Call the Midwife s14e08 Episode Script

1
BABY GURGLES
MATURE JENNIFER: Sometimes
an experience begins in ruins.
Flesh is torn, blood is spilt.
Everything hurts,
and nothing is as we planned it
or we hoped for.
And yet not everything is lost.
The pleasure is only postponed.
The joy will come.
First we must mend, and then heal.
DOOR OPENS
Oh!
Welcome home, Reggie.
Give us a kiss.
Oh, your cheeks are cold!
We were having a chat
about the Jane situation
on the way home.
SHE SIGHS
I'm sorry Jane's gone
to live in Ireland, Reggie.
I know she was
very special to you.
Yes. Very special.
But how lovely is it
that she's going to be
with her parents?
Next week I have to go to a wedding.
You love Nancy,
and you love Roger.
And nothing is going to stop
you from celebrating with them.
When can I see that vase that
you've been making for them
in your art class?
Er, that's another tale.
Wasn't back from the kiln
this morning,
so it's going to have
to be posted.
Well, it will get here in
plenty of time for the wedding.
Oh, now, guess what I have made
SHE CLEARS HER THROA
..for your afters tonight.
Rice pudding?
Got it in one!
THEY ALL LAUGH
And that, my dear sister, is that.
Now you are about to take your vows,
do you feel ready?
Spiritually, I feel as ready
as I can be,
thanks to your guidance.
Personally, the fact that
my sister is coming
feels just right.
Otherwise, I just keep worrying
about what I'm going to wear.
Oh!
SHE LAUGHS
Sister Hilda assures me that once we
get to the Mother House,
there will be an extensive
selection of bridal gowns
for you and Sister Elizabeth
to choose from.
I'm glad Mother Mildred
has revived that custom.
It's certainly
the only wedding dress
I'll ever get to walk down
an aisle in.
I'm only sad Mother Mildred
won't be there to see it.
Who knows what mysterious
work is afoot in India?
But if the Lord called her there,
there must be a reason.
I'm sorry I missed tea.
Poor Mrs Shah tore so badly,
we had to get Dr Turner in.
She ended up with more stitches
than a Victorian sampler.
We've left you
a Wensleydale sandwich
and a teacake on the side.
That is music to my ears.
Stop!
Bag on the table? Sorry!
Sorry. And no comestibles
in the clinical room!
Mm-hm!
Does anyone know what time
Nancy and Colette
are arriving tomorrow?
She's cut everything very fine
in terms of preparing
for her wedding.
I don't blame her if she has.
She watched me preparing for
mine and received a masterclass
in the futility
of forward planning.
Your wedding was
very enjoyable — in the end.
PHYLLIS: It's such a shame
you're missing Nancy's.
She was your bridesmaid!
I know, but I'm a bridesmaid
at Matthew's partner's wedding.
There's 14 of us, all in
sugared almond shades
with a pure lace trim,
and it would cause
such offence
to decline the honour.
That's what comes of living
life on two sides of the ocean.
You can't be everywhere at once.
RADIO: There has been
a serious blaze
at a council—run mother
and baby home in Essex.
Fire engines were called
to Arbury House
Patrick!
Patrick!
There's been a fire at Arbury House.
With mothers—to—be there,
and babies!
Numbers are confirmed.
There are four girls
on their way to us.
Two close to term,
two recently delivered.
Thank goodness they all escaped.
Are their babies still with them?
One aged six days,
one aged three weeks.
Adoptions pending.
They were all referred
from our practice,
so it falls to us to take
them in and sort them out.
Come on.
Keep babies wrapped up.
There we go.
Come on.
Hello again, Paula.
Come on, honey,
let's get you inside.
There we are.
It hurts when I walk.
My hamsters are still in the car.
GIRL: Almost done. Good boy.
Well, his temperature's normal,
which, given that you were
all turfed out of doors
at dawn on a freezing morning,
isn't bad at all.
Being bonny probably helped.
Have you been bottle—feeding him?
I would have tried
the other way, but
nobody else was doing it.
Matron said
it's best not to bother
if you're going to give them away.
You've cared for him
beautifully, Janine.
That's given him
a really good start in life.
HAMSTERS SQUEAK
When were you 14, Paula?
In August.
And have you been able to
keep up with your schoolwork
while you've been at the home?
I get booklets in the post and
fill 'em in and send 'em off.
Do you get good marks?
I don't get marks.
They just send more booklets.
Paula, I think
this low—down tummy ache
is caused by an infection
in your bladder.
And you may have
what we call anaemia,
which means very low iron
in your blood.
I think we need to take you
to the maternity home
for a few days.
Is that a hospital?
If it's a hospital, I won't be
able to take the hamsters.
Oh, Sister Monica Joan
will mind them.
She has a soft spot for rodents.
As long as it isn't for long.
St Blaise home is full as well.
Mr Robinson
is also trying to help,
but the best I've been able
to find
is two beds only at Temple Bank.
And that's never been
an establishment
that's impressed me.
The mother and baby homes
seem busier than ever.
There are more unmarried mothers
willing to go it alone these days.
But I think it's the rise
in the so—called gymslip mums.
And the younger the girl,
the more she's at the mercy
of her family's views.
Love seldom proves
more powerful than shame.
I've so often wished
it could be otherwise.
BABY FUSSES
I can't eat this marmalade.
I'm sorry.
Do you have any golden syrup?
Right, ladies, we have a plan.
Paula is going straight
to the maternity home
so that her urine infection
and anaemia can be dealt with.
Until we work out
who's going to Temple Bank,
Maggie will have the guest room,
and I'm taking Nurse Crane's
spare bed
so that Sandra and Janine can have
the bed-sitter with their babies.
What about Nancy and Colette?
They're meant to be
in the bed-sitter from today
until the wedding.
How about a tent on the allotment?
They're going to stay
with Miss Higgins.
Hello. Mrs Cunningham?
I need to talk to you about Paula.
I'm on my way to the latest
prayer circle at the chapel.
Mrs Cunningham,
there's been a fire —
at the place where your
daughter was accommodated.
It's no longer possible
for her to stay there.
Has she had the child yet?
No, but she is unwell
and has had to be moved
to the maternity home.
If you're looking for us to
take her in, the answer's no.
We signed Paula
over to council care
until nature has taken its course.
After that, our door is open,
and she can start again.
I'm sure that, as a woman of God,
you understand our position.
Mr Robinson,
Paula's social worker, and |
were hoping
that you might reconsider.
My husband and I
are completely in agreement.
MILLICENT GASPS, LAUGHS
Come in, come in!
Master suite for the bride—to—be.
Boxroom for the maid of honour.
And the studio couch
for yours truly.
And I'm going to be on a Lilo
at my best man's house.
No change of plan there at all.
Thank you, Miss Higgins.
I've warned you before
about the excessive use
of formalities.
Thank you, Millicent.
KNOCK AT DOOR
May we come in?
Hello!
And the countdown begins.
Are you all ready to go
shopping for bridesmaid shoes?
GIRLS: Yeah!
BABIES GURGLE
It's years since I've seen
a baby in a drawer.
He had a cot
in the mother and baby place.
Hmm. I bet they didn't paint it
all fresh and new
for every new occupant
like we did with ours.
Go on, then.
Let's see his face.
Interesting.
Bring him home,
and we'll make the best of it.
UmI'm meant to be
having him adopted.
Where's he going to fit in,
with an ''ooter like that?
He's got the Hicks nose,
he can live in the Hicks house,
and we'll get the cot
out of the cubbyhole
and tart it up a bit.
It was rose pink last time I looked.
You're not the first,
and you won't be the last.
These would be nice
for the wedding.
Oh, I don't think so, Reggie.
Nancy will want
lovely shop—bought flowers
that know how to stand up
straight and behave themselves.
These have gone all spindly
and are full of earwigs.
They'd look nice in a vase.
What kind of vase?
The sort of vase
that I made for Nancy
as a wedding present.
It will come soon.
You've got to be patient.
I wish you luck, girls.
Can't be any worse
than the last place.
Can it?
We'll manage. We have to.
No—one's going to come and say
we can go home.
ENGINE STARTS
Not a peep.
You are brave.
I keep telling Mrs Turner
we ought to invest in some
up—to—date modes in brushed nylon.
She is a firm believer in the
healing powers of Winceyette.
The arms are a bit long.
I suppose they'll keep
my hands warm.
I'll get you a couple
of safety pins.
We can't have you
trailing your sleeves
in your crumble and custard.
THEY LAUGH
I'm getting quite giddy
with excitement!
The last time I saw this dress,
it was a snippet of glorious
fabric and a paper pattern.
Just slip into that robe
for me, Nancy, dear.
You can leave your slip
and your girdle on.
I take it you will be wearing
a girdle on the day?
Never go anywhere without one.
I'm going to start by checking
your measurements again.
Ah, you don't have to go
to all this trouble, Violet.
Nancy!
Most brides lose weight.
What on earth has happened?
Hello, sir. Can I help you?
I'd like to see Paula Cunningham.
I'm her father.
Follow me.
NANCY SNIFFS
Sorry.
It's got mascara on it now.
Oh, it's no matter.
Buthow many months pregnant
are you?
Seven. Seven?!
Oh! And a bit.
Like I said, I didn't suspect it.
I've never been that regular.
Or that thin.
By the time I realised
what was going on,
I was far too embarrassed
to go to the doctor.
DOORBELL RINGS
Nancy, you have consulted
a doctor?
Yeah, last month.
Laughed his head off.
DOOR OPENS
I'm a district nurse!
DOOR CLOSES
He said I'm fit
as a flippin'' flea.
Oh, lass! Come here!
Oh! What are you crying for?
This is wonderful news!
Dad, does Mum know you're here?
She doesn't need to know.
Same as she didn't know
I came to see you in the home.
I liked it when you did that.
We'll have you home soon.
Back in time for Christmas, eh?
I know it sounds daft,
wanting to keep it a secret
till after the event.
But I had my first baby
when I was 16.
I just wanted things
to be different this time.
SHE LAUGHS
I knew I could never hope
to have a white wedding,
but I did want to have
a respectable one.
I could have got away with it,
except tape measures don't lie.
No, they don't.
But a well-made dress
can keep a lot of secrets.
As can good friends.
I, too, will remain
entirely silent on the matter.
Oh, do you know what
I've dreaded most of all?
The sisters finding out
and being disappointed,
it being like a rerun
of last time,
except these aren't Catholics.
I don't want "Nancy Corrigan,
crusher of nuns' hopes,"
written on my gravestone.
Provided you promise to report
any untoward niggles
or other developments
directly to me,
the news of your condition
will travel no further
than ourselves or this room.
I must say,
Colette's been marvellous.
All these bridesmaids' fittings
and she hasn't said a peep.
That's probably
because she doesn't know.
WOMAN SCREAMS
Mavis. Mavis!
Mavis.
MAVIS PANTS
Very soon you're going to feel
the need to push.
Then we can start making
these pains work for you.
I'll be dead by then.
No, no, you won't.
Do you want to have
another try with the gas?
Oh! Oh!
MAVIS YELLS
Paula?
Paula, please don't be upset.
Some ladies make more noise
than others when their babies
are being born.
There was another one in
the night. That was the same.
I think it's too much for her,
Doctor.
I asked if she'd like to come
into the nursery and see
a baby being bathed,
but she refused.
The best place
I can think of for her
right now is the Mother House.
The Mother House?
It's a registered orphanage.
They have taken in one or two
unmarried mothers in the past,
but mostly they take in children.
Does anyone know what's become
of the father of Paula's baby?
His parents left the area
and took him with them.
By all accounts, he was scarcely
out of puberty himself.
At that age, they're at the mercy
of biology.
They don't understand
what it is that is happening
or the harm that can be done.
Too much gets learned
the hard way.
Plus, the trouble with
adolescent pregnancy
is that every cell in the body
is squabbling over nutrients.
The child wants to grow,
but so does the baby.
The risk of anaemia is higher.
The risk of pre—eclampsia is higher.
And in the meantime,
what's it doing to her mind?
Sister Hilda has extended
the warmest invitation
for you to attend
Sister Catherine's vows.
It's too long since you have
visited the Mother House.
There are those
who would detain me there
for nursing purposes,
regardless of my will.
I will feel your presence
with me, I am sure.
I have said it oft.
I am like Ariel.
I divide and burn in many places.
I feel like I should be
escorting Paula down
as her social worker,
but I have to attend
juvenile court today.
HAMSTERS SQUEAK
I can't come in.
I've got the hamsters.
We'll see you in a day or two
when Paula settles in.
You look after her,
and look after yourself.
HE MOUTHS
Thank you for the notes.
Mr Robinson.
So, what I've got
written down so far,
in no particular order,
isflowers, getting ready,
including some sort of hairdo.
Something like shoes
to tie on the back
of the going—away car?
Discotheque, buffet, balloons.
I love a few balloons.
JOYCE: Excuse me.
In no particular order?
This is a wedding, child!
Do you want it all
to go to hell in a handcart?
Oh, I forgot! Fireworks.
Who said anything about fireworks?
Me.
I want sort of an autumn theme,
and you get fireworks in autumn.
We just need a few rockets
and some sparklers.
We may discuss rockets
and sparklers
when we have established
the parameters of the buffet.
Now, the caterers are in need
of information.
JOYCE CLEARS THROA
Stuffed eggs or chicken legs?
Beetroot or coleslaw?
Lemon meringue or sherry trifle?
I was thinking crab sticks.
And then that new thing, cheesecake.
Not on the list.
Oh, my dear sister!
Greetings, in our Lord Jesus Christ's
name.
I greet you likewise,
Sister Hilda.
And you must be Paula, dear.
Don't look so shy.
We'll look after you.
Hmm, this is a first, I must say.
Do they eat a lot of cheese?
No? Hmm.
And here she is, the bride—to—be.
Oh! Good to see you, Mr Buckle.
Are you getting excited?
Because we are.
I am, and I'm looking forward
to seeing Sister Elizabeth.
Yes. Er
I have news of Sister Elizabeth.
So, she just left?
Well, postulants can.
They have signed nothing,
and they have promised nothing.
Just as they are free
to hear God's call,
they are free to decide that
they must have been mistaken.
I imagine that means
Sister Catherine
will make her profession
to first vows alone.
Yes, it does.
Which has never happened
in the history of the order,
as far as I'm aware.
Though, it does mean you get first
pick of the wedding dresses.
We've had some lovely donations
recently,
including the offer
of a mink—trimmed mini.
I declined that, with thanks,
on the grounds that we need
frocks for brides of Christ,
notLulu.
MUSIC PLAYS ON TV
CHILDREN CHATTER
ALL SING ALONG
Children, what do we say?
CHILDREN: Thank you, Uncle Fred!
How long will you stay?
I'll stay until the wind changes,
like Mary Poppins.
Or at least until we sort out
which hospital you're going to.
Lucky me, on the camp bed.
You were the one who said,
"Let's leave it
"till after the wedding and
give her a lovely surprise.”
And I was the one
who went along with it,
so we're equally to blame.
Colette isn't going to be a
little girl much longer, Roger.
She isn't going to be
an only child much longer.
Her world is going to change
in so many ways.
You could argue it already has,
and she's been fine
with all of it.
I think we should tell her now.
Give her the respect of
helping us to keep the secret
for a little while.
Give her the respect.
You see, that's why I fell
in love with you, Roger Noble.
You're an original thinker.
Where I grew up, no—one ever gave
children any respect at all.
Same, pretty much.
We can do better, Nance.
Shall I tell you my idea?
BELL JANGLES
O Lord, our heavenly Father
OTHERS PRAY IN BACKGROUND
almighty and everlasting God,
who safely brought us
to the beginning of this day.
BELL JANGLES
Defend us
PRAYING CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY
that all our doings may be
ordered by thy governance
to do always
that is righteous in thy sight.
Through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
It's a funny time of year
for ice lollies, Mummy.
Nobody ever said they were
just for hot weather.
Come on, let's goeat
them on the allotment.
The postman didn't come.
Miss Maxsted promised
me she posted your vase.
I'll ring the post office,
see if it's ended up there.
Phase one of the operation
is complete.
Mother and daughter are
turning into the allotment gate
and heading for the bench.
SHE SNEEZES
Oh, I think it's time
I had these curtains laundered.
Does Nancy still have the hat on?
I'm not to go out and join them
until she's taken it off.
That's the sign that
she's told her about the baby.
The hat remains in evidence,
and they are assuming
a seated position.
Sometimes I hardly notice
nature where we live now.
There's always such a lot of it.
Flowers always seem
more important in Poplar.
We've seen a few seasons change
on this bench, haven't we?
Mummy, are you sure
about that hat?
I don't think it matches
your coat.
Since when were you a fashion
designer?
Our needlework teacher says I have
an eye for colour and texture.
Oh, does she now?
I can remember
when you were born,
wondering what you were going to
want to be when you grew up
and whether or not
it was just going to be
you and me on our own for ever.
Well, we've got Uncle Roger
now, haven't we?
Did you know he doesn't
like you wearing hats?
Uncle Roger isn't
a fashion designer either.
Oh!
Bless you.
The hat has been removed!
So we have liftoff?
Wish me luck.
It's got ice lolly
all over it now, Colette.
There's a label in it saying
dry—clean only.
You'll have to take it to
Mrs Wallace.
Hello, girls. What do you think
of the news, then?
What news?
Um
Sometimes after people get married,
they decide that they're happier
than they've ever been before.
And sometimes they are happier
than ever before
before they get married.
And so it seems that
the sensible thing to do
is to seal that happiness
by having a child.
You don't need to do that,
though, because you've got me.
Yeah.
Yes, we do have you.
And you've got us.
You've got us for ever.
Yes, you do.
But do you want to know
something lovely, Colette?
Something lovelier than this?
Yeah.
Oh, my goodness, Mummy!
LAUGHTER
THEY LAUGH
CRASH
Oi!
What do you think you're playing at?
Oh
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
Oh, you've done nothing
wrong, old chap.
Hey.
Geoffrey?
I've been pressed into service
to help cater
for a certain hen night.
Oven gloves always at the ready.
There you go.
Lord, but there are
some nasty people out there.
You want to stay inside with
us, helping us with the flowers
and decorations for the wedding?
I can't think of a nicer way to
spend an evening, personally.
What's the colour palette?
Autumnal tones with touches
of carmine and burgundy.
Delicious.
Mm. Have you ever tried
buying burgundy balloons?
And we need balloons because flowers
are so expensive.
You are taking
entirely the wrong approach.
The Japanese, and I cannot tell you
how much I've come to appreciate
Japanese art recently,
have a form of floristry
called ikebana.
A single perfect flower
placed in a single
otherwise empty vessel
and often positioned
against a blank wall.
That sounds awful.
LAUGHTER
I can't even put one single
flower in my vase.
CHILDREN SQUEAL
Nurse Ros? Mm?
Do you like church?
Yes, I do.
Do you like it?
Not as much as my mum and dad.
But even when you don't
want to hear things,
if you're in the room
when they're being said,
you remember it.
And ever since I got here,
I've been praying.
And what have you
been praying for?
That they'll put me to sleep
when the baby's born,
like when I had my tonsils out.
Stand in profile for me,
darling.
And chin up a little.
You have a very nice neck.
I'm leaning towards
the dupion silk
or the organdie.
Not the chiffon?
I don't think a sheer sleeve
will ever be appropriate
in November.
What size do you take?
Five and a half.
I have a five and a half here,
but there's a sort of
sandal effect.
Oh, do let's try these.
I've never been able
to resist a peep—toe.
What a difference a year makes.
12 months ago,
I was a spinster who wouldn't
touch curry with a bargepole,
and now I'm having
a curry—themed hen night.
Uncle Roger's having curry
as well,
with the whole of his rugby team.
Colette, dear, put the lids
on your felt tips.
It's time to go.
I've made a chart
of our favourite names.
Antoinette, Natalie, Melinda,
Melissa,
Tania, Toby, Alexander and Adam.
No, no! Not in your pocket.
What if it fell out?
Oh, promise me
you can't tell, Millicent.
The pattern on the coloured hose
distract the eye remarkably.
That said, I would
advise avoidance
of the Hula Hoop contest.
Nobody told me anything
about a Hula Hoop contest.
It was Auntie Shelagh's idea.
She's had all the Hula Hoops
sprayed gold
to look like wedding rings.
It always felt like
a turning point in the year
when we'd eat the last
fresh pears from the orchard
and open the first tins.
I'm afraid we must savour these
while we may.
There will be more tins
in the future,
and not just
in the winter months.
There's always change afoot
at Nonnatus House,
but we always weather it,
mainly by virtue of resisting
it with all our might.
Hmm!
Well, this is bigger
than anyone's might,
even Mother Mildred's!
In short, the order is
contemplating its future.
Vocations are dwindling,
aren't they? Yes.
And so is money.
We used to have branch houses
dotted all over Great Britain,
and since 1947, the sisters
have worked hand in glove
with the National Health.
But at every turn,
councils are withdrawing
from those contracts.
It's not just Poplar, then?
No.
Mother Mildred has sold
the orchard
and the kitchen garden
to property developers
to cover our shortfall.
And she is looking
for opportunities abroad.
So we'll be missionary sisters.
Hmm! At least the sun
will warm our ageing bones.
But what will become of Sister
Catherine's bones as she ages?
Will the order even live
as long as she?
Nobody knows.
Hmm.
They've tasted so sweet
this autumn.
LIVELY MUSIC PLAYS
Oh! Thank goodness
for Mr Franklin!
He's becoming the
Galloping Gourmet of Poplar!
I made vol—au—vents in case
nobody fancied his biriyani,
but they've not been touched!
Ooh!
Oh!
Oh!
You're not going to venture
a wee bit of twirling?
I've had too many chapatis.
I shall fetch you
a glass of Liebfraumilch.
It's such a wonderful digestive.
ALL EXCLAIM AND LAUGH
Nancy!
Breakfast awaits.
I'm about to leave
for the surgery.
Oh, my dear!
I've had an upset stomach
all night
and couldn't get comfy.
It must have been the curry.
I knew I shouldn't have
let my guard down.
I'm summoning Nurse Crane.
Sandra!
Sandra!!
Helen! Ohhh!
It was such a long journey
on the train.
I decided to come early!
I thought the more miles,
the more changes,
the more could go wrong.
But nothing did go wrong.
I got here
with a whole day to spare.
Is this allowed?
Like, I keep thinking
of all these things
that mustn't be allowed.
You're my sister!
If anyone forbids this,
I will fight them!
Nancy, are you absolutely sure
you're just seven months?
I only met the man last Christmas.
Well, be that as it may, this baby's
got its head well down.
It's just wind.
It just kind of twinges
and fizzles out.
I have oil of peppermint
in the bathroom cabinet.
We'll sort you out
a dose of that,
and I shall come back later.
I never knew a family
that laughed like ours.
It took me years to realise
that the reason we did
everything Dad wanted
was because he was unhappy.
Because he was scared of
things he couldn't control.
Yeah.
Like his wife and kids.
His laughter was sofragile.
Do you mind that he never
let us go to church?
Maybe I didn't want to then.
And by the time it mattered,
I was training as a nurse
and I was free to choose.
He didn't like it, but
I didn't have to care.
He doesn't have to like
the way that I live my life.
But I wish he did.
I wish all kinds of things.
Doesn't being a nun
stop all of that?
No.
I wish he hadn't suffered
so much as a child.
I wish he hadn't grown up
in his bare feet.
I wish he hadn't been
starved and beaten.
By Roman Catholic nuns.
I wish him the best.
He gave me the train fare.
Really?
He said he wanted
someone to be with you
even if it wasn't him.
I've come to see my daughter,
Paula Cunningham.
I'm afraid Miss Cunningham
is no longer with us.
Do you want to come
up to the house, Helen?
Everyone would make you
so welcome.
I know, but, no.
I'll come tomorrow.
It will be wonderful.
Wonderful. And not like this.
POP MUSIC PLAYING QUIETLY ON RADIO
Helen, listen.
It's the twist!
BOTH LAUGH DELIGHTEDLY
VOLUME UP
I'm back in the bedroom now.
I haven't even left home yet!
I haven't even left school!
LAUGHTER
I don't even really like
Cliff Richard.
I still dream about being
married to Cliff Richard!
THEY SHRIEK
She's my daughter.
She's 14 years old.
You can't just cart her off
without telling me.
But you and your wife agreed
that Paula should
come into council care for
the duration of her pregnancy.
We made the decision
deemed best for her welfare.
EXHALES HEAVILY
What I can never work out
is whether you are
Beatrix Aylward, working nurse
and wife to a businessman,
or Princess Margaret
going on a tour of grateful
Commonwealth territories.
Princess Margaret
doesn't have to have
anything like the range
of accessories I need.
She does everything in the same
old pair of cream slingbacks.
Go. Go and enjoy
the other wedding.
I've always loved you
in sugared almond shades.
Oh! Oh!
HORN TOOTS
SHE GROANS
Right, lass
I think we both know
what we're dealing with,
and it's going to involve
an ambulance.
NANCY GROANS
Hello, old chap.
Are you all on your lonesome?
Fred's trying to mend the vase.
He said two swearwords.
It's a miracle it's only two!
It's like it's just
turned into shrapnel.
Would you like me
to take it off your hands?
If you can unstick it
from my fingers,
then you can just
chuck it in a bin somewhere.
It's a wedding present!
You can help us with
the decorations for the hall.
That will be present enough,
and Nancy will be grateful.
It's too soon, Roger.
It'll be grand, girl.
It'll be grand.
No harm's going to come.
I'm going to be driving
right behind you.
Move! If this were a cab,
the meter would be running.
I'm not discussing this.
We agreed not to discuss this.
We didn't agree on anything at all.
I know I'm an unworthy mother.
I failed our child.
I failed to pass on
Christian teaching.
I failed to teach her
right from wrong.
I failed to save her
from the world!
It hasn't done our family
much good, has it
all the praying
and the churchgoing
all the putting
our faith in God?
I have more faith in him now
than I've ever had.
The elders at the chapel
haven't shunned us,
and Paula can come home
when she's a child again.
She's a child now!
What's more,
she's our child now!
And if God sees it
any differently,
there's no need for his name
to pass my lips again.
There's no need to take things
to extremes, Philip!
I keep forgetting
it's my second.
Colette was 11 years ago.
The only thing I really remember
is how long it took
to get her out.
Lass, the only thing
you need to remember is
your body knows the way.
I've heard you saying that
to other mothers.
Usually the flippin' clueless ones.
This is a model of a pelvis, Paula.
It's a sort of cradle of bones
that rests
at the top of your legs,
and it's where
your baby's been developing
for the past nine months.
This is going to be like church.
You're not going to like
what you're hearing,
but somehow it's still going in
and you will remember it.
GROANS LOUDLY
Pull over.
Nancy, lass, no pushing.
Do you hear me? No pushing
until I've examined you
and told you it's safe.
Blow. Blow.
Blow.
How can it be safe? I'm only
seven months, maybe eight.
I've still got my knickers on!
Heels to bottom.
Knees nice and wide apart.
That's the ticket.
Do you want the news
in the old—fashioned way
or centimetres?
I don't care!
Well, you're fully dilated,
and baby's head's
in a beautiful position.
Oh, God. There's no
stopping it now, is there?
No.
BANGING
Is she all right?
If you're safely parked, get in.
Move!
SHE GROANS LOUDLY
Your baby is in your womb,
which is a bag of muscle
that nestles in here.
The womb is full of a kind of water
which we call amniotic fluid.
This cushions the baby,
but often the first sign
that a baby is on its way out
is that some of that water
starts to leak out.
Does it hurt?
No. And sometimes
it's even quite slow.
Just a little bit of wet
in your knickers.
Shouldn't the sirens be on
or something?
Don't we need to be driving faster?
No. There's nothing to be gained
by histrionics or panicking
by anyone.
Now, push if you want to,
but not too hard
or too fast.
GROANS
Steady, steady.
Champion!
Is that it? Is it out?
No. There's an art to this.
Because baby might be small,
he could come all in one go.
But I've got the towel ready,
and I'm going to put him
onto your chest
before I clamp the cord.
Your job then is to hold him close
and keep him warm.
No, I'm scared.
No. You're brave.
Brave, brave, brave.
Come on.
SHE CRIES OU
Oh!
BABY CRIES
You've another little girl.
BABY CRIES
NANCY CHUCKLES
She's crying!
She's crying, Roger!
She's not the only one.
She had a baby girl!
ALL EXCLAIM
Wha?!
I don't believe it!
Where was she hiding
the little thing?!
Oh, I've known
many an eight—month—old child
be remarkably inconspicuous!
She was on the dot
of five pounds, apparently.
Certainly a rather
more respectable weight
than I was expecting.
Wait a minute!
You knew?
I worked it out last week.
I wasn't going to say anything.
She's no more than a few weeks
early, by the look of her.
They're tube—feeding her
some milk to give her
a bit of a boost.
She's going to be all right,
isn't she? She is, lass.
You said you wanted the birth
to be different this time,
and you certainly got your wish!
I did!
And not just because
I delivered in the ambulance.
This time, I was with people I love.
I can't wait till
she's out of the incubator.
What does her hair feel like
when you touch it?
Like fur on a kitten. Or
maybe feathers on a little bird.
She's going to call you Daddy,
isn't she?
Some day.
When she's old enough.
I'm going to call you Daddy now.
Is that all right?
It's perfect.
BELL JANGLES
My knickers are wet.
Thank you. Goodbye.
Her cervix is effaced,
if only just dilated.
But her waters are leaking,
and both Sister Julienne
and Nurse Clifford think
that lab our has begun.
Oh, that poor child.
Will her body be able to bear it?
Will she be able to bear admission
to a massive general hospital
where she knows no—one?
I'm going down there.
SHE WAILS
It's all right, Paula.
This is the squeezing of
the muscles I told you about.
It's just the first
really big one you've had.
It's going to happen again,
isn't it?
You said it would.
I had intended on making
my way to the service
by public transport,
but, really, I'd have barely
arrived at the Mother House on time.
Oh, it's an ill wind
that blows nobody any good.
Isn't that right,
Sister Monica Joan?
Hmm
I can't help thinking
it ought to be Sister Julienne
helping you with all this.
She's the one who got you
as far as the altar.
She's delivering a baby.
In its way,
it seems entirely appropriate.
DOOR OPENS
Sister Monica Joan!
You haven't been here
for years!
I see no shark net or manacles
to keep me on the premises!
Only a sister
on the brink of a life
that I chose so long ago,
that its inception seems
to date from the dawn of time.
I wish you the peace
that I have known.
And more.
CRIES AND WAILS
All is well, Paula.
All is well.
She's nine centimetres.
I'll give her another half a dose
of pethidine to get her through
this final stretch.
And we'll keep up the gas.
CHORISTER SINGS
SHE SCREAMS
It's almost over, Paula.
It's almost over.
Can you push down
into your bottom for me, Paula?
Dr Turner's going to help you.
Contraction.
SHE WAILS
BABY CRIES
I can hear a baby crying.
He must want his mum.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
At the hour of my death,
call me and bid me come to you,
that with your saints
I may praise you.
For ever and ever.
Amen.
Mr Cunningham, it's Dr Turner.
Paula has just given birth
to a little boy.
HE GASPS
Uh, can I talk to her?
She's here.
Are you all right, love?
PAULA SOBS
That is the sound you hear
when you choose silence.
PAULA WAILS
Blimey! Is that Reggie's vase?
The very same.
What?! Well, it's novel,
I'll give you that.
I wish I could claim it
as my handiwork,
but my only genius is to know
somebody who could help.
This is an ancient Japanese
technique called kintsugi.
The damaged pottery
is fused back together,
using molten metal — silver,
or sometimes platinum.
This has been done with gold.
It's more beautiful
than it was before.
Well, that's what happens
when things are broken
and then made whole again.
I've just seen Paula's father
arriving in a taxi.
Sister Julienne
is going to bring him in
to discuss the adoption papers.
I can remember crying on
your shoulder about this case.
So much time has passed for us.
So much has happened.
Our work is other people's lives.
And sometimes the only way
to survive the pain
is to remember the lives
that we call our own.
The joy of them, the hope of them.
The simple possession
of hours, days and years
that are nobody else's.
Soon, one day that is not today
we will laugh.
On a day that is not today,
we will dance together.
And in a moment
that is not this moment,
I will kiss you.
Oh, I'll kiss you!
KNOCK AT DOOR
Hello, Mr Cunningham
and Mrs Cunningham.
DOOR CLOSES
Is he going to go to good people?
A very nice family.
He'll be a blessing to them.
He's beautiful.
Over the course of a day or two,
with this, and with the Epsom salts,
the milk will dry up.
Mummy!
Can I come home now?
That's a question
no—one should ever have to ask.
If I behaved in a way
that forced you to ask it,
I'm sorry.
I left the other one
with the baby.
One day you might want this.
Doesn't matter
if you don't want it now.
CHEERING
# Love me with all of your heart
# That's all I want, love
# Love me with all of your heart
# Or not at all
# Just promise me this
# That you'll give me all your kisses
# Every winter, every summer
# Every fall
# When we are far apart
# Or when you're near me
# Love me with all of your heart
# As I love you
# Don't give me your love
# For a moment
# Or an hour
# Love me always
# As you've loved me from the start
# With every beat of your heart
# Just promise me this
# That you'll give me all your kisses
# Every winter
Every summer ♪
CHEERING
MATURE JENNIFER:
Sometimes we are made whole
simply because another heart
has started beating.
Our blood runs richer
and our soul sings,
suddenly perfect and complete.
And sometimes we heal,
because we realise
we did not break alone.
The darkness was never absolute.
The rain was never all there was.
The tears, like mother's milk,
were only temporary.
Where we were torn, we are mended.
And if there are scars,
they will be beautiful.
We are each other's light,
each other's gold,
each other's hope.
Forever fragile,
and forever valiant,
bound by love,
we will outlive the stars.