18x18 - Patricia

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Gunsmoke". Aired: September 10, 1955 - March 31, 1975.*
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Marshal Matt Dillon tries to prevent lawlessness from overtaking Dodge City, Kansas.
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18x18 - Patricia

Post by bunniefuu »

With...

And starring James
Arness as Matt Dillon.

That must be a real
interesting book you're reading.

Not really.

I noticed you
haven't put it down.

It passes the time.

That's a real fine
lookin' boy, your brother.

He's not my brother.

Your son?

No.

Well I think we can
rule out grandmother.

She's Ms. Colby, my governess.

She is?

Pleased to meet you, Ms. Colby.

My name's Newly O'Brian.

Mr. O'Brian.

I'm Johnny.

Johnny, pleased to meet you too.

We're from Boston.

You are?

You're a long way from home.

Is that a real sh**t'
g*n Mr. O'Brian?

Yeah, it's real all right.

I guess you need it for Indians.

Yeah, it might not be a bad idea

to keep your eyes
peeled out there.

Johnny, come on over here.

You sit right here.

You can look out
either side now.

Makes it easier for talkin'.

I mean when you get
finished with the book.

I certainly don't
think I'll be through

for at least a week.

I got lots of patience.

Whoa.

All right folks, 20 minute
stop to rest the horses.

Mr. Brown, how's
everything in these parts?

Oh, fair to middlin'.

I swear, there's a strange
kind of stillness in the air.

The air does have
a funny feeling to it.

Ms. Colby, can I go play?

Yes, but don't go too far.

I won't.

This here part of a stage
stop is called a walkaround.

It's a chance for the passengers

to get to know
each other and talk.

Well, I certainly wouldn't
want to break any traditions.

Well thank you.

Just you and the boy travelin'?

Yes, his parents decided

they wanted to take a
second honeymoon in Canada.

And Johnny's always
wanted to see the West.

So, here we are.

Hang onto your hat.

If time is on your hands,

why don't you spend it in Dodge?

Hospitality's great.

You can have
dinner at Delmonico's,

even a guided tour.

I don't know.

I hear that Dodge is a
pretty dangerous place.

Oh it is, definitely.

But the guided tour
provides a personal escort.

I promise not to let you out
of my sight the entire evening.

Boy!

Johnny!

Get to the shack,
we'll be safe there.

Get down.

Get closer the the wall.

Oh, oh my leg.

I think his leg's broke.

Oh, no.

I'll try to find a splint.

Hang on, partner.

It's all right, it's all right.

Cowboys don't cry.

Whoa.

Ms. Peary, how you be?

I know hadn't ought
to be askin', but...

Carried the roof right
off our house Festus.

Aww, that's a pity.

Well, now don't you
fret none about the fixin',

'cause quick as we
all get our breath,

we're gonna put a new
roof on your house for ya.

Doc, they're still comin' in.

I don't know where
you're gonna put 'em all.

We'll manage.

Put a lot of folks in cots
over in the old warehouse.

Squeezin' people in every place.

Folks up and down the
street are donatin' rooms.

You know they're just marvelous.

We're gonna make out all right.

The old man Crawford
may be in trouble.

He didn't say anything,
but looks to me

like he's limping pretty bad.

I'll drop in and
see him tonight.

All right and you go slow.

It's not gonna help things
if you fold up, you know.

I'll see you in just a minute.

All right folks,
Sam's ready for you.

Plenty of good food inside.

Come on, don't be bashful.

Go ahead, go right on in.

Oh, Mrs. Ballard, it's all
right to bring the children in,

the bar's closed for a while.

Go ahead, go ahead.

How bad is it out there?

Some of the farms
have been hit pretty bad

but so far we've been lucky.

No report of deaths.

Woody said the shack
town was practically leveled.

Everybody's using
the old mine for shelter.

I better ride out there.

I'll be back in a little while.

What's your prognosis Newly?

He's doin' fine Doc,
he's a tough one.

Lateral fracture of the
tibia, but a clean break.

That's fine.

Young fella, I
don't want you ridin'

any buckin' broncos
for about a week.

- You promise me that?
- Yes sir.

Newly, I'm gonna be awful busy.

I got about 40
calls I gotta make,

and there's just not
enough hours in this day.

Tell you what I'd like,

for you to set up a
kind of an infirmary

over in Delmonico's.

Can you do that?

Well Doc, maybe instead
of havin' my own patients,

I can assist you.

After all, I haven't had
too much experience.

I'm not worried about
that, you'll do fine.

Oh doctor, since it looks
like I'll be staying here

in Dodge for a while
until Johnny can travel,

I've had some
nursing experience.

I'd be more than glad
to help out if I could.

Well that's fine, that's fine.

Thank you, Patricia, very much.

You can just stay and
help Newly, that'll be fine.

All right.

Oh say, I'll tell you
what I'm gonna do,

I'm just gonna leave
you this bag, Newly,

'cause I got a spare
up in the office.

I'll, I'll see you
tomorrow, young fella.

My squad is gonna
take good care of ya.

Why I quit medicine is a
question I often ask myself.

The answer I get is that I was

well, restless, at least that's
the answer I give myself

and I know it's
not an honest one.

What is the answer?

If that's not too
personal a question.

Well, Doc says it's selfishness.

We've had some
long talks about it.

I remember in school
and at the teachin' hospital,

I was surrounded by
misery and sickness.

Well it depressed
me, that's all.

Well I wouldn't
call that selfishness.

I mean, well there's
a lot of people

that just aren't
suited to medicine.

He's runnin' a
pretty high fever.

Doc had an answer for that.

He said there are people that

could perform but don't
want to, meaning me.

Shying away from
their responsibilities.

But that's the way Doc is,

that's the way he
feels about medicine.

He just plain loves
workin' with people.

Well, from what I saw today,

so do you.

Oh I'll plow a
field for somebody,

or go to a barn building.

That kind of
helpin' people I like.

But I don't like
the responsibility of

havin' a life in my hands.

Is that why you didn't
wanna be on your own today.

It wasn't easy, but I'm
glad you were with me.

But you would've done
just fine on your own.

You were so much in control,

and you're so good with people.

I did the best I could.

Some men have a
special gift, Newly.

It's kind of an
instinct for healing.

I think you have it,

and I think it would be a shame

if you didn't do
anything with it.

Well, I've gotta go now.

Oh.

You all right?

Yes, I'm just really tired.

And we've got a
long day tomorrow.

You get some sleep
tonight, get a good nights rest.

'Tell me somethin'.

How long do you figure
on stayin' in Dodge?

Oh, well that depends on Johnny.

How long do you think it
will be before he can travel?

Oh, I'd say 99 years.

I could be a very old lady.

Patricia?

Tomorrow morning you and I

ought to have breakfast together

and go over the
list of patients.

All right, goodnight,
Mr. O'Brian.

It was Newly at
least once today.

Newly.

Wait a second.

I'm gonna walk you home.

Look at that, Matt. Looka there.

They've been on
their feet 24 hours,

don't even seem to
have bothered them a bit.

Maybe they're talkin' medicine.

Oh, sure, you bet they are.

I'll tell ya, I aint never saw

so many barns get tore down.

We're gonna have to
do a heap of barn raisin'

when this here dust clears.

Doc, Matthew.

Well, I've seen you
two lookin' better.

I've felt better too,
when it comes to that.

How 'bout some coffee?

- Sounds good.
- Oh, fine.

Sam could we have
some more coffee?

Comin' right up.

How's everything
south of the river Festus?

Oh, they aint too bad, Matthew.

They didn't get tore
up too bad out yonder.

How's the medical
situation, Doc?

Lot better than it
was this morning.

Well, it's a good thing
you go Newly to help you.

By the looks of him,

I don't know just how
much help he's gonna be.

Newly's in conference
with his nurse.

Newly?

Newly!

I'd like to let y'all in

on the most sensible
decision I ever come to.

She doesn't know it yet,

but Ms. Patricia Colby
is about to become

Mrs. Newly O'Brian.

The Indians call this
the Valley of Thunder.

Why's that?

I guess because on a still night

they could hear
horses hooves pounding

across the prairie so loud,
it sounded like thunder.

As long as anybody can remember,

I guess wild mustangs
have been usin'

that valley there and
the canyons to the west.

Oh, aren't they
beautiful, Newly?

They sure are.

You know, when
I was a little girl,

I used to tell
myself that someday

I'd come out west and
have a horse ranch.

Really?

But you stayed
in Boston instead?

Well, when you're
young, you dream dreams.

Now there's half the
trouble with the world,

people settlin' for dreams.

When you want somethin'

you shouldn't just sit
there and dream about it.

Your philosophy of life doctor?

That's right.

Come on, I wanna
show you someplace.

Whoa.

This here's the place nobody's
been able to make a go of.

It's been abandoned
now for about two years.

Why is there something
wrong with the land?

No, ground is too rocky for
anything other than grass,

but there's plenty of that.

It's kinda brown now, but
come spring, early summer,

it gets so green around
here it'll make your eyes ache.

You're saying that it
would be good for horses?

You bet, there's 2000 acres here

runnin' up to those canyons.

You could run a 100, 150
head of horses here easy.

Why hasn't anyone
tried to raise them here.

Well they have.

Just takes a lot of patience.

What's required is somebody

who'd look that
far into the future.

Yes, I can see somebody
with that kind of vision

making a go of it.

Oh, look at those clouds, Newly.

Aren't they lovely?

Step number one is to buy it.

Well you're not
suggesting that I

Mr. Bodkin at the bank,

I bet he'd go for whatever terms

a serious buyer wanted to make.

Oh but that, you
can't be serious.

I mean it would take
money to stock it.

Well I forgot to mention,

there's this fellow in
Dodge, he runs a g*n shop,

and he's saved a few dollars.

Wouldn't take much to
coax him in as a partner.

Newly, it would be impractical.

It would be... A childish dream?

Well no not that.

It takes a man to
run a horse ranch.

I got that figured out
too. You need a husband.

And I know somebody who
wants to marry you so much

he can't sleep nights any more.

You know what we could do?

We could take some
of these cuttings

and plant them up
there by the porch.

We?

I can't sleep either.

I don't know if I heard ya,

- but did I hear ya...
- Shh.

Coming.

I hope you're not
busy, Doctor Adams,

I saw your light on.

No, come right on in.

I don't wanna be a bother,

but I wondered if you
would have any tonic pills

on hand, like these
I've been taking?

I probably have.

I got about every pill
imaginable, I guess.

I...

how long you been
taking these, Patricia?

Oh for quite a while.

Our family doctor in
Boston prescribed them...

several years ago.

He said they'd improve my
appetite, among other benefits.

Well yes, I guess so...

Here, just come on over
here and have a seat.

Patricia, I want you to
sit down right in this chair.

Thank you.

Yeah, that's it,
that's just fine.

Now look at me, right
straight, right up there.

I don't think any
doctor worth his salt

would prescribe for anybody
without examining them first.

Yes, fine.

Let's have...

What's that, where'd
you get this bruise?

You just breath
on me and I bruise.

I don't know, I must
have gotten that

during the cyclone, I guess.

I'll tell you what,

I wanna take a blood
sample from you.

Blood sample?

It's routine,
Patricia, just routine.

It'll kinda help me with
my diagnosis, you see.

Anything you say.

By the way, are you
busy on Sunday?

Sunday?

No, can't think
of anything, why?

Do you think that
you could find time

to be best man at a wedding?

Wedding, who?

Mine and Newly's.

I know, it's very sudden.

Sudden or not, I
think it's just wonderful,

just marvelous.
Newly's a fine fella.

You're both gonna be
very happy, I'll tell you that.

I think it's just wonderful.

Well, they're not
wastin' much time

settin' that wedding
date for Sunday, are they?

Well, here's to the new couple.

You look really tired, Doc.

Drink up, it'll make
you sleep better.

Tomorrow's a brand new day.

Some days just... just
stay the same Kitty.

Somethin' botherin' you Doc?

Yes there is Matt.

Long time ago I swore an oath.

Went something like this:
"Whatever I may see or hear,

"in the lives of men,
which ought not to be

"spoken abroad,
I will not divulge."

I swore to that.

All of my years of practice,
I've never broken that oath.

But now I need help.

And I hope I may be forgiven.

What is it, Doc?

They've set the
date for the wedding.

Yeah.

Newly sent Festus to
Garden City for the preacher.

What's wrong with that?

Patricia's dying.

Dying?

She has Leukemia.

Leukemia, I've
never heard of it.

I'm not surprised, Kitty.

There's very little
known about it.

In simple language,
the white cells run wild,

just completely out of control.

It's fatal.

How long's she got, Doc?

Well Matt I couldn't say that.

See Patricia's
such a strong girl,

but it's my considered opinion

that she has a very short time.

You know I've always
felt that my patients

should know everything.

That is if I think
they can take it.

I think they have a right
to make their own peace,

settle their own affairs.

But you don't feel
that way about her?

Matt, I just don't know
how I feel about Patricia.

Here's a girl who thinks she has

this whole wonderful
life ahead of her.

She thinks it's just beautiful.

Now do I have the
right to rob her of that?

The joys of everyday living,

do I have that
kind of authority?

Do you want my opinion Doc?

Yes, I do.

Well, I know that I
wouldn't want anyone

taking my last remaining
happy moments away from me.

Doc is there any way
she could harm herself

by not knowing about it?

Physically no, none whatever.

Then I'd sure vote
for not tellin' her.

What about Newly, Doc?

I believe Newly must be told.

I don't believe it.

Newly, I've spent
hours and hours

not wanting to
believe it myself.

But here are the
results of my findings.

The outward symptoms, the
results of the blood workup.

I don't care about
your workups, Doc.

That don't make any sense.

Newly, the evidence
is right here.

Evidence? You told me yourself

we don't know anything
about blood diseases.

Well it's true, we
know very little,

but there's one thing
we do know for sure,

and that's the
symptoms of Leukemia.


Wait a minute, let me explain
something to ya, Newly.

The principle of
cellular pathology

was established a long
time ago in Germany

by a doctor by the
name of Rudolf Virchow.

Now, since then, it's considered
a positive medical fact.

Have you told Patricia
anything about this?

No.

Well don't!

Don't!

Because it's not
true, it can't be.

There's nothin' wrong with her.

She's had, she's put in a lot
of hard work this past week.

That's not gonna happen Doc.

Somebody who never
wanted to hurt anybody,

only wanted to help.

It's not gonna happen.

I'm telling you, you and
your blood studies are wrong.

I'm telling ya.

Newly, I don't blame you
for disputing my diagnosis.

I don't blame you at all.

I kind of expected it.

Now here, I don't
think you can dispute

the diagnostic facts.

Here's a letter I want
you to mail yourself

to Doctor Burman,

St. Louis General Hospital.

He is the outstanding authority

on blood study in the country.

I've asked him to send
his findings directly to you.

Doc, I'm marryin' that girl.

I'm marryin' her.

We're gonna have a long
and happy life together.

Gonna miss you, Ms. Colby.

I'm gonna miss you too, Johnny.

Little something for a
wedding present, Pat.

Oh thank you, that's very
kind of you Mr. Henderson.

Not at all.

Mr. O'Brian, you've
captured a real prize.

Thank you sir, I know that.

Bye, Ms. Colby.

Goodbye, Johnny.

Thanks for the hat, Mr. O'Brian.

You bet.

Well, I am late for
a last minute fitting.

- Oh.
- What's wrong?

I've just been feeling
the heat all day.

Don't be late for rehearsal.

I won't.

Newly, I just got back.

And the Reverend,

he said he can't get here
from Garden City tonight.

But he guaranteed that
he'll be here tomorrow.

Oh.

Now don't fret, Ms. Patricia,

that don't mean a thing.

See the Reverend, he wants us

to run through all the
proceedings without him.

And I know just
exactly how it's all did.

Festus.

Doc, I mean where
everybody stands

and stuff like that.

Why, there aint nothing to it.

I recollect when my grandma,

great grandma, actual, Sneedy,

went and got herself
married up for the third time,

I was right there with my
eyeball peeled on everything.

Festus I wanna talk
to you for just a minute.

You know it's the funniest
thing about grandma,

she never would tell
nobody how old she was.

And I'll guarantee ya
that she pretty nigh as old

as old Doc here.

All right, let's
get, Ms. Patricia,

you come with me now.

You come right up here.

Sam, now see since
Patricia's papa aint here

to what they call
"give the bride away,"

you're gonna play like
you're her papa, see.

So you stand right there

and you take aholdt
of his arm, like that.

Now, Ms. Kitty, now if
you'll just herd the youngin's

right up here in
the front, like that.

And you stand behind them
right there, like that, see.

- Okay.
- All right.

And then you come
down when they come.

Matthew, you
stand right up here.

You and old Doc, right
along about in there, see.

And pretend like
I'm standing with you,

but I aint, see.

What I'm gonna be doin',
I'm gonna be right here.

Newly, you're right
there, like that, see.

And what you're doin', see,
you're waitin' for your missus

to come sashaying
down to meet up with you,

don't you see?

All right, Ms. Baker.

Now see there,
aint that plum easy?

Aint nothin' to it at all.

Now the onliest
thing, you have to

take everything nice and slow.

Now, now, the two of you,

you just kinda stand
there and ogle one another

like fellers and gals do that's
been a courtin' for a spell.

And then the Reverend,
he's a fixin' to say things like

he says, to kinda
be polite like,

"you're the pertiest
gal that I have ever saw

and I aint never saw no
handsomer feller than you."

And stuff like that.

And then he'll say "Patricia,

"do you take this here
feller for better or for worser,

"to do what he tells you,
and to make him happy?"

and you say, "I do."

I do.

Now Newly, you say,
"I take this here gal..."

"I take this here gal..."

"to love and protect,
and stuff like that..."

I'm gonna love
her and protect her.

""Til death do us part."

""Til death do us part."

All right, now go to
work and kiss her.

See, that there's your reward

for standin' around
here and waitin', see.

Go on, go ahead on and kiss her.

Forever.

Congratulations, Newly.

Oh Kitty, bye bye.

That was some weddin'.

It sure was.

Come out here
yesterday to paint it,

but so many odds
and ends need fixin'.

I want it to always look
just the way it does now.

You do?

Yes, I do.

- Well, maybe not always.
- Well, I'll tell ya somethin',

if I don't get that roof fixed,

we'll be runnin'
around with buckets

in our hands some night.

Well we certainly wouldn't
want that, would we?

No, we wouldn't.

No, we wouldn't.

I got a surprise for ya.

- Yes?
- Um hmm.

He's yours.

Oh, oh, he's beautiful.

Oh, Newly...

I do love you...

so very, very much.

Oh hello, Mr. Burke.

Mornin' Mrs. O'Brian,
Newly around?

No, he's down by the
creek in the western section.

Little argument
with the beavers.

Well a wire just
came in for him.

Maybe I can take it over to him.

Well, he might have
started back by now.

You might miss him.

I'll see that he gets it.

How's everything
coming along out here?

Lots to do, but I've
never enjoyed anything

so much in my life.

Say, maybe you better open it up

if it's important I can
take it to him right away.

Hmm, "Confirmed
prognosis by Doctor Adams."

Oh it's just a
confirmation of some sort.

You take care of yourself.

Bye, bye.

"Confirmed prognosis
by Doctor Adams.

"If your patient
desires I will examine,

"but I concur with your
findings and conclusions

"as to young female
being terminal."

I want you to take
these pills, Patricia.

No, no, just a
tonic for the blood.

Incidentally, try and
take things easier,

get plenty of rest.

Patricia I'd like to take a
blood sample from you.

How'd you get that bruise there?

'Til death do us part.

Forever.

Plenty of sleep...
plenty of rest...

Just a tonic for the blood.

For the blood, for the
blood, for the blood!

Patricia!

Hey, hold on!

What are you tryin' to do?

You're cryin'.

No, no, it's the wind.

What's wrong?

Do you hear it?

I don't hear anything.

The world is so alive.

Come on over here and sit down.

What's all that
runnin' and ridin' for?

It's just something
I felt like doing.

You might have broken your neck.

It's funny.

What's funny, besides you?

Things we're afraid of.

What have you
got to be afraid of?

It's little things.

They don't matter.

Sleepy?

Yes, I'm tired.

Sleep for a while.

- Newly?
- Um hmm.

Do you remember that you said

we had to talk about the spring?

About the things we had to do?

We got plenty of time for that.

No, now.

Now?

Yes.

Well the first thing we're
gonna do before winter

is dig us a root cellar.

And then we're gonna
shedroof the house.

And then I think behind the barn

we'll put us up a
regular hen house.

And the, the added room?

That's for our son.

Our son.

I'll start building that the
first thing come spring.

Patricia?

Patricia?

God, please help me.

She loved wildflowers Doc.

She loved everything wild.

Whatever was put on this earth,

she saw as simple and good.

Strange Doc, we
can't even explain

the disease that took her.

Nope, not yet.

Why Doc, why her?

Why her?

I don't understand, Doc.

Well Newly, if you're a doctor,

there's a lot you
don't understand.

You spend a lot
of time wondering

why some of us are taken,
some of the best of us.

For no apparent reason at all.

But, I've learned
to look at it this way,

perhaps there is a reason.

There must be a reason.

You know the world
needs gunsmiths,

there's no doubt
about that at all,

but it needs doctors, good
doctors, an awful lot more.

And that's what you could be,

you could be a good doctor.

You've got the feel
for it, you'd be fine.

I've practiced
medicine for 40 years,

and in that time I've
learned a little something.

It'd sure make me
happy if I knew someone

that I could pass
on that knowledge to,

someone that really cared.

When do we start, Doc?

Right now.

Tell you what, you
come by the office

about 6 o'clock
tomorrow morning.

We'll just start right
off a couple of hours

of basic medicine.

Stay tuned for exciting scenes

from our next Gunsmoke.
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