Ruth, who is struck with grief and depression following last week's fatal misdiagnosis of a patient, is found hanging in halls of residence, in tonight's edition of the medical drama.
As the department tries to come to terms with what has happened, Harry reflects on what could have been done differently. He has Ruth's diary, and reads back over her last few months in the ED department. Her driving ambition to be a doctor is clear, but also her loneliness and increasing exhaustion.
Harry learns that Ruth had been shadowing a team in Histology, and had become close to the lead doctor – jokingly referring to him as "Dr Doom". However, she had misread his friendship and had found his rejection hard to take. At the same time, Ruth had also befriended a patient, Rachel, who passed away. Whilst trying to cope emotionally, Ruth was also doing long, hard shifts in the ED.
The team gather in the pub to drown their sorrows, and talk about life and death, their regrets and how they could have helped Ruth more.
Tess and Harry are still at work and, as Ruth lies in a coma, Harry says that they all let Ruth down and that the hospital let her down, too.
Ruth is played by Georgia Taylor, Harry by Simon MacCorkindale, "Dr Doom" by Rhys Thomas, Rachel by Clare Perkins and Tess by Suzanne Packer.
