Episode 7456

Extended Summary

Tane sits up all night keeping a watch over the house. Next morning, Mackenzie emerges and admits she didn’t get any sleep either. Tane tells her Ari’s taking Nikau to work and notes he’ll be just as safe there. Ari returns and notes he thought Mackenzie would have a lie-in. He says he’ll drive her to Salt and tells Tane they should just sit tight. At the hospital, Christian joins Leah and Justin, saying he was held up in theatre. Justin explains about the pain and Christian says he’ll take him for a CT scan once they’ve got it under control.

Ari and Mackenzie approach the surf club. Ziggy reminds Mackenzie they had a movie date and asks if she’s heard any news about Dean and Colby. She realises she’s missing something and Ari explains that Tane’s mates followed Nikau. He and Mackenzie go up to Salt where he decides to get a takeaway breakfast and go back to Tane. Ziggy comes up and quizzes Mackenzie. She feels bad for getting rid of the van but Mackenzie doesn’t seem to blame her.

Tane leaves a message for Paul saying they need to fix the situation because neither of them’s winning. Back at Salt, Mackenzie gives Ari the takeaway. John turns up and acknowledges that he only needs a table for one. He settles with the paper and sees an advert for Smouldr. Despite tutting a lot, he ends up downloading it and trying to take his photo. He asks a passing Ryder for help. Ryder is bewildered at John using a dating app but John says he’s middle-aged, not dead. Ryder says Smouldr’s normally for the under-40s and helps John find Silver Dreams for 45+.

Ari rejoins Tane at the house with the takeaway. Just as they are reflecting on how not much has happened, a rock gets chucked through the window. There is the sound of a car speeding away and Ari runs outside to look. Tane finds a note around the rock saying to meet in the playground near the beach at midday. He hides it from Ari. Later, as Ari is sweeping up, Tane announces he’s going out for some air. Ari suggests he get it in the back garden but Tane says he’ll only be twenty minutes.

Justin is brought back from his scan. Christian learns that Tori wasn’t there when the ambulance came and offers to call her. Justin says they’ll wait until there’s actually something to tell her. He tries to get Leah to go home but she refuses, Back at Salt, John is explaining to Ryder that since he and Marilyn are unlikely to get back together he needs companionship. He is bewildered at Ryder calling him a “property developer” on the grounds that he owns his own house and has done some work on it but Ryder says embellishments are part of it.

Leah and Justin are still waiting for news. Justin notes Tori’s going to notice they’re gone soon and keeps getting texts from her asking about Grace’s birthday party. Christian comes in; his demeanour suggests he’s got bad news. He explains that the tumour hasn’t shrunk as much as they’d hoped it would so they need to carry out surgery. The spinal cord is under pressure and if they don’t act soon then there will be permanent damage. They need to wait for the inflammation to go down, which will take a few days of steroids and radiotherapy. Justin asks for a moment. Christian leaves and Leah insists to Justin that she’s supported him up to now but they need to talk about it.

Tane meets Paul and Leon at the playground, saying they could have just texted. They want him to do one last courier job to pay off the debt. Tane says it can’t involve drugs and Paul assures him it doesn’t. Ari suddenly appears, asking if it’s a private party. A short time later, Ari and Tane watch as the others drive off. Ari insists they’re in it together and, despite having priors, he’ll help Tane with the job.

Down on the beach, Ryder is taking photos of John, who comes up with poses like slinging his jacket over his shoulder and looking through binoculars himself. He explains he was once asked to model men’s underwear. Ryder doesn’t want to hear the rest of the story. After looking over the photos, they send John’s profile live. Back at the hospital, Christian rejoins Leah and Justin. Justin says he’ll have the surgery on two conditions: He gets to wait at home and no-one tells Tori, because he doesn’t want to spoil Grace’s birthday. Christian isn’t happy but Leah knows it’s the best they’re going to get.

Ari goes to see Mackenzie at Salt and asks if Nikau can stay at hers. He explains he and Tane are going on a job and he wants to keep Nikau out of it. Mackenzie is horrified, saying there could be a gang of thugs or the police waiting at the rendezvous and worried he’ll go back to jail, but Ari won’t change his mind. He goes outside and gets into the car with Tane, saying Nikau knows to go to Mackenzie’s. They drive off.

Ziggy is staring at an empty fridge when Mackenzie returns home with pizzas. Mackenzie tells Ziggy what Ari and Tane are up to and rambles about falling in love with someone who constantly does the wrong thing. Ziggy blurts out that Colby’s guilty of murder and Dean covered it up.