Home and Away shock

Summer Bay is rocked by devastating news this week, after Billie suddenly collapses at her daughter Luc’s baby blessing.

Still recovering from daughter Luc’s traumatic birth and the fire that nearly killed her and VJ (Matt Little), Billie (Tessa de Josselin) has been focusing on the future with her healthy daughter. With the truth now out there, Leah (Ada Nicodemou) is still coming to terms with not being Luc’s biological grandmother. In an attempt to smooth things over and make Leah feel included, Billie asks her to be Luc’s ‘guide mother’. Leah happily accepts, but she still feels confused about what her role really is in Luc’s life. Will they ever tell Luc the truth about her biological father? Billie, VJ and Leah decide they will be honest with Luc as soon as she’s able to understand it.

With that under control, everyone heads off to Luc’s baby blessing. All is well until Billie, who has been suffering from a persistent cough all day, shockingly collapses.

Billie is rushed to hospital where doctors Nate (Kyle Pryor) and Tori (Penny McNamee) immediately listen to her chest. They send Billie to radiology for tests and when the results come back, they realise they need new specialist Riley to do a bronchoscopy.

Meanwhile, VJ is wracked with nerves about Billie’s fate. Billie’s brother Ash (George Mason) consoles VJ, reminding him his little sister is a fighter.

Shortly after, Billie, back from her tests, wakes up and is happy to find VJ and Ash by her side.

But when Nate interrupts them, the mood changes.

Nate needs to talk to Billie alone. When VJ and Ash leave the room, Nate has to break the unimaginable news to Billie. There is irreparable damage to her lungs and her organs are failing. Billie is dying and her time is running out. As news spreads around town about Billie’s diagnosis, VJ struggles to accept that nothing can be done to save his one true love.

All their dreams and plans for the future have vanished– until VJ realises there’s one thing they can still do together: get married.

For the full story, see this week’s New Idea – out now.