Dr Jack Hodgson fights for his life after deadly Silent Witness nerve agent attack

Jack is now also en route to hospital, struggling to breathe as a paramedic in a hazmat suit begs him to stay alive.

So... what now?

We should find out in the second part, which airs on Wednesday at 9pm.

But the BBC's info for the episode does give us some hint of what's to come: "Jack is rushed hospital after collapsing at the scene of a car crash. Following Thomas’s discovery that the soldier John Sealy may have been exposed to a nerve agent, is it possible someone is targeting the victim’s family? With Jack’s life in the balance, it’s down to Nikki, Thomas and Clarissa, to find the truth and save their friend."

Speaking on set during filming, Lintern (who plays Dr Thomas Chamberlain) also dropped a few hints.

“Various characters here get involved in the potential contamination with the nerve agent," he said. "Obviously, it’s an extremely dangerous – it’s a specifically dangerous situation for forensic pathologists to be in, and one that you don’t necessarily identify straight away. So you might end up on the scene, and only realise hours later, or 20 minutes later – crucial minutes – that you should have been in one of these protective suits.”

Reassuringly for Silent Witness fans, David Caves has given no indication of wanting to leave the show. He first joined the show in 2013 for series 16 and has been a fan favourite ever since.

But then again, perhaps he's just very good at keeping a secret...

Silent Witness continues on Wednesday 5th February at 9pm on BBC One