Episode 155

Australian Air Date: 19th August 1988
UK Air Date: 15th September 1989
Writer: Susan Hore
Director: Peter Andrikidis

Tom is terrified by what he has learned.

> New Celia sequence again.

Extended Summary

Despite Bobby’s protests, Tom storms out of the house, wanting to talk to Nev and Floss.He finds them at the store and questions them about the risk to Pippa’s health.He is shocked that it could be her last few days and Floss tells him she thought the baby was worth the risk.Tom tells Bobby not to tell any of the other kids what might happen.

Alan goes to the bottle shop and asks Narelle for some non-alcoholic champagne, since he can’t risk drinking with his aneurysm.He explains he’s making Bobby a candlelit dinner.Narelle notes no guy has ever done that for her and wonders if she’s dating the wrong type.Bobby is cycling when Brett pulls up behind her in his sports car and invites her to dinner.Bobby retorts that he only keeps going after her because she’s not interested and he can’t face not being able to get what he wants.

Floss goes to the caravan park house and tells Tom that Pippa wants the baby because it’s a part of him and she loves him.She suggests he read the letter but he says he was only meant to do that if Pippa was dead and he doesn’t know what he’d do without her.Later, Nev is worrying about Lance’s money, which Floss is hiding in her underwear drawer until Tom can take it to the bank.He asks her what she’d have wanted if they’d had money but she says she’s never gone short and, knowing what’s going on with Tom and Pippa and how she doesn’t know he knows, she realises how well off they are.

At the house, Tom, Pippa, Steven, Carly, Sally and Philip are having dinner and Philip is telling them about night shifts at the hospital.Steven says he’s taking Philip round to Frank’s later to introduce him to Narelle and Philip says he met her earlier at the shop.Carly teases Sally about Danny and then asks Philip what it’s like when someone dies.Tom makes a sharp exit.Later, Pippa and Carly are doing the washing up with Carly seeming impressed with Philip.Tom comes back in and dodges their questions about where he’s been.

Narelle is reading a woman’s magazine and tells Frank it says 10% of a relationship is about physical attraction.Steven and Philip turn up and Narelle is shocked to learn Philip is Steven’s uncle.Meanwhile, Alan has prepared his dinner for Bobby, saying he read Celia’s Barbara Cartland novels for ideas.He’s sent Barbara to the drive-in so they have the place to themselves.

Narelle sneaks back into the living room where Frank tells her Steven and Philip have left.Narelle is upset that she looked like a slob when they came round.Frank tells her Philip was spending the day with Steven since it’s a year since his parents died.Narelle wonders why no-one told her but Frank points out she made herself scarce while they were there.

Bobby is impressed with Alan’s cooking but he admits Barbara made it and he just reheated it.She says she’s glad she didn’t have to have dinner at home because Pippa isn’t too good.Alan starts to kiss her but she backs out of it.They are interrupted by Don, who has some papers for Barbara and decides to write a note for her.He exchanges a few polite words with Bobby and tells Alan that he’s heard he’s heading off to the surfing championships, wishing him luck.Bobby is impressed that they kept things civil but still tells Alan to get dessert instead of kissing her.Tom, Pippa and Carly are playing cards together when Sally comes down and asks Pippa to read her a bedtime story.Tom asks Carly to read to her instead.Once they’re alone, Pippa realises Tom knows.Bobby is telling Alan about Pippa and how Frank and the others don’t know.She doesn’t know how Pippa can carry on as normal but Alan says you can drive yourself crazy worrying, you have to get on with life.Bobby wishes that Pippa had had a miscarriage when she nearly hit her with her bike, saying she loves Pippa and doesn’t want to lose her…or Alan.

Tom is having a nightmare where he’s running through a hospital corridor, constantly opening doors, hearing a baby crying and then the alarms of hospital machines.He wakes with a start and tells Pippa it was just a bad dream.Alan has walked Bobby home and they discuss the evening.Bobby says the Barbara Cartland trappings were a bit daggy but he’s done something romantic without even realising it:He walked her home, showing he cares about her, and it makes her feel special.Alan replies that she is special but when he tries to kiss her she darts inside the house.Alan calls out that next time he’ll just jump her bones.

Frank finds Narelle standing in the kitchen in the middle of the night.She says she’s realised she’s superficial and shallow, going out with a boy because he’s a great kisser.She thinks it’s over with Steven and he only sees her as a bit of fun, since he would have told her about his parents otherwise.She says Carly was right and she needs a man instead of a schoolboy:someone like Philip…

Tom wakes up to find Pippa isn’t in bed and heads downstairs.He finds her sat at the table, where she gives a gasp of pain and tells him the baby’s coming…