Episode
3/12 Not in love

Review
Jeff and Samantha make a decision about their relationship, Ken and Alun fumigate the local pub but it all goes drastically wrong, a man who has been shot is admitted to the hospital. Charlie recognises a patient and Jill and Gordon make a big decision.

Cast list
Robert Daws, Amy Robbins, Paul Fox, Polly Maberly, Anna Madely, Wendy Craig, Ian Carmichael, John Axon, Michael Starke, Andy Wear, Zoie Kennedy, Linda Armstrong, Michelle Hardwick and Dennis Lil

Gordon stretched and then looked at his watch, it was late, he should have gone home hours ago, it was just he couldn't stop thinking about Charlie. The police had met them at the hospital, Charlie told them her full name Charlie Wilson, she lived in Leeds, she'd told them then and there that she had no family. Her mum had been an only child and her grandparents had died before she was born, she had never met her dad, he'd left her mum when she'd become pregnant. Her mum had died a few weeks ago, Charlie wouldn't say how, Gordon suspected that that was what she would rather have not remembered, so the police started to look for Jane Does, they circulated a picture they got from Charlie's house.

Sgt. Merton wasn't hopeful, the investigation wouldn't turn up anything unless Charlie came fully clean with them, which clearly she was to frightened to do. That wasn't what Gordon couldn't get out of his head though, no, it was what had come next. Charlie wasn't ill, she didn't need to be hospitalised, she had demons that needed exorcising but that could be sorted over time and on an out patient basis. She was going to be put into care, there was nothing he could do about it, but all the same he didn't want it to happen.

The next day Jeff was in reception getting his morning surgery patient notes from Lizzy, when Lucy walked in, he couldn't help but notice how attractive she was looking these days.

"Good morning Lucy." Jeff smiled, "How are you this morning?" Lucy gave Jeff an icy glare.

"Fine thank you." Lucy replied frostily, gathering up her files and moving off before Jeff had the chance to say anything else.

"Charming," Jeff muttered to himself before heading off to his office to get ready for morning surgery. On the way he met Ken, he was pushing a hospital gurney and looking around furtively, probably for Mr Harper Jeff realized.

"Hopkirk, what are you doing?" Mr Harper demanded, he had suddenly appeared from one of the rooms adjoining the corridor. Ken jumped and turned around to face him.

"Nothing Mr Harper, or at least nothing I'm not meant to be doing. I'm just taking a body to the mortuary" Ken gestured to the gurney "You're very welcome to check." Mr Harper wrinkled his nose in disgust and gabbled quickly.

"No that's quite alright Hopkirk, I have to be getting along, lot's to do. You get on with it." and with that Mr Harper hurried off, obviously hiding the fact he was frightened that he'd be made to look but trying to cover it up. Ken smirked in triumph and resumed pushing the gurney, for another meter because Jeff's hand came down and stopped it.

"What are you really doing Ken?" Jeff asked reasonably

"Taking a body to the morgue, just like I told Mr Harper" Ken replied glibly

"Really" Jeff smiled and before Ken could stop him, he'd reached across and whipped the sheet off the gurney. Needless to say it wasn't a body as Ken had told Mr Harper, instead it was an old rusty oxygen tank and mask.

"A body is it, doesn't look much like one to me. What are you doing with it?" Jeff asked "Come on I won't rat you out to Mr Harper, I won't even tell anybody if it's not illegal." Ken could see he had no choice, he trusted Jeff that he wouldn't tall Mr Harper or indeed anybody if he said he wouldn't, but if he didn't tell Jeff what he was doing he could go and tell Mr Harper which would not be good.

"I'm just borrowing it, you see The Rose and Crown has got a woodworm infestation in their loft and their potman asked if I could help, as I had access to the necessary gear." Ken gestured towards the oxygen mask and tank. "He's paying me £5 for it and I was going to donate . . ."

"All of it I hope, after all you are a Hopkirk, so you do do things for free, or so I remember you telling me the first day I started work here." Jeff interrupted a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Of course." Ken faltered, he'd been very skillfully outmaneuvered, oh well it was for the good of the hospital.

Meanwhile a car screeches to a halt outside the hospital, two men get out and lift another gently out and lay him on the sidewalk, they then got back in the car and drove off, a minute later the man was admitted.

"What have we got here?" Jill asked, this man needed surgery but until Dr Rose got here this was her patient, that was if he ever got here, he'd gone to play golf on the local course which was spread over several miles.

"He's been shot once in the chest, it's punctured a lung and there is severe internal bleeding." Meryl replied

"Ok set up an IV, let's get some blood back in him, set up a saline drip to help shock. Whose on anaesthetic duty today?" Jill ordered, while checking the patients vital signs.

"Dr Omerod, shall I put his lights up doctor?" answered Meryl, she'd already set up the IV and drips.

"Yes we need to get him into OR as soon as possible, find out what the status is on Dr Rose?" Jill checked the patients vital signs again, they weren't good, they needed to move fast otherwise they would lose him.

At the same time Charlie was hanging round reception, she didn't have anything better to do. There wasn't a place for her in any home, so social services had asked the hospital if they could keep her until there was, so for the moment she was sleeping on the couch at the nurses home. Dr Rose came in looking hot and angry, he didn't like being interrupted while he was playing golf or being made to hurry.

"Alright were is he?" Dr Rose demanded, "Where is the gunshot victim?"

"In the operating room doctor, they're waiting for you." Lizzy replied, Dr Rose nodded and stormed off in that direction.

"What's his problem?" Charlie asked

"He doesn't like his golf game being interrupted." Lizzy replied

"Shouldn't have become a doctor then." Charlie laughed "They're always getting interrupted."

A little later over at the Rose and Crown, Ken and Alun were examining the loft, the infestation was serious, they couldn't count on getting it all in one go, they'd do it once tonight and then again in their dinner hour tomorrow, that should settle it.
A lot later Dr Rose came out of the operating room, the operation had been long and difficult, but he couldn't go home just yet, he had a reception committee of Sergeant Merton and DI Shiner.

"Dr Rose how did the operation go? He made it through all right?" DI Shiner inquired, Dr Rose nodded and sat down, the police would have more questions he was sure.

"He's stable but critical, he was shot once in the chest from close range, probably with 9mm Browning but forensics will be able to tell you more about that. The bullet went through the upper GI, ricocheting off two ribs and piercing the left lung before tearing the aorta, he's incredibly lucky to be alive." Dr Rose concluded, the two policemen looked at each other.

"What I'm going to tell you now must for the moment be kept to yourself, we had information that the IRA were in Leeds, about to do a job. We stormed the house they were reputed to be in and there was a shootout in which four officers died, only one of the terrorists was hurt. We have reason to believe that it's your patient." DI Shiner paused and Sergeant Merton picked up the narrative.

"We would be able to prove it either way if we can take fingerprints and compare him to our photographic database of suspected terrorists."

"We also want to put a guard on his door and some plainclothes policemen throughout the hospital, in case the IRA decide to pick their buddy up. That's something we'll have to discuss with Mr Middleditch. Do you have any objection to any of that, as his doctor." DI Shiner finished, Dr Rose was silent taking it all in, after a moment he raised he smiled.

"I have no problem with that, anything that'll help bag the scum."

It was the end of the day, Jeff was just about to call it a day when he got waylaid by Samantha.

"Doing anything tomorrow night?" Samantha asked, Jeff stopped and looked at her, he couldn't make excuses forever, it wasn't fair on anybody.

"Look Samantha, I like you I really do but I don't think we should go out anymore, or at least be no more than friends." Jeff replied "I'm really sorry." Samantha opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. 'He was dumping HER! He couldn't be, it was impossible, her!'

"Right, well I guess I'll see you around then." Samantha said angrily before turning around and heading rapidly in the other direction.

Jeff watched her go, he didn't feel bad about dumping her, she'd deserved it, they'd been going out and she'd gone out with that guy with that flash sports car. She couldn't do that, either she would have to learn that either she was going out with somebody or she wasn't, but she couldn't have it both ways. He only wished that she wasn't mad at him, it would make working together a little tricky.

The next day at lunchtime, Ken and Alun went to the Rose and Crown, they'd started the fumigating last night but they were now going to finish it off, to make sure that there was no woodworm left because if there was and the health inspectors found it, the Rose and Crown could close, Ken shuddered at the thought.

"Hey Les, we've only got an hour, will you be around when we're finished?" Ken asked the potman.

"I don't think so Ken, we'll be in middle o'dinner rush." Les replied

"Well give us the money now, then we can go when we're finished." Ken suggested, Les nodded in agreement and fished the money out from his pocket.

"Right Alun, let's get on with it or Mr Harper will have our guts for garters."

They then put on their oxygen masks and slung the heavy tanks on their backs. Once that was done they started to fumigate, spraying the toxic chemicals all around. Throughout the dinner hour people started to complain of a crushing headache, they left soon after, the staff didn't have that luxury so they took painkillers and battled on, when the painkillers didn't even touch it, they got worried and closed the pub early, not that they had many customers, they then headed up to hospital, there they found a full waiting room.

Mr Middleditch and Mr Harper were in the formers office and weren't aware of any of this, they were talking to DI Shiner about the security arrangements for their Irish friend. DI Shiner outlined his plans, they were basically the same as he'd told Dr Rose but with a couple of additions. Sergeant Merton was going to be obviously on site with five other uniformed officers, three police cars were going to be parked around the hospital and moved periodically but never leaving the hospital, DI Shiner hoped that this would discourage any possible rescue attempt, a mark of the IRA was that their members if caught never talked and that the IRA didn't like leaving members, friends behind, they nearly always rescued them, it was the one decent thing that they did. After listening to DI Shiners plans Mr Harper and Mr Middleditch conferred for a moment, it was more theatrics than anything else, they had no problem with the plans, because they weren't just to keep their Irish friend from being rescued, they were to protect the royal's staff.

"I have no problem with your plans, the safety of the people who work here is paramount." Mr Middleditch answered, DI Shiner nodded pleased, he hadn't expected any objections and it was nice not to be wrong. He was just about to take his leave when Lizzy knocked and entered.

"Excuse me Mr Middleditch, I know you said no interruptions but . . ."Lizzy gabbled, Mr Middleditch looked tiredly at her.

"Lizzy calm down, take a deep breath and tell me what the problem is."

"Receptions full up, they're spilling out into the street, all complaining off the same thing." Mr Middleditch stood up and guided Lizzy back towards reception with Mr Harper right behind them, this was serious. DI Shiner for the moment forgotten tagged along, he might be able to help.

"What exactly are these patients complaining of Lizzy?" Mr Middleditch asked just as they got to reception, for such a crowd they were unusually quiet.

"Crushing headaches, all of them." Lizzy shrieked, she was started to panic which wouldn't do, Mr Middleditch motioned to Mr Harper.

"Get Lizzy a nice cup of tea, make a big pot" Mr Middleditch advised him, then seeing how pale Mr Harper had become he added "Make yourself one as well." Mr Harper nodded and taking Lizzy by the arm headed back the way they'd come. Mr Middleditch was just wondering what to do when Jeff, Gordon, Jill and Lucy arrived on the scene along with Sister Bridget, Meryl and Matron, Lizzy had had the presence of mind to put everybody's lights up which had set alarm bells ringing for people, the situation would now be brought under control. The doctors divided the packed waiting room into six, each of the doctors would take a sixth, Matron would take one and Sister Bridget and Meryl another. Mr Middleditch would distribute tea to everybody and DI Shiner would help them find out how this had happened.

"So . ." Matron began "You have a really bad headache, tell me about it, when did you first notice it?"

"I'd just finished my lunch at the Rose and Crown when it started, at first it wasn't so bad but then it got worse. So I went home and took some painkillers but it didn't shift at all so I figured I'd best come here." the man answered, clutching his head like he was afraid it might burst.

"You figured right." Matron replied, looking in DI Shiner's direction he'd got all that. "Now what we're going to do is . . ."

"Now tell me about this headache of yours." Sister Bridget said smiling kindly at the young woman in front of her.

"I'm a barmaid at the Rose and Crown," DI Shiner started at that, but it could be a coincidence. "it was halfway into the lunch hour when it got bad, by then most of our customers had gone." 'Eureka' DI Shiner thought, they had their focal point, now he had a couple of questions for her.

"Are you having any work done at the pub, having it painted for example?" the woman shook her head and then wished she hadn't as the pain exploded.

"Oh no wait a minute, we had a bit of a woodworm problem, so we had the attic fumigated." DI Shiner smiled, this was looking ore and more likely now, the Rose and Crown was almost certainly the focal point.

"When did they finish fumigating?"

"Lunchtime today, oh!" she realised what she'd just said.

"Right ok, what company did you use?"

"We didn't use a company, Les our potman got a friend of his to do it."

"Which one's Les?"

"That's a good job done Alun." Ken commented, they were in the porters office drinking tea.

"Yeah, what's my cut?" Alun asked

"You haven't got one."

"What!" Alun exclaimed "That's not fair."

"Of course it's fair, I'm not getting a cut either, it's all going to the hospital, I promised."

"Ken!" Then DI Shiner knocked on the door.

Charlie had stayed out if the way, most of the day she'd been hanging round reception again, it was a very interesting place to hang about, you got to see everybody who came in and everybody who went out, people watching was fun. Now this crisis was on she was keeping out of the way even more, so she'd gone on a tour of the hospital.

She talked to the policeman that was standing guard outside the Irish terrorists room, he wouldn't tell her why the man was under guard, which made sense she thought. She looked through the window at the man, he was conscious and turned to look at her. His eyes widened in recognition and then after a moment so did Charlie's. Half a second later Charlie was running off down the corridor, much to the amusement to the policemen on guard, kids today.

At the end of the day Lucy went to check out, she hadn't treated patients since her casualty rotation. Jeff was in reception also signing out, she'd had a tough day, he was the last person she wanted to see.

"Good evening Lucy." Jeff smiled

"Good evening Jeff" Lucy returned indifferently.

"I've been meaning to talk to you all day."

"Really."

"Yeah, I was wondering if you would like to go for a drink sometime, or maybe to the pictures." Lucy looked at him in shock, this was something she'd once wanted, still wanted but

she couldn't, she didn't want to be second best, he'd chosen Samantha and if it hadn't worked out she was sorry but she didn't want to get involved like that.

"I'm sorry Jeff, I don't want to go out with you. Goodnight." Lucy then walked away, tears in her eyes.

That night after Jill and Gordon had had dinner and put the children to bed they had a glass of wine each and started discussing the day, the conversation then turned to other matters.

"What do you think of Charlie?" Gordon asked

"She's a very good kid." Jill replied cautiously, where was this leading?

"Shame about her circumstances, she's getting taken into care, they just don't have a home for her, sad isn't it?" Jill was getting uncomfortable,

"Yes . ."

"We could give her a home." Gordon suggested.

"What!" Jill looked at Gordon in shock, "You mean foster her?"

"Yes, I've been thinking about it for a few days. I don't know how but ever since she arrived, we had this connection. I was the only one who could talk to her. I think she'd be happy here with us, and god she deserves it. So what do you say?" While talking Gordon had gotten really animated, he only got like that when he cared deeply about something Jill knew.

"It's a big step." Jill conceded "There's a chance that we might not get accepted, there's so many forms to fill out."

"I know all that, but we could give it a go couldn't we, would you like too, I only want it if you do?" Jill thought for a moment, then Charlie's face came into her mind, she'd gotten to her too.

"Yes we can give it a go, let's foster her."