Passchendaele

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- Everybody good?

- Yeah.

Oh, Jesus! Jesus!

Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Keep your head down.

Look at me.

- You're going to be okay.

- Where's he from?

13th skirt.

I thought the Black Watch

were up around Hill 60 or somewhere.

- What the hell's he doing here?

- Must've lost his head.

Must've lost his head...

- They in there, Sarge?

- They would seem to be.

Who the hell would put

a gun nest in a church?

Up round "Wipers" they put

one in a bar.

- Think about that.

- Alright, listen up.

Highway, you and Skinner,

you work your way up that side.

Peters, you come with me.

We cover. We lead.

Everybody ready?

Okay...

Let's go.

Skinner!

Drag him out of there!

Goddamnit!

Stay here.

Keep your head down.

No, please don't. No...

You're gonna be alright, Highway.

You're gonna be fine, Skinner.

Give me your dressing.

- It's okay.

- Ah, Sarge...

Stay down! Get your head down!

This is kind of funny, eh?

For God's sake, Skinner...

Momma... Momma...

You're gonna be okay.

I'm gonna get you out of here.

Leave your rifle.

Get in behind me.

- I'm going home.

- What are you doing?

- Halt!

- Get your hands up!

Wait! He isn't doing anything.

He's just clearing his pack.

No, no! Wait!

- Wait! Kamerad! Kamerad!

- I'm going home!

No!

Kamerad?

Let's go, double line!

Bombers over here,

gunners on the flanks!

Hey, we got a live one here!

- Where's Highway?

- He went that way.

Shh...

It's alright now.

You're alright now, Sergeant.

You're back home.

You're safe.

You know, they have these

birds of prey over there.

They call them kestrels.

And every time I look at you

it's like I've got one...

...banging around right in here.

You're a patient, Sergeant.

It's a common feeling.

Not to me it isn't.

I don't even know your first name.

I'm not allowed to tell you that.

I know.

You should go back to sleep.

I don't sleep.

Then how can you

have these nightmares?

I don't know.

Good night, Sergeant.

Good night, Kestrel.

What?

I think I should take this

opportunity to underscore...

...the elusive relationship

between desire and social order.

- You're crazy, aren't you?

- Crazy for you.

David?

- David?

- It's McKinnon.

Yeah, yeah...

Oh no...

No, David.

- It's okay.

- David?

- David?

- Just breathe.

You in yet?

David?

Are you okay?

Let's go.

Hello there, Mr. Harper.

- Hello?

- We're in here.

- David?

- Mr. McKinnon.

Didn't show up for work

this morning. Third time this month.

Sarah here tells me

you had an attack...

...of your asthma things.

That's the truth, sir. I did.

But now you're alright?

I went down to the river.

Sometimes the humidity helps.

Humidity.

Good one. That's good.

I don't know how

to put this, but this job,

I know it's just a local

newspaper and I know...

...it's not going to change

the outcome of the war or anything,

...but it's a good job,

and your father...

Well, you both understand...

...that I'm doing this

for your father, don't you?

Well, I'll just see myself out.

I expect to see you

in the morning.

I can't keep lying for you.

- I'm not asking you to.

- Were you with Cassie?

What if I was?

Friends don't get friends

in trouble, David.

What would you know

about friends?

All you've got is me

and you don't even like me.

Why do you talk like that?

If there's anyone that

doesn't like you, it's you, not me.

Is that supposed

to pass for insight?

By the way,

her dad hates me too.

- Good evening.

- Good evening, George.

Still no news?

Still "missing in action. "

It's not easy, I can tell you that much.

But I'm the Mayor.

I can't be seen to falter.

And our son has

a good head on his shoulders...

...so we remain hopeful.

Are you crazy?

I'm here to talk to your father.

Oh, hello. This is your friend.

David, isn't it?

Yes, sir. I wonder if I could

have a word with you.

- By all means. Come on in.

- No, sir...

- I don't want to intrude.

- Don't be silly. Come along.

Hello, everybody.

I'd like to introduce you

to David, uh...

Good Lord, I've forgotten

your last name.

- It's Mann, sir.

- David Mann.

I'm very honored to meet you.

It appears that young David...

...has conceived of a passion

for my daughter.

- Daddy, please!

- A passion, is it?

Well, then I'd be guessing

you'd still be a student.

And you'd be wide of the mark.

David here counts himself among

the ranks of the working men.

- I work for a newspaper.

- But he's not a scribe.

He sets type.

He's a typesetter.

But you must be 18 years old and

you're not in uniform. Why is that?

It's a medical thing, sir.

He's doing what he can.

Yes, well, he'll have

to do better than that...

...if he wants to earn

the respect of your father.

That's what I intend to do, sir,

and I'm open to suggestions.

For God's sake, son.

We're at war.

Use your imagination.

I'm sorry.

I don't know, I'm not sure

what I'm supposed to say.

There's no formula here,

Sergeant. We're just talking.

You, uh, want to tell me

about your nightmares?

They consistently feature...

...the image of a Canadian

soldier and a cross.

Why is that, you imagine?

I don't sleep, so I don't really

know how to answer that.

In 1915, in retreat outside Ypres,

German soldiers nailed

a Canadian N.C.O. to a barn door.

You were there,

were you not?

Yes sir, I did take part

in that retreat but...

...if they had time to stop

and nail a guy to a door...

...they're even better than

I already know them to be.

- Are you saying it didn't happen?

- I'm saying artillery throws soldiers...

...into positions

you can't even imagine.

A man in a trench...

...he's gonna see

what he needs to see.

Michael, you are

a decorated soldier.

Yeah. Yeah, I am.

And I received that medal...

...for sticking a 17-inch piece

of steel into a boy's forehead.

As soon as you were well

enough to walk, you went AWOL.

I went AWOL because

I received a medal...

...for sticking a piece of steel

into a boy's forehead!

This is insubordinate.

Understand your situation here,

Sergeant.

We are trying to determine

your status of discharge.

Your physical wounds have,

for the most part, healed.

Dr. Walker would like to give you

a clean bill of health, in which case...

...you'd be sent back

to the battlefield,

...stand trial for desertion and

more than likely be executed.

...I'm going to end up back

there one way or another.

Michael,

I'm trying to save your life.

I know that.

And I appreciate it,

I do, but this...

Go on.

The house...

we grew up in...

...it was at the bottom of this hill,

...and every time

one of my brothers, uh...

- Died?

- Yeah.

The telegraph guy, he'd bring

the notification down the hill...

...and my mother never got

any other news.

- After all, three of my younger

brothers - one, two, three and me.

AWOL...

And they don't say

"Absent without leave. "

They say "Missing in action,"

which to her meant I was dead.

So when that telegraph guy

came down the fourth time,

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