Episode 4045

Extended Summary

Ric and Alf wait at the hospital for news on Aden. Ric keeps saying that he didn’t mean to hurt him like that… Before Alf can respond, Cassie and Sally come rushing in. Cassie looks darkly at Ric as Flynn explains Aden’s condition: He has severe concussion, but they need to do more tests to find out if there’s any sustaining damage. Meanwhile, Jack has to have further tests done to check out his hearing before he can go back to work. But when the time comes that he is supposed to be at his appointment, Lucas spots him coming out of the surf! Down on the beach with Jack’s hearing is still very much distorted. Jack sees Lucas and makes him promise he won’t say anything about him missing his appointment. Luc reluctantly agrees.

Lucas works with Matilda and Colleen on a final run of the play on the stage. Just as it comes time for them to kiss as ‘Rex’ and ‘Summer’, Colleen calls cut. She wants to save the moment of magic for the big performance tonight. Matilda and Lucas laugh out loud this time (at having their moment interrupted again). Ric feels terrible when Hyde arrives and informs him that Aden will be out of the game for a month and miss the selector! But things gets even worse for him when Colleen insists he takes Aden’s place in the play – opposite Cassie! Ric’s struggling to learn his lines when Sean, Aden’s brother appears. Sean warns Ric that he’s not going to let him get away with ruining Aden’s rugby career. Ric tries to explain but Sean is cold, leaving Ric rattled.

Luc can’t believe Jack’s going back to work without seeing the doctor. Jack assures there’s nothing wrong with him – his hearing is back to normal, but Luc can tell he’s covering. Meanwhile, Dressed for the play, Ric is unsettled following Sean’s appearance, but he keeps it to himself. Flynn reveals that Aden’s family wants action as there’s some conjecture over whether the injury was intentional. Ric insists it wasn’t, but the family want an official investigation. If Ric is found to be negligent, he could be expelled – or worse, charged by the police. Ric’s stunned!

Prior to the performance: Lucas sees Matilda in costume for the first time and she looks incredible; Robbie’s worried about how he’ll be able to manage all the stage moves without Ric as his assistant and Ric can’t believe Cassie would think he’d actually have hurt Aden on purpose. An argument between Ric and Cass grows, building to a point where Ric admits he still loves her. Cassie can’t believe he’s doing this now. The fight is interrupted by Colleen – places everyone! Cut to: The audience is bored off their brains – the play is appalling. Lucas and Matilda are really suffering on stage, Robbie’s struggling with the staging and Ric and Cassie are still arguing. As the first act comes to an end, it’s all going to muck. Backstage, once the curtain is lowered, Luc has an idea; he whispers in Matilda’s ear…

Lucas and Matilda come on – and they’re completely improvising! It’s a huge improvement and the audience offer encouragement. Everyone else, however, is thrown: Colleen flicks through her script, completely lost! Robbie’s so confused that bits of the scenery falls over and Ric and Cassie end up in an argument on stage! But Lucas and Matilda are lost in their own world… As everything goes wrong around them, they share their first kiss. And the kiss just keeps going…and going…and going… Later, as Ric heads across the school field, Sean steps out of the shadows and really lays in to him. Then, seeing Jack approaching in the distance, Sean hurries off. Ric is really in a bad way, severely beaten up. Ric spots Jack and calls out for him, but because of his bad ear, Jack doesn’t hear and continues on…