Recap
Elle being offered a job at the newspaper.
Kirsten admitting she's still attracted to Ned.
Darren and Libby scrappling in the street, Karl trying to break it up and getting into his own little scrapple with Darren...
Ramsay Street
Karl leads Libby inside, but Darren tries to stop her. She tells him it's over - quite firmly.
Charlie's Bar
Lou and Harold are bringing boxes into the bar as part of some voluntary work; Lou is whinging about it when he spots his step-son at the bar. Darren says he was missing Libby and Ben. He asks if he can crash on the couch at number 24 so he's not a burden to the Kennedys, especially with Susan's MS, now...
Which is news to the two men. And they are genuinely shocked to hear it.
Number 32
Valda is supposed to be peeling potatoes, but she's pretty much whittled them down to nothing. Steph and Toadie are concerned about her, and tell her to sign the insurance claim on her stolen car - she'll be able to get on with her life once she has a new car to get around in.
Valda says she doesn't need a new car, and is clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing, but innocent of what's going on, Toadie pushes her. She signs the forms.
Number 28
Zeke tells Libby that Susan sends her love and can't wait to come home. Libby continues to cook, whilst Ben asks if Susan will able to play with his computer now she's blind. Rach tells him that Susie can see blobs, now! Woohoo!
Karl suggests to Ben that Susan might beat his top score on his playstation if he's not careful, and asks Rach and Zeke to take Ben to play with his computer. Zeke picks Ben up and swings him away.
With the others gone, Karl demands to know what's happening between Libby and Darren. But she won't give anything away.
The Parkers' Place
Steve and Randa are cleaning out the guinea pig cage. Mickey watches, curiously.
MICKEY: Does Bridget kiss Josh?
MIRANDA: Apparently yes -
STEVE: Far too early for that -
Clearly the parentals are not in agreement. They stare at each other. Mickey persists, and Miranda says that Didge might kiss him to say hello or thank you...! Mickey adds that he wishes he had a rocket powered wheelchair, which is random in the best of scenes, but particularly here.
In the lounge room, Janae is ignoring Ned, which is probably the best thing to do. But sadly he gets through, and she tells him that Kirsten still likes him. Ned thinks she's wrong, because he's stupid in believing anything and everything that the Most Annoying Kirsten says or does. In fact, she would possibly even top a poll of annoying people, even over Tess.
But I digress.
Ned tries to reassure her that he needs to be friends with Kirst for Mickey's sake; but he loves Janae. They huggle.
Erinsborough Hospital
Susan is listening to music when she senses two people in the room - it's Toadie and Steph, and she's thrilled that they're there. Steph is clearly shocked at seeing Susan in the state she's in, which is all rather awkward. They all hug, and Susan says she can light and movement now, but can sense Steph being all weirded out. She tells Steph she's okay, and Steph apologises.
Steph gives Susan some chocolates, and a present from Lyn, which Toadie thinks is socks and jocks. Susan says she'll call Lyn tomorrow, and knocks it over, which upsets Steph and makes things all awkward again.
Susan asks what's been happening with them, and Toadie puts his arm around Steph.
Number 28
Lou and Harold have been to see Karl, and say that they'll pop into the hospital to see Susan tomorrow. As they're leaving, Lou tells Lib that Darren is in their spare room, which she is less than thrilled about, but doesn't let on.
Karl sends the kids off to bed, and Rachel piggy backs Ben away. Ben wants it to be a school night so he can go to school with Mickey.
Karl turns to Libby and demands to know what's going on - or he'll ask Darren.
Libby admits that she found him with another woman.
Cut to moments later and Libby says that this was a while ago, but Darren swore it was a one off, and she forgave him. On the day of Susan's court case, she found out that it was a full blown affair. Karl wants to know why she didn't tell him, and she says that she didn't want the 'two sides to every story lecture.'
Karl wonders why Libby would think he'd lecture her after what Darren did.
LIBBY: Because, dad, you betrayed mum as badly as Darren betrayed me.
Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch.
The General Store
Harry has prepared a hamper for the Kennedys to get them through a few days of meals. Lou has prepared a separate one of lovely things just for Susan. They both jump on board the Harry and Lou Appreciation Society.
Elle joins Riley and his editor, Brad, at a table. Brad loved her work, but thinks the news has moved on, so he won't print her article.
Brad says he won't be bullied into printing an article by a girl whose sole ambition to be a journalist stems from her desire to spend all day with Riley!
BRAD: Forget your Lois Lane thing, will you, and go back to doing what you do best and run daddy's hotel.
Elle storms off.
Charlie's Bar
Valda and Adam sit down for a drink. She begins to tell him that she hasn't been entirely honest about her car and the theft; Adam says he already knows about it. Valda is horrified, and starts to explain that she's not a dishonest person...
At which point Adam tells her he changed the police report forms for her: her car wasn't a 1999 model, it was 1997. He's already sorted it for her, as the insurance companies come down on people like a ton of bricks for fraud.
Valda is left speechless.
The Kennedy House
The kids are going out to get some shopping, and Libby apologises to Karl for taking out her Darren problems on him. He quietly accepts what she's saying, when there's a knock at the door.
It's Darren, demanding to see Libby. Karl refuses to let him in, and tells Darren he made two mistakes: having then affair, then lying about it. So Darren pulls the "you of all people should understand this" card which doesn't go down too well. Darren makes a good decision, and leaves.
Ramsay Street
Paul and Rebecca are chatting with GardeningMiranda, saying that Declan is a bit funny over Bridget, and still wants to get together with her. Karl wanders past with two bunches of flowers for Susan, to go and collect her from hospital.
Karl leaves, and the others discuss throwing a BBQ for Susan as a welcome home thing. Miranda susses that Paul and Rebecca don't know what's actually wrong with Susan, and so she seemingly decides to tell them.
Across the street, Ben and Mickey spy Darren loading his van. Darren gives Ben a big hug, and Ben introduces his new friend. Libby watches on, peeved, and walks over, asking the kids to go and play in the back yard.
Ben wants to know why Darren isn't staying with them, and he responds that it's too crowded at number 28. The kids leave, and Libby lays into Darren, telling him to stop bullying her, and to leave Erinsborough - today.
Charlie's Bar
Kirsten is asking Steph for some additional shifts at the bar, and Steph agrees once she's done the rosters. She asks Kirsten to clear some tables, and obeying her, Kirst runs into Ned who confronts her over the chat she had with Janae.
Kirsten admits she's fond of Ned, but that she's not after him, only here for Mickey. Kirsten makes out that Janae ranted at her, demanding to know what was going on, and that she was completely calm and honest with her; she then makes a dig about Janae choosing to be paranoid. Ned takes it all in, the gullible fool.
At another table, Elle and Riley are talking about Elle's article, and he apologises to her for not defending to her to Brad before.
Valda runs in, asking Steph if she's seen the insurance claim, and Toadie butts in - he's sent it already.
Erinsborough Hospital
Susan is dressed and ready to go home, surrounded by bags, and smelling the two bunches of flowers that Karl brought for her. He tells her he's packed her toiletries, cards and clothes - but there's clearly another card sitting SMACK BANG behind him on the shelf....
Susan thinks his purchasing flowers on the day she was leaving was daft, and he agrees. I wonder if that was because they had already filmed the street scene, and the actors pointed out that bringing flowers was a silly thing to do, so it was added in to excuse the ridiculousness of the previous version?!
Anyway. Susan keeps asking questions, to divert from Karl's wanting to take her home. Has he bought chocolates for the nurses? Does he have the hamper from Lou and Harry? Are the kids okay about her coming home? And Libby? What about the stuff in her locker? Did he remember her conditioner from the bathroom? He did, but she wants him to check because she's not sure he got the right one.
Karl understands why she's asking and knowingly nods before obediently wandering to the bathroom to check for her. Susan sits on the bed, nervous and worried.
Charlie's Bar
Riley loves the article now it's been revised yet again, and he says that if he were the editor, it would be on the front page. Elle approaches Brad at another table, and tries to convince him to take this one on.
She tells him that her article is for the West Warratah Star - a paper which sounds like Elle should probably be posing on page 3 - and he can read about it in tomorrow's edition.
Number 28
Zeke is trying to plan out the house to make it easier for Susan to get around. Rachel and Lib suggest they leave everything where it is because that's what Susan's used to.
ZEKE: Abandon the plan?
RACH: Abandon the plan.
Ben runs out - he's going to see Darren, and Libby tells him not to. Ben asks again why Darren's not staying with them. Rachel quickly steps in and explains that Susan will need some peace and quiet when she returns, so Darren thought he'd stay up the road.
Ben accepts this, and runs off to play with Mickey. Libby hugs Rachel for her help.
The General Store
Ned sits with Steve, and he's done the shopping. Janae comes in - she's also done the shopping, and is cross that Ned didn't hear her say that she'd do it.
Ned tells Janae that he has spoken to Kirsten about their conversation. Oh - good one, Ned. Ned says that Kirsten is only here for Mickey, but Janae can't get past the fact that he spoke to his ex about it.
She storms off, and Ned actually makes an angry facial expression.
Unfortunately, it's not a very good one.
Ramsay Street
The BBQ is in full swing: Valda and Toadie banter about food; Rebecca and Miranda admit that they've both really missed Susan being around; Libby shoots an evil look at Darren.
The Kennedy car pulls up the road, and everyone gathers around, cheering and clapping Susan as Zeke opens the car door. Susan is clearly nervous and uncomfortable.
SUSAN: What is it? Who's here?
ZEKE: Oh, well pretty much everyone.
Everyone watches silently.
Oh, this is ba-a-a-d.
SUSAN: Karl. KARL!
KARL: It's alright, I'm here. It looks like a party in your honour!
He puts an arm around her and pulls her to him. She panics.
SUSAN: Just get me inside, please. Please get me inside.
KARL: Sure. Come on. It's okay...
He leads her off to the house.
Cue shots of the residents, looking really awkward.