Laura got bad news about Nikolas; General Hospital Recap for Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Laura and Nikolas embraced in the Flatland Prison's visiting room. Nikolas quickly asked how Ace was doing, so Laura showed him a photo of Ace's big smile, assuring Nikolas that Ace was a happy kid. Ace could even say "no" in three languages because his babysitter was a language major.

Nikolas finally asked the reason for Laura's visit, so Laura told her son that Lulu needed him. Nikolas underwent a quick blood test to see if his liver was healthy enough for a transplant, as they felt he'd already been a match for Lulu's bone marrow when she'd been younger. She said as long as his liver was fine, they'd return to Port Charles for a transplant.

Nikolas remembered the first time he'd ever seen Lulu after he'd donated bone marrow when Lulu had been a toddler. Nikolas promised to be there for Lulu like he had promised the same to his boys. Nikolas asked Laura if it was too late to atone for hurting his family.

Laura assured Nikolas that she believed in him. He'd turned himself in and made a selfless choice to save Ace from a life on the run. To Laura, that meant something. Soon, the test results arrived. Laura was devastated to see that Nikolas couldn't be a donor for Lulu because his liver function didn't meet the donation criteria. Nikolas told Laura that she had to find Lucky.

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Dante found Tracy sitting quietly in the hospital's chapel and asked if he could join her. "It helps me knowing that you're here for Lulu if she gets into trouble," Dante said.

Dante complimented Tracy on how well she'd helped raise Lulu, knowing when to step in and step aside when Lulu had been a teenager. Dante told Tracy she'd helped shape Lulu, but Tracy argued that Lulu had become someone she didn't even recognize.

Tracy asked Dante what he remembered about Lulu when they'd first met. Dante admitted she had been a fiery handful who'd always been up to something. "She was confident. She didn't take crap from anybody," Tracy pointed out. Dante agreed as Tracy continued, "Then she changed. She became insecure and cautious and conservative in her approach to life...Lulu had spirit, determination, courage. You robbed her of it."

When Dante stood up and walked toward the door, Tracy let him know she wasn't finished. "That's it, walk away. If memory serves, you're good at that," Tracy said. Dante insisted he hadn't changed Lulu, but Tracy argued that his leaving had, saying, "You left, and it shattered her."

Tracy understood that Dante had PTSD, but she reminded Dante that he had turned Lulu away, even when she'd wanted to be by his side. "Dante, if she dies without ever reclaiming that spark from her father, I will never forgive you," Tracy said.

Dante stressed Tracy's own mistakes, including promising Luke that she'd make sure that Lulu was always well taken care of, even in a long-term facility while in a coma. Tracy sat down silently, so Dante explained his own actions. His PTSD had scared him, and he'd worried about what he would do to Lulu if he had stayed. "I know what I did was wrong, but it's done now. And she's fading away in there, and there's just nothing I can do about it," Dante said.

While Dex took an evening run through the park, he spotted Molly sitting on a bench. Dex approached Molly to ask if she was also out for a run. Molly said that had been her plan, but instead, she had become lost in her thoughts. Molly assured Dex that she was doing okay. As Dex started to walk away, Molly confessed that it was a lie.

Dex offered to call T.J., but Molly assured him that her phone was fully charged. She admitted she just didn't want to face her family at that moment. "The funeral was taxing in ways I did not anticipate, and I'm just still putting myself back together," Molly explained. Dex sat down and told Molly that if she needed to talk about things, he was there.

Molly explained that she'd blown up at Alexis and Kristina, so Dex admitted that he could relate. He'd had many fights with his family before leaving home. Molly asked if Dex talked to his family at all. He revealed that he didn't, but he assured Molly that there was still time for her to patch things up with her own family.

"So, I suppress my feelings because my sister is a walking disaster, and my mom doesn't have time for anyone else?" Molly asked, saying she didn't want to apologize because things would go back to the status quo.

Molly admitted that her mother respected her and checked off all the boxes as a great mom, but being a single mom had taken its toll on Alexis. "Any one individual only has so much time and energy to go around," Molly admitted.

Molly lamented that Kristina was a mess. "She always has been, and she always will be. She simply could not function without our mother's oversight. Luckily, I figured that out young," Molly said. Molly confided that she never wanted to ask Alexis for more, but Kristina would suffer.

Dex went on to tell Molly about his own family and his abusive father. He said his mom had gotten the worst of it, but he'd never talked to her about it. "You never asked your mom for more because you assumed she couldn't give it. But maybe she never gave it because you didn't ask," Dex said.

Later, Dex sat outside the Metro Court restaurant, looking at his mom's contact information on his phone. Josslyn soon joined him, cheering Dex up.

Alexis opened the door and found Ric Lansing standing on her doorstep. Alexis let Ric in, and he promised he wouldn't stay long because he had an appointment. "With Satan?" Alexis sarcastically asked.

Ric and Alexis quickly started bickering as Ric accused Alexis of taking care of Kristina better than she was caring of Molly. Ric just wanted to talk about Molly. "She's upset, Alexis, and not just over losing the baby. She's upset with the way you've been treating her," Ric said.

Alexis was incredulous when Ric told her that she'd been treating Molly like an afterthought. "Our daughter is in pain, and she holds you accountable. Not for all of it, but part of it," Ric explained.

"I need your advice like I need an acid bath," Alexis retorted. Ric asked her to just listen, but Alexis didn't think Ric should be handing out parental advice, since he was an absentee father. Alexis reasoned that she was trying to keep Kristina calm, but Ric argued that Molly needed Alexis as much as Kristina did.

"You don't think I want to be spending every minute with Molly right now? 'Cause I do, but I am one person, and I can't be in both places at the same time," Alexis reasoned. She felt Molly was more equipped to handle the loss of the baby than Kristina was.

Ric questioned Alexis about the custody papers Molly had found. Alexis explained that it was a misunderstanding, but Ric wanted to talk about Alexis and Molly's relationship, warning her it was in jeopardy. Alexis pointed out that Molly was her daughter, and she was at least there for her, meaning she knew Molly better than Ric.

As Ric and Alexis continued to argue, Molly walked in. Ric left so mother and daughter could talk. Alexis hoped Molly was there to work things out with Kristina, but Molly said she wanted to work things out with Alexis. "Kristina's a lost cause. There's no mending fences unless both parties are willing to put in the work," Molly said.

Molly was hopeful Alexis could be there for her and offer understanding and empathy. Alexis swore she would do whatever she could for Molly, so Molly had a pointed question. "If Irene had lived, would you have helped Kristina take her away from T.J. and me?" Molly asked.

Alexis admitted that all she'd done had been to tell Kristina the truth. The court would likely have sided with Kristina because she was the birth mother. "I also told her that I wouldn't get involved at all. I've got three daughters who I love more than anything in this world equally. I couldn't bear to lose any of them, ever," Alexis said. Molly assured Alexis that she hadn't lost her.

At the hospital, Elizabeth and Deanna were surprised to see Portia because they knew the baby's funeral had been earlier. Just then, Carly and Josslyn arrived and asked Portia to update them on Lulu's condition. Portia explained that Lulu's liver had been compromised by her medications, and she needed a transplant. Josslyn immediately asked Portia to test her.

Portia explained to Josslyn that she wasn't eligible to donate, since she was already an organ recipient from when she'd had kidney cancer as a child. Carly then offered to be tested.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth entered an exam room and found Heather waiting for blood tests. Heather was hungry and wanted some Jell-O, so Elizabeth promised to get Heather a treat from the cafeteria, as long as Heather was nice to the nurses.

Heather assured Elizabeth that she'd be on her best behavior. Heather didn't want to mess up her chances to have "access to all the Jell-O I want." Elizabeth warned that she couldn't keep quiet about an escape attempt, but Heather just laughed and told Elizabeth she'd be freed via legal means. Elizabeth was shocked to hear that Heather planned to appeal her sentence. Heather asked if Elizabeth had heard from Scott, so Elizabeth was forced to tell Heather that Scott was gone.

Heather was alarmed by the news, and she was confused when Elizabeth explained that Scott was out of town indefinitely. Elizabeth assumed a big case had fallen in his lap. Heather began to a panic. "Scott told me he was going to help me out of that hellhole to be with my grandson. We had plans," Heather said. Portia entered and sent Elizabeth away so Portia could do the blood draw herself.

In the hospital's waiting area, Elizabeth offered to help Carly get tested. The subject turned to Josslyn's transplant and how hard it had been on both of them. Carly and Elizabeth marveled at the idea that they had become friends. As they laughed, both women were surprised to see Ric walk off the elevator. Elizabeth tried being nice, but Carly asked Ric what he was doing at the hospital. All Ric would say was that he had business.

After the blood draw, Heather told Portia that Portia had a nice bedside manner, but she thought Portia would be tempted to hurt her. Portia stressed that she kept her Hippocratic oath and didn't give in to every temptation. Heather promised that she wasn't a threat anymore. That was when Ric walked in and told the women that Scott had sent Ric to be Heather's new lawyer.