Next week on Home and Away in the UK, as Cohen is taken into hospital, Roo shocks Alf as she reveals she’s made a huge decision.
An already traumatic few days for Cohen (Nathan Murray) take another turn next week, when foster carer Roo (Georgie Parker) is forced to take him to hospital.
Roo had been carrying a difficult secret for a few weeks. Cohen’s mother, Samantha (Heidi May), has given up all parental rights to Cohen following her arrest, and made it clear she wants no further contact with her son.
Unable to bring herself to tell him, Roo instead clung to the hope that Samantha might change her mind, sending her the letters Cohen had written in the belief they could spark a change of heart.
But that hope was quickly crushed when the prison returned the letters, with a blunt request that no more be sent. Knowing she couldn’t protect him any longer, Roo finally told Cohen the truth.
Roo was heartbroken to see Cohen’s devastation, as he initially refused to believe that his mother could abandon him, but she assured him that his mother would always love him no matter what.
A few days later, Cohen had lost his appetite, and let out his frustrations at David (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) when he called around to check on him, pointing out that if he hadn’t arrested Samantha in the first place, they’d still be together.
It soon became apparent that Cohen’s lack of hunger was actually down to an unknown illness, and as Cohen crashed out on the sofa, Roo stayed up with him all night, comforting him as he had a nightmare about his mum.
The next morning, Cohen was running a temperature, and with medication not having had any effect, Roo decided it was time to take him to the hospital.
As we pick up the story next week, an exhausted Dr Bree (Juliet Godwin) arrives at work determined to put on a professional face in spite of her breakup with Remi (Adam Rowland).
Nurse Dana (Ally Harris) can see that Bree’s not in the mood for any personal talk, so she gets straight onto bringing her up to speed on Cohen, who is awaiting examination in the emergency department.
Roo remains at Cohen’s side as Bree gives him the once-over, where she confirms that he’s suffering from a particularly nasty case of tonsillitis.
As they await the results of further swabs and blood tests, Dana attempts to distract Cohen by telling him exactly how she ended up in hospital when she was his age. He’s surprised when he learns that she is also the sister of Harper (Jessica Redmayne), his social worker.
When Bree returns, she takes Roo aside to discuss the results. She explains that Cohen’s white blood cell count and inflammatory markers are alarmingly high—if left untreated, the infection could lead to sepsis.
Bree also suspects Cohen is in more pain than he is letting on, which only deepens Roo’s guilt that she hadn’t realised something was seriously wrong sooner.
Dana sets up an intravenous antibiotic drip for Cohen, explaining that he’ll soon be feeling a lot better.
As Roo takes a moment, she’s surprised when Alf (Ray Meagher) walks in, having returned from his latest trip to Merimbula following a phone call from Marilyn (Emily Symons).
As the emotion of the past few days finally catches up with her, Roo begins to tear up as her dad takes her into his arms.
The fact that Roo is fostering again was news to Alf, with Roo being approached to take care of Cohen almost immediately after returning from Merimbula herself a few weeks ago.
Although Alf had been against the idea of Roo fostering again, after their bad experience with Eliza (Martha Kate Morgan), the two agree that now is not the time to revisit that discussion.
Learning that Roo has been up all night, Alf tells her to go home and get some rest, and he can keep an eye on Cohen, who is sound asleep.
Cohen is confused to find a strange man at his bedside reading a magazine when he eventually wakes up, but soon relaxes as Alf introduces himself.
Cohen’s curiosity is piqued as he spots the magazine in Alf’s hand, and he shows a keen interest when Alf shows him his latest copy of Fishing Monthly.
As the two talk about the hobby, it’s clear that a bond is already building between them. Alf can see why Roo has taken a shine to the vulnerable teen, and why she’s so committed to helping him.
Back in the bay, Roo updates Marilyn on Cohen’s condition, and mentions that Cohen hasn’t been asking for his mum again since going into hospital.
“That’s good,” points out Marilyn. “It means that you’re enough for him.”
Marilyn’s words give Roo food for thought, and by the time she returns to the hospital, Cohen has nodded off again.
As she sits with Alf and thanks him for looking after Cohen, Alf is also in a thoughtful mood, and full of admiration for Roo.
“There’s something pretty special about this kid,” he observes. “I’m proud of you, love. You’re doing a great job.”
Alf’s words mean a lot to Roo, and it prompts her to make a potentially life-changing announcement.
Roo explains that she’s thinking of calling the department, and asking about adopting Cohen!
The decision would mark a full-circle moment for Roo, who, at just 17, made the difficult choice to place her newborn daughter Martha up for adoption in 1988.
But how will Alf, and more importantly, Cohen, react to Roo’s proposal?
