Bold and Beautiful Recaps: The week of March 23, 1998 on B&B

Rick desperately needed a new kidney. Amber was a match, and she volunteered one of her own. Ridge confronted Thorne about hiding Thomas' paternity, and Thorne left the company and his family. Rush tried to lure Lauren away from Los Angeles, but news of Macy's upcoming wedding spoiled his plan.

Monday, March 23, 1998

by Michael Keith

At the hospital, Brooke is by Rick's side pleading for him to remain strong.After waiting for an available room, Rick is wheeled into surgery.

Sally receives a call from C.J.. He informs her of the car crash and that Rickwas taken to Memorial hospital. Sally immediately phones Eric. They're ontheir way to the hospital.

Amber returns home hysterical from the accident. She frantically takes herclothes off and hops in the shower. Ridge also returns home. After hershower, Amber starts to tell Ridge what happened but gets a call from Ericinforming him of Rick's car accident.

James comforts C.J. who is worried he will lose his best friend. Brooke tellsJames and C.J. that Rick has been taken to surgery and is still unsure howserious his injuries are. Brooke pumps C.J. for information. C.J. explains thatRick was driving and simply took a turn too fast. Brooke can't believe Rickwas driving since he only has a permit and wonders about Amber's involvement.C.J. says Amber didn't want to go along with he or Rick so she stayed behind atInsomnia. When asked if that is what really happened, Amber lies and confirmsC.J.'s story.

Once Amber and C.J. get a moment alone, Amber says she hitched a ride home. C.J.says he is glad Amber didn't say she was involved. Amber is feeling guiltybecause Rick's family is going crazy all because of her.

Ridge and Sally arrive while a detective gets some information from C.J.. C.J.explains he and Rick were celebrating the song they sang in front of JohnQuincy. Ridge questions if Amber wasn't really involved. Amber says she'ssorry but doesn't admit the truth. She tells everyone she took a bus homefrom Insomnia. James comes from Rick's room and reports that Rick has brokenbones and numerous internal injuries, but the main concern is for hiskidneys. Right now, they are not able to function properly.

Amber confronts C.J. and wants to know why he covered for her. Meanwhile,Brooke is in the hospital chapel praying for her son.

Tuesday, March 24, 1998

by Michael Keith

As Rick goes under the knife, Amber feels incredibly guilty. She believes itis because of her that Rick is going to die. C.J. explains he believes Rickwould want him to keep Amber out of it, so that's why he is lying about herinvolvement. Amber and Rick get word from a nurse. Rick is still in surgeryand his injuries are very severe.

Rush has Jonny tied up at his house. Rush plans on getting close to Laurenbut needs Jonny's help. Rush wants Jonny to tell him everything about Lauren,including any secrets or inside jokes they share. Jonny begs Rush not to doto Lauren what he did to Sharon. Rush blames Jonny for killing Sharon and nowhe is trying to take Lauren away from him.

Ridge joins Brooke in the hospital chapel. Brooke remembers some specialmoments of Rick when he was a child. Brooke knows she has to keep the faith,but wonders why the crash had to happen at all. A nurse advises Ridge andBrooke the doctor would like to see them.

Rush puts on some of Jonny's clothes and then puts tape over Jonny's mouth.Meanwhile, Lauren arrives home from shopping and get a call from Rushpretending to be Jonny. Lauren invites him over for a romantic tryst whileJonny struggles to break free.

Ridge, Brooke, Eric, Amber, and C.J. get word that Rick is alive but due to theimpact of the crash, Rick's kidneys have failed. He's going to need a kidneytransplant ASAP. Eric offers one of his kidneys, as does Ridge and Brooke.The doctor says he will have to run a test to find out if one of their kidneysis a match. Brooke tells her son to remain strong.

Wednesday, March 25, 1998

by Michael Keith

Brooke tells herself Rick is going to be ok. She is sure either Eric or Ridgewill be a match for a kidney transplant. The doctor who performed the testsinform Eric and Ridge that the results are in. Neither Eric nor Ridge is amatch since their blood type is not compatible with Rick's.

Amber blames herself for Rick's situation since she is the one who forced Rickto drag race. The Forresters are great people, Amber continues. They tookcare of her and now look what she did to them.

As Rush heads to Lauren's, Jonny worried Rush will do the same thing to Laurenas he did to Sharon. Lauren greets Jonny (Rush) and he kisses herpassionately. Jonny(Rush) suggest they leave LA for good. Lauren issurprised at this request since just last week, Jonny told her he was ready tosettle down. Jonny(Rush) covers by saying he does want to settle down, butjust wants to spend some time alone together away from LA.

Brooke gets the news that neither Eric nor Ridge is a match. Brooke is Bnegative and is sure her kidney will be a match for Rick. The doctor advisesmore testing is needed. Meanwhile, Ridge contacts everyone in the family tofind someone with B negative blood. Amber feels terrible considering how Rickfelt about her. He told her how special she was to him and Amber didn'tappreciate it. Rick was going to give her a future, now she may have takenaway his.

Before Lauren can answer Jonny's(Rush) question to leave LA tonight, Grant andMacy stop by with an invitation. They need Lauren to be in town next week fora special party: Grant and Macy's wedding. Lauren is thrilled for Grant andMacy while the party spoils Rush's plans to get Lauren out of LA.

Amber overhears Ridge telling Eric and Brooke that he checked the records forFelicia, Kristen, and Thorne, and neither has Rick's rare blood type. Brookesays she gave Rick life once, and she will do it again. The doc arrives withmore news. Brooke is not a match. He is placing Rick on the national list ofthose who need a transplant. The doctor warns that it is crucial Rick receivea kidney soon. Five people a day die while waiting for a kidney.

Amber goes into Rick's room and tells him although she has gone out with a lotof guys, he is more a man than any of them. Amber assures Rick she will bethere for him.

After the doctor tells Brooke all they can do now is wait and hope, Amber saysshe wants to do whatever she can to help. Amber had her blood tested andshe's B negative. She wants to donate one of her kidneys. Brooke agrees.

Thursday, March 26, 1998

by Gladys

RIDGE visits Taylor looking rather haggard after his night at the hospital. It seems to make him feel better to go to Thomas' bassinet and gaze down on his son. He gives her the bad news about Rick. He has lost the use of both kidneys. Unfortunately, there are no compatible matches within the family. Taylor thinks Brooke must be going through Hell! She does her best to reassure him that with a kidney transplant, Rick should be able to live a normal life. Ridge tells her that if things work out, Rick could be getting the transplant later today. Amber Moore, the 17-year-old babysitter, is giving it. Unbelievable, Taylor says. It takes an incredible person to make a sacrifice like this, but Ridge says that Amber was adamant about being a donor if she is found to be compatible.

RUSH is fantasizing over Lauren. He wants her real bad---he wants her, he needs her, but most of all he needs her to want him just as badly. He thinks about his brother; he has taken advantage of his Lauren, but he intends to be better than Johnny was. Grant sees him all alone across the room not joining in with the conversation and asks if they came at a bad time. Rush asks if he wants the polite answer or the honest truth. Lauren laughs and says that Rush was just kidding. He is caught off guard when Lauren suggests he make some of his special smoothies---the wheat grass and papaya health drink that is so good.

RIDGE is talking about all Brooke is going through, but ends up talking about Thomas. How are they going to keep him from making the same mistake? Taylor does her best to comfort and assure him. All they can do is raise him with the right values and hope they take. Ridge reminds her that Brooke raised Rick with the right values, but look what happened. He tells her that Brooke is going through a nightmare and needs lots of support. Don't give up hope, Taylor tells him as she puts her arms around his neck.

"Have you notified everyone?" She asks.

GRANT suggests that they forget the smoothies and jump into the hot tub. My scar---they will see my scar! Rush thinks. While everyone goes to change into bathing suits, Rush panics. "I can not go into the hot tub! They will see my scar! They will know who I am! Lauren will never accept me if she finds out!" Coming back into the room in a bathing suit, Lauren tells him to go change so he can hop into the tub with them. He tells her that he doesn't have a bathing suit. She tells him that his boxers will do, but he says he isn't wearing boxers. "Right!" She laughs. "I have never known you when you weren't wearing boxers." She begins to unbutton his shirt, but Rush grabs her and begins kissing her. "I want you! I want you right now! Let's forget about the hot tub. I want you now and I know you want me just as bad." Lauren reminds him that they have company. "Come on," she invites as she follows Grant and Macy out to the hot tub.

RIDGE admits that he hasn't called Thorne about Rick and he has no intention of doing so. Taylor tells him that Thorne needs to be told; he has a right to know about his brother. This is the time to put aside differences and be a family. He hasn't talked to Thorne in weeks and doesn't want to talk to him now. "This has nothing to do with my brother," he insists. "Even just seeing his face will make me lose it! I want nothing to do with my brother---nothing!"

TAYLOR tries to defend Thorne's right to know about Rick. She also tries to make Ridge understand why Thorne did the things he did. If he blames Thorne, then he should blame Brooke and her. She was just as responsible as Thorne. Ridge says that she wasn't; she was under stress and taking drugs. She would have told him in time; after all, she tried. How many messages from her did Thorne intercept?

As Ridge raises his voice in anger, the baby begins to stir in it's sleep. Ridge suggests Taylor take the baby to the nursery. He wants to talk to her some more.

EVERYONE but Rush is in the hot tub. Grant wonders if Johnny is going to join them. He is getting the feeling that they came at the wrong time. Lauren admits that there is one little problem; Johnny is finding her irresistible tonight. Macy observes that from the looks of it, Lauren is finding it hard to resist. Her advice is not to fight it.

Rush agrees as he comes out on the deck fully dressed. He tells everyone that he would prefer to look at the view. Lauren asks what he is drinking and he tells her it is just a little Scotch. She is surprised to see him drinking Scotch, but he says that he likes a little every once in a while. Lauren says that he is more of a mystery guy than she imagined. But not as much of a mystery as his brother, right Lauren?"

"Mystery isn't a word I would use when talking about Rush," Lauren says. He was more of an animal, Macy responds, but Lauren says she doesn't know any animal that was so cruel and sadistic as Rush. Rush is looking a little uncomfortable, but he laughs it off. Grant wonders how two brothers, twins no less, could be raised in the same house by the same parents and turn out so differently. Noticing how uncomfortable Rush looks, Grant apologizes and mentions that it must be uncomfortable talking about his brother like this. Lauren says that Johnny has talked about his brother often and it hasn't bothered him. He understands what she went through in Greenland. "But you were drawn to him, weren't you? Rush asks. Lauren admits that for a while, she was drawn to him, but she saw his dark side and it repulsed her. It was like the moth that is drawn magnetically to the warm bright flame. But when it reaches the flame, it is burned to death. That almost happened to her and she doesn't want to be near anyone like that ever again. Rush says that his brother was tough, but he was talented. "Yeah," Grant says. "He may have gotten the talent, but you got the brains."

"My brother was a lot of things, but he wasn't a fool," Rush says as he stomps back into the apartment.

"I've never seen him like that," Lauren says.

"I guess he was more sensitive than we thought," Grant says.

THORNE lets himself in with his key while Taylor is putting Thomas in the nursery. He is surprised to see Ridge. They stare across the room at each other. He is here to pick up his things then he will be gone, he explains. "How could you just waltz in here like one of the family?" Ridge asks. As Thorne begins to leave, Ridge says, "You aren't going anywhere. I have a hell of a lot to say to you. You and Brooke conspired to keep me from knowing my son. I have already talked to Brooke; now it is time to deal with the guiltiest person of all: his own dear brother!"

Friday, March 27, 1998

by Gladys

ERIC AND BROOKE sit by Rick's bed keeping vigil when Rick opens his eyes and whispers, "Mama." He asks what happened, but when told he was drag racing and had an accident, he said he wasn't. Just then, Dr. Sloane comes in and tells the parents that Rick needs his rest for the operation. "What?" Brooke asks. Dr. Sloane tells her that Amber is a match. He has just examined her and she is in perfect health. He is going to talk to talk to her one more time and if she still wants to go through with the transplant, then they will do the operation this evening. By tomorrow, Rick will have a working kidney.

"Did you hear that, Rick? You are going to be okay. Amber is going to give you a new life!"

C.J.

enters the exam room where Amber is waiting and she tells him she is a keeper and won't be home for supper tonight. C.J. asks if she is all right with this. Rick is his best friend, and he wouldn't expect her to do this. Amber admits that she is scared to death, but if she doesn't do it, Rick might die.

THORNE

tells Ridge that if he wants to talk to him, he can just email him; he is leaving. No, you are not, Ridge tells him. You are going to hear what I have to say. How dare you do the things you did to me? I could kill you for what you did. You tried to keep my child from me, your own brother."

"I never lied," Thorne insists. "I never lied to you or to Taylor."

"Then what do you call it?" Ridge asks. "How many times did you intercept messages that Taylor had sent to me? And how many times did you lie to her about where I was?" Thorne tells him that he was married; what was he supposed to do? But Ridge reminds him that in the beginning of the pregnancy, he wasn't married. He was going through hell and Thorne kept the truth from him. "How many lives have you messed up with this little game of yours? What you did messed up other people's lives, like Thomas, for one, and Taylor, Brooke, and even another child if Brooke hadn't miscarried. And now you act like none of this matters."

"I have a question for you, Ridge. Now you know that you have a child. And there stands the mother of your child. What are you going to do? Are you going to marry Taylor and be a family for that little boy? Are you? Well, I would have given him a home. I would have taken care of both Taylor and Thomas. Isn't that what every child needs and deserves? That is all that matters to a child, not whose blood is running through his veins."

BROOKE

comes in to talk to Amber. She tells Amber that it is okay to be scared; she is scared also. Brooke admits that at first she had her reservations about Amber as a babysitter, but now all she can say is thank you for saving her boy. They cry in each other's arms.

DR. SLOANE

talks to Amber about the operation explaining that there could be complications. Yes, she could even die, but that is unlikely. She will be able to survive and live a normal life with only one kidney. "This is an enormous sacrifice you are making. Think it over and I will be back for your answer."

"YOU WERE GOING TO GIVE MY BABY A HOME?"

Ridge asks, incredulous. Taylor asks the brother not to do this in her house. There is a baby in the house, she tells them just as Thomas begins to cry. After she goes into the nursery, Ridge and Thorne go at each other again. Ridge asks how Thorne could live with himself, but Thorne has wondered the same thing about Ridge for years. He then reminds Ridge that he wasn't alone in this scheme. Taylor and Brooke were in it with him. Ridge tells him that Taylor and Brooke were wrong too, but he could understand why they did it. But for Thorne to do this to his own brother is just sick! All he wanted was a woman and he was willing to go to any lengths to get her. So this isn't about the baby, Thorne says. It is about Taylor. Thorne brags that he and Taylor almost put it together. If she had had the courage to take that next step, he would have made her very happy. Ridge tells him he needs to talk to someone because he is living in a massive dream world.

"Why is that? Because Taylor could never love anyone but you? Like Brooke and Caroline? You treated them as if they couldn't live without you. Well, I wish I had your ego. Maybe if Mother had given me half the attention she gave you I would have. But she didn't and I don't. But when I look at Taylor, I see a person of quality and I respect her and she knows it." Ridge looks toward the doorway of the nursery. Thorne looks and Taylor is standing there.

AMBER

goes to Rick's room. She sits beside his bed, holding his hand, and talks to him. "After today you will always have a part of me inside you, always." As she is about to leave, Rick turns his head toward her. He lifts his hand, which is now free, and reaches for her. She takes his hand once again and kisses it over and over as she cries.

"YOU TREATED ME WITH RESPECT?"

Taylor asks. "Is it showing respect when you intercepted my messages to Ridge? Even when Ridge was in Italy and I was desperate to reach him? Yes, you were there when I needed someone, but it wasn't for me. It was for yourself."

"I don't give a damn what you think, Taylor, not any more. And I don't care what you think, Ridge, or Mother, or any of the family. I won't be back at work. If I never see the inside of that building again it will be too soon." He slams out the door.

RIDGE

apologizes for this happening in her home. He has to get back to the hospital. "I'll see you later," he says as he hugs her to him.

BROOKE, ERIC, C.J. AND DR. SLOANE

go to the exam room and find it empty. They are looking perplexed when Amber returns and tells them she is ready when they are. She looks at Brooke and tells her that Rick will be okay. So will you, Eric tells her. The doctor tells them they can watch the surgery from the sub-sterile room and leaves taking Amber with him.

RIDGE

rushes in and they tell him that the surgery is about to begin. "This is the answer to our prayers," he says as he takes Brooke in his arms.

IN THE OR,

Rick and then Amber are wheeled in. Amber looks at the doctor and tells him that she is ready for a miracle. She reaches out and touches Rick. "This is for you, my love." As the family gathers in the observation room, Amber keeps her eyes on Rick's face until the anesthesia blurs her vision.

"Ready to begin, Doctor," the anesthesiologist says.