Call the Midwife s05e04 Episode Script
Series 5, Episode 4
'The world was shifting on its axis in 1961.
'Strides were being made, 'decisions taken, questions asked.
'It was as true at Nonnatus House as it was anywhere.
' 'The world was turning faster, burning brighter.
'It was all we could do to keep pace, keep time, 'keep abreast of so much change.
' Sister! - Whatever are you doing? - I'm cleaning the portrait of Sister Hildegard with some bread.
Her anniversary's coming up, and I once read in a magazine that this is the best way to freshen up an oil painting.
She was the first of our Sisters to come to Poplar.
It's so important that we remember her.
I missed her commemoration service last year, so this is the first I've been to since I joined the Order.
It feels very special.
Bless you, Sister.
- Nurse! Nurse! - Good morning, Linda! - You haven't been to Sadie's yet, have you, Nurse? - No.
- She's next on my list.
- Would you take her these? It's just a few cough candy twists.
- I was going to drop 'em in, but I'm running late! - Of course.
Oh, and tell her I'll pop in after my shift! Your lips are moving.
They're always moving, on the quiet.
Poetry, this time, or one of your plays? "O! for a Muse of fire, "that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention!" It's from Henry V.
That the one with Sir Laurence Olivier? It's the one by William Shakespeare, Mum.
I've fixed it, now don't keep taking it down to look at it all the time.
Postman'll be here soon.
He might walk past again, like he did yesterday and the day before.
Nurse calling! Come through, angel.
Angel? I could get used to that.
- Hello, Nurse.
- Hello! Still, I suppose there is something rather celestial about a person who comes bearing burns dressings - and a quarter of medicinal confectionery.
- From Linda? Yes.
You picked a lovely girl there, Ian.
He never picked her, he hasn't got the common sense! They picked each other, first day down the Mixed Infants.
Didn't you, son? That's right.
I really don't like the sound of that cough, Mrs Bulmer.
You've had it for three weeks now.
It's just dust off my Royal Collection.
I see he's fixed that picture of yours.
I should hope so, too.
Her Majesty and me.
Her Majesty and a bit of your head, you mean! She's a lovely lady.
Her hat was exquisite.
Petal-covered cloche in navy silk organza.
It's a shame she wasn't standing by you when the hexane caught.
Then I'd be dressing royal burns, and not just yours.
Picture's my souvenir.
My husband did 30.
He got his long-service watch before he died.
Ian wears it now.
I got in, Mum! I got a place at Durham! - At the University, to do English! - Oh, Ian, congratulations! First in the street.
Well done, son.
It's all right if I bring the boys in? Of course.
As long as they steer clear of Wendy House Corner.
We don't want another incident with the mangle.
Right, go on.
You heard.
Take a seat, Mrs Cottingham.
We're just talking through the differences between home and hospital delivery.
We try to give you as much information as we can.
I'm stopping at home.
Turn my back on my lot for ten days, I'll have no house to come back to.
My old man will have lost it in a card game, or the kids'll have burnt it down! Isn't there any visiting in the afternoons? My Kevin's on permanent nights.
Rules are quite strict on maternity wards.
It helps get babies into a routine.
Many new mothers find this quite helpful, though Baby would see rather more of his or her father if you gave birth at home.
I want the gas, though.
Proper gas, off a machine.
Someone told me if you have it at home, they give you gas through the cooker, and I think that's dangerous.
That would be very dangerous indeed! Gas and air is completely different, and the midwives bring the apparatus to your home.
What if something goes wrong? With the delivery? - Is it your first, love? - Yeah.
You'll be all right with the Nonnatans.
Won't she? Dr Turner is never far away, and in an emergency, you can get to the hospital very quickly.
Terrence! You leave that little girl alone! I do not want any more fingers in mangles! Should've had them at the hospital and left 'em there! Mr Hereward! Mr Hereward! I got into Durham! - Yes! - Just like you -- only English Lit, not Theology.
- Which college? - Castle.
- I know it well.
Take a vest and a hot water bottle.
Oi, young man! No leading my daughter astray now.
It's all right, Maurice.
I'll have her back in time to get you your dinner.
Thanks, Mr Hereward.
For the books, and for the train fare for the interview.
For everything, really.
Linda! Linda, guess what? I got in! Good.
Baby's head-down, so nicely poised to settle into your pelvis ready for delivery.
You really are a model patient, Mrs Cottingham.
Well, here's hoping I have a model baby.
And preferably one I can dress in pink and don't have to yell at till I'm hoarse.
- Would you like a little girl this time? - Yeah.
I know I'm meant to say "I don't mind as long as it's healthy", and I do love my boys.
But lads, Sister -- they egg each other on.
Have you considered a hospital delivery, so that you could have some rest? Nah, I like my own bed and my own toilet.
Anthony! Put that iron down.
It's for using on clothes, not other children! Help me down, Sister.
Duty calls.
I wish I knew where you buy lassos.
Could keep one in me handbag.
Wait till you see the library I'll be studying in.
The cathedral, the river! I like THIS river.
What was that poem you used to say to me? The one about the lady and the mirror? Willows whiten, aspens shiver The sunbeam showers break and quiver In the stream that runneth ever By the island in the river Flowing down to Camelot.
That was my favourite.
It isn't about the Thames, Linda.
My life isn't going to be about clocking in at the paintworks day in, day out, like my mum and dad's.
I'm going to get us both right out of here.
When I get my degree, we can go where we like.
I don't know Well, if you don't know, Lin, I do.
"I do.
" That's funny.
Why? You said it accidentally.
And quite soon, I think you're going to be saying it for real.
This morning, I went to the doctors.
I'm in the family way.
Ian! Ian! Look, you can run all you like, but it won't go away! We love each other, don't we? You said you loved me, when we did it.
And I meant it.
I really did.
No calls this afternoon, Sister.
I could've come to clinic after all.
I don't like to leave the telephone unmanned.
This is usually such a busy time of year.
Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.
Yes, of course.
She's here now.
Sister, it's the Matron of St Cuthbert's Hospital.
She asked to speak to you.
I'm entirely happy to deputise with regard to administration, Sister.
But, er, hospital routines are rather gruelling.
Are you sure you don't want to send one of the youngsters? It's only for a week.
But I'm sure St Cuthbert's will provide a bath chair, if I can't take the pace.
I'll thank you for the beetroot, Sister Winifred.
Sister Julienne, I really don't mind going.
I've never been seconded to St Cuthbert's, and they've won prizes for their hygiene.
I volunteered my services for several reasons.
First, their need is great.
Second, my load here is lightest in terms of clinical work.
And third, I haven't worked in a hospital for almost ten years.
More and more women are choosing hospital deliveries.
I'm keen to see why.
I think you'll find that whatever the fol-de-rols, babies come out in much the same way, and they have done since Adam and Eve were in their birthday suits.
Sister Mary Cynthia, whilst I'm in the hospital, would you be kind enough to draw up a plan for Sister Hildegard's service? It would be an honour, Sister.
But the child barely knows the woman's name.
Let alone recount her virtues, or recall her toil.
I thought this would be a chance for her to learn.
It will.
If Sister Monica Joan will help me.
We shall toil together like Ruth and Naomi after the death of Elimelech.
That'll be lovely.
I can't believe La Dolce Vita's finally here.
I've been reading about it in magazines for the past 12 months.
And I've been promising to sit through it with you.
You want to see Anita Ekberg in that fountain just as much as I do.
I'm not on duty a week next Friday.
And -- as far as I can ascertain -- you're not on call.
Have you been looking at the advance roster? - Guilty as charged.
But is it a date? - What are you two up to? Trying to get our legs brown.
I'm not doing too badly, but poor Patsy's struggling, what with being a redhead and everything.
I had shins like milk bottles even when I was a blonde.
Oh, just look at Anita Ekberg's bust in that black dress! She must be wearing the most stupendous brassiere, or how on earth could she manage to go strapless? Well, if you come to the flicks with us next Friday, you might find out.
Oh, how perfectly marvellous.
Shall we treat ourselves to the two and nines? I've just tried rubbing my legs with Trex to speed things up.
There's a great big block of it in the fridge, because Nurse Crane won't eat anything fried in dripping.
Do you fancy coming to the pictures next week, Barbara? We're going up West to see La Dolce Vita.
If enough people join in, we could book a charabanc.
- What day next week? - Friday.
I'd love to.
If I'm not busy.
Why would you be busy, Barbara? You normally have Friday evenings off.
A relative from my mother's side is going to be in London and I promised her I'd show her the sights.
How terribly public-spirited of you.
No, not really.
I'm just very fond of Cousin Mabel.
Course you are.
Trixie? You'll have to excuse me, I'm going to make myself a face mask out of salad cream.
I believe one can find the most amazing aids to beauty in the kitchen cupboards.
Sister Knowles? I'm Sister Julienne.
Ah, Sister.
Glad to have you.
The wards are chock-a-block.
Handing over to another midwife now, dear.
Notes are on the trolley.
Why go? Why go? It's time for my break, Mrs Shahjee.
I'll be able to look after you much better if I look after myself.
Unless the head is crowning or beyond, we find it best to stick to our breaks as scheduled.
This mother is only eight months, but Baby appears to be a satisfactory size.
Mrs Shahjee Jamila? Jamila.
I don't know how you could be so stupid! You went to grammar school.
Your mother would turn in her grave.
Do you think I haven't thought that? Do you think that wasn't the first thing that came into my head? And the first thing that came into mine was, "When's the wedding?" - The tissue granulation's coming along wonderfully! - Well? I'm supposed to be going to university! Men work, and they provide, and they stand by girls when they get them into trouble.
Don't they, Nurse? In the absence of my tin helmet -- which does rather interfere with my coiffure -- I've been trying not to comment.
But if there's one thing I've been taught over the years, it's that at first, feelings run very high in this sort of a situation.
And sooner or later, everything calms down, and the way ahead becomes much clearer.
The way ahead seems perfectly obvious to me.
Tea? This is a labour room, not a teddy bears' picnic! It's well sugared.
A long labour like this needs fuel.
And Mother needs to be on the bed.
Come on, dear, up we get.
I don't see this lady delivering without forceps.
And the trouble with these Indians is they panic when a male comes near them.
Sylheti ladies are very modest.
On the district, it took a while even for the midwives to gain their trust.
Hello, Ian.
Can I ask a favour, Mr Hereward? Of course.
Is it about your grant forms? No.
You're doing very well indeed.
Baby's almost here.
One last push Boy? Yes.
Do you want to hold him? Just for a moment, please.
Let's pop Baby on the scales, see what we're up against.
We've had smaller, and they've done very well, in the main.
Of course.
The care here is known to be exemplary.
The baby is well, Jamila.
Soon you can have your cup of tea.
Hey! Evening, treacle! Thought I'd wait and walk back with you.
Shall we take the detour? Come on, I'll buy you a 99.
I don't want a 99.
And I don't want you to go mad.
But you will.
You will do the right thing by my daughter! - Do you hear me? - Dad! Stop it! - That's enough, Mr Lanyard! We've enough on our plates without having to send for an ambulance.
Thank you.
Ian, come and sit down too.
We can discuss the subject of marriage -- together.
We won't be doing anything together if he goes off to university.
If I get a degree, I can be a teacher.
Or write for the papers.
I could work for the BBC, making programmes about poetry.
I could put better food on the table than you've ever seen in your life.
I could be proud of how I put it there.
But it's going to take three years.
You haven't got three years, Ian.
You've got seven months.
Delia? There's no-one here.
There's nobody watching.
Nobody but us.
- You waited up? - Yes.
It's what we dreamed of, wasn't it? When we were planning the flat, before our future got interrupted.
Do you know, Deels, in my whole life, I never once had anyone wait up for me.
I bet you've never had anyone make you a cup of Bournvita with a tot of Johnny Walker in it, either.
While you were out, I was thinking, "I'm going to unpin her hair, "let it fall down to her shoulders and run my hands through it.
" But you've gone so mad with the lacquer, I could pull out every kirby grip and the beehive wouldn't budge.
Trixie knows about us, Tom.
Has she said so? She doesn't have to.
She's my friend.
I eat my meals with her.
We share a bathroom.
I can tell when she's unhappy.
Maybe she's unhappy about something else.
Well, that would be convenient, wouldn't it? That's not what I meant.
Tom, it's been a year since you broke off your engagement, and I agree.
We should've both got over it.
And that wasn't what I meant.
I meant that I can see that she's still struggling, but I didn't think that you'd say that you were struggling too.
Neither did I.
I see.
- I'm sorry.
- No No, Tom, I'm sorry that I made you tell the truth.
Because telling the truth is sometimes harder than telling lies.
Which is something I've had to do rather more than I would like.
And I would've had to do far more in the future, if we'd carried on.
Who's to say we're not going to carry on? Barbara, I love and I value every single minute, every hour I spend with you.
Afternoon, Tom.
Afternoon, Barbara! That's not enough, Tom.
Not when we're causing pain to someone else.
And certainly not when it's causing pain to us.
You really are the sweetest, loveliest girl I ever met.
I'm not.
I'm 23! I'm a nurse.
And what nurses do when they see pain is try to stop it.
Sorry to interrupt ministerial business, Mr Hereward.
Nurse Gilbert, Ruby Cottingham's in labour.
It sounds as though things are moving rapidly.
Will there be time for lunch? I strongly suspect not.
I've packed us a hardboiled egg apiece and some coconut tart.
Hay fever? Come on.
Get in the car.
I think we need to refer you to the hospital for tests.
I've been coughing on and off for years.
Everybody does, round here.
They said we'd all be cured, after the Clean Air Act.
The Clean Air act won't have had much of an impact on conditions inside Hayward's, Mrs Bulmer.
We need to rule out emphysema.
It was emphysema what did for my husband.
I'm a widow.
I need to work.
You have a strapping grown-up son, Mrs Bulmer.
He could take care of you now.
I wish I had your confidence.
Good lass, good lass That's another one you can put behind you.
What do you reckon my chances of a girl are this time round? I would say 50%.
What do you think, Nurse Crane? Mathematical probability was never my strong suit.
I think you'll find it isn't Mother Nature's, either.
I thought I'd be done by now.
These pains started 12 hours ago! I wasn't even like this when I had my first.
If you'd let me examine you internally, we can try to see what's going on.
Yeah, all right.
I've had enough.
Come on.
You take my hand, give it a good squeeze if things aren't too comfortable.
- Brow presentation.
- I'll telephone Doctor.
He'll be on his house calls.
It's like being crushed by an elephant.
- I bet you've heard that one before.
- Elephants.
Rhinos.
Hippopotami.
And to extend the comparison, this baby's being a monkey.
Not quite tucking its chin down as it should, I suspect.
You might both do better if we send you off to hospital.
Hospital? Nurse Gilbert, can you nip down the street to the telephone? Flying squad or ordinary ambulance, whichever's quicker.
Ruby's already had a very long day.
She has.
I'll be back in two ticks.
There's no need for you to worry.
Many, many congratulations, Ian.
And Linda.
And now I suppose I ought to ask to see the ring.
It's lovely.
He sold his dad's long-service watch to pay for it.
Didn't you, Ian? Nurse Franklin! Nurse! Look! We're engaged! How perfectly lovely! Let's see! You're a lucky girl, Linda.
This is more than just a piece of jewellery.
It's proof that you've found a man that will put you first, always.
And that really is a very rare and precious thing.
What happens now? What are you going to do? Doctor's going to help your baby to be born, dear.
Sister Julienne! - Mrs Cottingham! - It's all gone wrong, Sister! Cervix not fully dilated.
I can't get my fingers between the cervix and the head.
It's so swollen.
It's all right, Ruby I'd be screaming my head off if you weren't here.
No, you wouldn't.
You've been a warrior.
It's your own courage that's got you this far.
Definitely a brow presentation.
Check foetal heart rate, please, Sister.
I need more gas.
I can't keep on any more - 60 - Right.
Emergency Caesarean section.
Anaesthetist and paediatrician, please.
- As quickly as we can, please.
- Look after her.
Who? My little girl.
I'll be asleep when she's born.
You look after her.
I will.
I promise you.
Thanks very much.
- Evening, Reverend.
- Mr Lanyard.
I thought I'd offer the happy couple my congratulations.
Grab yourself a paper plate and something to eat.
Two types of pork pie, and a trifle as big as your head.
Oh! And have an orange juice, seeing as you're a man of the cloth.
Joycey! There was I waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church Hello, Trixie.
Hello, Tom.
Linda's father saw me passing and hauled me in off the street.
I didn't like to refuse.
And they poured me a glass of Babycham, even though I'm in my uniform.
Well, that's easily dealt with.
Cheers! Cheers.
.
.
my wife won't let me! Blood pressure 80 over 40.
Low.
I'm not wasting any time.
Uterus exposed.
Suction and oxygen all ready? In the anteroom, Sir.
Paediatrician's on his way.
Hmmm.
Proceeding.
Oh, God.
Another one.
It's alive.
Somebody take it! Can we all turn our attention back to the mother, please? All right, all right, quiet down, folks, I've got a few words to say! I ain't one of the world's talkers .
.
so I'll keep me words to a minimum.
That was for my son-in-law to be.
He likes long words.
But let's just say the happy news has meant a change of plan.
And as most of us are proper Hayward's Paints families, I've managed to pull a few strings.
Open it, son.
Welcome to the factory! You start work tomorrow, eight sharp.
There was I Waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church When I'd found you'd left me in the lurch Lord, how it did upset me! I've come to enquire about Baby Cottingham.
Baby Cottingham? The very poorly baby that was born this evening.
We've had two admissions today, but none since noon.
Thank you.
No, no, no, no Can you hear me, little one? And the Lord who created you said "Don't be afraid, for I have redeemed you.
"I have called you by your name.
You are mine.
" "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
" "When you pass through the flames, you will not burn.
" "You are precious in my eyes".
This baby is still breathing! We couldn't have saved it.
But to leave it alone? Cold, and trembling, and possibly in pain? The anaesthetic from the mother should still be in its system.
It shouldn't suffer.
And it cannot live.
But it's living now.
And it has been for an hour or more.
Sister, this was the kinder way.
We couldn't even tell whether it was male or female.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May he make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you, and grant you peace.
I think it's gone.
It hasn't been baptised.
I should've baptised it myself.
You don't have to be a priest to christen a baby, did you know that? No.
I didn't.
The burial will be a decent one, we can arrange for that.
But there will have to be a postmortem.
It's the third baby we've delivered with these sorts of malformations in the last 12 months.
May I tell Mrs Cottingham, when she wakes from her operation? The rules state that we don't go into the postnatal ward.
Yes.
And sometimes rules are best broken.
But leave it till tomorrow.
I'm not drunk, Mr Hereward.
Giving up something you really want is hard.
I know that.
You do? I once had a job in a record shop that I really, really loved.
And I had to pack it in to do my national service.
I spent two years in Kinloss with a Dansette with a broken needle and a pile of jazz LPs I couldn't play.
And then God came calling, and he was a bit of a taskmaster.
And don't get me started on girls.
Nor me.
Ian, do you love Linda? I don't love her more than anything else in the world, Mr Hereward.
You love her enough to do what's right.
And sometimes enough love IS enough.
It has to be.
We sang Psalm 40 at Compline tonight, which brought to mind our forthcoming homage to Sister Hildegard.
I am attempting to give advice to Sister Mary Cynthia.
And it's very useful advice.
But I did tell Sister Monica Joan we could talk about it in the morning, after the Great Silence Our Sister greatly seeks replenishment in prayer.
There's supper for you in the kitchen.
I'll warm it up.
But first things first I saw a baby lost today.
It was brutal.
And unbearable.
I'm not sure if I did enough.
Sister Monica Joan, do you suppose that it's ever acceptable to tell a lie? I think the question is not if it's acceptable, but if it is kind.
I don't know.
But I do know that telling the truth would be cruel.
So cruel.
Then there can be no virtue in it.
No.
Corned beef, and a bit of Pan Yan pickle.
Linda'll have more modern ideas.
You'll be getting miniature sausage rolls off her, like you see in the magazines.
Thanks.
You look just like your dad.
I've delivered babies with pathologies before.
But this It was completely limbless.
Like little Susan Mullucks? Without even an indication of gender.
What did Mr Kenley say? He said, "Oh, God.
Another one.
" "Another one"? He's had nothing to do with Susan.
She was born here, in the maternity home.
That's why I thought I ought to come to you.
Did it live? Mrs Cottingham doesn't know yet.
I undertook to tell her.
What became of the other children? Did they die too? I'm not sure.
Sister Knowles said that one of them has been transferred to, um a residential hospital.
There's been no clear directive, no official notification of any sort of cluster.
Timothy! You're going to be late for school.
Mrs Gillespie asked me to climb on her toilet roof to get her cat down.
When you have a paper round, helping old ladies becomes an occupational hazard.
Go home and comb your hair.
Your tie and biscuit money are on the sideboard.
I brought Dad's Lancet.
Unless you're too busy to read it today -- I could take it and read it on the bus.
No, leave it here.
I shall expect a tip at Christmas! There's nothing in the list of contents.
Well, why would there be? Until somebody, somewhere, tells us otherwise, we have to look at this as a local phenomenon.
A local problem.
Which means it's our problem.
Quite.
There's no need to keep hiding your hand.
You got a ring on your finger.
- It's not a wedding ring, though.
- Yet.
I'm actually rubbing my back.
I'm all achy at the bottom of it.
They won't want to see you for a month once you're all booked in.
You'll have your band of gold by then.
It only takes three weeks to call the banns.
I know.
Mr Hereward said.
Linda Lanyard? May I take this one, Nurse Gilbert? Of course.
I haven't boiled any urine today, it will be quite nice to get a change of pace.
Hello, Linda, how are you? On the bed, heels to bottom and knees nice and wide apart.
Sadie warned me about this.
You'll get used to it.
Some of the old hands come with their knickers in their pockets, and don't put them on until we've finished! Linda, have you been having any spotting? What's spotting? Losing little amounts of blood, as you would at the beginning of a monthly? Only early on.
I kept thinking that I was about to start, but I didn't.
Linda.
I'm afraid you're bleeding now and it looks like a little more than spotting.
Try to stay still.
When can I see my baby? Ruby .
.
I'm so very, very sorry.
But your poor little baby was born so desperately unwell.
And it wasn't possible for us to save it.
Did it die? Yes, Ruby.
In my arms.
Sister.
Was it a girl? Yes.
I knew.
Always knew.
Yes.
Yes, you did.
Did she cry? A little.
But when she took her last breath, she was warm and safe .
.
and I believe she was aware she was loved.
I wished so hard for her.
Maybe I shouldn't have.
Maybe I'm being punished.
- But God knows I love my boys - He does.
You did nothing wrong.
Then why? I wish I could answer that.
And I wish I could bring your baby back.
But I can't.
Listen to us, eh? Wishing this and wishing that.
We haven't got a fairy godmother between us.
Linda Linda, I know this is a perfectly ghastly business.
But you're not alone.
There's more blood! Don't cry.
It's a natural process.
It will be over soon.
Something's come away, Nurse! It's all right, Linda.
It's all right.
When you're ready, open the door.
But I don't want you to flush, all right? Afternoon, Mr Lanyard.
How's the young bridegroom shaping up? Don't ask me.
Little toerag never even clocked on.
Spontaneous miscarriage.
Foetus looked to be about eight weeks.
Oh, no.
Poor wee girl.
We'll take her back to Sadie's and get her tucked up in bed.
Call Doctor, if you've any concerns.
What the poor pet really needs is a good cry, a couple of aspirin, and a hug, in no particular order, but the hug is of prime importance.
Ian? Ian! What the hell are you doing? Ian's in the house and the gas is on.
Stay outside! He's still breathing! Ian.
Ian.
Take deep breaths.
Try to take deep breaths.
I'm sorry.
It's all right.
You've done nothing wrong.
He even missed my shoes.
He got mine, though.
Head up, sweetie.
We'll get you through this.
There's no obvious similarity between Rhoda Mullucks and Ruby Cottingham, other than them both being multiparous mothers and on the older side.
Don't think they'd thank you for that, Patrick.
They're both younger than me.
Meanwhile, Keith Cottingham is in the navy.
Mmm.
It says here that he had his appendix out, on land, in New Zealand in 1957.
So he could've been involved in the H Bomb tests.
We'd have to check.
The H Bomb? Hello! Hello, dear.
Deformed babies have been born in the South Seas.
There's one school of thought that blames nuclear testing.
It happened after Hiroshima and Nagasaki too.
We did it in History.
So World War II is history now, is it? We do exams in it and everything.
Can I wash some equipment? - How much are you charging? - The usual.
- Bike fund? - Yes.
Go through to the sluice.
I'll catch you up.
But going back to the mothers, neither Rhoda nor Ruby has anything out of the ordinary on their records.
Only the usual juvenile illnesses, plus occasional antibiotics and other routine drugs in adulthood.
Oh, come here.
There we go.
I'm sorry.
We'll be taking work home with us tonight.
No university place, now no baby, and engaged for no good reason.
If he tries to walk away, he could be sued for breach of promise.
A broken engagement is a serious thing.
Isn't it? Trixie, that is not what I meant.
How long since we ended everything? A year.
To be more precise, a year and ten days.
Once upon a time, one of us would have leaned forward to kiss the other one just then.
I know.
But neither of us did.
No.
When you look at Barbara, do you want to lean forward and kiss her? Sometimes.
I have done, once or twice.
- Oh.
- But don't worry.
It won't happen again.
If we were ever going out at all, Barbara ended it.
Because of you.
Or more precisely, because of you and me.
Do you think it's time to let each other go, Trixie? I thought we did that last year.
Because hanging on, not letting each other grow .
.
is a recipe for misery.
Yes.
And vomit on one's shoes, as we found out earlier this evening.
So if you'll excuse me, I'll go and get changed.
I don't feel at all comfortable.
This seems to be our only clue that these anomalies are part of something more widespread -- this residential hospital that specialises in children with malformed limbs.
It's not a new hospital.
But it is a new specialisation.
It may mean nothing at all.
Patrick, we have to go to bed.
We have patients to care for in the morning and they don't need us crawling in half-dead through lack of sleep.
I never know when I love you the most, but I sometimes think that these are the times that I love you best.
When the whole world's sleeping, and you're sitting up with dark rings beneath your eyes, just trying to make it better.
Oh, Shelagh.
We had a wonderful old professor when I was at medical school.
Macketon Phipps.
He was a real physician, cared about patients inside and out.
And he used to say, "Never be afraid to say when you don't know the answer.
" But these babies Shelagh, I don't know.
And I don't know if there's anything TO know.
And I'm scared.
She had a reasonable night.
I tucked her up in bed next to me.
You're as good as a mum to Linda, Sadie.
I know that.
Which is just what most girls need, after an experience like yours.
Will you look in on Ian, Nurse, before you go? Only Only we heard him crying in the night.
There's no harm in me popping my head round the door, but There's no need, Nurse.
I'm all right.
And I'm going to work.
No, son.
No, you're not.
Here.
I rather think I ought to take my leave No, Nurse.
This isn't some big drama.
I'm just doing the right thing.
Like you did the right thing.
I didn't say I wanted to marry you because it was the right thing, Linda.
It was because I loved you.
And I love you now.
Take it.
Sell it.
Spend it on the books you'll read at university.
I'm not standing in your way, and there's no baby going to now either.
I've still got responsibilities.
I've got Mum.
Don't you worry about me, son.
You can come home and listen to me coughing in the holidays, but you don't have to do it all year round.
Take the ring, Ian.
Right.
There.
There it is and there it's staying.
Till you've got letters after your name, and more ahead of you than me and your dad ever had.
Best not argue with your mum, Ian.
You won't win.
And we can wait.
You can't stand in the way of what life wants, can you, Nurse? Or what love wants.
One way or another, things end up how they should.
You need to have the big light on if you're going to do handicrafts at this hour.
It's all right.
It's only a few figures for the Bible Study Fuzzy Felt at Sunday School.
Judas and Simon Peter have gone missing, and Mary Magdalene's got no head.
I hope Mr Hereward appreciates your dedication.
I don't care if he doesn't.
Enter.
Barbara, may I speak to you for a moment? I expect it's time I did my vanishing act.
Or as we say in Spanish class, "Le dejo a usted conversar, senoritas.
" I think we need to "conversar" about Cousin Mabel.
There's no such person, Trixie.
I made her up so that I didn't have to tell you the truth.
But there's really no truth to tell now, so it doesn't matter.
Yes, it does.
I'm so sorry, Trixie.
I knew you knew, and I knew you were unhappy.
And I should have ended it sooner, but I didn't have the courage, and I had too much hope.
Probably.
Tom's special, isn't he? Yes.
But not so special that it's worth all three of us being miserable.
And now, if you don't mind, I really need to get on with these Fuzzy Felt apostles.
Oh, Barbara.
Only a girl as nice as you would say a thing like that.
What if I'm not nice, Trixie? What if I'm thinking all sorts of mean and terrible thoughts inside? I wouldn't blame you.
And I'm not going to stand in your way, or Tom's.
People want what they want.
And one way or another -- at least, if love comes into it -- things will end up as they should.
As it was in the beginning Is now, and ever shall be World without end, Amen.
It was Sister Hildegard who began our work here in Poplar.
And I and my Sisters carry on that work as best we can, day by day, night by night, woman by woman, child by child.
Her faith was never shaken, and faith remains the foundation of our life.
But there are times when we are challenged -- not in the vowed life, but as midwives and nurses.
There are babies born broken.
There are lives we cannot heal.
And it is then that we should turn to the woman that so inspired our Sister that she took her name -- Saint Hildegard of Bingen.
For Saint Hildegard once said, God hugs you.
God hugs you.
You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.
You shine so finely, it surpasses understanding.
'We knew so little then.
'In a world that seemed so full of opening doors and bright horizons, 'we thought only of what was new, and better.
'Because it WAS new and better, 'and it would take us to places we had never been before.
' .
.
I'm so, I'm so afraid You might not care Every time you pass me by Oh, you don't know You don't know what I go through Seeing someone else with you Oh, I wish the one with you Were me 'We couldn't see what was coming, 'or understand yet what had already come to pass.
'We had so much still to learn.
' .
.
but until then I'll never give this away Who else would tell me stories? Tell me where frankincense came from? We have an emergency.
I shall go at once.
That's it, ladies.
If we want to reduce, we must keep moving.
Tar and tumours, from those bloody cigarettes.
She used to call me her movie star.
I can feel the pounds falling off! Hello? Anyone at home? .
.
I would tell you If I believed that you might care some day But until then I'll never give this away When you don't know Oh, yeah Whoa-oh-oh
'Strides were being made, 'decisions taken, questions asked.
'It was as true at Nonnatus House as it was anywhere.
' 'The world was turning faster, burning brighter.
'It was all we could do to keep pace, keep time, 'keep abreast of so much change.
' Sister! - Whatever are you doing? - I'm cleaning the portrait of Sister Hildegard with some bread.
Her anniversary's coming up, and I once read in a magazine that this is the best way to freshen up an oil painting.
She was the first of our Sisters to come to Poplar.
It's so important that we remember her.
I missed her commemoration service last year, so this is the first I've been to since I joined the Order.
It feels very special.
Bless you, Sister.
- Nurse! Nurse! - Good morning, Linda! - You haven't been to Sadie's yet, have you, Nurse? - No.
- She's next on my list.
- Would you take her these? It's just a few cough candy twists.
- I was going to drop 'em in, but I'm running late! - Of course.
Oh, and tell her I'll pop in after my shift! Your lips are moving.
They're always moving, on the quiet.
Poetry, this time, or one of your plays? "O! for a Muse of fire, "that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention!" It's from Henry V.
That the one with Sir Laurence Olivier? It's the one by William Shakespeare, Mum.
I've fixed it, now don't keep taking it down to look at it all the time.
Postman'll be here soon.
He might walk past again, like he did yesterday and the day before.
Nurse calling! Come through, angel.
Angel? I could get used to that.
- Hello, Nurse.
- Hello! Still, I suppose there is something rather celestial about a person who comes bearing burns dressings - and a quarter of medicinal confectionery.
- From Linda? Yes.
You picked a lovely girl there, Ian.
He never picked her, he hasn't got the common sense! They picked each other, first day down the Mixed Infants.
Didn't you, son? That's right.
I really don't like the sound of that cough, Mrs Bulmer.
You've had it for three weeks now.
It's just dust off my Royal Collection.
I see he's fixed that picture of yours.
I should hope so, too.
Her Majesty and me.
Her Majesty and a bit of your head, you mean! She's a lovely lady.
Her hat was exquisite.
Petal-covered cloche in navy silk organza.
It's a shame she wasn't standing by you when the hexane caught.
Then I'd be dressing royal burns, and not just yours.
Picture's my souvenir.
My husband did 30.
He got his long-service watch before he died.
Ian wears it now.
I got in, Mum! I got a place at Durham! - At the University, to do English! - Oh, Ian, congratulations! First in the street.
Well done, son.
It's all right if I bring the boys in? Of course.
As long as they steer clear of Wendy House Corner.
We don't want another incident with the mangle.
Right, go on.
You heard.
Take a seat, Mrs Cottingham.
We're just talking through the differences between home and hospital delivery.
We try to give you as much information as we can.
I'm stopping at home.
Turn my back on my lot for ten days, I'll have no house to come back to.
My old man will have lost it in a card game, or the kids'll have burnt it down! Isn't there any visiting in the afternoons? My Kevin's on permanent nights.
Rules are quite strict on maternity wards.
It helps get babies into a routine.
Many new mothers find this quite helpful, though Baby would see rather more of his or her father if you gave birth at home.
I want the gas, though.
Proper gas, off a machine.
Someone told me if you have it at home, they give you gas through the cooker, and I think that's dangerous.
That would be very dangerous indeed! Gas and air is completely different, and the midwives bring the apparatus to your home.
What if something goes wrong? With the delivery? - Is it your first, love? - Yeah.
You'll be all right with the Nonnatans.
Won't she? Dr Turner is never far away, and in an emergency, you can get to the hospital very quickly.
Terrence! You leave that little girl alone! I do not want any more fingers in mangles! Should've had them at the hospital and left 'em there! Mr Hereward! Mr Hereward! I got into Durham! - Yes! - Just like you -- only English Lit, not Theology.
- Which college? - Castle.
- I know it well.
Take a vest and a hot water bottle.
Oi, young man! No leading my daughter astray now.
It's all right, Maurice.
I'll have her back in time to get you your dinner.
Thanks, Mr Hereward.
For the books, and for the train fare for the interview.
For everything, really.
Linda! Linda, guess what? I got in! Good.
Baby's head-down, so nicely poised to settle into your pelvis ready for delivery.
You really are a model patient, Mrs Cottingham.
Well, here's hoping I have a model baby.
And preferably one I can dress in pink and don't have to yell at till I'm hoarse.
- Would you like a little girl this time? - Yeah.
I know I'm meant to say "I don't mind as long as it's healthy", and I do love my boys.
But lads, Sister -- they egg each other on.
Have you considered a hospital delivery, so that you could have some rest? Nah, I like my own bed and my own toilet.
Anthony! Put that iron down.
It's for using on clothes, not other children! Help me down, Sister.
Duty calls.
I wish I knew where you buy lassos.
Could keep one in me handbag.
Wait till you see the library I'll be studying in.
The cathedral, the river! I like THIS river.
What was that poem you used to say to me? The one about the lady and the mirror? Willows whiten, aspens shiver The sunbeam showers break and quiver In the stream that runneth ever By the island in the river Flowing down to Camelot.
That was my favourite.
It isn't about the Thames, Linda.
My life isn't going to be about clocking in at the paintworks day in, day out, like my mum and dad's.
I'm going to get us both right out of here.
When I get my degree, we can go where we like.
I don't know Well, if you don't know, Lin, I do.
"I do.
" That's funny.
Why? You said it accidentally.
And quite soon, I think you're going to be saying it for real.
This morning, I went to the doctors.
I'm in the family way.
Ian! Ian! Look, you can run all you like, but it won't go away! We love each other, don't we? You said you loved me, when we did it.
And I meant it.
I really did.
No calls this afternoon, Sister.
I could've come to clinic after all.
I don't like to leave the telephone unmanned.
This is usually such a busy time of year.
Nonnatus House, midwife speaking.
Yes, of course.
She's here now.
Sister, it's the Matron of St Cuthbert's Hospital.
She asked to speak to you.
I'm entirely happy to deputise with regard to administration, Sister.
But, er, hospital routines are rather gruelling.
Are you sure you don't want to send one of the youngsters? It's only for a week.
But I'm sure St Cuthbert's will provide a bath chair, if I can't take the pace.
I'll thank you for the beetroot, Sister Winifred.
Sister Julienne, I really don't mind going.
I've never been seconded to St Cuthbert's, and they've won prizes for their hygiene.
I volunteered my services for several reasons.
First, their need is great.
Second, my load here is lightest in terms of clinical work.
And third, I haven't worked in a hospital for almost ten years.
More and more women are choosing hospital deliveries.
I'm keen to see why.
I think you'll find that whatever the fol-de-rols, babies come out in much the same way, and they have done since Adam and Eve were in their birthday suits.
Sister Mary Cynthia, whilst I'm in the hospital, would you be kind enough to draw up a plan for Sister Hildegard's service? It would be an honour, Sister.
But the child barely knows the woman's name.
Let alone recount her virtues, or recall her toil.
I thought this would be a chance for her to learn.
It will.
If Sister Monica Joan will help me.
We shall toil together like Ruth and Naomi after the death of Elimelech.
That'll be lovely.
I can't believe La Dolce Vita's finally here.
I've been reading about it in magazines for the past 12 months.
And I've been promising to sit through it with you.
You want to see Anita Ekberg in that fountain just as much as I do.
I'm not on duty a week next Friday.
And -- as far as I can ascertain -- you're not on call.
Have you been looking at the advance roster? - Guilty as charged.
But is it a date? - What are you two up to? Trying to get our legs brown.
I'm not doing too badly, but poor Patsy's struggling, what with being a redhead and everything.
I had shins like milk bottles even when I was a blonde.
Oh, just look at Anita Ekberg's bust in that black dress! She must be wearing the most stupendous brassiere, or how on earth could she manage to go strapless? Well, if you come to the flicks with us next Friday, you might find out.
Oh, how perfectly marvellous.
Shall we treat ourselves to the two and nines? I've just tried rubbing my legs with Trex to speed things up.
There's a great big block of it in the fridge, because Nurse Crane won't eat anything fried in dripping.
Do you fancy coming to the pictures next week, Barbara? We're going up West to see La Dolce Vita.
If enough people join in, we could book a charabanc.
- What day next week? - Friday.
I'd love to.
If I'm not busy.
Why would you be busy, Barbara? You normally have Friday evenings off.
A relative from my mother's side is going to be in London and I promised her I'd show her the sights.
How terribly public-spirited of you.
No, not really.
I'm just very fond of Cousin Mabel.
Course you are.
Trixie? You'll have to excuse me, I'm going to make myself a face mask out of salad cream.
I believe one can find the most amazing aids to beauty in the kitchen cupboards.
Sister Knowles? I'm Sister Julienne.
Ah, Sister.
Glad to have you.
The wards are chock-a-block.
Handing over to another midwife now, dear.
Notes are on the trolley.
Why go? Why go? It's time for my break, Mrs Shahjee.
I'll be able to look after you much better if I look after myself.
Unless the head is crowning or beyond, we find it best to stick to our breaks as scheduled.
This mother is only eight months, but Baby appears to be a satisfactory size.
Mrs Shahjee Jamila? Jamila.
I don't know how you could be so stupid! You went to grammar school.
Your mother would turn in her grave.
Do you think I haven't thought that? Do you think that wasn't the first thing that came into my head? And the first thing that came into mine was, "When's the wedding?" - The tissue granulation's coming along wonderfully! - Well? I'm supposed to be going to university! Men work, and they provide, and they stand by girls when they get them into trouble.
Don't they, Nurse? In the absence of my tin helmet -- which does rather interfere with my coiffure -- I've been trying not to comment.
But if there's one thing I've been taught over the years, it's that at first, feelings run very high in this sort of a situation.
And sooner or later, everything calms down, and the way ahead becomes much clearer.
The way ahead seems perfectly obvious to me.
Tea? This is a labour room, not a teddy bears' picnic! It's well sugared.
A long labour like this needs fuel.
And Mother needs to be on the bed.
Come on, dear, up we get.
I don't see this lady delivering without forceps.
And the trouble with these Indians is they panic when a male comes near them.
Sylheti ladies are very modest.
On the district, it took a while even for the midwives to gain their trust.
Hello, Ian.
Can I ask a favour, Mr Hereward? Of course.
Is it about your grant forms? No.
You're doing very well indeed.
Baby's almost here.
One last push Boy? Yes.
Do you want to hold him? Just for a moment, please.
Let's pop Baby on the scales, see what we're up against.
We've had smaller, and they've done very well, in the main.
Of course.
The care here is known to be exemplary.
The baby is well, Jamila.
Soon you can have your cup of tea.
Hey! Evening, treacle! Thought I'd wait and walk back with you.
Shall we take the detour? Come on, I'll buy you a 99.
I don't want a 99.
And I don't want you to go mad.
But you will.
You will do the right thing by my daughter! - Do you hear me? - Dad! Stop it! - That's enough, Mr Lanyard! We've enough on our plates without having to send for an ambulance.
Thank you.
Ian, come and sit down too.
We can discuss the subject of marriage -- together.
We won't be doing anything together if he goes off to university.
If I get a degree, I can be a teacher.
Or write for the papers.
I could work for the BBC, making programmes about poetry.
I could put better food on the table than you've ever seen in your life.
I could be proud of how I put it there.
But it's going to take three years.
You haven't got three years, Ian.
You've got seven months.
Delia? There's no-one here.
There's nobody watching.
Nobody but us.
- You waited up? - Yes.
It's what we dreamed of, wasn't it? When we were planning the flat, before our future got interrupted.
Do you know, Deels, in my whole life, I never once had anyone wait up for me.
I bet you've never had anyone make you a cup of Bournvita with a tot of Johnny Walker in it, either.
While you were out, I was thinking, "I'm going to unpin her hair, "let it fall down to her shoulders and run my hands through it.
" But you've gone so mad with the lacquer, I could pull out every kirby grip and the beehive wouldn't budge.
Trixie knows about us, Tom.
Has she said so? She doesn't have to.
She's my friend.
I eat my meals with her.
We share a bathroom.
I can tell when she's unhappy.
Maybe she's unhappy about something else.
Well, that would be convenient, wouldn't it? That's not what I meant.
Tom, it's been a year since you broke off your engagement, and I agree.
We should've both got over it.
And that wasn't what I meant.
I meant that I can see that she's still struggling, but I didn't think that you'd say that you were struggling too.
Neither did I.
I see.
- I'm sorry.
- No No, Tom, I'm sorry that I made you tell the truth.
Because telling the truth is sometimes harder than telling lies.
Which is something I've had to do rather more than I would like.
And I would've had to do far more in the future, if we'd carried on.
Who's to say we're not going to carry on? Barbara, I love and I value every single minute, every hour I spend with you.
Afternoon, Tom.
Afternoon, Barbara! That's not enough, Tom.
Not when we're causing pain to someone else.
And certainly not when it's causing pain to us.
You really are the sweetest, loveliest girl I ever met.
I'm not.
I'm 23! I'm a nurse.
And what nurses do when they see pain is try to stop it.
Sorry to interrupt ministerial business, Mr Hereward.
Nurse Gilbert, Ruby Cottingham's in labour.
It sounds as though things are moving rapidly.
Will there be time for lunch? I strongly suspect not.
I've packed us a hardboiled egg apiece and some coconut tart.
Hay fever? Come on.
Get in the car.
I think we need to refer you to the hospital for tests.
I've been coughing on and off for years.
Everybody does, round here.
They said we'd all be cured, after the Clean Air Act.
The Clean Air act won't have had much of an impact on conditions inside Hayward's, Mrs Bulmer.
We need to rule out emphysema.
It was emphysema what did for my husband.
I'm a widow.
I need to work.
You have a strapping grown-up son, Mrs Bulmer.
He could take care of you now.
I wish I had your confidence.
Good lass, good lass That's another one you can put behind you.
What do you reckon my chances of a girl are this time round? I would say 50%.
What do you think, Nurse Crane? Mathematical probability was never my strong suit.
I think you'll find it isn't Mother Nature's, either.
I thought I'd be done by now.
These pains started 12 hours ago! I wasn't even like this when I had my first.
If you'd let me examine you internally, we can try to see what's going on.
Yeah, all right.
I've had enough.
Come on.
You take my hand, give it a good squeeze if things aren't too comfortable.
- Brow presentation.
- I'll telephone Doctor.
He'll be on his house calls.
It's like being crushed by an elephant.
- I bet you've heard that one before.
- Elephants.
Rhinos.
Hippopotami.
And to extend the comparison, this baby's being a monkey.
Not quite tucking its chin down as it should, I suspect.
You might both do better if we send you off to hospital.
Hospital? Nurse Gilbert, can you nip down the street to the telephone? Flying squad or ordinary ambulance, whichever's quicker.
Ruby's already had a very long day.
She has.
I'll be back in two ticks.
There's no need for you to worry.
Many, many congratulations, Ian.
And Linda.
And now I suppose I ought to ask to see the ring.
It's lovely.
He sold his dad's long-service watch to pay for it.
Didn't you, Ian? Nurse Franklin! Nurse! Look! We're engaged! How perfectly lovely! Let's see! You're a lucky girl, Linda.
This is more than just a piece of jewellery.
It's proof that you've found a man that will put you first, always.
And that really is a very rare and precious thing.
What happens now? What are you going to do? Doctor's going to help your baby to be born, dear.
Sister Julienne! - Mrs Cottingham! - It's all gone wrong, Sister! Cervix not fully dilated.
I can't get my fingers between the cervix and the head.
It's so swollen.
It's all right, Ruby I'd be screaming my head off if you weren't here.
No, you wouldn't.
You've been a warrior.
It's your own courage that's got you this far.
Definitely a brow presentation.
Check foetal heart rate, please, Sister.
I need more gas.
I can't keep on any more - 60 - Right.
Emergency Caesarean section.
Anaesthetist and paediatrician, please.
- As quickly as we can, please.
- Look after her.
Who? My little girl.
I'll be asleep when she's born.
You look after her.
I will.
I promise you.
Thanks very much.
- Evening, Reverend.
- Mr Lanyard.
I thought I'd offer the happy couple my congratulations.
Grab yourself a paper plate and something to eat.
Two types of pork pie, and a trifle as big as your head.
Oh! And have an orange juice, seeing as you're a man of the cloth.
Joycey! There was I waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church Hello, Trixie.
Hello, Tom.
Linda's father saw me passing and hauled me in off the street.
I didn't like to refuse.
And they poured me a glass of Babycham, even though I'm in my uniform.
Well, that's easily dealt with.
Cheers! Cheers.
.
.
my wife won't let me! Blood pressure 80 over 40.
Low.
I'm not wasting any time.
Uterus exposed.
Suction and oxygen all ready? In the anteroom, Sir.
Paediatrician's on his way.
Hmmm.
Proceeding.
Oh, God.
Another one.
It's alive.
Somebody take it! Can we all turn our attention back to the mother, please? All right, all right, quiet down, folks, I've got a few words to say! I ain't one of the world's talkers .
.
so I'll keep me words to a minimum.
That was for my son-in-law to be.
He likes long words.
But let's just say the happy news has meant a change of plan.
And as most of us are proper Hayward's Paints families, I've managed to pull a few strings.
Open it, son.
Welcome to the factory! You start work tomorrow, eight sharp.
There was I Waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church Waitin' at the church When I'd found you'd left me in the lurch Lord, how it did upset me! I've come to enquire about Baby Cottingham.
Baby Cottingham? The very poorly baby that was born this evening.
We've had two admissions today, but none since noon.
Thank you.
No, no, no, no Can you hear me, little one? And the Lord who created you said "Don't be afraid, for I have redeemed you.
"I have called you by your name.
You are mine.
" "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.
" "When you pass through the flames, you will not burn.
" "You are precious in my eyes".
This baby is still breathing! We couldn't have saved it.
But to leave it alone? Cold, and trembling, and possibly in pain? The anaesthetic from the mother should still be in its system.
It shouldn't suffer.
And it cannot live.
But it's living now.
And it has been for an hour or more.
Sister, this was the kinder way.
We couldn't even tell whether it was male or female.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May he make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you, and grant you peace.
I think it's gone.
It hasn't been baptised.
I should've baptised it myself.
You don't have to be a priest to christen a baby, did you know that? No.
I didn't.
The burial will be a decent one, we can arrange for that.
But there will have to be a postmortem.
It's the third baby we've delivered with these sorts of malformations in the last 12 months.
May I tell Mrs Cottingham, when she wakes from her operation? The rules state that we don't go into the postnatal ward.
Yes.
And sometimes rules are best broken.
But leave it till tomorrow.
I'm not drunk, Mr Hereward.
Giving up something you really want is hard.
I know that.
You do? I once had a job in a record shop that I really, really loved.
And I had to pack it in to do my national service.
I spent two years in Kinloss with a Dansette with a broken needle and a pile of jazz LPs I couldn't play.
And then God came calling, and he was a bit of a taskmaster.
And don't get me started on girls.
Nor me.
Ian, do you love Linda? I don't love her more than anything else in the world, Mr Hereward.
You love her enough to do what's right.
And sometimes enough love IS enough.
It has to be.
We sang Psalm 40 at Compline tonight, which brought to mind our forthcoming homage to Sister Hildegard.
I am attempting to give advice to Sister Mary Cynthia.
And it's very useful advice.
But I did tell Sister Monica Joan we could talk about it in the morning, after the Great Silence Our Sister greatly seeks replenishment in prayer.
There's supper for you in the kitchen.
I'll warm it up.
But first things first I saw a baby lost today.
It was brutal.
And unbearable.
I'm not sure if I did enough.
Sister Monica Joan, do you suppose that it's ever acceptable to tell a lie? I think the question is not if it's acceptable, but if it is kind.
I don't know.
But I do know that telling the truth would be cruel.
So cruel.
Then there can be no virtue in it.
No.
Corned beef, and a bit of Pan Yan pickle.
Linda'll have more modern ideas.
You'll be getting miniature sausage rolls off her, like you see in the magazines.
Thanks.
You look just like your dad.
I've delivered babies with pathologies before.
But this It was completely limbless.
Like little Susan Mullucks? Without even an indication of gender.
What did Mr Kenley say? He said, "Oh, God.
Another one.
" "Another one"? He's had nothing to do with Susan.
She was born here, in the maternity home.
That's why I thought I ought to come to you.
Did it live? Mrs Cottingham doesn't know yet.
I undertook to tell her.
What became of the other children? Did they die too? I'm not sure.
Sister Knowles said that one of them has been transferred to, um a residential hospital.
There's been no clear directive, no official notification of any sort of cluster.
Timothy! You're going to be late for school.
Mrs Gillespie asked me to climb on her toilet roof to get her cat down.
When you have a paper round, helping old ladies becomes an occupational hazard.
Go home and comb your hair.
Your tie and biscuit money are on the sideboard.
I brought Dad's Lancet.
Unless you're too busy to read it today -- I could take it and read it on the bus.
No, leave it here.
I shall expect a tip at Christmas! There's nothing in the list of contents.
Well, why would there be? Until somebody, somewhere, tells us otherwise, we have to look at this as a local phenomenon.
A local problem.
Which means it's our problem.
Quite.
There's no need to keep hiding your hand.
You got a ring on your finger.
- It's not a wedding ring, though.
- Yet.
I'm actually rubbing my back.
I'm all achy at the bottom of it.
They won't want to see you for a month once you're all booked in.
You'll have your band of gold by then.
It only takes three weeks to call the banns.
I know.
Mr Hereward said.
Linda Lanyard? May I take this one, Nurse Gilbert? Of course.
I haven't boiled any urine today, it will be quite nice to get a change of pace.
Hello, Linda, how are you? On the bed, heels to bottom and knees nice and wide apart.
Sadie warned me about this.
You'll get used to it.
Some of the old hands come with their knickers in their pockets, and don't put them on until we've finished! Linda, have you been having any spotting? What's spotting? Losing little amounts of blood, as you would at the beginning of a monthly? Only early on.
I kept thinking that I was about to start, but I didn't.
Linda.
I'm afraid you're bleeding now and it looks like a little more than spotting.
Try to stay still.
When can I see my baby? Ruby .
.
I'm so very, very sorry.
But your poor little baby was born so desperately unwell.
And it wasn't possible for us to save it.
Did it die? Yes, Ruby.
In my arms.
Sister.
Was it a girl? Yes.
I knew.
Always knew.
Yes.
Yes, you did.
Did she cry? A little.
But when she took her last breath, she was warm and safe .
.
and I believe she was aware she was loved.
I wished so hard for her.
Maybe I shouldn't have.
Maybe I'm being punished.
- But God knows I love my boys - He does.
You did nothing wrong.
Then why? I wish I could answer that.
And I wish I could bring your baby back.
But I can't.
Listen to us, eh? Wishing this and wishing that.
We haven't got a fairy godmother between us.
Linda Linda, I know this is a perfectly ghastly business.
But you're not alone.
There's more blood! Don't cry.
It's a natural process.
It will be over soon.
Something's come away, Nurse! It's all right, Linda.
It's all right.
When you're ready, open the door.
But I don't want you to flush, all right? Afternoon, Mr Lanyard.
How's the young bridegroom shaping up? Don't ask me.
Little toerag never even clocked on.
Spontaneous miscarriage.
Foetus looked to be about eight weeks.
Oh, no.
Poor wee girl.
We'll take her back to Sadie's and get her tucked up in bed.
Call Doctor, if you've any concerns.
What the poor pet really needs is a good cry, a couple of aspirin, and a hug, in no particular order, but the hug is of prime importance.
Ian? Ian! What the hell are you doing? Ian's in the house and the gas is on.
Stay outside! He's still breathing! Ian.
Ian.
Take deep breaths.
Try to take deep breaths.
I'm sorry.
It's all right.
You've done nothing wrong.
He even missed my shoes.
He got mine, though.
Head up, sweetie.
We'll get you through this.
There's no obvious similarity between Rhoda Mullucks and Ruby Cottingham, other than them both being multiparous mothers and on the older side.
Don't think they'd thank you for that, Patrick.
They're both younger than me.
Meanwhile, Keith Cottingham is in the navy.
Mmm.
It says here that he had his appendix out, on land, in New Zealand in 1957.
So he could've been involved in the H Bomb tests.
We'd have to check.
The H Bomb? Hello! Hello, dear.
Deformed babies have been born in the South Seas.
There's one school of thought that blames nuclear testing.
It happened after Hiroshima and Nagasaki too.
We did it in History.
So World War II is history now, is it? We do exams in it and everything.
Can I wash some equipment? - How much are you charging? - The usual.
- Bike fund? - Yes.
Go through to the sluice.
I'll catch you up.
But going back to the mothers, neither Rhoda nor Ruby has anything out of the ordinary on their records.
Only the usual juvenile illnesses, plus occasional antibiotics and other routine drugs in adulthood.
Oh, come here.
There we go.
I'm sorry.
We'll be taking work home with us tonight.
No university place, now no baby, and engaged for no good reason.
If he tries to walk away, he could be sued for breach of promise.
A broken engagement is a serious thing.
Isn't it? Trixie, that is not what I meant.
How long since we ended everything? A year.
To be more precise, a year and ten days.
Once upon a time, one of us would have leaned forward to kiss the other one just then.
I know.
But neither of us did.
No.
When you look at Barbara, do you want to lean forward and kiss her? Sometimes.
I have done, once or twice.
- Oh.
- But don't worry.
It won't happen again.
If we were ever going out at all, Barbara ended it.
Because of you.
Or more precisely, because of you and me.
Do you think it's time to let each other go, Trixie? I thought we did that last year.
Because hanging on, not letting each other grow .
.
is a recipe for misery.
Yes.
And vomit on one's shoes, as we found out earlier this evening.
So if you'll excuse me, I'll go and get changed.
I don't feel at all comfortable.
This seems to be our only clue that these anomalies are part of something more widespread -- this residential hospital that specialises in children with malformed limbs.
It's not a new hospital.
But it is a new specialisation.
It may mean nothing at all.
Patrick, we have to go to bed.
We have patients to care for in the morning and they don't need us crawling in half-dead through lack of sleep.
I never know when I love you the most, but I sometimes think that these are the times that I love you best.
When the whole world's sleeping, and you're sitting up with dark rings beneath your eyes, just trying to make it better.
Oh, Shelagh.
We had a wonderful old professor when I was at medical school.
Macketon Phipps.
He was a real physician, cared about patients inside and out.
And he used to say, "Never be afraid to say when you don't know the answer.
" But these babies Shelagh, I don't know.
And I don't know if there's anything TO know.
And I'm scared.
She had a reasonable night.
I tucked her up in bed next to me.
You're as good as a mum to Linda, Sadie.
I know that.
Which is just what most girls need, after an experience like yours.
Will you look in on Ian, Nurse, before you go? Only Only we heard him crying in the night.
There's no harm in me popping my head round the door, but There's no need, Nurse.
I'm all right.
And I'm going to work.
No, son.
No, you're not.
Here.
I rather think I ought to take my leave No, Nurse.
This isn't some big drama.
I'm just doing the right thing.
Like you did the right thing.
I didn't say I wanted to marry you because it was the right thing, Linda.
It was because I loved you.
And I love you now.
Take it.
Sell it.
Spend it on the books you'll read at university.
I'm not standing in your way, and there's no baby going to now either.
I've still got responsibilities.
I've got Mum.
Don't you worry about me, son.
You can come home and listen to me coughing in the holidays, but you don't have to do it all year round.
Take the ring, Ian.
Right.
There.
There it is and there it's staying.
Till you've got letters after your name, and more ahead of you than me and your dad ever had.
Best not argue with your mum, Ian.
You won't win.
And we can wait.
You can't stand in the way of what life wants, can you, Nurse? Or what love wants.
One way or another, things end up how they should.
You need to have the big light on if you're going to do handicrafts at this hour.
It's all right.
It's only a few figures for the Bible Study Fuzzy Felt at Sunday School.
Judas and Simon Peter have gone missing, and Mary Magdalene's got no head.
I hope Mr Hereward appreciates your dedication.
I don't care if he doesn't.
Enter.
Barbara, may I speak to you for a moment? I expect it's time I did my vanishing act.
Or as we say in Spanish class, "Le dejo a usted conversar, senoritas.
" I think we need to "conversar" about Cousin Mabel.
There's no such person, Trixie.
I made her up so that I didn't have to tell you the truth.
But there's really no truth to tell now, so it doesn't matter.
Yes, it does.
I'm so sorry, Trixie.
I knew you knew, and I knew you were unhappy.
And I should have ended it sooner, but I didn't have the courage, and I had too much hope.
Probably.
Tom's special, isn't he? Yes.
But not so special that it's worth all three of us being miserable.
And now, if you don't mind, I really need to get on with these Fuzzy Felt apostles.
Oh, Barbara.
Only a girl as nice as you would say a thing like that.
What if I'm not nice, Trixie? What if I'm thinking all sorts of mean and terrible thoughts inside? I wouldn't blame you.
And I'm not going to stand in your way, or Tom's.
People want what they want.
And one way or another -- at least, if love comes into it -- things will end up as they should.
As it was in the beginning Is now, and ever shall be World without end, Amen.
It was Sister Hildegard who began our work here in Poplar.
And I and my Sisters carry on that work as best we can, day by day, night by night, woman by woman, child by child.
Her faith was never shaken, and faith remains the foundation of our life.
But there are times when we are challenged -- not in the vowed life, but as midwives and nurses.
There are babies born broken.
There are lives we cannot heal.
And it is then that we should turn to the woman that so inspired our Sister that she took her name -- Saint Hildegard of Bingen.
For Saint Hildegard once said, God hugs you.
God hugs you.
You are encircled by the arms of the mystery of God.
You shine so finely, it surpasses understanding.
'We knew so little then.
'In a world that seemed so full of opening doors and bright horizons, 'we thought only of what was new, and better.
'Because it WAS new and better, 'and it would take us to places we had never been before.
' .
.
I'm so, I'm so afraid You might not care Every time you pass me by Oh, you don't know You don't know what I go through Seeing someone else with you Oh, I wish the one with you Were me 'We couldn't see what was coming, 'or understand yet what had already come to pass.
'We had so much still to learn.
' .
.
but until then I'll never give this away Who else would tell me stories? Tell me where frankincense came from? We have an emergency.
I shall go at once.
That's it, ladies.
If we want to reduce, we must keep moving.
Tar and tumours, from those bloody cigarettes.
She used to call me her movie star.
I can feel the pounds falling off! Hello? Anyone at home? .
.
I would tell you If I believed that you might care some day But until then I'll never give this away When you don't know Oh, yeah Whoa-oh-oh