A woman brings a semi-conscious baby into Holby A&E;; she does not speak English and the nurses and doctor cannot find out what has happened. The interpreter fails to show up. Sean Maddox suggests calling Adam Osman, the bed manager, who is of Indian origin, but when he arrives he tells them he was born in Birmingham and knows no Indian.
Charlie arrives late for work, because his train was late. There is a phone call for him from Baz as soon as he arrives. He tells Eve that he is not looking for a job nearer Baz; she is enjoying her new job and her family are nearby to look after Louis.
Another woman, Hannah Martin, is making a fuss at reception. She threatens someone with a chair and is taken to a cubicle with her daughter Cassie. Tina takes Cassie away so Hannah can talk, and she tells Charlie that she is pregnant but does not want to be. He tells her they cannot help, and when she is left alone she walks out of the hospital, leaving Cassie behind.
A boy called Joe Hancock is waiting in reception with his dad, but his dad is tired of waiting and wants to get to work, so he takes Joe to school.
Bonnie Russell is brought in by Josh and Penny. She will not tell the nurses what happened to her. She tells them she does not want her husband to come in, but it is too late as he is already on his way.
At a school, a teacher is complaining about the behaviour of Murray Horne, one of her pupils, to his father and the headmaster. Murray's father is retaliating by critising the teacher.
Tina is bickering with Sunny, and complains to Chloe Hill about his piggish behaviour at home. She tells him off for leering at one of the nurses.
Amy shows Sunny and Sam a scan of her baby. She lets us know that Keith has gone and that she wants nothing more to do with him.
George reminds Mark that he has made arrangements to take Tom out with Jade that evening. He says he will have to call it off, using Jade as an excuse. Sunny later lets it slip that Mark is going out with him and Sam, and George is annoyed.
At the school, Murray Horne gets his knife out. His teacher tells him to put it away. he answers back and eventually she leaves the room, crying.
A teenager is in one of the cubicles with his two friends. He is pretending to be ill, and meanwhile his friends steal some syringes. They then leave the hospital.
Joe Hancock is dropped off at school by his dad. He is talking to a girl when Murray Horne comes up and threatens him. Joe's mother is living with Murray's dad. They start fighting, but the headmaster comes and breaks them up, blaming Joe. The caretaker of the school locks a fire door to stop the kids using it to get into school.
An interpreter finally arrives in resus and they begin to find out what happened. Eventually Sam thinks about carbon monoxide poisoning, and they do tests and find that he is right.
At the school, a supply teacher is teaching another class as well as Joe's and Murray's. She leaves them to go to the other class and these two begin fighting again. Joe runs out of the classroom; Murray and some others follow but are sent back by the caretaker. Joe hides in the caretaker's room. The caretaker comes in and lights a cigarette, but is called away. He tosses the cigarette down and it lands on the couch, still lit.
The nurses try to find either of Cassie Martin's parents after they discover Hannah has gone. Cassie eventually gives Tina enough information to let her contact Cassie's dad.
In the staff room, Sean offers to make drinks for Tina and Chloe. When he goes to fetch some milk, they talk about him, saying that he is too good to be true. Tina complains again about Sunny, and says that he has led Sam astray.
In the caretaker's room, the couch bursts into flames. Joe tries to get out of the room but the door is locked. He tries to open it with pliers. In the classroom, some of the kids see smoke and the supply teacher goes to investigate. She sets off the fire alarm. Joe manages to open the door and flames burst out as the fire gets more oxygen.
Richard Russell arrives at the hospital. He is taken to Bonnie's cubicle but she is gone.
Penny and Josh are in the ambulance, talking about Eve. Penny is complaining about her, but Josh sticks up for her. Penny says that he fancies her, which he denies. They are called to go to the school. When they arrive, the children are all coming out. The supply teacher and some of Murray's class, separated from the normal way out by the fire, go to the fire door but find it locked. The class's original teacher is stuck in the school; the firemen see her but as they approach her part of the building collapes onto her legs.
Mark and George talk: she says he has let Tom down; he says he knows she's going out with a doctor that evening. They are arguing when Amy comes in to tell them that Charlie wants to speak to everyone in admin. He tells them about the fire.
Tina calls Cassie Martin's dad. He is a lorry driver and sets off to pick her up.
Chloe finds Bonnie Russell in the toilets. She talks to her, telling her that her husband has arrived. Bonnie says her husband will kill her and Chloe assumes that he was the one who injured her.
Penny comes out of the school; Josh is still with the trapped teacher. The supply teacher and the children with her find one room as yet unharmed by the fire; they go in and the teacher blocks the edges of the door. Joe and his friend are stuck in the staff toilets.
Nick Worthington, one of the teenagers, is ill, and the other two (Laila Hegarty and Leo Rogers) are bringing him back to the hospital.
Mark and Julie, a doctor, get ready to go out to the school. They get into the police car that will take them there. Cassie Martin's dad is approaching the entrance to the hospital. The teenagers step out into the road and he has to swerve to avoid them. He hits the police car as it is coming out of the hospital gates. The car rolls over and we see Mark and Julie inside, apparently unconscious…
Episode first broadcast Saturday 5th September 1998
SERIES 13
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