Residents of Summer Bay were recently subjected to a horrific chemical attack during Martha (Belinda Giblin) and Roo’s (Georgie Parker) mental health fundraiser in Salt, when a strange man in a HAZMAT suit entered the Surf Club and blasted a toxic concoction of vapours via the vents.
One of the most impacted is Martha, who is brought to the hospital with Alf (Ray Meagher) by her side. When she initially comes, she is asleep, but while Alf waits outside her door, he overhears her waking up and screaming for her husband. Ignoring the doctors’ pleadings, he rushes to her side.
He informs the physicians and nurses that he will not be going, but he is forced to when the equipment Martha is connected to begin beeping. He is confused and concerned about his wife’s health after being pushed out of the room.
Logan (Harley Bonner) ultimately emerges from the room and informs Alf of the worst news imaginable. Martha’s kidneys and lungs have been affected by the poisons, and it’s unclear if she will survive. He warns Alf, who is astonished, to expect the worse — his wife might not make it.
As Alf tries to make sense of the news, he, like everyone else in the Bay, is left wondering: Why did the attack happen?
What was the purpose of using harmful chemicals? Why was Tane singled out, and will their loved ones be spared?