David is called out to the police station to tend to Shaun. Shaun has hurt his hand in a fight whilst trying to defend his brother Jason who has Downs Syndrome. After Shaun is discharged Jason has an accident whilst playing with Shaun’s work tools. He has an electric shock which causes him to have a seizure. At the hospital tests show that Jason has a severe heart murmur, the consultant tells David that Jason could have only 18 months to live as heart failure looks probable.
David and Shaun speak to the consultant and ask if there is a chance that Jason could have a heart transplant. The consultant refuses on the grounds that a transplant would not benefit someone ‘like’ Jason who may die before the time he’s 30 anyway. David and Shaun are rightly offended and David tells Andrew and Erica he wants The Beeches to take their business away from the hospital.
Claire goes for an interview at the Mental Health day centre. She admits to the panel that she herself has had mental health problems. She goes to see Andrew and expresses her fears that she will be refused the job because of her past problems. Andrew says the panel have already called him and asked him for a reference, he told them she’d be perfect! Claire also tells Andrew she is having problems with her drugs lately, they are making her feel unwell. Andrew performs some tests.
Erica has been made a beneficiary of a deceased patients will. She arrives to find she has been left a goat; Boris. James tells her she can keep it in the pub garden but for one night only. However when Boris eats James’ bird table Erica has to tie Boris up in The Beeches back yard! Erica keeps Boris at Andrews but when Boris annoys Andrew by eating a chunk out of his sofa he mysteriously disappears…….
Claire tells David that Andrew has found out what is making her sick – she’s pregnant! She tells him she’s had to come off her drugs in case they harm the baby. They are both shocked and Claire tells David she doesn’t know what to do. She is scared that coming of the medication will make her sick again, leaving David to cope with Emma, Tom and a new baby. She tells him he has to tell her what to do as she doesn’t trust herself to make the decision. He says if she didn’t have Manic Depression he would want the baby, but if it’s a choice between a baby and her getting sick again he thinks she should have an abortion.
CLAIRE: It’s not the lithium making me sick – it’s morning sickness
David starts a petition for Jason as the committee refuse to even hear his case. He also takes the story to the papers much to the annoyance of Andrew and Erica. The case takes its toll on everyone and Kim and Joanne have a row over it when Joanna says she would complain to the papers if Jason did get the transplant as she doesn’t think a new heart should go to a person with Downs Syndrome.
Shaun calls David, Jason has gone missing. They track him down and when they find him he has developed pneumonia. The consultant tells David he will refer Jason to the specialist because of the bad press he has received since David went to the papers. However he says when Jason is refused treatment they can’t accuse him of not giving Jason a chance. The psychiatrist assess Jason and much to David’s delight Jason is put on the transplant list.
Claire is offered the job but still hasn’t decided about the baby. She and David decide she will take the amniocentesis test to see if the baby is at any danger because of Claire’s age.
