A Beginning (TV story)

***A Beginning*** was the thirteen and final episode of *Series 1* of *Survivors*.

## Synopsis

Abby and Greg tire of commanding their community. Jenny is pregnant and this sets Abby thinking about her future. She meets Jimmy Garland again and he asks her to stay with him and help to find her son.

## Plot

Greg, Arthur, Abby, Jenny, Charmian and Paul are involved in a heated debate. Greg is getting defensive about the fact that the Little Barton community gave them useless seed in exchange for their petrol. Arthur thinks they should go back and try and trade again but Greg thinks everyone is out for themselves and they have nothing worth trading. Abby ends up walking out during his rant.

Some time later, Abby is still in bed as others go about early morning chores, seeming lethargic as she washes herself. As soon as she gets up, Arthur approaches her to discuss where to graze the sheep, which Abby dismisses. Paul complains to Greg about the pig swill. Greg largely ignores Emma when he goes in the kitchen until she complains about having to light the stove on top of everything else, including look after the baby and her mother. She thinks the children should do it but Greg thinks they're too young.

Abby remains detached as Jenny asks what she should do. She and Emma complain about Greg and Paul skinning rabbits in the kitchen. Charmian says there's a problem with a cow. John and Lizzie interrupt to take Abby to Vic: A fox has killed their chickens after a gate was left open. John tearfully insists he didn't do it. Jenny finds Abby sitting on her own in the woods. She realises Abby is feeling fed up about everything and Abby complains about everyone coming to her with problems. Jenny reminds her she was the one that brought them all together. Abby wonders who she talks to and Jenny volunteers her services. She suspects Abby is thinking of Peter again and suggests she use the petrol to look for him again. She thinks they can manage without her. Abby says Jenny has Greg and guesses she's pregnant, saying it's not something you can hide. Jenny recalls that Abby had someone once.

John and Lizzie ring a bell to attract attention, showing Greg and Paul a group of people approaching. The group's spokesman, Burton, calls the group to a halt as Greg and Paul approach. He admits they have a sick girl with them and Greg says they can't come to the house. Abby, Jenny, Arthur, Charmian and Emma have joined the children and Jenny convinces Abby to leave it to Greg. Burton explains they had a farm fifty miles north until another group set up a protection militia and drove them out when they refused to give up their crops. Greg offers them food but Burton wants to leave the girl with them to rest. Greg is worried she might be infectious. He asks them to stay there until he gets an answer.

Abby lies in her room and ignores Greg when he knocks on the door looking for her. Greg consults with Jenny, Emma, Paul, Arthur, Charmian and Vic about taking the girl in. Abby watches from the window as Greg, having got the agreement of the others, goes back to Burton, who quickly realises they're not going to help. Greg is apologetic. Later, Abby sits nearby as Greg and Paul lead Arthur, Jenny, Charmian and Vic in a talk about the need for defence, which would mean forming an alliance with local groups to help each other. Arthur suggests asking the other groups to send a representative to them. Greg asks Abby's opinion and she distractedly agrees. Arthur makes plans to draft a letter. Greg and Jenny try to interest Abby, who hopes things will go beyond just forming an army. Emma enters and tells them to come outside.

The group finds the sick young woman has been left in the grounds. Abby immediately goes to check on her. Greg says she can't stay but Abby takes charge, telling Jenny, Emma and Charmian to take her inside. Greg is unhappy about Abby overruling him and worries about the young woman infecting them, saying she should be left to die if necessary. Abby dismisses him as unfit to survive. Greg wants to leave her in an outhouse. Abby points out they've already been in contact with her and, when Greg grabs her by the arm, says he has as well.

Jenny and Charmian tend to the young woman, who is sleeping in a bedroom and feverish. While they don't things it's the plague, they don't have a clue what she does have. Jenny goes to find Abby but her room is empty. Greg, Paul and Arthur make plans for Arthur to circle around all the settlements they know about. Greg recalls the trouble they had at Waterhouse and suggests Arthur find Jimmy Garland. Emma gives Arthur some soup for the journey. Jenny comes in and says Abby's gone, wanting to be on her own for a bit.

Abby is asleep near a tree. A man crouches by her and looks at her, then moves on as she wakes up. Back at the Grange, Emma coaxes John and Lizzie into eating. John says he likes talking more than eating, and Emma says he won't grow in that case. Lizzie wonders where Abby is and Emma says she's gone for peace and quiet. Abby is found by Garland, mounted on a horse. She is delighted to see him and says she was looking for him. They kiss. Garland says one of his men saw her asleep a couple of miles back. He puts her on the horse and says he's taking her home.

Emma and Charmian continue to look over their patient, who is now a lot calmer. Emma talks of feeding her up and goes to get a meal started. Charmian warns her that Greg got annoyed while cutting logs. Garlands leads Abby to a cottage. He says it belonged to his sister and still has the brandy from his cave. He offers to get her some food. Abby says he's told her nothing about himself even though she told him what's been going on with her. Garland says Knox is dead, having broken his neck while hunting him. The others came to him for help and he uses the cottage when he needs to be alone. Garland takes Abby to Sarah's old room and offers her a change of clothes. He says the others will manage without her. Abby tells him not to go and they kiss again.

Greg and Paul are sawing a log and Greg manages to cut his arm. Emma and Jenny tend to him. Emma thinks they need stitches but no-one knows how to do them. Jenny decides they need to do a tourniquet. Charmian enters and worries about cutting off the blood supply. Greg snaps at her. Charmian tells them the young woman is awake and talking. Paul wearily notes that with Greg out of action and Abby and Arthur done, he'll have to do some work: Vic is looking after the children.

Abby and Garland are sat on the sofa, having obviously slept together. Garland asks Abby about her late husband. Abby says she wishes she could forget the life they had together. She admits she suddenly realised there was no going back: The life they have now is what they'll have for the rest of their lives. Garland admits he's happy with that. He asks her to stay with him. Abby says she wants to but Garland doesn't think she will. She admits she gave up looking for Peter, thinking it was more important to look after the people she knew were alive. Garland suggests they look for Peter together. He thinks both their settlements can do without them. Abby suggests oxtail in bed.

John and Lizzie are preparing to fly a kite and see Arthur returning, fetching Paul and Emma. Arthur says everyone is spending someone and Garland's people are sending a message to him. He notes one group have a tank. Meanwhile, Garland brings Abby breakfast in bed. He shows her the letter from the Grange. Abby admits she didn't want them to know she was there. Garland confirms he's going to the meeting. Abby reminds him he was meant to help her find Peter. Garland says they can do both.

Jenny takes Greg to meet their visitor, Ruth. She thanks them for taking her in. Greg admits he didn't want to and Ruth says he was quite right, telling them to keep her isolated for a week and wash their hands whenever they see her. Ruth calls Jenny back in and looks over Greg's arm. She explains she had done three years at medical school but isn't qualified and will give Jenny directions on how to stitch him.

Arthur and Paul stand by the gate. Arthur is disappointed that no-one's come. Ruth tells Greg and Jenny she was at a teaching hospital in Reading. She went up the river with a doctor and a nurse but the doctor died. She fell ill while going to get drugs. She says she and the nurse, Peggy, met up with a group on a barge who had food poisoning. She says there was two women, three men and two young boys. When she mentions one of them was a schoolmaster, George Bronson, Greg asks her if one of the boys was Peter Grant. He despairs at the news arriving just when Abby isn't there.

Paul runs to get Arthur and tells him the first people are on the way. Abby and Garland arrive by horse. Abby admits they have to say goodbye: She's staying. Garland says she knows where to come to now. John and Lizzie come running up, delighted to see her again. Greg and Jenny join them as Paul and Emma greet the others, and Jenny tells Abby they have news for her: What she'd like to hear most.

## Cast

* Abby Grant - Carolyn Seymour
* Jenny Richards - Lucy Fleming
* Greg Preston - Ian McCulloch
* John Millon - Stephen Dudley
* Lizzie Willoughby - Tanya Ronder
* Emma Cohen - Hana-Maria Pravda
* Paul Pitman - Chris Tranchell
* Vic Thatcher - Hugh Walters
* Arthur Russell - Michael Gover
* Charmian Wentworth - Eileen Helsby
* Jimmy Garland - Richard Heffer
* Burton - Harry Markham
* Ruth Anderson - Annie Irving

## Crew

* Written by Terry Nation
* Produced by Terence Dudley
* Directed by Pennant Roberts