Will, Kate, Laura, Chloe, James and Alice attend the funeral of Elizabeth Mellor who has died after a long battle with cancer. Erica arrives late and tells Will that she feels Andrew let down the Mellor family when he left Cardale. Will comments that the Mellor’s aren’t the only people to have been let down by Andrew. The sight of Elizabeth’s daughter Jenny upsets Kate who is about to give birth any day.
The Beeches is chaos; Andrew’s replacement, locum Dr. Roberts is not getting on too well with Will and Erica, whilst Kim and Laura are finding it hard to work around new receptionist Joanne. The frantic rush in reception is interrupted when Kate calls Will to say she’s gone into labour!
Erica goes to her car to begin her house calls and is shocked when she sees Andrew’s car parked next to hers, and even more shocked when he appears beside her. It turns out that Andrew walked out on Will and Erica on the morning they were due to sign the partnership agreement. Andrew asks Erica if they can talk, she says no. He pleads with her until she says he can join her on her house calls and talk in the car. Andrew accompanies Erica on her house call to Steve; Elizabeth Mellor’s husband. Andrew asks Erica how Liz is and he is shocked when she reveals today was the day of her funeral. Andrew wants to speak to Steve but Erica tells him to wait in the car – he’s let them down enough already.
Will and Kate arrive at the hospital and a nervous Kate runs through her birth plan with Will. They are disheartened when they are told Kate’s not in labour – she’s experiencing braxton hicks – Will and Kate are sent home again.
NURSE: What you’re experiencing is strong braxton hicks. It’s merely the uterus toning itself up
KATE: I know what braxton hicks are, I am a bloody doctor
Andrew and Erica go back to her new cottage, which is in desperate need of reconstruction work. Andrew tells Erica that he wants to come back to The Beeches. He says he knows he let she and Will down but he’s now certain that he wants to stay in Cardale. Erica tells Andrew he can’t come back; she and Will need someone they can rely on. Besides Will has arranged for his old friend David Shearer to come and visit the practice this afternoon. Erica tells Andrew to go back to Manchester.
Andrew returns to his locum job in Manchester but quits when he is expected to hold quick consultations and hand out prescriptions like sweets. He returns to The Beeches and speaks to Laura. She tells him that things are bad at The Beeches. Russ has left, leaving them without a fund manager and they’ve had to take on Joanne so Kim can spend her time dealing with the fund. She says all the locums have been disasters and she thinks there is room for Andrew to come back, however she reminds him it’s too late. David is coming to see Will and Erica today and what Laura’s heard – he’s pretty keen to move back to Cardale.
Andrew meets up with Will and Erica in The Manor. He begs them to give him another chance. Erica doesn’t say much but Will refuses, saying that he’s not convinced Andrew won’t dump them again. David arrives and introduces himself as Andrew leaves.
Kate bumps into Alice whilst shopping, she tells her that she can’t wait for the baby to be born. Her wish comes true a little quicker then expected when her waters break in the middle of the street!
Will, Erica and David go back to The Beeches. David tells Erica how he used to work with Beth and that it was he who told Will to apply for the job at The Beeches. David tells them he left his old practice because they were going into fund holding. Erica is slightly cold towards him and states that The Beeches is a fund holding practice and intends to stay that way. Will explains that it’s different coming into a fund that’s already established as appose to one that is yet to be set up. Their discussion is interrupted by Wills phone; it’s Kate telling him she’s gone into labour – again!
Andrew and David meet again. Andrew tells him he’d be mad not to take the partnership. David says he has to consult his wife and children first.
The social services are concerned that Steve can’t cope with Jenny as she suffers from epilepsy. He doesn’t seem to be able to control her seizures and Erica is interviewed by the social who asks her opinion. She tells them that Steve is a good father and that with help and training he could manage Jenny’s condition. However Liz’s parents do not think Steve is capable and make it clear they would like to look after Jenny. Scared that he is losing her Steve plans to take Jenny away. As they are packing the car Jenny has another seizure, a more serious one. Feeling bad about leaving Cardale just as Liz would need him as her G.P, Andrew goes to the house and spots the commotion in the garden. He administers treatment to Jenny but she in a critical condition; Andrew and Steve take her to hospital in Andrews’s car.
Will arrives at the hospital to find Kate in immense pain, she is having a hard labour and is finding the pain hard to take. But with Will by her side she gives birth to a baby girl. Will and Kate are overjoyed and decide to call the baby Emily. Kate also decides she doesn’t want to stay in hospital, she wants to go home now!
Jenny’s condition stabilises and it is clear that if it weren’t for Andrew she probably would’ve died.
Will tells Erica he can’t trust Andrew. She says Andrew had a breakdown after Kirsty left and that they must forgive him for it. David goes to Will and Kate’s house to cook supper, however he doesn’t get a word out of Kate who is completely smitten with baby Emily. Andrew arrives with a bottle of champagne and tells Will he couldn’t leave without seeing the baby. Over supper Will tells Andrew that David will be covering for him for a few weeks so he can spend some time with Kate and Emily, but tells Andrew he would like him to be the new partner. Andrew is thrilled and jumps at the chance to take Erica’s night call.
