Alice, Joanna and the Cardale folk join in the appeal for Bridget’s nephew Ben who is recovering from a heart operation. Sam does a sponsored hand glide to raise money for new equipment that will help many others affected by Ben’s condition. The appeal reaches and surpasses the target and Sam surprises Ben and his parents John and Fiona with a weekend in Euro Disney.
ALICE: I wish someone had of asked me. I would’ve been up there like a shot
JOANNA: I’ll put you down for the bungee jump then Alice
Back at The Beeches and Andrew has not returned to Cardale since Ronnie’s wedding. He has left Joanna a message asking her to ‘hold the fort’. Despite Bridget now being the practice’s full time nurse, a replacement for Dawn still hasn’t been found and once again The Beeches is understaffed. Joanna is convinced that Andrew will be back but Sam isn’t so sure.
Andrew is staying at a Bed and Breakfast run by single mother Karen (played by Eva Pope who went onto become Nurse Claire Brightwell). Karen is a widow after her husband killed himself when their Son Terry was just a young child. Terry sees Andrew as a father figure and Karen is grateful for the company. However after Andrew tends to a burn on Karen’s hand, she kisses him and he responds; much to the disgust of Terry who is watching.
Sam interviews a number of prospective receptionists; none of whom seem suitable for The Beeches. His interviews are interrupted when John and Fiona bring Ben to the surgery. Sam does a routine check and finds Ben’s heart beat is irregular, he rushes him to hospital and Ben begins to receive medication.
A bug begins to spread around Cardale and several of The Beeches patients are struck with the mystery illness. Joanna is convinced that there is a link between the cases and after some research she, Sam and Bridget find that all victims of the bug were in The Beeches on the previous Friday. Joanna thinks they should close The Beeches in case the bug spreads further but Sam thinks they should wait until the cause is identified instead of causing a panic.
Andrew tells Karen he’d like to settle his bill and move on. Terry is upset that Andrew is leaving and tells Karen it is all her fault, he tells her he hates her and says she spoils everything for him.
After one of Joanna’s patients dies from the bug, she and Sam take some supplies from The Beeches before shutting it down and moving elsewhere. Carol Johnson, who has been patiently waiting for her interview for the receptionists post, tells Joanna that she knows of a Scout Hut that might be suitable for the temporary Beeches surgery. Joanna asks Carol if she could help them out by answering the phones and making some calls. Carol says she’d be happy to.
Richard Turner, Chairman of the Primary Care Group (PCG), arrives at the Scout Hut and tells Joanna he should’ve been informed before she shut The Beeches. He asks what Andrew thinks about it all. Joanna tells him Andrew is on holiday. Richard says they need Andrew here.
Andrew tells Karen that his leaving has nothing to do with their kiss. She asks him if he is going home, he says no. Andrew leaves the B&B and sets off on his next journey. As he is driving he hears someone sneeze, he turns around to find Terry hiding in the back of his car. Terry says he wants to go where Andrew is going and runs off up the hills. Andrew reluctantly follows him. As they reach the top of the cliff, Andrew tells Terry he has to return home as his mum is going to be worried about him. Terry refuses to move and as the two struggle on top of the cliff Terry loses his balance and slips towards the edge of the cliff. Andrew reaches out to pull him back but falls off the cliff with him.
John and Fiona tell Joanna and Sam that if baby Ben dies they will hold The Beeches responsible. They give Sam back the Euro Disney tickets. Richard organises a public meeting to try and calm down the panic of the Cardale residents. Joanna is alarmed when Richard tells her he wants her to address the public on behalf of The Beeches. As the tension grows Richard asks Sam for Andrew’s contact number. Sam tells him they don’t have one; Andrew’s gone awol. Joanna asks for Richards help in keeping Andrew’s disappearance a secret as he has only been gone a week. Richard gives her 24 hours to get Andrew back.
Andrew and Terry regain consciousness after their fall. They are surprisingly unhurt with the exception of Terry who has broken his leg. The situation worsens when Terry informs Andrew that he is a Diabetic sufferer. With no way of getting back on the roadside, Andrew and Terry sit and wait in the rain. Andrew tries to steady Terry’s condition by giving him sugar in the form of boiled sweets.
ANDREW: If there’s one thing I’m good at, It’s keeping people alive
At the public meeting, Joanna explains that there is no proven link between the killer bug and The Beeches Surgery. She explains the source is yet to be identified, however her words of wisdom fall on to deaf ears and the Cardale community begin to turn on The Beeches staff.
As the night falls, Karen becomes increasingly worried about Terry and informs the police that he has gone missing. A search begins and Andrew and Terry are found at the bottom of the cliff. When Karen arrives at the rescue scene she is surprised to see Andrew treating Terry. She tells him she didn’t know he was a Doctor. He tells her that he never said anything because he doesn’t know if he is doctor anymore.
Another local man becomes victim of the bug. Sam realises this case is different from the rest as unlike the other victims, this man was not in The Beeches on Friday. Sam finds out the man works for Cardale Springs and asks Joanna who supplies the water cooler in The Beeches reception. She tells him Cardale Springs supply the water and they find out that the company have been cutting corners and mixing their spring water with surface water. Environmental Health test The Beeches water cooler and identify it as the source of the bug. With Cardale Springs now responsible, The Beeches reopens.
Joanna and Sam apologise to Carol for neglecting her interview. They thank her for her help in the recent crisis and offer her the job as Beeches receptionist. Carol accepts. Andrew arrives back at The Beeches and introduces himself to Carol as Dr. Atwood.
