Perfection Doctors

MOBILE JINGLES A TUNE

Hey, I said I'd do that.

You've done everything anyway. That's it finished.

-Doesn't it look perfect?

-It's wonderful.

Ashley, they're beautiful.

Not as beautiful as you.

-I'm running out of vases!

-Then I'll get you new ones.

You've made me the happiest man in the world.

You know that, don't you?

-When are you going to...

-I'm not talking about it now!

The cot's not going to assemble itself.

I can't do it on my own!

I'm leaving you.

Is this a joke?

You don't mean it.

I've tried. I just can't do this any more.

What are you talking about?

-I was cross about the cot, but that's...

-It's more than that.

What?

Are you not even going to talk?

-If I've done something wrong, tell me!

-It's not you.

I don't love you any more.

Yes, you do. You're just upset because...

I don't love you. I don't think I ever have.

Not really.

On some level, you must know that.

How can you say that? Obviously you did.

I'm not stupid!

Ashley, please. You're my world. You're our world.

He doesn't deserve this. He's done nothing wrong.

You have.

You don't just leave like this.

Is there somebody else?

There is someone else, but she's got nothing to do with this.

Morning.

Morning.

The system is working perfectly. Thank goodness.

And finally, we have passed the inspection.

That's great.

It is a pity that it has taken so long, but we got there in the end.

Yeah. In the end.

What should I tell Mrs Tembe?

I would say, domestic emergency.

Like what? She is going to ask.

-Rats.

-Rats?

Well, we could very easily get rats if I don't give this place a proper clean.

Valerie, it's fine.

PHONE RINGS

I'm guessing that's Mr Rat, isn't it?

Tell him to stop ringing you.

I can't talk to him again.

-Text him, then. I'll do it.

-No!

He is my problem. I don't want to encourage him.

Give him an inch, he'll take a mile.

Don't give in to him. Promise me.

I do have some self-respect left.

I'll tell Mrs Tembe that you're feeling off today, yeah?

-OK. I don't like lying, but, thank you.

-Call me if you need me.

Posh biscuits!

No. No, no, no. They are for the team building tomorrow.

Oh! Well, I suppose I can wait.

Despite the biscuits, I am so glad I'm not involved.

Do we really need all these motivation things?

I'd have thought that after yesterday, we proved how successful we can be.

Are you both satisfied with how we handled everything?

I mean, could we have resolved the problem more quickly?

-Why? Has anybody been complaining?

-We went through the process

and we emerged stronger than we were in the beginning.

In my book, that's a win.

-I think he at least deserves a biscuit!

-Yeah.

-As I said, they are for tomorrow.

-Fine.

I'd like to know who this ungrateful person is.

No. It's just... I'm sensing that some people's experience is

slightly different than others, that is all.

Well, if you want to test the temperature, that's up to you.

But, personally, I think we performed remarkably.

We were exemplary.

While others whined in their consulting rooms, or destroyed

valuable office equipment, we took the bull by the horns.

Dr Carter has reimbursed the practice for the monitor.

I should think so.

Well, thank you both very much. You have been very helpful.

PHONE RINGS

Go away!

PHONE CONTINUES TO RING

Leave a message.

BEEP

Whatever I've done, I'm sorry!

Don't. Please don't. Ashley!

I'm sorry.

DOOR CLOSES

DOORBELL CHIMES

-What are you doing?

-I've left her.

Right, my appointments are here if anybody asks, OK?

-Ah, Nurse Lee.

-Sorry, home visits.

Oh, yes, of course. Can we talk later?

Yeah. Add it to my list.

-Sister Carter...

-Actually, I'm quite busy too.

The appointment system is back online, if that helps.

No. I'm going to stick with paperwork. Thank you.

A system you can trust. I understand.

As I tried to explain to Nurse Lee, I am just

trying to talk to people about their experiences lately...

I don't mean to be rude, Mrs Tembe.

It's just, one of my ladies, she missed her appointment this morning

and she's got high BP, so I just want to check she's all right.

-Yes, yes, of course. Perhaps later?

-Mmm-hmm.

PHONE RINGS Please leave your message after the tone.

Hey, Helen, it's Ruhma.

You missed your appointment at the Mill centre today.

And I wanted to check that everything's all right?

Why don't you give me a ring and we can reschedule?

-Please let me in and I'll explain.

-I'm sorry, no.

Oh, Valerie!

I was going to tell you.

I was just waiting for the right moment,

but then you found out first.

I am so sorry.

You have to believe me, I never meant to hurt you!

KNOCK AT DOOR

Come in.

Hi. You wanted to see me?

Yes, I need you to take over gender and sexuality issues.

I thought Zara and Daniel were in charge of that?

Look... Between you and I, I do not think

they are the best people to guide the rest of the staff.

Oh, because of the sex in the park.

I...I do not wish to burden you, I know, you have a lot on with

the VPAS and FME responsibilities,

but it will only be a half-day course.

All right, but only if it's just a half a day.

And...

with some light reading.

And you will also have to brief the rest of the staff.

-Is that all?

-I hope this is not too much for you.

Are you all right?

I am, but I have been talking to some of the staff

and there seems to be a lot of discord.

Well, not just that.

After all the effort we had made with team building,

I just hoped that there would be more progress, you know,

that people would be working closely together.

-You can't change people overnight.

-No, of course not overnight. But...

I have organised another session for tomorrow, for those who

missed the escape room, but now I really do not think it is enough.

Well, if you want my opinion, I would leave it for another time.

Perhaps.

Hello, Helen? It's Ruhma.

I just wanted to check that you're OK?

I left you a little message, a while ago.

Hello? Are you in?

-Hey.

-Hi. Obviously I slept through the alarm.

It's fine. Don't worry about it.

Normally I wouldn't bother, Helen,

it's just, we said we'd keep tabs on your blood pressure.

And I'm here, so I can do it now?

Yeah, thanks. Sorry, it's been a bit of a night.

-But you're OK?

-Yeah, I'm great, thanks.

-Good.

-Mrs Tembe?

-Do you know anything about this?

-What?

-Who has taken these?

I don't know. I can't know everything!

No, of course not, sorry.

You look very tired, Dr Vere.

No, I'm fine. I just wanted to give you this.

It's my phone statement from all the calls

I made to Toby about the computers.

-Oh!

-He does live in Johannesburg. That's OK?

Yes, yes, it is fine.

I will transfer the money into your account today.

-And thank you again for all your hard work.

-It's fine.

I don't mind as long as it's a one-off,

but I wouldn't want it to become part of my job description.

-I heard what happened to Al.

-No, I understand. And it will not.

Please, Valerie!

Is everything all right, Valerie?

-I'm fine, Mrs Nitka. Don't worry about me.

-Are you OK?

Yes, fine.

-Thank you.

-This is not for you. This is for the neighbours.

They don't like drama on their doorsteps and neither do I.

You're angry. I understand that.

You know, I respect that.

Just say what you've got to say and then go.

OK.

-I love you.

-No.

I love you, Valerie Pitman.

No! You do not speak to me like that.

You don't get to say words that you don't mean.

But I do.

I mean every syllable.

I love you, Valerie Pitman!

Shh! Not here!

It's immaculate. Like you.

Like I said, I never meant to hurt anyone, especially you.

Everything I've said to you, I've meant.

I would never lie to you, ever.

Oh, apart from one tinsy tiny little detail!

I should have mentioned Helen's pregnancy.

But...I was scared.

I'd lost you once already, I didn't want it to happen again.

Obviously, I was going to find out! At some point.

You're right. I wasn't thinking straight.

All I think about... all I CAN think about is you.

You're the one perfect thing in my life.

I just want to be with you... to worship you.

If you'll let me.

Please.

It's elevated, which is not what we were hoping for.

I know, just, I really don't want to have to go back to hospital.

I know, but we've talked about the risks.

We need to monitor your blood pressure very closely.

But you also said that I needed rest. I haven't had that.

In fact, I've had a lot more stress.

What's happened?

Last night, after the hospital,

Ashley just started acting really strangely.

He locked himself in the study, said he was ordering takeaway.

-He wasn't, he was talking to somebody.

-Right.

Then I made it worse.

When he came out, he wouldn't speak, so I tried to be productive.

I started on the baby's cot.

-It's been lying about for weeks, but...

-Hey, it's OK.

He just said he was leaving me.

I don't know what I'm going to do.

I don't know what we're going to do.

You are going to be all right.

OK, whatever happens.

Look. You've said your piece.

-I'd like it now if you'd just go home.

-I don't have a home.

I slept in my car last night.

I had a shower in the community centre.

-I'm sorry, but...

-But I'm not.

For the first time in nearly two years, I'm free.

Leaving you was the worst mistake I've ever made.

When I saw you at the PPG, I couldn't deny it any more.

You were like a shining light,

revealing all the lies I've told myself.

I never loved Helen.

I was trying to fill the void of losing you.

I knew it and, well, she knew it.

-You told her about me?

-No!

Yes.

I told her I'd lost you.

What I should have said was I'd found you again.

-So you lied to both of us.

-I didn't mean to.

I wanted to shout your name from the rooftops!

But, every time I tried, there'd be another disaster.

Helen's not like you, she's not a strong woman.

It sounds like she needs you, then.

She needs someone.

I don't think she cares who.

After she got pregnant, everything changed.

She didn't need me for me, that's what I realised.

All this time...

..she'd been using me.

Shall we go and sit down?

Oh, it was you!

Those biscuits are for team building!

It was very clearly marked on the box.

Oh, Emma thought we weren't doing it any more

-and it had been cancelled.

-Well, Dr Reid was wrong.

Thing is, when I eat chocolates, I eat them all...

I have not cancelled the team building workshop

so please stop telling people that I have.

All right. I'm sorry, I thought you were going to.

I will have to start persuading them all over again.

Is that really necessary? I thought we'd pulled together rather well.

Have we? While you lot have been congratulating yourselves and saving

pennies, Sid and Al have literally run themselves into the ground!

I thought that had been addressed?

We are trying to find a permanent IT consultant.

-Someone you might actually have to pay.

-Ayesha.

Did you even notice how hard we've been working?

There are two nurses and seven doctors.

Try explaining that to patients.

-Yeah, well we're all working hard.

-Not like us!

Ruhma had to stay late and rewrite some reports

Yeah, and that's just the start.

Because we've had no access to patient records,

every consultation has overrun.

-I'm knackered and so are Tash and Ruhma.

-Then why did you not say?

Why didn't you ask?

I had this nagging feeling this was wrong,

but I kept pushing it to the back of my mind.

Eventually, I managed to fool myself that we could be happy.

Well, that didn't happen, so I threw myself into my work.

So you didn't talk to anyone?

I'm sure we looked like the perfect couple,

but we had nothing in common.

I dreaded going home.

Even she realised there was no point in pretending,

but then, suddenly, she got pregnant.

So things can't have been that bad, then!

Obviously, I couldn't leave her.

I was trapped.

I tried to forget about how bad things were

and concentrate on being a good father.

Like my dad did...

He was never happy either.

HE SOBS

As soon as we met, we just clicked. You just know, don't you?

I got a sort of shiver when I met him.

He said he felt something.

Kismet, he called it.

And then the miracle.

I'd given up hope of having a child so when it happened,

I was so excited.

I thought he was too. He seemed happy, didn't he?

-Yeah, yeah. He did.

-Maybe I was too demanding?

-No.

I nag too much, I know I do.

I just wanted everything to be perfect.

Ashley never minded that, you know.

He liked the house being clean when he came home.

And me - he said he was proud of the trouble I took.

He liked me looking good for him.

No wonder he's gone. Look at me.

Hey. No-one, no-one is perfect.

-Oh, come on, look at the state of me.

-I think you look lovely.

You have to say that.

But I know that, all the problems I've had,

they wouldn't have happened if I'd started trying five years earlier,

-would they?

-Maybe. Maybe not.

All I can say to you, Helen,

is you're going to have a lovely baby,

which is what you need to focus on.

It's not the way I dreamt it.

It's probably not the way he dreamt it, either.

Which is why he's off with... who knows?

Thank you.

PHONE BUZZES

You have to promise that you are never going to lie again.

I won't lie. I won't need to.

Nobody ever needs to.

You've got to value people enough to tell them the truth

and give them a chance, not run away when everything goes wrong.

I've learned my lesson.

I'll stand by you, you don't need to worry.

What about your baby?

Well, I'll do the right thing,

send support whenever I can.

Whenever you can?

I'm not a rich man, Valerie.

I'm mainly freelance. I work in the community.

I'm talking about emotional support. Being there.

-Or do you just not understand that?

-I do!

What's wrong?

What's wrong?

Everything's wrong - with you!

Wherever he is, you need to stop blaming yourself.

He said he never loved me.

He said we were deluding ourselves.

He can't tell you how you feel. Helen, only you know that.

I don't. Not after last night. Maybe it wasn't real?

Maybe I was so desperate for a child,

I just grabbed the first available man.

Well, that is probably much harder to do than it sounds.

Something was off, I knew.

As soon as I told him I was pregnant,

I could feel him pulling away from me.

Did you try and talk to him?

I tried, we'd just end up arguing.

Usually about silly things, like the cot.

I thought it would get him more involved.

Some men, they can't cope with the prospect of fatherhood.

And others, they have a problem with responsibility.

Whatever is holding Ashley back,

that might change when the baby's born.

-He's seeing someone else.

-We don't know that yet, do we?

He left with a suitcase. He could come back.

-Would you have him back?

-That's not for me to say.

Look, if you value your relationship,

then maybe you try and work it out.

And what if he doesn't?

A relationship is more than one person. You've got a say as well.

I think it's important that you don't rush into anything, OK?

Just take your time.

And when you feel calmer, you think about what you want to do.

But always remember, for your sake as well as the baby's,

you have to value yourself, Helen.

-I don't understand.

-Because you are incapable!

I can't believe I let you back into my life again.

-A second ago, you were holding my hands.

-Yes.

And then I was reminded of how easily you walked away

when I needed you.

You hurt me, Ashley.

But you're so full of yourself, you can't even think of that.

Now you're hurting Helen.

They're completely different situations.

Not being there for you was the biggest mistake of my life.

And I am saving you from making another one!

Please. Let's calm down.

I love you, Valerie.

Sweet, beautiful...

There is something wrong with you. You need psychological...

Do you know what, never mind, it doesn't matter what you need -

the simple truth is you are not good enough for me, Valerie Pitman.

No. No, don't.

This isn't you. I know you.

You've been brainwashed by that militant Ayesha.

Who knows nothing, by the way.

She might be pushy and loud, but all she does is put people off.

She puts men off.

Is that really what you want for yourself?

To be alone, like her?

Because that's all she's ever going to be.

I would rather be on the shelf than in the wrong cupboard.

Valerie. No! No, Valerie!

-KNOCK AT DOOR

-Come in.

You wanted to talk?

-Yes. Well, if you have the time.

-Yeah.

How is your patient?

I had to wait and see until her blood pressure settled

and it did, so it's all right.

That is good news.

Yeah. I made a follow-up on the appointment system.

It's working perfectly.

I am so sorry it has taken so long.

It's been difficult.

Yes. Perhaps it has affected some more than others.

I don't need to tell you the pressure that we're all under.

Everybody is working hard, but the difference is, when things go wrong,

me and the nurses, we have a lot of patients, Mrs Tembe, and no support.

If I had known, I would have taken steps.

But to know, you have to ask. And nobody has spoke to us, actually.

Well, I am very sorry about that.

At least you're asking now.

-KNOCK AT DOOR

-Come in.

Biscuits for you.

I thought they were supposed to be for "team building".

Yeah, well, I will buy some more.

I just wanted you to know how grateful we are

for all the extra time and effort you have been putting in lately.

I hope they're not supposed to be compensation

because I'd prefer a pay rise.

Yes, well, we cannot stretch to extra money,

-but I can give you some time off in lieu.

-Really?

Really.

And I also think you should join us tomorrow.

In case you hadn't noticed,

I've already had my time of being locked in a room and being...

It is not that kind of exercise.

I am organising something a little different.

Like what, exactly?

Something that nobody is expecting.

That is all I can say for now.

Enjoy your biscuits.

Helen! I'm locked out.

Can you open the door...please?

I'm a bit busy at the moment!

Excuse me?

Helen!

I owe you an apology.

I'd like to make it in person, if you let me in.

Talk to me, at least.

Maybe you should talk to your friend instead?

I told you, she's nothing to do with this.

She was a mistake.

Nothing happened, I promise.

I need you.

I hope you need me too.

Helen?

Good morning!

Morning! Good job Zara's not here.

She wouldn't have gone for the whole "flat shoe" thing.

You need to call the police.

Right. Anyone know why we're here?

Lips are sealed, apparently.

Put me in a cell. Please.

Not until you tell me what you've done.

Just lock me up. Lock me up.

I have these...thoughts, basically. These horrible thoughts.