Jacob switched job roles after Robyn’s death (Picture: BBC)
A massively dramatic situation confronted paramedics Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson), Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke) and Jacob Masters (Charles Venn) in Saturday (May 27)’s Casualty when they arrived at a tower block to find an engineer dangling off the side on a rope as live wires around him sent out sparks of electricity.
The man had been fixing a phone mast but was stopped by an anti-5G protester and fell, only to be left suspended by a rope and surrounded by live wires that risked electrocuting him and anyone trying to help him.
While Iain thought the man’s best chance was for him, Teddy and Jacob to pull him back up to the roof, Jacob had other ideas and set off to try to get a phone signal to call for back-up. Unable to pull the man up themselves, Teddy and Iain watched in despair as the rope snapped and he fell, leaving him with life-changing injuries.
This isn’t the first time that Jacob has ignored Iain’s instructions and made a situation worse. On a previous occasion he left Iain with a patient while he went to an incident elsewhere, leading to Teddy getting shot when a frightened man with a gun panicked.
Back at the hospital, Iain was furious. Jacob insisted he was ‘following protocol’ but Iain said he needed to be able to trust his team to listen. He said that Jacob was trying to prove himself, stopping short of saying that it was all about what happened to Robyn – but it was all about what happened to Robyn. Jacob still blames himself for the decisions made on the day Robyn died and everything he’s done since has been affected by it.
A heart to heart with Charlie (Derek Thompson) saw Jacob saying he didn’t feel like he belonged on any side – neither the nursing team or the paramedics – any more and he couldn’t make a decision without screwing up. Charlie reassured him that he’s a good man with good intentions.
He is, too, and he’s a caring and kind person as he showed when he talked to Jessica (Thea Beyleveld), the woman who sabotaged the phone mast, who blamed 5G for the cancer that killed her daughter. In an absolutely heartbreaking scene Jessica had made her way to the paediatric cancer ward where her daughter had died.
Jacob’s behaviour also led to Teddy getting shot (Picture: BBC)
‘Why her?’ she asked Jacob. ‘Why did it have to be her?’
She could have been talking about Robyn, too, and so could Jacob when he told her, ‘I know you want to do something, or change something, or blame someone, but you can’t control this. You can’t go back.’
At the end of the shift Iain asked if he wanted to go for a drink but Jacob said no and went off to drink alone. As he drank steadily throughout the evening the bar tender said she wasn’t happy serving him any more drinks if he didn’t have anyone to look after him.
Jan is helping to look after Gethin (Picture: BBC)
‘What if I don’t have anyone?’ he said. ‘Then I feel bad for you,’ she replied.
With his voice breaking with emotion he said, ‘And what if I deserve it?’
He stumbled off home, apparently unable to show himself the same compassion he’d shown to Jessica.
Will Jacob be able to pull himself back from this downward spiral?
Elsewhere, Faith (Kirsty Mitchell) was bitten by a snake, which is not something that happens every day in a hospital. The worst part was she had to deal with the pain without any pain relief, as she’s desperately trying to withdraw from the drugs she’s become addicted to. It’s a secret she’s battling with all by herself, but people are starting to notice things aren’t right with her.
Will Iain (Michael Stevenson) discover her secret battle? And as someone who’s firmly against drug use, will he stand by her if he does?
Faith is struggling as she withdraws from her drugs (Picture: BBC)
And Jan (Di Botcher) tried to cheer up ex-husband Gethin (Robert Pugh), who is living with her as his health deteriorates because of motor neurone disease. A visit to the seaside seemed to be helping a little bit – and Jan was cheered by a talk with Alvin (Louis Emerick), a wise busker who told her to make the most of every minute.
Back at home, Gethin was feeling the strain of trying to put on a brave face for Jan, telling her the day had been hard.
‘I can’t keep doing this just to make you feel happy,’ he said. Poor Jan went to the kitchen and broke down in tears.
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Being a paramedic is proving difficult for Jacob.
