Doctors: Valerie hears a rumour about the takeover

This week in Doctors.

Monday: Luca is suffering from a cold – nursing a headache – and Emma worries over how he will get through the day at work. Luca is adamant on showing up for his shift but can’t get rid of Emma’s suffocating concern. When she asks him whether he wants to do something tonight he passes, preferring to see a friend. Luca takes a moment to complain to Sid about Emma hovering around him and he advises Luca to say something to her. Towards the end of the day, Luca’s headache is taking its toll and Emma orders him home with her in the car. Luca is feeling too rough to refuse.

In the morning, Bear is surprised to hear from Daniel and Zara that they’ve gone back on yesterday’s decision to pursue the Sutton Vale takeover, citing his misgivings which he thought they had dismissed out of hand.

Tuesday: LLuca visits Winnie Jones (80), who enjoys regaling him with stories of her travels and adventures and now wants to share some exciting news – a final round the world trip. Luca is happy for her although not entirely sure if she is being serious as Winnie’s heart failure has made her bedbound. He asks if she will see her children along the way but Winnie is dismissive and changes the subject.

Asif admits he is still having suicidal thoughts but is willing to try medication and he is open to Jimmi’s CBT technique and trying to get him to consider his life through a different lens. Asif is worried that his record studio business is failing but at least it is currently still running. At the end of the day Al is happy for Jimmi and finally gets to share his big news – that he will be the Lead at Sutton Vale when the Mill takes over.

Wednesday: Outside Sutton Vale Surgery, Bear, Zara, Daniel and Al all agree that they need to carefully manage how they will tell the staff about the temporary take-over. At the Mill, Valerie is on the Receptionist Grapevine and hears a rumour about the takeover – she realises it’s probably true and shares her theory with Sid and Emma who are unimpressed. Emma phones Jimmi, who is on his way to Tim’s Inquest, and learns that he already knew.

Thursday: With the joint Campus/Mill Staff Meetings looming, Emma tries but fails to rally support from Ruhma while Sid grumbles to Jimmi. Daniel chairs the Campus Meeting with Emma, Sid and Hazeem while Zara and Bear chair the meeting at the Mill with Jimmi, Karen and Valerie. They are surprised to find that everyone already knows the news from Valerie and face more resistance than expected with requests for pay increases, concern about workload and Emma’s particular beef – the fact that none of them were consulted in the first place. Daniel apologises and quietly asks her if she’s actually more upset about the ongoing rift with Zara.

At Winnie Jones’s house, Luca nervously awaits Sid’s evaluation and is saddened by the diagnosis.

Doctors, Monday to Thursday, 1.45pm