S16 E4 (6 Oct 01) : Crash Course by Paul Cornell
Episode Summary
Comfort watches in CRASH, while the team fail to save the life of a man, Nikki meanwhile phones her Mum, telling her of the pressures of the job and that she thinks she can’t cope.
Comfort and Nikki’s next call is to a regular schizophrenic man, Al, who keeps a collection of his own urine at home. He has his ear cut off and is taken in, though they are unable to re-attach it.
They then attend a scaffolding collapse at a building site, with several casualties. Four die at the scene, and Nikki is shocked by the way Comfort copes with the dying patients, and finds herself being sick. Two workers, Joe, who is paralysed and Mike, who is suffering from internal bleeding both die in hospital, and George, who suffers a broken arm is not happy with Nikki’s ‘beginner’ approach.
Their next call to a recreation ground turns out to be a hoax, when students are trying to film them for their course. Nikki is angry and is annoyed that Comfort fails to let it get to her. The students turn up again outside A&E to try and get more footage.
Comfort and Nikki next go to a church, in which vicar Richard Benson has collapsed. He has cancer of the prostate and through having taken no medication is awaiting death. In the ambulance he confesses to Comfort that he has abused a young teenager. In Resus Comfort tells Patrick to not try to hard to save him, which she later regrets. She returns to CRASH later when he dies, to pay her last respects.
Nikki, who by now if feeling like quitting, goes to her last call at the British Legion club, an elderly angina patient, Arthur, goes into arrest. Nikki shocks him back to life.
In the staffroom Comfort talks to Nikki about how to cope and cuddles her for support. She says she’ll see her tomorrow and heads off to the pub, where PC Russell has invited her to, for a drink. Comfort, meanwhile goes home and cuddle up to her husband, Rob, on the sofa and cries infront of a weepy film.
Patients
* Al – schizophrenic man who’s ear is cut off.
Scaffolding collapse on building site; 4 die on site;
* Joe – paralysed, dies in hospital.
* Mike Ross – dies in hospital from internal bleeding.
* George – suffers broken arm
* Richard Benson – vicar, dies of prostate cancer.
* Arthur – angina patient collapses, he is revived at the scene.
First Scene/ words
In CRASH, Comfort watches while Patrick, Anna and Patrick resuscitate a patient;
Chloe : No output, still in asistiliy
Patrick : How long have we been going?
Anna : 20 minutes all in
Chloe : There’s been no change since we brought him in
Patrick : It’s not going to happen, sorry ladies and gents..
Last Scene/ words
Comfort is at home with husband Rob, she is crying at the film;
Rob : You soft old thing! It’s the same every week, wanna cuppa?
Comfort : In a minute (she cries, cuddling him)
Notable Facts
* Comfort says she wanted to be a paramedic because of ‘Thundercats’!
* When Nikki enters the pub, her colleagues sing ‘Nikki.. she hurls her lunch!’
UK Viewing Figures
8.48m
