Freya tries to help a family in crisis

Freya tries to help a family in crisis
Freya tries to help a family in crisis

Young Charlie is awoken by her dad Jeff, who staggers in drunk after drowning his sorrows to numb the pain of his arthritis. Charlie puts Jeff to bed before making his hot chocolate. She crushes two sleeping pills into the drink but then adds a third tablet into the mix, hoping to soothe him. In the morning, when Charlie goes to check on her dad, she's distraught to find him unresponsive and runs to get help. Freya reassures Charlie her dad isn't dying and after assessing Jeff's condition recommends he sleep it off. When Jeff wakes up, he's angry at Freya's accusations that he isn't giving Charlie enough care but is adamant he would never take sleeping pills. Jeff admits that he takes two painkillers at tea time and that Charlie keeps an eye on his pills. Charlie admits to giving her dad one extra sleeping pill. Freya then realises in horror that Charlie has taken an overdose of sleeping pills, fearing she'd be left alone. At the hospital, Freya is relieved to hear Charlie is going to be OK. But Charlie rages at Freya for ruining everything and fears she's going to be put into care. Freya can't help but cry as the events of the day catch up on her.

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.