'Heal Thyself'

Ronnie comes into reception to drop off two books on China he wants George to read at lunch time. He hands them to Vivien. She looks at them ruefully, wishing she had such courage. Ronnie says of course they have doubts, but when a chance comes up you have to take it, otherwise you have regrets. She hollowly agrees.

Alone in the staff room Vivien scrolls through the numbers on her phone to Lionel’s. She looks at it torn. Closing her eyes she calls the number. A second later, terrified, she cancels the call. Lionel then rings her back, and she looks at the phone frozen. Julia enters the room, and Vivien explains what is happening as the phone continues to ring. To Vivien’s relief it stops ringing before Julia can convince her to answer it.

Melody enters with Heston, she is still angry thinking she will fail her accreditation and blaming him. Vivien’s phone rings again. Exasperated Melody tells her to answer it. Startled by Melody’s tone she walks away to talk to Lionel. Standing on the patio the conversation is awkward initially. He asks her out for dinner that night and she forces herself to accept the invitation. Her acceptance puts a spring in his step.

Heston claims victory over the stirring of events between Vivien and Lionel. Smugly he tells Vivien to have a lovely evening. Getting herself ready for the date Vivien is very anxious and jittery. Later she pulls up at the restaurant in a taxi. Lionel is outside and says she looks beautiful. Vivien realises he doesn’t know about the rape; she wants to tell him but can’t. She gets up and leaves but Lionel follows. When pushed she tells him she was assaulted. He realises that she means raped. He hugs her and asks her to return to Bermuda with him. She can’t say yes or no, and just asks him not to let her go.

Meanwhile, Brian McWellan (50) is helping his severely debilitated wife, Helen McWellan (47), who has MS. He seats her on the couch to watch TV and leaves the house.

It’s the video part of Melody’s RGCP accreditation and so her consultations will be filmed. Heston sets up the video recorder and Melody begins her consultation with Brian who has a dull ache in his jaw. They discuss his lifestyle, running round helping his wife etc. Melody checks the camera; there is no film in it. Melody prescribes pain killers for the moment. In the corridor, Melody angrily shows Heston the lack of film.

Brian arrives home. It seems he has played down the seriousness of his jaw ache. The council have left an answer machine message offering them help. Brain is adamant they can cope alone and Helen looks glad. Later we see Brian preparing Helen’s drugs. Talking makes his jaw hurt, so he takes one of the pain killers.

Kenny Rawlins (35) is next in the consultation room. He is continually struggling to keep his temper. Melody calms him down and then asks him what he thinks the problem is. He tells her that that is her job. She suggests he has a problem with anger management, at which point he angrily denies it and walks out.

Later Melody is telling Archie about her awful day. She is worried that being preoccupied with Heston and the camera she might have missed something. Archie offers to go over the tapes with her. They start by watching Dean’s consultation, and then she describes Brian’s consultation as it was not on tape. She then realises she forgot to ask him about angina.

After the effort of moving Helen into a wheelchair Brian suddenly clutches his chest in pain. At the bathroom door he stops to lift her out of the chair. Just as he has taken all her weight he stops in agony and suddenly buckles, folding to the floor with Helen on top of him. The phone rings and she looks at it helplessly.

Melody leaves a message on Brian’s answer machine. She looks at Archie concerned. They agree to wait fifteen minutes to see if Brian returns the call. Helen struggles to get off Brian, and is successful with his help. He starts crawling towards the phone. Just as he reaches it he suffers a new spasm of pain. He is then totally still. Helen manages to reach his foot and grabs it hoping for a response. The phone rings again. Getting no answer Melody asks Vivien for Brian’s mobile number.
In reception Heston sees Karen struggling with her diet and eating crisps. He takes her to Melody suggesting a consultation to help her pass her accreditation.

In Daniel’s consultation room Karen seems to enjoy having the camera on her. They discuss her weight and eating habits. Karen suggests a gastric band. Melody is shocked by the lengths Karen has gone to, even trying laxatives. Melody suggests exercise. Worried Melody later tells Heston she thinks Karen needs counselling. Outside in the car park Heston thanks Karen for her help. It turns out he prompted her performance. He checks that she was exaggerating and is relieved when she says yes. Melody then rushes off to the McWellan house.

From another room in the McWellan house a mobile can be heard ringing. Melody is outside the house looking in. Desperate for help, Helen and Brian try to call out but Melody doesn’t hear. About to give up she rings the mobile number again. Hearing ringing in the house she peers through the letter box. She sees Helen and Brian on the floor but is unable to tell if they are alive or dead. She calls for an ambulance and police.

Next she grabs a gnome to break the door with, and reaching in opens the door. She rushes to Brian and listens to his chest. Thinking he has had a heart attack she prepares an injection of furosemide and looks for a vein. When the paramedics try to take him away he is still worrying about Helen. Melody points out that he needs to be well to look after her properly.