"The Operation" is the sixteenth episode of season 1 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
When Brian and Sully are out hiking, Brian climbs a tree and jumps out to show him he could fly like the eagle in Sully's story. Brian lands hard, hitting his head. Dr. Mike, angry with Sully for not watching Brian more carefully, is relieved to find no signs of injury. Later, the townsfolk argue over who will build the new schoolhouse and Matthew wants Robert E. included. Jake and Loren are tapped for the job, and Robert E. is disregarded because of racial prejudice. Brian begins to exhibit symptoms of brain compression, which starts off by blurred vision and quickly escalates to blindness and later, a coma. Dr. Mike wants to treat him, but Sully tells her to let him go. Dr. Mike tells the townspeople Brian has a subdural hemorrhage. She asks Horace to send a telegram to Boston General Hospital to seek a neurology specialist for advice. When Sully arrives after being away praying to the spirits for forgiveness, Dr. Mike is furious with Sully and they argue. The Reverend has to step in and stop them. Matthew then wants to start building the school because it was the last thing Brian wanted. The neurologist is delayed because a flood has washed a bridge out and he won't be arriving until next week. Dr. Mike is forced to perform trepanning the dangerous brain operation on Brian, while the Reverend, Jake and Grace assist. Meanwhile, Sully, Robert E., and Matthew start to build the schoolhouse and more and more townspeople join in to help. After the operation, Dr. Mike goes to the building site and informs everyone that the surgery appears to have been a success. When Dr. Mike wakes up the next morning, she discovers Brian is not in his bed and finds him outside looking at the schoolhouse.
This episode provides examples of:
- Barn Raising: In the end, the whole town pitches in to build the schoolhouse.
- Expert Consultant: The neurology specialist from Boston General Hospital.
- Never Learned to Read: Jake is forced to admit this to Loren when he can't come up with an excuse to not read the instructions on building the schoolhouse. Several other townspeople admit they can't either—Myra, Hank, etc.
- Single-Episode Handicap: Brian's blindness is cured by the end of the episode.
