Episode 6436

Extended Summary

Nate is out for a run, doing his best to keep his mind off his marital problems, when he runs into Tori doing yoga on the beach. He admits that he and Ricky haven’t talked since she left, but everything is okay… it’s clear he’s feeling anxious about her return. But he’s surprised when Ricky comes back upbeat and affectionate. He’s initially swept along with it, until Ricky tells him she’s signed them up for marriage counselling. Although his pride’s dented, he agrees to go along with it. Ricky’s pleased and suggests they have a picnic and enjoy some family time before their first session.

Maddy and Matt meet up to discuss her plans to go travelling as well as rehab in the city. Matt checks that this isn’t another of her crazier ideas… she hasn’t exactly been making the best decisions of late. But Maddy is adamant; she knows in her gut that this is what she needs to do.

Maddy decides to tell Roo about her plans. Much to her relief, Roo puts up a supportive front – asking if Maddy would really go without Matt? Maddy knows she needs to do this. But a privately panicked Roo rushes off to seek Alf’s advice, confessing she’s not emotionally ready for Maddy to leave. Alf’s sympathetic, but tells her to focus instead on how she’s helped Maddy become a strong, independent young woman.

Ricky expresses her anxieties to Roo that perhaps Nate’s not up for working on their marriage – she’s worried that it shouldn’t be this hard so soon. Roo says they’ve been through so much already, maybe that’s all it is, but Ricky is left uncertain.

Nate’s off in his own world during lunch, and Ricky realises she’s talking to herself. Nate owns up to feeling embarrassed at the prospect of being in couple’s therapy already. He suggests that her newfound positive attitude is just a front. Although his words strike a chord with Ricky, she forces herself to remain upbeat – she’ll see him at counselling.

At home Ricky finds their framed Certificate of Marriage has just arrived in the mail – and takes the moment to reflect on everything. At work, Tori tries to get a laugh out of Nate and immediately picks up that Ricky’s homecoming didn’t go so well. He mentions the therapy and Tori calls it immediately; Nate can’t hack being the patient. Perhaps he needs to suck it up.

Matt has been downloading to Andy at the bar, who assumes Matt is at least going to follow Maddy to the city. But Matt reveals to Andy that he doesn’t want to leave his life in the Bay – he’s finally feeling good in life, he feels like he’s actually on the right track. He’s still figuring it out when Maddy arrives. She’s thrown when Matt shuts down her suggestion that they have a long-distance relationship, saying it’d never work. Seeing how disappointed she is, and not wanting her to be hurt further, Matt buries his reservations and makes the snap decision to go with her.

Thrilled, Maddy takes him to tell Roo, who’s throwing all her nervous energy into organising a last-minute farewell party. But when Roo congratulates him and mentions how long they’re going to be away, it’s clear Matt is already starting to regret his decision…

Meanwhile, when victims of a shooting come into the Emergency Department, Tori is surprisingly rattled. When one of the victims goes into distress, she’s overwhelmed and takes the first opportunity to leave the situation, throwing up in a bin outside. Nate later asks her what was going on. Tori denies any problem, leaving Nate to wonder what on earth is going on with her… He receives a text from Ricky wondering where he, and Nate realises he’s missing the counselling session. Unfortunately, he can’t abandon the medical situation, especially with a shaken Tori unable to handle it. He decides to cover for her.

Ricky sits alone with the counsellor waiting for Nate to arrive, initially positive and defensive of her relationship with Nate, but when the emergency keeps Nate from the session, Ricky’s façade crumbles. She tells the counsellor, that there’s no point forcing herself to stay positive about her relationship when Nate can’t even be bothered trying, despairing that she might as well give up on their marriage now!