Karl is forced to keep Nicola's needlestick injury a secret, while Nicola freaks out that she's caught a deadly disease from Pete. Karl asks Pete to get a blood test but Pete refuses. Freaked out by having to wait three months to know if she's been infected with a potentially lethal disease, Nicola takes matters into her own hands and obtains a blood sample from him illegally. Karl's behaviour causes Susan to question the nature of his relationship with Nicola. Susan accepts Karl's word that there's nothing improper in the relationship, but when Steve tells her that Audrey needs an operation, she feels compelled to go to the hospital to tell Karl. Meanwhile, Nicola visits Karl and turns on the waterworks leading Karl to give her an awkward hug. But he's horrified when Susan comes in to find Nicola in Karl's arms. Declan accepts Josh's murderball challenge, with the prize as the chance to make a play for Bridget. But when Bridget turns up at the match and finds them literally fighting over her, she's unimpressed and tells them they're both losers. Later, she tells Josh she likes Declan more than him.
