S03:E05 - Second Chance

47-year-old Chrissie was crossing the road near her home when she was hit by a motorcycle. The side of Chrissie’s face took the brunt of the impact and the main concern is potential bleeding behind the eye or in the brain. Her husband Tim struggles to get to the hospital - ironically he’s stuck in the traffic jam her accident has caused. Chrissie and Tim first met over twenty years ago. It was love at first sight and Tim proposed almost immediately. But three weeks before the wedding, Chrissie changed her mind, Tim moved out and never came back. However four years ago Chrissie got in touch looking for closure and they decided, finally, to get married. But could Chrissie’s accident put their second chance of happiness in jeopardy? John is in Resus with a suspected stroke - luckily for him, King’s specialises in caring for stroke patients. He’s confused and doesn’t know what year it is. But in spite of his fears about memory loss, John’s irrepressible sense of humour shines through. Meanwhile Benedict, 22, a gifted musician, has come into King’s because of his drinking problems – he drinks over seventy units of alcohol a day. Damian, Benedict’s dad, finds it difficult to watch the destructive nature of his son’s alcoholism - but can a father’s unconditional love overcome such a terrible disease? “When somebody that you've brought up and been proud of is an alcoholic, I think there aren't enough words really to describe the intense sorrow and pain that one can feel,” says Damian. “I don’t think there’s a stereotype, it can happen to anybody, at any time.” For consultant Liz, it’s the patients’ families who carry the weight of responsibility after an illness or accident. “It’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint,’” says Liz. “Long after the hospital has discharged them the process of getting well may still be going on and it’s the relatives that carry the burden of that.” ‘24 Hours in A&E’ is a powerful, intimate - at times humorous but ultimately heart-warming - portrait of modern Britain in all its diversity.