Episode 8476

Extended Summary

Mali is finishing off a class on the beach. Abigail appears with a coffee and says she’ll look after the shop. Mali asks if she heard him the previous night and Abigail says she hoped he’d be over it. Mali says he put the ad in and Abigail says it won’t help until someone applies. She walks off; Mackenzie has approached while they’re talking. Mali says if he wants to hear someone tell him he’s terrible then he’ll read the article. Mackenzie says if he was terrible then Abigail wouldn’t be wanting to help him.

John exits his house and sees a vehicle full of River Boys parked up down the road. He stops Tane, guessing they’re not keeping an eye on his place because they’re admiring the shrubs. Tane says Cash knows about them and doesn’t think there’s anything to worry about, and John should take it up with him. John decides to walk with Tane.

Mackenzie follows Abby up to the surf club, reminding her Mali doesn’t want her help. Abigail reminds her that she said to force help on him but Mackenzie now thinks she should give him some space. John and Tane enter with Tane reiterating that John should talk to Cash. Mackenzie asks Tane about cuddles with Archie and he explains Harper has him today. Abigail takes Mali’s class list down the beach but he insists he doesn’t want her help and says he hoped she’d be on his side over the article. Abigail thinks he’s saying that she can only express an opinion if she agrees with him.

Alf, Roo and Eliza are having breakfast together with Eliza being the picture of politeness as she offers Alf another cup of tea. She asks Roo what they’re doing today and Roo says they’ll go out to give Alf some peace and quiet. Eliza suggests going to see Harper and Archie but Roo says Harper needs time alone. After Eliza has left the room, Alf thinks Roo should call the department. Roo thinks another person walking away from Eliza won’t help but Alf thinks she’s done all she can. In her room, Eliza watches the video of Harper, then checks her box, to which she has added Alf’s pills and a photo of Harper in agony.

At the Diner, Irene has to remind Marilyn to give a customer the right coffee order. Harper comes in with Archie and Irene gushes about how much she’s missed him, even though it’s only been an hour. Marilyn has to be prompted to come over and see him. Harper asks if things are better with Eliza now. Marilyn says they’re not, but she won’t say any more.

John nearly collides with a running Mali outside the surf club. Roo and Eliza approach, with Eliza complaining about not being able to see her one friend. Roo asks John if Eliza can help him and John notes the buggy needs cleaning. Roo says if Eliza does it then maybe they can see Harper after. After the others have gone, first Tane and then Harper and Archie appear. Roo asks to talk to them about Eliza.

Up in Salt, Abigail complains to Mackenzie about Mali not letting anyone help. Mackenzie asks her to cover the place while she goes to do something. Roo, Tane, Harper and Archie come up. Roo explains to Tane and Harper about Alf’s scare and how Eliza either couldn’t find his medication or hid it, and what she said about doing a better job of it if she wanted to hurt him.

Downstairs, Eliza complains to John about having to clean the buggy just for it to get dirty again. John stops Mackenzie to ask her about Mali. While he’s distracted, Eliza wanders off, leaving the bucket on the pool table. Mackenzie finds Mali down on the beach and tells him he’s soon going to be single. She asks him why he won’t accept Abigail’s help, calling it a bruised ego.

Harper tells Roo they could tell the department everything but Roo doesn’t want to give up on her. Tane and Roo tell Harper about Eliza filming her giving birth. Harper protests that Eliza’s phone was out of battery, which is why she used hers to call the ambulance. Tane checks Harper’s phone and sees there was no 000 call made. Harper is shocked that Eliza let her go through labour on her own knowing it was dangerous. Tane asks Roo if that’s proof enough for her.

At the coffee cart, Marilyn comments on them all being on the same page about Eliza now. Alf tells her that Roo is still hoping to turn things around. Eliza comes up and asks if they’ve seen Harper. Alf says she’s been told to stay away and Eliza says Roo changed her mind. She abruptly walks off, saying she’ll keep looking.

Roo gets a call from Alf letting her know that Eliza isn’t downstairs like she thought. She tells Tane and Harper and declines Harper’s offer to come with her. Tane again tries to order Harper away but Harper says she’s going to help Roo whether he wants her to or not. At the counter, Mackenzie tells Abigail she spoke to Mali, just before she gets a text asking to meet him.

Downstairs, John tells Mali he spoke to Roo but couldn’t help much. He teases Mali for sacking someone without having a backup plan and Mali says he’s had enough people telling him what he’s doing wrong. Abigail comes over and Mali confirms he does need her help. He apologises for taking things out on her. Abigail says they can’t rely on Mackenzie to referee all the time.

Roo arrives home, calling out for Eliza. She goes up to her room and finds the box, with the new items added. By the beach, Tane is looking after Archie while Harper is on the phone. She asks Tane to stay with him while she goes to join Roo in talking to Eliza, not wanting her to deal with it on her own. Tane doesn’t want Harper there, worried about how Eliza will react.

Roo is sitting with the pills and photo when Eliza comes home. Eliza wants to know why Roo’s gone through her things. Roo wants to know why Eliza said she couldn’t find Alf’s pills when she had them all along. She follows Eliza upstairs, asking why she did it. Eliza says Alf lied to her about Harper not wanting to see her. Alf comes home and finds the pills. Roo asks Eliza if any of the stories she told her about the box are true and Eliza says it was all lies. Alf comes up to confront her about the pills. Roo ushers him away downstairs, leaving Eliza alone.