The Hasty Heart Page #9

- I thought you had a spite on me.

- Hardly.

I only wished there was something I...

Lad, would you like

to go back to Scotland?

Or would you rather stay here

with your friends?

Did the men in the ward

know about me, sir?

Well, I wanted to make things as pleasant

as possible for you,

- so I asked them to help you.

- And the Sister?

Naturally, she had to know.

I'd like to go back to Scotland, sir.

- Well, if that's your wish.

- That's my wish!

MacLachlan,

I'd like to be able to say something

warm and wise and comforting.

You can spare me that.

I've had enough pity, thank you.

If I can help you, let me know.

I'll take care of your papers

and arrange your transport.

We'll get you down to Calcutta

in the morning.

Hey, Lachie, what'd he say to you?

Did he tick you off

about those pills, Lachie?

I bet our Lachie stood up to him.

Yeah, did you tell him where to get off?

Well, never mind, Old Cobwebs

just likes to throw his weight around.

I think I'll get that roll of films

developed before dinner.

Hey, what are you doing?

You're ruining them!

You swine. You dirty swine.

Where's Lachie?

Well, he's in the washroom.

Hey, what's wrong with him?

- He lost his temper with us...

- He threw out our film.

- He called us dirty swine.

- The Colonel told him everything.

What?

- I'll return these to you.

- Lachie.

I'll be going away in the morning.

If you have any decency in you,

will you kindly not speak to me again?

I have no wish to see you, any of you!

- Now, wait a minute.

- I'll break your face if you come near me.

You'll need us, Lachie. You'll need us.

I'll need no one.

I'll die as I've lived,

alone and with some dignity.

I should've known

you'd be like all the rest!

Well, you've bought my friendship cheaply.

For the price of a kilt.

I should've put a higher value on my pride.

How righteous you must've felt

in your pity and your goodness.

Well, I'll not let you hurt me again.

Are you the driver

for Corporal MacLachlan?

- That's right, Sister.

- He won't be ready for a little while yet.

- Oh, could I get myself a cup of tea?

- Of course.

Any more tea, Yank?

Here are your papers, Yank,

they're all signed.

- Thanks.

- You'll be leaving this afternoon.

When's he going?

In a little while.

Could I talk to you?

Later.

- Finished?

- Yeah.

I could make better tea with feathers.

- How about you?

- Yeah.

I suppose this'll be my job,

now you're going.

You can have it.

You let your breakfast get cold.

Don't you want it?

Sister said you'd be leaving

in a little while.

If you stayed, Lachie, I would.

Well, I'm sorry to see you go.

I'd like to say goodbye.

You've said it.

Here are your papers, Lachie.

Your transport's outside.

I'll be ready in a moment.

Lachie.

- How about some help with these dishes?

- Yeah, of course.

- How about some help?

- I'm coming.

- How about some help, Digger?

- Okay.

Come on, Blossom.

May I stay and talk with you?

I have nothing to say.

Oh, Lachie dear, please listen.

I may not have another chance.

We wanted to save you

all the unhappiness we could.

- Was that so terrible?

- Did you forget I was a soldier?

Didn't you know I'd faced dying before?

You didn't have to go out of your way

to make it easy for me.

Do you think the way

we feel about you now is less genuine,

less honest

because we knew to begin with?

Dare you answer that truthfully?

Well, of course we were more considerate

because we knew.

What kind of people would we be

if we'd been indifferent?

The kind of people

I should've known you'd be!

You're easy to find the world over,

the kind that would beat a man, rob him,

hound him, slander him and betray him,

and think it fair game unless he was dying.

We're your friends, Lachie.

No matter how you acquired us.

We're the only friends you have

in the world, remember that.

Don't value us lightly.

For a time you made me think

I'd been wrong.

You gave me a fool's religion to die on.

If you only knew the bitterness

I must thank you for.

Do you think the only reason we were

kind to you was because we knew?

Oh, what other reason was there?

Was it easy to like me?

- No, it wasn't.

- Did I go out of my way to be

- pleasant to you?

- No.

Did I ask you or invite you,

or even encourage you

- to worm your way into my heart?

- No, you didn't.

Well, then, should I be proud that you

liked me only because I was to die?

If that were the only reason, no.

Lachie.

Lachie, please listen to me.

Forget everything but this.

For a little while you learned

the meaning of friendship.

Didn't you say

you'd shared a moment with kings?

If I must die to learn to love

my fellow man, I'll do without him.

It's too high a price to pay.

Darling, what difference does it make

why people are good?

Do you think I said I'd marry you

only because I pitied you?

- Well, didn't you pity me?

- With all my heart.

Surely there's pity in every woman's love.

I'm done with my packing.

Would you hate it if I kissed you goodbye?

You did ask me to be your wife, you know.

I've no words for you.

Lachie.

Yank.

Could you help him out with his things?

Yeah.

- I'll take these.

- I need no help.

Hand me the camera, will you?

I thought I'd put some new film in here

and get some new pictures of all you guys

before I go.

You can count me out,

I don't feel like pictures.

Me neither.

Blossom.

Baksheesh.

Baksheesh.

Oh, leave me be!

I want to tell you something, buster,

before you go.

There's a mean streak in you

that only a bullet can cure.

You've been sore your whole life

because things didn't come easy for you.

And you've taken your spite out

on every person you ever met.

You don't want our friendship?

Well, you didn't pay for it,

you didn't earn it, you got it for nothing,

so what are you kicking about?

And now the payoff,

you're sore because you didn't know

when you were going to die.

Does anybody know

when he's going to die?

No. But you had to know.

You're the kind of a hero

who wants to bet on a sure thing.

Why, you don't know what courage is.

You've been afraid to live

since the day you were born!

I'm not afraid of dying. Do not think it.

But you've tricked and cheated me.

You did not give me friendship,

you gave me pity.

Sure, at first we did.

What else could we give you?

I'm not gonna stand here and try

to convince you that we were your friends.

You're determined not to believe that.

But you're wrong, and I can prove it.

Did Blossom pity you?

Or was he a friend like we tried to be?

Blossom.

See? No English.

He didn't know you were going to die.

He still doesn't know.

He doesn't even know

what we're talking about.

He didn't make that necklace for you

out of pity.

He wanted to give you something

because he liked you.

Now, go ahead, Lachie,

fling it in his face again.

Throw his friendship back at him,

the same as you did with us.

Blossom.

Your driver's waiting. Are you ready to go?

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