Rose is brought into resus after an overdose. Richard talks to her mum Annie and her partner Frank. Annie is really upset and blames herself. Frank tells Richard that Rose did it because she didn't want him to move in with Annie. They try to pump Rose's stomach, but she coughs up the tube and admits she was faking it. She begs them not to tell her mother, but Richard is angry. She later disappears. Tina explains to Annie what really happened. Frank criticises Rose as a bad daughter. Annie breaks down. Frank tells her to go home while he looks for Rose. Tina finds Rose. She says running off didn't help and suggests Rose gets on with her own life. Rose says Frank doesn't love her mum.
Richard asks George how her Christmas was. She tells him she had to work. He invites her to the party after shift at his place but she's too tired. He gives her a present - an expensive watch.
Clive and Maggie want to spend the evening with their kids, but Marty and Lisa have already made arrangements. Lisa asks Marty to drop her off at her friend's place, but on the way says she's really coming to the party with him. He doesn't want to lie to her mum, but she says it's OK.
Charlie asks Baz if she wants to go to Richard's after shift, but she's too tired. He complains they never go out anymore. He later discovers Baz has agreed to take the new consultant job. He asks her about it and she says she's considering it. Charlie is annoyed she didn't tell him about it. Baz then agrees to go to Richard's but Charlie doesn't want to go anymore.
Mark tries to chat with George, but she gives him the brush off. He gets annoyed.
Ginnie is herding cattle. Her partner, Spencer comes home and tells her he's brought some wine and steaks for dinner. She asks him why their account is low, he admits he brought some other stuff, and shows her a small box. She goes off at him for buying stuff they can't afford, and storms out.
Sam is at home watching TV. Paul comes in - Sam says it's been good having him around. Paul says he's got to go to work. Sam is disappointed because Paul knew he had time off. He asks if Paul wants to go to Richard's, but he doesn't. Paul kisses Sam on the cheek and goes.
Annie is driving along the highway. She swerves and hits another car. There is a major pile-up. Marty and Lisa are also involved. Eve tells the team there's been a pile-up on the highway. Sam comes in - he, George and Mark go to the scene.
Josh is treating Lisa. A giant propane carrier skids across the highway and hits the pileup. Marty runs off. Helen Fraser is talking on her mobile. She hangs up and sees the carrier in front of her. She breaks in time, but is pushed into the carrier by the car behind. Spencer swerves to avoid a car and hits the carrier. He sees Helen in her burning car and rescues her. Sam and George take Helen away and start treating her. Spencer catches fire and disappears. Elliot searches for him.
Annie is brought into resus. Richard checks her over and Tina does some obs. Richard thinks she has an internal bleed. Tina asks her to give Rose a chance. They later decide to admit Annie overnight. Rose comes in crying. Frank starts blaming her for the accident. Richard tells them both to go and leave Annie in peace. He sends Tina after them and she overhears Frank threatening Rose.
In resus Baz checks over Marty. Charlie says his parents are outside - Marty doesn't want to see them. In reception Clive and Maggie ask Josh about Marty. He says Marty's OK, but Lisa is still at the scene. Maggie is shocked Lisa was in the car. Charlie is angry with Josh for telling them - Josh says losing his family made him remember what it's like to be human and not a know-all medic. Clive and Maggie push into resus to see Marty - Maggie blames him for the accident. Baz takes them outside. Marty says Maggie isn't his mother and confides he and Lisa have been sleeping together.
Annie stumbles into reception calling for Frank and collapses. Tina and Richard take her into resus and find some pills on her. They later discover they are slimming pills Annie took because Frank pressured her into losing weight, and made her feel unattractive. Annie realises Frank will never love her and chooses Rose.
Lisa is brought into resus with windshield glass in her eye. Baz treats her, and tells her mum. George is worried as Mark is still at the scene searching for Spencer with Elliot. Lisa keeps asking about Marty. Maggie comes in and starts fussing over Lisa, saying Marty led her astray. Lisa says it was her idea. Charlie tells Clive that Marty and Lisa have been sleeping together and he should know since Lisa is a minor. Clive admits he knew, but didn't tell Maggie. Maggie is behind and hears. She goes off at Clive for not telling her. She goes and talks with Marty and Lisa, and decides they can go on seeing each other, but she and Lisa won't move in.
Helen wants to know about Spencer -Sam says he'll let her know. Eve puts a tourniquet on Helen's arm. She wants to contact her boyfriend. She tells Sam about her boyfriend -they got together quickly, but he's with someone else. Sam tells her about how Paul lost his job and Sam had to do agency work on top of his normal shift to make ends meet. Mark and Elliot find Spencer. He is badly burned. Mark gets a line in. Spencer asks about Helen and if Mark can do something for him. They take him to the ambulance. The carrier blows up behind them. In resus Spencer asks Mark to get a box out of his pocket -it's for Ginnie. Baz says there aren't many good veins and the prognosis is poor. The team keep working on him. Ginnie comes in asking about Spencer. Penny takes her to the relatives room. Charlie says he'll need 3000 mLs in 2 hours. Baz tells him to pump it through. Eve says it's a good job Mark got the big line in earlier and tells them Ginnie is outside. Baz says no way until he's cleaned up, but Charlie says they haven't much time.
Paul comes into reception. Amy says Sam's at X-ray. Paul thought Sam was at home - Amy explains he got called back in. He says he's there to see a patient. Sam goes to Helen's cubicle. She's kissing Paul. Helen asks if they know each other, Sam says "He's my boyfriend!" and walks off. Paul goes after him and says he was going to tell him. Sam says it's too late.
Charlie tells Ginnie that Spencer is in a bad way, but she insists on seeing him. He takes her into resus.Spencer and Ginnie are both crying. They say they love each other. She kisses him and goes. Spencer goes into arrest. They shock him back and Mark commences CPR. He doesn't respond, and they agree to stop.
Sam goes into Helen's cubicle to find Paul. She tells him not to hang onto Paul anymore. He says this relationship with Helen means nothing to Paul and walks off. Outside A&E Paul comes over to Sam. Sam is angry with Paul for being so ungrateful for all Sam's sacrifices. Paul isn't sorry and says it was long over between them. Sam says he doesn't love Helen -Paul doesn't deny it. Sam shouts at him to get out and to tell Helen that the man who saved her life is dead. Eve and Sunny are outside. She asks Sam to wait in her office.
Mark breaks the news to Ginnie. Helen comes and tells Ginnie it was her that Spencer saved. Ginnie goes off at her. Mark asks Helen to go. Ginnie says she never told Spencer she loved him. Mark says he knew and gives her the box. It's a necklace. Ginnie smiles and says Spencer was such a romantic.
Mark and George go into the staffroom. They kiss. Richard sees them through the window.
Eve comes into the office. Sam says she always picks on him for being scruffy and late. He says he was always working when he just wanted to do was go home and see Paul. Eve says she didn't know. He says she expects no one to have personal lives, like her. She looks hurt, and he apologises. She says it's OK and she's sorry if she misjudged him. Sam says he really loved Paul. He starts sobbing and she holds him.
Josh apologises to Charlie about earlier - Charlie says it's OK and goes out to see Baz. He says she always drops bombshells then carries on as normal. Baz says she didn't plan it like that. He says their relationship has become empty, and he wants to split. Baz cries, she says she'll take Louis and go.
Episode first broadcast Saturday 27th December 1997
Written by Jo Curtin
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