Episode 7516

Extended Summary

Ziggy and Willow exit the surf club, discussing Bella and the fact Willow’s just said she misses her. Ziggy offers to talk to her, promising to be subtle. Irene comes along and asks if John’s inside. They see Bella wandering down to the beach and Ziggy offers to talk to her now. Inside, John greets Irene, saying he was going to talk to her. Irene says Susie beat him to it. John says Susie was going to make things up to her but Irene says Susie threw accusations at her and to keep her on a leash.

Martha is telling herself that she’s imagining things, while Kieran tries to get her to come back into the van, protesting that she left messages asking him to come. Martha says she can’t do this again and runs off. Near the house, Roo asks Alf if they’re doing the right thing: Not just leaving Martha to clean the van on her own but having her there at all, given how distressed she was. Alf says he helped her through it, but admits he doesn’t have a plan beyond giving her care and attention. Martha runs up and says Kieran was in the van. Roo says it’s just in her head but Martha says it felt real. Alf assures her she’s safe.

Bella is sat on the beach, training her camera on surfers. Ziggy sits down next to her and asks if she’s heard anything from the hospital: Both Nikau and Tane have been there all day but they’ve heard nothing. Bella admits she’s trying to distract herself with the camera. Ziggy offers her a coffee. Back at the surf club, Susie returns and John mentions Irene saying Susie tore strips off her. Susie says that it’s because Irene’s secretly in love with John. Willow, listening from a nearby table, quietly scoffs at the idea and John isn’t convinced either. He says he’ll arrange a dinner for them all at Salt to sort it out. Susie notices Willow looking at her and sharply asks if she’s all right; Willow fires the question back at her.

Alf, Roo and Martha approach the caravan. Martha argues that it wasn’t like before – her earlier vision of Kieran was loving and kind, while this was more like a nightmare – and curses the idea of her mind doing this to her. She is unable to bring herself to open the van, so Alf looks instead and says there’s no-one there. Martha checks for herself and accepts that she imagined Kieran. Alf and Roo offer to help her clear out the van. None of them see Kieran watching from the trees. Later, they head up to the house. Martha feels embarrassed at thinking Kieran was real. Roo takes Alf aside and suggests they call the hospital but Alf is determined to keep his promise and not send her back. He gives Martha the basket of art materials and suggests she paints to relax.

John turns up at the Diner with a bunch of flowers, telling Irene not to get the wrong idea because they’re a peace offering. He invites her to dinner with him and Susie, saying he wants them to get along, but Irene retorts that she wants world peace and a million bucks. Willow quietly tells Irene that Susie said she wouldn’t come and will now look like the reasonable one. Irene hurries after John and says she will come after all. At the surf club, Ziggy and Bella have got coffee. Ziggy asks about TAFE and Bella mentions the competition, explaining she’s having trouble picking a photo: Colby always helped her in the past and she was hoping Nikau would. Ziggy suggests Bella bring the photos round hers and she’ll help her. She then calls Willow and says they’ve got a plan.

That evening, John and Susie are waiting at Salt. Susie tries to suggest Irene won’t turn up, but Irene then appears and jokes about being in love with John. John says they’re going to nip misunderstandings like that in the bud. Susie comments that the three of them together is like her and John’s first date and says she needs a stiff drink. At the bar, she orders three glasses of red wine, then puts several drops of a clear liquid from a bottle in one of them. She places a glass in front of Irene but she declines, with John explaining she’s a teetotaller. Susie offers to take the glass away but John says not to waste it and starts drinking the glass; Susie looks worried but says nothing. John suggests the friction is because of Irene’s loyalty to Alf and Marilyn and Susie’s jealousy of their friendship, and toasts new beginnings.

At the farm house, Ziggy is looking over and complimenting Bella on her photos, many of which feature Nik as the model. Ziggy sees one of Dean, taken when Colby was still around, and several of Colby, before noting there aren’t any of Willow. Bella says she stabbed them in the back and dismisses Ziggy’s claim she was trying to protect them, saying she’s had enough of people lying and betraying her. Ziggy starts to write a text message saying “Big mistake”, but before she can complete or send it, Willow turns up with pizza. Bella realises Ziggy set her up and accuses her of only being nice to her for this reason. Later, Willow tries to talk to Bella as she gathers her things but Bella says to get out of her way. Ziggy protests Bella’s missed the last bus and Bella says she’ll walk home. Ziggy says it’d take until after midnight. Bella agrees to Ziggy driving her so long as she doesn’t talk.

Alf, Roo and Martha arrive at the Diner. Martha notes painting helped her to think and she knows she’s still unwell, but is grateful that they’re both here for her. After she’s gone to get a menu, Roo notes Alf was good with her today and that bringing her home might have been the best thing after all. Meanwhile, Kieran is emerging from a van in the caravan park. He breaks into another van and searches it, eventually finding several bottles of beer in the fridge. He guzzles from one of them.

John is now looking unwell and Irene worries it was something he ate. He rushes to the bathroom to throw up, passing Willow and Ziggy. Ziggy apologises for her idea but Willow knows she meant well, although she now accepts Bella won’t forgive her. John returns still looking ill and Susie says she’ll get him home. Next morning, Irene finds Susie putting up posters outside the surf club, looking rough. Susie says John was up half the night, but when Irene asks if she called the doctor, says it wasn’t that bad. Irene is concerned about how quickly he got ill and wants to send Tori round but Susie bluntly says John doesn’t need Irene anymore so she should keep her nose out. She goes to take a call from a sponsor, leaving Irene glowering at her.