S3 E28 (22 May 01) : New Beginnings by Ann Marie Di Mambo
Episode Summary
A taxi pulls up outside the main entrance and a man gets out. Entering Otter ward behind some parents, he carefully places a tape recorder in his pocket and starts asking Danny in a roundabout way about Victoria – Danny realises that he is a journalist and Steve throws him out. Janice says she made it clear there was to be no discussion of Victoria – Steve protests that it’s the least they can do for Victoria’s family.
Keri tells Janice that Miranda Locke, who was fond of Victoria (but all us keen viewers know she had actually been stalking her) is on her way up from A&E with slashed wrists.
Miranda is in the lift with her mother and Alex. On leaving, Alex too is approached by Derek Baskham – the reporter from earlier. Alex refuses to talk to him and is on the point of shouting at him when DI Chambers, the police inspector arrives and asks for a word.
Sandy is asking Julie for overtime – Julie refuses, saying she’s too inexperienced and would be no use to her overworked. Jazz asks Julie what’s being bugging her.
Mrs Nolan arrives and asks about her husband.
Alex tells Chambers that he doesn’t have anything else to tell him. Chambers says they found blood at Victoria’s flat – Alex’s blood. Alex says he cut himself while cooking.
[ID 572]Sam[/ID] asks Alex if Chambers is hassling him and says she is there for him to talk to.
Mr Nolan is entertaining the whole ward with the tales of his old village – he wife arrives and shushes him. Mr Nolan’s son, Marco goes. Mrs Nolan has brought fish and chips.
Sam and Sandy are assessing a patient but Sam can’t concentrate for the noise coming from the Nolans. Sam goes to find out what’s going on and is shocked to see the fish and chips when Mr Nolan is supposed to be on a fat reduced diet. She tells them to keep the noise down for the sake of the other patients. She then says to Sandy (who is munching on a chip) that it’s that sort of food which is responsible for half the heart conditions they see. Sandy makes a face and asks for brown sauce.
Steve greets Miranda as she comes onto the ward, but she seems apathetic.
Sam is explaining Mr Nolan’s coronary bypass when Sandy interrupts and asks about a patient’s dosage. Sam says it was two-point-five, rather than twenty-five milligrams – perhaps she could use some of her own brains in future? Julie takes Sandy off for interrupting a doctor while talking to patients, then Sam asks Julie to ask the Nolans to calm down. Julie isn’t sure what she can do – they are a loving family – and also rebukes Sam about Sandy – nurses don’t have the authority to change a dosage prescribed by a doctor. Julie tells Jasmine that one day she’ll tell Same what she really thinks of her.
Steve arrives and asks Jazz to see her as his union representative. In the quiet, he tells her that he can’t come – it’s Robbie’s parents evening. He says he’ll make it up tommorow.
Shirley is trying to explain what happened to her to Sandy but her husband Mark takes over and tells her. He answers most of Sandy’s questions before she has chance to but in edgeways. Sandy says she has a heart arrithmia. Shirley tells Mark to go home and get her overnight things. He leaves under protest, kissing her.
Miranda Locke’s parents are shocked over Miranda’s self-abuse. They say she has been withdrawn. They wonder if she cut her wrists to come back to hospital and Mrs Locke accuses Mr Locke of never being there for Miranda. Janice suggests taking Miranda to a psychiatrist – Mr Locke is reluctant, fearing what people will think of them.
Danny is seeing to Miranda – she is rambling about dying and about Victoria so he tries to comfort her. As he is leaving, she says “I know who killed her!”
Sam is examining Shirley and tells her there is a shadow on her chest wall, but she doesn’t know what – she tries to comfort her that it might not be anything sinister. Mark returns and asks for a word with Sam. He asks Sam to talk to him first – he doesn’t want Shirley alarmed but Sam says their policy is to be honest with patients – awareness of one’s own condition is vital in fighting it. Mark says he’s just rather Shirley heard about anything serious from him.
At home, Julie is annoyed at Jazz for not paying the electricity bill – Jazz accuses her of bossing her around. Julie reveals that she is pregnant.
Miranda says she went to Victoria’s house and waited outside, only to see her with someone else – “a doctor who works here,” and asks Danny not to tell anyone.
At home, Steve finds his son, Robbie watching Robot Wars. He tells him to go and get changed into school uniform for the parents’ evening. Robbie says it’s tommorow. Steve accuses his wife, Emma, of misleading him that morning and she says she didn’t, and wonders if he’s hiding something. Steve gets increasingly angry and Emma says he should sort out whatever’s bothering him, rather than taking it out on her and Robbie.
Julie says she hasn’t told Martin about her pregnancy yet. She is worried about losing her place as ward sister coping with two kids by herself. Jazz protests that she has Martin this time to help with the baby. Julie says that Martin wouldn’t hang around, like last time but Jazz insists she tell him. Martin arrives.
Sandy finds a box in Shirley’s overnight bag – Mark has bought her a necklace. Shirley has started to cry – she says she’s been hiding how sick she is, with pains everywhere and feelings of exhaustion – for fear of worrying him. She says he’s treated her so well that she feels she is letting him down being unwell. She reveals she got breast enlargements as a wedding present.
Martin tells Julie how he was reading to Rosie (Julie’s baby daughter). He asks what’s up but Julie doesn’t want to say the truth, saying she is just tired. He says he’s been offered a job in Brighton, with a flat for all of them. She says he should take it. He responds that he’ll get househunting and they can start organising the wedding. Julie says there won’t be a wedding. Martin leaves.
Steve and Jazz meet in the car park. He explains that he has to go to the parents evening (the next night, rather than the previous one). She is annoyed and tells him to sort out his own problems, walking off.
Danny tells Janice about Miranda’s admission about Victoria. Danny even wonders if she was the one who killed Victoria, pointing out that the letter Victoria was sent could have been from her.
Alex wonders what the X-ray could be revealing about Shirley, but is unsure. He glances down at a newspaper. The headline reads: “POLICE QUIZ SURGEON IN MURDER ENQUIRY”
Alex carries on about Shirley – he thinks something sinister is at work, explaining her lethargy and pain. Sandy asks if her “Boob job – er- I mean breast impants” would get in the way of surgery. Alex leaves and Sandy mentions that she read an article in Cosmopolitan about implants leaking and causing problems but Sam dismisses it rudely.
Sandy asks Jazz if she’d ever have a boob job but Jazz says no. Sandy, however, says she wouldn’t mind. Martin rings about Julie, but Jazz says she is away. He wants to speak to Jazz.
Sam sends Shirley off for further scans.
Miranda won’t let Steve check her dressings – she wants Danny. Steve instructs Danny to do it even though Miranda ‘freaks him out’. She is happy to see him.
Sam tells Alex about Sandy’s theory – Alex reckons that’s what’s at fault.
Mr Nolan is being taken into theatre. He says goodbye to his wife.
Miranda is talking to DI Chambers. He asks how she knows where she lived and Miranda admits to stealing Victoria’s purse to find her address. Chambers shows her the threatening letter. Miranda admits to writing it but says she regrets writing it. Chambers asks Miranda where she was the next morning – Miranda thinks Chambers is accusing her of killing Victoria. Janice asks the police to leave as they Miranda is in tears. Chambers persists and Miranda reveals she was in school.
Guy Morton asks to see Shirley, and goes with Alex. Alex confirms that Shirley has a fibrosis due to a leaking implant. Guy takes over and explains. Alex says Shirley will have a full recovery if they remove the implants immediately.
Martin asks Jazz about Julie. He wonders if she’s scared he’ll screw up again. He is annoyed that she won’t discuss her reasons with him. Eventually, Jazz tells him Julie’s pregnant. Martin is even more annoyed now that Julie didn’t tell him.
In theatre, Alex finds a tumour in Mr Nolan. Alex now sees no point in doing a bypass operation, although Sam thinks it could increase the quality of life – he would be expecting it.
Miranda is watching Danny at the nurses station. He apologises for telling the police about her being at Victoria’s flat. She protests that they now think she killed Victoria and then asks if Victoria really cared about her. Danny is called away. Miranda sneaks into the utility cupboard and steals a needle.
Sergio Nolan’s family are waiting. Julie tells him he’s out of theatre due to the cancer. Alex confirms the bad news. Mr Nolan’s son asks how long Sergio has to live – Alex estimates 3 to six months. They go to see him on the ward.
Keri finds Miranda choking. They discover she is choking on the needle.
Steve apologises to Jazz about that night. They are about to kiss when Sandy rounds the corner. Jazz says she can’t stand being secretive like that. Jazz says he should be feeling how he feels – bad – after all he’s a married man. Steve protests it’s nothing sordid; he loves Jazz. But Jazz doesn’t want their relationship to carry on like that. She doesn’t think their relationship will work, and leaves.
Shirley says she is feeling weak – not just in the respect of her health – letting Mark take over her life and not standing up for herself. Mark says he can get Shirley new implants. Shirley is upset – she feels he wants to keep her the way he wants her – she doesn’t feel like she’s anymore than his wife and no longer her own person. She says it’s up to her; her life – up to her to figure out what happens to her.
Janice tells Miranda’s parents about what happened to Miranda – and finds a pattern building up of Miranda hurting herself after a emotionally difficult time. Miranda’s parents don’t see any problems at home, although Miranda has been telling Janice about not feeling safe at him due to her father. Her father is shocked – they don’t think Miranda is in her right mind to say such a thing. Janice agrees, saying it’s just a wild accusation and again asks to call in a psychiatrist. Mr Locke agrees this time.
Shirley is talking about that being the first time she’s stood up to Mark. She’s thinking about moving off on her own – not because she doesn’t love Mark.
Jazz asks Julie how she is – she still hasn’t told him about the baby. Jazz lets slip that she knows about Martin going to Brighton, which Julie immediately cottons onto.
Mark approaches Sandy and is angry about being turned on – at being hated. Sandy protests that Shirley is very ill and tells Mark that Shirley had been keeping her illness from him. Sandy tells him that Shirley just needs some independence.
Julie is angry at Jazz for going to Martin behind her back. Jazz says she was pushed – and Martin had a right to know, in the same way that Carl had a right to know when Julie told him about her abortion. Julie explodes at this and asks if Jazz just did this to get back at her. Jazz walks towards the door.
Mr Nolan is lying in bed; he seems to be coming around. His wife says she can’t face him yet and leaves. Julie asks if she is okay and takes her to sit down. She said they sent all their money home to Italy. For thirty-six years all they’d done was work and dream about not working – never realising that was all the time they’d have. Julie reassures her that there is still some time – but is rebutted that it’s time “Not to live – to die.” Julie says they’ll at least be together. Mrs Nolan says she can’t look at him knowing she’ll lose him. Julie says he needs her, that’s why she must. Looking around, she sees Mark back with Shirley and smiles.
Alex says Shirley has removed to having her breast implant removed. He congratulates Sam on coming up with the leak theory but Julie protests that it’s Sandy they should be thanking, especially when Sam had laughed at her idea. She goes on to say that it was Sandy who befriended and talked Shirley through everything, and it’s about time Sam recognised the quality of nursing care going on.
Julie rushes out of the wards, stopping to congratulate Sandy for being a great nurse on the way.
Outside, Jazz runs into Steve. She says again that they can’t do this anymore. Steve says he’s decided to leave Emma, to stop hurting everyone and give him and Jazz a future.
Miranda’s dad wakes her up. She is scared that he will be angry at him. He says, although he doesn’t always take the time to tell her, he really does love her. Miranda cries that everyone thinks she killed Victoria. He promises to take care of things, before being called away to talk to the police.
DI Chambers tells Mr Locke that Miranda was absent from school on the morning of Victoria’s death and that they have to speak to her again.
Julie knocks on Martin’s door. She says she spoke to Jazz. She has resolved that she will marry Martin – her and Rosie and her baby.
Notable Facts
What a mess! As many relationships were patched up as were broken apart.
Miranda looks increasingly unstable. Why didn’t she tell the police about seeing Guy at Victoria’s flat? Note the way she breaks off at a tangent about ‘safe as houses’ when talking to Danny – a classic mark of a troubled mind, as if the suicide attempts and the stalking weren’t enough warning.
(Will Watson)
