Previously
- Sonya tells Josh not to be afraid to ask for help with baby Matilda
- Paige gets all worried when Imogen asks her if anyone is ever really ready for parenthood
- Mark tells Sonya that he's ready to have kids now
- Paul employs Steph as a glass collector, but tells Nate that with one wrong move, she's out
- Paul procures some dodgy pills, and swaps them with Steph's psych medication
- Steph begins feeling very unwell at work as the pills begin to take effect
- At a mirror, Steph is told she's crazy by her own reflection, as she hears Greensleeves again
Lassiter's Complex
We begin to see the world through a dream-like CreepyCam™ as the chimes of Greensleeves become increasingly chaotic. Steph staggers through the courtyard, disoriented, while spooky extras in masks appear to laugh at her. She stumbles towards a bench, grasping for it, until the blurred figure of Paul looms above her.
PAUL (distorted): Steph. Steph?!
From Steph's point of view, Paul briefly acquires red eyes and devil horns as he reaches out his hand to help her. He takes her towards the beer garden area, where Toadie, Sonya and Aaron are having a drink. Steph staggers around, completely disorientated and distressed.
STEPH: Please, I can't make it stop!
PAUL: She's having some sort of an episode.
TOADIE: Okay, what can we do? How can we help?
STEPH: I don't know! There's voices in my head!
PAUL: She needs a doctor.
SONYA: Jarrod, call a doctor.
They take Steph inside The Waterhole. Aaron looks worried.
Harold's Café
Josh is rocking a crying baby Matilda in her pram. Mark comes over and picks her up, explaining that the police have to do this quite a lot when intervening in domestics. Matilda stops crying instantly.
JOSH: How did you do that?
MARK: Practice. Plus, I like babies.
Lauren and Paige watch Mark holding Matilda from the other side of the counter.
PAIGE: Most girls would go gaga over that picture.
LAUREN: Oh, it's pretty cute.
PAIGE: Yeah. And scary.
LAUREN: Maybe one day you'll feel differently, hmm?
At that moment, Doug Willis arrives, fresh off a plane to meet his new great granddaughter. Paige and Josh rush over to greet him. Doug sees Mark holding the baby and says that he's a natural - and that Paige will be next! Paige smiles, but looks worried.
Lassiter's Complex
Terese and Shay are having a meeting. Terese is really pleased with all Shay's work since she's been here, and says she's done well to step up at such late notice while Terese has been out of action. Kyle walks past, and Shay asks Terese to excuse her for a moment.
Shay approaches a shifty Kyle, sarcastically thanking him for the text he sent to dump her! She says she wants a word with him, and asks him to wait until she's finished her meeting with Terese. Kyle is reluctant but Shay says she deserves at least that courtesy, so he grudgingly agrees to wait.
Harold's Café
Doug is sitting with Paige and Josh, while Mark is on the phone. He's hearing from an associate that his old foe Dennis Dimato has broken his parole conditions and gone AWOL. Once he's finished his phone call, he comes back over to the table and says he has to head to work - but asks Paige to tell him if she goes anywhere else today, before leaving.
Paige asks if Doug is staying for Christmas; he says that's the plan. He explains he's here to give wife Pam a break, since his Alzheimer's is a lot for her to deal with. He goes to order some coffee and cake for them all from Lauren.
LAUREN: It was lovely you could get down to spend some time with the baby.
DOUG: It's not the only reason I'm here.
LAUREN: Yeah, well I'm sure Brad will be very happy to see you when he gets back from the Mornington Peninsula.
DOUG: Well, he needs to be with his family. That's where he belongs.
Lauren looks awkward and goes to get the coffees.
The Waterhole
Aaron is complaining to Paul about how bad a way Steph's in.
PAUL: Well, she brought it all on herself, didn't she?
AARON: I thought you'd finished messing with her?
PAUL: She's fixating on Jimmy! You know she even called him Charlie today?
Aaron begs Paul to leave Steph alone, but Paul insists he's protecting Jimmy and the community - before taking a drink over to a still disorientated Steph. Sonya's sitting with her, and Toadie is just coming off the phone having left a message with Steph's psych doctor at Bendigo.
Toadie suggests they take Steph to Erinsborough Hospital to get Karl to check her out, but Sonya reminds him she has to pick Nell up - so Paul volunteers to take Steph to see Karl instead.
TOADIE: That's very generous, Paul, but why are you offering?
PAUL: I know we've had our differences, but this isn't about me, is it? I mean, she clearly needs expert help.
Steph repeats that she just needs it to stop, so they agree to let Paul drive her. Aaron looks concerned.
Lassiter's Complex
Terese gets a text from Josh, saying that Doug has arrived and that they're in Harold's - while Kyle sits nearby, waiting to talk to Shay. Terese tells Shay they'll have to finish up their meeting, thanking her again for all her work.
TERESE: You know, I'm still trying to rack my brains where I know you from.
SHAY: Must have been from a conference, or a seminar.
TERESE: Yeah. Probably right.
Terese leaves, and Kyle comes over to talk to Shay, apologising for dumping her by text but saying he couldn't find her. Shay sourly remarks that she's been here all the time, living and working at the hotel.
SHAY: You know, I liked what we had. It was casual. Exactly what I wanted.
KYLE: So what's the problem?
SHAY: The fact you took the coward's way out and flicked me with a text! I assume it's because of Amy?
KYLE: Yeah. It's been building for a while now, and it just sort of happened.
SHAY: Ever heard of karma, Kyle?
KYLE: What?
SHAY: Karma. What goes around, comes around. Like, if you treat people badly, it'll come back and bite you. So you and Amy had better watch your backs.
KYLE: Okay, woah, alright! I'm sorry about the whole texting thing, okay. But that doesn't give you the right to threaten anybody. Especially not Amy, alright? Just leave her out of it.
But Shay just smiles calmly and walks away. Kyle looks worried.
Harold's Café
Doug comes into the kitchen to talk to Paige - he has an early Christmas present to give her. It's a ring - a commitment ring, he explains, that Pam gave him when they got engaged.
DOUG: I thought maybe you might be needing it.
PAIGE: Oh, Pop! I can't! Mark and I are - I don't know if we're gonna last a week, let alone get married.
DOUG: I thought you two were in love?
PAIGE: Yeah, we are! But he wants to settle down and have kids, and I dunno if I'm ready for that.
But Paige admits she doesn't want to press the issue in case she loses Mark.
DOUG: Well, if you're both in love, that's all that matters! Life's too short.
PAIGE: Thanks, Pop.
Doug says he has to go.
DOUG: Pam'll be waiting for me. You know how she is when she gets worried.
PAIGE: Pop, Pam's not here. She's in Darwin, remember? We're in Erinsborough.
DOUG: Yes, thanks - right. I'm tired, aren't I?
Paige thanks him again for the ring, and hugs him, then looks at it solemnly as Doug leaves.
The Waterhole
Kyle and Aaron are drinking at a table. Shay comes in, and Kyle comically darts out of the door to avoid her. Meanwhile, Susan bumps into Shay, causing her to drop her bag on the floor and some things to fall out. Susan introduces herself as a friend of Terese's, saying Terese has been singing Shay's praises for all her work while she's been recovering.
Susan sees a photograph among Shay's dropped items, which is a picture of Shay in Perth when she was younger, and someone else cut off with their arm around Shay.
SHAY: Me when I was younger. Cottesloe Beach. My mother and I used to go there.
SUSAN: Nice to have a memento when you're so far from home, isn't it?
Shay gets a phone call, and Susan leaves her to it.
SHAY: I'm sorry I haven't been in touch... I know - I got all distracted... But don't worry. I know exactly what I'm doing here... I can't talk right now. I'll call you later.
Shay looks at the picture again, then unfolds it. We see that the person who has her arm around Shay in the photo is none other than Terese! There's a third person cut off on the right-hand side, who we can't see... Shay smiles sadly, and glances around furtively before putting the photo away.
Lassiter's Complex
Evening. Lauren tells Terese that Josh has taken Doug home for a rest, as he was tired after his trip from Darwin. Terese suggests that Amber could bring Matilda over to see Doug tomorrow, and Lauren says she'll suggest it. Lauren then says that she thinks Josh is struggling with the baby. Terese takes this personally, saying she hasn't noticed anything.
LAUREN: Yeah, well I see him a lot at our house. I've noticed it. I'm not sure if it's just him coming to terms with being a father, or the situation with me and Brad...
TERESE: There is no situation. Brad made a decision. The kids are happy to have him home. Including Josh.
LAUREN: Is that what he told you? That it was HIS decision?
TERESE: What, are you suggesting it wasn't?
LAUREN: No, it doesn't matter whose decision it was...
TERESE: It does to me!
LAUREN: Look, Terese, I know you're really vulnerable at the moment...
TERESE: Don't tell me how I am feeling! You have no idea how I'm feeling!
An annoyed Terese gets in her car.
LAUREN: Are you sure you're alright to drive?
TERESE: Just stop talking to me!
Lauren watches as Terese speeds off.
Erinsborough Hospital
Toadie and Paul observe as Karl examines Steph. She seems better than earlier but still spaced out. He says her blood pressure's high, and that her episode could have been caused by a chemical imbalance due to stress or Steph stopping her medication. Steph insists she wouldn't do that, and Toadie says they know that.
Karl asks if the doctor changed Steph's medication when he checked her dosage, but she doesn't think so. Paul listens with interest. Karl proposes that they keep Steph in overnight, take some blood and run some tests. But Steph is keen to go back to Bendigo to see her doctor there, saying she'd feel more comfortable being with him now.
Toadie says it's late and that maybe they could go in the morning. But Paul steps up and offers to drive Steph to Bendigo, claiming he feels responsible for her episode, having given her the job at The Waterhole. Steph says she'll go with him; the sooner she gets to see her doctor, the better. Paul smirks and says they can go now.
No 32
Paige fiddles with Doug's ring, while angsting to Lauren about her relationship with Mark. She says she loves him and doesn't want to be with anyone else.
PAIGE: He keeps me grounded. He's responsible, he's reliable...
LAUREN: He is...
PAIGE: And he makes me feel safe. But then sometimes I think, is safe really what I want right now?
Lauren says Paige doesn't want to make a commitment 'like this' and realise it was a big mistake later, so urges Paige to take her time to think about it. Mark then turns up, and Lauren goes back to work, leaving them to talk. Paige says she has something to say, but Mark interrupts, apologising for taking off earlier.
PAIGE: I just figured that you were still upset with me. I know you really wanted us to be pregnant.
MARK: No, no - it wasn't about that. I got a call - Dimato's broken the conditions of his parole.
PAIGE: Dimato's out?! Is this why you've been so weird about my whereabouts? Mark, why didn't you just say something to me?
Mark says he's been waiting for more info, but Paige is worried Dimato will come after her. Mark insists he won't let anything happen to her.
A road somewhere
Paul is driving a subdued Steph towards Bendigo, and asks her if everything's alright.
STEPH: I'm still not feeling great.
PAUL: Well, getting you back to Bendigo so Dr Betelman can treat you properly really is for the best, isn't it?
STEPH: How do you know the name of my doctor?
PAUL: You told me before.
STEPH: Oh. Did I?
Harold's Café
Karl comes in, and Lauren asks how Ben is faring.
KARL: Well, his injuries aren't giving him as much grief as his mother!
He adds that Ben's court date hasn't been set yet. Lauren takes a phone call from someone on her mobile. She says: 'Hiya, how are you going?... Er, no... Are you sure?'
No 32
Mark asks Paige what she wanted to talk about. She clams up, but Mark reminds her that they said they'd be honest with each other.
PAIGE: Yeah. You know over the past few weeks, it's clear that we want different things... And you know, I don't want to have any regrets in my life. But I mean, there's so much that I still want to do, and I guess I'm just scared that I'm not gonna get them done, and...
MARK: Paige, are you saying what I think you're saying?
Mark has noticed Paige fiddling with the ring that Doug gave her.
MARK: The ring. Do you want to get married?
PAIGE: ... Well, I want us to be together. So... yeah. Yeah, I guess I do!
MARK: ...
PAIGE: Do you want to marry me?
MARK: Of course I do!
They both laugh and hug.
PAIGE: We're getting married!
Harold's Café
Lauren tells Karl that it was Mai Ling on the phone, her half-sister and Lou's daughter. Apparently, Lou was supposed to visit her but never showed up - he's not answering his phone and no-one's seen him.
LAUREN: Dad's missing!
The Waterhole
Aaron is quizzing Toadie about what Karl thinks caused Steph's relapse. Toadie says the most likely cause would be the wrong dosage or type of medication.
AARON: Is that possible?
TOADIE: Highly unlikely. She's just had her meds checked by a doctor. But I suppose anything's possible.
AARON: Is she still at the hospital?
TOADIE: No. Paul's taken her back to Bendigo. She might have to spend some time there.
Toadie is about to go to the bar for more drinks. Aaron asks if he can borrow his phone, claiming he left his at home. Toadie hands it over and goes to the bar. Aaron starts typing a text...
A road somewhere
Paul and Steph are still driving.
PAUL: Listen, there's some water there if you want.
STEPH: No, it's fine.
Steph gets a text, supposedly from Toadie. It says: 'I think Paul switched your medication. He's set you up.'
Steph looks at Paul warily.
The Waterhole
Aaron deletes the message he's just sent from Toadie's sent messages folder, then gives the phone back to him as he returns to the table with more beers.
TOADIE: Everything okay?
AARON: Yeah, yeah, it's fine.
Aaron looks shifty.
A road somewhere
Paul and Steph's journey continues.
STEPH: Why did you offer to drive me?
PAUL: You don't remember?
STEPH: You've never done anything for anyone without there being something in it for yourself.
At that moment, another car speeds towards them on the wrong side of the road! Paul is forced to swerve off the road, and their car plunges into a ditch.
The other car backs up, but straight into a post, causing a smashing sound. In Paul's car, both Paul and Steph are unconscious, and a tree has fallen through the front windscreen. We appear to see from the other driver's point of view, as he/she examines the wreckage, before climbing back into their own car and driving away.
Presently, Paul wakes up, and is horrified to find a sharp branch from the fallen tree poking into his chest. He's relieved to see Steph awake too - but she's just staring at him very oddly.
PAUL: Steph, help me will you? I can't breathe. Steph?
STEPH: ...
PAUL: Steph? Steph, please help me. Come on.
Steph just holds a bag of pills in front of him.
STEPH: Look what I found. Funny - these pills are identical to my medication!
She hits him with the bag of pills!
STEPH: What were you doing with them, Paul?!
PAUL: Please help me. Please, get this off me.
But instead, Steph pushes the branch further into Paul's chest, causing him to cry out in pain.
STEPH: You start talking, and then I'll decide what I'm gonna do!
Paul looks terrified and continues to cry out in pain.
STEPH: TALK!!
Unmissable Drama
- More Greensleeves as Paul begs for Steph's help. But she replies they're gonna be here a long time...
- ... then appears to turn to camera, smile, and say 'aren't we?' before laughing creepily
- Paige relays the news about Dimato skipping parole to Tyler, while Michelle Kim is back
- Mark gets on one knee in front of Paige, who asks what he's doing