Episode 7739

Extended Summary

Tane and Felicity are relaxing outside her caravan and reflecting on the possibility of shutting out the rest of the world. Felicity asks how things are at home. Tane says he hasn’t seen Ari since last week and will go tomorrow. Felicity offers to go with him, which pleases him. He asks her if she fancies going to a prison wedding. At the Diner, Bella is filling Chloe in on her shopping trip with Karen, saying she accosted her while she was waiting for a bus but it was good to hear her stories about her mum. Nikau turns up. Chloe says she’s almost finished and they agree to wait for her.

Roo joins Alf on the pier and tells him he’s still Ryder’s hero and one thing won’t change that. Alf thinks sometimes it does, asking Roo about Martha refusing the kidney. He says Martha should have taken it: He knew it then but was too gutless to say anything. Roo says she felt lonely then but not anymore. Alf thanks her for not giving up on him. Meanwhile, Mia is sat in her room, looking morose, but does her best to look happy when Nikau, Bella and Chloe arrive. They notice the dress box and Nikau says there were two earlier. Mia says the other one (which is now in her room) is hers; this one is Chloe’s bridesmaid dress and Mia asks her to try it on. Chloe isn’t keen, but when Mia offers to get her another one, she says she’ll do it.

Ziggy tells Dean to say the food’s great whatever happens, as Karen joins them. There’s suddenly a knock at the door and Dean lets Brett in, saying he’ll get him some food. Karen realises Dean and Ziggy planned this. Brett says he gave Karen the meat loaf recipe. Karen says she changed it but Brett just says a good chef will do that. Later, as they’re eating, Ziggy awkwardly tries to ask Brett about his work with the fire service. Brett says that this meat loaf has more zing than the last one Karen made but Karen chooses to interpret that as him saying the previous one wasn’t any good and wonders what she ever saw in him. She takes off a chain around her neck with the engagement ring on it and gives it back to Brett. He tells her she wins: She’s trying to push him away and she has. He leaves and Karen refuses Dean and Ziggy’s entreaties to go after him, saying she swore to never let a bloke hurt her again.

Chloe is trying on the dress in the bathroom while Mia calls out encouragement to her. She emerges and Bella and Nikau give her words of encouragement but she goes into a panic, saying she hates it, and dashes out. Later, Nikau gets her a drink. Chloe apologises for the freak out but also rejects Mia’s claim that everything’s all right and goes to bed. Bella tells Mia she should have known the dress wouldn’t help. Mia says they don’t have time to wait for Chloe to get over it and Bella accuses her of only caring about the wedding. Nikau stops her and Bella goes to the bedroom with him following. She says Mia needs to stop pushing Chloe.

Dean reminds Ziggy they weren’t supposed to mention stalking Brett online. Karen returns and Ziggy leaves them to it. Karen tries to start dancing but Dean asks if she’s into Brett. Karen says she was into his dad and Dean retorts that she was a groupie who barely knew him. Karen says she’s better on her own. Dean says he used to think that and didn’t trust things with Ziggy for a long time, since he felt he didn’t deserve to be happy. Karen tells him not to think that and he says she shouldn’t either, noting anyone that likes her meat loaf is either a keeper or has a death wish. Next morning, Felicity and Tane are both relaxing outside the caravan, glad that he stayed the night. Tane reminds her he has to go see Ari and Felicity says she has to work out what to wear to the wedding.

Bella finds Chloe sitting on the headland. Chloe initially says she’s hiding from Mia before saying she needed some fresh air, while Bella says she’s meant to be doing a study on contrasts but suggests they hang out: Karen’s at hers so she’s got nowhere better to be. Chloe notes it’s one more day nearer to Ari’s sentence. Bella suggests she goes with Tane to see him but Chloe says she needs to get her head straight and they go for a walk. Meanwhile, Dean sees Karen dressed up and comments on her enormous earrings. There’s a knock on the door and Karen sends Dean to answer it: It’s Brett, who Karen invited over. Dean says he’ll get out of their way…which means going back to his breakfast. Karen and Brett sit in the living area and Karen says she’s ready to talk. Dean finishes and leaves.

Back at the Parata house, Nikau says Bella didn’t mean what she said. Mia thinks Bella’s right though: The wedding might be helping her and Ari but not Chloe. Tane arrives and sends Nikau away. Mia admits to him that she has no idea how to help Chloe. He gives her a brief hug but she’s still agitated. She gets a call from the prison which mentions hospital. Soon after, Mia and Tane are searching around the surf club. Mia is trying to call Chloe. They run into Nikau, who hasn’t seen Chloe. Tane tells Mia to go and they’ll look for her, explaining to Nikau that Ari’s hurt or sick and been taken to hospital.

Mia arrives at the emergency department in a state and asks Logan if he’s seen Ari, explaining about the call. Moments later, Ari is brought in. Mia tries to go to him but Martinez, acting as escort, stops her, saying he needs to see some ID. The ambulance officer explains to Logan that Ari’s having intermittent abdominal pain. Ari gets into the bed himself and Freya draws the curtain with Martinez again stopping Mia, who looks on anxiously.