S6 E29 (20 Apr 04) : In the Line of Fire by Len Collin
Episode Summary
Diane visits an Army hospital to instruct a surgical team on trauma techniques. She is met by Captain Will Curtis, with whom she hits it off, and Colonel Humphreys, who is less easily impressed – later Will explains that Humphreys is not too keen on female doctors. During the army exercise many privates with fake injuries are taken to the field hospital, but DIane also witnesses abuse between soldiers, but the victim, Private O’Brien, will not report his tormentors and Will says that he won’t do anything, because O’Brien wants to be known as a good soldier, not someone who complains. A while later, one of the tormentors, Private Smith has been shot in the leg, this once for real. They suspect that O’Brien might have done it, but Smith insists it was an accident. Will and Diane, however, drive out to find O! ‘Brien. On the way there they talk about bullying and Diane explains how her father always used to bully her mentally through her childhood. He had wanted a son and she was simply never good enough for him, no matter how hard she tried or how well she did. Much later she once went to his office in London and found him being told off by his boss – a woman half his size, and she realised that he was not the scary man she had thought, so she told him exactly what she thought of him.
When they arrive they find out that both O’Brien and Private Haynes, one of Smith’s friends, have been injured by an antitank rocket. O’Brien has got serious injuries and when he arrests they have to admit that there is nothing they can do to save him. Haynes has got a badly injured leg and a penetrating abdominal injury, but Diane manages to save him and once they get him to the field hospital they get the branch out of his abdomen. They assume that O’Brien had caused all this, but Haynes explains that O’Brien actually was a hero, trying to stop Haynes from accidentally launching the rocket into an area where there was a group of people. Before Diane leaves, having impressed the hospital, Colonal Humphreys asks if she would want to work there. Will is leaving after eight years because he wants a new challenge and is too tired of saying what you are supposed to, not the truth. Diane turns the offer down and instead! she asks Will out for a drink but he refuses and she assumes that she will never see him again.
Owen and Lisa have been out for a night of heavy drinking and end up in bed. Their night is disturbed when Mubbs calls Owen to tell him that he is urgently needed for an operation. Even though he is still drunk, Owen goes in anyway to help Madu Vidyarthi, a woman who is pregnant even though she has a serious heart problem and has been advised not to get pregnant again. Madu, however, has ignored them and the possibility that she might die in labour, because she knows how important getting a son is to her father-in-law, Vikas, who they have not seen for three years after her husband Nash stopped talking to him. Vikas arrives at the hospital, having found out that he is finally going to get a grandson, but Nash is less than pleased about seeing him around. Zubin tries to tell him that they are going to need all the support they can get and as an attempt to convince him that father might be right, he explains how his own traditional fat! her had, as a last wish before dying, wanted him to get married to a girl and the marriage had proven to work very well, even though it was arranged.
Lisa is shocked when she finds out Owen is on call and hurries to the hospital to plead with him to stop, but Owen is determined to work, knowing that he is the only one who is around to help. He gets himself some IV fluids to try to speed up his recovery and goes to meet Madu, where he has a go at her for getting pregnant again. When she takes a turn for the worse he has to decide whether she needs a c-section or not and he decides to operate. When he is about to start operating, Lisa explains the situation to Mubbs and Zubin and he is thrown out of theatre, but when they hit problems and they realise that she needs a hysterectomy, they have to rely on Owen’s help anyway. The baby boy seems to be alright, but Madu is weak and will need a long time to recover.
Mubbs reluctantly decides not to report Owen when Lisa points out that his own track record is less than perfect. Lisa tells Owen that they cannot continue like this and that she has got dragged into much more than she had wanted. She thinks that from now on they should only greet each other, not more. She also tells him to stop behaving like he has the last couple of weeks, getting drunk and trying to hit on everyone, just because he is upset about losing Chrissie. He does not admit it, but when Lisa leaves he looks at a picture of him and Chrissie together.
Patients
Madu Vidyarthi a pregnant woman with cardiomyopathy
Private Smith, shot in leg
Private O’Brien, dies of injuries caused by an explosion
Private Haynes, leg that needs amputation and penetrating abdominal injury
First Scene/words
[Some army trucks are driving into the forest]
Sergeant: I would like to welcome Miss Lloyd to the fifth army division. I’m sure it will be an experience you’ll never forget.
Private: I wouldn’t mind giving her an experience she’ll never forget.
Diane: In your dreams, soldier boy.
Last Scene/words
Will: You were great.
Diane: You were great yourself. I don’t know, I don’t know about you but I could really use a drink.
Will: I don’t think that’s a very good idea. Not really.
Diane: Okay….
Will: I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.
Diane: I got the impression we got on, had something in common. I got the impression…
Will: It’s complex.
Diane: Yeah, always is.
Will: Some other time perhaps.
[They shake hands]
Private: Come on, truck’s leaving.
[Diane jumps onto the truck and they drive away]
Notable Facts
Colonel Donald Humphries is played by Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3PO in Star Wars
