The Escape, Part 2 Hetty Feather

-'My name is Hetty Feather.'

-We're your borrowed family.

-It's time for you and Gideon to go back.

-Call me Matron Bottomly.

-Hetty!

-You can't take him away from me!

Boys and girls live quite separately here!

-You're nothing but a she-mob.

-You want it, Feather? You have it.

-Return to your dorm.

-Now, we'll never escape...

-This outbreak will be contained.

-This one's fading fast.

-She isn't coming, Mathias.

-We need that letter.

One more minute.

Well?

His foundling sister didn't show.

No Hetty, no letter.

You mean...no escape?

You're joking, aren't you? We've planned this.

"We"? Me and Mathias sat up all night to work this out and...

What does it matter?!

Unless we have a convincing letter of recommendation,

there's no way we're going to sea.

And then what?

We'd end up living on the streets, lured into begging

and scrounging for food.

It's over.

-25629.

-Sorry, Matron.

-A lesson learned, I hope?

-Yes, Matron.

I'm glad. Your unruly behaviour came as quite a shock.

I'll put it down to influenza.

Just this once. Do not return to your old ways, Feather.

Is that clear?

Yes, Matron.

Come.

Boys! Chop, chop. There's a hospital to clean.

Now, let's see if you really mean it.

With the hospital on emergency measures,

we are falling somewhat behind.

All of this - washed, scrubbed and mangled.

Girls' and boys' laundry.

All of this, Matron?

Indeed. I shall return in two hours.

I could let Matron beat me or I could be Hetty.

All I needed was to look for the next opportunity.

And this was it.

Come along, boys! Lots to do!

Let me go!

Gideon!

It's me, Hetty. I had to see to you.

-I want to talk to you.

-Why? After all these years?

Because I remembered. I had influenza, I almost died.

It all came back to me. You, me, Jem.

Please, I'll be late.

Our borrowed family.

I couldn't let you go without saying a proper goodbye.

It's the least I could do. Make sure Mathias gets it.

Now we can get out of here.

I don't know. The day I find you, you run off to sail the seven seas.

-Anywhere's better than this place.

-But nowhere is ever as good as home.

Remember?

We used to be so happy, Gideon - running through the fields

and Jem chasing after us.

-Remember the day the circus came?

-Hetty, don't.

And when we got home, you'd always sing Mother a tune.

Please, Gid. Let me come with you.

How can I? Girls can't go to sea.

-You'd never get away with it.

-Not to sea.

Let's go home.

We can all be one big borrowed family again.

Anything's better than this place.

I love you.

Agreed?

Tonight.

Once the night watch checks your dorm,

that's our signal to go.

-Meet us in the records office.

-I'll be there.

Who was that?

The escape. It's back on.

Feather?!

Yes, Matron? All washed and drying.

-Well done.

-Thank you, Matron.

Good to see you back to your old self, Feather.

Thank you, Matron.

"My dearest Mr Grace, following an outbreak of influenza,

"I would be most thankful if you could take into your care

"the very best boys that we have for the sake of their own welfare.

"Yours, Matron "stinking" Bottomly."

THEY LAUGH

Stage three.

As long as there's room for one more!

What?

Hetty's joining us.

Mr Grace only takes boys.

Forget Mr Grace. Me and Hetty are going home.

Gideon, we don't have time to be collecting girls!

This is OUR plan.

If it wasn't for Hetty, we wouldn't have a plan.

I have told her to meet us at the records office.

Just promise me one thing - you'll always remember me.

Oh, look, Matron's punishment has sent her all soppy.

Sheila, go stick your head down the privy.

Don't cross me, Feather.

Ever again.

Or you'll end up like...her.

Shut in the Tench and falling apart.

-You're nothing but a she-mob.

-What's a she-mob?

Girls who stick together with Sheila

cos they can't think for themselves!

They'll get what's coming one day and you'll all be here to see it.

-Boys, stage four.

-The last manoeuvre.

It's time. Arthur, Jack, get the sheets.

This time, if she doesn't show, we're not waiting.

She'll be there. I promise.

Go on, Ned, keep a look out for the night watch.

-Why me?

-Just do it.

(He's coming.)

Hetty?

Gideon? Gid!

Yeah.

-Let me out of here. Quick.

-I can't find the key.

-Which pocket did you put it in?

-If I knew that...

Hetty!

See. I promised she'd be here.

-We haven't got time for this!

-Run!

(Wake up. Wake up!)

(Hetty. Look. She's gone!)

(Tell us what you know about Hetty.)

(Otherwise, it's the Tench again, Mary.)

She's run away with her brother.

Now, go to sleep. There's a good girl.

The night watch will be here any second.

Once he unlocks this door, we have six minutes before he returns

to get over the wall. Hide in there.

Hetty... What if we don't make it? What if we don't make it home?

We will.

He's coming.

Everyone, stay close.

-Easy.

-For you, maybe.

Don't worry, I'll show you how it's done.

We can't wake Matron! Her quarters are out of bounds!

Yeah, we can.

Rat on Hetty, we'll get privileges.

You mean toffee?

Forget toffee. I want my own hairbrush.

Let me. I used to shin up a tree in seconds.

You? Mathias goes first. Not some girl!

"Some girl"?! Is that what you think I am, just "some girl"?

Mathias, stop her!

No. If Hetty can do this, we all can.

-Oh, my!

-Matron, it's Hetty Feather!

What?! Foundlings? Get out of here! I said, get out!

-Or it's the Tench for all of you.

-But, Matron. It's Hetty, Matron.

-She's trying to escape!

-Escape?

-With her foundling brother, Matron.

-Hetty Feather?!

WHISTLE

WHISTLE

Ready?

WHISTLE

Matron?

It appears Feather is attempting to abscond.

-Escape?

-With her foundling brother, sir.

The night watch must be sleeping.

-We have to find them, Mr Cranbourne!

-Yes, Matron.

Arthur, keep look-out for the night watch.

Ready?

That's it.

Stay looking up!

SHEET RIPS Hetty!

-Gid, no!

-HE GROANS

Gideon, are you all right?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm all right.

Boys, keep it going!

Mathias, we can't just leave him!

We have to! Unless we all want to get caught.

Jack, come on!

-Ned, Walter.

-Wait!

If we leave Gideon, he'll get Tench. It'll be our fault.

Hetty... This is our plan. We're almost out of it.

Listen to him. All of you. This is your chance.

Hetty, go home. I just can't come with you.

If Gideon stays, I stay. He's my foundling brother.

Ned, Walter, what you waiting for?

Hetty'll never carry him.

We've got to take him back.

Mathias? I'll see you around.

Not if I see you first.

Let's get out of here.

She's gone.

And she wasn't acting alone.

Search the boys' wing, find out who's missing.

Alert the night-watchman. Hurry, Cranbourne!

Come on, girls.

Jack, Arthur, Mathias.

Little blighters!

Matron? What's going on?

Matron, I saw her, walking out of the dorm!

Maybe you dreamt it.

What, with my own two eyes?

Feather, where have you been?

Me? I haven't been anywhere.

Hetty, I saw you!

Apart from going to the privy in case I was sick.

Privy? You were escaping! Mary told me.

No, I didn't.

Hetty came straight back, Matron. Like I told her.

-I put her to sleep.

-And I sung her to sleep, Matron.

You did what?

Poor Hetty - she's still recovering from influenza.

You three, in bed! I will deal with you tomorrow.

It was a day like I'd never expected.

A whole new beginning.

It seemed like nothing would be the same ever again.

And not just for the foundlings either.

Recent events are causing concern, Matron.

Concern, Colonel?

Firstly, there was the delay in confinement

following the outbreak of influenza.

Modern standards require that that be done immediately.

Then, of course, there was the escape of the three foundling boys.

If you can't keep this hospital on an even keel,

I will have to find someone else to take command.

Do I make myself clear?

The hospital regime was about to get even tougher.

Your attention, please.

-(What's going on?)

-(I don't know, but something's up.)

Dormitory confinement is over.

However, there is to be a change to the Foundling Hospital rules.

MURMURING

QUIET! As you all know, last night, three boys escaped.

From today...if one pupil is caught even attempting to escape...

..then every foundling will face the same punishment.

One strike of the strap. Bread and water for a week.

Blankets removed from beds and no recreation time.

The Foundling Hospital will become a living Tench.

We will make you suffer. Do you understand?

-ALL: Yes, Matron.

-Do you understand?!

ALL: Yes, Matron!

Back to your classes.

'After everything that had happened,

'Matron was determined to crack the whip.

'But no matter what Matron had in store,

'the most important thing was that I remembered I was me.

'And I never wanted to forget. My name's Hetty Feather.

'I'm a foundling... and this is my story.'

We have a thief in our midst.

We want to get back in Matron's good books.

We catch the thief ourselves.

-Ready?

-Go!

Tomorrow is mine and Gid's borrowed birthday.

I have to see him.

We need a place to escape. Our own secret tower.

Hetty...it's like an adventure.