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Hey, if you can help, I'll take whatever I can get. Doctor's Bags would be a huge help, but what I really need are medical texts.Lieutenant Markland

Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues is a side quest in Fallout: New Vegas.

Overview[]

The Bitter Springs camp is in bad shape. Lieutenant Markland, the camp's overworked medic, is critically short on supplies. On top of that, he also lacks the training to fully deal with two types of refugees the camp has been seeing more and more: small children, and people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Unable to find solutions to these problems through normal NCR channels, Markland asks the Courier to help him. After some discussion he requests he be brought at least 3 doctor's bags, as well as some form of training on the topics of pediatric care and psychological care.

Quick walkthrough[]

Side Quest: Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues 
Note: You must speak to Gilles to begin the quest No, Not Much before Markland will give you this quest. 
Find 3 doctor's bag (available from doctors and numerous merchants). 
Get Markland some psychological and pediatric training. You can either: 
Obtain two books from Blake's store at the Crimson Caravan Company
Have Arcade Gannon train Markland. 
Reward: 2 stimpaks, 4 Rad-X, 4 RadAway, NCR fame and 200 XP

Detailed walkthrough[]

Obtaining the doctor's bags[]

Doctor's bags are relatively abundant, if expensive, and can be purchased from most traders or crafted at a workbench. Doctor's bags can also be found in various locations throughout the Mojave Wasteland, fully detailed in the doctor's bag article.

Psychological and pediatric training[]

Markland lacks training in psychology and pediatrics. He suggests the player find him books on the topics for him to learn from, but any form of training will do.

Finding the books[]

Both books are sold by Blake, a member of the Crimson Caravan Company who operates a small, outdoor store there. Although talking to Blake at any time will allow you to trade with him (even while he is in the barracks, asleep), the books are only sold while Blake is standing in his outdoor shop, roughly between 6:00am and 10:00pm. The books each have a base value of 20 caps, not counting price changes due to the player's barter skill. They appear in the MISC category, with the following names:

Alternatively, the player can steal both books with relative ease. The books are physically located on Blake's inventory shelves in his outdoor shop:

  • Tiny, Tiny Babies is located on the bottom shelf to the left of Blake, between two cartons of cigarettes and four bottles of whiskey.
  • Stress and the Modern Refugee is located on a shelf to the right of Blake, behind two ammunition containers and above a shelf containing three first aid boxes.

Both books look identical to the green-covered variety of pre-War books.

Have Arcade train Markland[]

If Arcade Gannon is following the player, he can be asked to train Markland in how to deal with these topics. This is accomplished simply by selecting the appropriate dialogue option when prompted. The game will fade to black and advance game time by four hours, after which point Markland will no longer need the player to obtain the medical texts.

Return to Markland[]

Once the player has medical supplies they can return to Markland and turn them in. This can be done individually or all at once. However the player completes the quest, Markland will offer a reward once all the supplies have been brought to him. Here the player has three options.

  1. Decline any reward: This will earn the player positive Karma (25 points).
  2. Accept surplus supplies: Markland will give the player some surplus medical supplies: 2 stimpaks, 4 Rad-X, and 2 RadAway.
  3. Demand a reward: Markland will give the player the same medical supplies as above, plus 40 caps to cover expenses.
  • The player has an option here to demand further payment, which will give you 100 caps and negative Karma (25 points). This second demand is optional.

Regardless of the reward chosen, the player will receive 200 XP for completing the quest.

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
20 Find Lt. Markland a book on psychological treatment.
30 Bring the psychology textbook back to Lt. Markland.
40 Find a book on pediatric medicine for Lt. Markland.
50 Bring the pediatric medicine book back to Lt. Markland.
60Quest finishedBring Lt. Markland three Doctor's Bags.

Notes[]

  • The quest marker for obtaining the books always will direct the player to Blake, even when he is asleep and unable to sell them. Blake only sells the books when he is standing in front of his store.
  • This quest can be failed before started, if you are doing the quest given by Craig Boone, I Forgot to Remember to Forget because the Legion raid may kill Lieutenant Markland. Save before you attempt to save Bitter Springs in order to keep Markland alive.
    • Markland will sometimes attempt to attack the Legion soldiers, causing him to die.
  • Completing We Are Legion will not fail this quest but will inhibit it from being started.

Behind the scenes[]

The title for this quest is likely based on the song "St. James Infirmary Blues."

Bugs[]

  • PCPC If you have the books in your possession but select the option to have Arcade Gannon train Markland, the books will still be removed from your inventory.[verified]
  • PCPC Xbox 360Xbox 360 If this is the first time that you are trading with Blake, it is advisable to buy ONLY the two books that Markland requires, because buying other items at the same time may cause the game to crash [if it does, it will crash IMMEDIATELY after the trade is completed]. [verified]
Main quests
Act 1Ain't That a Kick in the Head · Back in the Saddle · By a Campfire on the Trail · They Went That-a-Way · Ring-a-Ding-Ding!
Act 2Wild Card (Wild Card: Ace in the Hole, Change in Management, You and What Army?, Side Bets, Finishing Touches) · The House Always Wins (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII) · Render Unto Caesar · Et Tumor, Brute? · Things That Go Boom · Kings' Gambit · For the Republic, Part 2 · You'll Know It When It Happens/Arizona Killer
Act 3No Gods, No Masters · All or Nothing · Veni, Vidi, Vici · Eureka!
Side quests
New California RepublicAnywhere I Wander · Back in Your Own Backyard · Bitter Springs Infirmary Blues · Boulder City Showdown · Can You Find it in Your Heart? · Climb Ev'ry Mountain · Don't Tread on the Bear! · Emergency Radio · Eye for an Eye · Flags of Our Foul-Ups · Hard Luck Blues · I Don't Hurt Anymore · I Put a Spell on You · Keep Your Eyes on the Prize · Medical Mystery · No, Not Much · Pressing Matters · Restoring Hope · Return to Sender · That Lucky Old Sun · The White Wash · There Stands the Grass · Three-Card Bounty · We Will All Go Together · You Can Depend on Me
Caesar's LegionBeware the Wrath of Caesar! · Caesar's Favor · Caesar's Foe · Caesar's Hire · Cold, Cold Heart · I Hear You Knocking · The Finger of Suspicion · We Are Legion
The StripBeyond the Beef · Bye Bye Love · Classic Inspiration · How Little We Know · Pheeble Will · Talent Pool · The House Has Gone Bust! · The Moon Comes Over the Tower
Freeside & Outer VegasBirds of a Feather · Bleed Me Dry · Debt Collector · G.I. Blues · High Times · Someone to Watch Over Me · The Coyotes · Wang Dang Atomic Tango
BoomersAnt Misbehavin' · Sunshine Boogie · Volare! · Young Hearts
Great KhansAba Daba Honeymoon · Cry Me a River · Don't Make a Beggar of Me · Oh My Papa
Powder GangBooted · I Fought the Law · Run Goodsprings Run · Why Can't We Be Friends?
Brotherhood of SteelEyesight to the Blind · Still in the Dark · Tend to Your Business
OtherCome Fly With Me · Crazy, Crazy, Crazy · Ghost Town Gunfight · Guess Who I Saw Today · Left My Heart · My Kind of Town · The Legend of the Star and A Valuable Lesson · Unfriendly Persuasion · Wheel of Fortune
Companion questsED-E My Love · For Auld Lang Syne · Heartache by the Number · I Could Make You Care · I Forgot to Remember to Forget · Nothin' But a Hound Dog · One for My Baby
Unmarked questsA Bit of Slap and Tickle · A Final Plan for Esteban · Access Powers · All Fired Up! · An Ear to the Ground · Andy and Charlie · Arachnophobia · Arizona Scavenger · Barton the Fink · Bear Necessities · Big Winner (Atomic Wrangler, The Gomorrah, The Tops, Ultra-Luxe, Vikki & Vance) · Bounty Killer (I, II) · Brotherhood Bond (I, II) · Caching in at the Cove · Cajoling a Cudgel · Claws Mended · Claws Out · Dealing with Contreras · Defacing the Humble Stone · Democracy Inaction · Don't Poke at the Bear! · Eddie's Emissary · Exhumin' Nature · Fight Night · Flogging a Dead Corpse · Friend of the Followers · Gland for Some Home Cooking · Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger · Hat's Entertainment · Help for Halford · Hidden Valley computer virus · Highway to the Danger Zone (I, II) · Honorary Rocketeer · I Love Bananas · Iron and Stealing · Keith's Caravan Charade · Laurifer Gladiator · Lenk's Bad Debts · Lily and Leo · Long-Term Care · Malleable Mini Boomer Minds · Maud's Muggers · Meeting an Equal · Missing a Few Missiles · Most Wanted · Not Worth a Hill of Corn and Beans · Old School Ghoul · A Pair of Dead Desperados (I, II) · Papers, Please · Pistol Packing · Playing on the Old Joana · Powder to the People · Power to the People · Razzle Dazzle! · Reach for the Sky, Mister! · Rest and Resupply · Ringo's Caravan Rules · Rotface's Loose Lips · Saving (or Savaging) Sergeant Teddy · The Screams of Brahmin · Silus Treatment · Short-Term Treatment · Smooth-Talking Criminal · The Star Showdown · Strategic Nuclear Moose · Straus Calls · Strip Search · Suits You, Sarah · Tags of Our Fallen · A Team of Moronic Mercenaries · Thought for the Day · Tourist Traipse · Trudy's Radio Repair · A Trusted Aide · Useless Baubles or Fancy Trinkets? · We Must Stop Beating Like This · We Must Stop Meeting Like This · Wind-Brahmin Wrangler · You Gotta Break Out a Few Eggs · You Make Me Feel Like a Woman
Add-on quests
Dead MoneySierra Madre Grand Opening! · Find Collars (8: "Dog", 12: Christine, 14: Dean Domino) · Fires in the Sky · Strike Up the Band · Mixed Signals · Trigger the Gala Event · Put the Beast Down · Last Luxuries · Curtain Call at the Tampico · Heist of the Centuries · Big Winner, Sierra Madre
Honest HeartsA Family Affair · Arrival at Zion · Bighorners of the Eastern Virgin · Chaos in Zion · Civilized Man's Burden · Crush the White Legs · Deliverer of Sorrows  · Departing Paradise · Flight from Zion · Gathering Storms · Gone Fishin' · Happy Trails Expedition · Prisoners of War · Retake the Bridge · River Monsters · Rite of Passage · Roadside Attraction · Sanctity of the Dead · The Advance Scouts  · The Treacherous Road · The Grand Staircase · Tourist Trap
Old World BluesAll My Friends Have Off Switches · A Brain's Best Friend · Coming Out of Her Shell · Field Research · He Came... And Went · Influencing People · Midnight Science Fiction Feature! · Old World Blues · On the Same Wavelength · Picking Your Brains · Project X-13 · Sonic Emitter Upgrade · Welcome to the Big Empty · What's in a Name? · When Visitors Attack! · X-2: Strange Transmissions! · X-8 Data Retrieval Test · X-8: High School Horror! · X-13: Attack of the Infiltrator!
Lonesome RoadThe Reunion · The Silo · The Job · The Launch · The Tunnelers · The Divide · The Courier · The End · The Apocalypse
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