Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of January 24, 2011 on DAYS

Comprehensive daily recaps for Days of our Lives, dating back to 1996.

Monday, January 24, 2011

by LaDaisia

On the island, Vivian was upset by how terrible she believed she looked and wasn't consoled when Gus tried to downplay her sorry state. Vivian ordered him to get them some wine so they could celebrate that they weren't dead, but there was only enough for a small glass. Vivian wanted to drink the rest, but Gus wanted to share it evenly. Vivian ordered him to give her the bottle.

Gus and Vivian spilled the wine on the ground when they fought over the bottle. Vivian got upset. They heard an airplane overhead and realized that they would be rescued. Vivian saw Brady emerge from the helicopter and assumed that Brady had arrived to remove them from the island in body bags. Brady climbed down from the helicopter. Vivian asked him to leave her and Gus in peace. Brady announced that she had to sign some papers and then they could go home.

At Maggie's house, Melanie was too nauseous to eat breakfast. Melanie told Maggie that she had informed Nathan about her pregnancy and hadn't given Nathan a chance to respond. Maggie tried to comfort Melanie, but she rushed off to the bathroom to throw up. Victor knocked on the door and informed Maggie that he had agreed to her terms -- to rescue Vivian and then he and Maggie could go out on a date.

Melanie emerged from the bathroom, and Victor told her that her baby would never want for anything. "Sure, except a real family," Melanie said. Victor told her that Philip was ready to be a father. "I guess Philip thinks the third time is the charm," Melanie said. Victor assured Melanie that she had Victor's support regardless of what she planned to do about Philip.

After Victor left, Maggie admitted to Melanie that she was hurt by Melanie's comments about the baby having everything but a family. Melanie said she had just been saying that to get under Victor's skin. She assured Maggie that the baby would have the best surrogate grandmother in the world. Maggie said she would be the "most doting" if not the best.

At the hospital, Parker was crying after his checkup, and Chloe tried to console him, to no avail. Daniel noticed and remarked about Parker being upset, and Chloe said, "Yeah, no kidding. Why wouldn't he be?" Chloe said Parker had gotten his shots, which was why he was fussy, but the real reason was he missed his home and his daddy. Daniel gave Parker's bunny to Chloe, and she asked if he wanted to give the stuffed animal to Parker himself, but he didn't want to.

Chloe said she and Parker were miserable without Daniel. She urged Daniel to admit that he was miserable without them too. Daniel admitted that he missed Parker. Chloe urged him to do something about it. Ben asked to consult with Daniel on a patient's case. Daniel used that as an opportunity to leave. Chloe cried.

Philip stopped by the DiMera mansion to see Kate. He informed her that Melanie had told him that she hated him and didn't want to be with him anymore. Philip asked if Kate had ever regretted keeping the identity of Lucas' father a secret, and Kate said, "Only every day." She urged Philip to learn from her mistake. Philip said he would, but Chloe was in denial about her chances of reuniting with Daniel. Kate said that Chloe was more stupid and delusional than Kate had thought. Philip told Kate to stop, because Chloe was going through a lot. Kate urged him to push Chloe off a cliff if that meant he could get Parker away from Chloe.

Philip said that trying to take Parker from Chloe would drive her insane. "It'll be a quick trip," Kate said. Philip defended Chloe. Kate called Chloe "the slut who seduced" Philip in a weak moment. "She ruined your marriage. She ruined her marriage, and if you're going to reward her by standing by her, supporting her, defending her, then you are even more of a wuss, than I thought you were," Kate said. Kate offered Philip some advice, telling him not to show too much affection or concern towards Chloe if he wanted to be a part of his other child's life.

Stefano walked in and congratulated Philip on being a father "two times over." Philip heard a noise emanating from the basement and asked what was going on. Kate said it was because they were renovating. Stefano poured himself a drink and vented about having more problems, but he wouldn't give Kate any details. Stefano asked Kate to drop it. Stefano said he didn't want to look back -- he only wanted to look forward. Kate asked whether he'd had a fight with Chad, but he still wouldn't tell her. After Kate left, Stefano called E.J. and asked him to return home.

At the Brady Pub, Carly told Jennifer that she was looking for another job in California. Jennifer urged Carly not to move, but Carly believed that no one in town liked her. Jennifer said she liked Carly and so did Bo. Carly pointed out that Jennifer was in the minority, and Bo would be better off without Carly. Carly said that Jennifer had resented Carly's relationship with Bo. Jennifer acknowledged that she had resented Carly before, but Bo wouldn't want Carly to leave and would feel guilty.

Carly didn't care how Bo would feel. Jennifer reminded Carly that Melanie lived in Salem and predicted that one day Melanie's resentment would go away. Carly told Jennifer that Bo had contacted her. Jennifer wondered why Carly hadn't told her sooner, and Carly asked what Jennifer could have done. Jennifer said "nothing." She said she was just comforted by knowing that Bo had reached out to Carly.

Jane called Stefano and told him that Bo wouldn't talk, no matter what torture techniques she tried. She wanted permission to kill Bo. Stefano said he didn't have time to talk to her about the daily details of her secret operation. He told her to do whatever she had to do quickly. She asked if that meant yes, but Stefano had hung up. Bo woke up, and Jane announced that Bo would die.

Jane told someone named Bird on the phone that they planned to do some skeet shooting on a live target. She ordered Bird to get there as soon as possible. When she got off the phone, Bo asked if she had a problem, and she started to explain that the guy she had hired had problems with his car. Then, she got an idea. She wanted to set it up so that it would look like Bo was killed trying to flee from justice. After she left, Bo tried to loosen the ropes on his hands. Jane called Ben to tell him that she might have some fresh organs.

Hope sneaked into Nathan's apartment, using a spare key hidden in the same place that Alice had always kept it. She told Nathan about the women in prison being murdered, and he was shocked. Hope asked why he was acting so surprised and how he had gotten involved in the plot. Nathan asked why she thought that he was involved, and she explained that she had called the phone number that had been programmed in the warden's speed dial the other day, and Nathan had answered the phone.

Nathan explained that he'd had someone else's phone, and that doctor had taken Nathan's phone by mistake, so Nathan answered the doctor's phone. Hope hugged him out of relief. Hope asked about the doctor that owned the phone that Nathan had answered, and Nathan said it was Dr. Ben Walters. Nathan said that Ben was getting closer to Jennifer. Hope gave Nathan instructions to carry out and said that Bo's life depended on it.

Nathan went to the Brady Pub to deliver Hope's message to Jennifer. Jennifer made it to the boat where Hope had been hiding. Hope informed Jennifer about Bo being missing. Hope asked for Jennifer's help. Jennifer couldn't believe that Ben had been involved in the organ-stealing scheme. Hope gave Jennifer instructions on what to do. Jennifer gave Hope a picture of Ciara and a Christmas present that Ciara had wanted to give Hope. Hope put the necklace around her neck. After Jennifer left, Hope prayed that God would help Jennifer and keep Bo safe.

Nathan went to Maggie's house, and Maggie left so that they could talk in private. Melanie complained about her morning sickness, and Nathan started to give her tips on how to alleviate it. Melanie wasn't in the mood for small talk. Nathan said that she had never given him a chance to tell her how he felt or whether he had a problem with her pregnancy. He said he didn't have a problem. He wanted to be with her, and the baby was a part of her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close, but she stopped short of kissing him. She said she could only think of the baby and trying not to throw up. She asked him to leave.

Maggie showed up at Victor's house, asking for proof that Vivian had been rescued. He showed Maggie a video of Vivian and Gus being rescued. Maggie told Victor what time to pick her up and that she would reserve them a table at Chez Rouge, but Victor asked her to leave the arrangements to him.

Carly showed up at Daniel's apartment, wanting to talk about Melanie's pregnancy. He wasn't in the mood to talk. Then there was a knock on the door. It was Chloe, who wanted to thank him for giving Parker his bunny. Chloe realized that he had company. Chloe asked what Carly was doing there, but Daniel said it wasn't her concern. Chloe said that Parker was feeling better. Daniel looked at Parker and said, "I can see that." Chloe stared at Carly, and Carly stared back. Daniel closed the door in Chloe's face.

At the Brady Pub, Philip showed up, and Chloe was frustrated that Parker wouldn't stop crying. Philip interacted with Parker, and he quieted down. Philip told Chloe that he wanted to change Parker's name, but she wouldn't hear of it, so she got up and left.

Jennifer showed up at the hospital and told Ben that she was thinking about their conversation regarding him volunteering at the prison. Jennifer told him that Hope was her cousin. Jennifer asked him to tell her if he heard anything while volunteering at the prison. He said he'd gotten a call from the warden and was supposed to go into work the next day.

When Jane returned to the room where she had been holding Bo captive, Bo had already gone.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

by Spalding

Leo stopped by the boat to visit Hope and to salvage what he could on the virus-ridden laptop. Hope explained to Leo that her cousin Jennifer was going to look into Ben's involvement in Jane's scheme. Worried, Hope admitted that she was scared that Jennifer would get hurt. After working on the laptop, Leo announced that he did not have the technical skills to restore the information on the laptop and remove the spyware. With a sigh, Hope prayed that Jennifer would be able to help her and not get hurt in the process.

Jane returned to the basement to find that Bo had escaped. As Jane called one of her henchman, Burt, Bo slowly crept out from behind the doorway. "A search party can take him alive. That can't happen!" Jane said to Burt. As Jane hung up her cell phone, Bo grabbed Jane in a chokehold and held her until she passed out. Bo placed Jane on the chair and woke her up. With his hand squeezing Jane's throat, Bo warned Jane not to scream or else he would break her neck.

Bo grabbed Jane and dragged her toward the door in order to leave the basement. As Jane struggled against Bo's grasp, she fell backward into the room, causing Bo to turn his back on the doorway as Burt arrived. Burt got the upper hand and tied Bo to the chair. "You should have killed him the first time," Burt remarked as he wiped the blood from his nose. Jane noted that she had the authority to kill Bo but that she needed a few hours first.

In the hospital lounge, Jennifer told Ben that she was having difficulty sleeping since her cousin Hope had gone missing. Ben excused himself to deal with a work issue on his phone, and accidentally left his keys on the table by Jennifer. While Ben talked on the phone in the corner, Jennifer made a grab for the keys. Daniel entered the lounge to fix some coffee, and Jennifer slowly released the keys from her hand as she made small talk with Daniel. As Ben hung up the phone, Ben invited Daniel to join him and Jennifer for coffee at the pub. Daniel declined the offer, noting that he would not be good company in light of his recent separation, but Jennifer insisted that it would be good for Daniel to be around people. Ben grabbed his keys, then left with Jennifer and Daniel.

At the Brady Pub, Ben slipped away to take a phone call, leaving Jennifer alone to talk with Daniel. Jennifer noted that she wanted to get to know Daniel better. When Jennifer explained that she was an old friend of Carly, she expressed the hope that Daniel and Carly could be friends again someday. Daniel shrugged off Jennifer's suggestion, so Jennifer said, "She needs you, Daniel." Daniel gently rebuffed Jennifer's suggestion.

Changing the subject, Jennifer wondered whether Ben was "blowing them off." With a snicker, Daniel noted that he believed that Ben was interested in Jennifer romantically. Jennifer asked Daniel whether he believed Ben was a good person. When Daniel wondered aloud whether Jennifer was interested in Ben, Jennifer backpedaled and noted that she was "sort of married" and not interested. Jennifer spoke cryptically about helping a friend by "using" certain people in order to help people. Daniel noted that "the end justifies the means" and for Jennifer to do what she needed to do if it was going to help people.

After Daniel left for the hospital, Ben returned to the table and apologized to Jennifer for ducking out on her to take a phone call from his patient. Jennifer told Ben not to worry and thanked him for "being in my life right now." With a nervous smile, Jennifer hugged Ben and slyly slipped her hand into his pocket to steal his keys.

In the Kiriakis living room, Maggie asked Victor about what he had planned for their dinner date. With a grin, Victor explained that their date would take place at the Kiriakis mansion and that they would not be eating dinner. Unnerved, Maggie started to storm out of the living room, arguing that she was not going to fool around with Victor. Victor stopped Maggie and informed her that he was planning to serve brunch because Maggie seemed uncomfortable with the idea of going on a dinner date with him.

"I don't want you to be uncomfortable when you're with me. So I figured we'd start with a little brunch here and if it goes well, we'll graduate to a nice dinner in a public restaurant," Victor said. Maggie smiled but Vivian interrupted before Maggie could say anything to Victor. "Well, well, if it isn't my husband with the widow Horton," Vivian purred as she sauntered into the living room with Brady close behind her. Maggie suggested to Victor that they postpone their brunch, then quietly left the house. Brady raised an eyebrow and then slipped into the foyer.

When Vivian made a crack about Maggie, Victor angrily countered, "If it weren't for Maggie Horton, you'd still be on that island, dining on beef jerky!" Vivian announced that she would not be staying in the Kiriakis mansion and that she was filing for divorce. Throwing back her head, Vivian marched out of the living room. Elated, Victor started to cheer his good luck.

In the Kiriakis foyer, Brady made arrangements to execute the documents that he had made Vivian sign. Once off the phone, Brady returned to the living room to find Victor pouring a celebratory drink. Victor informed Brady that Vivian was seeking a divorce and asked Brady whether Vivian had signed the papers relinquishing control of Titan. Brady assured Victor that he had made Vivian sign the papers. Brady added that he would be attending stockholders' meetings around the globe to assure investors that Vivian had never had control of Titan. With a grin, Victor remarked, "You're turning into a chip off the old block." After Victor walked out of the living room, Brady remarked, "More than you know, old man."

Rafe was playing with Johnny at the hospital when Daniel entered the room. Daniel informed Johnny that he would be going home soon, and Johnny expressed the desire to go home with Rafe and Sami. Rafe walked into the hallway with Daniel and discussed whether E.J. would be willing to let Johnny go home with Sami. With a smirk, Rafe informed Daniel that E.J. was "a changed man." Noting the sarcasm, Daniel surmised that Rafe did not believe that E.J. had changed.

Rafe updated Daniel on E.J.'s promise to God and explained that E.J. seemed to be keeping his word. With a groan, Rafe added that he was worried about interference from Stefano. When Rafe expressed how worried he was about Sami's children, Daniel asked Rafe if it mattered to him that they were not his children. "It doesn't matter whose blood is running through them, they're your kids," Rafe said with a smile. With a nod, Daniel averted his eyes.

In the DiMera foyer, E.J. asked Nicole to pick up Sydney at the hospital. Suspicious, Nicole asked E.J. why he was not picking up Sydney and was instead sending her when it would likely upset Sami. E.J. explained that he needed to handle some business and that he would send Mary if Nicole preferred. Not wishing to miss out on an opportunity to see Sydney, Nicole agreed to pick up Sydney and offered to visit Johnny.

"You and Sami, you make some pretty terrific kids. God, don't tell her I told you that!" Nicole said. E.J. thanked Nicole for her help. Nicole responded, "I should be thanking you. 'Cause now I wake up in the morning and I know why I'm on this Earth. When you gave Sydney back to me, you gave me back my life."

In the DiMera living room, Stefano spoke to Marco about the construction at the house that was needed to execute his plan to neutralize Rafe. Stefano stressed to Marco that they needed to keep the construction as quiet as possible so as not to tip off anyone to his plan. After Marco left, E.J. entered the living room and worked with Stefano on their plan for Rafe. Stefano asked E.J. if he was concerned about Sami running off with the children. E.J. explained that his new approach in giving Sami leeway was an effort to get her to let her guard down.

When Nicole arrived at the hospital, she found Rafe in Johnny's room as the little boy slept. Nicole informed Rafe that she was picking up Sydney. "Looks like you made a trip for nothing. Cause that's not gonna happen," Rafe said before explaining why Sydney was not available. With a sigh, Nicole went into the hallway and called E.J. to inform him that Sydney was out ice-skating with Sami and Allie and that they were running late.

"Sounds like Sami's testing the boundaries of your new agreement," Nicole purred. When Nicole asked if E.J. was going to send some goons to pick up Sydney, E.J. noted that he did not plan to chase after Sami. E.J. explained that he thought it was a good idea for Sami to bond with Sydney and for mother and daughter to spend some extra time together. Nicole agreed, but as she hung up the phone she muttered to herself, "Who are you, and what have you done to E.J.?"

Nicole located Rafe outside of Johnny's room and informed him that E.J. was going to let Sami keep Sydney for the rest of the morning. Rafe joked that he was surprised that E.J. was "acting like a human being." Nicole remarked that Johnny's illness had changed E.J.'s perspective. "If Sami is back in the picture, what are you still doing around?" Rafe asked curtly. Nicole explained that she assumed her "days as a nanny [were] numbered." Rafe noted that he was surprised that E.J. would choose business over spending time with his children.

Nicole went in to play with Johnny while she waited for Sydney to return. Johnny and Nicole were playing a game of pat-a-cake when E.J. entered Johnny's hospital room. Nicole hugged Johnny and told him that she was crazy about him. With a slight smile, E.J. watched from the doorway as Nicole and Johnny laughed and played. E.J. slipped into the hallway and met up with Nicole after she was done visiting with Johnny. Nicole informed E.J. that she had spoken to Rafe, and he was questioning her about her involvement with the children. Nicole assured E.J. that she had not told Rafe about the wedding but that Rafe was suspicious.

Nicole urged E.J. to spend time with Johnny, adding, "He was disappointed when I told him you couldn't make it." E.J. thanked Nicole and then went into Johnny's room. Rafe entered Johnny's room right behind E.J., and Johnny excitedly called out to Rafe. E.J. asked Rafe to meet him and Sami at the courthouse later, in order to formalize the custody agreement. Rafe started to leave, but E.J. suggested that Rafe could stay and visit Johnny. E.J. patted Rafe on the shoulder as he left, but in the hallway, a scowl spread across E.J.'s face. "You enjoy your time with my son, because you're not going to be around much longer, Rafe," E.J. said gruffly.

Nicole returned to the DiMera mansion and overheard Stefano talking to Marco about his plans for Rafe. As Marco left, Nicole strolled into the room and asked Stefano what he was up to. "You and E.J. having business meetings, Marco is hanging around a lot more than usual. Something's going on," Nicole said. Stefano stared coldly at Nicole. "On second thought, maybe I don't want to know. No. Not so much," Nicole said cheerfully. With a chuckle, Stefano welcomed Nicole back to the family and suggested that maybe her "second time [would] be a charm." "You bet it will be," Nicole said confidently.

Chad stopped at the Java Caf in the hopes of getting his job back, but there were no positions available. Gabi walked into the caf and asked Chad how he was doing. When Gabi expressed her concern about Chad not having any family to turn to, she suggested that he remain open to the possibility of becoming a part of the DiMera family. Chad informed Gabi that he planned to respect his mother's wishes to steer clear of the DiMeras. Gabi suggested that Chad's mother would understand if Chad reached out to the DiMeras because he was alone. "Everyone needs family. She'd understand," Gabi said quietly.

Vivian went over to Maggie's house and told her that she was seeking a divorce from Victor. Suspicious, Maggie asked why Vivian was visiting. Vivian explained that she owed Maggie a thank you for getting her rescued from the desert island. "It was the right thing to do, and it would have been destructive to Victor and Brady if they left you there. And it almost had nothing to do with my genuine concern for you," Maggie said.

Vivian noted that everyone in Salem was a liar but that Maggie was the biggest liar of them all. When Maggie seemed confused, Vivian explained that Maggie was lying to herself about her feelings for Victor. Vivian noted that since Victor was getting a divorce, Maggie might become the next Mrs. Kiriakis.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

by ChickenGrrl

At the Brady Pub, Jennifer hugged Ben to cover while she stuck her hand in his jacket pocket to swipe his keys to the prison infirmary. Ben's cell phone rang as he was apologizing to Jennifer that they hadn't gotten a chance to talk more. As he stepped a few feet away to take the call, Jennifer quietly slipped the keys in her purse.

On the phone, Jane told Ben that she'd found an organ donor, and he should receive the shipment that night. After Ben hung up, he promised Jennifer that he would be "more present" the next time they had coffee. As she left, Jennifer said to herself, "It's sad; you sure don't seem like the type to be up to no good."

Jennifer went to the prison, and used Ben's key to let herself into the infirmary. After carefully closing the door behind her, she then tried to open the file cabinet, but found it locked. She searched quickly through the desk drawers until she found the key, and then unlocked the file drawers. She rifled hurriedly through the files until she found a separate accordion file hidden in the back of a lower drawer. In it, she found a file for April Nelson, and thought that was one of the names Hope had mentioned. As she tried to read the file, she realized that it was all in some kind of numerical medical code, and she needed a doctor to decipher it.

Suddenly Jennifer heard a key in the lock, so she started to hide, but then she heard Jane's voice asking for a word with Lee. Lee stopped unlocking the door. Jennifer strained to eavesdrop, but couldn't make out the women's words, despite Jane's loudly whispered instructions, "I want you to check my computer for unauthorized activity. Then shut it down. Make sure no one reboots it. I don't want anyone hacking into it again."

Lee asked if there had been another problem. Jane reassured her, "No, and there's not gonna be one as long as Brady, the Feds, and the Salem police don't get wind of what's gonna happen with Bo Brady tonight." Lee started to put her key back in the door, but Jane requested Lee's help with something else first. As soon as Jennifer heard the women walk away, she quickly opened up the accordion file. She spread out the contents, and began snapping pictures of with her cell phone.

Afterward, Jennifer returned to the Brady Pub. She furtively dropped Ben's keys on the bar, then took a seat at a table. As she was reviewing the photos she'd taken, Ben entered. He told Jennifer that he'd misplaced his keys, and asked if she'd seen them. She suggested that he check with the bartender. While Ben went to the bar, Jennifer hoped he wouldn't notice that the infirmary key was missing from his keychain. She noted to herself that she needed the help of a doctor to interpret the medical codes she'd found.

Kate dropped by Daniel's apartment to see how the pregnant Melanie was doing. Melanie believed that Kate was just using the pregnancy as an excuse to try to get Melanie and Philip back together, and tried to get rid of Kate. Kate insisted that she had no agenda other than to give Melanie a gift for the baby. Melanie grudgingly opened the gift, a small, ornate music box. Kate explained that it had belonged to Philip, who, as a baby, had needed the music it played to fall asleep.

Melanie was annoyed that Kate had managed to turn the topic back to Philip. Kate pointed out that Melanie had loved Philip when they had created the baby she was carrying. "You grew up not knowing your father, because your mother kept him from you," Kate reminded Melanie. "Do you really want to become your mother? Do you want to do that to your own child?" Melanie argued that she planned to share custody with Philip, but Kate asserted that the child should grow up in a home with both parents.

Kate acknowledged that Philip had done an incredibly stupid thing when he'd gotten Chloe pregnant, but he still loved Melanie -- and he wanted to be with her during her pregnancy, and to raise the baby with her. Melanie reminded Kate, "It's not Melanie and Philip and a baby make three. See, there's another baby, one that's already here. So if you're trying to reunite Philip with the mother of his child, go bug Chloe!"

Melanie divulged that she had briefly tried to convince Daniel to take Parker away from Chloe, so Melanie and Daniel could raise the boy. Kate maintained that Parker would be much better off with Philip, Melanie, and their new baby than with Chloe, who wasn't exactly "mother material." Melanie noted, "You make it sound so simple, like I can just go back to Philip -- like Chloe will just give up her baby." Kate pointed out that Chloe had no job, a husband who wanted nothing to do with her, and almost no friends.

"I think a case could be made that she's unfit to raise a child," Kate asserted. "And this isn't just any child. This is my grandchild. This is your baby's big brother." Although Melanie seemed to be pondering the idea, she declared that she didn't want to discuss it anymore. Kate agreed to leave, but first stated that it killed her to think that both of her grandchildren were going to be raised without their father. "But that's your decision," Kate added, and then she left.

Philip was dismayed to find Chloe at the Cheatin' Heart in the middle of the day. He demanded to know who was taking care of their son. Chloe retorted that Parker was with Maggie, plus she was only having one glass of wine. Pointing out that Chloe was nursing, Philip took the glass away from her. Chloe informed him that Parker was no longer nursing; she'd switched to bottles.

"Parker," Philip scoffed. "I can't believe you named him after the mother of a guy who wants nothing to do with him -- or you." Chloe maintained that the baby's name was Parker Daniel Jonas, and Philip couldn't do anything about it, because the birth certificate stated that Daniel was the father. When Philip argued that he could change it, Chloe declared, "Over my dead body."

Philip noted gently that Chloe didn't seem like herself. Chloe snapped that she hadn't been herself since they had slept together. Just then, Maggie arrived with a crying Parker, and an alarmed Chloe asked what was wrong. Maggie replied that Chloe had only left one bottle for the baby -- and Chloe was over an hour late to pick him up. As Philip lifted Parker out of the stroller, Maggie added that Chloe's phone was turned off, so she'd had to call around to find out where Chloe was.

Chloe apologetically insisted that she hadn't known that her phone was off, and that she'd fed Parker right before she'd left him with Maggie. Since the baby had stopped crying in Philip's arms, Philip offered to take Parker out for a walk. After Philip left, Maggie gently asked if Chloe were all right. Chloe admitted that she didn't know how -- or who -- she was any longer. She added that she hadn't been sleeping well, and she knew that Daniel wasn't going to return to her.

"I never imagined that I'd be raising this baby all alone," Chloe stated tearfully. Maggie asserted that Chloe just needed some help. When Maggie offered to take Chloe and Parker back to their apartment, Chloe confessed that her new place only reminded her of everything she'd lost. Although she understood, Maggie pointed out that Chloe had to put Parker's needs above her own. "Yeah, but what about me? I feel like I don't exist anymore!" Chloe cried. "Oh, God, I shouldn't have said that. I love my baby; I really do. If I don't pull it together soon, I know I'm gonna lose him, too."

Maggie reassured Chloe that all she needed was a little help. When she learned that Chloe's mother couldn't leave New York to stay with Chloe, the ever-pragmatic Maggie declared, "Okay, then -- you're going to come home with me. I'm gonna take care of both you and Parker." Chloe embraced Maggie gratefully.

Philip rested on the bench in front of the Brady Pub with Parker. "Your mom's not in good shape," Philip said. "But you got me. I'm your dad, and I just realized I'd walk into a burning building for you. I'm going to take very good care of you. I'll take care of both of my kids. And no one -- no one is going to stop me."

As Rafe entered the loft, he found Sami going over the custody agreement from E.J. Rafe informed Sami that he'd had a lawyer look over the contract, and there didn't seem to be any loopholes. Rafe added that after a conversation with Nicole, he agreed with Sami that Nicole and E.J. weren't getting married after all. A pleased and hopeful Sami declared, "I think things are really gonna work out."

Rafe told Sami that they were supposed to meet E.J. at the courthouse later to sign the agreement. Sami and Rafe were excited at the prospect of having the whole family together, and Rafe pointed out that they were alone. Sami took the hint and kissed him.

As they were lying in bed after making love, they heard Sydney calling for Sami over the baby monitor. "That is just the best sound I ever heard in the entire world," Sami declared as she got up to check on her daughter.

E.J. was on the phone with Stefano, discussing a change to their plan for Rafe, when Nicole returned to the DiMera mansion. E.J. quickly ended his phone call, which was not lost on Nicole. "And why has Marco been hanging around so much -- and what is going on in the basement?" she asked breezily. E.J. replied that Stefano was merely expanding the wine cellar, but Nicole didn't buy it.

Nicole pointed out that Dr. Kim had warned them that Johnny would have some problems with depth perception, and guessed that E.J. was building something for Johnny to use with his physical therapist. "I thought I was so good at keeping secrets," E.J. said lightly. Nicole headed for the basement to check things out, but E.J. wouldn't let her go. Nicole became suspicious, but assured E.J. that she didn't want to know what was really going on.

E.J. informed Nicole that he was meeting with Sami and Rafe that afternoon to sign the custody agreement. Nicole worried that Sami wouldn't agree to all of the terms, but E.J. asserted that Sami would sign the papers if she wanted to spend any time at all with her children. Nicole then told E.J. that she had gotten permission from a nurse, so she was taking some pizza to Johnny at the hospital. After Nicole had gone, E.J. called Stefano back. "Everything is going according to plan," E.J. stated. "Step one starts tonight."

Elsewhere, a woman made a plane reservation for a flight to Salem. When she typed her credit card number into the online form, it was rejected. "How am I gonna get to Salem now?" the woman wondered. She emptied her purse, and counted the money inside. "Seven dollars and twenty-seven cents," she noted. "A bus token -- and this." She pulled a photograph of Nicole from her purse. She then called to find out when the next bus to Salem left.

The mood was cordial when Rafe and Sami met E.J. at the courthouse -- until Nicole arrived. Sami demanded to know why Nicole was there. Referring to a page of the agreement that Sami and Rafe had apparently not gotten, E.J. explained, "It simply reflects the change in my circumstances. All it says is that if I die before the children reach their maturity, then Nicole, as my wife, has the same rights to Johnny and Sydney that I do."

Sami was incredulous -- and furious -- that E.J. was still planning to marry Nicole. E.J. maintained that his personal life had nothing to do with their custody agreement, but Rafe pointed out, "You are marrying a woman who ran with Sydney twice, and now you're giving her legal rights to Sami's children." Sami declared that she didn't want her children anywhere near Nicole.

E.J. emphasized that Nicole would only get the children if something happened to him, but Sami believed that he planned to use the agreement to take her children away and give them to Nicole. Nicole insisted that she had always been good to Sydney and Johnny, and E.J. suggested that Sami think of the clause as life insurance. "We all know the greatest threat to my life is you," he said calmly. "But if, in the event of my death, Nicole has the rights to Johnny and Sydney, I've got a funny feeling I'm going to live to a ripe old age."

Sami retorted, "You maybe, but not her." Nicole and Sami almost came to blows, and Rafe and E.J. had to break the women up. Rafe quietly pointed out to Sami that the most important thing was to get her kids back, and the custody arrangement as it stood was better than having no rights to them at all. But instead of signing the contract, Sami wadded it up and dropped it on the table. "This is an excuse to get Nicole near my kids so she can poison them against me," Sami asserted, and then stormed out.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

by Mike

At the hospital, Daniel realized that he had forgotten to make arrangements to have one of his patients admitted to an elderly health care facility. Lexie assured Daniel that she and Maxine had already taken care of the situation. Daniel apologized for being distracted and neglecting his duties. "You didn't seem distracted when you saved my nephew's eyesight," Lexie reminded him, "So I don't mind making a call for you or covering for you or doing anything I can for you."

Lexie asked Daniel about his relationship with Chloe. "That's an easy answer," Daniel said, "There's nothing between me and Chloe." Later, Lexie stopped by Johnny's hospital room to check on her nephew. Johnny woke up and asked for his stuffed frog, which prompted Lexie to wonder if Johnny had received the toy from Stefano. "No, somebody named Chad," Johnny explained.

Maggie walked into her kitchen and found a note from Chloe, which she read with a heavy sigh. Later, Maggie heard a knock on her door and went to answer it, thinking that it was Chloe -- but instead, she found Victor standing on her doorstep. Victor could tell that Maggie was worried about something, so Maggie showed Victor the note that Chloe had written. "She can barely move, she's so distraught," Maggie explained, and added, "And then all of a sudden, she wants some fresh air? Uh-uh. Something's wrong."

Chloe rushed Parker to the hospital and told Maxine that he was sick. Maxine offered to page a doctor, but Chloe insisted, "It has to be Daniel -- only Daniel." Maxine wasn't convinced that Parker was sick, but Chloe was adamant that something was seriously wrong with her baby. When Daniel arrived, Chloe managed to temporarily send Daniel into panic mode before Maxine was able to snap him out of it and make him realize what Chloe was up to. After Maxine left, Daniel confronted Chloe.

"This is a hospital," Daniel reminded Chloe. "I have people who are in need, and you come in here and you play charades?" Chloe insisted that she had believed that Parker was sick, but Daniel knew that she was lying. "No, you thought you could make me feel sorry for you by using that baby to get to me," Daniel said. Daniel told Chloe that she needed to go home, but he didn't want her to drive while she was upset. Chloe told him that he could call Maggie and have her pick Chloe up. "She's always sweet to me," Chloe admitted.

When Maggie arrived at the hospital, Daniel was upset to see that Victor was with her. Daniel insisted that he didn't want to hear Victor ranting about Chloe, but Maggie convinced Daniel to tell them what had happened. Daniel explained that Chloe had pretended that Parker was sick in order to see Daniel. "Listen," Victor said, "this is not a rant, but a legitimate question. Is she capable of taking care of that baby?" Daniel admitted that it wasn't his call to make -- the hospital had a strict procedure in place that required a report to be filed with the Department of Child and Family Services.

Maggie went to the exam room to find Chloe. Chloe wondered if Maggie hated her, but Maggie promised that she didn't hate Chloe. "Daniel does," Chloe sadly admitted, "More than ever." Maggie took Chloe home; later, she walked into the kitchen, looking for Chloe, and found her sitting at the kitchen table, clutching a baby blanket and rocking back and forth with a blank stare on her face.

Maxine filled out an incident report for Child and Family Services and handed it to Daniel so that he could sign it. Maxine wondered if they were doing the right thing by filing the report, but they both agreed that Chloe needed help. After signing the document, Daniel called Melanie and told her that he needed to talk to her. Meanwhile, Victor placed a phone call to Kate and explained, "We need to talk...about our grandson."

At the courthouse, Sami stormed off after she learned that E.J. wanted to name Nicole as Johnny and Sydney's legal guardian in the event of his death. E.J. told Nicole that he was surprised by Sami's reaction to the terms of the custody agreement. "I offered her joint custody of her children when I could have thrown her in jail," E.J. said.

"Come on, DiMera, what'd you expect?" Rafe wondered, then added, "You ambushed her." E.J. insisted that a "clerical error" had caused the original document to be missing the section that granted Nicole legal rights to the children. "Clerical error," Rafe scoffed. "You're just a new man, aren't ya? Changed man, prayin' man. You even offer Sami the joint custody agreement. You only left out one key detail, which is the fact that the porn star who had kidnapped her child was part of the agreement."

E.J. threatened to rescind his peace treaty with Sami if she continued to act the way she had at the courthouse. "And that includes the part where she doesn't go to prison," E.J. added. Rafe observed that issuing threats and ultimatums seemed to be more important to E.J. than acting in Johnny and Sydney's best interest. E.J. defended Nicole and assured Rafe that there wasn't anything in the agreement that was not in the children's best interest.

"Sami being tormented is not in their best interest!" Rafe insisted. E.J. joked that it was "in Sami's nature" to be volatile. "Nature?" Rafe asked as he grew more furious. "Over and over and over you push her beyond what anyone could deal with, and you're gonna sit there and tell me it's her nature to be volatile? The laundry list of things that you have done... Well, I don't blame her for putting a bullet in your head. Oh, I don't. And you have the nerve, the audacity to invite her down here and kick her in the chin one more time?"

Nicole started to defend E.J. by pointing out Sami's past sins, but E.J. stopped her. "Rafe's right," E.J. admitted. "I've done this all wrong." E.J. claimed that he had made a mistake in choosing to act as his own lawyer instead of allowing someone else to handle the proceedings. Rafe wasn't convinced that E.J. was being sincere, but E.J. insisted that he hadn't intended to ambush Sami. E.J. started to call Sami to apologize, but Rafe advised against it.

"Okay, what do you propose?" E.J. wondered. Rafe said he would talk to Sami and try to smooth things over. E.J. smiled and thanked Rafe, but reiterated that Nicole was still going to be part of the agreement. E.J. assured Rafe that Nicole would not be a threat to Sami's relationship with her children. "Right," Rafe scoffed. "She's just a nanny with benefits."

After Rafe left, Nicole joked that she had gotten the impression that Rafe didn't like her very much. E.J. assured Nicole that it didn't matter, because Rafe understood what Sami didn't -- that the agreement E.J. had proposed was her only choice. Later, Nicole wondered if E.J. really believed that it was in Johnny and Sydney's best interest for Nicole to be part of their lives. "I'm just trying to figure out where I stand," Nicole admitted.

"You stand exactly where you want to stand," E.J. assured Nicole. "I mean, you spent...two years trying to become a part of Sydney's life." E.J. wondered if Nicole was having second thoughts, but Nicole assured him that she wasn't. "Look, Nicole," E.J. added, "you're sitting pretty. You understand? I mean, I'm going to keep up my end of the bargain, all right? If Rafe can't convince Samantha to get on board, then you are going to be the only mother that Sydney and Johnny have."

Nicole wondered why E.J. hadn't heard from Sami, but E.J. explained that it would probably take a while for Rafe to calm her down. E.J. fixed a martini for Nicole. After tasting it, Nicole admitted, "It's perfect. Dirty -- just the way I like it. Strangely...you're the only one who gets it right."

Later, E.J. noticed that Nicole was looking at pictures of the children. E.J. noted that it would be nice to get some new photographs taken -- photographs that included Nicole. "Yeah," Nicole laughed, "send them to my mom; she won't know what the hell is going on." E.J. assured Nicole that her mother would understand that they were becoming one big, happy family, just as Nicole had always dreamed of.

With the custody agreement papers in hand, Sami went over to the Kiriakis mansion to ask Justin for help. "I'm so glad you're here," Sami said when Justin opened the door. "I need you to help me to find a way to legally shove this down E.J. DiMera's throat." Justin looked over the papers and regretfully informed Sami that the contract was airtight. Justin suggested taking the contract to a judge and arguing that Nicole wouldn't be a suitable substitute parent, but Sami was adamant about not wanting to take the case to court.

"So...what is it you're not telling me?" Justin wondered. Sami deflected and insisted that she wasn't hiding anything. "Well, then, think about this offer," Justin said, and explained, "It's not a bad deal. Shared custody, equal rights and responsibilities...I've seen a lot worse offers, believe me." Sami reacted to Justin's advice with incredulity. "That deal means Nicole gets to be a part of my children's lives," she said, and insisted, "I will see her dead before I let that happen."

Justin warned Sami not to say -- or even think -- things like that while the custody of her children was at stake. "E.J. is cool, he's rational, and in complete control," Justin cautioned, and continued, "Now, you have to get yourself under control...or you are mincemeat." Sami reluctantly admitted that Justin was right. "I'm always right," Justin joked, "It's a burden."

Sami returned to her apartment, where Rafe filled her in on what had happened with E.J. after she had stormed out. Sami told Rafe about her conversation with Justin, but admitted that she was still skeptical about Justin's advice. "He said if I sleep on it, maybe I'll feel differently tomorrow," she explained, and added, "But I'm not going to feel differently about Nicole. Ever. And now E.J. wants to tie her to me forever." Sami admitted that she wasn't sure that she would be capable of accepting Nicole as part of her children's lives. "She went to jail for what she did," Sami pointed out, "and now she gets to live in the mansion with my kids?"

Rafe reminded Sami that Nicole was going to be E.J.'s wife regardless of the custody agreement, so she was going to be around the kids either way. Sami struggled to understand how E.J. could have ever agreed to marry Nicole again after what she had done to him the last time. Rafe observed that E.J. seemed to have forgiven Nicole for her past sins. "Maybe he has," Sami admitted, "but I haven't, and I never will."

Rafe pointed out that Sami would be able to keep an eye on Nicole more easily if Nicole married E.J. Sami insisted that she wouldn't be able to handle having Nicole around, but Rafe reminded her that she didn't have a choice. Rafe received a phone call that he had to answer, so Sami left the apartment to get some air. Rafe finished his phone call and chased after Sami, wondering what she was up to.

Sami got into her car and started driving. Rafe followed her in his own car, but he was having difficulty keeping up with Sami. As Rafe struggled to catch Sami's car, his own car skidded off the road. Sami witnessed the wreck in her mirror and realized that it was Rafe's car that had crashed.

Chad stopped by the Cheatin' Heart and asked Adrienne for a job. Adrienne confirmed that she was looking for a bartender. Chad offered to start as soon as possible. "Great," Adrienne replied, and quipped, "How 'bout when you're 21? And I'm guessing that's not for a while now, is it?" Chad joked that he could get a fake I.D., but Adrienne reminded him that she could lose her liquor license if she allowed him to do that. Adrienne regretfully informed him that she didn't have any other positions open, but she offered to call him if anything opened up.

Chad thanked Adrienne and wrote down his contact information. "Just Chad?" Adrienne asked as she looked at his information. "What is it, like 'Cher'?" Chad was puzzled by the reference. After lamenting the fact that Chad was too young to understand her joke, Adrienne asked Chad for his last name. "Yeah, I'm not sure," Chad admitted.

Later, Justin paid Adrienne a visit at the Cheatin' Heart. After they reminisced about old times, Adrienne wondered if there was a reason for Justin's visit. Justin explained that he had been dealing with a particularly nasty custody battle. "And it just hit me," Justin added, "what a really classy dame you are." Justin remarked that it was ironic that their jobs had once driven them apart, and it seemed those same jobs had forced them back together.

"That long-distance thing was a bitch," Adrienne admitted, and said, "The time that you do have together you spend on stupid details and checkbooks and you forget to say..." Adrienne trailed off, but Justin finished, "I love you." Adrienne admitted that she had never stopped loving Justin, regardless of how angry she might have been at him.

"I was about to tell you the same thing," Justin admitted as he leaned in to kiss Adrienne. After their kiss, Adrienne walked over to the door and locked it. Justin wondered why she was locking the door right before happy hour. "Because," Adrienne explained, "I think it's going to be a very happy hour." Justin smiled as he and Adrienne started making out on the pool table.

Later, Chad was at the Brady Pub, working on something on his laptop, when Lexie stopped by to pick up some food. Lexie greeted Chad and explained, "I couldn't tell if you were that wrapped up into what you were doing, or if you were trying to make sure I didn't see you." Chad admitted that it was a little of both. Lexie apologized for intruding and started to leave, but Chad stopped her. "Well, actually, I, um...I would kind of like to ask you how Johnny's doing," he said as he offered her a seat.

Lexie explained that Johnny was doing well medically, but she admitted that things might change once Johnny was discharged from the hospital and the reality of his situation started to sink in. Lexie joked that Johnny's family life was "a bit complicated" as well. "In saying that," Lexie added, "You are more than welcome to join our family, if you want to. But I can understand you having some reservations about it." Chad admitted that he wasn't really sure how to respond to Lexie's offer. Lexie assured him that she understood and that she didn't expect him to say anything.

Lexie told Chad that Johnny had grown quite attached to the stuffed frog that Chad had given him. Chad smiled and said that Johnny seemed like a great kid. Lexie nodded and said, "Seems to me, so is his uncle." Chad shrugged off his gift for Johnny as "no big deal," but Lexie insisted that it was about more than just a toy. "You made a connection with him, Chad," Lexie said, "You made him feel better."

Lexie asked Chad if he had been an only child. "Apparently not," Chad joked, but he confirmed that he had grown up as an only child. "Must feel nice to have a little nephew," Lexie observed. She paused, and continued, "What I want to say is...don't feel like you have to take on the whole DiMera family en masse, all right? You can spend time with Johnny and not spend time with my father. Just think of it as, like, 'Okay, I'll take one from column A, and none, none from column B.' It's your choice, Chad. Pick and choose -- you pick and choose."

Chad was taken aback and admitted that he hadn't expected Lexie to say that. Lexie explained that she had once had to work through her own issues with being a DiMera. "Because they're bad people, right?" Chad asked. "When it comes to my...our father...I find 'bad' to be a relative term," Lexie admitted. Chad observed that Lexie's statement sounded like an evasion to him.

"Well, maybe I need to be a little evasive to balance who I know he is...and the fact that I truly love him," Lexie explained. Chad admitted that Stefano scared him, and clarified, "Not like he's gonna hurt me or anything like that, but, uh...he's gonna take over my life, if I let him." Lexie agreed that it was wise for Chad to be scared. "But," she added, "if you want to give it a go...if you want to test out what it means to be a DiMera...I'm here for you. And I will back you up any way I can, Chad. 'Cause I think you'd be a really nice addition to our family."

Friday, January 28, 2011

by ChickenGrrl

At Maggie's, Maggie tried to chat with Chloe about how Parker seemed to like music, but Chloe just stared miserably into space. After some prodding from Maggie, Chloe finally cried that she was a terrible mother for lying about Parker being sick. Maggie encouraged Chloe to cut herself some slack, but Chloe was inconsolable, and convinced that Daniel would hate her forever. Although understanding, Maggie firmly reminded Chloe that she had a new baby to take care of. Sobbing, Chloe insisted that she had failed Parker, and ruined his chances for happiness.

When Melanie arrived at Daniel's, he told her that Chloe had tried another "desperate stunt": she had taken Parker to the hospital, and lied that the infant had been ill. Melanie had to fight to keep her anger in check. Daniel asserted that something in Chloe's eyes and voice had worried him. Melanie was worried that Parker might be in danger, but Daniel reassured her that Chloe and Parker were staying with Maggie. "I think Parker needs us to look out for him," Daniel maintained. Melanie assured her dad that she loved Parker, and she would help however she could.

Daniel was pleased when Melanie started making a pot of stew. But when she went into the bedroom, he tasted the stew -- and grimaced. While Melanie was out of the room, Maggie called Daniel to urge him to get over to her house right away, because she was worried about Chloe. Daniel called to Melanie through the bedroom door that he was stepping out for a bit, and left before she could ask where he was going.

Daniel soon arrived at Maggie's, and Maggie said that Chloe had just gone to lie down. "She's been so distant and distracted ever since she left the hospital -- kind of like she's going through the motions," Maggie explained. Just as Maggie went to retrieve Daniel's medical bag from his car, Chloe returned to the kitchen

When Daniel said that he was there to see her, Chloe misinterpreted it, and assumed that he wanted to give her another chance. She threw her arms around him, and cried about how much she had missed him. Daniel gently pushed her away, and just as gently explained that he was only there because Maggie had been worried about Chloe. Chloe knew that he meant it when Maggie returned at that moment with Daniel's bag.

Chloe insisted that she was fine, and told Daniel to leave. After Maggie left to give them some privacy, Chloe asked Daniel sarcastically, "What, you think I'm going off the deep end? Crazy Chloe strikes again." Daniel maintained that he had never thought Chloe was crazy, but he knew that she was going through a tough time -- as was he. He added that she would never get better without some help, and gave Chloe a prescription for sleeping pills and the business card for a psychiatrist.

Chloe tossed them on the table. "I don't need any of that!" she wailed. "All I need is you!" Pointing out that Daniel was kind and forgiving to everyone else, she demanded to know why he couldn't forgive her. When Daniel tried to leave, Chloe pleaded with him to at least kiss Parker goodnight. She began sobbing again as she begged Daniel to return to her and Parker so they could be a family. Daniel ordered her to stop using the baby to get him back.

Weeping wretchedly, Chloe promised that she would never lie to him again if he would just go back to her. "I'll just love you with my whole heart and soul!" she cried. At the end of his rope, Daniel urged her to take care of herself for Parker's sake, and then left quietly.

A numb Chloe was sitting at the table when Maggie returned. "He's gone forever," Chloe declared bleakly.

Kate arrived at the Kiriakis mansion, and asked why Victor had wanted to talk to her. Victor revealed that Chloe -- the mother of their grandson -- seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown. Victor filled Kate in on what Chloe had done at the hospital, and Kate immediately wanted to get Chloe out of Parker's life. Victor asserted that they couldn't use the incident against Chloe. He reminded an annoyed Kate that Philip would never forgive them if he found out they'd plotted against the mother of his child. Kate tried to change Victor's mind, but he put his foot down.

As soon as Victor stalked out of the room, Kate dialed Melanie. Kate suggested that the two of them should meet to discuss "Chloe's latest transgression." When a reluctant Melanie met Kate later, Kate reminded her of the discussion they'd had about Philip and Melanie raising their son and Parker. Melanie reiterated that it was never going to happen, because for one thing, Chloe would never give up her baby. Kate asked if Melanie would consider doing so if Chloe weren't an issue.

Melanie replied that she would "absolutely" raise Parker, because she loved him, but she couldn't do it with Philip. Kate asked if it were perhaps because Melanie was still hung up on Nathan, but Melanie refused to discuss it. "Parker is a package deal with Philip, not with Nathan," Kate emphasized. "I'm just going to ask you not to make any hasty decisions about your future, at least not for a couple of days."

After Melanie left, Kate told herself that Melanie really wanted to be a mother to both of Philip's children, even if she didn't know it yet. "Now all I have to do is find a way to get Chloe out of our lives for good."

In the DiMera mansion living room, E.J. and Nicole told Stefano about how Samantha had blown up when they'd asked her to sign the custody agreement. Stefano got a call from his contact at the hospital, alerting him that Rafe had just been in a serious car accident and might not survive. E.J. and Nicole were relieved to learn that the children had not been in the car. Stefano noted to E.J. that if Rafe died, it could change everything

While Stefano answered another call from the hospital, Nicole wanted to know what Stefano had meant. E.J. claimed that Stefano had merely been referring to the custody agreement, but Nicole was skeptical. Stefano hung up just then and announced that they had to get to the hospital right away.

Sami was right by Rafe's side as he was rushed into the emergency room. The paramedic relayed to Ben that Rafe had been in a "car-versus-tree" car accident, and reported Rafe's vital statistics. Rafe was unconscious and had a tube down his throat. Sami wanted to accompany Rafe to the exam room, but Ben told her to wait outside.

As Sami paced, she blamed herself for what had happened. She prayed to God for Rafe to be all right. When Ben emerged from the exam room, he cautioned Sami, "Rafe has suffered some serious internal injuries, including hemorrhages in his brain... There's a slight possibility of brain damage, but the main thing is, he's stable for now." He added that although Rafe was unconscious, it would probably do him a lot of good if Sami were with him.

Sami went into Rafe's room, sat next to the bed, and took his hand. She apologized, insisting that the accident had been her fault, because she shouldn't have run out like she had. She promised not to do stupid things like that after he got home from the hospital, and to prove that she meant it, she would sign the custody papers, so their family could have some peace. "But we're not a family without you," Sami whispered, crying softly. "So Rafe, you have to wake up. You have to get better, and you have to come home, because I need you, and our kids need you."

Sami asked Rafe for a sign that he could hear her, and he squeezed her hand. As a grateful Sami was telling Rafe how much she loved him, Nicole and E.J. entered. "Careful, Sami -- you don't want to send him screaming back to the light," Nicole remarked, to Sami's horror. E.J. gently stated that they had heard about the accident, and asked how it had happened. Sami explained that Rafe had been driving behind her; he'd swerved to avoid a deer, and hit a tree.

Nicole asked with apparent sincerity if Rafe were going to be all right, but it only angered Sami. E.J. apologized for intruding, and started to usher Nicole out of the room, but Sami stopped them. "I'm not even going to try to pretend that I will ever be okay with you being in my children's lives," Sami admitted, "But Rafe wanted me to try." She informed them that she intended to sign the custody agreement.

Outside, Stefano questioned Ben about Rafe's condition. He seemed particularly interested in whether Rafe had any visible external damage, and when Ben seemed suspicious, Stefano claimed that he was merely concerned about his grandchildren's stepfather. Ben agreed to give Stefano a full report.

Sami, Nicole, and E.J. exited from Rafe's room just as Stefano and Ben walked off. Nicole asked Sami, "Are you serious about signing those papers? I mean, you're okay with me being around your children?" Sami assured Nicole that she was okay with it, but added, "Let me just be clear: You are not their mother. You're not anyone's mother." E.J. stepped in between the women as they began shouting at one another, since Nicole seemed dangerously close to strangling Sami.

Just then, Ben returned. He warned Sami that there was a chance Rafe might suffer some memory loss, but it was too soon to tell. A nurse informed Ben that a patient of his was arriving, so Ben left. E.J. expressed his sympathy to Sami. She insisted that she was fine, because Rafe was going to return to her.

Sami returned to Rafe's bedside, and pleaded with her husband as she stroked his forehead, "Come on, Agent Sleepyhead. It's time to open your eyes." Rafe opened his eyes just then, to Sami's utter relief.

E.J. was surprised to find Stefano grinning merrily in the waiting area, and asked what Stefano was so happy about. Stefano's smile grew even broader as he declared that Rafe's recovery could not have worked out better.

Hope was pacing on the boat as she waited for Jennifer to return, when suddenly she heard a cop on the deck above ordering, "Come out with your hands up!" Hope grabbed her personal belongings and hid behind a corner, as the officer climbed down the steps into the cabin. Hope prepared to bash the cop over the head with her flashlight, but he heard glass breaking above deck. "Damn. Crazy drunk must have gone onto another boat," he muttered. Hope heaved a sigh of relief when the cop left.

When Carly met Jennifer on the pier, Jennifer revealed that she had talked to Hope -- and Bo was missing. Jennifer explained that Bo had left to track down a lead and never returned. Although Carly was alarmed, Jennifer assured her that she had a plan, but she needed Carly's help to pull it off. Jennifer explained that she had broken into the prison infirmary to look at the records of the women who had died mysteriously -- but the files were all in medical code.

Carly looked at the pictures of the records that Jennifer had taken, but they were too blurry to read. Carly asked if she could see the originals, and Jennifer cautioned her that it was too dangerous. "I don't care -- we need to help Bo and Hope!" Carly argued, so Jennifer agreed to take her to the prison.

When they reached the infirmary, Jennifer pulled the patient records in question out of the file cabinet. Carly quickly reviewed the files, and when she realized what the codes meant, she declared with dismay, "My God! I know what was going on here." Carly agreed with Hope's assessment that the women had died during surgery that should have been routine.

Pointing to one of the medical codes, Carly explained to Jennifer, "That means that every patient was examined for organ donation... And coincidentally, they all signed up to be cremated." Jennifer was horrified to realize that the prison had been killing patients to sell their organs. She and Carly agreed that they had to report it, but then they heard Lee and Jane in the hallway outside.

Carly and Jennifer listened while Jane told Lee that she was on her way to get rid of Bo Brady. "With the help of certain officials, he'll be shot escaping the state police," Jane explained with a malevolent grin. "We'll do it out in a clearing near Route 55, where there won't be any witnesses."

After Jane and Lee walked away, Carly wanted to head for the clearing right away. Jennifer insisted that they go together, but first she needed to call Hope. She told Carly to go back out the way they'd entered, and Jennifer would be right behind her. As Carly left, Jennifer quickly dialed Hope, and told her what she had overheard the warden planning. Hope said that she would head to the clearing, and when she learned that someone on the police force was in on the plot, she told Jennifer to contact Rafe Hernandez for help.

As Jennifer hung up, she heard Lee's voice demanding, "What are you doing with those files?" Lee ordered Jennifer to put down the phone.

In the basement, Jane's henchman, state trooper Burt, handcuffed one of Bo's hands to a chair. He sarcastically promised to give Bo a head start before pulling the trigger. When Bo declared that Burt was a disgrace to the uniform, Burt hauled off and punched Bo in the face. Although Bo taunted him, Burt wouldn't take the bait. "You're trying to goad me into killing you right now; that way our cover story doesn't work," Burt guessed. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we're sticking to the plan. You're going to get shot evading arrest -- a fatal wound straight to the brain."

Later, Bo let his head loll to the side, and with a moan, asked Burt for some water. Burt fell for it, and Bo used his free hand to punch Burt in the throat and nose, rendering the cop unconscious. Bo tried to free himself from the handcuff, but Burt woke up and used his pistol handle to knock Bo out.

Jane arrived to find an angry Burt leveling his gun at Bo's head. "I'm getting really sick of this guy," Burt growled. "When do I get to take him out?" Annoyed, Jane replied, "Right now -- let's go!"

When they got to the clearing, Burt asked if he should remove Bo's handcuffs, since they wouldn't match their cover story. "We'll get rid of them later. Just shoot the bastard!" Jane commanded. Hope arrived, and hid behind a tree -- just as Carly crept up behind her. The two women watched in silent terror as Burt aimed his gun at Bo.

Ben called Jane's disposable cell phone, and was surprised when Lee answered. Lee explained that Jane was running an errand. Ben declared that he had a patient who needed a heart transplant immediately. Looking pointedly at Jennifer, Lee replied, "It's your lucky night, Doc. You'll have that heart within the hour."