It's another morning on Brookside Close. Adele Murray, dressed for school, lies disconsolately on her bed, deep in worry. She rises briefly to turn on her CD player and the sound of a melancholy Kate Bush song rings out. Diane appears at the door to Adele's room and tries to convince her to have some breakfast. Adele refuses. (Of course, the viewers know she's suffering from morning sickness, but her mum thinks it's all exam nerves).
Diane sits on the bed beside Adele and tries to calm her fears, assuring her that she'll fly through her exams. She asks her which one she has today and Adele says it's Statistics and Probability (as in what is the probability of a girl getting pregnant when she has sex the first time and what are the statistics for conception after having sex once). In an attempt to cheer her up, Diane suggests that she and Adele spend the afternoon shopping. (Sorry, but aren't the Murrays supposed to be skint? I mean, last week they were whingeing about being almost 200 knicker over their overdraft and SHE's mingeing about going shopping!)
Adele refuses, saying that she's agreed to go to Michelle's house to revise; but Adele has other plans for this afternoon. Later as she watches Diane leave for work, she rings a number from the Yellow Pages, enquiring about advisory places in Liverpool dealing with abortions.
At the tension-ridden Dixon household, Rachel is getting ready for work and arguing with Mike. She thinks Mike expects her to stay cooped up in the house whilst they were under threat. Mike isn't saying that at all; in fact, he doesn't expect her to stay away from work - he'll just walk to work with her, that's all. He'd feel better for it. Rachel doesn't want that; besides, she thinks these threats are all idle talk. Robbie wouldn't dare ensure that any of the Dixons got hurt. That would ensure an outpouring of sympathy towards Ron in court and surely that was the last thing Robbie would want.
Mike reminds her that Robbie isn't a logical person. He's a psycho. He doesn't think like other people and right now all he's wanting is revenge for Clint. And by that, he means death.
Meanwhile, Bev is looking for a babysitter for Josh. After the Inquisition ordeal of yesterday, she's decided to treat herself to a facial and an full body massage in a posh salon downtown, but she needs someone to look after Josh. Leanne agrees that Bev should pamper herself - after all, who knows how long it will be before she's languishing in Walton jail. This remark frightens young Josh, who asks his mother quickly if she's going to jail, but fortunately for Bev, the word 'Walton' rhymes with the name of the salon where Bev is spending the afternoon.
Thinking she can count on him as he has the afternoon off, she asks Lance. But Lance refuses. He and Fred had planned to spend the afternoon together, as they don't know how long they will have to be together. Bev curtly reminds them that, while they are about to be separated, SHE is facing a prison sentence. Here, we see the first inklings of an ugly side to Lance's nature.
Leanne, however, is quick to volunteer, but Bev isn't so sure. One gets the impression that Bev is less than fond of Leanne, but Leanne assures her that she and Lance will have lots of fun. As Bev leaves, Josh asks Leanne why she's acting funny and nice. Leanne tells him she has a job for him, acting as a decoy for her.
Across the way in the garage, Jackie Corkhill is serving Nisha and nervously looking out the garage window when Leanne enters. Josh is stationed outside at the petrol pumps. Jackie is awaiting the arrival of a new member of staff, who's been there two days and is continuously late. She's due to pick up William and catch the bus into town and at this rate, she'll miss the bus.
Nisha leaves and she begins to serve Leanne, when she catches sight of Josh pulling the dispensible roll of paper towels at the pump across the street onto the Parade. Jackie runs from the shop, screaming at Josh to stop this instant, that she'll tell his mother etc. Whilst she's gone from the shop, Leanne lifts a box of Quality Street and puts it in her bag.
Back at the Dixons', Ron tetchily enters the lounge, without saying a word to Anthea and sits down to read The Express. Anthea comes into the room and tries to apologise for her actions and her words the previous day. She's sorry for saying some of the things she said the day before, but she can't help feeling the way she does about Clint's killing. Ron gives her a brief look and gets up to go to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Anthea follows him, apologising again.
Ron turns around to face her and remarks that if his own wife and daughter-in-law can't offer him any support, what chance will he have in a courtroom in front of a judge and jury?
Anthea says she understands why Ron did what he did, she's trying to, but she can't help feeling that he could have done things differently. He acted extremely, buying that gun. Ron asks her what should he have done? Anthea says he should have done nothing, nothing at all, simply gone back upstairs, sat quietly and let the intruders get on with what they came for. After all, they could have made a claim on the insurance.
Ron asks her rhetorically what would have happened if the intruders had come upstairs. Suffering from a serious lack of imagination, Anthea replies stodgily that they DIDN'T come upstairs. But Ron insists: What if they had? What should he have done then? Nothing? Sat quietly? Anthea finally admits that, had they come upstairs, that might have been a different scenario; but they didn't.
Anthea tries to articulate her concern. She's worried about what happened, basically because she was the only witness to the events occurring that evening. Ron agrees with her that she was, indeed, the only witness ... And as the only witness, the Prosecution would put her through the wringer, and with some of the concerns she had voiced during the past couple of days, it wouldn't look good for Ron.
Ron contemplates Anthea's opinion that he should have done nothing and let the intruders carry on with the burglary and then be content to make a claim on the insurance. So they take a few household items, says Ron. Can you claim for self-respect? Because he lost all his when the first burglary took place. Ron begins a classic explanation of his actions (and one of Brookside's best bits of writing for ages). He tells Anthea that he had always been happy in himself, had always liked himself and what he stood for. Oh, he knew that he'd win no popularity contests in Manor Park, but he didn't care; because basically he knew that he was essentially a good person, a decent ordinary man.
Then the first burglary occurred. He and his family were tied up. He watched the intruders terrify his baby granddaughter and he could do nothing. He watched them draw on him with lipstick and do the same to Anthea and was powerless to do anything. He was then forced to witness them touch her up and could do nothing. If he hadn't had that angina attack, there's no telling what would have happened. But after that, he said, he felt ashamed and humiliated. He hated himself.
Then they came back and humiliated his son, and again, he could do nothing. He felt lower than low. And he made a vow that if anyone ever attacked his family again, he would do all that he could to protect them.
Anthea repeats that he didn't have to use a gun. She accuses him of going into the front room with the gun blasting, of not giving Clint a chance to identify himself or to say why he was there. Ron reminds her that she heard him tell the intruder not to come near him, that he had a gun. Yes, says Anthea, but he never gave him a chance. Ron shouted the warning and in a matter of seconds, he fired the gun. That was no time for Clint to identify himself. (WHY IS IT EVERYONE IS OMITTING THE FACT THAT RON ASKED TWICE FOR THE INTRUDER TO IDENTIFY HIMSELF?) Ron says he shouted the warning, but Clint kept walking toward him - he could have done anything, Ron wasn't to know. He repeats that Clint kept approaching him and Anthea suddenly exclaims that she didn't see that, she wasn't in the room where the shooting occurred and didn't see anything.
That's right, says Ron, she wasn't in the room. She couldn't see how frightened Ron was. He was literally scared witless. In fact, the gun went off before he knew he'd even pulled the trigger.
He tells Anthea that if he hadn't had the gun that night, did she realise he would probably have done just as she previously suggested ... He would have gone back upstairs and let them get on with the burglary, because he was a coward. But since he had made a stand and defended his home and his property, he felt better about himself again.
Interlude: Jackie Corkhill and William wait in the Brookie bus shelter, while Jackie tells Wills that they are going to town to buy him a whole new outfit of clothes, so he'll look nice when the Special Lady (i.e. Welfare Officer) comes to visit him next week.
Dr Darren, Victoria and Jacqui sit at a table in Bev's Bar. It's Dazza's birthday and he's opening a big box from Victoria which contains a pair of slippers and a pipe. He asks Jacqui if she's coming to his birthday do that evening. Jacqui asks if Katie's been invited. Darren said that he had to issue a blanket invitation at the Clinic, so he had to include her. Jacqui says she'll come anyway.
At another table, Lance and Fred are enjoying a private moment together. Lance can't believe that the authorities would dare to deport Fred. It was so unfair. It's discrimination. If they were a hetero couple, they wouldn't have to suffer such humiliation. Lance reckons they should appeal to the High Court, or the European Court of
Fred is blase. He says that after a deportation order, they have five days to lodge an appeal. Lance asks if he'll appeal and Fred assures him he will. And he tells Lance not to worry - he'll be around for a long time, because it takes six months for an appeal to come to court.
Adele meets Michelle at The Parade. She tells her mate that she's decided to have an abortion and had called a clinic this morning. Michelle asked her where she found one. Adele says 'abortion advice' was one of the first headings in the Yellow Pages. Michelle, playing stupid, asks what the Yellow Pages said under 'abortion advice'. Adele said it said 'See Clinics'. So she turned to the heading Clinics and found that Diane had ringed a lot of the fertility clinics in red. So there it was ... Her mother was trying so hard to have a baby and she was trying so hard to get rid of one and they still both ended up on the same page.
Anyway, she tells Michelle that she has an appointment for this afternoon. At first Michelle thinks this is for the actual abortion, but Adele says it's only for advice and counselling and asks if Michelle will come with her. Michelle agrees, saying that she has to ring her mother first.
Interlude II: Diane Murray rings Michelle's mother, Mrs Tam. In the background through the Murray front window, we see a police car park on the curb and William Corkhill alights. Diane asks Mrs Tam if Adele's there as she'd like to speak to her, but it appears that Adele is not visiting the Tams. Outside, Jimmy Corkhill comes down the pathway from the Parade and spies Wills getting out of the police car. The little boy runs to Jimmy.
Rachel and Mike Dixon are arguing again, this time in front of Anthea. Mike is telling Rachel that it's the duty of a man to protect his family. Rachel maintains that it's not, but Mike insists that it is. In fact, it's the duty of a man to protect his family and the woman to support him, but (spying Anthea), Mike sarcastically remarks that perhaps they shouldn't talk so much about support in front of Anthea. Rachel tells Mike that his ideas of antequated, no one thinks like that anymore. Mike asks what kind of man would he be if he didn't want to protect his family? Rachel wants to think, he says, because that could easily have been him instead of his dad.
Rachel then callously remarks that Mike isn't much of a man.
Stung to the gills, Mike rises and storms out of the house on his crutches. Rachel follows, abjectly apologising and begging him to return. Mike turns to face her outside, telling her not to humiliate him yet again. At least he deserves the right to go for a pint at the pub. He leaves. She walks back into the house, saying to Anthea that he'd only be back in five minutes as he had no money. Ron enters as Rachel goes upstairs. He asks Anthea if she and Rachel had been getting at Mike now.
As he sits on the sofa in the lounge, Anthea tells him that she's been thinking. She truly understands why Ron took the course of action that he did. She doesn't condone it, but she'll support him fully in court. She needs him too much. (Funny how she never says that she loves him).
A tearful Jackie Corkhill runs up the Corkhill drive, banging on the door. Mr Calm, Jimmy, answers. Jackie demands to know where William is. Jimmy tells her he's here and safe. In fact, he told the police who brought him here that his address was No 8 Brookside Close. Why did Jackie only think to ring him two hours after the boy went missing. Jackie said he disappeared so quickly, she spent the entire two hours searching for him. She was desperate. Jimmy closes the door in her face and we are treated to more screams of: 'Jimmy, open the door!'
At the Bar, Jacqui, Darren and Victoria are busy drinking, when Nisha arrives. This is Darren's big do, and he's severely socially challenged; because this is the sole extent of attendance. Looking pointedly at Jacqui, but speaking to Darren, she tells him that Katie sends her apologies about not being able to attend. This isn't lost on Jacqui, who replies sarcastically that that was big of Katie as she never apologises for anything these days. Nisha gives her a smug, holier-than-thou look and remarks that Katie owes Jacqui no apology at all.
'Like you owe Nikki Shadwick no apology?' Sneers Jacqui, as Victoria tries to calm them down. 'Katie's acted appallingly to me the past few weeks, blaming me for something I had nothing to do with.'
Nisha digs in and says the only reason Katie didn't attend the function was knowledge of the fact that Jacqui was going to be there. Jacqui wonders aloud if she's expected to go into limbo to please Katie; anyway, Nisha was a fine hypocrite, says Jacqui. Nisha didn't even like Clint; in fact, she spent the better part of the past year, slagging him off to Katie and trying to warn her off the Moffatts; now all of a sudden, Clint was Mr Perfect and Nisha was passing herself off as Katie's new bezzy mate. Darren tries his hand at stopping the two.
Nisha reckons that her friendship with Katie is what's bothering Jacqui and Jacqui counters that she reckons Nisha still carries a torch for Clint as the underlying reason for her actions. Nisha replies haughtily that it isn't that she likes Clint so much as she hates guns.
At that remark, Darren slams his palm down on the table and tells the two to shut up. If they didn't come here to celebrate his birthday, they can leave. Nisha leaves her present and departs, as does Jacqui, who says she doesn't feel in a party mood now.
When they leave, Darren gets up to go to the gents. A watchful Leanne follows. She catches him washing his hands and locks the loo door. He's surprised, but she tells him she wants to give him a birthday pressie and hands him the wrapped Quality Street.
As Darren, speechless, opens the package, she asks what 'Vickie' gave him for his birthday. Darren tells her that Victoria got him a pipe and some slippers. 'She hasn't a clue,' says Leanne. Darren thanks her for the present and heads for the door, which he discovers to be locked. He turns to face Leanne and asks her what's going on.
Leanne spills her heart out to him. Why can't he be nice to her? He asks her why she's following him about, pretending to be ill. Leanne says she's tried so hard to change. She loves him. He deserves better than 'Vickie' - why just look at her. She came in tonight looking like she'd been on the back of a motorbike. And her present.
Darren reminds Leanne that he prefers Victoria, and her present was a joke - slippers and a pipe and denture adhesive as well. It was all a joke. In fact, her real present to him had been a ride in a helicopter. They'd come here straight from the flight; that's why she was so dishevelled.
Leanne asks him why he doesn't like her. They could have a laugh together. Darren says he just isn't interested in her and asks her to unlock the door. She does so and he leaves, only to pop his head round the door to say he's sorry - oh, and by the way, the name was VICTORIA. When he's definitely gone, Leanne tears the crystal neckless ferociously from her neck. The bitch is back.
Outside, Adele and Michelle share ice lollies and discuss Adele's visit to the Abortion Counselling Clinic. Adele says the people there were 'dead nice'. They didn't put her under pressure either to have an abortion or to keep the baby. But they did suggest that she talk things over with her parents first. They said that she didn't have too, but they thought it might be a good idea, just so she's certain that that's what she wants to do.
Michelle is worried that the counsellors might tell the Murrays, but Adele assures her that they maintain confidentiality. They wouldn't contact the Murrays without Adele's consent. In fact, they could have done the abortion that afternoon if Adele had been really sure.
Michelle asks her if she's going to discuss this with her parents. Adele still isn't sure. She cites the fact that somewhere there are six embryos in a culture dish and next week two of them would be implanted into Diane. With all this on her mind, Diane could lose her babies, and Adele would have that with which to live. Still, she muses, she's always been able to tell her mother everything and Diane always helped with her problems.
Michelle reminds her that if she doesn't tell them, they'll soon find out for themselves if she delays things.
Back inside the Bar, Darren and Vic are having a massive snog at the table. Darren stops for a moment and tells Vic that she's the only reason he's staying in Liverpool. He has no purpose there other than her. She tells him that he's the only reason she's staying in Liverpool. From a distance, Leanne watches the two sourly, as Bev stands at the bar, having returned from her beauty treatment. A punter approaches and orders a pint. Leanne gives him the rough side of her tongue. Bev remarks on Leanne's return to form.
Lance and Fred sit at a nearby table and eye Bev at the bar. Lance has had an idea. Is Fred absolutely certain that an appeal would take six months? Fred is dead certain. Well, Lance says, the answer to the problem is to find a way, within those six months, to force a change in Fred's and Bev's circumstances to make his deportation untenable. The only solution is for Fred to get Bev pregnant. There was no way Immigration would deport the father of a British child. And it would prove to the officials that Bev and Fred's marriage was for real - DNA tests and all. Fred isn't so sure Bev would co-operate, but Lance assures him that she would.
Adele Murray returns home to be met by Diane, who looks as though she's stirring a big bowl of mash. She asks Adele how her exam went and Adele says it went all right. Di then asks how her revision with Michelle went and Adele confirms that they got a lot done.
Diane then says that Adele doesn't have to lie to Diane. For a moment Adele panics. Diane continues. She rang the Tams' to speak to Adele and Michelle's mum said the two had gone downtown shopping. Adele shouldn't feel she has to lie when she'd rather go shopping with a mate and not her old mum.
When Diane disappears into the kitchen, Adele calls out that she needs to talk to her. She needs Diane to come into the room to talk. Diane comes to the door to explain that she's making tea, but she sees Adele is upset; so she comes into the lounge and sits on the sofa. Adele begins to apologise. Diane is puzzled and concerned and wonders what's troubling Adele.
Without anymore delay, Adele admits that she's pregnant, and the episode ends focusing on the look of horror on Diane's face.
Coda: The penultimate scene shows Jackie Corkhill banging at the Corkhill's back door this time. It's opened by Jimmy, and Jackie demands to see William. Jimmy maintains he's safe. Jackie demands to see him and threatens to call the police. Jimmy reminds the that the POLICE brought William back to the place HE considers his home. He also intimates that the Child Welfare Officer would be very interested in hearing about this incident next week. Jackie begs him not to tell her and pleads to see William. Jimmy, with that annoyingly smug expression on his face, tells her she can see William next week and not before and slams the door in her face.
Summary © 2001 Marion Watts
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2001