Mike tries to give Pat a lift.

Radio Times: Mike tries to give Pat a lift.

Characters: Janet, Julia, Mike, Nigel, Pat, Usha

• Usha and Janet are out for a stroll, putting in some miles before their big trek. Usha’s finding the going a little heavy, but plans to borrow Kathy’s exercise machine to work on in the evenings when she returns home too late to put some outdoor time in. They bump into Pat who’s out getting some air although she doesn’t want to walk with them into the village.
• The builders have finally left Lower Loxley, Julia’s initially concerned that they’ve left the job half done, until Nigel points out that the beams are exposed to allow the wood to dry – they’ll be back to plaster it in a couple of months. Julia’s slightly more concerned with an email she’s received from Ronald Hardwicke – reminding her that her final installment of five thousand pounds is due next week. She’s a little over half way there – with no sign of her anticipated advance for her book – Nigel suggests that she visit the bank and ask for an overdraft.
• Pat’s in a little world of her own as Mike passes her in the car. He stops and, in the nicest possible way, refuses to let her go on and insists she gets in the car. With a little initial difficulty on both sides he tries to open up to her, that he knows what he’s going through. He’d even considered topping himself and points out that he’d have missed his kids entering university. Pat’s not thought of suicide, but Mike tries to show her that he’s battled his way through it and has come out the other side – and that she can too. It was obviously hard on Mike to have the conversation, but Pat seems to respond to him – especially his success in the fight. She’s crying and doesn’t want the family to see her so Mike suggests that they just sit in the car and wait until she’s ready to be driven home.