Tragedy strikes when Steve Waring leaves his son to look after his sick mother. On Darwin Ward, a blind man regains his sight after a relatively minor procedure on his lungs, and a cantankerous young homeless man causes problems for Simon Shaughnessy on his first day at work at Holby City, assisting Stan Ashleigh. A heart patient whose son appears not to want the burden of caring for him prompts a spat between Alex Adams & Samantha Kennedy, leading them to explore their personal experiences of caring for their fathers.

Just before Christmas on Keller Ward, David Thomas, a young rugby player is brought in having sustained a bad leg fracture. Sandy Harper takes a fancy to him and stays late to decorate his bedside with extra tinsel. He dies during the night from complications from an unsuspected head injury. Chrissie Williams has to tell Alistair Taylor repeatedly that their affair is over. Janice Taylor finds out that she is pregnant again, but finds Chrissie's badge under the marital bed and sees husband Alistair behaving suspiciously with Chrissie. She confronts him, but he denies it sufficiently convincingly.