Red Beard Page #2

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Where were you?

A visitor.

Masae, she said.

Chigusa's sister,

she said to tell you.

Chigusa? I won't see her.

Tell her I'm out.

Sahachi, go to bed!

Yes, right away.

We've told him too.

He works, then buys eggs and fish

for the patients.

Gives away his own medicine...

gruel too.

And he's very sick himself.

He's a bother.

I'm sorry.

I'll be through very soon.

They're all too much!

What are you doing?

Going to keep it up?

No one's going to waste any sympathy

on your sulking.

Least of all Dr. Niide.

He won't change.

Think carefully. You yourself

stand to lose the most.

Tsugawa's gone. Dr. Niide's

very busy and short of help.

It's very late,

yet he's still out seeing patients.

But you...

He's been saying for a long time

he wants good doctors.

Especially here at the clinic.

Good, dedicated doctors.

Tsugawa was no good.

That's why he expected

a lot of you.

That's not what he expected of me.

I know.

What is it then?

He called me here to get

my notes and drawings.

You see? He's ignored me

after getting them.

I do nothing.

He doesn't say anything.

Doctor!

What is it?

It's my mistress! My mistress!

What about her?

She's run away!

I left the key in the lock.

I was in the kitchen.

Please help me.

I'm not insane at all.

Please listen to me.

You're the new doctor,

aren't you?

Osugi told me.

Doctors in uniforms are no good.

They won't listen to me.

But you will, won't you?

I admit to killing the clerks.

But there was a reason for it.

L...

When I was a child,

a man did something

very bad to me.

But... a woman can't talk about it.

I'm a doctor. Don't be shy.

When I was nine years old,

an old clerk did something naughty.

If I told anybody about it,

he said he'd kill me.

He was dismissed soon after that

for spending store money.

But he made me do things

many times before that.

Each time he threatened to kill me

if I told anyone.

Then...

No, I can't go on!

Tell me.

Tell me everything.

When I was 11,

it happened again.

In a warehouse.

With a shop assistant.

He also said he'd kill me

if I told anyone.

He told me to come the next day.

I did as he said.

I thought he'd kill me

if I didn't.

I'll be killed.

I'll be killed!

Calm yourself.

I'm afraid!

Be calm!

I'll be killed!

I'm afraid!

Be quiet!

Please help me.

Please!

Calm yourself

and tell me everything.

When I was 17,

a clerk came into my bedroom.

I knew I'd be killed.

He'd kill me this time for sure.

I forgot myself.

With this...

The clerk lay down beside me.

He held me this way.

He talked like this to me.

Then I did this.

I'd kill him instead.

I stabbed him with this.

Right here.

Don't get up.

Lie quietly.

She missed the artery,

just grazed your neck.

You'll be well in a day.

But if I'd come in any later,

you'd be dead.

Cook, she lit into me too.

She bit me five times here.

She was born that way.

You heard about her childhood too?

But many other girls

have had experiences like that.

It's nothing. Lie still.

You were drunk.

And men have a weakness

for pretty girls.

That's all.

Don't be ashamed,

but let it be a lesson to you.

Please go to North Ward No. 1.

An order?

Dr. Niide wants you.

You won't?

Why not wear your uniform?

You'll get dirty.

You examine him.

He's unconscious.

He's dying.

His case history.

Give me a diagnosis.

- Stomach cancer.

- No.

There's a case like his

in your notes.

It's a kind of cancer.

It's in the liver.

The cancer doesn't spread fast.

Pain only comes

when it's grown large enough.

So it's too late then.

It's rather rare.

Remember it.

There's no cure for it?

No, and this disease isn't the only one.

There are no cures, really.

Medical science

doesn't know everything.

We know the symptoms

and how things go.

If the patient has a chance,

we try to help.

But that's about all.

We can only fight

poverty and ignorance.

And cover up

what we don't know.

Poverty's a political problem,

they say.

But what has politics

ever done for the poor?

Has a law been passed to get rid

of poverty and ignorance?

But this place!

Government funds...

Better this than nothing.

The problem is deeper than that.

If it weren't for poverty,

half of these people wouldn't be sick.

I know.

There is always some story

of great misfortune behind illness.

This Rokusuke

was a gold-lacquer craftsman

of some note, it seems.

Yet he was brought in

from a cheap inn,

has no visitors,

won't talk.

He won't answer questions.

Hasn't said a single word.

He hasn't even said it hurts.

His heart probably hurts him

even more.

A girl's been hurt, Doctor!

At a building site.

She's too much for me.

Nothing's so solemn

as a man's last moments.

Watch him closely.

Room No. 3.

I'll look after him.

You're needed

while they sew her up.

Hold her legs down.

She's been drugged

but may struggle.

Don't get knocked over.

Needle!

Don't look away!

Watch while I suture.

Don't let her move.

Spread her legs out more!

Her intestines are coming out!

Shove them in!

I fainted

at my first operation too.

You'll get used to it.

You won't mind it then.

No, I can't even watch

a man dying.

Calling it solemn.

To me, it's horrible.

How's Rokusuke?

He died.

Without saying a word.

Did you think his death solemn?

The pain and loneliness of death

frighten me.

But Dr. Niide looks at it

differently.

He looks into their hearts

as well as their bodies.

For example, he saw some great

misfortune behind his silence.

That's probably why he said solemn.

I want to be like him someday.

There's just too much to do today.

First an operation,

and then Sahachi.

He worked again after all my warnings

and got worse.

He's in North Room No. 3,

but he may not recover this time.

I'll go.

Sahachi, don't die.

Sahachi, don't die.

Don't give up, Sahachi.

You're saying that so that

he'll work more for you again?

No, I'm not.

Sahachi's like a saint,

that's why.

Yes, when the world's full

of no-good people,

I can't stand having him leave us.

I see.

But you should be in bed too.

Off with you.

I'll look after him.

You go too.

Being quiet is best for him.

Dr. Mori, I'm sorry

I didn't do as you said.

Dr. Mori's busy

with the outpatients.

Oh, you're the new doctor,

aren't you?

Why don't you wear

your uniform, Doctor?

It helps people.

Why?

Seeing it,

we know it's a clinic doctor.

Poor people who

can't see a physician

can get help from him.

Doctor,

it seems to be the end for me.

If it is,

there's one favor I'd like to ask.

- Where is Red Beard?

- In his room.

Rokusuke's daughter's here.

Would you believe it?

When he's just died?

She's here with her three children.

She was hoping she could rely on him.

Eat it. Go ahead.

You needn't worry.

Hard to eat with me here?

I'll go.

Sahachi said to ask you.

He wants to go home

before he dies.

It was

a very cold day.

I still remember

how my chilblains hurt.

I was playing by the doorway

when a man came to where I was.

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