Even after Felicity’s assailant is sentenced to prison, Cash continues to live in a dark place on the UK’s Home and Away the following week. How far will he go to “fix things”?
Even though the Newman family should be relieved after last week’s intense events, Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) is having the biggest difficulties as a result of Felicity’s (Jacqui Purvis) attacker being eventually apprehended.
Flick took matters into her own hands after the man who had raped her demanded extortion once more. Departing with a satchel of leftover paper rather than the $20k that was requested, Flick waited to apprehend the offender.
Her bold choice paid off when she was able to get pictures of James Dyke’s (Jeremy Holding) licence plate and give them to Cash.
Cash was unaware that Flick was being blackmailed until Tane, Flick’s spouse (Ethan Browne), expressed his worries about Flick’s disappearance.
Cash didn’t have much time to think about what had happened, so he focused all of his efforts on interviewing Jeremy and was amazingly calm throughout. Given that Jeremy’s phone had incriminating information indicating that Flick was not the only victim and that Jeremy’s DNA is now available, the case appears to be closed.
By the end of the week, Cash believed that all the women Jeremy had assaulted over the course of six years had been let down by the police. Cash went to Salt, still wearing his uniform, and ordered a whisky. Cash confided in Mackenzie (Emily Weir) that he felt like killing the man and questioned what kind of cop it made him.
The following week, Cash is still in Salt when his girlfriend Eden (Stephanie Panozzo) comes to pick him up. Cash has been informed by Xander (Luke Van Os) that he will face harsh consequences if he is found to have consumed alcohol while wearing uniform.
When Cash gets back to Eden’s apartment, he takes a long shower to mask his suffering and puts on a brave and sly front for Eden to see how he’s doing.
The bluster doesn’t last long, though, as Cash advises Eden to forget it when she offers they discuss what he’s going through.
Eden reassures Cash that he can open up to her, but he’s not ready, as her worry grows.
Rather than continuing, Cash decides to end the evening and promises to speak with Eden the following morning.
However, Cash departs the house the following day before Eden awakens. Eventually, she tracks him down on the beach, where he tells her the whole story of Flick’s experience with blackmail. Asking himself why his own sister didn’t think she could trust him as a police officer, Cash is on the edge of tears.
Cash considers quitting the force, but ultimately decides to just take a short leave of absence in order to spend a few days travelling with Eden. Eden feels that by taking a break and offering her support, Cash may overcome this situation. They set out on the road without any goals in mind.
As she prepares to return to work later in the week, it’s evident that Flick is starting to feel like her normal self again after the trauma of the previous few weeks. After their journey, Cash and Eden head straight back to their rooms because he doesn’t think the vacation has had much of an impact on his mental health.
With Remi (Adam Rowland) and Bree (Juliet Godwin), the two spend an evening over pizza and drink, but it’s obvious that Cash isn’t really into it.
Eden gently reminds him that he can’t continue this way when she discovers him up in the middle of the night, unable to turn off everything whirling about in his thoughts. She says, “You can’t save everyone all the time,” but she also tells him he’s a nice brother and cop.
The following morning, Cash says he’s going to the police station to speak with Sarge.
Eden asks if Cash would like to discuss things through first because she thinks he could be making a snap decision. Cash responds that he doesn’t have time before leaving.
As Cash passes past Remi and Bree, they observe that he is lost in his own world. When they enquire about Eden’s well-being, she acknowledges that Cash is not in a good place. He hardly eats and doesn’t sleep well.
Eden sobs as she says, “I keep catching him in these moments where he is so in his own head, and I just can’t reach him.”
However, Cash is a man on a mission when he gets home from Yabbie Creek. He tells Flick that he has talked to his employer about launching a campaign to stop sexual assault and that he intends to engage Reefton Lakes and Mangrove River in order to cover all of the local sites.
Flick begs Cash to ease down, but he’s certain that he must start talking to her and Mac right away. When Flick argues that she has already given the staff training on increasing their vigilance, Cash brushes her efforts aside, saying that this is not a “amateur attempt,” but rather a formal programme that works in tandem with the police.
Flick, taken aback by his somewhat erratic behaviour, tells Cash that it’s her and Mac’s business, which infuriates him even more. Cash storms out to go talk to Mac instead, demonstrating that his guilt is definitely getting in the way of his attempts to “fix things.”
Flick goes across the street to speak with Eden out of concern, and she acknowledges that Cash hasn’t been himself lately without being surprised at all.
Alright, tell me what’s happening with my brother. Felicity queries.
Will it be possible for someone to reach Cash before he loses it all?
