When his boss asks him to shoot his girlfriend, Ryder finds himself in the middle of Mackenzie’s feud with the Paratas next week on Home and Away in the UK.
Mackenzie (Emily Weir) has been struggling after she had an ectopic pregnancy last week and unfortunately lost her unborn baby. She was released from the hospital and ordered to rest, but returning home to the deserted farmhouse provided her with much too much time alone with her thoughts.
Even though she had no intention of carrying the pregnancy to term, she is still heartbroken over the baby’s death. Having to do it on her own, while still missing Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams) and grieving their breakup, has exacerbated the situation.
She agrees to go back to work after just a day of wallowing in the den. Despite her assurances to Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) that it would be easy work – standing behind the counter, picking up a few empty glasses – it doesn’t take long for her body to feel the strain.
Meanwhile, Ari has no idea what Mackenzie has been through and is overjoyed to see old flame Mia again (Anna Samson). However, living in such a small town means that people can run into each other, and Mackenzie is soon forced to deal with an uncomfortable meeting with her ex when he stops by Salt with Mia and asks her how she is.
Mackenzie knows a reunion with Ari and his new girlfriend is the last thing she wants, so she attempts to flee to the terrace, looking worse for wear with each passing minute.
Knowing she can’t get away from the Parata family is too much for her. She passes out as she walks down the stairs to the Surf Club in this Friday’s show. Tane (Ethan Browne) catches her just as she is about to fall to the ground, and he and Ziggy (Sophie Dillman) rush her back to the hospital.
Unfortunately, they are unable to keep things hidden from Ari on this occasion. As Tane carries Mia away from him on the upper terrace of Salt, Ari realises that something is seriously wrong.
When Tane returns to the action the following week, he refuses to divulge any details. Mia realises she has no choice but to tell Mackenzie the bad news after seeing her being taken into surgery last week and learning the truth about her miscarriage.
Ari is stunned, but unlike Tane, who was worried that the news would hit him hard because of his brother’s previous problems with childbirth, Ari’s first thought is for Mackenzie. Even though they are no longer together, he really loves her and can’t believe she had to deal with the pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage on her own.
He pays her a visit in the hospital, where she sobs in his arms while he assures her that he is aware of everything.
Since they’ve both recovered from their shock, the two get along for the first time in weeks, even laughing and joking together. Mackenzie now feels as if she has someone that can help her cope with her suffering, someone who knows what she’s going through.
When they leave the emergency room and see Mia, though, it hits Mackenzie like a tonne of bricks. She realises she’ll be returning to an empty house, while her ex-boyfriend will be reunited with his happy family.
Tori diagnoses her with a simple infection, most likely caused by her overexerting herself by returning to work too soon.
She returns home under strict instructions to rest for the next two weeks… Ari, however, still feels totally lonely now that she knows the truth. She sobs for days, unable to muster the courage to get off the couch.
She makes the decision that if she is to move on with her life, she must make it a Parata-free zone. She doesn’t want to see Chloe when she is able to return to work. Despite the fact that Mia’s daughter has done nothing wrong, her relationship with Ari is enough for Mackenzie, and she wants her out!
She invites Ryder to a meeting at the farmhouse. They’ve always been friendly, with him lending her a shoulder to sob on before she broke up with Ari, but she’s not in the mood for small talk right now; she wants to talk business.
She gives him the opportunity to take on more responsibilities at Salt by making him her second in command. He’s overjoyed and assures her that he’ll be there for her in whatever way she needs.
When his boss gives him his first assignment in his new job, however, he is in for a rude awakening. He must dismiss Chloe!
Mackenzie has no idea Ryder and Chloe are dating, so when Ryder argues and tells her it’s not fair for her to fire Chloe, she can’t believe he’s speaking back to her.
She really does not want Ari’s step-daughter under her feet any longer, and that is all there is to it. Either you obey my orders or I’ll assign a second in command to do so.
When it comes down to it, Ryder really can’t seem to do it. He suggests that they go for a walk, but he can’t seem to find the right words.
His nervousness gives Chloe the wrong idea, and she assumes he’s worried about their “first time” together.
He eventually agrees to it, and they both realise that they are not in a hurry. Chloe thinks he’s very nice for being anxious about spending the night with her, oblivious to the true problem on his mind.
When he actually musters the courage to shoot her, will she still think he’s sweet?
Meanwhile, Tane, who is unemployed, is fed up with not being able to pay his bills. He still ends up paying the bill if he and Ziggy go out, and although she doesn’t mind, it hurts his ego.
Furthermore, Ari is unemployed, which means they are in dire need of a steady source of income in order to pay their rent.
Ziggy makes it her task to find Tane a job the following week. She agrees to assist her boyfriend in drafting a CV; the only problem is that he has a spotty work history. He’s never had a real job, in fact!
He hasn’t needed a regular job because his dodgy dealings have made him wealthy throughout his life, so they’re forced to put a positive face on his illegal activities in order to make his CV look fine.
Tane says, I used to coordinate deliveries off the back of a truck, referring to his time offloading shady cargo from white vans.
That becomes logistics and communication when managing a streamlined delivery service with a little support from Zig. It’s fine. She also recommends they include his work at Summer Bay Auto – it may have only been for a day and a half, but it comes with a glowing recommendation from Ziggy, who seems to have forgotten about the amount of harm he caused during his brief stint as her assistant.
They’re certainly making progress. Will they be successful in landing him his first real job?
