Kerri and Shaun arrive at her new cottage. He is helping her move in. They are alarmed when they find another man moving his van load of stuff into the cottage. A guy arrives on a bike, the van load is his. He tells Kerri he has the keys to the cottage. She takes her set from her pocket – so does she!
Will is in a bad mood over surgery being so full. He tells Carol she must be more realistic about what they can do. He tells her to stop the timewasters before they get to his door. Sheila Spencer arrives at The Beeches for her appointment. She has a bad ankle and says the bruising has changed colour. Carol says she can’t fit her in and will have to push her back until tomorrow. She tells her to come back tonight if it is any worse. Sheila leaves and Carol crosses her name out of the appointment book.
Alex and Claire organise a girls night out. Alex wants to go to The Black Swan so they can have a chat but Claire doesn’t want to. She thinks she and Alex should have a night out on the town.
Kerri’s fellow house buyer turns up at The Beeches. Kerri apologises for what happened, she says she is upset about losing he cottage. Their conversation is interrupted by a smash outside. It’s Sheila, she has crashed her car into the house buyers bike. Tom appears outside is surprised to see the leather clad biker taking charge of the situation. He orders him inside to call an ambulance. Also not impressed is Alex when she sees him using the reception phone. He introduces himself as Dr. Matt Kendal – The Beeches new trainee. Alex explains she knew nothing about his arrival, Matt says he did call and talk to Will; who obviously hasn’t passed he message on.
At the hospital Will tells Carol that Sheila is going to have to have part of her leg amputated due to a blood clot that has formed. Carol asks if it would’ve made a difference if she had been seen a couple of hours earlier. Will says he can’t be sure but he thinks it could’ve. Carol visits Sheila, her husband Don says what happened is all Carol’s fault as she turned Sheila away.
Alex asks Will about Matt. He apologises for not telling her but he has been busy. Will says he doesn’t see Matt as an asset to The Beeches as he failed his first year and another practice has already said he’s not up to the job.
Alex gives Matt the keys to the practice vehicle as his bike is still on the scrap heap. She asks him to cover her house calls tomorrow morning and to return an umbrella to Alice. He says it’s not their job to return patients lost property, Alex says it is.
Kate arrives at work in a fluster. She get a shock when a face from her past James Strickland sneaks up behind her. He’s in Cardale to organise a charity do and says they must meet up for a drink. She agrees and asks him to leave her his business card. They are interrupted when she receives a phone call.
Alex and Claire go clubbing. Alex tells Claire she wishes she and Tom would get on better. She asks her to apologise to Tom for the adoption fiasco. Claire says no – she’s entitled to her own opinion and thinks Tom was in the wrong. Alex says in that case she should show him her opinion is worth respecting.
Kate arrives home and tells Will she has received a tip off that Sheila and Don Spencer have lodged a complaint against the health authority. She tells him if Carol really did cancel Sheila’s appointment then they have a strong case. Will has no idea what she is talking about. She tells him he needs to find out what really happened. Kate says she will serve as an independent member on the complaints panel if he likes but she needs to know everything. Later that night, Will reaches for is pills again. Kate is concerned when he leaves bed to go to the bathroom.
Will confronts Carol abut Sheila. He asks what possessed her to make a clinical judgment. She replies he asked her to stop timewasters; how could she do that and not make a clinical judgment. Will tells her that they are having an internal enquiry and she can have her say there, however as it stands he sees he has no choice but to terminate her contract. Carol is sacked.
Matt goes to Alice’s to return her umbrella. He goes into her house and finds the door open, her hens all over the place, and a dead body in her kitchen.
Tom and Alex are furious that Will has sacked Carol without consulting them. Their disagreement is interrupted by Matt who tells them all that Alice is dead. Will, especially affected, says he will contact her family in the states.
WILL: I can’t imagine Cardale without Alice
TOM: I can’t imagine The Beeches without Carol
Kate visits Carol to discuss the hearing. She tells her she appreciates her loyalty towards The Beeches but says Carol must be honest there is nothing she might’ve missed when telling Kate what happened. Carol says there isn’t, she’s thought about nothing else since it happened.
The folk of Cardale gather in The Black Swan to celebrate Alice’s life. Unhappy with the friendship brewing between Kerri and Matt, Shaun goes outside to change the beer barrel. He is sure he spots Alice scattering around the corner but when he follows her path she is gone. Disturbed by what he saw Shaun goes to Alice’s house. Hearing music on he travels upstairs and gets the shock of his life when Alice appears in the bathroom – in a face mask!
SHAUN: Alice?
ALICE: Well who were you expecting then – the queen of bloody Sheba
Carol visits Sheila in hospital. Sheila says she doesn’t blame her for what has happened and has told Don to drop the complaint.
Hearing the familiar voice of Alice, Will emerges from his consulting room and finds her sitting in reception. He gives her a healthy thumbs up. Alice explains to Kerri, Alex
and Shaun that her friend Maggie Pringle won a week in a health farm but couldn’t make it so she gave the prize to Alice. At the health farm Alice was given a face treatment and when it was taken off Alice had developed a rash. She came home and went into hiding as she didn’t want anyone to see her covered in her rash! Matt arrives and Alex introduces him to Alice – he is stunned much to Kerri and Alex’s amusement.
Tom and Claire disagree over the condition of a young D.J Dawn. Dawn suffered a severe burns injury just three months ago and Tom was told that it happened after she got drunk and got into a boiling hot bath. However it soon appears that Dawn is suffering from seizures and that she had one on the night she suffered the burns injury. Claire tells Tom that she is sure Dawn has epilepsy but Tom is convinced her seizures are drug related. Dawn eventually tells Tom the truth. She had a seizure and her partner put her in the boiling hot bath not knowing what else to do. Tom is shocked and thanks Claire for spotting the real reason behind Dawns seizures.
Shaun offers Kerri a room at the pub, rent free, until she can find somewhere else to stay. She accepts but is then introduced to James who as well as being the owner of the cottage is the owner of The Black Swan. He tells Kerri she can still have the cottage if she is interested. Kerri asks Matt if that’s ok and when he says it is she tell him he can have the room Shaun has just offered her. Shaun is not happy!
MATT: This is Mr. Strickland. He owns the cottage
JAMES: Among other things…….
Kate explains to Will, Tom and Alex that because of the incident with Carol and Matt’s mistake over Alice, they are going to have to review the practice procedure to keep the authority sweet. Carol arrives and tells the others she has seen Sheila and that Sheila doesn’t blame her for the accident. She explains that she knows she has made a mistake and has admitted to it. Will tells her this is not the right time as they have already spoken about this. Carol asks if that means Kate, Tom and Alex know about him asking her to turn non urgent cases away. Kate asks why she never mentioned this before and Tom comments how that would be awkward what with Kate being Will’s wife. Will is adamant that he said nothing that would allow Carol to make a clinical decision. Carol repeats Will’s exact words ‘stop the timewasters before they reach my door’ before leaving. Tom is disgusted that Will has let Carol carry the blame for his mistake and Alex says if Carol decides to go for unfair dismissal then they are all screwed.
Will arrives home and takes his pills fro the table. He makes it halfway up the stairs before Kate appears behind him and asks how long he’s been taking the pills. He tells her a few weeks and says he didn’t tell her because he didn’t want to worry her. She says this doesn’t worry her; it scares her out of her wits. He says that he needed help after Tony. Kate says the pills aren’t helping, he only needs to look at this week to see that. She says she should’ve been a part of his problems long before he turned to the pills – Will says he didn’t know where else to look.
KATE: Maybe we aren’t working
WILL: No. No. This is nothing to do with you
Claire’s comments about Alice upset Kerri who leaves the pub. Matt offers to walk her home but she goes before he can reach her. Claire pours the remainder of Kerri’s drink in Matt’s glass, telling him that’s all he’ll be getting out of Kerri tonight. Matt retires to his room and is swiftly followed by Claire. She kisses him. He kisses her back.
MATT: It’s not like I wrote a death certificate
CLAIRE: It wouldn’t matter if you had, you’d only have to rub month out
