01/07/2012

Nervous Emma's not keen on Ed going on the badger vaccination course, leaving her alone at Rickyard Cottage. Ed says they really can't afford for him not to do it, and it will be another string to his bow. He wouldn't go if he thought Emma was in real danger. But Emma arranges to stay at her mum's for the duration, and a slightly piqued Ed agrees to take them over there.

Susan feels sorry for David and Ruth; what they're going through doesn't bear thinking about. She comforts a wobbly Emma while Ed looks on feeling inadequate. They say their goodbyes. As Emma looks happier, Ed feels even more of a failure.

Ruth's back from taking Josh and Ben to Prudhoe. While they feel very far away and it's unnaturally quiet, she's glad they're off the farm. When she discovers Emma's gone too, she feels it smacks of rats leaving the sinking ship. The atmosphere is tense as David tries to maintain a semblance of normality. Ruth would rather none of this was happening at all. David replies ruefully that it is, and he can't do anything to change it. Distraught Ruth unhappily acknowledges this.