Episode 4998

Extended Summary

Angelo arrives to tell Gina and Xavier of Hugo’s death, they are in disbelief to hear he was involved in the people smuggling. Gina is unable to give way to any emotion about Hugo’s death, she can’t process it until she learns the full truth about what her son has done. Xavier however, is not shut out to emotion, he cries all alone over the loss of his brother.

After a drunken couple of nights, Miles is woken on the beach by a little girl, whose name is Rabbit. She makes sure he’s ok and informs him that he’s spoiling the view before skipping off. He returns home, only to learn from Alf about Hugo’s death and what has been happening. Miles can’t believe what Hugo was involved in, but Alf is more concerned about where Miles has been – he’s been gone for 2 days. Miles explains that he got drunk and went for a swim, only just managing to swim back when he realised how far he’d gone out. He was too tired to return home so slept on the beach, then walking around collecting his thoughts the following day. On the whole he says he’s feeling much better. At that moment Rabbit arrives to see Miles, they banter – she informs him she’s going to be sticking around for a while, she’s staying in the caravan park. Right now, Miles is enjoying Rabbit’s company.

Hugo’s funeral is held a week later, and Gina isn’t handling it well. She has changed her mind about bringing Brendan to the funeral, and is now refusing to attend herself. Despite a conversation with Tony she won’t be talked around, stating that she didn’t even know her own son. The funeral is a quiet affair, with only Martha, Xavier, Alf, Miles, Leah and Colleen attending. Martha is unable to take it, and she is sobbing at the loss of her lover. Unknown to her, she is being watched from a car on the roadside – Angelo asks his passenger if he’s seen enough, and it is revealed that Hugo is not in fact dead. He watches Martha cry over him, then Angelo drives him away.

We flashback, learning that Hugo faked his death in a deal with Angelo to testify and tell the Police everything about Suzy. The evidence against Hugo was damning – Angelo had confirmed that the third blood type found in Lou’s boat did indeed match Hugo’s DNA, which he had managed to collect by punching him the previous week. Donna’s gardener Orson has also recovered, identifying Hugo as the man who paid him off. Additionally Derrick has also given a full statement. If Hugo had gone to prison, Martha would still have been in danger, and Hugo refused to do that to her.

Only Alf is told the truth about Hugo going into witness protection. Hugo asks him to make sure Martha doesn’t grieve for him too long, and to make her hate him if that’s what it would take. Alf replies that that shouldn’t be too difficult, and grudgingly agrees. Angelo confirms with Hugo one last time as he equips him with a bulletproof vest and a bloodbag – there’s no going back, once he’s dead, he is dead. A fellow officer pulls the trigger on Hugo outside the police station. As Hugo is taken away in the ambulance, Angelo gives him his new identity and tells him not to try anything stupid – they’ll be monitoring him. Hugo has one final request, he wants to plant a note for Xavier, looking like it had been left before Hugo was killed. He also wants to see Martha one last time. Back to the present, and after seeing Martha at the grave side, Hugo is driven away – never to return to Summer Bay again…

Upon arriving home, Xavier finds the note from Hugo confirming his love for his brothers and stating to Xavier that Hugo believes in him and knows that he is a better person, and must always be there for Brendan and their mother. There is also a box, containing around $100,000 to try and undo some of the damage that Hugo has caused.