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Magic Moments > 2005 > Darcy's Return Episode 4747

Written by Judith Colquhoun, Directed by Gary Conway

Episode Title: Eyes Wide Open

David apologises to Lil for pushing her away and into the arms of Paul. Sky and Dylan realise that they have to find Paul together. Meanwhile, Paul slowly loses consciousness and slips under the water…

Sky is worried that she and Dylan will also get lost if they don’t start heading back to the road now. He says that they should come back first thing tomorrow and resume the search, then changes his mind and decides that he should stay longer and carry on looking. Sky tries to convince him that they should stay together and stay by the lake, when Dylan suddenly spots Paul’s body floating in the lake and rushes out to pull him in.

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Sky helps Dylan to drag Paul’s body out of the water and Dylan starts trying to bring him round. Sky pushes him out of the way and starts to perform CPR but Dylan begins to panic when it doesn’t seem to be doing any good.

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Darcy’s eyes suddenly begin to open.

At the Scarlet Bar, Karl tells Izzy that he hasn’t seen her so relaxed in ages. She says that it’s probably down to the departure of her father, but she’s now come to accept what he’s like and feels better for it. She shows Karl a postcard she’s received from Bobby in Malawi. Karl is surprised that the card doesn’t mention all of the money he owes Izzy, but she points out that he had the hide of a rhinoceros and probably expected everyone else to be the same. Karl thinks that Bobby will be a lonely old man, but Izzy says that Karl won’t have that problem and that they’re very lucky to have each other. He then says that since they’ve got nobody else to worry about, they should go on a big overseas trip. He produces some brochures but just then, his bleeper goes off and he has to leave for the hospital.

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At the hospital, Paul is wheeled past on a trolley and Karl has to stop Dylan from going any further. Sky tells Dylan to sit down with her, when he suddenly decides that he should go and get Lil as Paul loves her and she’s the one he’ll want to be there when he wakes up.

At number 28, Lil is telling Susan about the lunch she had with David. She says that she looked at David and thought that he was a really nice man, but she just doesn’t love him any more. She tells Susan that she was thinking about something else every time she looked at him and Susan guesses that it was the night Serena was born. Susan admits that she’s been there herself and says that you never feel closer to your partner than after a child is born, then all that love suddenly disappears. Lil says that they both apologised and agreed to be nicer to each other, for the sake of Serena. Susan asks where Paul fits in, but Lil says that he doesn’t. Dylan suddenly bursts in, apologising but saying that Paul is in the hospital and she has to go with him straight away.

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At the General Store, Harold is helping David to ice a cake. Harold tries to take David’s mind off his own problems by telling him that he saw Max putting non-recyclables in his recycling bin this morning, but David doesn’t seem interest. Out in the store, Max and Izzy are looking through travel brochures and he advises her not to go to the Middle East. She adds Malawi to that list and apologises for the way she acted while their dad was in town. He tells her that Bobby loves her and he’s the one that’s missing out on them and their family. Back in the kitchen, Harold continues to gossip, telling David that the Hoylands’ garden is in the state and he’s heard rumours that they’re keeping chickens in their year, and they’ll probably attract rats. David finally listens and rushes out into the store to confront Max.

At the hospital, Lil and Dylan are waiting for news. She wonders if they should come back later, but Dylan tells her that she must stay. Karl appears and reports that Paul has hypothermia, fractured ribs, a fractured arm, a dislocated shoulder, a very badly broken leg and extensive internal injuries. He is then wheeled out to be taken to theatre and Lil takes his hand. He says that he loves her and she tells him that she loves him too.

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In Darcy’s hospital room, he is beginning to come round and opens his eyes again. Just then, nurse Gareth Peters comes in, complaining that Susan keeps on sending roses for Darcy and it’s such a waste to have a criminal being kept alive by his taxes. He says that he doesn’t feel the least bit guilty in nicking the roses, before leaving.

Dylan, Lil and Sky are waiting for news when Karl comes out and says it’ll be a while yet in theatre, as there’s an awful lot to do. He asks them if anyone knows exactly what happened. Lil remembers that his car was found at the top of a cliff and Karl says that his injuries are consistent with a fall. Dylan is shocked and believes that the Affirmacon heavies got to Paul, but Karl wonders if Paul deliberately wasn’t looking where he was walking. Lil tells Dylan to calm down and concentrate his energies on Paul getting better and pulling through the operation.

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At the Scarlet Bar, Izzy is holding a club night and Harold and David are sitting drinking mocktails in the corner. David is surprised to find himself winding down after work by going drinking with his dad. Harold tells him that he could pick up a few pointers on how to be a bachelor and then gets up and starts dancing with some young women. David quickly drags him back and says that he knows he’s trying to distract him, but it’s working. Izzy and Max watch them, and Max says that he’s the same with Lyn, they don’t get along but he can’t fault her as a mother. He notices Izzy’s face and forces her to share the secret about Lyn having a fling with their dad. Max is horrified and Izzy realises that if Lyn and Bobby had married, it would make Steph Max’s half-sister. Max suddenly realises that he’s got something over Lyn and she won’t be able to put him down for the rest of his life.

Back at the hospital, Susan goes to get some drinks for Lil and Dylan. Dylan is worried that they’ve been waiting for so long, but she tells him that they’d have heard if there was bad news. She tells him about praying for a miracle, but he says that he doesn’t see the point in having faith. Karl appears and says that Paul is almost out of surgery, then will be heading up to intensive care. They both decide to stay until there’s more news.

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The next morning, Darcy opens his eyes again and sees the light coming in the window. Gareth comes in and starts insulting Darcy again, saying that they should have pulled the plug on him rather than allow him to take up a valuable bed. As he begins his checks, he leans over Darcy and tells him that his girlfriend enjoyed the roses last night, when Darcy suddenly hits him in the groin and says “Shall I call a nurse?”

Dylan appears in the waiting area again to find Lil just waking up. He says that he had a nightmare about drowning when he did finally get some sleep. She asks if he wants to speak to someone about what he’s been through, but he refuses and says that in the Timmins family, you’re brought up to be tough. He says that his dad was tough but it wasn’t all bad, as he took them all down to the jetty and threw them off when they were four, in order to teach them to swim. Sky wakes up and apologises for falling asleep again, when Karl appears with Susan. He reports that Paul is serious but stable and is lucky to be there at all. They plead to go and visit and Karl finally agrees, while Susan sits and waits with Sky.

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Karl shows Lil and Dylan in to intensive care and they’re shocked to see the state Paul is in. Paul opens his eyes to find Dylan leaning over him, telling him he’ll be ok. Paul is happy to see that Lil is also there.

At number 26, Sky emerges from the bathroom and tells Dylan that he should have a shower, as it’ll make him feel better. Dylan is in tears, and Sky tells him that Paul owes him his life, as he was the only one who didn’t give up on finding him. Dylan says that he owes Paul so much, and the Paul he knows is strong and powerful and always in charge, and he can’t stand seeing him like that.

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Back at the hospital, Karl is telling Susan and Lil that Paul has quite a fight ahead of him, when the nurse, Gareth, comes storming through with one of the hospital bosses saying that if nothing is done about the violent patient, he’ll take it up with his union. Izzy brings a cup of coffee for Karl and asks how Paul’s doing and she’s shocked to hear how serious things are. Susan is talking about how Dylan is the hero of the hour when she suddenly stops as she sees Darcy being wheeled towards her. Izzy looks round and is astounded to see his face. She faints and Karl struggles to catch her.

Summary by Steve