S3 E9 (21 Dec 00): A Christmas Carol (Part 2) by Andrew Rattenbury
Episode Summary
Julie returns home to find a message from her father on the answerphone asking about Rosie’s presents. She goes to ring him. Janice asks Keri if Rosie is booked in with the anaesthetist to get her ready for her drain. Keri goes to make her ready. Julie is waiting for the bus to take her to Holby City but gets impatient and grabs a taxi instead.
In the cafeteria, Meyer is having a coffee. He notes he cannot hold the cup properly and looks anxious.
On the ward, Julie asks if Meyer is around but Sandy isn’t sure where. Julie tells Sandy that Rosie is still bad and asks her to run the ward again. Sandy seems unsure but Julie tells her that she’ll be fine so long as she learns from her mistakes. Janice says it may be for a couple of days, which alarms Sandy.
Steve asks Keri where Victoria is. Keri says she has been working all night and was told to take a break. Danny asks about Rosie and Keri tells him Janice is putting the catheter in now. Steve tells Danny that Stan had said the pair were organising the Christmas festivities and had collected money for it, to Danny’s surprise.
Janice is inserting Rosie’s catheter. Julie and Victoria are also present, Victoria reassuring Julie and Julie reasurring Rosie.
Kath returns to Keller after her absence and is greeted by Mike. He complains about how hard things have been without her taking care of things. Jasmine also greets her.
Mr Chupla asks Jazz if someone will see his daugher, Amala and Jazz grabs Kath and gets her to sort them out.
Meyer is leaving the ward. Mike tries to talk to him but he seems preoccupied and uncommunicative. Mike asks Kath what the Christmas arrangements are and whether or not he is ‘doing his Santa Claus’. Kath offers to chase that up for him. He asks her about Anton.
Tash is seeing to Amala, who seems to be in pain. She tells her father about all the things that need sorting out at home. He jokingly tells Kath that that is how she runs his life and his business and leaves.
Kath talks to Mr Chupla and says she is impressed with their relationship, compared to hers and her father’s – how relaxed they seem to be.
Janice has finished putting in the catheter and suggests Julie gets some rest.
Alex is seeing Jack Irwin, who has a bad cough. He blames smoke inhalation, being a fireman.
Danny asks Stan about organising the Christmas entertainment, saying it will be “a sure-fire moneyspinner.” He suggests getting a friend of his to do the entertainment while they pocket the money (£52) he has collected. Danny seems dubious.
Jack has a large bruise on his chest, having fallen 10 feet through a floor, although he says he loves being a fireman. Alex says he will drain the blood from around his lung and see how things go. Jack asks if he will be out for Christmas in time to spend it with his parents.
Anton is talking with Charles Merrick again. He complains of feeling hot and uncomfortable during Ian’s operation and wonders if he was up to the challenge of the operation. He says he doesn’t feel confident as a surgeon and tells Charles about walking out on the operation the previous day. He seems upset – angry – scared almost at the prospect of losing his ability to operate.
Charles advises Anton to take a break from surgery. Anton asks if he thinks it is motor neurone but Charles doesn’t answer, saying he’ll see what it’s like after the break.
Victoria is waiting outside her father’s office when Anton leaves. They greet, but he doesn’t reveal what he was doing in there. Charles says it was for a social visit and changes the subject, asking her about her life in paediatrics. They go to get her mother a present. She again asks about Meyer, but he says nothing.
At a junction in his car, Anton zones out and only moves off when beeped at by the van behind him.
Back on the ward, Kath asks Tash about the Christmas preparations. Tash is called away by Mr Chupla; Amla is in a lot of pain. Tash rushes her into theatre.
Stan tells Danny that his magician friend cannot come – they’re going to have to find someone else, which will cost money! Stan asks Danny if he can sing…
Mr Irwin complains that he’s still in pain and breathless. His parents arrive and tell him about the Christmas party they have planned. He tells them what Alex said about being out in time.
Kath tells Mike she is worried about Amala bleeding internally as they go into theatre. Her father tells Tash to take care of her.
Janice tells Julie that Rosie has developed a rash and the catheter and antibiotics are not working as expected and Rosie will need surgery. She goes to talk to Meyer.
In theatre, Mike finds a great deal of blood in Amala. Tash thinks it is an ectopic pregnancy; Mike says he probably won’t be able to save her fallopian tube.
Alex finds Jack’s blood pressure very low and lots of blood coming out of the drain. Alex says he needs to operate to find the cause, which makes his parents anxious. His father, Bill seems angry that Jack won’t be coming home so soon.
Tash tells Kath that Amala has lost a fallopian tube. Kath seems annoyed about all the misdirected pity she’s been receiving; she says she’s fine. Tash wonders about telling Mr Chupla about the cause – Kath thinks he’ll be angry, although Tash thinks he’ll deal with it.
Janice is now certain that Rosie will need surgery.
Anton tells Sandy to cancel his appointments – he is going on leave starting lunchtime, today.
Jazz comes to see Julie and comfort her, saying Meyer’s the best to operate. She asks if Julie wants her parents ringing, but Julie says no. She asks about Martin, Rosie’s dad – Julie definitely says no to that (Martin had left Julie 4 years previously).
Janice and Victoria are seeing Anton about Rosie’s surgery. He says Victoria came to see him the previous day, but now he thinks surgery is now unavoidable and needs to be done as soon as possible. He says he cannot do the operation and they should get another surgeon, Mr Roderick. Victoria asks him about his visit to her father earlier and if he is ill or not. He becomes increasingly agitated and leaves.
Janice tells Julie Meyer won’t operate – Julie seems angry.
Outside the theatre Tash finds Mr Chupla and tells him Amala will be fine. He presses her and she tells him about the ectopic pregnancy. He seems outraged and even talks about disowning her. Tash is surprised and says she thought he was going to give her much more independence – he protests that the issue at and is dignity and walks off.
Anton inspects Jack and agrees with Alex that he should operate and tells him about his leave. Jack’s mother asks if he will be out, but Anton curtly responds
Stan tells Danny he thinks he’s sorted out the entertainment.
Amala wakes up and asks where her father is. She says she was suspicious she was pregnant and Tash reveals she told him. Amala is outraged that Tash broke her trust.
Stan is performing extremely bad magic tricks for Danny – presumably his attempt at an entertainment routine.
In theatre, Alex finds a suspicious black pus in Jack’s chest. The scrub nurse tells him Jack’s test results and Alex tells him to bleep Meyer instantly.
Danny is performing with sock puppets and bad jokes. It’s increasingly obvious they haven’t a hope in hell of providing entertainment by themselves.
Anton diagnoses extensive and untreatable mesothelioma (cancer) in Jack and wonders if he came into asbestos. Anton offers to tell his parents.
Janice confronts Victoria about going to Meyer the previous day, telling her going behind her back is unacceptable. Mr Roderick arrives and tells Janice he is fully booked that afternoon. Janice tells her Rosie is more important and bullies him into getting an appointment. Julie, walking past hears the exchange.
Jack’s parents are shocked to find out about Jack’s cancer. It turns out he picked up the cancer while clearing out asbestos in his previous job. Anton tells them that the cancer is extensive and nothing to be done, other than controlling the pain and that he should go home for Christmas. He doesn’t think Jack has long to live – months at most. Mrs Irwin breaks down in tears, Mr Irwin gets angry, refusing to accept that Jack is so ill and pleads with Mr Meyer to do something.
Julie runs after Mr Meyer, who has just left. She finds him in the carpark.
Julie is left in floods of tears. During the whole exchange, Anton avoids eye contact with her.
Amala is talking with Tash. She is still angry with Tash for thinking her father would accept the pregnancy, saying her life is ruined.
Steve is sitting with Rosie and Jazz arrives. Jazz asks if Steve finds it diffucult dealing with sick children. Martin arrives.
Mike arrives on Keller and shows Kath the Santa outfit he has bought. Kath is dubious but he protests he was voted best Father Christmas ever at his last hospital.
Anton is sat in his car by a lake. He sits and stares at the water while classical music plays.
Julie finds Martin with Rosie. She asks Jazz if she invited him; Martin says Julie’s mum told him but Julie tells him to leave, saying he gave her up and has no right to see her.
Tash sees Mr Chupla in the café. He is having trouble believing what has happened. Tash tells him how much she envies their relationship, and how he shouldn’t break it up when they can lose so much.
Anton is now standing by the lake. He flexes his hands.
Victoria asks Alex if she can see Rosie’s operation, but he says Janice wouldn’t allow it. Victoria says she is worried about how Roderick will handle the operation.Alex says he’ll do his best to watch him.
Stan is getting desparate – he can’t find anyone to entertain. He says he’s going to pull one more string and he needs Danny to get as many Christmas decorations as he can.
Roderick is getting scrubbed for Rosie’s operation and tells Janice he was annoyed with the way she spoke to him, but she is unapologetic. She leaves, and Alex arrives. Roderick is short with him and then tells the rest of the theatre staff that they should stay silent. He is about to start (“Time is money.”) when Anton arrives. Anton apologises for interrupting Roderick’s schedule and says he will perform the operation instead. Roderick storms out.
Victoria finds Julie on the ward. Rosie’s heart starts to fibrillate. Alex starts to shock her. She is unresponsive, but Anton persists.
Julie walks around, trying to take her mind off the op. She sees Martin across the ward.
Back in theatre, Rosie is still fibrillating. Anton does nothing. Everyone waits. Suddenly, her heart starts beating normally again and they continue.
Anton finds Julie on the ward. He tells her Rosie will make a full recovery and reveals that he operated on her. Julie jumps up and hugs him, taking him slightly by surprise. “Well worth a fight,” he says and walks off.
Danny is taking Christmas decorations from Otter ward. When Steve asks what he’s up to, he tells him to wait and see.
Anton is in his office, lying on his sofa when Charles comes in. He has good news: the tests have revealed motor neurone disease, instead it is an easily treatable thyroid problem. Anton asks if he is sure, Charles says so. Charles asks if Anton will come to dinner with them, Anton declines but thanks him. Anton also tells him that he may have underestimated Victoria. Charles wishes Anton a good Christmas and leaves.
Mike is meanwhile getting ready to put on his Santa outfit. Martin comes to see Rosie again, to see if she is alright. He says he wants to be a part of her life. Julie says she would much rather be alone. Martin protests that Rosie doesn’t know who he is and asks Julie to think about it, but Julie still refuses. Martin kisses Rosie goodbye and leaves.
Janice asks Steve where the Christmas entertainments are, when a boy tells them to look out of the window. Outside, the Salvation Army band is playing and singing carols, with all the decorations on a tree and Stan dressed as Father Christmas.
Upstairs, everyone is at the window watching, except for Tash and Mr Chupla. She tells him he must be gentle with her if they are to have a hope of patching their relationship up.
Anton comes to his window and watches the band playing outside.
Patients
Amala Chupla (ectopic pregnancy) – operated on (Bandara, Barrett). Trying to patch up relations with her father.
Jack Irwin – (suspected haemothorax, revealed to be extensive and untreatable) – operated on (Adams). Discharged to have his last Christmas with family.
Rosie Fitzjohn (pericarditis) – butterfly catheter and antibiotics had no effect, so was operated on (Meyer, Adams). Recovering.
(Will Watson)
