The North Water

Sumner?

Sumner?

Sumner?

Sumner?

Sumner!

Mr Sumner?

Sumner?

Patrick?

Dear God.

Right, up. Up.

Careful with him, Otto. Watch him, watch him.

Now bring him... bring him down.

-Bring him down. Aye, Mr Jones.

Is the poor fucker even breathing?

I think so.

Bring him to the wardroom.

Gimme a hand, Otto.

Someone grab the goose fat. Hurry.

Where's the boiling water?

Uh-huh. Yeah.

It's nearly there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hot towels, Joseph. Get the hot towels, please.

-As many as you can. Aye, Mr Jones.

Jones, let's get him to his cabin.

He'll be more comfortable there.

Mr Sumner? Can you hear me?

Otto, get the brandy.

-You'll be all right. -

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Lay down. How is he?

He's showing signs of improvement.

Make sure he never goes out again.

I don't want another death on me conscience.

He's fucking blessed is what he is.

It's a miracle, that's what it is.

Oh, miracle or not, from now on, we mariners will hunt fish,

and the surgeon will remain safe in this cabin here,

reading his Homer or pulling his pizzle,

or whatever the fuck it is he does in here.

Easy enough for some.

The surgeon has his job on this ship,

and you have yours.

Let that be the end of it.

Aye, Captain.

Laudanum. Good work, men.

Laudanum. Laudanum.

Yeah, it's coming now.

He might still die.

Seems to me he'll be a difficult bastard to finish off.

Brownlee's sweet on him too. We need to be careful.

The further we sail, the more dangers he'll face.

How much d'you reckon that ring's worth?

I'd say 20 guineas, even 25.

-It ain't your ring. -Ain't your ring either.

Or the surgeon's, for that matter.

I'd say it belongs to whichever cunt has his hands on it at the time.

I'd say that's about right.

Pani?

Pani.

Pani.

Pani? Yes.

Water, yes. Yes. Please.

Twenty years ago, my parents left me too.

They were sent to a typhus hospital in Castlebar,

County Mayo.

That's where I'm from, in Ireland.

A long, long way.

My mother took my hand,

and she promised me she'd be back.

She swore it.

But she never returned.

I was left alone for days.

I knew that they had died,

long before William Harper had come to save me.

He was the surgeon who treated them.

Don't be afraid, my boy.

He was wearing green tweed...

and muddy pigskin boots.

That's what I remember the most.

The smell of the wool... and the leather

as he carried me outside in his arms.

When the British soldiers get here tomorrow,

I'm going to keep you safe.

I promise you.

I will keep you safe.

No! No! No, no!

-I'm a good fucking shot me! -

It takes three long weeks to pass Cape Farewell,

and my recovery is painful and slow.

Brownlee tells me that many vessels have been lost in these waters,

and we should be merciful that we have been preserved.

Otto is convinced that I died on the ice.

That I left my body and travelled to higher realms.

Do you know about Master Swedenborg?

He describes a spirit place

as a broad green valley surrounded by mountains,

where the dead souls, they gather

before being separated into the saved and the damned.

Well, if there is such a pleasant place,

then I certainly never saw any sign of it.

You would have met the dead, spoke with them.

Do you remember that?

No. No, I do not.

I don't know who or what I saw on the ice.

But I did not die.

I have not been saved or damned.

If I had died, I would be new somehow,

and there is nothing new about me.

As we travel north towards Baffin Bay,

the crew are kept busy

splicing whale lines and overhauling harpoons.

Morale seems high after the success of the sealing

and the men are desperate to hunt some fish.

And I am here to do my job too.

I give them poultices, plasters, ointments and balms.

They are grateful for these attentions,

these signs of care.

They have a faith in me, foolish, but real.

Morning, cook.

But to me, they are bodies only.

Legs, arms, torsos, heads.

Towards the rest of them, their moral characters, I remain indifferent.

It is not my task to educate them

or move them towards virtue.

It is not my task to judge, soothe or befriend them.

I am a medical man.

Not a priest or a magistrate or a spouse.

In fact,

in my current state, I have very little comfort to give.

Yes?

It's Joseph Hannah, sir.

What is it?

My stomach is bad.

When did this begin?

Yesterday night.

Can you describe the pain?

How does it feel?

It hurts me a good deal.

Climb onto the bunk, and we'll examine you from there.

It's a very simple, straightforward procedure.

I just need to examine you

to identify the source of the pain.

My stomach is bad, that's all.

I just need Pepperdine.

I'll decide what it is that you need.

Climb onto the bunk and lift up your shirt, please.

Does this hurt?

No.

Does this?

No.

So where is the pain?

It's everywhere.

If it's not here or here, then how can it be everywhere?

It's lower down.

And does it hurt when you shit?

Hm-hmm.

Remove your trousers, turn onto your side

and hug your knees to your chest, please.

It sounds like it could be piles.

I'll give you some ointment and you can be on your way.

Yes, Mr Sumner? -Warm water and a clean rag, urgently.

- Clean.

Right away, sir.

Who did this to you? It was no one.

Joseph..

Somebody did this to you.

You're safe in here.

-You can talk free... -It was no one.

Take this now.

Come back tomorrow

and every day till the end of the week.

You may go now.

Come back tomorrow for another one of these.

Do not forget.

Thank you.

- Captain Brownlee.

Come in.

I'll be with you in a minute.

- -Twenty years ago,

these waters were full of whales.

Now they've all moved up north.