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"Middle
of Nowhere"
Original Air Date: February 25, 1999
Episode
Number: #108
Director: Jonathan
Kaplan
Writer: Carol Flint
Description: Benton travels to Mississippi to earn
extra money working as a "locum tenens" doctor--a visiting
temp--at a rural hospital in a small town. Instead of a hospital, Benton
finds a rural clinic run by Maureen (CELIA WESTON), a nurse practitioner
and Catholic nun who needs rest after a leg injury. The accommodations
are considerably less than Benton expected. He sleeps in a cramped
trailer, has very little to eat because he is a vegetarian and Maureen's
meals contain meat, and visits sick people's houses by boat in a swamp.
Benton quickly learns that some of the white folks don't trust an
African-American doctor. Administering to patients at the clinic, Benton
notices that the white people visit Maureen at her house for treatment.
Since Benton doesn't believe he's making a contribution and finds it
difficult to work due to racial intolerance, he decides to leave. On the
way out of town, he sees a tractor overturned in a ditch. After rescuing
the white farmer and reviving the farmer's 3-year-old son, Benton
decides to stay a while longer. On another case, Benton uses ether on a
pregnant woman as he handles a very difficult and complicated birth.
Later, a shrimp boat explodes, and Benton demonstrates his competent
surgical skills to save a man's life. Through his determination and
expertise, Benton slowly gains the respect of most of the townspeople.
He meets Adelina (PORSHA PALMER), an athletically gifted 13-year-old
girl with uncontrolled diabetes. Benton drives Adelina and her Gramma
Deane (BARBARA ROBERTS) to a hospital 40 miles away for tests. Besides
the diabetes, Adelina has a small hole in her heart--something Benton
didn't detect. When Benton returns to Chicago, he brings Adelina and her
grandmother so the girl can have the necessary surgery to repair her
heart. Before Benton left on his trip, Jeanie was no longer a patient at
the hospital. Upon his return, he discovers Jeanie is readmitted and
receiving a plasma transfusion. A sympathetic and tender Benton tells
Jeanie he'll help her through this medical setback.
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