Dana’s error could have serious consequences when Tane investigates his possibilities for fostering the abandoned baby he spotted last week on Home and Away in the UK the following week.
Next week, as Tane (Ethan Browne) refuses to leave the side of the baby he found abandoned on the beach in Summer Bay, his friends will still be worried.
Tane discovered the newborn girl laying in a gym bag amidst the dunes while getting ready to conduct a physical therapy lesson.
Tane brought the baby up to the surf club right away, where nurse Dana (Ally Harris) gave her a quick check-up before taking her to Northern Districts Hospital in Yabbie Creek.
Rose (Kirsty Marillier), who was recently promoted to Senior Constable, was assigned the case as the first in her new role, but all of her initial attempts to contact the parents were unsuccessful.
Tane, meantime, went to the hospital with the infant and hasn’t left since. As the week came to an end, housemates Mackenzie (Emily Weir) and Mali (Kyle Shilling) were already talking to each other about how worried they were about each other after Tane revealed to Mac that he was the baby’s only source of support right now.
As Jessica Redmayne’s character Harper, the social worker, started looking for emergency foster parents, Mac told Mali that Tane’s breakup with Felicity (Jacqui Purvis) was entirely due to his desire for children.
When the infant is transferred from the emergency room to a ward the next week, Tane gets worried, but Dana assures her that it’s just routine as of now that she has a clear diagnosis. Mali proposes they go back to the farmhouse since Tane hasn’t eaten enough or slept well, but Tane obstinately refuses.
Tane is informed by Harper that there are no emergency foster carers available in the area (they need to go back thirty years!). Tane laughs at the concept, pointing out that the baby’s biological family may step forward before any foster carers are discovered. Harper quickly makes the point that Tane shouldn’t make a judgement without understanding the full context.
After a while, Tane breaks away from the infant to go home and change into new clothing, but he informs everyone that he will be returning immediately to the hospital instead of starting a gym.
Tane reaffirms that he won’t abandon the child like her true family did when Mac questions if his relationship with Flick has affected his judgement in any way.
Tane decides to give the baby the Maori name meaning bravery, Maia, in response to Dana’s remark that it’s unfortunate that they don’t even know her name. Rose cautions Tane, Harper, and Dana not to let the name escape the room because hearing it would deter the parents from coming forward. Rose notices the name written on the crib.
When Tane later says he’ll take Maia on as an emergency foster carer, Harper is taken aback. She warns him that the application procedure might take some time and that he should make sure he has all the necessary documents, including proof of permanent residency, ready.
Tane’s heart sags when Harper informs him that he is not eligible to be a foster carer; only Australian citizens and permanent residents are.
Tane bemoans the state of affairs to Mali, pleading for assistance—what will become of little “Maia” at this point?
She also urges that Roo (Georgie Parker) go home and get some sleep, but to no avail, because Roo later brings in some donated gifts for Maia, dropped off by well-wishers at the surf club.
Tane’s statement that he finds it incomprehensible that a mother would abandon her kid in such a way strikes a chord with Roo, who placed her own daughter Martha for adoption in 1988.
According to Tane, it is your responsibility to either get treatment or figure out a coping mechanism if you are a parent.
Felicity notices that Tane feels at ease when she stops by the hospital after learning about the story. She finds it unbelievable that something so trivially basic should cause Tane’s bid to care for the child to be blocked later on because of his residency status.
Flick returns home, determined to help, and begins looking up information on how to become a foster care provider online.
It’s a dramatic change for Flick, who was so certain she would never have children that she used contraception covertly while trying for a child with Tane, ultimately leading to the dissolution of their marriage.
Is Flick acting morally, or is her decision-making influenced by her desire to get Tane back?
Later in the week, a sketchy figure walks into the surf club and begins to take pictures of the donor list and the baby’s donation table.
When Alf recognises him and asks if he can help, the man identifies himself as Roman Delo’s character, Peter Rolfe, a reporter for the Coastal News.
Having read some of Peter’s work, Alf is unimpressed since he knows that Peter never lets the reality get in the way of a compelling narrative. Peter goes looking for information regarding the baby, but Alf isn’t biting and didn’t come down from the last shower.
Alf encourages Peter to sling his hook as he proceeds to spread theories about the mother being some kind of welfare cheat or junkie.
Peter walks up to Dana the following morning as she is distributing informational pamphlets about the infant, and he asks if the child is alright.
Peter snaps to Dana’s attention as soon as she tells him the baby is okay, wondering how she knows. He offers to take Dana out for coffee as a way of saying thanks for all of her hard work after learning that she works as a nurse at the hospital.
Dana, who was stung when Xander (Luke Van Os) pushed her away, views it as an opportunity to prove she’s moved on and suggests they get a drink in Salt.
Dana unintentionally divulges that the baby’s name is Maia because she is too preoccupied with checking to see if Xander is observing her to see that Peter is again requesting information about the child.
When Dana goes on to inform Peter that Tane, the man who found her, is still by Maia’s side, Peter becomes even more enthralled.
After Peter leaves, Xander comes up to question Dana about her “date”; I assume she knows he’s a journalist. The previous evening, Xander saw him attempting to question Alf about the infant.
Dana feels her heart falter. How could she have done that?
