'Violent Delights Have Violent Ends'

Aftershock Week: Episode 2 of 5

A sequence of shots convey young people as part of a gang at war with their neighbours. Graffiti tags for the Junction Crew and Broxby Boyz are in evidence. We see Gianni Baxter (early 20s) spraying a Broxby Boyz tag on Junction Crew territory. He finishes and rushes to a car where his brother Nev Baxter (30s) is waiting.

There is a police tent over the crime scene and nearby, bunches of flowers are starting to pile up. Sammi Miah (late 20s), a teaching assistant at Junction primary school, stands alone taking in the scene. Mikey, Marie’s son, dressed in the red gang colours of the Junction Crew is also there. Celine King (20) appears carrying a bag from the chemist – she stops for a moment to take in the scene before moving on. Hilary Benson (70s) looks down from the balcony of her flat. Ronan Harding (11) walks past in his school uniform and ignores Sammi.

Ruth hurries into work hoping to see Lenny but there is another cleaner there who tells her he isn’t coming in today. Later, Ruth briefs the temp covering for her while she’s on a course. Ruth checks Lenny’s details on the computer and calls his home. No answer.

Heston arrives at the Junction Primary school where he clocks the police notice about last night’s murder and double checks he locked his car. The gates are locked. He is trying to get in when Dorothy Bakewell (50s) wobbles up on her bike. She is doing a talk to try and reassure the kids after the murder. Sammi appears with keys and lets them in. Sammi shows Heston into the sick room where Pearl Snow (8/9) is waiting with Mrs Joy Gilbert (50s) the headmistress. Pearl has been sick twice and has tummy ache. Heston examines her and diagnoses a tummy bug or reaction to anxiety or stress.

Ronan is standing in the corridor waiting to see the doctor and tries to look tough when Heston approaches. He tells Heston that they think he is faking and reveals some nail marks on his arm that he claims came from Sammi. Dorothy is waiting in the staffroom to do her talk as Sammi tells a shocked Dorothy that the kids know that the victim was from the Broxby estate and that was why he was ‘jumped’. Ruth asks Michelle to keep an eye on the temp as she needs to pop out, first telling her about Lenny.

Sammi is called to the Head’s office where Mrs. Gilbert and Heston confront her about restraining Ronan. She says she was trying to search him but before she can explain she is sent to the staffroom while Mrs Gilbert decides what action to take. Heston has to write a report on Ronan’s injury and Mrs Gilbert says she doesn’t think Sammi is a good influence on the kids.

Ruth goes to Lenny’s house on the Junction estate. Lenny’s grandmother Elsa Scott (70s) answers the door. Elsewhere at the school, Sammi is called to hear her fate. She is clearing her locker as Dorothy gets called to give her talk.

Elsa goes to make tea as Lenny comes in. He’s a bit put out to see Ruth. She wants to talk to him about facing up to the blackouts and setting his dedicated mind to something else. He is quite taken by the hope she offers. Elsa has brought in tea and Lenny is uneasy about her talking to Ruth but his phone rings and he has to leave them alone. Elsa tells Ruth that Lenny hasn’t boxed for over a year. Ruth feels like an idiot when she realises Lenny has lied.

Dorothy tries to explain the story of the Good Samaritan to a school class. Ronan thinks the Samaritan ‘was an idiot to try and help an outsider’. The class lose interest and Dorothy feels like a failure.

Lenny comes back into the living room to finds that Ruth has left. Ruth returns to the Campus Surgery but is in no mood to fill Michelle in on the details of her morning with Lenny.
As Heston leaves the school a distressed Sammi meets him, carrying a holdall. She thrusts the bag into his arms saying what’s inside is the reason she was searching Ronan and then walks off. Heston opens the bag and to his shock he pulls out a number of weapons and finally a knife.

Heston is considering the contents of the bag when PC Wilson (20s) ambles over to say hello. Heston closes the bag and goes after Sammi. She says Ronan is the worst offender for bringing weapons into school but he is by no means the only one and that the teachers don’t have a clue. She explains that Ronan is a ‘teenie’- it’s what they call the youngest members of the gangs.
Lenny comes into the Campus Surgery to see Ruth and to apologise for lying as he just wanted to impress her. Ruth forgives him.

Heston tries to talk Sammi out of giving up on the kids. He apologies for the mess he’s got her in. Meanwhile Ronan is sitting on a wall wearing his gang colours when half a dozen or so boys from the Junction Crew approach him. He starts to apologise but they continue to rough him up. Sammi leaves her flat to go to the shops and on her way she passes the children’s playground where she sees Ronan sitting on a wall. She is concerned to see his bruised face and that his hand has been stamped on hard.

Dorothy arrives at the Mill – her chain has broken again! Julia is about to take her for a drink when Sammi comes in with Ronan asking to see Heston. He is appalled to see what has been done to Ronan and says he will have to call the police. Ronan says he has already seen the police earlier in the day and they searched him. Then they are alarmed to discover he swallowed the drugs he was carrying. Heston and Sammi spring into action as Ronan collapses.

Over drinks, Julia does her best to get Dorothy to believe in her ability to do the job when she is interrupted by a call from her son Max.

Heston and Sammi are with Ronan as he is wheeled into casualty. At the Campus, Ruth is locking up for the night and finds Lenny waiting for her.

Ronan comes round in hospital after treatment for the drugs he swallowed. He refuses to speak to the police about the gang, claiming they are family. He gets embarrassed when Heston tells him family shouldn’t hurt you or make you carry drugs. Mrs Gilbert arrives – she hasn’t been able to get hold of Ronan’s mum. Heston, Sammi and Mrs Gilbert go into the corridor to speak. Sammi proposes an after school club as an alternative to kids hanging out with the gangs. Heston spurs her on. Mrs Gilbert apologies to Sammi for not giving her enough credit and Sammi is pleased to be vindicated at last.

Lenny tells Ruth that the police have been around the estate questioning people about the stabbing. He tells Ruth as he was passed out due to the blackout and he doesn’t have an alibi. Ruth agrees to give him one. Lenny tells her she is really special and kisses her deeply.