Episode 8276

Extended Summary

John continues trying to break the lock open with bolt cutters. Dana complains about how long it’s taking and wonders if he should use a different tool. John sarcastically asks if she’s got an angle grinder. He finally manages to break the lock and get the container open. They are immediately hit by a foul stench. Checking the substance inside, John finds a label identifying it as potting mix: They have two containers of dirt.

Mackenzie arrives back at Salt and admits she didn’t really get the rings sorted. She asks Xander if Levi has been back there. Xander hasn’t seen him but has only just come back from his break. He asks if he can help and Mackenzie says no. Outside, Levi gets a phone call from Mackenzie but ignores it.

At the Diner, Harper chats to Marilyn about work and Marilyn quizzes her about Bronte staying at the house. Roo turns up and they chat about the barbie. Marilyn suggests using tarot to find out what comes next. John turns up and reveals they got the container open. Roo asks what was inside it.

At Salt, Dana tells Xander about the potting mix. Xander notes her friends on the conspiracy forum will be disappointed. He wonders how Dana got John to open it and she says he was just as curious as her. Xander takes that to mean they’re as bad as each other. They kiss as Mackenzie wanders over, not really looking. On getting a text from Levi asking to talk, she heads out.

Mackenzie meets Levi in a park area and says he could have called her. Levi says he’s sorry and Mackenzie wonders if he really is or if he was punishing her. Levi wonders where their relationship is going if there’s no trust. Mackenzie says she was wrong to look at his phone but he was lying to her. Levi says he was trying to protect her. Mackenzie wonders where they go from here.

John meets with Dana by the container and says maritime have just asked them to replace the lock and at least they don’t have to arrange security. John suddenly feels ill before sinking to his knees and passing out. Levi and Mackenzie are approaching and Dana calls Levi over. He helps tend to John while Mackenzie calls for an ambulance.

Soon after, John is brought to Bree at the hospital with Levi and Dana accompanying him. Paramedic Jo says there’s no indication it’s anything to do with his heart. Dana tells Bree about the potting mix and that she and John both put their hands in it. Bree says she’ll have to be put in isolation, go through a decontamination shower and change into scrubs.

At Salt, Mackenzie fills Xander in on what happened with John. She also admits that she went to see Eden and the conversation left her worrying about Levi. With a bit of prompting, Xander points out that Levi has given up everything for her and suggests seeing it from his point of view. At the Diner, Marilyn again tries to drop hints to Roo about having a tarot reading. To their surprise, Harper ends up volunteering to have one done instead.

Dana is placed in an isolation room. Bree tells Levi emergency services have been alerted. Levi notes he wasn’t very near the container and heads off. Mackenzie texts him asking about John. Bree dons a face shield and joins Dana looking after John. They ponder whether his heart problems or medication explain why he’s in a bad way while Dana isn’t showing symptoms. Bree says they’ll need very specific tests to identify the contaminant. Dana admits she met with Xander and kissed him.

Soon after, Bree meets with Xander, who has had a shower and brought his clothes in. He wants to see Dana but Bree wants him to get checked first. Mackenzie also appears and wonders if she should be worried. Bree says Levi didn’t think they were close enough but to come back if she feels unwell. Mackenzie wanders away and comes across Levi chatting in a friendly manner with a female patient. She leaves without him seeing her.

At the Diner, Marilyn deals the three cards that represent Harper’s past, present and future. The first is the Lovers and the second is the Death card. Roo chimes in that it’s not necessarily a bad thing, adding that she listens. Marilyn says it can represent change: At work or something’s she resistant to. The third card is the Two of Cups, which represents the bond between two people. Harper asks if that’s romantic. Marilyn says it could be or it could mean a budding friendship or the bond between two sisters. At that point, Harper gets a call from Dana telling her what’s going on.

Levi finds Bree in her office, looking over a large number of articles about contaminants in soil and potting mix. She points to some that link cases of legionnaire’s disease to potting mix but admits it could be a dozen other things. Meanwhile, Dana is sat by a now conscious but still weak John. She says she’s going to call Irene and asks if he needs her to call anyone else. John asks if she needs to call her parents. Dana says she and Harper haven’t seen them in years, explaining they were drug and booze addicts and Harper shielded her from the worst of it. John recalls how Jett’s birth mother passed away after a battle with addiction not long before they fostered him.

At the farm house, Mackenzie sits staring at the rings and pockets them when Levi shows up. He tells her John is stable and he didn’t answer her text because he got caught up. Mackenzie says she didn’t think he was seeing patients yet and Levi says that’s still ages away. He apologises for lying about Imogen and Mackenzie says they both did the wrong thing. She lets him head off to bed, saying she’ll be in later.

Next morning, Harper is down on the beach watching a biohazard team working at the containers. Bree and Xander appear; Xander has been given the all-clear but hasn’t been allowed to see Dana. Bree assures them she still has no symptoms, which she doesn’t really understand given she was with John. Bree heads back to the hospital to check on Dana; John is still asleep. Dana is still asymptomatic. Bree hopes they’ll get answers from the samples because at the moment they’re just treating symptoms.

At the Diner, Marilyn and Roo chat about the tests being done on the container. Marilyn feels a bit dizzy but insists she’s fine. Xander turns up, just before a customer starts vomiting and he goes to help her. Marilyn also goes over but has to sit down, appearing to be in some pain.