Erica is going to Liverpool to stay with Andrew. She is nervous abut meeting his family. Erica visits Alice as she missed her morning appointment. Alice tells her she missed it because she is preparing for the arrival of her daughter Patricia who is coming to stay from Canada. Alice tells Erica she doesn’t want Patricia to know about her diabetes.
Nick asks Erica for supper, he tells her David and Claire will be joining them as well. At supper Nick makes a comment about an ex-patient who suffered with manic depression. Whilst David, Erica and Kim are worried about the affect the comment may have on Claire she rises above it and says if she’s not up to dealing with a comment like that then she’s not up to much. Nick asks David if he could help with the fund whilst Andrew is away.
It soon appears that Nick is not as nice as he seems when he begins to charge patients £5 for every sick note he writes out. He still makes himself look like the caring doctor when he agrees with the patients that paying for a sick note is a farce. He then asks Kim if he can help her out with the fund. She is flattered by his kindness and says she’ll mention it to Erica and David.
Patricia arrives and tells Alice she would like he to go and live in Toronto with her and her two children. Alice tells her she will think about it. Alice goes on an outing with the OAP group organised by David. He and Laura accompany the folk and encounter a day of problems, beginning with the break down of their bus! Their delayed journey takes off thanks to a new coach and Alice is joined on the trip by Alfie. They have not spoken for years but have known each other since they were children. Whilst the rest of the group keep themselves amused by singing songs, Alice and Alfie break into the state house! David and Laura are alarmed to find Alice and Alfie missing along with the coach – which they have taken!
ALICE: Cardale’s my home. I’ve lived here all my life
Erica arrives in Liverpool but doesn’t get a warm welcome from Andrew’s family. Over dinner Chrissie is rude to Erica whilst Andrew’s younger sister Maxine and her boyfriend are more accommodating. Andrew asks Chrissie to give Erica a chance but she says she’s not a patch on Kirsty. Rose tells Erica that Andrew loves her and that she better not let him down. Andrew apologises to Erica for the bad weekend.
Nick looks at Claire’s medical records and discovers her history with manic depression. He goes to see her and says he felt he had something wrong the other night. Claire tells him she has suffered from manic depression. She asks him to stay for dinner, he says yes and fobs off a patient when they call his mobile requiring urgent assistance. What Nick is doing is delaying all of his house calls till after 10 pm when he receives a call out fee.
Alice and Alfie discuss their feud. They fell out over Alice’s husband. As night falls they are lost and can’t find their way back. They find a boat and decide they will sail back to Cardale! David eventually finds them both and sends them to hospital. Alice tells Patricia she won’t be going back to Canada with her – she’s staying put!
ALICE: I was born here and I want to die here
Erica returns to The Beeches and Nick tells her about a patient he treated. He tells her the patient had a perforated ulcer but he diagnosed him with indigestion and thought the case wasn’t urgent. Erica is furious that Nick’s lateness caused such a fault but he gets his way out of the mess by telling her he was with Claire and didn’t want to leave her as she seemed ‘manic’. David hears and agrees that Nick can help with the fund so that he can spend more time with Claire.
David talks to Claire about what Nick said. She begins to doubt herself and says she didn’t think she was acting strangely around Nick. David tells her she must talk to him if she starts to get ill again.
Rose tells Andrew he is treating her the way he nursed his father. However this time it’s with all the expertise but none of the heart. Andrew leaves Liverpool and returns to Cardale.
