Occupation (2009) s01e02 Episode Script

Are you saying I was glory-hunting? We can't all be heroes.
You always look as bad as that? We can be a proper couple.
You're married.
Pacific Solutions So are we partners, then? Providing Iraq with private security operatives.
Not to be confused with mercenaries, of course.
Iraq needs good security soldiers while the rebuilding's done.
That's my religion.
No messing with guns for them.
Lester! Lester! If you're looking for the doctor, she's gone home.
To Iraq? If you get yourself killed out there, I'll come out there and I'll kill you again.
Hurry up, gents.
Transport's outside.
Do not leave your kit alone.
Make sure you have your bags WOMAN:Gilgamesh.
It's a very old Iraqi story.
Gilgamesh is searching for eternal life.
But his friends tell him, "Gilgamesh, "what you seek, you will never find.
" MIKE: Excuse me.
Have you seen this doctor around? Ahmed, translate this for me.
We're looking for these three men.
We think they were involved in mortar attacks on our base.
I'm looking for Dr Aliya Nabil.
She works here She used to work here.
Have you seen this doctor anywhere? Excuse me.
Did any of these men come here for medical attention? For gunshot wounds? MAN INTERPRETS Hold on, hold on.
Have you seen this doctor around? Excuse me.
She used to work here.
Why is this doctor so important? I met her on my last tour.
I'm worried about her safety.
If you're worried about her safety, why show people her photograph? What do you mean? They will think she is an informant or a whore.
Oh, right.
Why else would you carry her photograph? I get it, all right? I get it.
Yes, can I help you? I'm chief consultant here.
Uh, we're looking for these three men.
We think they were involved in mortar attacks on our base.
I thought for a moment you might have come to give us some help.
Perhaps donate some equipment.
Yeah, well, have you seen these men? If they were involved in any terrorist activity, they would not come here, because they know the British come here looking for them.
Good day.
RADIO PLAYS CHEERFUL BANTER MUSIC: "What You Give Is What You Get" by Jame If I never ever see you If I never ever see you If I never ever see you again The Championship is where they're all trying to get to.
Uh-huh.
You've got the Premier League, then the Championship.
Then you've got League One.
Technically, League One is League Three.
Yeah? So why do they call it League One? They changed it.
Now we've got the Premier How'd you lot get in here? It's for Green only.
We located a satellite dish for the CO.
I thought you said you weren't coming back.
Ah, well, the mob had other ideas.
Two tours in less than a year.
Doesn't add up.
Didn't volunteer, did you? I heard you got ambushed last year.
We did.
I got out without a scratch.
Lester took one in the neck, but he's all right.
Best of all, the client survived.
Once you've saved a man's life, well, he kept throwing work our way.
So you know Every cloud has a silver lining.
So who is she, then? One of the TAs? Who's who? I asked you did you volunteer.
You changed the subject.
Just leave it, will you? Who're you gonna tell that you can trust to keep his mouth shut? You have to tell someone.
I know you better than anyone, Michael.
You'll go mad if you don't.
Er, you know that doctor the one that treated Maysa? The Iraqi doctor? No.
No! No, don't tell me that.
The one that came over to England? Aliya, yes.
No chance.
Since when?! She left England a year ago, I've heard nothing since.
I just wanna know why she went.
I can't get her out of my head.
I tried, but I can't.
.
.
The 20-card challenge, you never do it.
I've got one left.
Click! I went to the hospital where she used to work.
My translator says that I can't go around showing photos of her.
Someone might get the wrong idea and she'll be in danger.
And he's not wrong.
You seriously think it's gonna work out? You get measured up for a dish-dash and live happily ever after? No chance.
The Jedi'll cut your bollocks off live on Al-Jazeera.
Just leave it alone.
I'll leave her alone if she tells me to.
ButI just, um I want to find her and hear it from her.
Come and see me in the office tomorrow.
Me and Lester have got a proposal for you.
What's wrong with now? I dropped an E about half an hour ago.
So I'm no longer fit for purpose.
HE TURNS UP MUSIC LIVELY BANTER WHISTLING What are you saving up for? My own pizzeria.
No, really.
Really! HE LAUGHS What?! HE GUFFAWS AS MOVIE VOICEOVER By day, he was a rogue mercenary.
But by night, he wanted a slice of the action! OK Mr Hotshot, what are you going to do with your money? I'm gonna come and blow it in your imaginary pizza shop! The head honcho at Basra general hospital is called Sadiq Alasadi.
He was imprisoned by Saddam two years ago, so he's got a lot of local support.
He's a doctor, he's a Shia, and he's even got the Sheikh of the Marsh Arabs on his side.
He's what we call connected locally.
I met him when I was up there looking for Ali Babas.
So you know him already.
See? Told you this fella had celebrity status.
I wouldn't say I know him, exactly.
Mike, you rescued Maysa.
She was airlifted from that hospital.
Surely you must have some leverage with this bunch? Leverage? What are you talking about? We need you to put a word in for us at the hospital.
A recommendation.
What?! Danny and I don't just wanna guard the reconstruction, we wanna DO the reconstruction.
Your recommendation will help us secure the contract for the rebuild of the hospital.
We get this rebuild right, we can move onto the clinics.
How do I know you're a trustworthy firm? I thought you said he'd be sweet with us.
I dunno, seriously! Why would I recommend you and Lester to rebuild a hospital? Dunno.
Maybe it's because we know where your Iraqi girlfriend is.
Bollocks.
All I'm asking for is a recommendation.
Do that, and I'll tell you where you can find Aliya.
I thought you told me to leave Aliya alone.
That was me speaking as a friend.
This is me talking as a businessman.
LESTER:We will do a good job on the hospital, Mike.
We really are looking at a win-win situation here.
DANNY:You need us and we need you.
It's what makes the world go round.
I know where she is.
And I'll tell you.
If that's what you want.
It is what you want, isn't it? MAN SHOUTS ANGRILY You wait here, I'll get the consultant.
Aliya? HE BREATHES HEAVILY SHE LAUGHS IN SURPRISE You shouldn't have come here.
Just tell me why you went away without explaining why.
Why you never got in touch.
It was better that way.
I tracked down the poem you told me about.
I even bought the book.
SHE CHUCKLES Believe me, where I come from, that's not seen as normal behaviour.
Come.
I thought you were an atheist.
Oh I am.
I'm a realist too.
That's why I came back.
You've had a year to think of an excuse and that's the best you come up with? Why did you come back to this country? Because I love aubergines(!) Why do you think?! Because I I can't forget you.
Stop it.
I don't want to hear this.
Because I still love you.
You can't love me, Mike! Why not? What, because I'm married? No.
Because I am.
No, no, no.
No, don't do this to me.
Don't lie to me.
Dear, sweet Mike.
You can't love me because you have a wife and I have a husband.
You got married? No.
I was already married when I met you.
I thought he was dead.
He was in prison under Saddam and I was told he was dead.
And when I was in England, I heard he was alive.
And he's here? You're with him now? Yeah.
And do you want to be here with him? Take a look around here, Mike.
Take a look in any clinic, any hospitals.
I can help.
So that's what I do.
I help.
I mean, do you really think what happens to you and me is more important than that? So you're telling me that in all that time, you never thought about me? Not once.
Now, I know that's a lie.
OK I came back home.
And you should go back home too.
SIREN WAILING Danny, he's gonna come through for us, isn't he? He looks kind of punchy.
Yeah, course he is.
Solid as a rock.
You're gonna be all right with this, aren't you? MIKE: Yeah, yeah.
So she blow you out, then? Danny Peterson, Eric Lester.
Please come in.
Take a seat.
Both ex-military, now in the security and building trade.
Good to meet you, sir.
Ihear you were givin' the finger to Saddam long before we were.
You're American.
I thought you were a British company.
International.
You got a problem with Americans givin' you help? Now you tell us(!) Well, the last American contractors took a lot more than they gave, Mr Lester.
Well, you'll have to take that up with them.
As Mike here will tell ya, we're straight up.
All's we wanna do is help.
HE SPEAKS ARABIC You repair refrigerator units? Forget about repairs, we'll get you a new refrigerator.
Top spec.
American.
DANNY:That's right! Let meshow you something, gentlemen.
Please follow me.
Will you snap out of it and step up to the plate? You're supposed to be selling us to this fella.
MAN SPEAKS ARABIC Doctor He thinks you've come to take his child to a military hospital.
No, I can't do that.
He says he knows other children have been treated there.
But we can't do that any more, you know, now the hospitals are supposed to be up and running.
You call this up and running? MAN SPEAKS ARABIC I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry! SADIQ SPEAKS ARABIC You know why this baby died, sir? I'mnot a doctor.
We needed to put a line into his vein.
But we didn't have one small enough.
All we had was this.
We tried.
We couldn't get it in.
If we had a child-sized canula then he would have lived.
I'm sure we can fix that.
It's the small things, Mr Lester.
The small things.
I don't want to hear any more big promises from another American hawasim.
Good day, gentlemen.
Mr Sadiq.
Mr Sadiq! Just hear me out! I'm sorry you've been ripped off in the past, but that's nothing to do with us.
And Mike hereif you don't believe us, at least believe him.
With all the respect in the world, why should I? Well, you do know who this is, don't ya? This is Sergeant Mike Swift.
He's the fella that rescued the girl from this hospital and took her back to Manchester to be treated.
He's like You know, he's like You know, he's a proper hero! Yes, of course, of course, how could I HE SPEAKS ARABIC Please That's why you were so interested in the hospital.
Please, please, come in! You should have told me sooner, I would have called Aliya over! Aliya? How do you know Aliya? She's my wife! Aliya Nabil.
She went to England with you.
Uh-huh.
You're Aliya's husband? Thank you, my friend.
Thank you for looking after her so generously.
Thank you.
Small world, eh, Mike? Wait till I tell her.
I can't wait to tell her.
So are we straight here? Do you recommend these people, my friend? Will they do what they promise? Mike? Yeah, they're good men.
They won't let you down.
OK.
If you come back with, er, paperwork, I'll sign what you need.
Are you gonna be all right? Did you know? How the hell could I know? Did you know? Was it one of your jokes? I didn't know.
Mike, honest, I didn't know.
Get the contract? 'Course we got the contract! Nice one.
First of many, mate.
Once that chief doctor recommends us, the work'll come flooding in.
You know what these people are like.
You know, tribal, innit? No offence, Yunis.
None taken, you racist.
Yunis, what is a hawasimi? Oh, it means "finalist".
Like, you know, those Iraqis that profit from the situation.
Like I don't know, like not exactly a criminal Oh, not a criminal.
That's a'ight.
No, worse than a criminal.
A parasite.
Like a pimp.
He's got you nailed, then, ain't he? MUSIC: "Let's Get It Started" by Black Eyed Peas Let's get it started (ha) Let's get it started in here Let's get it started (ha) Let's get it started in here Let's get it started (ha) Let's get it started in here Let's get it started (ha) Let's get it started in here RAP: Lose control, of body and soul Don't move too fast, people, Just take it slow Don't get ahead, just jump into it Ya'll here a body, two pieces to it Get started, get stupid Ya'll want me body People will walk you through it Step by step, like you're into new kid Inch by inch with the new solution Trench men hits ARABIC MUSIC YUNIS SINGS Pizzas in Iraq? Are you sure about this? Yeah.
We have a country full of wheat, tomatoes and Americans.
I can't fail.
But you've got to come up with a theme.
No-one ever sold a pizza without a theme.
Yeah, I have theme.
One hundred and eighty! How do you know about that?! Leeds.
What about Leeds? I did university in Leeds.
Bollocks.
And that's how I learned pizza.
Did you really?Yes! And you reckon you know darts, then? Sure I do.
Give me Say, "Ya Allah.
" Ya Allah.
That's it.
I'm not blessing you, I wanna win! Ya Allah.
Ya Allah.
Look at that! THEY LAUGH What's all this stuff? What stuff? "Shot, maimed, sniper fire, hearing loss, disease" It's an insurance waiver.
How d'you mean? It's cheaper all round if we're not liable for injuries and you buy your own insurance.
You know, it keeps our costs down and puts more money in your pocket.
"Eye injury, land mines inhalation of biological or chemical" Bruno, all's you'll be doing is guarding a load of brickies and plumbers while they get on with building a school or a generator housing or a hospital.
Now, I know the ragheads like a firework display but they're not likely to have a pop at their own.
They've been havin' a pop at their own Look, talk to Hibbsy if there's a problem! All right! BOY SHOUTS Tony Blair, George Bush, Tony Blair! Hey, Tony Blair, George Bush, hey! Tony Blair, George Bush! SHE SPEAKS ARABIC Erm Yalla! I need you to sign for this.
Is there Is there somewhere we can go to go through the paperwork? SHE SPEAKS ARABIC You can't come here again, you make it dangerous for me.
Have you been threatened? Tell me who, we can come down on them like a ton of bricks.
SHE SCOFFS What? You will kill them? That's always a good solution, no? That has worked for us really well(!) Look, I want to Look, I want to get you out of Iraq.
I've seen the way things are going here .
.
with the, erthe religion and thethe bombings And whose fault is that? I think I can help get you a job in England.
I have work to do here.
I explained that.
You will have a miserable life here.
It's home! I met Sadiq.
I met your husband at the hospital in Basra.
Oh.
I didn't say anything.
Thank you.
ErI brought you these.
You might not have an empire but you still can make good cigarettes.
They're American, actually.
SHE CHUCKLES That makes sense.
I'm not being kind.
It's just I care about you, and I want you to be safe.
You say these things and they come true.
Is that what you believe? What's he saying to you? It doesn't matter.
Tell me, what's he saying? Is he threatening you? What's he saying?! You threatening her?! What is he saying?You can't help, Mike! Even if you knew what he is saying, you couldn't help! OK? You don't know what I've seen, you don't know what I've been through! You don't know, that's your fucking problem, you don't know! PLANES PASSING OVERHEAD SOBBING Hang on, hang on BANTER I've prepared a few words here.
HE WHISTLES LAUGHTER Only messin', I'm only messin'.
The first time I laid eyes on Yunis, in his dodgy trackie and his shades, I thought, "Bugger me, it's Ali G.
" But despite his dress sense and his bad jokes he's rock solid.
And now he's earned his money, he's gonna piss off and leave us all to be shot at.
He's opening a pizza place, which I'm sure will be boss.
As we're about to find out.
Now, being a good Muslim boy, Yunis doesn't drink.
Likes the odd wank but he doesn't drink.
So we're all gonna have a drink on his behalf.
Cheers, Yunis.
Yunis.
Good luck, mate.
Cheers.
Look at that with that little pink book with the picture on it! HIBBS: Lads, it's freezin' out here and it's starting to rain.
LESTER:Not in here, it's not.
HE LAUGHS Now you believe me, I'm gonna make money? Bloody hell.
You really do know what you're doin', don't ya? I've already started.
I've got a couple of restaurants buying them, I've got the local bakery buying them, I've got I've got street sellers.
I admit it, you're you're a genius.
That is mint.
As-Salamu Alaykum.
YUNIS: Hibbs Er, hello.
Salaam.
Hibbs, my friend.
As-Salamu Alaykum.
Hibbs.
His brother's got a local dairy.
I'm getting mozzarella, man! Never seen a man so excited about cheese.
HE SPEAKS ARABIC As-Salamu Alaykum.
Who's let you two out on patrol? Ah, Lance Corporal Hibbs.
Salaam, Abdel.
Salaam.
Salaam.
You all right? Oh, it's all right, Yunis, I know these two.
I trained 'em.
When they turned up.
He trained us well.
I always turn up now.
HIBBS LAUGHS Lads, get in here and check out Yunis's set-up.
It's unbelievable.
DANNY:Yeah, I know.
We're sending Bruno in.
I've ordered an Hawaiian GUNFIRE Oh, fuck Oh, fuck Oh, fuck Oh, fuck Yunis! Yunis! Yunis! T1 casualty.
We have a man down.
Stomach wound, chest wound 150.
Pulse 150.
We'll need immediate medical assistance on arrival.
Right you are.
It's all right, mate.
Danny, we're set up for an ambush here.
Yunis, come on.
Hibbsyget that open.
Shit, I can't fucking open it.
Hold on, mate.
I'm with you.
There you go, mate.
You'd pay ten quid a wrap for that in Longsight.
Just hang in there, lad.
There you go.
Right? Hibbsy, get the field pack ready for him.
HIBBS:Come on, mate, you're doing great, yeah? We'll soon have you sorted, yeah? Danny, Hibbsy, come on! We're sittin' ducks here.
Come on, you're doing great, mate.
Right, look at me, look at me.
Ready? Onetwo Oh, fucking LESTER:Let's go, let's go, let's go.
No, no, no, get a dressing on him! Right, let's go, come on.
Get a dressing on him.
Here we go.
Let's go.
Hang on, mate.
Hang on, Yunis, hang on, mate, you're doing good.
You're doing good.
Yunis, you're doing good here.
Yunis, we'll get this dressing on you, right? Yunis, we'll have you fixed now.
Yunis Yunis.
Yunis.
Come on.
Yunis Yunis, hang on, mate, come on Come on, come on.
Yunis Come on, get out!Let's go! Get a dressing on him! Come on, he's gone.
Come on, now.
Yunis, come on.
Hibbsy, all right! He's fucked! Fuck off! Come on, let's go! LESTER:We pay for his funeral.
We give his wife and kids some money.
And then we let it go.
And that's it? We do nothing? Son, technically speaking, we don't even have to do that.
For some reason, he didn't have insurance.
What about going after the blokes who killed him? What do we do when we find them? Hand them over to the Iraqi police? Those lads were IN the Iraqi police.
That doesn't make it right, does it? Wake up! Yunis got shot for collaboratin' with us! For trying to do somethin'! You know, there is no right in this country! It's just wrong and wronger! What happened to rebuilding the country? Eh? What happened to gettin' them back on their feet? We should go after his killers! We owe him that much! You owed him protection when you were too busy eatin' pizza, son! Don't tell ME we were duckin' our responsibilities! Fuck!Lookyou're a good lad.
Right? And I love you to bits.
It might not feel like it right now, but I'm just lookin' out for ya.
Eh? So we don't do anything? LESTER:We don't do anything that distracts us from doing our job properly.
And keeping our own asses out of a shroud.
We go your way and we're lettin' everybody down, including Yunis.
Is he gonna be a'ight? Solid as a rock.
Just feels things.
Sensitive.
No, he'll be fine.
Expand and diversify.
What? All this that just happened it's a message from God.
Expandand diversify.
I need a favour.
I need you to bend some rules.
Again? Yeah, again.
Listen to Marry Poppins here.
Sorry, mate.
Putting that word in for you at the hospital is the last bit of rule-bending I do for you.
And why did you recommend us to Sadiq, man? Remind me.
So you could knob his wife.
Come down off your high horse and join the rest of us in the gutter.
What do you want? When are you finished here? Next week, thank God.
Can you take Hibbsy out with ya? I can get him to Kuwait but I can't trust him to get on the flight.
Eh? His mate got mullered last night.
Iraqi lad.
His head's gone, Mike.
The CO's never gonna fly one of you lot out in a million years.
I just want you to hold his hand.
I need him to get home.
What about you? When are you going home? The madness here it's like I dunno, I just I get it.
D'you know what I mean? SIREN REPORTER: 'The first bomb exploded at 8:51am 'on a train 100 yards inside a tunnel 'deep below the surface near Aldgate East.
'Within minutes it was clear this was a major incident.
'Hundreds were injured, seven died here.
MAN: 'Everyone thought they were gonna die.
'People started saying prayers, breaking the carriage windows' Yeah, well, so much for the war on terror.
'.
.
the emergency lights came on and the screaming intensified.
'The hysteria' Must be nice to always be right.
Stillyou must be used to this kind of thing.
Not really.
Half the Muslim fundamentalists are over here.
'Suggestions the blasts were due to an electrical power surge 'on the underground were cruelly dismissed' Unbelievable.
I'm glad they did it.
What?Did what? I'm glad they bombed London.
Takes that for people like Katy to realise what sort of people they are.
You were always telling me they were good people.
Every day, we have to put up with stuff like that.
Every single day.
Go and organise a peace march now and see how many you get.
You went there to help them.
Well, I was wrong.
They're scum.
Maybe people like you will realise that now.
This isn't you talking.
I know what you're really like and this isn't Katy, shut up! This IS me talking, so you'd better get used to it! No.
I know Just because we grew up together, doesn't mean you own me! I never said People change, yeah?! People grow up! People turn out not to be what you thought they were! Why don't you just accept it?! Lee, Son, come on TONY BLAIR: 'They seek to change our country 'and our way of life by these methods.
We will not be changed.
You happy now? 'Now the long and arduous task of finding those responsible.
'Anti-terrorist officers are investigating 'if this was the work of suicide bombers.
'Margaret Gilmore, BBC News.
' Mike, we Do you want to tell me anything, Mike? Like what? I know.
Mike.
You know? What do you know? I know you weren't called up.
I know you volunteered for that second tour.
Oh.
Why would anyone do that? Why would anyone volunteer? I'm sorry, I just I just felt I had to, you know? I'd I'd seen what it was like, and I'd seen it, and I knew I could handle it.
Didn't you think I could handle it? I know you can.
You're tougher than me.
What's brought this on? Guilty conscience.
You ready for this? The question is, is Dubai ready for us? Have you got the figures on Iraq's spend for infrastructure? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I didn't think I'd weigh in with the stats.
Thought I'd kick off with a couple of gags.
Don't fuck around, Danny.
The sheikhs who built this place from sand did it in ten years and I assure you they didn't do it by fuckin' around.
Three Arabs walk into a bar I mean it, Danny.
This is the big one.
Ten times the market.
We get these guys behind us, you could live in a place like this.
Come in, gentlemen.
We didn't know who else to turn to, to be honest.
I know he's not himself, but I'm not sure what difference I could make.
It's like they sent a different lad back.
I think we've all changed a bit.
You knowwe saw stuff We were hoping you could have a word.
Someone who's been through the same who can have a word.
Snap him out of it.
He'll listen to you, Mike.
He always has.
You were the reason he joined up in the first place.
If I told you the Shia militia were infiltrating the local police, could you do anything about it? Bloody hell, I thought we were talking about women and football! What?! Right An Iraqi mate of mine got killed in Basra.
Right, and the police did it.
And everybody knew.
And nobody wanted to touch 'em.
I mean I can't see how that fits with makin' the country better.
Everybody knows that we're letting the Shia militia run the police, it's the only way of keeping the lid on things down there.
Well, we might as well throw the towel in, then.
Give in to the bastards who bombed London while we're at it.
It's about the art of survival, that's all.
You don't learn anything in the Green?My sister, she's against HE SIGHS Right, what I mean is Do you still thinkwe went in there for the right reasons? Erm maybe.
At first.
But now I dunno.
A lot of us went back for the very wrong reasons.
Soyou're going back out there? I've got to.
I've got things to finish.
Well, at least take this out with you.
If it's all the same with you, Mike, I'd rather have an Xbox.
Want another pint? So the thing is, gentlemen, we cannot lose money.
All contracts awarded in Iraq are on a cost-plus basis.
If we go over our own estimated costs, any overspend is reimbursed by the government.
And who determines if there's been an overspend?We do.
That's what I'm tellin' ya.
The contractor names a figure and the US and Iraqi government pay it.
There's no safer investment in the world right now than Iraq.
You stepped up to the plate, Danny.
HE LAUGHS I gotta say, you stepped up to the plate.
All right, don't get too emotional, don't start cryin'.
In a year we won't even need to be in Iraq.
We can run things from here.
What, and die of boredom? Merry Christmas, Danny! You buyin', then? Hey, we got a plane to catch in two hours.
Ease up on the foreplay and we might just make it! Hello, ladies.
Haven't got long, so we'd best talk prices.
Thank you to all of you for the work you're doing here.
I know it's particularly tough being away from your families Turkey's dry as a bone.
Mmmmwah! About time you got one of these.
Now, I thought we agreed we weren't giving each other presents.
Ha-hah! Oh, that's great.
That is a great present.
All the lads swear by these.
Thanks.
Thank you.
I thought you'd like it.
I do.
I do.
Go on, try it on, then.
Did SHE help you choose it? Who? Are you gonna tell me her name? I thought I could pretend I didn't know .
.
but I do.
I know.
The more I've thought about the way you've been with me You hardly ever come near me.
And there was a time when I couldn't bend over to load the dishwasher without you leaping on me.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Mike! If you have a shred of feeling left for me, you will not sit there and lie to me.
Please don't lie to me.
She was a doctor.
A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear And so this is Christmas 'Thank you to all of you for the work you're doing here.
'I know it's particularly tough being away from your families 'over Christmas and New Year 'and it must be very hard at' Oh, my days!Hey up! I didn't think you'd be back today.
No-one told me.
Danny didn't even mention it.
I told him.
He must've forgotten.
Good to see ya.
Well, what's happening? Hey.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you, too.
I'm on stag on Christmas Day - can you believe that? You're joking me.
Hey up, lad.
How's it going? I'll do it for you, if you want.
I wouldn't mind just getting straight back in the saddle.
You sure?Yeah.
All right.
Just for a couple of hours, then, yeah? I'll catch up on some kip and I'll come on at teatime.
Sound, yeah.
Sweet.
All right.
See you in a bit, then.
What's with the bag? UmI'm gonna do my Christmas cards.
'is greater today than it's ever been, 'because if Iraq does stabilise and become a democracy, then' An Iraqi? An Iraqi?! It was a terrible time and, um That woman that came over with you, wasn't it? Course it was! I asked you her name and you pretended you didn't know.
I knew right there and then! What's going on? Can you just leave us for a minute? I want her to stay.
I don't want her hearing this.
What are you scared about? That they'll hear what a shit you are? It's just not right that she hears this.
I want her to stay.
Why don't we start selling tickets(?) A merry Christmas to you, too, Dad.
Go on, get you.
You too, Jess.
No, I want to stay.
Me and your mum have got stuff to sort out.
Tell me what's going on and I'll go.
Your dad's being having an affair Nicky!Lovely, isn't it(?) Since when?No sex for months Nicky!and here's me, wracking me brains for what I could do! If I'd known it was the headscarf, I could've got one from Ashton Market! Jess, get out, leave us alone! Fucking loser.
What did you say?Nothing.
What did you say to me?You can't talk to me like that any more! Because whatever I do, it will never be as bad as what you've done! And I said you were a fucking loser! SHE SOBS Wake up!What? You've overslept! We've just walked in here and no-one tried to stop us.
What's the story, leaving the gates open for Father Christmas(?) Hibbsy's covering for me.
Hibbsy's not even in the country.
He's back.
He said you knew.
I've heard some stories in my time He's back, I tell ya! He said he'd do me stag for a couple of hours.
Tell me where he is, because he's not on that gate! No fucker's on that gate! Get up!What a joke! Jesus Christ! Goddammit! Does he even have a weapon? What the hell's he doing? Your husband was a s-s-strong man.
Yeah? Um Yeah A strong man.
Yeah? Your dad told me that you were going to be an engineer and you were going to be a doctor and you were going to be a lawyer, right? I going to be the lawyer.
Oh, good.
Good lad, yeah.
Cos your dad told me that you all work hard at school.
We don't go to school.
Not any more.
Oh, um Why not? No money for school.
Oh I will pay for their school.
I will pay, yeah? This is all my savings.
OK? This is everything I've got, yeah? I wantI want you to have it.
Please! For them.
For them, for school.
I know I know you don't have Christmas, but have this for Christmas.
This is is my phone number, yeah? Telephone number? You call me if you need any more, yeah? Yeah, good lad.
Don't forget - you call me, yeah? If If you need any more, you just I-I loved Yunis.
Yunis was like a brother to me.
Merry Christmasyeah? Merry Christmas.
So what do we do now? I'm not doing anything.
You're moving out.
Is that what you want? Don't throw it back at me, Mike.
Don't you dare throw it back at me! Because I don't want that.
I think it would be a mistake.
I think we've got too much going for us.
I think we can get over this.
I want you to look me in the eye and tell me what you would do if she walked in here right now and said she wanted you.
That's not going to happen.
But if it did if it did who would you choose? It's funny, isn't it? I spent every day dreading bad news from Iraq but I never thought it would be this.
The thing is It's mad out there.
It does things to your head.
And I lost sight of stuff.
And in the middle of that awful, stinking mess, I found I don't know .
.
her.
So all the other lads been shagging the locals? I'm trying to explain this wasn't about that.
PHONE RINGS That her, is it? No, it's not her.
It's Danny.
So why don't you answer it? We're in the middle of this! No, we're not.
We're at the end.
He's not answering.
You promised he was gonna be all right.
I knew his head was gone but I chose to believe you.
Good call(!) What do we do now? We sit and we wait.
He's gone AWOL.
I'm not jeopardising more men for him.
That what you'd do if I was out there?This business is built on calculated risk.
Fuck you.
Don't even think about it, Danny.
What are you doing? Something.
How are we going to find him? Maybe he left a trail of breadcrumbs, you track him back to the witch's house! What are you going to get in a car, drive around and hope you find him? That's pretty much the plan, yeah.
I'm telling you, don't do this! MAN: Hello.
Lance Corporal Hibbs.
I'm not lance corporal any more.
You were when you trained me.
I didn't train you for this.
All you had to do was go home.
You got rid of Saddam, but then you should have let us get on with running our own country.
Kill each other, you mean? Like you killed my mate?! You know how many Iraqis your bombs kill? Huh? Huh? Answer me! Answer me!What? Half a million! So don't talk to me about killing.
Don't try and tell me you're better.
This is so fucked up.
We agree on that, Lance Corporal Hibbs.
Can I tell you something? Because you don't know me.
I used to play cards between me left hand and me right when I was bored off school when I had no-one else to play with.
HE SWALLOWS Me dad was a printer.
He used to keep half a smoked cigarette behind his ear.
Whenever he kissed me good night I could smell the ink and tobacco.
I never went out.
I never lived when I was young.
My sister would bring her boyfriends home on a Saturday night, I'd be sat in me pyjamas watching Casualty, eating cornflakes.
I was a quiet lad.
So you seemy life wasn't supposed to end like this.
TAPPING THEY SPEAK IN ARABIC Floating down Through the clouds Memories come rushing up to meet me now But in the space between the heavens And the corner of some foreign field I had a dream I had a dream RAIN SPATTERING Goodbye, Max Goodbye, Ma Yalla.
Allahu Akbar! My name is Lee Hibbs from Manchester.
I am in Iraq working as a private military contractor.
I think the United States Army and the British Army should leave Iraq and let the Iraqi people decide for themselves their own future.
My name is Lee Hibbs.
And I should not be here.
You take her frail hand Mum's told you I'm joining up? It's not an easy option, you know.
Maybe I wanna see action.
Danny, you screwed the oilfield contract when you bullied and bribed and forged documents.
These people can't stop killing each other.
These people? All of them?! I've changed, you haven't, get over it.
ALIYA: Why did you come back to this country? People will think she's a prostitute.
SHE CRIES OUT IN PAIN Does anyone know you've come here? If they catch you, they will kill her.