WOULDN’T IT BE NICE?
Wouldn’t it be nice if Brookside’s producers gave its viewers a tad more credit? Wouldn’t it be nice if Brookside’s producers stopped trying to please everyone and forgot the lowest common denominator of their viewing public? As that slightly pompous man on The Edwardian Country House says (and he and his insipid wife seem to be taking their character roles slightly too serious), ‘The poor are always with us’.
Well, so are the stupid, and en masse, they are incredibly hard to take.
(Mincing, high-pitched, annoying voice): ‘Mandy Jordache is still in the old episodes. She leaves soon? Anyone NO how?’
(Mincing, high-pitched, annoying voice): ‘Owen Daniels set a few hearts-racing. Isn’t it about time he saw his daughter?’
LEZ!
The bane of the Official Forum. A TROLL. There you go, people, I can say this here and now, although I’ve been forbidden to say it openly on the Official Forum, that modicum of free speech as interpreted by New Labour. NO ONE, I repeat, NO ONE could be as incredibly and indelibly thick as Lez, who regularly lurks, shirks and nicks the thoughts posted by other posters on the O.F., and other sites and presents them as her own.
We know it’s the weekend when Lez appears, regularly, like an unwanted and foul-smelling bowel-movement, on Friday afternoons, until the early hours of Monday morning. Maybe she’s out on weekend release. Maybe her husband unlocks the door of her cell for those two days. Allegedly, she has a child. If so, I shudder. I don’t know who I pity more, her child or Britain.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Lez simply crawled back into the woodwork and ceased to exist on the forum?
Wouldn’t it be nice it the forum moderator had balls enough to ban her, for repeatedly breaking guidelines HE established?
In a perfect world ...
Another day dawns on Backside, er Brookshite, sorry Brookside Close.
Antony Murray still lies twitching and groaning in bed, in the throes of yet another nightmare, concerning the pond and Imelda.
Jacqui Farnham lies sleeplessly in her hospital bed, looking remarkably pristine and calm, the only concession to reality being a distinct absence of slap. The close-up of her face shows she’s got a sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks.
Max Farnham leaves his house, on the way to the hospital to visit his wife. He pauses briefly as he shuts the front door, to compose himself. Tears well in his eyes.
Antony Murray comes downstairs. His parents are nowhere to be seen, which is odd; because it’s too early for the salon to be open and Marty NEVER leaves for work until after the kids have gone. Plank, his oldest brother, is looking remarkably plucky of late. Adele, is on the phone to the Lurch-like Gareth.
Plank remarks that Antony looks as though he’s seen a ghost. Ant replies that he’s had a nightmare. Breaking off from her engrossing coversation with Gareth, Liverlips quips that she hopes Ant hasn’t wet the bed as a result.
Marty was on the phone earlier, Plank says, as Adele is heard to invite Gareth around for that evening, after school, but AFTER the Murrays have had their tea (otherwise Gareth woud scoff it).
Plank remarks, loudly enough for the unseen Gareth to hear, that Gareth is a quilt. Oh, and by the way, he says to Ant, that ‘Clough cow’s’ been found.
For a moment, Antony looks as though he’s shit his pants, but Plank, ignoring his reaction, continues. Yep, apparently she’s been SEEN in London around Euston Station. That’s why Marty’s phoned earlier. Mrs Plummer told him.
(OK, this doesn’t make sense. The girl’s been missing for yonks. This is a child. Underage. Now, presumably it’s the police who’ve spotted her in London. Did they approach her? Did they take her into custody as she’s a runaway minor? This is entirely implausible. Oh, by the way, the police SPOTTED Imelda in London. But they didn’t approach her, didn’t nick her, didn’t even say, ‘Don’t you think you should ring your mother?’ I find this tactless anyway, at the present time, with Milly Dowler constantly in the news. I know Brookside doesn’t legislate current events, but can they either wrap this story now or back-burner it?)
Ant looks distinctly relieved.
At NNT, Sammy is on the phone to Louise. She’s telling the girl that she’ll be in London in a few days time and they could all talk then. She starts to tell Louise how much her mother loves her, but the child finishes the conversation from her end and rings off. Sammy’s left with an unfinished sentence.
Katie comes out, hearing the last end of the conversation. She’s dressed and ready to go to work. Sammy remarks on how early Katie is, and Katie explains that she’s going to see Jacqui before work and she asks Sammy about her telephone conversation.
Sammy briefly explains FOR ABOUT THE FIFTH TIME FOR THE BENEFIT OF THICK VIEWERS that Richard is going to sort out Louise’s school fees. Anyway, Sammy remarks, isn’t it a bit early for Katie to be visiting Jacqui?
Katie arrogantly replies that she’ll tell the hospital staff that she’s Jacqui’s sister, as if they’re stupid.
As Katie goes out the door, Sammy calls after her, asking her to give Jacqui her best, and to tell Jacqui that she means it sincerely.
Max is visiting Jacqui. Jacqui asks Max to thank Rachel for looking after the kids. Max asks if Jacqui’s had any word about when she might be released, and Jacqui replies that she’ll be out in a couple of days.
And how is she feeling? Max asks.
Jacqui’s uncertain how she feels - more to the point, although she doesn’t say it, she’s worried about how Max feels about her; but Max is just grateful that Jacqui’s OK. After all, he says, it could have been worse.
Jacqui suggests that Max should go home and try to grab a few hours kip while the kids were at Rachel’s. In fact, says Jacqui, she could do with some sleep as well, and she would see Max later in the afternoon.
Max promises that he’ll pop in after lunch, and if there’s anything Jacqui needs, he could bring it in. Jacqui replies pitiably that she just needs Max. When he leaves the room, she begins to cry.
The day has begun at Hotel Corkhill. Dr Nikki and Buckwheat - er, Step’n Fetch - er, Topsy - DAMN IT, Jerome are standing about the kitchen, when the Sage booms in. He asks pointedly if either of the two are going to university today.
(Excuse me a minute ... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Now THAT IS funny! When do they EVER attend uni?)
Dr Nikki replies that she has to go in this morning, and Jerome is going this afternoon.
Must be nice, quips Jimmy to have a half-day here and there. Jerome remarks that Jimmy has a no-day here and there, because he’s not working.
Well, Jimmy says, he’d appreciate the pair of them making themselves scarce today, as Helen was coming over. Jimmy is helping her out with genealogy, trying to trace Helen’s mother. (That’s genealogy in it’s simplest form).
Dr Nikki is immediately concerned, but her concern looks more like green-eyed jealousy. Doesn’t Jimmy think he’s taking on too much, trying to help Helen with this problem? After all, Jimmy’s doing his diet research and all. She’s seen that research he’s garnered from the Net. There were tomes of it.
Jimmy replies that he has to be thorough.
Nikki remarks that Jimmy was only supposed to be researching diet in relation to his condition, not getting a degree in it.
(First point: Brookside is wrong in presenting the Internet as a medium that is the be-all and end-all of research. Second point: this ‘tomes’ of research thing is clearly an obsessive trait, most probably linked to Jimmy’s ‘coon-dition’. Surely an eminient psychiatrist like Dr Nikki would know that?)
Jimmy then mentions a name: Margot Kidder.
Who? Ask Nikki and Jerome.
Margot Kidder, repeats Jimmy. She played Lois Lane in all those Superman flicks. Jimmy relates how Margo Kidder, who DOES suffer from manic-depression, got shot of all her drugs and reckons that she’s OK now. She reckons that her manic-depression was due to a chemical imbalance in her body, and she controls all that now with diet. (So THIS is how they’re going to justify Jimmy’s continued existence in Brookside? And isn’t this not only irresponsible, but also dangerous to present manic-depression this way? We all know depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, but in the mind; and for the record, a lot of Margot Kidder’s problems stemmed originally from DRUG ABUSE ... Couldn’t Brookside point this out that this was also in Jimmy’s history as well?)
Dr Nikki accuses Jimmy of being obsessed with diet research. (‘Pot’ ... ‘Kettle’ ... ‘Black’.) In fact, if he’s that much involved with working out a dietary alternative to taking his drugs, then he’s got no reason getting involved with Helen’s genealogical research. It would simply be too much.
Jimmy remarks irritably that Nikki is beginning to get on his nerves. He wants her to leave him alone. (Too right. And leave the viewers alone too. Not only Nikki, but also Jimmy irritates us. Not only, but also ... I feel like Pete and Dud).
Back at Sitcom House, Plank offers to give Ant a lift to school as he’s going that way, but Ant pensively refuses. He wants to walk, he says. Adele finally comes off the phone and says that Gareth’s coming over that evening at about 7:30. They’ll all like Gareth, she says.
Nikki and Jerome leave Hotel Corkhill, with Jerome stating that he’s popping over to the Garage for ten minutes. As soon as they’re out the door, Nikki starts whingeing about Jimmy’s involvement with Helen. Jerome stops walking and turns to look derisively at the snake-haired idiot.
Nikki’s a fine one to talk about Jimmy being obsessed. Nikki wants to look at herself, he chides. She wants to watch her relationship with Jimmy, he warns. After all, she’s only his carer.
Nikki is more than just a carer, she argues. She’s Jimmy’s friend.
Yes, well, she doesn’t want to get too bogged down with Jimmy, Jerome says. Tetchily.
But, Nikki retorts, what if Helen and Jimmy fall in love and Helen finds out about Jimmy’s illness. She’d drop him, she would. Nikki knows that. And Jimmy couldn’t bear that.
Jerome tells Nikki that that’s none of her business, and she should just stand back and give Jimmy a chance.
Katie now sits at Jacqui’s bedside, saying that she only dropped in for a few minutes before work. She asks the $60,000 question: HOW’S JACQUI FEELING?
Jacqui admits that she’s finding it hard to understand what happened. Oooh, she’s lost a baby, and she doesn’t know what to do.
Katie replies that she wishes she knew what to do to help Jacqui, but admits that she doesn’t know how Jacqui’s feeling.
Well, Jacqui admits that she’s feeling pretty guilty about her rotten behaviour. She didn’t want or need this baby. And she treated Max appallingly, because he DID want the child. She feels, in a way, as if she’s being punished now for her behaviour.
Katie rightly says that this has nothing to do with the fact that Jacqui suffered an ectopic pregnancy. That could happen to anyone.
Now Jacqui’s worried that she won’t be able to have another child.
(WHERE’S DR PARR? WHERE’S THE NAUGHTY NURSE? WHERE THE HELL IS ANYONE MEDICAL IN THIS STUPID HOSPITAL? JACQUI SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD BY NOW WHAT HER CHANCES ARE OF HAVING ANOTHER CHILD. SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT HER FERTILITY RATE DROPS BY 50%, BUT THAT SHE WOULD ONLY OVULATE EVERY OTHER MONTH, AND IT SHOULDN’T IMPAIR THE ABILITY TO CONCEIVE AND HAVE ANOTHER CHILD. IN FACT, SHE SHOULD HAVE ALREADY UNDERGONE A TEST TO DETERMINE THE VIABILITY OF HER REMAINING TUBE AND OVARY. IN DAYS OF YORE, BROOKSIDE WOULD HAVE EXPLORED THIS. NOW THEY’RE MORE INTERESTING IN EXPLORING SEXUALITY IN MARRIAGE. BOLLOCKS!)
Katie, with her wealth of medical knowledge gleaned from occasional stints behind the Medical Centre’s reception desk, poo-poos this thought. Ectopic pregnancies happen all the time, she says, and women go on to have babies. (Actually, this is true). She’s certain Jacqui will be all right.
Antony stands in the wooded area, his eyes covered with his hands. For about the umpteenth time, we’re treated to another flashback of the scene where he and Imelda begin to tussle, Imelda telling him that she hated him etc. (Yawn). Now he’s covering his ears to block out the sound of the flashback as well.
Elsewhere, Ron Dixon, dressed in his best suit, emerges, disgusted, from his local bank. He screws up a bank brochure and throws it in frustration in the nearest bin. Reaching in his suit pocket, he withdraws a strange piece of paper and unfolds it. It’s the order of service for Kitty Hilton’s funeral. Ron realises, with dismay, that Ray’s been wearing his suit.
Jimmy just happens to be passing the garage when he spots Helen. He greets her, aslsing her what she’s doing there? Er, getting petrol, replies Helen. Jimmy, feeling like a plonker, asks if she’s planning on popping into Ray’s later - only if she is, she could call around to Jimmy’s for some tea first . (And crumpet?)
Helen, smilingly agrees. Helen seems to do everything smilingly.
Katie finally decides that she has to go to work, and Jacqui assures her that Max is coming in later to visit her. Katie reaches the door, turns and tells Jacqui not to worry, that she’ll see Jacqui later. (THAT, alone, is cause for worry!)
As she opens the door, however, Ron enters. He implores the silly bitch not to leave on his account, but she assumes a ski-jump face of stone. As she pushes past him, Ron spreads his hands helplessly and tells Jacqui that he tried with Katie.
Tim’s in the process of cleaning the van in a cold rain, when his mobile rings. It’s a call about a job. Something to do with specialist plaster, which Tim assures the caller is his speciality. Dashing inside out of the rain, he starts to take down the address for the job on the back of his hand, but reverts to writing on the newly-painted wall, instead, jotting the details. As he ends the call, he begs the caller to tell all his mates about Lift and Shift. Remember, he says, big or small, we move’em all.
As Ron sits by Jacqui’s bedside, Jacqui tells him that Max was in earlier, and he wasn’t looking good.
But Ron isn’t interested in Jacqui’s travails at the moment. He wants to know where it all went wrong for him. To top it, he had to babysit Josh this evening, as a favour to Bev. He doesn’t know if he’s up to the task, as Josh runs rings around him.
Jacqui asks if he’d been to the bank about the loan yet.
Ron nods in disgust. Has he just! He had to suffer the injustice of listening to some pimply-faced youth who was the bank manager telling him what he couldn’t and shouldn’t do. That was a waste of time. Honestly, he continues, beginning to rant, he feels as though his life isn’t his own anymore. It’s like that Big Brother thing, where other people decide if someone stays or goes. (Another free plug for another Channel 4 show, especially since its return is imminent. Just a reminder, like).
Not only that, he continues, but look what he found in the pocket of his suit. He hands Jacqui the Order of Service. Jacqui looks at the paper. Well, insists Ron, when she offers no reply, it’s obvious. Ray’s even been wearing his clothes now! He feels as though he’s not only lost his home, he’s lost his identity too.
Jacqui asks Ron if he managed to secure the loan. Ron shakes his head.
It wouldn’t have anything to do with Ron having a conviction, would it? She asks gently.
They never even gave him a chance, Ron wails.
Well, replies, Jacqui, feistily, what goes around, comes around. Ron never gave anyone a chance either, she says. As soon as someone with a past made an appearance, Ron would jump on a soap-box and denigrate them for one indiscretion. Now people think HE’S a liability, and no one has faith in Ron anymore.
In great trepidation, Antony Murray approaches the side of the pond. Breathing heavily, he inches closer to t he edge and takes a look. We see the still, calm water ... We also see how shallow the pond is, and we can even see the bottom of it, which renders the whole ‘body-in-the-pond’ scenario implausible. (So where is it?)
Antony smiles, and turning, capers joyfully away.
The camera lingers on the shallow pond.
This storyline is becoming tedious.
Ron continues to bemoan his own circumstance, or lack of one, as he sits by his daughter’s bedside. The truth about his situation, he wails, is that no one gives a toss these days Standards have lowered, and because Ron has made one major error, people are quick to judge him on that action, alone.
By now, Jacqui’s become more than just a little irritated with her father. ‘Joost listen ter yerself!’ She interrupts. All he’s done since he arrived, she maintains, is go on about himself and his bad luck. What about her and Max, with all they’ve just been through?
Hang on a minute, Ron counters, as far as what ‘Jacqui and Max have been through’, why was it all the others knew about Jacqui’s pregnancy, except Ron?
Jacqui looks momentarily baffled, having been caught out at her own game. She pulls out the old chestnut about wanting to wait until 12 weeks had elapsed, until they were sure the pregnancy was ‘safe’ before telling everyone.
‘Oh!’ Sniffs Ron, insulted. ‘So I’m "everyone" now, am I?’ He rises abruptly from the chair, informing Jacqui that he has to go. After all, he says, as a parting shot, he has a grandchild to look after.
As Helen arrives at Jimmy’s house, Jerome Step’n Fetchit-David-Wonder is about to leave to attend a rare university lecture. Helen greets him and, as Jimmy makes the tea, Helen reminds him that she takes milk and sugar.
Immediately she utters the word ‘sugar’, Jimmy remarks with disbelief that Helen’s surely not still into SUGAR?!
‘Why?’ Jokes Helen. ‘Does Jimmy think she’s sweet enough already?’
Jerome laughs uneasily and makes a hasty departure.
Adele is seated sloppily in a chair in the sitcom lounge. Is it me, or is it eeringly precipitous the way Adele has suddenly changed overnight from serious teenage geeky student into a fuck-me-baby-one-more-time kappa slappa? Ant bounds into the room, interrupting her endless telephone conversation with Gareth the Lurch, demanding to know what’s for dinner.
Plank follows the lad into the house, as Adele asks Plank what happened to Ant. This morning he was all doom and gloom and now he seems back to normal. Must be, reckons Plank, laconically. Plank says he was leaning over the van’s opened bonnet outside, when Ant approached him and tickled his bottom. (So Ant like’s tickling lads’ bottoms, eh? Oh, well, he DOES want to be a priest).
Katie has returned home to NNT, apparently having forgotten that she’s supposed to go to work, and Sammy asks her about Jacqui. Katie tells her that Jacqui seems fine, but Jacqui’s worried and thinks she might not be able to have more children.
Sammy seems genuinely concerned and asks Katie how Max is coping with everything. Katie is immediately suspicious of Sammy’s motives in asking about Max, but Sammy merely assures her that she’s concerned how Max is coping on his own.
As Jerome Step’n Fetchit-David-Wonder-Topsy leaves Hotel Corkhill on his way to university, he passes Dr Nikki returning from university, where she’s no doubt been regaling all her profs with her infinitely superior psychological knowledge. She smiles sweetly at Jerome Topsy-Yassuh-Boss-Ah-Bin-Choppin-Dat-Cotton and remarks that the two of them are becoming like an old married couple, with her going one way and him the other and passing each other on the way.
Jerome Prissy-Miss-Sca’lett-Ah-Doan-Know-Nuffin-Bout-Birthin’-No-Baby stops her by grabbing her arm, warning her that, before she goes inside, she should know that Helen’s in there with Jimmy.
Dr Nikki is immediately and jealously suspicious. How long has she been here? She demands of Jerome-Big Sam-Laws-A-Mercy-Miss-Sca’lett-Ah-Done-Had-Nuff-O’dis-Freedom. And how long was she planning on staying?
Jerome Topsy-Amos’n-Andy-Do-De-Name-Ruby-Begonia-Strike-a-Familiar-Note accuses Nikki of treating Helen unfairly, but Dr Nikki knows best - or maybe Dr Nikki is having delusions herself and thinks she’s Miss Putty Face of Belle Plantation and Jerome is Kiss-Me-Mandingo, her devoted slave. She stamps her foot. It isn’t fair on Jimmy, she insists. Why, he’s going to go all gooey and get involved with her, and as soon as she finds out about his illness, she’ll leave him high and dry.
Then, as if to amend herself to Jerome-Kingfish-Saffire-Mammy-Not-While-Ah-Got-Breaf-In-Mah-Body, she suddenly says this relationship isn’t fair to either Jimmy or Helen.
Jerome Topsy-Uncle-Peter-Uncle-Remus-Mandingo-Uncle-Tom-Oreo pleads with her not to say anything to either of them inside, yet.
As Dr Nikki enters Hotel Corkhill, a suspicious frown upon her face, she finds Jimmy making spagbol for Helen. Helen is impressed, as Jimmy tells Nikki that he’s making a nice meal for a nice lady.
Across the Close, Sammy knocks on the front door of Chateau Farnham. Max answers and eyes her warily. He is quick to tell Sammy that he’s just on his way to the hospital. Sammy is equally quick to assure Max that she’s not about to jump on him; she’s just there to offer her help. She explains that she’s willing to do extra hours at the Health Club to cover Jacqui’s absence.
Max is reluctant to accept this offer, telling Sammy that she’d have to consult Jacqui about her offer, as Jacqui deals with the wages.
Oh, Sammy assures him, she didn’t mean that she wanted paying. She just wants to help out. Besides, she says, with Louise away at boarding school, she needs to be doing something to stop her from missing the child.
As Max thanks her and starts to leave, she stops him. She cryptically explains to Max, without any background reference, that she knows what it’s like to lose a baby. It seems as though one will never get over such a thing, but it does get better, she promises. And she begs Max to tell Jacqui that she’d called around.
So ... Sammy’s had a miscarriage.
As Jimmy and Helen prepare to tuck into their spagbol, Nikki makes her obnoxious presence known. Helen asks for the parmesan cheese, but Jimmy apologises, not having any. However, he promises, he’ll be sure to have some on hand when she calls around the next time.
Nikki sitting obtrusively in the midst of Jimmy and Helen’s private space, remarks sarcastically that there might not BE a next time.
Jimmy’s annoyed by this puerile behaviour, and asks Nikki pointedly if she hasn’t got some work to do.
Oh, she can do her uni work anything, Nikki says flippantly. (Yeah, sure. More proof that Brookside knows jack shit about university).
Well, replies Jimmy, equally as sarcastically, the sooner Nikki does her work, the sooner it’s finished.
Nikki storms off like a petulant child.
Jacqui sits alone in her hospital room, looking at a picture of Harry and Emma. She begins to cry.
Outside, as Max arrives at the hospital, he passes a woman putting her child into a pushchair. He looks absolutely desolate.
Tim arrives back on the Close, with the newly cleaned van. As he parks the vehicle, he sees Plank propped up against his rattletrap van outside. Tim tells Plank that he’s cleaned out all the pig muck and that the van has been brushed down and valetted. And not only that, he continues, he’s got another big job lined up for the two of them for this week.
After the last escapade, Plank is suspicious. Learning to use the old grey matter, is our Plank. HEAR THAT, LEZ AND STEPH? (No worries. They don’t read these summaries. They’re too stupid to understand them).
Plank asks about the job, and Tim says it’s moving builders’ rubbish from a construction site. That’s why he had to get the van clean, he explains, to make a good impression and secure the work.
Plank remarks that accurately that moving the builders’ rubbish would only make the van dirty again. Anyway, he says, he hopes the pig’s doing OK in the woods.
Pigs are survivors, Tim assures him. And besides, that pig is their friend for life. And this new job promises cash up front too.
Jacqui wakes up from a nap in hospital to find Max sitting there, looking lovingly and wimpishly at her. Most of the tweenies and the simpletons on the O F will probably have thought this touching. Max looked as though he were suffering from the runs, actually.
Jacqui asks how long he’s been there, and Max says he’s been there 10 minutes.
Well, why didn’t he wake her? Jacqui asks. Max replies wetly that he was just looking at her sleep. (Isn’t that a line in an old song from the Sixties?) Suddenly, Max breaks down and admits to Jacqui that he thought he’d lost her, and he couldn’t bear thinking about that.
Jacqui starts to cry in earnest too, hugging Max close and apologising for not wanting the baby. Max tries to soothe her, but Jacqui continues to weep. She felt that she’d been selfish in not wanting the baby, in thinking that it would impede her career plans. Now look what had happened. It’s all her fault for acting like a selfish bitch.
(Well, actually, this is true.)
Helen is thanking Jimmy for the nice meal, preparing to take her leave. Jimmy accepts the compliment and tells Helen that he used to be a chef in town.
Nikki’s eyes widen at this claim, but Jimmy continues. At a place downtown, he explains, in an oblique reference to Better Burgers. Of course, it wasn’t much, just a dive, but he was a chef just the same. Stll, he was handy in the kitchen, he jokes.
Helen is suddenly aware of the time, reminding Jimmy that she was due across the Close to visit Ray. She bids Jimmy good-bye and says good-bye to Nikki, who shouts out a sarky and rude good-bye.
When Helen’s left, Jimmy confronts Nikki. He supposes her stroppy demeanour of that afternoon has something to do with pay-back time, he suggests.
Nikki pretends not to know what he’s talking about, but Jimmy thinks she
horned in on his lunch with Helen to pay him back from doing the same with her
and Jerome during their romantic meal.
Nikki denies this, which makes Jimmy demand to know why she never left the two of them alone for one minute that afternoon.
Nikki asks Jimmy if he’s told Helen about his mental illness yet?
Jimmy confesses that he hasn’t.
Well, she wants to know, is he going to?
Jimmy insists that he will.
When? Demands Nikki.
Soon, says Jimmy, uneasily.
And what does Jimmy think Helen’s reaction will be when she finds out? She asks, cruelly. What if she finds out before?
She won’t, Jimmy maintains, stoutly. He’ll tell her, himself, in his own time, in his own way.
What if RAY tells her? Nikki badgers.
Ray won’t say anything, Jimmy insists. Ray’s a mate. He promised.
Well, Nikki demands again, WHEN was he planning on telling her?
Next time, says Jim, evasively.
Next time? Repeats Dr Nikki, sarcastically. Next week? Next year?
Arthur Ellison wrote this. It was AWFUL.
Summary © 2002 Marion Watts
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2002