Karl warns Steph that if she doesn’t have treatment soon it may be too late, but she remains adamant to wait for Max to arrive. Boyd worries that Steph has left the treatment too late, Lyn tries to reassure him that they won’t lose her, but he’s still sceptical. Karl, Lyn & Susan are relieved when Steph decides not to wait any longer, she wants to have her baby now and she wants to live.

At the hospital, Steph wishes that Max was with her, and wonders if she is doing the right thing. Lyn reassures her that Charlie is nearly full term and Susan points out that he has strong genes and that he’ll be fighting fit and probably can’t wait to face the world. Karl enters and tells Steph that Dr. Olenski is busy delivering a baby, but as soon as she’s finished Steph will go straight into theatre. Steph comments that she wanted to have him naturally, but Lyn, Karl & Susan point out that it is for the best. Karl tells Steph to relax, she’s going to be a mum tonight.

..

At the airport, Boyd rushes to pick up Max & Summer, almost forgetting to close the window in his haste.

Back at the hospital, Lyn & Susan try to comfort Steph, telling her that Max has probably just been held up in customs, joking that he has probably brought in something illegal accidentally, such as a tribal headdress or a snakeskin handbag. As Steph begins to look increasingly worried, Susan reassures her that he or Summer would’ve probably read a pamphlet on the subject and everything would be fine. Steph continues to worry that Max won’t make it and blames herself for hiding the true extent of her illness from Max in the first place, but Lyn points out that she did the right thing in letting him be there for Summer during her illness. Susan comments that men being at the birth is a recent thing, and asks Lyn if Joe was there for her, but Lyn says he chickened out at the last minute after the word ‘blood’ was mentioned. Susan tells them that when she had Malcolm, Karl let a group of medical students observe without mentioning it to her. As they continue to share their horror stories of the birthing process, Steph says that the caesarean doesn’t sound so bad after all.

..

In the corridor outside of Steph’s hospital room, Lyn breaks down in front of Susan. She tells her that she wishes she could believe that Steph will be alright, but Susan points out that she to be strong for Steph now more than ever and that no matter what happens, she is about to become a grandmother, and that is the most amazing thing.

Back at the airport, Boyd, Max & Summer are still in the car park; Boyd is looking at the map to find the quickest route to the hospital, much to Max’s annoyance as he just wants to get going. Summer asks if Steph will be alright, Max tells her she’ll be ok and looks for his mobile to call Steph.

..

At the hospital, Susan gives Steph a baby blanket that was used for Drew and Ben Kirk. Susan tells her that Libby said that Ben was a miracle baby and Charlie is too, and that she really wanted her to have it, Steph tells Susan to thank Libby. Just then, Karl enters and tells Steph that her husband is on the phone.

Steph asks Max where he is, and if he and Summer are ok, he tells her that they are fine and are on their way, and asks if she is ok. Steph tells Max that she is going to have Charlie tonight; he asks her if she is ok with having the baby by caesarean section, she says she will be, as long as he is there. Max tells her the traffic is bad, but he will be there very soon. Steph gasps; Max asks her what is happening… she tells him that she thinks her waters just broke. Susan goes to get Karl, and Boyd hurriedly starts the car as Steph & Lyn smile and laugh, it looks like she’s having a natural birth after all.

..

At the hospital, Karl tells Steph he doesn’t know how she’s done it but she is indeed going into labour, Steph asks if they can call off the caesarean, but Karl doesn’t think that would be a good idea and on the phone, Max shares his view. Steph tells her husband that she’s gone into labour and she wants to see it through, reluctantly Max agrees and asks to speak to Karl. Steph tells Susan to tell Libby that it may have been Drew’s blanket that did it whilst Karl warns Max that Steph may not have the strength to go through the labour. Max is torn, but as Steph has a contraction Max tells Karl that if anyone can do it, Steph can and to let her try. Karl hands the phone back to Steph, and Max tells her it’s her decision, he trust her and he loves her just as the battery on his mobile goes flat.

In Steph’s hospital room, she tells Karl that she can’t believe she’s in labour and can have Charlie naturally like she has wanted from the start it’s like a miracle. Karl remains pessimistic and tells the mother-to-be that a safe delivery for mother & child is enough of a miracle for him, and informs her of the risks of not going with the caesarean, but Steph is adamant that she wants to go through with the natural birth, despite Lyn’s protests. Reluctantly Karl agrees, but tells her that if anything goes wrong they will do an emergency caesarean.

..

In the car on the way to the hospital, Boyd comes to a stop. Max tells him to take the directions that he’s given him, but Boyd tells him that he’s not lost; they’ve run out of petrol. Max tells Boyd off for forgetting to check the petrol gauge when he got into the car, as Summer tries to placate him. Boyd say’s they’ll call a cab, but Max reminds him that the battery on the phone is flat, and that they haven’t seen another car for ten minutes, so they can’t flag one down. At Summer’s suggestion, Boyd goes to find a petrol station, as he leaves, Summer tells Max that he’s not the only one worried about Steph, Boyd is as well.

Walking along the road, Boyd curses himself for forgetting to check that he had enough petrol.

..

Back at the hospital, Steph’s contractions are getting worse, Dr. Olenski offers her an epidural, but Steph refuses as she wants to stay in control, but Olenski tells her she wouldn’t, it would just ease the pain. Steph wonders how Lyn went labour five times, she tells Steph that when she holds her baby in her arms for the first time, she’ll understand. Dr. Olenski offers Steph some perkodan, but Steph tells her that it makes her sick, and that all she wants is Max. The doctor tells her that she heard that the freeway from the airport was totally blocked, but Lyn tries to reassure Steph that Max will be there as soon as he possibly can, she says that before the next contraction would be nice.

At the car, Boyd has returned and is filling it up with petrol. Max asks him if there was a phone at the service station, Boyd says he guesses so, but he didn’t call the hospital as he thought that Max wanted him to get back as quickly as he could. Max berates him for not doing thinking to do it and behaving like a half-wit, but Boyd rebukes, telling his father that he has no idea what he went through whilst he was away, and that it was no picnic. Now in the driver’s seat, Max starts the car.

..

Back in Steph’s hospital room, Steph tells Charlie to hold on a while long, as his daddy will be there soon, but Dr. Olenski informs her that Charlie will come when he wants to.

In the hospital corridor, Max bursts through the door, shortly followed by Summer & Boyd. He tells them to wait there and runs into a hospital room, ignoring Boyd who is trying to warn him that Steph isn’t in there. From outside the room, we hear Max shriek as he realise the woman he is with isn’t his wife. Karl arrives just as Max comes out and shows him to Steph’s room. Max warns Boyd & Summer not to mention his mistake to Steph.

..

As Max, Boyd & Summer enter Steph’s room; she and Lyn breathe a huge sigh of relief. Max tells Steph they were held up, as Steph asks Summer how she is and thanks Boyd for everything he has done. Max says it was good of Charlie to wait, but Steph says she thinks he knows he can get on with it now. Dr. Olenski suggests that Max & Steph need some quiet time alone, so Boyd, Summer and Karl leave. Lyn tells Max to make sure that Steph lets them know when she has had enough and then leaves too.

In the waiting room, Susan enters carrying a bag and asks Lyn how it is going, and if Max is there yet, Lyn says yes and Susan asks if she has been booted out. Lyn nods, and Susan tells her that is how things are supposed to be, Lyn agrees but can’t help feeling a bit rejected and redundant, but Susan reminds her that just an hour ago she was praying for Max to get there. Along the corridor, Boyd tells Summer that the first thing he will do when he becomes a doctor is revamp the hospital canteen, as they walk into the waiting room. Boyd hands Lyn a cup of coffee from the machine, but Susan says she thinks that tea goes better with sushi, which she then takes out of her bag, and tells Summer & Boyd to dig in. Boyd says maybe later, but thanks Susan anyway as he and Boyd go to stand outside of Steph’s room. Summer tells Boyd that Max wasn’t really angry with him, he just needed someone to lash out on, and he’ll forget all about it once the baby is born, and passes her brother some sushi.

..

Back in the waiting room, Lyn tells Susan she knows that Karl thinks that the natural birth is too much for Steph, Susan says that no one will let her struggle for too long, but Lyn knows that she won’t give up. Karl walks up behind them and tells the worried mother that he and Steph have a deal and that Max knows what he is doing and will call for help if it’s needed. Karl tells her that the birth of a baby is a very important time for a couple as they are never closer; he then recalls a moment when Libby was born when it was like the world had stopped. Karl & Susan share a brief moment as they remember this, but it soon becomes awkward and Karl leaves. Lyn says to Susan that he never ceases to amaze her and Susan agrees, ‘That’s Karl’

In the hospital room, Steph apologises for hiding the truth from Max, but he says that doesn’t matter now, but Steph says she couldn’t have done this without him. Max says she could’ve, as she is the strongest woman he knows, she could climb Everest by herself, but Steph says he’s got her all wrong, she’s scared to half to death. He tells her that Charlie is going to be the most beautiful boy ever, as he will have all of their best parts, and none of their faults, none of his temper, and none of her stubbornness. Steph says he’ll be just perfect, as another contraction starts. As the pain begins to get worse, Steph tells Max to get Dr. Olenski… he presses the call button.

..

Still in the hospital room, Olenski tells Steph that she isn’t full dilated, and must not push, she tells Max to try to distract her from the pain.

Over an hour later, Dr. Olenski tells Steph to push as hard as she likes, but Steph says she told her not to and is surprised when Max informs her that was over an hour ago, it’s nearly five o’clock. Looking increasingly weak and tired, Steph does what the doctor told her to.

..

In the corridor, Dr. Olenski tells Max that she doesn’t think they can go on with it and suggests a caesarean, but Max doesn’t want to after Steph has come so far, but the doctor warns him that she doesn’t have the strength. From her room, Steph asks them what they are plotting. Max asks Olenski to give her a little bit longer, as Steph calls out for her husband.

..

..

..

..

Back in the hospital room, Dr. Olenski tells Steph that Charlie is keen to get out, and all she needs is one more push, but Steph struggles to find the strength to do it. Max tries to help Steph muster up strength by telling her that she is Charlie’s mum and that she is the only one who can bring him into the world, recharged by this, Steph pushes and Charlie is born. Max & Steph are elated as Dr. Olenski puts Charlie in Steph’s arms for the first time.

Notes: Aaron-Aulsebrook-Walker is immediately added to the main cast list as Charlie Hoyland. The music played over the closing scenes of this episode was 'No Gun' by Cindy Ryan.

Summary by Callum