Love Child

I'm Joan Millar, the new midwife. I'm here for orientation.

Frances Bolton, Matron.

You were supposed to meet me at the hospital.

This is Stanton House, a home for unwed mothers.

You are under-age, Vivian, and your parents have signed you over to us

for the term of your pregnancy.

You run this place like a farm!

You don't care where the babies end up,

so long as it's not with their mothers.

Get out of here! You're morally bankrupt!

Get out of here! How many lives have you ruined?

Please! Please let me see my baby!

I made a mistake.

I want my baby back.

Your baby died three days ago. I have lied for you.

I have falsified records,

all because you needed to give your wife a child and couldn't wait.

Peace and love, copper!

Johnny, it's not going to happen. We could keep the baby, your family.

He's very premature

so his lungs are underdeveloped, but he's breathing on his own.

You, me, a sick baby, no money, the government after us.

Joined up. They said they'd waive my sentence

if I put in two years of nasho.

You were supposed to be arriving back as a doctor. Married.

Where are we now, you and me?

I don't want to destroy your marriage.

In another universe, maybe things would have been different for us.

Shall we?

She's your baby.

You're a midwife here.

If you want to be something else, leave,

or I will take the first opportunity to get rid of you.

You topped the state in your obstetrics exam.

Congratulations... Dr Millar.

Hello!

Ooh, Mummy!

Want to come to Mummy?

Oh!

Oh!

Oh, this way.

Oh! Mother! Mother!

Help! Please, you have to help me!

What's happened? Are you OK? Oh!

Oh, my goodness.

Help!

We need to prep Mrs O'Reilly for a caesarean section.

You might want a second opinion, Doctor.

If there was someone qualified to give me a second opinion,

I'd ask for it.

You're still only a junior resident here.

I suggest you start behaving like one.

I'm not answerable to you, Matron.

In fact, it's the other way around.

Right. Bear with us, Mrs O'Reilly.

We'll have that baby of yours out safely before the year's over.

Aah!

Do you think this means he's out of intensive care for good?

If he keeps improving like this, he might be home in a few weeks.

I'm so frightened I'm going to hurt him.

You won't.

His wound is healing nicely

and his blood tests and chest X-rays are all excellent.

You can stay with him for a while if you like.

I'll see in the new year with him.

I've got a shift to finish at the Blue Moon.

Alright. I'll let the nurses know.

Maybe we should have a drink later, when you finish up.

I can't. Back-to-back shifts.

You've worked every day for a month.

I'm a junior resident.

Where are all the other junior residents?

Playing cricket.

They've got nothing to prove. Joan!

Joan! Joan! Can you come, please? I need your help. Please.

She fainted right into my arms. Did you ask for the casualty doctor?

They said we'd have to wait for hours.

We thought she was having her baby.

Ooh, not yet. This is going to need stitches.

She reckoned someone was chasing her.

Maybe we should call the cops. No! No police.

Right, you two need to go before I have Matron to deal with.

This is hers.

Right, what's your name?

This is going to be a lot easier if I know what to call you.

I can't stay here. You've lost a lot of blood

and this wound needs to be treated. Please let me.

Look, do me a favour - look into this light.

Was this an accident

or did someone do this to you? Accident!

I thought the window was open. I wanted to see the fireworks.

Good thing you didn't stick your head through first. Hey!

Settle down! Settle down! Please.

I told you I have to go. No, you can't go anywhere.

I'm sorry. He can't find me.

Who can't find you?

Who?

No-one.

Alright, look, keep your hand tight over the wound.

I'm going to go get some sutures and some dressings, alright?

Come on!

Idiot! Ignore him.

Listen, you just stay here, OK? Keep that tight.

Sorry. I didn't... I may not have been here

for the past month, but the last time I looked

this was a hospital, not a fun park.

Dr McNaughton, my father is Henry Bowditch.

I don't care if your father's Henry bloody Kissinger.

You will not treat my hospital as your personal playground.

Is that clear?

As a bell, sir.

Good.

Dr Millar!

Happy New Year.

I thought you'd resigned.

I did.

My replacement fell through and the board asked me back.

I have to attend to a patient.

Down here in casualty?

It's New Year's Eve. We're understaffed.

Well, I'm happy to lend a hand.

Lead the way.

Oh! It's so far down.

Hey, look up.

After all that, we didn't even go into the club.

Hmm.

It's not all bad.

Ahem...

Where did you get that? Nurses' quarters.

That girl looked so scared.

She looked like me when I got here.

This time next year I'm going to be in Melbourne with Robert.

You'll be back in Tamworth.

No chance.

When all this is over,

I'm staying. Stanton House?

In Sydney, you dope.

What are you going to do?

I don't know.

Airline hostess, travel the world?

Oh, my baby's kicking.

Oh!

Oh!

Bet it's a girl. There he goes again!

Oh, wow!

Could have severed an artery.

How did you do this?

She fell out of a window.

You're a silly girl, aren't you?

That baby of your looks like it's almost cooked.

When are you due?

We should think about getting her admitted upstairs.

OK, there you go.

Hop up, and let's see about getting you a bed somewhere.

No!

Doctor, can I just have a word with you outside for a moment?

The girl is clearly traumatised.

Most people that come to hospital are. It's the nature of the place.

She needs our help, not your judgment.

You're talking to her as if she's a child.

As far as I can see, that's exactly what she is.

A very pregnant one.

Hey! Hey!

Shh! It's nearly midnight

and I think we should all count the new year in together.

Here we go.

Oh! Ten!

Nine! Eight! Seven!

Six!

Five! Four! Three!

Two! One!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, darling!

Here you are.

Are you alright?

No, you're not, are you?

Here, let me see. Oh, dear.

You've opened up your stitches.

Look at me.

Whoever it is you're afraid of,

they can't hurt you while you're inside this hospital.

You understand that, don't you?