The cemetery was deserted and Dot Branning felt the familiar sadness overcome her as she walked across the grass towards the grave of her best friend Ethel Skinner. She made frequent visits to the cemetery primarily because she was getting on in age and she didn't know how much time she had left. She came towards the grave and laid the flowers against the headstone, "Oh Ethel, I miss you time and time again." She said sadly as she knealt in front of the headstone. "Jim's in a care home now and I can't help but feel guilty about him being stuck in there. He should be with family." Dot always talked to the grave as she believed that Ethel listened to her wherever she was. "Anyway I can't stand here chatting all day, I promised Mr Phadoulpous that I do overtime at the laundrette, I'll come again next week." But as she got up, she noticed a figure lurking by the graves of members of the beale family and decided to investigate and as she got nearer and nearer, she saw the figure was that of an adolescent boy.
He was tall for his age, he had dark brooding looks and it was clear at first glance that he was handsome but he also was scruffy looking, dressed head to foot in a grey tracksuit, his hair was greasy and he looked unshaven. "Oh, I say young man, you shouldn't parade in a cemetery dressed like that, this is a resting place for the dead and quite frankly you are being disrespectful!", she shrieked. The boy started swaying slightly and Dot suspected that he was drunk. "Where are your parents young man or more to the points, who are your parents?!", the boys eyes became unfocused and he was seeing two Dots instead of one, then he spoke faintly, "Carol Jackson and David Wicks. I'm their son." And then he collapsed.
The last thing he saw before he entered unconsciousness was Dot frantically yelling for help while a passerby phoned for an ambulance.