All Saints

First Do No Harm (3x5)

Air date: Feb 29, 2000

On an inspection tour of the hospital, Professor Caroline Edgewater and her grand-daughter Phoebe are pleased to encounter Mitch, Caroline's former student and a friend to both of them. Mitch was a close friend of Caroline's daughter Sarah, who died of cancer when Phoebe was little and he was emotional support to all of them during the difficult months of her illness. Time and tyranny of distance have meant they have lost touch but Phoebe and Mitch quickly fall back in to their former affectionate, teasing relationship. Phoebe feels so comfortable she asks "Uncle Mitch" for a favour—will he give her a prescription for the contraceptive pill without telling her beloved Gran? Mitch—who is still slightly in awe of Caroline—finally agrees to consider doing so, But proper to reaching for his pen, he asks Phoebe some routine questions about her menstrual cycle and is disturbed enough by her answer to insist she has a full gynaecological examination before he will giver he what she wants. Phoebe reluctantly agrees—sure Mitch is being overcautious. When the routine examination shows large numbers of abnormal cells and a suspicious lump on the vaginal wall, which could be a rare form of cancer Phoebe is admitted to hospital for urgent tests under a general anaesthetic. She is initially more worried about Caroline's reaction when she finds out about Phoebe's request for the pill than she is about what the tests will show. But then Caroline becomes very concerned with what the tests might show and terrified it means that Phoebe will die of cancer like her mother Sarah. When Phoebe learns there is a possibility she has cancer she makes Mitch promise if the tests show what she fears, he must immediately perform a full hysterectomy. Phoebe has vivid memories of her mother's death and could not bear to go through anything as painful. Scared of the nightmare Mitch has discovered, Caroline tells Phoebe to stop being silly and tired to over-rule her granddaughter's decision.