At Downton, Anna tells Carson she's headed back to the hospital, as she's got what Mary needs and Carson of course is a nervous mother hen given that it's Mary, but he asks about the others coming back from Scotland and Anna tells him to have Matthew's car brought to the station so he can drive himself to the hospital, which seems like a fairly boring directive for something that's probably going to keep a lot of people up at night.

Mary's sitting up in bed in a hospital room, while outside it, Dr. Clarkson asks Isobel to help prepare her before thanking her for stopping him from making too big a fool of himself at the fair, as he'd had a lot to drink. Isobel plays the whole thing off before going in to take Mary's hand and Mary says she feels like she's only half herself without Matthew, and it's not like what's coming isn't a HUGE deal, but the show is still laying it on kind of thick. Isobel says he's on his way and besides, "you won't want him in the room until it's all over." Heh. After what looks like a fairly strong contraction, Mary says they have to ring Carson before berating herself for going up north, but Isobel tells her the baby will be fine -- slightly early, but nothing they can't handle. Dr. Clarkson then reappears, indicating it's time...

...while, in other delicate operations, Jimmy James steels himself and knocks on Thomas' door. Thomas's face is still a mess, but he's sitting up reading and brightens when he sees who it is, even as he asks what Jimmy James is doing up there. Jimmy James uncomfortably (I think it's as much due to guilt as anything else) tells him he wanted to make sure there wasn't too much harm done. Thomas makes a joke about it, but Jimmy James keeps serious as he tells Thomas he was very brave before apologizing for running off. Thomas, however, thinks Jimmy James sticking around would have ruined the point of the exercise and Jimmy James takes a moment to process this before wondering if Thomas was following him. Thomas sheepishly says he likes to keep an eye out for him and he'd been drinking -- so yes, he did follow him. Jimmy James asks why, but Thomas's smile is gone: "You know why." This is where I expected the conversation to end, but Jimmy James surprises me by pulling up a chair and sitting for a moment before telling Thomas that he could never give him what he wants, but Thomas tells him he knows that, and he doesn't ask for it. "But I'd like it if we could be friends." And while you may think Thomas is kidding himself to some degree, in the context of the time, I think it makes sense and is very positive. By that era's standards, he's never been closeted, but he's also never been able to be open with anyone -- note Carson's disgust with him -- so the degree to which this means something to him is plain. Jimmy James, with the first real smile he's given Thomas ever since he figured out what team he bats for, sincerely says if it's just friendship, he thinks he can manage that. Thomas thanks him and then hands him the paper, which Jimmy James reads to him. And I hope -- now that time has passed -- that O'Brien can see some humanitarian benefit to her plan ending in this manner.