Episode 3786

Extended Summary

RECAP
Kane spots Rhys and Shelley sharing an illicit kiss
Kane warns Rhys that he has his eye on him – he’d better watch his step… he refuses to give Rhys time to make excuses, unable to believe that he was actually starting to respect Rhys
Colleen has a browse through Alf’s medical records
Colleen tells Alf that his ‘depression’ is nothing to be ashamed of, and Alf is furious that Flynn ‘told’ Colleen so that she could interfere in his business – “when I find flamin’ Flynn Saunders I’ll string him up!”
A depressed Alf muses that if he was made a decent-enough offer he’d think about selling his share in the diner. Tasha leaps at the idea, wanting to know how much he’d ask for – she wants to invest in it for Irene, and although Irene is somewhat resistant, Alf reckons if Tasha’s talking “the right numbers” he’d consider it.

***

BEACH HOUSE
Tasha tries to talk Irene down, reminding her of all the tasks at the diner that she’d be good at… not clocking onto the fact that Irene actually has a job there already and does all these things. Irene reckons she’s “chasing rainbows” – Alf wouldn’t seriously consider selling the diner, and she reckons there has to be some sort of misunderstanding. She looks to Kane and Kirsty, for backup, but all Kane can to is glance up uncaringly as Kirsty continues to push her food round and round on her plate. Irene throws Tasha out on her way to school, warning her not to ambush anyone on the way, and after she has left, she thanks Kirsty and Kane for all their help in dealing with her. After a moment they glance up at her, Kane muttering an unenthusiastic apology. Not surprisingly, Irene clocks that all is not well, wondering if it’s just Kirsty being nervous about returning to school. Kirsty denies it, and Irene know they haven’t been right since the return from the city, wondering if there has been problems with the transplant. Kane and Kirsty deny it once more – they’d tell her if something like that happened, and Kirsty insists that she’s fine, before rushing off to she and Kane’s room, swiftly followed by Kane, leaving a puzzled Irene all alone.

The minute they’re in their room, Kirsty flips, speaking so quickly that I had to watch the scene several times to decipher it. She doesn’t know what to tell people, and they both hate lying to people – things were going so well beforehand during their holiday, and now she’s back to school the pressure is worse. She can’t keep avoiding people, and she doesn’t know what she will do if people start asking questions. She’s furious at her Dad for doing “this” – to Dad, to Kane… Kane assures her that he can look after himself. She tells him that the last time she felt like this was when she found out about Rhys and Angie, and she just can’t believe Rhys would do it again.

DINER
Robbie and Kim discuss Kim’s flourishing relationship with his father, and how Charlie is doing great. Leah, having been eavesdropping, announces that Charlie’s “the best baby in the world” – he didn’t make a sound the previous night. Robbie calls Tasha over when she enters, but she blanks him and heads straight into the kitchen as if she owns the place already. Alf is busy slaving over a hot stove but she wants to know if he meant what he said about selling the diner, and Leah’s jaw drops. However, Alf excuses his idea – he was just having a bad day – and Tasha is back to square one.

As Tasha leaves, Leah confronts Alf – perhaps there’s something she should know, being his partner and all…? Alf assures Leah that it was just something he said that Tasha blew out of proportion, before marching out.

SURGERY
Alf arrives to see Flynn, but is told by Colleen that the doctor is ‘very busy’, despite there being no patients in sight. For some reason she seems somewhat reluctant to let Alf anywhere near Flynn, but Alf persists. He refuses to tell Colleen what it’s about, and demands that she keep her ear away from the door whilst he is in there.

Alf enters to find Flynn doing nothing of any importance in comparison to his usual tasks. He wants to know if the tablets that Flynn prescribed would affect his decision-making, before announcing that they’re not cauising him problems because he’s not actually taking them – “they’re for crazy people”. Flynn rolls his eyes in anguish, and Alf goes on to ask if the pills would help him think a bit clearer. Flynn reassures him that the pills aren’t for crazy people – they’re designed to help him with his highs and lows, and suggests that he at least give the medication a go. Alf relents, agreeing to take Flynn’s advice, and Flynn just warns him not to make any life-changing decisions just yet. Alf opens the door, before shutting it again – there’s just one more thing…

Colleen glances up at the door, intruiged, and sidles towards it to try and find out what it’s about. She leaps back to grab a pile of magazines as the door opens, Flynn can’t fail to notice her reaction. After Alf has departed, she frantically tries to explain her actions to Flynn – she DID glance at Alf’s file, but it was an accident – it was just there, and she just happened to read what it said. Flynn is confused, but Colleen assumes that was what Alf was mentioning when their “voices got so low” (!) – Flynn corrects her, as Alf was only mentioning the fact that he had thrown his previous prescription in the bin. Colleen laughs nervously, asking that he forget what she just said, and unsubtley tries to change the subject by offering Flynn some coffee. He reminds her of an earlier conversation about patient confidentiality, before ‘suggesting’ that she find somewhere else to put the magazines from now on.

SCHOOL
Kirsty stands alone, watching as schoolkids filter past and Kim rummages around in his locker. She remarks that she was just remembering what it was like to be “like them” (ie. the younger schoolkids) with nothing to worry about, but when he enquires further all she can tell him is that she feels like “an alien” in school – being married and having such a lot on her plate. She concedes that he “wins” after he reminds her that not only has he got a kid, but he is also the principle’s son. However, he has got over feeling out of place as now he feels smarter than the other kids – “the joke’s on them”, and at least now he and Hyde are getting on better. Kirsty makes a quick getaway as Max, Robbie and Tasha approach, but they aren’t stupid, and realise that Kirsty was deliberately avoiding them.

SURF CLUB
Rhys is pottering around at the kiosk as Kirsty watches him, unseen, from the door. After a moment she cautiously approaches Rhys, wanting to know “why?” – she needs andswers, and she’s not going to leave until she has got some.

BREAK

KIOSK
Rhys hesitates – it’s all so hard to explain, and Kirsty insists that he tell her how he is feeling and at least try to make her understand. He doesn’t understand it himself, and after struggling to respond to her questioning, he decides that they can’t talk there.

OUTSIDE
Kirsty and Rhys stroll out of the way of the Surf Club, with he trying to explain that he has never stopped loving Shelley. However, Kirsty doesn’t ‘get’ why, after having Shelley walk out of him as a result of his infidelity, he is doing the same thing again – he insists that it’s not the same. Kirsty stresses that she’d be happy enough for her parents to reunite – just not at Beth’s expense, and what about David? Rhys informs her that David has gone – but the breakup was a result of Shelley’s scar rather than anything else. He has grown to love Beth and the kids a lot, but it’s different from what he has with Shelley – she was the love of his live, “it was passionate, it was exciting and it was big – “. The stuff with Jade and the kidney operation brought them back together, and they’ve realised that they both have feelings for one another. They were equally responsible for the kiss, and he is quick to deny that it went any further than a kiss. Kirsty demands to know whether he will leave Beth, and after initially assuring Kirsty that he can’t – not after everything she has already been through – he is unable to reassure Kirsty that he will simply forget about Shelley and stand by his wife.

SCHOOL
Robbie asks Kim about Kirsty, having noticed her mood, but Kim didn’t notice anything unusual. Tasha comes racing through the school corridor, needing Kim’s help to come up with another investment idea, as the diner plans have fallen through. She rejects Robbie’s offer of help, knowing how he was the previous week, and stating that she needs someone more “mature”. “I’m mature!” Robbie confidently states as they disappear out of the door.

NEAR THE WHARF
Rhys and Kirsty continue their walk, and Kirsty is still struggling to understand where he is coming from and unwilling to keep covering for him. Rhys diplomatically assures her that it’s not about he having an affair behind Beth’s back… it’s about trying to protect Beth from a mistake that he has made. Kirsty nods unenthusiastically, before gesturing towards Kane, at work on the wharf, and stating that she’ll have to talk to him. Kane spots them, and watches stony-faced as Kirsty continues to talk to Rhys. Rhys reminds Kirsty of when she started seeing Kane and how, although she knew how many people she would hurt, she pursued love anyway, as they couldn’t help the way that they felt. Rhys can’t see a way out of his situation without hurting someone – otherwise he would take it, and Kirsty agrees to keep quiet on condition that he doesn’t get angry at Kane. Kirsty points out that Kane’s anger should actually be taken as a compliment – Kane’s never had a father to look up to and Kirsty reminds her father of something he told her – “the higher that you put someone on a pedestal, the further they have to fall”, and only someone you care about can disappoint you. Rhys grudgingly agrees to make his peace, for Kirsty’s sake, and they hug, watched intently by Kane.

BEACH HOUSE
“No way!”. Kane is furious at being asked to cover for Rhys, and can’t believe that he is expected to swallow Rhys’ sob stories. All he’s trying to do is dig himself out of a hole that he has dug for himself, and Kirsty tells him that he can believe whatever he wants… so long as he doesn’t say a word to anyone. He calms down, giving into her – “I’m doing this for YOU… not for him”. Just as soon as they’ve reached an understanding, Kirsty decides to add more fuel to the fire by mentioning Rhys’ comparison of he and Shelley to Kane and Kirsty in the ‘old days’. Kane is unimpressed, to say the least, at Rhys’ attempts at manipulation. She tries to point out the similarities – when they first started dating, no one would see his side of the story, and now he is doing precisely the same thing to Rhys. Kane insists that it’s not the same – “it’s not even close”, and Kirsty can only beg him to back off… please? He finally agrees.

SURGERY
Colleen once more apologises to Flynn, pointing out that she has moved the magazines, as requested, and has done all the filing. She then offers him the opportunity to fire her, feeling that he has been putting it off as a result of her “delicate mental condition”, but Flynn’s not about to fire her – but she must take it as a warning. Colleen becomes overly thankful and clingy, and Flynn has to prise her off him in order to close his door in her face. She grins, looking around the empty waiting room gleefully.

DINER
Alf sits down for a coffee with Irene, who apologises for Tasha’s crazy ideas, and Alf explains that he told Tasha that he had just been having a bad day. However, he’s been thinking about it since, and now reckons that “a change is as good as a holiday” – he has good memories of the diner, but he also has a lot of bad ones as well. If it was Irene that was taking over, then he would be a “very happy man”, and Irene shakes her head, flattered, but insisting that they couldn’t afford it. He stresses that it wouldn’t be the property – just the business and the goodwill. Irene reckons that they should sit on it, not entirely sure that HE is sure. However, she does like the idea – especially as it’d make Tasha’s money “work for her”

BLAXLAND
Kane works on the engine, angrily pulling bits and pieces about before tossing a funnel across the boat and sitting back with a frustrated sigh.

SURF CLUB
Kane walks warily up to Rhys, who isn’t overly chuffed to see Kane paying him a visit – “I’ve sorted things with Kirsty and I expect you to go along with that”. Charming. He then encourages Kane to go ahead and start a fight if that’s what he’s there for, and Kane stresses “There is NOTHIHG I would like more than to deck you…”, before pointing out that the only thing stopping him is Kirsty. Rhys responds bluntly, trying to get rid of Kane – he’s the least of Rhys’ worries at the momen, but Kane isn’t about to let it rest. He accuses Rhys of being just as bad as his father, and all Rhys can do is try and talk Kane into not breathing a word to Beth – she has been hurt before, and it won’t do her any good to be hurt again. Kane offers Rhys his hand, declaring that he wins… he’ll keep schtum… but only on one condition – that being that Rhys promises never to hurt Beth. Rhys realises that he can’t shake on it just to shut Kane up, because he’d be lying, and needless to say, Kane is livid at the thought of Rhys messing Beth around. Rhys stresses how hard it is, and that he can’t shake Kane’s hand and lie to him that it’s easy. “You’re scared, aren’t ya?”. Rhys waits a moment before responding… “I’m scared to death”.

Claire