Mercy Street

You don't belong here.

Tom's been through an ordeal.

Any word, sir? From Roanoke Island?

Come by later. I'll tell you.

This is Pennyroyal.

Who tied this ligature?

I did.

Billy Griffin, assistant dentist.

Frank!

Also known as captain Frank Stringfellow,

I can help you stop,

but you must want it. You must choose.

Well, the mark of a fine champagne

is a golden Amber luminescence --

but not too golden.

Better too Amber than too golden.

And don't be taken in by these rebel purveyors.

They'd just as soon fill a bottle with sarsaparilla

and mark it "Gosset grand millesime."

Have it in Miss Hastings' room by 7:00.

Two flutes.

On the quiet, son.

Doctor on the ward!

What have we here?

The bromine seems to have helped.

No sign of erysipelas.

That dressing is exceptional.

Miss Hastings' work, I presume?

Yes, doctor.

Her technique bears an unmistakable artistry.

And it don't itch a bit.

Mm. Are you familiar with the hospital regulations,

- private Sutter? - Yes, sir, doctor.

Then you should know you are to remain at a salute

until given leave by a ranking officer,

such as myself, to do otherwise.

One of your special rounds, doctor?

Order and discipline is the word of the day, matron.

Those are two words, I believe.

Bend the rules, they will break!

Ah, roast duck, duck pâté,

duck soup, duck with wine and jelly.

Is it me, or is there a theme emerging?

Fish got here putrid, matron.

Beef? Derailed outside of Baltimore, along with the pork.

Have we no chicken?

- Pox, matron. - Pox?

When one shows symptoms, all must be put down.

Well, we can't very well serve duck nine ways.

Dignitaries will be in attendance.

Major summers has me seeing to it

that the event goes off swimmingly,

so make it your mission, Mr. Bullen,

to procure a proper menu.

I know you have your ways.

What am I now -- lady of the house?

- Be right with you, soldier. - Good morning, matron Brannan.

Starboard side, Miss Phinney.

She comes with a bone in her teeth.

Miss Phinney?

I hear Dr. Foster's come down with a fever.

Yes.

He was hoping to maintain

- a certain quietude about it. - Of course.

That masculine forbearance of his.

But you must know that I've had vast experience

with influenza in the crimea.

Your advice is much appreciated. My advice?

No, I wish for the good doctor to be properly tended to.

- I can assure you -- - personally.

Personally?

I'd like to look in on him myself.

I see.

Well, you should be aware then

that it may not be influenza at all.

Dr. Foster is gravely concerned that he has contracted the...

The speckled monster.

Smallpox?

All symptoms point to it --

malaise, headache, prostration, tenderness to touch.

- To touch, you say? - So he describes.

The doctor is administering his own care.

Is he?

Adamantly so, as he worries he is infectious.

But surely, an intimate visit from you

would help to raise his spirits.

What time shall I tell him you're coming?

If he's adamant, an intrusion would only upset him.

Oh, poor Dr. Foster, taking this all on alone.

I hear his wife has even left him.

I am ignorant as to his connubial standing.

I will pray for his speedy recovery.

Yes.

We all will.

Good morning, Dr. Foster.

The staff offer their prayers.

Prayers? It's only a mild fever.

It's smallpox now.

Smallpox? Why?

Influenza wasn't sufficient to ward off the well-wishers.

Especially Miss Hastings,

who has taken a special interest in your health.

Well, then, she will be especially relieved

to hear of my swift and miraculous recovery.

- Your recovery? - Yes.

I seem to have only a vague memory of a recollection

of a compulsion to inject myself with a foreign substance.

I see you received the mail I had the boy bring up. Mm.

Cheering words from the home front,

like morning dew.

That said...

The sun shines, the sky is blue,

and Dr. Foster would very much like to get back to work.

It's not even been a week. Are you sure you're ready?

Oh, empirically so!

Look here.

Duration of sleep, intensity of perspiration,

growing appetite, diminishing hallucinations,

et cetera, et cetera.

The statistics all point to a man on the mend!

Clearly.

Dr. Foster has been to hell and has returned triumphant.

The poppy conquered half of China,

but it couldn't beat Jedidiah Foster, could it?

Why do you speak like that?

Like what?

Like you're not here.

Because up here...

I'm not in here.

I'm already out there.

Key, please.

I know you are feeling idle. Give me the key now!

But you are in no condition to assess patients,

let alone operate, and I --

give me the goddamn key!

Do you wish to go so badly? Then go on!

Go on!

Tremors from deprivation of the narcotic.

We made a pact.

I promised to help you. You promised to submit.

I urge you to stay the course.

Miss Phinney...

When the conversation is over...

We take our key and we go.

A ball?

In our home?

Commandeering our house for quartering

wasn't sufficient.

Now they fully intend to dance in it.

Barbarians!

- We'll resist. - Well, of course we will.

How? By poisoning the punch bowl?

Leave father alone.

He's doing his best.

So I am.

And, yes, I am in a delicate predicament,

which I prefer to handle with finesse.

And if that requires that we play good hosts,

well, we can all pretend a little.

We should start in here.

Never!

I would never cross you in front of the ladies.

But they're right.

You must stop conceding, giving in.

Jimmy, please --

you forbade me from joining up, and now what?

I'm seen as a coward, an embarrassment.

We both are.

- That's not so. - It is!

Other people's sons

are off fighting those bastards in battle

and I'm here, fighting them for time in the water closet.

And now you want to do what?

Throw the yanks a cotillion?

It's sickening. It's unmanly.

I can't bear it!

I burned that paper that they gave me.

I have a plan!

The sons of liberty threw tea into the harbor.

And now we just sit around drinking it.

We beat them back at Drewry's bluff.

Things keep going our way,

the yanks will be done by autumn.

And then we go back to how it was.

Where were we when this whole mess started?

Ah, yes.

You were set to marry that impossibly handsome fellow.

What was his name?

Oh, I don't remember.

I've already moved on.

Oh, now, don't break his heart.

You know he is the jealous kind.

Oh, too bad.

I've already fallen in love with someone else.

An impossibly handsome dentist.

A dentist.

He sounds respectable.

Very.

We plan to be impossibly happy together.

Well, your father will be pleased.