S4 E30 (30 Apr 02) : Second Chances by Nick Warburton & Susan Martin
Episode Summary
Father Michael brings Kath some donuts, explaining that they were cheap and that he decided to come to the ward to visit her. They end up talking about Kath’s divorce and Father Michael explains that he feels guilty for wanting her to get divorced not only because it will be good for Kath, but because he wants that himself too. In the evening, having decided on divorce, Kath invites Father Michael to dinner, which turns into something more as they no longer can hide their feelings for each other.
Alex wakes up next to Jess and the couple seem very loved up. On the way out of the flat, however, Alex runs into Sam, who is obviously upset, but tries to cover it as well as she can. Jess is in a remarkably good mood, which cannot be destroyed even when both Sam and Meyer tell her off for not doing her job. Sam convinces Jess to tell Alex that she loves him on their date in the evening and she is well prepared – she puts candles all over the flat and she has music (Robbie Williams – Eternity) playing in the background when he arrives. It all proves to be for nothing, because Alex does not respond to the news the way Jess would have wished. Instead he tells her that they have no future and flees the place, leaving Jess in tears. She seems unsure how she will be able to cope, but Sam tries to reassure her.
Liam is despondent about Ric’s prognosis that he will never walk again, and finds learning to live with his disability extremely frustrating. Sandy tries to comfort him as much as she can, but she finds it hard, never knowing what to say and feeling that she should not be happy around him. All day she keeps having her breaks next to his bed, but she feels that she is only making things worse. Both Kath and Father Michael also try to get through to him, without any success. While having lunch with Sandy, Liam however suddenly notices that he has got the feeling back to parts of his legs and he is hopeful again – until Ric mentions that partly regaining the feeling in the legs is something that can happen with spinal injuries, but that it does not promise anything. Liam tries walking in the toilets, but his legs cannot carry his weight and he immediately collapses onto the floor, where he lies upset, realising that there is not much hope.
Katie Davis is now well enough to go home, but she seems almost upset, realising that once she is out of hospital she will not see her father every day anymore. Laura tries to explain to Katie that Owen does not live with them anymore, but that he surely will come to visit her every day. Realising that even Katie wants them to be back together, Laura has a word with Owen and says that she wants them to try again and that she is ready to forgive him for what he has done. Owen is obviously tempted, but does not decide until he has asked Chrissie if they have any future. When Chrissie, reluctantly, says that he should be with his family, he decides to go for it and give him and Laura another chance, leaving Chrissie disheartened.
Alice Fry has come to hospital because of heart problems. She has had them before too, but then she refused to have a much needed bypass. She is, however, on medication and Alex and Sam find it strange that she suddenly has got so much worse, without any apparent reason. Later, she admits that she has not taken her medication recently, even though her husband always prepares them for her in the evening and they realise that she is not taking her medication and she turned down the bypass because she had found out that her husband George is having an affair. George admits to having an affair, but only because it seemed “convenient”, taking into consideration how fragile Alice has been the last couple of years. It all makes Alice even more sure that she does not want to get better, but when she suddenly arrests they have to rush her into theatre for a bypass. When she wakes up she accuses George of letting them go forward with it even though he knew that was not what she wanted, but he says this will give her a chance to live a better life – without him.
Another patient, Mark Nobel, is in hospital after being in a fight with the father of his girlfriend Narinder, who is not too happy about her dating a man almost twice her age with three kids and her even being about to move out to live with him. Mark needs minor surgery to clean up the deep cut in his arm, but there is more trouble on the way – Narinder suspects that she is pregnant and Lisa comfirms it. During a scan, Owen, however, finds out the reasons behind her stomach pains: it is an ectopic pregnancy and Narinder has to come to terms with the new situation and the baby having no future. While in theatre Mark tells Narinder’s father that he is leaving her, proving to the father that he was only playing around with her.
Patients
Alice Fry, needs a bypass after not taking her medication
Mark Nobel, deep cut in his arm after fighting at work with his girlfriend’s father
Narinder Sohal, Mark’s 17-year-old girlfriend, ectopic pregnancy
First Scene/words
[Alex wakes up next to Jess]
Alex: Oh, oh oh.
Where do you think you’re going?
Alex: I’m late.
Jess: And?
Alex: And.
[They start kissing]
Alex: [mumbles while kissing] Five more minutes.
Jess: Exactly.
Last Scene/words
[Kath and Father Michael start kissing each other and Kath pulls him down onto the sofa]
Review by Karin.
