Episode 3726

Australian Air Date: 26th April 2004

Fisher decides to return to Summer Bay for good. A bitter Seb strikes out at Jade. Someone is stalking Dani! Scott is bowled over by a mysterious woman.

VALERIE SQUIRES (DENISE ROBERTS)
First episode. Jack Hunter’s former mistress of 20 years.
FELIX WALTERS (JOSH LAWSON)
Fourth appearance, last seen in Episode #3721. Was accused by Dani of stalking her.
DONALD FISHER (NORMAN COBURN)
MORAG BELLINGHAM (CORNELIA FRANCES)

Extended Summary

RECAP
A pressie arrives for Dani – a wreath, complete with RIP message. Sweet.
Seb is told about what has happened to his spine, and that the chances of him walking again are extremely slim.
Kane, complete in nasty repulsive shirt, tells Seb that he has to keep thinking he’ll get better – like he did when the docs told him he wouldn’t be able to walk, because he didn’t want to have to reject Kirsty. Seb reckons he’s implying that Jade’s life would be wasted looking after him.

***

HOSPITAL
Seb stares coldly upwards, before his eyes move shakily down to the tray of dinner in front of him. Agitated, he throws the tray across the room.

BEACH
We cut from disabled Seb to people running along the beach, before we pan to Hayley and Noah in the distance. They are discussing the Felix situation, and Hayley can’t believe that Felix hasd reacted in this way (ie. the wreath) to the article Dani wrote. The whole things has freaked Hayley out, and she only hopes the wreath doesn’t mean anything.

THE PALACE
Dani looks at the (false plastic) wreath as Scott finishes on the phone, telling her that the police can’t do anything unless an actual threat has been made. She thinks that it’s ridiculous – how much more threatening has it got to be? She can’t just forget about it, as it could be the beginning of something… and as she’s a Sutherland it would be wise to take heed. However, all Scott can do is reassure her and tell her not to get worked up – because that’s exactly what Felix wants. Dani recognises that he’s right, and goes to put the wreath in the bin – before deciding that everything is better.

HOSPITAL
Dani and Scott have brought Seb a magazine, and Dani manages to offend Seb by offering to put it on the bedside table for him. He insists that he can do it himself – he isn’t completely incapable. Seb isn’t exactly looking on the bright side when he tells them there’s no point in rehab – they should just stick him in a wheelchair and have done with it. Flynn enters and also gets to face Seb’s harsher side as Seb bitterly states he’ll never be able to go to the toilet again. Flynn tells him to take it one step at a time… not exactly the wording that Seb wants to hear. Seb is still adamant that he doesn’t want to see Jade, despite Flynn and Dani trying to persuade him. He is now blaming her for getting in the car, and wants them to pass on the message that he never wants to see her again.

Flynn, Dani and Scott walk out and briefly discuss Seb’s anger. Flynn tells them that it could be worse – at least Seb will regain full control over the rest of his body. Flynn explains to Dani that Seb’s attitude towards Jade will likely change once he starts coming to terms with things – and she should let Jade know this. Scott is distracted as the hospital cleaner walks past, and the conversation is drowned out by music (a very inappropriate piece at that) as a look of recognition passes between them

DINER
Morag is telling Alf of her decision to start practising again, but isn’t too enthusiastic about finding a suitable premises in Yabbie Creek. As Kane enters (still wearing that horredous shirt from Fridays episode), Morag snidely comments that Dani should look no further to find out who sent the wreath. Ignoring Alf’s warning voice (“Moooooraaaag”), she goes to sit down, casually asking whether Kane knows of any good florists (although going by the state of that wreath, I hardly think you’d define that particular florist as being good). Kane, having no idea what she is referring to, assumes that she’s wanting to send herself some flowers – “it’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it”. Morag rolls her eyes to reply “oh, your idea of wit is matched only by your sense of “. She informs him that she was actually thinking about funeral wreaths, but Kane doesn’t reckon anyone would turn up to her funeral – so she shouldn’t bother. Colleen, having been hovering around eavesdropping, decides to chip in, telling Kane that Morag is referring to the funeral wreath sent to Dani. Alf tries to intervene, but Kane refuses to let it ddrop, wanting to know exactly what it is he’s being accused of this time. Alf explains in brief, before assuring Kane that they all know it wasn’t him – it’s just Morag – “the only exercise she gets these days is jumping to the wrong conclusion”. Kane decides not to get anything to eat – he’ll come back when the “bad smell’s disappeared” – and departs. Alf reprimands Morag, explaining that a lot of work has gone into building bridges between Kane and the Sutherlands – they don’t need her barging in and destroying all the good that has been done.

THE PALACE
Scott is silent as they return home, and he just tells Dani that a lady at the hospital reminded him of an old neighbour. “Just a neighbour?” she responds. She jokingly tells him that if he’s having an affair with an older woman, she needs to know. Kane chooses that moment to storm in and demand to know whether she thinks he sent the funeral wreath. Without listening to her initial ‘no’ he launches into amn angry speech about how he has tried everything to get them to trust him… she stops him mid-flow to insist that she DOESN’T think he did it. He stops, taken aback – “really?”, before wondering who did send it.

DINER
Felix appears around a corner at the surf club and observes Dani, who is cleaning tables. As creepy music plays, he takes a seat, and it is a while before she picks up on his prescence. He thanks her for allowing him to sit there even though he didn’t buy his drink from the kiosk, and helpfully comments that the tables could do with a little something to brighten them up – a wreath of flowers, perhaps? Muhaha. He acts oblivious as Dani tells him to get over it – so what if his ego got a bit bruised? He doesn’t take kindly to being humiliated, but she politely tells him that she doesn’t have time to listen to psychopaths. He doesn’t consider himself as being crazy – just mean – and he likes to get even. He tells her that she’ll never write another article like that again, and she wonders if it was a threat. He sits back in his chair, has a chuckle, and tells her that she’s paranoid. With a smirk, he tells her that what he actually means is he’ll clean up his act so she won’t have to write another article like that. He reckons that he makes her nervous, and upon leaving he manages to ‘accidently’ tip a milkshake over one of the newly cleaned tables. He almost sounds genuine when he proceeds to remark “oh no… and after everything was so clean”. He departs, telling her that he’ll be in touch

THE PALACE
Noah is trying to convince Dani that Felix isn’t necessarily dangerous, but Dani knows that he has been finding out where she lives/works so he’s obviously out to get her. Noah rolls his eyes – this is a guy who tried to scare her with a strawberry milkshake (chocolate milkshake – Dani corrects him). Noah is going to see Seb, and as he and Hayley talk, Dani answers the phone. The other end is silent, but we see Felix sat in a car in the dark, smiling to himself. Dani gets shirty, and after a bit of prompting, Felix speaks – “Sleep tight… I’ll see you soon”

Later, Scott, Dani, Hayley and Noah sit round the table to discuss the Felix issue. Dani knows it was him on the phone, and Noah tries to calm her down – it was ONLY a phone call. Dani doesn’t want to call the cops – if they don’t believe a funeral wreath, then they’ll laugh at a milkshake and a phone call. Instead, they decide to keep a diary for record, and try to ignore him.

BREAK

BLAXLAND WHARF
Kane and Scott work, whilst Scott voices his worries about Dani. Kane offers to take the charter out so that he can stay home, but Scott doesn’t think he should – he’s keen to get back into the job, and it’ll only show Felix that they’re scared. Kane tells him insincerely that they’re probably right to ignore him… before mentioning that if Kirsty was in Dani’s position, then it wouldn’t matter whether or not she was scared – he would sort it out before it got that farIt gets Scott thinking, and Kane wonders if Scott knows where Felix is. Scott has a fair idea, and the pair abandon their work to march off the wharf, men on a mission.

UNIVERSITY
Felix exits one of ther buildings, greeting Kane and Scott as they walk up to him, but Kane and Scott don’t return the pleasantries. Scott demands that he stay away from Dani – “no more visiting her work, no more phone calls”. Felix innocently wonders if it’s about the milkshake – because he felt bad about that, so much so that he was going to send a card. Scott accuses Felix of threatening Dani – an accusation that Felix vigourously denies – “the last person that threatened her ended up under a car”… before turning to Kane with a casual “that must have hurt by the way?”. Scott is the one who manages to grab Felix by the shirt, insisiting that he leave Dani alone, and Felix continues to play it cool – all she did was right an article about him, and maybe Dani has more than one enemy? Scott glares and once again demands that he stay away from Dani, and Felix agrees, before being released to swagger away.

HOSPITAL
The cleaner is singing the praises of Dr Saunders to Seb – he has a “wonderful bedside manner”. Seb grudgingly agrees that he’s “ok”, and the cleaner enquires about his earlier visitors – was Scott Hunter in? Seb tells her he was, and she explains that she once knew his family. She swiftly changes the subject – how did he get into that mess “cars, football or cars?”, before wondering if he’ll be back on his feet. He doesn’t think so, but she points out that he has lots of people there for him – that’s got to help. Flynn arrives to see Seb, and the cleaner departs shortly afterwards. Flynn mentions that Jade has rung – she’s upset, and tries to get Seb to see that pushing people away won’t help – he needs the support. He reaffirms to Flynn that he’ll NEVER be able to walk again, and explains he had a dream that night – he was running, and it felt so real. Then he woke up and found himself in the same position. Seb continues to get himself upset and worked up – he doesn’t want to live the rest of his life in a wheelchair, he doesn’t want to live at all. The floodgates open.

Later, Morag and Fisher are in to see Seb, and want him to let them know if ever he wants anything. Morag mention that she’ll pop back in the following day, and Seb is unenthusiastic – “you know where I’ll be”. Morag ands Fisher leave, with Morag wondering if there’s really any point in her coming back – Seb wasn’t exactly happy to see her. Fisher tells her he’s just angry, and coming to terms with the fact that he’ll never walk again. Morag has things on her mind, and after a while Fisher manages to get her to open up. She is frustratred at her “uncanny ability to say exactly the wrong thing”, and the fact she usually manages to inadvertantly hurt people around her. She uses that morning’s clash with Kane as an example – she almost destroyed all the hard work Kane and the Sutherland’s had put into building up a relationship. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t deliberate – the fact remains that she ruins everything she touches. She never set out to ruin Duncan, but it appears to have happened – she thought she was doing a good job, but she managed to overlook discipline and responsibility without realising it. She is blaming her inadequacy for the state that Seb is in, however much Fisher tries to convince her that it was an accident. Cracks are appearing in Morags hard front as tears appear and she points out that Seb’s not the only one that has ben hurt – he has too. Fisher becomes her shoulder to cry on as she cries.

THE PALACE
Dani rejects the idea that Scott backs out of the charter, and when her better half discovers that Hayley and Noah are going out to see Seb, he ‘helpfully’ suggests that she go with them. Dani, however, is insistent that she’ll be fine at home alone whilst there’s an angry psycho after her. She sends them all packing, and as he leaves Scott tells her to call the cops if anything happens – don’t handle it alone.

HOSPITAL
Hayley recites an e-mail to Seb from Nick, suggesting that Seb go over for the Premiere of his movie. However, Hayley and Noah are happier than Seb, who grumbles that he’s not going to travel half way across the world in a wheelchair to have a bunch of people he doesn’t know feel sorry for him. He rejects their reassurance, and tells them to get out. They oblige.

THE PALACE
Dani watches a scary movie in the dark whilst home alone. Anyone would think she wanted to unnerve herself. A noise outside has her grabbing her hockey stick to go and investigate. She opens the front door and lunges out, hockey stick at the ready… to find Kane out there with a torch. He has been taking a look around, to make sure everything was ok whilst Scott was away. He denies that Scott asked him to do it and tells her that he knows how it might look… she interrupts, telling him that she believes him and insists that she’s not scared of Felix – it could have been anyone out there. He suggetss that he simply sit outside in his car and keep an eye on the place, but she turns down the offer. He leaves, and she stops him to thank him, before securing the house behind him.

Later, Hayley and Noah return back, prompting Dani to once again seize hold of her hockey stick, quickly hiding it when she hears the couple talking, with Hayley adamant that she saw someone lurking around outside. Noah reckons she’s imagining things, and goes to ask Dani how things have been. She tells them of Kane’s visit – which was nice, but unnecessary – and Hayley seems surprised that Felix didn’t put in an appearance. Dani heads to bed, and as Noah switches the lights off Hayley assumes that the person she saw outside was Kane – he must have disappeared so quickly so Dani didn’t know he had come back. Noah is still unsure that there was anyone, and they ascend the stairs.

Outside, there is someone lurking around. They try the door handle, but it is locked.