S13 E6 (3 Oct 98) : Eye Spy by Andrew Rattenbury (based on a story by Gil Adams)
Episode Summary
Mark opens a “Welcome back” card from the rest of the team. Making his way to the cubicles, he gets lots of “Good to see you”s from the others, and gets fed up of them.
A man (Tony) enters a bar and gives flowers to a woman (Pam Wilson), saying “Happy Birthday”. She complains that the flowers are half dead, and says something about Tony having another woman. They talk in a subway. She’s sulky and she calls him a loser. He pretends to be angry.
A man is brought into resus, followed by a boy. The man is unconscious and seriously injured. Sean treats the boy, who is seriously injured, and sends him up for a scan. Mark is rushing around, being very efficient. George and Eve stop resuscitating the man; they reveal that he fell when he was climbing the drainpipe of a church. Sean calls Mark “Supernurse”.
A teenage girl (Rachel Munro) is hurrying her dad to go out to work. Her friend Kelly arrives just as he is leaving. He quizzes her about what they’re doing, but they tell him that they are going to have a quiet evening in.Tina has a hangover – she and Chloe have been out all night. Tina says she has to try to track down the relatives of the man who died in resus, as he had no ID. Chloe shows her a donor card, but it is unsigned.Pam and Tony are in a restaurant and she insults his eating. He says he has some business to do but then he’ll be back. She thinks he’s going to see another woman and goes on at him. He loses his temper and storms out.
Rachel and Kelly are getting dressed up, drinking Martini. They are planning to meet someone at a club. Rachel asks if she looks old enough to get in and says that none of her friends at school have heard of it. Kelly says it’s a private, exclusive type of club and she always gets in alright.
Mark is treating an old man (Mr. Rider), who tells him he’s better than the last one, “and he was a proper doctor.” Mark isn’t too pleased. (He is now a Nurse Practitioner). Sunny arrives to take Mr. Rider to X-ray, and Mr.Rider complains to Sunny about Mark. He then says that Mark looks down on Sunny and insulted porters.
A woman (Mo Hart) is in a salon, having her eyelashes tinted. The woman in charge of the salon (Mandy) is ordering her young assistant Trish around. Trish is hopeless at her job. Mandy tells Mo not to open her eyes. Trish is causing chaos and Mandy is trying to sort things out. Mo wants to know what is happening so she opens her eyes and gets the dye in them.
Sunny asks Mark if he did say what Mr. Rider says he said, and Mark denies it. He tells Sunny that Mr. Rider insulted Amy. Sean tries to help Tina find the dead man’s identity and next of kin. There is a business card with a number on it. Tina reaches for the phone but knocks it on the floor on the other side of the desk. Eve is walking past with Duffy and she picks it up, looking daggers at Tina.
Eve tells Duffy she was the best candidate they interviewed (presumably for Mark’s old post). Duffy says she needs time to think about it before accepting; Andrew (her husband) was not pleased when she went back to agency work and at best would only want her to work part time.
An elderly woman (Barbara Thomas) is climbing the stairs of her home. Her son Richard is in her room, taking her jewellery. When she comes in he tells her he’s putting on her electric blanket and says that he is going out. She tells him that they’re running out of fire-water and asks him to buy some more. While he’s out of the room for a moment she starts to looks in his bag, but he takes it before she sees what’s in it. He tells her he’s going to the gym and then to the pub. She says she won’t sleep without a drink, and accuses him of going to see “her”.
Penny accuses Josh of prying into her life; he says he’s just making conversation. They make a bet about whether or not Penny will tell him something about herself by the end of the shift. Josh and Penny enter Barbara Thomas’ house. Josh is still trying to find out something about Penny. Barbara has cut herself on the wrist with a breadknife.
Mr. Rider comes back from X-ray, still telling tales about people. Sunny realises that he’s a wind-up merchant. The boy that Sean was treating is now in ITU. Tina has not identified the man yet – the business card was for a scrap metal dealer and they realise that he was stealing lead from the church roof. Sunny advises her to phone the police and ask them to find the owner of the car to which the keys belong.
Mark explains to a patient that as a Nurse Practitioner he is qualified to treat minor injuries himself, without them needing to see a doctor. Mo and Mandy have arrived in reception. Mandy tells Amy that the dye is peroxide. Mo persuades Mandy that it’s OK if she goes.
Josh and Penny bring Barbara into reception, still bickering. Penny sees Mo and recognises her. She goes up to her and Mo tells her what happened. She asks Penny to put her wig straight. Josh comes along and talks to Mo. In admin, George tells Mark to take a break, but Mark doesn’t want to. Penny asks Mark to see to Mo. Josh find out that Mo was Penny’s foster mother after she left the childrens’ home. She says Penny has been let down too many times. Josh finds out that Penny used to be with a drummer called Pete.
Rachel and Kelly enter a club which is full of transvestites. Tony comes up and Kelly introduces him to Rachel. They sit down and Tony eyes Rachel up. He puts his hand round Kelly’s leg. Richard Thomas is in the Ladies’ toilets of the club, dressed in women’s clothing. Rachel talks to him, and he tells her to watch out for herself in that place. In the club, Tony asks kelly if Rachel’s up to it. We see Pam enter the club and sees Tony with Kelly and Rachel. She calls them tarts and Kelly argues with her. They start to fight, and Rachel and Richard get involved.
Duffy is treating Barbara’s cut. She asks how it happened and remarks that it is a clean cut in an odd place.
Eve asks Tina if she’s tracked down the dead man’s relatives yet. Amy gives her the name and number of his wife, the owner of the car, which the police have just given her.
Mark tells George that there’s more to the problems with Mo’s eyes than the peroxide. He asks her to look.Josh and Penny arrive in the club to treat Richard and Rachel. Richard has fallen and hurt his ankle. Josh gets tongue-tied trying to talk to him. Richard tells him that Rachel was with another girl who has scarpered. Penny talks to Rachel and realises how old she really is.
Pam and Tony are talking. She accuses him of chatting up Kelly and Rachel. He says he’ll take her to hospital.George looks at Mo’s eyes and says that it looks like she’s got cataracts. In reception, Josh is still pestering Penny and she realises that Mo told him about Pete. Mrs. Wellborn, the wife of the man who died, arrived and Tina tells George.
Sean is treating Richard, and they have a laugh together. In the next cubicle, his mum Barbara tells Duffy she wants to stay, but Duffy says that it is not necessary. Barbara says that Richard has a girlfriend, who she hasn’t met, who keeps her clothesin his wardrobe.
Tony and Pam arrive at the hospital. Mark says he’ll see to her but Tony insists that she sees a doctor, not a nurse. Richard, being taken to X-ray, sees his mum and get Sean and Sunny to rush him out of the way when he tells them.
George tells Mrs. Wellborn that her husband has died, that he fell from a church roof and that there was a young lad with him. Mrs. Wellborn says that the boy must have been Chris, their nephew, and says that she’ll ring his mother. She asks why he was on the roof and says that he was always a liar. Outside, Mark asks Tina about the donor card; she says it’s too soon to ask Mrs. Wellborn for permission for donation. Mark says he’ll go and ask. He goes in. Mrs. Wellborn tells him that she knows her husband was stealing; she says he always gave her grief.Mark asks for her authorisation for donation and she agrees, saying that it’s the first time he’s done something useful.
Sean tells Duffy that Barbara’s son is in A&E. Duffy says she’ll speak to him. Eve tells her to leave it, but Duffy says that there’s a lack of communication and that Barbara might return with two slashed wrists and an overdose. She says they just need a nudge.
Rachel’s dad arrives, and goes through to the cubicles to find her. He’s angry and tries to drag her away, but she collapses, complaining that she can’t breathe. They think it’s a chest injury and take her into resus.
Josh asks Penny about Pete. She tells him they lived together for two years and then he left her and went to France. She says she likes things the way they are, with Josh not knowing much about her. Later, Penny tells Mo off for telling Josh her business. She tells her that cataracts are serious and need treating. She says that she’ll come with her when she has the operation.
Richard asks how his mother is. Sunny says she’s OK and asks what he wears under his dress. Richard asks him what sort of women he likes, and tells him the sort he likes. Sunny is surprised that he’s not gay.
Rachel is in resus. Her dad is there. Sean tries to do a chest drain but is finding it difficult. He eventually manages and says that she’ll be OK. Kelly comes into reception and asks how Rachel is. Eve tells her that she’s OK and Kelly leaves. Outside, she meets Tony, and says that she’s sorry Rachel didn’t work out. They leave together. In resus, Rachel apologises to her dad. he says it’s not her fault.
Duffy comes in to see to Richard’s ankle and tells him that she was treating his mum. She asks if they are going to share a taxi. She tells him that she thinks his mum cut herself on purpose, and is not happy about his girlfriend. Richard tells her there is no girlfriend, but it’s easier to let her think that.
Mark asks George to see Pam, as her boyfriend insists on a doctor. Josh tells Mark that Tony is her pimp, no her boyfriend. Mark is amazed, and George says that he’s smitten. She goes to treat Pam, and tells her that the cut is superficial, and that Mark could have treated it. Pam says that Mark is cute, and George says she hasn’t noticed. Pam realises that there is some history between them. Pam is looking for Tony, and talks to Mark. She says “See you around.”
Barbara sees Richard, and assumes that he injured himself at the gym. They decide to share a cab. Richard says that things have to change, and says he wants his mum to meet “her”.
Duffy enters Charlie’s office to speak to Eve. She justifies her interfering with Richard and Barbara. Eve says she’d have done the same herself in Duffy’s shoes, and Charlie would have said the same as her if he was in her shoes. Duffy says she’d have ignored him as well, and Eve says so would she. Duffy tells Eve that she’ll accept the job.
George talks to Mark and asks if he’s OK. Mark complaind that the kettle’s empty. George says that he doesn’t seem himself and asks what he’s trying to prove. “That I’m still alive,” he replies.
Patients
Mo Hart – She gets peroxide dye in her eyes. She is also found to have cataracts.She knows Penny.
Barbara Thomas – a cut to her arm from a bread knife. It is revealed that she caused the cut on purpose so that her son would pay her some attention.
Richard Thomas – In trying to break up a fight in a club, he recieves an injury to his ankle.
Pam Wilson – Involved in the fight, she has a minor cut to her head.
Rachel Munro – Also in the fight, she has minor injuries and a chest injury.
Mr Wellborn – Dies after falling off a church roof – stealing lead.
Chris – With Mr Wellborn – he survives and is taken to ITU.
Mr Rider
First Scene/words
[In the Staffroom, Mark opens his locker & finds a card welcoming him back to work. He reads it then looks out to the busy reception.]
Last Scene/words
[In the staffroom]
George: Mark-
Mark: Cuppa?
George: No thanks,. Are you alright?
Mark: Fine. Can I make an official request? If someone empties this kettle, can they fill it up again for the next person?
George: I’ll bring it up at the next BMA conference.
Mark: Come on… [waiting for the kettle to boil]
George: Are you sure you’re alright?
Mark: Never better.
George: You don’t seem yourself.
Mark: What is this – the mid shift pep talk? I’ll get a drink later. [He walks to the door]
George: Mark, what are you trying to prove?
Mark: That I’m still alive. [He goes.]
Review by Alison & Saz
UK Viewing Figures
12.16m
