EastEnders fans were left baffled tonight as they were convinced Hunter Owen died in his own mum's arms.
The troubled teen, played by Charlie Winter, looked very worse for wear and was sporting a ratty beard and moustache as he turned up in Walford.
Hunter had managed to escape while being transported to another prison in a van.
Mel was horrified when she saw his infected wounds and tried to help him.
He appeared to fall asleep in Mel's arms, prompting confused viewers to think that he had died.
One tweeted: "Is hunter dead ? #eastenders."
While another commented: "Ok so is he dead? Hunter!? #eastenders."
A third also asked: "Is Hunter dead? #eastenders."
"Nooo Hunter can’t die #Eastenders," another cried.
One suggested: "Is it bad that I feel a bit sorry for Hunter? I think he's got sepsis #EastEnders."
However Hunter hasn't died - as seen in EastEnders' latest dark trailer.
Earlier, viewers were left horrified tonight after Hunter opened up about the abuse he had suffered in jail and threatened to kill himself if he returned.
Mel tried to persuade her son to hand himself over to police, pleading: "How else do you think this is going to play out, realistically?"
But he snarled: "I'm not going back. If I go back, I'll cut my wrists."
Later, while she was helping clean his wounds, she noticed other burns on his leg.
"This... how? Hunter, what is this?" she asked. "You didn't get cigarette burns in a van crash. Did you report it?'
When he didn't say anything, she broke down, saying: "Why didn't you tell me?"
"They can't do nothing, they can't," he said.
When she asked why not, Hunter said: "Because your visits were the only good thing."
Hunter explained: "It's all gangs in there mum, running the place. Some of the things those kids have done... I can't go back. I'm never going back there."
Mel then agreed, vowing that she would help him escape the police.
*EastEnders airs Mondays and Fridays at 8pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One
