Binnenstebuiten

- Season 1

(2013)

The members of the joint medical practice speculate why friendly senior ward spends all morning there, knowing he probably won't see a doctor without an appointment. He alone seems to get on great with difficult patient Lisette Verfaille, yet she brushes him off. Her daughter Sabine brought her in to examine her recent series of breathing trouble, which she self-medicated, but no physical cause is found. Psychologist Frederik Robrechts visits her in the seniors home, where she confides it's all about her life-long secret: undeclared lesbian love.

Therapist Frederik's regular patient, model bio engineering student Maarten Scheenmaeckers, complains to be fed up thoroughly. He has memory troubles after a head injury, but seems most troubled by his bothersome, divorced mother. The team discovers a recent behavioral change and domestic root causes. Weight- and looks-obsessed Moniek De Veerman refuses to abandon crazy Hollywood 'diet' and pills or use needed iron supplement.

Arno Willems (30) brings his spouse Liliane (50) to the sexologist, as she feels the age difference is a disaster waiting to happen, while he believes it can all work out. A health freak comes from treatment of her sunburn, from excessive work in her organic vegetable garden allotment, but has more serious symptoms, suggesting a major poisoning.

When neighborhood girl Cathy, whom Sara used to babysit, reports worsening eyesight, the MD soon suspects an serious problem and urgently schedules a specialist appointment. She's diagnosed with a rare syndrome, which may still be treatable, but almost certainly results from a major immunity problem, cancer or, as is found, AIDS. She blindly blames her loyal partner Steven, who is crushed after confessing a short affair, needing support from Frederik, only to be found clean. Meanwhile the nurse and receptionist have the hots for a foxy patient viz. her rowdy biker ...

On Thursday, nurse Tim proposes a Friday evening staff party, but his colleagues all have other suggestions, one even declines. A 'professional' singer has vocal chord problems but can barely be convinced to cancel a single performance to see a specialist. When the diagnosis requires a long rest, manager Benny Ampe opposes canceling the upcoming performances. His part proves more then crucial.

The GP worries when the couple referred from the practice to a specialist in hospital with their dehydrated baby boy reportedly never arrived there. The father, Tommy Verbist, assures everything went fine after seeing their regular pediatrician in another hospital, but that turns out a lie, and untreated dehydration can be fatal. Meanwhile the receptionist makes an endless spectacle of the otherwise engaged sexologist failing to timely cancel a second appointment in a month.

Karel Vertomme first sees the doctor for an infected, which proves sexually transmitted. Having admitted infidelity but invoked marital sex ceased two years ago, he asks the sex therapist to come talk to his wife Lena, who neglects him that long since she took in her orphaned, manic-depressive brother. Tim objects to being taken for granted when the receptionist once more reorganized his entire day, assuming he would do her morning shift while she attends a municipal social services meeting.

Nurse Tim's camping buddy Karel drops by for a checkup after a mountain-bike fall. His bruises are innocent, but he soon returns with persistent symptoms, which suggest a liver condition. Tim was sent home to sit out a flu, so regular interim Arne stand in, but comes complain about vomiting and other symptoms. It turns out they and a third camper all have liver troubles, which must be diagnosed and treated or irreparable damage will be done.

Widower Noel and wheelchair-ridden widow Irène independently ask for strong tranquilizers, without giving credible root causes, and accept only reluctantly to see psychologist Frederik. As they played the same game before elsewhere, the team suspects a hidden agenda, even more when it finds they hid being neighbors and close friends, and his medical file provides the key. Meanwhile Frederik and Tim give the sexologist opposite relationship advice 'for a dating friend'.

Children party clown Kurt Vereecke suffers nausea and fainting, which may well relate to his relaxation use of laughing gas. The medical team must combine its skills to handle the case of a little girl borough in by her big sister with a 'fall' injury which may rather by a case of (unintentional) abuse. The single mother needs to delegate most of the domestic tasks and babysitting to the eldest daughter, who practices self-mutilation. A deeper rooted problem is the late father's possibly inherited mental disorder which led to his suicide.

Adolescent Yannick 'Yan' consults the sexologist with his steady girl but can't explain to her face his reason to putt off sex: his virginity, embarrassing at 19 according to his mates who may never know. Pushy leather garments salesman Jos Meijnders comes ask for help to check his weight, but is strangely, incoherently uncooperative, despite episodes. The team unearths his secrets in order to diagnose major problems. Mysteriously, businessman Koen repeatedly calls on the GP, worrying Frederik and puzzling their colleagues.

Frederik organizes a party to celebrate friend Lotte's promotion to editor in chief of the magazine that publishes his columns and suggests she should also welcome columns from his colleagues, reflecting their practice's common approach. Nurse Tim is taking a palliative care course. Insensitive careerist Lotte's husband Victor is frustrated by her and his ICT firm sales job.

Willem De Baets consults the GP as his wife Christine's obsession with their long-frustrated child-wish becomes unbearable. A fertility test clears his sperm, but also shows chlamydia, forcing the couple to face their sexually irresponsible past. Nurse Tim gradually realizes that excessively friendly home injections patient Judith Vermeersch lusts for him, bound to get out of control.

Devoted football (soccer) coach Ruud asks Frederik for therapy to help his most promising player, Ken, whose performance spirals down in a vicious circle of frustration and atypical episodes of aggression to everyone. Frederik observes the team and initially suspects Ken's embarrassingly loud father Paul as the critical stress cause, but during the next match, the prodigy collapses and is rushed to hospital, where a congenital cardiac defect is diagnosed. A visit from buddy Jordi reveals ken's psychological trouble. Respectable husband Bavo Smits's initial GP visit, ...

The joint practices' computer network is in trouble. The receptionist however only has eyes for the 'Coca Cola man hunky' ICT repair man, Daan, who discretely reports a porn history on one laptop, actually related to a schoolboy-patient's addiction case. Patient Mario lies about his syndrome, which is completely different from his wife's, for an equally held-back reason, illegal snake trade, but the lost time compromises his survival chances.

Jens and his pregnant partner, also 16, want help to keep their unborn child, which is legally their right. Her parents demand an abortion, but actually have a medical reason stemming from a family secret shared by his late father, a veteran like hers, which may not hold. Nurse Tim likes a patient but is constantly suspected of theft by her, actually greedy children.

Clearly concerned father Bram De Wilde, yet conspicuously hasty, brings in his pre-teen son Boris with a strained wrist. Because the knave has no other bruises and constantly repeats the apparently rehearsed phrase 'just fallen bicycling', like father, to all questions about the circumstances, the GP suspects another story. Using paperwork as a pretext, the home is visited, where the mother in law openly suggests paternal abuse, only to retract that story the next day. Frederik arranges a family counseling, where the relatively innocent truth emerges. Meanwhile the ...

Clearly concerned father Serge Deckers hastily brings in his pre-teen son Brent to be treated for a fractured wrist. Beacuse both avoid questions about how it happened with the apparently rehearsed phrase 'just fallen from the bike', the medical practice fears it may be a case of domestic violence, as suggested by the mother in law. Luckily the truth proves more prosaic.

Antwerp city social worker Rob Verspecht, a hottie to receptionist-colleague Judith's taste, consults the practice team to check up on neighbors's suspicion that young Stan Depoorter, a shy cutie they once treated for extensive 'bike fall' bruises, may be the victim of domestic abuse. A campaign to collect medication past expiration dates provides excuses to visit the home and call in both parents plus the boy, who whispers 'help me!' when unwatched a minute. Father Dennis Depoorter, a shy bus driver, proves genuinely concerned, unlike his bitching wife. Frederik also...

Gentle law-freshman Jacob consults Frederik as he just can't manage to cram. The therapist works out he's not motivated, except to piously oblige his parents' desire that he later joins the 'family law firm'. So the solution is to switch to his true passion, veterinary studies. Shy laborer Bert is dragged to the sexologist by his bossy wife Hilde who lost patience with his sexual impotence, which isn't physical. It turns out to be a side-effect of constant abuse, more then serious hazing, at the garage where veteran colleagues hate the eager beaver 'spoiling the job'.

Anita Gorts brings her teenage daughter Debby to Frederik, fearing she relapsed into anorexia. She proves to have her weight, demonstrates eating healthy and vomits, later brings the explanation: a positive pregnancy test. Frederik gets her to tell the father, later her parents, but by the time she decides against abortion, a complication occurs. The sexologist counsels Mie Van Besien, who intended to have her breasts enlarged for lover Dries, who turns out to like them as they are.

Nco grudgingly joined his wife to sessions with the sexologist about how to breath new life into their dulled sex life. It soon becomes clear they need therapy just to save the marriage. The GP isn't inclined to just indulge a patient who expects to have her chronic fatigue claim acknowledged, unwilling to help a malinger or hypochondriac or even miss a potentially vital alternative diagnosis, as happens to be the case, requiring longterm hospital care.

Seppe delights parents Frederik and Sara with a surprise visit, but the joy dims as he expects more then they care to contribute financially to his fashionable Spanish holiday plans. Only Frederik naturally connects with stray boy Guust Vandewalle, so the angelic rascal causes his colleagues quite some stress until father Dries comes collect him. Sara finds it hard to deal with her meddling mother's medical problems, so Frederik mediates.

The GP is repeatedly 'urgently' asked by rude African Kadia to examine her kid sister Abra, asking to write her a certificate she can't fly. However the claimed earache isn't there, a single fever artificially induced, a broken-arm not a bicycle accident but Kadia's own doing.circumcision. The school principal confirms Kadia's terrible attendance record and results. The girls' mother insists they must join her on a flight to family in Africa. Their motives root in an ancient, painful tradition.

Thomas asks the sexologist to rekindle his marital sex-life, as his wife seems to have lost her libido. Penniless squatter Bert Van Oost brings to the practice his life partner, who collapses completely from malnutrition and dire hygiene, only to suffer the same fate later, so Judith, who found him while bringing a fruit basket, minds their loyal dog. Tim proudly tells her about his tribal 'royalty' roots.

A patient diagnosed with long cancer rudely refuses to be treated, claiming classical medicine is a scam, unlike the 'New Germanic', but that quack theory already killed hundreds throughout Europe. Frederik and the sexologist counsel 'massage parlor' prostitute Olga Pavlova, who is confident her regular customer and lover Dierk will leave his wife to marry her.

A Chiro (Catholic scouting counterpart) troop in summer camp mode arrives in the practice when a member suffers a wasp sting with allergic complications. Frderik, nostalgic of son Seppe's childhood, takes personal care of shy, smart, drawing-gifted Joris, whose stomachache may essentially be homesick, as happened to Frederik.

Alexander De Boeck consults the sexologist when his longterm partner wants marriage, while he fears that's unfair given he's constantly 'falling in love' at first sight, although never actually unfaithful. In her own life, she pushes away regular no-strings sex partner Sander, who claims she must secretly begin-to love him too, and even arranges to be 'caught' with a gorgeous towel-only 'toyboy'. The receptionist joins a yoga club with her buddy, whose pain attacks she insists must be diagnosed, yet all but worrisome.

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Nervous, cocky Jonas brings his partner Hanne to the practice with an ear-infection. The team notices their relief that the GP consultation is free and obsessing about the pharmacy costs. Frederik in part-puzzled, part-amused by the fickle attitude of Lode, who suffers from a midlife crisis but expresses no confidence in therapy whatsoever. Tim wants to nurse his cancer-terminal mother, even if that means resigning, but she insists he must continue his life.

Reluctantly, retired army colonel Staf Swinnen lets his daughter drag him to the practice for therapy, an absurd insult in his eyes, for his lasting listlessness, to which are now added alcohol abuse, blackouts and disappearing on army exercise premises. School age lovers Lewis Raes and Jasmien De Blende consult the sexologist about rules, mainly legal, concerning under age sex. Lewis's father Roland Raes furiously scolds her and promises to sue.

Workaholic advertising executive Louis Van den Abeele, to Judith's taste, demands a strong tranquillizer to control his stress until an impending crucial presentation. He storms out when told rather to take therapy with Frederik, but returns after strange, apparently unrelated symptoms. Blood tests show a long-term problem. Mathieu De Bock and his steady partner Lynn consult the sexologist, wanting to surgically avoids any risk of pregnancy, while disagreeing which of them should physically sacrifice fertility.

Young father Eric visits the practice with his cry-baby son Mano and his wife, teacher Carla, who can't cope and starts exhausting his angelic patience. GP and pediatrician find the baby healthy, so it's up to Frederik to try therapy for the 'failed' parents, as Carla even suggests giving their son up for adoption, which Eric can't even discuss for real. Ward finally explains he Always hangs around feeling useless since retirement now his kids no longer need his help as handyman. Frederik sort of invites him to do chores in the practice, but that's too noisy, yet a ...

Caring adolescent Kenny gently brings his shy kid brother Lino to be treated for a week-old foot wound. However their story about stepping into a nail doesn't fit and the prescription for an ointment is found on the street. Visiting their widower father Marcel, the team finds him a lush, who no longer takes care of the boys, so Kenny moved out to a squatters building.

Erik Verbrugge asks Tim, who nurses his leg wound, to check on teenage son Joren, who won't go out, won't show show his gaming and hides his Skyping with a certain Lovely. Stressed sales representative Leo Vandecasteele consults the GP for killer migraine and tinnitus, which also strain his marriage, but Frederik's relaxation therapy also reveals another problem.

Frank Verstappen and his wife ask the practice for help with their 'rebellious' son Maarten, because he won't accept that they refuse to let him use Internat and a cellphone at home. Tom Bertels suffers from insomnia. As the GP finds no physical cause, Frederik tries therapy and presumes the key is a traumatic carjacking. Finding that wrong rekindles his own therapist trauma.

The practice is closed for the duration of the neighborhood's barbecue party in the park. Staff is eager to attend .Tim and Judith help the sexologist promote safe sex playfully, inspired by minors Jasper and Luna's questions about condoms. It has to be shut down due to a mysterious flood of food poisoning cases. Patrick soon confesses to have used out of date eggs, later why.

Divorced Wim and Claudine's young daughter Rosa's fatigue is soon suspected and however surprisingly diagnosed as poverty disease tuberculosis, while the custody-alternating parents are upper middle class. Contractor Wim's east European laborers are cleared, even Claudine's disastrously libertine sex-life. Inspiration comes from Tim's least favorite patient, crone Irma, and her stupid 'self-medication.

Angelic Vince is brought by his chatterbox, demanding mother Myriam for a sunstroke. She not only questions the obvious diagnose and keeps insisting absurd measures, Tom finds a mold on her swollen alarmingly. Chinaman Weidong collapses and vomits in the waiting room. His wife Hong, who speaks a little English, gradually explains their tragic story. Bert consults the sexologist with his fiancée Louise, who won't marry as long as he insist on keeping pictures on show of his late wife Ingrid.

Father to be Pieter Verhelst consults the sexologist as his fears prevent him from laking love to wife Sophie, making her fear the first baby they both crave is killing their relationship. Ward is back, complaining about a strained shoulder, supposedly mainly just seeking attention. However by the time the GP and receptionist Judith, who visits Ward while doing volunteer chores in the park, realizes he may have cardiac trouble, the specialist fears it may be too late, rekindling the GP's ultimate trauma.