Summer Bay is bracing for another emotional storm, and at its centre stands Leah Patterson, forced to confront a choice no parent figure ever wants to make.

Just as life seems to be inching toward normality for Theo, a shocking attack threatens to rip open old wounds and leave Leah questioning how far

she is willing to go to protect the young man she loves like her own. Theo’s recent months have been nothing short of traumatic. What began as an ambitious passion project –

restoring a car he hoped would symbolize a fresh start – spiralled into a nightmare of debt, danger and divided loyalties. Determined to stand on his own two feet, Theo had refused financial help from Remy, instead tying himself to a bank loan that quickly became suffocating. Desperation nudged him toward the orbit of the River Boys, where quick cash and high stakes blurred into a world he could never truly control.

For a fleeting moment, victory had seemed possible. Theo poured himself into the rebuild, imagining the day he would finally race the car as his own. But the triumph never came. Gage, furious over Theo’s involvement with Lacy, chose brutality over forgiveness. In a horrifying act of revenge, Theo was left crushed beneath the very machine that represented his freedom. Saved in the nick of time, he endured weeks of pain, rehab and the lingering terror that the River Boys were never truly finished with him.

Given all that, Theo’s decision to sell the car feels less like a business move and more like an exorcism. The metal, the engine, the smell of oil – they are all haunted. Offloading it would mean clearing the loan, wiping the slate clean and perhaps even sending some support Lacy’s way, if she is willing to accept it. So when a buyer makes contact and agrees to pay the full $25,000 asking price in cash, Theo barely hesitates. To him, it is destiny offering a second chance.

Lacy voices the doubt that anyone sensible might share: who carries that much money in banknotes? But Theo is beyond caution. Freedom is within reach, and he is determined to grab it with both hands.

The mood at the coffee cart later that day is almost celebratory. Theo arrives beaming, a lightness about him that has been absent for months. Leah and Lacy can see it instantly – the relief of a young man who believes he has finally outrun his mistakes. With a flourish, Theo unzips his backpack and reveals the thick bundles of cash inside.

Leah’s reaction is immediate and visceral. Alarm bells ring. Summer Bay might be home, but it is not immune to opportunists, and Theo has already attracted more than his fair share of trouble. She urges him not to carry the money around, insisting he head straight to the bank. Theo promises that is exactly what he intends to do.

But danger is already closer than any of them realise.

As Leah turns to serve a customer, a seemingly unremarkable figure lingers nearby. Ryan watches quietly, eyes fixed on the bag, calculating. The moment is subtle, almost invisible, yet it carries the weight of inevitability. Theo, so focused on his future, never senses the shadow forming behind him.

What follows is every guardian’s nightmare.

Cutting through the pines on his way to secure the deposit, Theo is ambushed. Ryan charges from behind and yanks at the backpack. Theo spins, startled, but his battered body is still healing, his reflexes dulled by weeks of recovery. Before he can even shout, a brutal punch sends him crashing to the ground. The world goes black.

For viewers who remember the earlier accident, the image is devastating. Theo, who fought so hard to reclaim his life, is once again broken on the dirt, helpless.

Back at the Bay, the ripple effects are immediate. Leah’s worst fears materialise in an instant. The guilt is suffocating – she had sensed the risk, had voiced it, yet she let him walk away. Now, as Theo is rushed back toward Northern District Hospital, Leah must confront a terrible possibility: loving Theo might mean accepting that he will always be in danger, especially when he tries to shoulder burdens alone.

Spoilers suggest the coming episodes will push Leah into unfamiliar emotional territory. Protective, fierce and deeply maternal, she has stood by Theo through every mistake. But watching him return to a hospital bed may force her to draw a line. Does she continue supporting his independence, even if it repeatedly leads him into harm’s way? Or does she step in, take control and risk driving him away for the sake of keeping him alive?

The dilemma is heartbreaking because there are no easy answers. Theo is not a child, yet trauma has a way of rewinding time, making everyone feel fragile again. Lacy, too, will grapple with her role in the chaos, wondering whether her connection to the River Boys set this latest tragedy in motion.

As Summer Bay waits for news, one truth is unavoidable: the past is never as far behind as anyone hopes. Theo tried to sell the symbol of his suffering, but fate had other plans. Now Leah must decide what kind of future she is prepared to fight for – and what she might have to sacrifice to secure it.

Will Theo wake to another chance at life, or has his luck finally run out? And if he does survive, will Leah’s love be enough to keep him from the darkness that keeps finding him?

In Home and Away, hope and heartbreak often walk hand in hand. This time, they are racing toward each other at full speed.