'History Repeated'

When Michelle wakes up, her head is banging and she feels awful. She tries to lift her head from the pillow but remembers the humiliation of the night before, and feeling atrocious she turns over and shoves her head under the pillow instead.

The next time she wakes up, Julia is phoning to ask why she’s late. Michelle runs around her flat trying to get ready for work but she’s still drunk and everything is a huge effort. Michelle tries to eat something but she can’t face anything, not even water. I

n desperation she tries one last thing, hair of the dog, and finds it actually makes her feel much better. By the time Michelle turns up for work, she just about looks respectable. She scurries to the treatment room with her eyes down to avoid the consternation of her colleagues - and the humiliation of seeing Daniel.

She stumbles her way through one or two patients but is unfit for work and people are starting to notice. Julia pulls her up on her lateness, her appearance and professional incompetence. She realises Michelle has been drinking, and sends her home, to come back later for a meeting with her.

Later at the meeting, Julia insists Michelle take some time off to sort herself out; it’s not up for discussion. Michelle accepts this and leaves with no-one to particularly say goodbye to.

Meanwhile, Diane (35) and son Kyle (14) haven’t had it easy Kyle’s father used to beat Diane, resulting with her in hospital and him in prison. Meeting Steve (39) Di felt like she had a second chance, and the two married quickly. But the new arrangement left Kyle feeling excluded and his feelings of anger escalated until he started self harming and beating Di.

Although the police have been called out several times, the family has closed ranks. Neither Lily nor Rob can get them to open up so everyone thinks it’s Steve who’s attacking Di.

Things come to a head when, following another arrest and a hard day at work, Steve comes home to find Kyle has battered his mother again, and confronts him.

Kyle whips a knife from his pockets and stabs Steve. Rob and Lily arrive and while Rob disarms and cuffs Kyle, Lily is unable to save Steve, who dies. Di flies at Kyle, but blames herself. Maybe if she’d admitted the truth earlier, none of this would have happened.