We're thrown straight into Ric's trial almost from the get go this week, with a quick flashback to the day Elaine Warren came into AAU on that fateful day, we're then in Ric's trial, the prosecuting lawyer laying down the start of her case, she doesn't look like she'll be giving anyone any sympathy any time soon.
Serena is just about to leave her office to go to the trial when Jac enters her office, the acting CEO telling the senior doctor that she's been given a month off because of the amount of holidays she's accrued and these amount to too many, much to Jac's surprise and obvious reluctance to take them, the younger woman seemingly unsure how to actually take a break from work.
Donna is on the stand first, explaining that on the day Elaine came in they were at ninety three percent full even though it was only 8:30 in the morning, which then leads to a flashback and shows Elaine entering the AAU on a trolley with the paramedics, and then another patient coming in behind her to the already full ward. Ric is then shown in Henrik's office, having a heated discussion with the CEO about how they're stretched to breaking point in AAU and they can't take anymore patients, before leaving the office feeling like Henrik isn't listening.
Jac seemingly taking no notice of the fact she's been given holidays, arrives on Darwin putting her holiday form in the bin, before asking Frieda where Fletch is, the younger woman taking the chance to wind her senior colleague up by asking why the older woman wants to know where he is, unable to stop a smile when she sees her words having the desired effect. After finding Fletch and seeing Becky, one of the school mums' is back on the ward having been admitted not long ago, Jac awkwardly thanks Fletch for his help with her daughter Emma getting into the kid karate, due to him writing a letter of recommendation. He then asks her if she'd like a drink to celebrate, which she accepts, Frieda implying that it sounds like a date, Jac insisting that it's definitely not a date, me thinks the lady doth protest too much?
Back at the trial Donna is still getting questioned on the stand, Serena watching on from the public gallery, the lawyer asking the nurse if the sepsis Elaine had could've been diagnosed earlier than it originally was, Donna confirms while sepsis was an option for Elaine's condition at that early point, they've have needed to do a scan to confirm it, and the ward was full and patients and tests were being delayed due to the sheer number of patients needing to be examined. In another flashback we see Ric asking Donna to keep an eye on things on the ward and also on Elaine because he has to go out somewhere, he does return but it's three hours later and by this time Elaine is already dying, which Donna confirms and admits was the case, on this admission we see Serena looking tense and conflicted with herself.
Oliver is itching to go home and Roxanna tells him that he if can make to the toilets on Darwin and back unaided by any frame, then she'll be happy to discharge him herself, wanting to go home that much and thinking he's fit enough, Oliver sets off on his journey.
Becky asks Jac if she'll put a good word in for her with Fletch to be her wing man, leading the senior doctor to abruptly say he's spoken for, much to the surprise of Frieda and Becky, both women pushing Jac to reveal who this mystery woman is, but they get nothing from Jac, Frieda makes a point of telling her senior colleague that she'll be asking later.
Oliver has some help in his mini mission that Roxanna has set for him, Frieda catches him at the top of one of the sets of stairs and tells him to sit in the wheelchair that she's brought for him, taking him to his old locker and showing him that it's still untouched, and that if he's to start this new life, then maybe some of this stuff needs sorting out.
There's a moment between Fletch and Jac in her office when they both kneel on the floor to tidy up pieces of his broken coffee mug that he dropped on the floor when Jac startled him, with their faces centimetres apart they look at one another, but the atmosphere changes and the moment where they could have potentially been a kiss is gone, and Jac claims to not be interested in Fletch...ok Jac you keep telling yourself that, we can all see that you're more than interested in him.
It's Amira's turn on the stand next, the former nurse telling the prosecution all the bad things that she thought of Ric and how he behaved on the fateful shift that led to the death of Elaine Warren, after which she's rhymed all these negative character traits off she abruptly asks for a break which she is granted, has she just swayed the juries opinion of Ric?
Jac is once again on the floor of her office, her pain becoming so bad that she has no other option, asking Frieda to get her the shot of pain relief which the younger woman refuses, cue another war of words between the pair, in which the young doctor tells Jac she needs to tell Fletch what's happening and how she's been struggling, Jac flat refuses to and says if Frieda says anything she'll ruin her, Frieda then telling Jac she's now on her own, Jac saying that she prefers it this way as she's sat on the floor, leaning against her desk, a look of pain and frustration on her face.
After duping Roxanna to get himself discharged, Oliver leaves in a taxi after he's helped with his bags outside, sharing a hug with the neurosurgeon, Roxanna looking sad as she watches his taxi leave, is Oliver wise going home when he's not fully able to?
Another flashback of past events on AAU in connection to the trial, Ric gives instructions to Amira for blood thinners to be given to Elaine, as she was the nurse nearest to him and therefore he asks her to do this, Amira admits this was the case on the stand and that on the day she should've said something or asked if this is what he wanted her to do on the day, as she was unsure at the time but didn't feel able to ask, so she just kept her head down and didn't do what he'd asked, could this have saved or helped to save Elaine?
Seen as she's burned bridges with Frieda, Jac is in the storeroom for her own pain relief, being stopped by Fletch coming into the room, this followed by Jac asking if he'd like to come away with her seen as she's got all these holidays owed to her, he politely declines, saying it's maybe not possible because of his kids and the arrangements he'd have to make. Was that Jac taking Frieda's previous advice?
Ric is now taking his turn on the stand, as a flashback comes into play and shows him reading a letter from his daughter in the office on the day in question, the letter telling him she's going back to her ex, much to his annoyance, he tells the lawyer questioning him that he was annoyed about this on the day and other family stuff, he says he left the ward to help a friend, but doesn't go into detail about who it was or what he actually helped this friend with, saying it wouldn't make a difference. We see via the flashback that it's Jason and Lola he's helping, mainly Lola because she's in labour and doesn't want to go to hospital, threatening to tell people Jason caused her head injury if Ric tries to do this.
Oliver's stint at home didn't last very long, since he forgot his bathroom had a step into it and he slipped and cut his head, Roxanna telling him that she knows he cheated at the task she set him, Frieda told her what Oliver had done, also that he needs to take his time more with his recovery, not try to rush things, but will he listen to her advice this time?
Still on the stand, Ric says that even though they try to save everyone they can't, and that Elaine's death will haunt him forever, but also that he feels he couldn't have done more, that he did all that he could on that day to save her.
Just about to go into Becky's surgery, Fletch and Frieda come to the door just as Jac is washing her hands, it turns out Frieda has told Fletch exactly what Jac is going through just like she said she would before if Jac herself didn't tell him. When Jac says she didn't know how to tell Fletch all that she's been going through, he holds her and they share a long and comforting hug, this embrace causing Jac to close her eyes, after which Fletch tells her they're going to talk after Becky's operation, kisses her forehead and then heads into theatre, leaving Jac pondering his words, but will she hang around long enough and face her vulnerability in order to have this talk with Fletch?
Henrik is in court for Ric's trial, taking the stand as a character witness for him, he tells the court how good a doctor Ric is and that the idea of a 'blame game' in this trial should be done carefully, that Ric gives the best treatment without any judgement on the patient at all and to the best of his ability. Going on to say that Ric is a rare man of character and if he's guilty of gross negligence as this trial says, then so is he himself and so is everyone else too here.
A quick nip back to Holby and Jac has left a note for Fletch in her office asking him to give her annual leave form back to Serena or HR, where does this leave them both now?
We end where we started the episode back at Ric's trial, the foreman of the jury is asked to stand and then is asked if they the jury have reached a verdict, to which he replies yes, and then is asked the ultimate question, guilty or not guilty.....cue the Holby theme music starting up in the background, the camera trained on Ric's face in the dock....he is going to be a free man next week, or is this the end for him????
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