Gone to the Angels (TV story)

***Gone to the Angels*** was the fifth episode of *Series 1* of *Survivors*.

## Synopsis

Abby, Greg and Jenny continue the search for Abby's son, as they arrive in Brimpsfield.

## Plot

Abby, Greg and Jenny have taken shelter at a train station. Greg feels that Abby's quest for Peter is going too far and believes that he's dead. Jenny thinks they should be finding a home somewhere. Abby suggests splitting but Jenny says they need more people, not less. Abby wants to go to Peter's school, reminding them that Bronson was there and might have news. Driving on, they discover the bus from Peter's school abandoned but left there since Abby went to the school. Abby suggests whoever was in it might have gone to the school or for petrol. The group check out a petrol station: There are signs someone has helped themselves to sweets and then gone. Greg suggests getting enough petrol to restart the school bus. Jenny reminds Abby the chances of Peter being among those who came back are still small.

Abby drives off to the school, leaving the others to follow with the bus. As soon as she's gone, two young children, John and Lizzie, wearing oversized clothes, come running up to Greg and Jenny. They explain they've been living in John's grandmother's house since she died. Helping themselves to food from the petrol station, they happily agree to go with the pair. Lizzie recalls that a boy came in the school bus: He said he was going up to the school but never came back.

John explains he went to stay with his grandmother when the plague came but then she got ill as well. Lizzie says her father sent her away when her mother, sister and brother all died and she walked until she found John. They changed out of their own clothes after they got wet, taking John's grandmother and uncle's coats. Abby heads to the school and finds there is still no-one alive in the dormitory and Bronson is gone. She rings the school bell to try and attract attention.

Greg, Jenny, John and Lizzie head up to the school and the children are introduced to Abby. They tell her about the boy, whose name was Glyn. Abby doesn't think he's been there. John says Glyn said the other boys went on to "the angels". Lizzie says there were three "angels" on a mountain in Derbyshire and they were in the papers. Jenny recalls there were papers in the bus and Lizzie produces the bus keys which Glyn left. Searching the papers, they find stories of a group setting up a refuge with animals before the plague, with the location marked on a map. Greg fills the bus up with petrol. Jenny is spooked by an apparently vicious dog but he turns out to be the children's pet, Ben.

The group drive on and find an isolated house, which they turn into a base, starting a fire and cooking. Greg goes to check the coal cellar. Jenny ponders how many children survived and if anyone younger than John and Lizzie survived. Abby divides up the bedrooms between herself and Jenny, Greg, and John and Lizzie. She checks with Jenny that Greg is the odd one out, telling her to say if it's her.

Greg is held at gunpoint by a scared man, Lincoln, who says it's his house. He thinks he saw Greg yesterday. Lincoln panics and accidentally shoots Greg in the arm, horrified by his actions. They take him to the kitchen to tend to him, with Lincoln babbling that he used to be a barber. He says he found the place yesterday. He was one of a group of five on a farm until a group of men turned up with guns, claiming to be the British government, then took their livestock and burnt the place to the ground. Lincoln hid from him and made his way there. He has eggs and hens with him, which they bring inside.

Greg's arm is put in a sling. Abby doesn't seem keen on Lincoln's presence but Jenny suggests he can sleep in the parlour. Abby wonders how many groups they are claiming to be in charge. Lincoln tells stories of giant rats and crows. He says the angels are up in the hills and will come down and judge them all. During the night, they discover Ben has got into the room where the hens were left and killed them. Abby decides to head up to see the angels on her own. Jenny decides to go and get food and the nervous Lincoln asks to go with her.

John and Lizzie play cards with Greg. Jenny returns with food and checks on him. Lincoln has brought shotguns and barbed wire, intending to set up a perimeter around the house. Abby finds a well-kept house. Lincoln details his plans to defend the house and suggests getting more hens and plants and getting more people to help them. Greg is unimpressed by his plans, especially since he's cut them off from the stream. He is obsessed with people coming for them and helps himself to some tranquilisers from the chemist, saying he used to take them. He asks if Greg and Jenny are together and Greg says they are. After he's gone, Jenny asks why he said that. Greg says he though it might shut Lincoln up.

Abby is discovered by the three "angels" - Jack, Matthew and Robert - who haven't seen anyone in ages. She tells them about the other people at the house. They have only vague knowledge of the plague and occasionally see fires. They haven't had any boys there. Abby tells them about Charles' estimates on how many people survived. They have animals and tools there and grow their own vegetables. Abby asks to talk to them and Matthew suggests setting up a room for her in the shed. Abby admits she isn't a believer but it doesn't bother them. Lincoln wanders the house during the night and finds Greg and Jenny in bed together. He goes to John and Lizzie's room and sets himself up on a bed in the corner.

Next morning, Abby finds Jack, who ruminates on the number of people who've died and whether or not it's a terrible thing. He says you don't need to understand God to love Him. Abby asks if the people who died didn't love God. Jack says there has always been plague and always people struggling to survive. Abby says people are still killing and stealing. She asks why he left civilisation. Jack says he's been saved and will minister to those that are left. They discuss the fact they have a will to live and Abby wonders if maybe that's God.

Lincoln frets and brandishes a shotgun when Greg and the others return. They have collected supplies and Greg is healing after five days. Greg doesn't think they should stay there, since there's too much open space around it and there's no animals, people or water around. Lincoln snaps at them to go. Greg tells the others to get their things and he'll leave a note for Abby. Lincoln stands stock still as the others leave. He follows Lizzie outside and grabs her, holding scissors to her throat, telling the others to leave without her. Ben attacks her and Lizzie runs to the others. Lincoln begs them not to leave him. Jenny thinks they should take him but the children are scared. They drive off, leaving Lincoln kneeling in the driveway, desolate.

Greg, Jenny, John and Lizzie join Abby with the angels. Matthew plays with Lizzie, pretending to go to bed, wash and have breakfast. John talks to Robert, who says he can't fly but they can all do little miracles like being kind. Abby, Greg, Jenny and Jack come in. Abby is keen to stay on and Jack recalls he was a carpenter. Matthew comes in but seems out of breath, clutching his armpit in the way those infected with the plague did.

Later, Abby checks on Matthew, now very sick with glandular illness. Robert is starting to feel unwell too. Abby joins Jack, who notes they must have carried the illness despite being well. In the next room, John complains to Jenny about having to stay but Lizzie says they can't leave them. Abby sends the children out to play. She laments having brought the plague there. Jenny says they must all be carriers and considers the idea of meeting people who've never had the plague and still kept civilisation going. Greg says if such people exist and they find them, they'll have to keep clear. Jenny wonders what if Peter hasn't had it.

John and Lizzie go to Jack's room. Despite his warning, Lizzie goes to the next room and finds Matthew and Robert dead. She leaves, shaken. John calmly tells Jack he'll be dead soon, like his uncle and grandmother, and leaves as well. Abby comes in and offers to read to Jack, who says he loves God despite this. Greg and Jenny get the children ready, saying they'll wait for Abby by the bus. Abby reads to Jack as he dies. She exits the house and finds John and Lizzie innocently playing. They take her hands and lead her to the others.

## Cast

* Abby Grant - Carolyn Seymour
* Jenny Richards - Lucy Fleming
* Greg Preston - Ian McCulloch
* John Millon - Stephen Dudley
* Lizzie Willoughby - Tanya Ronder
* Lincoln - Peter Miles
* Jack - Frederick Hall
* Matthew - Nickolas Grace
* Robert - Kenneth Caswell

## Crew

* Written by Jack Ronder
* Produced by Terence Dudley
* Directed by Gerald Blake