Peter Noakes is conducting a meeting of the civil defense brigade when a rat scurries into the middle of the group of men and everybody freaks out. The rat is clobbered by one of the men, and Noakes thanks him.
Back at Nonnatus House, Nurse Crane has laid out rat poison, which Sister Monica Joan is collecting because she thinks it’s wrong to kill the rats. “Poison the rat and you poison man,” she says as Crane protests.
The rat-whacker from the meeting, whose name is Tony Amos, is working in a garage with his father-in-law. His pregnant wife, Marie, comes to visit, and they are soon found by Nurse Patsy, who has come to examine Marie.
Back at the clinic Doc Turner and Nurse Crane discuss an outbreak of Dysentery in Poplar. Later, Shelagh leads a talk at the clinic about how to avoid it. Crane keeps trying to take over the meeting, and Shelagh keeps trying to get her to move on.
Afterward, Shelagh is handing out soaps. She tries to give some to a woman named Dolores McEvoy, but she refuses.
Tom finds Trixie and the other nurses at the clinic. He says the Rector’s wife has had a fall, and now there’s no one to organize the Rose Queen Festival. He wonders if Trixie will help him and she assures him that as his fiance, she is on the case. They quickly find that not much is done, and Trixie gets to work.
In an examining room, Nurse Crane is tending to Dolores McEvoy. She tells her she wants to have her baby in the hospital and Crane notes that she’s dirty and has fleas. Later, McEvoy takes her children to a church, where they are reunited with their father. He gives them money and says soon they will all be able to be together again. Dolores tells him that she’s not sure she can hold out much longer.
That evening, Tony Amos leaves the shop where he works, walks by his apartment, and sees Marie in the window. He walks on. He goes to a public bathroom, where he finds another man. The two touch hands, then start making out. After a few seconds the man backs off and blows a whistle and the police come in, led by Peter Noakes. Tony is arrested for gross indecency and is taken away to jail.
Later, Trixie is measuring Marie Amos for her gown, since she’s the reigning Rose Queen. Peter Noakes comes in and informs Marie that her husband has been arrested. He tells her he was caught with another man. Marie is in shock, and says she doesn’t have the money to bail him out, protesting “He’s not that way!”
The next morning, Marie’s father brings Tony home. The father says he’ll keep Tony’s secret, but he fires him from the shop and says he doesn’t want him around anymore. Tony tells his wife that there’s going to be a trial.
At Doctor Turner’s office, he and Shelagh are plotting dysentery cases on a map. They seem to be clustered around a school, but there are some cases that seem to have no connection.
Nurse Crane goes looking for Mrs. McEvoy and finds that she’s not at the address McEvoy gave. No one knows where she really lives.
Mrs. McEvoy and her children are on the street, waiting for seven o’clock so they will be allowed into the hostel where they actually live.
Tony comes in to talk to Dr. Turner and asks him to be a character witness at his trial. Dr. Turner agrees, but says he’s not sure it will make a great deal of difference.
Dinner at Nonnatus House: The nurses and Nuns are discussing the Amos story. Monica Joan seems to think that it should not be a crime, while Sister Winifred says “sin is sin.” Trixie says the charges are an example of fascism, while Patsy is visibly uncomfortable with the conversation.
Tony Amos is also the subject of discussion at the Turner house. Turner reveals that he’s known other gay men in the war, and feels sorry for them, since “There’s not much room for a different way.”
The phone rings at Nonnatus House. It’s the womens’ Hostel and a mother is giving birth. When they arrive, they find it’s Dolores McEvoy. Trixie and Crane examine her and find out that not only is she in labor, she also has dysentery. They send for the father, and ask for assistance from the woman who runs the hostel, but she seems unwilling to help. It’s a difficult delivery, but she gives birth to a baby girl who seems to be healthy. McEvoy can’t hold the baby until she’s treated for her dysentery. The father comes in to hold the baby and explains that they moved here from Ireland because he was promised a good job, which didn’t pan out. They’ve been unable to find a place to live because so many landlords won’t rent to Irish. They’ve been promised better housing, but it hasn’t come through yet.
At the trial, Tony Amos pleads guilty. Doc Turner gives testimony that Tony is a good man who wants to do the right thing for his wife and baby, and who is willing to undergo treatment. The judge calls Tony up and yells at him for a little bit. He seems to be about to give him the maximum sentence, but gives him probation instead, under the condition that he will seek treatment.
Later, Doctor Turner goes over the treatment with Tony and Marie. He will be given female hormones to help him control his urges. This will make him impotent, result in muscle loss, and will even cause him to grow breasts. At home, Tony tells Marie that he doesn’t want to take the treatment, but she says she wants him to, she wants him to be cured, no matter what it takes.
As Trixie gets ready for the Rose Queen Festival, she is tending to Marie Amos. A woman comes in and shouts at her because of Tony. There’s been an article in the paper, and now everyone knows. The women are saying Marie shouldn’t be in the festival, but Trixie defends her and says people with such small minds are the problem.
Pater Noakes is leading another civil defense meeting when Tony comes in to join. Peter tells him that he can’t be a part anymore because criminals aren’t allowed in the organization. Tony is upset, but leaves.
When Tony comes home, Marie throws a glass at him. She says “You’ve ruined us!” because people are saying she shouldn’t be the Rose Queen. Tony tells her “I hate myself. I’m sorry. I’ll leave.” But she tells him he’ll stay, and he will be cured. Later, he goes to the hospital to begin the cure.
Doctor Turner has been summoned to Nonnatus House by Nurse Crane, who wants him to speak to the medical officer about the horrible conditions at the women’s hostel. The two have a meeting with him and he at first says he can’t do anything. As Crane presses, he promises to arrange an inspection.
Marie is walking down the street, and women openly avoid her. She returns to her house to find someone has painted “QUEER” on the door. A little bit later, she goes into labor and Patsy arrives to tend to the birth.
As Marie is in labor, Tony, returning from the hospital, goes to the garage. He closes the door, gets inside the car, and turns it on.
As Marie gives birth, her father is there. She delivers a baby girl, and wonders where Tony is. Her father looks outside, sees the closed garage door, and hears the car. He rushes to the garage to find Tony nearly overcome. He pulls Tony out and says “she can’t live without you,” then embraces him. The father takes him in to see Marie and the baby. Tony tells both of them that he’s not sure how to be a husband and a father, but he’ll try.
The medical officer tells Crane and Dr. Turner that the hostel is being closed, and the women there are being rehoused. The McEvoys have been given new lodgings. Shelagh tells Dr. Turner that she’s found the source of the dysentery outbreak: a mobile kitchen that serves the school, and which fed everyone who’s come down with the disease.
At the Rose Queen parade, women try to stop Marie, but Trixie says she belongs there. When she is introduced, there is no applause. But Tony, who has snuck in the back with the baby, stands up to clap. The nurses start next, and finally everyone claps. Tony looks at Marie, not at peace, but as if the two of them are willing to make the best of it.
Chad Grayson has been a gas station attendant, sold video games over the phone, and even was the person who cuts the mold off the cheese in the cheese factory, but spent most of his career as a middle school Language Arts and History teacher. He is now a full-time stay at home dad and writer. You can find him on twitter at @chadgrayson and on his blog at cegrayson.wordpress.com.
