Home and Away Spoilers – Martha makes funeral preparations
Coming up next week on Home and Away in the UK, Alf feels Martha is giving up when she starts organising her own funeral, whilst Mia and Ari have an impossible choice to make…
After spending a few weeks at a hospital in the city, Martha Stewart (Belinda Giblin) finally returned to home turf last week, much to the relief of husband Alf (Ray Meagher) and daughter Roo (Georgie Parker).
It’s been several weeks since Martha was first hospitalised, following Anne Sherman’s (Megan Smart) attempted murder of Tane Parata (Ethan Browne) at the surf club by means of a chemical attack.
When the mist of organophospate spread through the ventilation system to a charity fundraiser Martha was holding at Salt, Martha bore the brunt of the exposure, leading to severe kidney damage requiring admittance to a specialist renal unit in the city for dialysis.
Sadly, Martha’s only chance of survival now is a kidney transplant, and whilst awaiting a donor she’s been released back to Northern Districts Hospital in Yabbie Creek.
She’d only been back a short time before it became apparent that Martha’s condition was quickly deteriorating, and this week Roo enlists Logan (Harley Bonner) to help seek answers about any progress from the transplant team.
The initial news they receive back isn’t good—Martha son Kieran (Rick Donald) isn’t a match, and they’re still waiting to hear back about Roo. Alf has already been eliminated as being unsuitable for donation due to his heart.
Feeling that hopes are pretty slim, and wanting to be practical, Martha tries to broach a sensitive subject with Alf—she wants to start arranging her funeral.
Alf refuses to let Martha give up just like that, but she insists that it’s a conversation they need to have. Alf’s further incensed when a priest, Father Neil (Matt Abercromby), arrives to have a talk with Martha, but he agrees to give them some privacy.
That night, Alf slips out of the house to go fishing, unable to sleep, and it’s not long before Roo tracks him down on the pier. Alf admits that he’s scared, and whilst Roo admits that she’s also petrified at the thought of losing her mum again, she explains that they need to support Martha with whatever decisions she wants to make.
Their prayers are answered the next day when the transplant team inform Roo that she is a match!
Roo can’t wait to tell her parents the good news, but Martha is oddly reticient. Alf doesn’t know what to think, as Irene (Lynne McGranger) suggests that Martha is just taking time to process everything.
Martha later admits to Alf that she isn’t sure if she can accept Roo’s kidney—there’s no guarantee it will work, and even if it does it could potentially mean lifelong complications for her daughter.
Whilst Alf doesn’t let on about Martha’s hesitance, he later questions Roo about whether she’s thought things through fully and appreciates the risks involved. Roo is annoyed with Alf’s sudden negativity, and is determined that the transplant is going to go ahead.
However, the next day Roo has to see a psychologist as part of the process, to ensure that she’s mentally ready for such a procedure.
Roo finds herself unprepared for Emma’s (Ursula Mills) difficult questions, as the session brings up her past traumas with Martha’s supposed drowning back in 1985, and Roo’s giving up of her baby (also named Martha) three years later.
Roo ends up leaving the hospital in tears, realising that her decision isn’t going to be as easy as she first anticipated!
Elsewhere in Summer Bay, Matthew (James Sweeny) is continuing to worm his way into his newfound daughter Chloe’s (Sam Barrett) life.
Chloe’s mother Mia (Anna Samson) has been desperate to get Matthew out of their lives—given that Chloe was the result of Matthew raping Mia at a party when she was 16—but has so far been unable to tell Chloe the truth about her father.
Although Mia threatened to make the facts known, barrister Matthew gained the upper hand last week when he was punched by Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams). After becoming aware of Ari’s criminal past, Matthew informed Mia that if she didn’t let him see Chloe, he’d have Ari charged with assault and thrown back in prison.
Mia feels they have no alternative but to go along with Matthew’s demand, and this week she’s put in an impossible situation when Chloe announces that Matthew is coming to the Parata house for dinner with them all—whether they like it or not.
Chloe feels it’s about time Mia puts whatever issue she has with Matthew to one side and make an effort to get along with him.
The dinner is predictably awkward, and when Nikau (Kawakawa Fox-Reo) and Bella (Courtney Miller) ask about how Mia and Matthew met, Matthew gives a spiel about how they connected at a party and ended up ‘seeing each other’ briefly. Mia feels sick to the stomach as she angrily refutes Matthew’s version of events, and excuses herself from the table.
Later that evening, Matthew suggests to Chloe that since he was so impressed with her food, she should think of expanding her catering business. Matthew has already splashed the cash by giving Chloe the money to pay off her debt and boot ex-boyfriend Ryder (Lukas Radovich) out of the business, and he thinks the next logical step would be for Chloe to attend business school.
And it just so happens he knows of a very prestigious one, only a few streets away from his place in the city, and would be happy to pay for it.
The next day, Mia and Ari are horrified when Chloe tells them of her intention to move in with “dad”, and it’s only a few hours later when Chloe received word that she has already been accepted into the business school.
When Mia attempts one final time to threaten Matthew into staying out of Chloe’s life, he isn’t phased and decides to call her bluff.
Mia’s out of options, and even though she and Ari know the gamble they’ll be taking, they realise they only have one choice… they have to tell Chloe the truth, and quickly!
Here’s the full spoilers for next week’s Home and Away episodes in the UK:
Monday 21st February (Episode 7706)
Marilyn finds her new normal. Justin helps Theo find a new interest. Alf struggles with Martha’s approach.
Tuesday 22nd February (Episode 7707)
Ziggy and Theo challenge one another. Logan distracts himself from the tribunal. Roo’s shocked by her mother’s reaction.
Wednesday 23rd February (Episode 7708)
Roo asks some hard questions. Nikau saves the day. Dean puts Ziggy in her place.
Thursday 24th February (Episode 7709)
Chloe tries to rebuild family ties. Marilyn realises she may lose everyone she loves. Felicity spirals while Cash is out of town.
Friday 25th February (Episode 7710)
Tane offers his gentle support to Felicity. Mia is backed into a corner with only one option. Ari’s planning his future with Mia.