Recap
Harold telling Des angrily that since his money is the only thing he's interested in for the Coffee Shop, he can consider their business partnership terminated.
No. 28
Harold goes on coolly:
HAROLD: Oh, yes, yeah, I can well imagine you'd be on the defensive.
DES (snaps): I am *not* on the defensive.
HAROLD: And *I* am not a fool and I will *not* be smoothed over. I am shocked to discover the real Des Clarke: a man who'll plant the dagger of treachery into the back of a friend.
DES (warns): Now hang on...
Mike walks over and suggests that they ease up. Harold, however, retorts that this is a personal matter. Mike insists that this is obviously a misunderstanding, but Harold mutters that there's *no* misunderstanding. Des snaps at Harold that he doesn't take too kindly to being called a backstabber. Harold snaps back:
HAROLD: That's what you *are*.
Des tries to calm down, and he suggests that they get back to square one: Harold's barking up the wrong tree. Harold mutters that there's no need to lie about it. Des exclaims:
DES: Oh - so no you're calling me a liar as well?
HAROLD (angrily): I heard what I heard. You only want me as a partner because of my money.
DES (snaps): Well it's certainly been true *today*. Today you've been carrying on like a pompous old woman!
HAROLD: All I have done is suggest that the business be updated, not kept as a museum to the past.
Des glares at Harold. He then points a finger at him and snarls:
DES: You say one more word about Daphne, so help me I will *deck* ya.
Harold pauses before saying stiffly:
HAROLD: Daphne was a very dear friend of mine, Des, and she was very happy to move with the times.
Mike tries again to interject, but both Des and Harold snap at him to keep out of it. Harold then turns back to Des and says coldly
HAROLD: It's plain as a pikestaff we've got nothing further to talk about - and there is no question of us being partners.
With that, he walks out. Des slams the door shut behind him.
No. 26
Helen is cleaning the kitchen as Paul leans on the counter talking about Madge's snoring. Helen tells him that she thinks Madge is attracted to the idea of *whistling* as a cure: when she was young, she had a very famous whistle which her brother, Max, taught her: she could stop a taxi at 200 yards! Paul remarks that he never heard that. Helen explains that it was some time ago; she's probably lost the knack. Paul comments:
PAUL: If she *hasn't*, maybe I should send her out on patrol - we've been getting a few complaints about somebody hanging around Lassiter's.
Looking concerned, Helen asks Paul seriously if there's a problem. Paul shrugs that it's probably just some guy hanging around for his girlfriend, but you can't be too careful. Changing the subject, Helen asks him what time he's going back to the hospital, but he replies that it won't be 'til this evening. He adds:
PAUL: This IVF programme means so much to me - I really, really want this baby, gran.
Helen smiles that those doctors are amongst the best. Katie walks in through the back door suddenly and Helen asks her in surprise what she's doing home. Katie just heads glumly through to the lounge room and shrugs:
KATIE: Nothing.
Helen remarks that surely she's not bored with her walkie- talkies already? Katie just murmurs that there's no one to play with. Beverly and Jim come in through the front door at that moment, Jim boasting about beating Beverly in their game of golf! He's holding some clubs, and Paul takes a putter from him and heads through to the lounge room. Jim warns him to mind the furniture!
No. 24
Harold is pedalling furiously on his exercise bike - still wearing his shirt and tie! Madge is sitting on the couch, watching him, and she comments in concern that she thinks he should slow down. Harold, however, insists that he's perfectly all right. Madge stands up and pleads with him to *please* slow down. Harold gives in and does so, and Madge goes on:
MADGE: You know, I really am amazed at Des Clarke. No matter what anyone might have said about him, I never thought he was snide.
HAROLD (coolly): I told you what that man said, precisely, word for word, but if you prefer to believe *him* more than *me*...
MADGE: Don't be silly, Harold, of *course* I believe you.
HAROLD (declares): I have been betrayed by a friend. Verily sayeth the prophet: all is vanity - "vanity and vexation of spirit."
Madge tells Harold to come and sit down, but Harold - panting heavily - goes on that his first reaction was one of anger, but the anger has passed and he just feels dreadfully betrayed. Madge puts her arms around him. Harold says:
HAROLD: Honestly, it is quite shattering to find a friend that you liked and respected regard you with contempt.
MADGE: *Contempt*? Oh, don't be silly...
HAROLD: No, no: contempt. Let's not beat around the bush.
Madge pleads with Harold again to have a rest, but Harold tells her to just leave him be. He resumes his pedalling as Madge gives in and sits back down on the couch. As she does so, she remarks:
MADGE: Well, if that's the way Des Clarke treats friends like *you*, I think he's got big trouble on his hands.
No. 26
Paul putts a golf ball into a mug on the lounge room floor as Katie sits holds the mug still. Des is sitting on the couch and Beverly is taking the bandages off his hands. Helen smiles that it must be a relief. Des grins that he can pick things up now without looking like the star of that movie 'The Mummy'! Jim comments that at least he doesn't look like a boxer who's just taken his gloves off! Des, however, sighs that that's not too far from the truth: he had a run- in with Harold. He adds:
DES: Fair dinkum: that bloke makes *Mrs. Mangel* look sensitive! First, he wanted to redesign the Coffee Shop - get rid of every last trace of Daph; then he heard me letting off steam and he went off his head. Should've heard what I was saying two minutes earlier!
The 'phone starts ringing suddenly and Helen goes to get it as Des tells Jim and Beverly that that's the end of his and Harold's partnership. Katie turns to Des and tells him that she's sorry about Mr. Bishop: he heard Des on her walkie- talkie - what Des was saying... Helen hands the 'phone to Paul and then asks Katie if she left a receiver at Des's house and then listened in on the other one. Katie insists that she didn't *mean* to: she and Mike were *playing*. Helen chides that she's *warned* her about listening to adult conversations. Katie murmurs that she's sorry. Des, realisation dawning, exclaims that things make more sense now - but damn it: he meant everything that he said, and if Harold's going to be eavesdropping, he's got to cop what he hears. Jim remarks that it sounds to him like Harold's feelings were pretty hurt. Des retorts:
DES: *His* feelings? What about *mine*? I mean, he's willing to dump all the hard work that Daph put into that Coffee Shop. You can't *treat* people like that; he's gotta realise that. You know what I reckon? I reckon I've done the guy a favour.
Paul hangs up the 'phone and tells everyone that that was the hospital. Beverly asks if Gail's all right. Paul nods that she's fine: he's got to go and pick her up. Jim asks what *that* means. Paul replies bitterly:
PAUL: It means the programme's failed again, dad.
No. 26
A short while later, Helen is sitting at the kitchen table, saying to Katie:
HELEN: Now you see what can happen when people listen in when they shouldn't.
KATIE: But Mr. Bishop took the walkie- talkie set *from* me. I didn't really think he'd listen or anything.
HELEN: Darling, if you hadn't been eavesdropping in the first place, there wouldn't've been a problem.
She tells Katie not to let it happen again. The two of them head through to the lounge room just as the doorbell rings. Helen goes and answers it to Paul and Gail. As they step inside, Paul tells her, Jim and Beverly that he thought Gail could do with some company. Beverly tells Gail that she's sorry, but Gail insists that it's all right: she's not going to fall to pieces like last time - she's disappointed, sure, but she's better prepared. As she and Paul sit down, Jim asks:
JIM: What *is* the problem, exactly?
GAIL (evasively): Oh... this and that.
BEVERLY: It wouldn't help to talk about it?
GAIL: There's no need - honestly. I'm fine.
No. 28
Madge has turned up at No. 28 and is telling Des that these things need to be *talked* about: he and Harold have been really good friends and she'd hate to see that go on the skids. Des just retorts that that's up to Harold. Madge insists that Harold is very upset about this; in fact, he's devastated. Des snaps that he's a bit upset *himself*. Mike chips in to offer some coffee, but Madge declines. She then turns back to Des and asks him curtly what they're going to do about it. Des retorts:
DES: *Harold* was the one jumping up and down. *He's* the one who started the whole thing.
MADGE (mutters): Well, I suppose that's a matter of opinion. Look, he hasn't been well, Des; he can't cope with stress. Now, if I went back to him and said you'd apologised, I'm sure that'd be the end of it.
DES (coolly): Now, let's get the record straight, eh? Harold came charging in here like the Seventh Cavalry, not prepared to listen. He called me a liar and a backstabber for saying things that were completely true. Now, there *is* an apology due, but it's not from me, it's from *Harold*.
MADGE: You've got to admit, Des, some of the things you said were pretty unkind.
DES: But *accurate*. He shouldn't've been eavesdropping.
MADGE: You're not being very helpful.
DES: Look, I expressed some private opinions inside my own home. I wasn't in the wrong and I'm not going to say I *was*.
MADGE: What you're *actually* saying is that you've insulted Harold and you're not man enough to apologise.
DES: Like hell I am!
Mike chips in to ask if they can't keep this in some sort of perspective. Madge, however, retorts:
MADGE: There is only one perspective, Mike: Harold would be better off *out* of this partnership. You are selfish and mule- headed, Des Clarke.
With that, she marches out. When she's gone, Mike asks Des why he doesn't just apologise - it won't kill him and it'll get things over with. Des, however, demands to know why Mike is taking Madge and Harold's side. Mike insists wearily that he's not taking *anybody's* side - he's just trying to get some work done.
No. 26
Jim and Paul carry a tray of cups and saucers through from the kitchen to the lounge room, Jim telling Beverly and Gail not to stay chinwagging for hours and forget the coffee! Left alone with Gail, Beverly says she's sorry the IVF didn't work out. Gail insists that there's no need for the panic button yet - they just have to keep trying. Beverly tells her that if she needs somebody to talk to... Gail smiles that she's fine. Beverly goes on that it doesn't seem fair that *she's* having a baby and Gail isn't. Gail, however, insists:
GAIL: You enjoy yours - I know it means heaps to you.
BEVERLY: Yes, it does. That's why I'm so sorry.
GAIL: Yeah, well, don't be. You know, Paul and I will probably make headlines eventually with quads or quintuplets or something extravagant! And Paul being Paul, he'll sell the rights and make a million!
BEVERLY (laughs): And you being you will put it all in trust and invest it brilliantly!
With that, the two of them go to head through to the lounge room - but meet Jim, Paul, Katie and Helen coming back in, Jim saying they were just about to send out a search party! Beverly grins that she was just telling Gail what a phenomenal golfer he is! Katie asks Helen if she can go outside and play. Helen tells her to stay out of trouble. Paul walks over to Gail, who says to him quietly:
GAIL: When we've had this, can we go?
PAUL: Is everything OK?
GAIL: Fine. Fine. I just want to talk to you about something. It's OK.
No. 24
Harold is standing in the lounge room, using his vibrating stomach belt as Madge sits grinning at him and sewing. There's suddenly a knock on the front door and Harold says he'll get it. He heads to the door and finds Katie standing on the step. She tells him that she came over to say she's very sorry. Harold smiles in delight:
HAROLD: Well, that is a credit to you ... [darkly] which is more than I can say for *some* people, eh?
Katie says that if she hadn't been listening in the first place, there wouldn't've been any trouble. Harold, however, points out that he can hardly blame *her* when he did the same thing himself. Madge asks Harold wearily if they can *forget* about Des for a while. Katie, however, says:
KATIE: Me and my friends fight all the time - but then we make friends again.
HAROLD: I know what you mean, Katie... but, well, you'll learn as you grow older: fighting amongst children is easy come, easy go, but it *is* different with adults - and business is business.
KATIE: But you can still be friends!
HAROLD: Well... tell me this: would you give your money to someone you didn't trust?
Before Katie can answer, Madge says she thinks they can spare Katie the lecture on business philosophy! Harold tells Katie that, suffice it to say, he doesn't think he and Des will ever be friends again.
No. 26
Jim carries the tray of used coffee things into the kitchen and asks Beverly if Gail gave her any idea what the problem is. Beverly just replies that, even if she did, she couldn't tell him, medical ethics being what they are. Helen says that reminds her that she must prepare for her class: her students need some practical assignments. She heads off to her room as Paul comes in through the back door. Beverly asks him how Gail is and Paul tells her that she's having a rest. Jim then says:
JIM: Paul, what *is* the problem? We know *something's* going on, but we're a bit in the dark.
PAUL: Yeah, yeah. That's why I'm here, dad: I sort of needed to have a talk to you.
JIM: Is it serious?
PAUL: Yeah. Yeah. Look, you know how much having the baby means to Gail and me... Well, it wasn't bad luck that the treatment failed, at all - it's *my* fault.
No. 26
A few moments later, Jim and Beverly walk with Paul into the lounge room, Jim telling his son not to take it to heart. Paul, however, sighs:
PAUL: It just never occurred to me that *I* would be the reason the programme failed. I've got a daughter in New Zealand - Amy; and they've done *tests*.
Beverly tells Paul that a lot of things can cause a low sperm count: the virus he suffered recently... a change of diet... stress... all *kinds* of things. Paul asks how permanent it is. Beverly replies that it's not permanent at *all*: a change of diet, time to get over the virus and stress management is all that should be needed. She adds that Gail's doctors should have told her all this already. Paul nods:
PAUL: They did - but I just needed to hear it from a doctor I could trust!
The 'phone starts ringing suddenly and Beverly goes to answer it. She listens and then says she's got to get over to Lassiter's, as one of the guests is ill. She heads off to her room to get her bag, leaving Paul to comment to his father:
PAUL: She's one in a million, dad.
JIM: Yeah, she certainly is, mate: one in a million. Not a bad little golfer, either!
No. 24
It's evening- time. Harold is sitting at the kitchen table, looking glum, and Madge, who's preparing dinner, asks him what's wrong. He sighs:
HAROLD: There *is* a question there, isn't there: I mean - why *didn't* Des want me as a partner?
MADGE: Because he's a blooming idiot, that's why.
HAROLD: It has happened before, though: failed business ventures... everything I touch falls to pieces...
MADGE: Harold, if you go on like this, I'm going to get very stroppy! Now, it's been a very trying day - why don't you lie down and have a little snooze?
Harold, however, looks at the TV guide in front of him and says they're replaying 'The Great Caruso' - he might watch that. Madge smiles that she might watch it with him. Harold then sighs:
HAROLD: Oh dear... I just hope one thing.
MADGE: What's that?
HAROLD: I just hope Des is as upset as *I* am.
No. 28
Mike is working at the table as Des sits on the couch adding up some figures. He lets out an exclamation of:
DES: Oh damn.
Mike asks what's up, but Des tells him that it's nothing out of the ordinary: just money. Mike asks him if he'd like a pizza. Des asks if it's that time already. He then asks Mike how the schedule is. Mike hands him a sheet of paper and replies that this will be a bit more than prac teaching: he'll be qualified soon, so it's like a dummy run. He adds that Nick and Sharon will be in one of his classes, so they'll be a couple of friendly faces. Des muses that sometimes friends can let you down... Mike hesitates before asking wearily how the figures are coming on. Des replies:
DES: Not real good, I'm afraid. Without that capital from Harold, I don't know if I'll be able to manage all the repairs.
MIKE: You work in a bank, don't you?!
DES: I'm mortgaged to the hilt, mate.
MIKE: What about my trust account? I reckon the Coffee Shop would be a good investment.
DES: Daph and me agreed that was to be your nest- egg - not to be touched, and that is final.
MIKE: Well, what's the alternative, then?
DES: There's three: find another investor; get down and grovel to Harold; or the Coffee Shop never sees the light of day - and you can just see Harold sitting there waiting. Well, I'm not going to give him that satisfaction: he can wait 'til the cows come home.
No. 24
Harold is snoring loudly on the couch in front of the TV. Madge, sitting next to him, gives him a nudge and he stops snoring momentarily - but he then starts up again. Madge sighs heavily. She picks up a cushion from the couch and places it behind his head. It doesn't do any good, though: the snoring gets louder. After a few seconds of staring at Harold, Madge puts two fingers in her mouth and lets out a piercing whistle. Harold jumps and comes to! Madge laughs to herself:
MADGE: What do you know? I didn't know I could still do that!
Lassiter's complex
Beverly is walking alone through the complex, having finished her call. She doesn't spot a man hiding in the bushes behind her stand up and start following her. As she reaches her car, the man catches up to her and grabs at her medical case. Beverly tries to hold on to it, but the man struggles with her - and then punches her in the gut. He runs off with the bag, leaving Beverly clutching her hands to her stomach in pain...