There is always so much that we do not know.
For every fact we have at our disposal -
the date on the calendar,
the safe route home -
there are a thousand more that we must learn.
Who is it that needs us?
How can we help?
Where is our journey taking us, and why?
Which tools should we carry?
And how do we deploy them?
It can be a lifetime before the questions cease.
And when silence comes,
it is not because we now have all the answers.
It is because the answers do not matter any more.
There is only the truth,
and it is absolute.
Oh, go on, Sister, have a word for me, will ya?
Alas, I cannot interfere.
Nurse Crane is in charge of the roster.
If you would like to leave duty early next week,
you will have to take it up with her directly.
If you're putting your head on the chopping block,
I hope it's for something exciting.
There's going to be a massive Raise the Roof meeting, biggest yet,
campaigning for better pay for nurses.
If anything, it's a noble reason to take time off.
Well, I'm not sure Nurse Crane will see it that way.
Tea, Sister? Oh, no. Not for me.
Hot water, with a snifter of lemon.
Good for the vocal cords.
A must, as I shall be leading the summer singing school,
culminating in a performance at St Oswald's.
What a delightful way to end the summer holidays.
Oh!
Now I've got coffee on my sleeve!
Poor thing. She's a bag of nerves about the exams.
I don't blame her.
Failing the exam is a ghastly setback for any pupil midwife.
Some of them never recover from it. We must hope they all pass.
I'll sign the death certificate.
You collect it whenever you feel ready.
And then you can talk to the undertakers.
You really have done a remarkable job, Gladys.
I was never going to put him in a home.
Devotion is the balm that eases life's great pains.
It works both ways.
He used to rush home, put me to bed every night.
And now...
Grandad?
Has he...?
Why? Why didn't you wake me?
You've got West Ham scouts coming to training today.
I want your head firmly in the game.
Come on, now.
Tears are just time-wasters.
I'm sorry, May.
You'll have to stay home until you're fully recovered.
Come on, Angela, sweetheart!
Hello.
Thanks very much.
Ah, Mrs Turner, delighted to see you looking so bonny.
Oh. I've brought sustenance for the children - and our repertoire.
Three beautiful hymns,
one of which will be sung in a round. A round? Mmm.
That's all going to be ever so complicated for the children.
And coordinating it will be very tricky for us.
Precisely. That is the whole point.
We shall all be challenged.
Challenge is life's great teacher.
Stops us all from getting lazy.
What on earth?
Little lambs, who do you belong to?
Oh, my goodness.
Whatever's the matter?
There are two very young children in the church.
They've been abandoned.
They've been left by their mother.
She begs someone to look after her children.
Oh... Come on, children.
My name is Sister Veronica.
I just want to make sure that you are all right.
A biscuit there.
And for you.
Let's take this off.
It says in the letter that your name is Tommy.
Is that correct?
You were brought here by your mummy?
Where is she now?
The children will start arriving
for the singing school soon.
The rehearsal will have to take place elsewhere.
We need the police here. Urgently.
There's no need to dispose of all these medical aids right away.
It's no use to us now Dad's gone.
We need all the space we can get around here.
My eldest's expecting her fifth.
Well, at least let us take some of it away for you.
It appears we have a scholarship girl in our midst.
Ah!
Only for a term, Sister, until my dad lost his job.
We needed the extra income and I started working.
Dad was gutted. He was desperate for me to stay at school.
But I took to debt collecting like a duck to water.
It's like he was never here.
In the wake of loss,
however foreseen,
it is wise to pause
and grieve with those we love.
Never paused in me life, and I ain't planning on it now.
Besides, there's debts need collecting.
You're not going to work now?
Just going to change my drawers.
In my line of work, things can get feisty.
Last thing I want is to be carted off to the hospital
wearing undergarments that have seen better days.
It ain't seemly.
Is it wise to lend to those unable to repay?
Oh, I make sure they do, Sister.
We've had to move the singing school rehearsal.
Is there any chance we can use the parlour?
Of course. You're most welcome.
Oh, thank you. Come on, children.
Oh...
I believe you know child welfare officer Cyril Robinson.
I'm WDC Grayson. I'm taking over the case.
How are the boys, Dr Turner?
They've got nits, a smattering of scabies.
And the baby has a nappy rash.
But they're not underweight and there's no sign of injury.
Someone has been doing their best to feed and care for them.
We'll get them placed with an emergency foster family.
I take it there's been no luck finding the mother?
No. This is a clear case of child abandonment.
It's a crime, and we'll be pursuing the case as such.
Hello.
My name's Cyril.
I heard you drove here in a police car.
I used to fix cars like that.
Once, I even tried the siren.
Now, when we get to the chorus,
this side is going to sing, "Sing. Sing. Sing. Sing."
And this side is going to sing the full chorus
starting with, "Sing hosanna."
Shall we try that?
Yes.
One, two, three!
This is all the boys' paperwork from the station.
Dr Turner's report is in there, too,
as are the medicines he's prescribed.
He suggests keeping the boys away from the other children
until they're better.
Little loves. I'll get them into some nice clean clothes.
I've got some old bits they can wear.
We can always roll up the trousers.
Mrs Simms will be looking after you both for a while.
I'll be back tomorrow.
Does that sound all right?
God, I hope someone comes forward and claims them.
Otherwise, two of them, so little?
There's a real danger they might get split up.
Come here! If I lend you money, you'll pay what you owe.
Three pounds! And be quick about it.
Well, what do you think?
I need to look stylish when we pick up the car later.
I'm going for Lorna in The Italian Job.
Matthew? Who was on the telephone?
Oh, it was my...my mother.
She asked me to attend
a special Aylward Estates board meeting this afternoon.
She said...
..it's very important that I'm there.
Goodness. Sounds urgent.
What's it about?
No idea. Ha... Well, hopefully, you can meet me at the dealership.
4.30 sharp. I want you to be my first passenger.
Better get ready for work.
The newspapers are calling them the "red ribbon boys".
Poor little souls.
I'm here for the paperwork
so I can collect Dad's death certificate.
It can still come as a shock to see it all written down so baldly.
Oh, no. Um...
No, it's not that, Doctor.
Was there something else?
We were going to send a search party out for you!
Work started two hours ago, you know. Apologies, Mr Reid.
I went straight to the magistrates' court
to get a place of safety order arranged for the abandoned boys.
I'm also going to call all the Irish families
we have on our books. Someone might know something.
Word to the wise.
If you want to contact every Irish family
from here to Donegal, you go for it.
But remember, you've other cases, too, and lots of them.
It's up to you to find time for it all.
Ooh!
How long has your abdomen been like this, Mrs Bell?
I'm not sure, Doctor.
When did you have your menopause?
A couple of years ago,
maybe three. I didn't take much notice.
Why didn't you come sooner?
It's not really my scene, being ill.
I don't have time for any of it.
Well, you'll be needing to find the time now.
I am making an urgent referral
to gynaecology at St Cuthbert's,
and I want you to go straight there.
What, now?
This is important.
We need to find out what we're dealing with.
Something is causing this and we need to know what it is.
It could be ovarian.
Perhaps one of your family could meet you at the hospital.
No, I'm fine.
It's a lot of nonsense about nothing.
Thus bringing the total financial debt
you have accumulated in the company's name
to a figure well in excess of £250,000.
You have brought Aylward Estates to the brink of ruin.
And only the emergency reserve
and a sizeable donation from your mother, Lady Aylward,
has kept the company afloat.
What do you have to say?
Simply that the company was not in the best of shape
when I inherited it, or at least inherited my father's role,
and that I did everything I could to reverse its decline.
You did your best, in other words.
Absolutely my best.
Nevertheless, we are now obliged to take a strong stance
to reassure our clients.
As a result, you are to be immediately struck
from the board of Aylward Estates.
I anticipated that.
And I respect the board's decision.
And I'm afraid there are other measures required.
Your salary from the company will be stopped forthwith.
Mother... Matthew, please don't plead with me.
I found the situation in that room extraordinarily trying
and don't need matters to be made worse.
The board's decision is final and cannot be overturned.
I wasn't planning to ask for clemency.
I simply wanted to apologise... again.
Your foolishness with the premature sale of the warehouses
and unwise investment is best left undiscussed.
I wish I could turn back time.
To what end?
You were a lovely, kind-hearted child.
And you are a lovely, kind-hearted man.
That's nothing to be ashamed of.
I'm just sorry we've all paid such a high price.
I'm not convinced this is a gynaecological concern.
Please take Mrs Bell straight up to the third floor.
She'll need an abdominal aspiration
as a matter of urgency, please.
No, you're all right. I need to be getting back.
I'm planning my dad's funeral, you see,
and there's my work.
My family rely on me.
I'm sorry, Mrs Bell. You won't be going anywhere.
I believe you may be looking at something very serious indeed.
This list is like the Who's Who of Poplar.
Each division of Raise the Roof
is making lists of prominent local people or businesses
to canvass for support for better pay for nurses.
Gosh, I forgot Buckle's.
I'll speak to Violet tomorrow morning.
Tomorrow morning you will be focused on your district round.
I've already agreed to cover your time away next week.
I hope not to have to cover any more.
We join our reporter...
The foundlings are on television!
The oldest child cannot give us
any relevant information about their circumstances,
but he repeatedly asks for his mother.
We urge her, or any relative, to come forward.
What sort of woman would do this to her children?
How about an exhausted one? Or a sick one?
She may have been both.
Women can do the unthinkable when they're desperate.
It's been happening since time immemorial.
Moses himself was entrusted to the river
and the care of those who knew him not.
He was raised by a royal family.
I doubt that's going to happen to these poor scraps.
Matthew, where have you been?
I waited at the showroom for two hours!
And what's worse, they said they didn't have a Sunbeam Imp
or any car at all under the Aylward name.
You have to call and complain! Trixie...
There is no car.
What? There... There were problems at the point of order.
What sort of problems? A problem you couldn't fix?
I can fix most things, can't I?
But I can't make this better.
Believe me, I've tried.
And I've...failed.
Do you want to tell me what's happened?
I kept hoping that...
..I could make it right...
..that you'd never have to know.
But I think I have to...now.
I've made a complete and utter mess of the business.
My father had his own way of doing things,
but I'm not him.
I took risks.
I made...
..stupid investments.
And all the time, at the back of my mind,
thinking, "If I can make this work...
"..he would be proud of me."
Instead, I've lost
everything he worked for.
You can't lose a business like Aylward Estates.
It's been in your family for generations.
That fact has been pointed out to me.
Well, what are you going to do?
Have you discussed this with the board?
I'm not on the board any more.
I'm not on the payroll either.
What?
And I'm out of a job.
And I'm broke.
No.
We're broke.
We're married.
"For better, for worse...
"For richer...for poorer."
Do you remember that?
- Oh, excuse me! - No, it's fine.
I didn't realise it was occupied.
No, I wasn't... I was just studying!
I didn't want to keep Joyce awake with the light on.
Studying?
At this time of night?
Why are you so worried, lass?
Your written work is decent enough.
It's not so much the exam
but the viva -
having to answer questions from a whole panel of people,
all trying to poke holes in my work.
It's simply to ensure you can explain your thinking
and argue your case.
That's just it!
"Don't answer back" was essentially the motto
of my childhood. Hmm.
I suppose that comes with being a headmaster's daughter.
Well, where I grew up, if you didn't fight back,
you didn't survive.
I, for one, have never been backward in coming forward.
Perhaps I can help you.
But...how?
Do you have any gym clothes?
What are the lobes
on the maternal side of the placenta called?
What is the point of this,
other than reminding me of how unfit I am?
Your brain is putting too much pressure on the right answer.
Exercise distracts it.
We are going to train your brain to be ready
for anything in that viva.
Now, those lobes?
Coty... Cotyledons?
Oh, you sure you don't want to join us?
Save yourself while you can!
Gym shorts aren't really my style.
Right, jumping jacks!
Now, go the bathroom
and see if you can wash your own face with a flannel,
ready for Nanny coming.
I keep thinking about his future...
..and how different it's going to be from everything we planned.
You're going to have to put a brave face on it in front of him.
Jonty doesn't know anything about money, or schools,
or holidays abroad.
What he does know about is the difference
between a happy father and a miserable one.
And at least we won't be uprooting him and moving.
You mean, we won't be moving to the new apartment in the Barbican?
I'm no longer mortgageable, Trixie. Mortgageable?
But you own this flat outright, don't you?
I only own...the lease.
And it expires in five years.
I didn't know that.
Nevertheless, five years is five years,
and we have security of tenure while we get back on our feet.
Some people would give their right arm for that.
And if I'm mixing up too many body parts, you'll have to forgive me,
because I really do have quite a lot to do today!
St Cuthbert's have sent over Gladys Bell's results.
Hand-delivered and marked for your urgent attention.
Now, I'm experimenting with a new type of instant coffee.
Thus far, I'm unimpressed.
Cancer.
"Which cannot be treated with curative intent."
A humbling reminder
that cancer may strike even the strongest among us.
And we may never know why.
Not in Gladys's case.
The type of cancer she has is only caused by one thing.
Gladys's illness was probably avoidable.
You could have played in the league, Doctor.
Once upon a time, before my knees gave out!
I've come to see your mother. How's she doing?
Fiercer than ever since they cured her at the hospital.
Since they cured her?
We were worried she might be seriously poorly.
But when she went for the results this morning,
it turns out she's completely fine.
I think I'd better go in.
He impressed the West Ham scouts.
They reckon next year he'll make his debut.
I'm buying a season ticket.
Gladys, your consultant at St Cuthbert's...
Did he go through your results with you this morning?
He did. According to him,
it'll start to get worse pretty fast.
He's got it wrong, though - about all of it.
It's a really rare kind of abdominal cancer,
almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.
And that is how I know I ain't got it!
I have never been anywhere near that stuff!
Gladys, you are really poorly.
And nobody can help me.
That's what he said, the doctor in the hospital.
You can't be cured.
But we will help you,
and we will care for you,
all the way through the coming weeks and months.
How many months?
We never know for certain.
But I'd say quite a few.
Now, maybe more, if you meet this head-on
and don't try to pretend it isn't happening.
Well, how does that work, then?
One thing is, it seems that you're eligible
to join a study being conducted into asbestos-related cancers.
I may be able to get you in to see them today -
unless you need time to think about it.
Time's something I ain't got much of.
I'll go.
But on one condition. You don't tell my kids -
not about the cancer, not about me going to die.
They've got things to do.
And I want 'em to be happy.
Oh, I shan't have to do my keep-fit exercises later.
This is exercising every muscle I possess.
My muscles haven't recovered from Nurse Crane's jumping jacks!
I bet you're counting the days till you get your new car.
I thought you were picking it up yesterday.
Things didn't...quite go to plan in the showroom.
Gosh. What's happening over there?
Nurse! Nurse! Can you give us a hand?
There must have been an accident.
Sweetie, can you hear me? What's your name?
Deirdre... We're here to help you, Deirdre.
Higher, Sister.
I can barely read it.
What's all this?
The children are finding singing Give Me Oil In My Lamp in a round
somewhat challenging, so I shall be holding the lyrics up
during the performance. I just want to make sure I've got them right.
You've missed out a "hosanna".
Oh, so I have! Sister, we shall have to start again.
We shall do no such thing!
I am at a critical juncture in Frankenstein.
I can spare no more time
assisting you in this harebrained scheme!
The baby's heartbeat sounds strong.
Do you know how close you are to your due date, Mrs Torpy?
22nd of August.
It's the 26th today.
Your own heartbeat is quite rapid...
..which makes me think you're probably anaemic.
I do wish you'd tell us where you've been
while you've been pregnant...
..what sort of care you've been able to receive.
Dr Turner...
I've seen pictures of them pinned up.
I've seen them being called the...the red ribbon boys.
But...they're my boys,
and I couldn't look after them.
Are they all right? Please God...
Please God, say they're all right. Please.
With her health as it is,
she's not in a good condition for the demands of labour.
And if she's as overdue as she says...
The baby could arrive at any time.
Let's start treatment for scabies
and an iron infusion immediately.
And a high-calorie diet of Complan will help, too,
and sedatives at night.
St Cuthbert's will need to send a psychiatrist for an evaluation.
In my opinion, Mrs Torpy appears to be in a deep depressed state.
Well, she's clearly found herself in a terrible situation.
No doubt the police will want to interview her
once they get word that she's here.
No police until I say so.
Why don't you run Deirdre a bath?
It's a start, if nothing else.
I tried to keep clean.
A bath will make you feel so much more comfortable.
They always say, don't they, that cleanliness is next to godliness?
I thought if the children were spotless,
God wouldn't lose sight of us,
God might help.
Nobody doubts you did the best you could.
And nobody, not even me,
really knows
how bad things were...
..or how much you had to struggle.
Deirdre...
What happened here?
My husband hit me - with a belt buckle.
I took the children with me to the hospital to get it stitched.
And I never went home again.
It would have been them next.
I left Dublin the next day.
And the hospital, it's...it's not what they say,
it's what they don't say.
I felt so ashamed.
Nobody is going to make you feel ashamed here, Deirdre.
I promise you that.
Why does it say "industrial"?
Most commonly, asbestos-related diseases,
whether in the lungs or the stomach,
are a result of exposure at work.
I work with people, not asbestos.
You know that, Doctor.
But you may have come into contact with it without knowing.
And that's the sort of thing that this study
is trying to investigate.
Please.
Ow! Don't worry.
From your answers, we're hard-pressed to connect your work
to any of the asbestos sites known across this part of London.
What about your parents? Your father?
Dad? He was a drill operator
at the roofing factory down on Verger Street.
But they shut that down in between the wars.
I'm afraid the drill operators, such as your father,
were drilling into asbestos.
He would have had no idea it was bad for him.
None of the workers did.
Many would go straight home
to their wives and children afterwards.
My dad, he'd rush home and put me to bed every night.
He'd still be in his overalls.
Which were probably covered in asbestos dust.
We don't have any cases on the study of secondary exposure
affecting the peritoneum as yet.
You'd be an excellent candidate
for trialling the colloidal gold injections.
Will they cure me?
There's a possibility
that they could prolong your life by several months.
Several more months of what?
Pain? Vomiting?
Getting my kids to have to lift me in and out of bed?
Gladys, we can go through all of this.
No, thank you, Doctor.
I am exhausted.
I ain't got the fight left in me.
I don't want any treatment.
I'm done.
That is my final word.
Nurse Clifford told me about the injury to your back
which was caused by your husband.
Did you ever tell the police about it? And what would they have done
that wouldn't have made it worse?
I did what I thought was best
and put the Irish Sea between me, the kids and him.
I must have been expecting when I left.
I knew you could...
..terminate over here,
that it's not a crime.
But I didn't know where to go, or how to find out.
And I'm glad.
It would have been a wicked, wicked thing to do.
It must have been very hard, on your own in a foreign country.
You could have come to the welfare office.
We exist to help people who have nowhere else to turn.
I kept thinking our luck might turn,
that I could somehow work us out of it.
But I couldn't.
And all the time,
the little one was getting nearer and nearer.
And one day, I...
..I couldn't make the rent,
and the landlord gave me notice.
So you left the boys at the church?
When we were walking through the market, I...
..I saw the roll of ribbon lying in the gutter.
Nobody saw me pick it up,
just like nobody saw me leave them there.
I thought my heart would stop...
..that I would stop.
Stop walking.
Go back.
Not leave them.
But...I had to get them somewhere better.
All we had otherwise was the streets. And...
..I love them.
I... I...
I love them so, so much.
I don't doubt that for a moment.
And we will do everything we can
to get the very best solution for you.
Can I... Can I have them back?
And can I keep this one when it comes?
Nothing is going to be decided today, Deirdre.
Mr Robinson needs to go away and write his notes.
Nurse Franklin's with her now, giving her a sedative.
The boys are on course to be moved to more permanent fostering.
And I can't see Deirdre being able to take care of them for a while,
all things considered.
What about the new baby?
Can't she get some sort of help with it?
Right now, my great fear is that Deirdre's of no fixed abode,
physically unwell...
..and suffering from depression.
She might simply fail to cope.
Is it your decision to make?
I'm just part of the decision-making process.
I'm not sure that makes it any easier.
Oh. I see you're keeping Nurse Clifford at the maternity home.
Yes, I want to keep Rosalind with that poor lass they found.
This case will require resilience.
Rosalind has everything she needs
to make a fine midwife, but she lacks confidence -
always looking for affirmation from her elders.
What will she do when she's out on her own?
If she's to find her feet anywhere,
it has to be on the battlefield
in a complicated case like this one.
Hmm.
You said they had cured you.
Well, I was lying. There is no cure.
I've only decided to come clean
because I need to get my house in order.
I do not want to see any tears. Do you hear me?
I want to make sure that you're all provided for
as much as I can.
And you...
You keep going to football practice.
As long as I'm still alive,
what I say still goes.
How is this little one today?
Still not interested in making an appearance?
I'll tell you something - I'm feeling some good strong kicks.
They woke me up, those kicks.
It was the most wonderful feeling in the world.
Look how beautiful they are.
God knows I'm trying so hard not to fall in love with mine,
but...I can't help it.
I want to keep it so very much.
I want us all to be together.
A proper family.
Me, the baby...
..and my boys.
Then we shall have to do everything we can
to convince everyone of how capable you are.
Absolutely. Thank you so much.
I think I may have something for you to smile about.
I suddenly remembered Sir Randolph is a QC.
I've just spoken to him
and he said there may be an opening at his chambers.
I cannot believe you did that!
Why not? I said we'd find a way.
And not only have I been looking for one,
I may very well have found one.
I haven't discussed this with anybody yet, Trixie!
I need time to consider the situation,
plan how to get us out of it
with as much dignity as possible!
And I find you've been running around family and friends
with a begging bowl behind my back?! Behind your back?!
You've been lying to me about this for months.
I haven't been lying to you. I've been shielding you!
I am your wife, Matthew!
You're meant to come to me with your troubles!
We're supposed to share everything!
Not just the good times.
Not just a home, or a child or a bed.
We're meant to share it all!
We can't! We can't!
Money, for you,
is just something that paves the way for happiness!
Your happiness in New York.
Your happiness when you run amok in Harrods.
Your happiness watching me save Nonnatus House
and rescue Lisbon Buildings.
I accept the comments about New York,
and Harrods.
But none of the rest of it was done for me.
I didn't ask you to do any of that.
You did it all of your own free will!
Yeah, I did. I did.
And it made me a better man.
It just didn't make me a richer one,
or a wiser one...
..or teach me anything
but how bloody terrifying it is
when the life you had evaporates. I haven't evaporated!
I'm still here!
There's still time.
Are you feeling unwell, Deirdre?
No, no. I'm grand.
Did you remember the sandwiches?
Lemon curd, just like you asked for.
I hope the boys don't eat them all.
Lemon curd's my favourite.
Look who's here!
How is my biggest wee boy?
The one who's been so brave and strong
and has looked after his brother so well?
You said there was no cure - for your cancer.
There ain't.
So, what's this, then?
A letter from your doctor saying you don't want some injections?
They'd only make me live a bit longer.
It ain't worth it.
How can you say that?
Tommy and Connor couldn't eat them all.
They'd only go to waste.
Do you want the last one?
No disrespect to lemon curd,
but I think it's probably the worst thing
you could put in a sandwich!
Deirdre? What's the matter?
I'm grand.
Honestly, I'm grand.
Mr Robinson, can you come and catch the children, please?
I really don't think you are.
That's it, Deirdre.
Nice, slow breaths.
Baby's not descended any further.
Mother's been in second-stage labour for well over an hour.
It's as if her body is trying to keep hold of the baby
for as long as it can, while it's still hers.
This mother has been through a great ordeal.
But mothers are surprisingly resilient.
What can we do to assist the delivery?
We need to rupture her membranes.
I agree.
Deirdre,
we're going to help things along by breaking your waters.
Heels to bottom now, knees nice and wide apart.
This will only take a jiffy.
Oh, Lord...
I need to push.
That's exactly the response I was hoping for.
Ah, give us a hand with this, will you, Phyllis?
It's all for the campaign.
More gimmicks. I just don't see the point.
It's about solidarity - standing by each other,
showing we're united, a team, no matter what.
So no wrinkling your nose,
because I know that's what you're about.
Otherwise, why else would you have covered my work?
Or be helping Rosalind out
by putting her through your Canadian Air Force routine? Hmm?
That's it, Deirdre. You're doing a fabulous job.
Baby's head is resting in Nurse Clifford's hand.
Now, Deirdre... Now...
On the next contraction, slow, gentle pushes for us.
That's it!
She's here, Deirdre!
You did it.
You have a gorgeous baby girl.
Oh, look at you.
You're so beautiful.
I promise...
I promise I'll love you and protect you.
I'll do things differently.
Whatever it takes.
It's a sprain, that's all.
And that's what comes of scrapping with other lads.
None of you know your own strength.
Fighting! At football practice!
He's got a real chance at playing for West Ham youth team
and he goes round thumping people.
Can I go now?
He's struggling, Gladys.
He's tough as old boots.
When you're so young,
every day is full of memories made.
He just wants more time with you.
Excuse me, young man!
I ain't crying!
We all weep.
Some of us just weep on the inside.
The bravest of us weep on the outside.
I used to think my mum was the bravest person on the planet.
But she ain't. She's a coward.
I only want to step out onto that West Ham pitch if she's there.
But she don't want to live just a bit longer.
Not even for me.
But... No "buts".
I've taken all four of you off the roster for this evening.
The exams are tomorrow.
Tonight is for rest or revision,
whichever you feel is most fitting.
Oh, and one more thing...
Oh, sorry.
I didn't think there'd be anyone in here.
I was going to have a bit of a practice
ahead of the performance.
Sister Veronica has quite high expectations of us all.
I'm heading home.
I just came in for a little quiet time with God.
Have you been thinking about the abandoned children?
I've come to the conclusion there's no perfect solution.
There never is.
I've seen that time and time again
with my own children -
including May, whose mother couldn't care for her.
I joined social services to help families.
Now I seem to be breaking one apart.
You're not breaking it.
You're finding the best way to fix it.
Solutions don't have to be perfect.
They just have to work.
You've come to take her away, haven't you? No, I haven't.
I've come to say...
..she can stay with you.
Really?
You promise me?
I need to talk you through the benefits
I've been able to arrange.
But I've also found a place in supervised accommodation,
where you can ask for help
if you or your baby need it.
Just... Just the baby? What about the boys?
We have to see how you get on, Deirdre.
The welfare office needs to make sure you're able to cope.
I will cope. I will.
You need to take this little by little.
You need to do your best with the baby.
You're talking sense. I know that.
And I'll do my best, too.
Sorry it took me a while to come to the door.
Come in.
It's this stick.
I am not enamoured of my own.
It is, however, essential.
Please.
I used to walk down these streets, people would cower.
Now they're getting out the way for me.
They feel sorry for me.
I hate it.
You are who you have always been.
"Beware, for I am fearless,
"and therefore powerful."
As a girl,
you underlined this passage many times.
As a girl, I always had my fists up.
But cancer's taken all the power from me now.
Then you must take it back.
Go down as you have lived -
fighting.
For one extra day,
one extra hour,
one extra second...
..with those you love.
I've popped in to see you on my way home
and made you a plate of toast.
Do you want a piece?
Any lemon curd? It's all gone.
Deirdre...
..I know the news that the boys must stay in foster care
isn't what you wanted to hear...
..but... I needed to be told.
And I need to accept it.
I can't give Tommy and Connor what they need, Nurse.
Not yet.
I'm just scared that they'll forget me -
not because I want to be missed, but because...
..I don't want them to be scared if I do get them back.
We can write them a letter.
I'll give it to Mr Robinson
to read to them next time he sees them.
But I've got so much I want to say,
it would take all night to get it down,
and you've just finished your shift.
I've got all night... if you have.
Is there still a lot of work to do?
You'd think going broke would just happen.
But, yes, there is...so much to resolve.
Show me.
So, we really do have nothing, other than my wages?
At least Nonnatus House is safe.
Thank goodness you signed the deeds over
to the order's name.
You did do that, didn't you?
I see from your notes that you regularly seek affirmation
from the more senior midwife during a birth.
How would you cope on your own?
By looking at the greatest teacher in the room - the mother.
Her body tells you what she needs.
You just have to have the confidence to listen.
Sister Veronica will come tomorrow.
And Mr Robinson will visit you and the baby in a few days.
Thank you, Sister - for everything.
I came to England looking for a fresh start,
and now I finally feel as though I have one.
I always see a birth as a new beginning.
It's usually here by now. I don't know...
Am I too late?
The results aren't in yet.
I feel sick. Maybe I should have a cigarette.
You have both worked extremely hard,
and it has been a privilege for us all to teach you.
Oh...my!
We did it, child. We did it!
You have indeed.
And it is my very great pleasure
to offer both of you permanent positions
at Nonnatus House, should you wish to join us.
Gosh, if you'll have me, absolutely!
A million times yes!
As you know, my plan is to become a hospital matron.
But for now, thank you.
It's a privilege to accept!
We passed, we passed!
Congratulations!
Right, midwives, we mustn't be late.
Patients await!
There is always so much
we can strive for.
We can try harder.
Aim higher. Reach for more.
We must never stop questing.
We will feel better than this,
one way or another.
Sometimes, the balm is simply that we tried to find a way.
We are stronger than we think...
..and less alone than we imagine.
We are all the answers to each other's questions.
And we came here, together, to love...
..and learn to live.
Can you have your own room? Bless you,
this isn't a hotel. Most of the ladies like the company.
There has been a fantastic turnip harvest this year.
I've done a deal with Larry off the market.
Chester thinks he can raise all the necessary capital.
So if we join forces,
I could see a return on my investment within five years.