Summary[]
Ricky secretly buys a cot for the newly finished nursery. When Bianca has her scan the baby is found to have spina bifida. Annie has an interesting offer for Ian about a restaurant.
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Ian's having trouble with the children wailing and asking why mummy doesn't come to visit them. In the Vic, they discuss Bianca's baby and bet on whether it's a boy or a girl. Grant says it can't be a boy, because it might be ginger and that would be terrible. Pat looks at Grant and replies pointedly it's better than no hair at all. She says it's lucky they didn't have scans in Peggy's day or she'd have seen what her sons were going to look like! There are various wagers placed on whether it's a boy or girl. Grant has Courtney because Tiffany has chicken pox. He tells Phil she looks terrible. Ian is centre page news when Annie gives the story about Cindy being arrested to the Gazette. People read it and say it makes Ian sound like a real hero rescuing his children and getting Cindy arrested. Annie looks smug, but Ian spends the morning searching for her and doesn't look like he's going to congratulate her. Sonia borrows Bianca's perfume to help Clare attract Josh, and douses Clare in it, then invites Josh to the café with them to discuss clubs. Josh's group are looking for venues to play so Sonia tells them she knows lots of clubs. Clare is standing by looking lovestruck. Then, as Clare and Josh go into the café, she suddenly "remembers" an appointment to accompany Bianca to the hospital for her first scan. As she walks off Robbie says Clare has no chance with Josh. Sonia says nonsense, she's really pretty, and Robbie's just jealous. He is carrying around a book of love poetry as he sits in the café gazing at Mary working. She finally comes over to give him a cup of tea and looks at the book. Robbie mopes around Bianca's stall, saying that Mary won't look at him anyway, as he's stupid, unemployed and ugly. Bianca brightly tells him that he needs a job, and asks if he wants to look after the stall this afternoon while she's at the hospital. She offers £5 and he says no, so she says £6 is the limit. Robbie is desperate, so accepts. Bianca chats to Pat in the café, saying she'd like a girl really, although she hasn't told anyone before because she's superstitious. In the Arches, Ricky tells Phil he'd like a boy. He also dashes off early before picking Bianca up for the hospital visit to collect a large cot and various toys. He shows Bianca this as she's moaning about him being late for their appointment, and she's thrilled. Miss Haye returns the video to Nigel, apologising that it's a bit late. He says he hoped she enjoyed it and she laughs. Nigel asks her how she likes living round here, and asks if she settling in. She replies that she's only renting and isn't planning to stay long. She asks about Nigel and he says he's a permanent fixture here. She says in that case, she'd like to pick his brains sometime, as she has to write a local history school play, and needs to find out something about the area. Nigel says any time, and suggests going to the Vic - there's nothing like meeting the local colour to really get a feel for the place. She hurries off, saying that she is busy right now, but maybe some other time. Nigel sees Clare and Sonia and says their teacher is really nice, not like the ones he used to have. Annie is just getting a drink at the bar in the Vic and Ian walks in and asks Annie for a word. They sit down and Ian says angrily that he received a letter this morning saying that she had applied for planning permission for a restaurant in the Square. She says that's right and she hopes he will support it. Ian says it will be in direct competition with his business and she never mentioned it and she's done the dirty on him. He says he doesn't know if he can trust her now. She says she thinks it will be good for the Square, and it will be appealing to a totally different market to a fish and chip shop and a greasy spoon café. She adds that she had hoped perhaps he would like to come into partnership with her on it. Ian says he thinks it would be a conflict of interest with the residents' association. She says that it wouldn't do his political career any harm to be a successful restauranteur rather than owner of a greasy chippy. He concedes this, and asks why she hadn't approached him before. She says she's telling him now. Ian says he will consider it but to be fair he will still have to call a residents' meeting about the planning permission. Annie says, of course, she wouldn't expect anything less, but she doesn't look too pleased. She goes to the bar for another orange juice and Phil says Ian seems to have it made - he clicks his fingers and she comes running. Annie says it was business, and his wife might also be concerned as she will be setting up a restaurant. Phil says it doesn't seem Annie's style - not enough money in it. Bianca and Ricky go to the hospital and the nurse scans her stomach. They see the pictures of the baby, and ask what sex it is. The nurse suddenly stops and says she has to call the consultant. She returns and Bianca looks worried and asks if it will be okay. The nurse says to talk to the consultant. Ricky asks if it is a boy or a girl. The nurse tells them it is a girl. The doctor calls them into the office and says he has to tell them that the baby is defective - the vertebrae are malformed so it has spina bifida and will be physically disabled. Also, it has an associated problem of hydrocephaly so will have brain damage. They ask if there is anything he can do, saying there must be drugs or something. He says no, nothing at all, although they can operate immediately it is born, but a child with both these conditions will require countless operations and will always require round-the-clock total care as it will be severely mentally and physically disabled. The hospital can arrange a termination within a few days if that is what they decide. Bianca screeches that she's not going to give up her baby, and they will have it. The doctor says it's her choice and suggests they go away and think about it. |
Credits[]
Main cast[]
- Bianca Butcher - Patsy Palmer
- Ricky Butcher - Sid Owen
- Grant Mitchell - Ross Kemp
- Nigel Bates - Paul Bradley
- Clare Tyler - Gemma Bissix
- Sonia Jackson - Natalie Cassidy
- Pat Evans - Pam St. Clement
- Ian Beale - Adam Woodyatt
- Kathy Mitchell - Gillian Taylforth
- Steven Beale - Stuart Stevens
- Peter Beale - Alex Stevens
- Lucy Beale - Casey Anne Rothery
- Pat Evans - Pam St. Clement
- Annie Palmer - Nadia Sawalha
- Phil Mitchell - Steve McFadden
- Peggy Mitchell - Barbara Windsor
- George Palmer - Paul Moriarty
- Robbie Jackson - Dean Gaffney
- Mary Flaherty - Melanie Clark Pullen
- Huw Edwards - Richard Elis
- Julie Haye - Karen Henthorn
- Neelam Kapoor - Jamila Massey
- Ethel Skinner - Gretchen Franklin
- Josh Saunders - Jon Lee
- Peter Beale - Alex Stevens (uncredited)
- Lucy Beale - Casey Anne Rothery (uncredited)
- Courtney Mitchell - Carissa O'Meara, Josephine O'Meara (uncredited)
Recurring cast[]
Guest cast[]
- Radiographer - Moya O'Shea
- Doctor Edwards - Philip Bowen
- Graham - Toby Florescu
Notes[]
- eturn of Ethel Skinner, last seen on 14 January 1997.