Episode 7070

Extended Summary

Martha is pacing outside the surf club, repeating a mantra to herself that it’s a bad day and just one moment. Alf, John and Marilyn all approach her and Alf in particular attempts to question her about what’s going on, despite Martha telling him to leave her alone and let her focus. Marilyn ends up taking Martha for a cup of tea, leaving Alf and John to ponder what it was about. Meanwhile, Justin and Mason arrive back at the Morgan house. Mason becomes preoccupied with Justin’s feet, since he’s had another idea for Raffy’s project: Studying the family’s genetics. Justin suggests he come up with a list of ideas for her.

Marilyn has taken Martha to her house. Martha is now calmer and notes she never wanted Alf to see her like that. Marilyn says he’s just worried about her but Martha thinks he was confused and hurt. She’s not sure she can explain it to him. At the Diner, Leah and Maggie chat about how it feels becoming a grandmother. Justin comes in and thanks Maggie for helping Raffy, although Maggie says it was all Simone. After Maggie has gone to work, Leah senses Justin has something on his mind that he can’t discuss. At a nearby table, Alf and John discuss Martha’s behaviour, with Alf recalling she went decades without knowing what was happening to Roo. He thinks there’s no rational explanation but John encourages him to talk to her anyway.

Leah meets up with Jasmine near the Diner; they are meant to be going for a run together. However, Jasmine is tired after spending the night awake thinking about Robbo. Leah suggests they go for a coffee instead, saying she’ll go to the gym later for exercise. She asks if Willow has spoken to Colby and Jasmine notes Bella still won’t return home. Back at the Nixon house, Bella is practising taking shots with an old-fashioned camera. Colby comes out and says Dean and Willow say hello; Bella thinks they’ll be missing him but Colby says they miss her too. He points out someone owns the house and will want to sell it or rent it out but Bella says she’ll find somewhere else. Colby asks about the camera and she reminds him it was Michelle’s; she wants to keep it but isn’t sure she can find a film for it. Colby offers to find one and Bella thinks it’s a way to get her back to Summer Bay. Colby asks what went wrong. Bella just says it’s better this way.

Martha thanks Marilyn for stepping in. Alf turns up, wondering if they can chat, and Marilyn leaves them alone. Martha apologises but Alf hugs her and says he doesn’t want her to say sorry, just to help him understand. Martha isn’t sure she can; she knows it isn’t rational but she needs to get in touch with Roo. Alf recalls there’s a phone at the community centre for emergencies. Martha tells him not to let Roo know she’s there if he gets through. At the Diner, Marilyn rejoins John and tells him Martha’s calmer now and Alf is with her. John wearily refers to them as a great pair and Marilyn says that’s exactly what they are.

Alf gets through to the community centre but learns Roo is out on an excursion. He says to get her to call him back as soon as possible. Martha isn’t exactly reassured about the prospect of more waiting so Alf decides to take her to Salt for lunch. Shortly after they’ve given the waitress their order, Alf gets a phone call from a satellite phone: Roo. Martha gestures for him to be quiet about her so Alf instead suggests Roo give Marilyn a call, explaining that she’s worried about Jett.

Down in the surf club, Justin finds Mason on his laptop. Mason has had to abandon the family genetics idea since they’d need to study three generations. Leah comes in and notes he has resorted to looking up flower reproduction. He says he needs something that’s not too complicated, too boring or been done by everyone else. Leah admits she can’t remember her HSC and Justin says he didn’t complete his. Back at the Nixon house, Colby asks Bella, who is carrying a spade, why she thinks things would be better. Bella doesn’t want him to give anything up for her, explaining she overheard him talking to Irene and McCarthy. She takes down the police tape around where Michelle’s grave was, saying she needs to clean it up. Colby insists on helping, saying she was his mother as well.

Alf asks Martha what happened today and she notes it doesn’t happen as often as it used to, she can go weeks or months, but sometimes she can’t get her feelings straight and can’t get ideas out of her head. Alf asks if that’s what she was like while they were married and Martha says she was good at hiding it. At the Morgan house, Leah brings Justin Hunter’s old Biology notes in the hope they can help. Mason enters and is delighted, taking the box to his room. Leah tells Justin she’s there if he needs to chat.

Colby and Bella have filled in the grave and put a pile of rocks on it, to which Bella adds some flowers she took from the neighbour’s garden. Colby has retrieved a photo of Bella as a baby, saying he was ten when it was taken and resented being dragged away from rugby to see her but fell in love with her straightaway. He says it’s her, not his job, that he doesn’t want to give up. Bella’s expression remains blank but she cuddles up to him. Back at Salt, Alf wonders how Martha copes on her own and she says she has a support network and counsellor. She thinks she needs to go back home to a familiar environment. Alf doesn’t want her to go but Matha thinks it’s time.

Colby and Bella arrive back at the Diner flat; Bella has the suitcase full of mementos with her. Colby has brought the camera and says she can buy a film online, also jokingly noting they couldn’t let the new room go to waste. Bella tells him she wants him to go back to work…so he can find Ross and put him in jail.