It all kicks off in Holby City next week when Zosia suspects her dad Guy is drinking on the job and threatens to call in Hanssen! Camilla Arfwedson reveals more...
With dad Guy spiralling out of control, Dr Zosia March is forced to take drastic action, as Camilla Arfwedson reveals…
Why did Zosia recently turn down a place at Yale School of Medicine in America to stay at Holby with her dad, neurosurgeon Guy Self (John Michie)? "When Guy told Zosia he was having psychotherapy, she could tell he was deeply unhappy and thought he was lying to her about being OK when she knew he wasn’t, so she began to worry that he might actually be feeling suicidal. For Zosia, at this moment in time, Guy was more important than Yale; she knew she had to stay at Holby to look after him as much as she could, so she put Yale on hold."
In this week's episode, Guy and Zosia treat patient, Christian, who needs surgery to remove a brain tumour. What concerns Zosia about the case? "Zosia feels the need to work more closely with her dad because she fears he could do something potentially dangerous and, in this case, Zosia’s concerned when Guy changes his mind about how much of Christian’s tumour to remove. Guy’s always so clear-headed, focused and absolutely knows what he’s doing, so for him to go back on a decision rings alarm bells for Zosia. That’s when she realises something is seriously wrong."
What does Zosia suspect IS wrong with Guy? "She thinks he’s secretly drinking on the job. Guy’s very good at pretending but Zosia’s got such a beady eye on him so, when she almost catches him drinking, it’s clear to her he’s going off the rails. And with Zosia marrying Ollie soon, Guy’s been losing control more and more. Although they’ve had a difficult relationship, Guy’s still Zosia’s hero, so she doesn’t want to think he’s crumbling. She’s in total denial that he’d be so unhappy that he’d risk his job by drinking. It’s tragic for her to witness."
As Guy operates on Christian, the situation comes to a head. What does Zosia do? "Zosia feels she has no choice but to blow the whistle on him! Knowing he's actually drunk in theatre, Zosia threatens to tell Hanssen but Guy just dismisses her and carries on operating. Because Guy’s her dad, Zosia wrestles with what to do but, knowing he’s putting Christian’s life in danger, she finally reaches breaking point and calls Hanssen in! What follows is a three-way showdown between Guy, Zosia and Hanssen, as Guy’s still operating on Christian’s brain – he's awake throughout and wonders what the hell's going on! So although it's quite farcical, it's actually rather sinister."
How does Zosia feel afterwards? Does she manage to explain to her father why she did what she did? "Zosia's devastated and thinks she's betrayed him, so feels incredibly guilty. Later, Zosia finds Guy outside the hospital about to get into his car and tries to talk to him calmly and rationally but he's VERY drunk. Then Guy says one of the worst things any parent can say to their child. After all she's done for him, Zosia can't believe he can be so vile towards her. In that moment, Zosia decides she's going to focus on her own life and her upcoming wedding – she's determined to get married with or without him!"
Holby City continues on Tuesdays at 8pm on BBC1.
