Episode 7524

Extended Summary

Mackenzie is walking on the beach. Ziggy calls out to her, saying Mackenzie was gone when she woke up. Mackenzie notes she thought it was only Dean monitoring her every move. Ziggy tries to talk to her about whether or not she’s keeping the baby, saying soon the decision will be taken for her, but Mackenzie says she has to get to work. Meanwhile, Jasmine arrives at the hospital and is greeted by Lewis, who jovially notes she’s five minutes late and her boss knows and got her a coffee. He also says he had an early night since they didn’t see each other. Tori and Christian come past with Christian on his way to the review: He hasn’t been able to talk to any of his team because they’re there already.

Outside the Diner, Alf is leaving irate phone messages for John and complains to Roo about the possibility of him giving Susie access to surf club funds. Marilyn joins them; Alf asks if she’s heard from John but Marilyn was hoping to ask them that. They explain about the sponsorship money being missing and John resigning. Marilyn decides to go and see him. Roo dissuades Alf from joining her and offers to go herself but Marilyn says she can handle it. She goes to the Palmer house: Even though John’s car is in the drive, there is no response to her knocking.

Ziggy turns up at Salt. Mackenzie tells her she’d better be there for breakfast. Ziggy makes a show of checking the menu before dropping the pretense and saying she’s there if Mackenzie needs her. Mackenzie admits she’s indecisive and the only person she’d want to discuss it with is Ari. Ziggy says she’s off work if Mackenzie needs to talk. At the hospital, Jasmine is chatting to Tori about rosters but Tori cuts her off when Christian returns, taking him into the office. Christian says the patient was stable when he left, then suddenly had cardiac arrhythmias during the night: She had no history of heart problems and he’s convince he had no choice but to operate but some of the team disagree. Since so many of his patients have died, admin thinks there’s a pattern. He decides to leave and Tori goes too. Jasmine wonders what’s going on. Lewis says one of the night nurses filled him in: Christian’s career is hanging by a thread.

Alf is now having a heated phone conversation with Gerald, saying he’s one of the idiots that voted John in. Marilyn arrives and tells Alf and Roo what she found. Alf thinks John’s keeping his head down but Marilyn worries he might have had a fall or another stroke. She and Roo decide to go back and Alf reluctantly follows with a crowbar, using it to force the door. They find no sign of John but Roo finds an empty whiskey bottle on the table. Marilyn wants to call the police but Alf suggests searching John’s favourite haunts first.

Tori is following Christian through a park area, telling him not to slide back into doubting himself. She points to the patients he’s saved over the years, including Ari, Colby and Justin. Christian agrees but unnerves her by saying he was meticulous and the board can go to hell. Back at the hospital, Lewis tells Jasmine that the board aren’t admitting the deaths are Christian’s fault but they’ve started investigating. He’s convinced he’ll be proved right and says this will keep happening unless Christian is struck off. Tori returns and Lewis asks how Christian is. Tori simply says as well as can be expected.

Christian is in Salt when he gets a call revealing the family want an autopsy. He orders a bourbon. Alf, Roo and Marilyn enter: There’s no sign of John. Roo suggests he’s drunk or hangover, while Marilyn worries Susie might have done something to him. She gets a call from Jett and can’t face answering it. Roo answers instead and learns John’s with him. Marilyn takes the phone. Later, she explains that John took the bus there because he’d been drinking. Alf thinks he’ll have to come back and face the music and Roo advises Alf to go easy on John when he does. Marilyn goes to talk to a drunk Christian, who says his patient’s dead, his colleagues hate him and his career’s a disaster. Marilyn calls Tori.

At the farm house, Ziggy is listening to music and starts singing and dancing to it. Mackenzie enters behind her and watches at first with amusement, but then her expression becomes more serious. Ziggy finally sees her and asks how long she’s been there. Mackenzie says she’s realised what she wants to do: As she explains later, she has a life to live before starting a family and wants to travel and prove to her father she’s better off without him. She needs to book an appointment for a termination and decides not to tell Ari.

Tori and Christian exit the surf club with Christian complaining about the autopsy. Tori says he has to trust that he’ll be cleared. Seeing Lewis and Jasmine, Christian storms over and says this is what Lewis wanted. Lewis sarcastically asks if it was just one sip of champagne again, and Christian punches him. Tori tells him to go as she and Jasmine tend to Lewis. Shortly after, at Salt, Jasmine gets Lewis some ice and checks on him. She notes he seems happy. Lewis says he’s been telling everyone what Christian’s like and now he’s shown his true colours.

Tori arrives home. Christian asks what she wants to say and Tori says he’s picked enough fights today. Christian says Lewis has been undermining him but Tori says he punched a colleague in front of her and another nurse. Christian walks out, telling her to do what she has to. At the farm house, Mackenzie finishes a phone call and tells Ziggy the termination’s booked for tomorrow. She feels relieved and says she’s going back to work.

Tori approaches Jasmine and Lewis at Salt. Lewis thinks she’s going to sweep it under the carpet but Tori says he has every right to report it, even if it means her being a witness. She leaves. Lewis says he’s got her blessing to make an official complaint, so he will.