Recap
Elle watching Steph as she rescues Charlie from the road and Max denying he left the pram in the middle of the road.
Lyn telling Paul she's moving into No. 22.
Stinger going up the ladder and the ladder falling away just as he is near the top leaving him hanging on.
Note - no new titles to reflect that Izzy has left and her name is still in the credits.
Ramsay Street
Stinger is hanging on for dear life and Rachel tells Zeke to hurry up and get the ladder. As he runs to get it, Stinger tells her to let go but she refuses to but somehow the grip is lost and Stinger falls to the ground face first. Ouch!
Garage
Max with Charlie safely secured to him, does the sums and gives Steph the good news - they can afford for her to work full time at the garage and that he can be a stay at home dad. Oh and Charlie looks so cute in some real clothes!
Elle snakes up on them and Steph wonders why she is there and she says a business proposition - she wants the garage to service the cars from Lassiter's again. Steph and Max both thank her and when Elle leaves, Steph leans in to kiss him but he pulls back and I'm sure it isn't because Charlie has suddenly got the hic-ups.
STEPH: Max, Elle's obviously holding no grudges against you so why should you? Come on, things are happening for us again; everything's going to be great. It's okay to be happy you know. Come on.
This time Max fully participates in the kiss that occurs, while the Stax fans shudder at Steph cursing them again!
No. 22
Lyn removes food from the fridge to use for their meal while Oscar impatiently tries go get Paul's mobile phone off him to play with it. Elle arrives home and is shocked to see the picture of Valda up on the wall beside the door (Lyn had to tell her who the picture was of) and doesn't seem to be enthralled at the prospect of Lyn making them a meal 'with things they normally throw away'. She then discovers that Oscar has ruined her shoes by drawing over them with a permanent marker and Paul tells her to buy another pair to replace them and put them on the credit card! Lyn doesn't seem impressed at what Paul has told Elle to do.
No. 28
Susan is trying to teach Audrey to be nice to Karl by playing him singing 'Free as a river' and instead of enjoying the music, Audrey cowers and tries to play dead in the hope that Susan will turn the "music" quickly off. Thankfully she does just as the man in question comes through the door and they both hug and kiss each other before Karl brings her up to speed on Libby, Darren and Ben.
Karl decides to approach Audrey to see if she is behaving any better to him and seems delighted when there is no barking. He thinks it is because she has got used to him when in reality I think it had more to do with the fact Susan was holding up a doggie treat, which she throws to the dog when Karl moves towards her wanting to talk. However their chat is interrupted when Karl's mobile goes off - it is the hospital telling him about Stinger.
Hospital
Stinger lies in his hospital bed with Rachel and Zeke by his side. Zeke wants to call Janelle but Stinger tells him not to. Rachel then confesses to him that she wasn't drunk when he came up to rescue her, that she was doing it so that he could come to his senses. Their chat is curtailed when Karl enters the room and tells Stinger that he's done a right job on himself and asks him if he has consumed anything, well alcohol, before he can prescribe medication (Stinger has told him that the painkillers aren't working). Karl takes Stingers silence as meaning a yes and wants to know how much and he replies "a bit" before finally saying "a lot".
No. 22
Lyn has a go at Paul for wasting money, especially plastic money, and mentions that his Gran would know how not to waste money. She also adds that Elle needs to learn to handle money seconds before Elle arrives home. Lyn proudly shows her the now ink free shoes that Oscar decorated but Elle isn't interested in them because she fills the dining room table with 8 boxes of new shoes! (She's obviously never heard it is unlucky to put a new pair of shoes on a table!) Paul then asks Lyn if he can give him and Elle a moment so they can have a little chat.
Hospital
Zeke apologies to Rachel for not doing more to help Stinger as Karl comes out of his room. She wants to know what is wrong with him but he can't tell until further tests have been carried out. From the corridor, they hear Stinger calling for Rachel and she heads into his room. He flinches when she sits on his bed and in his language tells her he's been an idiot for a while now and Rachel explains that she knows that but didn't want to say anything to him in case he got mad at her. She then apologises to him for what she did and explains that she is worried about him. He in turn promises her that he will stop drinking because he can live without alcohol but he can't live without her. Aww, corny but nice.
No. 22
Lyn listens in on Paul and Elle's chat from the stairs and hears Elle justify her spending sprees as them not being ashamed of having money and that it gives them the freedom to be who they really are. "No, it allows us to buy people in the hope that they will see us the way that we want them to," replies Paul. Elle still doesn't get it though and thinks it is just a phase Paul is going through and tells him not to lose track of who he really is. Paul says that he is slowly being reminded of the person he used to be - a better person and a better father and promptly cuts his credit card in half and asks that she hand hers over too, which she reluctantly does when she realises begging isn't working.
PAUL: (after snipping her card in half) There, isn't that more liberating eh? More time for gardening now.
Elle does not look happy one little bit and Lyn makes herself know and tells Elle she should be proud of herself for the way she is helping her dad.
ELLE: If helping my dad means toeing the line while he plays around with some dreary suburban fantasy then so be it. It's only temporary and when the real Paul Robinson returns I will be right there beside him.
She then gives Lyn the 'evil eye' as she walks away leaving Lyn a cross between speechless and stunned.
No. 32
Elle snakes into No. 32 unnoticed and heads into the livingroom where Charlie (who is still dressed in real clothes and not the standard white babygro) lies gurgling playing with a rattle. She then quickly hides behind the sofa when she hears Steph and Max's voices. They then appear out of the bedroom all lovey-dovey having resumed married couple's activities and Steph says that she is going to have to head back to work while Max says he will get food ready for Charlie who has now turned onto his stomach as if he is trying to crawl. They kiss each other goodbye as Steph heads out the house and Max into the kitchen.
Elle is about to come out of her hidey-hole when Steph comes back to get her keys and asks Max if he'd rather she took Charlie to work but he confirms that he is okay with their son before she finally departs.
While Max sings to himself in the kitchen, Elle goes over to the playpen and looks into it.
Hospital
Zeke asks if Karl will support Stinger through his drinking problem because he got over his drinking problem and will know how to help him. Karl is a bit bemused as to what Zeke has said and tells him that they will do all they can to help him.
Inside Stingers room, Rachel is fussing over him and he tells her to chill for a bit just as Susan enters to tell Rachel that they need to get going and no, she can't stay. Rachel leaves the room and Susan asks if he needs anything. "How about a hole to crawl into," replies Stinger and Susan remarks that probably isn't the best way to deal with things. He then tells her that he is going to fix things, that he has talked to Rachel and promised her no more stupid drinking ever. She wonders if he'll be able to keep that promise and he gives her a look when he says yes that says 'do you not believe me like?'
SUSAN: I trusted you to do the right thing and Rachel put herself in danger and you ended up in hospital.
STINGER: I'm trying here Suse.
SUSAN: Not hard enough. No more promises Stingray, you do something before this gets beyond your control.
Whoa, strong words there Susan.
No. 32
Max enters the lounge testing how hot Charlie's milk is on his wrist to discover that the wee man isn't in the playpen and is annoyed to think that Steph took him to work with her afterall.
No. 22
Paul likes what Lyn is cooking and tells her he had a chat with Elle and thinks that things are on their way [to getting better] before thanking her. He is about to kiss her too but she pulls away and he seems annoyed. Lyn explains to him that it is inappropriate and he wants to know what is appropriate and can't believe it when all she says is "not that".
PAUL: Do you honestly think I can't have any woman I want? I could go down to Lassiter's right now and I could snap my fingers and there would be a queue of women waiting for me.
LYN: Right well you go right ahead if that's what you want, if you want to undo all the work you've done lately be my guest and I won't be here when you get back.
Hospital
Karl enters Stingers room to see how he is feeling and when he grumbles about the needles, says that it is all necessary. Stinger is feeling very down and Karl sits on his bed to talk to him (he again flinches when Karl sits down) and begins by saying that this injury is more serious than Stinger thinks.
STINGER: What?
KARL: The test results indicate the injury is far from simple. You've got extensive bruising, that will probably last for quite a long time but there is also the chance of considerable complications as well.
Stinger looks very worried.
Garage
Steph is surprised to see Max turn up at the garage and her facial expression changes when Max says that he is perfectly capable of looking after Charlie and that it is insulting. Before he can say any more, she asks where he is and that she is serious.
MAX: He's here with you isn't he?
STEPH: I left him with you.
Max thinks she is joking but she tells him to call the police as she takes off.
No. 28
Zeke is still trying to apologise for not helping when Stinger was dangling off the room (because he is a guy :rollseyes:) but Rachel tells him to forget it. She then just about pounces on Karl, when he returns from the hospital, to see if Stinger is going to be okay. He replies that he will be but adds that she should let Stinger tell her more. Rachel wants to go and see him tonight but Karl suggests a nights rest and Susan agrees to her going to see him tomorrow.
Karl then tries to walk into the kitchen but Audrey starts barking at him and Zeke does the diplomatic thing by telling Audrey that he'll take her out for a walk and doesn't need to bark to remind him but Karl isn't fooled by Zeke's actions.
Susan asks Rachel how she is doing following what happened and Rachel wishes that she'd listened to her stepmother before promising her not do any more heroics. Rachel then brings up that there is a positive outcome - Stinger has promised to give up drinking but Susan doesn't seem so sure.
SUSAN: Rachel, someone with an ongoing drink problem can say all sorts of things that sound very sincere (camera pans to Karl for a second) but the sad truth is there's often a big gap between their intentions and their actions.
Rachel doesn't agree with this as Stinger wouldn't lie to her and Susan says he probably doesn't think he is lying "but alcohol sets its own agenda" and adds that she could be in for a rough time but that Karl and herself are here to help. He looks very sheepish before adding his tuppenceworth - that it would be better solved as a mother/daughter thing and Susan gives him 'a suspicious look' as we go into the commercial break.
Break over and Karl is trying to seduce Susan as she does the dishes and suggests that they could go to listen to a Leo Sayer album in the bedroom! Saucy! "So not going to happen," says Susan before she asks him about what happened earlier with Rachel. He plays dumb and Susan tells him that he shut down and isn't impressed when he replies that she was handling it fine. She wonders if this has anything to do with her telling the kids about his "old drinking problem" and he replies no but adds that he would have preferred it if she'd consulted him first before telling the kids. Susan then accuses him of stewing about the whole thing, which he totally denies, because Rachel needed their help and that it would have been an excellent time to step in and show her some guidance. "Like a parent would," replies Karl and she also adds a concerned guardian but he feels that isn't the role he wants to have with the kids, he'd rather just be like a friend to them and spending time with Libby has made him realise that. Susan isn't at all impressed and asks where that leaves Rachel and Zeke.
KARL: With me as their friend and you as their mother. Look when you married Alex that's the role you took on and I didn't and the kids have made it perfectly clear that's the case. Susan it's not as though I don't care for the kids, they're terrific of course but hey, that's the way it is.
Ramsay Street
Paul walks after Lyn and Oscar as they head to the shops for some wine to go with dinner, turning down his offer to drive them. When she stops, he apologises for what he said earlier and that he's slowly learning. A concerned Elle comes up to them, saying that she can hear Charlie screaming and doesn't think that anyone is home despite the front door being wide open. Lyn and Oscar rush off towards No. 32 as Elle smiles to herself for a second before following.
No. 32
Lyn and Oscar enter, and we hear Charlie crying as she calls out his parents names. They enter the livingroom to find him safely in his playpen and Lyn quickly reaches in to pick him and he stops crying. Elle and Paul arrive, wondering where Steph and Max are when a couple of seconds later a worried set of parents arrive home. Steph quickly takes him from her and cuddles Charlie while Max has a go at Lyn for taking Charlie without telling them. While Elle tries to keep the smirk off her face, Lyn pleads her innocence as Max says the police are on their way because he thought Charlie had been snatched.
Lyn tells them she wouldn't do take Charlie without letting them know and that she just arrived and found the front door wide open with Charlie in the playpen. "What," says Max before Lyn fills them in on Elle hearing Charlie crying from the street and that Charlie was alone.
Max now pleads his innocence and explains that is why he went to see Steph, because Charlie wasn't there.