Charlie.
- You've seen it.
- Seen it? My phone hasn't stopped ringing with colleagues making sure I've seen it.
- You've made us a laughing stock.
- It's all lies, Ewart.
You mean he wasn't hosed down in the shower room while fully dressed? He was drunk and covered with what do you call that stuff? Vomit.
- What else are we supposed to do?
- Use your head.
When journalists want revenge, they know exactly how to get it.
"A meal in the canteen that gave him food poisoning.
" He had an Indian takeaway from round the corner.
"Scruffy, sloppy, don't
-care staff.
" "Nubile doctor, tired administrator "Aged Irish nurse drafted in "to keep thug
-like staff nurses reeking of booze in order.
"
- Sounds about right.
- It's not funny.
I can do without this.
King's not funny, I can do without King.
That's one thing that reporter got right.
"Staff nurses stinking of booze.
" King.
And to put the old tin lid on it, he was late again tonight.
I'm not standing for it, Ewart, I want him out.
I can't afford to lose a good man.
A good man ceases to be a good man when you can no longer depend on him.
All right.
I'll remember that.
Next time you invite the press in behind my back.
(Drunk man) What are you doing? I'm perfectly all right.
Perfectly all right.
What are you doing? For God's sake.
(Phone rings) Where are you? What are you doing? Where are you? Come here.
You coward! Come here! All right, my darling.
Just gonna give you a little bit of this.
It won't taste nice, but it will help your tummy.
OK? Here we go now.
That's a good girl.
Try it.
There we go.
That's good.
That's a good girl.
He ain't good
-looking, but then looks aren't everything.
And he is not my fella.
That's becoming more obvious the more you talk about him.
But his eyes sort of light up, especially when he talks about something that really matters.
- Like?
- You're disgusting, you are!
- Hold 'em up, hold 'em up!
- Calm down, Cassius Clay, I'm only trying to help.
Kuba! Hobson, Hobson
-Smythe.
Would you like to come over?
- (Screams)
- (Drunk) Come back, coward! Don't panic.
Take a seat there, I'll sort it.
(Very slurred) I'll get him.
I'll get him.
Let me go!
- (Charlie) That.
Out.
- That's my ferret.
I can see it's a ferret and ferrets are strictly not allowed, so out.
You don't understand, this isn't just any old ferret, it's Freddy the ferret.
We're inseparable.
Well, then you go with him.
I'm not having that in here frightening the patients.
On yer bike.
Come on, let me explain.
See if I can win you over.
After all, I'm not one who automatically believes everything I read in the paper, am l?
- Will she be all right, Doctor?
- Hopefully.
But no thanks to you.
When will parents learn? Leave booze lying around, and the chances are you end up with a dead kid on your hands.
I didn't think.
I just left the bottle out on the sideboard.
Too many parents don't think.
I guess you wouldn't have thought a child her age would have a go at the sherry.
Children of any age, Mr.
King.
And you don't have to make a defence of parental stupidity just to ease her conscience.
We'll have to keep her in.
When can I take her home? (Baz) 24 hours observation, then we'll see.
She's not out of the wood yet, not by a long sh*t.
Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be OK.
Over an hour and a half now.
I'm sorry, but splinters, no matter where they are, come very low down on priorities of a busy casualty department.
How would you like to have to wait that long? Answer me that if you can.
How would you like it? I don't have to like it, do l? Whereas I'm afraid you do.
The paper was right, you're nothing but a load of bullies.
Mrs.
Ferguson, will you please sit down? I can't sit down! I don't care if it is your best friend in the whole world, animals are not allowed What about my finger where he bit me? We can do your finger without the ferret.
But he's as good as gold, aren't you, Freddy? Here
- Oh, dear.
Look!
- (Screams) That's all I need
- a mad ferret on the prowl.
Where is it? Where is it? I'll tell you for nothing, if that finger does need stitches, it's gonna hurt.
You might have a word with King.
It does the image no good, having nurses on duty looking like bums.
You never know when one of your reporter friends might pop in and do another hatchet job.
(Laughs) ( Reggae on car stereo) Carrie! Carrie! It's me, Jed.
Come on, open up.
Carrie! Ah.
Carrie! Carrie! The whole article is a complete fabrication.
And a public apology in tomorrow's issue is the very least Right.
We'll see what the other nationals have to say about this gross misrepresentation by your drunken reporter.
- (Knock at door)
- And the same to you! Enter "one matronly Irish nurse, a pretend Florence Nightingale "who is fleecing the National Health under the guise of doing good.
"
- Don't get at me, Megan, talk to Charlie.
- Who'd talk to What do they call him? "A bullying thug who does not deserve to don the pure white mantle of nursing.
" I know it's rubbish, but we won't live it down.
Tomorrow's fish and chips will see that off.
I just hope you're right.
Listen.
Any news on the flat? No.
My mate Emlyn had a place, so I heard, I just gave him a ring.
He wants ã45 for a room.
And that's a mate, or an ex
-mate as he now is.
- Well, that is about the going rate.
- How does anybody survive out there? Why do you think my lot are hanging on like grim death at home?
- Because you only charge 25.
- 25? They pay ten quid a head, when they can afford it, right? And they get to borrow it back in the middle of the week.
It's a great life for some! Gotta go now and sort him out.
Oh! Listen.
Listen.
I do it.
You tell me what pub, what the man looks like, I go hit him with iron bar for you.
OK? Really? Yes.
That's what I do.
Push wheelchairs, clean floors, hit people with iron bars.
All part of my job.
No, no, no, no.
Wait a minute.
How much?
- Free on the National Health Service.
- Yeah? Also more efficient use of beds.
When you are ready to go, the man I hit will be just ready to come in.
- Mmm.
- Got it? Sounds very good.
Now Now lay down.
And And you wait for a doctor.
- OK?
- (Groans) All right.
We have to grin and bear it.
It will probably be forgotten by tomorrow.
Is that really all you've got to say? What else is there to say? Carol, can you cover reception? You Out! You're OK.
I'll get you to a hospital in no time.
You'll be all right.
Stay warm.
Come on.
Come on.
Carrie, listen, listen, listen.
Carrie.
Listen.
You've got to stay awake, OK? Stay awake.
If you don't, you're dead.
(Siren) ( Car stereo plays reggae) I tried, Susie.
The editor was adamant, the article stands.
No apology gets printed.
So that paper won't print a retraction.
Find one that will.
- What? About somebody else's story?
- Why not? It's a great story in itself.
Reporter sent to hospital.
Misses big drama.
Gets drunk, gets dunked by staff.
- It won't work, Susie, just let it go.
- I don't like being called a bully, Ewart.
It's as pleasant as "a sexy girl masquerading as a doctor.
" Or "an administrator, too tired to cope.
" Unless you can think of an answer to lies like these in the national press, we're stuck with them.
- Ewart
- Are you taking that job with Paterson? (Car beeps) ( Car stereo plays Paul Young: Every Time You Go Away) OK.
We're nearly there, right? You'll be in good hands any minute now.
Oh, no! We've got everything going on and on and on Carrie!
- Come on.
Where are you going?
- No, no!
- I'm not going with you.
No, no!
- Come on!
- No, no.
- Listen, you're stuck with me, all right? Leave me alone! Leave me alone! I don't want to go with you.
I don't want to go with you.
- Mrs.
Ferguson.
Yes.
- Ferguson.
- Yes.
- Mrs.
Ferguson.
- Over here, my dear.
- All right, my love.
Excuse me.
Are you the one with splinters? Come on, then, we'll soon get you sorted.
- Duffy.
Have you seen Susie?
- No.
Do you want me to look for her? No, it's Highway Code time.
Cover reception.
- No, no, no.
- Cubicle four to X
-ray.
- OK.
- When you've done the cabaret.
No problem.
- Where you been?
- I'll be a minute.
CaroI's covering.
- No, Duffy is.
- Same sort of thing, really.
Oh, there it goes! That's my ferret.
Excuse me.
My ferret.
- (Screams) Oh.
Damn! If he hijacks my team, he wants to make sure there's no ill will on the golf course.
- So he checked with me first.
- And? I told him you'd been unhappy here for some time and were ready for a change.
- So you'd let me go just like that?
- I'd have no choice.
It's a thankless job, you've done your stretch, you can go.
No argument at all? What is there to argue about? Baz, you're the best, that's why you were chosen for the team.
But if you really do want to go, end of story.
Who will you replace me with? Oh, now, that's a different story altogether.
I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, Baz, I think this department does need you.
If you want to take this offer, fine.
But if you could think about staying just a while longer.
Help choose your successor.
That would be marvellous news.
Don't give me your answer yet, just think about it for a while, OK?
- All right? Good girl.
Won't be long.
- (Indistinct) What? My God.
Brian Northover.
- I don't want to catch you at it again.
- All right.
Er Charlie, er About being late tonight, I'm sorry, l, er It's a bit late for sorry.
This unit can only survive on teamwork and timekeeping.
We can't rearrange our hours to fit in with your local.
(Laughs) I'm off the booze now, man, it's behind me.
Save it for Ewart.
Do you think you could arrange to stand closer to your razor tomorrow night? What happen? Your newspaper friend coming in to take photos, is he?
- No, Mr.
Thalton wasn't very pleased.
- I see.
So every time the brass blows a gust of wind, you fart on their behalf, right? What's that supposed to mean? It means you're a crawler, Charlie.
A crab.
- Do you want to put that in writing?
- Come now.
Move, man! What the hell do you think you're playing at? What the hell was all that about? It's about sleep, Ewart.
Hey! Leave it to me, sunshine.
Police.
I got his number, I'll phone it in.
(Radio ) A young black male driving a green Cortina, seen to carry a young white female from the building.
Detective Sergeant Fox here, Premier service station.
There's been work going on on the street for months.
I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a couple of drinks to get me off.
The funny thing was that I found that I really liked it.
So I started taking a couple to get me into work, then a couple to get me through the night.
But losing my licence made me see I had to do something about it, so I did.
- And that was?
- Alcoholics Anonymous.
I've been going there for the past ten days.
I think I'm over the worst.
The shakes have gone, but still no sleep.
It's m*rder.
It will take about six weeks for a natural pattern to re
-establish itself.
- How come you know so much?
- I'm a doctor, remember.
But I should add I had a problem too.
Oh, I found out at medical school.
Hmph! That long ago.
And it doesn't go away.
It made a mess of my home life, but I keep control.
And I never let it interfere with work.
Yeah.
- I'll have a word with Charlie.
- Look, l I'll say, ermproblems at home, get him to ease up for a bit.
For six weeks.
No, no.
This way.
Don't worry.
- I told you to sit down.
- Can't someone see me now? There's no one to see you now.
I'm stuck behind here.
OD.
These.
- How long?
- Over a period of three hours.
- The last time was about an hour ago.
- Why didn't you stop her? I wasn't there.
If St Stephen's wasn't closed, she'd have been treated by now.
- Clive.
- Yes.
OD.
These.
- Three hours.
- Stay awake.
- All right, let's go.
- It's OK.
- Get Baz.
- Uh
-huh.
- (Jed) Thank you.
- That's my pleasure.
- Mr.
Northover.
- (Faintly) Mmm.
- Mr.
Northover.
- Mmm.
Ooh! Good.
You're awake.
Porter will be along soon to take you to X
-ray.
You mean you woke me up to tell me I'm still waiting? King's got an OD in three.
Young girl, 15 or 16.
Paracetamol.
Don't go to sleep.
This isn't a dosshouse! Do stop going on about it.
I'll go back and pay as soon as I've got you sorted out, you lunatic.
How many times do I have to tell you? It was an accident.
It's very strange your accidents always happen after we've had a blazing row.
Because you always make me so furious.
My attention is not on what it's supposed to be on.
I was carving you instead of the chicken.
(Laughs) Thank you so much.
Carrie.
We want to wash those tablets out of you, so I need to put a tube down your throat, OK? Hmm? Carrie, we want to wash those tablets out of you.
All right? Yes.
See if we can find out what else is in there.
She shouldn't be this drowsy.
- Alcohol?
- Could be.
Can you get the alcometer? Yep.
- Ooh!
- There you are, Mrs.
Ferguson.
All done.
(Mrs.
Ferguson sighs) Wash
-out, Megan, paracetamol.
OK.
Now There you are, now.
Does that feel better? Wonderful.
I can't tell you how much better.
Ooh, lovely.
Well worth the wait.
All you have to do is come back and see us in about two days' time.
Right.
Make an appointment with the receptionist.
Hm.
Yes.
She's just a friend, that's all.
- Sorry.
- That's all right.
- Any name apart from Carrie?
- Yeah.
She left this by her bed.
It's addressed, I think, to her parents.
She said she's a runaway.
- We'll check after she's washed out.
- So you'll contact them, then? If she gives us the address and number, we will.
Otherwise we'll let the psychiatrist wheedle it out of her.
Fenton's not the most ordinary name in the world.
Surely all you have to do is check the phone book.
You got time to play detective, Mr.
Carver, you do it.
I haven't.
(Clive) Baz.
- Coming.
- Clive.
Stick around.
You'll need stitches in that.
Yes.
So, it wasn't booze.
Unless she was taking it a syringeful at a time.
- What is she on?
- Sorry? On? Track marks by the dozen.
What is she scoring? Heroin.
She's addicted.
You see, that's why she had to get out.
- Thank you for telling us.
- You didn't ask me.
I shouldn't have to.
She's your friend.
I'm sorry.
I didn't think it was important that you knew.
Right.
A drip of parvolex and a sh*t of narcan.
Let's get her lively enough to face the misery of it all.
- Come on.
Let's get you inside.
- Wait, wait.
No blood.
David, don't be asinine.
You've lost a lot, you need a transfusion.
I don't want any blood.
It doesn't matter what they say.
I want you to promise.
Now.
We don't have ti They do checks, they do tests, there isn't any danger.
I'm terrified, James.
Frightened.
Aren't we all?
- Come on.
I'll come round and get you.
- I'll be all right.
Now just wait.
I want a word with you two.
Look.
Give me a hand, he's cut an artery.
He's had a few problems at home but he's going to get his act together.
"Get his act together"? I don't have Hughie Green's number on me, so I can't be much help in that department.
The man's a lush.
He's got a drink problem.
He needs treatment.
Why didn't you suggest that he goes to the AA? Charlie! Charlie.
Charlie.
Oh.
Come quick, please.
Duffy's calling.
Mr.
Plimmer, my bleep, not working.
Great.
About time you got some more money for maintenance, isn't it? Whole place is falling to bits.
- Where's Susie?
- Not now, Fox.
Just keep that up.
We got a bleeder, Charlie.
He's a haemophiliac.
Christ.
Right, keep that well up.
It's deep.
It was an electric carving Kn*fe.
Where's King? He's with an OD in three.
A black guy brought her in.
It wasn't by any chance a white girl aged 15?
- That's right.
- Duffy.
- Everybody take a corner.
- (Duffy) One, two, three, up.
Right.
I want swabs, correct bandages and get me a proper tourniquet.
- Right.
- Oh, and gloves on.
- Why gloves?
- Why not? (Door opens) Hello? Is there anybody there? Hello.
Thank goodness for that.
Could you get someone, please? I'm locked in.
I recognise that voice.
Aren't you the young girl from off the counter? That's right.
Could you get someone, please? I've been in here for hours.
Oh, I'm afraid I couldn't do that, my love.
Very low down the list of priorities of people locked in the lavatory.
I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn with all the rest.
- (Mrs.
Ferguson laughs)
- Ooh! How did you manage that? Electric carver.
Slipped.
How did you cut your wrist on that side carving? That should hold it up, but keep an eye on it.
I'll get the doctor to pop in.
- We'll get a sample of blood to the lab.
- No.
No blood.
I'm sorry, he made me promise.
No blood.
- So she just disappeared, eh?
- Yeah.
That's right.
Excuse me.
Can I borrow the phone? l want to try and contact the girl's parents.
- Did you bring the su1c1de in?
- (Phone rings)
- Yes.
- Don't go too far.
I want words with you.
Yeah, this is Nurse Duffy.
Billy? Billy, how did you get this number? Baz.
- Can I leave you?
- Yes.
Deep laceration, plus severe blood loss, plus the man is a haemophiliac.
- Great.
- It gets better.
His friend
- a Mr.
Jarvis
- is insisting that the patient's not to get any blood.
If my patient needs blood, my patient will get blood.
Mr.
Jarvis can stuff himself.
Mr.
Jarvis is Mr.
Jarvis of Jarvis, Jarvis & Jones Solicitors.
Check the legal angle with Ewart.
Can we get away with an expander?
- I doubt it, he's lost a fair amount.
- Yes, most of it over me.
Mr.
Fox, you may be a hero, but you're currently standing on forbidden territory.
- Charlie, get Ewart in here.
- On my way.
- Look.
Why gloves?
- Gloves on all the time.
Never handle blood without them.
Especially these days.
These days? Yeah.
Two chaps walk into Casualty with blood involved, gloves on straight away.
Chaps? Well, you don't mean that But they're a couple of businessmen.
One of them's a solicitor.
You don't need a limp wrist to prove you're one of the brotherhood.
Can you page Ewart for me, please? What? You mean that they're a couple of I've no idea, Mr.
Fox.
The sexual proclivity of patients is not my business.
Make it your business! I've got his blood all over me.
Yeah, that's right.
You have, haven't you?
- (Clears throat)
- Can you hang on a minute? Get that attended to, it could be catching.
Funny.
Can I just borrow the phone? I'm trying to tell the girlâÂÂs parents she's here.
- There's a public one over there.
- It's out of order.
- There's another one round the corner.
- This is an emergency.
- Can I just borrow this phone?
- Round the corner.
You still there? Here, look.
Go through it all again.
I'm a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to politics.
If he's in there, why can't I go in and see him? Oh, no, no.
He's still unconscious.
- My iron bar was too big for his head.
- This is a madhouse.
(Susie) Is there anybody there? I'm locked in.
Come on, somebody.
This isn't funny any more.
- Susie?
- I'm locked in.
Oh.
Right.
Well, no problem.
Stand back.
- Thank God for that.
- Susie, I need your help.
Are you serious? I've been in here for hours and you want help.
Susie, I do need help.
A little bit of information on the quiet.
No information, Fox, you know the rules.
Look, there's two men in, one with a gashed wrist.
I need to know if they're gay or not.
Well, you're a man of constant surprises.
Who would have thought it? In the ladies' loo of all places.
It's not funny, Susie, I've had the blood of one of them all over me.
- So what?
- Don't you ever read the papers?
- Read 'em? I feature in 'em these days.
- AIDS.
(Fox) AIDS.
You don't believe all that rubbish in the papers, do you? You stand a better chance of winning the pools than catching AIDS from a smear of blood.
- But Charlie put gloves on.
- Of course he put gloves on.
There's thousands of things you can pick up from blood.
It's just a precaution.
He gave me the impression that I was in a fair bit of danger.
That's different.
If you looked as panicky then as you do now, and he gave the impression,
- then it's a wind
-up.
- It's what? A wind
-up.
You've been had.
Practical joke.
See ya.
Oh.
That final cr*ck he wrote about half the bulbs being out was just unfair.
Doesn't he know what it's like these days? Not enough staff to keep the place halfway decent.
Never mind about that.
When was the last time the bleepers were overhauled?
- Well, they weren't.
- They weren't? Well, you can't overhaul them if there's no spares to replace them with.
That's if we had the time to do it, considering how understaffed we are.
Point taken.
I'll get spares so you can take them out of service on a rota basis.
And an extra bloke for the workload?
- You're not being serious, are you, Bill?
- Well, there's no harm in trying it.
That's a rare species you've got there, Ewart.
A maintenance man called Bill.
Up yours, Charlie.
All's forgiven about the article, Charlie.
After all, it's finally got your bulb in.
You want the good news? It's Dr Kildare time.
A serious carve
-up plus a moral dilemma.
Who could ask for anything more? I'll get my coat.
- Give me a cough.
- Good girl.
Good girl.
That's it.
(Carrie groans) God, no matter how many times you do that, it doesn't get any pleasanter.
One of those jobs, Megan.
If I had to kick the bucket, it would be a damn sight cleaner than paracetamol.
Me too, Clive, me too.
Will you pass me one of those, please? Thanks.
Megs, I'm going outside to see what's happening.
- OK.
- I want Jed.
Yeah.
OK, I'll get him for you.
Oh, by the way, Baz says he needs a couple of stitches in his hand.
I'll do that as soon as I can, OK? Yeah.
A stitch in time, eh? Megan.
Dextran now.
Right.
Hey, Susie.
- Seen a black fella round here?
- Can't say I have.
The one who brought in the su1c1de? Jed Carver.
Fox sulked off to see someone, could be him perhaps.
Fox.
Oh, excuse me.
Could you have a look at my finger? I've been waiting here ages.
- What happened?
- Well, it's Freddy, you see.
He bit me.
Damn it! Et tu? There was a report on the radio, a break
-in, followed by a black boy carrying a white girl from a house in William Street.
Was that you? Yes.
And who might you be? Police.
Was that you?
- Yes.
Probably was.
- You want to tell me about it?
- No, not particularly.
- You could end up arrested.
Yes.
And you could end up looking like an idiot.
Now, you watch your mouth, friend.
You could get hurt.
Because I am not overly fond of black boys carrying off little white girls.
- Will he be all right, Doctor?
- I'll get Thalton back.
It will need a seamstress to sort this lot out.
Luckily he hasn't cut the radial artery, but it could go off at any time.
- Is he going to be all right?
- Excuse me.
- Baz, is that OK?
- Yep, fine.
Great.
What's this for? Mr.
Jarvis, go and wait in the reception.
If that's factor VIII, he's not to have it, please.
I did explain.
- You're not making our job any easier.
- He made me promise no blood! And I'm telling you I have nothing more to add, OK? She's asking for you.
I'll do your hand while you rap with her.
- She's conscious? All right.
- Sure.
You'll go when I've finished talking to you.
- You arresting our patient, Fox?
- Stay out of this, King.
I know you lot like to stick together, but this is a police matter.
Clive.
Clive.
Come quick, please.
Fight.
Please.
Look, son.
Unless I get some answers soon, I'm gonna have to take you in.
- Aren't you going to see about the fight?
- If I went to every fight in this place, I'd wear my shoes out.
Come on.
It's not blood, it's a plasma expander to keep his blood pressure up.
- It isn't factor VIII?
- No.
Baz, he's going off.
- Kuba?
- Yes? Get the gentleman through to the interview room.
I'd like a word.
- Take it easy, man.
- Come.
Come.
- Are you going to be all right?
- Yes.
- You go to sit down.
- Make sure they don't give him blood.
Your friend is safe with Doctor Baz.
(Charlie) Finger on there.
Isn't love the strangest thing? Sure is.
Hey, Clive, you got that hand in hand? Sure enough, Doc, the hand's in hand.
(Megan groans) I've never heard such a heap of tosh in all my life.
A young girl phones you out of the blue, tells you she's stuffing her face full of tablets, and finally says, "Come and rescue me"? You've got to be putting me on.
That's all you're gonna get from me.
Take it or leave it.
Anyway, if you really wanted to help, you could get the parents' number.
She was asking for her mum.
I tried butit's ex
-directory.
Have you got a name? Yes, I think so.
- What you looking for?
- A ferret.
- Don't be cheeky.
- Sorry.
She left this by the side of her bed.
It's addressed to Mr.
and Mrs.
Fenton.
Her name's Carrie.
You've possibly got her name at the station.
She's a runaway.
She was asking for her mother on the way in.
(Sighs) She could fill you in with the details, OK? Whereas I'm just I'm just a friend.
You know, we have got all night, Mr.
Carver, but I'd really like to get on, if you can spare the time, that is.
- Yeah, yes, I'm sorry.
- (Clicks fingers) The letter.
- Has Thalton been called back?
- Ewart's getting him.
As soon as he's stable, let's get him up to theatre, in case Mr.
Jarvis has another turn.
Is he likely to? I'm going to talk to him, try and calm him down.
90 over 50.
Share it.
I was thinking if Thalton really dashes, he should just make it home in time for Ewart to call him back.
Look.
Keep it light.
I don't want to induce any panic.
Understand? I'll be back in a couple of minutes with needle and thread, sew up your hand.
- All right, man?
- Yeah, yeah.
I'm all right.
Nice.
Great.
Well, if they're that near, get them here on the double.
Maybe they'll be able to help us nail this uppity kid who's with her.
Right.
I'll do that.
You really think this is a decision I'm taking lightly, Doctor? We've lived together for 25 years.
We've never been promiscuous and recently we've been even more careful, but for David there's always been this other danger.
He knew something like this could happen any time.
But if I told you there was absolutely no danger whatsoever? The blood we use now is so well screened, it's I know, I do know.
Please.
I do know all that.
If I've told him once, I've told him a thousand times, it doesn't make any difference.
Don't you see, he's terrified.
He made me promiseno blood.
And if the option is him dying? If l If I did give my permission, I don't think I could go on living with him.
You don't understand the paranoia about AIDS in the gay community.
We're under siege.
If we catch a cold, we worry.
If we get the flu, we're treated like a leper.
We are.
We're under siege.
(Knocking)
- Kuba's taken him up.
- Thanks, Clive.
He's been taken up to theatre.
And the surgeon's on his way.
It will be his decision, not mine.
And if it was your decision? He'd be on it as soon as he was matched.
Your friend's in danger and I think he deserves fighting for.
Tell me the worst.
Man called Jarvis will sue if we give blood to the patient.
- Family?
- No, friend.
Though I think with inverted commas.
They have lived together for 25 years.
- How bad is the damage?
- Needs a transfusion.
- He's haemophiliac.
- Well, let him sue.
He's not family.
And inverted commas or not, they aren't married.
- Legally he hasn't got a leg to stand on.
- He promised he wouldn't allow it.
I'll be breaking his promise, not him.
So he's covered.
Oh, come on, Rupert.
20
-odd years must count for something.
It's just like marriage, Ewart.
Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't.
Anyway, as I was saying, it's a funny thing about me and ferrets.
I mean, to look at me, you wouldn't think that I could have such an affinity with a dumb animal, would you? Well, no, you wouldn't.
But I have.
More than I have for any human, come to that.
I mean, ferrets don't feel the need to be nice to you to win your affection like humans do.
They don't make any pretence about being all matey, then go stabbing you in the back like the average girlfriend, or boyfriend or wife would.
Oh, no.
Not them.
It's not in their nature.
I think that's why I love Freddy.
He's honest, trustworthy, straightforward and no
-nonsense.
I mean, tonight was the first time I've ever tried to stroke him.
And there was no messing about.
He just bit my finger clean through to the bone.
Just to show me he can't stand me neither.
Just like nobody else can.
Now, there's honesty for you.
I love it.
I hadn't expected you to be black.
Yes, well, most people don't.
They usually associate this job with white middle
-class Protestants.
And I only fill two out of three categories, you see.
I'm not Protestant.
(They laugh) Why did you do it, Carrie? I can't seem to get off the smack, Jed.
I try but I can't seem to get off it.
My habit's got too big.
I stole a lot of money off my dad.
- I was forging his signature.
- Is that why you ran away? It seemed the only answer.
Why didn't you just talk to them? How do you talk to your parents about something like that? About needing ã60 a day just to keep on top.
And when you're not on top, it hurts, Jed.
It hurts.
- Dying seemed easier somehow.
- Don't say that.
You can get off it.
I know people who have.
- Narcotics Anonymous are
- I've been selling to kids.
Yeah, that's right.
It's really nasty.
I've been selling to kids as young as 12, That's how I pay for my stuff.
Whose great idea was that, then? My dealer.
How do I get out of that one, Jed? How do I make up for it? You blow him to the police.
I have.
It's all in the letter I left for my mum and dad.
Trouble is I'm still alive.
And I know he'll get me.
Hey.
Come on.
- Mr.
and Mrs.
Fenton?
- Yes?
- Detective Sergeant Fox, CID.
- Where is she?
- They said she'd been admitted.
- I'll take you to her in a minute.
First there's one or two things I've got to say.
I'll be very grateful if you could find out from her all you can about the boy who brought her in.
It may be useful to us in our inquiries.
Has she been living with him?
- (Mrs.
Fenton sighs)
- She's underage.
Yeah, it gets worse, I'm afraid.
She's taken an overdose of paracetamol.
She left this letter for you both.
I had to open it to see if it contained your address.
Good God! Yeah, I'd like you to confirm my suspicion that this dealer she mentions, the one who got her onto it in the first place, is the boy who's with her now or not.
The bastard! Hold up.
Mr.
Fenton! (Mrs.
Fenton) Stop! Stop! No! Don't! No!
- Mr.
Fenton, come here.
- You black bastard! Dad! Dad! It's nothing to do with him! Stop it.
It's nothing to do with him.
Dad!
- Tethering the horns!
- Dad! You and your kind are worse than that.
I'd like to k*ll you all.
- That's enough, Mr.
Fenton.
- Dad! Mr.
Fenton, the first time I ever spoke to Carrie was tonight.
She came to me for help because she couldn't talk to you.
I'm a member of the Samaritans! Yeah.
I'm a member of the Samaritans, Mr.
Fenton.
Very new member.
(Sighs) You know something? Tonight was my first night on the flying squad.
That's when somebody phones you up and you persuade them to go to the hospital with you.
(Sighs) I was scared.
I was so scared, Mr.
Fenton.
But I'm glad I did it.
(Sighs) Being a Samaritan is something you don't shout about.
It's just not done.
(Sighs) I'm telling you all this because I think it might do you good to know, so that the next time you think you see a black bastard, and you think he's seducing little girls, getting them into dr*gs Hm? You'll remember.
(Carrie) Jed.
OK, princess.
Hello, Mr.
Jarvis.
I'm Ewart Plimmer.
I run this unit.
I've been informed that the surgeon who was called to deal with Mr.
Daniels's wrist had to take a decision about five minutes ago.
If he wasn't given blood, the patient would die, so the patient was given blood.
And will go on being given blood just as long as it proves necessary.
(Sighs) Thank you.
That's what I was hoping you would say.
Hello.
Auntie Megan.
Oh, don't you dare "Auntie Megan" me.
You're too old for that.
You always were.
So, you've decided to come back to the land of the living, have you? Looks that way.
My God, that must have been some binge.
A humdinger.
My head feels like it's been hit with a sledgehammer.
A crowbar, actually.
How did I manage that? Dreamt I heard your voice earlier.
And I thought, "No, it couldn't be you.
"Not still here after all these years.
"
- Part of the furniture now.
- You could never be that.
Now, a silver tongue before a silver hair always leads to trouble, as your mother told you a thousand times.
Listen, I wasreally sorry to hear about her death.
One of those things, Megan.
Yeah.
- Cancer, wasn't it?
- Yep.
Excuse me.
Have you been registered yet? Oh, there's no need.
We're not stopping.
Weren't you in last Saturday? Yeah, that's right.
Sprained ankle.
Oh, keeping me awake something awful, it is.
So when I couldn't sleep tonight I said to Marge, "Let's go and sit in Casualty again.
"Oh, it's such fun.
Better than watching telly, really.
" So we did.
But I've had enough now.
Time for cocoa and bed.
Night
-night.
Bye
-bye, my love.
See you again soon.
So what do you think their chances are? Oh, saved her for tonight.
My guess is she'll be dead within the week.
Her liver will be OK, won't it? No, it's the heroin.
With the right support she could kick it.
But what's the chance of those parents getting the message? Yeah, I take your point.
- How's the wrist doing?
- Got the flow stopped.
Thalton's still working on it, but it should stitch back together quite nicely.
- Jarvis?
- Still waiting in reception.
Probably practising his apology to his friend for giving in too easily.
How do we get people to understand that blood is safer now than it's ever been.
You don't.
Not with the tabloids printing stories like tonight.
Oh, well, look on the bright side.
- At least it's quiet for the moment.
- (Bleeper) When's she gonna learn? Keep your mouth shut, or you blow it.
Never, Charlie, never.
Unless she decides to stay on the shift permanently, that is.
I won't stay longer than another six months, Ewart.
That's my limit.
So don't try and persuade me.
Six months it is, then.