The Best Doctor In Town

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Somebody in the small town of Big Stone Gap may be killing patients at the hospital. However, the only people who suspect foul play are a reporter who sees conspiracies around every corner, a disgraced cop she hates and a medical resident whose job depends upon a good reference from the town’s best doctor. No one believes them. Meantime patients are dying.

Description:

A 90-minute play in two acts with a 15-minute intermission. Set in Big Stone Gap. The set is the stage split into three parts – the Big Stone Gap Post newsroom with a couple of desks two-sided, a standing desk. The center is a hospital bed (can use a massage table), with IV and bedside table. The stage right is the Sheriff’s office with a desk and chair.

Number of Actors:

Eight main actors, 4 women, and 4 men. Supporting cast is three – two men and a woman.

Excerpt

1A Scene 1 A – OUTSIDE SHERIFF’S OFFICE -- DAY Sheriff Bull Blair walks the street toward the police station. He pauses to look at all the empty store fronts, then thinks, pulls a notebook from his pocket and calculates.
SHERIFF BULL BLAIR

H-m-m-m. It’s getting too hard for a man to make a decent living around here. That used to be the flower shop and the gas station closed long ago. Hardly anybody ever comes downtown anymore. We really need some industry in this place, but nobody thinks of us anymore. King Coal died and there’s no new king. The sheriff looks around, shoves the notebook into his pocket and stomps off stage.

Page 2 A INSERT
4A Scene 4A – ON THE STREET -- DAY Carrying a small overnight bag, ETTA WEST enters from the side of the street near the Sheriff’s office. She struggles to smile when she sees BARBARA PATTON coming toward her. The two women embrace as they stop to talk.
ETTA WEST

Barbara, it is such a pleasant surprise to see you here. Just coming from the Ugly Mug?

BARBARA PATTON

Etta, not today. I’m on the way to a meeting at June Tolliver – about this year’s landscaping project.

ETTA WEST

Oh, that’s today. I won’t be able to make the meeting. Tell the folks in the garden club that I will be able to help – just give me an assignment.

BARBARA PATTON

Etta, are you sure? Looks like you’re heading out of town.

ETTA WEST

Oh, this bag? I’m going back up to the hospital. Ira had a mild stroke, but he’s in good hands with Doc Briggs. I feel good about that.

BARBARA PATTON

Doc Briggs makes sure of that for all of us. Are you sure you’re okay?

ETTA WEST

Of course. Knowing that Ira and I were healthy before this is a comfort. He’s strong and I always look in the bright side. Well, I better get on up to the hospital.

They exit.
Page 10 A INSERT
16A Scene 16 A – NEWSROOM -- DAY EMILY SCOTT is alone in the newsroom. She appears a bit shaken and deep in thought. She drops her notebook and purse onto her desk.
EMILY SCOTT

Why do I let Sheriff Blair get to me like that? And then Tierney burns me up sometimes. You think she’s be grateful that I helped her get that job here, but she doesn’t realize that her bravado could cost me my job. Talking to Bull Blair of all people that way. She never sees consequences. Of course, she hasn’t changed since high school. Why I am so caught up in this! Mama says I need a break. Maybe she’s right. She pauses, reaches for her phone and scrolls. I know that email is here somewhere. My college sorority is gathering in Chicago in two weeks. I am going. She looks around the newsroom. Well, I’ll go tell Will. He’s been urging me to take some time. Maybe things will quiet down by then.

She exits.
PAGE 54A (INSERT)
17A Scene 17 A – NEWSROOM -- DAY WILL HUTTON walks into the newsroom, a typed page in his hand, reading. He smiles and nods, obviously enjoying the story.
WILL HUTTON

Man, I love these columns by our community writers. It’s always so good to hear what goes on in Ca-det, Italy Bottom and even off in Happy Hollow. I love that Keokee writer. Always so much to say.

He finishes reading and places the story on his desk. Then, he walks past the empty desks of Tierney Baynes and Emily Scott. He glances at their open laptops and moves to the front of the newsroom, thinking aloud.
WILL HUTTON

Aw geez, those TV people are coming to town any day now. I hope they get here before Emily takes the weekend off. I’d hate to think what will happen if Tierney is the only one here.

He contemplates the scene of Tierney alone with broadcast news journalists.
WILL HUTTON

She will pepper them with her wild conspiracy theories and this will blow up across the whole Blue Ridge. All my community columnists will write about it rather than about who’s visiting whom. I cannot have Tierney ‘loose cannon” on this story.

He looks around again, picks up the paper from his desk.
WILL HUTTON

I know. I will get my community columnists to write about the TV people coming... that will tone things down. He exits.

PAGE 56A (INSERT)
19A Scene 19A – HOSPITAL CORRIDOR -- DAY DR. BRIGGS storms away, as the NURSE returns, carrying an iPad or some papers.
NURSE

Dr. Briggs? Where did he go? He was just here. Dr. Briggs? He hates to be paged. I need him to sign off on these papers. Dr. Briggs? He can disappear quicker than lightening. Darn. Where did he go?

The nurse exits as Dr. Briggs appears in his secret room.
PAGE 69A (INSERT)
24A – SCENE 24A --INSIDE THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE -- DAY EMILY SCOTT appears impatient, angry and puzzled. She walks around the empty and silent office.
EMILY SCOTT

Where the heck is the sheriff and all the staff? It’s four o’clock. He was supposed to be here to make a statement about Ash McKay. It’s past that now and Will cannot hold up production.

Emily leans against the desk and reads the paper that Barbara Patton had brought into the newsroom earlier. She reads it twice, astonished at what she sees.
EMILY SCOTT

How could we all have missed this!

Holding the paper in one hand, she makes a call with the other.
EMILY SCOTT

Will, no. The Sheriff’s not here. It’s weird. But, listen. No, Will. I don’t know where he is. Just listen to me for a minute. Something more important. You know that form Barbara Patton brought over – saying it was the arrest report. Well, I just looked at it closely. I don’t know how we all missed this – but that was merely the intake form. Not an arrest report. It says that Ash McKay was brought in for questioning. Okay, I’m heading back right now.

She exits.

PAGE 99A (INSERT)