Episode 7464

Extended Summary

Ziggy and Tane run into each other near the beach. Tane invites Ziggy to join him for a drink at Salt but she says she needs to grab a juice and get back to doing the books. She gets an abusive text from a customer whose car is late. Nikau comes along and Ziggy asks him how Bella and Dean are. Tane now insists she come with them. Some time later, Ziggy, Ari, Nikau and Tane are sat around a table in Salt. Mackenzie offers them another round but Ziggy says she has to get going. She and Mackenzie briefly chat about Dean; Ziggy has contemplated phoning him but doesn’t think it would do any good. Mackenzie declines to join the others, saying she’s going to make sure Ziggy gets food.

Leah gets Justin to wriggle his toes again. Christian confirms it probably means the swelling’s going down but refuses to commit to a time for the operation until after they’ve done a scan. Meanwhile, at the caravan park house, Alf is complaining about people having their heads in the phone instead of meeting people in the real world. Martha however thinks it might be the only way people would meet and wonders if Roo’s considering it. Roo says Marilyn’s deleted the app and wonders if Martha ever tried it, since she was away from Alf for thirty years. Noting Alf’s shocked expression, Martha points out he married and had a son. Alf says she’s never mentioned another man. Martha asks how he knows it was a man before saying she was joking. When Alf tries to push for details, she just says thirty years is a long time.

Tori arrives at the hospital, slightly miffed that she wasn’t called straightaway. Christian is already looking at scans and says the swelling hasn’t gone down completely but he has a slot for the surgery tomorrow if Justin wants it. Justin agrees. Tori is shocked, thinking they should have a few more days of steroids so the swelling goes down completely. Christian says they’ve already discussed that option. Justin makes it clear he wants to push ahead. Leah suggests they sleep on it. Meanwhile, Mackenzie arrives back at the farm house with pizza but tells Ziggy she has to go out again, saying she’s interviewing a chef. Ziggy notes Dean told her to stay away. Mackenzie thinks Willow has a lot to answer for but Ziggy says Willow did what they weren’t brave enough to and who knows when it would have ended otherwise.

Mackenzie waits in her car as another vehicle pulls up. Paul and Leon get out and Mackenzie says they’re late. Paul comments on the car. Mackenzie says it’s his, if he agrees to leave the Paratas alone. She holds out the key. Paul looks it over, noting it could be his first car with paperwork. Leon asks if Mackenzie comes with the car and she says she’s explained the deal. She notes Ari and Tane will come if they don’t hear from her in ten minutes but Lean doubts if they even knows she’s there. Mackenzie holds the key out, asking if they have a deal, and this time Paul takes it. He gets in the car, while Leon gets in the one they came in. He offers her a lift home but Mackenzie says she’d rather walk over broken glass. They drive off and Mackenzie sits down on a fence, looking shattered.

Ari, Nikau and Tane arrive home. Nikau explains he’s giving Bella some space since she and Dean are visiting Colby for the first time in the morning and she wants an early night. He gets a call from Gemma and takes it into his bedroom. Ari and Tane talk about waiting for Paul and Leon to get in touch. Later, Nikau tells his uncles that Gemma still wants him to visit but he says he can’t because of Bella. Mackenzie turns up and announces that she’s fixed it and it’s over. After a confused silence, Ari asks fixed what.

At Salt, Tori is telling Leah that she doesn’t think Justin’s thought things through and wants Leah to help talk him round but Leah agrees with Justin. Christian rejoins them and guesses what they were talking about. Tori says Justin needs his head examined; Christian says he could do that but it wouldn’t help Tori’s problem. Leah leaves and Christian says he can see both sides and it’s Justin’s choice, before suggesting they sleep on it and have dinner. Tori says she’s not hungry, adding that last time Justin went into surgery she had to make a life or death decision for him. Meanwhile, Ari is berating Mackenzie for putting herself in danger. Tane suggests he hear her out, and he and Nikau go out. Mackenzie points out it worked. Ari accepts that and says he’ll pay her back.

Ziggy is still working on the accounts when Tane turns up with beers. Ziggy says she needs to concentrate but Tane says he can help. Some time after however, they seem to have drunk most of the beer and not done much of the work. Ziggy feels she’s letting Justin down and reminds Tane he messed up on his first day. Tane thinks she needs to tell Justin she’s swamped and Ziggy is forced to admit that’s not bad advice. She says she’s going to bed and offers Tane the couch. After a bit of a moment, he says good night and leaves.

Next morning, Alf is sorting out a delivery near the bait shop, while Nikau is distracted thinking about Bella. Roo and Martha come along and Martha comments on it being unusual to have a love that intense at that age. Alf tries to ask about her alleged fella. Roo says Nikau doesn’t want to hear about the over-55s dating, which Alf takes as evidence it was recent. Roo and Martha head into the Diner. Meanwhile, Ziggy is tidying up as Ari and Mackenzie appear. Ziggy notes she didn’t hear Mackenzie speed up outside in her usual style. Mackenzie just says Ari drove her. Ziggy explains about Tane’s visit and says she’s decided she needs to tell Justin she can’t cope on her own.

At the hospital, Tori is trying to convince Justin and Leah to go for three more days of steroids. Justin says she hates it when patients don’t listen to her and Christian has given him the go-ahead. Christian comes in with forms for Justin to sign and Tori asks to talk to him. Tori tries to convince him to wait but Christian says they’ve made the decision. At the Diner, Alf finds Nikau staring at his phone, worried about Bella, and notes youngsters don’t use them to actually call each other. At that moment, Bella calls. Nikau answers, asking how it went with Colby. His reaction suggests Bella is less than calm.

Ziggy arrives at the hospital to be greeted by the sight of Justin being wheeled out of his room for surgery. She says a few words to him, then stands back as Leah and Tori wish him luck. Christian attempts to give Tori a reassuring look. As the surgical team head into the lift, Tori notes she hopes Justin and the others made the right choice.