Episode 6829

Extended Summary

Roo comes downstairs with a case. Alf tries to talk things over but Roo says he’s had thirty years. Ryder comes in and asks what’s going on. Roo admits she’s moving out for a bit but says she’ll be around and he’ll still see her at school. Both Alf and Ryder try to dissuade her but Roo tells Ryder to call her if he needs anything. She and Alf exit in opposite directions. Later, Ryder finds Alf raking the caravan park. He offers to help, reminding Alf he had a heart attack recently, but Alf snaps at him when he tries to take the rake from him. Ryder asks what happened with Roo and Alf evasively says it’s under control. He convinces Ryder to go and see his friends.

At the farm house, Coco insists on pouring Maggie’s drink for her. Ziggy notes they get the results today and Ben says it’ll show if the cancer’s spread. Ziggy offers to try and get time off work to go with them for the results but they tell her she doesn’t have to. However, Coco insists she goes, even if it means waiting outside, despite Maggie saying she’d rather it was just her and Ben. Outside the Diner, Olivia gets a text from Axel asking about her winter designs and looks at photos of Paris. Irene comes up and Olivia tells her about the message, admitting she hasn’t done any. Irene suggests she get started and Olivia acknowledges she doesn’t have any distractions now.

Inside the Diner, Raffy is sat at a table as Ryder comes in with John and Marilyn, telling them about Roo moving out. He wonders what’s going on and they tell him to leave it to them. Ryder joins Raffy and fills her in. Raffy is surprised to get a text from Ziggy. At the farm house, Maggie quietly tells Ben that she doesn’t want Coco to come, since she wants to process things before telling the girls. There’s a knock at the door; Coco goes to answer and finds Ryder and Raffy there. They invite her to the Diner, saying Raffy’s paying. Coco says she has to go to the hospital but Ben and Maggie quickly tell her it’s fine. After Coco has gone, Ziggy gives Raffy some money. Ben and Maggie ask if she knows anything about it and she looks innocent.

Alf is going through a box at the house. He takes out a letter and puts it in his pocket. John and Marilyn arrive and initially try and pretend they just popped in, but Alf quickly realises they spoke to Ryder. Marilyn asks what happened, since he said things were getting better. Alf notes Roo must have had a think on her walk but thinks she just needs to clear her head. Marilyn tries to phone Roo, who is in a motel room, but Roo just sits and ignores the call.

Ben and Maggie are in an office at the hospital when Doctor Callan comes in and introduces herself. She says they’ve caught the cancer early and it hasn’t spread, but it is fast-growing so they need a treatment plan as soon as possible. Ben asks if that means chemotherapy and she confirms it does. Maggie wants to start soon; today if possible. At the Diner, Coco explains the situation to Ryder and Raffy. Nearby, Olivia is screwing up design sketches. Irene steps in and suggests Olivia’s overthinking, sending her for a walk. Coco gets a text from Ben with the news and hurries off.

Roo is looking at the photo of herself and Martha when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Marilyn. Roo is pleased to see her and Marilyn says she went to the Sands first and then tried here. She says Alf didn’t send her but does want Roo to come home. Roo says that everything’s changed now; she can’t get past the fact that Alf lied to her for thirty years and only came clean because he thought he might die. Outside the surf club, Alf tells John he doesn’t need a babysitter. John says Alf might want to talk. Alf says Martha betrayed him too: He was devastated when he thought she was dead and by the time he got the letter he’d remarried and Roo was going off the rails. John asks if he ever thought to look for her. Alf says the letter had no explanation and no way of finding her. Marilyn arrives and says she found Roo but she’s not coming home.

Ziggy arrives home to join Ben and Coco. Ben reiterates what Callan said about the cancer being in the early stages but fast-growing and explains Maggie’s still at the hospital because she’s starting chemotherapy this afternoon. He asks for their help, producing a bag. At the hospital, Callan is setting Maggie up for chemotherapy. Maggie is concerned Ben hasn’t returned or called but decides to press ahead. As she’s starting, Ben, Ziggy and Coco arrive. Ben says they’re going through it with her and the bag contains everything they might need. Later, they’re playing cards together. Maggie notes she’s feeling no ill effects apart from being a bit tired and says she’s lucky to have them all.

Roo is working on her laptop when Alf arrives at the motel room. He says it won’t take long: He realises he should have told her the truth long ago and, producing the letter, says he should have given it to her. He notes it contains everything he knows. As he turns to leave, he adds that he understands why Roo’s upset but he’s always been there for her. Roo looks at the letter in the envelope for some time before taking it out and reading. Martha says that faking her death was the only way to get away because she couldn’t be Alf’s wife and Roo’s mother anymore: She loved them but felt she was living a lie. She apologises and says not to try and find her.

In the hospital, Maggie is starting to look queasy. Ziggy realises she’s cold and Coco gives her a blanket. Maggie says she’s going to be sick; Ben helps her to her feet but she passes out on him. Ben says to get a nurse.