Series 17

September 28, 2002

It's the day of Lara's trial, but she's not feeling positive since Melanie Collier denied her husband raped her. Lara tries to convince the jury her act was self-defence. Lara is shocked, when they return their verdict. While Duffy is in court, her mother, Kate, is brought in after her condition worsens. Kate tells Charlie she wishes not to be resuscitated. Duffy is angered by Charlie's attempts at sympathy and finds a shoulder to cry on in new security guard Ryan. Dillon and Harry clash with Charlie over how to treat two sisters, who are found to be drug mules.

October 5, 2002

Simon gets into hot water when he becomes too involved with a patient and her sister. Josh is not himself and his relationship with Colette is feeling the strain.

October 12, 2002

A father threatens legal action against the hospital when his son is the victim of a misdiagnosis. Duffy resolves to move on after her mother's death.

October 19, 2002

Roxanne finds it increasingly difficult to juggle work and motherhood. Both Duffy and Comfort are surprised to learn that they each have an admirer.

October 26, 2002

Punch-ups, riot acts and romance from Holby. Love blossoms for Duffy. Harry reads Simon and Dillon the riot act over their punch-up, but Heather has the final say.

November 2, 2002

Josh finds himself in the middle of a conflict between a father and his son; Anna tries to uncover the cause of a patient's illness; and Jack lies to Tony about their father.

November 9, 2002

Lara faces judgement day in the appeal court; a suspected overdose patient forces Roxy to confront ghosts from her past.

November 16, 2002

It's Lara s first day back and when Heather's incompetence lands her in deep trouble, Simon and Dillon unite to seek revenge.

November 23, 2002

Josh rescues a boy from drowning after his father's car rolls into a river. Nikki is refusing to talk to Jack after his behaviour.

November 30, 2002

Lara realises how vulnerable the events of the past few months have left her. Meanwhile, Nikki is reprimanded for endangering a patient's life, but later redeems herself when called upon to deal with a little girl whose mother has been violently murdered

December 7, 2002

Lara faces new problems when the police officer who helped put her in jail is brought into the department. An horrific RTA dredges up painful memories for Josh.

December 14, 2002

A Christmas-tree thief chops off his own thumb and a farmer injures his leg while trying to catch him. Things don't look good for the thief's thumb and there's a valuable lesson to be learned about the care of severed digits. The plastic surgeon suggests replacing the thumb with a big toe. It's then revealed the bloke who nicked the tree is the brother-in-law of the farmer who has been brought in with the injured leg, and therein lies a 15-year family feud. Jack is forced to silence a victim of his father's empire when Eddie's gang confronts him. Lara spends an evening with Harry's kids, unaware of Beth's true feelings.

December 21, 2002

Spirits are high at the staff Christmas party. As Simon and Colette disappear outside for a kiss, they are unaware that Josh's life is on the line.

December 28, 2002

Diane, a patient admitted early on, has Parkinson's but her symptoms are not consistent with that disease. Could the fact that her police inspector husband's been feeding her ecstasy tablets help explain her condition? Then what about the young man who woke up the night after the party with a cut on his head? Is he a clumsy drunk or just wasting valuable resources of the department? Having avoided her since the incident at the Christmas party, Simon finally admits to Colette that he wants nothing further from her. The question on everyone's mind is why did Colette ever marry Josh? Meanwhile, Roxy becomes extremely close to a male patient; and after Nikki catches Fin and Comfort kissing she uses the knowledge to her advantage.

January 4, 2003

A runaway electric saw is brought to life by a naughty youth, who breaks into a shed. When it's blown up, the youth is not looking too good. Laura casts doubt on a young mother and Duffy sees a nursing colleague doing possibly the worst thing a person in nursing, could do. Also, Jack's dad gets what has been coming to him and there's a Mr Lambert who is still fighting the Korean War. Simon's flirtation with a new arrival infuriates Colette, and Josh seems blissfully unaware of his marital problems.

January 11, 2003

Harry is determined to rid the department of time-wasters. But when a private patient is brought in suffering from post-operative complications, he wonders if he has been too quick to judge.

January 18, 2003

Josh and Comfort stumble across a badly-injured Jack, while Dillon's Good Samaritan skills are put to use on a neglected teenager with learning difficulties. Meanwhile, Simon's new girlfriend, Jane, visits the department with a close friend suffering from a mystery illness.

January 25, 2003

It's trying times for everyone in this episode. While Josh can't accept that he and Colette are history, receptionist Jack is having to do some dirty work for his gangster dad. Meanwhile, paramedic Fin's daughter Emma, is brought in to casualty with what looks like a nasty tummy bug. Fin is busy tending a young footballer with a broken leg and can't attend to her and she gets worse. Not the best time for Charlie to return and there's a further blow for him when Duffy announces she's leaving to get married and set up a business.

February 1, 2003

Duffy's intended, Ryan, is obviously a wrong ‘un and yet everybody is wishing her well as she leaves Holby to set up home and a business with him. Receptionist Jack's foray into his gangster dad's twilight world forces him to make a big decision. Elsewhere, Harry and Beth's relaxing sailing trip becomes a rescue mission when he spots another vessel in distress, which turns out to be packed with illegal immigrants from Kosovo. But not all of them are as helpless as they appear… The police close in on Jack.

February 8, 2003

It looks as if long-suffering Duffy's beautiful dream may turn into a nightmare, as security guard Ryan proves to be nothing like the perfect man she'd hoped for. Dillon and Colette take it upon themselves to fight it out for her old job, and clash over the treatment of a malnourished toddler. Meanwhile, things seem to be running rather more smoothly for Tony and Ben, who decide their evening together was perhaps more than just a non-night stand.

February 15, 2003

Ryan is still AWOL with Duffy's money, and this week Duffy puts her house up for sale in order to get the moeny back. Fin and Comfort are called to a suspected break-in and attack, and at the hospital Lara is treating her. Lara is concerned about her and offers her the chance to talk, she doesn't take it up. Harry treats Anna's mum, who wants to meet boyfriend Merlin. Tony asks Ben to move in with him. Comfort tries to talk to the attackee(referred to as battered wife from now on) and tells her that she is always in the eyes of God. Colette maenwhile is doing a pregnancy test in the toilets, which comes out positive. It is Simon's baby.

February 22, 2003

The paramedics are called out to Sheila's house but are surprised to find it's her daughter-in-law Jenny who's in need of help, pushing Comfort into a confrontation. Has the family abuse gone full circle? Meanwhile, one of Jane's clients is rushed to Holby City with a suspected heart attack.

March 1, 2003

Events take a tragic turn when Jeff tactlessly threatens a highly-strung man while on a call-out with Nikki, and the arrival of an attractive neurologist causes problems between Harry and Charlie.

March 8, 2003

Josh, in his new job as duty officer, clashes with Finlay over the treatment of a heart attack patient, while a face from the past ruins Ben's plans for a romantic evening with Tony.

March 15, 2003

After the death of an adopted patient, Merlin is compelled to search out his own birth parents, while Simon rushes Jane into casualty when she is diagnosed with a tumour, and Harry `s secret dinner date with Selina is interrupted when Tally crashes her car during a driving lesson with Beth.

March 22, 2003

Harry returns to work after the death of his wife; Simon takes an unprofessional interest in Jane's operation; when Colette is attacked by a patient's relative, she is forced to reveal her pregnancy.

March 29, 2003

It's Harry's first day back at work after his wife's death, and he puts himself in danger after overstepping the mark. Meanwhile, Bex calls the police when he sees Jack sneak into the hospital to see Tony.

April 5, 2003

With the power down and the ED in chaos, Harry takes drastic measures to save a patient. As Merlin looks forward to meeting his birth mother, she has second thoughts, and Duffy is in for a shock when a familiar face returns to Holby.

April 12, 2003

Ryan returns and Duffy has to make a life-changing decision. Jack tries to persuade a reluctant Tony to accept Eddie's offer of a kidney, and Simon is shocked when Jane leaves hospital early and refuses to let him care for her. Meanwhile, Anna is devastated when her mum reveals the truth about Merlin.

April 19, 2003

New paramedic Luke spends his first day at work trapped in a cellar with a young girl following a gas explosion, Harry's behaviour leads some members of the team to question whether he's returned to work too soon, and Anna's relationship with Merlin is put in jeopardy.

April 26, 2003

While treating an injured man, Lara suddenly finds herself in a life-threatening situation, Merlin discovers a terrible secret about Anna but is unable to discuss it with her, and Jack is distraught when his father wakes up from his transplant operation suffering from septicaemia.

May 3, 2003

Anna tells a desperate Merlin that they can't be together, and Jack and Tony say their final goodbyes to Eddie as he succumbs to a post-operative infection. Meanwhile, Simon is heartbroken when Jane stakes a claim for her independence and leaves.

May 10, 2003

Colette receives some terrible news, but gets no sympathy from Simon. Bex and Luke's secret is revealed. And Jack and Tony say goodbye to Eddie

May 17, 2003

Bex spreads the word when she overhears Jack say he's planning to propose to Nikki. Josh joins Colette to hear the test results. A Holby United player is brought in.

May 31, 2003

Colette tells Simon that he's responsible for the genetic abnormalities of their unborn child, and talks through with Comfort whether or not she should keep the baby.

June 7, 2003

Josh swallows his pride and finally faces Colette, who is finding it very hard working with both him and Simon. Preparations for the wedding are well under way.

June 14, 2003

Josh and Simon's feud starts affecting their jobs, with serious consequences for Simon's future. Bex revels in the latest tidbit of gossip, to Lara's disgust

June 21, 2003

Niki is on her way to church with Dillion when the see a man lying on the road. Dillion gets out but the man shoots him and kidnaps Niki. He appears to be working for the man who Jack owes money to (don't know his name). Back at the reception everyone is waiting for Niki. Dillion is brought into the hospital starting a search for Niki. Jack gets a call from Niki's kidnapper saying that he wants all his money back, all £300,000 and Jack must bring it to him on a bridge. Jack only has £100,000 left. He tells Tony not to tell anyone. Jack pretends that he's stuck in traffic and manages to follow Niki's kidnapper back to a canal boat. Niki's kidnapper and another man are in the boat. Once the kidnapper leaves to go meet Jack on the bridge, Jack bursts into the boat but the man with the gun gets the upper hand. Back at the hotel Tony tells the police officers what is happening but only if he can go with them to find Jack. On the boat Jack tries to persuade the gunman to leave them and they