“I couldn’t have planned this better if I tried,” Kelli crows madly, peering over the wrecked car. Amanda lies pinned inside, whimpering, while petrol spews from the engine. Kelli unveils her evil plan bit by bit, gloating over Amanda’s stupidity. Amanda begs Kelli to help her out of the smouldering car, but old cod eyes is having too much fun watching her squirm. “I have suffered my whole life while you walked away without a scratch!” Kelli shrieks, flashing her mangled stomach scars. Satisfied with her revenge, Kelli douses the car in petrol and struts away as it bursts into flames. Ward offPeter is shocked to find Ethan at Amanda’s house. He bundles him in the car and sets off in pursuit of the sparring sisters. They pull up next to the burning car. Peter calls Amanda’s name and finds her, a rolling wreck in the bushes. He rushes her to hospital, where she undergoes emergency surgery for internal bleeding. The police arrest Ethan and later Kelli, but Amanda is left reeling in the wake of her sister’s callous betrayal.

She asks to see Kelli, who is dragged kicking and screaming into the ward. “It didn’t have to be like this, Kell,” the Mand sobs, her injuries miraculously reduced to a scratch on her forehead.

But Kelli is unrepentant. “If I had my time again I would do it exactly the same,” she spits. Not even an apologetic Peter can cheer Mandy up now.

Doctors and nurses

Elsewhere, something of a love square is developing. The jobless Kim’s still touchy because he can’t support Archie financially. He lays into Rachel again and this time she’s had enough.

She ups and leaves for the sizzling doctors’ conference Hugh has invited her to. Once there she proceeds to drink her way through the bar’s chardonnay collection, sliding around and flirting with every Tom, Dick and Hugh.

Rach admits she’s had a tiff with Kim; she doesn’t want to talk about him. It turns out the hotel is fully booked, so Hugh carries his drunken friend back to his suite.

“Excuse me doctor, I’m a married woman,” Rachel hiccups, sprawling out on his bed for a slumber party. “Don’t you think that we should have got together?” she slurs.

Speechless with fear and lust, Hugh gazes into her eyes. Rachel collapses drunkenly. Back in the Bay, Kim is consoling Kit, who is struggling to cope with her newborn and her grief over Beth’s death. When Kim manages to stop Archie’s incessant wailing, Kit’s emotions get the better of her and she leaps in for a snog.

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