General Hospital Recaps: The week of August 29, 2011 on GH

Comprehensive daily recaps for General Hospital, dating back to 1996.

Monday, August 29, 2011

by Boone

General Hospital writers did a brief photomontage of events leading up to surgery on Jason's brain as well as the fantasies that were playing out for Sam, Liz, Carly, and Monica as they imagined what their lives would be like if Jason played a major part in it. Each was a spirit-like presence watching events unfold. In the operating room, Patrick remained calm as he struggled to get a bleeder under control.

Monica's jaw dropped when she found the fantasy Jason snorting cocaine. He told her to relax. Jason said that he had not been able to make all the remarkable achievements that the Quartermaines were so proud of by using caffeine as a pick-me-up. Monica urged Jason to go to rehab. Jason said he could not because of what people would think. When Monica responded, "Who cares what people think?" Jason shot back, "The Quartermaines."

Monica's fantasy continued with Alan, Edward, and Tracy entering the room. Tracy gloated and said that the apple did not fall far from the tree as she noted that Jason was into drugs. Tracy hurled a few barbs that Jason parried nicely before Tracy goaded him into leaving. Jason promptly crashed the Lamborghini. Monica, Edward, and Alan blamed Tracy for the accident. In OR, Patrick said that one wrong move would leave Jason blind.

In Monica's fantasy, she was in the Quartermaine mansion when she told Edward, Alan, and Tracy that Jason's brain was swelling and that surgery would not help. Monica said that she could not believe how badly the night had turned out. Monica blamed Tracy, who said that Jason had done it to himself. Monica said that the Quartermaines had pushed Jason, and it had resulted in tragedy. Tracy protested that it had not been her fault but Jason's choice. A version of Jason clad in jeans and a black tee shirt approached the watching Monica and said that he had not wanted the tragedy to occur.

Carly's fantasy continued at Jake's with an increasingly heated argument with Michael, who accused her of throwing Sonny under a bus. Carly told Michael that what had happened to Sonny was not Jason's fault because Sonny's own illness had caused all the problems, and she was helping Jason clean up the mess. Carly declared that Jason was trying to help keep the family together. Michael said that the Quartermaines were his family, and Jason had not helped keep them together. Michael told Jason that Michael did not hate the business; what he hated was Jason.

Fantasy Michael said that Carly did not love him because she had given him to the Quartermaines to rear. Michael called Carly "toxic." He said that she only loved herself. Before storming out, Michael told Carly to pretend that Michael was dead because Carly meant nothing to him. At Carly's request, Jason followed Michael out. Moments later, shots rang out. Carly rushed outside and found Michael dead. She grieved and wondered what had been the point of giving him up if he was going to die anyway.

Fantasy Jason comforted Carly and said she had done all she could for Michael. Jason assured Carly that Michael did not hate her. Jason said that Carly had given up too much for Jason. Jason told Carly that he could not stand to see her die for him. Jason told Carly that he had to let her go so that she could live. A tearful Carly told a departing Jason that she would have nothing if he left.

In the fantasy, the jeans-clad Jason asked the watching Carly why she was cutting herself open over things that could never happen. Jason told Carly that she did not want anything different than what they had. Carly asked how Jason knew that. Jason replied that it was because he knew Carly.

In Liz's fantasy, Jason questioned how long she had been off the pill. Liz said that it had not been deliberate, and she had just lost track. Jason said that he wanted a free and easy relationship, and that did not include being a father. Jason took Liz to a building that he was rehabbing. Jason said that the building and idea for affordable housing was his baby, and he liked the freedom of devoting all his spare time to it. Liz said he could be a father and still devote himself to his cause. Jason said no because it would not be fair to a child.

Fantasy Jason told Liz that he did not want her to give up anything to be with him. Liz responded that instead, she would have to give up Jason. Jason reminded her that he was still there. Liz said that she saw a rooftop in Florence where a man played a sad song on a violin. Liz said that she wanted to dance on a rooftop with Jason. Jason started up a flight of stairs but fell through a railing and crashed unconscious to the floor below.

In Liz's fantasy, Jason returned to their apartment in a wheelchair. Liz tried to take care of him, but Jason told her she was stuck, just like he was stuck in the chair. When Liz tried to comfort him, Jason said that all he wanted to do was to be free, and Liz had wanted them tied together -- and they were. Liz said she was trying to be supportive. Jason said that Liz did not get it. Jason yelled that he would rather put a bullet in his head than live like he was living.

Liz's fantasy jeans-clad Jason walked up to the watching Liz and told her that everything that had happened was his fault. Liz said that she had never known Jason. Jason told her that he was not the man she needed.

Sam also had a fantasy. As an armed man listened outside their Hawaiian bungalow, Jason and Sam discussed the treasure that Sam was sure she had found using a ceramic mask as a key. They heard a noise, and Jason went outside to look. As soon as Jason was gone, the armed thug entered and demanded the mask. Jason returned, but the goon held a gun on Sam. Jason decked the goon when Sam fainted and distracted the thug. Jason rushed Sam to the doctor.

After the fantasy doctor's visit, Sam got her camera. She wanted a picture of Jason when she told him the doctor's news. Sam said that she was perfectly healthy and pregnant. Jason was overjoyed to find out that he was going to be a father.

When the jeans-clad fantasy Jason appeared to the watching Sam, he asked if being pregnant was what she wanted. Sam said yes. Jason said that as long as he was with her, he had everything that he wanted, because all he wanted was Sam and her happiness. In the OR, Patrick located the object in Jason's brain, removed it, and called for a clamp.

Carly called Michael and asked him to stay at the hospital so that she could talk to him. Matt called Liz and asked her to meet him at GH. Sam found comfort in Jason's hospital bed, looking at photos of him. Monica sat in her living room, holding a picture of Alan. Monica told Alan how much she missed him. Monica asked Alan to take care of Jason and give Jason the strength to get through the surgery successfully. Monica said that she could not lose Jason again. In the OR, Patrick declared that the surgery was over, and they had done it.

At GH, Carly ran to Michael and told him that she loved him. Michael said that he loved her, too, but he told Carly that loving him did not give her the right to run his life. Carly said that she just wanted Michael to know that no matter how much they fought, she would always love him.

Monica joined Edward in the waiting room and told him that the house was too lonely to stay in alone. Edward was smiling when he said that there were not enough Quartermaines left to have a really good argument. Monica and Edward laughed as they recalled some of them. Edward said that for all their faults, they had been a family. Edward wondered what would have happened if Jason had not been involved in the first accident. Edward wondered if Jason would have been like the rest of them. Monica said they had no way of knowing, and she was not sure she would change anything, even if she could.

Matt told Liz that he had fixed the problem with the missing drugs by making it look like a clerical error. Matt said that Liz had been right about keeping him out of Jason's surgery because he had been wrong to turn it into a competition with Patrick. Liz was grateful to Matt for getting her off the hook about the drugs but wanted to know why he had taken the risk.

Robin gathered Sam, Monica, Carly, Edward, and Michael to hear the results of Jason's surgery. Patrick was vey professional when he told those gathered that his team had found and removed the foreign particle from Jason's brain. Sam asked the question on everyone's mind when she quietly inquired if Jason would be okay.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

by Elisabeth

At Metro Court Hotel, Olivia hugged Dante as she wondered if there had been any word on Jax. Dante admitted that Jax was still missing, so Olivia confessed that she refused to give up hope until a body had been recovered. Olivia then changed the subject by asking why Dante had stopped by to see her. Dante revealed that he was troubled because Lulu hadn't liked her birthday gift. Olivia invited him to tell her all about it, so he explained that he had given Lulu a key to the loft, and then had asked Lulu to move in.

Olivia was disappointed by the uninspiring birthday gift. She wasn't surprised when Dante admitted that Lulu hadn't given him an answer. Olivia conceded that it had been a sweet gesture, but Dante's execution had lacked imagination. She suggested that jewelry would have been a nice touch, since he could have asked Lulu to move in on any other day. However, Lulu's birthday had been a special day, so Dante should have treated it as such. Olivia then talked about how romantic her father had always been, so she advised Dante to take a page out of his grandfather's book.

Olivia smiled with satisfaction when Dante assured her that he had gotten the message loud and clear, but she sensed that Dante was still holding back. Dante confessed that he had been keeping a secret from Lulu. Olivia warned him that secrets never worked, so she urged Dante to tell Lulu the truth. Dante explained that it was complicated, but Olivia insisted that it didn't matter. Olivia was certain that Lulu simply wanted a man whom she could trust. Olivia advised Dante to let Lulu into his life, not just his home.

Lulu went to ELQ to visit Tracy. Tracy revealed that she had been sorry to hear about Siobhan's passing, so Lulu confessed that she was worried that Lucky might lose control. "Go back to drugs?" Tracy wondered. Lulu nodded as she admitted that she hoped that Lucky would let her help him. Lulu was curious what Tracy would have done if Tracy had known about Luke's situation earlier. "I did know," Tracy confided.

Tracy pointed out that Luke was charismatic, and heroic, so Tracy had looked the other way in regards to his drinking. "Why?" Lulu wondered. Tracy admitted that she had been afraid of losing Luke. Tracy insisted that she loved Luke, but Tracy doubted that she would have done anything different if she could do things over. Tracy explained that she had tried to guide Luke down a better path, but ultimately they were all responsible for their own journey, including Luke, Lucky, and Lulu. "Me?" Lulu asked.

Tracy suggested that Lulu had a habit of getting too involved in other people's problems instead of focusing on Lulu's own happiness. Lulu chuckled, "Funny you should mention that." Tracy realized that something had happened with Dante, so Lulu told Tracy about Dante's proposal to live together. Lulu expected a lecture from Tracy, but Tracy surprised her by encouraging Lulu to figure out what was important to Lulu, and then decide whether or not Lulu truly loved Dante. Lulu was stunned that Tracy had practically given Lulu and Dante her blessing. Tracy revealed that she didn't want Lulu to make the same mistakes that Tracy had made.

Lulu started to leave, but then stopped to confide that she thought that Luke was missing out by not being with Tracy. However, Lulu realized that the past was the past. "Which always seems to catch up with us," Tracy replied. Later, Lulu bumped into Olivia in Metro Court's lobby. Lulu explained that she was there to visit Maxie, but Olivia suspected that Lulu wanted to talk to Maxie about Dante's offer for Lulu to move in with him.

Olivia acknowledged that the key to the loft hadn't been a romantic gift, but Lulu insisted that the gift had been from Dante's heart, so it had meant a lot to Lulu. Olivia was relieved that Lulu had realized that. However, Olivia thought that it was a good idea to let Dante sweat it out for a while before Lulu agreed to move in with Dante. "You are going to say yes, right?" Olivia asked. Lulu confessed that she hadn't decided because she hadn't been prepared for the question. Olivia blamed Dante's less than romantic way of asking, so she assured Lulu that Dante had planned to make it up to Lulu with a special surprise.

Lulu reminded Olivia that it was a big step, but Lulu was certain that she would eventually move in with Dante. However, Lulu explained that Lucky had recently lost his wife, so Lulu wanted to focus on making certain that Lucky was okay before she made decisions about her own life.

At Liz's house, Lucky sat on the sofa, with Aiden in his lap, as he read his son a story. Lucky scoffed at the happily ever after ending of the story, and then apologized to Aiden for not giving him parents who lived together under the same roof. Lucky confessed that he had hoped to give Aiden a semblance of that kind of life with Siobhan, but she was gone. Lucky regretted that Siobhan wouldn't be able to teach Aiden her Irish stories and sayings. Lucky pulled the bottle of hydrocodone pills out of his pocket as he wondered what he was going to pass down to Aiden that he hadn't already.

Lucky vowed that he would find a way to watch over his son because Lucky couldn't risk losing anyone else, especially Aiden. Lucky wanted Aiden to turn out to be a better person than Lucky was, and to learn from Lucky's mistakes. Lucky glanced at the bottle of pills as he promised his son that he would do everything possible to keep pills like hydrocodone from ending up in the hands of children. A short time later, Dante stopped by the house to check on Lucky after learning that Lucky had taken a few personal days off from work. Lucky explained that Cam was at day camp, and that Liz was at work, so Lucky had decided to spend the day with Aiden.

Dante was curious how Lucky was holding up, so Lucky confessed that it had helped being with Aiden. Dante clarified that he was more concerned about Lucky's addiction, since Lucky had been shot up full of some "crazy stuff." Lucky tried to change the subject, but Dante refused to drop the matter. Dante explained that they needed to discuss it because Dante had to tell Lulu about it. "No, you don't," Lucky argued.

Lucky insisted that Lulu was always looking for a cause, so Lucky didn't want Lulu becoming obsessed with him. Dante refused to start the next chapter of his life with Lulu with a lie of omission. Lucky had no idea what Dante was talking about, so Dante explained that he had asked Lulu to move in. Dante assured Lucky that Lucky hadn't done anything wrong because Lucky had been a victim. Dante reminded Lucky that Lucky had nothing to hide. "Or do you?" Dante wondered as he noticed Lucky's expression of discomfort.

Lucky refused to ruin his day with Aiden by continuing the discussion. Dante insisted that they needed to figure things out because Lucky had been pumped full of drugs, which might have compromised Lucky's sobriety. Lucky was curious why Dante cared, but before Dante could respond, Lulu walked in. "Lucky, is it true?" she asked.

Skye entered her suite and discovered that a small gift had been left on her bed. She opened the box, and then read the card that accompanied the jewels. "If you want to thank me, I'm right outside the door," Skye read aloud. Skye marched to the door, expecting to find Anthony standing on her doorstep, but she was taken aback to see Johnny instead. Johnny smiled as he asked her if she intended to invite him in. Skye claimed that she had no idea who Johnny was, but Johnny didn't believe her.

Johnny strolled in, and formally introduced himself. He noticed the bracelet on her wrist, which he recognized as something that his father had bought for Skye. Johnny smiled as he explained the bracelet was the reason that Johnny had sent her the matching earrings. Skye laughed as she accused Johnny of mistakenly assuming that there might be something in it for him if he gave her the present. Johnny revealed that he knew that she was working with Anthony, and then played her a recording of the last conversation about Tracy that Skye had had with Anthony on the docks. Johnny admitted that he wanted to know the details of Anthony's plan with Skye, but Skye warned Johnny that she wasn't the type to talk.

Johnny called room service to order a bottle of the hotel's best champagne, so Skye informed him that she was a recovering alcoholic. Johnny clarified that the champagne was for him, and then added a bottle of sparkling water to the order, as well as chocolate-dipped strawberries. Skye chuckled as she warned him that the decadent strawberries were not an aphrodisiac, and that she couldn't be seduced into talking. Johnny wondered what it would take to seduce her. After the champagne, water, and strawberries were delivered, Skye gulped down a glass of water, and then suggested that Johnny leave.

Johnny turned on the charm until Skye succumbed to his advances. They kissed passionately as they fell to the bed. Later, Johnny's hands were tied to the headboard as Skye curled up next to him to ask if it had been as good for him as it had been for her. Johnny reminded her that they hadn't made love yet, but Skye merely chuckled, and then informed Johnny that he had been misinformed if he had thought that he would get her that easily. Johnny was stunned when Skye stood up, fetched the strawberries, placed them next to Johnny on the bed, and then left the room to give him time to "cool off."

Later, Skye broke into Edward's safe at ELQ to grab a stack of cash for Jax. Skye was startled when the lights suddenly flipped on. "Look who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar?" Tracy taunted.

At the hospital, Sam wept as she stared at Jason's empty bed. Sonny walked in a few minutes later, and then asked where Jason was. Sam explained that Jason had undergone surgery, but he remained unconscious, so they had no idea if the surgery had been a success. Sonny decided to increase the number of guards on everyone to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation, but Sam revealed that Jason had taken care of it before the surgery. Sam explained that Jason had been concerned about Sonny's state of mind, just as Alexis entered the room.

Alexis noted that Jason had been right to be worried about Sonny because Jax was missing, and might be dead. Sonny warned Alexis that he had already heard it from Carly and Robin, so Alexis could save her breath. Sam decided to check on Jason, rather than listen to Alexis and Sonny argue. After Sam left, Alexis assured Sonny that she wasn't there to argue with him. Sonny assumed that Alexis intended to order him to stay away from Kristina, since that seemed to be everyone's trump card. Alexis reminded Sonny that she and Jax had been very close, but she had no intention of prohibiting Sonny from seeing Kristina.

However, Alexis calmly advised Sonny to find a way to reign himself in because everyone had paid the price for Sonny's temper, except Sonny. Sonny insisted that he had everything under control, but Alexis laughed. She pointed out that within the previous twenty-four hours, Sonny had managed to make Jax disappear, shoot Robin, and then turn all of his children against him. Sonny argued that everything was fine, but Alexis wondered what it would take for Sonny to realize that he needed to change. Sonny was surprised that Alexis wasn't more upset, so Alexis explained that she had become numb because Sonny had hurt everyone she had ever cared about.

Kristina stepped off of the elevator, and then called out to her sister when she spotted Sam sitting in the lounge area of the hospital. Sam stood up to greet her sister, but then quickly grew concerned when Kristina suddenly swayed on her feet, and then dropped a stack of books. Sam quickly scooped up the books as Kristina dismissed the dizzy spell as a bout of clumsiness. Kristina deftly changed the subject by revealing that the books were travel brochures for romantic honeymoon getaways. Sam confessed that her September 23rd wedding might have to be postponed, but Kristina insisted that Sam needed to make a decision about the wedding dress because Kristina was eager to be "a Pippa to [Sam's] Kate."

Kristina was delighted when Sam smiled. However, Sam's smile faded when she noticed that Kristina's neck seemed to be bothering Kristina. Kristina blamed it on a yoga class, and then turned the focus on Alexis by revealing that she had tried to talk their mother into attending the class with her because Alexis needed to relax. Sam confided that Alexis might benefit from a yoga class later that evening because Alexis and Sonny had been arguing in Jason's room. Kristina decided to check on her parents.

Kristina was shocked when she walked in on Alexis screaming at Sonny to leave her alone as Sonny tried to comfort Alexis. Alexis immediately calmed down when she saw Kristina. Sonny assured Kristina that everything was fine, but Kristina's temper flared as she reminded her father that Jax was gone. Kristina demanded to know what Sonny had done, but then confessed that she already knew. Kristina cried that Jax had been a part of their family, so she couldn't understand how Sonny could hurt Jax. Kristina accused Sonny of only caring about himself, and then stormed out.

Sonny wondered if Alexis intended to go after Kristina, but Alexis didn't see the point, since Kristina had been right about Sonny. Alexis pointed out that at least their daughter had used her words to express her anger. "No one had to die over that," Alexis added and then left.

In the hospital's chapel, Sam confessed to God that the wedding plans were getting out of control, which was not what Jason had wanted. Sam broke down in tears as she begged God to let Jason survive.

Nearby, Kristina stumbled as another wave of dizziness hit her. She reached for the wall to steady herself, and then looked around to make certain that no one had noticed.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

by Elisabeth

At Liz's house, Lulu was stunned when she overheard Lucky and Dante arguing about Lucky's recent trouble with drugs. She entered the house, demanding to know if it were true. Lucky and Dante's guilty silence made her realize that Lucky had been using drugs, and that that Dante had known about it. Dante explained that he had urged Lucky to tell Lulu. Lulu was furious that Dante had given Lucky the choice, but Lucky insisted that Dante had been respecting Lucky's privacy. Lulu's temper flared because she realized that Lucky had lied to her when she had confronted Lucky about being high following Siobhan's car accident.

Dante tried to explain that it hadn't been Lucky's fault, so Lulu sarcastically wondered if someone had held Lucky down, and then had forced the drugs into Lucky. She was shocked when Dante and Lucky admitted that it had happened exactly like that. Lulu refused to believe them; she insisted that drug addicts were accomplished liars, so she demanded proof of Lucky and Dante's claims. Dante explained that Liz had found Lucky shortly after drugs had been forced into Lucky's system. Lulu was livid because she felt betrayed that Liz hadn't told her.

Lulu made it clear that she didn't believe Lucky's story about being injected with drugs against his will because she had been down a similar road with Lucky when he had first battled addiction. Lucky was curious why Lulu had no problem giving Luke the benefit of the doubt, even though Luke had killed Jake while driving drunk, but she refused to do the same for Lucky. Lucky admitted that he felt insulted, but he decided to tell Lulu exactly what had happened on the waterfront. Dante backed up Lucky's story, but Lulu ranted about addicts always making excuses. Lucky accused Lulu of not knowing what she was talking about.

Lulu suggested that Lucky was deflecting, so Lucky reminded his sister that he had fought hard to be sober, and that he hadn't given in to temptation after Jake had died, so he could use Lulu's support, while he dealt with Siobhan's death. Lulu offered Lucky her condolences, so Lucky continued his story about the night that he'd been pumped full of drugs. Lucky explained that he had stumbled to a church, where Liz had found him. Lucky credited Liz with countering the effects of the drugs, and then taking him to the hospital to see Siobhan. Lulu insisted that Lucky owed it to Siobhan to resign from the case, so she turned to Dante to ask Dante to pull some strings. Dante explained that he couldn't do that, which enraged Lulu.

Lulu accused Dante of having changed. According to Lulu, Dante had started to compromise his principals ever since Dante had learned that Sonny was his father. Lulu suggested that it had nearly killed her brother. "Just like it's killing what's between us," Lulu added. Dante was stunned. "So that's what you really think of me?" Dante wondered. Lulu tried to explain herself, but Lucky advised his sister to stop before she said something that she might regret.

Dante warned Lucky that that ship had already sailed. Lulu was unapologetic as she claimed that the lines had become blurred for Dante because of Sonny's influence, which had led Dante to keep the truth about Lucky's relapse from her. Dante insisted that he had just been trying to protect Lucky, but Lucky advised Dante that it was pointless to continue to argue with Lulu because she refused to understand. Lucky decided to leave, which prompted Lulu to wonder if Lucky intended to score some more pills. She reminded Lucky that he would be walking out on his son, so Lucky suggested that Aiden might be better off with her, rather than a "druggie" like him. Outside, Lucky pulled the bottle of pills from his pocket, took one, and then walked away.

Inside the house, Dante and Lulu continued to argue about Lucky's addiction until Dante reminded Lulu that she had already broken the promise that she had made in Greece about focusing on their relationship, instead of her family's problems. He pointed out that she hadn't given him an answer about moving in. Lulu confessed that she didn't feel comfortable living with someone who had lied to her to protect others. Dante wanted to talk things out over dinner, but Lulu reminded him that she had to watch Aiden. However, she asked Dante to make certain that he wasn't at the loft when she picked her things up.

At the hospital, Milo stood guard in the hallway as Robin exited Jason's room. Patrick walked up, eager to check on his patient, but Robin explained that it wasn't necessary because she had already done it. Patrick insisted on examining Jason anyway, but Robin pulled rank. She assured Patrick that she had everything under control, so she needed Patrick to focus on another patient. Patrick bristled at being denied access to his patient, so Robin warned him that she resented Patrick questioning her decisions. After Patrick stormed off, Robin confided to Milo that she hadn't lied about needing Patrick to check on another patient.

Milo assured Robin that he understood. Seconds later, Maxie arrived to see Jason and Sam. Robin and Milo blocked Maxie from entering the room. Maxie explained that she was there to give Sam the engagement ring that Jason had picked out for Sam, but Robin and Milo stood firm. Maxie marched off in a huff.

At the nurses' station, Liz was frazzled as she dropped a batch of files. Matt arrived in time to help her pick everything up, so he took the opportunity to quietly assure her that she had nothing to worry about because he had replaced all of the missing medications. Liz was curious why Matt had helped her, so Matt explained that he had lost a patient once when someone had put bad medications into the system. Liz admitted that it sounded like a fascinating story, so Matt offered to tell her all about one day. Moments later, Matt received a text message notifying him that Siobhan's autopsy had been completed.

Liz revealed that there had been a snag with the replacement of the missing hydrocodone. She explained that she had taken only one bottle, which she had given to Matt to test. Matt assured her that he had counted, so he knew that there had actually been two missing bottles, which he had replaced. Matt and Liz realized that someone had stolen the second bottle, so Matt suggested that it might have been Lucky. Liz insisted that it wasn't possible. Matt admired Liz's loyalty to Lucky; he thought that it was a shame that Liz and Lucky's relationship hadn't worked out.

Matt suggested that Liz and Lucky might be able to rekindle things, but Liz reminded Matt that Lucky was grieving for Siobhan. Matt pointed out that Lucky had also lost a child recently, so Lucky might be inclined to cling tightly to someone close to him. Liz explained that it couldn't be her. "Not now," she added. "Nor should it ever be," Matt admitted. He immediately apologized because he realized that he had been out of line. Liz promised Matt that she hadn't taken offense because she realized that she and Lucky were the poster couple for unhealthy codependent relationships. Matt was impressed with Liz's brutal honesty.

Liz admitted that it was hard to deny it after everything that she and Lucky had been through. Liz then changed the subject by thanking Matt for helping her and Lucky. Matt confessed that he tended to have a soft spot for underdogs. Moments later, Patrick approached the nurses' station to blast Matt for acting childish in regards to Jason's case. Patrick blamed Matt for Robin's "shifty behavior." Matt had no idea what Patrick was talking about. The argument was cut short when Patrick received a page to check on a patient.

Patrick spitefully advised Matt to check Siobhan's autopsy report to see why she had died, and then left. Liz assured Matt that she knew what Matt felt like because she had grown up in the shadow of her "perfect" sister, Sarah. Matt admitted that he was certain that things would change soon, but before he could elaborate, Maxie walked up. Maxie was in a snit because Robin had refused to let Maxie give Sam the engagement ring that Jason had bought for Sam. Moments later, Robin arrived at the nurses' station looking for Patrick. Matt confessed that he was curious what was going on because Patrick had blamed him for Robin's decision to bar Patrick from Jason's room. Robin assured Matt that Patrick had overreacted to the situation, but Maxie disagreed.

Robin resented Maxie attitude, so Robin lectured Maxie about not respecting Robin's new position. After Robin walked away, Matt invited Maxie to grab a bite to eat, but Maxie decided that Jason should ask Spinelli to be the best man at Jason and Sam's wedding. Matt groaned because he realized that Maxie wouldn't rest until she had made it happen. Maxie offered to meet Matt later that evening, and then dashed off. A few minutes later, Lucky arrived to find out if the results of Siobhan's autopsy were in. Liz wondered how Lucky was holding up, so he told her about his ugly confrontation with Lulu at the house.

Lucky admitted that he thought that Matt suspected Lucky of relapsing too, but Liz assured Lucky that Matt had taken steps to replace the missing bottle of hydrocodone. Liz then revealed that a second bottle of the addictive narcotic had gone missing. Lucky immediately went on the defensive by accusing Liz of fearing that Lucky had taken it. Liz quickly assured Lucky that he was wrong; she insisted that she didn't believe that he had relapsed, and that she had told Matt so. Liz conceded that she hadn't handled his addiction well, when Lucky had first struggled with his dependency on hydrocodone, but Jason's surgery had made her see things in a different light. She had wondered what things would have been like if they had done things differently.

Liz had realized that they would have simply made different mistakes because they couldn't escape who they were, or what had been meant for them. Lucky was curious if Liz believed that they were meant to suffer the pain and tragedy that they had. Liz clarified that it was easy to find those things, but happiness took work. Lucky thought about it for a moment, and then confided that it hadn't taken any effort to be happy when he had spent time with Aiden. Liz smiled, and then turned to answer the phone. Her smile disappeared when the caller informed her that Siobhan had not died of natural causes.

Outside of Jason's hospital room, Darryl, the janitor, was mopping the floor, as Milo spoke to Max on the phone about Sonny. According to Max, Sonny was on the warpath, so Milo advised Max to call Bernie to help calm Sonny down. Milo reminded Max that they couldn't afford any screw-ups on their watch, so it was imperative that Sonny be reigned in. Darryl continued to listen as Milo then called in backup to guard Jason's room, so that Milo could attend to Sonny. Milo explained that Max was expected to arrive at the hospital in half an hour, so the guard would only be needed for a short time. After Milo walked away, Darryl slipped around a corner to call Anthony.

Darryl told Anthony that they had a small window of opportunity to get to Jason, so Anthony promised to be there shortly. Anthony ordered Darryl to keep everyone away from Jason's room until Anthony arrived. Later, Anthony slowly opened the door to Jason's room.

At the lake house, Carly was waiting on Alexis' front porch when Alexis arrived home. Alexis wondered what Carly was doing there, so Carly explained that she needed to discuss something important with Alexis. Alexis wasn't interested in what Carly had to say, but Carly assured Alexis that they were on the same side. Cary insisted that Sonny had lost his mind since Brenda had left. Carly revealed that she needed help with Sonny, but Alexis accused Carly of having been Sonny's enabler for decades. Alexis wondered if Carly were attempting to skirt responsibility for Carly's part in what had happened to Jax because Carly feared that Jax might be dead.

Carly insisted that Jax wasn't dead; however, Jax wasn't the issue. Carly claimed that they couldn't rely on Sonny to protect their children anymore, so they, as mothers, had to take control by cutting Sonny out of their children's lives for good. Alexis refused to do it because Kristina was old enough to make her own decision in regards to Sonny. Alexis was curious, though, about when Carly had stopped defending Sonny. Carly claimed that it had been when Sonny had gone too far. Alexis wondered what "too far" was for Carly.

"When it doesn't benefit you?" Alexis asked. Carly insisted that she'd had no idea that things would get out of control with Sonny and Jax, but Alexis argued that Carly had known that Sonny didn't play fair. Alexis insisted that it was too late in the game for Carly to become indignant by drawing an arbitrary line in the sand that Sonny couldn't cross. Carly continued to plead her case, but Alexis accused Carly of riling up Sonny, without giving Jax the respect that Jax had deserved. Alexis reminded Carly that Jax had done everything to please Carly, including offering to adopt Morgan, which had never happened. Carly claimed that Jax had backed out of the adoption.

Alexis was livid; she wondered if there were anything that Carly ever took responsibility for. "I'm wrong, okay?" Carly shouted. Carly pleaded with Alexis to consider what Jax would have wanted. Alexis pointed out that Jax had wanted to protect Josslyn, so Alexis refused to help Carly assuage her guilt by cutting Sonny out of Kristina's life. "You are guilty, live with it," Alexis yelled at Carly. Carly claimed that she had tried to compromise with Jax, and then reminded Alexis that Alexis had walked away from the case because Jax had refused to cooperate.

Alexis confessed that she had grown to regret that decision. Alexis observed that Carly was eager to condemn Sonny, yet Carly sounded just like him. Alexis admitted that she had objected to Jax marrying Carly, because Alexis believed that Carly hadn't been worthy of Jax; however, Jax had loved Carly, faults and all. According to Alexis, Jax had always put Cary first, but Carly had not returned the favor. Carly was curious why Alexis believed that she knew so much about Carly and Jax's marriage. Alexis clarified that she knew Sonny, and that Sonny had been Carly's drug of choice for a long time.

Alexis reminded Carly of the various times that Carly had slept with Sonny behind Jax's back. Alexis accused Carly of always defending Sonny, even against Jax. Carly suggested that Alexis had always loved Jax. Alexis freely admitted it, and then suggested that Jax would have still been alive if he had remained in his marriage of convenience to Alexis, rather than marrying Carly for love. Carly snidely remarked that Alexis had never gotten over Jax or Sonny. Alexis suggested that Carly could smirk all she liked, but Carly was responsible for whatever "hell" that Jax was in.

Carly realized that she had made a mistake, asking Alexis for help. Alexis produced the divorce papers that Jax had intended to file. Alexis explained that Jax hadn't been given the opportunity to make a last request, so Alexis wanted to honor Jax's desire to be free of Carly by making certain that Carly signed the papers.

At Pozzulo's, Kristina admitted that it was too creepy to see Michael sitting behind their father's desk, so she demanded that he get up. Michael honored Kristina's request as he explained that he had called her to rally what was left of the troops around Sonny. Kristina sarcastically wondered why everyone had decided to run for the hills to get away from Sonny. "Oh yeah, he just killed Jax," Kristina answered. Michael reminded Kristina that there hadn't been any proof that Sonny had killed Jax because a body hadn't been recovered. Kristina reminded her brother that bodies were never found when Sonny was involved in someone's disappearance.

Michael resented how everyone was quick to condemn Sonny, as if Jax had been a saint. Kristina noticed that Michael had referred to Jax in the past tense, which indicated that Michael believed that Sonny had killed Jax. Michael insisted that they needed to support Sonny. Kristina confessed that she almost felt sorry for Michael. She acknowledged that she had been an expert at defending their father, and making excuses for the things that Sonny had done, but Kristina had eventually realized that Sonny would never change. Michael argued that Sonny carried a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.

Kristina agreed, but she insisted that Sonny put the people around him in danger. According to Kristina, everyone, including Brenda, had realized that. Michael accused Jax of poisoning Brenda's mind, so Kristina was curious if Michael truly believed that Sonny was a misunderstood abuse victim who had no choice except to embrace a life of crime. Michael was surprised that Kristina wasn't sympathetic to what Sonny had endured, since she had been abused. He wondered how Kristina would have felt if her stepfather had been abusing Alexis, but no one had believed her because her stepfather had been a cop. Michael insisted that Sonny had stood up for himself in the only way that Sonny had known how.

Kristina was curious if Michael were trying to prove to Sonny that he'd be there for Sonny when everyone else was gone, and Jason was out of commission. Michael didn't think that was a terrible thing. Kristina agreed, but she warned Michael that it would be awful if Michael were to become so entrenched in the mob that it was too late to get out. Michael demanded to know if Kristina wanted to see Sonny destroyed by his enemies, so Kristina was curious if Michael expected her to pick up a gun. "No," Michael assured her. Kristina wondered if Michael believed that they could love Sonny enough to keep him from going into "kill-mode" whenever something bad happened that Sonny didn't like.

Michael admitted that it wouldn't be a bad thing to at least try, but Kristina explained that it didn't work that way. She reminded him that the two people, who had accepted Sonny the most, couldn't do it, so it was time for Michael to open his eyes. Kristina urged Michael to live his own life, and to stop trying to be all things to Sonny before Michael was hurt worse than he had been. Kristina refused to take sides because she wanted to focus on her own life. Kristina advised Michael to do the same.

Michael explained that his job at ELQ was merely a "placeholder," so that Abby had a job. Kristina was stunned that Michael's idea of a real job was running illegal shipments, and working his way up to killing people. Kristina refused to believe that it was Michael's real goal in life. She suspected that Michael wanted to prove that he could survive in Sonny's world because of a deep psychological reason that she couldn't begin to understand. Kristina gave Michael her blessing to immerse himself in the mob until he finally saw it for the literal dead end that it was. Michael argued that it wasn't about him; there were people out there who wanted to take Sonny down, watch Sonny fall, and then leave their father weak and helpless.

"Like you were in prison?" Kristina quietly wondered. Michael became defensive as he warned her that she had no idea what had happened to him in Pentonville. According to Michael, Kristina had just been a little girl playing dress-up, who wanted a man who wasn't interested in her. Kristina argued that Ethan cared for her, but Michael continued to lash out at her by claiming that Ethan felt nothing for Kristina. Michael stormed out of the office. Kristina called out to him, and then started to follow her brother, but she stopped when a wave of dizziness hit her. She leaned on the counter in the restaurant for support, and then rubbed the back of her neck.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

by Elisabeth

At the hospital, Patrick caught Anthony sneaking into Jason's room. Anthony claimed that he had wanted to pay his respects to Jason, and to deliver an orchid to cheer Jason up, as Patrick unceremoniously dragged Anthony out of the room. Anthony was curious why he couldn't visit Jason, so Patrick explained that Anthony wasn't a family member. Anthony chuckled as he revealed that Patrick reminded him of a guard that Anthony had known in Pentonville; Anthony was curious how the guard's widow was doing. Patrick assured Anthony that Anthony's veiled threat didn't scare him. Anthony was certain that he knew what would frighten Patrick, but Patrick ignored the remark as Sonny walked up to ask if there was a problem.

Anthony flashed a saccharine smile as he explained that he had stopped by to drop off an orchid for Jason, to honor the peace that Sonny had made with Johnny. Anthony rattled off the instructions on how to properly care for the orchid as he extended it to Sonny. Sonny refused to take it because he tended to kill things that required that much care. Anthony advised Sonny to be more careful about a lot of things, including Jason, because Jason had done more for Sonny than Sonny realized. Patrick grew weary of the exchange between the mobsters, so he ordered Anthony to leave. Anthony was curious how Jason was doing, but Patrick insisted that the information was restricted.

Anthony offered the orchid to Patrick to give to Robin for her new office, but Patrick refused to accept the gift. After Anthony left, Sonny advised Patrick not to get involved in something that didn't concern Patrick. Patrick was stunned; he pointed out that he had kept Anthony from whacking Jason. Moments later, Steve and Robin joined Patrick and Sonny in the hallway. Patrick was shocked when Steve revealed that Jason wasn't in the room. Steve explained that the person in Jason's bed was a decoy, intended to lure Anthony into making a move.

Patrick demanded to know if Robin had known about the sting operation. Robin confessed that she had found out after she had discovered that a decoy had been placed in Jason's hospital room. Patrick was furious that Sonny had dragged the mob war into the hospital. Sonny explained that it had been out of his hands, and then left. Robin decided to take Steve and Patrick to a nearby room to continue their discussion in privacy. She blasted Steve for authorizing the plan without consulting her. Steve assured Robin that he hadn't been trying to undercut her, but the police had asked him to help.

Robin reminded Steve that she was the only person allowed to make decisions on behalf of the hospital, so Steve explained that the police had questioned her objectivity because everyone knew that Robin was close to Jason. Robin resented being left out of the loop, but Patrick didn't understand why Mac would involve Sonny. Steve revealed that the order had been handed down from the district attorney's office because Anthony was the primary suspect in a drug ring involving the hospital. According to Steve, the police didn't have any proof of that, so they had hoped to catch Anthony trying to harm Jason, so that the police could arrest Anthony. Patrick demanded to know why he was just hearing about the plan, so Steve reminded Patrick that Patrick had been busy diagnosing and treating Jason. Patrick resented that Steve hadn't respected Robin's position by informing her.

"What about what you've been doing?" Robin asked her husband. Patrick immediately became defensive as he accused Robin of wasting his skills as a surgeon by assigning surgeries to other doctors. Robin explained that she wanted to give every surgeon an equal opportunity, but Patrick argued that not all surgeons were equal, and that she couldn't change that with new policies. Robin did not appreciate Patrick's lack of support. She hated that Steve and Patrick continually undermined her by talking about her with others behind her back. Steve insisted that he had thought that he had been helping her by cooperating with the police.

Patrick admitted that it might help Robin if she lightened up with the staff, so that it would feel more like a team effort. Robin accused Patrick of working against her because he never defended her, or asked the staff to stop talking about her. Robin insisted that she had been doing the best job that she could, but Steve suggested that Robin tried to do everything by herself, which would eventually lead to her burning herself out. After Steve left, Robin accused Patrick of thinking that he could do a better job as the chief of staff, so she invited him to take over. Robin stormed out of the room, but Patrick followed his wife until he caught up to her at the elevator. Patrick acknowledged that it was easy to complain, but her job was more difficult than he had given her credit for.

Patrick admitted that he had been a jerk, so he promised to do better, and to help her. Robin smiled when Patrick assured her that he had complete faith in her ability. She thanked him for his support, and then confessed that she had needed to hear what he had said.

At ELQ, Tracy tried to call Edward to tell him about the theft, but Skye denied that she had taken anything from the safe. Tracy claimed that it was because Tracy had caught Skye in the act, but Skye argued that it was because Skye had plenty of money. Tracy insisted that Skye was worth nothing. "No, that will be you, when your dirty little secret comes out," Skye replied with a smile of satisfaction. Tracy admitted that Skye's threats were tiresome, so Skye turned up the heat by warning Tracy that Gino's son and eldest daughter were powerful mobsters in their own right. Tracy reminded Skye that she didn't have any proof that Tracy had pilfered money from the Soleito crime family, and then tried to snatch Skye's handbag to search it for possible evidence.

Skye refused to relinquish her purse, so Tracy fought harder to get the purse away from Skye. Tracy was certain that Skye intended to fabricate proof, so she refused to let Skye leave with the handbag. Johnny chuckled as he strolled into the office and found the Quartermaine ladies playing tug-of-war with the purse. Eventually, Skye managed to pull away from Tracy, while maintaining a firm grasp on the handbag. Tracy demanded to know what Johnny was doing at ELQ, so Johnny revealed that he was there to see Skye. Johnny handed Skye the silk scarves that she had used to tie him to her headboard, as he explained that Skye had left him with "some loose ends to untie."

Tracy chuckled, and then accused Skye of living down to Tracy's expectations. Tracy was curious how Johnny had heard of Skye's "services." Tracy suspected that it had been through word of mouth, from mobster to mobster. Skye smiled sweetly at Tracy as she advised Tracy that people in glass houses should be careful. Tracy grew weary of the banter, so she returned to her office and then closed the doors. Johnny wondered if Skye were interested in knowing how he had gotten loose; Skye declined, but she confessed that she liked a man who was resourceful.

Johnny was curious how Skye felt about lethal men. He warned her that it would end badly if she kept playing games with Anthony. Skye assured Johnny that she could take care of herself, but Johnny argued that she was underestimating Anthony. Johnny promised to protect Edward if Skye revealed what she and Anthony were plotting. Skye didn't trust Johnny, so Johnny explained that he was her only option. He cautioned her that the offer wouldn't stay on the table -- "or bed" -- for long, and then left.

Later, Johnny was at the penthouse when Anthony walked in, carrying the orchid. Johnny was curious if Anthony had taken the orchid for a walk, so Anthony explained that the flower had listened to him better than Johnny or Claudia ever had. Johnny suggested that it was because the orchid didn't have legs to run away with, or a mouth to talk back with. Anthony changed the subject by warning Johnny that Sonny might be looking to retaliate. Johnny demanded to know what Anthony had done, but Anthony claimed to be as "innocent as a lamb." Anthony accused Sonny of being the unstable one.

"This coming from the guy who talks to plants," Johnny replied. Anthony argued that it was an orchid, and that Anthony had selected it especially for Jason because Anthony had thought that Jason's hospital room could use the beauty of the delicate bloom. Anthony grumbled that Patrick had stopped him at Jason's door, and then complained that Patrick thought that he was better than Anthony because Patrick wore a white coat. Johnny assured Anthony that Anthony would see plenty of people in white coats if Anthony kept talking to plants. Johnny and Anthony jumped when the front door suddenly flew open. Seconds later, Sonny, flanked by Max and Milo, casually strolled in.

Sonny warned Johnny that Anthony had made it difficult to keep the balance of peace, so Sonny was tempted to upset it, and then start over. Sonny was furious that Anthony had been lurking in Jason's room, so Sonny demanded to know how Johnny intended to keep Anthony in check. Anthony took the opportunity to goad Sonny by babbling about the orchid. Sonny's temper exploded as he threatened to do something about Anthony if Johnny didn't get control of the elder Zacchara. After Sonny left, Anthony burst out laughing. Johnny calmly explained that everyone made money, and no one died, if both mob families left each other alone. Anthony warned Johnny that Sonny would break the peace if Sonny decided that it was in Sonny's best interest.

Johnny accused Anthony of wanting to cause a mob war because Anthony thrived on chaos. Johnny knew that Anthony went out of his way to push Sonny's buttons. Anthony was curious if Johnny expected Anthony to apologize for sneaking past Sonny's goons, and getting close to Jason. Johnny reminded Anthony that he had the power to send Anthony back to jail with a phone call to the SEC. "Good luck with that," Anthony smirked. Johnny wondered what that meant, so Anthony explained that people owed Anthony.

Anthony accused Johnny of thinking that keeping the peace gave people power, but the true way to rule was through fear. Anthony was curious if Johnny wanted to know what crazy thing Anthony would do next. Johnny refused to answer the question, so Anthony smiled diabolically as he told his son, "It's good to wonder." Later, Anthony took his orchid to ELQ to give it to Tracy. Tracy made it clear that she wasn't interested, and then vowed that Anthony would never have her, so he could take his "stinking houseplant and beauty treatments," and leave. Tracy threatened to have Anthony physically removed if she ever found him in the building again. After Tracy slammed her office door in his face, Anthony smiled as he held up the flash drive that Skye had given to him; he was confident that Tracy would have a change of heart.

At the Haunted Star, Ethan was preparing for guests when Kristina walked in. She was eager to tell him about her impressions of Port Charles University, but Ethan explained that he was expecting some high rollers, so he asked her to leave. He offered to meet her for coffee the following day, but Kristina suggested that she stay to help him out behind the bar. Ethan argued that it wasn't a good idea because the heavy hitters that he was expecting were not fans of Sonny. Ethan didn't want Kristina to get hurt, but Kristina reminded Ethan that she had been around dangerous people her entire life. Ethan disagreed; she had been raised by Alexis most of her life.

Kristina was certain that she could handle serving drinks, but Ethan refused to consider it. Kristina explained that she wanted to spend time with Ethan, but Ethan argued that she had just started college, so there was a whole new world open for her to explore. Kristina suddenly remembered that she had bought something for Ethan at the campus store, so she pulled out a friendship bracelet, and then tried to hand it to him. Ethan explained that he couldn't accept the gift. "Why not?" Kristina wondered. Ethan didn't have an opportunity to reply because Skye walked in to ask for a private word with Ethan. "For you, always," Ethan told Skye.

Ethan again offered to meet Kristina for coffee the following day. Kristina started to leave, but Ethan seemed concerned. He wondered if Kristina were okay, so she assured him that she was mature enough to handle being blown off. However, Kristina didn't leave; she slipped behind some plants to eavesdrop on Skye and Ethan's conversation as Skye asked Ethan about his relationship with Kristina. Ethan explained that he had just been providing Kristina with a friendly shoulder, but it hadn't seemed to help. Ethan insisted that Kristina was too young, and too messed up about life, but he assured Skye that Kristina was a "sweet kid."

Skye imagined that it hadn't been easy to grow up as the daughter of a mobster like Sonny. Ethan agreed that Sonny hadn't done Kristina any favors by neglecting Kristina for most of Kristina's life, and then trying to control his daughter when he had deigned to show up. Ethan suggested that Kristina hadn't been able to get Sonny's love, so she had acted out for attention. He admitted that he had felt sorry for her. Kristina quickly fled when she heard Ethan's remark. Unaware that Kristina had been listening, Ethan revealed to Skye that Sonny had warned Ethan to stay away from Kristina, despite Ethan's claims that Kristina had harbored a crush on Ethan, not the other way around.

Skye thought that Sonny would have been more grateful to Ethan after what had happened with Kiefer Bauer. Ethan confessed that he feared that Kristina was a ticking time bomb after what she had been through, so Ethan had hoped to contain the damage when it happened. Skye advised Ethan to be brutally honest with Kristina, but Ethan argued that it didn't work if the person didn't want to hear it. Ethan admitted that Luke had been an example of that. Skye revealed that she had heard about Luke's troubles, and Luke's refusal to accept that he was an alcoholic. Skye then switched gears to find out how Ethan had been holding up after the breakup with Maya.

Ethan briefly filled her in on what had happened, and then confided that it had been an amicable split. Skye was certain that Maya would eventually regret loosing Ethan. Skye suggested that love required part luck, and good timing, in order to succeed. According to Skye, until love found them, they had to find their amusements wherever they could. Skye gently stroked the scarf that Johnny had returned to her, which she had tied to the handle of her purse, as Ethan wondered if she were looking for amusement. Skye coyly suggested that she had a willing partner, but things were too complicated for her tastes.

Ethan flirtatiously promised that there was nothing complicated about him, but Skye changed the subject by explaining that the reason that she had sought him out was to ask him to keep an eye on Edward. Ethan wanted to know what was going on, so she revealed that Anthony might pose a danger to her grandfather. "Whoops," Johnny said as he suddenly appeared in the entranceway of the casino. Meanwhile, Kristina was distraught as she made her way to the waterfront, and then sat down on some steps to cry. Eventually, she pulled herself together, and then stood up, but froze when her neck began to hurt. Kristina rubbed her neck as she held onto the banister to steady herself.

Michael was flipping through a magazine when Abby arrived home. The tension was thick as Michael asked if she intended to say anything. Abby didn't see the point, since he had made his choice clear when he had failed to show up for work at ELQ. Abby decided that it might be a good idea to get her rsum together, but Michael assured Abby that she wouldn't lose her job. Abby thought that it would be better to be prepared, so Michael explained that he had tried to make things work, but he hadn't been happy. "About ELQ or us?" Abby wondered as she glanced at his packed duffle bag.

Michael admitted that he had thought that she had wanted him to move out. Abby seemed startled that he would think that when they had simply had a difference of opinion. Abby accused Sonny of manipulating Michael, but Michael didn't think it was manipulative to expect support from a loved one. Abby argued that Sonny had claimed that he didn't want Michael to be a part of the mob, yet Sonny had intentionally pulled Michael in. According to Abby, it had been selfish beyond belief. Michael assured her that he understood her position, but Abby didn't believe him.

Abby insisted that Michael was too close to the situation with Sonny, so all Michael saw was an opening, and a chance to prove himself to Sonny. Michael was curious what was so terrible about wanting to show his father that he was capable, and responsible. Abby explained that it was terrible because Sonny was pulling Michael into something illegal, which would put Michael's freedom at risk again. Michael made it clear that he refused to abandon his father, but Abby argued that Michael didn't have to become a part of Sonny's world to be supportive. Michael suggested that they table their discussion, but Abby claimed that it was what Sonny always did when Sonny didn't get the answer that he wanted. Abby insisted that Michael had to face facts; Jax might be dead because of Sonny.

Michael immediately defended Sonny by arguing that his father had been trying to stop Jax from taking Josslyn. Abby realized that Michael liked to see the good in people, as he had done with her, but she urged him to keep his options open. Abby was livid when Michael suggested that she wanted him to continue to work at ELQ, so that she would have job security. Abby ordered Michael to leave if he thought she was that shallow. Michael accused her of inviting him to speak his mind, and then getting furious when he did. However, he realized that he had crossed the line by accusing her of wanting him to work at ELQ, so that she could keep her job.

Michael suggested that they find a compromise, but Abby explained that he couldn't pack his things every time they argued. Michael apologized; he explained that he had picked up the habit by watching his parents continually walk out on each other after heated arguments. Abby conceded that she was new to being in a healthy relationship, so she needed to learn how to communicate better. They decided to keep working on their relationship, and then kissed.

At Carly's house, Shawn arrived with news about Jax as Carly reviewed the divorce papers that Alexis had given to her. Shawn revealed that the search party had found evidence that Jax had parachuted out of the jet moments before it had crashed into the harbor. Carly wondered where Jax could be; she was certain that he would have been in touch with her, if he had survived, because of the children. Shawn suggested that Jax might be lying low to avoid Sonny, but Carly argued that Jax would never let Sonny win by staying away from the children. Carly wanted Jax to be okay because she didn't want to have to tell Josslyn that Jax was dead because of Carly. Shawn fetched Carly a glass of water, and then joined her on the sofa.

Shawn noticed the divorce papers on the table, so Carly explained that she and Jax had been over for a long time, but she couldn't sign the divorce papers because it would be like giving up on Jax. Shawn wondered if Carly would have been able to sign the papers if Jax had walked through the door. Carly explained that it wasn't that easy because the breakdown of their marriage had been complicated. She admitted that she had no idea what exactly had gone wrong, but Shawn suggested that she did. Carly insisted that Sonny was out of her life for good, but Jason was a different matter. Shawn wondered what Carly was waiting for, since Jax would never accept Jason.

Carly wondered why Shawn cared, so Shawn explained that he wanted to make certain that she was okay before he left town. Carly realized that Shawn had to get to his teaching job, but Shawn explained that the position had been given to someone else. Carly felt responsible because she realized that Shawn had missed the opportunity because he had remained in Port Charles to deal with her, and her crazy life. Shawn assured Carly that it had been his choice, and that he had been happy to help her. Carly smiled as she admitted that he sounded like Jason. Shawn was curious how Jason was doing, so Carly updated him on Jason's surgery.

Moments later, Shawn received a call from the harbormaster, notifying Shawn that Carly's yacht was missing. Shawn ended the call, and then questioned Carly about it. They realized that Jax had taken the boat, which meant that Jax was alive. Carly was eager to tell Morgan, who was starting a new school, and a new life out of town, but Shawn advised her against it. Shawn suggested that it was too much of a burden to expect a child to keep such a big secret. Carly hated to let Morgan suffer by thinking that Jax had perished in the crash, but Shawn assured her that Jax would return when Jax was ready.

Shawn thought that that the kindest thing that Carly could do was to keep Jax's secret, so Carly instructed Shawn to inform the harbormaster that the yacht had been sold. Shawn prepared to leave, but first he bent down, picked up the pen that had rolled off of the table, and then gently laid it on top of the divorce papers. Later, Carly was contemplating signing the papers when someone knocked on her front door. It was Sonny.

Friday, September 2, 2011

by Marcello Aurelio Lanfranchi

On the porch at Jax's house, Carly angrily told Sonny that she would not allow him to see Morgan. Sonny refused to be turned away and barged into the house. Carly berated Sonny for his part in Jax's "death." He deflected her defense of Jax by pointing out that Jax had taken Josslyn. Carly responded that Josslyn would have died on the plane had Jax not returned their daughter.

Carly vowed that Morgan would remain safe, far from Sonny. Sonny made a thinly veiled threat that Carly would see how cold-blooded Sonny could be unless he was allowed access to Morgan. Carly revealed that Morgan had been enrolled in a military school. She reminded Sonny that he had ceded his rights as Morgan's father. She offered to allow Sonny to see their son, as long as Morgan was accompanied by her and an armed guard. Carly also let Sonny know that, to protect their son, she'd enrolled him under the name Morgan Benson.

Sonny accused her of doing that to punish Sonny. He said that he and Carly had always been the same people. Carly admitted she'd done some awful things in her youth to get where she was. She fretted over the course Michael was taking, that he was becoming like his father. Sonny noticed the divorce papers, signed only by Jax, on the coffee table, and accused Carly of "living in limbo with a ghost." Later, Carly tearfully placed the divorce papers in a drawer.

Johnny and Skye sparred at the Haunted Star. She deflected his suspicions by pretending that she and Ethan had been talking about Anthony's taste in jewelry. Johnny accused Ethan of moving in on Anthony's girlfriend. She openly flirted with Ethan before leaving.

Johnny warned Ethan not to get too deep into Skye's schemes. Ethan said that Skye knew the dangers and was understandably worried, but he wouldn't delve deeper into his assertion. Johnny asked Ethan to find out what Skye was using as leverage over Anthony and to help keep her safe.

Behind the Luzetta's dumpster, Maxi found Spinelli, who still thought he was the Jackal. She reminded Spinelli that Jason wanted him to be the best man at Jason's wedding. Maxi implored the real Spinelli to return to her.

Anthony met with Bruzetta on the waterfront. Bruzetta worried that Spinelli might catch on to their operation. Anthony assured Bruzetta that Spinelli was harmless and would make a good diversion. Bruzetta explained that their men knew to load the bags of flour with the stars on them, the ones containing the drugs.

Anthony directed Bruzetta to move their entire inventory the following Friday. Johnny caught the two men conspiring, but Anthony lied that he was volunteering with a prisoner placement group. Anthony wondered why Johnny was acting so smug and assumed Johnny had overheard Anthony scheming. Johnny cryptically stated, "It's all about leverage."

Sam sat by Jason's bedside, begging him to wake up. She talked about plans for their honeymoon but told him that she'd be willing to cancel their wedding if only he'd recover from surgery. Kristina popped in to get an update on Jason's condition. Kristina put her foot in her mouth several times as she tried to reassure her sister.

Kristina equated her relationship with Ethan to Sam and Jason's. Sam suggested that Ethan and Kristina's feelings were not reciprocal. Kristina blamed all of her relationship woes on Sonny before storming out of the hospital.

Spinelli arrived and demanded to see "Morgan," and Sam allowed him to visit Jason. Spinelli was overcome with emotion and began to recover some of his memories. After he left, Sam returned to Jason's bedside and admitted she was scared that Spinelli's mental health was deteriorating. To her relief, Jason began to regain consciousness.

On the waterfront, Kristina was overwhelmed by the criticism from everyone closest to her and fainted. Anthony happened upon her and wondered how he could exploit the situation. At Luzetta's nearby, Spinelli stood behind the building and struggled to remember. He found the flour wrapper in his pocket, but it didn't trigger a strong response, so he threw it in the dumpster before walking off.

In the waiting room, Edward and Michael talked about the last time Jason had sustained a brain injury. Edward lamented that Jason had become a completely different person after he'd recovered and hoped the old Jason would return. Michael pointed out that it would be hard on everyone who'd gotten to know Jason since that accident.

Edward changed the subject, steering it toward Michael's potential future with ELQ, and Michael thanked Edward for the opportunity but hemmed and hawed. Edward worried that he'd lose Michael to the mob. Michael accused Edward of only loving conditionally, based on Edward's preconceived notions of how his family members should behave.

Sonny arrived and shared the news that Carly had sent Morgan away to military school and changed his name so that he would be safe from Sonny. Michael offered to support Sonny any way he could and promised that Sonny would never lose Michael.