How's Hetty? A different doctor, who sounds more like a news reporter, is examining her. He finds the sore spot in her back, making Hetty scream as if she saw Blair Stanley's ghost at the other end of the room. The pain is concentrated in one spot but can be felt throughout her lower back? Yes. She can't feel a thing in her legs? She feels nothing...NOTHING, I tell you! Hetty wants to know what's wrong. The newsman-doctor hybrid concludes there's a growth on her spine. Hetty doesn't think it can be so; her back has been sensitive for years! He adds it's not connected to bouts of sciatica. The best thing to do is operate to see what state the growth is in. If it's benign, they can just remove the growth, and Hetty will up and about in no time. She wants to know if there are other outcomes possible. Doctor-newsman acknowledges the delicacy of spinal surgery; however, if there is no operation, it will be time for Hetty to make nice with a wheelchair. What if it's malignant? Surgery won't halt its progress. Sometimes it can make it spread faster. Yeowch. Hetty wants to think it over. The doctor gives her the okay; but she has to make up her mind quickly, as there's not a lot of time. Arthur offers to call the family. Hetty asks him not to. In the end, she's all she has in the world, and it's her decision anyway. Okay, this whole "Hetty needing surgery and being on death's door" thing is sounding very familiar. Too familiar. More familiar than I want it to be. If I wanted to see "Memento Mori", I would have watched it.
A trainride back home, Janet is putting up some more decorations. All of a sudden, she's compelled to revisit Felix's snowflake. Unbeknownst to her, he's standing not too far behind her. Well...sort of. Fake Felix walks up behind her and massages her shoulder; she takes his hand. This daydream is interrupted by Felicity entering the parlour in search of her mom. Felicity offers her services; Janet accepts. Felicity mentions she's thinking about her future. Janet says she's delighted Felicity's home and that she can stay for as long as she needs to. Then Felicity drops her own bomb: she's thinking of going back to school. Janet doesn't get it. She wonders why Felicity must go from one thing to the next without taking everything into consideration, and how come she can't use her God-given sense and... "And what? Stay here forever?" Felicity asks. Janet apologizes; she can't bear to have any more of her babies away from her. Meanwhile, what does the War Office mean? Missing? To Janet, that's like Felix has been "mislaid, fallen through the cracks, and gone...forever!" Felicity reassures her--in a seemingly exasperated way--that "Felix isn't lost." He's worried Janet much too often but had always come home. And now, the moment has arrived. One hour, two minutes, and five seconds into the DVD...Sara is finally mentioned. Unfortunately, it's nothing to do with her whereabouts or her well-being, and everything to do with a memory Felicity had. Apparently one time, Felix and Sara went to Pine Island (anything like Pine Bend?) together; but the stupid tide had to take their boat. And there was another time Felix went AWOL at the Avonlea Fair, or so they thought; but he'd fallen asleep under the grandstand. I don't remember this, do you? Nah, didn't think so. But Janet remembers, and that's the main thing. Felicity declares her brother will come home. She knows it. It must happen. "Felix WILL come home." Just like her aunt Hetty, if Felicity believes something will happen, something WILL happen.
Hospital, please. Drat, there's a nurse taking some bedsheets. Who is this woman? She sees someone in bed and tries to avoid them...but she can't. The person in bed is Master Drill Sargeant Hetty; the nurse is Hannah Hubble. (Yeah, we know her, too; but we don't care about her. Heck, we don't even LIKE her! Get her off our screens, stat!) Wow. She took off to snag a boy and ended up changing bedsheets in hospital (shock, horror!, to Hetty). Hannah's amazed. Hetty remembers her? Of course Hetty remembers her. She remembers every student she's ever had, including the boy-obsessed non-wonders like Hannah. Hannah announces that she's now Mrs. Donny Lester. How's married life? Not bad, but not all Hannah was hoping for. She has a little girl. Donny is enlisted in the war, since he couldn't get a normal job; and it seems she's not getting his paychecks regularly. But if Donny's at war, and Hannah's playing nurse, who's watching out for the little one? Hetty must know; and Hannah must tell her. The baby is in the capable hands of Hannah's neighbour. Hannah didn't really imagine that she'd end up working in hospital, changing soiled bedsheets and that sort of thing. Hetty believes Hannah came to her too late and was beyond hope; yet, she (and everyone) has to accept whatever life brings. Plus, "a life of honest drudgery" isn't the worst thing in the world for a girl. Hannah offers no arguement and notes that it's good to see her ex-teacher hasn't changed. Are you sure that's a good thing, Hannah? Your aunt doesn't think so. I'd dare say no one else thinks so! Why aren't you conforming? It's not sunk in for Hetty yet. Why should she change? Hannah offers no answer, only that she's got work to do. The night shift must suck, I tell ya. Actually, wouldn't any shift at a hospital suck? Don't answer that.
Another day, and it looks like the Kings have found out about Hetty. Hannah is showing them to the waiting area. Daniel has to stay there since you have to be at least twelve to visit the patients...and, well, he's not. Silly hospital rules. If only they knew he didn't inherit the King Mischief Gene. Janet tells him he should've stayed with Cecily and the younger Dales (I hope to god Cess is teaching Monty how to speak Canadian English!); but Daniel wanted to come, so he did. Anyhoo, Olivia is already at least three steps ahead of everyone; Janet suggests to Alec and Felicity that they go on, that she'll stay with Daniel. Hannah points out it'd be better if only two went in at a time. Felicity volunteers to stay behind, so her father can go first. That's nice. I think. I'd rather go see her to get it over and done with, but that's just me. Daniel gives his father a snowflake cutout to give to his aunt. I wonder if he stole it from Libby. Oh, right, he didn't inherit mischievism. He's an angel.
Whoops, Olivia hasn't made it to Hetty's room yet. Besides, Hetty and Arthur are having a laugh and some orange slices that came from China just for Hetty (according to Arthur). She likes them. Arthur confides that he'd often dreamed of visiting China. Hetty suggests that he should while he's still young, and recalls watching the boats sail off to various places as a girl with her mother, wondering where they were going. Doctor Pettibone asks if she's ever traveled. Hetty hasn't. (I suppose Montreal and South Carolina don't count.) But she always wanted to go to all those places. (Really? Mairon Bennett's "young Hetty voice" would beg to differ.) All Hetty could do was teach out of a school atlas. Arthur believes there's still time for her to travel, too. Oops, Alec's at the doorway wanting to come in; it'll have to wait. And yes, Arthur, you do have to share your favourite patient. Instead, he takes his leave. Alec asks his older sis how she's doing. She feels like hell. He gives her Daniel's snowflake. How did Alec know where she was? It's Rachel Lynde's fault. (But who called Rachel Lynde?) Hey, look, there's Olivia. In a moment of near-brilliance, Olivia decides to use Hetty's words against her when Hetty takes note of her kid sister's presence. "Of course I'm here. Where else would I be at such a time?" It was said in such a scathing tone, too. Love it! Hetty didn't; she makes a sad face. Olivia reassures her, gently this time, that she'll be here...always. (Level 5 on the Sap-o-Meter, please!)
Later, Alec and Olivia emerge; and Felicity is ushered to see Hetty. Daniel, in the meantime, wants water; and Alec ushers him to a drinking fountain. Hey, there's music! It's a parade! Alec sets Daniel atop a bench so he can get a better look. Mmmm...men in kilts playing the 'pipes! Janet's around the corner resting, but then she takes note of the music and decides to see what's going on for herself. The pipers have past (snap!); instead, it's men in uniform marching down the street. It's just as yummy, though. In her mind's eye, Janet sees one looking up at her...she thinks it's Felix! She rushes over to the nearest window and opens it calling his name...only to realize it was just some random soldier looking up in her direction instead. Drat, fooled by Fake Felix 2.0! Daniel marches to her, using a cane like a gun, and says he and his father are going to go follow the parade. Janet will have none of it. She will not have her younger son emulating his older brother! He must be shielded from this at all costs! Maybe she should have him gutted and mummified, too. Alec wonders if she's alright. She wants Daniel inside with her. But Daniel wants to go out, and besides, it's a parade! It's fresh air! What's so wrong with that? Everything, if you're Janet King and your elder son has yet to come home and no one's reaching out to her. Besides, she. said. no! Alec reminds his wife that the soldiers in the parade are local boys; Janet counters that they should be at home with their families. Alec returns that they're boys willing to give their all. Fools, Janet calls them. Alec says they're going over to bring Felix home; and if the Army would take him, then he would go over there himself..."gladly". Janet brands her husband a fool, too. Alec, now angry, orders Daniel to stay with his mother, while he goes outside for air.
Lots have gathered around the soldiers. Many of them are greeting friends. Nearby, there's a tent set up to check out potential enlistees. After all, they need virtually anyone they can get. Alec comes out to see the current scene, followed closely by Olivia. He vents that Janet blames him for what's happened to Felix. Olivia mentions Janet's upset. Then...the emotions explode. Again, Alec says he's willing to do anything to get his son home to them...including going over to Europe himself. (Foreshadowing Anne 3, perhaps? Say, if Alec went over there to look for Felix, would there be a monk's robe involved?) Olivia can only offer him a hug before ushering him back inside. The Sap-o-Meter rises slightly to Level 5.5. In the waiting area, Daniel has fallen asleep, Janet seems weary for whatever reason, and Felicity is just...well, I think she just wants out. Alec reminds them they've got to leave soon if they're going to catch the last train home, and says he's going to say good night to Hetty and asks Janet to come along. She says she can't. I suppose an ice queen still deserves a cold shoulder even if said ice queen is an invalid, eh?
Meanwhile, Hetty tells Olivia she's worried...but not about the surgery. She's worried about everything but the surgery--her concert, winter exams, Christmas dinner, Red Cross bandages...that sort of thing. Olivia tells her she shouldn't worry about it. But Hetty does worry about all that! She worries about everything! Well, everything except the state of her niece Sara's life. Ruth King-Stanley's ghost is not very happy about this, you know. Yet, Hetty frets that she's the only one who cares about this stuff, but no one cares about her! Dang it, she's spent 40 years (minus at least twelve!) in the classroom, and now she's about to turn into chalk dust. Olivia prods her to stop thinking about all that; after all, her students love her. Hetty disagrees. They may respect the Master Drill Sargeant, or even be scared of her, but to have a great affection for her? Pathetic thought! As Olivia gets up to go, Hetty stops her and begins to talk about her attitude toward Jasper. Olivia doesn't want to start on that; but Hetty persists. She admits that although he has his faults...she was wrong about him. Olivia's been loved at least. But so has Hetty! I bring you Exhibit A (Romney Penhallow), Exhibit B (that freaky skate salesman Wally Higgins), and Exhibit C (Simon Tremayne). Olivia believes Hetty's latest musing is all stuff and nonsense, too. What about her family? They love her! Hetty thinks Olivia is full of it. She believes that when she's dead and gone, she'll "be no better remembered than Great Aunt Arabella." I don't know; there was that whole blue chest thing, and you're still using her stuff. Olivia says it's doing her big sister no good to talk as she is, then bids her good night.