Maternal - First Season

Hiya! Oh, hey! Look at us, leaving early.

Don't suppose you fancy doing something later?

Oh, I'm knackered, and the kids... Early night beckons.

Yeah, of course.

You OK?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, Lars and his wife are taking Elis to Sweden tonight.

Oh, wow. I'm fine.

I mean, I'd like to avoid being home alone

with a bottle of gin and my life choices, but...

Erm... Hi. Catherine, this is Neelum, A&E reg.

Hi. And fellow Ladies' Night attendee, usually.

I'm working on the biggest night out since lockdown one.

Tear up the dance floor for me.

Have a good shift. Whoo!

It's just a thing that my friends organise at the mosque.

It's a British-Pakistani community thing.

With a dance floor?

Yeah, but it's not in the mosque, obviously.

There'll be a dance floor and a buffet.

But I wouldn't be welcome?

Oh, no! It's not...

I mean, people bring other... friends.

Oh, great!

Oh... OK. Well, text me the address.

Well, er... Yeah, why don't you come to mine first,

and then we could drive together?

Why don't we get an Uber, then we can both have a drink?

Sorry. OK.

Well... Well, brilliant!

Thank you. Yeah.

Ah!

OK.

Did you change the sheets in the spare room for Mum?

Yep.

Well, give me a call if you need anything.

Well, you're the on-call consultant,

so, yeah, I will. How long are we keeping this up for?

I'm not keeping anything up. I can only apologise so...

You're not apologising for the right thing. Yes, it was out of hand.

I was out of order.

Because I'd just found out that you'd gone behind my back

and brought your sister back into our lives,

breaking a fundamental agreement of our marriage. That's not why.

Reporting for Team Cavendish night duty.

Buzzing to run the hospital? You and me, Tessa. Can't wait.

Have a good one, ladies.

I've had a whole can.

Great (!)

Jaldi se.

Eat fast, your straighteners are plugged in.

'On Your Own' by Fryars

Jaldi!

You're gonna go on an aeroplane with Daddy and evil Auntie Brigitta!

Who am I? Huh, Elis? Who am I? Can you say "Mama"?

And don't eat anything you don't like the look of.

No, no, no. No snot, come on.

Let's look after Mummy's pretty dress! Yeah!

Thank you. Aw!

Oh, God, don't forget Cuddle Cat.

Oh, yes, of course. Oh, oh, hello!

You look, erm...

..nice. It's nice.

Thank you. Yeah.

Did you say this thing was in a mosque?

No, it's Maryam's friends from mosque.

You don't think maybe it's a bit...?

The lady in bed four does not look well.

Well, she isn't.

Neelum, hi. Yeah, I called straight back.

Well, just stay by the phone.

OK.

Yeah, OK. OK, I'm coming now.

OK, I'm going to A&E. You're in charge, Dr Joseph.

I hope I can summon some energy for this.

Hold still! I'll burn your ear! Sorry.

You know, if you took all the energy you spent

worrying about things that never happened

and put it towards your career, you'd be a consultant by now.

You wanna worry about something, look closer to home.

I've not seen you and Raza exchange a kind word in days.

I-I just need an early night.

What you need is to laugh with your friends, and a dance.

Scientifically proven to lift your spirits.

And I'm going to show off my dazzling, accomplished daughter.

You need me to tell you that's not pneumonia?

No, I need you to tell THEM it's not pneumonia.

Wife is a former matron.

Yeah, screw your courage to the sticking place, Dr Khan.

That's above my pay grade.

Sorry to keep you waiting... Amanda!

Hannah, get up, we're leaving - they've sent Helen!

How are you? Aw!

Oh, Hannah, I've heard so much about you.

I'm Dr Helen Cavendish,

and I'm the acute registrar on duty this evening.

I've worked with your wife since I was a medical student.

So, er, we must have some results back,

if you're here?

Is there any history I need to know before...

Hannah has advanced ovarian cancer

and has led an active, joyful five years of life

whilst on chemotherapy.

The last month, it's been a rougher ride.

She's had a cold for a few weeks she can't shift.

We're hoping it's pneumonia.

In which case, we'd like antibiotics to go,

so we can get out of this den of viral load.

Is there anything else I need to know, Hannah?

No.

I don't think it's pneumonia.

The cancer has advanced to your lungs.

Er, I... Can I see?

Yeah.

I'd like to admit you,

so we can keep you comfortable until you've had a chance

to discuss your options with the oncology team in the morning.

I want... to go home.

I think that you should speak to Oncology first.

And there's one semi-reclining chair there that we'll...

I want to die at home.

You know Oncology, they'd dig you up to give you chemo.

Speak to the specialists first.

Don't admit me.

Our end-of-life plan is for me to take care of her at home.

Finally, 40 years of frontline medicine comes in handy.

You're the night-duty medical reg, Helen. You can discharge us.

I, er... Sorry.

Hardest job in the hospital.

I think that you should review your options

with the oncology consultant in the morning.

There is nothing more to be done, though, is there?

Just needs you to say so.

Please.

While she's well enough to leave.

Listen, I think that we should all think about it for an hour.

I'll be back.

Admitting her? Er, maybe. I just, erm...

Tessa, hi. What is it?

OK, well, that is more or less what we expected.

Yeah. Sounds like a good plan.

You're doing brilliantly.

Neelum? Mm-hm? I'm right here.

It's like, if I don't page you, did it actually happen?

It's Catherine, someone get it!

Yeah. I got it, mate.

Hi.

Oh, God. Salamu alaikum, sister.

That's not helpful. Sorry, sorry.

I was trying to be respectf... Oh, shit, sorry!

Erm... Wow, you look amazing in that dress. Thanks.

Oh, wow! Er... Mrs Afridi, you look...

Dr Masoom. Er, you look beautiful.

I'm sorting it, don't worry.

Let's go upstairs. Otherwise, we'll be late.

Sorry, good idea.

- Hey. - 'You missed bedtime.'

65-year-old woman with advanced ovarian cancer,

X-ray shows lung metastasis.

They've got an end-of-life plan to die at home,

and that's where she wants to go, immediately.

'Is she well enough to leave?'

Well, she is right now, yeah.

It's Amanda Hendrix's wife.

'Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that.'

I should admit her, shouldn't I?

Or else face a territorial oncologist in the morning.

'Well, you won't, I will.

'Chances are the same decision'll get made in a few days.'

Yeah, but by then, she'll be too unwell to go home,

and she'll die here, which is what she doesn't...

Are you drinking?

'What? Oh, my mum's opened the Chablis. I wanted to try it.'

You're on call.

'You don't trust me to have half a glass of wine now?

'You're being completely hysterical about this.

'Are you sure you're coping there OK?'

Oh, my God, you...

'I'm happy to face down Oncology for Amanda

'if that makes this an easier decision for you.'

You were proper skinny.

I can't see it at soft play.

I hate soft play.

How long will Elis be in Sweden?

A few nights. Longer next time, if it goes well.

Are you OK with that? Yeah... No... Dunno.

How about you?

Yeah.

Your hair looks amazing. Thanks.

Let's just forget about it, go out this evening and have a dance.

Is there somewhere we can stop and pick up a can of G&T,

or something I can down in the back of the car?

Helen Cavendish.

'Hey, stranger. It's Magda at St Harry's ICU.'

Oh, hi, Magda. 'A weird one for you.'

We are trying to identify a patient in her late 40s, maybe.

White, curly blonde hair, benzodiazepine overdose.

Nothing on her except a scrap of paper with...

'Ready? Your name written on it. "Dr Helen Cavendish."

'And I'm like, "I know one of those." '

'Morning Light' by Federico Albanese and Tara Nome Doyle.