S5 E51 (23 Sep 03) : Just Getting By by Debbie O’Malley
Episode Summary
Owen and Tricia come back from their holiday. Tricia is dropped off away from the hospital – she is ready to tell Chrissie of their relationship. Rosie argues with Mubbs over the ring he brought her to replace her wedding ring he lost. Rosie informs him that hers was 18 carat and didn’t look like it had come out of a Christmas cracker. Rosie asks about Owen’s holiday. Tricia see’s Chrissie who asks whether she got photos which Tricia tells her she hasn’t.
Owen goes to perform a c-section on Jodie Lewis who has a problem which makes her anaemic and also means she will die. Ed is called to sit in with the c-section which causes tension between Ed and Owen especially when he comments about Tricia’s photos. Ed asks Owen about his holiday. Jodie goes into VF and is needing to be resuscitated. They resuscitated her successfully and Owen has to tell her she has at the most a year left to live. Jodie asks her sister Louise to stay with her husband when she dies.
Owen talks to Jodie’s husband about his relationship with Louise and about how he feels about living with Louisa and the baby when Jodie’s gone. Jodie’s husband admits that he and Louise have had an affair. Eventually both Louise and Jodie’s husband agree to what Jodie wants and they plan for Louise to move in with them.
Mubbs presents Rosie with a new wedding ring which she loves. She tells Mubbs to put it on her and he does as Tricia walks in. Rosie says it’s not what Tricia thinks and she replies that it never is.
Ric and Helen are in Ric’s office with a reporter. Ric says that his staff are infallible something which Helen doesn’t appear to agree with. Diane, Kelly and Nic admit a patient – Beth Oliver. Ric and Helen argue about the way Ric handled the interview. Zubin is going to be the auctioneer at a fund raiser. Diane asks Ric about Beth – the patient they admitted. Kath comes back as Ric asks for more credit at the bookies he uses. Kath snaps at him when he says about her leave. Kelly comments about no deaths and puts Kath on the edge. Kath see’s Beth and is asked by Diane to page Zubin and Ric – who has told Kath not too. Kath reprimands Kelly for something she’s done. Kath speaks to Chrissie about Kelly being after her job and she’d probably get it. Chrissie raises her eyebrows and makes a comment back. Ric is unavailable to help Diane and ends up with an on call surgeon from the Hadlington – Richard Smeadly. Richard insists on calling Diane – Diana which riles her. Ric comes in at the end of the operation and talks with Richard.
It appears Beth was on Lithium for manic depression that has caused her a problem with her kidneys. Ric suggests she continues to take them but she refuses. Beth explains that Lithium makes her into a different person. Ric asks Kath to talk to Zubin about the drip he was going to put Beth on to help her kidneys. Chrissie asks Kath about Sandy and Danny. Kath explains that she spoke to Danny and he said that he’s been cleaning out the spare room for her but Sandy won’t leave the hotel as she doesn’t do spare rooms anymore. Chrissie see’s some photos in Tricia’s bag – since Tricia told her she didn’t take any of the holiday Chrissie looks to see what they are of. Tricia tries to get them from Chrissie but Chrissie insists on looking at them. Kath hands the phone to Chrissie and Tricia takes back the photos not before Ed see’s a photo of Owen on the beach. Ed questions Tricia but Tricia passes it off.
Ric speaks to Zubin about Jess’s birthday which leads to being questioned by the reporter. Kath asks if it was about Sarah Palmers death – Kath worries that she will be blamed yet again. Beth refuses to take her medication and so Kelly gets Ric. Beth’s partner begs her to take the tablet and Ric tells her it would be for her best interest. Beth takes the antidepressant.
Beth arrests a little while after she’s taken her antidepressant drug. Diane tries to resuscitate Beth but they’re unable too and Beth dies. Diane speaks to Ric and says they’ll have to get the coroner – they appear to be jinxed. Kath tells Ric, Diane and Zubin who are in the staff room that the coroner will be there to take Beth’s body in the morning. One of them comments on trying to get the news of this death to avoid Helen but they know it won’t. Richard comes in and asks about Beth – Ric replies about how she’d been taking Lithium. Richard asks about Beth again and Diane tells him she died. Richard comments in Kath’s ear that ‘they’re dropping like flies on your ward Sister Fox’ Kath leaves the room as she feels she’s being blamed yet again.
Zubin, Diane and Ric go to the fundraising ball/auction where Diane and Ric appear close. Richard is also there with Caroline – the woman Zubin had an ‘arrangement’ with. Zubin and Caroline talk – Zubin wards Richard away and Zubin and Caroline walk off together. They discuss going back to Caroline’s as she appears to have a free spot, as Zubin thinks to agree Helen appears in the doorway telling him she needs him for the auction. Caroline tells him she’ll wait and hangs by the door of the auction room. Ric and Richard go head to head in the auction over a TV. In the end Ric ends up paying £3000. for it. He says he’ll give it to Jess for her birthday. He hands Helen a cheque and she tells him there’s no chance of it bouncing – Diane comments if it does you know where he works.
Kath takes Beth’s partner to see her body and tells him she died of a heart problem. Kath gets tearful when she explains that they did their best for her and it isn’t his fault. She leaves the room unable to think be in the room anymore.
Zubin speaks to Caroline and he says he can’t go back with her it wouldn’t be right. Richard approaches her in front of Ric where Diane puts him in her place by saying – My name is Diane, not Diana, not Di. But you can call me Miss Lloyd – Diane grins at Ric and leaves not before kissing his cheek goodbye. Ric goes and finds Zubin with the champagne. They lay on the grass outside. Zubin comments on the £3000 Ric spent on the TV – Ric laughs and lets Zubin in on the secret that he hasn’t actually got the £3000. Ric sits up and tells Zubin that he hasn’t got a cash flow problem – it’ll sort itself. Zubin and Ric stand up to leave as Richard approaches two women – he is obviously very drunk – the women walk away. Zubin tells Ric that it could be worse – He could be Richard.
Kath takes off Beth’s ring and necklace as her body is taken away. Kath takes the envelopes with Beth’s jewellery and a clipboard out of the room. She stands in the doorway looking as if she may break down – the deaths are getting to her since she feels she’s being blamed.
Patients
Jodie Lewis – A patient in maternity with anaemia who has her daughter by Caesarean, Owen has to resuscitate Jodie and tells her she has at the most a year left.
Beth Oliver – A patient admitted to Keller who has a history or manic depression and had been taking Lithium. Ric gives her another antidepressant that won’t harm her lungs but she goes into VF and is unable to be revived. She dies becoming another patient to die a suspicious death.
(Carly)
First Scene/words
Ric: Well, obviously I can’t talk about the specifics of this particular case.
Journalist: No, of course, I realise that.
Ric: I can only say that the coroner is looking into the circumstances surrounding Sara Palmer’s death.
Journalist: But the coroner’s already said that she died from a morphine overdose, is that right?
Ric: Yes, that’s correct.
Last Scene/words
[Kath takes off Beth’s jewellery, before her body is taken away. Slowly she walks out of the room.]
Guide by Carly & Karin.
