Episode 7645 (19th October 2016)

A coffin is lowered into the ground as the rain continues to pour. James screams out as he falls.

Plot
Monday 17th October 2016

James wakes up on the bedroom floor. Meanwhile at Savage Hardware, Emma purchases a rope, a stapler, cable ties and chicken wire. Back at Wylie's Farm, James calls out for Emma as he's desperate for the toilet, when Emma doesn't answer, he scribbles 'I DO NOT' on a notepad before crawling out the bedroom. Emma runs into Ross, Finn and Pete as she is driving home. The boys explain they are going to visit James, but Emma is able to put them off visiting, insisting they need to allow James time to rest. James manages to crawl to the top off the stairs and begins to make his way downstairs when he hears a car outside. Assuming it's Emma, James scrapers back upstairs. He looks out the bedroom window and see the driver who is delivering the chickens, so he tries to get his attention, but can't. James attempts to navigate his way downstairs to get the door, but ends up in a heap at the bottom of the stairs where he hears Emma talking to the delivery driver outside. Back upstairs James hides the note under the mattress as Emma climbs the stairs. She explains she bumped into the boys but managed to put them off visiting. James insists he is up for them visiting, and asks Emma to bring him his phone. Emma admits she smashed it up, before going to prepare some food for James. When Emma goes out of the room, James clambers down to the floor and looks under the bed. Emma returns to bedroom to find him on the floor and inquires what he is doing. Emma hands James a key as a distraction so she has inject him with a needle. James immediately passes out. James wakes to find Emma has tied him to a chair, and she is wearing her old wedding dress. Emma staples James' note vowing 'I DO NOT' to his tie. James questions why he is wearing a suit, so Emma remarks she'd look silly in the wedding dress otherwise. She explains that she hoped wearing her old wedding dress would inspire him so he could write his vows, but then she realised he had already written them. Emma gets angry when she realises she has burnt the dinner. After pulling the food out the stove, she takes her anger out by shouting at James. James appologises, as Emma grabs a meat cleaver before heading outside. Whilst Emma is away, James tries to free himself, but Emma quickly returns with a chicken she has slaughtered. Emma lights candles for a romantic meal, and begins feeding James, who is still tied up. James suggests rearing their own food could be in their future, suggesting they open up a farm shop. Emma asks if they have a future. James tells her it will be a bleak one if things continue like this. Emma insists she is trying to help him, but he won't let her. James states it's a strange kind of help, and remarks although neither is perfect they can concentrate on being the perfect couple. Emma is adamant she needs to trust him and orders her hostage to stop going on about the drugs. Emma is devastated to realises James is scared of her and calls him paranoid. She tearily explains he brings out the worst in her so James agrees to try to work on it. Emma explains his note upsets her, so James asks her to pass him a pen. Emma places the pen in James' mouth and he tries to scribble out the 'not' part of his note, but the page tears in two. Emma uses the mallet to remove the rope tying James' arms to the chair so he can write his vows. Whilst he is writing, he grabs a bottle from the table and smashes it over Emma's head. Emma falls to the ground, and James attempts to hobble away as Emma comes round. He warns her he'll do what ever he needs to to keep her down. Emma responds that he ruined them, and claims she needs help as she is bleeding. James tells her he'll asks the police to bring a paramedic, before explaining they could have worked, and build a life, even with Moira living so close. Emma charges for James and pushes him to the floor. James responds by swiping Emma's feet from under her. He hobbles outside and manages to climb the gate. He ends up in woodland near Hotten Bypass but fails to attract anyone's attention. James hears twigs breaking breaking close by and begs for help, but it's Emma who appears, still wearing the her wedding dress with the chicken blood sprayed down it.

Regular cast

 * James Barton - Bill Ward
 * Emma Barton - Gillian Kearney
 * Pete Barton - Anthony Quinlan
 * Ross Barton - Michael Parr
 * Finn Barton - Joe Gill
 * Harriet Finch - Katherine Dow Blyton

Guest cast

 * Shop Assistant - Stacey Harcourt
 * Driver - Colin Coombs

Locations

 * Cemetery
 * Wylie's Farm - James and Emma's bedroom, hallway, yard, living room and kitchen
 * Savage Hardware
 * Unknown roads
 * Woodland next to Hotten Bypass