Bonanza (1959–1973): Season 13, Episode 7 - Don't Cry, My Son - full transcript

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Ruth, that's
the tenth time tonight

you've told me your back
is killing you.

- Well, it is.
- Well, don't tell me,

tell your husband.
He's the doctor.

Oh, there's nothing
I can do about it.

It's natural.

Well now, that's the trouble

with having a husband
who's a doctor.

I mean, any other man
would be worried



and give you gobs of sympathy.

Not Mark.
He just says, "It's natural."

Oh, well, honey, I'm afraid

it's a little late
to trade me in on a new one.

Oh, I don't know.

Ben, thanks again.

The supper and the company
were excellent.

Well, it's the least that a...

about-to-be Godfather
could offer.

Oh.

- You all right?
- Oh!

I'm fine.

If he can kick as hard
on the outside

as he does on the inside,



he'll be the greatest
soccer player in the world.

Hey, wait a minute.
What's this "he" business, hmm?

Oh, she knows it's a boy.

Oh, go ahead, make fun of me.

But when Mark Jr. is born,
you'll eat your words.

All a woman has to do,
Ben, is...

tie a penny to a string
and hold it in front of them.

If it swings this way,
it's a girl,

if it swings
this way, it's a boy.

And it swung the boy way.

Yeah.
Very scientific.

Well, if you men are so smart,

do you know
a better way to tell?

Yes... wait two weeks.

Oh.

Doctors are no fun.

- Bye-bye, Ben.
- Good-bye.

Bye-bye. Take care.

- Hey, Hoss!
- Hiya, Doc, Ruthie!

Whoa, ho.

I'm sorry I'm late, Pa,

but they had a new man
on the freight dock.

- How's Ruthie?
- Oh, fine, just fine.

Yeah? When's the baby due?

Two weeks.

What's so funny?

I was just... just remembering
what a labor pain you were.

Yeah.

Hyah.

Now, the truth.
Do you want a boy or a girl?

Honey, I told you the truth,
either one.

- It makes no difference.
- Well, it's going to be a boy.

Oh, great.

Would you feel awful now
if it was a girl?

Honey, I just want
a baby, that's all.

I love you.

Doc!

Whoa.

Doc! Doc!

Whoa.

- Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.
- Hyoh!

Doc, I was just out
to your house.

It's time!
Annie's ready!

All right, all right,
all right, all right.

Just... just take it easy.

Now, how much time
between pains?

No time, they...
They just keep a-coming!

Well, all right.
Oh.

Honey, you drive home.
I'll go with Eli.

All right, Papa, let's go.

Yes, sir!
Giddyap!

Good luck.

Whoa! Annie!

The doc is coming!
The doc is here!

Ah!

And so on this day,

we place the body
of Mark Sloan, Jr.

Into this hallowed ground.

We know the pain that is felt

by his mother
and his father, oh, Lord,

and we pray that you will
comfort them and guide them

in the difficult time to follow.

We give his soul
unto you, oh, Lord,

a soul that never knew
the evils of this world.

And we take heart in knowing
that he will dwell

in the house
of the Lord forever.

Amen.

No! Please, God, no!

Ruth.

- Ruth...
- Get away from him!

Get away from my son!

You killed him!

Leave me alone.

No. No.

My baby.

My baby.

My baby.

How about some coffee?

No.

It must be getting late.
What time is it?

Close to 3:00.

If you could have seen
the look on Mark's face.

It will take time,
but they'll get over it.

I'm not as worried about Ruth
as I am about Mark.

The look on his face was...

He's a doctor.
He had to go with Eli.

There was nothing else
he could do.

I hope Mark believes that.

Why don't you get
some sleep, huh?

A little later.

You go ahead.

Good night, Pa.

Ben.

Mark.

Good to see you.

Good to see you.

Please, please, come in.

Thank you.

I, uh...

I thought I'd wait a couple
of days before I came over.

I was wondering if there's
something you might need

or something I could do.

That's very kind of you,
Ben, but we're fine.

And please, sit down.

Just made some coffee.
How about a cup?

I'm afraid it tastes
like mud, though.

Ruth is resting and I'm just
not much in the kitchen.

Oh, I just won't have any,
thank you very much.

How is Ruth?

Fine.
Much, much better.

She felt bad about...

the things she said,

but she was under such a strain.

Of course.

How are you feeling?

All right.

Ruth was my main concern
and, uh...

that seems
to be working itself out,

so that's all that
really matters.

It was just something
that happened,

nothing I could do about it,

no way to second guess nature.

Just because a man's a doctor

doesn't make him
a fortune teller.

Of course not.

Well...

I guess I'd better
be getting back to work.

Ben, uh, thanks for coming by.

Mark.

Say hello to Ruth.

I will.

Ben was just here,
said to say hello.

Asked if we...
needed anything.

I told him we were fine.

I have some house calls to make.

You won't change your mind?

I never said you had to stay
in bed all day,

but I did tell you
that you needed rest,

a lot more than you're getting.

I know.

I am tired,
but there's so much...

No "buts."
No "buts."

Now, you've got a very strong
little baby sleeping out there,

and he's going to need
a strong mother.

Now, what were you doing
when I came here to see you?

Come on, what were you doing?

Scrubbing the floor.

And, what was the baby doing?

He was sleeping.

It just doesn't make any sense
to pay a doctor

if you won't do
what he tells you.

Now, when that baby sleeps,
you sleep.

- That's an order.
- Yes, Doctor.

And if you're worried
about germs,

you've got a strong husband, let
him scrub the floors.

Thank you, Doctor.

I'll drop by
in a couple of days.

- Doctor?
- Yeah?

I just wanted to say how sorry
I am about what happened.

Well...
thank you, Annie.

Oh, go ahead, make fun of me,

but when Mark Jr. is born
you'll eat your words.

Honey, you drive home.
I'll go with Eli.

And we take heart

in knowing that...

he will dwell in the house
of the Lord, forever. Amen.

Get away from my son!

You killed him!

Shh.

Oh... don't cry, Mark.

Don't cry, my son.

Clem, you going to make your
move this week or next week?

Don't rush me, Ben.

It's a game of concentration.

Only one move
you could possibly make.

Well, that's a pretty
ridiculous statement to make

with all these chess pieces
still on the board.

All right.

One move, huh?

Mm-hmm.

Well, if you're so smart,

what piece is it
I'm supposed to move?

Knight.

Well, for your information,
I knew that all the time.

I was just feeling you out
to see if you knew.

Checkmate.

You moved the wrong knight.

Clem!

Eli, what's wrong?

My baby...

somebody's... taken my baby.

I know it's very hard,
Mrs. Johnson.

I... I have to ask
these questions.

Did you see anyone around
the place today?

Anytime, early in the morning,
anytime at all?

No.

No one.

What about the doc?
What time did he leave?

I'm not sure.

About 4:00, I guess?

Why would anyone want
to steal my baby?

We'd better let her
get some rest.

It doesn't make any sense, Ben.

It can't be somebody
after money,

Eli doesn't have any money.

No, that's for sure.

Eli... do you know of anyone
who has a grudge against you,

anyone who would want
to hurt you?

No, I...

I spend most of my time
in the fields.

I don't have many friends,
but I...

I never hurt anybody,
I never... cheated anybody.

Why would anybody want
to take my baby?

Eli, what time did you
get back to the house?

Before sundown.
6:00, 6:30.

Clem, why don't we ride over
to Mark's place?

Maybe he saw somebody.

- All right.
- You stay here with Annie.

If we come up with anything,

you'll hear about it
right quick.

Ben, Clem.

Hello, Mark.
Sorry about the late hour.

Well, doctors are used to it.
What can I do for you?

Someone has taken
the Johnson baby.

- What?
- Yeah.

Well, I don't believe that.

I was just out there
this afternoon.

We know that, Mark.
That's why we're here.

Did you see anyone around
the Johnson place today?

No.
Annie, of course,

and Eli was out
in the fields working.

She and the baby were sleeping
when I left.

Why would anyone
do a thing like that?

We wish we knew.
What about the road?

Did you see anyone on the road

going to or coming from
the Johnson place?

No, no.
I didn't see a soul.

Yeah, well, the only thing

we can do is get together
a posse.

Mark, can you come along?

I wish I could, Clem, but...

Ruth is going through
another bad period,

and I'm afraid to leave her.

Well, can understand that, Mark.

- Good night, Mark.
- Thank you, Mark.

Good night.

I didn't want to lie to them

about your mother
being here, Mark.

I was too ashamed...
to tell them that she'd left...

that she'd abandoned
her own child.

I suppose we...
should feel sorry for her.

She'll have to live
with her guilt.

All right, men, fan out.
Now take your time.

We've got to cover
every inch of ground.

Let's go.

I'd, um...

like to thank you all...

for trying to help.

No motives, no clues, nothing.

I could get up another posse,

but I wouldn't know where
to start looking.

There's nothing anybody
could do...

except maybe pray that

whoever took the child
doesn't do him any harm.

Yeah.

I'll notify the surrounding
towns to keep a look-out.

I think I'll stay in town
at the hotel.

I'm too tired
to go back to the ranch.

Hello, Barney.

You look beat,
Mr. Cartwright.

It's been a long night.

I heard you didn't find a thing.

No, I'm afraid not.

I'm going to need a room.

Certainly.
Room 26.

It's at the back, you won't get
all that street noise.

Thank you.

Ruth?

- Ruth...
- Uh, if Mark sent you

to talk to me, Ben, it's no use.

We've said all there is to say.

I... I can't help the way I feel.

But Mark didn't send me.

I... I didn't even know
you were here.

Well, I won't be for long.

I'm taking the 6:00 stage
to San Francisco.

Why?

You certainly can't still be
blaming Mark for what happened?

I can and I do.

Ruth, you've got to give
yourself a little more time.

Look, it's all been said.

And it's no good.
It'll always be there.

It'll always be between us.

How did Mark...
take it when you left?

Oh, he wasn't there.

He was out making
his afternoon rounds.

He's a very good doctor,
you know.

Good-bye, Ben.

Barney...

when did Mrs. Sloan
check in?

Yesterday.

Do you recall what time?

Uh, 2:00 in the afternoon.
Why?

Just wondering.
Thank you, Barney.

I thought you were going
to get some sleep.

Mr. Cartwright?

Come on now, Ben,
it doesn't make any sense.

You know Mark as well as I do.

Are you really trying to tell me

you think he might
have something to do

with the disappearance of
the Johnson baby?

What reason would he have to lie

about Ruth being home last night

when she was here
in town at the hotel?

Well, maybe he figured
she'd change her mind

and come back,
and nobody'd know about it.

Last night, he said
he couldn't leave the house

because he had to take care
of Ruth.

I stopped at his office
on the way over here.

At 2:30,
he hadn't come in yet.

So?

So, he must have some reason

for not wanting
to leave his house.

Now, Clem...
we've nothing else to go on.

At least let's ride out there
and have a talk with him.

All right, Ben, all right.
Let's go.

Mark?

Mark?

Who is it?

It's Ben, Mark.

What do you want?

Well, Clem and I would like
to talk to you for a moment.

Well, I can't talk now, Ben.

Uh...
Ruth isn't feeling well.

Mark, I talked to Ruth
in town a little while ago.

Did you hear me, Mark?

I heard you.

Well, why don't you open up
the door so we can talk?

No.
I know why you're here.

She sent you here.

She deserted her child
and now she wants him back.

Well, it... won't work.

You can tell her that for me.

Her child?

Mark... open the door
so we can come in

and talk to you for a minute.

No.

That child that you have
with you in there...

that isn't your child.

Ruth lost her baby.

That's a lie!

That's a stupid lie.

You're all trying
to take my son from me.

Well, you won't.

Now get away from here!

I'm sorry, Mark,
but if you don't open that door,

I'm going to have to
break it open.

I don't want to hurt anybody!

You know I don't want
to hurt anybody.

But no one's going to take
my son from me!

Put the gun away.

He doesn't know what he's doing.

We can't shoot in there, anyway,
there's a baby.

What's happened to him, Ben?

He's sick.

He won't...
He won't hurt the child.

Well, what are we going to do?

The shape he's in, we'll never
talk him out of there.

Maybe his wife can.

The stage doesn't leave
until 6:00.

I'll get her back here
as quickly as I can.

All right, but you'd better
stop by Eli's place.

Tell him to pick up
a couple of men, just in case.

Yeah.

I thought it was the boy
for the bags.

I have to talk to you.

We've been all
through this before, Ben.

No, we haven't.

Do you know the Johnson baby
is missing?

Yes, I heard.

Mark... took the child.

What?

He has the little baby
at the house now.

He thinks it's his son.

Look, this is some kind
of trick to get me back.

Well, it won't work.

I just got back
from your house, Ruth.

We tried to get Mark
to open the door.

He shot at us.

He's a very sick man.

I don't believe it.

You know why he's doing this.

So I'll...
I'll feel sorry for him

and I'll... I'll go back to him.

Well, I won't.

I won't forgive him
for killing my child.

Your child?

Ruth, do you realize that...

from the moment it happened,
it's been your child?

Was it Mark's child,
too, or have you forgotten?

He didn't carry that child
inside him.

No, not inside him.

But in his heart,
his mind, his dreams.

It was his son.

Don't you realize what it meant
to Mark to have a son?

Then he should have been there.

How could he know?

Answer me.

In God's name,
how could he possibly know?

How?

Mark blamed himself
for everything that happened.

Consciously or not,
I don't know.

But when you accused him,
confirmed his guilt,

he couldn't live with that.

So he shut it out of his mind.

As far as he was concerned,
it just never happened.

Unless he gives up
the Johnson baby...

the sheriff will have to go in

and take that child
away from him.

I came for your bags,
Mrs. Sloan.

Leave them.

Yes, ma'am.

They're still out there...

my friends.

They're on her side now,
but, it won't do them any good.

They'll never take you
away from me, son.

Never.

Hyah!

I'm sure glad you're here, Ben.

- I was getting worried.
- Any change?

No, not a sound.

Mrs. Sloan,
please get my baby.

We will, Annie.
We will.

Now, Ruth... I can't tell you
how to handle him.

There's no way of knowing how
he'll act.

Maybe just seeing you and
talking with you will be enough.

That's far enough!

What do you want?

I... I just want
to talk to you, Mark.

We have nothing to talk about.

Please, Mark.

No.
You deserted the boy,

now you've changed your mind
and you want him back.

Well, you can't have him!
He's mine!

N... no.

I don't want
to take him from you.

I... I just want to talk to you.

If I do...

will you go away
and never come back?

If that's what you want, yes.

All right, you're here.
What do you want to say?

How is the boy?

Ah, my son is fine,
no thanks to you.

Now get on with it.
What do you want?

I, uh...

I just wanted to say
how sorry I am.

Everybody is always sorry.

The whole world is sorry.

What does it mean?

It means nothing.

You say you're sorry because...

you've done something
you shouldn't have.

Sorry is no good.
Sorry doesn't mean anything.

It's done, it happened.

Do you want to see my boy?

Come.

He is beautiful, isn't he?

Yes, he is.

Ah, such long fingers...
A doctor's hands.

Mark...

Please, forgive me.

I can forgive you,
but you can't.

People can't forgive themselves.

That's like saying you're sorry,
doesn't mean anything.

But you will forgive me?

Yes.

Can I... stay?

He is beautiful, isn't he?

Can I stay?

Yes, but tell them to go away.

But they're our friends.
They just...

No!
I don't want them here.

Shh, shh.
Mark, it's all right.

It's all right.

Shh, shh.

Oh, I'm glad you're back.

Everything is fine again.

We don't need anybody else,

just you and I...
and our baby.

I love you.

I love you.

Why are you crying?

I told you, everything's
going to be all right now.

Hey...

Now, no more tears, all right?

All right.

That's better.

Now, Mrs. Sloan,
how about some supper?

What would you like?

Anything, woman, I'm starved,
just go get fixing.

Oh.

Oh, uh...
we'll need some wood.

Oh, there's plenty
in the wood box.

Come on.

Ah, heat up the coffee, too.

You know, I think
we'll move to Carson City.

You always said I could
do better over there.

What do you think?

Oh, I... I don't know.

Uh, we have
a lot of friends here.

No, we don't!

No, I told you,
we don't need anybody else.

So much noise scared him.

Shh.

Oh, shh, shh, shh.

He'll never get any sleep
with all this racket.

He'd be much better off sleeping
in the other room.

I suppose you're right.

I'll take him.

Is anything wrong?
You seem so nervous.

No. I'm fine.

You're sure nothing is wrong?

Yes, I'm fine.

I'll carry the baby.
You bring his cradle.

Oh, oh.

I love you.

He does have long fingers,
doesn't he?

Mark Sloan, Jr., M.D.

We'll have the Sloan...

No!

Ruth! Ruth!

Ruth!

Ruth!

Ruth!
No! No!

Ruth! No!

No!
That's wrong!

You took my baby!

You let her ta... take my baby.

Put down that gun, Mark.

You give me back my boy.

Mark... we're your friends.

You're... you're not my friends.

Now give me back my boy.

Mark...
our baby's dead.

No!

Don't cry, my son.