A Fine Balance

Luke's younger brother Rick is admitted to the ward He is serving six years for robbery but he has swallowed razor blades in an attempt to temporarily get out of prison. During the course of his treatment, Luke is horrified to discover his estranged brother has been subjected to terrible abuse. A patient with offensive body odour puts the olfactory fortitude of the staff to the test. Mitch teaches the inexperienced Dr. Kylie Preece that smell often has a lot do with diagnosing a patient's condition. Pete Moroney (the traumatised paramedic who lost his nerve working with Bron a few months ago is teamed with Ben. Pete has had counselling but Ben is not convinced he has fully recovered. At the end of the day, it is Pete who keeps his cool when Ben loses it. A kitchen strike puts Ward 17 under pressure, not helped by a severe case of food poisoning. Connor thinks he has also been poisoned and, in treating himself unnecessarily, upsets his plan for the date of a lifetime. Luke's younger brother Rick is admitted to the ward. He is serving six years for robbery but has swallowed razor blades in an attempt to temporarily get out of prison. Bron quickly discovers Luke is estranged from his brother and attempts to understand what it is going on with Luke's family. It is not until Rick is in the operating theatre that Luke discovers why his brother took such desperate measures to get out of prison for just a short time. Rick has been badly beaten and tortured, Luke guiltily turns to his mother, Maureen, for help. Is he responsible for Ricky's criminal path? Has he really turned his back on his brother? Eager to make amends, Luke contacts someone who might be able to protect his brother in prison. But it will come at a price. Ben is teamed with Pete Moroney. Reluctant to give him a go, Ben is sure Pete is still suffering from post-traumatic shock It is only when Steph reminds Ben of his own past nightmares that Ben decides to give Pete a second chance. As fate would have it, it is Pete who prevents Ben from losing his cool when Ben confronts a delivery man who accidentally prevents him from catching the "basher" who injured his friend Mick. Kylie has to confront a patient with extremely bad body odour. Unable to stay in the room for long, Kylie does not do a proper examination, Mitch insists Kylie compete the task and with Mitch's caring help they are able to change the poor woman's life for the better. Industrial action has spread to the kitchens and Ward 17 is kept busy with extra duties. An outbreak of food poisoning adds to the chaos and Connor believes, thanks to Jared, that he has also been poisoned. Desperate to go on the date of a lifetime, Connor treats himself unnecessarily and becomes ill. The one good thing to come out of Connor's plight is that Terri laughs for the first time since her assault.