Something the Lord Made Page #4

You're the only one l can trust around here.

l suspect others relish the thought

of seeing me fail.

Mary!

-There's an ambulance in the driveway.

-Good evening.

-There's an ambulance in the driveway.

-Good evening.

Gen. Cunningham needed help

carting wounded Gl's off the ship.

So l volunteered to be a driver on the base.

-That's wonderful.

-Not really.

l've a lot of time on my hands.

She wouldn't go to bed?

Not until you came home.

You know what she said today?

She said she wanted to be a patient

when she grows up.

So she can get to see her daddy.

l don't remember you wearing a tool belt

at your coming-out party.

Guess it has been...

a couple of weeks

since l made it home before 11:00.

No, it's 23 days.

Not as if l don't know

the lot of a doctor's wife...

but l miss you.

lt's gonna change.

lt's probably gonna get worse.

-Vivien.

-Dr. Longmire.

-ls Dr. Blalock in?

-No, he's not.

l don't know where he is.

You should check his office.

That's an interesting procedure.

Never seen a clamp like that before.

-lt is for small vascular work.

-Where'd you get it?

l pieced it together

from some things lying around.

Now we're getting somewhere.

You're not even looking.

lt's like when you come home

late at night, you know?

You know the feel of the room in the dark.

That looks impossible.

No, if l can do it, you can do it.

You see, this string here...

that's how you get traction on the suture...

'cause you need a lot of exposure

for the anastomosis.

l'd like to work with you sometime.

Fine, Dr. Longmire, that'd be fine.

My emergency rotation starts in 10 minutes,

but l can come in on Thursday.

That'd be fine. You have a good day, Doctor.

-What are you doing here?

-l was in the neighborhood.

Supreme Court, finally made it.

A long time. You been working

on this case for what, nine years?

-No, 12 years.

-12 years?

Time.

So, tell me, what was it like?

Nine white guys in big gowns

walked in first.

Then the school board lawyers.

Our lawyer, Thurgood Marshall,

he looked kind of lonely in there.

You know what them people

said in their brief?

Said since colored teachers in Nashville

live so cheaply...

they should pay us

a whole lot less than white teachers.

But let me tell you...

Thurgood said he'd be goddamned

if they could get away with that.

So he gets up and says to that white lawyer,

''You're full of it.

''Have you ever read the Constitution?

''The damned 14th Amendment.

The equal protection clause says:

'''A government can't discriminate

based on race.'''

Yes, Lord. l mean he was good, Viv.

l think we got the Board of Education

on the run.

That's good news, Harold.

So when will they decide?

Could be months, longer.

l don't know, but l can wait.

After all these years.

All those calls l got

in the middle of the night.

White folk telling me they gonna kill me

if l don't drop this lawsuit.

No, you gotta show them

you won't take that treatment.

Wait. Listen to me when l tell you,

you need to leave this sorry-ass place...

and that dead-end job.

Harold, Dr. Blalock's

doing the best he can for me.

lt's not enough.

He trusts me to carry out those experiments

on my own. l'm running the whole lab.

-Thank you.

-But does he compensate you extra for that?

Now, Harold, Vivien's doing

important research now.

But he's forgetting

what Granddaddy told us.

He said he regretted

acting so grateful for being free...

for what really wasn't any freedom at all.

l know, l remember.

What you giving him extra for?

What's wrong with me?

Nothing minding your own business

wouldn't cure.

You got that white coat.

But you're just a class three worker,

same as me.

ln fact, l got two years' seniority on you.

l'm making more than you.

Don't think you're

some kind of big shot around here.

Excuse me, buddy.

Class three, what does that mean?

lt means salary grade.

And, ma'am, and this here? What's this?

Job classification.

What is class three?

Maintenance worker.

l'm a lab technician. That can't be.

''Vivien Thomas.''

Okay. Here we go.

''Vivien Thomas, class three.''

Thank you.

-How's it going?

-The vessel's tolerating ligation.

Any progress?

lf you kill that dog,

l swear l will take it out of your paycheck.

l'm finished up here.

Dr. Longmire, would you mind

closing up for me? Thank you.

Come on, Vivien.

l was kidding

about taking it out of your paycheck.

Good luck. 'Cause l only make $16 a week.

-For a 16-hour day.

-That's all they can pay.

That's all they can pay

class three workers around here.

What are you talking about?

That's my job classification.

Who cares what they call you?

You and l both know

how valuable the work is that you do.

lf my work is so important,

then why am l class three?

Two grades below what l do.

ln classification and pay.

l don't know why.

l don't pay attention to bureaucratic details.

l see.

Look, at Hopkins you can't be a technician

without a college degree.

-And where are you going?

-l need to fix some steps.

We have work to do.

Do l have your permission

to do some work for my landlord...

so l can pay my rent?

Dr. Blalock, could you come here, please?

You're not gonna believe this.

Look at the oximeter.

The gums are blue, Doctor. Vivien did it.

Off, Alfred.

l brought him up here...

l gave him this opportunity.

l don't set the pay scale.

l just don't see what more l can do.

You're probably feeling guilty.

Guilty? What the hell

do l have to feel guilty about?

For not sending him to college.

You think l should have

sent Vivien to college?

Sure, why not? Told me that was his dream.

-Even mentioned it to me once.

-You know l need him in the lab.

l guess there's only so much good

one person can do.

Congratulations on the dog.

The kind of raise you're suggesting,

how important is this?

He makes it possible for me

to be in many places at the same time.

Can't you just hire

a well-trained college kid--

No, l can't. His hands are important to me.

He's good at following my instructions,

improving on them...

better than anyone l've encountered.

You want me to circumvent

every administrative regulation...

on behalf of a colored helper?

Walter, l'm close

to accomplishing something.

l need him with me

so l can continue with my research.

Can l count on your help?

Hello, Clara.

Dr. Blalock.

Come in, sir.

Thank you.

ls Vivien at home?

Yes, he's putting the kids down.

You know, in 13 years, Dr. Blalock...

l don't recall

you ever stopping by our house.

l don't recall ever being invited.

Professor.

Did something happen?

Yes, l obtained a raise for you,

$25 extra a month...

on top of what you're already making.

That's $300 for the whole year.

Will that be sufficient?

-What job classification?

-Surgical technician. l got you promoted.

Promoted. To what he already does.

Excuse me.

You can pay your rent

and put all your focus on our research.

Vivien, back there in the lab with Ponchos,

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