Our Girl Page #4

JAMES:

But you can't be if you're worrying

about an individual child.

MOLLY:

I'm one hundred per cent by your side.

A moment between them as they look at each other.

JAMES:

Well good. Now go and read your letter.

She smiles and heads off. He watches her go before moving off

himself. She turns back and watches him for a beat.

JAMES (V.O.)

Heavily armed insurgents..

10:
16:02 INT. OPS ROOM. COMPOUND BASE. DAY 8. 12:00

James has gathered 2 Section for a briefing. James and Kinders

stand by maps and aerial satellite images of the local village.

Captain Azizi and his 2ic stand with James.

JAMES:

..are controlling the area around the

mountains and the village...

(pointing at the various

maps)

The ANA will remain at the checkpoint

here... and we will maintain a presence

within the village itself here so that

the kids can return back to school. They

are planning more attacks imminently.

So be vigilant guys.

The boys nod, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

AZIZI:

(pointing to photographs)

The buildings opposite the school are

empty. To the rear of the school is a

compound which we will also control.

JAMES:

Now we need the children to go back to

school or the entire mission here has

been a waste of time. We leave in two

hours. Be ready.

They all listen and study their maps.

10:
16:29 MUSIC IN – 2G7

10:
16:30 EXT/INT. MASTIFF. DAY 8. 14:02

2 Section are heading into the village with James. Dangleberries

is up top manning the gun.

BAZ VEGAS:

Sir, who'd win a fight out of you and

Prince Harry?

MOLLY:

We'll find out later.

NUDE-NUT

Prince Harry ain't gonna be the mystery

guest!

10:
16:46 MUSIC OUT – 2G7

DANGLE-BERRIES

I'm so nicking his beret and bunging

it on ebay.

ALL SHOUT:

Benefit Street!

DANGLE-BERRIES

I'm from Aston, it's completely the

other side of Birmingham!

JAMES:

(putting down his binoculars

and addressing them)

Listen up you sh*t for brain, lady

parts. As soon as we get to the village

compound, we secure the outside.

Dawes, you go in and establish a med

centre.

MOLLY:

Sir.

JAMES:

Understood?

2 SECTION

Sir!

10:
17:06 EXT. VILLAGE. AFGHANISTAN DAY 8 14.03

The village is bustling with day to day business as the soldiers

stand around, keeping an eye out.

10:
17:11 INT. VILLAGE COMPOUND. DAY 8. 14:50

Molly is in the small ante room and is setting up a med centre.

Qaseem is with her.

MOLLY:

You can come to England now, can't you?

QASEEM:

What do you mean?

MOLLY:

After draw down.

(beat)

Is that what you want?

QASEEM:

A peaceful Afghanistan is all I want.

MOLLY:

Good luck with that one.

QASEEM:

Indeed.

MOLLY:

How can she be 'promised', Qaseem.

That's mad, innit?

QASEEM:

(with a little smile)

Welcome to my country.

Molly has set up a temporary bed.

MOLLY:

What did you do? Before you come and

work for us?

QASEEM:

I taught at the University in Kabul.

English Literature.

MOLLY:

And working for us is better than the

university?

QASEEM:

I thought I could do more good.

(half beat)

They killed my wife and daughter.

10:
17:55 MUSIC IN – 2G8

MOLLY:

Who, the Taliban?

Qaseem nods. Molly tries to take this in.

QASEEM:

So what is the worst that can happen

to me now? There is no worst. I've

already had it.

MOLLY:

D'you reckon Afghan will ever be

peaceful?

QASEEM:

(after much thought)

Yes. One day. I don't know when that

day is, but of course, one day

Afghanistan will be peaceful and the

most beautiful place on the earth to

live. One day. And every day is another

day nearer.

Molly lets this sink in. Suddenly they become aware of a commotion

outside.

10:
18:57 EXT. VILLAGE COMPOUND. DAY 8. 14:53

Azizi, Sohail and James are outside. Bashira and her mother are

in front of them and Bashira's mother is shouting in an animated

fashion.

AZIZI:

(in Pashto 10:
18:59)

Go home!

BASHIRA’S MOTHER

(in Pashto 10:
19:01)

She needs medication! There is the

doctor! There is the doctor! She must

see my daughter.

Qaseem and Molly emerge and approach them all.

Molly immediately looking alarmed when she sees Bashira's bleeding

face. The mother talks and somewhat desperately points to

Bashira's battered and bruised face, desperate for her daughter

to be treated.

QASEEM:

She is saying her daughter needs

treatment...

JAMES:

Well tell her to take her to a local

hospital.

Qaseem translates. The mother wails desperately before looking

at Molly and saying something in Pashto.

QASEEM:

(in Pashto 10:
19:12)

I’m really sorry, but you must take her

to the hospital.

BASHIRA’S MOTHER

(in Pashto 10:
19:25)

Everything is because of you!

QASEEM:

She says she is looking to you as medic

to help. The local hospital is four

hours away and she has no transport.

MOLLY:

She's saying it's my fault isn't she?

10:
19:26 MUSIC OUT – 2G8

QASEEM:

Yes, she is but it's not. A father

hitting his child is wrong... as wrong

in Afghanistan as it is where you come

from.

JAMES:

She has to go to her own hospital for

treatment. Those are the rules.

MOLLY:

Yes sir. Understood sir, but can I at

least examine the eye to access the

damage? Sir, we have a

responsibility...

BASHIRA’S MUM

(in Pashto - 10:
19:39)

I beg you.

Beat. James stares at Molly.

BASHIRA’S MUM

(in Pashto - 10:
19:47)

I beg you.

MOLLY (CONT'D)

Please sir... it is my fault if it was

because I was talking to her.

JAMES:

Well get the eye cleaned up and then

I never want to see her again. You're

not endearing yourself to me, Dawes.

MOLLY:

Thank you sir.

Molly takes Bashira's arm and leads her inside. The ANA stop the

mother following.

BASHIRA’S MOTHER

(in Pashto 10:
20:04)

Don’t touch me! I want to go with my

daughter! Why don’t you let me go in?

10:
20:10 INT. MED CENTRE. VILLAGE COMPOUND. DAY 8. 15:00

Bashira is on the hard temporary/make shift bed and Molly is

cleaning up her eye. There is a nasty cut that Molly is trying

to ascertain whether it needs stitches. James comes in side.

MOLLY:

I think you might gonna need a stitch

in that, Bashira. Do you understand?

JAMES:

(coming in)

Of course she doesn't understand, I

barely understood.

MOLLY:

I thought your English was better than

hers, sir.

JAMES:

Mine is. Yours.. "might gonna need a

stitch"! What's that even supposed to

mean?

MOLLY:

She might gonna need a stitch. I'll try

putting butterfly stitches in it to

hold it together.

JAMES:

She has come looking to you instead of

her local hospital. It's wrong.

MOLLY:

Sir, we have a duty of care for loss

of life, limb or eye.

JAMES:

Are you telling me the rules of the

British Army now, are you?

MOLLY:

No sir...

JAMES:

It's my fourth tour Dawes, and where

it goes wrong is where soft fools start

to get personally involved.

MOLLY:

I'm not soft sir.

The two of them stare at each other. He knows she's anything but

soft.

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