The Best of Intentions Doctors

KNOCK ON DOOR

HE BREATHES DEEPLY AND SIGHS

When are you moving, Mrs T?

Oh, on Saturday.

Do you need some help?

No. No, thank you. No, everything is under control.

I wish I could afford a house.

Perhaps one day.

Not likely. Morning!

Where have you been?

Ta-da! I've got a job interview.

Well done.

For what?

Fundraiser at the Maclachlan Trust. It's a cancer charity.

That is very good news, but... It's the perfect job.

The salary is much better, the hours are more flexible,

and I'll have so much more responsibility. That's great.

They didn't want to see me at first,

but then I nagged them till they gave in. Is that wise?

Well, in the end, my charm won them over.

You were supposed to be in early today.

I'm sorry, but I had to find the right outfit.

It's not easy. No.

What do you think?

It's very, erm, lively.

First impressions!

Oh, I will need some time off this afternoon.

It is too late to find a replacement. Oh, sorry.

Of course you must go. We will manage somehow.

I wish you all the best of luck.

Morning.

Is it?

Joe's first day at school. Ah.

She is such a hypocrite. Who?

Mrs Tembe. She can't wait to get rid of me.

Where have you been?

I fell asleep on my desk.

I've been trying to call you all night.

Sorry. Phone's dead.

I've been worried sick.

What were you doing?

The books.

I thought you had a charity do last night.

I couldn't go. Too much work.

You can't keep doing this, Lenny. You'll make yourself ill.

I'm fine. You look awful. Hm.

Oh, let me do that for you.

I am so nervous.

Well, it's natural to be nervous.

I shouldn't be. I am absolutely perfect for the job.

Although that can sometimes count against you.

No milk.

The cancer has really knocked my confidence.

I've forgotten everything I ever knew about interviews.

Got any good tips? Just be yourself.

Well, everyone says that, but what does that actually mean?

Trust your instincts.

What if they start asking trick questions?

I'm sure they won't. Well, you never know.

What I need is a refresher course in interview technique.

You'll be fine. A spot of role-play,

with somebody who's been on the other side and knows what it's like.

I've interviewed a lot of people, and in my experience...

Would you? Would I what?

Oh, thank you, Heston. For what?

You'd be the perfect coach.

I'll come and find you when I can.

You didn't get very far.

I told you, I fell asleep!

How many times have you tried to fix that?

Too many. Why don't you get a plumber?

I can't afford one.

Like you can't afford a book-keeper. I can't.

Do you want me to do them?

You can't take time off work.

I said I can't take TOO MUCH time off work.

And your job is so much more important than mine.

You bring in all the money, and you pay all the bills.

I never said that.

All you do is talk about money.

Yes, because we're spending too much.

Why do you think I took out the second mortgage?

If I was a real man, I'd be able to support my family. I get it.

Well, you could pay yourself more.

I can't afford it.

You used to.

I've had to make cuts.

Yes, because you try to do too much.

These kids need all the help they can get.

Our kids need help.

These kids have serious problems.

They've been abused, traumatised, their parents have got no money...

We have no money.

I am not giving this up.

I'm not asking you to.

Mrs Gilroy. What are you doing here?

I came to try and find my husband. Is that OK?

I fell asleep on my desk. After you left.

So you weren't here last night?

No.

Right. Just think about what I said, Lenny.

You can't keep going on like this.

Why didn't you tell her we were at the fundraiser?

You know what she's like.

What did she mean, "We can't go on like this?"

She wants me to quit. Quit?!

And get a proper job, with a proper wage.

You can't. The children here would be lost without you. So would I.

She holds the purse strings, so she can tell me what to do.

She actually told you to quit?

Worst mistake I ever made, letting her support me.

This place is your whole life. She can't MAKE you give it up.

"Exercise referral schemes." Not exactly coffee table reading.

You trying to impress someone? No.

Sorry, why, is that what it looked like?

I'm teasing.

Just trying to keep myself up-to-date.

Well, so you should. A lot of GPs don't.

If you don't keep honing your skills, you're going to get stale.

Exactly.

Mind you, staying on top of everything is just impossible.

No harm in trying.

Ever since Anthony left, I've been looking for a new project.

Something to get my teeth into. Do you mean a special interest?

Maybe. I think that's a really good idea.

More and more GPs need to find a special interest these days.

It's something that we would really encourage,

and maybe even consider funding. Really?

Well, of course. It would give us access to more skills,

it means we could provide additional services in-house, and it

may be a real advantage to you if you ever decide to move on.

Hmm. I guess I just have to find the right area, then.

I'm sure you will.

It has to be a challenge, though. Something that stretches me.

Hmm.

Sonia can get a job anywhere. Everyone needs book-keepers.

But all I know is this centre.

And no-one could do it better.

I'm not sure. Have you seen the books?

Is that why you came back last night?

That, and I couldn't face going home.

You could have stayed at mine.

Really? Well, it's better than your desk.

I don't know why you don't get Sonia to do the books.

She's too busy.

Can't she see what all this work is doing to you?

All she cares about is money.

She should care about you.

Like you do?

So, how did she con you into helping her out?

She didn't. It was my idea. Yeah, right.

I've been worried about Valerie for quite some time.

She really thinks she won't get the job?

She's got no confidence. Well, she has had a rough time.

One thing after another.

And she had her heart set on staying here.

Well, there's no way that she can.

That's not the way she sees it.

Which is why we have to help her.

What do you mean, "we"?

You saw what she was wearing.

There's no way she can go to an interview like that.

What do you want me to do about it?

Help her tone it down a bit.

How?

You're her friend. You're good with clothes.

She listens to you.

Did you see what she made me wear at her wedding?

Ayesha, she's on a knife-edge.

One more disappointment and she'll tip right over.

Heston, that's emotional blackmail.

Now, you are going to go to this meeting, looking smart and feeling

confident and you're going to have them eating out your hand.

Yes, miss.

And then you're going to get back all the funding we've lost.

If only. You will.

If you say so. I believe in you.

I'm glad someone does.

Many of the children who come to us have been badly damaged

by poverty and abuse.

And social services do not help?

Lots of the kids have problems with authority figures.

Often with good reason.

But they trust you?

Some of them have serious health problems because of what

they've been through.

But getting them to go and see a doctor can be impossible.

So you want to bring the doctor to them.

A regular, bi-monthly clinic in the centre, with health workers

the kids know and trust. It would make a real difference.

There would be many logistical problems. Not to mention the cost.

We have an offer of funding from a very wealthy donor.

Right. Well, I will run it past our partners.

Actually, I would like to see the centre for myself.

No time like the present.

KNOCK ON DOOR

I've made a list of possible fields.

Sorry? For your area of special interest.

I thought I'd lend a hand. Why?

A little help from a senior colleague can't hurt.

So, how do you feel about mental health with a focus on adolescents?

Yeah, it's an important area. And I am good with kids.

Challenging work. Exactly.

Not sure if it's the right challenge, though.

What else have you got?

Respiratory problems?

Oh, yeah, I did think of that. Not sure if it's really me, though.

OK. How about dementia?

Now, I am very tempted by that.

It's a growth area. It's getting more important all the time. So?

I don't know. It's good, but...

I'm not sure if it's quite me.

This is going to be harder than I thought.

Sorry. No worries. I love a challenge.

Where's Lenny? At a meeting.

I brought clean clothes.

So you really weren't here with him last night?

No. He spends more time here than he does at home.

If someone did the books for him, he might not have to.

If you mean me, he doesn't want my help.

Maybe he's too proud to ask.

Or too stupid.

He can't do them by himself, Mrs Gilroy.

Then he should pay someone. We haven't got the money.

A proper book-keeper would save you money.

But then he wouldn't have an excuse to spend all his nights here,

would he? He doesn't want to.

SHE SCOFFS He could've fooled me.

It's making him ill, you know.

Still, if you haven't got the time, I guess that doesn't matter.

Valerie, relax. How many interviews have you done?

Hundreds.

Exactly. And they normally follow the same pattern. Yes?

Right.

They'll probably start by saying, "Tell us something about yourself".

How long have you got?

No, I won't say that, obviously.

Although, humour can sometimes break the ice.

Keep it simple. Right.

Well, my parents had me quite late in life.

Everyone at school thought they were my grandparents.

That must have been quite difficult for my mum,

everyone at the school gate thinking she was a granny when...

Maybe more about yourself?

Right. Although my relationship with my mother does explain a lot.

Perhaps not at a job interview.

More about myself. Right. Um... Well, I've had cancer.

Should I mention that? It is a cancer charity.

Maybe you should start somewhere between your mother and the cancer.

Ah! This is my assistant, Marlene Peploe.

Oh, hello, Mrs Tembe.

You know each other?

Yes, we attend the same church.

Although I have not seen you there in a while.

I sort of stopped going.

Sonia's here.

Where? In your office.

What's she doing? I tricked her into doing the books.

Can you show Mrs Tembe around?

I won't be a moment.

I'm very popular with my colleagues, I'm a good listener. In fact,

I think that's one of the reasons I'm so successful at the Mill.

It's because I take the time to listen to the patients.

None of the doctors do that.

Apart from you, of course.

KNOCK ON DOOR Yes?

Good time? Yes, please come in.

No, actually, we're in the middle of something.

Oh, I thought we could go through your outfit.

Make sure it's just right. Not now, Ayesha.

But I will get to you when I'm done here.

OK. Whenever YOU'VE got time.

Strengths. I'm a hard-worker.

I don't fuss with my make-up all day like some women.

Although I do take care with my appearance. Obviously.

"Obviously"?

Everything I'm doing is wrong, isn't it?

No. No, no, no. Some of your answers are fine.

You just need to know when to stop.

You're just saying that. No.

But the panel won't see me the same way you do.

They will if you relax.

Oh, I haven't got a chance.

How did you let things get so bad?

Obviously, because you weren't here to hold my hand.

Now, I never asked for your help.

That's not what you told the girl.

Her name is Marlene.

You can't do this on your own. Why can't you just admit it?

Just because you earn more money than me, it doesn't mean you can push me around!

Lenny! I took the day off because I was worried about you.

That's costing us money that we cannot afford to lose.

There you go. You could thank me.

Talking about money again. Always money.

Because it matters. I could make money if I wanted to.

Then why don't you? Well, maybe I will!

I am so sick of you always trying to play the big man.

And I'm sick of you humiliating me.

If you weren't so stupidly proud all the time,

you might actually make something of yourself.

MUFFLED SHOUTING

I'm sorry I haven't been to church.

I am sure you have good reasons.

It's a bit embarrassing. Really, there is no need to explain.

No, I want to.

I had an affair with a man in the choir.

A married man.

I see.

It's not my fault. He didn't tell me he was married.

Not until after. You had no idea?

No. I didn't even fancy him.

Then why?

He seemed so unhappy. Like he needed someone to take care of him.

It just sort of happened. You must think I'm really stupid.

Naive, perhaps.

But you are not the first person to be taken in by a married man.

Story of my life. I'm sorry?

I'm just not very good at saying no.

Then you had better learn.

So the course covers pain management,

advanced care planning, and medical dilemmas. Is there anything else?

Perfect. And are there spaces?

Great. Yes, sure. Dr Sidney Vere.

V-E-R-E.

Well, I'll check with him and get back to you straight away.

Yep. Thanks. Thanks. Bye-bye.

What are you doing?

Sid's looking for something to specialise in.

I know. We've discussed it. He's going for mental health.

Well, he's changed his mind.

He's leaning more towards palliative care.

Leaning? Or being pushed?

I'm taking an interest in a junior colleague, Daniel.

Is there something wrong with that?

Well, there is if it's displacement. What?

Joe's just started school, so you need someone else to look after.

SHE LAUGHS That is ridiculous.

Heston keeps saying everything will be fine.

It will be.

I'm so nervous. I feel like I might explode.

Relax.

Everyone keeps saying that, like it's that easy.

That's why I couldn't answer Heston's questions.

I'm sure it wasn't that bad.

This means so much to me, means more than any temp job,

any office job, anything I've ever done before.

Why do you want it so much?

I thought I was going to die when I had cancer.

Ten or 20 years ago, I might have.

That's the difference that research makes.

A couple of weeks after I had the all-clear,

I heard birds singing in my garden.

They probably do it all the time, but I'd never heard it.

Not like that.

It was so beautiful. I just sat there with the sun on my face,

and I almost cried.

I would like to help other people feel like that.

That's what you say.

FIRE BELL RINGS

Unless she pulls herself together, I can't see Valerie getting this job.

Perhaps it is not for her.

Really?

Some people...

Charity work is not for everyone. It is about helping others.

Some people do it for very selfish reasons.

This is taking far too long.

Where's Zara and Daniel?

I don't know. Probably thought it was beneath them.

They can't stay in there. Do you want me to go and get them?

No, no, no.

I've left my phone inside. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

What are you doing?

You should never go back inside a burning building.

It's not burning.

Even if you can't see the flames, the fumes can kill you.

Sid, it's a drill.

You have to treat it as though it's the real thing.

Are you serious? Otherwise, what's the point?

Really? Mm-hm.

Why do you stay with her?

I don't know.

If it's that bad, you should leave her.

Really? Yeah. She doesn't deserve you.

Because I will. Just say the word.

What?

I've been thinking about it for ages,

and then this morning, when you said I could stay with you...

I meant that you could...

..and with your housing benefit being cut, it makes sense.

Lenny... I want to look after you.

And I've got some money put away.

No... I want to.

When I said you could stay at my place...

I know. You didn't mean living together.

It's a big step.

But we make a great team.

At work.

You need time to think about it.

We'll talk when I get back.

Thank you. Goodbye.

KNOCK ON DOOR Come in.

You wanted to see me?

Doctor Vere.

I was very impressed by the way you handled

Nurse Lee at the fire drill.

Ah, yeah. She never takes it seriously.

But she listened to you.

You told her what to do, and she did it.

I believe you have real leadership qualities.

Thank you.

I am going to be reducing some of my responsibilities, so...

..would you like to be our new fire warden?

Me?

You handled yourself very well when I hurt my back.

Yeah, I'd be honoured.

Good. Good. Right.

Let us have the official handing over of the tabard.

Congratulations. Thank you.

Actually, I do have a couple of ideas how we can shave

a few seconds off that record.

I would like to hear about it, but perhaps another time.

Thank you. Sure.

Mrs Tembe, I'm sorry to bother you again.

I forgot to get you to sign this.

If I can tell the donor that you're interested in principle,

then I can get the funding released for immediate use.

I have not really had a chance to speak to the partners yet.

Sonia?

Did you really think that you'd get away with this?

What are you doing here?

I trusted you!

Please, not now.

I am sorry, who are you?

I'm sorry, Lenny. She made me tell her where you were.

Miss Peploe? I tried to stop her.

She's in it with you, isn't she? What?

What is going on?

Little trollop.

I'm sorry, do not use that kind of language in my reception.

All of you, in my office, now.

You can't even embezzle properly.

Have you been taking money from the centre?

No, I would never do that.

He's been taking money from me.

?250, ?300, ?550.

I took out a second mortgage so that we could make ends meet.

You said I could take what I needed.

Because I thought it was for the centre.

Is the centre in financial trouble?

No. Were you even going to tell me about this?

Or were you just going to walk off with all my money?

Why were you taking her money?

Don't pretend like you don't know.

I didn't.

He did it for you. Obviously.

Me?

It's true. Why?

Are you serious? Because you've been sleeping with him for months.

No, I haven't. I'm not blind.

I would never sleep with him.

I think she is telling the truth.

What would you know? He's old enough to be my dad.

I've seen the way you are with him. And so have I. She has been foolish.

Very foolish.

But not in the way that you think.

I have found the perfect thing for you. Palliative care.

It ticks all of your boxes. Sorry?

I've found you a mentor, I've booked you provisionally on

a one-day conference, and I've drawn up a reading list.

I've already got a new project.

Wonderful.

What did you go for in the end? Mental health problems?

Respiratory problems? Dementia?

No, Mrs Tembe made me the new fire warden.

DANIEL CHUCKLES

Palliative care wouldn't stretch him, but being a fire warden would?

I did try and warn you. No, you didn't.

And this has nothing whatsoever to do with Joe.

Oh, and both of you failed to exit the building during the fire drill.

What?

So that's an official warning for you both. Thank you.

I'm sorry.

You've no idea of the damage you've done.

I knew he fancied me, but I thought he'd get over it.

After what happened with the man in the choir?

Being naive once, that is a mistake.

Doing it a second time, that is a choice.

I did enjoy the attention. Then you are partly to blame.

But I never would have slept with him.

Leading him on is just as bad.

What am I going to do? I can't go back there.

Tony, at the church. He runs a small charity.

He is looking for an assistant.

Is he married?

Yes.

To another man. Oh.

But you still have to observe professional boundaries.

I just wanted someone to look after for once in my life!

Lenny, you look after people all the time.

The kids at the centre? Our boys?

Have you thought about what this will do to them?

If you leave, they'll never forgive you.

Do you really just want to tear our lives apart to make a point? No.

I'm sorry.

It's a bit late for that. Do you want me to leave?

Have you listened to a word I've said?

Then what do we do?

You pay back the money.

Then you pay yourself a decent salary,

even if it means making cuts.

And then you pay me.

You?

I was planning on quitting my job anyway to help you run the centre.

Why?

Because I believe in you.

But you are totally impractical, and you do need help.

No-one could run the centre like you do.

But if I say we can't afford something, we can't.

Deal? Deal.

And you spend more time with our boys. A lot more.

What about you and me?

Maybe you need to think about that.

Sonia! One step at a time.

Oh, Valerie.

I'm so sorry.

Fooled you. I got the job!

Well done. I said you would.

They want me to start next week.

Next week? And with all the leave that I'm due,

I won't even need to work out all my notice.

But we will have to find a replacement.

I am prepared to carry on for now.

Apart from next Wednesday, which is my art installation day.

Right.

I know it'll be an absolute nightmare finding a replacement for me.

But I'm sure you'll manage. Somehow.

Are you OK?

Yes. Just leave us alone!

He's tried to hide the illness, but of course that's getting

difficult now.

So Leyton sees his dad changing and he doesn't know why?

You are a scheming, cheating, violent drunk and a terrible person.

It's not a question of whether you'll be found guilty, but when.

The case against you is too strong.

It's not a question of whether you'll be found guilty, but when.