The Feverman
Timothy Mason (John C. Vennema) is desperate to heal his daughter (Michele Gornick), stricken with a fever that looks to be fatal. He seeks out Mr. Boyle, the Feverman (David McCallum), a near-mythical healer whose trade has existed for hundreds (if not thousands) of years who can cure any disease by using a special crystal to summon a physical manifestation of it from their patients' bodies and fighting it with their bare hands. The Masons are accompanied by Dr. James Burke (Patrick Garner), who was unable to cure the ill daughter, but is disgusted by Timothy's belief in superstition and seeing Boyle as a fraudulent quack who he tries to expose. In doing so, not only does James learn the truth, but he also learns that there’s a stiff price to pay for faith.
Tropes:
- The Alcoholic: Boyle is a heavy consumer of alcohol, likely to numb the pain of his deteriorating immune system. He even continues to drink as he lays dying.
- Always Chaotic Evil: Physically-manifested sicknesses like Timothy's daughter's fever are inherent monsters in both appearance and demeanor, aching to kill and/or infect everyone they spot when outside their carrier.
- Big "NO!": Timothy shouts one just before the Fever reenters his daughter's body.
- Bittersweet Ending: Timothy's daughter has her illness cured, but Boyle dies from the strain of fighting it, leaving James to take on his burden.
- Blessed with Suck: Fevermen fight illnesses head-on by physically summoning them from within the sickly, though every fight wears down their own immune systems.
- Blob Monster: The Fever that Timothy's daughter suffers appears as one when Boyle summons it from within her.
- Clingy Macguffin: A Feverman's crystal can't be removed from their person, only breaking off as they near death. Boyle tells this to James when he puts the crystal on himself, along with the fact that it HAS to be used or he'll gradually "fade away".
- Damsel in Distress: Timothy's daughter, who will be killed by the Fever infecting her if it should kill Boyle.
- Dies Wide Open: Boyle's eyes remain open as he dies content, even still smiling and holding his empty glass.
- Dumb Muscle: Boyle tells James that Fevers like the one infecting Timothy's daughter are strong and know how to attack, but dumb and don't know how to defend themselves.
- Fake Faith Healer: James thinks Boyle to be a classic case, but he eats his words when the Feverman goes to work.
- Here We Go Again!: The end of the episode has Mrs. Pierce announcing that another patient has just arrived, leaving James to go on and hesitantly fulfill his destiny.
- Hypocrite: Boyle calls James out for being a "Hippocratical hypocrite" for wanting to stop him from killing the Fever, then being too afraid to fight it himself when he has to take up the responsibility, all while he's devoted his life to healing people.
- I Need a Freaking Drink: Boyle offers a shot of booze to James before he fights the Fever himself, saying it'll loosen him up.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: A variation that only affects the person who sets the events in motion. James accompanies Timothy to Boyle's home solely to rebuke the Feverman as a scam artist. Doing this makes him realize that he was wrong, but he must take on Boyle's mantle as a Feverman once he dies from the strain of fighting the Fever.
- The traditional version occurs at the end of the first act, where James storms down to the basement to stop Boyle, and Timothy tags along to get him to stop before he gets them both killed. Their presence causes Boyle to rebuke them for entering, allowing the Fever to get the upper hand and infect him as well, then retreating back inside the ailing daughter.
- No Name Given: Timothy's daughter.
- Passing the Torch: After Boyle dies from fighting the Fever, James ends up taking his crystal and becoming the next Feverman, destined to feel the agony that physically fighting illnesses will bring.
- Power Crystal: Fevermen carry a crystal designed to physically summon the illnesses out of their patients, which they beat with their bare hands. Boyle tells James that he has to use it often because he'll start "fading away" the longer it goes unused.
- Rule of Three: Boyle's elderly assistant Mrs. Pierce is offered three things of great value to Timothy in exchange to see Boyle; namely, all his money, his wedding ring, and the cross around his neck.
- Skepticism Failure: James resents superstition and thinks Fevermen like Boyle to be scam artists. He ends up being sorely proven wrong when he sees Boyle applying his trade.
- Struggling Single Father: Timothy lost his wife to her own sickness some time ago, so he goes to Boyle to prevent the same from happening to his daughter.
- The Unreveal: The exact nature of the "great, big old sickness" that's killing Timothy's daughter, as well as how, when, and where she first got it.
