'Someone To Watch Over Me'

Karen shows Cherry a picture her friend just texted of herself. They haven’t seen each other for a long time and she is in Letherbridge for the night and wants to meet up with Karen. Immie calls to remind Karen she promised to take her to a gig that evening. Karen wonders what she is going to do with her friend Lorraine, and Cherry suggests she could go out with Jimmi who looks like he needs a laugh. Cherry asks Julia about Jimmi’s love life and Julia at first thinks Cherry is interested for herself. Julia tells her Jimmi seems to go for older women.

Karen and Cherry conspire to convince Jimmi to go on a blind date with Lorraine. When he gets there she has already hooked up with the barman, but it all ends well, as Jimmi gets invited to join a hen party!

A nervous Stuart arrives to take Ruth home. Ruth picks up on Stuarts discomfort at the meeting to discuss her discharge and after-care details. Ruth and Stuart arrive home and the house needs cleaning. Stuart plonks himself in front of the TV and makes no attempt to help and expects Ruth to cook him dinner.

Over dinner Ruth tries to talk about how other people will react to her now but Stuart avoids getting involved in the conversation. He gets up and goes to the pub leaving a terrified Ruth alone. After she puts away the dishes she sits on the sofa waiting for her dad to return, clinging to Smithy’s t-shirt, her eyes filled with tears.

Meanwhile, Trudy comes to tell Smithy his parents have arrived for their monthly visit but he refuses to get up to see them. Trudy also goes to see Ruth who is feeling optimistic as she is getting discharged today. Ruth talks to Smithy about his parents and he is rather blase about the whole thing. Ruth mentions today is the day she is going home and he jokes he might join her one day. Ruth sadly knows this will never happen.

Smithy comes out to meet his parents Nigel and Marion Smithson. They go into the day room and conversation is forced. Marion tells Smithy they might not be able to visit for a while. She makes the excuse of having over booked her clubs and courses. Smithy gets upset and confused and Marion leaves.

Ruth comes in to meet Smithy’s parents and finds him pacing the room restlessly and Nigel looking ill at ease. Trudy comes in and says Marion is lying down in her office. Nigel goes and asks Marion if the baby is ok but Smithy has followed him and has overheard. Smithy is shocked and disgusted and tells Ruth he knows they are going to forget about him now they are going to have a perfect baby. He feels very jealous and betrayed.

Marion, meanwhile, is worried the baby might end up like Smithy, and Nigel tries to comfort her and reassure her he won’t let Noah ruin it. They tell a surprised Trudy that they had no intention of ever telling Smithy about the baby.

Ruth comes in to Smithy’s room to find him sorting out a pile of pills. He has been spitting them out when the nurse wasn’t looking. Ruth is alarmed he hasn’t been taking his medication. He is angry and blames his parents. He wanted to show them he was getting better but thinks they have spoiled things. He is tired of letting them down and warns her to watch how long it takes before her dad lets her down.

Smithy begs her to stay with him. Ruth says she loves him but she needs to leave. She says she will come and visit, but he tells her not to. She gets upset when she realises she wont ever see him again, and he takes his t shirt off and gives it to her. Ruth leaves with Stuart.

Smithy goes back into the day room and offers to make tea for his parents. They are glad he seems more relaxed. He puts the crushed pills into cup of tea and gives it to his mum.

Trudy has received an anonymous phone message to check Smithy’s room. She searches his room and finds evidence of the crushed pills. Marion is about to drink from the cup but Trudy comes in and stops her. Smithy gets more and more agitated and claims he wanted to make the baby go away. His parents turn on him and the full extent of his madness starts to show. Marion stills blames Smithy for the death of her last baby. Smithy breaks down.

Smithy was babysitting when the baby died of cot death. Marion is still convinced Smithy had something to do with it. Trudy tries to explain that the baby’s death could have triggered Smithy’s illness especially as he was blamed.