Episode 7210

Extended Summary

Alex follows Karen down the stairs, trying to convince her she needs to rest for a while. Dean and Ziggy follow, with Dean telling Karen she can drop the act. Karen leaves, despite Alex’s protests that she shouldn’t be alone. Dean says Karen always fakes a faint to get sympathy when she’s gone too far. He heads upstairs, saying he’s going to clean up her mess again. Meanwhile, Roo and Maggie arrive at the Diner. Roo goes to chat to John and Marilyn about Irene. Maggie approaches Ben and asks if he’s heard from the AFP but he just says he’d call her if he had. Maggie excuses herself, saying she needs to get some files from work. Roo and Marilyn call the Astonis’ interaction sad, before Roo wonders why Ryder isn’t there studying. John and Marilyn say he had a surf lesson with Dean earlier and is with Raffy now.

Raffy and Ryder are sat on the beach chatting. Ryder asks if he can be selfish for a moment: It’s going to suck since he’s never known Summer Bay without her. He wonders if he could go to Melbourne after finishing TAFE and Raffy reminds him he’s meant to be travelling the world. Alf comes past, warning Ryder that Roo won’t be happy he’s not studying. Ryder protests but does agree to study for a bit and spend time with Raffy later. As he leaves, Mason comes along and hugs Raffy, having heard about the trial and that she can be on the CBD oil before Year 12. Raffy thanks him for believing in her but he says it’s all her. At the Stewart house, Roo finds Ryder studying. He tries to pretend he’s been doing it all along. Roo reveals she knows otherwise but isn’t angry. (Alf comes in as they talk.) Ryder notes he and Raffy wouldn’t have spent much time together next year anyway and gets Roo to test him.

Ziggy is chatting to Alex as Dean comes back down. He reminds Ziggy they’re going to a gig in Yabbie Creek. Ziggy asks him to talk to Alex, who she’s been quizzing about the side effects of Karen’s medication. Alex says it can cause anxiety, dizziness, hand tremors and blackouts. She asks how long Karen was in hospital for and they tell her six months. Alex notes she’s probably experiencing culture shock going from a controlled environment to relative freedom and the job trial would have made her more stressed. Dean realises he’s stuffed up. He tracks Karen down on the beach, saying he’s sorry and knows she wasn’t faking. Karen is hurt that he didn’t trust her but can also see why. Dean recalls how, as a child, he never knew whether he needed to call an ambulance or not. Karen says she should have got help sooner and resolves to never be a burden again.

Dean and Karen head back to the surf club and Karen braces herself to go and apologise to Mackenzie. John comes over and says that Mackenzie’s not there but she can always apologise to him. Karen retorts that she’s sorry he’s an idiot. She and Dean go upstairs. At the farm house, Ziggy arrives to find Maggie struggling to fix a cupboard hinge: She can’t just put a new screw in because the wood is damaged and needs to be reinforced. Ziggy suggests calling Ben but Maggie says she can handle it. She convinces Ziggy to keep her date with Dean, saying she’ll be on the couch with wine soon.

Ziggy joins Dean and Karen at Salt but Dean had forgotten about the date; they are waiting to see Mackenzie. Ziggy quickly agrees to leave them to it since she thinks Maggie needs her. When she gets home, a dispirited Maggie has managed to take the cupboard door off and feels she’s made it worse. Knocking over some tubs is enough to make her break down in tears. Ziggy comforts her.

Justin is loading the car up to drive Raffy to the airport. She shares a last hug with Mason, while John and Marilyn hang back. Ryder arrives in time to say goodbye, as do Alf and Roo. Raffy drives off with Justin, waving to everyone. Marilyn is upset she didn’t say goodbye to them. She and John go back into the Diner where they find a letter from Raffy addressed to them both. She says it would have been too upsetting to say goodbye in person: They took her in and loved her like a daughter, not because they had to but because they chose to, and she chose to love them back. She says the CBD isn’t a cure and she still needs them and wants them to visit often.

Karen tells Dean to go, since it’s obvious he wants to be with Ziggy. (Ben is at the bar.) She notes Ziggy has her head screwed on and adds that she’s proud of him and won’t hold him back. Back at the farm, Ziggy has finished the repair job. Maggie explains about what happened with Ben the other week and how he asked her to be patient while he focused on the investigation. She admits that she now feels she’s bothering him when they speak. Ziggy decides they should switch to wine.

Ben finds Karen on the balcony at Salt, still waiting for Mack. He offers to buy her a drink but she’s at the limit with her medication. She tells him not to stuff things up with his family; he’s putting himself first and that’s how it starts. She reflects on how she once faked a faint to stop Dean going out when he was a child. Ben says Dean’s turned out good but Karen says that’s down to Dean himself, not her. Next morning, Alf hears Ben on the phone near the bait shop. Ben tells him it was the AFP: Police in Indonesia have arrested the person who put the drugs in the boards. He isn’t sure what it means for him. Alf thinks he could be off the hook soon.

Dean and Ziggy meet Karen near the surf club. She has her bags packed, saying she’s got a job at the Reefton Lakes League Club. She makes it clear Mackenzie didn’t fire her: An old mate rang, it’s in the kitchen so she doesn’t have to deal with customers, and she’ll just be down the road. John calls over that her taxi is waiting, anxious she shouldn’t miss it. As she goes, Karen adds that she’s happy for Ziggy to have her grandchildren and Ziggy says that’s a way off. Dean looks concerned.