Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 7, Episode 11 - Apprentice Doc - full transcript

Starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

♪♪

All right, hold your horses!

What the...!

No use putting it off.

We got a ways to ride.

He just gonna keep
sleeping that a-way?

No, he'll come
around before long.

When he does, maybe
he'll see to Ranny.

Well, we won't be
here to see it. Come on.

Pitt.



No time for dreaming, now.

Come on, boy.

Uh... I'm staying
with Ranny, Clint.

I understand you right, boy?

He wouldn't leave me.

I don't want him waking up hurt

with just a stranger
to tend him.

I can see that, Clint.

We got plans, Pitt.

Well, Ranny and
me won't hold 'em up.

You know, uh...

you know what,
we're gonna meet later

- in case we have to scatter.
- Yeah.

We, uh, meet you
and Ranny there, then,



when he's able to mount a horse.

Soon as Ranny's able to
move, I'll be taking him home.

Don't seem like we're talking
about the same thing, Pitt.

Well, I guess we're not.

I'm just saying for you
and Augie to ride on,

forget about us.

He makes it sound mighty
easy, don't he, Augie?

Well... maybe it is, Clint.

We could just ride
off and forget 'em.

You and Augie rode
together a long time.

You don't need us.

Come on, Clint, let's go.

We don't need them.

Ain't gonna be hard
forgetting you... Pitt.

Don't you do that!

Come on, Clint, we don't
want that Doc waking up

and finding us here.

Now, Pitt...

I went and fetched the doc
for Ranny here like you wanted.

Now you do something for me.

You get rid of the doc.

You understand what I say, boy?

I'll take care of him.

About time you were waking up.

Here's some coffee,
make you feel better.

Don't tell me I put
those splints on there.

No, I did.

You're a doctor, huh?

No.

You do this?

Uh-huh.

If you can set a leg like that,

why in thunder did
you haul me out here?

Thought I might need you.

Well, I don't have
to be pounced on

in the middle of the night...

and chloroformed
to tend to the sick.

You use this
quite a bit, do you?

It comes in handy.

Yeah.

You can kill a man with it.

The way you two jumped
on me in the middle...

There was two of you.

Couldn't have been
him with that leg.

Doc, let's just say we
thought we needed you.

Now, if you say he's all
right, then we don't need you.

You got any money on you?

So that's it.

No, I'm afraid I can't
accommodate you, young fella.

Let's just... let's just say
we paid for a sick call.

Doc, there's a
stage road yonder.

I don't know when it runs,

but it's either that or
walk back to Dodge.

I just don't understand you.

Doctor... I'd go right
now, if I was you.

You put something under his
foot and keep that leg elevated.

And then when he comes to,

you see that he gets
some nourishment.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

- Chester.
- Well, Doc,

what, uh, what are you doing
out here in your nightshirt?

Well, I... I been
for a little walk.

In your nightshirt?

I mean, you...

you do know that you got
your nightshirt on, don't you?

Yes, I am. I'm aware of that.

Oh. Mr. Dillon, uh, Doc
here has been for a little walk.

Hello, Doc. In your nightshirt?

I suppose you think
that's funny, too, huh?

Well, I wouldn't exactly
call that the right dress

for Front Street, Doc.

Doc, you just don't
know how funny you are.

Well, this is not as funny

as either one of
you might think it is.

- Huh?
- Well...

Oh, don't pay any
attention to me.

I'm... I'm under an anesthetic.

Heh. Well, what in the
world did he mean by that?

I don't know.

By golly, I think something
made him kind of grumpy.

Well... whatever it was,
why, that's normal for Doc.

Yeah.

Let's back to the office, huh?

♪♪

Clint, maybe Pitt's
still seeing to Ranny.

You don't think that, Augie.

Well... he never
said he'd come here.

I got to give him
credit for that, Clint.

He never said he'd show up.

That's all right
with you, is it?

No. No, I think we
ought to go through with it

like we planned, but...

with Ranny busting
his leg and all...

Pitt didn't bust nothin'.

Well, he... couldn't
just leave him there

with a busted leg.

We did.

Dividing that up by two, that's
a lot better than four, huh?

I'll mind the money, Augie.

You get the grub going.

That was a mean and
needless trick, Clint.

We'll both feel better we get
some grub in our stomachs.

No hard feelings, Augie?

Uh... you just
didn't have no call

to stomp my hand, that's all.

Let me see it.

Now, that's better now.

Don't that feel better?

Whiskey makes anything
feel better, don't it?

That's the best hand I got.

Oh, we're all right, Augie.

We got this pile of money,
here. We got this whiskey.

Four walls to hide
behind... We got the grub

that we put up here a while ago.

And we got plenty of time.

And we don't have to
worry about Pitt neither.

I know that Clint. Well,
he said he'd forget us.

He ain't going around
talking. I know that.

Well, we'll see about Pitt.

Why can't we just forget him?

'Cause I ain't sure of him now.

He knows who we
are, what we plan.

Maybe he'll forget,
maybe he won't.

That's too many maybes for me.

- Clint?
- Hmm.

You reckon that doc seen us?

I ain't sure, Augie.

But we'll lay low
here for awhile.

And before long
we'll be riding out

looking for Pitt and that doc.

Well, it's a simple enough
question to answer, Doc,

if you just put your mind to it.

Oh, for heaven's sake.
Will you, let up will ya?

He's been at me like
this for a whole week.

Well, Doc, if you just
tell me what you meant

when you'd said that you'd
been under an anesthetic,

I'd, I'd quit asking.

Doc, you don't have
to tell me or Chester

anything about this, but
if you haven't told Matt

all you know,
then you're a fool.

And I don't think you are.

Well, there ain't
anything to tell Matt.

By golly, I hardly know
what happened myself.

All I know is...

well, there wasn't
any harm done.

Doc, do you have
any idea who did it?

No.

By golly, I don't have
any idea at all who did it.

It was dark.

If I knew...

Well, I, I don't know.

I've told you everything. I'm...

I've got to get
back to the office.

I've got a lot of work to do.

Doctor... you, uh,
remember me, do ya?

I remember you.

I went to your office first.

I think maybe that'd be
the best place for us to talk.

It would be.

Well, I wonder who
that young feller is.

I don't know. Doc
seems to know him.

I figure it's his business.

Well, I don't.

You know, I mean, the way
Doc has been acting lately,

I think what's his
business is ours.

And you know I'm the
last person in the world

to meddle in anybody's...
Oh, my goodness.

Are you all right?

I'm all right.

We never did get
around to names.

I'm Pitt Gamble.

Well, I know you know mine.

Yes, I saw the sign downstairs.

It's a nice office
you got here, doctor.

It suits me fine.

Yes, sir, it's real nice.

This where you do
your surgery, huh?

Yeah, most of the time.

Oh, in case you're wondering,

I got Ranny home all right.

Ranny?

Yeah, he was the fella

that had the broken leg.

Oh, yeah.

No fever, no infection.

His, uh, his pa's
taking care of him.

That's good.

That's not what
you came to tell me.

No, sir, it isn't. I, uh...

I'm glad to see
you looking well.

And I'm glad to be looking well.

Now that all the
pleasantries are over,

would mind telling me
what you're here for?

Well, I'm trying to.

Dr. Adams...

do you remember what you
said to me about Ranny's leg?

I mean, about how If I was

the one who set it?

Well, I said you did
a pretty good job.

Yes, sir. That's
just what you said.

Well?

Dr. Adams, can I read
medicine with you?

Can you what?

I want to read medicine
with ya, and then study.

Well, now why do
you want to do that?

'Cause I got the feeling for it.

One broken leg and now
you've got a feeling for it.

Well, it isn't just Ranny's leg.

I mean, I know that
could've just been luck.

No, it was more the feeling
I had when I was doing it.

The feeling of wanting to help,

and knowing I could.

Did you ever set a leg before?

No, sir.

Well, what do you mean
"knowing you could?"

Well, I felt sure of myself.

Like I knew exactly
what I was doing.

And, um...

I don't always feel
that sure, doctor.

How old are you, son?

Twenty-five.

I got time for learning.

Time?

Takes an awful
lot more than that.

Takes aptitude, strength,

patience, and care.

And a feeling for saving lives.

Now that's
important, too, isn't it?

Yeah, most important of all.

But I don't know
a thing about you.

Not a thing.

Well, I'll think about it.

Well, while you're
thinking about it,

I could be learning.

Well, I hear, all
around the place,

how there's a need for doctors.

Good doctors, that is. And I...

Well, if you're concerned

on account of the way we
met, I'm sorry about that.

Well, young feller, if you're...

willing to work awful hard,
and you mean what you say...

then maybe I could figure
that we just met today.

Well... that, that'd be fine.

It's nice to meet you.

You got any place to stay?

Yes, sir, I sure do.

You see how far
you can get in that

before tomorrow morning.

Yes, sir.

Dr. Adams... I don't
know what to say.

Well, that's good, then
you don't have to say it.

Well, you ought to
give Chester more to do

and then he wouldn't have time

to poke his nose in
other people's business.

Well, don't get on Chester, Doc.

If you were chloroformed
and kidnapped

in the middle of the night,

seems to me he's got
cause to worry about you.

- Yeah.
- Is that what happened?

Yeah, that's what happened.

Well, you gonna
tell me about it?

Well, by gosh, there
ain't anything to tell.

There's nothing wrong at
all out there that I can see.

They didn't even need
me when they got me there.

They?

Well, I'm guessing
there was two of them.

I was chloroformed.

Well, would you
recognize either of them?

Gosh, I wouldn't know
'em if they were sitting

at the next table.

That's all you're
gonna tell me, huh?

That's all there was to it.

Well, let me tell you something
maybe you didn't know.

The bank down at Mead
was robbed the other day.

They think two men did it.

Anyway, there were
three people killed.

Two of them in the bank,
and one out in the street.

The men got away
clean as a whistle.

Nobody down there
can even identify them.

You don't think there
might be some connection

between what happened
to you and that?

Well, my gosh,
if there was, Matt,

how would I know
anything about it?

Okay, Doc.

I'm sure not gonna push
you anymore about it.

But if you remember anything

that you even think
might, uh, help...

let me know, will ya?

Well, of course I will.

Oh, hello, doctor.

I thought you told me
you had a place to stay.

Oh, yeah. How do you like it?

Oh, for heaven's sakes.
Get up out of there

and come upstairs.

I don't want to be any trouble.

Well, then don't be.

Come on.

Just hang your
stuff right there.

Just because you're only
25 doesn't mean that you're

not as susceptible to
pneumonia as anybody else.

I never had a
sick day in my life.

Well, that may be...

but you just try my
operating table there

for the rest of the night.

All right.

I want to talk to you
about something, Pitt.

I'll warm this coffee up for us.

Be ready in a minute.

I know that I
told you that I'd...

figure we met today
for the first time...

and I meant it, too.

But something's happened
that just may change all that.

I want to know who those two
men were you were riding with.

You hear me?

Ah, never mind.

♪♪

Well, good morning, Dr. Adams.

Where you been?

I just went and
got out breakfast.

Well, I though we'd
go to Delmonico's.

Well, I thought maybe we
could read some medicine

while the eggs and
coffee was boiling.

I made some fresh before
I went out this morning.

Yours tasted kind
of like lye water.

Yeah, well, I'm not
famous for making coffee.

I just want to pay
my way as best I can.

Nobody said anything to
you about paying anything.

Pitt?

Yes, sir.

Come here, I
want to talk to you.

All right.

Just sit down right there.

You know I said to you
yesterday that maybe...

I could figure we just met.

Yes.

Well, now something's happened
that just might change all that.

I want to know who those
men were you were riding with.

Were they outlaws?

Ranny was no outlaw.

Well, what about the others?

Well, you never saw
any others, Doctor.

I got to have the
truth out of you.

Well, I want to tell
you the truth and I will.

I figure you deserve it.

I've been on the move
now for five years or more.

I haven't got any folks.

I haven't got any reason
to be anywhere, so I just

move where I want to.

Doing what?

What I want, mostly.

It's not always right,

but I've never done
anything against the law.

I sure hope you...
like hard-boiled eggs.

Where are those men, Pitt?

They're gone.

You, uh... you got a
dish for these eggs?

Do you know the bank down at
Meade was robbed the other day?

Two men did it.

Three people got killed.

Those men got away, and
nobody knows who they are.

Doctor, I'll tell you something.

And I want you to believe me.

I had nothing to do
with that bank robbery.

And I'll tell you
something else...

I know I can't do
anything for the dead,

but I'd sure like to learn
how to keep folks alive.

That's why I came to you.

Why don't you get
yourself a cup of coffee

and we'll have breakfast and
then we'll read some medicine.

Yes, sir.

Sure is quiet, ain't it?

Yeah.

Guess Dodge is settlin'
down for the night.

Well, it ain't settlin'
down everyplace.

Lookie there.

By golly, I don't think Doc's
gonna have any eyes left.

Guess he and Pitt
are still hard at it.

I just don't understand it.

I mean, it's all day
long and half the night.

It just seems like
that'd be awful...

uh, punishin' to me.

Takes a lot of stock in
that young fella, I guess.

Yeah.

You know, Mr. Dillon,

I think the thing that-that
bothers me the most is that...

well, if Doc had wanted
some, uh, bright, young feller

to-to read medicine with, uh...

well, I just don't know
why he didn't ask me.

Well, I, uh... I guess
that's something

you'd probably have to
take up with him, Chester.

Yeah, well, I think I will.

If he can ever spare
me the time of day.

How many bullets did he catch?

There's three of 'em in
here. Hand me a cloth.

And give me that one, too.

Is that much to bleed, Doctor?

Well... not with three bullets.

You can always remember to
keep the wound clean, though.

You just can't see anything
through a hemorrhage.

Well, the, uh, the blood
cleanses it, doesn't it?

Yeah, that's right, it does.

But you see, you have to be
able to determine between a...

normal flow of blood and...

and what's too much.

You don't want a hemorrhage,
that's for sure, now.

All right.

That's it.

Heh.

That was an easy one.

Well, you make it look easy.

How's he doing?

He still feels hot.

His pulse is good
and steady, though.

Well, he'll cool off some when
we get this lead out of him.

Hmm.

There it is.

That's a deep one, you see that?

Yeah.

Yeah.

There was nothing
easy about that one.

No, sir, that was a mean one.

All right, we got one more here.

There it is.

Hm.

Feel that?

Feel it, right there.

- Feel it, can't you?
- Yeah. Yeah.

All right, come here.

Go on.

Oop.

- Yeah?
- That's good.

Oh.

How you feel?

I don't know.

Well, I'll bet you won't
remember him the way I will.

First man you
took a bullet out of?

Mm-hmm.

No, I guess not.

No, I don't even know
what he looks like, but...

by golly, I'll know
those holes in his belly

if I ever see him again.

How's he doing?

Oh, he's fine.

He's recovering.

How about you?

Oh, I'm fine now.

I was just reading
about another operation.

They're doing things now
they wouldn't even try before.

Oh, yes.

Oh, yeah, it's come a long way.

It's because of the war.

- War?
- Yep.

Well, how's that?

Well, it's a terrible
price to pay,

but the cause of medicine
always advances in time of war,

when men have to...

have to... experiment, you know,

try beyond themselves
and-and make do.

Strange thing...

When death's all around
you, sometimes, Pitt,

a single life can be the most
important thing in the world.

Oh.

Did you ever think maybe
you wanted to specialize?

Oh, sure.

Yeah, every time I
treated a new disease.

Every time I performed
a new operation.

Every time I
delivered a new baby.

Every time, I wanted to...

specialize in just
that one thing.

Yeah.

I guess you couldn't
specialize very well

- out here on the frontier.
- Oh, we could, sure.

A lot of men do.

I could do nothing but
surgery if I wanted to.

I've done enough of it, and...

and I've read with some
of the best in the East.

Watched them operate.

Learned their techniques.

Trouble is, though, you see, uh,

measles and whooping
cough and diphtheria and ague

and things like that, you...

can't cut 'em out of people.

Mm. Well, I guess
you don't really have

any choice then, do you?

No, not really.

Frontier makes it for you.

Mostly babies, broken
bones, gunshot wounds

and the summer complaint.

No, Pitt, you...
you find your place.

You stay where you're needed.

Just do the best you can.

Is that what you
think I should do?

It's what you will do.

If you're a doctor, you
won't be able to help yourself.

And you'll specialize, too.

I will?

You betcha.

In saving lives.

Fill it up, Pitt?

Same order, Sam.

Much obliged, Sam.

Tell Doc we miss him.

Yeah.

Hello, Pitt.

Hello, Augie.

You was smart not to
speak to us in the saloon, Pitt.

Well, you said to
forget about you, Clint.

I did.

You're some luckier
than Augie and me.

Something kept
bringin' you to mind.

Why don't you just say right
out what's bothering you, Clint?

Augie...

what'd the barkeep say to Pitt?

Well, they just
talked about beer.

Oh?

I could've swore he said,
uh, "Tell Doc we miss him."

You mind that now, Augie?

Yeah, I guess I do.

"Tell Doc we miss him."

Clint, you can't do
nothin' to him out here.

Just fix him so
he'll need a doc.

Leave the doctor
out of this, Clint.

Doctor, is it?

My boy's come quite a
way since we've seen him.

Friends with a doctor,
knows a marshal.

I mean it, Clint.

Dr. Adams wouldn't
know you if he saw you.

I told you to take care of him.

There wasn't any need for that.

I feel sad I can't
trust you, boy.

I'll have to take care
of the doc myself.

Pick him up, Augie.

He's coming with us.

I think he needs a doctor.

No sign of him, Doc.

Ain't nobody seen him
since he left the Long Branch

with that bucket of beer.

Well, my gosh,
that's two hours ago.

Well, maybe he just
decided he didn't want

to be a doctor no
more and left town.

Matt.

By golly, I'm afraid I've
made an awful mistake here.

What do you mean, Doc?

Well, I just never told you

all I know about Pitt.

I think he knows who pulled
that bank robbery in Meade.

What?

He didn't have anything
to do with the robbery.

I know that.

No, sir.

But I sure think
he knows who did.

Well, then he can identify 'em.

Yeah.

That's probably the reason
they came for him, Doc.

I know it.

I don't know why
I didn't tell you.

It's just that...

well, I didn't want him
to be involved in it, and...

Looks like he is now,
and maybe you are, too.

Well...

yeah, those are the same
two that came after me, I guess.

They could be.

Maybe they think you
can identify 'em, too.

They'll probably be
over here after you next.

Well, by golly,
that's what we want.

You still got that
old pistol around?

Yes.

Well, you'd better get it out.

Chester, you stay here with him,

and whatever you do,
don't leave the office.

Yes, sir.

He's stirring, Clint.

You missed your calling, Augie.

You should have
been a mother hen.

You sure give him a whop.

Why, you could have killed him.

Could have.

Didn't want to.

I always know what I do, Augie,
I know just what I want to do.

Give him some whiskey.

That'll bring him around.

Want a touch of whiskey, Pitt?

Hmm, whiskey?

No.

Augie, you fetch the doc now.

Well, all right,

if, if you think
Pitt's coming along.

I'll mind Pitt.

Get on with you now.

I was here once before.

Ranny and me and...
Augie an-and you.

Yeah, we're supposed to
come here after the bank job.

Remember?

Oh, yeah.

Only you and
Ranny didn't show up.

Well, Ranny was,
Ranny was pretty bad hurt

with that, that leg.

Ranny died, Pitt.

No.

Well, hi-his leg was...

I took him home.

That's where he died, Pitt.

Wasn't his leg.

Hi-His leg was doing fine.

You killed Ranny?

Put your hands up.

What do you want?

Now get up those stairs
and you walk careful.

Here you are, Doc.

Oh, thanks.

Doc, it's me.

All right, get in there.

Well, who's he?

He's about to tell us that.

Well, I ain't nobody.

I just come to get the doc.

Where is Pitt?

I don't know
nobody name of Pitt.

I said, where is Pitt?

All right, I'll tell you.

I was supposed to
come get the doc for him.

Well, what's the
matter with him?

Well, he's hurt a little bit,

but I didn't do it.

Where is he?

Well, he's at the Bleeker
place, halfway to Meade.

Get your stuff, Doc.

You can't go out there.

He'll kill you if
you go out there.

Chester, take him
down and lock him up.

- Yes, sir.
- But Clint don't care.

He'll kill you if
you go out there.

Move.

He'll kill me... he-he'll kill
me if he ever sees me again.

He'll kill anybody
that comes out there.

Hold it!

Doc.

Hello, Doctor.

Pitt.

You know how it goes, Doctor.

You find your place, you
stay where you're needed.

Do the best you can.

That's right, Doctor.

Keep the wound
nice and clean, now.

Can't see through a
hemorrhage, you know.

You don't want that to happen.

Doctor.

You always know what to say.

I'm not gonna make it, am I?

I don't know what
to say to you, Pitt.

That's good.

You won't have to say it.

♪♪

Doc, I'll, I'll take
care of things here.

He had the feeling for it, Matt.

He'd have made a fine doctor.

Fine.

We could use another
one like you, old boy.