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SCENE 3                                                                                             

Old Florence                                                                                                                 

That was when I committed myself heart and soul to God. In the garden with the birds. I’d just finished reading The Cornerstone - a very good book. It made me see things quite differently. The Lord has been good.

Mr Jowett                                                                                                                        

Are you ready to take the Holy Sacraments? I shall go and prepare them. (exits)

Old Florence

Yes. Thank you Mr Jowett. (reading from bible/praying) Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me, all: repentance, remorse, anxiety, disappointment, all bless His holy name. Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits: Crimea, India, nurse training, all all. Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, Who healeth all thy diseases, Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies, Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s.(Mr Jowett enters with sacraments)

Mr Jowett

Here we go. Shall I do the reading? (OF nods. Reading) And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. (he gives bread to OF) And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Does so with the cup. Prays) Father we thank thee for all thou hast done for us. For thy Son on the cross. For His victory over death. And for forgiveness of sin. We thank thee O Lord. Amen.

Old Florence

Amen. (pause) ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do’. What an immense statement, don’t you think Mr Jowett? I’m glad Jesus prayed for me on the cross. It gives me the courage to pray “Father, forgive me, for I knew not what I did.”

Mr Jowett

Miss Nightingale, what could you possibly have to ask forgiveness for? Why, the things you have achieved.

Old Florence

Only by the grace of God, Mr Jowett. Every morning I pray for God to give me His Holy Spirit twenty times a day! And that this Spirit would convince me of sin, of righteousness, above all to give me love, a real, individual love for everyone. This alone will make us happy. This and the counsel of the Most High.

Mr Jowett

Indeed. How true for all of us. Well, my dear Miss Nightingale, I shall take my leave of you. Same time next week?

Old Florence

Of course, Mr Jowett, you know I look forward to it. Goodbye, and thank you.(he exits. OF takes up her writing equipment) Now, where was I?(Mr Jowett exits passed Dr Sutherland . Amy Hughes arrives)

SCENE 9

(Beggars, drunks and children are around. YF enters with basket. Talks to child)

Young Florence

Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find Doris...er (looks at piece of paper) Doris Smith

Urchin

The Smiffs? They live over there.

Young Florence

Thank you

Urchin

Who are you?

Young Florence

My name is Florence Nightingale

Urchin

What?

Young Florence

Nightingale, as in the bird.

Urchin

What bird?

Young Florence

The nightingale.

Urchin

Never ‘eard of it. What ya doin’ ‘ere?

Young Florence

Visiting Mrs Smith. I hear she’s unwell

Urchin

Nah, she’s sick

Young Florence

Yes, that’s right. What’s your name?

Urchin

Kate. Kate Smiff

Young Florence

Is Doris your Mother then?

Urchin

Yeah. What’re ya gonna do to er. Ya not gonna take ‘er to the work’ouse are ya?

Young Florence

No. I have some things that might help her to feel better. Is your Father here?

Urchin

Nah. He’ll be at the rub-a-dub now (blank look) Y’know, the pub

Young Florence

Right, well let’s go and see how your Mother’s doing, shall we?(they go into the house, Mrs Smith is lying on an old cot)

Urchin

Ma there’s some lady wiv a birds name ‘ere to see ya

Mrs Smith

Oh! (trying to get out of bed) Oh M’am, please excuse....

Young Florence

Now, now Mrs Smith. My name is Florence Nightingale, and I’m here to help you. Claire told me about you. (Mrs Smith is overcome with a coughing fit) Please, stay in bed. Now tell me what’s wrong.

Mrs Smith

Oh M’am, you shoul’nt be ‘ere. It ain’t proper.

Young Florence

Please, Mrs Smith, tell me your symptoms. I really want to help.

Urchin

C’mon Ma, she seems alright.(to YF) She coughs and can’t stop. Sometimes, if she’s coughed too much, she gets tom an’ dick - ya know, sick.

Mrs Smith

Kate, that’s enough! Go out and look after Billy.

Urchin

I was just saying, is all.(goes outside and yells) Billy!(she exits)

Mrs Smith

I’m very sorry M’am, she don’t know when to keep ‘er mouth shut, that one.

Young Florence

It’s fine, Mrs Smith. But I need to know, does anything in particular bring on the coughing?

Mrs Smith

Not really, no. If I’ve been lying quietly for a while it stops, but when I ‘ave to get up it starts up again. Old Mrs Jones down the road, she died a while back of the same thing.

Young Florence

Do you cough up any blood?

Mrs Smith

No. But Mrs Jones did. ‘Orrible it was.

Young Florence

I don’t think you have the same thing. I’m going to try giving you some of these herbs, mixed into a paste. It doesn’t taste too good, but I want you to take it three times a day. Can you do that?

Mrs Smith

Am I gonna die, M’am? I got ten kids to look after. I can’t die

Young Florence

I hope not, Mrs Smith. Take the medicine. I’ll come back next week, alright?(lights down, one week later. YF enters. Same scene)

Urchin

‘Allo. Alright? Wocha doin’ ‘ere again?

Young Florence

Hello Kate. I’ve come to see your Mother. Is she doing alright?

Urchin

(sadly) She ‘aint ‘ere. She’s gone

Young Florence

(worried) What do you mean? She’s alright, isn’t she?

Urchin

Yeah. Right as rain. She ‘aint ‘ere ‘cos she’s back at work. But she said to say fanks a lot.

Young Florence

Is she really well?

Urchin

On my ‘onour. About free days after she took that muck you gave ‘er.

Young Florence

Well, that’s marvellous. I suppose I’d better be off, then.

Urchin

‘Ang about. Do you know Mrs Po’er’s sick? She just ‘ad a ‘nuvver dus’bin. ‘Aint been the same since.

Young Florence

Pardon? Who’s sick?

Urchin

Mrs Po’er

Young Florence

Oh, Potter. Did you say she had a dustbin?

Urchin

Yeah. Y’know, dus’bin lid - kid! You don’t understand much, do ya? Shall I take you to see ‘er?

Young Florence

That would be good, thank you.

Urchin

They just live down the frog a bit. I told ‘em all about ya ...(they exit with Kate talking. Crossfade to OF writing)

ACT 2 SCENE 8

(YF is writing)

Dr Menzies

(entering) Miss Nightingale. We have just received word that the wounded from Inkerman are on their way. Would you and your nurses be so good as to come down and help process them?

Young Florence

Certainly, Dr Menzies, we will come right away.(he exits) Jane.(she enters) We have been summoned!(the nurses go to where the wounded are starting to enter. Wounded are helping wounded. There are some terrible injuries. The men are half clothed, weak from sickness and wounds. YF takes charge) Right, Molly, grab all the mattresses we have and start laying them out. Jane, get the bandages. Look for the worst cases and get them to the doctors. Clean and bandage whatever you are able (they set to work) Dr Menzies, where shall we put the patients who need limbs amputated?

Dr Menzies

Just leave them where they are and call me.(she looks at him) We don’t have any tables.

Young Florence

Do you not at least have any screens you can use?

Dr Menzies

Miss Nightingale, I am trying to save peoples lives, not pamper them with privacy.

Young Florence

With all due respect, Dr Menzies, it isn’t a question of privacy but rather one of compassion. I cannot imagine how hard it would be to be in line for an amputation whilst having to watch how it’s done to the fellow before you.

Dr Menzies

You do your job, Miss Nightingale, and I will do mine.(they glare at each other)

Jane

Madam, can you have a look here.

Young Florence

What is it Jane?

Jane

Cholera, Madam. And lice

Young Florence

Right. Let’s get these men washed and bedded down. We need to get rid of their clothing - burn it! Dr Menzies, where are the nightgowns kept?

Dr Menzies

We don’t have nightgowns. These are soldiers, Miss Nightingale.

Young Florence

Alright, where can I find some clothes for them? Most of them don’t even have coats, and the clothes they are wearing are only fit for the fire.

Dr Menzies

I told you, Miss Nightingale, supplies are not my department. You will need to see the Purveyor for things like that.

Young Florence

But surely there are stocks of shirts and coats for the men.

Dr Menzies

They were issued with shirts and coats when they came to the Crimea! Why should they need more now?

Young Florence

(quietly)Because as you can see, Dr Menzies, the clothes they are wearing are not only lice ridden, but have bullet holes in them, and are caked with blood and mud.(she walks away from him) Leave it to me, Jane I will see what I can find for them. In the mean time, make do with what you can, and wash whatever is salvageable.(they start to move the men into beds. YF goes to her room and starts writing, we hear the voice over)

‘My Dear Sidney. Today we had 510 wounded arrive from the battle of Inkerman. We are unable to feed and clothe the wounded that are already here. Nevertheless, we are making the men as comfortable as is possible with the provisions available to us. I need you to send warm clothing and bedding as soon as is possible. The men are arriving here in terrible condition, and we cannot even offer them clean, fresh clothing or blankets. They are dying and being sewn up in the rotten blankets they were issued with when they first came out here. Winter is upon us, and I fear our nursing efforts will be wasted because the wounded are freezing to death.

Yours faithfully

Florence.’

(Jane and nurses arrive)

Jane

We have done what we can, Madam.

Young Florence

Right. I shall do the rounds and make sure all is well. Thank you ladies. Get some rest. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. We can now add nursing to our list of duties.(the nurses exit and YF gets her lamp. She walks around the wards checking on the men, stopping to check the occasional one etc - ‘the lady of the lamp’. Lights up on OF. During this next scene, we see how the hospital is transformed, from a dirty room with no bedpans and amputations happening in the open to a clean place. The nurses start cleaning up the ward, bringing in clothing, beds, blankets etc, even a screen to do amputations behind. It represents several days, so every so often YF wanders the ward with her lamp)