UK Air Date: 6th June 2008
Writer: Sarah Walker
Director: Danny Raco
The fight is on, but will Ric walk away? Viv is back, and she’s brought more problems with her. Will Tony forgive Jazz for yet another mistake?
Extended Summary
Reeling from the discovery that Ric’s opponent will be Logan, a member of Johnny Cooper’s gang out for revenge, Jazz and Matilda want him to pull out of the fight. It’s bad enough that Ric’s sick, but Logan is out to punish, not just win. Shaken, Ric doesn’t feel he has a choice other then to fight. If he fights, all this will finally be over, if he pulls out, who knows what else Noel will have in store for him? But he’s still sick, and when the fight starts, it’s all Ric can do to stay on his feet. Logan’s fists rain down and Ric hits the floor in seconds. As Matilda and Jazz run to his side, the crowd begin to boo and jeer, convinced Ric took a dive, and Logan fumes, robbed of his chance to really punish Ric.
Ric is taken to hospital, and Noel is left in his own untenable position, some serious punters think he ripped them off by having Ric lose the fight, and they’re not the sort of people you want to tick off. As far as he can see, there’s only one option, a rematch. At the hospital, Jazz comes up with a cover story to explain Ric’s injuries, but Rachel sees straight through it. Matilda doesn’t hold up long under her questions, and admits everything, begging Rachel not to tell the police, terrified of what Noel might do to Ric if she did. Reluctantly and against her better judgement, Rachel agrees, but not without strongly advising that Ric go to the police himself.
Rachel can’t believe Jazz went along with Ric and Matilda, as an adult, she should have known better. But when Jazz confesses to Tony, without any excuses, admitting she was wrong, he can see that she means it, and he’s not ready to give up on her yet.
After such a nightmarish night, Matilda’s just about to fall asleep on the couch when she’s woken by a knock on the door. And there on the doorstep, frightened, dishevelled and pregnant, is Viv Anderson, “Noel’s wife”, still in her nightclothes. On hearing that Ric is in hospital, Viv leaves, despite Matilda’s offer of help. The next morning she arrives at the hospital to see Ric, looking like she should be there for herself. But she hasn’t come to check on Ric. She has a problem far worse, and there was no one else she could go to. Some routine tests have shown abnormalities with the baby, a chromosomal disorder, and Noel doesn’t want her to go ahead with the pregnancy. What is she going to do?