For Teddy Gowan, Holby has always been about teamwork and trust. He’s the kind of colleague people rely on — steady under pressure, loyal to a fault, and usually able to smooth over conflict before it turns into something lasting. But when Ashley Sullivan arrests Blake, the son of Jacob Masters, Teddy finds himself trapped in a situation where there is no neutral ground.

On one side is Ashley, his girlfriend, returning to work determined to prove she belongs and that she can do the job without favour or fear. On the other is Jacob, a colleague and friend, watching his world tilt as his son is taken away in handcuffs. For Teddy, the moment isn’t just uncomfortable — it’s personal.

Ashley insists she followed procedure. The suspect matched the description. The situation escalated. From her point of view, she did exactly what the badge demands. Teddy understands that logic. He respects it. He even believes in it. But understanding the rules doesn’t make it easier to watch a friend’s family pulled into the machinery of the system.

When Jacob turns to Teddy and Jan for support, he’s not just asking for professional backing. He’s asking for loyalty. What he gets instead feels like a rejection. By pointing out that it was Ashley’s first day back and that she acted by the book, Teddy unknowingly draws a line — and Jacob feels himself pushed to the wrong side of it.

This is where Teddy’s storyline becomes painfully human.

He isn’t trying to betray Jacob. He isn’t trying to excuse Ashley. He’s trying to live in the space between them, where intentions and consequences don’t line up neatly. But that space is unstable. The more he tries to balance, the more it feels like he’s failing both sides.

For Jacob, Teddy’s position looks like a choice — and not the right one. For Ashley, Teddy’s hesitation feels like doubt when she needs support the most. And for Teddy himself, it’s a slow, uncomfortable realisation that sometimes “being fair” isn’t the same as being there for the people who need you.

The real tension isn’t about whether Ashley was technically right.

It’s about what loyalty means when the rules hurt someone you care about.

Teddy’s instinct has always been to protect, to keep the peace, to hold the team together. But this situation doesn’t allow for easy repairs. Every conversation feels loaded. Every attempt to explain sounds like an excuse to someone. And the more he tries to stay neutral, the more alone he becomes in the middle.

What makes this arc compelling is that there’s no clear villain. Ashley isn’t cruel. Jacob isn’t unreasonable. Teddy isn’t weak. They’re just standing in different truths, and those truths don’t fit together.

In emergency services, people talk a lot about procedure, protocol, and professionalism. Teddy believes in all of that. But this story asks a quieter, harder question: what happens when doing your job costs someone else their sense of safety — and costs you a friendship in the process?

As the fallout continues, Teddy has to decide what kind of man he wants to be in moments like this. The one who hides behind fairness. Or the one who accepts that sometimes, choosing not to choose is still a choice — and it still has consequences.