Teleplay by Gerry Anderson & David Lane Directed by Ken Turner Edited by Bob Dearberg Original UK Airdate: December 15th, 1968 (ATV Midlands)

"Give him the scalpel. If you don't, the next bullet
will go straight through your patient's head."

Joe dons the mantle of a brilliant brain surgeon,
and carries out an operation which saves a man's life.

*   *   *

Maurice Estoral, one of the world's most famous writers, is facing a major brain operation, but the specialist, Dr. Emil Kados, is seriously injured when the plane bringing him from Switzerland to England crashes.

The news reaches Professor McClaine, who is very concerned to save the life of the eminent writer and fears that the less experienced Dr. Blakemore, who will now have to carry out the operation, will not be able to succeed.

He and Joe therefore pay a secret visit to the unconscious Dr. Kados to collect his brain pattern, which is transferred to Joe. And, because it is obvious that the hospital would not permit a nine-year-old boy to operate, Mac himself receives the brain pattern of a WIN agent and accompanies Joe.

The patient is wheeled into the operating theatre, and Mac makes his dramatic move. He holds the hospital staff at gun-point while Joe carries through the difficult operation. It's a triumphant success - but how can the secret be kept? Mac manages this by pointing out to the hospital staff that they will have to take the credit. After all, who would believe them if they said a nine-year-old boy had carried out such an operation?

Notes:
The full-size newspaper featured in this episode has an appropriate headline - "AIRLINER DOWN IN STORM" - but the first paragraph of text refers to the events in Splashdown ("CAPTAIN WILLIAM BARRY AND CO PILOT FRANK CASPER, WHO TOGETHER PLAYED A MAJOR PART IN FOILING A SINISTER PLOT TO DESTROY THE FREE WORLD, WERE AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE THIS MORNING FOR THE ROYAL INVESTITURE").

The newspaper is not actually seen in Splashdown, but the script for that episode reveals the deleted scene for which the full-size prop was created...