Black Doctors

FRONT DOOR OPENS

It's black! It's black.

It's... Shhh!

MUFFLED SCREAMS

I thought you'd got a key?

I do. I left it somewhere.

What do you mean "somewhere"? On a bus?

All right, keep your big hair on!

It's in my other bag.

Oh, well, now I feel relaxed(!)

The security of the practice is in safe hands(!)

Sorry I'm a bit late.

Last night was mad.

So...

Where do you want me?

I will tell you in a moment.

I am not quite finished yet.

HE SNORES

PHONE RINGS

PHONE STOPS RINGING

Now we can start!

Finally.

I thought there was a stationery delivery.

Why weren't you at the Icon last night?

Good morning, Mrs Tembe.

Good morning

Excuse me,

was there any printing paper in the stationery delivery?

No, was there supposed to be?

I waited for ages for you, and you didn't come.

I do have a life outside the Icon!

And so do I.

Last night I told Rob I want a divorce.

What?

No, I haven't.

You've called him, I assume?

KNOCK ON DOOR

Sarge, can you just give me a sec?

Is that it? Where's the rest of it?

No, there is a problem with the stationery delivery.

I have called the suppliers.

They'd better get a move on because that report's got to go out today.

I know. Do not worry.

Are you still there, Sarge?

Yes. Well, look, I'm supposed to have a shift with Rob today, so...

why don't I pop by his house to see what's going on?

Yes.

I'll keep you informed.

Thanks Sarge, bye.

I...

Sorry, was that call about Sergeant Hollins?

Yes, he's not turned in for his shift.

I think I may know the reason for that.

How am I supposed to feel?

I can't like someone just cos everyone wants me to!

I don't think anyone's saying that.

They don't have to! I've got eyes, haven't I?

It's the supplier's fault so they should stump up for the courier.

Well, it is the least they can do.

Yes, well, let me know.

Meanwhile, I'll go and deal with Sergeant Hol...

I'll be on my phone.

Go on, then.

Since everybody thinks I've done the worst thing since Hitler!

That is not true!

I am sure, like myself,

they're just wishing you did not rush.

Up until now everybody has just been saying get on with your life!

Oh, do you know what, I'm going to get that printing paper.

At least then I won't have to put up with everybody judging me.

No-one is judging you.

Yeah, right(!)

At least you're alive. That's one mystery solved.

Here's another one.

Five messages.

You're not going to check them?

No.

And I'm not going into work today.

We'll see about that.

Oi!

No slouching on my shift.

Give me that back! That's an order!

I don't take orders from civilians.

But if you were working that would be different.

Oh, don't be so sanctimonious.

I'll be what I have to be to get you off that sofa.

Didn't you hear what I said?

I said I'm not going into work today!

And I probably won't go into work tomorrow either!

Karen told us about her decision.

Did she?

So why are you hassling me?

Cos I'm your mate and I know what you're going through.

No, you don't! Not unless you've had your marriage and your life erased through memory loss!

I know what it's like to have nobody!

Where is it written that me and you get to have personal happiness?

What makes us us is that we're here no matter what.

We look after people.

We protect and serve. So get up.

All right!

OK!

Stop shouting.

I'll call Base, while you get yourself together.

PHONE RINGS

'I'm sorry, but the person you've called is not available.

'Please leave a message after the tone.'

BEEP

'Hi, this is a message for Sian Marden.

'It's Dr Tyler from the Mill Health Centre.'

I'm calling with regards to the consultation we had the other day.

'If you could give me a call back, that would be great. Thank you.'

I need you to take that, that and that out to stores.

While you play Master of Andromeda?!

I've got the stock report.

Excuse me?

Oi, you with the phone, I need a box of printing paper.

Paper doesn't come in boxes, only reams.

I'll have a box of reams then.

Five or tens?

Um, five reams.

We only sell tens.

Why did you ask me then?

Oi! Look at me when I'm talking to you.

You're shouting.

Well, then look when I'm shouting! Do you like winding people up?

No.

I was going to tell you our sister shop in Selly Heath

sells fives and if you could wait for ten seconds,

I'll give them a call for you.

Can they bring them here now?

Unlikely.

Well, I'll take tens, then, won't I?

Carlos!

Lady needs a box of copy paper.

I'll be right with you.

Here.

Take these.

Drink that.

I think we should switch to foot patrol.

Well, that's not going to happen, is it?

Come on, you're in no fit state to drive.

Well, thankfully, you don't get to decide,

because you're only a special.

What's she playing at?!

What's she's doing? You can't leave it there.

Go and have a word with her.

What? No.

It's a hazard.

Well, you enlighten her, then!

Oh, I'm only a special, you're the police officer.

Right, well, in that case, then, I think she's fine!

I'm going to give her a pass.

Right. That's your considered judgment?

Consider this, a motorcyclist comes down the hill, comes round the corner,

doesn't see the projectile in the middle of the road,

which is the car, hits the car - potential fatality.

Are you going to go and tell his relatives?

-Because I'm not.

-Don't you ever stop?!

Right, OK.

I'll go and tell her.

You want this?

No!

Thank you.

You haven't finished yet! I need a trolley.

We don't have one. Sorry.

How am I supposed to get that to the taxi stand?

If I lift that I'll break my back!

If you don't help me, I'm going to be stuck here even longer.

We'll do it this time.

Oh, looks like you're going to have to do it.

The nearest taxi stand is a block away.

Oh, no. There's one out the back in Deak Street.

But we'd have to go the front, down the street...

Haven't you got a back door? You're a shop!

All shops have back doors.

For deliveries and staff members only!

You're lucky I'm in a good mood.

So are you!

Oh, you don't tidy up much!

Great(!)

Haven't you got a key?

We're supposed to keep a set in the door.

That doesn't sound very secure!

Carlos?!

Are we locked in?

Carlos! OPEN UP!

Why can't he hear?

Can I borrow your mobile?

If you're nice to me.

It hasn't got a signal.

Useless!

Ah...

That's a good phone, that is, it's one of them intelligent ones.

OK. Since you obviously don't understand,

I'll spell it out for you,

we are STUCK!

One thing about isolation...

..is that you get all that time to think.

Not about revenge.

Well, it is at first,

but, after time...

..after years...

..it changes into something else.

Do you know what that is?

Anticipation.

We had a lovely holiday on this site, didn't we?

You, me...

My boys.

Is there something you want to tell me, Sian?

Open the bag.

Please.

Please, Tom.

Open the bag.

Please!

Do it.

Left buckle first.

Good girl!

Get it out.

There you go.

Thank you.

You can do the honours, if you like.

Is Howard with Rob today?

They are on patrol.

Are you sure? Cos I've texted Rob and he's not getting back to me.

Maybe they are too busy for chit-chat.

It's not chit-chat!

He's got me chasing some agoraphobic,

who never seems to be at home!

I am sorry, but as you can see, I have a lot to do today,

and we are short-staffed.

One, two, three, four, five, si...

Where are the other two?

I don't know what you're fretting for.

Somebody's going to notice we're gone, then they'll open the door.

Yeah, in how long?

I don't know, a year?

It looks like that long since you last cleaned this place.

You haven't got rats, have you?

No.

Cos if you had rats, I'd be out of here!

Oh, would you? Well, let's pray for rats

so you can magically transport us back to the shop!

-It's just an expression!

-No, it isn't.

Something isn't just an expression because you say it is!

OK, what about "you're a prat"? Is that all right?

I'm just trying to cheer things up.

Take your mind off you being the reason we're stuck here!

Me? Why did we come in here in the first place?

You should have gone to Selly Heath, they had fives.

I didn't want fives!

Yes, you did!

You worked out you needed fives and then, because you were too lazy,

you decided to stay here and order something with us.

I'm not lazy, Oh, no.

OK, stupid!

Don't call me stupid!

I've got...things going on, that's all.

How would you like it if you went to sleep one night

and then woke up and you were different?

You wouldn't handle it.

So don't call me stupid.

What's wrong with you?

Nothing.

Yes, there is, something is.

My inhaler. It's in the desk.

You've got asthma?

Yes, I've got asthma.

How did I know that?

You said inhaler and asthma popped in my head.

Oh, I don't know.

Maybe because millions of people suffer from it.

Maybe. Or maybe... isn't as stupid as you think!

PHONE RINGS

Are you not going to answer your phone?

Nope.

Put it on silent, then, it's doing my head in.

ANOTHER PHONE RINGS

Hello.

Yes. Yes, he is.

Right, I'll pass him over.

It's Kevin. Dr Tyler.

What?

Finally! I've texted you at least three texts!

Yeah, well, I haven't got them.

Well, I've been thinking about what you said earlier about Sian Marden

and there might be grounds for me to reassess her case,

but she'll have to be honest this time.

You should be telling her that, not me.

I tried. She's not answering her phone.

I thought she never left the house?

Thanks, Kevin.

You want to tell me what's going on?

-'HOWARD:

-It's me. Just had a call from Sergeant Briggs.

'Rob, at least give us a call.

'Stan Briggs here. Just wondering when you might be coming in.'

'SIAN: It's black! It's black.'

Don't think you're driving.

Still no sign of Karen?

She might have just got distracted. She does that.

Today is an emergency, she knows that.

Unless she's in one of her moods,

she might be dragging her heels deliberately.

Stroppy teenager, remember?

What kind of mood was she in when she left?

The stroppy kind.

Well, I could have a look on the high street, see if I can find her,

but she could be anywhere.

-She's probably out shopping, buying shoes or...

-No.

No, you are right, she is just being difficult.

And she will stay that way unless I start treating her like an adult.

Good for you.

PHONE RINGS

It's only been a little while.

Somebody will come in that shop and ask for a box of paper,

and then Carlos will open that door.

No-one buys paper.

-Everything's digital.

-OK!

OK. It's really important that you stay calm.

Calm is good. Look, see? I'm calm.

And you don't know my boss, Mrs Tembe.

She's not the least bit digital.

And she's got to print a report today. So, when she realises...

IF she realises...

No, she will, she will. The report, she's printing it,

she's got to get it out today. Lunchtime.

-Lunchtime?!

-At the latest!

She's probably wondering right now, where's that paper?

Could you breathe through your nose, not your mouth?

Slowly, that's it.

That's better, isn't it?

You sound like my mum.

Hey! You're here! A lady rang.

-You OK?

-Get the inhaler.

It's in the drawer. His inhaler. Drawer.

Everything's OK, isn't it? It's OK.

You don't know the situation inside.

Yes, I do.

We organised a one-word colour code to let me know if he's come back.

Red for outside and black for inside.

Sian! Sian!

-I'll check upstairs.

-All right.

It's all clear! Who are you on the phone to?

Sian's son.

Louis. It's Sergeant Rob Hollins from Letherbridge Police.

I think your mum might have gone missing.

Tell him straight, why don't you?

Just blame me later, son. For now, listen to me and think.

Because I think your dad might have taken her somewhere.

You know him!

You might hate him but you do know him.

Can you think, where would he take her?

What's this?

Why would your mum randomly have a real horseshoe in the kitchen?

Where could that have come from?

Really, right, OK. I'll check it out.

Hang on, where are you going?

The Willow Forge campsite.

He used to take them there in the summer.

You haven't even got any evidence,

all you've got is a horseshoe and a hunch!

OK, it's a long shot, but it's all I've got.

We have a procedure to follow for a reason.

-Give me the keys.

-No.

Give me the keys, I won't ask you again.

No, you're not even fit!

I had to drag you out of your own house, remember?

Now you want to go off and play hero again.

You're the one who reminded me that we have to serve and protect!

Give me the keys now.

No.

Ow!

Sorry, Howard.

Are you all right there?

It is heavy.

I don't see any shopping.

She has not been shopping.

I was too busy saving someone's life!

She is a hero.

Look what you've done to me.

This isn't me.

This is not me.

I had a family.

SHE SOBS

Didn't I?

But you...

You drove my Rick to...

Sian?

SHE GASPS

He's here.

Sian?

Sian!

You're not even armed!

Why don't you put the gun down?

Oh, I don't think so, Sergeant Hollins.

You've got some nerve, interrupting at a time like this.

Very rude.

This is a private matter between a husband and a wife.

Ex-wife.

She's still mine.

And you should have kept your dirty little hands off her.

The squad cars are on the way.

Oh, really? And they sent you in first?

Nah.

You're just here to have another sniff at that.

Get on your knees.

Does pointing that gun make you feel like a bigger man?

Get on your knees.

What? To someone who tortures women?

She's my WIFE! Get it in your skull.

No, you get it through your skull,

she's not your wife, your marriage is over.

All she wants is to get away from you.

You don't know what she wants!

And you do?

When is the penny going to drop, eh?

That she hates you, and she does.

She hates you.

So why don't you face it and walk away?

Oh, no, you can't, can you?

Because you can't face up to your mess of a life.

You keep talking and I'll blow your head off.

Go on, then.

You see, I don't care.

You can't do it, can you?

And I bet you can't look in the mirror

because you have lost everything.

Say goodbye.

Police!

GUNSHOT

She's in there!

Get off him!

Rob, he's down already!

He's down.

Rob!

What was weird

was how I knew what I was doing, but at the same time, I didn't.

Are you all right there, Mrs Tembe?

I will be when I've finished this.

That must have been really weird.

And, it was like I was watching me being someone else.

Cos, I mean, what do I know about asthma? Nothing.

But the other me knew that he had to stay calm and...

It's not really a memory, is it?

Not quite. Real memory is easily accessible. But hey, it's a development.

You should tell Al, he'll be so chuffed.

Are you all right, Mrs Tembe, do you want a hand?

Well, thank you. That is very much appreciated.

They're all in the wrong order now.

Rob...

Rob, I want to thank him.

Later.

-Single?

-Yes.

-No. If she's single and hot, there must be something

-wrong with her. She is a bunny boiler.

-She does not boil bunnies.

I ended up sandwiched between Peter Sellers and Reggie Kray.

Well, it was the swinging '60s.

It's coming down the walls. We're going to drown.

Do you want to stay for dessert

or would you rather come back to my hotel for a coffee?

I'll get the bill.