Strange Empire (2014) s01e07 Episode Script

Previously on Strange Empire You've got be sure, missus.
Sure as I can be.
I want to see you.
Not yet, sweet.
We need that boy to keep your father happy.
We're going to make our own child.
The flesh is gangrenous.
We have to see to it, we cannot wait.
Justice is a woman, which is only fitting.
To Sheriff Loving.
Strange Empire 1x07 The Oath You know what needs doing.
I seen the war.
Know the smell of him and what it means.
It will take time to ease him toward the truth.
He got time? He says his wound will heal.
You know it will not.
Tea? Yes, please.
Stay down a bit.
Let it work its way into you.
Perhaps we should wait.
Till what? Till that man is finished with his suffering.
I do not want the child's making tainted by a death in our house.
Thomas will die soon, and when he's gone, there'll be room for life.
Promise me, Izzy, you will not let fear distort our future.
Nerves are not well with a woman trying to birth a fine son.
What about the ranch? We were to set stake, all of us together, and then you took up this sheriffing.
Need money for stock, and someone has to keep the peace.
I can work the mine.
- That Mr.
Caze asked me.
- You're too young to go underground.
- We'll make do.
- We got to be rid of this place, - rid of Slotter.
- We will be.
In time.
You've given up, haven't you? You think we can't do it without Jeremiah, without a grown-up man.
Leave some bread for your sisters.
Come on, coyote.
You sick? All heated up.
She stole my best garters! I wouldn't touch your filthy things! My best garters! Leave off her! I saw you eyeing them in the bath house! Liar! Then show! I don't need to prove to you.
Stop it! You! Morning, Mrs.
Loving.
Marshal.
What are you doing this far north? Been tracking a couple of cattle rustlers this way.
You haven't seen them, by chance? I haven't looked.
Hmm.
Thought I might expect you down my way, past weeks.
Thought wrong, I guess.
Mistook an itch for a longing.
Seems so.
Course you have your own hardened criminals to deal with.
Might get in the way of a friendly visit.
You are allowed to long for a man, Kat Loving, - strong as you are.
- Are you here to give advice, or look for cattle thieves? Ma'am.
You barely ate.
You need to keep your strength up.
Do not fret so, Rebecca.
I am sorry.
We will check this infection with diligence and determination.
I have read your medical texts.
They suggest that swift amputation is No.
Willfulness does not suit you, Rebecca.
It is unwomanly.
I blame the company you've been keeping.
What company? I need air.
Do you think that wise? Kelly! Kelly! Kelly Haul him to his bunkhouse and lock him in till he's sober enough to keep drinking.
Polly-wolly-doodle all day Lay off me.
Might have cut him off sooner.
Pay you to keep peace, not tell me how to run my business.
Get up then Dime for a drink? Help an old friend? Jared was there, and he's dead.
Little, too.
And I'm three! Don't come too close.
Man shared a couple of drinks with me.
Talk going round about Thomas, is it true? There's talk? He loses that leg, you'll be the one to take it? He will not consider the procedure.
All men know what's best for themselves.
That's the trouble.
The hellfire! You know how to cut a man's leg off? The procedure requires strength and speed.
The bone must be cut through quickly, or the man will lose all his blood.
You got that strength? I have always relied on Thomas.
Problem with leaning on a man.
That pillar crumbles, leaves you not used to standing.
One more, one more for courage.
One more is all Death and his maiden parted yet? Hiding from the truth on the porch, last seen.
Hmm.
Bit more knocking around upstairs than usual.
Mind your business.
The lamp in my bedroom needs dusting.
Now.
What do you want? Come to extort money? Threaten exposure? Tell my husband of my failings? I have come to check on your well being, your safety.
I lie at night thinking of you.
I am not your concern.
No.
That is what I tell my thoughts.
But they do not listen.
Come visit me.
I can't be seen in Chinatown.
Then assure you are not seen.
Lest you're forgetting, the woman belongs to another man.
Does she? Got a band on her finger.
For now, maybe.
Not long, what I hear.
Is a low man hopes for the death of another.
My hopes change nothing.
Talk is she has to take her man's limb, try and save him.
If that's true, she can't do it alone.
You going to stand by and let her? You believe Dr.
Blithely would have me standing by? Psst! Mr.
Caze.
I have come to ask a favour of you.
A private matter.
Anything within my means, missus.
I was hoping for the lend of a good sharp hacksaw.
Wood needs cutting, I can tend to that.
Hacksaw'd be the wrong blade.
I would use it to sever Dr.
Thomas's femur, the large bone in his upper leg.
That right? Yes.
And I was hoping to acquire assistance.
An amputation requires a strong arm such as your own.
Seems to me a doctor like yourself be best to do the cutting.
Yes, of course.
It is a great responsibility.
Perhaps then, you could pull tight the tourniquet.
"Tournikay?" A tourniquet.
It is a strip of cloth twisted tight with a rod or stick, to stem the bleeding.
There will be a good lot of it.
Not blood I'm concerned with.
My father was crushed under a rock when I was a boy.
Took him three months in the house to rot through.
The smell May I send word for you when the time comes? Yes, ma'am.
And Mr.
Caze? Yeah? Do you know where in Chinatown I might locate Mr.
Ling? I don't venture to their part of camp.
Best you don't neither, pretty white lady like yourself Drink.
You were right.
I took them.
Please accept my apology.
It was a moment of weakness.
I would have lent you my garters on asking.
Yes.
I have the loan of many things to look forward to.
Rags I can covet as my own.
Don't worry, doc.
Your luck'll turn round.
Can't get no worse'n.
Perhaps you should head home, take a lie down.
Why would I be in need of rest? Don't seem right, taking money from a man soon to face what you got coming.
Who are you to speculate on my condition? Any of you? You're the doctor, right? Is you know what's good for you? Some might forget.
Ah, you stick to your spot, doc.
What is a man, anyhow, if he's not the master of his own self, toe-to-tip? Round's on me! You trying to tip that man into the grave he's teetering on? And what of it? The dead among us is best buried, and sooner the better.
Whiskey's a blessing to all.
Himself included.
To your everlasting health.
I came hoping to commission chloroform.
I have a patient who needs surgery, and I was hoping to spare him the pain.
Mr.
Ling? I have money.
So do I.
Kumis.
Fermented mare's milk.
Come.
My mother.
The dressing must be changed and the feet bathed.
It is woman's work.
Incredible.
Nothing worse, being a woman.
Lied on, and swollen up, and stuck to cooking.
Bound to happen, though, one day.
You're just a girl.
Suppose every man in camp will be after me now.
Gotta start wearing long skirts.
Marry, and move on.
Don't say that.
I don't want you leaving.
No one cares what we want.
Less now.
Go, go Those head are stolen, for sure.
No one has that size of herd around here.
Men'll kill us if they see us witness.
We run for it.
Too much open ground.
They'll kill us right in our tracks.
We stay put until they move on.
For how long? Long as it takes.
Go.
Come on.
Oof! Cow pats? You gotta hold it like this, up at the end-wise.
And long takes On the blade.
Here.
Up.
I can't! I can't do it! I You need to practice.
No, it is not going to work because I cannot do it! I cannot save him! I've been lying to myself.
I I've read all the steps, but I'm too weak, and there's no time for me to get stronger.
He will bleed to death.
He will.
He will, he will We'll hold him down, if need be.
Strike him out if we have to.
I'll do whatever you need.
Thank you.
Thank you, Morgan.
Because I cannot lose him.
He's always been by my side, ever since I was a child.
He cares for me.
I cannot be without him.
What? Keep your blade up, quit burning out your strength.
You'll need it on the day.
The farmer's daughter she was there sitting in the thatch a wreath of roses in her hair and a carrot up her clatch the groom had you last night One of that dead preacher's welfare cases.
Men keep him squirreled away in those sod holes of theirs now, a pet they'd prefer rid of.
Hey, get him up, boys! Sing for your supper, dammit! The man that had you last night is gonna have her soon The sight of him Shame God saved him, hey? Oh Hey, get him out of here, boys! Turning doc's stomach! A wreath of roses in her hair Don't fret, doc.
You're not gonna end like him.
You know, I got 10 bucks says you'll be back here drinking next week this time.
I'll take that bet.
Will you? I'll cover anything else that's going! Takers? All right.
Let's do it.
Thomas, Thomas, Thomas, I'm here.
- I can't get up.
- I know, it's all right.
I can't get up.
- I'll get help.
- No, stay with me.
Let's get you home.
I think it best we move forward with the alternative procedure.
That is what we will do then.
Word is, she's takin' doc's leg right soon now.
Men are laying odds.
Are you confident? You have the steps memorized? Yes.
Of course, and I've arranged for assistance.
Get hold of yourself.
Don't let that poor man see you're sick.
Come on, now.
Come on We should prepare, Mr.
Caze.
- Jesus - Here, out with you.
Mr.
Caze? Come on Head between your knees.
What is it? I'm fine.
Oh, shut it, damned fool.
I can pull tight the cloth, if that's all you're needing? Don't know if you're in need of me.
Thank you.
Breathe in.
What's he doing here? Take the fumes before they dissipate.
Once we start, there is no stopping, no hesitation.
Now, quickly! What now? We need to secure the artery before he loses too much blood.
What is it? What! It's black.
Through to the hip.
Through to the hip, it's black.
Through the hip it's black It's black through the hip! Finish it, girl, finish it.
He gone? The rot's deep in him.
Nothing to be done.
Mm-hmm.
What? My urging him to drink changed nothing.
Helped nothing neither.
That girl has no one, lost in this world.
You might make up some ground with your maker, if you look out for her some.
Here, take some of this.
Numb the pain.
There you go.
Rebecca Gone to get some air is all.
Spare the man the sight of his own blood.
Take off your damn shirt.
I'll go after her.
She deserves better than you.
She's not who you think she is.
And neither am I.
Miss Finn.
Oh.
I would have never guessed.
You're her lady friend.
I am what God made me, sir.
What do you expect her to do with you? I don't know what you mean by that.
You cannot offer her children.
You cannot satisfy her.
Be more of a husband to her than you.
You cause no difficulty, miss Finn.
She will find a gentleman for a husband and be rid of you in a moment.
That marshal catches up with us, I'm gonna shoot him right off his goddamn horse.
String him up and roast him.
Girls? Girls! Hush Hush now, shh, shh May I come in? I could help with them sometimes.
Be nice to do something useful.
That what this is, a charity visit? Lording how great life is when you can tip over for dollars? No.
I'm ruined for that, and any decent man.
Have nothing and will have nothing.
No man, no home.
Tell me how I would speak of it? Your taint will wash off with the Rouge and stink.
Shh, shh, shh I sent for this a while back, for my trip further west.
Doesn't suit me now.
Rebecca! Rebecca! Come.
I am pleased you made the journey.
You are a dangerous man.
You are afraid you are with child.
A child you do not want.
I will ask you as you asked me.
Take off your clothes.
You intend to bed down out here? Your Thomas is going to the grave.
Needn't join him.
I waited too long.
I should have made him see.
I could have saved him.
Can't push back death that wants a man.
Everyone knows the doc made his own bed that way.
Couldn't face life half-made, so now he's leaving it.
But no man should have to meet his maker needing company.
You needs watch him go.
Lie back on the table.
I do not think you have caught.
How would you know? By the taste of you.
Keep still.
You hear that? Coyotes.
Yeah, close, too.
They get after the herd, we're going to have cattle spread all over hell's acre.
Neill No Coyote's been treed? How in heck Pretty little coyotes, too.
Two ways down, little ladies.
Don't make no difference to us which you chose.
Try, and I'll shove that where it's good and tight.
I think you're best took quieted.
Drop it, or I'll take the girl's advice, and blast you a new one.
Don't.
You're okay.
You did good staying hid.
You're smart girls.
Kelly's changed.
Shush, now.
Let a woman do her talking for herself.
She will in time.
It's all right.
I just hate to be leaving you behind.
Here, and alone.
You have a lady friend.
Yes.
Yes, I have a few.
You must head back east.
There is nothing for you here, an intelligent woman.
And back east, a spinster and a freak.
No use to anyone.
Here Here, I'm a doctor.
It is all I have for you.
Promise me you will keep decent company.
I trust in my heart that you will, that I have taught you well Right from wrong.
Hurry.
Pass me your book.
Repeat after me "I swear by Apollo the physician, "and Asclepius, and all the gods and goddesses " Come now "That I will keep this oath and this stipulation " "To reckon him who has taught me this art "equally dear to me as my parents, "to share my substance with him, "with purity and holiness.
" You are a father to me.
I am that.
I am sorry.
When I found you in that horrible place as a child, I never imagined how wonderful a girl you were, and have become.
Your gift, it is your challenge in this life.
Do not allow it to separate you from the world.
It is a place full of wonder.
It is all right, Rebecca.
In lieu of payment.
The old stock, drained two weeks past.
I should be too proud to keep it, but I'm not.
To hell with pride.
Laid with Chase Sloat three times to get it.
Now, there's humility.
The book you can have back.
I could do better writing what happens before breakfast around here.
Might be you should.
Glad you had a good night's sleep.
Was up most the night tracking these two down.
Hope you can handle rounding the cattle on your own, though I've got a boy who can manage, if need be.
I'll make do.
Don't hesitate in future to ask for assistance.
We all need at times.
Killing gets in a person, Mrs.
Loving.
Tries to shake its way out of some.
Eats deep into others.
You have something you want to say to me outright, marshal? Bounty hunters passed through the station house, headed to Texas.
Tracking a metis murderess killed a white man in Batoche.
Will keep my eye out for her, too.
$1,000 bounty.
That price? More will follow.
To a man who knew when it was time to fold up and head home.
And who won me a pot full of money by waiting for the sun to rise.
To doc.
To doc.
Doo you have people? Yeah Brother back east.
Go to him.
This to pay your passage.