Doctor Doctor

I'm not gonna tell you what to do, OK, but here's your choice.

There'll be a ticket for you at the airport.

Either way, I am on that plane and I won't be coming back here.

I love you, Penny. But you know that already.

How do you feel about me? I love you.

Good to know.

Whatever you do, it's always too late.

I am committing us to adventure.

I'll research beers, you can pen sci-fi erotica.

And where are we doing this, exactly?

Anywhere we wanna go that isn't Whyhope.

Who knew?

Who could have known what lay in store for all of us?

Certainly not the good people of Whyhope.

The last year has been tough -

a drought that had turned pasture to dust and hope to ashes.

Then fire and flood.

With the tourist trade slowing to a trickle,

the downturn took a brutal toll on Main Street.

But as Whyhope dared to hope the worst was over,

fate was holding one last blow up its sleeve...

Whyhope Hospital has been declared an asbestos hazard.

The building is now under total lockdown.

..the staff and patients having to evacuate to a nearby pony club

and the hospital's frailer patients transferred to the nearest facility,

100km away in Stanwell...

..with Whyhope's medicos forced to set up shop

in what until a few weeks ago was the local veterinary clinic.

Well, I mean, it's a kick in the guts, that's for sure.

I mean, after everything this town's been through...

who could have predicted this?

Without a doubt, it's the hardest days that Whyhope has ever seen.

Do you give up? Do you throw in the towel?

No. So, um, we'll keep fighting.

That's what we do in Whyhope.

And if I know anything

about the everyday heroes of this remarkable country town,

Whyhope will be back better and stronger than ever.

I don't know how much clearer I need to make it. It's finished, OK?

The hospital is never opening its doors again.

Not in this lifetime, anyway.

Oh, don't you think that's being a bit dramatic?

I'm just being realistic.

There is no turning back from this.

And even if there was, the asbestos was probably the nudge that I needed.

I'm picking up the threads of my once-promising career

and I am moving on.

That's not what you said on national television.

Please, Mum. That was television.

This is reality.

I refuse to be seen as the mayor who let Whyhope die.

Mum, maybe it's already happened.

Strange. I didn't know I'd raised a quitter.

You raised a surgeon and I can't do that here in Whyhope anymore.

There's more to me than just being a small-town GP

working out of a cowshed.

Moo! Oh...

Bye, Daddy.

Bye.

You're welcome to the joint.

I'm out of here.

Well, it's just a stopgap, really,

until we find something more appropriate.

You pulling up stumps, Bill? Yeah. Whyhope's done for.

I take full responsibility.

If I hadn't been so demanding about my office reno,

they might never have found the asbestos.

Yes, well, that was less than ideal, but here we are.

My bottom is still clenched tight with tension but I'm battling on.

That's good to know.

Though I can't help but think what Penny would have made of this.

It would break her heart.

Well, given that Penny is 4,000km away

on the other side of the country,

perhaps that's not a point worth pursuing, Ken.

Hello?

Wes. Hey.

Everything alright?

Yeah...

Why don't we... talk outside?

Yeah, sure.

Penny.

There's still some feeling. Mm-hm.

How's Kassie?

Amazing. As always.

No offence, mate, but this place is a joke.

What if there's an emergency

and she needs to get hospitalised or something, you know?

We've got our plan. We're managing pain relief.

There's no reason to believe that Kassie will need to be hospitalised.

She's not dragging off to Stanwell. You know that's not what she wants.

She wants to... die at home with us. And I've promised you both.

Kassie will pass at home and I will be there when the time comes, OK?

Anything else arises, we will deal with it.

I know this is shit, OK? I really do.

We've got this, OK? Yeah. Thanks, mate.

Good man. Yeah.

Hayles?

Hayley?

Hayley? What?

You didn't come home again. Oh...

All night. Yeah, um...

Should I take Jimmy to day care? I've done it.

He keeps asking where you are.

I know. I've got so much to do. I...

Profits are down. We've lost customers.

I've had to let staff go...

Matt and Charlie would not expect you to work yourself to the bone.

Somebody left another crappy review online this morning.

Why would they do that?

Because they're idiots.

Yeah, but now two more functions have cancelled.

Matt and Charlie left me in charge and I just...

They would be so upset.

They're in Germany.

Come on, come on, come on.

Goal! Goal!

Goal! (CHEERS)

Goal! Goal! Whoo-hoo!

Charlie, goal! (SPEAKS GERMAN)

Ja!

Whoo!

Hayley.

Stop now.

Yes. Thank you. Exactly.

Come on, you just need to pack up. We're going to the airport.

I can't, Meryl. I'm working.

The TV coverage has stirred things up.

They're sending an administrator to help review our situation.

We need to meet and greet.

But... Prioritise, Hayley.

Airport. Now.

Hugh, you were the face of the appeal.

You have to come and meet and greet this woman.

At least give me that.

This could be where everything turns around.

Good.

Pick up Rod Eagle first, then Hugh.

I don't really think I should be driving.

So, you reckon Sydney's gonna bail us out? (LAUGHS)

Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

Whyhope is out for the count.

It will be if we don't grow some balls.

Is that her?

Hayley, go and help.

They sent us the clumsy one.

At least they didn't send us the smart one.

I'll help. Oh, thank you.

I'm Hayley. I'm here to pick you up.

Oh... Uh, Sharna. Thank you.

Nice to meet you. Yeah. You too.

Sharna, welcome to Whyhope.

I'm Meryl Knight, Mayor of Whyhope.

And this is Councillor Rod Eagle.

And Hayley you've met.

And this is Dr Hugh Knight,

who is the director in chief of the Whyhope Hospital -

as it happens, my son.

Welcome to Whyhope. Uh, hi.

Uh, thank you for meeting me. Uh, let's get your bags.

OK. Uh, great. Yes.

Thank you.

I'm so sorry. The hospital - that must have been so distressing.

Well, I have to admit, God was in a particularly shitty mood that day.

Oh, and you're still reeling from it, aren't you, darling?

Well, I am so pleased to be here.

Oh, and we're happy to have you here.

You're just like a little angel sent down from the sky.

That's some Whyhope honey, wine and gift vouchers.

Oh... Lovely.

Hayley, let Hugh drive.

We're battlers in the country.

It's as if someone has just reached in

and torn the heart out of our town.

Well, I won't be going anywhere until Whyhope's back on its feet.

Thank you.

We'll make a start in the morning?

Yes. Uh, they're desperate to meet you.

I've contacted the concerned parties

and they're gonna meet us at the council chambers at 9:30.

Excellent.

Sharna, I should warn you, I think we're going to be good friends.

There's an invitation for you

to come and stay at the homestead any time.

Oh, that's very kind but I, uh... I don't think my boss would approve.

Well, dinner then.

Hugh, why don't you take Sharna for dinner tonight

at that lovely little Japanese restaurant?

I don't know how they've survived.

Sounds good.

Now I know what it feels like to be pimped out by my own mother.

Sharna holds the purse strings and gives us hope.

And you know the drill.

It's just charm, charm, charm

and whatever else that you do that make women fall for you -

not that I understand what that is.

Hayley, wake up.