S02E08: 'A Name Written In Water'

Robert fails to answer his phone, he’s not on his boat, and there’s no sign of him at the office or at Jude’s house. Convinced something dreadful has happened to Robert, Alison races to the hospital emergency department.

She bumps into Robert’s colleague Barbara, who breaks the news that Robert has a brain tumour. He collapsed while driving home and is in intensive care. Alison knows she must contact Robert before it is too late. She finds Robert in a coma, with his ex wife Jude sitting at his bedside.

Alison waits until Jude goes home before approaching the ward. The duty nurse, Zoë, is sympathetic, and allows Alison to sit with Robert for as long as she likes. As Alison urges Robert to come round, she is puzzled by the appearance of a strange looking nurse, who seems to hover by patients’ beds.

Zoë explains that the ward is haunted by the “night nurse” who had been on duty the night her lover was brought into hospital. She was distraught that she had been unable to help him, and he died in agony. The night nurse decided it was her mission to help patients to depart peacefully.

Jude is furious to find Alison at Robert’s bedside, and upset by the obviously close bond between the two. As Jude maintains her lonely vigil, Robert flickers back into consciousness. Jude calls at Alison’s house to tell her the good news, and they return to the hospital together.

Robert lapses into unconsciousness again. As they sit by his bed Alison sees the night nurse hovering again...

Extra! Creator Stephen Volk on this episode:
"I don't really want to say too much about because so many of the strands of the series come to a head in a hopefully dramatic and exciting way, but some of the things that I set up even in series one come into play and reach a climax, which I wasn't really expecting until the writing of it!"