*** OUTSIDE ***

Lullaby and goodnight, mummy's going to die tonight!

By this time the fire has spread significantly, and people have become to crowd around in interest.

Oh look, honey, look at all the people come to see the big bonfire!

A middle aged woman runs up to him frantically.

Emma Smith:

Sir, did you see what happened?! How it started?

No love, I only just arrived, I thought I'd show my daughter what a big fire looked like.

Emma looks at him strangely.

Emma Smith:

I don't think all this smoke would be doing her much good.

She's only a few days old, it can't be that bad.

Emma Smith:

Well, the police and fire crews have just been informed, they'll be here any minute.

It's a deserted building, not worth saving. I read they were going to blow it up in a few weeks.

Emma Smith:

I wouldn't know anything about that, sir.

Emma goes hastily away.

Such a good baby, you're not even crying at all this noise.

The fire brigade arrive, as do the area car and a panda. Peter laughs, as Eddie, Vicky, George and Luke make their way towards the crowd of people.

Oh Sammy, look. Here come the cavalry!

Eddie begins questioning the numerous people around as the firemen set about extinguishing the blazing flames.

Bit too late for your mummy though!

Eddie notices a man calmly sitting with a baby in his arms, and approaches him. As he walks slowly, he pushes people back away from the building. He notices a familiar looking white blanket, but doesn't realise the connection. Peter sees the police and starts to walk away very quickly.

PC Santini:

Sir, wait. Can I have a word with you, please?

Eddie approaches him quickly, as Peter walks faster.

Sorry, I'm late.

PC Santini:

Sir, please! Did you see how it happened?

No I didn't, I have to go.

Eddie catches up with him and places a hand loosely on his shoulder to stop him. Peter struggles out of his grasp.

PC Santini:

What's so important?

Excuse me, my daughter needs to be out of the smoke.

Eddie looks down at the child briefly, then looks back up at him. After a second he looks back down and realises it's Samantha.

She's very young, it's too dangerous.

Eddie doesn't show shock.

Excuse me.

PC Santini:

Hang on.

Eddie restrains Peter by both arms tightly. He radios for Vicky to come and assist.

Let go of me! I�ve done nothing wrong!

PC Santini:

Oh, no? Mind if I ask you a few questions then?

Can it wait?

Vicky arrives, and immediately recognises the child, but doesn't alert Peter.

Angela needs to be out of this smoke.

PC Santini:

Oh, does she really? Vicky?

Eddie motions for her to take the baby.

Hey, what are you doing?

PC Santini:

What's your name eh?

Eddie is getting quite worked up.

Bob Morgan.

Eddie raises his eyebrows in disbelief.

This is my daughter Angela, we were out for a walk and saw the fire. I stayed to make sure no one got hurt but when you came along, I thought it'd be best to get her out of the smoke and noise.

Eddie speaks to him aggressively.

PC Santini:

You feel like coming down to the station for a little chat?

I'm not coming to any station! I've done nothing wrong!

Eddie turns sharply and strikes him across the face. Peter stumbles back and nearly drops Sam. Eddie instructs Vicky to take Sam, but Peter won't let her out of his arms.

Hey mate, what's your problem here?

PC Santini:

Give her the baby!

Why?

PC Santini:

Are you hearing impaired or something? Let go!

Look, I want to know what's going on here, you lot just can't go round harassing innocent members of the public!

Eddie pauses, until Vicky is out of sight, before turning sharply and striking him across the face. Peter stumbles and falls to the ground.

OI! What the hell was that for!

PC Santini:

Get up, you son of a bitch!

What the hell did you do that for?

PC Santini:

Mr Morgan, you're under arrest for kidnapping.

Eddie reads him his rights.

Kidnapping? What are you on about?

PC Santini:

This child is not your daughter.

She is! Her name is Angela.

Vicky goes off to get Tony and Sam.

PC Santini:

Right, you wanna cut the bull and tell me why you've got someone else's baby?!

She's my daughter!

PC Santini:

Where is Polly Quinnan, you bastard!

Eddie roughs him up.

I've never heard of her!

Vicky comes rushing back over to Eddie.

WPC Hagen:

Ed, they've got a female body inside!

You've no right to arrest me! I've done nothing!

PC Santini:

Just shut up and get in there!

No!

*** SUN HILL POLICE STATION - A FEW MONTHS LATER***

Polly is carrying boxes of evidence back towards the custody suite. She notices Reg coming eagerly towards her up the corridor.

PC Hollis:

Oh, hello Poll.

WPC Quinnan:

How's it going, Reg? What can I do for you?

PC Hollis:

Brilliant, I just found a new gardening book.

WPC Quinnan:

Good for you.

Poll mumbles depressed.

PC Hollis:

What's up?

WPC Quinnan:

It's nothing, Reg.

Polly tries to pay attention to what he's mumbling on about.

WPC Quinnan:

Is that what you came to tell me ?

PC Hollis:

I've got just the thing to cheer you up.

WPC Quinnan:

And what would that be, Reg?

PC Hollis:

Karaoke.

WPC Quinnan:

What ?

PC Hollis:

At the pub tonight we're going to celebrate Deb's birthday.

Polly pauses.

WPC Quinnan:

Oh, right.

PC Hollis:

You will be there, won't you?

Polly nods briefly.

PC Hollis:

Well, are you going to buy her a separate present or chip in with the rest of us?

WPC Quinnan:

Huh? Oh, um, I�ll speak with Dave, ok?

Polly is distracted.

PC Hollis:

Ok then.

Reg walks away, as Polly looks down at the box in her hands, letting her mind drift back to Deb's birthday last year, and then forward to her own.Tony's voice is heard.

PC Stamp:

Happy Birthday then, Debs.

Polly flashbacks to her own birthday, suddenly over come with anger, and rushes back to the female locker rooms, dumping the box on the floor. Vicky notices but is distracted. Polly opens her locker madly, grabbing the picture of herself, Dave, and Sam off the shelf, and throwing it quickly to the floor, watching the glass smash.She bends down and grabs for the biggest, sharpest looking piece as she pushes her jumper sleeves up, revealing her wrists. Polly doesn't hesitate before blindly slashing downwards on each wrists, watching the blood drip onto the floor. She weakens and allows herself to collapse to the ground in tears.

*** TWENTY MINUTES LATER ***

Vicky goes into the locker room to see what Polly is doing and finds her barely conscious on the floor.

WPC Hagen:

HELP SOMEONE!!

Sam is walking down the corridor.

WPC Hagen:

Sam!! Help!

PC Harker:

Oh my god!

Vicky grabs each of Polly's wrists and applies pressure, elevating them.

WPC Hagen:

Get an ambulance!

Sam speaks into his PR.

PC Harker:

Sarge, we need medical assistance in the female locker room urgently.

Sgt Ackland:

The what, Sam?

June doesn't believe him, thinking he is having a laugh.

PC Harker:

The female locker room.

Sgt Ackland:

What, someone chip a nail?

PC Harker:

Sarge, I'm serious, I can't go into it on the PR.

Sgt Ackland:

Sam, if this is some kind of birthday prank?

PC Harker:

Sarge, I am being serious, I swear.

June turns to George in CAD and nods for him to organise one.

Sgt Ackland:

It's on its way, Sam.

June runs out of CAD and makes her way to the locker room.

Sgt Ackland:

What the - ? My god!

Sam has taken off his shirt and is bandaging Polly's wrists.

WPC Hagen:

Sarge, it's all my fault! I saw her run in here about twenty minutes ago, but didn't take any notice.

Sgt Ackland:

Vicky, we'll worry about it later, the ambulance'll be here soon.

June reaches for her radio.

Sgt Ackland:

340 from 48 receiving?

PC Quinnan:

Go ahead, sarge.

Sgt Ackland:

Dave, where are you?

PC Quinnan:

Just finishing in custody, sarge, why?

Sgt Ackland:

You'd better get to the female locker room, Dave!

PC Quinnan:

On way!

The ambulance arrives and Polly is taken to hospital accompanied by Dave.

*** ST HUGH'S HOSPITAL ***

Dr Hampton rushes out from behind the reception desk and directs the ambulance officers to take Polly to the nearest exam cubicle.

Dr Hampton:

Ok, who can tell me what's happened?

PC Quinnan:

I don't know! They found her on the locker room floor of the station!

Dr Hampton:

Right, ok.

PC Quinnan:

Is she gonna be ok ?!

Dr Hampton:

I don't know yet, I'll have to examine her.

Dr Hampton enters the exam cubicle, as Sam enters the reception area with June.

PC Harker:

Any news, Dave?

PC Quinnan:

Nothing yet. The doctor's examining her now. Will someone please tell me what the hell happened?

PC Harker:

We just found her on the floor, Dave, I'm not sure exactly what happened!

PC Quinnan:

Who found her!?

PC Harker:

Vicky did and then she called me.

PC Quinnan:

I don't understand this! What has brought it all on?

PC Harker:

I don't know, Dave.

PC Quinnan:

What did Vicky say about what led to this?

Nurse Roberts comes running out of the cubicle. Dave approaches her.

PC Quinnan:

What's going on?

Nurse Roberts:

I'm just getting another nurse for some help.

PC Quinnan:

Is she alright ?!

Nurse Roberts:

You should really speak to the doctor.

Dave lets her continue with her job.

*** AN HOUR LATER***

Dave and June sit on the hard plastic chairs waiting anxiously. Dr Hampton finally exits the cubicle after keeping a close watch on Polly. Dave rushes up to her.

PC Quinnan:

Doctor, what's going on?

Dr Hampton:

She's still unconcious but she has stabilised. She was in here before, wasn't she?

PC Quinnan:

Yes, almost a year ago.

Dr Hampton:

Has she dealt with the trauma of the attack?

PC Quinnan:

I'd thought so, doctor. This has just come up out of the blue. She's been fine. Well, then was another drama a few months ago, but she'd gotten over it all, I'm sure.

Dr Hampton:

Do you have any idea why she would have cut her wrists then?

Dave sighs and shakes his head miserably.

PC Quinnan:

Is she going to be alright?

Dr Hampton:

Physically, yes. Emotionally, it's going to take some time.

PC Quinnan:

I don't know what to do, doctor, I didn't see this coming.

Dr Hampton:

It's not your fault.

PC Quinnan:

If not, then whose?

Dr Hampton:

No-one could have predicted this.

PC Quinnan:

I should 've been able to.

Dave pauses.

Dr Hampton:

What?

A few months ago, our daughter Samantha was abducted at gun point. It turned out the man did it to get Poll. He was the brother of the guy who attacked her.

Dr Hampton:

I see, I'm going to refer her to a firend of mine, Dr Peters. He is a psychiatrist who will be able to help her.

PC Quinnan:

I've been worried that she hasn't spoken much of this abduction, nothing except that neither she nor Sam were hurt. I'm sure there's more to it. There has to be.

Dr Hampton:

Go and see her now, talk to her, let her know you still love her.

Dave excuses himself and makes off towards CCU. Dr Hampton walks over to Sam.

Dr Hampton:

Were you the one who found Polly?

PC Harker:

Well, the second one, why?

Dr Hampton:

I need to know some facts for the report.

PC Harker:

Sure, go ahead.

Was there anything in the room that she could have cut herself on?

Sam thinks back.

PC Harker:

There was broken glass everywhere. I'm not sure, oh, yeah, it was glass out of a photo frame.

Dr Hampton makes some notes on her clipboard.

Dr Hampton:

Did you speak to her recently??

PC Harker:

Sometime this morning briefly. She seemed a little down, but nothing extreme.

Dr Hampton:

Right, and what first aid was applied?

PC Harker:

Um, we applied pressure to both wrists, as well as elevation.

Dr Hampton:

Right, you did a good job.

PC Harker:

What's the story with regards to the injuries?

Dr Hampton:

She's stable but it's still touch and go.

PC Harker:

You mean you could still lose her?

Dr Hampton:

Not if I have anything to do with it.

PC Harker:

So I can go back and assure the rest of them?

Dr Hampton:

If you want, just don't promise them anything. Tell your sergeant I need to have a word with her

PC Harker:

I won't, people have given up on that by now. Yeah, will do.

Sam motions for June to come over.

Dr Hampton:

Thanks.

Sgt Ackland:

What can I do for you?

Dr Hampton:

It looks like a suicide attempt, I thought you should know.

Sgt Ackland:

I had gathered that, and I'll handle it appropriately. Thanks for all your help, again.

Dr Hampton:

June smiles warmly.

No problem. Do you need me to organise a counsellor to come and talk to your officers?

Sgt Ackland:

I can handle it, but thanks for offering. We're just lucky someone found her when they did.

Dr Hampton leaves.

*** CRITICAL CARE UNIT ***

PC Quinnan:

Poll, can you hear me? I don't know what's happening to us, Poll, I thought we were fine but we're obviously not. I love you and I always have, but you need to talk to me. You can't keep cutting me out of your life, we belong together.

Polly stirs and slowly opens her eyes, not looking at Dave.

PC Quinnan:

Poll�

Dave squeezes her hand, but Polly starts sobbing.

PC Quinnan:

It's ok, I understand.

WPC Quinnan:

No, you don't! You can't.

PC Quinnan:

Then tell me, let me in, don't keep shutting me out.

WPC Quinnan:

I don't want to go on like this, each day being reminded of it all.

PC Quinnan:

Then talk to someone, if not to me, then someone from work,like June, or your family or a psychiatrist. Just let it out.

WPC Quinnan:

I thought I had.I thought I'd worked through it all.

PC Quinnan:

Please, just talk to someone, anyone!

WPC Quinnan:

Nothing's ever the same anyone. Not a birthday, not my job, nothing! Not even you.

PC Quinnan:

You need to work through this before it will get better.

WPC Quinnan:

I can't believe that it ever will. There will always be someone out there.

PC Quinnan:

Poll, I can protect you. Sam and I need you.

WPC Quinnan:

You can't protect me, nobody can, and I don't expect them to. As for needing me? You didn't need me too much six months ago.