Laura is feeling guilty as in two weeks time she’s off to start her new life as a volunteer nurse in Albania, and still no replacement has been found for her job at The Beeches. However her final days are brightened by mystery flowers and gifts which keep arriving at
The Beeches from an anonymous sender.
Andrew is beginning to get frustrated by Erica’s lack of involvement in their wedding arrangements. Each time he brings up the subject of the big day she brushes him off with a joke. However Erica later tells Andrew that she doesn’t understand how taking his vows will
mean as much to him second time around.
ERICA: Little chapel of love in Las Vegas
DAWN: Yep. You dressed as Dolly Parton and Andrew as Elvis Presley
David and Claire are having financial problems. Their bank account is £5000 overdrawn and the house is falling apart.
Andrew and Claire become involved with Tricia, a girl with Schizophrenia. She is staying in Cardale with her brother Steven and his wife Alison. Tricia is attending the local day centre where Claire works which gives David cause for concern as he thinks Claire is becoming too involved in Trisha’s problems.
Andrew asks Erica why she bothered proposing to him as she doesn’t seem to care where, when or how they get married. She says she proposed because she loves him, he tells her it doesn’t feel like that at the moment. He walks out on her to go and do some work at The Beeches.
ANDREW: When I make my vows to you, I make them as a man who knows what he wants and what he wants is you for the rest of his life
Much to Kim’s amusement; Laura’s mystery admirer turns out to be Norman! He tells her he is in love with her. Laura shares her doubts over leaving Cardale with him and he tells her she must do what she wants to do.
Tricia goes missing as her schizophrenia worsens. Claire joins the search party and goes to look for her in her car. As she is driving Tricia appears in the back seat – gun in hand. Claire goes to The Beeches with Tricia so that Andrew can help. She tells him that Tricia has a gun and he picks up the phone to call the police. As he about to do so Tricia bursts in with the gun pointing at Andrew. The voices in Tricia’s head are telling her that Andrew is the controller and she insists that Claire stay away from him. Andrew, who is concerned for Claire’s safety, tell her to make a run for it. As Claire gets up to leave there is a struggle and as Erica gets out of her car in The Beeches car park she hears a gun shot. She quickly alerts the police.
Andrew has been shot. Claire tries to check if he’s ok but Tricia pulls her back when she hears sirens. Meanwhile a distraught Erica has realised that Andrew is in The Beeches as he did not turn up for their meeting with the vicar. The police ask her if she knows who owns the other vehicle in the car park. Erica realises that the car is Claries and that she too is trapped inside. Erica calls David who leaves Emma and Tom with Dawn and rushes to The Beeches.
As Tricia takes Claire around The Beeches, Andrew manages to get a call out to the police. He tells them he’s been shot and lost consciousness for a while, he tells them he has no idea where Claire and Tricia are. David grabs the phone off the police officer and begs Andrew not to let anything happen to Claire. Andrew gets up and goes to look for Claire and Tricia. Tricia hears the footsteps and puts the gun in her mouth, she pulls the trigger but the gun is empty. Andrew bursts in and Tricia flees, Claire tells him they have to tell the police the gun is empty. Andrew follows after Tricia and tells the police not to shoot. At which point Tricia turns around and points the gun at Andrew, she is shot by the police and falls to the floor. Andrew and Erica work to save Tricia whilst David goes into the surgery to see Claire. He finds her weeping in the corner.
The gang gather for Laura’s farewell and Norman arrives and presents her with a St Christopher necklace. Laura tells everyone how much she will miss them all and Cardale.
ANDREW: Go for your dreams today. Tomorrow may never come
Claire tends to Trisha as she lay asleep in the hospital.