Previously on Neighbours
- Chris is frustrated when Danni refuses to let him work at the garage until he's better
- Nate asks Josh to stop trying to find ways to make amends to Chris, and 'suck it up and live with it'
- After hearing Nate's war stories, Susan has a nightmare about Karl getting blown up by the fridge!
- Mark and Toadie wonder who is sending the nasty letters about Sonya
Lassiter's Lake
Toadie and Mark discuss the anonymous letters about Sonya. Mark wonders if he's being watched, while Toadie says it's gone beyond a prank. Mark points out that whoever is writing the letters has 'done their homework' - and Toadie recalls the file he has in his office that contains all the detail about Callum and Sonya's past.
MARK: Well who's had access to it?
TOADIE: Apart from me, the only other person is Naomi.
MARK: No, I mean, we've already ruled her out. And she's in Hawaii.
TOADIE: Do we have to start worrying that whoever this is might actually do something?
Since all the stuff mentioned in the letters happened years ago, Toadie suggests that Sonya's sister Jade might have some ideas about who is responsible. Mark suggests he call her.
Nate is teaching Chris, Kyle, Georgia and Sonya how to make jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween, while Nell watches with interest. Nate's impressed at how well Chris is doing carving his pumpkin, and he admits his hand's been getting better. Sonya is looking forward to getting Nell dressed up in her trick-or-treat costume.
Nate has to go, but before he leaves, Chris asks him if he'll be staying over at his place tonight. Nate doesn't answer - just reminds Chris to take his pills. Chris looks miffed; and when he comes back into the living room, Georgia remarks on how 'cute' he and Nate are.
SONYA: It's lovely the way he looks after you. It's like having a live-in nurse.
Chris seems unenthusiastic about this, leaving us to infer that he wants a boyfriend, not a nurse. (Even though his track-record with boyfriends shows that the two roles need not be mutually exclusive!)
Harold's Store
Nate is having another quasi-counselling session with Susan. She praises him for how far he's progressed in terms of opening up about his army experiences, but Nate says he's still a long way off being normal. Susan looks worried, but says they both knew it wouldn't be a quick fix. Sensing she's troubled, Nate asks if everything's okay at work. She admits she hasn't been sleeping well lately.
A drink can falls to the floor, and Nate picks it up - before admitting that in Afghanistan, he'd never have done that, since terrorists would often make IEDs out of rubbish like cans. He says he'd know when one of his colleagues had been blown up by such a device, because the Internet at their base would go down, so that the family wouldn't find out before they'd been officially informed.
NATE: When comms go down, you just hope it's not one of your mates. So me picking this up - that's a big deal. That's because of you.
Susan looks worried.
No 26
Chris and Georgia are in the back yard, still working on their pumpkins. Chris is worried that Nate hasn't stayed over with him since he was hospitalised, and asks Georgia what she thinks it means. Georgia doesn't know, but says they've had a tough time of it. Chris is worried they'll drift apart, but Georgia tells him to take control of the situation.
GEORGIA: Change that patient-nurse dynamic. Let him know you're in the mood for romance!
CHRIS: I've tried. But Nate's not the best at picking up my hints, is he?
GEORGIA: Maybe you just need to club him over the head and drag him back into your man-cave. I reckon you might need some help with the clubbing.
Chris laughs.
Harold's Store
Nate and Susan are finishing up their chat. She admits she's not going back to work today, as 'sometimes you have to treat yourself'. He thanks her profusely for the talks, saying they're really helping - it's been better than talking to any psychotherapist he's been to. Susan advises him to start sharing his feelings with Chris too.
Lassiter's Complex
As she leaves Harold's, Susan finds another drink can on the ground. She bends down to pick it up, but then freezes, and decides to leave it where it is.
Ramsay Street
Toadie pulls up outside the house to find a teenage boy putting something in his mailbox. When Toadie angrily confronts him, the boy tries to run off, but Toadie stops him and demands to know his name. The boy admits he's called Bryce - we've met him before, as one of Jayden Warley's sidekicks - and at Toadie's request to show him what's in his bag, he takes out a mini pumpkin that he claims he was going to smash in the letterbox as a Halloween prank.
Toadie lets Bryce go, and Mark, who has been watching the confrontation, wanders over. Toadie is feeling bad for losing it at Bryce - he's just freaking out because of the phantom letter-writer. He says he's spoken to Jade, but that she doesn't know anyone who would hold that kind of grudge against Sonya. Mark worries that this is now 'big', since he's getting letters too and who knows who else - the problem is, they can't go around asking people if they're getting letters. Mark says it's about time they tell Sonya what's going on.
No 26
Georgia is helping Chris prepare for an evening of romance with Nate, by lighting a load of candles in the living room.
CHRIS: Yeah, see, I'm not really sure that Nate's a candles kind of guy.
GEORGIA: Oh come on, Chris, just work with me. We're trying to set the mood.
CHRIS: Have you actually met him? He was in the army; he's from Karratha. Have you seen Karratha?
Kyle comes in with some flowers - 'not exactly rose petals', but Georgia decides gerberas are close enough! Then she snatches Chris's iPod to find some suitable mood music.
KYLE: Oy, don't put any of his Lady Gaga stuff on.
Georgia selects a track by Saskwatch, and Kyle starts throwing gerbera petals everywhere. At this moment Nate walks in, and assuming Georgia and Kyle are the ones having a romantic evening, is about to walk back out again. But Georgia tells him to stay, saying she and Kyle are going elsewhere. Georgia and Kyle leave, Kyle giving Nate the gerberas on his way out!
NATE: Well that was incredibly weird.
Chris goes to kiss Nate, but Nate pulls away, still believing Kyle and Georgia want some time to themselves (even though they've just left). Nate then asks what the candles are for, complaining that they're a fire hazard! Totally missing the point that it's all for his benefit, Nate grabs the footie, and ushers Chris outside to work on his motor skills. Chris looks frustrated.
Erinsborough Hospital
Karl catches Susan in the act of arriving for an appointment with a counsellor, and after an unsuccessful attempt to lie to him, she's forced to come clean. She explains to Karl how she's been having bad dreams and disturbing thoughts since she started the sessions with Nate. Karl says Nate needs professional help, and that this can't go on.
KARL: The first rule of first aid is to not put yourself in danger.
Susan protests that she's just beginning to make headway with Nate, and says he's feeling a lot better about things - her level of distress is nothing compared to his.
KARL: No, not yet!
Karl says Susan's in denial, but she says if she was she wouldn't be seeing a counsellor. While the situation's not ideal, she says she has it under control, and wants to continue talking to Nate. She asks Karl to promise not to say anything to Nate about her symptoms, but he doesn't look happy.
No 30
Sonya is looking forward to taking Nell out trick-or-treating, but Toadie ruins her good mood by breaking the news about the anonymous letters about her that he and Mark have been receiving. He shows her one of the letters, and explains that Jade has already said she doesn't know who might be behind it.
Sonya is getting worked up, and says she doesn't have any enemies - she can't imagine who would do this. Toadie explains he called some of her late-paying nursery customers, which explains why they all suddenly paid their invoices - and that he tried to research the Gamblers Anonymous members, but Sonya insists none of them would have done this. He then says he considered Naomi.
SONYA: No. I mean, if she wanted to cause trouble, why wouldn't she just stick around to see the results?
TOADIE: Yeah, exactly.
Toadie says he hasn't called the police yet, because 'a crime hasn't actually been committed' - but now he's thinking it might be a good idea anyway. Sonya doesn't like the idea of Matt finding out about her past, so Toadie suggests they speak to someone else at the station (perhaps overlooking the fact that nobody else at the station seems to speak!)
SONYA: I just can't believe there's someone out there who hates me this much, Jarrod.
TOADIE: We are going to find out who this person is. I promise.
No 26
Nate and Chris come in from the yard after their footie game.
NATE: Your ball skills are definitely better. Still can't kick, though, so no change there.
CHRIS: Oh, ha-ha.
Chris gets them a pair of beers from the fridge, but Nate points out Chris shouldn't be drinking on his medication - and that he should be getting Chris a drink, not the other way round.
CHRIS: Well I'm not about to collapse from the exertion of opening a stubby. Georgia was right; I'm gonna have to clobber you over the head with this one. Couple of beers, house to ourselves - I was trying to be romantic, you big dummy. You playing nursemaid every second doesn't help the cause.
Chris says Nate's been amazing looking after him, but that he feels they've stopped being boyfriends somewhere along the line.
NATE: Sorry, I had no idea. But you're right. I do think of you differently at the moment.
CHRIS: But you don't have to.
NATE: And I do feel uncomfortable being with you.
CHRIS: Why?
NATE: Because - I dunno, I feel responsible for you.
CHRIS: I can manage!
NATE: I know, but that's just the way I feel.
Chris is visibly disappointed, but they're interrupted by a knock at the door. It's Karl.
CHRIS: Go away!
But Karl lets himself in anyway, saying he really needs to speak to Nate.
The Waterhole
Susan comes in to meet Nate, having received a message from him. He explains that Karl's told him about her seeing a counsellor. Sheila interrupts (somewhat pointlessly) to offer them each a 'witch's cauldron Martini', but they both decline.
Nate tells Susan he can't put her through the sort of nightmares he has to live with. She insists she's managing.
NATE: Talking to you has really helped...
SUSAN: Great, then the conversation's over.
NATE: Yeah, it is. I'm going to be looking for someone else to talk to. A professional.
SUSAN: But you've said yourself that hasn't helped in the past.
NATE: Yeah, and that's my problem, not yours. And it's not up for discussion. Susan, you're fired.
No 30
Toadie takes a picture of Nell, who is dressed up as a giant pumpkin! Sonya comes off the phone to the police, who've said they can't do anything about the letters. The worry of it is consuming her, and she decides she doesn't want to take Nell trick-or-treating, knowing that someone's around that feels that way about her. She decides they should have an indoor celebration instead.
Erinsborough Hospital
Susan turns up to confront Karl about telling Nate she's been seeing a counsellor.
SUSAN: He fired me!
KARL: Good! I'm sorry I went behind your back - I couldn't let you jeopardise your health like this. Susan, you're not sleeping. And if you do, you're having nightmares.
SUSAN: Isn't that my decision?
KARL: Look, especially with your MS. Now if you're not gonna do what you know is right, then it's not your choice anymore, it's my choice - and I will make it because I love you.
SUSAN: ... Quite a speech.
KARL: You have to understand I feel very strongly about this. Someone has to stand up to your pig-headedness.
SUSAN: Pig-headedness?!
KARL: What, you gonna argue with that?!
Susan concedes she can be stubborn - she just wants to know there's someone who can help Nate. Karl says he's asked the psych team to make some suggestions. In the meantime, he tells her how he spent his $7,000 winnings - dividing it between the new bed Kyle's making for them, the garden work Sonya's doing, Chris's community fund, and a large donation to the MS Society.
SUSAN: I don't know what to say. I'm proud of you.
KARL: It's nothing... Of course, there is the tax deduction.
SUSAN: There he is!
They kiss.
SUSAN: Just when I thought my husband had been abducted by aliens.
KARL: Am I forgiven?
SUSAN: Yes you are.
No 26
Chris is in the back yard, preparing the spa for Nate's return. He's on the phone to Nate, telling him not to be too long. One of the lights in the garden starts to flicker, and as Chris looks at it, his eyelids start to flicker. He collapses to the ground and begins to have what looks like an epileptic fit.
Unmissable Drama
- Nate finds Chris having the seizure, and calls for help
- Imogen tells Josh and their parents about Chris's condition
- Kyle and Georgia arrive at the hospital to ask Karl how Chris is
- Toadie tells Brad that Josh may now be looking at jail- time
- Brad comforts a distraught Josh