Recap
- Steph at Woody's
- Libby shouting after Steph.
- Ringo pushing Kate out of the way.
- Doug telling Donna Ringo didn't make it.
- Steph breaking down after hearing what she did.
- Donna in her room.
- The police taking Steph away to be charged.
- Toadie telling Karl and Zeke there was alcohol found in Steph's blood at the time of the accident.
Police Station
Steph has her prints taken and signs forms. She is allowed to go and is told that her licence will be suspended immediately. Toadie asks about the charges. She'll be charged with driving in a dangerous manner, driving under the influence of alcohol and culpable driving. The officer advises them that there might be a custodial sentence because the victim is deceased.
STEPH: It's Ringo. The victim's name is Ringo!
Number 28
Susan creeps into Donna's room and finds still asleep, holding Ringo's jumper and with a wedding photo lying beside her. She sits down on the bed and Donna wakes up. Susan suggests she gets up for a while and has some lunch, but Donna just wants to stay where she is. She keeps dreaming about Ringo. Susan's lip trembles.
Ramsay Street
Kate walks up to the Kennedys' front door but decides not to go in. Instead she leaves flowers on the doorstep and walks away. Toadie, Sonya, Lyn and Steph pull up outside number 26. Steph wants to go over and see Donna. She didn't know she was still under the influence. Lyn confides in Toadie that she's not convinced Steph didn't know she was over the limit.
LYN: It's just Ringo....(upset she gasps for breath) Ringo...
Number 28
Rebecca and Paul call around with their condolences and Kate's flowers from the doorstep. Susan tells them that Nick is trying to get on the first available flight. Paul offers to make some calls to speed the process up. Rebecca goes to see Donna and Susan asks Paul how he is.
PAUL: I've been very lucky. It's times like this that make you appreciate what you've got.
SUSAN: I hope so.
Paul goes in to see Donna and Rebecca gives them some space. Donna tells him that she can't stop thinking about Ringo and she doesn't want to either, but it really really hurts. Paul spots Ringo's shaving gel and smiles. He tells Donna that he would buy a new can, he'd get half way through it then it would go missing - now he knows where it went. Ringo!
DONNA: It took me ages to convince him that personal grooming was not a dirty word. He used my fake tan once, he thought it was moisturiser.
Paul just hugs his surrogate daughter.
Lassiters Complex
Karl is worried Susan has left Donna by herself, but Susan assures him Libby is at home. They bump into Kate and hug her. Susan asks if she's coming over, Kate says she might come by later and walks away. Karl comments that everybody grieves differently. Lyn homes into view. She emotionally offers her condolences, but it could equally be an apology. She asks after Donna and Susan tells her that she won't leave her room and asks after Steph. Karl decides they should leave and put some distance between the families. Susan is surprised and checks that Steph is out of hospital, thinking something must be wrong. Lyn hurries off into the store.
SUSAN: Can you just tell me what's going on?
Number 26
Toadie wants Steph to at least keep her fluids up if she won't eat, but the shutters are down and Steph is miles way.
Number 28
Donna hugs the bear Ringo got her while she looks through all her anniversary presents again.
Number 26
Toadie tells Sonya that Steph won't talk and he doesn't know what to do anymore. Sonya offers to go and have a go at talking to her, but when she goes through into the living room she find's Steph has gone.
Number 28
Donna watches Ringo's DVD again and when the screen goes blank we can see her reflected in it. She hears a knock at her door. Tentatively she calls out for the person to come in. It's Steph.
Twenty- fifth anniversary photo insert - Nina Tucker 2002
Number 28
Donna and Steph are both in shock.
STEPH: Please just say something.
DONNA: Like what?
STEPH: I dunno...
DONNA: It was an accident...Steph...
STEPH: No, no, it wasn't...
DONNA: Steph it's alright it was just a stupid accident.
STEPH: No, no Donna, it's my fault. The night before, I was drinking. I was over the limit. I'm so so so sorry.
Steph breaks down in tears and Donna gets up from her bed and puts her arms around her.
Later, Donna and Steph are sitting on the bed when Karl and Susan come in. They are shocked to find her there and Steph explains that she had to see her. Karl suggests that now she has, she leaves. She does so.
Susan sits down with Donna, who is staring into space. She tells Susan that she supposes she should blame Steph, but she can't. Susan tells her that she'll go through many phases and she probably will get angry, but there's no time line of how or when she should feel those things. She just needs to know that she has a lot of people who care about her.
DONNA: I know. Where's Kate?
Ramsay Street
Kate is outside in the street looking over at number 28, but unable to bring herself to go over. He phone rings and it's Susan. Kate ignores the call. She can't get the memory of Ringo pushing her out of the way of the bike out of her head.
Paul and Rebecca are taking a basket of things over to Donna. Paul tells Rebecca how he's pulled some strings to get Nick on a flight. Rebecca is unimpressed. They see Kate and ask if she'd like to go with them. Kate says she'll see Donna later, but she's still away in her own little world. Rebecca presses her but Kate is really rather irritable. Rebecca takes her over to number 22 to talk.
Number 22
Rebecca knows that Kate has had a horrific experience and that everyone deals with these things differently, but she can't do it on her own. Kate's phone rings. Rebecca sees that it's Donna and wants Kate to answer, but Kate can't.
KATE: I don't know what to say.
REBECCA: You don't have to say anything, you just have to be there for her. Darling, she needs her best friend and I think you need yours too.
Kate thinks she needs to go home.
Number 26
Sonya has made tea, Toadie is researching for Steph's case and Lyn is worrying. Should they be out there looking for her? Just then, Steph hobbles in. She tells them she just needed to go for a walk. She's decided not to fight the charges. She realises it means she could go to jail but she doesn't want to fight.
Charlie's
Paul asks after Kate and tries to give Rebecca a hand, but Rebecca is contemptuous. She takes some food over to Toadie and Sonya and asks after Steph. They tell her Steph's struggling. Toadie doesn't know how long you're supposed to keep fighting for someone who doesn't want to fight for themselves. He doesn't want to see Steph go to jail, but doesn't want to put Sonya through any more. Sonya assures him that this is the time that Steph really needs him and he's the only one who can convince her not to give up.
Number 26
Toadie tells Steph that it won't be easy for anyone, but they can get her though this. Steph says that she's accepted what she's done. What happened was her fault and she has to pay for that.
TOADIE: What about anyone else? What about me, what about your mum, what about Charlie? Does Charlie have to pay for it?
Steph is adamant that she's made up her mind. Lyn is anxious and Toadie is disbelieving. He decides he's done and leaves.
Number 28
Donna is sitting on her bed with Ringo's guitar when Karl comes in with a sandwich for her. He tells her he was pleased when Ringo got the guitar as it meant he stopped "borrowing" his. Donna tells him how Ringo was going to teach her to play but she kept putting it off. She wishes she hadn't now. Karl shows her some chords that she plays over and over.
Donna is still playing when Kate finally comes over. Donna is pleased to see her but Kate still looks remarkably uncomfortable. Donna asks if she's alright and Kate says that she just has a few scrapes and bruises, it would have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for Ringo. The ominous music starts to play as Donna wonders what Kate means. She asks what actually happened. Kate tells her it all happened pretty fast, she remembers him shouting her name and then pushing her out of the way. Donna suddenly realises that it would have been Kate and feels sick to her stomach.
DONNA: Get out.
KATE: Don't, please I'm just trying to...
DONNA: GET. OUT.
Karl and Susan hear the commotion and come to see what's going on.
DONNA: Did you not hear me I said get out!
SUSAN: What's going on?
DONNA: (sobbing)She did this. She did all of this! She's the reason Ringo is dead. What are you going to say? What? That he was a hero? What's the point of being a hero if you're dead?
KATE: (also in tears)I know and I'm sorry.
KARL: Donna, love...
DONNA: I HATE YOU! He was my husband. We'd just got married, we had plans...we were going to America and she took him from me! Don't you ever speak to me again.
Kate rushes out and Susan follows her. Karl looks helplessly at poor bereft Donna.
Preview
- Kate tells Declan that Donna is right to blame her.
- Paul wants the family to pull together.
- The Ramsay Street Residents remember Ringo at the blokes club.
- Andrew visits Donna.