank you.

It helps, definetely.

Perhaps he'll grow into it.

Right...

What seems to be the trouble here?

Oh, it's just a carious tooth.

- The feldsher will be back in a
minute. - Nonsense.

This man is obviously
in pain.

I'm a doctor...

What are we waiting for?

You can come.

Come here.

No.

Come on!

Here.

Drink this.

Okay, enough, let me have a look.

Okay,... just er..

- Nearly finished?
- Ehm...

Yes... I just have to...

Cigarettes?

Yes.

I kept the poor man's tooth and jaw bone

as a reminder of the day naive but
promising young medical student

became a doctor.

Too boring.

Too sentimental

Just stick to the facts.

I had not long graduated from

the imperial moscow university of
medicine and dentistry, top of the class,

when I was sent in the remote village
of Muryevo to run a hospital.

It was a long and arduous journey.

It's nothing.

Just a old notebook.

Trivial rambling of a
medical student.

It's the first time I've
seen it in years.

I forgot I still have it.

I'm ruined.

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