Episode 13 Casualty

Mr Fairhead.

My esteemed colleagues were on a stag night,

and they seem to have misplaced the groom.

No-one of that name here.

What...what happened?

Cancer, stage four.

She is going to be a widow in a few months.

All that heartache for a few memories.

You're having a baby, Robyn.

I'm very sorry.

Napkins! I've forgotten the napkins.

Ah, have you had a break yet?

I'm due one now, yes.

Please, please, please?

-All right.

-Yes.

Yes. It's fine, no problem..

Thank you.

Robyn, I need a word with you.

Charlie. One o'clock, guys.

One o'clock for what?

We've got lunch plans.

Don't even bother. Not today!

Robyn?

Is it about work?

No.

-Is it anything related to the christening?

-No, not directly.

Well, then it can wait.

So...explanation?

Do you want to sit down?

Today's the big day.

Isn't it?

Yes.

You knew?

You're still wearing the ring.

This...

This was to remember a dead man.

RING CLATTERS

Went well.

I should have left you in the gutter, shouldn't I?

I wasn't in the gutter, DD... I was gazing at the stars.

# Make me feel like the one Make me feel like the one... #

I wasn't having a go...

And you bring it up in here cos you think I won't start owt?

-Oi!

-Ain't no-body here going to give two...

Oi! Let go of her, you stupid human being.

You all right, love?

You got a problem?

Outside.

I hope you know what you're doing, mate.

-cos if this goes downhill...

-Blah, blah, blah, blah.

Outside, you woman-beating, brain-dead, sack of...

..dirt.

It's school time, come on.

Soon as I negotiate my way out of this, it's on.

You couldn't beat her, mate.

Don't you worry about me, soft lad.

-Dead man walking here.

-Right, mate.

-I'm not scared of you.

Ha! The joke's on you, lad. My headache's gone.

Have you seen this man? He was on a stag do.

No? No, all right, thanks for you help.

GROANING

Home sweet home. Want me to show you around?

You want to see it again?

Can you sit up for me, Glen? I need to have a look at your eye.

It's just superficial damage, I think you'll be OK.

I didn't feel anything, Dylan.

PHONE RINGS

Really, this couldn't be happening at a worse time.

Can I... Glen, I've got to go now

but I'm going to pop back later in the week.

Oh, no, no, leave me to it, man.

No, no, no, I really, I need to pop back. I've got some news for you.

I might not be here. I'm hoping I won't be.

Well, you need to be here. It's important and you're going to want to hear it.

Oh, now I'm intrigued.

-PHONE RINGS

-Right, well, stay intrigued. OK, I'll see you then.

Yes?

Well, have you found him yet?

-The Lion King?

-No.

You didn't cry at The Lion King?

I told you I don't cry that much.

It's A Wonderful Life?

That's just about a banker, isn't it!

I think you kind of missed the point.

Bambi?

Mmmm, venison steak. Yum yum!

You're not human, even a serial killer would cry at Bambi.

Dylan, you're needed in paeds resus.

Young baby, mother died at the scene, father's in resus now.

-OK.

-What's happening?

It's the conclusion of a very bad plan.

OK. Right, the baby is six months old.

Strapped into a rear-facing car seat in the passenger side

when the car flipped over.

He's drowsy but responsive to pain.

Connie and Elle not free, no?

No.

Robyn, I don't know what to say.

Dylan. Just one thing at a time. That can wait.

All right, OK, pulmonary contusions are evident.

Let's keep going with the O2, then, please.

I'll need an EZ-IO drill. And an antiseptic wipe as well.

Yes?

OK, Paeds can take him now.

-Can you put them on speaker phone?

-Yes.

I am not content that he will make the transfer, I think

he's about to go into respiratory arrest.

So we are going to intubate down here.

-Can you send somebody down, please?

-Did you get that? OK.

Not today, please, Dylan.

No, I will do my best.

DRILL WHIRS

Glen, a friend of mine... he was here yesterday?

Yeah?

# And I think it's going be a long, long time... #

OK, can we have some coffee, please? Lots of it.

I wasn't sure if I'd dreamt about you or not.

That would have been a very dull dream.

Your turn.

Aw, man, you're no fun, are you?

If it had to be anyone from Holby,

why you?

You echo my thoughts.

How are you feeling now?

Sober.

You sure about that?

Starting to feel again, it's horrible.

Robyn's pregnant, the child is yours, and she's keeping it.

I'm assuming that you left her at the altar for altruistic reasons,

so I've also made the assumption that you'd want to know that fact.

Thank you.

What did you tell me that for?

There I was, happily dying, and you drop that bomb shell on me.

You could have not said anything, you could have just left me to it.

Well, you can take it from me, Glen,

that although we say it doesn't matter, who our father is

is important to our sense of self.

Now, I'm sure you don't want your child growing up

thinking that you abandoned the mother

and you crawled off to some grotty seaside hole

to drink yourself to death.

I'm sure that you want something better.

You could just say I got killed saving the universe.

OK, there will be plenty of time for gallows humour later,

but for now, let's be serious.

OK, I've just told you that you're going to be a father.

What do you want to do?

I want to hold my child before I die.

Remind me of your original prognosis.

Um... I was given a couple of weeks to live, three months ago.

Goodness me, you've done well, haven't you?

You've not seen a doctor since then?

-No.

-GP?

I've got some pills.

Um...

When's the baby due?

May.

That's ages.

So, um...how are you going to help keep me alive till then?

Me?

Who else?

I'm not a specialist, Glen.

Well, you must know some?

OK, rather than try to further defer your prognosis,

what I was hoping to do is engineer some sort of reconciliation.

Once more, in English.

Don't you think it's time you spoke to Robyn?

No. Not a chance, and you must not say a word either.

Why not?

My time was up ages ago.

Right, I'm already dead to her,

so what's the point in telling her I'm alive

just for her to go through all that again?

You shouldn't have told me she was preggers, but you did,

so you have to help me to stay alive now.

Just one moment, that's all I ask, to see her...

..to hold her.

By "her" you mean?

The baby.

-I've got a hunch.

-Right.

Deal?

Yes, terrific, yes.

Good.

HE GROANS

Come on!

HE GASPS

Goodness me...

Problem?

What?

What patient is that for, then?

Didn't seem to remember anyone being admitted today with a brain tumour?

Noel, did you order me that pizza?

-On it now.

-Thanks.

How's Robyn?

Yes, fine.

Being looked after?

Yes, she's got everybody at her beck and call.

-Good.

-Right, now, this woman we are about to speak to...

What about her?

She's an old tutor of mine.

Um...

Brace yourself.

Right

COMPUTER CONNECTION RINGS

Dylan!?

I think you were expecting my call, weren't you?

Oh, honey, you got OLD - what happened?

Thank you very much, so have you.

Would have thought of all people you could make time stand still.

Well, I live in America, that's what we do if you have enough money.

I chose not to.

Right, this is the gentleman we've been talking about.

Hello.

Well, hello, sailor. Listen, Glen?

My former student is very much in awe of me,

so I'm going to talk slowly so that he understands,

I mean, we don't want him any more repressed than he already is, right?

I mean, he could disappear entirely up his own orifice.

Right, that's enough of that, I can hear every word.

I know you can!

So, Glen, are you single?

Yeah. I missed my opportunity.

Too bad, I only hit on married men.

Raise your right arm for me, please.

I am having a hard time understanding how you can do that.

Well, I can't most mornings.

-Seizures?

-Yes.

Spasms on the right side?

-Yeah.

-Debilitating headaches, nausea, lack of appetite,

sensitivity to sun?

Yeah, all of the above.

We're looking to maximise Glen's remaining time.

What day were you looking at?

End of May?

It's very important, Zsa Zsa.

Zsa Zsa?

Well...not being funny, but I'm not sure

I want to be operated on by somebody called Zsa Zsa.

No offence taken, but it's a moot point.

The procedure itself is very simple.

We use an ALA dye to highlight, chop away, chemotherapy and prayer.

Where do I sign?

There's a hitch.

You have surgeons in the UK who can do this procedure

and I have contacted them, but the waiting list can't be circumvented.

What's the matter, you don't have 200,000 stashed away somewhere?

Yes, just give me a minute.

How long is the waiting list, Zsa Zsa, about eight weeks?

Eight weeks minimum.

-Well, that's me done, then, isn't it?

-Glen, sit down.

I'm not going to be here in eight weeks!

-Glen, sit down for me.

-Why? Computer says no.

Just calm down a second.

You heard her. It's always about the money, isn't it?

If you're born poor? Tough luck.

The chemotherapy alone could offer you some hope.

What? With my luck?

You said it yourself,

this baby's going to grow up knowing it's father was a loser.

I just wanted to do one good thing before I go.

Right, I'm off to the pub, tell your friend sorry for the hissy fit,

and thanks for trying.

You heard that?

Thanks for the emotional blackmail.

Who's the mother?

She's a colleague, actually, she's a good person,

you'd probably hate her.

Why are you doing this? It's not in your character.

Well, you know, he wants to see his child.

Well, I'm a genius, I'm not a magician.

He should be long dead, I think you can see that for yourself.

Come on, surely you want to have a good rummage around in there?

I shall ruminate.

OK, all right, thanks.

I stopped calling. There wasn't much point when you wouldn't call back.

Well, that is in character...so, you know, don't take it personally.

Are you still...?

No, sober...been for a few years.

Your father?

Yeah, he's done the same, turned his life around.

He's the mayor of the city now.

I miss your sarcasm. We don't have anybody like you here.

No, all right. Well, ta-ta for now, OK?

How's the dad?

Dylan, can I help?

I'm just about in, thank you.

Come on, little man.

Can I have the FAST scanner, please, I want to do an ultrasound.

Robyn?

Can you just go back to wherever you were hiding?

Just hear me out, please.

There's a baby in here fighting for his life

and he's just lost his parents, you really want to talk about you?

Not now, no. Robyn! Whatever that is, I don't think it's working.

Can you please just go away?

Let me see Charlotte.

No.

Do you know what you can do?

Robyn?

Hey.

Don't you hey me, mister - taking off like that. Some kind of martyr.

I'm so sorry.

You will be. Baby's got what you've got...

..glioblastoma.

Please, that's not fair.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

Ssh.

I told a lie.

I said I only go for married men,

I also go for stubborn ones.

Guilty as charged.

I wanted to see Dylan.

I also want to try

and prolong your life a bit while I was at it.

Thank you.

Did you ever see the movie, 9½ Weeks?

No, but I'd like to live that long.

We're going to get along just fine.

Ha-ha!

We're not going to Holby, are we?

De-De's toytown hospital can't handle what I got, sweetheart.

De-De?

Don't ask. And you - zip it.

This is Jeffers, he's not allowed to speak because he's a moron.

Ta-da!

Close your mouths, boys.

See, De-De, you can have a little toy like this

in about, oh, 30 years or so.

Yes, but we try not to discriminate against the poor patients, though.

Well, here's the culprit.

That's my head?

Yes, keep up, sweetie.

This glioblastoma is very impressive.

I want your head when you die.

-That's tactful.

-From a surgical perspective,

it is very aggressively attached.

I can't remove any more than that without risking serious damage.

There seems to be quite a lot left.

Yes.

OK. Well, forget tact, I'm a Welshman.

You can say it.

I want to go deeper.

If successful, I am confident you will be here for your baby's birth.

If unsuccessful, the surgery will cause major damage

and you will be in a vegetative state or dead.

De-De, I told you years ago

if the news is bad it's easier to remember and harder to say.

Yes, I've tried to remember that.

Chances?

50-50.

OK.

OK.

Heads, I go for it, obviously.

OK, let's do it.

I'll start getting the wheels in motion.

Leave a message after the tone -

I'm probably dead, though, so I'll get back to you...

in your nightmares!

ANSWER PHONE BEEPS

Glen, it's me.

Robyn has given birth, to a baby girl,

but she's very premature, though.

So, well, I'm sure you understand what I'm saying.

It might be a bit touch-and-go.

Go on. It's fine, it's fine.

Hello.

Can I hold her?

No, I'm afraid any infection at this stage would be catastrophic.

She's strong.

No, Glen, not strong enough for that, I'm afraid...

No, man, I mean... look at her parents.

She's a little bruiser in the making.

Going to be tough.

-WHISPERS:

-I'll make you a deal, little one.

You pull through this...

..and your daddy will too, I promise.

Glen, Robyn's coming.

Dylan? It's really late.

Yes, I couldn't sleep... I thought I'd come and pay a visit.

It's OK, it's all right.

Have you had breakfast?

-No.

-Keep it that way.

Come here. Come here.

I am the best at this. Do you believe me?

I daren't not.

It will be all right.

WHAT?!

I'll see you there.

Are you all right, Glen?

Can you give that to...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. OK.

Just in case.

Been thinking... cancer is pretty random, right?

There's no reason why I got this, I just did. Yes?

That's right, yes.

So there's no point asking, "Why me?"

Or feeling cursed or blaming that cigarette I had when I was 15?

Is there's a point to this?

This is pretty messed up,

but what if there was somebody up there who knew that I was going to

leave Robyn all pregnant and that, and gave me cancer retrospectively?

Because I'm a bad man?

I don't know where to begin with the holes in that thinking, Glen.

Look at that.

Good.

Unfortunately, I hold my scalpel with this hand...

Hold on a minute.

Would you get in here?

I don't want you listening to him.

I need to know it's the anaesthesia and not boredom.

OK, Glen, I will be asking you these questions

during the procedure. It's just to ascertain

that your speech and memory functions haven't been impaired.

Well, he's going to knock me out, isn't he?

I've been through this.

We will give you a local anaesthetic just to numb the pain

when we go into the skull.

And then after that you'll be awake throughout. OK?

OK, thank you.

Paediatrics are on their way down. All right?

This was supposed to be a happy day.

Well, he's going to pull through, so I think we've done a good job.

Yeah, but without his parents. Babies need their parents.

Yes, yes. They do.

How could you not tell me that he was still alive?!

I was trying to do the right thing for you.

That's what Glen had me believe.

Of all the people in the world, he does not know what is right for me.

Quite.

OK, ultimately, what does he want?

I think he just wants to see his daughter.

I'm busy.

All right, Glen?

Yes.

Haven't seen you for a while?

No, not since I left Robyn at the altar trying to avoid death.

Anyway, I've got some good news for once.

Oh, yeah?

It was the childminders. His mum and dad are on their way in now.

It was the childminders in the car.

Oh. Not good news for the childminders, is it?

No, but at least the little one's got both his parents now, so...

Anyway, be well.

What have you done here. What's this?

Well, if I'm going to have to listen to you throughout all this,

I want to be asked interesting questions.

Fair enough. What's your middle name?

Dylan.

-Is that true?

-Mm-hm.

OK. Who's the greatest footballer ever?

Mark Hughes.

Oh, don't be silly, my boy Ronaldo makes him

look like a lower league amateur.

Hey, hey, hey, blasphemy.

Let's take a little look see, shall we?

-Oh!

-Er, wrong end, Doctor!

Nonsense. This is where every men keeps his brains.

-See my serious face?

-Mm-hm.

It's on from now.

WHIRRING

It's going to be OK.

What month are we in, Glen?

I'm hoping it's still April.

You can't rush these things.

Mother's maiden name?

Lettuce.

OK. Um...greatest footballer ever?

Robbie Savage.

Are you all right, Glen?

Ah! Got both of you, didn't I?

OK, Glen, I need you to take this seriously, please.

Listen. If I'm going to go out, I'm going to go out laughing.

OK. Greatest footballer ever?

Mark Hughes.

Your first maths teacher's name?

Mr Unwin.

OK, gents, we're getting to the important part, don't sneeze.

Middle name, Glen?

Dylan.

How are you feeling at the moment, all right?

Tired.

OK. Middle name?

Tired.

Can you hold my hand, Glen? Just up here.

Can you hold my hand?

Didn't think it was that kind of... er... thing.

I think we've got a seizure here, Zsa Zsa, is it possible to halt?

No, I can't stop right now. We've got a bleed.

Suction and gauze.

Glen?

More gauze. De-De, this is not good.

I need 5 milligrams diazepam IV, please.

Diathermy and clotting activator. I've got to stop this bleeding.

RESPIRATOR PUMPS

It's now or never, my flight leaves this evening.

Dylan, we have to see if he can breathe on his own.

I know I'm in emergency medicine, but I do understand.

I'll leave you to it, OK?

KNOCK ON DOOR

Here he is.

Kept us all waiting there, didn't you?

How are you doing, all right?

How is he?

No vocal capacity...

..and diminished physical movement on the entire right-hand side.

This speech therapist came highly recommended.

Keep me posted, will you?

If something pops up, like a picture of Glen and his daughter,

I'd be miffed if you didn't send me a copy.

Yeah, understood.

De-De. The tumour is at bay.

He's got to learn to walk and talk and use his right arm,

yeah, yeah, I know, I know.

I used to think you were such an alien,

totally incapable of human interaction.

Then you and I got drunk one night and you told me these horror stories

about you and your crazy family and it all made sense.

Every word of it true.

Well, I think you have come to love the earthlings.

You overstate it a fraction... OK.

You know what I think this is about?

You reunited a father and his child.

Neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, what can I say? You must be a genius.

I am.

And I fly.

Hmm!

Goodbye, De-De.

You know, I'm sorry that I didn't keep in contact...

I...

I think you must be the reason I survived medical school

and you're...a fabulous surgeon.

I am honoured to know you.

Good luck to us all.

Yes, good luck.

Don't touch that!

You couldn't lift an eyelid.

So it's true? About Glen?

Yes, but don't do anything, Max. He can literally just go away.

Lift going down.

Do you know what's worse than this?

-No.

-The fact that you've made me jealous of my own daughter.

Eh?!

You've come back for her. Not me.

You've come back to hold her, You left me, as easy as that.

Robyn, please.

No, no, no, no! There is no, "Robyn, please."

Hourly feeds throughout the night, colic, sickness, a stoma,

a house fire!

You do not get to waltz into her life having skipped all of that.

Robyn, Robyn...

KNOCK ON DOOR

How's the patient doing, all right?

OK, all right, shouldn't you be talking by now?

-LABOURED:

-I sound thick.

You sound a great deal better you did than last time I was here.

Yeah, OK.

There she is, the little infant.

A few weeks now.

Till?

We?

No, I think, when you finally decide to "surprise" Robyn,

I don't think I'm going to be anywhere nearby.

No, no, no, I'm not a gambling man.

All right, then, ten.

Huh?

That count, does it?

You must have known how she was going to react.

Get me over the line, mate, come on.

I wasn't supposed to be here when you tried.

Oh, yeah, good point... £10, cough up.

Hang on.

Something good might as well come out of today.

Didn't I get you some free brain surgery?

All right, then, I'll call Zsa Zsa, and tell her you're trying

to wangle yourself out of a bet, then, shall I?

Do what you please. Absolutely unbelievable.

Oi, where are you going?

Cheek.

I have now officially seen it all.

-Shall we leave them to it?

-Yeah.

Are you welling up?

-What?

-Let me see.

Get off.

KNOCK ON DOOR

Dylan. How long have you known?

Let's save the recriminations, David,

-I need to speak to Robyn, really.

-Answer him and you can.

Since Charlie's stag.

What do you want, Dylan?

I understand that you don't want to speak to Glen.

But some time ago, he gave me this.

It's probably worth a look.

Look, I already know, he wants to hold his daughter.

Yes. I believe he does, yes.

Well, who was there to hold me through all of this?

Everyone here.

Glen only had me, poor thing.

Fine.

So...it's up to your mum when you see this, she'll know.

Um...

I'm about to have an operation which I guess is scary...

..and there's a big chance I won't survive.

But the truth is, even if it is successful,

I won't be around when you're a teenager, a young woman,

so this is worth doing, either way.

But before we start... I need to speak to your mum.

I've got the world's biggest apology to make to her.

Can I have some privacy, please?

-Yes, of course.

-Yes, yes.

Dylan, Dylan, you knew when I was ill?

-Yes.

-You knew when we were in France?

-Yes.

-And...

I knew, David, all right? For God's sake, drop it.

Ow!

HE SCREAMS

Ah, my knee!

Have they told you how long your knee's going to take to heal?

The baby will be walking before me.

Well, take it from me, Glen, that is not going to help.

Go home, Dylan, you've never really cared, so you can stop now.

-Is that right?

-Yes.

They all think I'm dead and they're getting along just fine...

-..let's just leave them to it.

-Fine.

The coin was tails, by the way.

-Was it?

-Yes, I couldn't even listen when the universe was trying

-to tell me something.

-You know, Glen, I'm a man of simple pleasures.

I don't need much, just a quiet boat, a dog, a good book.

But since meeting you, and finding you in your little hole

there are two additional things that I need.

I need to have a better relationship with my mentor,

and I need to see you reunited with your family.

For the sake of the baby, for the sake of Robyn, for your sake.

But also for mine.

Why?

Why? Because after everything that the universe has thrown at you

after everything you've had to put up with,

do you know what I think of, when I think of you?

A big grin.

A soppy great Welshman laughing in the face of death

and I would like to see that rewarded.

I would like to know that, just for once, the universe can be fair.

That's If, isn't it? Do you know If?

"If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

"To serve your turn long after they are gone

"And so hold on when there is nothing in you

"Except the will which says to them 'Hold on!'"

-Hm?

-Wow.

Are you a poet?

No, it's Kipling, Rudyard Kipling.

Then I like his poetry and his cakes.

Never had you down as a motivational speaker.

Yeah, I'm not, I know someone that is.

Put your back into it, boy!

I'll give £50 to charity for that T-shirt. Unwashed.

Don't make me hang up on you again.

You do that again, I will fly over the pond and put you over my knee.

Fixed your broomstick, have you?

£100.

-Deal.

-Keep going.

The sweatier the better.

Listen, mate...

I just want to say I feel terrible for not letting you know.

You were always there for me...

and even though you went a bit...

It's all right. I've got something for you.

Why does everybody keep walking out?

Come on, chop, chop.

Just a couple more moments, there's two more...

It's all right.

Thought you may as well get one wear out of it.

Hello.

Bo, bo, bo!

-WHISPERS:

-I told you we'd both make it.

Shall we begin?

Yes.

You've still got a long way to go with me yet.

Would the Godparents like to join us, please?

A warm welcome to you all, but especially to Charlotte.

I'm not a religious man, but, if God is real,

then he owes me and this is what I want from him -

for you to never be visited by such tragedy,

for you to be happy, healthy...

..content, in whatever you do.

But, most importantly, don't be like me.

Face your fears,

accept help and trust those who love you.

Never, ever think you are not worth it.

Never.