Call the Midwife s15e02 Episode Script
Season 15, Episode 2
1
MATURE JENNIFER: Life seldom
unfolds exactly as we wish it.
There are shocks and disappointments.
Unwelcome revelations bring a light
we can't deny.
There are new things, and we fear them.
There are hard things,
and they must be done.
Sometimes we have no choice,
and sometimes choice is imposed upon us.
And the questions pound like hammers.
What lies beyond this?
Where will we decide to go?
Ah, nice to see you putting that
fall behind you, Mr Bagnall.
You're doing very well on those
new crutches.
I'm recovering at a rate of knots!
Can I interest you in yoga lessons?
Is that how you did it?
My son's running them - Joel.
He's inside, putting up a poster.
Hot off the plane from a year in India.
Oh, of course! I remember him leaving.
Joel, welcome home!
I've been wondering where your
wanderings took you.
I started out in Bombay, and then
I worked my way right up
to Ladakh, near Tibet.
And then I went to an ashram in
Varanasi for a few months.
Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges.
And now I'm back on the banks of
the Thames.
There's no place like home.
Take a leaflet. Yoga AND meditation.
I'm a very busy woman, but I shall.
I haven't got a clue how this is
supposed to work.
The colours have all got to be mixed
up for the Easter egg hunt.
But they've got to be all separated
out first.
Can I eat one?
Oh, go on.
Better check to see that they
haven't gone stale.
Race ya!
DOOR OPENS
I press-ganged Cyril into putting up
the bunting.
That isn't very public-spirited
..taking chocolate out of the mouths
of children.
It's our wages.
Fair day's pay for a fair day's work.
Hmm!
Oi.
CHATTER AND BABIES CRYING
Mrs Estelle Glennon?
Mrs Hope Glennon?
Would you like to come with me?
Must be rather fun, being pregnant
at the same time
as your sister-in-law.
Yes. Two more for the clan.
Grandchild ten and grandchild 11
for the Glennons.
Family in Belfast are laying bets
on which is born first
and what the weights will be.
Well, it may well be quite
a close-run thing,
due dates eight days apart.
Do you have family over here as well?
Hope's husband's working as a welder
at the Barbican site.
My Michael's doing the same,
but on an oil rig.
So they took me in to live with them.
It's just us in London, really.
So, four years since your first baby.
And this one's going to be my last.
Unless I get another boy, and then
I might try again for a wee girl.
Oh, we've got a pill to help you
choose how many.
We've no control over anything else.
You'd think science would have it
all sorted by now.
Will I have it soon, do you think?
Mm. The head's definitely engaged.
With a second baby, that is usually
the sign that things are
about to get moving.
I was thinking of taking castor oil,
or going all modern and having a curry.
My advice, Mrs Glennon, is to leave
well alone.
Chances are, all you'll do is upset
your tummy.
And if labour gets going anyway,
you're in for a dismal combination
of events.
Good things come to those who wait, eh?
Well, you come into the maternity
home as soon as things start moving.
- We'll look after you.
- Yeah.
The shoemaker and his wife
never saw the little elves again,
but from that time, good luck was
always with them.
They were rich and happy for
the rest of their lives.
And that is the end of the story.
I could listen to you read all day.
You've got ever such a nice voice.
I have to try to tell him the story
through my tone of voice.
But we're still not sure how much
English he understands.
Well, kiddies are kiddies, aren't they?
All they really understand is how
much they're loved.
And, in here, if someone's coming
at them with a needle.
Oh.
I keep telling myself cancer
treatment would bewilder him
if he spoke fluent English.
But perhaps the more he could comprehend,
the more frightening it would be.
You have to hand it to the National
Health, though.
All the nurses keep saying there's
a real chance he could be cured.
Yes, they do.
The new chemotherapy is such a huge
advance on what went before.
Fingers crossed, eh?
LIVELY CHATTER
I always loved a community event,
even as a child.
Every day was a community event
when I was growing up.
My parents ran a boarding school
for boys.
Rosalind! Your mother's on the telephone.
Speak of the devil.
You must take in as much fluid
as you can, Harry.
Once the head goes on, you won't be
able to drink for hours.
I won't be able to visit
the bathroom either.
Oh, this is also true.
Grandma, please explain to me again
about the Easter Bunny.
It's a mythical creature of pagan origin
which goes from house to house
delivering sweet treats to children.
So, it's not Christian, then?
It's best we don't quiz the
connection too closely.
MUFFLED: I think I prefer Christmas.
EXCITED CHATTER
MICROPHONE FEEDBACK SQUEALS
Welcome, everyone, to the Easter egg
hunt.
CHEERING
The rules are very simple.
Everyone taking part will be given
a basket,
and there are more than 200
chocolate eggs hidden nearby,
each wrapped in different coloured foil.
The aim is to find six eggs -
one pink, one blue, one green,
one yellow,
one purple and one orange.
And the winners are the first child
in each age group to find all six.
- Yes!
- CHEERING
You can search anywhere within
the boundaries
marked by the carrot bunting.
And if you're little and need a helper,
then look out for the people wearing
an Easter egg badge.
The bell, if you would, please, Reggie.
BELL CLANGS
CHEERING
You may begin!
CHATTER AND LAUGHTER
Ooh. And meanwhile, there is tea
and simnel cake for the grown-ups.
And if you'd like a hot cross bun
LAUGHING: ..just ask the Easter Bunny.
I couldn't believe it when my mother
said she and my father
were coming to visit.
I've lived here for two years,
and they haven't been once.
Better late than never, I suppose.
They talk about being progressive
and voting for the Liberal Party,
but I always have to go to
Leicestershire to visit them,
or meet them in a smart tearoom in
London if they happen to be in town.
So, if they're now going to go to
the trouble of trekking all the way
to Poplar, all the more reason to
make them welcome.
Oh, gosh.
I'm not being very "honour thy
father and thy mother", am I?
You should ask Violet if we can
leave the bunting up.
I'm going to welcome them with open arms.
I've told them so much about you,
and they do seem keen to meet.
Have they never said anything
about where I'm from?
They've said you must be very
enterprising to have come
all the way from British Guiana.
LAUGHTER AND CHATTER
Seems like five minutes since
you was in the Cubs.
Well, we're doing very well.
We've got a pink one, a blue one
and a green one already.
What other colours do we need, Donna?
- Yellow.
- That's right!
And, look, there's one over there,
on top of the dustbin.
What a funny place to put it.
I'll lift you up, but you must
try not to touch the bin lid.
SNARLING
DOG PANTS
Harry!
- Harry!
- What is the matter?
Well, I think there's a dog in its
death throes.
LABOURED PANTING
There's foam around its mouth.
I've seen dogs like this in
the street in Delhi.
Stay there. I'm going for assistance.
CONNECT TONE TRILLS
PHONE: Police, ambulance or fire?
Police, urgently, to St Wilbur's
School, Hendy Street.
LAUGHTER AND CHATTER
WHISTLE PEEPS
Everybody, back.
Everybody, back!
The Easter egg hunt is suspended.
That means stopped, Mandeep.
- Aw!
- I know.
Come over with me.
Nobody crosses this line.
First rule of civil defence -
establish and control the crisis area.
SIREN WAILS
Heavens to Murgatroyd!
We've enough to contend with without
children getting knocked down.
BRAKES SQUEAL
Over this way!
If we had to come away,
how can it be safe for Daddy?
Let's go inside, honey.
We've had reports of a rabid dog, sir.
It's a dead dog now.
Uh, Dr Turner.
I'm on the police surgeon rota.
Sir.
It'll have to be taken for a postmortem,
and this whole area needs to be cleansed.
It has to be dealt with according to
the rabies protocol.
- Mandeep Singh.
- Yes!
Kevin Prenderghast.
LIVELY CLAMOUR
Teddy Turner!
BOYS PLAY NOISILY
WHISTLE PEEPS
- Everton Wheatley.
- Yes.
John Muscatelli.
BOY BARKS
As soon as the police give us permission,
Baloo and I will walk with you to
St Oswald's Hall,
where you can be collected by
your parents.
BOYS BARK
Should I be serving butterfly cakes
or kennel meat?
THEY LAUGH
Steady. That's it.
This feels awfully close to home,
Dr Turner.
You read about rabies happening
in places like Germany,
that the squirrels get it there.
But it can spread -
from Germany to France to England.
There was that case in Surrey last year,
the rabid dog that ran amok days
after it came out of quarantine.
I'll never forget seeing the news,
watching them rounding up people's pets.
The results of the tests on the body
won't be through for at least two days,
but we have to find a way of keeping
people calm.
Hmm.
Cushion's all ready.
If you turn around, you can reverse
into the chair
like the occupational therapist
showed you.
I do not need instructions,
and I do not need a cushion.
The only good thing about your
mother not being with us any more
is that I am able to jettison
her excessive soft furnishings.
She liked keeping things cosy, Dad.
She liked a lot of things.
She liked Easter, as it happened,
and kiddies.
It would have broken her heart,
seeing that party stopped.
It needed to be stopped.
Have you any idea how much damage
a rabid dog can do?
I seen that man foaming at the mouth
in the public information films.
That upset your mother no end.
You're missing her, aren't you, Dad?
What do you think?
Shall I make a cup of tea?
Hmm! Child, if you walk out with
a man for nigh on five months
without introducing him to your parents,
you're going to get nervous when
that day rolls round.
I knew my relationship with Cyril
was going to be serious,
right from the very start.
Didn't we all?
I've known all my life that there
are people with
..opinions.
Oh, I had opinions, too, to begin with.
If that made you scared of this,
then I'm sorry.
Have you changed your mind, Joyce?
JOYCE SIGHS
I think the world at large is
starting to change,
if only a little bit.
And you two are happy.
I really, really want my parents
to see that.
I don't think anyone could miss it.
SHE SIGHS
SISTER VERONICA: Goodbye.
PHONE CRADLE CLICKS
I thought I'd come in early.
But I had no idea how close to us
that dog was until just now.
Have there been any developments
overnight?
The Ministry of Agriculture seems to
be in charge of the response.
Agriculture!
And I'm a health visitor, not a farmer.
They say everyone has to sit tight
until we know for certain
that the animal was rabid.
But what do they mean by "sit tight"?
Are we all supposed to stay indoors?
The school's been closed.
The children were meant to be
going back today.
Meanwhile, Mrs Buckle has called
a public meeting
in an attempt to quell panic.
She won't be told it's as likely
to fan the flames of hysteria
as it is to damp them down.
PHONE RINGS
Nonnatus House. Midwife speaking.
This is Estelle Glennon.
- Is that Nurse Aylward?
- It is.
- Are you in labour, Estelle?
- No.
But I think it's Hope's turn.
Oh!
Mind how you go, now.
No, Mrs Kelly, we do not offer the
rabies vaccine at the surgery.
HOPE GROANS
Yes, I can make a note of the fact
that your children were at
the Easter egg hunt.
Thank you for calling.
HE EXHALES
How may I help you, ladies?
I think I'm in labour.
Nurse Aylward said she'd meet us here.
Don't come near her. Don't come near her.
She's been scratched by a cat.
I am beginning to resent the success
of the government anti-rabies campaign.
It's made everyone think
they're going to die
from infected animal saliva.
If it carries on like this, you're
going to have to appeal for calm
through a megaphone.
I'll take one to the public meeting.
In the meantime, can you just send
in my 12 o'clock?
You'll be pleased to hear it's
a simple case of bunions.
HE STRAINS
Oh, Dad, I can do that.
You're interrupting my method.
You've got collapsed vertebrae!
I haven't got collapsed dignity!
I'm trying to help, Dad.
The best way you can help me is to
get out of the house
and find a way to make a living.
Nobody wants yoga or meditation classes.
I'm not that keen on them myself.
DOORBELL RINGS
Your mum would cry her eyes out
if she saw the way you've drifted!
Good afternoon. District nurse.
You come to give me my rabies jab?
Have you got any symptoms?
Because if you have, it's too late
for the vaccine.
Things are starting to get going.
Not very much in the way of
dilation, but there is a little bit
of water leaking, so I think
we'll be keeping you in.
I'll be back in two shakes of
a lamb's tail.
I can't see any gas.
They said there'd be gas.
It'll be in the delivery room, won't it?
I only needed one whiff of it last time,
and they say the second one's easier.
Which isn't to say the first is terrible.
If it was, I wouldn't be doing it
again, would I?
That was a nasty old pressure sore
you had there.
Quite deep.
They said I was way too long laying
on my back in hospital.
Mm.
I think this new soreness is because
the belt on your trousers is
pressing down on it.
I caught him rubbing it with
disinfectant, saying that it stings.
Out!
DOOR SHUTS
He will not stop fussing over me.
Yeah, Reg
Well, I feel sorry for the dog, too.
But the police didn't kill him.
He was poorly, and he passed away.
But it's sad to die by the bins.
- SHOP BELL TINKLES
- Fred.
Have you got any disinfectant?
I saw a nasty little mongrel
sniffing around my laundrette steps.
On the front of that shelf there.
And, uh, 10p off if you buy
the bleach as well.
THROUGH LOUD-HAILER OUTSIDE:
until further notice.
Repeat - all dogs must be kept on leads.
All cats must be kept indoors
It's going to get worse than this
if they build that Channel Tunnel.
BELL TINKLES
Oh, Mrs Turner, you do look tired.
How's the little man doing?
First cycle of treatment is now
under way.
No vomiting or diarrhoea so far,
but he's not quite himself.
SHE SPEAKS CANTONESE
I have permission from Sister
Julienne to come in the evenings,
if that would help you to get back
to your own children?
Oh, it would.
He needs so much love.
And there are so few people that
he trusts.
I don't want any more gas.
It's made me sick twice now.
I can see what's happening.
This cheeky monkey has decided to
lie on its back,
so its spine's pressing against yours.
Is that bad?
Well, it's a little easier when
they're lying face down,
with their head correctly tucked in.
But you've got a bit of
a nonconformist here.
I'm telling you, Nurse,
the one thing this baby isn't
is a Protestant Agh!
TRIXIE LAUGHS
DR TURNER: Thank you, Sister Veronica.
That concludes the first part
of our presentation.
LIVELY CHATTER
Thank you for the slide show.
Why didn't it mention the improperly
regulated pet shops?
You can buy monkeys on the
Commercial Road.
MURMURS OF AGREEMEN
Because we are here tonight to try
to allay your fears.
I used to be a steeplejack.
I was always running into bats.
Can you get it from bats?
Bats can carry various diseases,
including rabies,
even in this country.
You must always seek medical help
if you've been bitten by a bat.
INDISTINCT MURMURING
Agh! HOPE PANTS
Body is ready to push now, Hope,
but we need you to slow everything down.
Slow it down. Down.
- HOPE SCREAMS
- Down, Hope.
Hope, all is well.
We're going to use this pain now,
and we're going to make it work for us.
Argh!
SHE VOMITS
INDISTINCT CHATTER
Allow me to remind you all of the facts.
We currently do not have any
confirmed cases of rabies in Poplar,
nor do we have anyone presenting
with symptoms of rabies.
The slides didn't make it clear
what the symptoms are.
- Yeah, he's right.
- He's right. He's right.
PHONE RINGS
Nonnatus House. Sister Julienne speaking.
TRIXIE: Hello, Sister.
Could you possibly send reinforcements
over to the maternity home?
Early symptoms can look a bit like
ordinary flu,
with fever, nausea, aches and pains.
All very easy to dismiss.
But once the virus starts affecting
the nervous system,
things become more distinct.
Muscle spasms, anxiety, confusion
..paralysis, seizures.
And thirst, coupled with a violent
fear of drinking fluids,
even water.
- CONCERNED MURMURING
- Even water?
It's horrible, I know,
but that's why we have to take such care.
INDISTINCT CHATTER
SHE EXHALES
HOPE SCREAMS
HOPE: No! Agh! Help me!
Ah! No! I can't!
No, no, no, no, no!
Hope, with the next contraction,
we need one long, strong, brave push.
That could well give us baby's head,
and the worst will be over.
HOPE SCREAMS
HOPE SOBS
Success!
We have the top of baby's head with us.
And I can see the most perfect
little pair of eyebrows.
Well done, Hope. See how strong you are?
When I finally get it out,
I won't know whether to kiss it
or give it a piece of my mind!
Agh!
Bear down, Hope.
Bear down. Down.
Come on, Hope. You can do it!
HOPE SCREAMS
That was a most magnificent push, Hope,
but baby doesn't seem to have read
the rule book.
TEARFULLY: What's wrong?
All will be well.
But we need to work on getting
baby's shoulder out.
Dr Turner is only around the corner.
We will work on the next massive push,
while Nurse Aylward nips to
the telephone.
HOPE SOBS
What's happened?
It's nothing to be alarmed about.
HOPE SCREAMS
INDISTINCT CHATTER
They're not telling us the truth.
We can only remind you
that analysis of the dog's remains
is still ongoing.
QUIETLY: - It's an emergency.
- Right.
We simply have to be vigilant
until the results come in.
HOPE SOBS
Don't wait for the pain this time, Hope.
Just keep pushing.
SHE GROANS
Sister Julienne's going
to work internally
to dislodge your baby's shoulder.
I'm going to get baby out.
Just breathe deeply
and push whenever we ask.
Now. Now!
HOPE SCREAMS
Baby's arm is lateral to its body.
HOPE WAILS
Push now. Push, Hope.
HOPE SCREAMS
Keep pushing.
Push as hard as you can. Don't stop!
HOPE SOBS AND WAILS
Well done!
It's out.
HOPE SOBS
HOPE SOBS
Large baby. Shoulder dystocia.
BABY CRIES
It's a boy.
Oh
Well done.
I may have broken his collarbone.
You've saved his life.
BABY CRIES
MUFFLED CRIES
PHONE RINGS
Good morning. Nonnatus House.
My sister's been regaling me
with tales of slavering hounds.
- Are you still alive?
- When I last looked, yes.
I haven't forgotten our conversation
..in the park.
Nor have I.
I just want you to know that the offer
of a listening ear still stands.
The offer of my friendship still stands.
You sound like Humphrey Bogart.
"All you have to do is whistle."
HE CHUCKLES
It was actually Lauren Bacall who
said that to Humphrey Bogart,
but I shall take it as a compliment.
I do appreciate the things you said.
You're really very kind.
DOOR SHUTS
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH
- BABY CRIES
- Will his arm be hurting him?
I broke my toe once, and it was agony.
Baby's bones are very soft,
and Doctor will be keeping an eye on him
in case he's restless and needs
something for the pain.
Wait till I tell him what he put us
all through.
It'll make a good tale,
once he's old enough to listen.
Now, I need to take a look at your
stitches.
But if they're playing the game,
we'll treat you to a little session
with the heat lamp.
What happened to Estelle?
Your sister-in-law?
I believe she popped off home
once she heard the good news.
- To give you time to rest.
- No.
That's not what we agreed.
She was going to be the first to
hold him.
Something's wrong if she didn't do that.
It's rather delightful that your
journey to matrimony started here.
I ought to put up a plaque.
There was a lot of sadness at the
beginning, Mr Scarisbrick,
even though there was happiness
in the end.
Yes, of course.
Now, Lady Aylward, to what do I owe
the pleasure of your visit?
You are looking really remarkably well.
I'm not expecting a baby, as it happens.
I'm hoping for professional insight
into maternity care in Britain in 1971.
Ah. Have you tired of the medical
landscape in Poplar?
I'm as impressed as ever by what's
accomplished at Nonnatus House.
But my eyes have been opened by
living in New York.
Yeah, well, I've made more than
one study over there myself.
- It's like a different world.
- Certainly a different country.
I learned a great deal by simply
visiting American hospitals.
And now I want to see if I might
apply that knowledge
within a British context.
Well, you are, of course, most welcome
- to spend some time here observing.
- Thank you.
A little bird tells me you're
planning on retiring very soon.
Ah, yes.
The golf club beckons.
TRIXIE CHUCKLES
And selling the clinic?
It's nice to see the balloons up.
One down and one to go.
They're for Anthony, really.
Are you sure Hope's going to be
all right?
She's doing very nicely.
And the paediatrician from St Cuthbert's
is going to call in and check on
baby's collarbone.
Did you know they had chosen
the name Niall?
But Hope's all right?
Her main concern at the moment is you.
And I think I share it.
It will be a relief to be out of
the surgery for an hour,
even if we barely have time
for a sandwich.
The public meeting did no good
whatsoever.
The phone is still ringing continually.
INDISTINCT CHATTER
ANIMAL WHINES
What was that?
Stay back, stay back.
There. Come on.
You need dog biscuits,
not custard creams.
They're getting him in the shed,
ain't they? That's what matters.
Be careful, Fred.
Fred, have you sent for the police?
They're supposed to be on their way.
- Shall I go and ring them again?
- Uh
SIREN BLARES
BRAKES SQUEAL
DOG WHINES
CROWD CHEERS
It's in the shed, Sergeant.
Tottering on its pins a bit and
- ..drooling.
- We'll take a look.
But toxicology came back on the one
that died on Easter Monday.
May I ask, what was the conclusion?
It was negative for rabies.
Looks like it ate rat poison.
- So, the crisis is over?
- Indeed it is, madam.
Must have been drooling over
the custard creams.
LAUGHTER
Well, all's well that ends well.
And there you have it.
An object lesson in anticlimax
and British understatement.
It would have been different in India.
At home, the fear is always real.
Yes.
Me and Hope, we were terrified
that somehow our men
would get mixed up with the
Republican Army.
Mm.
That we wouldn't know that they'd be
in danger, or causing danger.
But they wanted to get out from early on.
Is that why you all left Belfast?
They lost their jobs in the shipyard
anyway.
Catholics did.
And men need to work.
But women need family,
so we stuck together.
Well, it's a wonderful thing
to see, Estelle.
A bond like yours is something to be
envied.
I thought at first that it wouldn't
touch us.
There was so much talk for so long.
There were demonstrations,
and they turned into riots.
But you can keep away from them.
You can't keep away from bombs.
They hide them
..and then they set them off in
places where they'll do most damage.
Places like banks.
Estelle, were you caught up in
a bomb blast?
In the bank. In the bank!
ESTELLE SOBS
Estelle Estelle, try to stay calm.
You're safe here.
You're safe now.
ESTELLE PANTS
This will stop you taking in
too much oxygen.
It was the screaming.
And when I h-heard Hope
..when I heard Hope, it was the same.
Screaming. Screaming
You're safe now.
When this is over
..I'm going to walk you to the
surgery to see the doctor.
Afternoon.
What's all this about a whiffy sink?
Can't have that with the in-laws
coming round.
Thanks, Fred. I was up till midnight
repainting all the skirting boards.
I-I I don't know what's got into me.
Lu-u-urve got into you.
THEY ALL LAUGH
I brought you some pot plants.
And I brought my plunger!
I heard my mother giving birth more
than once,
but it was the last one where
she screamed and screamed.
There were no more babies
after that because
..it killed her.
Nobody ever told me why she died.
I just remember the mattress being
burned because it was
..covered in blood.
Even 20 years ago, death in
childbirth was very, very rare.
Now it's rarer still.
One thing I can promise you
is that your mother didn't die of pain.
And we are going to make sure
that you feel as little pain as possible.
I can't do it.
Yes, you can, and we will help you.
Sister Julienne is one of
the most soothing
and resourceful midwives I know.
But in New York, Estelle
would have been simply booked in
for an epidural, and a calm, controlled
or completely painless birth would
follow.
I've read about epidural anaesthesia.
I've been to lectures.
I've never seen one performed
because they don't offer it
at St Cuthbert's.
Which is extremely backward, in my view.
At the Lady Emily,
you can have one for £20.
£20?!
If you saw the difference it makes,
you'd think it was cheap at the price.
Have you been to the Lady Emily recently?
Yes.
I can connect you to Mr Scarisbrick,
if you'd like.
Not such a good day today.
He's needed some anti-emetics.
SHE SPEAKS CANTONESE
A parcel with a wee hat arrived
from his mother
in Hong Kong this morning.
But he wouldn't even let me try it
on him.
He'll settle down.
He's a lucky little fellow, in some ways.
So many mothers looking after him.
You go, Mrs Turner,
back to your other children.
I'll hold the fort.
I'm heading down the Black Sail.
Do you want to come?
No, thanks. I'm not feeling great.
And I'm writing letters for a couple
of factory jobs.
Factory jobs?
And I'm also planning a haircut.
I've had enough adventures to
last me a lifetime, Dad.
Just let me come home.
The children are having a picnic tea
upstairs.
Sausage rolls and crisps.
I'm assuming that's because the
grown-ups are discussing
- ..policy.
- Yes.
Sister
I am trying to move things
on with regard to epidural provision
- at St Cuthbert's.
- Do you think that's wise?
We'd never be able to offer it
for home births.
And even at the maternity home,
it requires an anaesthetist.
It does.
But we can refer patients to deliver
in hospital in the GP unit.
Some mothers, like Estelle
Glennon, would really benefit.
So, I have arranged to see
an epidural block
being performed tomorrow
..at the Lady Emily Clinic.
We do know the Order's dealings with
them came to an abrupt end.
They were performing abortions there
when such a thing was still illegal.
But I have something I need to
tell you, too.
Also about policy.
TV: For the animal you love
and couldn't leave behind,
and for you or someone like you,
death in a manner
that is beyond description.
Whichever way you look at it,
rabies means death.
HE GRUNTS
Sister Julienne, this is terrible.
Why didn't you tell us sooner?
I needed time to consider
the Order's position.
And I still do.
Does it make it easier or harder
that the National Health
have made their intentions so clear?
But there must be a chance that
they'll keep funding Nonnatus House
when they take control from the council.
Not if we insist on retaining
our religious clothing.
Sister, if you close down in Poplar,
so must we.
Our practice is enmeshed with yours.
I know.
And there's so much work to do.
If we don't agree to the new terms
..we will receive no more funds
from the end of this year.
I've told them I will give my
decision at the end of August.
On the feast of St Raymond Nonnatus.
Yes.
And in the meantime, we go on.
Ah, Lady Aylward, Dr Turner.
Glad you could join us.
Mrs Duchenne is a most delightful lady,
and so very accommodating.
How are we feeling, Mrs Duchenne?
- Fine, thank you.
- Good.
Where's Joel today?
Is he out looking for work?
No, he's not.
He's off colour and lying down.
It's like he's lost all his spark
since he's come home.
I don't know why he doesn't want to
keep on adventuring.
Do you think maybe he's just a homebody?
He doesn't have to be,
not in the modern world.
I had to be a steeplejack
because my uncle was.
Spent my life mending chimneys.
Once, just once
..I was at the top of this church spire,
putting up a weather vane.
You could see for miles.
And all I saw was all the places
I would never go.
And Joel certainly grabbed
the opportunities he had
with both hands.
No-one else round here had a kid
who went to an ashram.
It's the kind of thing the Beatles did.
And I was proud of him.
- Did you tell him that?
- What?
Did you tell him you were proud?
Oh, no.
We're not soft like that.
It's one thing to read about it.
It's quite another to see it in action.
HE SIGHS
It shouldn't just be for people who
can afford to pay
- ..should it?
- No.
I'm going to talk to St Cuthbert's.
I appreciate Mrs Glennon
is a special case.
You could always persuade her to
switch entirely into our care.
I am not convinced that that
would do her any good at all.
She needs a lot of care
and a lot of attention.
Epidural anaesthesia requires the same,
which is why we've yet to
introduce the practice.
Philip
St Cuthbert's is a good hospital.
It's even an innovative hospital.
I have respect for innovative things.
I'm saying this in the kindest
and most respectful way possible,
Patrick, but
..you're a dying breed.
I know I am.
And I don't know if my way of
delivering babies
has much time left at all.
Do you think the National Health
is going to close you down?
There's a big shake-up coming,
and when it does, I want to know
that the women
who would otherwise have been in my care
are going to be looked after properly.
That they are going to trade
what we can give them
for something that might,
just might, be even better.
And that starts with us, doesn't it?
It will end with you, too.
Joel!
I thought you said you'd come down
for something to eat!
I've opened a tin of oxtail.
KNOCK AT DOOR
Greetings, Mr Bagnall.
I've come from the surgery with a
new prescription for your ointment.
JOEL: Dad!
I can't move my legs!
- He's had a temperature.
- Joel!
I don't know what's wrong.
JOEL PANTS
It's all right, my friend.
I will fetch help for you.
First, let me get you some water.
JOEL GRUNTS
Then Mr Parry called
this morning, and it's a yes.
He had two anaesthetists
already raring to go
and applying pressure from their end.
And he's content to have Estelle Glennon
have epidural pain relief in the
GP supervised unit?
Yes. Mr Parry will be there, too.
In fact, it's going to be
a fairly crowded room.
Estelle is one of the most
anxious and distressed women
I've ever seen.
And if it helps her
..I have no reservations.
But what of the implications for you
and
- for our practice?
- PHONE RINGS
It might put me out of business.
But it might give this place
a fighting chance
of working in tandem with
the National Health.
By delivering more babies in hospital,
regardless of what they ask?
That might be the way ahead
- ..for all sorts of reasons.
- KNOCK AT DOOR
Dr Turner.
I'm afraid a very urgent call
has just come in.
Hello, darling. Lovely to see you.
- Mummy!
- How do you do?
- Lovely to meet you.
- Hello, Daddy.
Good afternoon, Mrs Clifford.
Terribly good of you to come and meet us.
Josephine has far more faith in
this A-Z book than I do!
Oh! Well, the Underground was quite
challenging enough.
Three Tube lines.
We're staying with friends in Hampstead.
Hampstead is a tricky journey
from Poplar.
Cyril comes to pick me up from
Women's Liberation meetings
if they finish late.
Oh, very gallant of you.
Although I expect you to intervene
if she starts wearing dungarees.
Oh!
THEY ALL LAUGH
And you've no memory of being bitten
or scratched by anything
while you were in India?
Bitten and scratched
..by a cat at ashram.
But I've been fine.
How long ago did this happen, Joel?
Weeks.
Well, must be something else, then.
It can take up to three months for
rabies symptoms to appear, Joel.
Have you been worrying about this?
We are going to call an ambulance to
take you directly to
the London Hospital of Tropical Medicine.
They'll know what to do.
Tell me.
In this social work line,
do you do any work with maladjusted boys?
It's increasing all the time.
The council have just opened a
special educational unit for them,
which we're really hoping will
pave the way for change.
We've taken a few of the odder types
into our own school,
but we seem to have sorted
them all out with, erm
..plenty of fresh air and a bit
of discipline.
Oh!
This is a first-class Madeira.
Cyril made it.
Ah! Full marks, dear.
And now, uh, Rosalind tells us that
she's getting confirmed.
Did you have a hand in that?
We're different denominations,
but it gives us a common interest.
I'll show you the chapel at
Nonnatus House
when I take you over
to meet my colleagues.
It was joining them for prayers
that got me thinking.
Well, we always said that Rosalind
could make up her own mind
about being confirmed. Some of our
friends were quite shocked.
But we have always been, erm,
progressive thinkers.
- More tea, Mrs Clifford?
- Ooh, yes, please.
Didn't expect Earl Grey.
As soon as you feel your
first contraction,
you must contact Nonnatus House,
and you and I will travel together
by ambulance.
Dr Turner will meet us at the hospital.
This epidural, you say it's brand-new?
New-ish. It's catching on
all over the country.
And I won't feel anything? No pain? None?
Nothing at all, between your tummy
and your toes.
Everything is going to be
as calm and controlled
and as comfortable as we can make it
for you.
Oh, darling, I'm so proud of you.
We never entirely thought you'd be
able to knuckle down to nursing,
but, erm well, you proved us
all wrong!
Ignore your mother.
She's such a wet blanket.
I never had any doubts at all.
Sister Julienne really
was absolutely delightful.
Can you see why I love Nonnatus House?
Oh, yes. It's very quaint.
And what about Cyril?
Charming.
Mm. Yes, he's, erm charming.
Impressive, even.
But, really, he's not the chap
for you, is he?
He IS the chap for me, actually.
That's why we're going out together.
He is in the middle of a divorce.
And this is the modern world.
He is also black,
and you are going to have to look
beyond that.
We haven't said one word about him
being black,
and I think that is to our credit,
frankly.
You don't have to say anything.
I saw it the moment you met.
He is a perfectly decent,
respectable man.
We just, uh
..don't want you to have any
regrets, that is all.
Now, can we have a kiss before
we part? Hmm?
Oh, don't send us back to Hampstead
in the doldrums.
ESTELLE WINCES
- KNOCK AT DOOR
- Yes?
Hmm!
It's early for coffee, isn't it?
Nurse Aylward telephoned to say
Estelle Glennon
is en route to St Cuthbert's by
ambulance with labour pains.
Can you tell Mr Parry I am on my way?
Of course. Doctor?
I also received a call from
the London Hospital
- of Tropical Medicine.
- About Joel Bagnall?
Lyssavirus rabies has been confirmed,
and the paralysis is spreading
very rapidly.
HE SIGHS
I keep thinking of all the times
I've looked at him through windows.
I looked at him through a window on
the day that he was born,
at the hospital.
And I used to wave at him through
the front room window
when I was coming home from work,
when he was just a little nipper.
The consultant said you can go
inside and sit with him.
And his mum and me,
we watched him through
the glass at the airport
when he flew off on his big adventure.
Go to him, Mr Bagnall.
The food I have brought you will
keep. I will leave it here.
Thanks.
There's things I need to tell him
..while he's still alive to hear.
JOEL GRUNTS
ESTELLE GROANS
Well done, Estelle. Well done.
Any moment now, you should feel
the pain relief
starting to take effect.
It's already passing through
that tiny tube.
Blood pressure's stable.
The fun starts now, Estelle.
I can feel the pain stopping.
It's like everything inside
my body's going quiet.
That's what we want.
ESTELLE EXHALES
Rosalind, I know their reaction
wasn't what you wanted,
and I hoped it would be better, too.
But you didn't expect it to be, did you?
No. I did not.
To them, I was always going to be
too different.
Well, I'm different, too, now.
And if they can't accept that,
if they can't accept you
..they're going to have to accept
that their place in my life
has now become much smaller.
Please don't cut them off.
Nobody should ever cut their parents off.
However much hurt they have caused,
however ignorant they have been.
It's hard.
But, Cyril, you've had it harder.
You've had to put up with prejudice
ever since you've been here.
Hold my hand.
I want everyone to see.
This is a really strong contraction.
Push now. Push as hard as you can.
ESTELLE STRAINS
That's beautiful, Estelle.
Keep going. Keep going.
How are you feeling, Estelle?
I think I'm excited, but peaceful.
SHE STRAINS
Contraction.
Right, Estelle,
we're doing this together now.
I'm pulling. You're pushing.
Come on! Come on!
Am I doing it? Am I doing it?
Yes. Yes, you are.
BABY GURGLES
BABY CRIES
Well done, Estelle!
It's a girl.
Hello.
BABY FUSSES
It's quite something, isn't it, Sister?
It is the future.
And the future's going to hold
so many things.
ESTELLE: You're beautiful.
MATURE JENNIFER: Choice is too
often a privilege not granted.
We must take what is given
and surrender what God takes.
But pain is never all there is.
There is endurance and resilience.
There is tenderness and strength.
All these gifts force through
like sunlight,
often at a cost,
but then welcomed all the more.
- DOOR OPENS
- DR TURNER: We're home!
JENNIFER: We cannot dictate the
weather, only our response to it.
And we must turn to face the elements,
embracing all that comes.
What's all this?
Are we having a jumble sale?
Daddy, it's for our time capsule.
I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name.
Agata Balassa.
Why have you been talking to the
Lady Emily?
That clinic is run for the benefit
of the rich, not the needy.
Is there no-one who could pop in
with a nightdress and some toiletries?
I'm doing this on my own, Nurse.
- No, I cannot go to the doctor.
- Why not?
Because I do not leave this house!
Sub extracted from file & improved by
Se7enOfNin9
MATURE JENNIFER: Life seldom
unfolds exactly as we wish it.
There are shocks and disappointments.
Unwelcome revelations bring a light
we can't deny.
There are new things, and we fear them.
There are hard things,
and they must be done.
Sometimes we have no choice,
and sometimes choice is imposed upon us.
And the questions pound like hammers.
What lies beyond this?
Where will we decide to go?
Ah, nice to see you putting that
fall behind you, Mr Bagnall.
You're doing very well on those
new crutches.
I'm recovering at a rate of knots!
Can I interest you in yoga lessons?
Is that how you did it?
My son's running them - Joel.
He's inside, putting up a poster.
Hot off the plane from a year in India.
Oh, of course! I remember him leaving.
Joel, welcome home!
I've been wondering where your
wanderings took you.
I started out in Bombay, and then
I worked my way right up
to Ladakh, near Tibet.
And then I went to an ashram in
Varanasi for a few months.
Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges.
And now I'm back on the banks of
the Thames.
There's no place like home.
Take a leaflet. Yoga AND meditation.
I'm a very busy woman, but I shall.
I haven't got a clue how this is
supposed to work.
The colours have all got to be mixed
up for the Easter egg hunt.
But they've got to be all separated
out first.
Can I eat one?
Oh, go on.
Better check to see that they
haven't gone stale.
Race ya!
DOOR OPENS
I press-ganged Cyril into putting up
the bunting.
That isn't very public-spirited
..taking chocolate out of the mouths
of children.
It's our wages.
Fair day's pay for a fair day's work.
Hmm!
Oi.
CHATTER AND BABIES CRYING
Mrs Estelle Glennon?
Mrs Hope Glennon?
Would you like to come with me?
Must be rather fun, being pregnant
at the same time
as your sister-in-law.
Yes. Two more for the clan.
Grandchild ten and grandchild 11
for the Glennons.
Family in Belfast are laying bets
on which is born first
and what the weights will be.
Well, it may well be quite
a close-run thing,
due dates eight days apart.
Do you have family over here as well?
Hope's husband's working as a welder
at the Barbican site.
My Michael's doing the same,
but on an oil rig.
So they took me in to live with them.
It's just us in London, really.
So, four years since your first baby.
And this one's going to be my last.
Unless I get another boy, and then
I might try again for a wee girl.
Oh, we've got a pill to help you
choose how many.
We've no control over anything else.
You'd think science would have it
all sorted by now.
Will I have it soon, do you think?
Mm. The head's definitely engaged.
With a second baby, that is usually
the sign that things are
about to get moving.
I was thinking of taking castor oil,
or going all modern and having a curry.
My advice, Mrs Glennon, is to leave
well alone.
Chances are, all you'll do is upset
your tummy.
And if labour gets going anyway,
you're in for a dismal combination
of events.
Good things come to those who wait, eh?
Well, you come into the maternity
home as soon as things start moving.
- We'll look after you.
- Yeah.
The shoemaker and his wife
never saw the little elves again,
but from that time, good luck was
always with them.
They were rich and happy for
the rest of their lives.
And that is the end of the story.
I could listen to you read all day.
You've got ever such a nice voice.
I have to try to tell him the story
through my tone of voice.
But we're still not sure how much
English he understands.
Well, kiddies are kiddies, aren't they?
All they really understand is how
much they're loved.
And, in here, if someone's coming
at them with a needle.
Oh.
I keep telling myself cancer
treatment would bewilder him
if he spoke fluent English.
But perhaps the more he could comprehend,
the more frightening it would be.
You have to hand it to the National
Health, though.
All the nurses keep saying there's
a real chance he could be cured.
Yes, they do.
The new chemotherapy is such a huge
advance on what went before.
Fingers crossed, eh?
LIVELY CHATTER
I always loved a community event,
even as a child.
Every day was a community event
when I was growing up.
My parents ran a boarding school
for boys.
Rosalind! Your mother's on the telephone.
Speak of the devil.
You must take in as much fluid
as you can, Harry.
Once the head goes on, you won't be
able to drink for hours.
I won't be able to visit
the bathroom either.
Oh, this is also true.
Grandma, please explain to me again
about the Easter Bunny.
It's a mythical creature of pagan origin
which goes from house to house
delivering sweet treats to children.
So, it's not Christian, then?
It's best we don't quiz the
connection too closely.
MUFFLED: I think I prefer Christmas.
EXCITED CHATTER
MICROPHONE FEEDBACK SQUEALS
Welcome, everyone, to the Easter egg
hunt.
CHEERING
The rules are very simple.
Everyone taking part will be given
a basket,
and there are more than 200
chocolate eggs hidden nearby,
each wrapped in different coloured foil.
The aim is to find six eggs -
one pink, one blue, one green,
one yellow,
one purple and one orange.
And the winners are the first child
in each age group to find all six.
- Yes!
- CHEERING
You can search anywhere within
the boundaries
marked by the carrot bunting.
And if you're little and need a helper,
then look out for the people wearing
an Easter egg badge.
The bell, if you would, please, Reggie.
BELL CLANGS
CHEERING
You may begin!
CHATTER AND LAUGHTER
Ooh. And meanwhile, there is tea
and simnel cake for the grown-ups.
And if you'd like a hot cross bun
LAUGHING: ..just ask the Easter Bunny.
I couldn't believe it when my mother
said she and my father
were coming to visit.
I've lived here for two years,
and they haven't been once.
Better late than never, I suppose.
They talk about being progressive
and voting for the Liberal Party,
but I always have to go to
Leicestershire to visit them,
or meet them in a smart tearoom in
London if they happen to be in town.
So, if they're now going to go to
the trouble of trekking all the way
to Poplar, all the more reason to
make them welcome.
Oh, gosh.
I'm not being very "honour thy
father and thy mother", am I?
You should ask Violet if we can
leave the bunting up.
I'm going to welcome them with open arms.
I've told them so much about you,
and they do seem keen to meet.
Have they never said anything
about where I'm from?
They've said you must be very
enterprising to have come
all the way from British Guiana.
LAUGHTER AND CHATTER
Seems like five minutes since
you was in the Cubs.
Well, we're doing very well.
We've got a pink one, a blue one
and a green one already.
What other colours do we need, Donna?
- Yellow.
- That's right!
And, look, there's one over there,
on top of the dustbin.
What a funny place to put it.
I'll lift you up, but you must
try not to touch the bin lid.
SNARLING
DOG PANTS
Harry!
- Harry!
- What is the matter?
Well, I think there's a dog in its
death throes.
LABOURED PANTING
There's foam around its mouth.
I've seen dogs like this in
the street in Delhi.
Stay there. I'm going for assistance.
CONNECT TONE TRILLS
PHONE: Police, ambulance or fire?
Police, urgently, to St Wilbur's
School, Hendy Street.
LAUGHTER AND CHATTER
WHISTLE PEEPS
Everybody, back.
Everybody, back!
The Easter egg hunt is suspended.
That means stopped, Mandeep.
- Aw!
- I know.
Come over with me.
Nobody crosses this line.
First rule of civil defence -
establish and control the crisis area.
SIREN WAILS
Heavens to Murgatroyd!
We've enough to contend with without
children getting knocked down.
BRAKES SQUEAL
Over this way!
If we had to come away,
how can it be safe for Daddy?
Let's go inside, honey.
We've had reports of a rabid dog, sir.
It's a dead dog now.
Uh, Dr Turner.
I'm on the police surgeon rota.
Sir.
It'll have to be taken for a postmortem,
and this whole area needs to be cleansed.
It has to be dealt with according to
the rabies protocol.
- Mandeep Singh.
- Yes!
Kevin Prenderghast.
LIVELY CLAMOUR
Teddy Turner!
BOYS PLAY NOISILY
WHISTLE PEEPS
- Everton Wheatley.
- Yes.
John Muscatelli.
BOY BARKS
As soon as the police give us permission,
Baloo and I will walk with you to
St Oswald's Hall,
where you can be collected by
your parents.
BOYS BARK
Should I be serving butterfly cakes
or kennel meat?
THEY LAUGH
Steady. That's it.
This feels awfully close to home,
Dr Turner.
You read about rabies happening
in places like Germany,
that the squirrels get it there.
But it can spread -
from Germany to France to England.
There was that case in Surrey last year,
the rabid dog that ran amok days
after it came out of quarantine.
I'll never forget seeing the news,
watching them rounding up people's pets.
The results of the tests on the body
won't be through for at least two days,
but we have to find a way of keeping
people calm.
Hmm.
Cushion's all ready.
If you turn around, you can reverse
into the chair
like the occupational therapist
showed you.
I do not need instructions,
and I do not need a cushion.
The only good thing about your
mother not being with us any more
is that I am able to jettison
her excessive soft furnishings.
She liked keeping things cosy, Dad.
She liked a lot of things.
She liked Easter, as it happened,
and kiddies.
It would have broken her heart,
seeing that party stopped.
It needed to be stopped.
Have you any idea how much damage
a rabid dog can do?
I seen that man foaming at the mouth
in the public information films.
That upset your mother no end.
You're missing her, aren't you, Dad?
What do you think?
Shall I make a cup of tea?
Hmm! Child, if you walk out with
a man for nigh on five months
without introducing him to your parents,
you're going to get nervous when
that day rolls round.
I knew my relationship with Cyril
was going to be serious,
right from the very start.
Didn't we all?
I've known all my life that there
are people with
..opinions.
Oh, I had opinions, too, to begin with.
If that made you scared of this,
then I'm sorry.
Have you changed your mind, Joyce?
JOYCE SIGHS
I think the world at large is
starting to change,
if only a little bit.
And you two are happy.
I really, really want my parents
to see that.
I don't think anyone could miss it.
SHE SIGHS
SISTER VERONICA: Goodbye.
PHONE CRADLE CLICKS
I thought I'd come in early.
But I had no idea how close to us
that dog was until just now.
Have there been any developments
overnight?
The Ministry of Agriculture seems to
be in charge of the response.
Agriculture!
And I'm a health visitor, not a farmer.
They say everyone has to sit tight
until we know for certain
that the animal was rabid.
But what do they mean by "sit tight"?
Are we all supposed to stay indoors?
The school's been closed.
The children were meant to be
going back today.
Meanwhile, Mrs Buckle has called
a public meeting
in an attempt to quell panic.
She won't be told it's as likely
to fan the flames of hysteria
as it is to damp them down.
PHONE RINGS
Nonnatus House. Midwife speaking.
This is Estelle Glennon.
- Is that Nurse Aylward?
- It is.
- Are you in labour, Estelle?
- No.
But I think it's Hope's turn.
Oh!
Mind how you go, now.
No, Mrs Kelly, we do not offer the
rabies vaccine at the surgery.
HOPE GROANS
Yes, I can make a note of the fact
that your children were at
the Easter egg hunt.
Thank you for calling.
HE EXHALES
How may I help you, ladies?
I think I'm in labour.
Nurse Aylward said she'd meet us here.
Don't come near her. Don't come near her.
She's been scratched by a cat.
I am beginning to resent the success
of the government anti-rabies campaign.
It's made everyone think
they're going to die
from infected animal saliva.
If it carries on like this, you're
going to have to appeal for calm
through a megaphone.
I'll take one to the public meeting.
In the meantime, can you just send
in my 12 o'clock?
You'll be pleased to hear it's
a simple case of bunions.
HE STRAINS
Oh, Dad, I can do that.
You're interrupting my method.
You've got collapsed vertebrae!
I haven't got collapsed dignity!
I'm trying to help, Dad.
The best way you can help me is to
get out of the house
and find a way to make a living.
Nobody wants yoga or meditation classes.
I'm not that keen on them myself.
DOORBELL RINGS
Your mum would cry her eyes out
if she saw the way you've drifted!
Good afternoon. District nurse.
You come to give me my rabies jab?
Have you got any symptoms?
Because if you have, it's too late
for the vaccine.
Things are starting to get going.
Not very much in the way of
dilation, but there is a little bit
of water leaking, so I think
we'll be keeping you in.
I'll be back in two shakes of
a lamb's tail.
I can't see any gas.
They said there'd be gas.
It'll be in the delivery room, won't it?
I only needed one whiff of it last time,
and they say the second one's easier.
Which isn't to say the first is terrible.
If it was, I wouldn't be doing it
again, would I?
That was a nasty old pressure sore
you had there.
Quite deep.
They said I was way too long laying
on my back in hospital.
Mm.
I think this new soreness is because
the belt on your trousers is
pressing down on it.
I caught him rubbing it with
disinfectant, saying that it stings.
Out!
DOOR SHUTS
He will not stop fussing over me.
Yeah, Reg
Well, I feel sorry for the dog, too.
But the police didn't kill him.
He was poorly, and he passed away.
But it's sad to die by the bins.
- SHOP BELL TINKLES
- Fred.
Have you got any disinfectant?
I saw a nasty little mongrel
sniffing around my laundrette steps.
On the front of that shelf there.
And, uh, 10p off if you buy
the bleach as well.
THROUGH LOUD-HAILER OUTSIDE:
until further notice.
Repeat - all dogs must be kept on leads.
All cats must be kept indoors
It's going to get worse than this
if they build that Channel Tunnel.
BELL TINKLES
Oh, Mrs Turner, you do look tired.
How's the little man doing?
First cycle of treatment is now
under way.
No vomiting or diarrhoea so far,
but he's not quite himself.
SHE SPEAKS CANTONESE
I have permission from Sister
Julienne to come in the evenings,
if that would help you to get back
to your own children?
Oh, it would.
He needs so much love.
And there are so few people that
he trusts.
I don't want any more gas.
It's made me sick twice now.
I can see what's happening.
This cheeky monkey has decided to
lie on its back,
so its spine's pressing against yours.
Is that bad?
Well, it's a little easier when
they're lying face down,
with their head correctly tucked in.
But you've got a bit of
a nonconformist here.
I'm telling you, Nurse,
the one thing this baby isn't
is a Protestant Agh!
TRIXIE LAUGHS
DR TURNER: Thank you, Sister Veronica.
That concludes the first part
of our presentation.
LIVELY CHATTER
Thank you for the slide show.
Why didn't it mention the improperly
regulated pet shops?
You can buy monkeys on the
Commercial Road.
MURMURS OF AGREEMEN
Because we are here tonight to try
to allay your fears.
I used to be a steeplejack.
I was always running into bats.
Can you get it from bats?
Bats can carry various diseases,
including rabies,
even in this country.
You must always seek medical help
if you've been bitten by a bat.
INDISTINCT MURMURING
Agh! HOPE PANTS
Body is ready to push now, Hope,
but we need you to slow everything down.
Slow it down. Down.
- HOPE SCREAMS
- Down, Hope.
Hope, all is well.
We're going to use this pain now,
and we're going to make it work for us.
Argh!
SHE VOMITS
INDISTINCT CHATTER
Allow me to remind you all of the facts.
We currently do not have any
confirmed cases of rabies in Poplar,
nor do we have anyone presenting
with symptoms of rabies.
The slides didn't make it clear
what the symptoms are.
- Yeah, he's right.
- He's right. He's right.
PHONE RINGS
Nonnatus House. Sister Julienne speaking.
TRIXIE: Hello, Sister.
Could you possibly send reinforcements
over to the maternity home?
Early symptoms can look a bit like
ordinary flu,
with fever, nausea, aches and pains.
All very easy to dismiss.
But once the virus starts affecting
the nervous system,
things become more distinct.
Muscle spasms, anxiety, confusion
..paralysis, seizures.
And thirst, coupled with a violent
fear of drinking fluids,
even water.
- CONCERNED MURMURING
- Even water?
It's horrible, I know,
but that's why we have to take such care.
INDISTINCT CHATTER
SHE EXHALES
HOPE SCREAMS
HOPE: No! Agh! Help me!
Ah! No! I can't!
No, no, no, no, no!
Hope, with the next contraction,
we need one long, strong, brave push.
That could well give us baby's head,
and the worst will be over.
HOPE SCREAMS
HOPE SOBS
Success!
We have the top of baby's head with us.
And I can see the most perfect
little pair of eyebrows.
Well done, Hope. See how strong you are?
When I finally get it out,
I won't know whether to kiss it
or give it a piece of my mind!
Agh!
Bear down, Hope.
Bear down. Down.
Come on, Hope. You can do it!
HOPE SCREAMS
That was a most magnificent push, Hope,
but baby doesn't seem to have read
the rule book.
TEARFULLY: What's wrong?
All will be well.
But we need to work on getting
baby's shoulder out.
Dr Turner is only around the corner.
We will work on the next massive push,
while Nurse Aylward nips to
the telephone.
HOPE SOBS
What's happened?
It's nothing to be alarmed about.
HOPE SCREAMS
INDISTINCT CHATTER
They're not telling us the truth.
We can only remind you
that analysis of the dog's remains
is still ongoing.
QUIETLY: - It's an emergency.
- Right.
We simply have to be vigilant
until the results come in.
HOPE SOBS
Don't wait for the pain this time, Hope.
Just keep pushing.
SHE GROANS
Sister Julienne's going
to work internally
to dislodge your baby's shoulder.
I'm going to get baby out.
Just breathe deeply
and push whenever we ask.
Now. Now!
HOPE SCREAMS
Baby's arm is lateral to its body.
HOPE WAILS
Push now. Push, Hope.
HOPE SCREAMS
Keep pushing.
Push as hard as you can. Don't stop!
HOPE SOBS AND WAILS
Well done!
It's out.
HOPE SOBS
HOPE SOBS
Large baby. Shoulder dystocia.
BABY CRIES
It's a boy.
Oh
Well done.
I may have broken his collarbone.
You've saved his life.
BABY CRIES
MUFFLED CRIES
PHONE RINGS
Good morning. Nonnatus House.
My sister's been regaling me
with tales of slavering hounds.
- Are you still alive?
- When I last looked, yes.
I haven't forgotten our conversation
..in the park.
Nor have I.
I just want you to know that the offer
of a listening ear still stands.
The offer of my friendship still stands.
You sound like Humphrey Bogart.
"All you have to do is whistle."
HE CHUCKLES
It was actually Lauren Bacall who
said that to Humphrey Bogart,
but I shall take it as a compliment.
I do appreciate the things you said.
You're really very kind.
DOOR SHUTS
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH
- BABY CRIES
- Will his arm be hurting him?
I broke my toe once, and it was agony.
Baby's bones are very soft,
and Doctor will be keeping an eye on him
in case he's restless and needs
something for the pain.
Wait till I tell him what he put us
all through.
It'll make a good tale,
once he's old enough to listen.
Now, I need to take a look at your
stitches.
But if they're playing the game,
we'll treat you to a little session
with the heat lamp.
What happened to Estelle?
Your sister-in-law?
I believe she popped off home
once she heard the good news.
- To give you time to rest.
- No.
That's not what we agreed.
She was going to be the first to
hold him.
Something's wrong if she didn't do that.
It's rather delightful that your
journey to matrimony started here.
I ought to put up a plaque.
There was a lot of sadness at the
beginning, Mr Scarisbrick,
even though there was happiness
in the end.
Yes, of course.
Now, Lady Aylward, to what do I owe
the pleasure of your visit?
You are looking really remarkably well.
I'm not expecting a baby, as it happens.
I'm hoping for professional insight
into maternity care in Britain in 1971.
Ah. Have you tired of the medical
landscape in Poplar?
I'm as impressed as ever by what's
accomplished at Nonnatus House.
But my eyes have been opened by
living in New York.
Yeah, well, I've made more than
one study over there myself.
- It's like a different world.
- Certainly a different country.
I learned a great deal by simply
visiting American hospitals.
And now I want to see if I might
apply that knowledge
within a British context.
Well, you are, of course, most welcome
- to spend some time here observing.
- Thank you.
A little bird tells me you're
planning on retiring very soon.
Ah, yes.
The golf club beckons.
TRIXIE CHUCKLES
And selling the clinic?
It's nice to see the balloons up.
One down and one to go.
They're for Anthony, really.
Are you sure Hope's going to be
all right?
She's doing very nicely.
And the paediatrician from St Cuthbert's
is going to call in and check on
baby's collarbone.
Did you know they had chosen
the name Niall?
But Hope's all right?
Her main concern at the moment is you.
And I think I share it.
It will be a relief to be out of
the surgery for an hour,
even if we barely have time
for a sandwich.
The public meeting did no good
whatsoever.
The phone is still ringing continually.
INDISTINCT CHATTER
ANIMAL WHINES
What was that?
Stay back, stay back.
There. Come on.
You need dog biscuits,
not custard creams.
They're getting him in the shed,
ain't they? That's what matters.
Be careful, Fred.
Fred, have you sent for the police?
They're supposed to be on their way.
- Shall I go and ring them again?
- Uh
SIREN BLARES
BRAKES SQUEAL
DOG WHINES
CROWD CHEERS
It's in the shed, Sergeant.
Tottering on its pins a bit and
- ..drooling.
- We'll take a look.
But toxicology came back on the one
that died on Easter Monday.
May I ask, what was the conclusion?
It was negative for rabies.
Looks like it ate rat poison.
- So, the crisis is over?
- Indeed it is, madam.
Must have been drooling over
the custard creams.
LAUGHTER
Well, all's well that ends well.
And there you have it.
An object lesson in anticlimax
and British understatement.
It would have been different in India.
At home, the fear is always real.
Yes.
Me and Hope, we were terrified
that somehow our men
would get mixed up with the
Republican Army.
Mm.
That we wouldn't know that they'd be
in danger, or causing danger.
But they wanted to get out from early on.
Is that why you all left Belfast?
They lost their jobs in the shipyard
anyway.
Catholics did.
And men need to work.
But women need family,
so we stuck together.
Well, it's a wonderful thing
to see, Estelle.
A bond like yours is something to be
envied.
I thought at first that it wouldn't
touch us.
There was so much talk for so long.
There were demonstrations,
and they turned into riots.
But you can keep away from them.
You can't keep away from bombs.
They hide them
..and then they set them off in
places where they'll do most damage.
Places like banks.
Estelle, were you caught up in
a bomb blast?
In the bank. In the bank!
ESTELLE SOBS
Estelle Estelle, try to stay calm.
You're safe here.
You're safe now.
ESTELLE PANTS
This will stop you taking in
too much oxygen.
It was the screaming.
And when I h-heard Hope
..when I heard Hope, it was the same.
Screaming. Screaming
You're safe now.
When this is over
..I'm going to walk you to the
surgery to see the doctor.
Afternoon.
What's all this about a whiffy sink?
Can't have that with the in-laws
coming round.
Thanks, Fred. I was up till midnight
repainting all the skirting boards.
I-I I don't know what's got into me.
Lu-u-urve got into you.
THEY ALL LAUGH
I brought you some pot plants.
And I brought my plunger!
I heard my mother giving birth more
than once,
but it was the last one where
she screamed and screamed.
There were no more babies
after that because
..it killed her.
Nobody ever told me why she died.
I just remember the mattress being
burned because it was
..covered in blood.
Even 20 years ago, death in
childbirth was very, very rare.
Now it's rarer still.
One thing I can promise you
is that your mother didn't die of pain.
And we are going to make sure
that you feel as little pain as possible.
I can't do it.
Yes, you can, and we will help you.
Sister Julienne is one of
the most soothing
and resourceful midwives I know.
But in New York, Estelle
would have been simply booked in
for an epidural, and a calm, controlled
or completely painless birth would
follow.
I've read about epidural anaesthesia.
I've been to lectures.
I've never seen one performed
because they don't offer it
at St Cuthbert's.
Which is extremely backward, in my view.
At the Lady Emily,
you can have one for £20.
£20?!
If you saw the difference it makes,
you'd think it was cheap at the price.
Have you been to the Lady Emily recently?
Yes.
I can connect you to Mr Scarisbrick,
if you'd like.
Not such a good day today.
He's needed some anti-emetics.
SHE SPEAKS CANTONESE
A parcel with a wee hat arrived
from his mother
in Hong Kong this morning.
But he wouldn't even let me try it
on him.
He'll settle down.
He's a lucky little fellow, in some ways.
So many mothers looking after him.
You go, Mrs Turner,
back to your other children.
I'll hold the fort.
I'm heading down the Black Sail.
Do you want to come?
No, thanks. I'm not feeling great.
And I'm writing letters for a couple
of factory jobs.
Factory jobs?
And I'm also planning a haircut.
I've had enough adventures to
last me a lifetime, Dad.
Just let me come home.
The children are having a picnic tea
upstairs.
Sausage rolls and crisps.
I'm assuming that's because the
grown-ups are discussing
- ..policy.
- Yes.
Sister
I am trying to move things
on with regard to epidural provision
- at St Cuthbert's.
- Do you think that's wise?
We'd never be able to offer it
for home births.
And even at the maternity home,
it requires an anaesthetist.
It does.
But we can refer patients to deliver
in hospital in the GP unit.
Some mothers, like Estelle
Glennon, would really benefit.
So, I have arranged to see
an epidural block
being performed tomorrow
..at the Lady Emily Clinic.
We do know the Order's dealings with
them came to an abrupt end.
They were performing abortions there
when such a thing was still illegal.
But I have something I need to
tell you, too.
Also about policy.
TV: For the animal you love
and couldn't leave behind,
and for you or someone like you,
death in a manner
that is beyond description.
Whichever way you look at it,
rabies means death.
HE GRUNTS
Sister Julienne, this is terrible.
Why didn't you tell us sooner?
I needed time to consider
the Order's position.
And I still do.
Does it make it easier or harder
that the National Health
have made their intentions so clear?
But there must be a chance that
they'll keep funding Nonnatus House
when they take control from the council.
Not if we insist on retaining
our religious clothing.
Sister, if you close down in Poplar,
so must we.
Our practice is enmeshed with yours.
I know.
And there's so much work to do.
If we don't agree to the new terms
..we will receive no more funds
from the end of this year.
I've told them I will give my
decision at the end of August.
On the feast of St Raymond Nonnatus.
Yes.
And in the meantime, we go on.
Ah, Lady Aylward, Dr Turner.
Glad you could join us.
Mrs Duchenne is a most delightful lady,
and so very accommodating.
How are we feeling, Mrs Duchenne?
- Fine, thank you.
- Good.
Where's Joel today?
Is he out looking for work?
No, he's not.
He's off colour and lying down.
It's like he's lost all his spark
since he's come home.
I don't know why he doesn't want to
keep on adventuring.
Do you think maybe he's just a homebody?
He doesn't have to be,
not in the modern world.
I had to be a steeplejack
because my uncle was.
Spent my life mending chimneys.
Once, just once
..I was at the top of this church spire,
putting up a weather vane.
You could see for miles.
And all I saw was all the places
I would never go.
And Joel certainly grabbed
the opportunities he had
with both hands.
No-one else round here had a kid
who went to an ashram.
It's the kind of thing the Beatles did.
And I was proud of him.
- Did you tell him that?
- What?
Did you tell him you were proud?
Oh, no.
We're not soft like that.
It's one thing to read about it.
It's quite another to see it in action.
HE SIGHS
It shouldn't just be for people who
can afford to pay
- ..should it?
- No.
I'm going to talk to St Cuthbert's.
I appreciate Mrs Glennon
is a special case.
You could always persuade her to
switch entirely into our care.
I am not convinced that that
would do her any good at all.
She needs a lot of care
and a lot of attention.
Epidural anaesthesia requires the same,
which is why we've yet to
introduce the practice.
Philip
St Cuthbert's is a good hospital.
It's even an innovative hospital.
I have respect for innovative things.
I'm saying this in the kindest
and most respectful way possible,
Patrick, but
..you're a dying breed.
I know I am.
And I don't know if my way of
delivering babies
has much time left at all.
Do you think the National Health
is going to close you down?
There's a big shake-up coming,
and when it does, I want to know
that the women
who would otherwise have been in my care
are going to be looked after properly.
That they are going to trade
what we can give them
for something that might,
just might, be even better.
And that starts with us, doesn't it?
It will end with you, too.
Joel!
I thought you said you'd come down
for something to eat!
I've opened a tin of oxtail.
KNOCK AT DOOR
Greetings, Mr Bagnall.
I've come from the surgery with a
new prescription for your ointment.
JOEL: Dad!
I can't move my legs!
- He's had a temperature.
- Joel!
I don't know what's wrong.
JOEL PANTS
It's all right, my friend.
I will fetch help for you.
First, let me get you some water.
JOEL GRUNTS
Then Mr Parry called
this morning, and it's a yes.
He had two anaesthetists
already raring to go
and applying pressure from their end.
And he's content to have Estelle Glennon
have epidural pain relief in the
GP supervised unit?
Yes. Mr Parry will be there, too.
In fact, it's going to be
a fairly crowded room.
Estelle is one of the most
anxious and distressed women
I've ever seen.
And if it helps her
..I have no reservations.
But what of the implications for you
and
- for our practice?
- PHONE RINGS
It might put me out of business.
But it might give this place
a fighting chance
of working in tandem with
the National Health.
By delivering more babies in hospital,
regardless of what they ask?
That might be the way ahead
- ..for all sorts of reasons.
- KNOCK AT DOOR
Dr Turner.
I'm afraid a very urgent call
has just come in.
Hello, darling. Lovely to see you.
- Mummy!
- How do you do?
- Lovely to meet you.
- Hello, Daddy.
Good afternoon, Mrs Clifford.
Terribly good of you to come and meet us.
Josephine has far more faith in
this A-Z book than I do!
Oh! Well, the Underground was quite
challenging enough.
Three Tube lines.
We're staying with friends in Hampstead.
Hampstead is a tricky journey
from Poplar.
Cyril comes to pick me up from
Women's Liberation meetings
if they finish late.
Oh, very gallant of you.
Although I expect you to intervene
if she starts wearing dungarees.
Oh!
THEY ALL LAUGH
And you've no memory of being bitten
or scratched by anything
while you were in India?
Bitten and scratched
..by a cat at ashram.
But I've been fine.
How long ago did this happen, Joel?
Weeks.
Well, must be something else, then.
It can take up to three months for
rabies symptoms to appear, Joel.
Have you been worrying about this?
We are going to call an ambulance to
take you directly to
the London Hospital of Tropical Medicine.
They'll know what to do.
Tell me.
In this social work line,
do you do any work with maladjusted boys?
It's increasing all the time.
The council have just opened a
special educational unit for them,
which we're really hoping will
pave the way for change.
We've taken a few of the odder types
into our own school,
but we seem to have sorted
them all out with, erm
..plenty of fresh air and a bit
of discipline.
Oh!
This is a first-class Madeira.
Cyril made it.
Ah! Full marks, dear.
And now, uh, Rosalind tells us that
she's getting confirmed.
Did you have a hand in that?
We're different denominations,
but it gives us a common interest.
I'll show you the chapel at
Nonnatus House
when I take you over
to meet my colleagues.
It was joining them for prayers
that got me thinking.
Well, we always said that Rosalind
could make up her own mind
about being confirmed. Some of our
friends were quite shocked.
But we have always been, erm,
progressive thinkers.
- More tea, Mrs Clifford?
- Ooh, yes, please.
Didn't expect Earl Grey.
As soon as you feel your
first contraction,
you must contact Nonnatus House,
and you and I will travel together
by ambulance.
Dr Turner will meet us at the hospital.
This epidural, you say it's brand-new?
New-ish. It's catching on
all over the country.
And I won't feel anything? No pain? None?
Nothing at all, between your tummy
and your toes.
Everything is going to be
as calm and controlled
and as comfortable as we can make it
for you.
Oh, darling, I'm so proud of you.
We never entirely thought you'd be
able to knuckle down to nursing,
but, erm well, you proved us
all wrong!
Ignore your mother.
She's such a wet blanket.
I never had any doubts at all.
Sister Julienne really
was absolutely delightful.
Can you see why I love Nonnatus House?
Oh, yes. It's very quaint.
And what about Cyril?
Charming.
Mm. Yes, he's, erm charming.
Impressive, even.
But, really, he's not the chap
for you, is he?
He IS the chap for me, actually.
That's why we're going out together.
He is in the middle of a divorce.
And this is the modern world.
He is also black,
and you are going to have to look
beyond that.
We haven't said one word about him
being black,
and I think that is to our credit,
frankly.
You don't have to say anything.
I saw it the moment you met.
He is a perfectly decent,
respectable man.
We just, uh
..don't want you to have any
regrets, that is all.
Now, can we have a kiss before
we part? Hmm?
Oh, don't send us back to Hampstead
in the doldrums.
ESTELLE WINCES
- KNOCK AT DOOR
- Yes?
Hmm!
It's early for coffee, isn't it?
Nurse Aylward telephoned to say
Estelle Glennon
is en route to St Cuthbert's by
ambulance with labour pains.
Can you tell Mr Parry I am on my way?
Of course. Doctor?
I also received a call from
the London Hospital
- of Tropical Medicine.
- About Joel Bagnall?
Lyssavirus rabies has been confirmed,
and the paralysis is spreading
very rapidly.
HE SIGHS
I keep thinking of all the times
I've looked at him through windows.
I looked at him through a window on
the day that he was born,
at the hospital.
And I used to wave at him through
the front room window
when I was coming home from work,
when he was just a little nipper.
The consultant said you can go
inside and sit with him.
And his mum and me,
we watched him through
the glass at the airport
when he flew off on his big adventure.
Go to him, Mr Bagnall.
The food I have brought you will
keep. I will leave it here.
Thanks.
There's things I need to tell him
..while he's still alive to hear.
JOEL GRUNTS
ESTELLE GROANS
Well done, Estelle. Well done.
Any moment now, you should feel
the pain relief
starting to take effect.
It's already passing through
that tiny tube.
Blood pressure's stable.
The fun starts now, Estelle.
I can feel the pain stopping.
It's like everything inside
my body's going quiet.
That's what we want.
ESTELLE EXHALES
Rosalind, I know their reaction
wasn't what you wanted,
and I hoped it would be better, too.
But you didn't expect it to be, did you?
No. I did not.
To them, I was always going to be
too different.
Well, I'm different, too, now.
And if they can't accept that,
if they can't accept you
..they're going to have to accept
that their place in my life
has now become much smaller.
Please don't cut them off.
Nobody should ever cut their parents off.
However much hurt they have caused,
however ignorant they have been.
It's hard.
But, Cyril, you've had it harder.
You've had to put up with prejudice
ever since you've been here.
Hold my hand.
I want everyone to see.
This is a really strong contraction.
Push now. Push as hard as you can.
ESTELLE STRAINS
That's beautiful, Estelle.
Keep going. Keep going.
How are you feeling, Estelle?
I think I'm excited, but peaceful.
SHE STRAINS
Contraction.
Right, Estelle,
we're doing this together now.
I'm pulling. You're pushing.
Come on! Come on!
Am I doing it? Am I doing it?
Yes. Yes, you are.
BABY GURGLES
BABY CRIES
Well done, Estelle!
It's a girl.
Hello.
BABY FUSSES
It's quite something, isn't it, Sister?
It is the future.
And the future's going to hold
so many things.
ESTELLE: You're beautiful.
MATURE JENNIFER: Choice is too
often a privilege not granted.
We must take what is given
and surrender what God takes.
But pain is never all there is.
There is endurance and resilience.
There is tenderness and strength.
All these gifts force through
like sunlight,
often at a cost,
but then welcomed all the more.
- DOOR OPENS
- DR TURNER: We're home!
JENNIFER: We cannot dictate the
weather, only our response to it.
And we must turn to face the elements,
embracing all that comes.
What's all this?
Are we having a jumble sale?
Daddy, it's for our time capsule.
I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name.
Agata Balassa.
Why have you been talking to the
Lady Emily?
That clinic is run for the benefit
of the rich, not the needy.
Is there no-one who could pop in
with a nightdress and some toiletries?
I'm doing this on my own, Nurse.
- No, I cannot go to the doctor.
- Why not?
Because I do not leave this house!
Sub extracted from file & improved by
Se7enOfNin9