Episode Summary
Disaster strikes when the roof of Holby Grammar School collapses, leaving multiple casualties trapped beneath the rubble. Back in ED, Kim struggles with a teenage girl from the school who has a dislocated ankle, forcing Stevie to step in and take control of the situation. Determined to prove herself, Kim later joins Stevie when they are called to the scene. Paramedics work against the clock in the unstable building, where Teddy locates a trapped schoolboy, Oscar. Kim eventually manages to reach him as debris shifts around them. When Oscar begins struggling to breathe, Stevie instructs Kim to perform a finger thoracostomy, talking her through the procedure. Kim successfully completes it and Oscar’s condition improves, earning praise from Stevie, who tells her she has finally shown what she is capable of.
In the ED, Matty treats an injured pupil named Freddie, who is worried about his friend Xavier. Xavier is later brought back from a scan where Flynn has already discovered that he has a large mass of hair in his stomach, linked to a stress condition. Before his condition worsens, Xavier reveals that he saw fellow student Mari (who had been bullying him) shortly before the collapse. Mari’s father soon arrives at the hospital desperate to know what has happened to his daughter. When Xavier’s breathing suddenly deteriorates, Flynn performs a procedure to remove the hair mass and stabilise him. It becomes clear Freddie and Xavier care deeply about each other, but when Freddie realises Xavier didn’t tell anyone he had seen Mari earlier, he storms off in frustration. Mari is later brought in with serious crush injuries and is treated by Stevie and Kim.
Among the other casualties is Mr Rawlings, a teacher from the school. A pupil named Riley arrives with a suspected broken arm and asks after him. When Faith later finds Riley’s passport and travel documents in Mr Rawlings’ bag, she confronts him, fearing something inappropriate is happening. Mr Rawlings explains he was trying to help Riley escape an abusive situation at home.
Elsewhere in the department, Flynn asks Matty to sign Claude’s death certificate. Matty is upset to learn that Claude had no next of kin and believes more should be done to try and trace any remaining family.
Dylan struggles to concentrate as he continues to wonder whether Matty could be his son. Stevie suggests contacting Matty’s mother to find out the truth, but Dylan insists there must be another way. Later, he secretly retrieves a strep test Matty has thrown away and plans to use it for a DNA test.
Faith confides in Siobhan that she has been exhausted and unable to sleep since Iain moved out. Siobhan suggests the symptoms could be hormonal and helps arrange tests. The results bring a shock — Faith is pregnant. Already a mother of three, Faith is unsure whether she can go through it again.
Nicole collects Ngozi from a rehabilitation facility. Ngozi reveals that her son Obi has returned to Nigeria and she is moving on to the next stage of her recovery. Nicole apologises for how she reacted when she first discovered Ngozi’s alcoholism and thanks her for the positive impact she has had on her life. They share an emotional goodbye at her new location away from Holby, but Ngozi asks Nicole not to visit as she needs a fresh start in order to stay sober.
Meanwhile, Matty confides in Jodie that he feels Flynn is using him rather than properly training him. Jodie reassures him that this is simply the reality of working in a busy emergency department. Later, Matty contacts the CQC again and withdraws the complaint he made earlier, admitting he made a mistake.
Elsewhere, PC Ashley asks Teddy out for a drink. He initially declines but then decides to trust his instincts and agrees.
As the shift ends, Stevie invites Kim to join everyone at the pub, but Kim declines and keeps watching the clock.
