Episode Title (not used on screen): Testing Time
Cast: Stephanie McIntosh as Sky Mangel, Claudine Henningsen as Kerry Mangel, Kyal Marsh as Boyd Hoyland, Stefan Dennis as Paul Robinson, Pippa Black as Elle Robinson, Alan Fletcher as Karl Kennedy, Jackie Woodburne as Susan Kinski, Caitlin Stasey as Rachel Kinski, Matthew Werkmeister as Zeke Kinski, Eliza Taylor-Cotter as Janae Timmins, Dan O’Connor as Ned Parker, Steve Bastoni as Steve Parker, Nikki Coghill as Miranda Parker, Eloise Mignon as Bridget 'Didge' Parker, David Hoflin as Oliver Barnes, Fletcher O'Leary as Mickey Gannon, Jane Hall as Rebecca Napier, James Sorensen as Declan Napier
Guest Cast: Nick Russell as Caleb Maloney, Bob Hornery as Tom Kennedy, Steve Stagg as Ray Moller, Andrew Peters as Simon Horwill
Recap
• Mickey meets an older boy at the hideout and is held by him there
• Tom wants Karl to take some peace from his belief he always carries his son in his thoughts despite his mind wandering
• Rebecca reveals to Paul that Oliver is his son and that makes Elle Oliver’s sister
No 22 - Lounge/kitchen: Paul refuses to accept what Rebecca is saying as the truth and accuses her of taking advantage of his situation and trying to split Elle up from Oliver too. Rebecca assures him it has nothing to do with how she feels about Elle. Paul thinks his brain is just playing tricks but Rebecca reminds him it let him remember her. Rebecca swears she is telling the truth. Elle returns and notices the silence in the room and asks what is going on.
Shopping arcade: The older boy leaves Mickey outside of the store to get some groceries. A stranger sees Mickey looking distressed and asks if he needs help. Mickey tells the man he’s lost his dad and the guy offers to get him home if he tells him where he lives. The stranger goes to get help from the store but leaves his briefcase by Mickey’s side. The older boy sees an opportunity and steals the case, grabbing Mickey as he runs off. The owner follows but twists his ankle and the older boy with Mickey get away.
No 28 - Lounge: Tom talks to the camcorder about his history on the Communist party but things are interrupted when Tom suddenly believes Karl is Asian and the enemy and won’t be calmed down until Susan steps in.
No 22 - Lounge: Elle wants answers from Paul and is astounded to hear Rebecca’s claims but thinks it is a scam. Paul wants to investigate things further but their conversation is halted when Oliver walks in.
The General Store: Ned & Steve hand out fliers with Mickey’s photo on in hope they can find someone who has seen him. Steve suggests Ned hand them out on the roadside and Janae joins him. Bridget remarks to her mother how obvious Janae is about having feelings for Ned but Miranda questions if Ned has realised her feelings. Bridget reminds Miranda that Janae carries a photo of Ned in her wallet and it couldn’t be more obvious. Steve joins them joking about the number of fliers they have used in the store but Harold wishes them to keep up the good work and hands over an opened packet of paper for them to run off more copies for free. Steve is unhappy at accepting charity after his family was the cause of Ringo’s coma. Harold reminds him it is a self induced coma to aid Ringo’s recovery and Steve must realise that no one blames him for what has happened. Ned & Janae return with news the police have called to say Mickey has been involved in a robbery.
Derelict building: Mickey is upset that they may have hurt the man who tried to help him but the older boy has no such conscience and time for Mickey’s concerns. The older boy empties the mans wallet of money and leaves. Mickey fears he is being abandoned.
Shopping arcade: Ned, Janae, Steve, Miranda & Bridget arrive as the police continue to question the man who tried to help Mickey. Steve urges Ned to be calm but Ned wants to know if the police have seen his son. The stranger identifies Mickey and accuses him of being one of two boys who robbed him and caused his injury. The police officer takes Ned to one side and questions if Ned knows of whom Mickey’s accomplice could be. Ned explains he has no idea but the idea that his son is with some one else fills him with dread. Janae assures him Mickey will return home and be okay.
Charlie's Bar: Sky & Boyd chat over the bus crash while Caleb plays with Kerry. Sky is relieved to hear Ringo should make a full recovery but understands that Toadie must be going through hell and reliving past feelings over the crash.
Boyd turns to cheerier thoughts and asks after Sky’s trip to Sydney. She admits she had a great time at the exhibition but Boyd is more interested in her feelings for Caleb. Sky admits she thinks things are going great and she is even thinking of going back to University. Unseen by them, Caleb clutches his chest as he gets a chest pain.
No 22 - Lounge: Elle finishes telling Oliver about Rebecca’s claims they are brother and sister but instead of him dismissing it as a scam he cannot see why Rebecca would lie to him, especially as she has made no claim to his money.
A knock at the door interrupts and Oliver opens the door to see Rebecca. Rebecca realises Oliver knows her revelation.
Charlie's Bar: Sky thanks Caleb for keeping Kerry entertained so she could eat her lunch without interruption. Harold arrives concerned Sky hasn’t got home yet after her flight landed at 11am. Sky admits she needed to eat but Harold is keen to get a cuddle from his great granddaughter. Caleb hiding his pain suggests Sky & Harold spend some time alone with Kerry and Sky reluctantly agrees to the idea. Alone, Caleb can no longer hide his pain and calls Boyd over to help him. Caleb wants him to call an ambulance.
No 26 - Lounge: Ned & Mickey finish desert and Ned asks what happened to upset him. Mickey admits he is sad about Janae going and Ned tells him he is too. Mickey asks to go and see Janae box tomorrow but Ned tells him it is not a good place for a child to go to. Ned vows to make sure Janae is not hurt.
No 22 - Lounge/kitchen: Oliver wants to talk to Rebecca alone and Paul ushers Elle out of the room. Oliver tells her he wanted so much to find her and Rebecca admits she too wanted to have the perfect relationship but she refuses to hide behind any more lies. Elle cannot stand Rebecca being in her home any longer and asks Paul to get her to leave. Paul is subtler and asks if he can speak to Rebecca outside but she refuses. Elle accuses Rebecca of fearing she’ll be exposed as a liar if questioned more deeply. Rebecca stands up and offers to solve the question once and for all if Paul agrees to a DNA test – will he do it?
No 28 - Lounge: Susan reassures Karl taping Tom on the camcorder was a good idea. Tom emerges from his room and asks to see the recording. Rachel tries to lie it has been damaged to avoid any distress by Tom seeing it but he knows it is a lie and demands to be shown the recording. Karl plays the recording to him and Tom is upset to see how he has treated his family. Tom asks to be put into the new nursing home for all their sakes. He asks Karl to delete the recording but Karl is reluctant as there is so much else on the recording. Tom agrees an edit will do but has more stories to tell once they get to the nursing home.
No 22 - Lounge: Elle begins to panic when Rebecca & Paul agree a DNA test is the right thing to do. She demands if they go ahead then she’ll organise it to avoid any tampering.
The General Store: Tom jokes with Harold about calling him a cheat and Harold promises to visit him at the home. Zeke arrives to discover the news that Tom is going to live in the Eden Hills nursing home. Zeke believes Tom has been pushed into the nursing home despite Tom’s wishes that he wants to go.
Erinsborough Hospital - Caleb's room: Caleb struggles to breath. Boyd comes to visit and takes a look at Caleb’s medical chart when Caleb refuses to tell him how bad things are. Caleb finally admits the anti-rejection drugs are not working and has to go to Los Angeles as he has been moved up the priority list. He leaves tomorrow. Caleb does not want Sky to know.
Derelict building: Mickey waits anxiously with Jake and hides when he sees someone coming into the house. The older boy returns and brings food for him and conversation turns to family. The older boy admits he has never known his father.
The older boy goes to leave Mickey again but seeing the boy is cold gives him his jacket to keep him warm.
Erinsborough Hospital - Waiting area: Elle cannot sit any longer for the test results and leaves to try and get something done about speeding the process up. Paul explains to Oliver that if they are related then he would be proud to have him as a son.
Rebecca's house - Kitchen: Rebecca is cooking as her son Declan arrives home. She complains about him being out so late without contacting her. It is revealed the boy Mickey has been around is Declan. Declan sees the final reminder Rebecca has to pay her phone bill and places some cash on it. Rebecca thanks him for giving up his paper round money for her and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
Regular Cast Credits
Summary by Paul
