Helen is drowning in the Cow Pat of Destiny. Please SWs - when will it be curtains for Rob?

[PseudoBadger]

Come on Kirsty!

If Knob didn't block Kirsty, that was pretty dim of him. Even if he plans to sit over her all the time in hospital (which presumably wouldn't be allowed anyway) he'd have to go to the loo occasionally. But perhaps the SWs haven't gone down that route precisely because Helen is going to make contact with Kirsty soon? She seemed pretty desperate to keep Kirsty as a friend when she met her, perhaps instinctively she knows Kirsty is her best hope.

WannaBe, by all accounts for everyone who has stopped listening there are many more who have started - listener numbers apparently up by 100K. So if they want to educate people they are reaching a pretty wide audience to do so. But I do agree they need to move the story on, if only to illustrate to both abusers and victims of abuse that there is help available and victims can fight back.

I can't remember what Helen did to Hayley after John dies - anyone able to fill in?

But she certainly hasn't struggled to please her parents - they've allowed her to act like a spoilt brat all her life!

Rob could sabotage the phone in some way (simplest might be just to remove the battery) and then innocently suggest that it's broken. That way, Helen can't even look up numbers in her phone to call from a different phone...

I'm really confused now. When I was listening last night I was doing other things so didn't hear the mention of the drip and didn't hear the very faint background sound effects of we-are-in-a-hospital. I thought that they were in Blossom Cottage and half of what Rob claimed was him being an unreliable narrator.
Why has he left Helen in hospital under the care of dietitians, psychiatrists, etc. Wouldn't he whisk her back home, away from professionals prying busybodies.

Cheating at cricket?! I must have missed that - he clearly is a blackguard.

R4 I think he will shortly do just that, actually. Possibly shortly after her first counselling session, when he'll try to come along and be supportive and help her explain herself, ensuring, darling, that you explain everything properly because you know you get muddled.

HCPs won't let him, he'll say it's preposterous, she'll discharge herself shortly after?

Didn't he say something very portentous about the psychiatric team?

Surely they would be able to see what's up?

seek, after John died Hayley continued, with Tommy (as he then was) to look after his pig business but Helen very spitefully elbowed her out. I can't remember exactly how - not a farmer? Not family? But she was very cold & unpleasant & Hayley gave up.

R4, I took it that he fully intends to fool the psychs etc into treating H as someone with a mental-health problem, and will present himself as the ultra-supportive, ultra-caring partner who can be trusted to 'look after her'. So they'll be happy to discharge her once she's been checked over for any physical problem - I assume they're keeping her in as a precaution after the faint/collapse, but she's basically OK.

So yet again he reinforces the narrative that she's 'not in her right mind' and similar rubbish. And no-one except Kirsty will spot the real problem, that she's under coercive control

Thanks Finest!

When he mentioned the psychiatric team (very portentously) I felt he was building his case - possibly for Helen to be detained against her will once the baby is born - but certainly for it to be recognised that Henry and his half sibling have only one competent parent. And that that parent should be given sole custody of them.

He can't insist on anything unless he has power of attorney. I know this to my cost after 35 years of marriage. A spouse has no rights when the patient is deemed incompetent to make own decisions. (I now have P of A and DH was and is perfectly competent. He's unable to speak clearly.)
Rob would be shooting himself in the foot if he calls her competence into question.

Moreover, the baby is unable to make a decision but has rights. Therefore neither parent can insist on discharge if there is risk to the baby.

I don't think she'll be detained. but I do think that SS will become involved, and that the baby will be removed at birth - and Rob will need to commit to not staying with Helen in order to be allowed to keep the baby. He will then leave with the baby and Henry and Helen's character will for ever live with what happened.

I've got a feeling we're going to see the introduction of a mental health professional this week who won't/can't be fooled. Here's hoping anyway.

No doubt there will be oh-so-hilarious pancake-based japes counter Helen's story.

Also, on the psychiatrist thing, I think Rob was saying it to make her feel worse - "look what you've done to the baby and you're going nuts" - without thinking that it could be bad for him if Helen confides in someone.

Sometimes I think we credit him with a bit too much intelligence.

He was totally gloves off with Kirsty. Openly threatening and sinister. MUST trigger major alarm bells. If she isn't barging into the hospital/talking to Pat or similar by tonight then credibility will have been blown out of the water.

Credit him or the SW?
The trouble is that we are trying to make RL sense out of stuff that has been distorted for dramatic purposes. It's getting to the stage where we are thinking the equivalent of "why are you going into a darkened cellar when you know there is a homicidal maniac on the loose? Oh yeah, because there wouldn't be a story otherwise."

betcha tonight isn't a Rob/Helen one - they've just had 2 in a row. It's going to be Josh talking about eggs or something, while we're all hoping Kirsty is talking to Pat.

I don't believe that Pat and Tony were cold and critical nor do I believe that Helen is a disappointment to them. The death of John put on Helen's shoulders a big personal weight of expectation, followed by the suicide of her partner and then her ED, all these took their toll on her MH and her relationship with P&T. Helen has never managed to have a "normal" relationship and I think that stems from John's death and her fear losing someone she loves. I think we need the ghost of John to come and speak to her a la Phil and help her find her way out of Knob's grasp.

agree R4!

Kirsty now should be in 'this is urgent' mode - not, la la la, i'll keep trying to call her and angsting because she won't answer

Pat should be far more involved and pushy now as she must be worrying

I would hope the hospital would be investigating too. Husbands who talk over their wives and answering on their behalf must set bells ringing

I was thinking along the same lines, R4 - much of the above discussion, while very insightful, assumes that the dramatic world being created by the SWs is the same as the real world in which we live. Obviously, they try to align (as in agricultural story editor), but if it suits the drama, what's to stop a scene where a clinician says to Helen "I'm worried about your anorexia returning, but as long as you've got your supportive husband with you, I think you'll be fine - go home and listen to him".

The baby would not be removed at birth unless it was at risk of significant harm ie In this case if Helen recognised and admitted to being in an abusive relationship and then took no steps to safeguard the children , by ending that relationship and attending the Freedom /Triple R programme. As it currently stands there are no grounds for removal at birth and I hope the writers don't go down that route for dramatic purposes as it would give out a very negative message to women in a similar situation to Helen.

I agree BYOS in my working world partners who answer for their wives/ GF's get noticed and we are mindful to facilite a lone conversation with the woman.

Thanks for filling in the Helen background!

I have a horrible feeling she is going to lose the baby, and then Rob is going to flip.

I agree nettle, I think she'll lose the baby which will clear the way for him to have a permanent exit. If she has the baby the only way to do that will be for him to die.

Tough sl to lose a baby at this stage - especially given the circumstances. I don't think I could bear to listen if that happens tbh. I listen to the archers for escapism not distress