Survivors

A virulent flu bug is spreading through the country like wildfire. Abby Grant (Carolyn Seymour) and her husband David (Peter Bowles) are aware that the flu has reportedly claimed millions of people's lives in China, but they don't think that could happen in England. Abby becomes ill and takes to her bed. Meanwhile Jenny Richards (Lucy Fleming) learns from a doctor that this is no flu bug and that hundreds are now dying. Acting on his advice she flees London for the countryside. Abby wakes days later and fears that she may be the only one left alive...

Abby meets Arthur Wormley who has some strong ideas about how the survivors of 'the death' should organise themselves. Meanwhile Greg Preston (Ian McCulloch) meets a strong willed woman called Anne (Myra Frances) who needs his help to rescue a man who is trapped under a tractor in a nearby quarry. Elsewhere Jenny is still wandering the countryside alone...

Abby, Jenny and Greg have made an abandoned church their base. Abby hopes to find her son Peter. They make a trip to a nearby supermarket to gather some food supplies and encounter some of Wormley's men who insist they leave their loot. Jenny and Greg overpower them and they escape. The men are intent on revenge and begin to search the countryside for the trio...

Greg travels to a community at Whitecross to trade with its leader Charles Vaughan (Denis Lill) who he last met at Mardell. Jenny is now pregnant so Greg also seeks news of Ruth's whereabouts, as she promised to return to help with the birth. Whilst Greg is away, a fire destroys the grange. The survivors of the blaze are soon reunited with Greg, who leads the way back to Whitecross where they hope to stay, at least until Jenny has had her baby...

When there are complications after the birth of Jenny's baby, Ruth knows that the only course of action is to locate some medicine to treate her. Paul, who is now in love with Ruth, elects to go on the dangerous journey into Birmingham to find what Ruth needs. Eventually Paul returns, but he reveals that he doesn't fell too well. Ruth isolates Paul in a barn to prevent the possible spread of infection and begins to treat Jenny whose condition has worsened...

A couple called Penny and Amul arrive at Whitecross claiming to have news of Abby. Ruth goes with them thinking her medical skills are needed at the place where Abby is staying. She soon learns that she is being taken to London instead to help nurse the sick there and that Abby has already moved on. The large settlement in London is run by a man called Manny who does not want Ruth to leave. When Greg and Charles fear for Ruth's safety they journey to London to rescue her...

It is six months since Greg, Agnes and Jack left Whitecross. Seth finds Jack wandering in a fever in some woods and takes him back to his home to look after him. There finds that Jack has letters for Charles and Jenny which are from Greg. Charles, Pet, Jenny, Hubert and the children have moved from Whitecross to Challoner. When they learn the news about the letters, Jenny and Charles go to Seth's home. Jack is delirious and says some unintelligible things about a place called Wellingham, where he and Greg had been. A distraught Jenny is desperate to see Greg again, so she and Charles head off to Wellingham. Pet also sends Hubert on after them. After rescuing a man staked out in the woods and meeting the authoritarian Clifford and the sinister Miedel, Jenny and Charles become worried about the situation in which they have become embroiled...

Jenny is searching for Greg alone. Not far away Greg is travelling with Agnes when they come across an old woman in distress. She introduces herself as Mrs Butterworth and explains that she is being plagued by what she terms 'red indians'. Greg investigates and discovers a community of children are behind the raids on her house. They are led by a tough boy called Eagle who does not want Greg to interfere, despite the fact that many of their number are dying of a mysterious illness...

Charles, Hubert and Jenny are reunited with Agnes, who has become separated from Greg. They visit the Walter's family farm, where Greg and Agnes met Tom Walter and his family some months ago. However, the farm is deserted as Tom' mother, Edith, and her sons Steve and Owen were driven from it, when Tom was away, by former butcher Brod, to a camp by a railway line. Charles, Jenny, Agnes and Hubert are captured and taken there as well. Brod has special plans for Jenny and sees Charles as a threat to his position...