Jack in the Box Hetty Feather

-You're going to sea?

-Me and the boys reckon anything

is better than being stuck in this place.

Tonight, and Gideon is coming with us.

Mathias, I'll see you around.

Not if I see you first.

We have a thief in our midst.

Tomorrow is mine and Gid's borrowed birthday. I have to see him.

-Oh, it rather looks like we've found our thief.

-Mathias?

DOOR UNLOCKING

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

-HETTY:

-'No-one had seen Mathias since the night he returned.

'Which made everyone nervous.

'Hardly surprising where Matron was concerned.'

-Where's Mathias?

-Has to be the tench.

BELL RINGS

Boys, as soon as you are finished, straight back to your classrooms

and start packing for the delivery.

'What had she done with Mathias?

'And more importantly, what did she have planned?'

MUSIC: Hetty Feather Theme

You did a terrible thing, Mathias, running away from the hospital.

-Am I going to be punished?

-Well, that all depends, doesn't it?

On what, Matron?

You understand, don't you, why we have such strict rules, Mathias?

The outside world is cruel.

Until you are prepared for it, it is my duty to protect you from it.

The rules are there to keep you safe.

Perhaps your lesson has already been learned. After all, you came back,

all by yourself.

Hmm.

I will not punish you.

So long as you do not give me cause again.

I won't, Matron.

You are well liked, aren't you? You have a lot of friends.

Hmm?

Well, from now on, if you so much as sense any mischief,

from any one of them, I want you to tell me.

Rather than punish you,

I am trusting you to maintain order, Mathias.

To be a better influence.

I would hate to have to change my mind.

Go ahead.

KNOCKING

Yes?

Matron, Mr Cooper will be here within the hour.

Thank you. Take Mathias to his classroom, please.

-His classroom?

-Yes. Keep a close watch on him for me.

Mathias. Mathias. Over here.

Come. Over here, come!

Mathias.

I wish I could see Mathias, just to make sure he's all right.

He's got the boys. They'll be looking out for him.

You wouldn't get near him. Matron's all over him like the pox.

You think she's punishing him?

Obviously. He ran away.

But he looks awful.

He's probably already in the tench.

What would you know?

-More than you. I caught him.

-You snitched on him!

-He was stealing.

-And you're just sucking up to Matron.

You're jealous because Matron trusts me and not you.

No, she doesn't. You just follow her around like a toady poo-fly.

Sheila! Take the crate and leave it by the storeroom.

-That's not fair! Hetty called me...

-Now!

Mathias, take this crate and come with me.

I need another volunteer for Mr Cooper's delivery. Anyone?

'Mr Cooper came to the Hospital every month.

'He'd take all the stuff from our lessons

'and deliver it to whichever charity the Governors picked.

'But this visit was different. Matron and Cooper had joined forces

'and were plotting to suppress their greed.

'We would build toys for them to sell on to a department store.'

What are you doing here?

Nurse Macclesfield asked me to bring our crate down here, sir.

The store's usual supplier is sick.

We're doing them a favour, we get extra.

If it goes well, we could become the new supplier.

-So, if we play our cards right...

-Oh.

Just a few late additions.

Ah, reliable old Cranbourne

Boys, take those up to the yard. Come on!

Business booming, Cooper?

Bursting my eardrums.

I'll get them started, Gertrude.

-Cranbourne, take her take back to her classroom.

-Yes, MATRON

-Matron, can I stay and help?

-No!

Don't put them in yet, just leave them there.

Your lot just have to build the toys. I'll handle the sale.

Mr Cooper, do I still get my two-thirds of the money?

The department store's offering us £20 for the lot.

Plenty of pennies to go around, I assure you.

Are you all right?

-If you ever want to talk about...

-I don't.

We're worried. We just...

We want to know what happened.

No, you don't.

Boys, when you've finished that,

unload the materials from Mr Cooper's cart.

-Yes?

-Yes, Matron.

Your governors haven't got a clue what kind of opportunities

they're missing out on.

Giving all this to charity?

You've got yourself quite a little workforce here.

Indeed, I will keep my end of the bargain, you keep yours.

What are you doing?!

-Say you dropped it.

-What?

Have you got feet for hands, boy?

Pick them up.

-What were you doing?!

-Investigating.

-What?

I saw Matron and Cooper sign something,

so I wanted to take a look.

They're not giving the toys to charity.

-They're selling them and using us for labour!

-So, what?

So, what?! Matron's making us work for money!

That's illegal!

We can't let her get away with it!

Yeah, we can.

What's wrong? What's Matron said?

Nothing! Just leave me alone and stop sticking your nose in!

'Whatever Mathias said, what Matron was doing was wrong.

'And she wasn't going to stop.

'Not unless we did something to stop her.

'Matron told us the Governors were

'concerned by our lack of discipline after the escape.

'So concerned that they set us

'a task to build 100 toys for charity by tomorrow afternoon.

'Matron said the hospital relied on the Governors to survive.

'If we let them down, it was the tench.'

-I'm dying.

-No, you're not.

'Gideon called a meeting that night.'

I suspected something was up.

She's using us as slaves.

So, what are we going to do? We have to do something.

We've got to stop the sale somehow,

-so Matron and Cooper can't do it again.

-How?

COUGHING

We should sabotage the toys.

Sabotage? Are you nuts?

If they don't work, Matron can't sell them.

Macclesfield checks everything before it leaves the classroom.

So does Cranbourne.

But everything's taken to the storeroom after, right?

So, we'll do it in there, start of break, before Cooper gets back.

-How are we going to get in?

-I'm still working on that.

What's to stop Matron punishing us when she sees the toys are broken?

-We can't let Matron scare us!

-Well, she does!

You know what she's capable of.

'So, we had a plan. To sabotage the toys, all we had to do was

'work out how to get into the toy storeroom before Cooper came back.

'But then things changed.'

Walter? Walter? Walter?!

COUGHING

COUGHING

COUGHING

COUGHING

-Matron, could I have a word?

-I want those children back to work.

I think the paint might be making the foundlings sick.

Then perhaps we should postpone the work, inform the Governors that...

What evidence do you have to uphold this ridiculous claim?

If they can walk, they can work.

-So, it isn't a bug, then?

-We've got to stick to the plan,

or everyone's going to get sick.

-Gertrude, please?

-It is Matron.

I know you're trying to mend things between yourself and the Governors,

but they will only come down harder if the children fall ill!

-They want discipline, not disease.

-This is not about the children.

The Governors are testing us. If we do not do as they ask,

our positions may be forfeit.

I am also to report any failings in my staff that may be

the cause of the children's ill discipline.

Will that be necessary?

No, Matron.

Nurse, can I take Monica to the infirmary?

Yes, of course -

when we've finished. Sit down!

I heard that Winterson told Macclesfield that it was the paint.

Is Walter going to be all right?

So long as he's not painting jack-in-the-boxes.

Right. Let's stick to the plan.

All right. What about the boys?

-There's no time to tell them.

-How do we get into the storeroom?

I'll make some kind of...

lock pick. Worst comes to the worst, we don't get in.

But we've got to try.

Sheila, am I your best friend?

What do you want?

You'll never guess what Hetty is up to.

Ned. Gideon.

Mathias, run these remaining boxes down to the storeroom, please.

Take Ned and Gideon with you.

When you're done, make sure you return the key to Matron.

Yes, sir.

Mathias.

Get off!

I'm sorry I was nasty. You were right.

We'll keep our noses out.

I taught you that one, you idiot.

-I just want...

-What are you playing at?

We're going to sneak into the storage room.

We're going to sabotage the toys.

-What?

-I told you we weren't just going to sit round!

And I told you to leave me out of it!

Cranbourne trusted me! After everything that...

And you were only going to get me into trouble!

No, we weren't. That's why we weren't going to tell you.

I had the keys, I'd get the blame for whatever happened!

Only if we get caught. Don't you trust us any more?

Please, Mathias, we only need them for 15 minutes. No-one will know.

You don't understand.

I can't.

KNOCKING

Yes?

Mathias. I was hoping to see you.

Keys, Matron.

Sit down.

Someone told me that Ned and Gideon were out of bed last night.

For approximately half an hour.

Now, allegedly they were escorting Walter to the infirmary,

but Nurse Winterson tells me they were only with her

for one or two minutes.

So, you can understand my confusion.

Remember what we said? About hiding misbehaviour from me, Mathias.

Mr Grace's will not seem so terrible.

I will be lenient, so long as you continue to do the RIGHT thing.

Matron, they...

-KNOCKING Not now!

-Matron, I'm sorry Matron.

Hetty and her friends are breaking into the storeroom.

-They want to sabotage the toys!

-Don't be ridiculous.

There are boys with them.

You knew about this.

No! No-one's in the storeroom. I was just there! I gave you the keys!

If I find you are lying, you and your friends will pay the price.

Matron, wait! I should never have run away!

-Mathias, get off!

-I'm sorry.

-All right! Enough!

I would never lie to you, Matron. I've learned my lesson.

I swear. Please don't punish me, please.

Go back to your dorm, Mathias. Go on.

-You're a genius!

-I know!

There's a lot of them.

Any ideas, then?

Brilliant.

Let's get a move on, before Cooper gets here.

Keep an eye out for Matron.

There's someone coming!

Maybe they're inside already.

Who's in there?!

Come out! This instant!

You wait here. Make sure nobody leaves!

Got you now, Feather.

-Mr Cranbourne, I need your keys to the storeroom.

-Why?

-The children have broken in.

-What?!

Just give them to me!

We're done for.

Anyone need a way out?

Sh.

(Go.)

-Matron, I...

-Quiet! You will regret spreading lies about Feather.

But, Matron, I swear, she...

KNOCKING

Yes?

Thanks.

It wasn't anything.

Want to see something good?

Oh. Good Afternoon, Mr Cooper!

The store's usual toymaker is out for the count.

The damned paint, apparently.

Repeat business for us!

You, load that cart.

Sorry, Matron.

Well, there's always one, isn't there? It's ju...

-It was Hetty, Matron. It was Hetty.

-What?!

-What good are these? They're all broken!

-The children.

They're trying to undermine me, they are trying to sabotage our...

Why would they do such a thing?

It was him! His materials were faulty! Paint and all!

He probably bought the lot off some beggar!

Are you going to let him talk to me like that?

Go! Before I report you to the police, charlatan.

Isn't that RIGHT, Matron?

Guess this is goodbye, then...

..Gertrude.

It's Matron!

Get out. Now!

They will be punished. They will all be punished.

I shall speak to the Governors,

I shall explain that you did your best,

but they allowed this unsavoury man to exploit our hospital.

This was down to them. Not you, and certainly not the children.

No! No! No! No! I'll speak with them.

Very well. But they will not want the children punished, Matron.

Not if they hear what Cooper did to them.

That's it. Straight up to the top of the stairs.

Are you impressed, then?

Sorry I didn't help sooner. It wasn't that I didn't trust you.

Matron said

if I caused trouble or if I didn't rat on my friends,

I'd be punished.

You should've told us.

What made you change your mind?

Sheila dobbed you in to Matron for breaking into the storeroom.

I only know cos I'd gone to do the same.

But then I realised, I'd rather be in the tench with you lot than...

be like Sheila.

Mr Grace was going to sell us abroad.

I tried to get us out, but Jack and Arthur got caught.

I thought...

there was nothing I could do so...

I left them.

Now I can't help thinking...

..what if there was something I could?

-It was just too...

-Mathias, it wasn't your fault.

People always tell us to do what grown-ups say,

because they know best. But they don't.

We've got to trust our guts.

Not sure I trust my gut any more.

Well, I do, you're the bravest person I know.

I'm glad you're back, Mathias.

So am I.

'People don't just spring back together like jack-in-the-boxes.

'Sometimes...people get broken.

'People don't stay broken forever.

'However long it takes,

'no matter what,

'they'll always bounce back.'

OWL HOOTS

'Our plan might not have gone to, well, plan.

'But with Mathias back, we felt unstoppable.

'So long as we had each other, and the tower...

'..there was no game Matron could play that we couldn't win.'

Eliza?

How do you know my name?

She's dying, Gertie.

That concerns me how?

When you grow up, I'll be waiting for you.

You promise?

You're my borrowed sister. I'll never forget you.

Gid! Get out of here. It's too dangerous.

Why didn't you come to the tower last night?

Matron, please, you can't! I'll do anything. Matron, please!

It's too late.

Hello, Hetty.

MUSIC: Hetty Feather Theme