Leper Doctors

It's Josh Robson. What's he in for? Is he involved in the Baiden case?

Is he under arrest?

My baby, can you hear me?!

I love you so much!

HE EXHALES SHARPLY

AMBULANCE SIREN BLARES

-20 for a quid!

-No way! That's a bargain.

-Can I have one?

-For fivepence a pop, have as many as you want.

-Thanks.

Jimmi? They're past their sell-by date,

-but they're perfectly edible.

-No, thank you.

This won't poison me, will it?

It's a doughnut.

It's got eggs in it. Things go rotten, that's why they have

a use-by date - you have to get rid of them.

It's a doughnut!

-Yeah, but what if...

-It's a doughnut.

Mm...

-Excuse me.

-Yes?

-Where's the baby?

Jade Jackman's baby?

She's here.

She's beautiful.

She is.

-Here.

-Oh...

Hello, there.

Have a doughnut. Al brought them in.

Oh! Thank you.

So, how's it going?

I'm so ashamed, this is my third one today.

-No, how's it going here?

-What?

-How are you getting on?

-Fine. Why?

Nothing. It can just be a bit...

daunting. Overwhelming.

-I felt out of depth in my early days.

-Did you?

Yes. I think most doctors do.

Right.

I'm not trying to worry you. It was just an observation.

If you ever need any extra support, I'm right here.

Thanks. But Al's actually been brilliant.

-And he brings doughnuts in.

-Stale doughnuts.

He's still a really good mentor.

He gave up a whole weekend for me.

I couldn't get rid of him!

A weekend?

Yes. He really helped.

We went over things in his methodical way.

You know what he's like.

What?

Nothing.

What?

He's not being a nuisance, is he?

What do you mean?

I think you know what I mean.

I think he's a really good friend.

The past is the past.

And the Mill needs to move on.

You need to move on.

MAN COUGHS

BABY COOS

Thirsty...

Here we go.

-Where's my mum?

-Just popped out.

What do you think?

I think...

she's perfect.

Have you got a name?

Yeah.

Shontavia.

Come on. You can't sit on the fence, everybody's got a favourite.

See, I prefer custard over jam.

And apple's the devil's spawn, isn't it..?

-Sorry?

-I was talking to...

Myself, apparently. Can I help you?

I wanted to talk to Mrs Tembe.

I'm sorry you can't cos she's not here.

Where is she?

She's...on a course. She'll be back in a few days.

She didn't mention it. When did she decide to go?

Do you know her?

From church. She got me to register here the other day.

Oh, right. Let's see if we can find you. What's your name?

What's your name?

-Josh Robson.

-Josh Robson...

There we go. Do you want to book an appointment?

Yes. A doctor.

I want to see a doctor.

I'm afraid we haven't got anything today,

-but if you could pop back tomorrow we could fit you in?

-Yeah.

-I've got an 11, or a 4:15?

-Yeah.

Which one?

Are you OK?

-Have you got a toilet?

-Yeah, go straight down there.

-OK.

Where did you go?

-I can see him.

-Who?

-Josh Robson. I can see him.

No, you can't. You've got to see

-that rep you've been banging on about.

-Cancel it.

KNOCK ON DOOR Hello. Come in.

Yes, Niamh, about earlier. You were right.

I need to move on.

-Not just you.

-All of us.

Thanks for that.

Good.

My offer still stands.

-Offer?

-Your ongoing training. I would really like to help.

That would be great. If you have the time?

My pleasure.

Right. What were you thinking?

-A re-cap of some sort...

-A test?

-No, I hate tests.

-Me, too.

Role playing.

There is nothing like role playing for building confidence.

And honing those on-the-spot decisions.

I'd love it. When?

How about today?

-Can't wait.

-Great. See you later, then.

-See you later!

SHE BREATHES ANXIOUSLY

I feel like I've been clubbing for weeks

and got run over on the way home.

I don't feel like I've just had

one of the world's most brilliant experiences.

No-one's ever felt that.

Yeah, but nobody said it would be this bad!

You certainly didn't!

Your body's been through a tremendous ordeal.

The general anaesthetic alone can leave you feeling like...

I'm getting that!

Give us an hand.

I'm going to feed Shontavia before the midwives get back

or they start touching me up again.

Haven't they been trying to help?

I've been prodded and pulled in the wrong places!

They expressed milk and fed her off a spoon.

It were freaky. They're still not happy.

-They don't want the baby to miss out on the...

-The colostrum, I know!

Get you, listening in class.

What? Didn't think I'd remember such a long word?

-What? Like sarcastic?

-Give her here. I'm going to crack this

before the boob mafia comeback.

BABY COOS

-You all right?

-Yeah.

-Sure?

-Yes.

Sorry. I'm fine, thanks for asking.

Josh!

Oh, Doctor Clay. Hello, I was just leaving.

-Yeah. Are you OK?

-Fine.

Are you sure? You seem a bit...

I'm all right. I just came to see Mrs Tembe, but she's...

Yeah, she's...she's in Wales on a residential.

I heard you wanted to see a doctor?

Well, yeah, I did. But there's no appointments so...

Right, well, there are now.

All right, Lady Windermere.

Shut up. I need help.

You know they do little battery powered ones...

I said, shut up!

Heston's started asking me how I'm getting on at the Mill.

-That's good of him.

-No. It's not.

He wants to do a role play with me.

What's that about?

He's checking up on me, isn't he?

-Seeing if I'm good enough to work here.

-Maybe.

-Maybe?!

-I don't know.

I haven't quite worked out how to do mind reading just yet.

You're not helping. What do you think he's going to ask?

-I have no idea.

-Think!

-Maybe he'll ask about the new drug protocols for Parkinson's.

-OK.

He'll probably want to know about that new legislation

for doctors working in CCGs.

-What new legislation?

-You know.

The one about only treating the gullible on Mondays.

You're an idiot!

You're just an easy target.

I'm sorry, what is this?

Is this some kind of new security blanket?

No. It's a fan.

Oi!

Stop sweating. You're doing just fine.

Heston hasn't got any hidden agenda.

It's just him being supportive.

Try holding her towards you more.

-I did!

-And the angle makes a difference.

I know!

BABY CRIES

-Take her.

-Just try again.

-Just take her!

Sh, sh.

Sh.

You lied.

My stomach hurts. I feel sick. And I can't even feed my own baby.

I didn't say it would be easy.

I said you need to persevere.

I have bloody persevered!

Do you need some more pain meds?

I don't want anything that will affect Shontavia.

What?

Don't patronise me!

Oh, you and your big words.

No pain meds are going to affect Shontavia,

but they might improve your mood.

I doubt it.

-You may be right.

-What?

I think that being a mother may be the making of you.

-What?

-I'm quite proud.

-You didn't think much of me

-when you first met me.

-You didn't think much of me either.

I still don't. I still think you're a stuck up cow.

I still think you're just a cow.

Ow!

Try on your side.

It can help with the feeding.

Trust me. I'm a doctor.

Your interest in cooking, did that start in prison?

Yeah.

I bet Mrs Tembe helped. She's an excellent cook.

Yes, she has. She is.

So...how can I help?

Why are you...?

Sorry?

Why this sudden interest?

It's my job.

You know what I've done?

Yep.

And?

And nothing. It's still my job, I'm still a doctor.

Mrs Tembe believes that everyone should...

..have a second chance.

She's usually right.

This is a waste of time.

It's going everywhere but in her mouth.

OK, strip off.

Come again?

Skin to skin contact. It's been proven to help babies realise what they're supposed to be doing.

But it's hardly practical in the frozen aisle of ASDA, is it?

Just give it a go.

-There we go.

-This is ridiculous. I can't keep stripping off every time she's hungry.

You won't have to keep doing it once she's got the hang of it.

-So you say.

-Shush.

She's...

Yes. She is.

KNOCK ON DOOR

-Take a seat.

-Thank you.

I'm Doctor Donoghue.

-Ronald Rathbone.

-So...

You're a new patient here, is that right?

Yes. I've just moved to Letherbridge for work.

-What do you do?

-I'm a headmaster.

And did you move here with the family?

No. I live on my own.

So what brings you here today, Mr Rathbone?

-Are you here just to register, or...?

-No.

How can I help?

-Take your time.

-I think I'm losing my mind.

I had anxiety attacks in prison.

You were on meds for some time.

Prison...

It's not easy. I know it's not supposed to be..

But...

Well, I had...

I had...

Suicidal thoughts?

Sometimes.

Did you ever act on them in prison?

Always managed to stop.

It's a harsh environment. It's understandable.

No. It's not that, you don't understand.

Prison? That's a walk in the park.

It's out here that's hell.

So, the shopping, and the books.

Anything else?

I'm a logical person.

But I can feel fear creeping in. What if I am losing my mind?

What if it is...dementia? I don't think I could cope.

Mr Rathbone, please, don't worry.

It could be any number of things.

Let's not jump to any conclusions, OK?

Good.

The first thing I'd like to do is run some tests called MMSE.

Sounds fancy, but really it's just a series of simple questions

to help us determine how your long and short term memory is.

I could do that now, if you'd like?

Yes. Thank you, thank you very much.

Great.

I can't stop them.

I know they're coming but there's nothing,

absolutely nothing I can do.

They happen almost every day now.

Are the attacks different from the ones you had in prison?

Yeah, they're worse.

They're darker. They're more intense.

How?

It's difficult.

At first I feel...

..detached.

Removed from the world...

from the moment.

It's like...it's like I'm not there.

And then?

And then it changes.

It becomes overwhelming.

To the point that...

Sorry.

To the point that...

..I hate myself. No.

I loathe myself.

I hate me.

This.

This!

Ow!

What?

It hurt.

Really?

Ow. Yes! It really hurts. Ow!

Do something!

Perhaps she's not latched properly. Let's have a look.

No, it looks fine to me.

It's not! She's biting me!

She's not.

She is, she's eating my boob!

-She can't be.

-How do you know?!

Because she hasn't got any teeth.

Well, what do I do?

Nothing.

Nothing?

Is that the best you've got?

Yep. The joys of motherhood. Just have to grin and bear it.

What is the date?

I'm going to say three words to you, I want you to repeat them back to me. Are you ready?

Furry, digit, banana.

Subtract seven from 100.

Spell 'world' backwards.

What is this?

Can you remember the name of the three words

you repeated for me earlier?

They're the same tablets you were on in prison.

Thank you.

I've given you four months' supply.

That's a lot. Is that normal?

It's not a normal situation.

Sometimes you have to make up your own rules.

If the chemist needs confirmation about quantity,

then get them to give me a call.

-Right. Thanks.

-Do you...

-Do you still go to church?

-Yeah.

Still do Bible study with Mrs Tembe?

Sometimes. Sometimes it's with the vicar, Viv.

I used to do Bible study.

At Sunday school, in Wales, with my sister.

Yeah, well, look, I've got to get going. So, thanks again...

I never got the god thing really...

..but I liked going, though,

they used to give us sweets. I liked the sweets.

Did you ever go to Sunday school?

No.

The stories were the best. The ones about Jesus performing miracles.

It was like magic how he cured people.

The sick, the blind.

The lepers.

It's funny.

Now we know that leprosy is basically Hansen's disease

we can treat it with pills.

In a way, the New Testament was very forward thinking.

Jesus getting out there, helping the people who needed it most.

The Old Testament...

that's very different.

Far more hard line.

They're all for labelling lepers as unclean.

And banishing them.

Making them outcasts.

They see them as rotten...

..unfit to live with other people.

Look what the nurse just give me.

Nappy cream, bath wash, nappies. Even money-off vouchers.

Except flippin' milk! Not a single voucher for what you actually need.

Never fear, mother's here. Popped to the shop already. Look!

Ready mixed, just add baby. Not cheap, though.

£1.50 a pop. They've got you over a barrel, haven't they?

-Kayleigh?

-Yes?

-Get your money back.

Eh?

I didn't get a bleedin' receipt.

-That's... lovely.

-Like you mean it, Mum!

Sorry. It's really lovely.

Well, Mr Rathbone. You did very well.

-I did?

-You scored 30 out of 30, which indicates...

That my memory is perfectly normal.

But Mr Rathbone's memory is perfectly normal.

Yes, of course.

Well, Doctor Donoghue, how would you proceed?

Well, I would reassure the patient that after today's consultation,

he needn't worry about dementia.

I totally agree. And?

-And?

-What else?

-Um...

-Blood tests?

Blood tests. I knew that...

Of course you did. Well, it was a textbook consultation.

-You did really well.

-Thank you.

The Mill is lucky to have you.

SHE SIGHS

She really is beautiful.

Takes after her mum.

In your dreams.

Take care.

Will do. And thanks.

You know, we thought of calling Shontavia Zara,

but I changed my mind last minute.

-Why?

-Way too posh.

I will see you again, won't I?

I doubt it. I'm far too busy.

I knew another Viv once.

Vivien.

She used to work here as a receptionist.

A little older than Mrs Tembe, but she was very similar.

She was good, she was kind. She was trusting.

She was a good woman.

One night she left here...

..she went home...

..and she found two men in the house.

They raped her.

She didn't tell anyone for a while.

But when she did, she told me.

Because she trusted me to help her and I tried.

I held her hand all the way through the process.

Went to court.

Comforted her.

I wanted to make it better. But I couldn't. I just couldn't.

-What happened?

-They were punished.

Justice was served.

But she never really got over it.

Not really. The experience broke her.

Mrs Tembe is my friend.

I would never hurt her.

I know.

Because if you do, I will make hell rain down on you.

It wasn't that big yesterday, was it? Must've grown overnight! Hideous!

Can't a girl have a tiny blemish?

I might as well be the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

It's not that. I like your mole. I love your mole.

I'm not that unappealing, am I?