I’ve filled thirty ‘ot water bottles in the past hour. Now that’s over, p’raps I’ll ‘ave ‘alf a chance to put me feet up. Wass you got in there then Mabel?

‘ave a taste and see what you fink.

Smells good.

Try it. (EMMA makes to dip her finger into the soup) Get yer filthy ‘and out. Use this spoon woman, it’s more ‘ygenic.

(EMMA takes a slurp from the spoon and drops the empty spoon back into the soup tin)

Now look what you’ve been and done. (Fishing out the spoon) We don’t know what awful germs you got whizzin’ round inside your mouth, do we. We don’t wan’ ’em. By rights I really oughta chuck the rest of this soup ‘way now, you know.

No don’t do that, it was delicious. (Grabbing the soup spoon and soup tin from MABEL) As some of it’s already been in me mouth, the rest might as well join what’s already there. (Much to everyone’s utter astonishment, EMMA gulps down the remainder of the soup and hands back the empty tin to MARGE)

There you are. Won’t even ‘ave to bovver washin’ it out now. (Pause) What was it? 

That new French chef ‘as started, so the entire menu ‘as bin changed.

(Pause for scowling glare at EMMA) ‘ere, Em.

(With back to MARGE) What?

That soup was meant for the men!

It was very good... much better than all that old boiled stuff.

Miss Nightingale’s bin gone three weeks now. I ‘ope she notices everythin’ we’ve done when she gets back. Just about spick and span ’ere now, ain’t it! Either of you two ‘eard of ‘er whereabouts?

From what I’ve ‘eard, she’s arrived at the other ‘ospitals alright but was ‘avin’ to stay on a ship in Balaclava because they’m all so overflowin’ with wounded.

‘adn’t she bin tryin’ to get things done at the General and Castle ‘ospitals?

So I ‘ear... but that Doctor ‘all is so incensed since ‘is run in wiv Miss Nightingale that word ‘as it ‘e’s goin’ well out of ‘is way to make ‘er life as difficult as possible... if you get me drift. (Pause) The soldiers all like ‘er though. Wherever she goes, they all rush out and cheer ‘er on ‘er way. Nice that, innit? She deserves it after all she’s bin through.

(General muttering and nods of approval. Enter MARY. She is breathless from running)

Thank goodness... there you are. I can scarcely speak for runnin’.

Wass wrong Mary?

(Panting) Miss Nightingale.

What about ‘er?

She’s collapsed on one of them ‘ospital visits. She’s gone and caught Crimea Fever.

Crimea Fever!

I told ‘er and told ‘er she’d overdo it if she didn’t rest up a bit. She wouldn’t ‘ear of it... Now look wass ‘appened.

She should never ‘ave gone to the filthy stinkin’ place.

‘overin’ between life ‘n’ death, they say.

Where’s Miss Nightingale now?

(Still trying to regain her breath) She’s ‘ere!

What... in the ‘ospital?

Yeah... ‘alf an hour ago, or so, she arrived in ‘is Lordship’s boat. They've taken 'er to Mister Sabin’s ‘ouse.

‘ave you seen ‘er?

I’ve come straight from the ‘arbour. The landing stage was crowded wiv all the important people waiting to meet ‘er, so I couldn’t see an awful lot. When she came off the boat, all the crowd went very quiet. I did get a glimpse of her face. She looked dreadful... thin, white as a sheet and delirious. ’er couldn’t speak and I don’t fink ’er knew where ’er was. The soldiers carried ’er up to Mister Sabin’s ’ouse on a stretcher. Everyone was cryin’. I’m off up to there now. Comin’?

(All stop what they are doing, dropping pots, brooms etc., discarding aprons as they exit. EMMA has the last word as she follows the others)

Wait fer me!