Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) delivers devastating news to Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) in EastEnders next week, after potentially scaring off Denise Fox's half-brother Darnell Larson Jr (Christopher Colquhoun), who could be a stem cell donor for her cancer battle.
Denise placed in induced coma
Denise Fox (Diane Parish) has been battling cancer, and despite her determination, it becomes increasingly clear that without a stem cell donor, she could lose the fight. Both daughters Chelsea and Libby Fox (Zaraah Abrahams and Belinda Owusu) were tested and ruled out as donors, so the family's search for a suitable match continues.
As Denise becomes more unwell, doctors decide to place her in an induced coma, leaving the Fox-Truemans even more desperate. They organise a donor drive at the community centre, but a discovery by Kim through an ancestry website brings hope: Denise has a half-brother.
Darnell overwhelmed by discovery
When Kim contacts Darnell, he agrees to meet and is initially intrigued when he sees Kim and Jack. 'Darnell is simply excited to discover a side of his family he never knew existed,' Christopher explains. 'He's naturally open and trusting, so he doesn't spend time questioning why they've reached out to him.'
'He wants to get to know them and, in typical Darnell fashion, almost loses sight of the bigger picture because he's so fascinated by the connection itself and doesn't even question why Denise isn't there!' When he discovers the truth, Darnell panics. 'The penny drops and he suddenly realises, 'Where's my sister?' But he's not angry about being misled. Instead, he's overwhelmed by the enormity of the situation, especially having only just learned Denise exists.'
Agreeing to accompany Kim and Jack to visit Denise, Darnell finds himself overwhelmed and retreats from the hospital. 'As the story develops, we also begin to understand why hospitals are such a difficult and triggering environment for him,' Christopher promises.
Jack's approach backfires
When Denise is brought out of her coma, she and the family learn her chemo isn't working as hoped, though she takes comfort in learning about her brother. Jack becomes increasingly focused on finding out if Darnell is a donor match, approaching him again.
'Darnell likes Jack, but he doesn't respond well to pressure or aggression,' Chris explains. 'When he's pushed, his instinct is to withdraw rather than fight back. That leaves Jack in a difficult position because Darnell represents a rare source of hope for Denise and the family – it's all or nothing for them at this point.'
Jack also finds his daughter Grace (Krysstina Frempong), who is more willing to engage in conflict. 'Grace is fearless, protective and takes no prisoners,' Chris says. 'They balance each other perfectly, he's her dad, but she often looks out for him in ways he doesn't even realise he needs.'
Emotions run high between the new family members, and Jack is ultimately left to return to Kim with the news that he could well have scared Darnell off forever. As Kim explodes with fury over his actions, has Jack destroyed Denise's best chance at survival?
