A screaming Sally rushes over to Pippa; Alf manages to shake himself out of his state of extreme shock just long enough to be able to call for an ambulance but, burdened with the guilt of his mistake, can’t bring himself to follow the family to the hospital. It’s there that Sally anxiously awaits news of her baby, little comforted when Rachel eventually offers the results of preliminary x-rays: Pippa has suffered not only a tear to her spleen but also a spinal injury; only time will tell how serious it is. But there’s far worse to come. As Sally sits by her bedside, Pippa suddenly loses consciousness and is rushed to theatre.Seeking forgivenessAlf, meanwhile, finds himself subjected to Colleen’s characteristically inappropriate remarks about the accident; it’s only when he pays a visit to Brad to break the news that he is finally offered the words of comfort he so desperately needs.Inspired by Brad’s advice, and later goaded by Colleen, Alf reluctantly makes his way to the hospital, hoping against hope that his being there won’t be a problem. But, his arrival clashing with the decline in Pippa’s condition, Sally’s emotional reaction is enough to send him packing. ‘All you had to do was keep an eye on her and you couldn’t even do that. Because of your stupid ego, you had to get back behind the wheel,’ she snaps, overcome with emotion. With Pippa’s life on the line, can their relationship ever be the same again?

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