A Young Doctor's Notebook s01e01 Episode Script

Episode 1

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 not long graduated from the Imperial Moscow University of Medicine and Dentistry, when I was sent in the remotebr abp="268" village of Muryevo to run a hospital.
br abp="269" 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 goldbr abp="375" Bolshoi.
br abp="376" 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 Feldsher can help youbr abp="527" if it's nothing too complicated.
br abp="528" No, no, no, I'm, I'm the doctor.
I am the doctor.
I am the doctor.
Forgive me it's just that our old doctor had a beard.
br abp="603" "old" as in 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.
Because I was a medical student, but I just graduated.
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 to 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 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.
Did 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 arduous 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 a 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 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's absolutely fine.
At this point I could probably sleep on the floor.
Oh its quite.
.
eh.
.
Oh it's good, it's got quite a lot of 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 said.
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 it cover to cover? - No.
- Ah! - We will.
- Yes thank you again, Feldsher and good night.
Not at all, glad to have the company.
It's coming to back to me now what a complete nightmare he is.
And Pelageya saying 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 boyish gait is more of a problem.
- What? - You walk like an adolescent.
I do not.
It lacks authority, just like 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.
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 to 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 said anything about insipen! What else don't I know I don't know? Etherial sulphate of quininediglycolic acid.
It's not important.
Right, no, I haven't got time for this, I have a hernia to attend to.
Hold on.
Yes, I knew that.
It's sit the patient in a bath and put the hernia back in place.
Easy.
- Unless of course - What? - it's a - it's a? - I don't know just tell me! - Strangulated hernia.
Did you just make that up? No.
And it's not the easiest of operations, either.
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 labour's not 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? Let's take a look, shall we? Hello! It's umm it's gonna be alright.
Not long now.
When did when did the pain start? Shall we have a look at things on the inside? Yep.
- You know, she's not as ugly as I remember.
- What? Pelageya.
Still I can't believe I actually lodine.
At least now an older-looking doctor.
You know I think I might just run back to the room and have a quick look at a 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.
Of course, I'm sure he won't 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 female anatomy is most beguiling.
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-I really might need to know this 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! Of course.
Sorry, I'm 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 what we have here, as I've 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? Doesn't have 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 use will Doderlein be to me then? You're right, don't listen to Doderlein.
"The most frequent cause of " death " - They have to put that in.
- 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 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! 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's just graduated.
It's all still fresh in his mind.
Leopol'd Leopol'dovic was a very gifted and vastly-experienced surgeon.
He loathed the pedalic version.
But he did make one or two useful observations.
if you would 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 up that smock 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.
Right 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 a 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 ramblings of a medical student.
It's the first time I've seen it in years.
I'd forgotten I still have it.
I'm ruined.
addic7ed.
com
Next Episode