BBC2 - Mon Tues & Thurs (2 eps)
Unable to cope with the aftermath of his rape ordeal, Ben has been spiralling into a drug-fuelled hell for months now and, this week, his despair could be the death of him…
Kathy’s unimpressed when she realises that James has stayed the night at No 45 and insists Ben put his partying on hold to attend Lexi’s dance exam and a family meal afterwards. However, his emotions go into freefall when Kheerat rejects his attempts to offer the olive branch, and he arrives late for his daughter’s performance. She tells him she misses her old dad, causing Ben to snap and Lexi to dissolve into tears.
Overwhelmed with guilt, Ben turns to Tez and begs for something to take the edge off, but Sam witnesses their exchange and orders Ben to pull himself together. Sadly, her words are too little, too late, and after tracking James down to a party, Ben finds a seemingly endless supply of drugs and soon he’s out of his head. In his muddled state, he calls Lexi to say he’s on his way, but as he sets off, he collapses.
Listening to Ben’s voicemail, Kathy, Callum and Jay realise something’s very wrong and rush off to look for him, and as they find his unconscious body, they quickly realise he has no pulse. The paramedics arrive to take him to hospital, but can Ben be saved?
• All four episodes also available on BBC iPlayer from Monday