Morning Departure Page #4

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Andy, are you in on this?

BROUGH:
All he'll give you

is a couple of tickets for the ballet.

ANDREWS:
That's right.

BROUGH:
There you are.

Now what did I tell you?

Fat lot of use they are to any of us!

- Who's the second one for, Andy?

- My girl.

Does she go with the tickets?

(ALL LAUGHING)

What the hell are you

all so pleased about?

Come on, Snipe,

we'll make room for two more.

No, thanks.

- Come on, lad, take your mind off...

- I said no!

Then you open up the upper hatch

and float to the surface.

- Just like it is in the practice tank.

- I see.

- What do you want, Snipe?

- I want to get out, that's what I want.

And so you will, son.

You'll just have to be patient

and wait for a wee while...

I can't. I can't stand it! I won't wait.

I won't be shut up in here any longer.

Listen, Snipe, take a hold of yourself.

Come on, sit down. I'll get you something.

Medicine's no good, I can't stay here.

- I must get out!

- Well, you can't get out yet.

You heard what the captain said.

I don't care what he said, where is he?

I've got to see him.

Well, you can't see him now.

Here, come on, drink this.

Come on, drink it.

Now, what's the matter?

Well, sir, it's...

It's the feeling of being shut in, sir.

I get a sort of feeling that everything...

All right if I can move about, sir, but...

Oh, God, you can't do nothing,

you can't see nothing.

You don't even know

what's going on outside.

Listen, Snipe.

You got the wrong angle on all this.

You're no more trapped down here

than the rest of us.

We'll all get away in good time.

What do you think would happen

if you got away now?

You'd find yourself bobbing about

the ocean, miles away from anyone.

You'd be a damn sight worse off

than you are down here.

At least down here

you've got someone to talk to.

You don't know what it's like in there, sir.

They're all talking and laughing

as if there was nothing wrong.

They don't understand.

I can't go back in there.

What's the trouble, Snipe?

- Stoker Snipe's reported sick, sir.

- What's the matter with him?

- Claustrophobia, I think.

- I see.

How long have you been like this?

Well, I feel it a bit sometimes

when we dive, sir, but...

It's never been as bad as this.

Ever reported it to anyone?

- No, sir.

- Why not?

I...

I hoped that no one would

ever have to know, sir.

I hoped that nothing like this

would ever happen.

But you knew it was a risk

we had to take, didn't you?

- Sir.

- A man in your condition's

got no right to be in a submarine.

Why did you volunteer?

- I needed the extra pay, sir.

- You needed the extra pay.

Do you know why

we're given that money?

Because we might have to cope

with an emergency like this one.

And the first time it happens to you,

you decide to risk the lives

of your shipmates to save

your own miserable skin.

That's a pretty rotten kind

of a bargain, isn't it?

You're useless to me

and a menace to everyone else onboard.

Now, get out!

Come on, laddie.

Better see about the pumping.

Did you give him that?

Why, yes, I wanted to calm him down.

What good do you think bromide's

going to do a man in his condition?

- Well, he looked distraught, I thought...

- Sympathy's no good, either.

The only way to deal with

claustrophobia is to try and

jerk the chap into a sense

of his own responsibilities.

Not start performing like a wet nurse.

If there are any more cases of this kind,

I'll deal with them myself.

Very good, sir.

You think I was too tough

with him, don't you.

- Well, it did the trick, sir.

- Of course it did the trick.

Good God, you don't think

I enjoy shouting at the chaps, do you?

Snipe or anybody else,

it was the only thing to do.

I see that now, sir.

Then stop crawling.

Well, it's a correct attitude

for a first lieutenant

on receiving a well-deserved rocket

from his commanding officer. Sir.

I'm glad you think it was well-deserved,

anyway, that's something.

I'm sorry. He took me by surprise.

I'm afraid we shall have more trouble

with him later, though.

- You think so?

- Mmm-hmm.

Remember your Latin?

Naturam expellas furea,

tamen usque recurret.

Rough translation,

"You can drive out nature by force,

"but she'll always return."

And kick you in the backside.

Oh, it's simple enough,

if the individual trusts you.

You've got nothing to worry

about with the troops.

- I'm glad you think so.

- Sure of it.

I wonder why.

Because I've got half a stripe

more than anybody else?

Oh, much simpler than that.

Because they've got faith in you.

You said that almost as if you resented it.

Did I? Well, maybe I do.

Because I haven't got very much in myself.

Is that why you've never

tried to get a command?

I put you up for one in my last report,

you know that, don't you?

Thanks, old boy, I know.

But it won't make any difference.

I don't get it.

I thought you wanted a boat of your own.

I used to. More than anything in the world.

Till I escaped from the Welkin.

Oh, you know what happened.

Mike stayed there and I got away with it,

on his orders.

I went to see his wife afterwards.

Told her the usual stupid,

ridiculous cliches, and all the time,

she must have been thinking,

"He's dead, and you're alive.

"On his orders."

You were obeying them, weren't you?

Exactly. Oh, I'm fine at carrying out orders.

I just wouldn't like to have to decide

what orders to give, that's all.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

- Yes?

- Nice glass of lime juice, sir.

- Thanks, Higgins.

- Lime juice.

I'm sorry there's no ice, sir.

The fridge ain't working.

Finished blowing the oil yet?

Oh, yes, the coxswain says

there's enough up there now

- For the whole battle fleet to spot it.

- Good.

l, uh...

I'll see you get some sort

of recognition for this, Higgins.

- Oh, thank you very much, sir.

- Yes, I'll forget all about the pigeon.

Very nice of you, sir, I'm sure.

- Have a sandwich.

- Oh, thanks.

Did Helen make them?

Yes.

Well, they should find us pretty soon.

Mmm.

We'd better decide who's going up first.

I'll send three ratings,

and I shall want one officer.

Oakley or McFee?

- You think so?

- Well, Oakley's the obvious choice.

He's the youngest,

there isn't much he can do down here.

But he'll be able to give a full report

when he's picked up.

All right, I agree.

I'll send a written report

with all of them of course, but...

In case anything does happen to him,

I'll let Andrews go as well.

He's bright enough

to give them the position.

Mmm-hmm.

That leaves two more, doesn't it?

I want to keep the engine room

chaps as long as possible.

In case of any sudden repairs.

And the coxswain had better stay, too.

And old Higgins, so we can eat.

That leaves Brough, Hillbrook and Kelly.

Well, I don't want to send

three leading seamen.

So I'll make it Brough and Kelly, okay?

Not Snipe?

No.

No, he's a stoker for one thing,

and anyway, I'd like to give him

a bit more time to calm down.

All right. I'll tell those four to get ready.

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