This Above All Page #11

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- Thank you.

- One moment, please.

Can I see your identity card?

Where did you go from Leaford?

L- I'm not sure. I traveled at night.

I don't know the places.

Sergeant, will you believe me when I tell

you that I was coming to give myself up?

I swear it to you. But I wanted

just one evening, this evening.

Then you slipped off a lorry

at the military barrier outside Midhurst?

Yes.

Can I see the officer in charge?

It's terribly important.

You'll see the officer in charge

when the time comes.

But I've got to see him now.

Please let me see him.

If only I could make you understand.

I beg of you.

- Parker-

- Yes, sir.

I'll be back in a minute.

All right.

Come with me.

Here he is, sir.

Yes?

May I speak to you alone, sir?

All right, Sergeant.

They're calling

from your home, sir.

Hello.

Oh, is that you, Thomas?

Tell Lady Helen I'll pick her up

at Claridge's at 9:00.

No, no. Put out

my full dress uniform.

Tell Robert to have the car here

in half an hour, will you?

You wanted to speak to me,

I believe.

- If I may, sir?

- Well?

I hardly know how to begin.

I want to ask you a favor, sir,

and I know I've no right to ask it.

I had an appointment

to meet someone this evening.

Believe me when I tell you that it means

more to me than I can possibly explain.

What're you here for?

Desertion, sir.

I see. According to your deposition, you'd

already made up your mind to surrender.

That's true, sir- Immediately after

I'd kept my appointment.

- You volunteered on the first day of war, I see.

- Yes, sir.

Arras, Dunkirk,

twice mentioned in dispatches...

recommended for

Distinguished Conduct Medal-

I don't quite understand.

Why did you desert?

I tried my best to fight

for my country, but I-

I found there were

too many people in my way.

I'm ready to accept whatever

consequences there may be, but-

Will you trust me, sir?

I give you my word ofhonor that

I shall be back here within two hours.

Sergeant, I'm giving this man leave-

leave until, uh, 12:00.

Captain Marshall'll be on duty then. Will

you tell him it's my personal responsibility?

Very good, sir.

Thank you, sir.

My wife! My kid!

They're in the cellar! Help! Help!

- What is it?

- He says his wife and kid are down here.

- Whose?

- I don't know.

- The little chap that was here in the shirt sleeves.

- Grab hold, chum.

Perhaps we can lift it up.

Pick it up. Here we go.

Out with it.

Stand by to lend a hand.

Maybe I can make it.

You're a little too big.

I found her way in the back.

Here. Take the kid

Easy now. She's all right.

The wall!

Look out! The wall!

Here, the walll Look outl The walll

The walll

Look out for the walll

I can't get her out!

You take her while I get up here.

See what I can do.

Right. Give her to me!

Lift up her feet.

All right. All right.

I've got her.

All clearl All clearl

What train are you waiting for, miss?

- Oh, I-I seem to have missed someone.

- Hmm.

Yes, I've missed him.

- Miss Prudence!

- Is my father in?

Yes, he came from the hospital

right after the air raid.

Why, Prue! This is a surprise.

Hello, Father.

What is it? Something wrong?

Oh, I-I just wanted to see you.

You know, Prue, people come from all

over the place to sit in that chair.

Sometimes it's surgery.

Most of the time there's nothing wrong-

you just talk.

What would be the use of me

if I couldn't help my own daughter?

It's funny.

I always think of you

as a kid in pigtails.

- Father.

- Yes?

On my first leave, when I didn't come home,

I went away with a soldier.

We stayed on the coast.

Oh, please,

don't say anything, father.

I know it was wrong,

but we did nothing to be ashamed of.

And then last night he telephoned me

to come to London to marry him.

But he wasn't at the station.

I looked around, and I waited.

And then I came here.

That's all.

Well, that's a simple story.

He just changed his mind, I suppose.

No. There must've been another reason.

You see, he'd overstayed his leave...

and he might've been arrested, or something

may have happened to him in the raid.

He'd been through terrible times at Dunkirk,

and his mind was confused.

He needs someone so much

to help him.

I've got to find him, Father.

Can't you help me?

I'll do my best.

- Miss Collins?

- Yes, Doctor?

I want you to call military police

headquarters and the casualty station.

- Ask if there's someone there by

the name of- - Briggs. Clive Briggs.

Thanks, Miss Collins.

Like some tea?

Who is he? That is,

if you care to tell me.

He's just a soldier- a private.

But the moment I met him I knew.

Why is it like that, Father?

We weren't in love then.

- What makes it like that?

- The wisest of us don't know that, Prue.

It's so many things.

It's how old you are

and how the moon is...

and what tune the orchestra played

and left ringing in your head.

Everything you ever done

or thought in all your life...

somehow makes a tributary stream

that pours into that one moment.

Excuse me, sir.

St. John's Hospital on the telephone.

Oh, thank you.

Yes?

Dr. Cathaway speaking.

Oh, hello, Ferris.

Yes, that's the name.

Oh, I see.

Yes, it is. I appreciate that.

I'll come at once. Good-bye.

He's been wounded in the head by debris.

They're going to operate in half an hour.

Ferris is a very good friend of mine.

Do you want to come?

It's not an easy case.

A bad fracture on the left side.

There may be danger of hemorrhage.

We shall have to expect

great intercranial pressure.

Yes. I want you

to meet my daughter. Prudence.

- This is Dr. Mathias.

- Good evening.

- And Dr. Ferris.

- How do you do?

- We're ready, Doctor.

- Thank you, Nurse. Excuse me.

Nurse, will you look after

my daughter, please?

- I shall be glad to, Doctor.

- We shall be some time, I think.

Have some coffee.

The nurse will take care of you.

- Father.

- Yes?

Father, I-I don't know

how to say it, but-

please, please,

do everything you can.

Oh, thank you.

How long does it usually take?

Oh, it's difficult to say,

Miss Cathaway.

Sometimes half an hour,

sometimes it goes on for hours.

- Is he all right?

- My dear, in cases of this kind there's no way of telling.

- Could I see him now?

- No. He mustn't be disturbed till the morning.

Now, come home

and get some sleep.

- Father.

- Yes?

- Are you very tired?

- No.

Could we go somewhere?

L- I couldn't possibly go home.

Why, of course.

I'll have some cold chicken, please,

and a bottle of the SaintJulien.

- Are you sure you won't have something?

- Nothing, thank you.

- A glass of wine, please.

- Very well, madam.

- Would you like to dance?

- No, thank you.

- I'm quite good.

- Yes, I know you are.

- Hello, Dr. Cathaway.

- Oh, hello.

Hello there.

I bet people are saying "Look at that

old codger with the beautiful girl.

It must be his money that does it. "

What's going to happen?

Tomorrow morning-That's this morning

now- He'll seem much better.

That will be the relief of

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