Adam Trueman (Tristan Gemmill) begins his first day as Clinical Lead of the ED by greeting the eight new F2 doctors, including Heather Whitefield (Georgia Tennant), May Phelps (Laura Aikman), Yuki Reid (Will Sharpe) and Lenny Lyons (Steven Miller). Adam and Heather attend a call-out to a deserted shopping centre, where one patient is trapped in an industrial fan, another has fallen from a balcony, and numerous homeless people are living in the basement. Unaware that the centre is occupied, its owner rigs the building with explosives as part of an insurance scam, detonating it with dozens of people trapped inside.

Jeff Collier (Matt Bardock) attempts to rescue his colleagues trapped in the burning shopping centre, but becomes trapped himself and collapses in the process. Polly (Sophia Di Martino) and Dixie (Jane Hazlegrove) wait anxiously for news, while at the hospital Adam's partner/nurse Jessica Harrison (Gillian Kearney) does likewise. The new F2s are overwhelmed by the number of casualties admitted following the incident. Polly befriends Alistair, a homeless man she meets during the crisis. Most of the team escape to safety, but Heather falls to her death.

In the aftermath of Heather's death, Adam has May, Yuki and Lenny work with consultant Zoe Hanna (Sunetra Sarker), who separates the three of them. Yuki is sent to work with Jeff and Polly, May works with Ruth Winters (Georgia Taylor) and Lenny works with Zoe. All three struggle with their work, and are banned from treating patients for the remainder of the shift. They are sent to see counsellor Ben Harding (Mark Letheren), who motivates them to work as a team. Toby De Silva (Matthew Needham) briefly returns to share a drink with the staff.

Ruth discovers that she is pregnant, and is invited to a surgeons' dinner by Sarah. Jeff take an instant disliking to his new partner, and reports him to Dixie when he finds him going through a patient's personal belongings. Nick is discharged into Zoe's care, but is still angry with her and goes home alone. Adam is angry with Zoe for being remiss in her duties at work, and the department are surprised when she announces Nick is recovering and well.

The dean of medicine announces a new Junior Academic Fellowship Award, which will see one of the F2s win a role in the emergency department with an excellent salary. Polly struggles to treat Gal, a bank manager shot during a robbery. Nick wishes to treat patients but Adam refuses to let him. Jessica's former husband Sean returns from Saudi Arabia.

Ruth's estranged brother Jonathan arrives at the hospital seeking her help. He claims to have reformed, but Ruth suspects he is still taking drugs. Mick, a security guard seeking Ruth's approval, takes on a group of drunken homeless men who are stealing hand sanitizer from the wards. Jonathan steps in to help, hoping to convince Ruth he has changed. Sean interferes with Jessica and Adam's wedding plans.

Zoe gives Noel a life to his father's Christmas party in a local old people's home. Noel is upset that his father no longer recognises him, and is concerned that he and several other residents appear to be ill. He asks Zoe to help the afflicted. The F2s are on their way to a Christmas party when they come across a car crash. They manage to stabilise the patients and transport them to the emergency department, and are lauded as heroes by Adam in front of their colleagues and the Dean of Medicine. The Dean mentions that May is his daughter, angering Lenny and Yuki who were unaware of her connections. Ruth admits that she is lonely when she works with Jay on a case. She accepts his comfort and they go home together.

After drinking heavily the night before, Adam arrives late for his own wedding to Jessica. Midway through the service, Tess announces there has been a major road accident. Adam breaks off the wedding to return to the hospital and treat patients. Yuki and May work well in the crisis unit, but Yuki struggles to forgive May for her deception. Ruth is impressed by Jay's sensitive treatment of a patient, and decides to admit to him that she had an abortion. Adam and Jessica have their union blessed in the hospital chapel. On the way to their reception, Adam swerves to avoid hitting an oncoming vehicle and skids onto a frozen lake. Amelia and Lucas escape from the vehicle as the ice begins to crack, but Jessica, Adam and Harry are submerged into the water.

Following the car accident, Adam tries to focus as he fights feelings of claustrophobia while he, Jessica and the kids are trapped in the car on the frozen lake. He manages to calm down but, when Harry cries and Jessica leans back to comfort him, the shift in weight causes the ice to crack and the passenger front side is submerged in water. At the wedding reception, Zoe assumes Jessica has hung up on her and, alone with an unamused Jordan, she downs another glass of champagne. Jordan leaves but stops when he sees Zoe rushing out frantically after him and they rush to the hospital in preparation. Ruth and Jay's relationship, meanwhile, has taken a turn for the better but is it time for Ruth to get something off her chest which has been troubling her for some while? Back at the hospital, the team battle under hopeless conditions to save the accident victims. As things go from bad to worse, Jordan is put in an impossible situation as he wonders whether he should help his desperate colleagues, despite knowing that he's not allowed to practise.

Davey, a friend of Lenny's from his years in foster care, arrives at the hospital intent on carrying out a plan they made as children, to burn down the children's home they lived in. Davey goes through with the plan, unaware there is still a child inside the building. The hearing into Polly's professional conduct over Alistair takes place, distressing Polly. Charlie's son Louis arrives at the hospital in need of money, and Charlie experiences health problems. Adam tells Jessica that their infant son Harry died in the car accident.

Following the traumatic events of the New Year, Jessica takes a look back at her life, loves and career at Holby. It's 1998 and Jessica is a young nurse, casually flirting with Sean and enjoying wild nights out with best mate Linda (Christine Tremarco). When Linda leaves to travel around America she gives Jessica a pebble saying that if Jessica ever finds herself in trouble it will be her lucky charm. A few years later, Jessica and Sean get married. Sean is keen for Jessica to take elocution lessons so that she sounds like a successful surgeon's wife and Jessica is keen to return to work after the birth of Amelia – much to Sean's distaste. It appears that married life isn't a bed of roses for the couple. When Amelia is older, Sean and Jessica's marriage is on shaky ground when, at a low ebb, Jessica meets Adam in a pub, goes home with him and is moved by their strong connection. Back in the present day, Linda checks up on her old friend and it's time for Adam to find out how his confession has been received.

While Adam keeps waiting by Jessica's bedside, life goes on in the ED with exams approaching for the increasingly stressed F2s. When May fails to impress Ruth and makes a clinical error, Ruth unleashes a barrage of anger on her mentee. Feeling low and worried May retaliates, resulting in a furious Ruth sending her home. Lenny can't believe his luck – with May having such a rough time and Yuki unexpectedly missing, it looks like the Fellowship is in the bag. Still raw from her confession about the abortion, Ruth has a heated conversation about May with Jay, during which he tells Ruth that she should try to be more empathetic. Brought up short by this, Ruth pays May a visit at home, where she is horrified to see May slumped in a chair, with an open bottle of wine and some pills nearby. The Ambulance Trust has made its decision in Polly's tribunal about Alistair's death, but she doesn't care either way; too scarred by events, she is determined to resign anyway. Jeff and Dixie blame each other and set out to do everything they can to change her mind. After a long shift, the team head off to five-a-side football practice. Yuki is in disappointing form, but Charlie is delighted to be selected, despite his fitness levels. But his smile soon disappears when Shona arrives looking for the errant Louis. She has some big, life-changing news for Charlie and his son.

It is the day of the F2s' exam and all are on edge. May is given a pep talk by her father and is shocked when he hands her an envelope with the exam questions inside in order to help her along her way. The F2s are rattled when Jordan reveals that the exam will also include a day-long assessment, with Henry overseeing. As the day progresses, Lenny is disgruntled to be given a case in cubicles, while May and Yuki are given 'exciting' resus medicine. Yuki falters while treating seriously ill teenager Seb but redeems himself when he comes up with a brilliant diagnosis. However when Yuki bravely tells a packed resus, including Seb's father, that Seb told him he no longer wants treatment, Henry orders him out. Yuki is disappointed but Henry cheers him up by saying that there's more to medicine than books. Lenny is disappointed to be stuck in cubicles and, determined to impress, orders a series of tests for a patient. However he is distressed to realise that the tests have revealed something sinister and he tries in vain to persuade his patient to accept treatment. May initially impresses Henry when Sarah Evans is rushed to the ED having collapsed in theatre. May's confidence leads her to throw the exam paper away but it seems this is an act – she fails to chase up a test result, putting Sarah in danger. Henry is furious with her, but her day gets even worse when she realises her father and Sarah had an affair. It's the day of Harry's funeral and Jessica rejects Adam's support, insisting she wants to return to work the next week. Charlie tries to persuade Louis to face up to his parental responsibilities. Ruth finally gathers the courage to tell Jay that she loves him but it's too late – he walks away.

Adam and Jessica's relationship is fractured – they can only relax when they are working, separately, amongst their colleagues and patients. Jessica is shocked to see her old friend Linda, and touched when she realizes her friend sent her a keepsake to keep her going in her hour of need. Jessica confesses to Linda that she's finding it hard to live and work with Adam when he reminds her so much of Harry, but when Linda jokingly suggests Jessica come to America with her, she is surprised when Jessica agrees. Jessica tells a devastated Adam that she can no longer stay in Holby and, despite his own feelings, he lets her go. Later, Adam is surrounded by his friends from the ED – Jessica wrote them each a note asking them to look after Adam now she has gone. Charlie persuades a reluctant Louis to talk to Shona, but is disappointed when he refuses to support her. Feeling sorry for her, Charlie cancels his appointment to support Shona at her midwife meeting. When he leaves, he gives her some money for which she appears to be genuinely grateful. But when Charlie leaves, Shona scoffs and pockets the money, alongside a bag full of drugs and cigarettes. It's the day of the F2s exam results, and all are pleased to have passed – especially May, who has finished top of the class. Dixie is stunned when her dad, Arthur, arrives and tells her he doesn't have long to live. He jumps to conclusions when he sees Jeff and Dixie together, and tells Dixie he's delighted that she's in a relationship. Seeing how happy this has made him, Dixie doesn't correct him.

Charlie's chest pains are worsening, and his stress levels increase further when he gets a phone call from the police and Louis – Shona has broken into his house. He angers Louis by refusing to press charges against Shona, vowing to deal with her himself. Later he is forced to chase Shona around Holby and finds her drunk and high, slumped in a graveyard. He starts to drive her home, but a combination of the day's events and worsening pains causes Charlie to cough up blood. Shona rushes for help and Charlie is whisked into the ED, where the team stabilise him. The gang rally round as Charlie is taken upstairs to Elliot and the Holby team. Adam insists he's fine to work, but when he upsets a patient, Jordan orders him to attend a counselling session before he returns. Annoyed, Adam begrudgingly agrees but, when he is later drafted in for a five-a-side football match, he takes his frustration out on a vicious player. Adam realises he may not be dealing with things as well as he had hoped. Dixie's dad, Arthur, continues to mistake Jeff and Dixie for a couple and tells his daughter he's anxious to see her settled before he dies. Dixie decides she'll give her dad what he wants and asks Jeff to marry her.

Staff counsellor Ben Harding gets more than he bargained for from Adam. May is distracted when a handsome stranger turns up in Holby on a motorbike but, when she sees him in cubicles later, she is her usual snooty self. When the stranger reveals himself as Dr Kieron Fletcher, a young research doctor who's hoping to apply for the fellowship, May is seriously unimpressed. Kieron turns out to be a more than capable colleague, but just what is sparking his unusual interest in Jordan? Relaxing after work with a glass of wine, Zoe contacts Jordan to bury the hatchet and offer her full support now that he's head of the ED. But a bottle later, Zoe is horrified to realise that she's left a stream of messages about their relationship on Jordan's answer machine. The next day, fending off the attentions of her admirer, Dr Matt Strong, Zoe is determined to erase the machine before Jordan hears her drunken ramblings. The ED team, especially Alice, are worried about Adam's increasingly erratic behaviour but their concern is only adding to his problems. Reluctantly, Adam attends counselling to talk through his difficulties but, when the counsellor provokes Adam to get a response, the first session doesn't go quite to plan.

A pleasure boat accident brings watery memories back to the surface for Adam; new F2 Keiron pushes his luck with the patients; and Zoe's new admirer gets under Jordan's skin. Despite his colleagues' concern, Adam volunteers to attend with the paramedics when a pleasure boat sinks on a river and, with memories of Jessica and Harry still fresh, dives into the water looking for casualties. It's Kieron's first day and he's desperate to impress Jordan. While dealing with a young diabetic patient who refuses anything other than synthetic insulin, Kieron takes a big risk by covertly administering a normal insulin dose to prevent the girl falling into a coma. Jordan is both furious and admiring. Kieron thinks he's finally starting to make a connection with his clinical lead. Scared of failure, Ruth is hesitant when she is put forward to assist on a new surgical trial but when she impresses her mentor, Howard Fairfax, she decides to pursue her surgical dream once more. Meanwhile, Jordan overhears Matt's persuasive advances towards a disbelieving Zoe; Alice thinks she's made an emotional breakthrough with Adam when he admits that he is finally going to visit Harry's grave for the first time; and Jeff makes a big announcement to a stunned reception and Dixie.

Adam's odd behaviour worries Alice, and she tells Jordan she doesn't think he's coping. Jordan asks Alice to talk to Adam because of their common ground. Alice uses her own experiences to try to get Adam to open up over a meal that evening but Adam, desperately trying to feel something, kisses her. Before they head upstairs Alice, herself still vulnerable after Curtis's death, asks Adam to be there in the morning. But Adam feels worse than ever and can't bring himself to spend the night. He slips away.

May's confidence soars when she impresses Jordan with a patient and she realises she's a serious contender for the JAFA. When her patient crashes, May is determined to prove herself and prepares to intubate alone. But as she does, she hears a sickening crack and realises she has broken her patient's neck. Terrified, May covers up her mistake and hides the intubation equipment before Jordan and the crash team arrive. When Jordan, unaware that she has already attempted an intubation unsupervised, offers her the chance to perform the procedure, she declines and passes the opportunity to Yuki. Afterwards, when Yuki realises something's wrong, he runs more tests and discovers the patient's neck is broken. Convinced he is responsible, Yuki confesses to May who advises him to own up to Jordan. She watches as he admits responsibility for a mistake he didn't make.

Dixie wakes at Lena's side on the morning of her wedding, but decides to go ahead with the ceremony for the sake of her father. However, at the registry office, Dixie is shocked to see that Lena is the registrar. After learning about Dixie's circumstances, Lena agrees to conduct the ceremony and the pair share a tender goodbye. But Arthur witnesses the kiss and is devastated by his daughter's lies. Elsewhere, Alice is upset when Adam avoids her after their night together and, when he makes an inappropriate remark, flees in tears. However, when Tess warns her to stand up to Adam, Alice tells him their friendship is over.

It's the day of a very important internal review at the ED, and Ruth finds herself in an impossible situation with one of her colleagues—will career ambitions ride roughshod over the truth?

A motorbike accident makes Jordan realise that he cares more than he realised about one of his staff. And Zoe receives an interesting offer.

With the police closing in, and Adam fighting for survival he risks his life to save the family, yet the father later dies in the department due to his injuries. Meanwhile in Holby a beekeeper is attacked by and overprotective dad after administering bee stings to his son to treat his arthritis. Kieron owns up to the bronchoscope incident and decides to leave the department and Nick Jordan for good. Zoe decides that her and Matt have no future together and they go their separate ways. Adam frantically searches for Alice only to find she has left Holby, then to his utter disbelief Jessica returns.

With Holby ED sent into lock-down after an anthrax scare, the F2s and Charlie fight for their lives. When Yuki is admitted as a patient, May admits her culpability over the broken neck and leaves the department. Meanwhile, Adam and Jessica finally discuss their feelings over Harry's death, but conclude they do not have a future together.

Jeff, Polly and Dixie attend a call to treat a patient with physiological issues when they discover he has a teenager tied up in his basement. He attacks the team in recess when Kirsty storms in to defuse the situation, with her nonchalant approach. It turns out the reason he kidnapped him is because he had stole his dog, Bruce, and wanted him back. Kirsty goes to find the dog and finds that he is dead. She then assaults the dog murderer and is swiftly reprimanded by Tess. The department is desperate for more funds for the ED, in order for these funds to be released Robert Ludlow shadows the department, after Nick wrongly diagnoses a patient, who goes into arrest and dies Ludlow decides that the funds should still be released pleasing Nick. Yuki returns to the department, lacking confidence due to the May scandal. A father brings in his comatosed daughter after claiming she was walking only to find himself diagnosed with TB. After taking bets on why Kirsty left St Marys, kirsty confronts Jay and tells him the story of how all 6 kids from a murder died and she could no longer face St Marys and all the bad memories from there. This makes Jay rethink spending money on his nans house and decides to impress Kirsty by buying her patient a new dog. Nick suffers a blackout which concerns Zoe fearing that the tumour has got worse.

Shona has been sleeping rough while drinking and getting high and comes to Charlie telling him how she wants to abort the baby only to realise she can't do this and needs to seek social services to which she storms out on. Only to return to the hospital in an ambulance after falling down a flight of stairs trying to kill her baby. Lenny and Yuki are adamant to solve the riddle of the virus killing off the residents. Ruth goes to a surgical convention hosted by Edward Thurlow to read her paper. where she has an embarrassing mishap and pours water over her computer. Her and Edward go out for a meal in a restaurant after he tells her that he is attracted to her. Meanwhile loansharks ransack a man's house who owes them money only to go outside with their loot to find out that he's nicked their van. He searches desperately for his girlfriend Cheryl who later collapses in hospital and crashes due to the mysterious illness. A new line of enquiry comes to light when it turns out that Cheryl had taken part in a drugs trial with Langham Services, ran by Robert Ludlow. A patient takes a shine to Yuki and successfully diagnoses her with MS and is praised by Nick for his observational skills. Zoe starts her treatment to cure her infertility.

When Jordan informs him that he could be in mortal danger if he doesn't take the placebo in the drugs trial, Jay is shocked. Jordan promises to fast-track the blood test results, but Jay is aware that the clock is ticking. Treating Eileen, an older lady with diabetes, Jay empathises with her sadness at suffering alone. He is distraught when she dies unexpectedly and, unable to express his fear to his mates (who are running a book on which staff member is at risk) he tries to seek solace with Ruth. But she is too preoccupied to devote time to him.

Lenny is determined to track down the last of the drugs trial patients – troubled teen Johnny – and save him from the Crypto virus. After causing an explosion in an office block, wayward Johnny is brought into the ED with his long-suffering mother, Louise, and Lenny leaps on the case. Despite warnings from his colleagues, Lenny performs a complex life-saving procedure unsupervised, much to Jordan's disapproval. But once Johnny's condition has stabilised, can Louise and the ED team get to the bottom of his behavioural problems?

Meanwhile, middle-aged Mick is brought into the ED after having a nasty fall and seizures. He has a pacemaker, a secret he's keen to keep from his lively young wife, Emma. Could his determination to keep up with his young partner be compromising his health? And just what is causing those seizures?

Charlie makes yet another attempt to reform Shona but, when faced with temptation, Shona buckles and steals from a patient. At his wit's end, Charlie decides to get tough with the teen. Alerting the police, he watches sadly as she's taken away in handcuffs.

Charlie has agreed to help Megan ease her suffering and steals drugs from the hospital, but Tess discovers his plan and tries to stop him. Pointing out that this goes against everything they, as health professionals, believe in, Tess outlines the other options for controlling Megan's pain and depression, such as home-hospice care.

Meanwhile, Megan has bonded with her young healthcare assistant, Lily, who confides she is pregnant but doesn't know who the father is. Determined not to keep the baby to bring it up alone, Lily asks Megan if she'll accompany her to the abortion clinic.

When Megan finds out that the cancer has spread to her brain she keeps quiet. In a bid to lift her spirits, Charlie asks Megan what she would do if she had three wishes. Megan would like to go to Las Vegas, drink banana daiquiris and be serenaded by Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra. So Charlie recreates Vegas in her living room and Megan, Charlie, Tess and Lily play roulette, sip cocktails and dance to Megan's favourite crooners.

After a wonderful evening, Lily is shocked the next morning to find Megan unconscious in the bath. She is rushed to the ED where her life is saved. Realising that Megan will now need round-the-clock nursing care, Charlie goes to her house to help – but the stubborn nurse is still determined to resist his efforts.

A massive power cut plunges Holby into darkness, as the drugs trial situation comes to a head, and Jordan gets closer to the truth about Zoe's pregnancy. The JAFA fellowship is due to be announced today and, for one doctor, life will change for ever. Lenny is prepared to go through with his deal with Ludlow to be crowned the winner but, oblivious, Yuki writes a preparatory speech recalling why he became a doctor: his brother died of cancer a few years ago and he's wanted to help fix people ever since. But before the fellowship is announced, a major power cut rips across the north of Holby – will the winner collect his reward after all? Meanwhile, Jay helps Jordan with the Crypto case and discovers that one patient has been missed off the list. When Jordan treats Ludlow's daughter after a fall down the stairs during the power cut, he realises that she's suffering from Lupus. Stunned, Jordan realises that all of Ludlow's research has been an attempt to find a cure for her. Profoundly affected by the events of the previous week, Tess confides to Charlie that she'd like to go to the police to confess her part in it. Charlie says he cannot stop her from doing what she feels is right. Will Tess find a way to come to terms with her actions? Zoe continues to lie to Jordan and the rest of the ED about her pregnancy but, after Jordan finds out the truth about Ludlow, he confesses his role in the drugs cover-up to Zoe and tells her they must no longer have any secrets between them. Zoe still doesn't speak up but when Jordan finds fertility drugs in her handbag it looks like her secret may soon be out…^[17]

Charlie is about to become a grandfather, Jordan learns the truth about Zoe's pregnancy and Adam celebrates his 40th birthday after a terrible year, as the current series of the medical drama draws to a close. It's still the night of the Ludlow Foundation event and a power cut has struck the north of Holby, plunging the Emergency Department into a state of chaos. When Yuki punches Lenny in the face for a second time, after finding out he's accepted a bribe from Ludlow to be awarded the JAFA fellowship, a fight ensues in the middle of the ED. Called to help break it up, Jordan is quick to work out that Lenny was in cahoots with Ludlow. Shona arrives at the hospital for a check-up in terrible pain – she hasn't felt the baby kick for days. Finding her collapsed on the floor in the dark, Lenny and Yuki put aside their differences to help her out, reviving the baby when it's born not breathing. After being quizzed about her continued use of fertility drugs, Zoe finally confesses to Jordan that she's not pregnant. Jordan is deeply shocked and later impassive when Zoe tells him she loves him in front of the entire department. Will he be able to forgive her? After urging Ludlow to go to the police and confess all, Jordan tells Yuki and Lenny that, despite their good work, there will be no fellowship and no more funding. Will the young doctors ever be able to return to Holby's Emergency Department? It's Adam's 40th birthday and the ED staff throw a surprise party to celebrate. Adam reveals a T-shirt with the slogan "old, free and single" as the team toast Charlie's new grand-daughter – baby Megan – and Tess looks on with a smile. Is this a new beginning for them all? Note: Guest Appearance of Megan Wark