This programme deals with Sexual Abuse
The word "promise" means so many things
and offers up so much.
"Promise" is a noun, a verb and a virtue.
It speaks of governance and of reassurance.
It tells us of good things to come.
A promise can be made or given.
It can be broken or kept,
binding or fragile,
earthly or solemn.
It can be divine
or unutterably human.
Apparently, when I was christened,
I screamed my head off the whole way through the service.
I don't remember it, of course,
but I'll remember this.
It is special and it deserves celebration. So...
..may God bless you and keep you always.
But this is your Bible, Cyril.
It's the one you brought from British Guiana.
It came with me on my journey.
So it's only right you have it at the start of yours.
Go straight to Mrs Kovacs with these aids.
Occupational Therapy kept her waiting long enough.
How long has she had multiple sclerosis?
Five years, according to her notes.
I'll read them before I set off.
You're not setting off anywhere
till I'm sure you've fixed that box to your bicycle correctly.
Nurse Clifford is perfectly capable of managing the straps.
With respect, Nurse Crane,
it was you who encouraged me
to go on the Prevention of Accidents course.
Nurse Crane?
Before you get started,
the roster may need recalibrating.
St Cuthbert's have called, and they are short-staffed yet again.
They have asked if one of our midwives might be seconded
- to Maternity. - Is that usual?
More usual than it ought to be.
Is this Sister Brooks asking again?
Sister Marcus. I'm not sure we're familiar with her.
I wondered if you might oblige, Nurse Highland.
I know you enjoy hospital work.
I would only go if Nurse Crane is agreeable.
I'm agreeable enough - as long as you get in there
and apprise them of their shortcomings
vis-a-vis early discharge
and the incorrect management of sutures.
I will tell Sister Marcus to expect you.
CHRISTOPHER BABBLES
Oh! Isn't he looking absolutely champion?
He's getting so bonny.
Oh, it's so lovely to be at this quieter point
in his chemotherapy cycle.
We're on our way to feed the ducks at the river,
but I've forgotten to bring the bread.
I don't suppose you'd mind watching him for a moment
while I pop into the shop?
It would be an absolute pleasure.
Oh...
Hello!
SHOP BELL TINKLES
Sister Marcus?
I'm Nurse Highland.
The only thing better than being punctual is being early.
A maternity ward must run like clockwork
or it doesn't run at all.
Babies do tend to turn up when they want to.
Indeed.
But we have two ladies booked in for induction tomorrow.
That, at least, we can prepare for.
Our senior midwives are all on the delivery ward this morning.
I need you to supervise Mr Parry's antenatal clinic.
Of course, Sister Marcus.
I always enjoy clinic work on the district.
This is nothing like the district.
Good morning. I'm here to see Mrs Vera Kovacs.
Please do come in.
Nurse Clifford.
Pleasure to meet you.
This is my husband Laszlo.
We fled Hungary together during the revolution,
and he's been by my side ever since.
He comes home every day at lunchtime
to take me for a walk.
But I'm too exhausted today.
Tomorrow will be better.
And if it isn't, I will carry you in my arms down the road
just so you can see the sun.
Look after her, please, Nurse.
She's my treasure.
I absolutely shall.
- Szervusz. - Szervusz.
Thank you. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name.
Agata Balassa.
My cousin, who came from Hungary to help me round the house.
I always say God sent her.
I've been here an hour!
My urine's not even been tested yet!
We can only test one urine sample at a time.
Well, then...
..I'll test it myself.
Come on, girls. Who else is sick of waiting?
- Come on. - Do it ourselves.
- Go. - Just ridiculous.
All right, ladies.
Stop what you're doing and take a seat.
One more peep out of any of you,
and you'll go to the bottom of today's list.
Now, I know you've been waiting a long time,
so I'm going to send for the tea trolley.
How does that sound?
Tea and biscuits all round!
Free of charge!
It is so frustrating not to be able to do the small things.
You start to feel like half a person
and you worry other people see you like that, too.
Your husband certainly doesn't.
He seems utterly devoted.
This hand does seem a little stiff still.
I'll refer you back to the physiotherapist.
Mrs Kovacs...what's this?
I...lost my grip on a cup of tea.
I couldn't really feel it at the time.
That's possibly because of your condition.
It's showing signs of infection.
We'll need to dress it every day.
Pop up onto the couch for me, Mrs Hudson.
Miss. But I generally just go by Eileen.
You gave a good account of yourself out there, Nurse.
I was raised to take no nonsense.
So was I.
Number-one rule in life I was told -
give as good as you get and never back down.
As long as you do it with a smile.
Only three weeks until your due date.
How are preparations going for baby's arrival?
They don't normally ask that.
I'm on a budget, but I have been knitting.
And have there been any changes since your last appointment?
Yes, Nurse.
I, uh...
..went to the lav
just after I got here.
Is this fresh blood?
Yeah.
I've just been in the stockroom,
and none of those old papers has been cleared out.
I found these old comics.
They're great.
Reggie!
The whole point of a spring clean is to make space.
They can't stay here.
You'll have to think of something else.
I shall arrange for Miss Hudson to have a soft tissue X-ray,
and she must be admitted to the ward.
You mean stay in? How long for?
Well, let's see what the X-ray tells us.
But we should assume for the remainder of your pregnancy.
There's something wrong with the baby, isn't there?
Honey, let's not jump to conclusions.
I can't stay in. I haven't got anything with me.
Is there no-one who could pop in with a nightdress
and some toiletries?
I'm doing this on my own, Nurse.
The hospital has gowns.
I'll make sure you're kitted out.
Oh, I didn't mean to wake you.
I found some of Nurse Clifford's favourite tulips
on the market, and I wanted to give her a surprise.
Young love was ever thus!
I'm also hoping to ask her for help with a sermon.
I've been asked to be a guest preacher at St Oswald's,
and it's a different style to my own church.
As a Pentecostalist,
do you wait for the Holy Spirit to move you?
Yes, usually.
Ah!
I have yearned for some Anglican clergy to do likewise.
I have been given a text from Paul to start me off.
"For we walk by faith,
"not by sight."
That is from the Corinthians.
I would offer my assistance,
but it is the voice of the fresh, nascent faith
that you should heed.
Age has attenuated me.
You are the wisest soul I know.
I'm going to leave you to get on with your rest.
Rest is for the dissolute.
I am merely closing my eyes
in pursuit of mental clarity.
Good morning!
I thought I was doing well being half an hour early.
I have been here half an hour already.
I always try to get ahead with rosters and notes
before my shift begins
so I can concentrate on our patients.
I think of it as oiling the machine.
Is there anything you could assign to me?
I'm here to help.
I aim to become a ward sister, too, one day.
I'm glad you used the word "one day".
I've been here 15 years
and I was passed over for promotion four times.
What made the difference in the end?
Being exceptionally good at my job and persevering.
If you want to succeed, Nurse Highland,
you will have to work harder than everyone else,
get in earlier than everyone else
and oil that machine better than anyone else.
Can you do that?
I can try. And I will try.
I'm trying already.
I know.
But make no mistake,
they are looking for reasons not to promote women like us.
Whatever else you do,
do not stick your head above the parapet.
Say ouch if I hurt you.
Burns can be very painful.
No, you have a very gentle touch, Nurse.
Well, one way and another, I change a lot of dressings,
and I handle a lot of babies.
Watching a child come into the world
must be a most magical thing.
I hoped for so long to have my own child.
But life is sweet in so many other ways.
Soft tissue X-ray of the uterus
reveals grade III placenta previa,
with the placenta lying completely over the os when closed
and up to three fingers' dilation.
Is that bad?
It's...not optimal,
due to the risk of haemorrhage.
We'll perform a Caesarean section
as soon as you reach 38 weeks.
Bed rest in the meantime, and I will see you daily.
A Caesarean section?
They cut you open. It takes months to recover.
I can't have that, Nurse.
I know it's not what you want, but you are in the best place.
Mr Parry's going to look after you. And so am I.
Agata?
Agata? Why were you eating from the bin?
I was not eating.
You are mistaken.
I have a teacake in my bag.
Would you like it?
Here. I thought I might fancy a snack,
but I'm not hungry.
Agata, have you hurt your arm?
No, it is nothing.
Please, you must go now.
I'm afraid I won't leave until you let me look at it.
You have a burn that's turning septic.
You must come to the doctor and get it treated.
No, I cannot go to the doctor.
Agata!
Why not?
Agata! I want you.
Because I do not leave this house.
I have your iron pills, Miss Hudson.
Twice a day, on Mr Parry's orders.
He certainly gives plenty of them.
I hate using bedpans. I can't get any sleep.
And this hospital nightie's rubbing my neck red raw.
SOBS
I'm sorry.
My Auntie Moira always said, "Big girls don't cry."
Scared girls cry.
And tired ones, too.
You've had a tough couple of days.
I was feeling all gung ho and can-do
about bringing up a baby on my own,
and now I'm just lying here thinking about it...
..I'm terrified!
Who's Auntie Moira?
Will she be on hand to help?
She brought me up after my mum passed away.
Never had any children of her own.
Didn't have a mother of my own.
So you filled each other's gaps.
I was raised by my grandmother.
I understand how it works.
Do you understand how it can not work?
You were each other's everything.
Then you grew up and wanted more.
I only got half of what I hoped for.
A baby.
No wedding ring.
She wanted me to go away to have it and then give it up.
I said no.
You were entitled to say no.
She called me a tart.
I wouldn't mind,
only she works at a club called Ostrich A Gogo.
They have strippers.
She swore she'd never speak to me again, and...
..we left it at that.
TV ON
Hello, Christopher!
..Blue Peter will still be continuing,
but Val, John and I almost certainly won't be in it...
Did you all have a lovely time together?
..souvenirs of what we were like and what the programme...
- We're watching Blue Peter. - ..was like, here in 1971.
And when Blue Peter,
in 29 years' time, comes out here,
they'll be able to dig up this box and see exactly
what we were like and what we were doing here today...
- A time capsule! - ..on June 7th 1971.
- We should make our own. - Mum!
Do you have any spare time capsules we could use?
We could bury them in the garden.
And here they are.
Well, we've got a card here.
- The envelope... - Oh!
Tell you what, Reg...
Oh, spring cleaning ain't for the faint-hearted.
I reckon we've earned a shandy down at the Hand and Shears.
I can't. I'm busy.
Doing what?
Making a time capsule.
I saw Agata eating out of the bin, Miss Higgins.
And not only was that burn extremely infected,
she says she's not allowed to leave the house.
I have nothing under her surname - Balassa.
And she's not registered at the Kovacses' address.
Without an address, I can't locate her local hospital number.
She may not have one, but she needs medical attention, Miss Higgins.
Can we register her with this practice
and arrange a home visit?
I can set her up as a temporary patient
using the Kovacses' address.
But if her relatives are mistreating her, as you describe,
you may need to think carefully before you intervene,
lest it render her situation even worse.
I don't think it could be much worse.
Sister, Eileen Hudson's blood pressure seems a little high.
What's the reading?
130 over 90.
I believe anxiety is to blame.
She's distressed about her family situation
and worried about bringing up her child alone.
It's good to take note of these things,
but this is a very busy ward,
and we have to focus on the medical issues.
We always have time for a few kind words,
but we don't have time for emotional involvement.
What did you do that for?
Violet will go absolutely spare.
Reginald Jackson!
I need the tin,
for my...time capsule.
Well, that is all well and good,
but did it have to be my button tin?
You said we needed to make more space.
FRED CHUCKLES
I don't think I've ever known dinner to be so quiet.
They're writing lists of things to put into their time capsule.
They're making one just like on Blue Peter.
It's captured their imagination ever so much.
Daddy, do you think there will be doctors in year 2000?
Of course there will, but they'll be robots.
And they'll use rocket-launchers to fly to their appointments.
No, they won't. They'll just beam themselves everywhere
like they do in Star Trek.
Well, I hope we'll still have some humans as doctors in the future.
Why?
Well, because people often keep quiet about what's bothering them.
You need human ears to hear that.
LINE RINGS
Poplar 7982. Who's speaking, please?
Eileen, is that you?
Well, if it is, there is nothing I've got to say to you.
RECEIVER HANGS UP
DIAL TONE
Ha! Goodness!
You'll be in Australia if you carry on like that!
Are you by any chance doing a Blue Peter time capsule?
What are you going to bury?
I'm putting comics in.
People will always want funny things to read.
You can do one, with a Bible.
I suppose I could.
It wouldn't be very original, though.
Or have many jokes in.
This feels lovely. Is it a hospital one?
I found it at Nonnatus House.
It's been freshly laundered.
Did you have some breakfast this morning?
They brought it round ever so early.
Soggy cornflakes. I couldn't face it.
I can't say I blame you.
I'll find you a couple of rounds of toast.
Did I hear the word "toast"?
None for you, I'm afraid.
You're having your operation this afternoon.
Why?
Has something else gone wrong?
Mr Parry is unhappy with your blood pressure.
Vera is not here.
I know. I saw them leave for their midday walk.
I've come to dress the burn on your arm.
Vera must not know. It will make her angry.
You not receiving the care you need makes me angry, Agata.
But also, if you can tell me how this happened,
it might help us to decide what we should do.
Vera threw the water at me from the kettle.
AGATA SOBS
She hurt me.
She hurts me all the time.
One moment I'm scared, the next I'm excited.
Let's go with "excited".
I'll be right in the room with you, honey.
Agata, can you tell me why Vera would do this to you?
She wants me to have a baby.
Why does she want you to have a baby?
Not for me. For her.
She cannot, so I must.
When I bleed, she hits me.
So you aren't pregnant now?
I wish yes, so he will stop.
But I think no.
So he keeps on.
"He"?
Who is "he"?
Laszlo.
They say I belong to them, that all is permitted.
None of this is permitted.
This is rape.
Have you ever tried to run away?
I have no papers.
They took my passport,
and I have no money.
Because they don't pay you.
Agata, have you ever asked anyone for help?
I think that I am asking now.
Doyen's retractor, please.
MONITOR BEEPS RAPIDLY
BP rising.
Baby girl.
Time, please.
- Two minutes past two. - Thank you.
BABY CRIES
Perfect. And now we turn our attention to the delivery
of our erstwhile adversary, the placenta.
Ergometrine, if you'd be so kind.
BABY CRIES
Agata needs every kind of help, Cyril.
I can put her on the Nonnatus books as an antenatal patient,
but we have to find her somewhere safe to live now
before she's injured again, before she is raped again
and before she actually gets pregnant.
Rosalind, you have to slow down.
I'll open a file on her straight away,
but these things have to be done properly.
Can you get her into the women's hostel tonight?
It's full. It's been full for two weeks.
I'm going to tell her to go there anyway.
Agata, I will be quick, but I need you to listen.
Agata!
This is the address of a women's hostel.
They will take you in and you will be safe.
Sorry, ladies!
I just took a jug of lemon barley out to Reggie.
He's been digging like a navvy all afternoon.
Every child at the nit clinic
was talking about time capsules.
They're even doing one at Jonty's school.
The headmaster has contacts at the Royal Mint,
and it's going to include samples of every current banknote.
It's fascinating to try to think that far ahead.
I'll be 55 in the year 2000.
I was 55 in the General Strike.
Or...during the Abdication.
My recollections fade.
But it matters not to God,
for whom a thousand years is but a day.
Mm-hm.
I wonder how many babies will have been born in Poplar
by the time they dig these capsules up.
And who will be delivering them
if Nonnatus House isn't here any more?
That's an interesting assumption, Nurse Aylward.
I suggest we refrain from speculation at present.
Sister Veronica, would you like to lead us in the grace?
Oh, what's all this? Are we having a jumble sale?
Daddy, it's for our time capsule.
I've had to remove a sachet of Angel Delight
and a box of chocolate fingers
that somehow made their way into the capsule!
We might be hungry in the year 2000.
Oh...
I think we should take a photo of us all together when we bury it,
and one all together when we dig it up.
We won't be together in the year 2000.
Christopher won't be in England any more, will he?
That's right. As soon as he's better,
he's going home to Mummy in Hong Kong.
Her BP has stabilised and her blood loss is normal.
That can be the last of the 30-minute observations.
Hourly checks from now on.
Baloo and I have had an idea about something
to put in the 13th Poplar time capsule.
But what suggestions do you have, pack?
We should bury a car
because in the year 2000 it'll all be spaceships.
Yeah!
Thank you, Neil, but I think
we may struggle to get a car into a biscuit tin.
What we thought was that
we would include a selection of Cub Scout badges.
And each of you can write a letter
about one of the badges and what you did to earn it.
Hands up who thinks that's a good idea.
CUBS GROAN
Thank you, Andrew.
Your hand went up first,
so you get first pick of the badges.
Now, are there any questions?
My tooth's just come out. Can I put that in?
- Can I put some money in? - Can I put a soldier in it?
CUBS ALL TALK AT ONCE
How much longer will it be?
She's young and she's healthy.
She's not like me.
She should have conceived by now.
It will happen soon.
I will make sure of it.
DOOR OPENS
Where are you going with those?
Downstairs to soak them.
Do that.
And then come to me.
DOOR OPENS UPSTAIRS
FOOTSTEPS UPSTAIRS
Agata!
Come to me!
Oh, Eileen...
I was just coming to do your observations.
I didn't know you were awake.
Are you in a lot of pain?
I don't know where my baby is.
I thought it'd be in the cot where I could see it
when I woke up.
Didn't they get it out?
Honey...
You've just had an operation,
so you're not thinking straight just yet.
You have a beautiful little girl,
and she's up in the nursery,
giving you some peace and quiet.
A girl?
I need to see her, Nurse. She's my new baby.
After I've checked you over,
I'm going up to the nursery
and I'll bring her down in a bassinet.
Only for five minutes, mind.
I just need to see that she's real.
We are full, but we will always find a corner somewhere,
if you're under Nonnatus House.
This hostel's not so bad, you know, love.
I wouldn't usually ask to speak with you so late at night,
but I find I'm unable to take my Sisters into my confidence
as much as I would like.
They know some things, but not all.
I understand.
But since Easter,
when the Board gave us their ultimatum...
Since Lent, when I told them I would make a decision
at the time of our choosing.
Well, I've been talking to the Lady Emily
about how they're financed,
and it's extremely interesting.
Why have you been talking to the Lady Emily?
That clinic is run for the benefit of the rich, not the needy.
Our mission lies with the poor.
PHONE RINGS
Nonnatus House. Sister Julienne.
I'm afraid Nurse Clifford is not here.
We do have another midwife on duty
who will come and see Agata.
Here she is,
excited as anything to meet her mummy.
Eileen!
I'm cold...
BABY CRIES
I need help. We have a major postpartum haemorrhage.
You've got a little girl who needs you, Eileen.
We're here.
Can you hear her, Eileen?
She needs you.
She needs her mother.
CRYING CONTINUES
What is this baby doing here?
We can't get the bleeding to stop. It's too substantial.
I'll call Mr Parry. She needs her uterus packing.
We have to get her to theatre.
You must have been terrified to run out of the house
without even a handbag or your purse.
I have no handbag and no purse.
And I am afraid now this is not a good place.
But it is a safe place,
and sometimes that's the only thing that matters.
Although, I grant you, it isn't the Ritz.
Agata, the wardress, the lady at the door,
thought you might be expecting a baby
if you were sent here by Nonnatus House.
No... I think no.
I don't want a baby. I don't want anything.
Please, Agata...
Will you let me examine you?
I am your friend.
All will be well.
You didn't have to wait to receive the news.
I wanted to.
Rosalind!
Hello, Trixie.
I was just coming back from kitchen duty at the men's shelter.
Shall I make us some Horlicks?
Yes.
Please do.
I'm sorry, Trixie.
I just had to get her out of that house.
I think it was very necessary,
but you took sole responsibility
in a situation which could have become extremely dangerous.
It was already extremely dangerous.
And it's even more so now.
Agata is expecting a baby.
She said she was having periods.
When I questioned her,
there seems to have been nothing but light spotting for some time.
And the fundal height suggests she's about three months.
What if the Kovacses find out and try to get her back?
It makes everything worse, doesn't it?
Yes, it does.
You're a good nurse, Rosalind,
and a good woman,
but please don't make any more bold moves
without speaking to someone more senior first.
# Lord, let me know mine end
# And the number of my days
# That I may be certified
# How long I have to live
# Behold, thou hast made my days
# As it were a span long
# And mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee... #
You have a very rare blood type, Miss Hudson.
AB negative.
You've now had all the hospital had in store
and we're awaiting supplies.
Does it have to be special blood?
Can't I...? Can't I just have the normal kind?
They tried a substitute group overnight, honey,
but your body wasn't having it.
Sometimes a family member will have the same blood type.
If we test them, they might be able to donate immediately,
and solely for you.
I've got no family.
Come on, now. No squabbling!
I never realised burying a time capsule
would be such a feat of diplomacy.
I saw less complicated maps in Alamein.
I just about squeezed them all in.
Have you room for one more? I've had a wee idea.
I don't reckon there's a single corner left
unless... you take Reggie's hole.
There's nothing going in there
apart from fresh air and old soil.
- Has he lost interest? - No.
He's gone off the idea of burying his comics.
We'll send off a urine sample,
but you do seem to be about three months pregnant.
Don't make me go back to that house.
Nobody is making you go back to that house, sweetie.
No, but we are going to have to get you sleeping somewhere
clean and comfortable,
and eating properly.
I eat for the baby, yes?
For the baby and for yourself.
I want to do blood tests and weigh you.
I think you may be very malnourished.
That's no good for either of you.
Laszlo and Vera do not know there is a child,
and you're under no obligation to tell them.
But Laszlo is the father, and Vera wants to be the mother.
If we move you here, to our maternity home,
we don't need to concern ourselves with what they want.
And with your permission, I am going to the police.
No, not police!
Laszlo and Vera say I will go to jail because I am illegal.
I have no papers.
You have no papers because they stole them from you.
Meanwhile, you've been tortured, imprisoned,
starved and raped.
Agata, you are not the one who's committed a crime.
Thank you, Mr Parry.
Sister, Eileen's pulse is becoming weak and thready.
We've just been told that national supplies of AB blood
are extremely low.
There may be none available for days,
and she has no family we can ask.
Because I took time to get to know her,
I can tell you she does have family.
She has an aunt... whom I think I can find.
We do not have the time for you to go on a wild-goose chase.
Sister...I'm sticking my head above the parapet.
And if it helps our patient,
I'm not stopping you.
I will. Thank you very much.
It was as expected?
The police, I am afraid to say,
had no interest in the terrible sexual abuse Agata suffered.
As the officer called it, "A bit of he said, she said."
It's such a woeful dereliction of duty.
However, they were interested in the theft of Agata's passport.
They're going round to the Kovacses' this afternoon.
WOLF-WHISTLING AND LAUGHTER
We're not hiring, though the uniform could come in useful.
I'm not here for that.
I understand you have a niece called Eileen?
I had one. She made it very clear
she was going to go her own way in life.
I'm no longer interested in anything she has to say.
Eileen has had the baby and she is very, very sick.
I wanted her to aim high, that's all.
I wanted her to be respectable.
You don't have to make amends with her.
You don't even have to see her.
She desperately needs a blood transfusion.
And there's a possibility you might be a match.
This is all rather novel.
I had hoped to surprise you,
and then realised, if it wasn't advertised,
we wouldn't have anything to put in it.
So many of our mothers have brought little things along,
just because of word of mouth.
I've dozens of nappy pins.
Pink and blue.
And quite a few name bracelets from the maternity home.
During the war, we used to write the babies' names
on sticking plaster - taped across their back.
I don't think that sounds hygienic,
but all these souvenirs are lovely.
I had a prolapsed cord with Claire.
She would have died if it hadn't been for Nonnatus House.
Thank you.
That is just perfect.
Good afternoon, Mrs Kovacs.
I've come to collect Agata's belongings.
Where is she?
She's asked that we don't disclose her whereabouts.
The police have been here,
raking through every cupboard, every drawer.
I imagine they were looking for her passport.
They found it! It wasn't lost, it wasn't stolen.
Nor was it yours to withhold.
- We need to know she's safe. - She's safe now.
And she's receiving medical attention.
She's our flesh and blood.
She's not too clever in the head.
She needs our protection.
I beg to differ, as it happens.
And Agata needs her clothes.
Now, you can let me in, or I shall send for the police again.
The results of Miss Hudson's aunt have come back.
AB negative.
- We have a match. - We do.
And you did the right thing.
You need to keep your fluids up when you're donating blood.
It's the least I could do.
All I ever wanted was to see her thrive.
And that was what upset me
when she was hellbent on being an unmarried mother.
I work with these sort of girls,
and they don't lead an enviable life.
I think Eileen is going to lead a good life.
She loves her daughter as much as you love her.
I'll be off now.
Done all I can.
I'm not sure that's true.
You did very well with your main course, I must say.
Dr Turner's keen to see you put some weight on.
This is the best food I have had in England.
Rissoles and cabbage?
Oh, sweetie, you're breaking my heart.
And these clothes are breaking my heart a little, too.
But they're yours. And you're entitled to them.
I don't want them. They smell of that house.
They smell of him.
We can certainly arrange for them to be laundered.
Or burnt.
There's a cupboard at Nonnatus House
full of lovely things passed on from women and children
for other women and children who might need them.
Take it all to the fire.
But not these.
This Bible came with me. It stays on the journey.
I have a Bible that travelled round the world.
At home in Hungary,
the Communists made us afraid to practise our religion.
I thought when I came here...
..I could go to church and pray where there were statues.
I was wrong.
I have not been in a church since I came to this country.
This book was all I had.
At least it was something.
It was not enough.
Good evening.
Mr and Mrs Kovacs!
I'm about to close the surgery for the evening,
but may I be of assistance?
We are looking for my young relative, Agata Balassa.
We are very concerned about her.
We were told she needed medical assistance.
There is nobody of that name registered with this practice.
And the only patients on the premises are our maternity cases.
A nurse from this practice has been to our home.
Miss Higgins! When does the rag-and-bone man come?
Agata says she doesn't want to keep...
- Agata! - Oh!
- Agata! Where are you?! - Call the police!
Don't you dare trespass on hospital premises in this way.
Get out! Get out now!
Are you here because you're having a baby?
She is here because she was starving and brutalised and required nursing.
Anything else is none of your business.
Have you been telling your stories again?
She's not well, you see, Nurse, in the head.
She needs to come home.
Don't you? Agata?
You can't take care of a baby, Agata.
WHIMPERS
If you come home, we can look after you and the child.
You can look after me again,
and we can all be happy together, like we used to be.
We were never happy together! I was never happy at all!
We gave you a home!
Without us, you are nothing.
That is enough!
Agata is a human being!
You stole her freedom for long enough,
but you aren't going to erase her!
And I am telling you to go...
..because I am someone.
I can choose. I can speak.
Do you hear me?
Mm...
Oh, you look as though you've had a long day.
The terrible way people can treat each other...
It still surprises me, even after all this time.
Some things are always difficult.
Mm.
What's all this?
Teddy wanted a photo of Petula for the time capsule.
I knew we had one from Easter.
As I was looking, I came across this.
This time between Christopher's chemotherapy sessions
has felt so precious.
It's all precious, isn't it?
Every second we get to spend with him.
Hmm.
Well! Someone certainly looks brighter.
They said I'd had the proper blood.
Where'd you get it from?
I asked your aunt to donate
if her group proved to be the same as yours.
And it was. And she agreed.
Would you like to see her?
Would she come after all the things we said?
Is that her?
My little girl!
And is that you?
She's been right beside her all day.
The little girl needs her family.
Just like me and you, love.
I should never have said the things I said.
- I should have backed down. - And so should I.
But I am not your mother. And I never have been.
No.
You are everyone.
You've been my mum, my dad,
my aunt...
..and my best friend.
Us tough girls...
..we don't let 'em see us cry.
But we do.
Don't let this one be scared to feel her feelings.
Thank you, Nurse.
Laszlo and Vera can't hurt you any more, Agata.
They have no power over you.
And the police have charged them with false imprisonment.
Then they are the ones who will be in jail?
It is very likely.
As your social worker, I'll help to guide you through the court case.
Where am I to live so that they will not find me?
There is quite a large Hungarian community in Stoke-on-Trent.
And I've found a mother and baby home there
that you might like to consider -
once all your papers are in order.
We might also be able to get you home to Hungary,
if that's what you decide.
I decide?
I am not ready to decide.
That's all right.
We're here to help you when you do.
KNOCK AT DOOR
I found you the most gorgeous coat.
Are you ready for our outing?
It's nice of you to let Nonnatus House use your spot.
What if I change my mind?
It's too late to change your mind!
Mother Mary.
She is everything in my religion.
Thank you for letting me see her again.
I always think Mary was so brave,
giving birth on a dirt floor with no-one to help her.
A mother's love is often indivisible
from a mother's courage.
DOOR OPENS
- Good morning, Sister. - Early again!
I could set my watch by you.
You've done well this week, Nurse Highland.
It's certainly been interesting,
which is what I wanted.
I spoke to Mr Parry and asked if he'd be agreeable
to you remaining with us here for a few more weeks.
He was.
I hope you'll consider it.
I'd be delighted to.
I'll do the staffing roster. You set up the clinic tests.
Got to keep oiling that machine!
- Goodness me! - We had a brainwave!
Careful down those stairs.
It's about the time capsule.
We think Christopher will love it.
Oh!
We're going to need lots and lots of paint.
My Huntley & Palmers biscuit tin should suffice
for the capsule.
Ah!
Whatever is amiss?
It's just...
..this description one of the boys has written.
"The Silver Arrow badge is very special.
"I got mine building a campfire.
"Our leaders are called Akela and Baloo.
"They are very, very old ladies,
"so they will be dead in the year 2000 when you open this.
"But I don't want you to forget them.
"So this is what they look like."
Oh!
Well...
..as they have been so creative,
perhaps we should be, too.
RATTLES
I did not expect to be so moved by this.
Whatever happens to the Order in the future,
we will have always been here.
And perhaps that's all that matters.
Do you like it, Mummy?
Oh, it's perfect!
In fact, I think we should make another one.
May, would you like to send one to your mum in Hong Kong?
I'm sure she'd love to see it.
And what else are we hoping for in the year 2000?
What about a magic oven that could cook a whole dinner in five minutes?
- Rocket boots! - Flying car!
Mandeep, needles are for sticking in material, not people.
EXCITED CHATTER
I saved you a tulip.
Oh!
Do you still need help with your sermon?
No.
We promise our children
that there is a future -
that one day there'll be others on the grass
where they play now,
looking back in wonder
at the lives that went before.
Every life contains some promise at the outset.
Sometimes its potential is not reached.
Sometimes it blossoms, despite the wind and rain.
We all carry seeds within us.
If we are blessed, they bloom into courage,
faith, hope and the love that finds a way.
Children see nothing of that, nor do they need to.
It is enough that they are laughing, saying,
"This is who we were last week, yesterday,
"an hour ago."
A child's past to a child
is already ancient history,
and their future feels as far off as the moon.
That is as it ought to be -
that the present nourishes.
Let us turn our faces to the sun,
and even as the moment fades and falls away,
let us vow we will remember it.
CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS
A newborn baby
is so incredibly vulnerable.
Where's my baby? Oh, God!
We'll find him.
We've got officers searching the area already.
- Are you asking me to go away with you for the weekend? - Yes.
Chemotherapy is one of the toughest things
you could put a two-year-old through.
He doesn't have time.