The Beginning Doctors

I thought you were doing the night shift tonight?

I switched. I wanted to be here for Lukey at dinner.

-I'm worried about him.

-Oh! You baby him.

Don't start, Frank.

-Morning, love, come and have some breakfast.

-I don't have time.

-Fancy a wee kick-about after school?

-Maybe.

Why you in such a rush? You've got plenty time.

He's got his test. He probably wants to get there early and revise.

Hm! What, you're his spokesperson all of a sudden?

-Try not to be nervous, love.

-I'm not!

-What's the test, anyway?

-Maths!

Whoa! Hold on. How am I supposed to know?

-You never talk to us.

-You never listen!

Hey! Oi!

That boy's up to something.

Just leave him be.

PHONE RINGS

-Hello?

-Hi, Claire.

I just wanted to confirm the interview for this afternoon.

Oh, absolutely! We're looking forward to seeing you.

Avi can be a tough nut to crack, so bring your A game.

Well, it's the only game I know.

-See you later.

-OK. Bye.

-Are you open yet?

-Oh, not for another five minutes, but you're OK.

Have you got an appointment?

Can I still see a doctor?

Yeah, it's a drop-in. What's your name?

Luke Darrow.

Luke Darrow.

-Have you been here before?

-No.

I usually go to the Mill, but my mum or dad always comes, too.

I'm 16 now.

I've got to be at school for a test soon. Will it be long?

Early bird catches the worm. Take a seat and Dr Haskey will be here shortly.

So, you're doing your GCSEs this summer?

I couldn't stand exams. I couldn't see the point of them.

And look at me now!

-So, are you going to university?

-Yeah.

-Letherbridge?

-No way. As far from this place as possible!

-Oh, OK.

-Morning.

-Oh, hiya. Sorry.

This young gentleman wants to see someone,

but he's got to dash off for a test.

A test, eh? Well, we'd better be quick, then.

So, er...what can I do for you?

All right, have a seat.

Have you ever had the feeling you're not who you think you are?

Well, um...I'm not sure I follow.

I was someone else and somewhere else before I was here. I know it.

OK. How long have you felt like this?

For ever.

My parents think I'm not right in the head. Especially my dad.

OK, there we go. Just take a seat. Shouldn't be long now.

-Can I help you?

-You can, actually. I'm here for my son.

-Which room is he in?

-Sorry?

Luke Darrow. He'll just be wasting a doctor's time,

so, come on, where is he?

-I can't discuss patient details.

-I just saw him come in here myself!

Sorry, I don't want to cause a scene or anything like that,

I just want to get my boy.

Anybody over the age of 16 has the right to see a doctor in private,

without parental consent.

I know what's best for him.

If you don't need to see a doctor yourself, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.

-What do you think you're doing?!

-Where is he?

You think I'm crazy, too. Don't you?!

No, I don't. Can we just...?

-Right, come on, you, let's go.

-Sorry.

-You can't just burst in here like this.

-He should be at school!

Luke, is this your father?

Who else would I be? Come on, you, now!

-Did you follow me?

-Let's go!

-Excuse me!

-Get off!

You put your hands on them one more time and I'm going to call Security, OK?

Oh, I'm petrified(!)

Right, Karen, call the police. Luke, stay exactly where you are.

Get the FME to look at that.

-Sarge.

-You got kids?

-Yes!

Wonder how you'd respond to a stranger telling you how to parent them.

Well, that depends what it was about.

I don't have the answers to everything, believe me. Book him in.

-Name?

-Frank Darrow.

There you go, get that down you.

How come you knew that policeman?

He's my husband.

Will they lock my dad up?

I don't think so. I'm sure he'll be home soon.

Sorry, my next patient's here. Are you all right?

Well, you know where to find me.

He's not a bad person!

I love them and everything, they just don't listen to me.

They don't take me seriously.

What do you mean?

Do you believe in reincarnation?

Ooh, I don't know, I haven't thought about it. Why?

Since I was little, I've had this feeling

that before this life, I had another life.

Maybe even another one before that.

I've got all these pictures in my head.

We had a pebble path and a big gate

and inside, there were green cherries on the wall.

They're always saying I've got an overactive imagination, but it's real. I know it is!

-Did you tell the doctor all this?

-I was trying.

I wanted to ask him to refer me to a specialist in past lives.

I didn't even know they existed.

Yeah. I looked them up.

I don't think they come on the NHS.

Do you know, I'm kind of like the opposite of you

because I had a head injury and I can't remember bits of my past.

Very occasionally, memories will just pop up into my head.

It's the weirdest feeling.

-Like they're someone else's memories?

-Yeah.

Oh, I've got to go or I'll miss my test!

Will you come back and see Dr Haskey later?

I don't know. Maybe.

HE HUMS A TUNE

Sorry, was I humming?

(I'm sorry.)

-Very impressive.

-Thank you.

-We'll be in touch.

-Thank you. Bye-bye.

We're not quite ready for you yet, Sid, but, er...

I am looking forward to putting you through your paces shortly, though.

SID CLEARS THROAT

OK. See you soon, yeah?

Karen? I just found this. Luke must have left it behind.

Oh, dear. I'll let him know.

Right, I'm going to lunch.

-Um...did he tell you about the past-life thing?

-Yeah.

-Cry for help?

-It's a tricky one.

I'm not sure what I can do.

He knows he can come and talk to me any time.

Awwwww!

SHE CHUCKLES

Aw!

Sorry, I had a fight with the water cooler. Huh!

-I see you finished top of your year.

-Yes.

That's impressive.

What do you think you'd bring to this practice that nobody else would, Sid?

Well, um...I'm a good team player.

And I really enjoy coming up with new initiatives

to boost the practice profile and reach out to patients.

For instance, I was put in charge of the mental health fair at the Campus

and our antibiotics awareness campaign. Both of which were a big success.

Why do you want to leave your current position and join this practice, then?

Well, I just feel like it's time to move on.

I mean, I love my colleagues and it's been a great experience,

but I don't want to get stuck.

And I just feel like there are opportunities here that don't exist for me there.

Mm. Work-life balance is important.

Have you ever overstretched yourself?

Honestly? Yes.

But I learnt from it and realised where I went wrong.

I just love to stay as busy as possible, really,

and try to become a better doctor every day.

Hi! Are you Mrs Darrow?

What is it? Is it Luke? Is he OK?!

Oh! Yeah, he's fine.

I'm Karen Hollins, from the Campus Surgery. He just left this earlier.

Oh, thank you.

Um...I heard about what happened earlier.

I'm really sorry about my husband's behaviour.

Can I offer you a cup of tea?

Least I can do, since you came all the way here.

I'll never refuse a cuppa.

Thank you.

Excuse the outfit, I've just finished my shift.

Are you a nurse?

No, a carer at an old folks' home.

I just want you to know, Frank can be stupid and impulsive sometimes,

but he's just being protective, he doesn't mean it.

Was Luke in with the doctor long before Frank interrupted them?

Unfortunately, no. But he knows he can come back any time.

He was really quite shaken by what happened,

-so we had a bit of a chat after.

-Did you? What did he say?

Nothing much. He was worried about his dad, mainly.

-He's a lovely boy.

-He is.

He's just always had the wildest imagination.

It can be hard sometimes, as he comes out with the strangest stuff.

We just want him to be happy.

-I'll get that tea.

-Mm-hm.

Aw!

Oh, hey, you can't get rid of me. Look, I've, um...

Oh, thanks.

-Ah!

-I know.

Weird. But he's my lucky charm.

Had it since I was a baby.

I just like to have him with me on important days.

We all need lucky charms.

I don't know why, but I find it calming.

MUSIC PLAYS

What are you doing home so early?

I felt sick, so they said I could.

Can you turn that off?

Is Dad back?

Look, I'm sorry, I didn't know where he was going.

He just worries about you, that's all.

Wow! What a cutie, Luke.

Where did you get all that blond hair?

From my mum. She died before Luke was born.

There's plenty of pictures of Gran,

but there isn't one of me as a tiny baby.

Don't you think that's weird?

Please, Lukey, you know what happened.

We had a flood in our previous home.

That's what she says, but it's because I fell through from another world and didn't exist before.

Look, Mrs Hollins, I really think Luke should rest if he's not feeling well.

I'm not tired.

Thanks ever so much for bringing his bag back, but, um...

And once again, I'm sorry for this morning.

Right, OK.

-Bye, Luke.

-Bye.

Sorry, um...people say I talk too much. I'm not talking too much?

This is an interview, Sid, we wouldn't want you sitting there in silence.

If I was to ask a colleague of yours to describe you,

what would they say about you?

Well, I suppose that depends on which colleague you asked. Heh-heh!

Sorry, I've, er...lost my train of thought, um...

Oh, don't write that down, will you?

How about giving an example of a time

you had a misunderstanding with a colleague

and how you solved it?

There's plenty of those. Um...

OK, it's a bit of a funny one,

but when I first got to the Mill, my mentor, Dr Carmichael,

well, um...I suppose she wasn't my biggest fan, putting it mildly.

I suppose you could say it was a bit of a personality clash.

And then there was this whole bullying inquiry.

Well, eventually, after I told Heston, Dr Carter, um...

I mean, he took my side and then all the management got involved,

which was a bit mortifying, but we sorted it out amongst ourselves in the end.

Oh, I forgot! It was actually Dr Carmichael

who persuaded me to go back to the Mill, so that's kind of good, don't you think?

Why did you decide to become a doctor, Sid?

Well, hasn't Claire told you?

It's all because of her.

Sid, I don't think that's really relevant here.

Of course it is! Claire's my inspiration.

When I was a kid, I had meningitis and it was Claire that spotted it.

If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead.

I owe her my career, and my life.

But what are the qualities within you, Sid,

that made you choose this career path?

The qualities in me? Um...

Sorry, I wasn't really expecting that one. Um...

Take your time.

Please, try and answer the question.

OK. Um...

I don't remember who said it, but there's this quote, um...

"The great physician treats the disease..."

Sorry, no, wait, that's not it.

"The good physician treats the disease,

"but it's the great physician that treats the disease, but also..."

Sorry, hang on one minute, um...

It's on here somewhere, just bear with me.

-I paid Luke and his mum a visit.

-What did you go and do that for?!

Something's not right. I've got a hunch.

If I had a pound for every time I heard you say that...!

Luke remembers being somewhere else when he was little.

His mum got all nervous. She said there were no baby photos of him.

And weirdly, he doesn't look like either of them.

Lots of kids don't look like their parents.

He's just a bit troubled, that's all.

He thinks that he must have been reincarnated.

He's 16 and he's still carrying around a cuddly elephant!

And then there's all these details that he remembers

of the place where he lived. I mean, even down to the wallpaper,

the pattern on the wallpaper. Green cherries, apparently.

Listen, love, I've got to...

Wait...wait...wait...wait a minute.

Are you sure he said that about the wallpaper?

-Definitely.

-Describe the cuddly toy.

Um...blue/grey elephant,

musical, um...really old-looking.

Right, I've got to go, love. I'll call you back later.

SHE SIGHS

Yeah, Rob Hollins. Will you look something up for me, please?

Thanks for coming in, Sid. It was, er...good to meet you.

Yeah. Thanks for seeing me. Um...I forgot to ask, when will the position start?

We're looking for someone to step in as soon as possible.

Right, OK. Well, when will I hear?

Avi and I will discuss everything and we'll be in touch later today.

Great. Well, um...thanks again. Thank you.

-Sorry to keep you waiting.

-So you should be. It's taken hours!

Just book me, or fine me or whatever it is

and just let me get back to my family.

I don't want to talk about what happened earlier.

Luckily for you, PC Murphy doesn't want to press charges.

-So, I can go, then?

-No. Sit down, please.

I want to ask you a few questions.

About what?

It says here that Ellen and Frank Darrow

were killed in a car accident in Inverness in 1965.

Well, that's, er...that's very sad, but I've no idea who they are.

I mean, do you tell everyone the fate

of those who happen to share the same name as them?

Bit unusual for a couple to have

exactly the same first and last names, wouldn't you say?

Not really. Ever heard of something called coincidence?

-You're from Scotland, right?

-HE CHUCKLES

That's great. That's really fantastic detective work there, Officer.

So, you must do, like, special courses in detecting accents, yeah(?)

Whereabouts in Scotland? Wouldn't be Inverness, by any chance, would it?

That's all in the past and I was just a kid.

I've asked your wife to come in for a chat.

You leave Ellen out of this!

I, er...I want a lawyer.

Jim?

Luke, I was just leaving you a note to say I'm popping out for a bit.

-Where to?

-I won't be long, hopefully. You feeling better?

When's Dad coming home?

That's what I'm going to the station to sort out.

Now, there's leftovers for dinner if I'm not back for a while, but I will be, OK?

-Mum?

-There's nothing to worry about, Lukey, I promise.

Call me when you know what's happening.

MUSIC PLAYS

It's just a silly fascination, it'll pass.

A silly fascination that he's had all his life?

Were you never curious to find out where those feelings came from?

Or perhaps there was a reason why you didn't want him to delve too deep.

I don't know what you want me to say.

He's convinced himself of a fantasy.

I don't see why it's got anything to do with the police.

Can you account for your movements in the second week of December 2001?

I can't remember what I did last week, never mind 15 years ago.

Because that is when a mother was found dead in her house in Inverness.

The police were only alerted

because her neighbours complained of a smell.

Now, she had a baby boy

that had gone missing and was never found, dead or alive.

Do you remember that case?

I know, eventful day!

Well, it's never dull with Hollins around.

Do you know, I was thinking, um...

I think that somebody needs to reach out to Luke.

HE EXHALES

All right, I'll see if I can get hold of him on Monday,

see if he wants to come back in.

Hopefully without his father.

There's only a certain amount of wrestling that I can do.

Huh! Thank you. Bye.

Oh! What are you doing in there?!

Sorry.

I wanted to talk to you alone.

Have you spoken to your husband?

Um...not since earlier. Why?

My mum went to the police station to get my dad and she was gone for ages,

so I went down there, but the copper at the desk wouldn't tell me anything.

Can you call your husband and ask what's going on?

He's not going to tell me police business, Luke.

You've got to try not to worry.

I'm going back there and I'm not leaving until they tell me what's happening!

Not a good idea, Luke! Wait for... Wait!

I don't know why you're telling me all this stuff. It's got nothing to do with us.

Why did you move down from Scotland?

-We fancied a change.

-I think you're lying.

-I think you left Scotland because you had to.

-Well, you're wrong!

You need to start telling me the truth, Mrs Darrow,

because you're digging yourself a deeper hole by the minute.

What's your real name?

You think you've got this figured out, but you don't know anything.

You've got no proof of any of this.

We will have, if Luke agrees to a DNA test.

You can't do that, he's under 18! We'd have to give permission!

If he understands the consequences, he can give consent himself.

See, I'm thinking I should involve the child protection unit

and bring Luke in for his own safety.

No! We...we'd never hurt him! We saved him!

Ellen Darrow, I'm arresting you for child abduction.

You don't have to say anything, but it may harm your defence

if you don't mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.

Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?

I should never have come to the surgery this morning.

You've got every right to see a doctor.

But everything's gone wrong since I did!

I don't understand! Why's my mum even being questioned?

She hasn't done anything!

My dad didn't mean it earlier, it's just because he cares.

I'm not even angry with him any more!

Luke, come on, sit down.

You've got to try not to worry.

Rob's going to be out in a minute, he'll give you an update.

Just try and be patient. Come on.

You indicated to our custody sergeant that you didn't want a solicitor.

Is that still the case?

-For the tape, please.

-Yes.

Can you confirm that Luke's real name is Oliver Landry?

-Yes.

-And did you kidnap Oliver Landry from his home

during the second week of December 2001?

-It wasn't like that!

-What was it like, then?

SHE SIGHS

He was premature. He spent the first few weeks of his life in an incubator.

I was a nurse at the hospital where he was being looked after.

So, you knew his mother, Jennifer Landry?

I got to know her there.

She didn't speak to her parents, she hardly had any friends.

Her boyfriend had walked out on her a few months before.

And she told me about her depression.

I was really worried about her!

She never meant to get pregnant.

So, did you think that made it OK for you and your husband to steal her baby?

No, please, this isn't Frank's fault!

I was the one who took him.

Thanks for coming around. I thought it'd be good to have a chat.

It's fine. I love coming to your house.

Prem and the kids not here? I haven't seen them since Christmas.

Prem's at a work do. I'm lucky if I see the kids for more than five minutes these days.

-Tea, coffee?

-Oh, no, thanks. I OD'd on caffeine this morning.

I'm having wine. Would you like some?

Why? Are we celebrating?

Why don't you take a seat?

Enjoy breaking up families, do you? Eh? Get a kick out of it?

You'll make things a lot easier if you cooperate.

Your wife said that when she brought the baby home,

you tried to convince her to take him to the police. Is that right?

We've been good parents.

We've tried to shelter him from all this, but we knew that some day...

I begged her! I begged her to hand him in.

But she wouldn't have it.

She said if I didn't help her, she'd do it alone.

Why didn't you just...try and adopt, or at least foster legally?

Ellen said they wouldn't let us have him.

We were skint and I've got a record as long as your arm

for stupid things that I'd done as a teenager.

Ellen grew up in care.

She wouldn't let that happen to Luke.

Please...let us talk to him.

He deserves to hear this from us.

It was great to meet Avi.

I see what you mean about him being a tough nut to crack, though.

Did he like me?

-I mean, I hope I got across how much it would mean to...

-Sid, stop!

Sorry. Huh! This isn't easy.

I wanted you to do yourself justice today more than anything.

But you let nerves get the better of you.

You didn't get the job. Sorry.

After you left hospital, I kept in touch with your mum.

And one day, she called me up in a state, begging for me to come over.

And when I got there, you were screaming in your crib

and your elephant was playing that song.

And your mum...was just lying on the floor, not breathing.

And I tried to revive her!

You were so tiny, Lukey!

We were only doing what we thought was best for you, son.

She left a note, begging me to give you a good life.

I just wanted to keep you safe.

I'm so sorry!

She killed herself because of me?

No! No, she loved you to pieces, I know she did.

She just didn't get the help she needed.

Or maybe she wasn't for this world.

Some people aren't. I really believe that!

You're going to go to prison and it's all my fault!

No, no, it's not your fault!

None of it. Do you hear me?

You're the best thing that ever happened to us.

Oh, what a mess!

It's just so sad.

There'll be a long inquiry now.

What tipped you off?

Do you have any memory of when Daniel's daughter was abducted?

Vaguely.

Anyway, while we were investigating Izzie's kidnapping,

I studied the Landry case in depth.

And when you mentioned the cherry wallpaper,

it brought back a memory of a photograph I'd seen in the newspaper.

The baby clutching a toy elephant.

-They made a big mistake, but I don't think they're bad people.

-No.

And the irony is that if they'd taken the baby to Social Services straightaway,

they might have been able to keep him.

Apparently, the mother left a note wishing for them to have him.

-What's going to happen to Luke now?

-It's too early to say

whether the CPS will prosecute or not,

but he can't stay with them short-term.

Ellen says that she's still got that suicide note.

And if we can verify it, then they might have a chance.

-So he's definitely going to need a temporary foster place.

-Mm.

Wait a minute, there is no way a kid from a case we're both involved in

would be allowed to stay with us. So don't even think about it.

I don't...I don't get it.

I mean, your practice is crying out for doctors.

If you just give me a chance to prove myself,

I promise, I won't let you down.

You needed to prove yourself to us today, Sid, under pressure.

Maybe it's the lack of belief in yourself that are the cause of all your fears.

What does that mean?

You didn't do yourself justice today.

You rambled your way through the second half

and that example you gave about being bullied by your mentor

showed poor judgment.

I know this is hard to stomach,

but you need to hear it if you're going to overcome these hurdles.

And you can overcome them, Sid. I'm sure of that.

You've known me since I was a kid.

And if you won't give me a chance...no-one will.

When I lose my job at the Mill, I'll have nothing!

Oh, just move it, would you?

Oi, moron, don't walk away!

You can tell a lot about how an engine is running

just by looking at it.

Sit at your desk and make a decision!

-OK?

-Well, yeah...

Oh!