Episode 7566

Extended Summary

Ryder and Chloe are handing out flyers outside the surf club. Ryder is slightly uncomfortable about advertising their business under Mackenzie’s nose. They see Dean, who has just returned to town, then hide their flyers as Mackenzie appears. Mackenzie notes she thought she heard Dean come in and Dean says he tripped over some random shoes. Mackenzie is unrepentant and fires off a comment at the youngsters before heading inside. Chloe shows Dean a flyer. At the Morgan house, Jasmine is keeping an eye on Grace and making fun of Tori, who is making several attempts to get everything sorted, while Leah and Justin are booking their flight with Justin going to sort out the packing. Jasmine is going in for orientation today but has time off for the wedding. At the airfield, Christian is heading into the office and nearly collides with a young woman, Rachel. She explains she is about do her first solo jump: Her friends bought it for her as a post-divorce present. She heads over to the waiting minibus and Christian goes to the office, telling the man there, JT, that he wants to book a tandem jump. He explains he’s getting married in a few days and JT agrees it’s a good way to get rid of nerves.

Ryder and Chloe are now handing out flyers inside the surf club. Mackenzie comes down, having just found a customer with a flyer. Chloe says it’s a free country and Mackenzie retorts that it’s private property and threatens to report them for blocking the fire stairs. Dean steps in, sending Ryder and Chloe outside and following Mackenzie back up to Salt. He says Salt won’t be affected by a bit of competition but Mackenzie says it’s personal. Dean tells her not to waste her energy on them and Mackenzie predicts they’ll be out of business in a month. She sends Dean away, then smooths out the flyer.

Leah is now keeping an eye on Grace, as Tori checks her dress. Jasmine says her goodbyes, noting if Tori forgets anything, she can bring it down when she joins them. Justin comes in, irritable about the fact he can’t find a bag, with his mood not improved by Leah explaining she gave it to Tori for Grace’s things. Tori gets a call from the suit hire place and learns Christian never turned up. She tries to call him but he turns his phone off. JT tells him to get a flight suit and get ready for a training session, but then he gets a radio call from a colleague, Mike, saying a jumper has hit the ground and isn’t moving.

Ryder and Chloe are coming up from the beach, with Ryder now approving of the tactic. As they’re about to head back to the truck, they see Mackenzie handing out flyers for a free food tasting at Salt. Ryder protests that she’s stealing their idea but Mackenzie retorts that it’s a free country and asks when the funeral for the food truck is. Chloe is suddenly amenable; after Mackenzie has gone, she explains she’s just had an e-mail saying they’ve got the trade waste permit. Soon after, Dean is shocked to find what Mackenzie is doing. Suddenly, the food truck pulls up and Chloe shows Mackenzie the permit before she and Ryder call the crowd over. Mackenzie storms back inside and goes to the office, retrieving the loudhailer.

Christian and JT drive out into the field where Mike is crouched by Rachel. He says she hit the ground hard. Rachel is conscious but says her neck hurts. Christian tells her not to move and he and JT put a collar on her; he sends Mike to get some blankets. Rachel can feel her leg but not move her arm when directed. She suddenly becomes confused, saying she needs to get to a sky diving session, and Christian realises she’s going into shock. At the hospital, Jasmine is looking around ICU with a big grin, but is brought down to earth with a bump when Christian arrives with Rachel. Christian fobs off her questions about him being on the road to Victoria and tells her to arrange imaging.

Tori is continuing to fret as Christian doesn’t respond to her messages. Leah tries to reassure her while Justin takes some pills and then clutches his head in pain. Tori worries that something’s happened to Christian until Justin angrily says the world doesn’t revolve her and storms out. Leah joins him down on the beach and tries to work out what’s wrong with him, saying pain doesn’t normally cause him to act like this. Justin says that Christian told him his tumour might be coming back: It’s only a slim chance, and he probably just needs better pain management, but he needs scans when they come back. Leah decides to take him to Yabbie Creek to get a prescription.

Christian is looking over Rachel’s x-rays. He notices something which Jasmine says is impossible: The skull has separated from the spine and is only held together by ligaments. He says to call the neuro registrar and let him know that Rachel can’t be moved: She needs to be fitted with a halo brace. Jasmine asks him about Tori, and Christian realises he left his phone at the skydiving place, telling Jasmine to call her. Later, Christian is tending to Rachel and carefully explains what’s happened. She needs urgent surgery to fit a brace to stop her head moving, which will need to be drilled into her skull, and may need later surgery to help the bones fuse back together. Rachel asks if she’s going to die and Christian takes her hand, assuring her he’ll look after her. Tori watches from the doorway and Christian briefly chats to her. Jasmine explains to Tori that Christian was there when it happened and Rachel wouldn’t be alive without him.

Dean approaches Ryder and Chloe and asks them to move, saying Mackenzie isn’t going to give up. They offer him a free sample instead. Mackenzie suddenly calls out with the loudhailer from the Salt balcony, saying it’s happy hour: Two for one on cocktails and free finger food. Most of the crowd head her way. Seeing Dean eating the food he was given, she pours an ice bucket over him. Later, Leah and Justin join the crowd at Salt while Dean tries to tell Mackenzie that sometimes a taco is just a taco. Ryder and Chloe watch on despondently. Chloe calls out that she’s seen a rat, getting the patrons running in all directions.

Tori tells Christian that she’s arranged for another surgeon, Marcus, to take over but Christian says he needs to see it through himself. He says he thinks this is why he survived Lewis’ attack, so he could be there to do this.