The Royal: Hoping For The Best
Sister Brigid (Linda Armstrong) is on her way to The Royal when she witnesses Brian (Philip Bird) and Lesley Pinner (Judy Flynn) crash their tandem bicycle into a ditch. The dysfunctional couple come to casualty to get checked out and it appears as though Brian’s more concerned about the damage to his tandem than the damage to his wife’s head! Whilst Brian is in surgery, downtrodden Lesley agrees to let Alun (Andy Wear) and Ken (Michael Starke) fix the tandem as a surprise for her husband. However, when he comes round he is less than pleased when he discovers that his wife has made a decision without him. Lesley is tired of being patronised by her husband and confronts him about her feelings, but when Brian refuses to take her seriously, will Lesley take matters into her own hands?
Meanwhile, it’s a tragic time for the Beattie family as Marie (Rachel Leskovac) is diagnosed with terminal cancer after collapsing in the chemists. The upbeat and attentive mother has been too busy looking after her children and alcoholic husband to tend to her own problems. After discovering that his wife is dying, Jimmy weeps at her bedside. Meanwhile, Marie continues to worry about everyone but herself, and after apologising for being ill, informs Jimmy of his duty to the children once she is gone. Despite his intentions, Dr Ormerod (Robert Daws) and Matron (Wendy Craig) aren’t convinced that alcoholic Jimmy will be able to cope alone with the kids. Jimmy assures them that he’s given his word to Marie and won’t let her down, but will his addiction allow him to keep his word?
Later that evening, baby Jason Hodges is rushed into The Royal after Makori (Kananu Kirimi) and Goodwin (Paul Fox) diagnose him with a fatal case of meningitis. As Dr Weatherill (Amy Robbins) saw the young boy earlier, how will she feel when she learns of his condition?
The next morning, exhausted Goodwin and Makori have managed to keep Jason alive but will the toddler pull through? Emotions are high for Nurse Deane (Amelia Curtis), and after she runs out of the children’s ward in tears, she confesses to Matron that she’s pregnant. Matron discreetly mentions the news to Carnegie (Robert Cavanah) believing that it’s his child. How will Carnegie react to the unexpected news?
Meanwhile, with the Home Office investigating his case, Goodwin is forced to face the reality that the chances of him being able to keep Nkeshi in the UK are slim. Desperate to keep her safe, Goodwin is willing to explore all options, so when Makori reveals that she’s been offered a job in Cameroon they decide that Nkeshi (Reni Oluwadare) should go with her. Jeff admits he’s been finding it hard to settle back into routine GP practice and resolves to follow them!
ITV1 Network Sunday 8 April 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

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