Episode 7431

Extended Summary

Dean and Willow run into each other near the surf club. They discuss the fact Dean and Amber are throwing Jai a party on the beach. Willow asks how exclusive it is. Dean says it’s family only but they can make an exception for her. Dean is planning to go to a shop in Yabbie Creek to pick up Jai’s birthday present. Ziggy comes along and Dean explains about it being Jai’s birthday. Ziggy gets a phone call from Justin, who is at the Diner. Behind him, Leah and Marilyn discuss the fact that the doctors are happy with his progress, as Justin again experiences trouble with his hand. He agrees to Ziggy hiring some help and asks her to come and pick him up so they can talk it over at the garage. He tells Leah that he’s going in.

At the garage, Justin wonders whether Ziggy would be better off getting someone fully-qualified in. Ziggy however just wants to hire Tane to handle bookings and change tyres while she does most of the work. Justin says it’s her call and to get Tane there. As Ziggy moves off, Justin rubs his hand against his leg. At the surf club, John tries to get Tane to take a package up to Salt but Tane says he doesn’t work there anymore, telling Dean he quit. Dean gets a call from Ziggy asking him to find Tane’s number and hands Tane the phone instead. Willow asks to go to Yabbie Creek with Dean to get Jai a present too. John overhears references to the party and asks how Karen is handling being a grandmother. Dean admits he hasn’t told her yet and John wonders if he’s scared to.

Dean and Willow go up to Salt. Willow tells Dean not to let what John said get to him. Dean worries that Karen will think Jai’s better off without him, recalling that she didn’t want him to know his dad. Willow says that’s because his dad’s a dropkick whereas Dean’s a good dad. She reminds him keeping Mackenzie secret from Karen didn’t go well. Dean sends her to get pizzas and wonders if she really thinks he’s a good dad. Willow replies that he’s a great dad. Meanwhile, Tane arrives at the garage and is greeted by Ziggy and Justin. After checking he’s not actually a mechanic, Ziggy says he’s probably wondering why he’s there. Justin says Ziggy’s going to offer Tane a job.

Amber enters the surf club looking for Dean. John tells her that he and Willow just headed into the gym with pizzas. He wonders if he should keep an eye on the party in a life-saving capacity. Amber wonders if he’s angling for an invite; John denies it but Amber says they’ll get him a sandwich if he turns up. Dean appears and Amber tells him everything’s ready for the party. Dean checks it’s okay for Willow to come and Amber admits John just got an invite. Dean asks about Karen meeting Jai but Amber says that’s never going to happen. They head up to Salt. Dean insists that Karen’s changed and she’d love Jai. Amber says Karen loved Dean but still left him alone for days, forgot to feed him and left him on the doorstep while she hooked up with randoms. She goes to leave and runs into Willow, saying Dean has a short memory. Dean explains to Willow.

Ziggy chats to Tane about running the garage, while Justin looks up on the internet how to tell if a cavernoma’s come back. Ziggy calls over to him that Tane’s agreed to the job. She suggests they go for a drink to celebrate. Justin isn’t up for joining them but asks them to drop him back in town. Some time later, he meets Leah on the pier and tells her his symptoms are coming back: He hoped he was just being paranoid but after today he’s sure. Leah says they don’t know what it means but Justin is convinced the tumour’s grown back.

On the Salt balcony, Willow tries to ask Dean what he’s going to do about Amber and Karen. She offers to talk to Amber but Dean is keen to concentrate on Jai’s birthday and still wants to get to Yabbie Creek before the shops shut. Willow says she’ll drive him. Ziggy and Tane are just arriving at the surf club as Willow and Dean come downstairs. Ziggy explains about Tane getting a job at the garage and wonders why Dean’s mood has got worse since the morning.

Later, Tane expresses amusement at the idea of Ziggy and Mackenzie living on an out-of-the-way property together. He goes to get drinks as Amber turns up looking for Dean. Ziggy says he left with Willow but doesn’t know where they went, and wonders if Amber was the reason for his bad mood. Tane calls over, wondering if Ziggy wants food. Amber assumes Ziggy and Tane are on a date and suggests that’s the reason for Dean’s bad mood, adding that Tane’s worth it. At the Diner, Leah and Justin say good night to Marilyn. Leah wants to call Christian. Justin says he’ll do it once they get home but doesn’t want to tell Tori until they know what’s going on.

Tane offers Ziggy a game of pool but she declines. Tane thanks her for the job and Ziggy tells him to enjoy his last days of unemployment. After he’s gone, Willow comes over; she also assumes it was a date. Ziggy asks about Dean, and Willow explains about Amber’s reaction to the idea of Karen meeting Jai. At the flat, Dean has got the instructions out for assembling the bike. Looking thoughtful, he calls Karen’s voicemail, recalling the bike he had when he was young and how Karen encouraged him to go faster, and says there’s some things he needs to talk to her about.

Next morning, Leah and Justin are back at the Diner. Justin worries the doctors won’t be able to operate this time while Leah suggests his symptoms might not even be the tumour. Marilyn tells them she’s going to pick up Grace; Tori has been called into work. Justin and Leah are thrown to realise she’ll be at the hospital. Outside the flat, Dean is putting the finishing touches to the bike when Amber arrives. Dean suggests she talk to Colby and Willow or meet Karen herself without Jai but Amber thinks it would only take Karen having a bad day or even a bad minute when Jai’s around to upset him. She leaves as Karen returns the call. Dean dismisses his message, saying nothing’s going on.