Episode 7518

Extended Summary

Nikau and Tane turn up at Salt and Mackenzie agrees to get them some food. They tell her and Chloe about the family conference that’s been called for tomorrow. Nikau worries that it must be bad news otherwise they’d be told straightawy. Tane tries to calm him, saying the hospital might just want to talk things over, which Mackenzie backs up. At the hospital, Lewis draws up a syringe and prepares to inject it into Ari’s canula, but quickly hides it when Mia comes in. She is surprised to see him and he says he was checking on Ari after helping with an emergency. Mia says she came back in because she couldn’t sleep. Lewis says that now she’s there he should go, dropping the syringe into the sharps bin. Mia thanks him for looking out for Ari.

Christian is on the phone to the hospital, getting an update on Ari. Tori tries to get him to come to bed and get some sleep before the conference. She knows he’s worried he’ll be to blame if something happens. Christian says he’s worried about making the wrong call. Meanwhile, Mackenzie arrives home and finds a note from Ziggy saying she had to crash and to wake her if she wants to talk. Mackenzie gets her laptop out and looks on an unplanned pregnancy forum.

Next morning, Nikau, Tane and Chloe are walking on the beach. The Paratas try and convince Chloe to go to the hospital with them. Chloe is reluctant to see Mia but eventually agrees to go for Ari’s sake. Nikau and Tane insist he’s going to be all right. At the surf club, Jasmine and Lewis are also discussing the conference. Lewis thinks Christian will enjoy having people hanging off his every word and insists Ari won’t recover consciousness. Jasmine feels sorry for his family. Lewis says he does too, adding that they’re putting their trust in Christian and he doesn’t deserve it. Mackenzie comes in and asks if they can update her on Ari. Jasmine says Lewis is going in and he agrees to let them know.

Mia is still by Ari’s bedside when Nikau, Tane and Chloe arrive. She explains that she went back to the van for a bit but couldn’t stay away. Tori gives Christian a few words of encouragement before he goes in to talk to them, with Lewis glowering after him. He explains that they want to try and reduce Ari’s sedation and take him off the ventilator. However, there is no guarantee that it will work and he might have to go back on the machine. Nikau is horrified at the prospect but Tane insists he’ll recover. Christian warns them that if he does come round there could be brain damage but ultimately everyone agrees to try.

Meanwhile, Leah and Justin are walking on the beach. Justin is constantly checking his phone for any news of the house sale. Leah tries to convince Justin to go to the garage but he says it’s his day off and he’d annoy Ziggy if he turned up, so he’ll go to work with her. Shortly after, at the Diner, Leah chats to Alf about Martha: The council recommended a place where Alf can visit her whenever he wants. Seeing Justin at a nearby table, Leah asks Alf to give him a job to distract him.

Mackenzie is clearing a table on the Salt balcony while Jasmine watches. Jasmine says she understands: Mackenzie still cares about Ari despite the split but feels on the outer. Jasmine gets a text from Lewis about Ari being taken off the ventilator. Mackenzie thinks it’s good news but Jasmine explains it might not work. At the hospital, Tori and Christian remove Ari’s sedation but he continues to need the machine to breathe. Tane tries to reassure Nikau, while Mia and Chloe give Ari encouragement. Nikau takes the toki pendant from around his neck and places it on Ari’s chest, saying the whole whanau is with him.

Justin is working on a boat on the pier. Alf joins him and, after checking he’s not hurting himself, comments on the fact he’s still got the phone in his hand. Justin realises Alf’s spoken to Leah. Alf talks about going fishing when he’s at a loose end. Shortly after, Justin lays his things on the beach and walks towards the water with a surf board. After taking several deep breaths, he rushes in.

Christian does his best to reassure Ari’s family it can take time. Ari starts choking as he comes round and Tori and Christian remove the tube, while Christian does tests. Tane encourages Ari. Ari asks who he is and beckons him closer, before slapping him and saying he wouldn’t forget his ugly mug. Chloe hugs Christian and Tane hugs Tori. Mia slips out and Chloe follows her. Mia says she was just overwhelmed. Jasmine and Lewis arrive and see them hugging. Jasmine is concerned and Lewis say he knew it, but when they talk to the pair, they explain they’re happy because Ari is awake. Chloe goes back in and Mia tells Lewis she won’t forget how invested he was. Lewis, shaken, tells Jasmine that Ari wasn’t going to wake up. Jasmine says he has and that’s good. Lewis agrees but doesn’t seem entirely convinced.

Tane arrives at Salt and tells Mackenzie he needs a lot of takeaways because Ari is awake. Mackenzie is overwhelmed by the news and retreats into the storeroom, crying. Tane follows and refuses to leave her. Meanwhile, Justin is floating in the water. When a wave comes along, he catches and surfs it. Near the beach, Tane is encouraging Mackenzie to visit Ari. Mackenzie says she can’t, because if she did she’d have to tell him something she doesn’t want to. Tane jokingly asks if she’s pregnant, then catches her look. Mackenzie confirms she is.