Episode 5 The Last Post

This programme contains some strong language

and scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

I had to get back the film, and I had to destroy it.

Did you tell your wife where you were going on Christmas day?

I don't want a baby.

I don't want two babies.

The boy?

SHE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

They've taken the boy.

I think the NLF took Malik to force Yusra.

This suggests you're wrong about that.

Have you got it? Do you know where he is?

You have to move fast.

This is your one chance.

Joe, I think it's George. We've got him. George!

-George, come on!

-Hey!

George!

We're going to get you to a hospital, but you bloody well stay with me, OK? Do you hear?

Breathe, breathe, come on!

ED GASPS

-SHOUTS:

-Help!

ED GASPS

Why can't he breathe?

Collapsed lung. His chest cavity is full of air so his lung can't reinflate.

-This way!

-We need to go.

-This way!

-Go!

You stay with us, OK? Jesus Christ! You stay with us, damn it!

Damn it!

Take me to the hospital now!

They're all out, ma'am, looking for George - the whole unit.

It's just me.

So you drive me. What's the bloody problem, Orchover?

An officer's wife has to be...

What? What?

Protected, ma'am. Someone needs to ride shotgun.

I can't drive you and keep you safe at the same time.

-Well, give me your gun.

-Ma'am?

Give me your stupid gun and I'll protect myself.

I don't think I...

My husband has been shot! He needs me there.

Christ, has the Army shut your brain down, Corporal?

Is he dying?

-I don't know.

-Don't lie to me.

I really don't know, ma'am.

Let's go.

SHE SIGHS

Ed was close.

He nearly made it. He was moments away from rescuing George.

Your husband is a hero.

Aden - where East meets West.

Vital as an oil refinery, as well as a Gulf trade route.

The beach here at Aden is lovely.

The sand is warm,

and the sharks are not always hungry.

The occasional outbreaks of violence are

caused by what are officially called dissident tribesmen.

As long as there's trouble, there must be troops.

The Queen has full confidence in Aden's future,

describing it as the perfect example of colonial rule.

What's the pressure doing?

MUFFLED TALKING

ED GASPS

Hold him! Hold him down!

ED GASPS

CAR ENGINE RUMBLING

What did she think about you?

What's that?

Yusra. You were head over heels. What about her?

You wouldn't understand.

Ah. The love that passeth all understanding, eh?

Your understanding, anyway.

Has anyone heard from my husband?

No, ma'am.

Still at the hospital, ma'am.

What are you doing?

The Royal Scots had a grenade lobbed into the Land Rover.

What happened?

It got stuck under a seat.

Why do they want to do this to us?

Don't know, ma'am.

But we should know, shouldn't we?

The NLF, we think, delivered the film this morning.

-I want to see it.

-I don't think that's a good idea.

I have a right to see what they did to my son.

-Mary...

-Don't you dare patronise me.

He's my son. You will take me to see this film, and you will do it now.

-Again.

-Mary.

Play it again.

The parting! In his hair.

What?

Yusra does that. She's sending us a message, Harry.

She's with him, and she's helping him.

I knew it.

NLF FIGHTERS SPEAK IN OWN LANGUAGE

NLF FIGHTER SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

NLF FIGHTER SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

MALIK SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

Malik! Malik!

SHE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

Malik!

SHE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

You go on, darling. I'll catch you up.

What monsters these people are. What do they want?

Kadir, in exchange for George.

They're offering a swap, Harry.

There's a rule.

We have a rule.

We don't talk to terrorists.

They have to know where they stand, these people.

TILBROOK CLEARS HIS THROAT

There's one more thing.

But I don't quite know how to put this, Harry.

Then just say it.

Like with children?

Hm?

We let them get away with it once.

Mary, there's something Harvey didn't want you to know.

I'm afraid there's a deadline.

How long?

Eight hours.

Does Harvey Tilbrook have children?

Don't go.

Stay with me.

I'm here.

Joe saved your life.

Baxter?

Sir.

At 18:00 hours...

Sir.

At 18:00 hours,

I have it on good authority that the NLF will be ending my son's life.

-I want you to...

-We'll do everything we can, sir.

What's the point, Alec? What good could it do their cause?

What's in it for them?

They'll say that they made an offer and that, by refusing that offer,

they'll say that it was us who killed him, not them.

That's what they'll say, sir.

-You've always been honest with me, Baxter.

-Yes, sir.

That's why I trust you. That's why I trust you.

Permission to carry on, sir?

Yes, yes, of course.

KNOCK ON DOOR

-Ma'am.

-Oh!

-I was looking for the CO.

Come in. Please.

Would you like some lemonade?

No, thank you, ma'am.

I was just making summer pudding - George's favourite.

Yes, ma'am.

SHE CHUCKLES

I wanted to say, um... Sorry, I know he's not dead, I just...

I just wanted to tell you that, um...

..he was such a good lad.

Sorry, I keep saying "was", like he's, um...

I shouldn't have come.

I'm so glad you did, Corporal Stoneham.

People have become frightened of me, because of what's happened, you see.

But not you.

And I'm very grateful. Thank you.

How's Lieutenant Laithwaite, sir?

He's a fighter, Sergeant. He wants, very badly, to live.

How did you get him back on your own, sir?

I just did.

Bloody hero, if you don't mind me saying, sir.

You don't think, do you? The training takes over.

So not brave, not a hero, just... being in the British Army.

Just doing your job.

And now that you've finished buttering me up,

why don't you tell me what it is you want?

It's the CO, sir. He's not himself.

That's hardly surprising.

Would you do me a favour, sir? Drop the English.

I'm sorry?

Keeping calm and carrying on - it's just posh folks' idea of virtue,

like cold showers and thrift.

But where I come from, it's all bollocks,

if you'll excuse the Glaswegian.

I'd walk through fire for that man. In fact, I have - more than once.

So please don't ever tell him I said this.

It would kill him if he knew.

You've lost trust in him.

He'll get it back.

Yes, sir. But we need a leader, sir - now.

I don't know if I can do this, Honor.

Joe!

Mm.

Joe?

My husband's tired.

He wants you to bring me to the hospital in his place.

AMBULANCE SIREN WAILS IN DISTANCE

Time to go home, Mrs Laithwaite.

I'll stay here, thank you.

You can't do that.

Why not? What will happen?

Is there a problem?

No.

Mrs Laithwaite, visiting hours...

Jesus Christ! Rules, rules, rules!

There's a reason why...

Yes! Everything put in a box.

Everything described and put in a fucking box

and made never to leave or else the world might end!

-You're getting needlessly...

-What?

I'm getting out of my box, and you can't stand it or understand it.

You're a pregnant woman. You don't know what you're saying.

You're the one making me have these babies!

What else is there, Mrs Laithwaite?

What exactly am I stopping you doing?

Is there anything more cowardly than a man asking questions

he already knows the answer to for the purpose of humiliating someone?

-What's the matter with you?

-Oh, yes!

There is something more cowardly - a man who avoids answering

a question he doesn't like by asking a question himself!

Here's my question, Mrs Laithwaite - what kind of wife,

with a man as brave as your husband in the condition

he's in, behaves this selfishly?

SHE LAUGHS

The character of my husband? Is that it?

What can a woman possibly complain about if her husband is a good egg?

And what's wrong with that?

SHOUTS: Because he's not me! Because I exist! Look! Here I am!

A human being, all by myself!

Alison?

Breathe deeply.

ALISON LAUGHS

Is that what your mother's book says?

How to deal with collapsed lungs and hysterical women?

No, it's just common sense.

Goodness me, how quickly you're growing up!

That's what everybody says, isn't it? Well done, she's crawling!

Her first word! She can walk!

Why are we so desperate for children to grow up?

All the prizes in life - coming of age, getting married...

..are all for getting older.

Well done on getting closer to death!

Do you remember hurting yourself?

What do you mean?

Falling over.

Wasn't it wonderful?

God, the shock of it!

The ground in your face!

Bam! BAM!

Knees, elbows.

When was the last time you gave your elbow a second thought?

The taste of fresh scab - good and salty and bloody.

I miss pain. How far away from childhood people go.

That's one of the things I love about you.

Sometimes, when I hear you laugh, I could scream with pleasure.

Don't grow up, Honor.

I'll die if you turn into one of them.

I have to.

I think I have to.

It's a driver escort job for you.

MARY SLICING BREAD

And can't one of the men...?

It has to be you.

But George is...

The deadline, sir.

This takes precedence. The order comes from high command.

-I'll take Armstrong and Baxter as my wingmen.

-No, no. Just you.

-Can I ask why?

-No.

Strictly need-to-know, Captain Martin, and hush-hush.

It must be connected to George, sir.

Sir.

PETER CRYING

What if George were a prince?

What?

What if Prince Charles had been kidnapped by terrorists,

and a swap was offered? They'd take it. They'd make the swap.

The thing that matters is the identity of the kidnap victim.

They don't think our son is important enough.

What do you want me to do?

Go and tell them, Harry.

At six o'clock, our son will be put to death.

He's our son. There's a rule.

It can be broken. If it's broken, our son will live.

I want you, for the first time in your life, to go and make a fuss.

That was base, ma'am.

Just to let you know, ma'am, your husband left an hour ago.

What? Where to?

He wouldn't say.

Er, Armstrong, would you mind taking me somewhere else?

Certainly, ma'am.

PHONE RINGS

Tilbrook here. He's landed.

The Gordon Hotel.

Sir.

CAR HORN BEEPS

PROTESTORS SHOUTING

Move out the way!

Move out the way! Move out the way!

Move out the way!

CAR HORN BEEPS

GEORGE HAVING ASTHMA ATTACK

I can't breathe!

HE GASPS

George, do you have the...the...

No? OK.

OK. Wait. I'm going to the pharmacy. I won't be long.

OK?

HE GASPS

NLF FIGHTER SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

HE GASPS

Hello, I'm here to see Martha Franklin.

Room 271, madam.

Thank you.

TYPING

KNOCK ON DOOR

Open!

800 words on the hemline of the miniskirt for The Times!

What can you say in 800 words?

Jean Shrimpton wore a mini-dress to Ascot and scared the horses?

Mary Quant did or didn't invent the damn thing?

There's blood on your blouse.

Where do you stand on how far below the panty line

the mini can safely go?

I don't know.

I don't like my knees.

The blood?

A man.

A protestor, I don't know.

So?

How can I help?

You don't know me?

No.

I'm Captain Martin's wife.

Do you do that at home?

Sorry?

Do you, "Pass the sugar, Captain Martin?"

-"Oh, certainly, Mrs Martin."

-What's the matter?

Huh?

It feels like you're...

You're jumping all over me. You don't know anything about me.

I expect it's the same for Joe, isn't it, when he's here?

So this is not a...

..friendly visit.

I don't know. I...

I love him.

You do, don't you?

Have you ever been in love?

Often. All the time.

No.

Men love you.

Often, all the time.

I suppose they do.

Is that enough?

I don't suppose it is.

SHE WHISPERS: How can they help themselves?

He hasn't.

Joe, Captain Martin, has never...

You wouldn't...

You wouldn't lie to me?

How could anyone lie to you?

How old are you?

21.

How old are you?

Oh. Hello, Harvey. What are you doing here?

I'm having a chin-wag with a journalist.

Setting her straight on a few things.

American journalist, Martha Franklin.

Just now?

Yes. I wouldn't go near her, if I was you. She does bad things.

And why are you here, Honour Martin? All on your own here?

I... We didn't have a honeymoon,

so I thought we could spend a night in The Gordon.

A bit dear.

Yes.

Yes, I didn't know.

I do now.

HORN BLARES

THEY ARGUE IN OWN LANGUAGE

PHONE RINGS

Royal Military Police.

What was all that about?

Pharmacist in Crater on the Aden Road. Bit odd, actually.

Why?

Does George Markham want a second inhaler?

What?

What?

What?

Look, I think it's where they are. I think she

left this at the pharmacy so we know where their location is.

It could be. We need to be careful.

It could be a trap.

But it's not. It's not, it's Yusra. She's not like that.

-She loves George.

-I'm not sure we can take that risk, Armstrong.

-Captain Martin?

-Sir?

I've another driving job for you, I'm afraid.

-But keep it low key, would you?

-Who is it, sir?

It's...

It's Kadir.

Starfish.

You're to take him to a secure location on the coast.

Intelligence suggests there may be a rescue attempt,

so to be safe, take a man with you.

Sir.

He treats us like we're his guests.

Two more seconds of him looking at me like that,

I'd have broke his neck.

Timing, one of his many qualities.

You sound like you admire him.

Yes, I do.

I hate him with all my heart.

But I recognise a worthy adversary, Harry.

If I didn't, I wouldn't have my job.

Mary was wondering whether you had any children.

I realised, I didn't know.

One of each.

-Have they been out?

-Their mother doesn't like the heat.

I want you to re-consider, Harvey.

Course you do.

I was a year older than George when I went to boarding school.

My father dropped me off on the first day.

Seven years old.

A week later, towards the end of the day, he came back for a visit.

And they'd already started beating out of me

whatever it is they saw they didn't like.

When he came back that day, I was playing football.

Just a kick-about.

He stood there and watched.

I wanted my father to go away.

I couldn't bear the thought of having to go through it all again.

I didn't want to stop playing the game.

I was rejecting him...

..so I could get on with forgetting about him.

That was the lesson.

-You had to grow up fast.

-Yeah.

But I promised myself, when George was born...

I've never told anyone this, not even Mary...

..that I would never leave him...

..with that absolute and desolate feeling of being alone

in a place where nobody loves you.

And you're not.

As a father, you have done - are doing - everything you possibly can.

I respect that.

Which is why it's right that you came to see me.

And it's why it's the hardest thing I've ever done...

..in my life...

..to say no to you.

Harvey, I can't go back to Mary and tell her I've failed.

Yes, you can.

Yes, you will.

It's straight on for the coast, sir.

And left for Al-Hinna Farmhouse.

George.

I don't want you to have anything to do with this, Armstrong.

Sir, I...

-Nobody need know you were involved in any way.

-I'm coming with you.

-The penalty for allowing...

-You won't pull this off without me.

With two of us, we stand half a chance.

It's not a job for one man.

You love her, don't you?

Sir, yes, sir.

He's not here.

Kadir left an hour ago.

If he's not with you, where the hell is he?

THEY SPEAK OWN LANGUAGE

Tony.

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

How do we know you have our leader, Kadir?

THEY SHOUT IN OWN LANGUAGE

HE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

How do we know he's alive?

Because if he's not, we have nothing to exchange for George.

SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE

How did you know we were here?

Kadir told us.

He seems to know everything.

OK, OK.

One more thing.

Yusra comes with George.

No.

Please, take George. Leave me.

One woman and a child in exchange for your great leader.

Is he not worth this?

Tell them.

Tell them!

OK.

What is happening?

We're giving you back.

I see.

It doesn't matter.

Do you have my glasses?

It's OK.

-Sir.

-Sir.

WATCH TICKS

SNAKE HISSES

GEORGE GASPS

Why's he stopped?

Don't know.

George...

walk around it. OK?

Hold my hand, walk slowly.

Come on. Come on, George, come on.

Yes, yes, George.

You did it. OK, let's go!

Come on, let's go.

Go, come, come!

THEY SHOUT IN OWN LANGUAGE

CLOCK CHIMES

RADIO: ..second time around, and this time we know

for a fact that he's safe at home to hear his favourite song.

-So stand up, everyone, join in...

-George.

-Listen.

-..sing along with Michael Flanders, Donald Swann,

and George Markham.

# All singing this haunting refrain. #

That's you!

-ALL:

-# Mud, mud, glorious mud

# Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood

# So follow me, follow, down to the hollow

# And there let us wallow in glorious mud. #

MUSIC: You Really Got Me by The Kinks

I've been thinking that, if nobody says anything about

them not being mine, not ever, not to anyone, certainly not

to our children, then...

..I'm going to be a father.

That's it.

I just want us to be happy.

You're going to have a baby.

Out of your vagina.

Joe, I don't know how we can ever thank you.

I let him go the first time.

I wasn't going to let it happen again.

Oh, let yourself be a hero, for God's sake, Joe.

We're heroes, Joe.

Yes. Now, go and say thank you to Lieutenant Laithwaite.

Thank you.

Sir, can I have a word, please, about Yusra?

What do you suggest we do?

-Look after her.

-How?

Erm, protect her, summit...? Look, the NLF know what she did.

-Does she have family?

-Yeah.

And do they know where they live?

Yes, sir.

Well, we can't really bring the whole family

into our care now, can we? Excuse me.

Well, then they'll kill them.

They will kill them.

-Watch where you're walking!

-LAUGHTER

-INSIDE:

-Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three, two...

one!

SCREAMING AND CHEERING

Happy New Year, everyone!

There we go, come here! There you go!

Happy new year!

Come on!

-ALL:

-# Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

# Should auld acquaintance be forgot, for auld lang syne?

# We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne...

-HONOUR:

-# We two have run about the slopes

# And picked the daisies fine

# And we wandered many a weary foot

-SHE TRAILS OFF:

-# For auld lang sy... #

Captain Martin...

..I'm placing you under arrest for allowing the escape

from lawful custody of a prisoner of war.

He saved my life. You can't do that. He's a hero.

I'll explain.

I'll explain everything and then everything will be OK.

If you decide to fight us...

Will they shoot him, Daddy?

Don't wait for me. Find a new life.

Disobeying an order can be the right thing.

I want an abortion.

I'm asking you to help me.

True independence is not given away.

It's taken.

Are you talking to them?

There's nothing to worry about.

-Where are you going?

-The NLF will kill Yusra for what she did.

I'm not having that.

Where is she?!