Nicky is stressed and exhausted, with devastating consequences at work. As she struggles to cope with the pressure from her mother, a tragic incident pushes her over the edge. Ange tells Cameron he is not ready to take the next step in his career. Frustrated by the rejection, he takes out his anger on Louis. Sacha decides to respect Essie's wishes concerning her cancer treatment, but Dominic urges him to persuade her not to give up on palliative care.

Kian returns to Darwin Ward, determined to make amends with Jac. But when forgiveness does not come easy, Kian goes into self-destruct mode - with almost fatal consequences. Meanwhile, a broken Essie searches for her purpose, but where will she find the answer she seeks? Ric suspects Guy has fallen off the wagon and sets out to stop him working at Holby, once and for all.