Episode 7242

Extended Summary

On the beach, Ziggy and Ben are coming back from a surf. Ziggy thanks Ben for going out with her, saying Dean always makes it competitive. Maggie is waiting on the beach and Ziggy notes she was watching Ben; Maggie and Ben kiss, telling Ziggy they haven’t embarrassed her in a while. Ziggy’s phone rings and she observes she doesn’t know the number. Maggie comments that there was a time when people answered phones if they rang. At the hospital, Colby joins Mackenzie in the corridor. He thinks Bella is sick and fragile so should be cut some slack but Mackenzie says she was rude. She sarcastically thanks Colby for his support and also complains at him not letting her know what was going on. Colby suggests they meet for coffee in an hour but doesn’t disagree when Mackenzie indicates Bella would stop him. Dean arrives in the lift as Mackenzie is going; he asks if she’s going for coffee and Mackenzie sarcastically says she’ll get him a cap with extra marshmallow. Dean criticises Colby for not updating him. They head into Bella’s room, where she’s asking Alex how often patients die because no-one believes they’re ill; Alex says not that often. Bella says she doesn’t want to have random visitors but Dean’s okay because he’s family. Dean gives her her headphones. Bella notes at least he thought about what she needed. She pops the balloon Mackenzie brought.

Mason approaches Alex to sign his time sheet; he is polite but not very friendly. Alex suggests they have a coffee and chat but Mason says he doesn’t want to keep her. Later, Alex is walking with Willow by the Diner and doesn’t know if Mason is hurt or embarrassed. She admits he was gossiping about them at the nurses’ station and she wasn’t sure Willow would want people knowing. Willow is impressed that Alex defended her honour. Alex gets a page to return to hospital. Willow offers to talk to Mason but Alex says she can’t send her girlfriend in to bat for her. Willow is bemused but pleased to be called that, repeating it when arranging a date later.

Ziggy joins Ben and Maggie at the Diner and tells them that she called back the number. A while back, shortly after she broke up with Brody, she applied for something through Tafe and has been offered a week’s trial with a race team pit crew. However, if she gets it it would mean leaving the Bay and Dean. Near the beach, Willow runs into Mackenzie and asks if she heard from Colby. Mackenzie admits she went to the hospital but Bella threw her out and Colby let it happen; she understands he’s in a difficult position but is upset he didn’t stand up for her. Willow says that’s why she advised Mackenzie not to go and thinks they’ll calm down if given space.

Willow joins Colby, Bella and Dean at the hospital and asks why Bella threw Mackenzie out, which surprises Dean. Bella says she just wants the people she cares about there and Colby cuts the conversation short. Alex announces Bella’s ready to be discharged but Bella says she doesn’t want to go: She’s safe there and if she leaves no-one will believe she’s ill and Colby won’t even be there. Willow and Dean head to the gym. Willow thinks Bella is manipulating events to keep Colby and Mackenzie apart but Dean doesn’t want to be caught in the middle. He leaves to meet Ziggy.

Outside the surf club, Ziggy gives a big speech about how she and Dean can handle a long distance relationship. Dean comes up behind her and wonders why she’s talking to herself. He mentions the troubles with Bella and Mackenzie and notes Ziggy’s the only woman in his life who doesn’t give him drama. He asks what she wanted to talk about. Ziggy says it doesn’t matter and sends him off to a class. At the farm house, Ben is working on a board design for his new customer, telling Maggie the client gets a new board whenever she has another child. Ziggy arrives and admits she didn’t tell Dean. She comes up with other reasons for not accepting the trial: She’d have to leave Tafe and her job and let Justin down and she’d be nowhere near water. She says she only applied because she wanted a fresh start after Brody. Maggie asks why she chose this and Ziggy says it’d mean working on state of the art engines with the best engineers in the world. She considers that she’d be the token female and wonders if they even know she’s female, asking why her parents called her Ziggy.

Colby and Willow bring a reluctant Bella to the beach house, where she’s greeted by Irene. Bella is still unhappy and claims she wouldn’t care if anything happened to Grace. Irene suggests it might be better not to be living with a screaming baby for a bit and Bella says that’s what her headphones are for. Colby says Bella was worse at that age. Later, Colby and Willow are packing Bella’s things at the flat. Willow tries to convince Colby that Bella is manipulating him but Colby insists that she’s ill. He feels guilty for not believing her and not getting her immunised. Willow says he’s not a parent but Colby says he’s all she’s got and ends up shouting at Willow to go if she’s not going to be supportive.

Willow meets up with Alex near the beach. Alex has prepared a beach picnic but Willow admits she has to cancel, saying she needs to keep an eye on Bella and may have made the situation worse. Mason walks past; they greet him but, although he looks over, he doesn’t say anything in response. Alex notes she has to sort that. Later, Colby arrives at the beach house with Bella’s bag. He and Willow clear the air and Willow suggests he goes see Mackenzie, with him sending a text. Willow asks Bella to set the table but Bella complains she’s sick so Irene says she’ll do it. Colby tries to say goodbye but Bella wants him to stay. Colby asks if he can stay for dinner and Irene agrees. Bella suggests they continue their card game. Colby, not sounding very happy, says he was losing so they’ll start another one.

Dean arrives at Salt and asks Mackenzie if she can help him with the accounts. Mackenzie says she’s meeting Colby, then gets a text from him cancelling. She starts monologuing about how Colby will always put Bella first and that’s a good thing, while Dean muses that not working there anymore means he doesn’t have to listen. Ziggy comes in hoping to talk to Dean but Mackenzie is ready to help him. He tells Ziggy it won’t take long. At the gym, Alex finds Mason weight-lifting. She claims she went there to release endorphins but Mason notes she usually only goes there to see Willow. Alex apologises for earlier, saying she was harsh and explaining about the relationship being new. Mason forgives her but says he was just being supportive and thinks they make a cute couple.

Dean and Ziggy arrive back at the farm house, talking about Mackenzie’s help. Ben and Maggie greet them with a celebratory drink. Dean wonders what they’re celebrating and Ziggy tells him about the offer and that it’s complicated. Later, Maggie is drinking alone commenting that it doesn’t feel like a celebration anymore. She tells Ben that they didn’t raise their daughters to compromise their careers for boyfriends. Ben says it’s Ziggy’s decision. Outside the surf club, Ziggy explains to Dean that the job would mean leaving Summer Bay. She wants him to help her decide. Dean says it’s nothing to do with him. Ziggy says in that case she’s made her decision and gets into the car.