Episode 3680

Extended Summary

RECAP
Hyde gives Kirsty some strict words of ‘advice’ – she must put the effort into Yr12, as it’s his responsibility to see that she passes.
Jesse is furious – he cannot believe that Leah no longer wants to go through with the surrogacy. She doesn’t know what she is going to tell Sally and Flynn.
Alf and Scott see Kane’s scars so he does a runner from work
Kane tells Kirsty about what happened on the boat – he doesn’t want pity. Kirsty encourages Kane to return to work and Alf and Scott will respect his decision – he isn’t too sure.

***

BLAXLAND
Kane sits on the end of the boat as Scott returns, and he is quick to tell Scott that he doesn’t want pity. Scott isn’t about to give him any – and if he’s two hours late again he needn’t bother coming back. The pair get back to work with no more mention of the incident.

DINER
Leah, prompted by Alf, goes to apologise to Colleen got her earlier outburst, but Colleen is “away with the pixies”, concentrating all her efforts into perfecting a sandwich and is incredibly calm about it, putting Leah’s mood down to hormones. The sandwich is for Noarman, who pops his head in to exchange soppy greetings with Colleen. Alf rolls his eyes and wryly comments that Norman will be eating her perfectly decorated sandwich – not hanging it on the wall. He reckons the older you get, the sillier love makes you look, but Leah, in a world of her own, reckons it’s sweet. Leah isn’t in the mood for working, and Alf wants to know if there’s anything he can do. They hug.

BEACH
Hyde approaches Jesse and they greet one another. Hyde’s reputation has preceded him in the small town. Hyde mentions needing the use of the gym for Kim – apparently his son is going to be a champion swimmer. Jesse raises his eyebrows in amusement, suggesting that Kim ought to have a word with him himself. Hyde’s suggestion that they tell Kim once they have a programme sorted goes down like a lead balloon, and although Hyde reckons Kim will play along with it – ultimately he doesn’t have a say in things – Jesse insists on speaking to Kim himself.

BLAXLAND
Kane has found a problem with the engine – some part or other is just about worn through, and they’re not gonna get new parts for that engine – it’s “older than Mr Stewart” . Alf arrives on cue, and takes a similar approach to the mornings viewing of Kane’s scars – he isn’t about to be give out sympathy. Kane explains the problem with the engine, and Alf is concerned – they have a diving charter at the weekend. Scott ponders the possibility of fixing it up – they could get about 10hrs out of it, and Kane agrees to give it a go – but it’ll just be a bandaid job, they NEED to get it properly fixed.
As he departs, Scott calls out to thank him, and Alf remarks that Kane’s a “strange bloke” who has obviously “had it tough as a kid”. Scott somewhat cryptically replies that none of them have had it easy.

DINER
Leah is still worrying herself about the surrogacy situation, and Jesse insists that she MUST talk to Sally and Flynn about it. His pager goes off and he must leave.
Outside the kitchen, Colleen is all gooey-eyed as she serves Norman, and they conclude that they care about one another… Colleen is concerned, however, that he has not yet invited her home to show her his “collectables” – that is, of course, the things that mean something to him. Norman can only respond that SHE means something to him – and nothing can compare to that, which cheers Colleen up… however, his face drops slightly in a ‘skeleton in the closet’ type way.

SCHOOL
Robbie has bought Tasha a mobile phone… some guys opt for choccies and flowers after a few weeks of courting, and Robbie gives out mobile phones. Which is nice. It could come in handy for events such as alien abductions… but the phone itself finds itself abducted as Hyde catches Tasha with it on school premises. Tasha insists that he can’t take it, and demands her phone back, and Robbie stops her short of making a bigger fuss. For some reason, Hyde has got it into his head that he is completely within his rights to confiscate the phone… and just this once she can have it back at the end of the day.
Kirsty rushes into school, and straight into Hyde, who reprimands her for leaving school premises in school hours. Again. She reckons it was an emergency (!), and Hyde requests that she arrange her emergencies outside school hours in future. He gives her a detention, and she speaks up against him – why does he try and upset everyone, does he want everyone to hate him? Tasha backs Kirsty, and insists that Hyde is upsetting Kirsty’s baby. Hyde shakes his head, remarks “children having children… it’s a very mixed up world” and departs.

THE PALACE
Robbie less-than-subtley asks Scott about Beth/Rhys’ and Scott/Dani’s sex lives, and Scott finally clocks onto the fact that Robbie hasn’t actually “done it”. Robbie is concerned, as he and Tasha are both inexperienced and it’s like “the blind leading the blind when you can’t read braille”… Scott suggests that due to the combination of Tasha’s wild/naive sides, that it would probably be best to wait a while. Robbie agrees, and although he can wait, he isn;t sure if she can…

DINER
Hyde is sitting alone as Alf arrives to tidy the table, enquiring as to whether the steak was up to perfection. It was, and Hyde invites Alf to take a seat. Sensing ulterior mtoives, Alf boldly states that Sally has been a long-term friend, but Hyde assures him that she’ll become a friend of his too. Alf sits, and asks the new principal about the transition from a city school to Summer Bay High. Hyde sees it as a challenge – he wants to make the children want to learn and become the best they can be. Alf muses that he once had a friend who thought that way, but the calmness between them is ruined as Hyde comments that any long term problems at the school were the fault of Mr Fisher rather than Sally – he should have left long before he retired. Alf leaves, but not before telling Hyde he has NO idea about people.

Norman works through the possibilities of how he will get home now that his car has packed in, but Colleen’s irritation can be felt a hundred miles away when her ‘honey bunny’ accepts the sofa at Alf’s place. Once Alf has gone, she tells Norman he doesn’t HAVE to sleep on the sofa… after all, there is somewhere else he could stay the night… Crikey.

BREAK

BEACH HOUSE
Kane is home from work, and Kirsty is pretty dismal. She tells him of her troubles with the demon principle, and Kane wants to go down to the school and ‘sort things out’ – Kirsty asks him not to, and when he continues to state that it might help, she coldly tells him “I SAID no”, before getting up and sauntering away from him into the kitchen. She watches on as Kane sits down beside Tasha, and the pair squabble over what to watch before Kane nicks her apple. Kirsty, clearly not impressed by Kane’s behaviour with Tasha, announces that she’s off to bed, and gets narked when Kane decides that he wants to stay and ‘chill’ for a while before he joins her.

Not quite clear how much time passes between scenes, but Kane cautiously enters the bedroom to find Kirsty lying on the bed, above the covers, fully clothed and facing away from the door, unresponsive to his entry. He sits down on the chair before shifting to lie on the bed, staring at the back of her head. After a while, she rolls over to face him in order to tell him that she loves him. He has clocked that she felt insecure with the Tasha thing, and he reenforces that he loves her too – he would never do anything to hurt her and he would NEVER look at anyone else whilst he has her. Odd whale/haunted house music starts up in the background as Kirsty tells him she has been stupid, and he states that they just have to believe in one another. She is mixed up and confused about everything, particularly the baby, but he assures her that the baby will just make things better and better. She isn’t looking too convinced.

DINER
As Alf looks out of the window I had never noticed before, Jesse and Leah argue in the kitchen, with Jesse demanding to know if she has made a decision – the longer she puts off telling Sally and Flynn, the worse it’ll get. Leah insists that she knows, and doesn’t want the pressure. He tells her he DOES want a family with her, but this particular baby isn’t part of it. He promises their time will come, before pledging his love and leaving.
Alf enters the kitchen to tell Leah that he’s there if she needs him. Colleen lightens up the mood as she arrives with a wide smile on her face wearing a blindingly colourful outfit. It appears she has had a good night, and that her Norman is a gentleman – “there may be snow on the roof, but there’s still a fire in the boiler”. It may be a little too much information for Alf (and lets face it, the majority of us) but nopthing can bring Colleen down – she’s getting married! Alf stumbles backwards in shock and Leah throws her arms around Colleen to congratulate her. All Alf can do is raise his eyebrows as Colleen proud;y tells them that she’ll be “Mrs Norman Shadbolt”.

THE PALACE
Kane calls round to let Scott know he’s going into Yabbie Creek to see if he can pick up some parts for the boat – however, they’ll need to replace the engine eventually as a repair job won’t hold forever. Scott doubts they’ll be able to afford it, and they hope that he’ll bring back good news. Scott is edgy throughout his visit, and Kane picks up on it, enquiring whether it’s ok for him to call in. Scott would rather he called ahead, as it’s taking time for Dani to adjust, but Kane is incredulous – he can work on the boat with him, but he can’t call by unannounced just in case his sister-in-law freaks out. Kane isn’t exactly bursting with happiness as Scott tells him that sometimes in life you’ve got to be bigger about things – this is one of those times.

SCHOOL
Tasha is using her phone in school again, and Robbie warns her against it. However, never one to conform to rules, Tasha rolls her eyes at Robbie for being scared – he shouldn’t let Hyde scare him. Robbie admits to being ‘wary’, before admitting to being scared, for somewhat different reasons, because she’s “so…”. HE can;t quite find the words for it, and changes the subject by offering to mind her phone for the day so that Hyde doesn’t get his hands on it. Too late. Hyde walks around the corner as the exchange takes place and confiscates the phone. Hyde demands for Robbie to go to his office – he’ll be there shortly.

DINER
Colleen is still over the moon about her impending marriage, and is amazed that she found Norman – especially so soon after her operation, and in the “autumn” of her life. Alf and Leah think it’s wonderful. The man himself arrives, and is bewildered by the congratulations that he receives, stunned that Colleen has “told them”. He realises that they’re meant to be getting married, and is puzzled – he never asked her to marry him! Leah and Alf slope away as Colleen recites what Norman told her the previous night – “if I could marry you tonight, I’d be happy forever!”. Norman then informs her that he meant it literally – IF he could marry her. He tells her he can’t – he’s not free to marry anyone.

Alf comforts Colleen as she weeps in the middle of the diner, thinking that she is stupid. Alf reassures her that anyone can see that Norman cares for her.

Leah calls Flynn, wanting to see both he and Sally later

SCHOOL
Robbie enters Hyde’s office to find it trashed, and unfortunately for him Hyde arrives a few seconds later, finding him in the midst of the mess…