Episode
6/12 Secret love

Review
A new administrator is appointed, some unwelcome news reaches the hospital and Jeff and Lucy go out for a drink.

Cast list
Robert Daws, Amy Robbins, Paul Fox, Polly Maberly, Anna Madely, Michael Starke, Andy Wear and Michelle Hardwick

It's been a couple of weeks since Mr Middleditch's funeral and things are slowly getting back to normal. Mr Harper had over the last two weeks got his comeuppance, he'd been heard to say that if there was anything he could do to help then he'd do it willingly, so he'd been asked to be the temporary hospital administrator, he'd been totally swamped by all the paperwork he had to do, paperwork that he had generated in the first place. Gordon had placed an ad in the paper and put the word about to his colleagues in other areas, but so far no applicants.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a Dr Omerod." a man at reception said.

"Morning surgery hasn't started yet, if you'd like to take a seat." Lizzy smiled, going back to the patient notes she was sorting out.

"Oh no you don't understand, you see I'm not a patient, I'm here about the job, it was advertised in the Ashfordly Gazette." Jill had walked into reception to pick up her patient notes, she immediately sized up the situation.

"It's alright Lizzy I'll deal with this. Dr Weatherall, you're here about the administration job?" Jill asked while walking to Gordon's office.

"Yes, Julian Caldwell."

Meanwhile Ken and Alun were on their first tea break, Ken was reading the paper. He always read the sports pages at the back of the paper first, then progressed to the major news stories if he could be bothered which was rarely, so it was Alun that noticed it first.

"Ken, you read the front page yet?" Alun asked, staring at the front page

"No, of course I haven't, why?" Ken replied, closing the paper and turning it over, then his eyes widened in recognition and shock.

"That's why." Alun said soberly looking at the paper again as if he couldn't believe what he was reading.

That evening Jeff had worked late, he'd had some paperwork to finish that couldn't wait. He walked out into the parking lot, he'd expected that his would be the only car there, it wasn't. Lucy was sitting at the wheel of her car, she'd obviously been crying earlier.

"Lucy, I didn't know you were still here, I thought you left ages ago." Jeff remarked kindly.

"My car won't start." Lucy told him miserably, Jeff smiled, he'd known something was wrong, he was just pleased it was something he could fix.

"Oh is that it, well I can fix that, pop the hood and I'll take a look." Lucy obliged and then got out to take a look herself. "Oh yeah I see the problem." Jeff then took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, he then started rummaging in the innards of the car.

"You can fix it?" Lucy asked

"Yep, it's not serious." A minute later Jeff pulled his head out of the car, "Try it now." The car started first time.

"I didn't know you could fix cars."

"A lesser known talent of mine, I worked part time in a garage to help put me through med. school. I've fixed one problem tonight but the engine looks like it needs a complete overhaul, I'm surprised it still runs at all, it's an antique."

"I know, it was old when I got it, it was a present from my dad when I finished med. school." Jeff nodded, he understood now, he knew that Lucy's dad had passed away last year.

"Can I buy you a drink?" Lucy smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile at home Jill and Gordon were talking shop, they were discussing the staff appointment they'd made this morning. They both agreed that he seemed to be the right person for the job, their only reservation was that he was very young only just twenty-two, this would be his first actual job, though he had a degree in administration from Oxford. He wasn't stuck-up at all, he'd fit in just fine.

A little later on Charlie came into the sitting room, slumped down on the chair, she was bored, there nothing to do round here compared to Leeds. Absent-mindedly she picked the paper up and glanced at the front page, at first it didn't register but once it had sunk in the headline careered round her head. 'Irish Terrorist escaped', Charlie read on. The Irish terrorist was being taken to the prison on the Isle of Wight when colleagues of his ambushed the convoy. Charlie felt sick, this couldn't be happening. Through her immediate reaction of despair came a glimmer of hope, the same hope she'd held on to ever since her mum had died. It would be alright Charlie promised herself, it had to be.

At pub closing time Lucy and Jeff left the Chequers, they'd had a great time, talking and laughing. They had more in common than they'd thought, it wasn't just attraction anymore. They arranged to go out for dinner tomorrow and the pictures one night this week. Partially hidden by a shadow Samantha watched them pass, she guessed they were now an item. It wasn't fair, Jeff was the only eligible bachelor she'd ever really liked, and he'd broken up with her! How dare he? Well she'd see about that. Samantha's face twist into a smile, yes she'd see about this unwelcome development.