More Like Clouds Than Stars Doctors

MUSIC: Fix You by Coldplay

HE GROANS

# When you get what you want

# But not what you need

# When you feel so tired

# But you can't sleep... #

GRUNTS

EXHALES

HUMS

"What's up Mr Party Animal?"

"Ducking and diving."

"You?"

TEXT ALERT

"Thinking of you."

Still got it!

Morning.

Hi.

I just heard this ridiculous rumour that the milk was fresh...

I just had to see that for myself.

Rumours are true...

Well... anywho, anywho, Donoghue... on a more serious note...

Hey! Hey!

-Oh, right... should I... go or something...?

-No.

-Later, OK?

-Yes, later. We will, um...

See that? See the effect I have on women?

They just can't keep their hands off the Haskey.

-We're losing our touch.

-I'm not sure I ever had it.

Wazzup?!

Not much, just considering our life of eternal bachelordom,

but, apart from that, nothing.

-Wazzup with you?

-Can't you see it? It's written all over his face.

Oh, yeah. No doubt something to do with women and pulling?

Add "insanely hot" to "women", and you've nailed it.

-My sympathies.

-Just got to suck it up, mate.

Excuse me, I feel the sudden urge to leave.

-Wise move.

-That's touchy...

TEXT ALERT

HE EXHALES

Hey, I got you...

You're bleeding...

Yes, I know, clumsy, but it's OK,

-it's under control. Promise.

-If you're sure...?

Look, I was going to say, I got you this...

Is that...? Um...?

Yeah... was it the wrong thing to do?

-I'll open it later.

-Sorry, I thought...

No, it's OK, it's OK.

What is it?

Why do you do your hair like that?

Like what?

Sorry, sorry... forget I said that...

it's just...

Are you not feeling any better?

No... didn't sleep very well...!

Do you mind, erm, do you mind walking yourself to school today?

-I don't feel up to it.

-Sure...

If you want to talk about...

-Bye, Dad.

-Bye.

DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES

HE EXHALES

TEXT ALERT

You, er, planning on doing any work at any point today?

Look... she's on her own and feeling lonely.

That is very noble of you.

But don't you have a patient...?

Oh, yeah, be right with you.

Erm, can you tell Mrs Tembe that I'm going to be a couple of hours?

Yeah, yeah.

OK, sorry to keep you waiting, Mr Rashid, this way.

I knew that polished floor would make the bathroom an ice rink.

SHE CHUCKLES So, why have it?

-Wife's idea.

-Ah.

She liked it, you weren't going to argue?

Smart man.

Erm, so, have you had a headache since your fall?

Any vomiting?

Problems with balance?

Sensitivity to light, sound?

No.

Difficulty remembering?

Erm, foggy thoughts...?

Oh, try and keep still for me.

Have you noticed any change in your emotions?

-Anxiety? Sadness?

-No, not really.

-Not really...?

Well, I'm very stressed but that's because I'm working hard

-on my book.

-Uh, not getting enough sleep?

-Yeah, something like that.

-So, what's the book?

-Erm, it's on Romantic poetry.

Oh, love poetry!

Er, early 19th century... Shelley, Keats...

that gang.

SHE CHUCKLES

Well, I can't see any signs of concussion but

sometimes the symptoms can take hours, even days

to appear so if you do notice any change in your vision,

balance, anything like that,

go to A & E immediately.

Immediately. OK?

OK.

You know, you should take a page out of one of these poetry

books of yours - you know, "smell the roses, chill out".

They don't put it quite like that, but I know what you mean.

How do they put it?!

I should drowse myself with the fume of poppies,

fade far away, dissolve and quite forget.

Something like that.

Much better. Anyway, your wife will appreciate it, I'm sure.

HE CHUCKLES

KNOCKING Come in.

I dug out the article you asked for.

-Which one?

-On ACL injuries.

Oh, OK, thanks.

Oh, how did it go with Oliver?

-But it's your first appointment, right?

-Well, yeah.

It's too soon to jump to conclusions,

and you need to find out what's going on.

PHONE RINGS

Sorry, I need to get this.

Hello.

Stop being an old fogey, and get yourself over here.

Listen, it's really mad here at the moment.

But I'm going mad here from boredom.

Term hasn't started, no-one's around.

Just say that you've got to go check out some major new talent.

I guess that's not too far from the truth.

Right. So...what are you waiting for?

OK. I'll be there by 2.30.

'I am the daughter of earth and water

'And the nursling of the sky

'I pass through the pores of the ocean and shores

'I change but I cannot die.'

Serena?

HE SIGHS

Luke?

-What are you doing here?

-I wanted an explanation.

What have you done to your head?

Oh... Blame the bathroom floor.

-Are you all right?

-Yeah, fine. Really. Back to you.

Well, what did you mean by leaving Stella's things at my front door?

That was completely bizarre.

I explained in the note.

I'm...I'm overwhelmed, OK?

Stella needs you more than your books need you.

She's been knocked sideways by what's happened, just as much as you have.

She needs her dad.

I know things must be awfully hard today, but

-don't you want her around - today of all days?

-No.

No. I just can't be with her right now.

It's disturbing to hear you talk about her like this.

So cold.

It's not like you.

You realise she's told me more than once how strange you are around her?

It's distressing her.

-I don't know what she means.

-Really?

Look at you. You're washed out.

Please tell me you've seen someone.

I don't need to see a shrink.

But you can't have a conversation with your books.

They don't listen to you, they don't care about you.

That's not where the answers lie.

OK, look, I've listened to what you've got to say,

but this really...really isn't the place to talk.

So I'll phone you later. OK?

Please.

Just...just let me get on with things.

Think about Stella.

She has to come first.

What are you doing here?

I owe you an apology.

Yes, you do. You should have told me what was going on.

I'm so sorry, Oliver.

I know it's not going to sound like much of an excuse, but

I've never ended a relationship before.

I've always been on the other side

and I didn't really know how to do it.

Didn't know how to do it?

Oh, come on. You can do better than that.

-What you were really doing was keeping your options open.

-I wasn't.

I've been a mess worrying about how to tell you.

No, I'm sorry, Niamh. I'm not having you play the victim here, all right?

I'm the one who fell for you, remember?

And you led me on while apparently being interested in someone else.

It wasn't like that.

And what makes it worse is that, incredibly,

this someone else was Al.

I mean, what could you possibly see in him?

Just taking good manners into consideration,

he was so rude to you last night.

You're right.

I was really hurt and I said so.

So you broke up with him?

Not quite.

I don't believe this.

But I'm going to.

Uh-huh. When?

Today. When I get back.

Niamh...

be straight with him.

I will. I promise I will.

Look, I don't particularly wish to humiliate myself even further,

but since you're breaking up with him,

does that...? Might that mean...?

-Oliver.

-Just...yes or no?

No.

At least you were straight for once.

Heston?

Oh...hello. I'm here to see Oliver about a patient.

It's a very...tricky case.

Are you all right?

Me? Yes.

Yes. Everything's better now.

I'll see you later.

'She dwells with beauty

'Beauty that must die

'And joy, whose hand is ever at his lips

'Bidding adieu.'

Well, I've given your psychosis theory some consideration.

Good.

And I've come to the conclusion

that it's utterly implausible.

Hm.

As a doctor, who surely believes in

carefully assessing all possibilities,

don't you feel this is a bit premature?

No.

Have you considered you may be in denial?

One absurd theory follows another.

I'm perfectly aware of my decision-making process,

which you fail to understand.

I don't think anyone can be truly objective about their own decisions.

However, since you're finding this all so absurd,

-would you mind humouring me a little further?

-In what way?

By taking a brief questionnaire.

What sort of questionnaire?

That's not me in denial. I'm genuinely curious.

It follows a familiar format, you know the kind of thing.

I ask some straightforward questions and

you answer by assigning a number from one to nine to each question.

One being "I strongly disagree", nine being "I strongly agree".

It's proven to give a highly accurate reading

on denial and other neuroses.

All right. Let's put this to bed once and for all.

Dad? Where are you going?

Always tell me the truth.

Of course.

Was it you? Outside the library just now?

You promised me you wouldn't lie so I'm going to ask you again.

Was it you outside the library?

No.

You're lying, Stella. Tell me the truth.

-Tell me the truth.

-I am! I am telling the truth.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just...not myself.

What on earth are you doing?

-I told her I'm sorry.

-Well, it's not good enough.

Your weird behaviour is traumatising her.

You need to give her an explanation, and now.

Why did you leave my bag at Gran's, Dad?

I don't understand what that means.

-Well, are you going to tell her?

-I said...

I just need time to myself.

How much time?

How much time?

I don't know.

Luke, if you won't let us in, we can't help you.

But I beg of you, go and talk to someone who can.

I mean an expert, a professional.

Please do it, Dad.

Come on, Stella. Let's you and I go and do something fun this evening.

Hola.

Well, talk about playing hard to get.

Well, hello.

Thought we should pick up where we left off.

Definitely.

Vodka?

Sure.

I'd have put on some music

but I didn't want to choose anything embarrassing.

I'm sure you've got great taste.

The Vaccines - now we're talking.

-You know them?

-Know them? I nearly signed them.

-Really?

Yeah. They were a bit raw back then so I didn't bother.

-What're they like?

-Good laugh, actually.

Got totally hammered this one time.

Started off in a houseboat, took a spin on the Millennium Wheel,

ended up in some dive in Soho.

Happy days.

"Doctors never really understand what is wrong with me."

-Is that one of the questions?

-Mm.

Are you trying to trick me?

No. These questions may touch a nerve but they're not tricks.

So what's your answer?

Well, one, of course.

-What is it?

-So...

your answer is, "I strongly disagree," to the statement,

-"Doctors never really understand what is wrong with me."

-Correct.

OK. One it is.

Hello.

Have you got a moment?

Yeah, I wanted to speak to you earlier, but you weren't here.

I had to be somewhere.

Now you're back, I just...

I need to apologise for last night.

It's another disastrous date to add to that ever-growing pile...

What is it?

All this apologising, doesn't it tell you something?

That my foot is considerably closer to my mouth than it ought to be.

Seriously. It's a sign that there's something wrong.

This isn't working.

This.

Us.

"I'm usually able to see the funny side

"of an otherwise painful predicament."

These questions get more ridiculous by the minute.

-Do you want to stop?

-No.

Then you'll say I'm in denial.

I'm not going to let the test intimidate me. So put nine.

So you strongly agree with the statement,

"I'm usually able to see the funny side

-"of an otherwise painful predicament."

-Mm.

Maybe not right now but otherwise, yes.

You seem tense.

I'm not.

And that's not denial.

I'm sorry.

Well, I knew it was too good to be true.

I was just kidding myself as usual.

So was I.

But I mean it when I say that, for a while there,

I really thought it could go somewhere.

And I really am sorry.

It's OK.

I'd have broken up with myself after last night.

So no hard feelings?

No. No hard feelings.

Thank you for being straight with me.

SHE SIGHS

You've a lot going for you, Al.

I hope you know that.

Too kind.

OK, just take a seat and try to relax.

Can I get you some water?

No. Can't you just give me something

so I can help get myself together, please?

Well, I'm not a doctor so I can't prescribe the sort of drugs that

you mean but this change of mood might be what I warned you about.

I'll just go and fetch Dr Granger.

Yeah, so I said to Lorde, I said, "Come on, love, don't you think

"it's time you thought about having a new look? What about short hair?"

Wow. What did she say?

She was like, "Pixie cut, interesting idea. I'll think about it."

It's crazy you know her.

Yeah, it's a small world, the biz, when you're on the inside.

-You hungry?

-Ravenous.

I haven't got that much. Just, like, peanut butter, crackers,

-that kind of thing.

-That's fine.

Those business lunches, rich food - way over it.

So...

why Letherbridge? Why here?

We'll, I've still got my pad in London but it gives me

a much more central base.

I can go up to Birmingham, down to Oxford.

Means you can check out the talent, wherever, whenever, right?

Yeah, I can find the best local talent.

Found anyone local recently?

-Yeah, I have, actually.

-I thought so.

Mandy was saying you've become highly agitated

-since she saw you this morning.

-Yes.

What do you think kicked that off?

I thought I saw my wife and daughter outside the library.

OK. And what's odd about that?

As far as seeing my daughter's concerned, nothing.

But seeing my wife...

Yes?

As for seeing my wife...

Luke?

She...

She's passed away, hasn't she?

Nine months ago, I woke up in bed and Serena was...

They said it was instantaneous. Heart defect.

I'm so sorry.

You said you saw her today with your daughter?

I was at the library window, they were outside,

and then it was like they disappeared.

-Anything like that ever happened before?

-No.

OK, well, there don't seem to be any physical signs

indicating a concussion.

So what's wrong with me?

It could be stress related. Are you getting proper rest?

Doesn't sound like it.

What've you been doing?

Burning a ton of midnight oil, I suppose.

I'm researching and writing a book.

Good for you. But possibly to avoid thinking about what happened?

Maybe.

Overwork and stress can make our minds play tricks on us.

Still, any ideas why the hallucinations are happening today?

It's our wedding anniversary.

Right. That must be terribly hard.

Still...facing up to things, talking about them, can be

better in the long run than avoiding them.

Have you seen a counsellor or therapist?

No, not yet.

OK, well, I can highly recommend Oliver Clarke.

He's helped a lot of people that I know.

Reception can give you his number.

And, please, seriously consider doing that.

I'll leave you in Nurse Marquez's capable hands,

and, once again, sorry to hear about everything.

-Thank you, Doctor.

-Thanks, Daniel.

I hope you take his advice.

And what about your daughter? Stella, isn't it?

I mean, how's she coping?

In the circumstances, she is coping very well.

The problem is when I'm with her.

What do you mean?

It's like...she's a constant reminder of what I've lost.

How come?

She's the spitting image of my wife.

Well, maybe you could see that as a wonderful thing.

You know, your wife lives on.

A part of her is always there.

But that's the hard part.

This is your daughter, Luke. You've got to focus on what you have

and not what you've lost.

Make today a special day for her, eh?

Hiya, Mum. It's me.

Well, you passed with flying colours.

Excellent. So we can dismiss all this psychosis nonsense?

-No.

-Why not?

Heston, I don't believe you answered the questions honestly.

You just answered to pass the test.

Every time you should have answered with a one

you answered with a nine, and vice versa.

It seems to me such behaviour screams denial and neurosis.

Well, that's absurd.

Hm, more like ironic.

Ironic?

That you're in denial about being in denial.

Losing your sense of humour is another sign.

Well, this is no time for wisecracks.

I'm not trying to make jokes at your expense.

In fact, I'm hugely sympathetic to your situation.

Really?

Yes, I am well acquainted with denial, having recently gone

through the trauma of divorce.

I thought there was something at the core of my marriage

that was unbreakable

and to discover that that was not the case

was impossible for me to grasp.

So, for a long time, I denied it...vigorously.

And, not content to stop there,

I now seem to be denying to myself how unrealistic it is

to project all my hopes for the future onto a woman I barely know.

So...

I regard myself as an Olympic champion of denial.

Which is why I know exactly what you're going through.

Really, I do.

I may owe you an apology.

-I'm sorry.

-Don't worry, Dad. I'm just glad to be back.

HE CHUCKLES

Hey, I've got a project for us.

Chin up a little bit.

Hold up your arm a bit. Brilliant.

What are you up to, Dad?

You'll see.

HE CHUCKLES

Brilliant.

'I silently laugh at my own cenotaph

'And out of the caverns of rain

'Like a child from the womb

'Like a ghost from a tomb

'I arise and unbuild it again.'

I want you to understand, denial is a very common reaction to

a situation that's too painful to absorb.

There's no shame in it.

By the way, after your apology,

I feel I should apologise to you for bringing my life

into the consulting room. It was very unprofessional of me.

No apology required.

It may not follow the professional rule book but...

..perhaps...

Oh, I don't know.

What?

Certain things that happened to me I haven't properly...

..processed...

..taken on board.

Is this some sort of epiphany?

I wouldn't call it that.

But does that mean you're ready for another session?

Well?

Yes.

That's probably a good idea.

-You really like her, don't you?

-Yeah.

Don't look so scared. I'm really pleased for you.

Let me help you. It's why you asked me to come.

What are you doing in there?

Just listen, OK? I'm hiding.

-You don't think?

-I don't know what to think!

Wait a minute.

Archie!

-Arch... Archie!

-HE SIGHS