Heart to hearts all round as Pip and Luke are each coaxed from their despair.

Radio Times: TB causes trouble at Brookfield.

Characters: Betty, David, Luke, Mabel, Ruth, Susan

• It’s a bad day for Brookfield; the cattle affected by TB are being taken away and a couple of young calves, soon to be orphans, will also have to be shot. Phil rang to see how they were but this generates a hostile reaction from Ruth.
• Even the news that he has an appointment on Friday cannot lift Luke. Mabel persuades him to let her read the lists he has been writing, as suggested by the counsellor: why he started on drugs, why he resumed and which of these reasons will still be there when he is clean. There is no reason or purpose to anything, only chaos and he is too weak to take it. He would be better off dead but for now he will go for a walk.
• In the shop Susan is filling Betty in on their house plans. Luke’s appearance is not very welcome and they are on the lookout in case he nicks anything.
• Mabel finds Luke in the church, worried that she has upset him. She assures him that there is a purpose to life – his life. He should write another list, of all the good things about himself. God has an unfailing love for him and will look after him even when he has no faith in himself; for example, he came to this church originally just for somewhere to sleep but he found Alan and Amy, and Mabel herself.
• It’s late and David is surprised to find Pip still up; she has got to finish this work. If she doesn’t do well, Mum and Grandad will keep fighting but there is too much to do and she hates it. David assures her that she does not have to take the Felpersham exam. She needn’t worry about Grandad; he doesn’t have to do the nasty homework. David will speak to him in the morning.