Episode 5 Call the Midwife

Bringing up children is not simple.

From the moment the midwife cuts the cord,

a mother's task is to nurture and cherish,

to shelter and protect.

Even as she does so, she must teach the child to leave her,

train it to let go of her hand, first to walk unaided,

and then to walk away.

But there is a cord that nothing can sever,

the invisible bond that ties the mother

to her infant, which endures when the child is a child no more.

That's me, then. You can go now.

Here, Auntie Grace sent you some biscuits

to give to your new friends.

They're broken! I can't give anyone these.

It's embarrassing, Mum.

Don't be daft. They all go down the same way!

Nurse Dyer. Welcome to Nonnatus House.

Oh!

Mrs Jackson, it's beautiful!

I haven't had a new frock in so long.

Nurse Franklin did say cocktail dresses were your forte.

She's one of my best customers.

She keeps the wolf from the door, all right.

Now, where d'you want it?

-Um...

-'Bout there? That's a good length on you.

Oh!

Are you all right?

Just a bit breathless. It's age.

Comes to us all.

SNEEZING

That's Reggie, but don't mind him.

If you've no objection, Nurse Dyer,

we'll put you to work as soon as you've unpacked.

None at all. I'm here to work,

and the harder the better.

I hope you'll find it to your liking.

This is your bed.

I don't want to be rude, Sister, but I was hoping for a room to myself.

Most of the midwives have to share.

The thing is, and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it,

but I snore. Like an elephant.

Well, I'm sure we can supply Nurse Franklin with plenty of earplugs.

The others are just finishing breakfast.

When you're ready, go down to the clinical room

and Nurse Crane will assign you your duties for today.

I'll be down in two ticks, Sister.

Oh, how lovely! Thank you, darling.

I was thinking I might get up today.

What does the doctor think?

In the doctor's expert opinion, it's still a bit too soon.

I had a feeling the doctor might say that.

-Has anyone seen my cricket bat?

-Under the pile in the hall?

Which pile? There's quite a few to pick from.

I'll get it for you.

Stay right where you are, Mrs Turner.

I'll have it ready for Sunday. I'll bring it to church.

Oh, that would be lovely.

Oh, goodness, I'm late!

I'll see you Sunday.

Hello, Fred.

-It's like Piccadilly Circus round here.

-Morning, Ivy.

I got your message.

Vi said you were leaking again.

It's my tap, cheeky beggar. Best come inside.

It's all right, Reggie, Cousin Fred's come to fix the tap.

Reggie!

Hello, Fred.

Still got that strong hand grip, I see!

You better let go of him or he won't be able to fix the tap.

What are we having for dinner?

What do you fancy?

Rice pudding.

Then that's what we're having.

Nurse Dyer, welcome. Are you early or are we late?

I'm early. Blame the army.

No blame necessary. Punctuality is a very desirable trait.

One we could all do with cultivating.

Sorry.

Ladies, may I introduce Nurse Valerie Dyer, our latest recruit.

-Welcome!

-Hello.

Shall we do our level best to convince her that we operate

like a well-oiled machine?

We've heard a lot about you.

You'll need this. It's got everything you need

for day-to-day work and anything else is in here.

Make sure you sign all items out.

Nurse Crane likes to run a tight ship,

down to the very last clamp.

Thanks. I didn't realise how much I'd missed all this.

Right, ladies, to work.

Nurse Gilbert, post-natal check on Mrs Hunt in Baxter Buildings

then back here on call.

Sister Winifred, maternity home to cover for Mrs Turner.

RINGING

I'm so happy to be able to help our own mother-to-be.

I've put you on routine home visits, Nurse Dyer. Nothing too taxing.

Around Grundy Street and Stainsby Road.

That was Mr Williams. His wife's in a great deal of pain.

It sounds as though she's gone into labour.

Oh! She's not due for another two weeks.

Can you go, Nurse Franklin?

I'll spare Nurse Dyer. It is her first day.

Just my luck. The most miserable woman in Poplar.

SHE GROANS

Oh Bill, do it. Just do it!

I can't, Crystal. I can't do it.

Ah, you have to!

I'll go stark raving mad if I have to put up with this.

KNOCKING

I don't care who it is,

get them in here and give them the bloody pliers!

Hello, Mrs Williams. Midwife calling.

Oh, sweetie. Can you tell me how far apart the contractions are?

It's not the baby!

It's her teeth, Nurse.

Oh, Bill, you haven't...?

No, she asked me to, but I couldn't do it. I just couldn't.

You do it, Nurse. Please, I'm begging you.

I'm afraid I can't, Mrs Williams.

I'm not qualified to pull teeth out with pliers.

Toothache is absolutely vile, I know.

Why don't you let me take a little look?

If you don't let me, I won't be able to help.

Oh, gosh, poor you. That does look terrible.

No wonder you're in agony. I think you might have an infection.

We'll have to get you to the doctor.

You have an abscess, Mrs Williams.

A serious infection beneath your tooth.

I will prescribe you painkillers and a course of penicillin.

I want this cleared up before baby makes an appearance.

I'll also refer you to the dental department at the hospital.

Hopefully, the dentist can see you immediately.

Dentist? Why do I need to see a dentist?

You've given me medicine.

Your teeth are badly decayed, Mrs Williams.

That could be quite dangerous in a pregnant woman.

No. Please, no! No dentist!

They're butchers.

There, there, Mrs Williams, try not to get upset.

I'm not going.

Mrs Williams,

a fear of the dentist is one of the most common phobias there is.

Next to spiders. We understand. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

Thank you.

Oh, hello.

We just popped in to see how your day went.

I loved it! I can't wait for tomorrow.

Don't be too keen - you'll put the rest of us to shame.

Thank you for re-arranging my wardrobe, Valerie.

Well, I did need somewhere to hang both my dresses.

I'm teasing. You've done me a favour.

I've got far too many clothes, anyway.

In fact, I'm going to do a gigantic clear-out

and give bags of stuff to the church jumble.

Then she'll just go and buy it all back again.

Twiglet?

-Oh, I've got nuts, if you fancy those.

-How about a drink?

Oh, I didn't know this was... So I haven't brought anything.

Don't be silly. It doesn't matter.

You can bring the snacks next time.

Well, I have got biscuits. But, er...

you wouldn't want them. They're broken.

My Auntie Grace gave me them. You don't have to eat them.

Don't be daft, they're delicious.

They are.

I won't be back from church until the big hand's at the six

and the little hand's at the 12.

Understand?

Reggie, are you listening to me?

Point at the clock, then.

Now, what do I tell ya? Don't touch the stove.

Don't open the window. Don't answer the door.

-And...

-Don't eat the biscuits.

Good lad.

Ah!

Indigestion.

I knew I shouldn't have eaten the last of that rice pudding.

I'm going now.

Roger and out.

I love you, Reggie.

I love you, Mum.

"Jesus said..."

"suffer the little children, and let them come unto me."

And in saying children,

perhaps Jesus wanted us to know that he values those who are

no longer children but who still see the world with a child's eye.

Those of us still filled with curiosity. Those open to new ideas.

Those who are trusting and free of fear.

"For of such is the kingdom of heaven." Amen.

-CONGREGATION:

-Amen.

Now, let us sing hymn number 205.

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

# Love divine... #

THEY CONTINUE SINGING

Tom, help me!

BANGING

It's only me, Reggie, cousin Fred. Can you open the door?

I'm not allowed. Mum will not let me.

I'm sure she won't mind. Come on, son.

Reggie...

your mum was taken ill at the church.

Reggie, your mum was so ill that even a doctor couldn't help her.

And she died.

Do you understand what that means?

That she's gone to sleep and can't wake up?

That's right, son.

Is she with God now?

She is, Reggie.

That's nice.

Can I have my dinner?

Er, yeah, Violet's got it all ready.

Who's Violet?

She's my wife, Reggie. Let's get you a bag and get you packed.

Where will the little hand be when my mum comes back from seeing God?

Reggie, this is Violet, my wife.

-Hello, Violet.

-Hello, Reggie.

He's got a firm grip, hasn't he?

He certainly has! That's a lovely plant you've got!

It's Ivy's.

Reggie's going to be staying with us for a couple of days,

just till he gets himself sorted.

Hm. Lovely.

Erm, Reggie, why don't you take your plant through to the spare room

and find a nice bright spot for it?

And then we can eat. You must be starving, eh?

It's all right, go on, on you go.

I don't think it's sunk in yet.

Fred, I know he's lost his mum and that's terrible,

but why have you brought him here?

I couldn't leave him, Vi, he was all on his own.

He had nowhere else to go. It won't be for long.

Yes, but we don't know anything about, you know...people like that.

I mean, I'm not being cruel, Fred, but he's simple, you know,

he needs proper care.

What are we going to do with him when we're at work?

He'll be fine up here.

Never got in Ivy's way when she was doing her fittings.

Oh, I've got to go to

Letchworth tomorrow morning for a couple of hours.

There's an exhibition at the Spirella corsetry factory.

It's quite the event.

I've got a new hat.

Yeah, well, look, he'll be all right here until you get back.

Ivy used to leave him all the time when she went to church,

-and I'll do my best to pop in, all right?

-Hm.

Valerie Dyer from Grundy Street.

June Dyer's middle daughter, born in the middle of a blizzard?

How do you know that?

Because I was the midwife who attended your mother.

Myself and Sister Evangelina.

I cut your cord.

Nurse Crane, that was Dr Turner.

He's setting up an exciting new dental health project and

he wants me to help him with it.

May I be excused from district duty this morning?

I have to prepare my materials.

He could not have asked for a more qualified nurse.

You have our blessing.

Thank you, Sister. Together we're going to save the Borough's teeth.

I can just see the posters now.

# I'm a pink toothbrush. You're a blue toothbrush... #

What did we agree?

Oh, I know but I feel so much better, Patrick.

In fact, I feel healthier than I've felt in years.

I've got so much energy. I just want to do things.

Has anyone seen my swimming trunks?

What's going on? Why can't you find anything?

-Because our room's a mess.

-Then tidy it.

I do. Then it gets untidy again. It's a mystery.

We need more space, Patrick. Timothy needs his own room.

He's growing up. He can't share with Angela any longer.

We just need to be more disciplined.

Besides, she's going to be sharing with her new brother or sister.

Look, why don't we talk about the flats another time?

First things first.

Come back to work and see how you feel then.

Is that the doctor's expert opinion?

Yes. It is.

Stop it. Stop it!

Stop it!

Oi, oi, oi, what's all this noise, eh?

Look, your mum's a little bit tired this morning, that's all.

I'm not tired!

I'm terrified.

You have to be brave, Crystal.

Easy for you to say.

You're not the one about to be butchered by a dentist.

-Don't look at me.

-Why not?

-Because I'm ugly.

Not to me, you're not.

You need your eyes testing.

Don't forget to go to the baby clinic.

Another slice of toast, Reggie?

You haven't got time, Fred. We've got to go!

Right, have whatever you want. The bread's over there.

How long will you be? Point on the clock.

He wants you to show him on the clock when you're going to be back.

Ivy used to do that for you, didn't she, Reggie?

Right, well, that's us. Bye, Reggie.

-Bye, Fred. Bye, Violet.

-Bye, Reggie.

Remind me how old Reggie is again?

21. Just turned.

That makes it more difficult.

St Gideon's is shut down now and he's too old for Dr Barnardo's.

As far as I know, the only other place would be an institution.

Somewhere like Linchmere Hospital.

Linchmere? That's a loony bin.

He's not barmy, he's just a bit...you know.

There don't seem to be many other choices, I'm afraid.

Well he can stay with us, till after the funeral.

Vi's agreed to that but she won't want it to be any longer.

She's finding it a bit difficult.

I can understand. They're not used to each other.

Ivy was very protective of him, you see.

She loved him. But that makes it harder for him now.

Why don't you leave it with me?

I'll see if there's anywhere other than Linchmere.

GAS HISSES

KNOCKING ON DOOR

DOOR CLOSES

DOOR RATTLES

# You're a pink toothbrush, I'm a blue toothbrush

# Have we met somewhere before? #

We don't want to hurt the dentist, children!

This is his first visit and we want him to come back!

No, no, it's all in a good cause!

Now, how are my teeth looking?

Can you see what I had for lunch?

Any bits of ham sandwich? Or cheese and onion crisps?

-No!

-And do you know why?

Because I brush my teeth after every single meal.

Hello, little man, let's see how big you're getting.

Ooh! 2oz on. Well done, Mum.

Mrs Williams, can you pop behind the curtain please, and...

I'll be there in one moment.

# You're a pink toothbrush... #

Sister Winifred, this class is supposed to be finished.

I am trying to listen to a baby's heartbeat,

-and all I can hear is Max Bygraves.

-Oh, I'm so sorry!

I think we've been enjoying ourselves a little bit too much.

Opinions may differ on that.

I've undergone a whole series of dental examinations!

That's lovely.

But while you've been playing games, some of us have been trying to work.

This is Mr Dockerill, Nurse Franklin. The dentist.

I'm sorry about the noise, Nurse.

But in Health Education,

we find children do better when they have some fun.

And in midwifery, we find that mothers and babies do better

when they have some peace and quiet.

Well, baby seems very happy in there. Now, let's sit you up.

How did you get on at the dental department at St Cuthbert's today?

Not as bad as you thought, I'm sure.

You didn't go, did you?

Oh, Crystal, you heard what Dr Turner said.

Antibiotics aren't going to be enough.

I don't want people poking around in my mouth!

I'm scared.

I know, Crystal.

But if you don't get your teeth seen to,

the pain will send your blood pressure sky-rocketing.

And that's not good for baby, is it?

Crystal, sweetie.

Would you wait here for me? Just for two ticks?

Mr Dockerill? May I speak to you for a moment?

We are going, Nurse, I promise.

Just as soon as I've rescued Sister Winifred's rather ingenious props.

I have a mother with an extremely severe gum infection.

She had an emergency appointment at the hospital today,

-but didn't keep it.

-Nervous patient?

Terribly. Obviously nobody likes dentists...

..but she's terrified.

It is so very, very common.

And she's eight months pregnant.

I see. Where is she?

Follow me. Mrs Williams is in here.

Crystal, this is Mr Dockerill.

-He just wants to have a little look in your mouth.

-Is he a dentist?

I am a dentist, but I promise I won't hurt you.

All I'm going to do is look inside your mouth and see what's

causing all this pain.

I'm sure Nurse Franklin can hold your hand, if you would like.

Of course I can.

Thank you.

Now, can you open your mouth as wide as you can bear?

That's perfect.

Very good. All done. You can close your mouth now.

-Well done, sweetie.

-Mrs Williams, it's very important

you come to the hospital as soon as you can.

Why? What you going to do to me?

Just look inside your mouth again, using my instruments,

and in better light.

Nurse Franklin can come along and hold your hand again,

if you would like.

-Would you?

-If it helps you and helps baby. Yes.

-All right, then.

-That's the spirit.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to Sister Winifred.

She'll be thinking Nurse Franklin's run me out of town.

He's quite nice.

Blood pressure next, I think.

Reggie....?

Reggie?

Dear God!

HE COUGHS

Reggie!

Got any money?

-No.

-Mongoloid!

Mum, Mum! Let me in.

Reggie!

It's all right. You're safe now.

I told you this was going to happen.

I mean he could've... Anything could've...

Something really terrible...

I know, I know. But it didn't.

Yeah, because we were lucky. This time.

I had no idea he was so sheltered with Ivy. No idea.

Yes, but he was. And he can't take care of himself, that's for sure.

So, what are we going to do with him, Fred Buckle?

I don't know.

I just know that we are all he's got.

It's all right. Just keep breathing into the bag, Crystal.

It will calm you.

Slowly.

Don't forget I'll be in there with you.

I won't leave you.

These are flowers. You leave them be. They're meant to be here.

And these are weeds. You pull them out.

Now they won't want to come out so give them a yank or use the trowel.

Fred...

Did your lady wife remember

to furnish you with some of her

highly prized and most delicious jam?

Run out again, have they, Sister?

It's a puzzle that eludes me.

Ooh. They will be most pleased.

Young man, may I enquire what you are doing?

Pulling weeds.

That is not a weed. That is common fleabane.

It grows freely and thus it flourishes.

We do nature a grave disservice

if we apply restraint when there should be none.

Leave that one where it is for now.

..five, six.

And lower right one, two, three, four, five, six and seven.

You're doing so well, Crystal.

You are indeed.

And we're done.

Mrs Williams, Dr Turner was absolutely right.

You do have abscesses.

That's why you're in such pain.

I'm afraid your teeth are going to have to come out.

How many?

Given the extent of your gum disease, I think all of them.

All of them?

And, bearing in mind how poorly you've been feeling,

the sooner the better.

I'm going to put you to sleep and while you're dreaming of

lovely things, I will deal with everything.

And when you wake up, all the pain will be gone.

But I won't have any teeth. And I'll look worse than I do now.

No, no. You will have teeth.

Not tomorrow, or the next day, but soon.

I'm going to make sure you get dentures that look as good as -

or indeed better - than the real thing.

-You'll look quite the film star when you smile.

-Will I?

Without a shadow of a doubt.

Hello!

Hello, Jennifer.

Don't pull the flowers.

I am returning them to whence they came.

-Are they dead?

-They are past their glory.

They have given us joy

and delighted us with their beauty.

But now their time has gone.

There is still much work to be done.

Will the flowers have a funeral?

They go back to the earth. As we all do.

I got them from the shed. They're a present.

For my mum.

Put them in this bag.

Reggie.

Time to go. Come on.

Come on, mate.

Oh, you've had a lovely day with Sister Monica Joan.

She appreciates the help, you know.

Reggie's going to grow some plants, to keep Ivy's plant company.

I see.

There won't be much room in there for too many, mind.

Yeah, he knows. Just one or two.

Ah. Has there been any news? From Mrs Turner?

No, not yet.

What's that you've got?

Oh, I got him a suit for the funeral.

But he'll need some braces. Or the trousers turning up.

Give it here, then.

Stand still. Come on, brush them.

Do you want your teeth to fall out?

Now, see what I'm doing. Now you do it.

-Bit late for that, in't it?

-Will you just do it?

BOY CRIES

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

-Shh.

-You all right?

Violet.

Yes, Reggie.

-I liked it today.

-Oh, good.

That's good.

I really want to go there every day.

Well, let's see how it goes. Shall we?

REGGIE STARTS TO CRY

Oh, Reggie. What's wrong?

Are you sad? It's all right to be sad.

It's normal.

No. I'm happy.

Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? To be happy.

Not if my mum's angry.

Why would she be angry?

Because she's not here.

Oh, Reggie, your mum would be delighted.

All she ever wanted was for you to be happy.

And Fred and I are going to make sure that you are.

Now, stand still and no...fidgeting. Hmm.

I don't think you'll get all this on your bike, Sister Winifred.

Do you want me to get my Uncle Pete's barrow?

Would you like a lift, Sister? I'm going your way.

Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you.

ENGINE STARTS

Sister Winifred, you're staring. It's making me nervous.

Have you never seen anyone change gear before?

I beg your pardon, Nurse Crane.

I'm just fascinated by how it all works.

Earth to earth,

ashes to ashes,

dust to dust,

in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who shall change the body of our lower state that it may be like unto

his glorious body,

according to the mighty working,

whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself.

Are you ready?

They won't grow if you watch them.

Do you want to give me your jacket?

And you can take your tie off.

And I'll go and see if we've got some of that nice rice pudding.

It's from the Linchmere Hospital.

They say they can take him, if we want.

The Linchmere?

My Aunt Nellie went in there when she went funny.

In the head.

They want us to go and have a look.

Well, you're not taking Reggie. It might upset him.

No, I'll go. There's no harm in looking.

Fred, you do know that this day's sadness will pass.

No doubt, Sister. He said his goodbyes.

-He's a brave lad.

-Yet you are troubled?

He can't stay with me and Vi,

and a place has come up at the Linchmere hospital.

Is not a hospital for sick people?

That's what I thought, Sister.

I'm off to see it later.

I'm keeping an open mind.

Now, when you're ready, I want you to start counting backwards

-from ten.

-What, now? Now?

Count with me, Crystal. Ten.

-Ten.

-Nine.

-Nine.

-Eight.

-Eight.

-Seven.

-Seven.

Six, five...

Thanks.

# When my little girl is smiling

# There's nothing more I can say

# I see those big bright eyes

# And then I realise

# That girl is going to get her way

# Oh, let me tell you now

# When my little girl is smiling

# I can't stay mad at her for long

# Why should I want to fight

# When I can hold her tight?

# I just don't care who's right or wrong

# When my little girl is smiling. #

That's it. All over.

You've done so well, Crystal!

Have they gone?

Every last one of them.

And you'll soon be feeling so much better.

CRYSTAL LAUGHS

Don't worry, it's a fairly common reaction to the gas.

Bite down hard on this pad for me, Mrs Williams.

There is always some bleeding to begin with,

but it shouldn't last long.

Sister!

I find two opinions are always better than one.

Particularly if one is mine.

Where are the gardens?

This is the ward where your cousin will be.

Are all the wards locked?

A few.

He...he's very young. He shouldn't be locked in.

It's for the patients' own safety.

Many of them have suffered a great deal

in the outside world, Mr Buckle.

It's our duty to prevent more anxiety.

Which bed would be his?

That one. In the corner.

I feel sick.

I think you're still bleeding a little. Keep biting down.

No! I don't feel well.

It's just the effects of the anaesthetic. It will pass.

I'll see if someone can bring you a bowl.

I think the baby's coming.

I think you may be right.

Let's get you up to the maternity ward, and have a proper look at you.

Where are you going?

It seems Mrs Williams has gone into labour.

-Here?

-Yes. Here!

And it's baby number five, so unless we get a move on,

you're going to have a lot more than amniotic fluid on your chair.

-I'm coming with you.

-Thank you.

But I'm sure we'll have plenty of help on the ward.

I need to keep an eye on this bleeding.

And Mrs Williams needs a wheelchair.

Try not to push. Can you pant for me instead?

That's it. Keep panting. We're nearly there.

Sister Mary Cynthia?

We must muster our cohorts. We must instruct our troops.

An innocent is in danger,

and one of our own is immured in a place of torment.

SHE SOBS

Sister. Please, just let me drive.

CRYSTAL WHIMPERS

Baby's nearly here, Crystal!

Your body's done this so many times, baby hardly needs any help at all.

Good girl, good girl,

Well done, keep breathing.

It's all right, Crystal. Here's the gas.

Mrs Williams doesn't need any gas for this procedure, Mr Dockerill.

She's managing beautifully without.

And push now!

That's it.

I can see baby's head, Crystal!

Yes! That's wonderful.

Catch your breath now, sweetie.

One more push and it will all be over.

And push!

Push!

That's it! That's it!

That's it!

-Oh.

-Wonderful!

Well done! Well done!

I have done this once or twice before, Mr Dockerill.

Aren't you beautiful?

BABY CRIES

Time to meet your mummy.

Congratulations, Crystal! You've got a little boy.

Oh, he's perfect... and beautiful.

And he's going to take care of his teeth.

I don't want him to go through what I've been through.

Thank you both.

Sister. You've been with us for some time now.

Your psychiatrist thinks you've shown little improvement.

I don't know how to do it. I don't know how I can put things right.

Putting things right is what WE do.

Your psychiatrist would like to try another course of treatment.

What treatment?

It's called electroconvulsive therapy.

I don't want it.

I'll be knocked out and when I open my eyes again, things will

have been done to me without me knowing!

We believe it would be the most suitable treatment for you.

You don't know that and you can't know that,

because you don't know me!

You can't see what I see when I close my eyes.

For the sake of our beloved Sister Mary Cynthia...

..we must keep this to ourselves.

Until I have spoken to the Mother House.

Sister, do you understand?

I have seen the darkness.

You have my word.

Thank you, Fred.

Thank you.

Where is he?

He's in the back. Doing some tidying for me.

Well, you can stop fretting.

He's not going there. Not now.

Not ever.

And if I could've brought them all home with me, I would have.

Well, that means he's stuck with us, then.

Where are they going?

Work. Where we all have to go.

-I don't.

-What's wrong with your face? It's like a long wet weekend.

I don't have any friends.

Yes, you do. You have us.

You're old.

I'm afraid if you wish to see Sister Mary Cynthia,

you must make an appointment.

She is extremely unwell, and has been for some time.

Then all the more reason for you

to consider releasing her into our care.

We are not psychiatric nurses but we are nurses.

And we know at least something of the strains that have

triggered her depression.

She needs medical expertise, and specialised treatment.

Not sympathy and understanding, however well intentioned.

I think sympathy and understanding

might be a good starting point, don't you?

This is a mental hospital, Sister.

It takes more than kind words to cure our patients.

-That's it.

-Right into the back of your mouth. Up and down.

Oh, very good. Very good!

Sister, you are a miracle worker.

CAR HORN TOOTS

I must say, Sister, I am a little surprised by your request.

-Are you quite sure?

-Absolutely positive.

You want to learn to drive and you want me to teach you, in my car?

Yes, Nurse Crane. That's it in a nutshell.

I've always wanted to learn but never had the courage.

Now, thanks to my work here with all of you,

I've come to fully appreciate that there is no time like the present.

Faced with such enthusiasm, what choice have I got?

Oh, yes!

I read about the Glasshouse Village Trust in the newspaper.

It's in the country, Mrs Buckle, surrounded by green fields.

It's a community.

People with all kinds of disabilities live and work there.

And they earn money.

How can they do that? I mean, who looks after them?

They have trained staff who look after them,

24 hours a day, but they're free.

To live as near a normal life as they can.

I don't think so. I don't like the look of it.

Why don't you both just think about it? There's no rush.

We just wanted you to know that there were places like that.

There are only two or three at the moment, in the whole country.

But I have no doubt that there will be more.

It seems like the ideal environment for someone like Reggie to...

to grow in confidence.

He won't be on his own there.

He is lonely.

No, he's not. He's happy.

He needs friends, Vi. Folk like him.

A chance to make his own decisions.

He's a young man, not a child.

Just have a think. There's no rush.

You need to know it's right for him.

That's excellent, Mrs Williams.

You look so relaxed you could be lying on

a deck chair at the seaside.

How do they feel?

Peculiar. Like I've got a mouth full of marbles.

That will improve, as you get used to them.

Ready for the grand unveiling?

You may have to imagine the fanfare and the roll of drums.

-Thank you ever so much.

-Not at all.

Come on.

Thank you for your help with Mrs Williams, Nurse Franklin.

Well, with one thing and another,

I think we all ended up with something to smile about.

It's nice to have a case with such a happy outcome.

Nice enough - and rare enough -

to warrant a little celebration.

-Such as dinner for two?

-For two, Mr Dockerill?

You could call me Christopher, now we're

no longer quite so professionally intertwined.

And, as we are no longer quite so professionally intertwined,

I can see no harm in accepting your invitation...

Christopher.

And my name is Beatrix, but people call me Trixie.

ENGINE STARTS

Ohh!

Left foot down on the clutch.

Now right foot on the accelerator, gently.

Which one is that again?

The one nearest your door.

Put it into first gear.

Good, that's good. Now, bring the clutch gently up to biting point.

And we're off.

Keep going smoothly,

don't keep putting your foot on the... you're braking.

I'll show you to your dormitory in a minute.

What do you think of our greenhouse?

It's all right.

What do you do for a job, Reggie?

-I'm a gardener.

-That's good. We always need gardeners.

Don't worry, Auntie Vi.

I'm not sad, I'm happy.

Look at the garden, Patrick. It's so beautiful.

There'll be so much space for the little ones to run around in.

Ah, it's certainly big enough.

Our furniture is going to get lost in there.

Well, we can fill a few rooms, then grow from there.

Bless him.

Oh, er, what's for tea then?

Dunno. What do you fancy?

Anything as long as it's not rice pudding.

Oh, Reggie.

And so we let go of their hands...

but not their hearts.

Of the need to be needed but not the need to love.

We're going to a French place.

And if it's French, they'll serve snails,

and snails always involve bent pins, garlic butter and finger bowls.

Which, all in all, means quite a lot of attention on one's manicure.

Meanwhile I'll be sat in a darkened cinema with Tom,

watching The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner.

Won't be much need for a manicure there.

No. You look very lovely, Barbara.

So do you.

I'll zip you up in a minute.

And however much it hurts, there is joy within that moment.

Because of the unseen cord that binds us,

and which will never break.

Linchmere is not an appropriate environment for Sister Mary Cynthia.

We have to secure her discharge.

Do you mind me asking - have you had any...surgery down there?

Is there something wrong?

A lady doesn't like to look too keen.

Especially when a man drives a sports car.

If the USSR doesn't accept Kennedy's deal...

then we're all going to hell in a hand cart!

I really don't think this is the time for levity, Barbara!

-LOUD BANGING

-Pull over.