THIS ARTICLE REFERENCES THE UNMISSABLE DRAMA THAT OCCURRED DURING THE EPISODE THAT AIRED ON WEDNESDAY 6th DECEMBER 2023
As Melanie is rushed into emergency surgery for a bleed on the brain following an accident at the Erinsborough High protests, various residents struggle with their feelings.
At the hospital Toadie tries to comfort a distraught Nell who is struggling with the trauma of seeing Melanie rushed into surgery.
“She can’t die dad, I can’t lose another mum.”
Remi appears, the surgery has been a success and she is cautiously optimistic that Mel will make a full recovery, which relieves Nell, but doesn’t take away the feelings that both Toadie and Terese have about the day’s events.
Toadie admits that he is struggling to get the image out of his head of Melanie lying unconscious on the stairs. Terese tries to comfort him but she can see how much Toadie is hurting. Is Toadie being completely honest about how he is feeling?
He later confides in Andrew how much he is struggling with his feelings. Even though he loves Terese and says that is who he wants to be with, he acknowledges that he has complex feelings about the situation with Melanie.
Terese has her own demons to face as she returns to the school and visits the site of Melanie’s accident. She realises that she was to blame for what happened to Mel. Her involvement with the redevelopment has resulted in losing friendships, dividing a community. The protestors were protesting her and what she wanted to do.
As Melanie is talked through her diagnosis by Remi and a newly-returned Karl Kennedy, she is adamant that she doesn’t want to see Toadie.
“I’m not strong enough, I don’t want his sympathy. I can’t.”
Mackenzie takes Nell and Hugo to see Mel and she is cheered up by their gift of a pig stuffed toy, whilst a troubled Toadie waits outside, out of Mel’s view.
Later, Nell and Hugo express their concern about how Melanie is going to cope when she is discharged from hospital, she will need constant care and supervision. Toadie assures his children that the hospital will provide necessary support. But Nell is not convinced.
“People usually have family to help with this sort of stuff, she doesn’t.”
Feeling the pain coming from the children and her own guilt and realisation how out-of-control everything has gotten, Terese makes a bold move. She visits the Kennedy’s and asks if they would consider letting Melanie live with them whilst she recovers. Is having Toadie’s ex-wife living 3 doors away really a good idea?
Wendy Rodwell confides in husband Andrew that she feels she was to blame after being one of the organisers of the event. Even though she knows it was an accident, she still blames herself for organising the protest and putting Mel in that situation, saying that actions have consequences, even if they are unintentional. Whilst she is talking about this situation with Melanie, you can tell that they both know this also applies to the issues in their marriage around Andrew’s lies to Wendy about his friend Philippa.
Later, Andrew is forced to arrest Nicolette for her involvement in the protests, which doesn’t impress Wendy and she rushes to the police station demanding to be arrested too. Andrew tries to de-escalate the situation, but Wendy just becomes more irate screaming at Andrew in front of his colleagues, forcing him to arrest her for public nuisance.
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