The episode seemingly unfolds in a future setting, punctuated by a series of brief, evocative shots. In one frame, Senior Constable Zil Ahmed, alias Zilficar (Akshay Khanna), is engrossed in an interrogation session, while in another, a young girl, her eyes filled with anticipation, anxiously awaits at the reception. As Sergeant Hugo Nance (Rob Flanagan) scans Dalia Tun (Zoe Boe) through the system, a haunting array of past child-related incidents comes to light.
Upon Ahmed's arrival and donning of his uniform for the shift, he is confronted by Inspector Ivy Tsuma (Zindzi Okenyo) for his tardiness, which transpires to be a poorly executed jest. Further jests are hurled at him, branding him as the Poster Boy, as he joins his colleagues in the bustling bullpen. Senior Constable Peter Emery (Oliver Ackland) then brings everyone up to speed on the day's agenda, noting that with it being a hot Friday evening, amidst a cricket match, the day is poised to be exceedingly busy.
At school, Dalia and Angela Combes (Amelia Stylianou) jubilantly celebrate Yvonne Kaczmarek (Emily Martino)'s attainment of her probationary driver's license and make plans to attend a party later in the evening. However, they soon encounter a dilemma, as the P license restricts the legal transport of only one passenger. Dalia swiftly navigates this hurdle by altering her plans to meet them at the party. A debate on this matter is aborted by the abrupt arrival of Hayden Broadis (Jai Watford), who appears to hand Yvonne a small plastic baggie of pills. Left awkwardly alone with Hayden when Yvonne and Angela's attention is diverted elsewhere, he inquiries about the party, to which Dalia merely responds with a enigmatic smile.
The subsequent scene reveals that Dalia resides in a group home, presided over by a young and attractive woman named Alice (Brittany Santariga). Despite Alice's youthful appearance and allure, a fleeting altercation between Tonya (Jade A. Potts) and another student hints at her fairness coupled with sternness. Dalia seizes this opportunity to slip away from the premises, while Ahmed and Senior Constable Sandra Ali (Roxie Mohebbi) engage in a debate over her potential leadership role. However, this discourse is cut short by a call from the group home. Although Emery's squad is the first to respond, Ahmed is promptly dispatched to a suspected domestic violence incident on Piper Street.
By the time Hayden's boss, Ty Egan (Hunter Page-Lochard), drops him off at the party, Dalia is already waiting outside. Ty informs Hayden that he is expected to sell more product due to the festivities tonight. Though Hayden seems dissatisfied with his new responsibility, he keeps his discontent to himself. He and Dalia eventually find themselves inside, where, after a brief drink and an even shorter conversation, they adjourn to the back patio to dance. Their revelry is abruptly interrupted by Brad (Jeremy Blewitt), who is visibly under the influence of some substance, followed swiftly by the arrival of the police.
As the policemen devised a strategy to handle Brad, Hayden and Dalia seized the opportunity to slip away unnoticed. When Emery uncovered that the house was Brad's property, Ali persuaded him to usher them inside. Ahmed, after summoning reinforcement, joined several officers in bringing the lively party to a halt. The operation unfolded almost flawlessly until an unexpected turn of events: one reveler vomited on Probationary Constable Dallas 'Probie' Plunkett (played by Nicholas Burton). This incident triggered a sequence of chaos, leading to Ahmed discovering Yvonne in a near-overdose state and another teenager spitting on Constable Rory Hooper (portrayed by Aidan Gillett). The situation outside rapidly spiraled further out of hand as Ahmed urgently requested an ambulance for Yvonne. While Ahmed was busy inducing vomiting to save Yvonne's life, Ali was struck by a rock.
Detective Sergeant Edith Barcelos (acted by Simone Kessell) anxiously conversed on the phone about tackling a 'Critical Incident' case before joining Superintendent Trevor Latt (played by Erik Thomson) indoors. Latt then led her to Ahmed and his legal counselor Kane Kerr (Sean Hall). Edith, all business-like, reassured Ahmed that her presence was solely to ensure he adhered to the proper procedures. It wasn't long before Ahmed realized she was poised to accuse him of being overworked, given that he had volunteered for a General Duties shift the previous night and was now midway through his 10-hour shift. At one point, Edith bluntly inquired if he had embarked on his shift seeking revenge for Ali.
The response Ahmed gave to Edith's accusation remains unseen, but afterward, his chat with Senior Constable Greg Hall (Jackson Heywood) revealed that Ali was hospitalized with a concussion that had nearly fractured her skull. They also possessed video evidence of the incident, which Inspector Tsuma and Superintendent Latt subsequently briefed them on. Following this, Tsuma took a moment to ensure Ahmed was focused and composed.
Elsewhere, Dalia drifted into a slumber in Hayden's embrace, only to be jolted awake by a harsh phone call from Alice, her group home supervisor. Though he tried to shoulder the blame for the incident, Alice clarified that such arrangements didn't work that way. Lacking a car, he offered her bus fare, which she declined. She admitted enjoying her stay before ultimately departing.
Constable Cassie Milton (portrayed by Heidi May) and Senior Constable Marco Aguilar (Gabriel Alvarado) strike gold during a lunch break at a takeout joint when they serendipitously encounter the rock-hurler. Although donned in civilian attire, the girl instincts kick in, sensing their law enforcement background. She flips them off as she saunters away with her meal, oblivious to the fact that her brazen gesture is the very thing that alerts Cassie to her identity, otherwise she might have slipped through the cracks unnoticed. Cassie springs into action, chasing her on foot, while Marco promptly informs the station of the developing situation. It is Marco who eventually catches up to her, just as she clears a fence and brandishes a knife. Thanks to Cassie's prescient warning, Marco refrains from leaping the fence after her.
The girl in the red top becomes the subject of a radio dispatch heard by officers in the vicinity, including Ahmed. However, the individual he sights is Dalia, not the intended rock-hurler. A fleeting foot pursuit ensues, culminating in Dalia's apprehension by a probationary officer, but in the midst of the chase, Ahmed inadvertently knocks a civilian into the path of a speeding train.
Inspector Evan Carr (Andrew Cutcliffe) briefly addresses the media regarding the incident, revealing that the victim, though gravely injured, remains alive. Amidst the pressing inquiries from the press, Carr steadfastly refuses to divulge the names of the officers involved. When he eventually does, a particularly eager reporter speculates that the injured party might be 15-year-old Luka Horvat (Luke Greco). Carr swiftly concludes his statement by pledging a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter.
Inspector Tsuma pays a personal visit to what seems to be a communal housing complex for officers, seeking to converse with Ali. Their dialogue, though cryptic, hints at an unfavorable decision made by the Superintendent concerning Ahmed. Furthermore, it implies a past connection between Ahmed and Dalia. Their conversation is momentarily halted by the arrival of Inspector Cassie, who appears to be residing at the house, stepping into a parental role.
Upon Alice's arrival at the station to fetch Dalia, their paths briefly intertwine with Emery's. Meanwhile, Ahmed finds himself in the shower, an unintended eavesdropper as Aguilar and Hooper harshly dissect his recent mistake. Just before his breathing escalates into a panic, it transpires that the perpetrator who had hurled the rock, narrowly missing and potentially disabling Ali, has been apprehended and brazenly admitted to the act. The episode concludes with Alice posing a poignant question to Dalia, inquiring why she took flight. Dalia, however, remains silent, her thoughts hidden behind an unspoken barrier.
