My Own Country

I WAS BORN IN ETHIOPIA TO INDIAN PARENTS WHO HAD COME

HERE TO BE TEACHERS.

Man on radio: SEPTEMBER 12,

1974, EMPEROR HAILE SELASSIE OF ETHIOPIA HAS BEEN OVERTHROWN

BY DERG, A COALITION OF MILITARY GENERALS WHO WISH TO

REMAIN NAMELESS.

ONLY SIX MORE HOURS BEFORE THE END OF CURFEW.

YOU WANT TO BUY US A DRINK, INDIAN BOY?

SORRY. I HAVEN'T GOT ANY MONEY.

STOP THAT, MAN, STOP THAT.

WHEN YOU'RE FORCED TO LEAVE

A COUNTRY YOU ONCE CALLED HOME, IT CHANGES EVERYTHING.

YOU CAN'T APPRECIATE THE SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE, YOU ENVY

PEOPLE AROUND YOU WHO CAN.

I WENT TO INDIA TO STUDY MEDICINE.

I WANTED TO BECOME A DOCTOR BECAUSE OF SOMERSET MAUGHAM'S

OF HUMAN BONDAGE, A BOOK THAT MADE MEDICINE SEEM THE MOST

ROMANTIC OF PROFESSIONS.

YOU MUST LEARN TO USE ALL YOUR SENSES.

YOU, SIR. WHAT DOES DIABETIC COMA SMELL LIKE?

ACETONE, SIR.

TYPHOID FEVER, VERGHESE.

FRESHLY BAKED BREAD, SIR.

SCROFULA. VADIVEL.

UH, AMMONIA, SIR?

WRONG. STALE BEER.

I THOUGHT YOU OF ALL PEOPLE WOULD KNOW THAT.

NEVER FORGET, INSPECTION, THEN PALPATION, THEN PERCUSSION,

AND FINALLY, AUSCULTATION.

WHICH IS OUR LEAST IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT?

THE STETHOSCOPE, SIR.

AND WHY IS THAT?

BECAUSE, SIR, BY THE TIME YOU HAVE LOOKED, FELT AND PERCUSSED,

YOU SHOULD KNOW WHAT YOU WILL HEAR.

SIR.

HEY, MOHAN, LISTEN TO THE LECTURE VADIVEL GAVE THE U.S.

CONSUL.

WHAT A VISIONARY.

WHAT PASSION!

TELL HIM, VADIVEL.

"SPARE ME THE CRAP," HE SAID, "ABOUT COMIN' BACK TO SERVE

YOUR COUNTRY.

WHY'D YOU REALLY WANNA GO?" SO WHAT DID YOU SAY?

I SAID, "SIR, CRAVING YOUR FINE INDULGENCE, I WANT TO WORK

IN A DECENT TEN-STORY HOSPITAL WHERE THE LIFTS ARE ACTUALLY

WORKING!

I WANT TO BECOME A GREAT DOCTOR.

PRACTICE REAL MEDICINE.

PAY ALL MY TAXES, AND NEVER COME BACK TO THIS WRETCHED TOWN

WHERE DOCTORS OUTNUMBER FLEAS, AND THE AIR IS NOT FIT TO

BREATHE!" YOU ARE LAUGHING?

LAUGHING?

THE BUGGER REJECTED MY VISA.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY, MY BLOODY BUM.

YOU BUGGERS THINK IT'S THAT EASY?

A BLOODY COW PATH TO AMERICA DOESN'T LEAD TO GOOD HOSPITALS

FOR FOREIGNERS LIKE US, UNLESS YOU'RE WILLING TO CLEAN

THE BLOODY TOILET.

YEAH, YEAH, WE KNOW YOU KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW

ABOUT AMERICA.

SHUT UP, BASTARD.

MY COUSIN TOLD ME.

HIS COUSIN.

HE SAID WE FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES ARE A BLOODY NUISANCE,

A PROBLEM, THAT WE'RE LIKE TRANSPLANTED ORGANS.

LIFE-SAVING BUT REJECTED, BECAUSE OF BLOODY FOREIGN

TISSUE.

AS THEY SAY IN AMERICA, TOUGH SHIT.

MALAIKA NA KU PENDE MALAIKA

NAMI NIFANYEJE KIJANA MWENZIO

NASHINDWA NA MALI SINA WE NINGEKUOA MALAIKA

PESA ZASUMBUA ROHO YANGU PESA ZASUMBUA ROHO YANGU

NAMI NIFANYEJE KIJANA MWENZIO

NASHINDWA NA MALI SINA WE NINGEKUOA MALAIKA

JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE, 1985.

THE SAME YEAR A YOUNG MAN FROM NEW YORK CAME HOME.

I CAN HEAR THE RADIO PLAYING.

I CAN PICTURE HIS PARENTS WAITING FOR HIM.

HIS MOTHER COOKING HIS FAVORITE FOOD.

CODE BLUE, CODE BLUE!

CLEAR!

CONTINUE CPR.

BICARB, EPINEPHRINE, I WANT A SECOND I.V. LINE.

OKAY, CLEAR!

GO, GO, GO.

OKAY, HE'S COMIN' AROUND.

GOOD WORK, PEOPLE.

UH, I'M SORRY TO HAVE TO TELL YOU.

YOUR SON HAS AIDS.

BUT HOW?

HOW COULD HE GET THIS?

WELL, HAS YOUR SON BEEN HEALTHY IN THE PAST YEAR?

OH, YES.

DID HE EVER USE INTRAVENOUS DRUGS?

LORD, NO.

IS HE MARRIED?

NO.

HE LIVE ALONE?

NO, HE HAS A FRIEND IN NEW YORK.

A MALE FRIEND?

YES.

WE'VE NEVER MET HIM.

OH, LORD, IS THAT HOW HE GOT THIS?

ARE YOU TELLING ME MY BOY'S...

A QUEER?

OH, MOTHER, DO YOU HEAR THIS?

DO YOU HEAR THIS?

Abraham: WORD SPREAD LIKE

WILDFIRE THROUGH THE HOSPITAL.

ALL THOSE INVOLVED IN HIS CASE AGONIZED OVER THEIR EXPOSURE.

SOME MONTHS AFTER THE YOUNG MAN FROM NEW YORK DIED, I RETURNED

TO JOHNSON CITY, WHERE I HAD BEEN AN INTERN TWO YEARS AGO.

I WAS BACK NOW AS THE HEAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THE HELL ANYBODY WOULD LEAVE BOSTON

FOR TENNESSEE.

WHAT'D YOU SAY?

ABRAHAM WOULD SAY, "I'M GOING BACK BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE IN

TENNESSEE.

THEY'LL GIVE YOU THE SHIRT OFF THEIR BACKS IF YOU'RE THEIR

FRIEND."

ABE'S A GOOD OL' BOY.

THAT STEPHEN, HE'S GONNA BE ONE, TOO.

SO, DOC, YOU A FULL-FLEDGED SPECIALIST NOW?

YOU CAN SAY THAT, YEAH.

I SURE AS HELL HOPE THEY'RE OFFERIN' YOU A DECENT WAGE.

IT COULD BE BETTER, BUT IT'S NOT BAD.

I'LL BE AT THE V.A. MOSTLY, AND ALSO THE MIRACLE CENTER.

DO A SPOT OF TEACHING, SOME RESEARCH.

NOW THAT YOU'RE A BIG SHOT, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU'D BE

INTERESTED IN RIDIN' A VINTAGE TRIUMPH BIKE.

I HAD A FEELIN' IN MY BONES

YOU'D BE BACK, SO I DIDN'T SELL IT.

KEPT HER OILED AND GREASED FOR YA, RUNS REAL GOOD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

YOU CAN THROW ONE HELLACIOUS PARTY HERE.

Allen:... AN ASS LIKE THAT!

GETTIN' IT STRANGE, ALLEN?

GETTING IT STRANGE?

I'M GETTIN' IT STEADY.

HONEY, I'M HOME!

YOU KNOW, RAJANI, I'VE ALWAYS ENVIED PEOPLE LIKE YOU.

YOU CAN GO BACK HOME TO INDIA.

IT'S ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU.

I WANT THIS LITTLE GUY TO HAVE WHAT I NEVER DID- A PERMANENT

HOME.

I ENVY YOU SOMETIMES.

MY WORLD IS SO SMALL.

ALL I HAVE HERE IN AMERICA IS YOU AND THE BABY.

BUT YOU, ANYWHERE YOU GO, YOU'RE AT HOME.

YOUR FRIENDS ARE YOUR FAMILY.

IT SCARES ME SOMETIMES.

SORRY TO BE LATE.

I'M DR. ABRAHAM VERGHESE, THE NEW HEAD OF INFECTIOUS

DISEASES.

VIKRAM NAIR.

THIS IS SHAHAIN ALI, JOHN OKRI, AND ALBERTO RAMIREZ.

GOOD. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT ME?

WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE INFECTIOUS DISEASES AS

A SPECIALTY?

THAT'S VERY UNUSUAL.

I LOVE BEDSIDE MEDICINE.

IN AMERICA, IT'S A LOST ART.

I DON'T SUPPOSE ANY OF YOU INTEND TO DO ANYTHING AS

OLD-FASHIONED.

SO, WHAT ABOUT AIDS?

AREN'T YOU AFRAID?

IT'S MY ONLY CHANCE TO PLAY HERO.

IF YOU DON'T STOP SMOKING,

YOU'RE GONNA BE IN TROUBLE.

WELL, HERE I AM, FOUGHT FOR MY COUNTRY, YOU FOREIGNERS COME

OVER HERE, TELLIN' US WHAT TO DO, MAKIN' MONEY OFF US.

I'M GONNA WRITE MY CONGRESSMAN.

YOU DO JUST THAT.

HEY, DOC.

Y'ALL GET ME AMERICAN DOCTORS, JUST LIKE HER.

I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO.

HI, ABE.

OOPS. I MEAN, DR. VERGHESE.

IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK.

SADIE, CAN I HAVE A QUICK WORD, PLEASE?

YOU SHOULD BE USING GLOVES.

YOU KNOW THE NEW RULES, DON'T YOU?

I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT I KEEP FORGETTIN'.

BESIDES, I CAN'T DRAW BLOOD WITH GLOVES ON, 'CAUSE I CAN'T FEEL

ANYTHING.

YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO LEARN, SADIE.

YOU'RE PLAYING WITH FIRE.

THERE IS NO AIDS AROUND HERE.

I MEAN, LOOK AT THAT OLD BLOWHARD.

DOES HE LOOK LIKE A DRUG ADDICT OR HOMOSEXUAL TO YOU?

ABE!

HI.

I AM SO EXCITED YOU'RE BACK!

OH!

AT LAST.

WE HAVE AN AIDS EXPERT IN TOWN.

THERE'S SO MUCH IGNORANCE HERE.

AND WE'VE BEEN FEELIN' THE PINCH.

FEWER PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DONATIN' BLOOD, 'CAUSE EVERYBODY THINKS

THEY'RE GONNA CATCH SOMETHIN'.