Call the Midwife

Miracles, like angels, are not rare.

Neither do they always fall into our lives

as if cast down from heaven to surprise us.

Some, like Christmas, simply offer up their magic.

But some come in response to prayer,

or effort, or extended longing.

CHILDREN LAUGH

GROANING

And time and time again, we learn that miracles

are something that we labour for and make.

BABY CRIES

Oh!

See what you did?

Oh...

SHE SOBS

Maxine, do you want to come and look at Mummy's new baby?

MOTHER LAUGHS

I told her Father Christmas would be bringing her a present.

I reckon she'd rather have a bike.

Now, careful. I don't want this scratched

within an hour of taking ownership.

I drove nigh on 50,000 miles in Old Faithful.

By the end, it showed.

There!

It's perfect.

It has the most glancing relationship

with the perpendicular.

Maybe it grew at that angle!

- In the wild. - What do you reckon, Fred?

I reckon some of this soot's been up this chimney

since the Queen Mum was a kiddie.

Mr Aylward. What a magnificent specimen!

- Thank you. - Oh, you're most welcome, Sister.

Is it quite straight?

There are four defaulters on the first two pages.

This is not how a Christmas club is supposed to work, Fred.

They are supposed to pay in every week

and then they get all the goodies at the end.

I don't know what's gone wrong with the Smiths,

but the other three were all caught up in the train crash.

Well, why didn't you say?

They can have all the works.

Nothing's felt right since that accident.

It's not that people have lost money

or even family. It's like...

we've all lost a bit of heart.

Or who we are.

So Sister Hilda isn't coming back at all?

You heard Mother Mildred.

She is of the view that we can do very well without her.

She hasn't even iced the Christmas cake.

Or marzipanned it, come to that.

I know.

I'll do it.

I've got my cookery O-Level.

Thank you.

We'll manage.

- Amen. Amen. Amen. - Praise the Lord. Praise God.

Brothers and sisters, may we all keep the meaning

of the season within our hearts

as we watch and wait for the arrival

of the child Jesus Christ.

Pastor, before you lead us any further,

let us welcome Nurse Robinson home from her day of work

and ask how the labouring mother fared.

She was strong, she was courageous

and she delivered the most beautiful little boy.

- Amen. - Praise the Lord.

A boy, in this, the holiest of seasons.

Welcome home, Nurse Franklin.

- Oh! - It's so good to be back.

And for everything to be just as it was.

We have much to be grateful for.

But whatever kept you, lass?

We've been watching the clock for an hour or more.

Er...

we ran out of petrol just outside of Heathrow.

It falls to the wanderer

to place a wreath upon our threshold.

Ta-da!

DOOR CLANGS SHUT

Two cardigans, grey, two dresses, beige,

prison-issue hose, shoes and undergarments

all present and correct.

They let me out early for good behaviour.

Opposite of what got you in here.

I've served my time now.

Well, three month of it, anyway.

It says here you're going back to live with your fiance.

Yeah. He's coming to meet me.

Right!

Off you pop.

DOOR SLAMS

SHE GASPS

Nancy, have you never heard Coco Chanel's adage

"elegance is refusal"?

What's that supposed to mean?

Refusal to indulge in every passing trend.

Refusal to over-accessorize.

Refusal to buy more clothes than you have room for!

Now, if that's not the kettle calling the pot black,

then I don't know what is.

I had a complex roster of fashion requirements

in Portofino and had to transition between seasons.

My clothes aren't just clothes.

They're assets.

And mine aren't just clothes.

They're bargains.

Can you not just hang some stuff on one of the picture rails?

SHE GIGGLES

I'm going to ask Sister Julienne to provide us with

a second wardrobe and an additional chest of drawers.

KNOCK AT DOOR

Three points of order.

All rounds, maternity and district,

are curtailed this morning.

A working luncheon of sandwiches is planned,

and I have finally obtained the keys to the Florence Dean Hall,

where we will meet at 12.30 precisely to set up for clinic.

QUIET CONVERSATION

Good afternoon, ladies.

Hand your urine in to the counter on your left.

I need your opinion of this mincemeat

when you have a moment. I threw caution to the wind

and put a dash of Drambuie in it.

Mum?

"Mrs Turner" when in clinic, please, Timothy.

Which one is Gravely, Joyce, 3rd of the 3rd '38?

She must be near dead of diabetes.

What did she bring the urine in?

A rose hip syrup bottle.

Oh, Mrs Turner! I was hoping I'd see you.

We're so pleased to have you back with us.

- I'll see to Mrs Mullucks myself. - Of course.

It's not felt real, having a fourth at the age of 40, but...

now I'm back with the sisters, I know it is.

Everything seems to be in perfect order.

Oh, it is.

Every arm, leg, finger and toe.

The hospital gave me an X-ray.

When did they give you an X-ray?

Er, last week.

They said I needed extra reassurance.

Not one mother of a thalidomide child

has ever gone on to have another affected baby.

That drug will never hurt anyone again.

St Cuthbert's said... I couldn't know for sure!

HE SIGHS

All the toys are in a bit of a mess today.

It's the first time we've been in this hall.

I like the doll's house.

I don't actually know where that is,

but we've got dolls and quite a few teddies we can play with.

SHE SIGHS

I'm hot.

Let's get that coat off you.

Rhoda, I really think the maternity home

would be the best place for you

to have this baby, simply because of your age.

But if I have the baby in my own bed,

then I won't have to worry about Susan.

Anyway, my eldest two are teenagers now.

They don't wear you out the same as the little ones.

It's all systems go for the Sunday School Nativity in our house.

Two angels and a camel.

The camel has nearly broken me.

When I asked Mrs Avis about it,

she said the parts hadn't been assigned yet.

Why would she say that?

The children have been practising since November.

On Sundays?

Susan's there every Sunday.

Angela and May said she just watches.

Oh, Rhoda. I thought you knew.

DOG BARKS

Can I help you?

My fiance lives here.

Not any more he doesn't. We've been here two weeks.

His name's Andreas Jorgensen.

Mm. There's a letter came, and another one he left.

Er, you may as well take them.

I don't want debt collectors coming around. Er, wait.

BABY CRIES

DOG BARKS

Here. I'm sorry, I'll have to go.

The baby's mithering the dog.

BARKING

I saw Dr Turner's eldest in clinic today.

He's a medical student there.

Do you think they might let me help, Mum?

It'll all add up when I apply for nursing school.

You two, wait here.

Mrs Avis!

Oh, afternoon, Mrs Mullucks. I'm afraid I can't stop.

I've got to get this material dropped off urgently.

We've had two false starts with the Three Wise Men.

I waited and waited to find out

what Susan was going to be doing in the Nativity.

Susan joins in very nicely with the other children

when we're doing our Scripture.