Journey's End Page #6

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Do you think they want an officer

prowling around, sucking up to them?

Why did they share their rations, then?

So you know my men better than I do?

Sit down.

I'm all right, thanks.

Sit down!

Thank you, Mason.

You insulted Trotter and Hibbert

by not coming down.

My officers work together.

I'll have no damn prigs!

I am sorry.

I'll speak to them.

What are you staring at?

Anything funny about me?

I'm sorry if I annoyed you

by joining this company.

What on earth are you talking about?

Eat your dinner before it gets cold.

I'm not hungry.

Sit down and eat it like a man!

How can I when Osborne

is lying out there?

You bloody little swine!

You think you're the only man who cares?

No, but you were drinking Champagne.

The one man I could trust!

The one man I could talk to man-to-man!

Who understood everything!

How can you...

You think there's no limit

to what a man can bear?

(SOBS)

(GRUNTS)

(STANHOPE SOBBING)

Get out. Get out. Get out.

(SNIFFLES)

(STANHOPE EXHALES)

(SOBBING)

Cup of tea.

Lovely.

Right, Bert. That's us.

Sir.

I've got you a nice, hot

cup of tea, sir.

(GROANS)

It's quiet enough now.

But you never know, do you?

That's the stuff for troops.

A good cup of tea.

I've cut four packets

of Sam Bridges, sir.

Mmm-hmm.

Half bully beef, half sardine.

No pt de foie gras, Mason?

Milkman hasn't come yet, sir.

Thank you, Mason.

Clear up your kitchen a bit.

Then join Mr Trotter.

MASON:
Very good, sir.

Sir.

(DISTANT EXPLOSION)

Right, that's me.

I'm done.

Cheerio, skipper.

Cheerio.

Right.

Cheerio, Stanhope.

Cheerio, Raleigh. I'll be up in a tick.

Cheerio, sir.

Turner.

Sir.

Hammond.

Hibbert.

Hibbert!

Come on.

There's no hurry.

The longer you stay here,

the harder it'll be to go up.

It's no good going up until I feel fit.

Drink this.

Then you need to go up.

(DISTANT EXPLOSION)

All set, sir.

I'll pop down again at 10:00.

Get the spuds peeled.

All right, Mason.

Mr Hibbert will lead the way.

Sir.

Cheerio, sir.

Cheerio, Mason.

(CLIMBING STEPS)

(EXHALES)

(MUMBLING INAUDIBLY)

All right?

Sir.

Get ready.

Good.

(CHUCKLING) Hey? Come on.

(FLARE FIRES)

(SECOND FLARE FIRES)

(THIRD FLARE FIRES)

(EXPLOSIONS)

(SOLDIERS SCREAMING)

(WHIMPERING)

(GROANING)

Stand tall! Stand tall!

Hold the line! Hold the line!

TROTTER:
Stay down! Stay down!

Keep down!

SERGEANT MAJOR:
Take cover! Mason!

Hold the line! Hold the line!

Frontmen, stay down! Stay down!

TROTTER:
Stay down!

(WHIMPERS)

Is everyone all right?

(SCREAMING AND GROANING)

(SCREAMING)

(GROANS)

Sir! Mr Raleigh's been hit, sir!

Right...

We need to get him inside!

His back's struck! We need a stretcher!

Help me get him up!

(GRUNTING)

Come on!

SOLDIER:
Stretcher bearer!

Stretcher bearer!

(EXPLOSION)

(COUGHING)

All right.

All right. You can go.

We need to get him down the line!

Can't with those shells falling, sir!

We must!

We can't, sir!

We've hemmed ourselves in!

Fetch the stretcher bearers!

Sir.

Stretcher bearers!

It's all right, it's all right.

(EXPLOSIONS)

Soon wear off.

(CHUCKLES)

You caught a Blighty one, Jimmy.

Home again.

(GROANS)

I can't be sent home

just for a knock in the back.

It's like in rugger.

"Get up and dust yourself off, boy."

(GASPS)

It's bound to hurt a bit, Jimmy.

(GROANS)

There's... There's something

pressing down on my legs.

It's just the shock.

I can't... I can't...

I can't be down here,

when everyone else is... Is fighting.

It's not your fault.

It's not your fault.

(EXPLOSIONS)

(RUBBLE SCATTERING)

Don't... Don't wait for me

if you need to go.

It's quite all right, Jimmy.

It's all right.

Can you stay?

Of course I can.

I'm here.

I'm... I'm so...

Shh.

So cold.

(SPITS)

Here... Here we go.

Is that better?

Jimmy?

Jimmy...

TURNER:
Sergeant Major says

can you come at once, sir?

Sir!

All right, Turner. I'm coming.

(COUGHING)

(MUFFLED SCREAMS)

WOMAN:
Thank you.

RALEIGH:
"My dear Margaret.

I am at the front at last.

"I was taken along some trenches

and reported to C Company.

"A nice officer greeted me.

He was quite old. Second in command.

"And then there he was,

Captain Stanhope, MC.

"Tired because he works so hard,

because of all the responsibility.

"Then I went on duty on the front line,

"where the officers told me

all about him.

"The finest officer

in the whole battalion

"and the men simply adore him.

"I'm proud to think

that he is my friend.

"Your ever loving brother, Jimmy."

(SPEAKING GERMAN)

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