大象传媒

Valerie has never had much confidence in her abilities, always finding reading and writing difficult. So when she's accepted for an interview at a pharmacy she can't believe her luck. Arriving at the interview Valerie is clearly nervous, and is absolutely convinced she's blown it. All she wanted was a better life for her three kids, and going for a drink afterwards with her best mate, good-time gal Sylv, just makes her feel worse. But then she gets a phone call off Ray Collins, the pharmacist - she's got the job! Valerie's made up; it's the break she's always wanted.

On Valerie's first day there's a lot to take in - so many long words - but Ray instantly puts her at ease. As long as all the medicines dispensed over the counter go through him, they can muddle through the rest. Ray introduces Valerie to one of his regular customers, Billy Cooper, an ex-boxer struggling to accept he has diabetes. Everything seems to be going well, until she catches Ray taking a nip of whiskey in the back room. The drinking comes to a head on the anniversary of his wife's death, when Ray is rendered incapable in the back room. Valerie decides she has to shut the shop and take Ray home but, not wanting to turn away Billy, Valerie checks his prescription with a barely sentient Ray and hands it over.

That afternoon, Valerie's world start to come crumbling down - she discovers her son Michael has been playing truant, Sylv's boyfriend is bad news and, worst of all, Billy has been rushed to hospital. Valerie's distraught - she knows she checked the prescription with Ray, but he was in a state - could she have made a mistake with the medication? Valerie knows it's time to speak up. She confesses her secret to Ray - she can't read very well, and she's scared Billy's coma is all her fault. Ray has good news: Billy is out of his coma, and it only happened because he didn't take his medication. It isn't their fault. Valerie is relieved, but knows things could have been much worse - her future in the pharmacy hangs in the balance.