Blood Ties

When Phil's dad Charlie falls down the stairs, Phil knows he is going to have to help out more. It is tough with his demanding job at the technical college, but Phil is there every day - shopping, cleaning, and the more intimate tasks that would test any father/son relationship. Fortunately, he has wife Sue to help out. But Charlie is the most stubborn patient you could meet and when he falls out with Sue, leaving the burden of care on Phil's shoulders alone, the pressure on Phil becomes unbearable. Called out again from work when Charlie has another accident, an exhausted Phil takes his eyes off the road for a second - and is devastated to hit a pedestrian. Desperate to get back to his injured dad, lying alone in a smoke-filled kitchen and reassured that the pedestrian is clearly breathing, Phil makes the devastating decision to leave the scene of the accident. With dad Charlie's health worsening even further, needing round the clock care, and unable to shake the accident from his mind, Phil's state of mind goes rapidly downhill. Pushed to the limit by his grouchy dad, and unable to contain the secret any longer, Phil eventually makes the shock confession to his dad - and is surprised when the old man is the one who offers the solution.