Tour of Duty Moving On

It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence

has confirmed the death of three soldiers this morning.

'Preparing to head to Helmand Province,

'the British armed forces show no signs of diminishing yet.'

BABY CRIES

Hello, gorgeous.

You're late.

I got held up. Hello, princess.

They said there'd been heavy fire.

Nah, we've been on base.

I saw it on the news.

Did you get the parcel?

Yeah. She loves it.

Don't cry, darling.

I'm sorry.

Why don't you join the wives' network, Caz?

That's what they're there for.

Talk to someone.

I'm just tired. She's been screaming blue murder.

You been giving your Mummy a hard time, eh?

She's driving me crazy.

Caz, you've just got to be calm around her.

She knows when you're wound up.

I can't believe how much she's grown.

She's like a different kid every time I see her.

You're missing everything.

Don't do this.

I love you.

Yeah.

INTERFERENCE Tom?

Tom?

TOM!

TEXT MESSAGE BEEP

BABY WHIMPERS

Thanks a lot.

RADIO: 'Another British soldier was killed yesterday in an explosion

'in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province,

'taking the British death toll to...'

There must be some logical explanation.

Like what?

I don't know, but I know they couldn't sprout legs

and wander off by themselves.

Anna, could you make Caroline a coffee, love?

-No, no, it's OK, I can do it.

-Don't worry.

You know, sleep deprivation can do terrible things to a person.

I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it.

I'm always losing track of how many choccies I've had.

I'll just have one more and by the end of Corrie, I've scoffed the lot.

I'm sure I didn't.

Sometimes it's easier to find something mundane to worry about.

We've all been there.

-Thanks, love.

-Thank you.

We've got a memorial service coming up soon.

We do food afterwards at the legion, to raise money for the injured soldiers.

We could do with some more help organising everything.

Give you something to think about?

I'm not sure I'm up to it.

Five months will soon fly by, darling. You'll see.

The second tour's always a lot easier.

SHOP BELL RINGS

Hiya.

That'll be £3.79, please.

Thank you.

Don't let it get you down, dear. You keep your chin up.

See you.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.

Eight, right, eight, OK.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, right.

'It is with sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm

'the death of three soldiers this morning in an explosion

'in the Nahr-e Saraj...

'Preparing to head to Helmand Province, British armed forces show no sign...'

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven...eight.

One, two, three, four...

KNOCKING ON DOOR

Caroline, my love...are you there?

KNOCKING CONTINUES

Caroline?

Caroline?

Caroline, love, are you there?

-Here you are.

-Thanks.

We missed you this morning.

I know what you're thinking, I'm not mad.

Why don't you come to mine for your tea tonight?

Do you good to get out.

Look, the baby's going to be crawling soon, Caroline.

One minute they're there and then they're not there there and then they're not there.

You see, there were eight last night, and now there's only four.

I think you need to see someone.

PHONE RINGS

Tom?

'Listen, babe... have you got anyone with you?'

Oh, my God! Why? What's happened? You're not injured, are you?

'No, I'm fine, but I think I've got the answer to your chocolate mystery.'

How do you know about that?

'Dazza reckons the same thing happened to his missus

'when they were stationed there.

'But, Caz, you've got to promise me you're not going to freak out.

-'All right?'

-OK.

'I think we've got rats.

'See if anywhere looks nibbled?

'Maybe around the food cupboards?

'There'll be droppings as well.

'He said they're like little black beans.

'Dazza said that they found chocolate wrappers tucked away

'in a little hidey-hole.

'Find those and we know what we're dealing with.'

Rats we can do something about.

I'm leaving!

Eh, you're made of sterner stuff than that. This is your home.

It's not.

How can Tom do what he needs to do out there,

if he's got to worry about you all the time?

-I don't care.

-Look, one of Bill's mates is a rat-catcher.

It'll be done and dusted in no time, you'll see.

It's a hard life, Caroline, I won't pretend that it isn't,

but at the end of the day, it is what we make of it.

LAPTOP BEEPS

Hey, beautiful.

This is all your fault!

I was happy in London, but you had to join the stupid army!

We talked about it.

You've deserted me, that's what you've done, you have deserted me!

-What are you even doing there?

-We're performing a vital role.

You sound like a recruitment officer!

Not all this again, Caz, you're doing my head in.

If I wanted to be a single mother, I never would have got married!

-Don't say that.

-You weren't honest with me.

You've got all your army mates. Who have I got, eh?

I've got no-one.

Maybe I should bloody join up!

What the hell do you want me to do? I'm on the other side of the world.

So, come home, then!

Look, I can't be doing with this today!

Whenever I call you, and all I get is grief!

Grief and aggro!

LAPTOP BEEPS

DOORBELL BUZZES

You can't park that there! Get it shifted!

-It's nothing to be ashamed of.

-Keep your voice down!

All right, do they know it's rats? It could be cockroaches.

-Cockroaches!

-Squirrels? Doesn't mean your house is dirty.

-What are you saying about my house?

Have you got something to say about my house? Go on, then, eh?!

This is number 64, yeah?

Yep, definitely rats.

Oh.

OK, I don't like using poison in a house where there's a baby,

so you can have it in the loft, but in the house, we'll use traps.

They're humane, they catch them alive.

-I take them away and deal with them.

-No, I want them dead, dead and gone.

-If you can inflict maximum pain whilst doing it, all the better.

-That's not what I do.

I don't want them anywhere near my baby, understand me?

Yeah, OK.

This whole thing is making me sick to my stomach.

-If I had your job, I'd probably kill myself!

-Sorry, where did you say your husband was?

Yeah, I'm really proud of you, I hope you know that.

Hey, yeah, the baby was in hysterics today.

I've never seen her really laugh like that before.

You know her little monkey?

I was making it dance and she thought it was hilarious.

Yeah, he came today.

The rat man, yeah.

No, no, no, it's nothing to worry about.

Yeah.

You sure you're going to be OK changing these on your own?

Only joking.

You're wasted.

Just moved in?

About three months ago.

Rats, they love chocolate.

I've noticed, I thought they were meant to love cheese?

No, that is a myth.

Cheese is actually poisonous to rats.

Shame.

Right, when they move, they stick close to the wall,

so try and keep your skirting boards clear.

But that's going to kill it, yeah?

-You sure you want snap traps? They can make quite a mess.

-Snap dead!

I'm not going to be squeamish about it.

RATTLING

Yep, you've caught a rat all right.

There's usually more than one hanging about.

It could take a little while to get on top of it.

Do you know what they call a group of rats?

A mischief.

Isn't that endearing?

You must think I'm pathetic.

No, I got vertigo halfway up your loft ladder!

That's quite pathetic.

I'll go and set some more.

Sam!

Yeah?

No more snap traps.

BABY GURGLES

Let me do that.

There you are.

Think yourself lucky.

Rats, they have five litters a year. Five litters!

Can you imagine that?!

Aren't you meant to hate rats?

Me? I love rats, they're amazing creatures!

-If you don't mind me saying, you've got a funny way of showing it.

-You know what I mean.

I love them in their natural environment.

It's not their fault this urban sprawl took over everything.

You know, they just adapted.

Hey, if you think about it, I know this sounds daft,

but rats are kind of like a victim of their own success, really.

Like Rooney?

Except they're super intelligent, and very clean.

What about the plague?

That was the black rat, not a Norway one.

The ones you've got, they don't carry the plague, do they?

Well, that's something.

They can carry other things though, typhoid, salmonella...

Please! Please shut up.

Look, tell me to mind my own business...

-Mind your own business.

-But there are things you can do to help.

Keep the place tidy.

Put food away,

mend broken pipes,

clear the back garden, cos out there right, it's rat heaven!

Tom does all that.

Yeah.

You know, most people prefer to stay with relatives until the rats have gone.

Isn't that nice for "a lot of people"?

I'll pop back in a couple of weeks. See how you are getting on. See you.

Bye-bye.

KNOCKING

Are you sure he's only been gone a month?

Is this his first tour?

Yeah. And his last if I've got anything to do with it.

Right. Do you not agree with the war?

Oh, no, don't get me wrong. They're doing good out there.

Building wells, building roads,

making a better life for the people but...

But?

I just, I wish that someone else's husband was doing that.

-Hey, what's that?

-What?

Aw, it's a little frog.

Hello, Mr Frog.

What's that, Mr Frog, you want to kiss the pretty lady

and turn into a prince?

-Aw.

-No.

-Have a look.

Hey, I was only joking!

BABY CRIES

BABY CRIES

Bonjour. I finished early at number five,

I thought we could spend an hour on the garden?

I can't, not today.

-Are you all right?

-She's been up all night.

I'm so tired, I want to throw up.

Hey. Do you know what my son used to love?

Where's your little buddy? Mwah! Where's your little buddy?

HE SINGS AND TRUMPETS

Is she all right?

-Yeah. Are you all right?

-Yeah.

-Hey.

-All right?

-How's it going?

-All right.

Hiya.

Ta-da!

Now that's what I like to see. Feeling better?

You know, for the first time since Tom left, I feel really on top of things.

Mmm, yummy. Could you make me some for the legion do?

Sure.

How's that rodent problem?

Sam's been fantastic.

Yes, he is nice, isn't he?

Thank you so much for recommending him.

I don't know what I would have done without him. Gone mad probably!

Glad I could help.

I've just come to see how we're getting on.

-Hiya.

-Hiya.

Smile.

I'm just taking a few snaps for Tom... Smile! ..Caroline's husband.

Babies change so quickly.

Ah, that's the one.

-She's got a face like a slapped backside.

-Oh, well, she needs changing.

-No, you!

-Must be the camera.

There's nothing wrong with this camera!

So, listen, I'll e-mail these over to you this afternoon

and you can choose the best one.

This camera's semi-professional!

Maybe you should let a semi-professional use it!

You cheeky beggar!

Right, I'll be off now.

-Whatever you did, it certainly did the trick.

-Whisky.

You or her?

Both of us.

Thank you. I really appreciate it.

I feel almost human.

Good!

You're never going to eat all that?

So I took the side off the bath and found a big old rat's nest.

Well, me mum, she was ready for burning the whole house down then.

All she could see was filthy vermin.

-And you didn't?

-No. They were the cutest little babies you'd ever seen.

-Even cuter than yours!

-Eh, watch it!

So, I stashed them under my bed, which was fine

-but then they got too big and they tipped the cage over.

-God!

And the blood-curdling screams that came from the kitchen!

I ran in and I'll never forget, in one hand she's got

a chocolate orange and in the other, she's got a massive box

of Terry's All Gold chocolate and they'd totally surrounded her.

-Oh, God!

-Brilliant!

I've been hooked ever since.

Me mam, she still doesn't know that they were the rats.

-I'm going to tell her.

-You better not, she'll kill me.

BABY CRIES

-I knew it wouldn't last.

-I'll go.

BABY STOPS CRYING

How many kids have you got?

One. Michael.

Does he like rats?

He lives with his mam in France, I don't see him that much.

-I'm sorry.

-It's all right.

They've started calling him Michel, which makes him sound like a girl.

Hey.

Cheers.

35 pence, please.

That pest control van's been parked outside your house a long time.

Is there some kind of problem?

I've got rats.

-Made you a brew.

-Ta.

And a little something extra.

Chocolate mice.

Actually, it's a mischief of chocolate mice.

RATTLING

It's all right, he's not going to hurt you.

Oh. It looks petrified.

Wouldn't you be?

He must be desperate, you know, coming out in the day.

He's probably the last one.

-Great.

-Yeah.

They get lonely when they're separated from their group.

They pine away.

Anyway, I'll deal with it.

Sam, if we release him, he won't come back, will he?

Come on.

OK, go on, then.

Aw.

See you.

THEY LAUGH

Ta-da!

-You've come prepared.

-I used to be in the Girl Guides!

You haven't still got the uniform, have you?

Do you ever get to France to see your son?

No, I just leave them to it. I don't want to mess it up for him.

But you're his dad, that's important.

One day he's going to ask where you are and you'd better have a good answer.

I've got a few years before I have to start explaining where her father is.

-You must have known what it would be like, though.

-He wasn't a soldier when I married him.

He belonged only to me.

You're lucky we've got all the technology nowadays, you know,

so you can keep in touch.

The webcams and all that?

Have you ever tried snuggling up to a computer?

I'm not sure I should answer that one.

If you were mine, Bin Laden himself couldn't drag me away.

We'd better head back.

We'd better.

-It was definitely Bonzo the Dog Doo-Dah Band.

-Whatever.

-You're such a bad loser!

-I'm not!

Thanks for today. I really appreciate it.

You made a rodent very happy.

And the rat too!

Are you staying for coffee?

I think so.

PHONE BEEPS

'Caz, where are you?

'I thought we said six o'clock? Where are you, Caz?'

We haven't got any milk.

I'll have it black.

There's no coffee either.

Right.

Sam! Sam! She's choking! She's not breathing!

I don't know what to do!

She gave us a fright, didn't she?

Hey, what's up?

The doc said no harm done.

She knows you better than she knows her own father.

He should be here.

She's asleep.

Good.

That's where you should you be, you look exhausted.

I'll call you in the morning...

Stay.

No, I mean, what if she's bad again?

I haven't got a car, so...

OK.

-I'll get you some blankets.

-All right.

ALARM RINGS

I'm having a bread crisis, I'm four loaves short.

Have you got everything ready for me?

That's the lot, I think.

You haven't got a spare loaf, have you?

-I might have half of one?

-Oh! Life-saver!

Mmm. Lovely smell of bacon in here. You been having a fry-up?

Thanks.

All right?

Hiya.

This pew's full.

Right.

Excuse me.

Shift!

Thank you.

What have you done?

They've got eyes, they'll draw their own conclusions.

Abide With Me.

# Abide with me... #

Nothing happened.

He must have thought all his Christmases had come at once.

-Sam's not like that. He's my friend.

-He's a man.

# Lord with me abide... #

Our boys are dying out there, they deserve a bit of loyalty at home.

I haven't done anything wrong.

Rule of thumb, if you can't tell your husband about it, you shouldn't do it.

I thought so. You reap what you sow.

# Earth's joys grow dim Its glories pass away... #

Nothing happened, I swear.

You didn't sleep with him.

No.

It's a shame. A screw might have got him out your system.

Somehow the act itself doesn't seem as dishonest as the desire.

They shall not grow old As we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them

Nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun And in the morning

We will remember them

For your tomorrow, we gave our today.

Sam?

Oh, my God.

They did this because of me. I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

MUSIC DROWNS OUT SPEECH

Thank you.

That's a bit formal for the occasion. But I'll accept it.

No, I mean thank you for being here.

Without you I'd have gone out the window long ago.

Hey, you are a lot tougher than you give yourself credit for.

I'm going to leave.

I'm going to leave him.

Are you sure?

He joined the Army, not me.

Come to France with me!

That sounds mad I know, but come to France with me.

Yes! I'd love that.

Really?

Yeah. Let's go!

Are you absolutely sure?

I love you.

I love you too.

PHONE RINGS

Hello.

When there's bad news,

the Army severs communication with friends and family

until the next of kin can be appropriately informed.

But what does that mean?

It means that someone in the battalion has been injured.

Or dead.

What do I do?

Nothing. You just have to wait...

..and pray.

KNOCKING

Hi.

This isn't a good time.

No, sorry.

I just came to drop the invoice off.

But it can wait.

I'll put the kettle on.

-Caroline...

-I don't want your sympathy. This is my pain...

and I deserve it.

BEEPING

Tom!

Thank God, he's alive.

That's wonderful.

Tom? Tom, what's the matter?

Dazza's dead.

It was an IED... Happened right in front of me.

But I couldn't do anything.

He was my mate and I had to put my head down and carry on.

Cos if you lose focus out here, you end up dead.

No, you're right. You did the right thing, darling.

I didn't recognise him. What am I going to tell his mum?

Don't you worry about that.

Just you worry about getting yourself back here alive.

Look, I know I don't always say it,

but you're everything to me, you know...

-..you and the baby.

-Yeah...I know.

I love you.

I love you too.

Don't cry, darling.

You've got a lot to be thankful for.

I know some women, they haven't been so lucky.

A nip of brandy's in order, eh? Will you join us, Sam?

No, it's time I made a move, I think.

Well, pay the man, then.

Don't suppose you'd accept an IOU?

No.

How about a cheque, then?

Fine.

Received with thanks.

Bye, then.

Take care, Sam.

Bye.

Silly beggar's left his cheque behind.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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