Joanna clears out her book shelf to help with Alice’s book drive. Running late and caught in the middle of traffic, Joanna collides with another vehicle. Joanna and both passengers in the vehicle are fine, but local fruit picker Amanda interferes and says Joanna was at fault. Despite Joanna’s pleas for Amanda to keep out of something that doesn’t concern her, Amanda vows to report her and puts Joanna in a bad mood for the rest of the day.
When Joanna arrives at work, Dawn tells her that Martin has called twice. However Joanna, still stressed from the accident, ignores Dawn’s request to call Martin back and retreats to her office. Dawn later tells her that Martin has called a third time and asks Joanna why she doesn’t want to see Martin. Joanna tells Dawn she doesn’t need or want a man.
DAWN: What’s wrong with him apart from the fact he’s rich, successful and single
Alice calls Joanna’s house and leaves a message on her answering machine. She asks Joanna if she’d like to stay for some supper after she has dropped the books around. Alice hangs up the phone when there is a knock at the door, assuming it’s Joanna she freely opens the door and to her horror lets in a vicious intruder.
As Joanna reaches Alice’s house her mobile rings – it’s Martin. He is surprised that this time he has reached the real thing instead of her answering machine or Dawn! As Joanna and Martin chat on the phone the intruder smashes up Alice’s house. He turns over her table and chairs and then reaches for her treasured photo of her husband Eric, she screams at him to leave it alone but he kicks her to the floor. Joanna hears the commotion and tells Martin something’s wrong and that she has to go. Joanna heads for Alice’s house and when she looks through the kitchen window she sees the intruder and calls the police. She tries to get in the house but the door is locked. As she moves round to the the window she sees the intruder repeatedly kicking Alice – she shouts at him to leave her alone and tells him she has called the police. The intruder runs out of the house knocking Joanna over in the process.
Alice is rushed to hospital with Joanna by her side. Martin appears and tells Joanna he was worried something had happened to her when she hung up on him like that. Joanna brushes off his comfort and goes to see Alice. Alice is scared and traumatised and is shaking with fear as Joanna sits by her side.
Joanna arrives home to find Alice’s message on her answering machine, feeling guilty at knowing that Alice expected her when she answered the door, Joanna heads to bed.
The whole of Cardale is shocked by the brutal attack on Alice. Andrew tells Dawn he’s upset about what has happened and says he is going to get security locks on her house. He tells her if anything ever happened to her he doesn’t know what he’d do. Dawn tells him she’s not used to someone looking after her and says it is going to take some time to get used to.
DAWN: I’m not used to people looking after me
ANDREW: You better get used to it
Joanna spends the day staring into space and shutting out Andrew, Dawn and Sam when they try to talk to her about Alice. The police come to visit her and are surprised when she reveals that the intruder knocked her over before running away. The police press Joanna for a description but she says it all happened so fast she can’t remember anything. The police officer tells her there was no sign of forced entry and says Alice must have opened the door to her attacker. Joanna says she knows – Alice thought it was her.
Rita visits Alice at the hospital and is shocked by the state of her injuries. Rita sits beside her and tries to talk to her but Alice becomes hysterical and starts screaming. Rita is ushered out of the way whilst Alice is calmed down.
Joanna calls Martin but his phone is answered by his secretary who says he is in surgery. She asks Joanna is she wants to leave a message but Joanna says no and hangs up the phone.
Joanna goes to see Alice. She tells her that the police are here and would like to speak to her. Alice is distraught by memories of her ruined house and the smashed picture of Eric. As Alice becomes more and more hysterical she cries out in pain. Joanna examines her and discovers that Alice is bleeding internally, it wasn’t her spleen that was damaged in the attack – it was her liver.
Joanna waits anxiously as Alice is taken down to theatre again. Martin arrives by her side and tells her he has performed the surgery on Alice himself. He tells Joanna he is sure Alice will make a full recovery. Martin tells Joanna that what happened wasn’t her fault but Joanna snaps back at him and tells him that whilst they chatted cosily on the phone Alice was being beaten up.
Joanna later feels guilty and calls Martin to ask if they can meet up. She asks where he is and says she would like to meet up now if he’s not too busy. Martin tells her to look over to her right. As Joanna looks over Martin is standing by his car, he tells her he couldn’t go home knowing she was still at the hospital upset.
JOANNA: Where are you? Can we meet?
MARTIN: Look over to your right
Joanna and Martin go back to her house and quickly fall into bed. The following morning Joanna gets ready for work and acts as so nothing has happened. Martin tells her this is ‘vintage Joanna’, treating him like some casual pick up who she regrets the next morning. They are interrupted by the phone and Joanna leaves.
At The Beeches practice meeting Joanna relieves the others by saying she will be reducing some of her community duties. Andrew and Sam are glad and say she needs a break.
Joanna arrives back at the hospital and is touched when she sees Martin talking to Alice. Martin is cold towards Joanna but she tells him she doesn’t know how to go about ‘starting them up’ again. He tells her as far as their relationship is concerned the next move is up to her.
