The character called "Father" is parent to the ill boy the country doctor is summoned to treat. He lives with his family in a remote village, reached only through arduous travel in a snowstorm. When the doctor finally arrives after a strange journey, the Father hurries out with his wife and daughter, urgently beckoning the doctor inside, revealing the family's desperation. He presents the doctor with precious rum, a significant gesture implying sacrifice despite their poverty, reflecting his respect for the physician and hope for a cure. After the doctor's initial examination declares the boy healthy, the Father reacts with visible disappointment and insists the doctor look again, compelling a reexamination. When the fatal, worm-infested wound on the boy's hip is discovered, the Father shows relief and satisfaction simply at the doctor's involvement, despite the grim prognosis. He joins the villagers in stripping the doctor naked, following the instructions of a children's choir. The Father helps force the naked doctor into the sick boy's bed beside the wound as a ritualistic healing act. He personifies the villagers' crushing demands upon the doctor and the loss of traditional faith structures. This displaced spiritual faith leads them to place impossible expectations on the physician. His actions directly contribute to the doctor's profound helplessness and existential crisis.