Episode 7048

Extended Summary

Justin and Ben run into each other on the beach. Ben chats about Maggie and the board shop, wondering when he’s going to get his employee back. Justin says Dean’s spending all his time at the hospital with Willow. He knows she’s stable but hasn’t been to see her, pointing out they’re not together anymore. Ben doesn’t think that matters. At the hospital, Dean watches as a team try to revive Willow. After shocking her, they get her heart back in sinus rhythm but declare she needs surgery and rush her to theatre.

Ryder and Raffy are at the Palmer house; Raffy is texting Coco, saying she needs to get her best friend fix in while she can. Ryder says he’ll cheer her up and starts kissing her but they’re interrupted by Marilyn, who says she’s having guests for lunch and needs them out of the way. When he hears the guests are Alf and Martha, Ryder decides he can’t miss this and volunteers to help set up. Meanwhile, Justin arrives at the hospital to find a panicked Dean trying to get information from a nurse. Dean explains about Willow being in surgery and that Doctor Genner’s handling it. Justin says he’ll call Tori and see what she can find out.

Maggie is doing exercises outside the surf club while John directs volunteers to set up the course. Maggie says she tried out the course and was surprised how many hills there were. John just says that’s a bigger challenge before going to yell at the volunteers some more. Ben appears and reassures Maggie, reminding her what Mason said about carb loading beforehand. Meanwhile, Alf and Martha run into each other outside the house; Martha has gone to get a bottle of wine while Alf has got dressed up, although he insists on rolling his cuffs up. He makes a mess of complimenting Martha’s appearance but she gets the point. It’s a bit early so Alf decides to swing by the surf club first to check on John.

Justin passes on to Dean what he heard from Tori; Willow’s in recovery and the operation was to drain fluid from around her heart again. He admits Tori also said it’s not a good thing that it happened again. He asks if anyone’s told Russell. Dean says he’s been focused on Willow. Justin says he’ll drop by the nursing home and see how he is; if he’s okay, he’ll tell him and maybe bring him back. Later, Willow is taken back to her room and Anna Griffin explains to Dean that the build-up of fluid causes pressure on her organs and if it keeps happening they’ll fail. Justin arrives back with Russell and Dean gives them a brief update.

Ryder asks Marilyn what’s going on with Alf and Martha. Marilyn thinks it’s just two friends reconnecting but both are keen to know if the other thinks it’s more than that. Raffy is stirring a pan and asks if it’s ready. John returns from the surf club and goes to get changed, reminding Marilyn Alf said no matchmaking. Marilyn tells an inquisitive Ryder to do the flowers. Later, she is trying to usher the two teens out when Alf and Martha turn up and John lets them in. Despite Ryder’s efforts, he and Raffy are sent on their way. John comments to Alf that if he’d said a year ago that Alf would be having dinner with Martha he’d have called him a flaming galah.

Ryder and Raffy walk along the beach, with Ryder convinced Alf and Martha are on a date. He says it might keep Alf off his back, plus it’d be nice to see him happy. Coco joins them and says she can’t stay long because Ben and Maggie want her to have a farewell dinner at the Diner. Ryder suggests they crash it. Back at the house, Martha suggests Marilyn drop by hers if she’s ever down the south coast. John recalls he and Marilyn went to Canberra recently for Jett’s graduation. Alf and Martha recall taking Roo there when she was two, on the way to the snow, and reminisce about her wearing a large red puffer jacket and constantly falling down in the snow and being unable to get up.

Dean, Russell and Justin are shown into Willow’s room. Russell is told she was shot. He asked who did it and Dean starts to tell him about Ross but Justin cuts in, saying they need to focus on her. Russell sits by Willow’s side and softly sings to her. Later, Justin is escorting Russell out and apologises to Dean for cutting him off. Dean understands. Russell says he’ll be back tomorrow and tells Dean to look after Willow. Dean goes back to Willow’s room and tells her she needs to cut it out since Russell can’t manage without her. He adds that he needs her too and loves her. Willow opens her eyes.

Alf and Martha walk back through the caravan park. Martha says she doesn’t go out much back home. Alf says he doesn’t either, since he’s usually the third wheel. They agree she’ll be leaving shortly. Alf says he has things to sort out at the surf club but will be back to say goodbye. At the hospital, Dean finishes a phone call before Anna lets him into Willow’s room. Willow asks about Colby, Bella and Chelsea. Dean says they’re all okay and he was just on the phone to Colby, who’s on his way. Willow says the nurses told her Dean didn’t leave her side. Dean asks where else he’d be.

At the Diner, Ben, Maggie, Coco, Raffy and Ryder are having the last dinner together. Ben asks Coco about a farewell party. Ryder tries to lobby for a big event with a DJ but Coco doesn’t really want one, although they note they need to mark her going somehow. Maggie gives Ben her leftovers and admits she’s nervous about running 21K on her own. Meanwhile, Alf arrives back to find Martha exiting the house with her bags. She explains that she’s decided to stay a while but is moving out to a van. Alf reluctantly agrees but says she’s not paying.

Next morning, Maggie is doing some last minute exercise in the gym. Ben and Coco arrive, with Coco wearing gym gear. She explains she’s going to run with Maggie, at least on the first lap; she knows she’s unprepared but it’s something they can do together. Maggie admits she looked at how many sponsors she had and freaked out, worried she was going to let them down. The others try to reassure her.