S14 E27 (4 Mar 00) : Life Support by Barnaby Marshall
Episode Summary
Adam comes into the staff room as Sean is posting something into his locker. Adam asks what it is; Sean says it’s an address in case anyone wants to get in touch while he’s away. He tells Adam not to tell Tina until he’s gone – he says he doesn’t want her to change his mind. He eventually tells Adam that he’s leaving Holby and emigrating to Australia – he’s catching a train to London at the end of the shift, and then flying in two days. He says it’s because of Tina; Adam says Tina loves him. Sean says he can’t carry on working here, where everything reminds him of where he’s failed. Adam thinks he’s mad but Sean says he needs a new start. He says he loves Tina but he can’t wait for her anymore.
Mary Hayward comes into reception asking to see her sister Lizzie Williams, who she says has died. Amy checks the records but they have no record of Lizzie being admitted. Holly tells Mary this. Mary says that Lizzie didn’t know she was dying but she always knew – and couldn’t tell her. Soon Mark Williams comes into A&E, asking to see his wife Lizzie, saying that a neighbour had phoned to tell him she was being brought in. As Holly is explaining that they have no one of that name, Lizzie is brought into resusc. When Holly finds out, she is amazed. Patrick, treating Lizzie, says there isn’t much they can do. Holly goes to explain to Mark and Mary about Lizzie’s condition – she has had a stroke and all they can do now is to make her comfortable. They go in to see her, and while they are there, she dies. Mary tells Mark she feels guilty as she knew this was going to happen – she can “see” things in the future – but Mark says she should feel guilty for the right reasons: she should feel guilty for not going to see Lizzie or even phoning.
Holly talks to Patrick about Mary knowing about her sister’s death. Patrick asks how she can be taken in by her psychic mumbo-jumbo, saying there’s no proof that psychic phenomena exist. Holly asks if he needs proof for everything in his life; Patrick says it keeps him sane.
Tina asks Sean why he’s been avoiding her and ignoring her – they haven’t talked since she went home with Max. She says she didn’t stay the night with him. She tells Sean that Max asked her to marry him and she said no. Sean says he doesn’t think she’ll ever be able to tell Max about them.
Alfred Prufrock is stuck in traffic on his way to work, and is getting irate. He eventually arrives and parks his car in the middle of the road before going into the bank. He finds Mr. Samuels, his boss, there waiting for him. Mr. Samuels tells him he needs to be making more money – he says it’s no longer about customer loyalty or plush offices but about deals done quickly. He talks about the Internet, leaving Mr. Prufrock behind. He leaves; Mr. Prufrock, seeing the congestion in the street outside, is about to go and move his car when Jessica Randell is shown in to see him. She sits and starts to cry as she explains that she has come to empty her husband’s accounts as he committed suicide because the bank were being so hard on him. She asks why they don’t seem to care anymore, saying they see customers as numbers, not people. She hands him her husband’s death certificate to prove that he’s dead.Mr. Prufrock goes to the window as he reads it and sees his car being towed away. When he turns back, Jessica has gone. Mr. Prufrock goes out into the bank. He sees everyone complaining, needing money. He takes a bundle of notes out of a drawer and starts handing them out to everyone, urging them to take the money and spend it on whatever they want, getting really worked up. Suddenly he collapses in the middle of the bank. He is taken to Holby A&E where they tell him he’s had a heart attack. They say he’ll be OK as long as he takes things easy. Jessica comes to see him to apologise. Alfred says he doesn’t want to work in a bank any more. They talk about money not being everything, and between them they quote, “But I, being poor, have nothing but my dreams/Tread softly, because you tread upon my dreams.”
Gemma Foster is looking after her brother Jake while their mother Joanne is in the pub. Jake runs off, and Gemma runs through the park looking for him. Joanne goes to find them, running after Gemma. Gemma finds Jake face down in the middle of a pond. She goes in and pulls him out, then screams at her mother to call an ambulance. Jake is taken to A&E; he should be OK soon but they’ll have to keep him in overnight. Joanne doesn’t want him to stay. They ask questions about Jake, and Gemma answers them before Joanne, and corrects Joanne, who doesn’t even know Jake’s age. Holly, examining Jake, finds bruises that look like finger marks. She tells Patrick, who says she shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that Jake is being abused. He says he once thought a patient was being abused by her husband; Patrick went round to her house and got beaten up by her husband – it turned out she was a wrestler but her husband didn’t know. Holly discovers that the Fosters are her neighbours; she tells Gemma and mentions a baby who cries all night. Gemma says it’s her sister Zoe, who’s being looked after by a neighbour. She tells Holly that she looks after the family. Holly offers to give her a number where she can get help, but Gemma says they don’t need anybody – she can look after them all. She tells Holly not to interfere. As Gemma and Joanne are leaving, Patrick tells Holly he takes back what he said, and that maybe she should keep an eye on them. He gives Holly a lift home, and asks if she’s going to invite him in. Holly says no and gets out; Patrick drives off. Holly sees Gemma through the window and waves, but Gemma shuts the curtain.
Sean tells Max that he’s leaving. Max is angry that Sean is leaving without notice, and without discussing it with him first. He admits that it’s because of Max and Tina. Max asks if he’s told Tina and Sean says he has. Max says he’s sorry Sean’s leaving, as Sean could have been one of the best… “Doctors?” asks Sean. “I don’t think so.” Max says, “I was talking about friends. But still, I’m to blame for that, I suppose.” He shakes Sean’s hand. Sean goes down to the staff room and collects his stuff. As he is leaving Tina catches him and asks him out tonight. Sean says he’s meeting a friend. He tells Tina he can’t run after her anymore – his feet hurt. Tina asks if she can call him. Sean says he loves her and hugs her, before leaving.
Tina bumps into Max, who asks if she’s upset about Sean leaving; when he realises she doesn’t know, he tells her where Sean’s gone. Tina is shocked, and runs to get a taxi to the station. She arrives shortly before Sean’s train is about to leave, and runs along it, looking for him. She sees him through the window; Sean sees her and goes to the door. Tina is angry that he was going to leave without telling her. Sean says it’s something he has to do. Tina begs him to get off the train. Sean tells her to go; she says she can’t. He asks her to come with him to Australia. Tina says, “Marry me.” Sean says he’s going to Australia, and says she’s making it hard for him. Tina says she’s not going to make it easy for him to leave her. Sean says she’s the only thing he’ll miss, and kisses her. Tina asks, “Is that a yes?” …
Patients
– Elizabeth Williams, a 62-year-old woman that dies from a massive stroke
– Jack Foster, a 8-year-old boy that has swallowed water and cut his right hand
– Alfres Prufock, a bank manager that gets a heart attack
First Scene/words
[Sean is sitting on a seat in one of the corridors in the hospital.]
Last Scene/words
Tina: What are you doing? Where the hell are you going? Did you forget to say goodbye or something?
Sean: Tina.
Tina: I can’t believe you were just gonna go. Without saying anything! To Australia, without even saying goodbye! What were you thinking? Did you just think I wouldn’t notice? You lied. How could you just go?
Sean: It’s, it’s not like that. You don’t understand and I can’t explain.
Tina: You owe it to me to try!
Sean: I need to take ten steps back from everything. I don’t wanna look back in my life, thinking I could’ve done more.
Tina: Yeah, but you don’t have to run away half way across the world!
Sean: It’s something I have to do.
Tina: Get off the train Sean, just get off the train!
Sean: I can’t.
Tina: For me, for you, I know you want to. Just get off the train!
Sean: Why now?
Tina: Get off the train!
Sean: Stop saying that!
Tina: I’m gonna walk away any second!
Sean: Well, go!
Tina: I can’t go…
Sean: Get on the train, come on… This may be our last chance, come on.
Tina: Marry me.
Sean: What?
Tina: You heard. Marry me.
Sean: Shut up and get on the train.
Tina: Well…
Sean: Get on.
Tina: Just say you’ll marry me.
Sean: Tina, I’m gonna leave. In two days I fly to Australia. I fly in two days!
Tina: So?
Sean: You’re making this much harder for me.
Tina: You’re leaving me, I’m hardly gonna make it easy for you.
Sean: You’re the only thing I’ll miss.
[They kiss and the train gets ready to leave.]
Tina: Is that a yes?
Notable Facts
– Holly lives on 1a Sutton Lane
Review by Alison and Karin.
UK Viewing Figures
11.56m
