After the Ball

There is an atmosphere of excitement on the Ward as everyone prepares for the Hospital Fundraiser Ball. Both Mitch and Von deny having bought Terri's ball dress. Nervous and excited, Terri leaves work early to get ready for the ball. Meanwhile a post-operative patient, Len Gould, blames Von for giving him non-stop hiccups, and Ruby Nolan returns to the ward. Mitch's heat goes out to Ruby when she tells him how much she would love to dance at the ball. Kylie Preece, overconfident about her skills as a doctor, has forgotten to check Ruby's pathology results placing the old lady's life in the balance. Mitch is furious. As she dresses for the ball, Terri's excitement is tempered when her nosy neighbour Gilda complains about the loud music. There is another knock at the door. Terri assumes it is Gilda but it is obsessed ex-patient Neil Phillips. Neil reveals he bought the ball dress and he forces his way into the flat. This deluded man has convinced himself Terri loves him. When she spurns his advances things turn ugly. Furious his love for Terri is unrequited, he assaults her and looks set to rape her. Terrified, Terri tries to defend herself and stabs Neil with a pair of scissors. Appalled and full of self-pity, Neil leaves the flat with the scissors. At the Ball, everyone wonders where Terri is. Mitch gets a phone call but it is Kylie. Shaken and rapidly losing confidence, she needs advice about how to keep Ruby alive. Mitch gives her cause for confidence with Ruby but this soon evaporates when Kylie is unable to cope with Len Gould's post-operative crisis–he has hiccuped his wound open and his guts are hanging outside his body. Fortunately, for both of them, Von is on hand to assist Len and give some words of advice to Kylie. Kylie's confidence is restored when Ruby's condition finally starts to improve and the old woman thanks her for being such a caring doctor. Terri is in shock and rings Von for help. Von comes to her and calls the Police. As Terri tells the Police about what has happened, Neil turns up at the ball to confront Mitch about Terri and the way she has mistreated him Enraged, Mitch manhandles Neil and to his horror, discovers Neil that Terri stabbed him because they have been having a relationship and her guilt finally got the better of her. Mitch goes to Terri's apartment but Von refuses to let him in. Mitch returns to the hospital, desperate to feel needed and to help someone. He makes Ruby's dream come true when he dances with her in the darkened ward but the magic is broken when Luke arrives with some shocking news… Terri receives the news at the same time as Mitch—Neil Phillips is dead. Worse, his injuries don't match with Terri's description. As the detectives lead her to the Police Station for questioning, it is clear Terri is now a murder suspect.