The Meter's Running Doctors

And don't forget to leave the station bang on.

We've got a session with Elaine tonight.

I, er, can't make it.

Again?

Yeah, there's a chance of overtime.

When were you going to discuss this with me?

-I am now.

-No. You're telling me.

-Karen. What's the point?

-The point...

is trying to save our family!

You didn't come to the last session.

Do you even want this to work?

-Course I do.

-I don't believe you.

Then don't ask the question, then!

You know, we shouldn't be bringing strangers into our problems.

We should be sorting things out ourselves.

-That's it, you've finally done it, Rob. I am speechless.

-Oh, yeah, I've noticed.

-You think this is sorting things out...

-I'm not going to be blamed for anything.

I wasn't the who got caught thieving.

Immie...

All right, I get it. You're mad at me, Dad hates me.

-Dad doesn't hate you.

-Listen to him!

This isn't going to end, is it?

-It will.

-How?

-Right, I'm off to work.

Come in.

Hi. Er, I'm so sorry, I've got to cancel tonight's session.

OK.

No, it's not.

Surprise, surprise, it's Rob who's cancelled.

OK. Maybe this isn't for him.

Some people don't see the benefits straightaway

or feel it invades their privacy.

You're making excuses for him.

No, I'm not. Just, we can't force him to engage.

Would you still come round tonight?

-How would that help?

-Well, it would help me and Immie.

And anyway, it shouldn't be Rob who decides when these sessions are over.

Please.

OK.

Why do they have to talk about everything, over and over again?

Pick it all apart, as if it makes a difference.

Which, of course, it doesn't.

And all right, yeah, I am still mad at Immie, of course I am.

But not once have they said that maybe I am right.

It's all such a waste of my time.

-Time better spent down the pub watching football.

-Yeah, dead right.

-So what's your endgame?

-What d'you mean?

When do you say, that's it, it's over? Everything back to normal.

-Cos, in the end, she's still your little girl.

-It's not a game, Brian.

-Then what do you want out of this?

-I don't want anything.

Then what does she have to do to make it all good again?

It don't work that way.

Decide what you want out of this or you'll stay angry forever.

-No, I won't.

-Yes, you will.

-Brian, I won't!

Why does everyone think it's open season to pick at my head?

-What're you doing?

-I'm finding some mug to nick.

Look, Rob, mate, just relax.

Mum...what're you doing?

Don't just stand there. Get the green chair from the kitchen. Immie, get on the end of this.

Whah!

-Now, when I say, I want you two to go out...

-I was planning to stay in.

-Not now you're not. Go see a film or something.

-I haven't got any money.

I'll give you some cash.

-Stick that opposite there for me.

-DOORBELL RINGS

That'll be Elaine. Will you get it, please?

Oh, no, you're not...

Mum, now he really is going to hate me.

Your dad is not capable of hating... Hello, Elaine.

-Hi.

-Thanks for coming. What can I get you to drink?

-Water's fine. Please.

-Immie.

You've rearranged the f...

No. No, no.

It's the only way of getting through to him.

Karen!

Why is there a bucket of water outside the front door?!

Am I expected to come home from work and clean up after ev...?

-What's going on?

-So...that overtime didn't pan out?

Jack, Jack, Jack!

-Did you lock the front door?

-Get my bag, please.

-I think she's locked us in!

-I don't know what's going on either.

-Talk to Elaine!

-I'm not talking to her!

-Oh, thanks(!)

-I'm not talking to anyone.

Rob, no!

What're you playing at?!

Lock the window.

Just talk to Elaine. Please.

-You can't keep on being mad with Immie.

-Y'reckon?

Talk to Elaine!

Front door. Now!

Karen, can we stop this, right now?

-No.

-Do you really think that making me do this is going to help?

I want you to give it your best shot.

And if that doesn't help, then fine. At least you tried.

But the one thing I haven't seen is any sign

-that you're prepared to swallow your pride...

-It is not about my pride!

..and do anything you can to help your little girl.

I can't see why you won't.

You're just sitting on your backside and talking.

It's not any great hardship, is it?

Every time I've been mad at you and you begged me for another chance,

you got it.

And when I had my abortion...

I just, I want you to give Immie another chance.

If it was between me and you, then yes, probably.

But it's not.

It's between me and Imogen.

Rob! I'm angry with her, too.

But how long is this going to go on?

Remember your dad? You want it to end like that?

Karen!

If I agree to do this, it's the last time and then you open the door, do you understand?

I had nothing to do with this.

Is anyone even bothered if I'm OK with this?

It's unethical. It's coercion.

Have you got somewhere else to be?

We don't have to do this.

The meter's running.

What do you want to talk about?

Oh, I don't know. Football?

How do you think the boggies'll do next season?

Baggies.

What do you want to say about football?

I don't really want to say anything about football.

-How old are you, Rob Hollins?

-What has that got to do with anything?

You're behaving like a teenager.

OK, enough. I'm calling a halt to this.

You can face Karen and tell her why you're resisting this.

But I'm not, though.

Yes, you are.

Tell me about your childhood.

Why bring that up?

Because in my experience the phrase "the child is father to the man" is rarely wrong.

We - and I'm not claiming to be better than anyone else here -

we develop patterns of behaviour in our childhood

that dog us throughout our lives.

-Understanding those patterns is...

-I'm not going to blame my parents.

For what?

I'm my own man.

Tell me about your biggest memories of your childhood.

'What you going to do, eh?'

-Throw me out?!

-Stop it!

Rob?

Yeah?

Tell me something about your childhood.

Happy or sad. It doesn't matter.

MUSIC: "Too Much Too Young" by The Specials

ROCK SONG PLAYS

Turn that rubbish off.

Here.

MUSIC: "Soul Man" by James Brown

That's better - proper music.

You like your war films, don't you?

Yeah.

That Apocalypse Now's on at the Odeon.

-Can I go?

-Yeah, all right.

-How was the film, love?

-Rubbish.

Well, it was all right till the helicopters but then it was all talk and a bunch of hippie nonsense.

Oh, I said I'd take him, didn't I?

Well, you're not old enough anyway.

Oh, for crying out loud. It's just a film!

-< I told you, shut up!

-You were horrible to the lad.

< You know how much he wanted to see that film.

< Stop your moaning! You're always going on and on.

< Bet you didn't even check how violent it was. You didn't care.

< Shut up! I'm sick of this and I'm sick of you, right?

-< I told you, shut up!

-SHE YELLS

Hey, Mam.

Mam...

-Are you OK?

-Yeah. Course.

Here y'are, love.

Thanks, they're lovely.

And I got you summat for not taking you to t'pictures.

Still rubbish, though.

On you go.

'Me and my dad...'

..it was a normal, working-class father/son thing.

We had our moments but most of the time it was fine.

So where is your dad now?

-Time for a brew.

-You can do without tea for an hour.

Your dad.

Where is he?

If you were hoping I was going to tell you he abused me or didn't hug me enough,

then that's not going to happen.

But I did well for myself despite my dad.

Despite?

OK...let's forget the cuppa.

Why are people always trying to blame everything in the past?

Why can't they take responsibility for their lives now?

Is that what you're doing? Taking responsibility?

Immie's made her bed.

I'm not to blame and I'm sick of people telling me I'm wrong.

She humiliated me, I did not humiliate her. D'you understand?

Who's blaming you?

No-one. Except yourself.

No.

-You're talking about...

-I need some fresh air.

Mum, I'll go to the bar.

Oh, er...can I have a fizzy water?

No. A red wine. Large one.

I'll have a water.

Mum?

I don't know so don't ask.

What was all that about Dad's dad?

It's best he tells you himself.

He never talks about him. Never has.

-ELAINE:

-Tell me about a happy time with your mum and dad.

There must be something.

-Yes. Of course there is. Loads.

-Like?

OK, there doesn't seem to be...

I'll tell you about a happy time.

My dad took us to the seaside. Me and my best mate.

Hi, Danny. Look at you two!

Waste of money. You'll never go to college.

-I don't want to go to college.

-Or get a decent job looking like that.

-Get changed.

-But we're going out.

Go and get changed! Do as you're told!

And then it started to rain.

So, Dad took us all to the ice cream parlour, treated us all.

Got the train home.

Nice day.

Rob, I know when someone's telling me what they think I want to hear.

Karen's gone.

If you're not going to engage, you may as well just climb out now and go to the pub or whatever you do.

I am not going to blame my bloody parents!

You've already made your point of view very clear on that one.

Now, my mum. My mum would have done anything for me and my sister.

It'll all come out.

He's got a lot on his mind.

There's a round of cuts and the cleansing department's going to be first hit.

That's why he's being like this.

If his job survives, things will get better, I promise.

When you're older, you'll understand.

-ELAINE:

-Why single out your mum?

Why not include your dad?

Why "despite"?

And why so evasive about where he is now?

I'm not looking to blame your dad for anything

but everything you're saying, everything I'm hearing,

screams at me, "your dad, your dad, your dad".

This problem with your daughter is tearing your family apart.

Your dad's your main role model on how to be a father.

So he's very relevant right now.

Make me understand.

What did Karen mean, "Don't let this end like it did with your dad?"

They warned us, more cuts next year. Deeper cuts.

I thought I told you to get rid.

They're his. He saved his pocket money.

Shut up! Why didn't you do what I told you?

-You didn't say to get rid...

-Don't call me a liar!

Love!

Why'd you do it, eh?

Why'd you defy me, eh?

-Dad!

-Shut it!

-Rob, phone Aunty Ag.

-I do not want that witch here.

-Leave Mum alone!

-I said, shut it!

Don't make me do this.

-ELAINE:

-No child should have to go through that.

No.

I let my mum down.

I bottled it.

And she was leathered.

< Shut up, right? I'm sick of this and I'm sick of you.

-< I told you, shut up!

-SHE YELLS

-ELAINE:

-If you hadn't, would he have beaten you?

That time? Yeah.

And would she still have been assaulted?

Then I don't see how you can be responsible.

Would it be fair to say that no-one's ever betrayed you,

no-one's ever hurt you, like your dad and Imogen?

I'm sorry, son.

It... It won't happen again, I promise.

You shouldn't have to see that.

He was crying.

It was possibly the worst moment of my life.

Because I hated myself for not...

But I swore that I would never bottle it again.

I'd never back off again.

I would never let anyone who I loved down again.

You happy now?

Now your psychobabble has got to me.

Cos that night shaped me.

Well done.

It's not about point scoring, it's about understanding.

I didn't need you to take me there.

Where does all this leave Imogen?

-When can we go home?

-Not yet.

I'm going to the loo.

-Mum?

-What?

What if it doesn't work?

When you were younger, did you love your dad?

Before...

Before... Yeah, course.

And after?

-ROB'S MUM:

-'Your dad's in a foul mood.'

He promised me...

Rob! Rob!

You hit mum again.

-Eh?

-You promised! What's funny?

You, you soft get.

Get up. Get up!

They were just stupid words.

If you think they mean owt, then you're an idiot.

-Now get to your room.

-Rob, come out, it's OK.

-I hate you.

-Get out.

Before I really hurt you.

Eh? What're you going to do, eh?

Batter your dad?

-Eh? Throw me out?

-Billy! Stop it!

Ah!

-Mummy!

-Get up!

-Stop it!

-Dad, get off him!

-Get out!

Get out!

You're not getting back in.

Ever.

'Y'know, I think I'm actually lucky.'

Not many men can pinpoint the exact moment they became a man.

But I can.

I can honestly say that I have never let anyone I cared about down again.

That's what's good about this, I suppose. Sometimes, I forget that.

Are you letting Imogen down?

No!

No, I'm not letting her down. She's letting me down.

Me and Karen AND Jack, we've all had our moments.

But they've not humiliated me like she has.

They've not kicked me like she has.

Gone against everything that matters to me.

What happened to your dad?

-Time's up.

-Why are you so reluctant to talk about him now?

Is he dead?

I don't know and I don't care.

I don't feel bad about it.

I don't lose sleep about it. But I'll give him this.

He taught me the biggest lesson I could've ever had about being a husband, a father and a man.

He taught me how not to do it.

Your coat.

I'd like you to do one last thing.

Elaine, I think I'm done dragging through the past.

All you've done is remind me to stick to my guns.

Think of when you kicked him out, when you were terrified.

Only put yourself and Imogen in there.

Get up!

Get out! You're not getting back in!

Hi, Karen. Yes, we're done. I need to get out.

She says she left a key on the shelf above the door.

Yes. He's got it.

OK, I'll see you tomorrow.

One question you need to answer.

For yourself. Not for me. Your dad...

Is that how you want things to end with Imogen?

MUSIC: "Too Much Too Young" by The Specials

Rob?

It was fine.

That's it, it's fine?

Yeah, fine.

Who fancies fish and chips for tea?

I suppose.

Right, well, I'll go.

Who wants to keep me company?

I'll come.

So...what did Elaine say?

That would be telling.

I don't really feel like anything.

Don't talk rubbish. You've got to have something.

Otherwise you'll waste away.

And I'm not having that on MY watch.

Maybe some chips?

You're a danger to yourself.

I'm going to have to keep an even closer eye on you now.

If they find out at work, they'll wrap me in cotton wool.

Or worse, be nice to me.

-Do you think this meeting is significant?

-It is if we make it so.

-Do you think I look different?

-Yes. Sexier than ever.

Stay away from us.

Not now. I'm warming you up.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

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