Episode 6342

Extended Summary

After discovering that Matt and Maddy aren’t at the house Alf and Zac go back out in the storm to look for them. They return unsuccessful, the conditions making it almost impossible to continue. Evie gets upset that none of them are out looking for Oscar.

Nate pops back in to check on Ricky and Casey, and asks to take Ricky for a special lunch the next day. She agrees, hiding her excitement, knowing his intention to propose, until after he has left.

Irene calls her daughter Fin, still drinking and stroking the baby blanket. She is barely able to keep her voice steady, arranging to visit the following week, covering her dire need for support.

Matt and Maddy wake in the morning to find the storm has passed, and that they’ve slept in each others arms. They move apart, awkward at their closeness. Maddy checks Matt’s head wound and as they joke the warmth grows. Matt tells Maddy she’ll make a great nurse one day and after a charged moment they move closer until their lips meet and they kiss. Just as things heat up they hear a car arrive and they spring apart, guilty. Matt rubs condensation off the window to find Alf peering in at them. Alf returns the strays home and everyone is relieved to see them, with Leah and Alf telling them off for acting so rashly. Matt and Maddy each try to take the blame and Alf stops them from going on, telling them all that the search is back on so they should all get ready.

As Roo clears up the storm affected diner she gets a call letting her know that Matt and Maddy are fine. A hungover Irene arrives and as Roo asks how she’s holding up Irene overreacts, challenging Roo to say what she really means. Roo gently asks whether Irene is drinking again and Irene hotly denies it, only heightening Roo’s concern. Irene storms out leaving Roo worried. Arriving home Irene checks if anyone’s in before going to pour herself a drink. Chris appears and Irene quickly puts the bottle back into the cupboard demanding to know why he didn’t answer when she called out. A bemused Chris tells her he was brushing his teeth and asks why she’s not at work. Irene answers defensively, trying to justify wanting time at home alone. Chris offers her some DVDs and Irene goes on the attack and a taken aback Chris leaves, wondering what’s wrong.

John and Alf brief the search party gathered at the surf club. Matt and Maddy exchange a loaded look and as everyone disperses VJ checks in on Evie who is just holding it together. Zac stops Matt from joining the search saying he can help from the base. Chris runs up, apologises to John for being late then quickly grabs a moment with Leah, telling her that he’s really worried about Irene after she uncharacteristically went off at him. Matt crosses with Maddy and as she gets upset about how long Oscar’s been missing Matt pulls her into a hug and tells her not to give up. When Maddy tells Matt that she doesn’t know what she would have done without him he tries to talk to her about what happened between them but she tells him not here, not now. They’ll talk about it later, once Oscar’s found.

At home, a drunken Irene accidentally smashes the vodka bottle and in an attempt to clear it up she cuts her hand. As she sits on the floor panickily calling for Chris, Leah arrives and rushes to her. She helps Irene back to the couch and tells her to apply pressure while she gets her some help, unwittingly using the baby blanket and covering it in blood. This triggers a raw anger in Irene who clumsily attacks an astonished Leah. It doesn’t take long for Leah to calm the volatile Irene, who sits back down, sobbing in Leah’s arms.

Ricky’s dressed and ready for lunch but as she feeds Casey some of his food spills onto her dress. Ricky gets two other dresses out, asking Casey which one she should wear. As she plugs in the iron the electricity goes off. Is everything against her?! In another dress, Ricky opens the door to Nate, who’s looking sharp and carrying flowers. Ricky warmly invites him in but as they prepare to leave she finds that Casey’s fallen asleep. For a moment she doesn’t want to pick him up as he’ll wake, then saying it’s Cheryl’s problem she goes to lift him but Nate stops her, saying the reservation can wait. They’re close and he tells her that there’s something he wants to say to her. He says that the time he’s spent with her and Casey has been the best time of his life and that he doesn’t want that to ever change. Ricky’s smiling warmly and just as he seems to be getting to the proposal, Nate’s phone rings. After telling Ricky about Irene’s hand Ricky tells him to go and that maybe they should postpone the lunch, given all that’s happened and that Oscar’s still missing. Nate regretfully agrees and rushes off to help Irene. After Nate’s bandaged Irene up she tearfully thanks him, and apologises for the trouble she’s caused. Once Nate’s gone, Irene tells Leah how sorry she is for laying into her earlier. Leah says she doesn’t care about that she just wants to help Irene. Her warmth and concern help Irene to open up and she prepares to tell Leah the full story. They go for a walk and Irene tells a sympathetic Leah about the baby she had to give up.

Back at the search Alf reassures Evie that they’ve found people who’ve been missing for longer than this. Evie haltingly tells Alf that she can’t feel Oscar anymore, the night before she could feel that he was in trouble but now he’s gone. On an unknown beach, we see a battered, motionless Oscar lying washed up on the wet sand. Someone approaches. Who is it and is Oscar alive?