John (Shane Withington) was the first to notice that Irene (Lynne McGranger) was out of sorts when she forgot a conversation that had occurred earlier in the day.

When Irene later failed to turn up to a planned dinner with John at Salt, having no memory whatsoever of the text exchange confirming the details, John realised that it wasn’t simply a one-off lapse.

Irene later confided in John that she’s been having lots of memory slips recently, and had even found herself stood in her nightie in the back garden with no recollection of how she got there.

Irene initially wanted to brush it under the carpet, but things took a turn last week when she went to leave the house and heard baby Archie crying.

Confused to find find Archie alone in Harper’s (Jessica Redmayne) room, Irene went to ring her—only to find a text message thanking her for agreeing to babysit.

Irene was shaken, and immediately called John to come over, wanting to ensure she didn’t make any further mistakes before Harper returned.

Next week, Marilyn (Emily Symons) is forced to call in Leah (Ada Nicodemou) when Irene neglects to open up the diner. Irene eventually rocks up, oblivious to the fact that she was supposed to be there two hours earlier.

When Sonny (Ryan Bown) and Dana (Ally Harris) later debrief about the Remi situation, Irene can’t help but share her view on what a lovely couple they’d make.

“You should ask him out,” Irene encourages her, leaving Dana confused… Irene should know that she and Sonny have already been going out together for several weeks now.

Dana voices her concern to Leah who dismisses it as one of Irene’s jokes, and when Dana decides to test Irene later, asking whether she really thinks she should go for it with Sonny, Irene is the one who’s puzzled—pointing out that she’s already dating Sonny.

 

Leah rests her case, but Dana is still concerned.

“It’s weird that she didn’t remember that she didn’t remember,” Dana observes.

Dana calls John for assistance, and on his arrival he asks Irene how she went at the GP, after she promised to make an appointment the previous week. Irene has no memory of the conversation.

John suggests to Irene that she give Bree (Juliet Godwin) a call. Luckily, with the Northern Districts health service being the way it is, Head of Emergency Bree is able to see Irene at the hospital that afternoon.

As Irene explains her issues to Bree, Bree tries to be reassuring, explaining that memory problems can happen to anyone from time to time.

Nonetheless, Bree says it’s best to be thorough and run some tests to rule out anything serious. She outlines the plan, which includes blood tests, a CT scan, and a lumbar puncture.

After taking bloods and undergoing a scan, Irene is taken into one of the cubicles where Bree performs the lumbar puncture procedure. She assures Irene that she will have the results later that same day.

Having noticed John bring Irene in, Dana takes him a sandwich as he sits waiting. He explains the reason Irene is there, and admits he’s been wrestling with how to tell her that everything’s going to be fine—when the truth is, he’s not sure that’s the case.

John accompanied Irene when Bree finally calls her through to sit down and go through their findings.

The bloodwork and scans have come back clear—there’s no infection, no bleeding on the brain, and nothing physically obvious to explain her symptoms. But the lumbar puncture has raised a red flag.

Whilst Bree stresses that it’s only a preliminary result, the test indicated a potential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.

The words hit Irene like a punch to the gut, and whilst John tries to remind her that it’s not a certainty, Irene begins to crumble.

In her heart, Irene thinks that Bree is right, and she’s scared.

Irene barely sleeps that night as she dives deep into online research about Alzheimer’s, trying to make sense of what a diagnosis could mean for her.

The next morning, John arrives to walk Irene to work, and admits he spent the night doing the same thing.

He does his best to stay optimistic, telling her it might not be as bad as she fears, but Irene points out that denial won’t help either of them.

Meanwhile, Leah and Justin (James Stewart) are putting the finishing touches on plans for a short trip away. They ask Irene if she can cover Leah’s shifts at the Diner, and despite everything on her plate, Irene agrees.

John is uneasy about the commitment, as he tries to convince Irene to pull out of it. Frustrated, Irene insists she will be fine, plus Marilyn (Emily Symons) will be there anyway.

But it ends up being a moot point when Irene’s phone rings. Bree has done good on her promise to pull some strings, and Irene’s appointment with a neurologist to perform further tests has been brought forward to the very next day.

With no other option, Irene tells Leah that she can no longer cover for her, claiming she has to go and see daughter Finlay (Tina Thomsen) who has just called her in an upset state.

Leah and Justin accept her explanation without question, whilst John becomes further concerned about the web of lies he and Irene are spinning to keep her secret.

Justin later notices John on Flat Beach, sitting quietly in thought.

When he checks in, John offers a carefully edited version of the truth, saying that an old Navy friend of his has just been diagnosed with cancer, and he’s hoping he can be strong enough to be there for them.

Harper soon hurries into the Diner in a fluster, explaining that Dana’s been called into work and she also needs to leave for her shift—could Irene possibly mind Archie for a while?

The request sends Irene into a spiral. Shaken by her last experience and weighed down by the anxiety of her possible diagnosis, she blurts out that she can’t help.

Harper pleads with her, saying she’s one of the few people she can trust, but the pressure proves too much.

“People need to stop asking me favours, alright?” Irene suddenly snaps. “Look after your own flippin’ kid!”

With that, Irene storms off, leaving Harper to look over at John in astonishment.

How much longer can they keep Irene’s secret from coming to light?