Episode 479

Extended Summary

Fisher and Mr. West from the Department have gone to the caravan park house. Tom confirms that Steven’s rucksack is gone and it looks like both he and Viv have run off. Despite Tom supporting Fisher, West isn’t convinced by their version of events, thinking Viv has been hidden with a friend or relative to stop them taking her away. Steven and Viv are dropped off in the bush by their driver. Steven thinks it’s too late to hitch hike again and tells Viv they need to camp for the night.

Bobby is on the phone to Matt at the Diner and tells him she’ll meet him and Carly can cover. Carly, who was about to go home, protests at this but Bobby leaves her no choice, sweeping out of the Diner. The phone rings and it’s Tom, who asks Carly if she’s seen Steven and Viv. Carly says she hasn’t and tells him Bobby’s not there; Adam and Emma are but she doesn’t think they know anything. Tom tells West he can’t think of anyone else to ring. West is suspicious that Fisher hasn’t thought of anywhere to look and tells him if Viv isn’t in his office within 24 hours there’ll be trouble. After he’s gone, Tom suggests they search the shed to see if Steven’s taken any camping gear.

Steven and Viv stop by a tree in the bush and carve their names into it. Steven tells her he knows the area since he went camping there with Dodge. Viv thinks they should pitch a tent and rejects Steven’s suggestion they sleep under the stars. Back at the house, Tom and Alf try to reassure Fisher that they’ll be all right, despite the police not being interested: Tom says Steven knows how to look after himself and Alf says they took food with them. Fisher thinks it would have been better if they’d gone to the city and isn’t convinced by claims they’re responsible, saying their actions suggest otherwise. In their tent, Steven and Viv tuck into a meal of cold chicken. Steven thinks they should finish it off but Viv says it’s so cold outside it’ll probably keep. She gets into her sleeping bag to stay warm, wondering why no-one listened to them. Steven thinks they shouldn’t go to the city, they should stay in the bush until everything’s been sorted. Viv wonders what will happen if it isn’t.

Bobby arrives at Matt’s place. Matt hasn’t been able to bring himself to open the box of Shane’s things yet. Bobby offers to make a start while he gets the coffee. She finds a jacket which both she and Matt remember Shane wearing. Matt tells her to check the pockets. Bobby finds a blood-stained handkerchief and says it’s her blood: After Al hit her, Shane found her on the beach, cleaned her up and made her tell him about it. Matt finds some old cassettes and notices his writing on one of them, saying it must be something he was doing it for school. They put the tape on and hear the pre-teen Matt interviewing Shane. He asks him what he wants to do when he grows up and Shane says he wants to look out for kids whose parents mistreat them.

Adam and Emma are flicking through magazines at the store. Both are pleased Steven and Viv took off but Alf disagrees, thinking Viv’s made things worse. He tells Adam he wants him to help search for them in the morning; West already blames Fisher and is likely to be even more suspicious if they don’t look for Viv. Al comes in but Alf refuses to serve him, blaming him for Steven and Viv running off. When it’s clear Alf isn’t going to back down, Al leaves. He returns to the caravan and complains to Sophie that he had to go to the other side of town to get a takeaway. Sophie suggests things would be different if he was nice to people but Al reiterates that he’s better than the people in Summer Bay. When Sophie says some of them have been nice to her, Al grabs hold of her roughly and tells her she’s supposed to be on his side.

Bobby and Matt finish checking Shane’s stuff, disappointed they haven’t found anything useful. Bobby notices some comics, recalling how Shane used to sell them. Matt gives her Shane’s jacket to keep warm on her way home. Tom and Fisher have retired to Fisher’s place where Fisher tells Tom about trying the gun out to try and fit in and finding Shane’s body. Bobby arrives back and says it’s cold outside. Fisher tells her about Viv being missing. In the tent, Viv is spooked by the animal noises outside. She puts the light on and wakes Steven. Steven says it’s just possums but Viv is worried a snake might come into the tent and wants to pack up and hitch hike. Steven tells her to go to sleep.

Next morning, Steven and Viv walk to a cliff edge and admire the view. Steven suggests they have a wash in the sea, saying there’s a chain nearby you can use to abseil, which he uses quite often. Viv isn’t keen. Steven goes on his own but the pole the chain is attached to shifts as he’s climbing down, causing him to overbalance. He rolls down the cliffside, coming to rest on a ledge, next to a sheer drop on the rocks. His face is covered in cuts and bruises and his leg hurts. Viv climbs down to him. Steven says his leg is broken and tells Viv to go and get help.

Carly and Bobby are making sandwiches for the search at the Diner. Matt arrives and Adam and Emma tell him what’s going on. Adam notices he has some of Shane’s comics with him and notes they’re classics. Bobby suggests Matt join them but he isn’t in the right head space so she leaves with Adam and Emma. On the ledge, Steven tries and fails to move his leg while Viv, who now has a graze on her cheek, wanders aimlessly through the bush, shouting for help.

Tom, Fisher, Adam and Bobby are round at Fisher’s place, getting ready to go and meet Alf. West arrives, saying he’s checking on things, and makes pointed remarks about their failure to produce Viv. Fisher retorts that he’s far more worried about Viv being missing than about West’s bullying. Viv climbs back down to the ledge. Just as she gets there, the chain breaks. Viv tells Steven that she got lost and couldn’t find help. With the chain broken, they’re now both trapped on the ledge.