Month: April 2024

General Hospital Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

THIS STILL NEEDS EXTENSIVE EDITING!

Brook Lynn: Detective! Looking good! You’re looking good, too, but for different reasons. Dante, that was amazing! “Amazing.” I don’t know about that. I need help getting to the bathroom. You are getting stronger every single day. It may not be happening as fast as you want it to, but everyone can see that you’re making progress. Here. Oh, yeah. It’s true. All the nurses are talking about it.

[ Groans ] Oh, that’s just ’cause I left my gown open when I went for a walk earlier.

[ Chuckles ] Well, whatever the reason, you have a lot of adoring fans out there. And in here. You should have seen this guy when he found out you were awake. He was jumping up and down so hard, we got complaints from the neighbors. Oh, yeah? I appreciate that. And, hey, even though I was out, I knew you would have been here. You’re my partner. And my friend. Where else would I be? Thank you. Hey. Why don’t we, um — why don’t we stop calling it a coma? You know, we can say I took a — like, a long nap or something. A nap? Yeah. That’s what you’re going with? Yeah. Yeah.

[ Laughter ] Resting up for all the dancing we’re gonna be doing at your wedding. Yeah. I’m, uh… I’m gonna need a little more than dancing from you. This is a nice surprise. Oh. I’m here so often, I should pay rent. Hm! Put out little café table, I could have my own bobbie’S. Oh, I think the seating would be too limited. Wouldn’t be profitable. Hm. What’s on your docket today? Dr. Kramer. I’m having a follow-up. You? I just had a blood draw in preparation for my “annual wellness” visit with dr. Randolph. It’s a perk of being a board member, although I think they’re playing a little fast and loose with the term “perk” in this context. I remember when my doctor visits were annual. Looking back, it really was a “perk.” Morning, tracy. Elizabeth. Gregory, if you’re ready, we can head to the exam room. I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. Maybe I’ll see you later? Hi. I am so glad you decided to stop by. Kristina: I want to clear the air. I am really not okay with what you did to carly and drew. But… i am willing to accept you made an impulsive decision that spiraled out way beyond what you ever intended. Yes! That’s it. Exactly. Yeah. One bad decision doesn’t negate all the good you’ve done. And, nina, you have done a lot of good, especially for my dad. And I know how happy he was with you. And even if he never admits it, I know that he misses you.

[ Exhales sharply ]

[ Horse neighs in distance ]

[ Chuckles ] Put me in, coach. Are you sure? Yes. I got my check from deception, and now I can finally do something besides worry about how I look. Well, you still look way too good for this place. Nothing and no one is too good for this place. And that’s a fact. Alright. Comet isn’t here. You can save your flattery. Are those — are those new? They may or may not be. As you know, I am looking for my new purpose in life. Hm. You think you’re gonna find it here in one of these stalls? Because, believe it or not, this isn’t exactly the résumé builder you might think it is.

[ Laughs ] Honestly, I don’t know what I’m looking for or where I’m gonna find it, but I figured that if I’m someplace comfortable and happy, then inspiration might find me sooner. So…if it’s okay with you… hey, are you sure? You really want to — oh, come on! Put me to work! What’s the worst that can happen?

[ Doorbell rings ] You must be isaac. Come on in.

[ Sighs ] Here’s my pride and joy.

[ Romantic music plays ]

[ Sighs ] I’d like to be honest with you, if I may. Well, I hope you’re always honest with me.

[ Chuckles ] Um, unless I’m mistaken, this is a standard follow-up… and yet somehow it merits the attention of the head nurse of a very busy hospital. Well, I assist doctors and patients all the time. You have more important things to do, and we both know it. You are important. Thank you. And while I’m honored to have you look in on me, I was hoping to keep some aspects of my life private. I’m sorry if I made you feel like your privacy hasn’t been respected. No. You’re always very respectful. But, uh, as my disease progresses… I would like to try and keep my patient life completely separate from other parts of my life. I understand. You’re very important to my son — and to me. So I realize that that may be easier said than done. Not at all. It’s not a problem. I mean no offense. I hope you know that. None taken. And I hope you know that I never meant to presume. Yeah, I do. Well, if you’re ready, I will let dr. Kramer know that you’re here. And, gregory… thank you for telling me. Thank you. Brook lynn and I were planning on downsizing the wedding to a civil ceremony at city hall, family-only reception at the quartermaines’. We didn’t see the point in throwing a big bash without you there. We want you to be a part of it. Now, finn is gonna be my best man, but I would be honored if you would be my groomsman. The honor will be mine.

[ Chuckles ] That is so wonderful. Except — look. I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but being a groomsman, it involves a lot of, um, standing and walking and dancing. You think you’ll be ready for all that? Hey. Come on. You’re getting married in, like, a month. I better be ready, right? Yeah. I hope I am, too. I still have so much to do. Whoa! Oh, no. You have been wonderful! Really! It — but let’s face it, okay? It is crunch time. We still have, like, a million details to lock down and decisions to be made and a seating chart that has to be finalized. Hey, you know, I don’t care where I sit, but when the dancing starts, I want you third, okay? Not fourth after some rando cousin or weirdo uncle. It goes him then ned then me, okay? You may have to fight my dad for that third-place spot on brook lynn’s dance card. Well, of course. I’m a gentleman. I’ll concede. How’s your dad doing? Uh, he’s not looking too great at the moment. He’s also not good at telling us what his doctors have to say. Maybe he just wants a tiny bit of privacy. If he had it his way, he wouldn’t have told us he was sick at all. Well, that is because he is a self-sufficient adult who’s losing control of his body. And who he chooses to share or — or keep things private from is — is one of the few ways he still has agency. But we are his family. We love him and we just want to help. I — he just wants to be your dad, chase, not your dad who’s sick and needs your help. Look, everybody deserves a little privacy sometimes, even from their family who loves them the most.

[ Knock on door ] Hi. -Hey! -This is a nice surprise. Hey.Hi. Mwah. You… you just kissed a groomsman. Did I?! Yeah. So now we gotta get me all rehabbed so I’m ready to go. Well, don’t you worry. Between me and the kids, we will have you fixed. Good luck! Guy’s not known for his patience. Oh, I’m way ahead of you there. Hey, we’re heading out, so if you need anything… we’re good, but, you know, you go — protect and serve and stuff. I’m on it. Hey. Am I in time to take you on your morning walk? Uh, you know what? Actually, I went for a walk with chase. For, uh, you know, like, a 90-year-old man, I didn’t do too bad.

[ Laughs ] What’s going on? You got a new case? Um…sort of. I asked danny’s vice principal to text me in case he ditched any classes. So far, so good. Think maybe you’re giving him a bit of a hard time? I don’t know, dante. Danny’s made some bad decisions lately, and I don’t know if I can trust him. I certainly can’t trust his father. Y-you think sonny misses me? Yeah, I do. I think that’s why ava and avery are still there at his place. Fills up the quiet, and it helps him forget what he lost. I don’t know if you and my dad are ever gonna work things out, but I hope that you do. That’s it. That’s all I came here to say. Thank you, kristina. This means so much to me. Yeah, I think you know I’ve always liked you, nina, and I want the best for you, so whatever that might be. Yeah, and I want the best for you, too — yeah, with whatever is going on in your life.

[ Chuckles ] Yeah, I’m, um — I am pregnant with tj and molly’s baby. I’m their surrogate. Oh, wow! That’s wonderful! Yeah. What an amazing, generous thing that you’re doing. Oh, don’t sanctify me just yet. It’s amazing, but it’s also been difficult. I mean, the morning sickness has been hard, but the hardest part has just been not being able to tell everyone, you know? I — for so long, I just wanted to, like, shout it from the rooftops and tell strangers on the street like, “I’m having a baby!” I mean, I-I’m h-having a niece or nephew baby. It’s probably, uh, the hormones talking. Yeah.

[ Knock on door ] Oh, um, that’s my 10:00. Okay, well, I’ll leave you to it. Thanks, nina. It’s good to see you. Yeah, very — very nice to see you, too. And thank you for reaching out. Of course. -Oh! Hi, kristina. -Hi. -Hi! -Nina! -Beautiful. -Oh. Thank you. So do you. Um, I’m sure you recognize her, but I wanted to introduce you to the new face of deception. Uh, blaze, this is nina reeves, the editor in chief of crimson magazine. Of course, I recognize you. And I’m a big fan. And congratulations. Thank you. It’s, uh, very nice to meet you, too. I remember you from sonny’s compound in puerto rico when we got married. Belated congratulations to you. Thank you. So you remember kristina, then. I absolutely remember kristina. It’s a big change for deception. Yes, yes. It’s very new. And you are among the very first to find out. I should hope so, maxie. This is crimson after all. Well, I’m gonna — I’m gonna head over to G.H. And visit my brother, so I’ll let you guys get down to business. Uh. Wow.

[ Chuckles ] Face of deception. Yeah, I can really see it. Congrats.

[ Chuckles softly ] My neighbors growing up had horses, and I used to love brushing them and feeding them. And I would just sit on the fence and watch them do horse things. Do “horse things.” Wow. You really — you really are sounding like a ranch hand.

[ Laughs ] Ahh. One day, my neighbor put a saddle on the horse and let me mount. And I-I did, and I fell off like a dozen times. But I never cried and I kept getting back up. So eventually they got me my own saddle. And the rest is history. And maybe your future… if your love of horses and stables continues. I love being here with… the stables. What about you? What do you look forward to in your post-deception future? I’m doing it right now.

Your dad has an appointment today with dr. Kramer, and I told his assistant that I would do his pre-appointment check-in. Everything okay? Yeah, everything is fine. However, he did tell me — in the kindest, sweetest way possible — that I’m overstepping. Which means… we’re all overstepping. Mm-hmm. He’s my dad. I love him. We’re all just trying to support him. It’s possible that our support makes him feel like we have already decided, without consulting him, that the time has come for us to take over — and it hasn’T. Because he can still make his own decisions and do things for himself. And, really, we have to let him.

[ Scoffs ] I always feel like I don’t do enough for him. Because you feel like you should be doing more for everyone else all the time. No. It’s who you are. I don’t — I don’t know. You know… I reached out to this, uh — this buddy of mine who’s a neurologist, you know, see if he had any als advice. And? We didn’t get much of a chance to talk. I mean, we worked doctors without borders together. He’s in the ukraine, literally putting people back together in the middle of a war zone. Made me kind of miss those days. Made me feel a little useless about what I do here. Must be contagious.

[ Chuckles ] Oh, yeah? What are you talking about? It’s how I feel at home right now. Just useless with jake. Everything I do or say is wrong, and I feel like I’m making everything worse. I think you’re being hard on yourself. You’re an amazing mom. It didn’t feel that way when jason came by yesterday. It was a complete train wreck.

[ Sighs ] So, uh, fair to say things aren’t improving. I’m worried about your shortness of breath. Yeah, it’s gotten a little worse. But it’s manageable… if I don’t push it. Which I can accommodate — with one exception. Which is…? I need to know if I can still preside over my son’s wedding. I’m not a psychic. I’ll settle for your educated guess. Can I make it through the month speaking and walking under my own steam? Well, this is no more than my educated guess, okay? But I think a month is a safe bet. And when my son comes by asking for an update… I won’t discuss a patient with anyone, not even with another doctor, without the patient’s express permission. That’s what I was hoping to hear. Thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you. Yes. That person — that’s not an act. That’s who she actually is! I do need to know — what happened to sasha? I don’t think I have ever felt so betrayed in my life. I mean, I thought — we all thought that jason was dead. And then he shows up out of nowhere, and he tells our son to keep a secret from me. I mean, no explanation, no idea where he’s been for the past two years. I don’t know if jason is different or if I’m actually seeing him clearly for the first time.

[ Knock on door ] Kristina: Knock, knock! Is this an okay time for visitors? -Yeah. Come on in. -Hi! -Ohh! -[ Groans ] Well, well! It’s about time you woke up. You scared us. I mean, not that you did that on purpose or anything, but maybe try to be a little more careful next time? Yeah, you know, I’m all about the caution. Right. Yeah. But you — wow. You’ve done some growing. I know! Right?! Isn’t it crazy? Yeah. It’s awesome. I’m just, like, waiting and waiting and waiting to show, and then finally it’s just happened. Uh, my apologies for the interruption, but… detective falconeri, how would you feel about going home today?

[ Laughter ] How did your appointment go? Well, the doctor thinks that with, uh, some rest, medications, continued use of my cpap machine for breath support, I should be in good shape for chase’s wedding. Ah. You must be so relieved. I am, yes. And I’m guessing that alexis will be relieved, as well. Why is that? Well… alexis is a very accomplished, bright woman. Hm. Spare me the preamble. But she’s not particularly close to chase or brook lynn. And were it not for you, she wouldn’t make the guest list.

If we do it right, it could be huge. Definitely. Okay. I am on board 100% for all of it. Okay? Isn’t it really nice what kristina is doing, acting as a surrogate for her sister and tj? Do you think it would be, uh, you know, too much if I just sent sonny a casual note congratulating him? ‘Cause that baby is gonna be his great-niece or nephew. Hmm. That depends. Do you care if sonny casually throws that note in the trash? Maxie! You said it yourself. Your marriage to sonny is over. Not legally. Not yet. Maxie! Kristina was just in here. I think it’s only natural if I offer good wishes. Right. To molly and tj. And then kristina. And you think it — it looks desperate if I also include sonny.

[ Scoffs ] I have some time before my appointment with dr. Randolph, and I was going to get a cup of coffee while they run my blood work. Would you care to join me? Ohh. More than I can express. But my mission, which I had to accept, is just getting started. I have to have my blood drawn and an ekg and then a nerve-conduction study. That’s a full day. Hm. Once upon a time, als was just my diagnosis. Now it’s my full-time job. Gregory, you are much more than your diagnosis. You are much more than a patient. It’s hard to remember that on a day like today. Let me remind you. You are… terrifically charming and, um, uh… a wonderful conversationalist. And you’re intellectually challenging a-and… …you’re not bad to look at.

[ Chuckles ] You vixen, you!

[ Laughs ] Jake has more reason than most to be shaken up by jason’s reappearance. Shaken? That’s a-a mild way to describe it. Hm. His anger with jason is all over the place right now. Yeah, well, I suppose that’s understandable. How was it otherwise seeing jason again? It was strange.

[ Sighs ] I mean, he’s so — he’s just vague about everything — where he’s been, what he’s been doing, why he never reached out to anyone. I mean, he’s never been a big talker, but even for him, it was — it was maddening. Yeah, I know a little bit about that. To think about some of my past relationships and the things that I just accepted and I… I wonder, how was that ever enougfor me? And then I — I think about you and what we have. It — it’s deeper. I feel the same way. Like, why did I ever settle for someone who was so limited with what they could or would share of themselves with me? I’m glad I got it right this time. Me too.

[ Door opens ] Hey. Are we allowed in here? I suppose you’re staff-adjacent, so we’ll bend the rules. Is everything okay? Perfectly fine. Well, except… we need your help to save our wedding.

Try to spend some time with dad when you can. I mean, he’s just — he’s been worried about you. We’ve all been really worried about you. But dad… he’s been blaming himself. Alright. Yeah. I will. I’ll, uh — I’ll spend time with him. He can come visit me, and I’ll get my, uh — get my exercise walking down the hall to see him. Tell me what you think. About what? Ava’s still living there. Really? With avery, of course, but… the whole thing just feels a little weird. Yeah, I agree. It is weird. But look — I don’t think sonny’s gonna care one way or the other what I think about ava being there. But I’ll — I’ll keep an eye on it. Yeah. Maybe just in your spare time.

[ Chuckles ] Yeah. The most important thing is I want you to focus on a full recovery. Yeah. I’m way ahead of you there. Love you, big bro. Mwah! I love you, too. Okay. Let me know if he needs anything. Will do.

[ Door closes ] Well, there’s general rejoicing about you coming home from the hospital today. Well, as there should be. But I did tell olivia no visitors — not until tomorrow. ‘Cause I know you’re gonna be exhausted tonight oh, probably, but, you know, I’ll just be so happy at home. Hey… is everything okay with kristina? Yeah. Why do you ask? I don’t know. It was just something I picked up on while I was in here. You know what? If it’s private, you don’t have to say anything to me. I shouldn’t even be asking. No, no, no. She, uh… she’s worried about my dad… and, more pointedly, the fact that ava’s living with him. She thinks it’s weird. So do I. You think sending sonny a casual note and nothing more comes across as me looking desperate? Really? Yes, really. Because you are desperate. No, I’m not desperate. I just miss sonny. That’s all. I don’t want my marriage to be over. See, y-you’re saying all the right words, but it’s your tone that gives you away. You want sonny back, and you’re willing to do anything. I have two things — two things that give me hope that I can have it back. The first thing is, I haven’t signed the divorce papers yet. The second thing is, maxie… I have a secret weapon. I must admit — your post-deception life has very good coffee.

[ Slurps ] Yeah, I have a connection that can get me corinthos coffee whenever I want. What more can you ask? Uh, not much. I’m not one of those guys who’s, like, sweaty with want, you know? I like my job. I get paid enough to cover basic expenses and…got my own room and board. And monica enrolled me on G.H.’S hmo in case one of these… buckos kicks me… or I put a nail through my hand instead of a horseshoe.

[ Chuckles ] Has that ever happened? Not here, but, uh, I haven’t, believe it or not, always been the consummate horse whisperer that you see before you. Don’t tell james, though. He’ll never let me live it down. He is maxie’s son.

[ Chuckles ] Yeah. He is. He’s a fun little dude. Leo, too. You know, sometimes there’s more kids here than there are horses. I love it. It’s kind of like being a part of a family. You do actually have a family that you could be part of if you just come clean with mac. Yeah, yeah, that might be more than I can handle. Horses are enough. What? Nothing. No. Come on. Tell me the truth. What, did I make myself sound like too much of a loner? I don’t think women our age should color our hair. Oh, there’s a shock.

[ Chuckles ] I don’t think I could carry the green off anyway. Yeah, well, I don’t think she is, either. Uh, I happen to have some time to kill before the appointment you relentlessly insisted I make with dr. Randolph. May I join you? Yes. You may. And I am not apologizing for insisting. I have to get back soon, too. I just needed a cup that wasn’t from the hospital cafeteria. I’d rather be audited.

[ Chuckles ] I heard that deception’s new face person was a woman of color. Yes. Blaze. Well, you sure wouldn’t know from anything in here. Well, it’s too soon. She just signed on. And, by the way, in those magazines, women of any color make me feel like I’m from another planet.

[ Chuckles ] Oh, to be young. Yeah. Amen, sister. Amen. Mm!

While I am sitting here waiting for my blood to be centrifuged, may I ask you a question? Yes, you may. Why are you still working? Don’t you want to retire? And do what? Knit. If I were in baltimore, I’d have a whole group of friends, mostly widows, that I could hang out with, but if I didn’t have anything better to do with my life than play matchstick poker on thursday nights with the family, I would lose my mind. Why don’t you play for money? Fear. Theirs.

[ Both laugh ] But you’re from here. You know everybody. I do. I know hundreds of people. But social acquaintances are just that. They’re cordial, superficial. Not that that bothered my mother. My mother was gracious to everybody. She had more friends than she knew what to do with. I gather you take after your father.

[ Chuckles ] I do. And I was proud of it. I still am proud of it. But… truthfully, it has its disadvantages. I, uh — I don’t have a lot of deep, meaningful relationships with people, and… one of the very few, I — he’S… he’s otherwise occupied. No, no, you’re — simon, you’re absolutely right. Yep. I will. Thank you. Dad’s doctor won’t tell us anything about how he’s doing. Patient confidentiality and all that. I, uh, never really had to ask before ’cause I used to go to all his appointments with him, but, uh, then he asked me to stop. So now if we want to find something out… dad’s gonna have to tell you himself if and when he chooses to. Okay, well, until your father decides to talk, can you please help us pull our wedding back from the brink? Yeah. What happened? I thought you had everything under control. Yeah. It seemed like dad was getting worse. And then dante was in the icu. So instead of just canceling altogether, we just thought we’d downsize. Significantly. How significant? A courthouse wedding with two witnesses. Chase in a suit and tie. Me in something understated. -No gown, no veil. -Okay, well, you can relax. Because dante is being discharged. And now dad’s holding his own. And now we want everything to go back to the way we originally planned it. Yeah, absolutely. Hey. Listen. We’re here for you guys. Whatever you need, we’re here. Yeah, let’s get you guys married in the style you deserve. Okay. See? Everything’s gonna work out. Yeah. Ava and avery are still at sonny’s because of security reasons, and ava can act as my advocate. Oh, nina… if you are depending on ava for anything, you’re going to be disappointed. I disagree. Oh. Okay. Really? Let’s name one selfless or generous thing that ava has ever done. Not a nice gesture. I’m talking about something real where she put someone else ahead of herself. Ava has nothing at stake here. I trust her to act in my best interests. See, I don’t think you know what your best interests really are. Any man you have to plot to get back is not a man you’re gonna keep. And, to be honest, I never really liked you as sonny’s wife anyway. Since when? Since you started being sonny’s wife. It took over your life, nina. And, frankly, I never thought you’d become one of those women. The nina I know was erased by “mrs. Corinthos.” And I missed my nina.

I don’t think you’re a loner. I’ve spent enough time with you to know better. Well, that’s a relief. I would say that there’s something… a little… aloof about you. Aloof? Uh-huh. Is that because I don’t give you long, lustful looks and try to manhandle you? Well, then you would be trading “aloof” for “creepy.”

[ Laughs ] You know what I mean. You made it very clear that you’re not ready for anything. I know, and I like how comfortable and easy it is between us. Me too. That’s why I’ve kept my very significant interest at bay. But I got to be honest — sometimes I think that two or three days of manhandling could be fun, too. Stella, isn’t it hard to work with people that are suffering? How do you… keep from feeling sorry for them? Sometimes I can’T. But I don’t let those feelings keep me from treating that person as a person. They’re much more than the terrible thing that’s happening to them. Thank you. I appreciate that. And I, uh… I have a friend that’s going to appreciate it, as well. Nothing annoys him more than… being “handled.” And as a matter of fact, it annoys me, as well. I never would have guessed. Hm. You know, if you’re up for some matchstick poker, I’d be happy to leave you humble. How do you feel about backgammon? Love it. Be happy to beat you at that, too. You’re on. Alright. Sister.

[ Laughs ]

[ Cellphone dings ] Is that my mother? Uh, asking what she should bring for dinner? Sorry. Or is that — is that danny? It’s actually my mother saying if we need anything when we get home. And, yes, I do admit — I was checking to see if there was an update on danny, and there isn’t one. That’s good news, right? Well, for today. But what about tomorrow or next week? I know danny, and when he decides to do something, he does it. And I know he’s gonna try and see jason again. Alright, well, maybe there’s like, a — like, a compromise in there somewhere. I don’t — I don’t think so, dante. Danny being anywhere near jason is dangerous. You are actual living proof of that. Oh, you can’t blame — I do. I do blame jason for putting danny in danger. And i will make sure it never happens again. Excuse me, elizabeth. T-the desk nurse told me that I could find you in here. Yeah. What can I do for you, dad? Did you call dr. Kramer about my “condition”? Yeah, I just, uh, wanted to check in with him. From now on, I’d appreciate it if you would… check in with me. Okay. Understood. Um, how did your appointment go? Dr. Kramer said I may have had a little slump, but, uh, I’m much better now. Good. That’s, uh — that’s good news, dad. Chase and brook lynn just left. Do you want me to call them? They might be able to give you a ride home. No, no. I can get my own ride. Hamilton, don’t end-run me again. You’re right. I need to step back. It’s gonna be hard.

[ Sighs ] I mean, I know we have like a thousand details to finalize, but t-the venues are booked, the flowers have been picked, the menus are approved. My dress is still a work in progress. What about the honeymoon? Excuse me. You, me… alone together. Somewhere romantic. Ha ha! Funny! We’re going to palm beach. Unless — chase, did you cancel the reservation? I mean, that would be totally fine, and we could probably just rebook it. We still have our reservation. Ohh! Phew! Don’t scare me like that. But I am just checking in. Are you sure you want to go to palm beach? Absolutely! We already went over the places that are in our price range.

My price range. Your family is paying for this big wedding.

I want to cover the honeymoon. And you are. And it is going to be amazing. Look, I’ve never been to palm beach, but everyone tells me that it is gorgeous. And the hotel that we picked looks exquisite. Any other superlatives you want to throw in there? Just one. We are going to palm beach as mr. And mrs. Harrison chase. And that will be perfect. I can do better than perfect.

On the next “General Hospital” —

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General Hospital Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

THIS STILL NEEDS EXTENSIVE EDITING!

[ Curtis exhales heavily ]

[ Grunts ]

[ Exhales sharply ]

[ Gasps ] How long have you been able to do this?! Ohh! Nina in her office? Yes, mr. Cain, but — we did the same spread like two years ago. I want something for — I don’t know. You go to brooklyn and you check out the — I need to get back to you. Alright. Hey, madison. I was on a call. I’m sorry. I tried to explain that you didn’t want — just close the door on your way out, please. Thank you. You don’t have to pick on your assistant. I didn’t really give her a chance to announce me. I just came by to see what you were up to.

[ Scoffs ]

[ Siren wails ]

[ Indistinct conversations ] Uh, good afternoon. What can I do for you? I’m here to see detective bennet. Detective bennet: Right here. Dex heller. Nice to meet you. Follow me, mr. Heller. Have a seat. Commissioner devane asked me to interview you. I’m an instructor here at the police academy. I know. I looked you up. Did you, now? Yes, sir. I like to know who I’m dealing with. So do I. So why don’t we start with the obvious question then? Why do you want to become a police officer? Thank you, mommy! Okay. You’re welcome, sweetheart. Wow! This is a lot of work. It is, but it’s worth it. Trust me. Which layer first? Alright, well, the first thing we’re gonna do is put the pasta sauce in here. Very thin layer. I can do it! You can do it? Okay. Well, how about I do this and then you can spread it around a little bit? Yeah? Okay. What can i do? You can check the noodles and make sure they’re not too hot for her. Check them how? Touch them…mom. Just don’t pick them up, please. We don’t want you to tear them. Mm-hmm. You know, I might be insulted by that if I didn’t know that you guys were right. Oh. We’re lucky she’s so happy today. Ha!

[ Giggles ] Yeah, why are you so happy, mommy? Why wouldn’t I be happy? I’m with my girls! And my best friend is back. Jason, right? Thank you for coming by. Come. Please. Thank you for getting yourself a phone. I had to wrangle with your lawyer for a good 15 minutes before she would relay that message to you. Yeah. Diane is very cautious. Yeah. I don’t blame her. She has you as a client. I saw dante. He’s awake. And — it’s a relief. And you’re exonerated. It’s a relief for me, too. Even though you’re no longer facing capital-murder charges, you’re still in a great deal of trouble. And I’ve been giving your situation some thought. Okay. I think you and i have mutual goals.

Is jason coming for dinner? Um, probably not tonight, but soon. I want to meet him. Oh, honey, you know him. You just don’t remember him. Do you think he’ll remember me? I know he’ll remember you. I do. He’s gonna be so amazed at how much you’ve grown. So, I have information from another source that sonny was doing business with pikeman and then he suddenly stopped… which could be why he was being targeted. So, what can you tell me about pikeman’s internal organization and their areas of involvement? Nothing. Why not? Because I-I already know that you were part of it.

[ Sighs ] Anna… I-I can’T. Ah. Because of agent cates? Yeah? He’s on his way over.

[ Telephone rings ] Yes? Send him in. Speak of the devil. Hi. Oh. Thank you. Come on in, agent cates. Thank you for coming. You already know mr. Morgan.

[ Door closes ] You served in the army. Two tours in afghanistan, bagram, and kandahar. Then I was promoted to a post in germany. You were discharged for assaulting a superior officer. Yes, sir. But I can explain. It wasn’t a dishonorable discharge, so I’m guessing there was some level of provocation. Still, it’s a blemish on your record just the same. What’d you do after you got out? I worked private security. I see that on the application, but I don’t see any names or references. They were private clients — high-profile, rich. I signed non-disclosure agreements. Legitimate? Yes, sir. Corporate heads, politicians, silicon valley guys. What about your last employer? Corinthos coffee? It’s not included on the application. Why is that? Do you not consider that employer legitimate? Technically, yes. In reality, no. Auntie, I didn’t know you were here. Obviously! Where were you? I was in the kitchen dropping off a coconut cake for trina. It’s her favorite. Right, right. Now that you know about me. What about you?! Uh, well, you know, I have taken… a few steps lately, so, yeah.

[ Gasps ] Look. I know I need a lot more practice. This is great! Why on earth are you keeping this from your family? Especially your wife! I’ve had my hands full with the fall issue pulling crimson back from the brink. You know, carly did huge damage. The only damage that was done during carly’s tenure was by you, nina. You literally ripped out walls to try to sabotage that first issue, but it went out on time. All your major advertisers and designers and collaborators, they all stayed. There wasn’t a dip in sales or circulation. In fact, there was a little bit of a bump because people were kind of curious to see what carly would do. Well, if things were so wonderful, drew, then by all means, bring carly back, and I’ll just walk. You won’T. You’re not gonna wa– you’re not going anywhere, nina. You’re just a rich, spoiled brat. And although you can’t find true love or even a functional relationship, you do have everything that money can buy. Except for this. This magazine is mine. And you want it. You need it. And you need me. Because carly is long gone. Carly: Hey! Wait a minute. There’s supposed to be four of you. Mommy and amelia aren’t here. What?! April fool’s!

[ Gasps ] Ohh! [ Laughs ] Actually, amelia fell asleep on the drive over, so willow’s upstairs putting her down. Ohh. Oh, so we’re having lasagna. Mm-hmm. Joss and I made it! Uh, me too. Mommy helped. A little bit. A little bit. I want to help, too! Oh, well, the lasagna is already in the oven, but you guys can help me set the table. That’s not fun!

[ Laughter ] I get it, I get it, but if you guys help me, then we can play some “st wars.” Yeah! Josslyn: Mm-hmm. I get to be darth vader! Well, of course. Alright. Let’s go. Alright. Careful. Okay. Before jason turned himself in… he was with you, wasn’t he?

Auntie, of course, I planned to tell my wife. I planned to tell all of you. Just, um — just when I’m better able to walk. You do understand that, don’t you? I think I do. After I had my stroke, I had to relearn things, too. Not to the extent that you have, but I had to put effort into being whole again. Look at my life differently and think differently about my health. But the hardest thing for me to come to terms with wasn’t just physical — it was mental. Accepting that I couldn’t do everything on my own, that I, too, needed help… that I wasn’t invulnerable. I get it. This has motivated me more than ever. I — I just don’t want my family to have to witness me struggle, witness my baby steps. Ohh! Especially after everything that I’ve put everyone through. Just want to be further along.

[ Exhales sharply ] Baby… I am beyond thrilled and proud right now, and I just want the rest of the family to be able to experience the joy that I’m having right now! We’re all on this journey with you. What happens to you affects us, too. Especially portia. And you know she’s been trying to stay strong, holding it down. Let her have some of this joy. Baby steps or big steps. Let her experience it with you. Keeping secrets, even if your aim is true… …it can destroy a marriage. Carly: Jason didn’t say anything to me, but the quartermaine estate is a perfect place to hide. And you live at the gatehouse. Yeah. [ Sighs ] Willow and I were helping him. Willow? Yeah, and I know — I know I-I blindsided willow when I told her that jason was shot and needed her help, but, hey, mom, she stepped right up. I mean, she took care of his wounds. She made sure that he had the right medication. Willow’s the reason why jason had such a good recovery. Did jason say anything about where he’s been, what he’s been doing? No, not really. He just — he told me that he was picked up by somebody who has leverage over him and they had him working as a mercenary soldier. Did he say anything to you? Well, after the arraignment, jason went straight to see your father. I was there — and, surprise, surprise, so was ava.

[ Sighs ] Yeah, ava has been spending a lot of time with him these days. Yeah, a-and sonny thinks that ava is trustworthy but you and I are not, which gives you a pretty good idea how things went with jason. Obviously now dad realizes that jason didn’t shoot dante. He also knows that he was an informant for the fbi. An informant? Yeah. That’s what jason couldn’t tell me. And he didn’t say much more than that, which infuriated your father. And sonny called jason a traitor. I tried to calm him down. I tried to fix things. But it didn’t work. So jason and I left. Did jason say anything else? No. I mean, not — not really. We — we went to bobbie’s and we sat around and talked, but he didn’t say anything about where he’s been or about the fbi. And there’s a vacant room above bobbie’s, so that’s where jason’s gonna stay. Okay. Well, that’s good. It’s easier for him there than — than at the metro court or… the quartermaines’? Especially there.

[ Sighs ] And, mom, he’s — he’s been through something. I know. I know. I can see it. But jason’s gonna be okay. I mean, he is. He’s got a lot of people pulling for him. Yeah. Especially you, mom. I know this has been an emotional ride. I mean, are you — are you okay? I haven’t been this okay in a long time. I’ve already been kicked out of “star wars.”

[ Laughter ] Wiley needs you. Say no more.

[ Carly laughs ] Can I do anything to help? Oh, well, I have been entrusted with the salad, so you could help me with that. You got it. Hold on. Michael told me that you really put yourself on the line to help with jason. Thank you. Mr. Morgan. Can’t imagine why you’re here. I told him to come. Anna knows I’m working for you. I told her. That violates the terms of our agreement. You lied when we made our agreement. Why should I continue to honor that? Jagger. You chose not to tell me you knew me in high school. You knew my family. You knew my mother! And you engineered a scenario where I had to let her believe I was dead! What would it matter if I told you something you can’t remember? It’s too bad about your personal life, but you took this deal of your own volition, so don’t lecture me on the consequences of being you. You couldn’t find anybody else to go after pikeman? No one with your qualifications. No one I had leverage over who dropped in my lap. I don’t give a damn how you feel about this job. I only care that you get it done. I am gonna save us both some time. We could keep playing chicken — you threatening to leave. Me going to hr to start a search for a new editor in chief… or we could take all that energy and we could focus it on the fall issue. Oh, let– let’s be clear here.

We are not getting the fall issue out.

I’m getting the fall issue out because i am the driving force behind crimson. That’s why you begged me to come back. Oh. Wha– I don’t beg anybody, nina, least of all you. I came to you because there was a vacancy that I needed to fill. And I know how much you love this magazine. I thought it was a bit of a win-win. I’m open to the possibility of us working together because we both get something that we want. Can’t really be that easy for you, drew. I mean, jason blows back into town and suddenly there’s a “vacancy” in carly’s bed. You’re out. He’s in. It was my choice to end things with carly. Oh, no. You got out before carly could dump you. And you’re standing here telling me that you don’t want payback? What has payback ever gotten you?

Keeping secrets endedyour first marriage, and this one almost ended before it got started because of a secret. Baby, the marriages that work best are the ones where partners can share. They can lean on each other and go through the tough times together. Both you and portia are strong enough to handle anything. And your — your desire to protect is admirable, but you got to ask yourself, if you were portia, wouldn’t you want to know? Ahh. I’m home! Hi! Would you clarify what you meant when you said, “technically, yes, in reality, no”? I worked closely with mr. Corinthos. After a period of time,it became clear his business was not one I could support. Weren’t you there nearly two years? It took me a while to figure out how to go about it, but eventually I got out. I planned on leaving port charles for good, but… but what? But I didn’t like the idea of running away. So instead I went to see commissioner devane. She suggested I become a cop, so here I am. I was more afraid that I wouldn’t be able to treat jason correctly than about whatever legal jeopardy I’d be in. I was able to bandage him up and bring him antibiotics from the hospital, which lowered his risk of infection. You took a huge risk taking meds from the hospital. I won’t lie — I was really nervous when the shortage showed up on the computer. But michael called spinelli… and the shortage disappeared. Thankfully. Spinelli’s a good person to know. Well, so is jason. He helped save me from shiloh. Michael loves him. So do you. He’s important to this family. He is. But he was also a fugitive wanted for shooting a cop. And I know it wouldn’t occur to michael to not get involved, but I’m sure it occurred to you. Well, sometimes you have to put your own doubts aside and back the person you love. Michael has done that for me. It was my turn to do it for him. Well, I understand that because I know what it’s like to have that special of a relationship. You must be relieved now that jason’s back. So will he be alright now that the charges have been dropped? I-I still don’t understand what kind of trouble he was in or what’s happened to him. I don’t either. He has said very little. Really? I… I thought you and jason told each other everything. So, obviously jason’s cover is blown. He can no longer work at pikeman as “alan jacobs.” He can’t work there, but he still has value. How? They will have adjusted their protocols by now, and I’m sure that they’ve reallocated any personnel that ever came in contact with him. Maybe. But he knows too much. Pikeman’s gonna want to shut him up. Jason, you’re gonna stay here in port charles, out in the open. You want to use him as bait? I want to draw pikeman out. I’m not gonna be a walking target in my hometown, surrounded by people I care about. I’m not gonna let anybody wind up as collateral damage. Then be real careful. You know how pikeman operates. Draw them out. I’m willing to bet they’ll send someone senior to deal with you. We turn the tables, take them into custody, and incentivize them to give up whoever runs the company. How are you gonna “turn the tables”? I’m sure you’ll think of something. Jason, you have an impressive skill set and you’re good at improvising. So what’s it gonna be? Cooperate… …or we use the evidence we already have… and charge carly spencer with rico violations. And criminal conspiracy.

I’ll do what you want. As long as you leave carly alone. As long as you hold up your end, I have no use for carly. Alright. Let’s just… why don’t we clarify the objective now, please? Can we? Jason shouldn’t have involved you, anna. This is an fbi investigation. You’re not part of it. I am. We’ve already been over this, john. This is my jurisdiction I want in. The whole point of using jason is that he’s not an agent. How I use him is at my discretion. I am not gonna risk a leak or open the door to some inter-agency turf war at this late date. And you think any of that would apply to me? Why would it? Oh, come on, anna. You’re wsb… and so is pikeman. One of the great things about jason is that even when he can’t tell me what’s going on, I know I can trust him. He’ll let me in when he can, you know? There were so many times that he didn’t know what I was doing, and he trusted me anyway.

[ Laughs ] Yeah. Why do I feel like there’s something you want to say? I’m sorry. I didn’t want to bring it up, but… drew told me that you guys broke up. Oh. Wow. I mean, I didn’t know that drew

was gonna saysomething to you. Not that it’s a secret or anything. It’s not. I just — I just — I just didn’t know how it would feel when people found out. How is he? You know drew. He puts on a game face, but I know he was hurt. I love him. I do. And I miss him and… he went through so much with me and for me, and I really wanted to return that kind of loyalty. But… I didn’t know jason was gonna come back. Look. Drew is a good friend. Literally my lifesaver. And I-I hope he can put his own life back together and find something that matters to him. That is your problem, nina! When things don’t go your way, you actually — you focus on the wrong thing. Right now my problem is that I have a sanctimonious boss who barged into my office and now wants to lecture me about my shortcomings. Oh, I can’t believe I forgot to include “victimhood complex” in there. My bad. I’m sorry. I know nothing’s ever your fault, right? That’s how you justify your actions. When you lose something, you just go and try and take something from somebody else in return. Think about it for a second. You lost nelle, you lied to carly. Made her think that she lost sonny. You lost willow, you tried to send carly to prison. You’re still defending carly?! How pathetic, drew! The best decision you ever made was to fire carly and reinstate me. Why are you backtracking now? I’m not backtracking now, nina! I’m not rewriting history. I’ve got a very clear mind on what happened, and I have a very good memory. But that’s in the past, and we’re trying to move forward here, right? Haven’t you ever heard “living well is the best revenge”? Stella! This is a wonderful surprise. You’re staying for dinner, right? No, no, I just came by to leave trina a coconut cake. Uh, I left it in the kitchen. That’s so thoughtful of you. It’s her favorite. Thank you very much. My pleasure! And I hope you two have a wonderful evening. I’m sure you have a lot to catch up on. Buh-bye!

[ Stammers ]

[ Sighs ] She ran out of here so fast, I didn’t get a chance to tell her some good news. Dante woke up. That is good news. Yeah. It is. How’s he doing? He’s amazing. He’s weak, but he’s coherent. And sam and olivia, they’re over the moon. I’m really happy for them. Do you remember how excited I was when you finally woke up? I mean, I felt like I hadn’t taken a breath in months. And then you opened your eyes and…

[ Sighs ] Look at you now. I’d rather look at you.

[ Chuckles ] I’d rather look at that cake. Portia: Excuse me!

[ Laughs ]

Carly never wanted to be the editor of crimson. I talked her into it. She did it for me. Oh, and it didn’t feel good at all to show her the door? No. Nina, that — that is your petty way of thinking. To answer your question, I don’t want carly to suffer at all. I get nothing from that whatsoever. I win when I focus on myself and I build something for myself. I mean, if you could only do that, if you could only focus on your talents and what you have and get out of your own way, my god, you could probably eventually be happy. Happy? I was happy, drew. Happier than I’ve ever been in my life. You know why? Because I had a family. My surviving daughter was back in my life. I had two wonderful grandchildren. I was married to a man that I loved and who loved me. A job that I was great at. Two, in fact. And now what do I have? I have nothing. Except for crimson, which is all I started with in the first place. You bear no responsibility for those turn of events? Everything that you claimed carly had to begin with. Oh, I did not want anything from carly. Things just happened the way they happened. Yes, I take responsibility for keeping the truth about sonny being alive in nixon falls from his family. But once sonny remembered, it was his choice, and he chose me. I didn’t force him. It was sonny’s decision. So big on choice, aren’t you? So big on choice. What about accountability? Oh, you want to talk accountability? How about carly?! She chose to buy shares of aurora and commit a crime! But was she held accountable? No. Carly always gets a pass. She even had you take the fall for her! After you turned us in to the sec! Which was perfectly legal! But apparently unforgivable — for me. Now I’m exiled… from the man that I love and from the only family that I was ever able to call my own. Is that fair? Oh, josslyn! That’s so beautiful! Thank you. It smells like heaven. Yeah. No, it’s a great recipe. When did you learn how to cook lasagna? When’d you learn how to make anything from scratch?

[ Chuckles ] Dex was teaching me how to cook. And he’s really good at it. You miss him, huh? I’m trying not to. That’s all you had to say, huh? Hm. I know that I have to let it go, and — and, overall, I have. It’s just, you know, there’S… that part of me that’s waiting for a text or a call. Hm. What if he does text or call? I promised myself I wouldn’t answer.

[ Carly sighs ] I started out this interview asking you why you wanted to be a cop. Aside from you saying commissioner devane asked you to apply and stating that you wanted to stay in town, you haven’t answered the question. Yes, the commissioner suggested I join the force. I could have refused, but… I thought it over, and I realized… I missed that feeling I had back in the army. Which is what? Doing something good through service. The way I see it, being a cop is like being a soldier. You go through a lot of tough stuff, but it’s for a greater good and it’s about serving others. You took an oath to serve your country and the constitution in the military. Law-enforcement officers take an oath to support and defend the constitution and uphold the laws in their jurisdiction. Are you prepared to do that? Yes, sir. There’s another thing. I liked being a part of something bigger than myself. When I was in the army, the men and women I served with became my brothers and sisters. We were in it together, and we had each other’s backs. We were doing something real and important. It was — it was hard as hell and it was challenging. But we had a purpose. We believed in a cause so strongly… we put our lives on the line for it, and that gave my life meaning. To protect our way of life and our freedom was the goal. The goal in working private security and working for sonny was to make money. And that — that was a stupid and ugly reason to die. Anna: So now we get to the real reason behind your attitude towards me since you came to town. Am I part of your investigation? There’s no way to know. But we do know that pikeman has long-standing and unhealthy ties to the wsb. So you don’t like me poking around. Is that it? You’ve been just playing nice to keep tabs on me, to keep me in check. I can neither confirm nor deny, but the ties between pikeman and the wsb go back to your early days as an agent, anna, in the ’80s. I can tell you flat out — I’ve never had anything to do with pikeman. Jack brennan, who — who ended his rather brief tenure as head of the wsb by being shipped off to pentonville, he could tell you more. It’s alleged that he was running both pikeman and wsb. Unless you think that I’m the new head of pikeman… and that by packing him off to prison, I was making a big power grab. Anything is possible and falls within the scope of my investigation. I want pikeman and everyone affiliated with it to go down. That’s my focus. It’s mine, too! How do we do it?! Well, that is the billion-dollar question. Hopefully jason will get us an answer.

It took every ounce ofwillpower I had to make s–

[ Exhales sharply ] Curtis, hon– wait. Wait a second.

[ Exhales sharply ] Hm…

[ Exclaims ] Okay.

[ Groans ] Looks like I’m gonna need a little practice.

[ Both chuckle ] I could certainly use a good coach. Well, you got one. You’ve got one. -[ Grunts ] -Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yep.

[ Grunts ]

[ Curtis sighs ]

[ Chuckles ]

[ Portia laughing ] I’d almost believe you if i hadn’t personally experienced your version of payback. And I don’t know. Maybe you have seen the light. Maybe you’re the kinder, gentler drew of old. But I somehow doubt it. I think the rage and the anger is still in there somewhere. I wonder… if there was a button you could push that would somehow magically make jason disappear again — no one would know except for you — would you push it? Knowing that your brother would just go away and everything would go back to the way it was?

[ Door opens ] Ms. Reeves? The piece on how the wellness/fitness market is booming and evolving is in your inbox. Thank you, madison. Thank you. I’ll look at it right away. I need to go back to work. So I heard. What’s, um — what’s this piece about? It’s just for the next issue. It’s — it’s about feeling good is a powerful, profitable industry. You know, fitness and well-being. They’re not just trendy buzzwords. Do me a favor. Will you forward that to me? I’d like to read that. I’m forwarding it right now.

[ Cellphone dings ] Got it. Thank you. Maybe we can work together after all.

[ Door closes ] Stranger things have happened. Here’s the deal, mr. Heller. I get what you did in the military. I respect your discretion about your private clients. I don’t like the gaps in your work history, but I know that world and I’m familiar with non-disclosures. What concerns me the most is your affiliation with the corinthos organization — what you’ve seen, what you’ve done. It’s because of the time that I worked for sonny that I want this. I did things that I regret. And you think you can make up for them by becoming a cop? Because that’s not how this works. The commissioner may have suggested this, but if you’re thinking of it as some kind of penance, then don’t do it. I told you, sir — I want a purpose in my life. I need to do better for myself.

[ Children laugh ] Josslyn: Oh, hi! Okay. Who won — the rebels or the empire? We haven’t finished yet. -Oh. -The rebels will win! How do you know that? Because josslyn’s playing for us, and she’s the best! -Ohh! -I play for the empire, and I’m, uh — I’m a pretty good pilot. Okay. We’ll see what happens. Okay. Uh, before we sit down to dinner, I just want to thank josslyn, donna, and willow for making dinner. You helped, too, mommy. Oh, that’s really nice of you to say that. [ Laughs ] But I also want to say how much I love you all very much… and how lucky we are that we have each other. And we’re lucky that dante is doing better. And we’re so lucky that jason’s back. We have so much to celebrate. Let’s eat!

[ Laughter ] -Let’s eat! Okay. -Okay. You good with that? -There you go. -Gotta grab the bread. I know a lot about pikeman, but I don’t know who’s in charge. I don’t know the chain of command. But you’re right. They’re gonna want to shut me up. The same way they tried to eliminate sonny. I don’t know. They sent separate teams for sonny. The first team was the metro court then puerto rico. I was on the third team, as you know. But their approach is not working. They definitely could try something different with me. Yeah. I regret that you have to be used as bait, jason. That’s real. But I am playing the hand I’ve been dealt with now. The mission remains shutting pikeman down. Commissioner devane.

[ Door closes ] You okay with this? Just has to be done. It all makes sense now. You didn’t become an fbi informant to protect yourself. It was to save carly. She can’t know. Why?

On the next “General Hospital” —

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General Hospital Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

THIS STILL NEEDS SOME EDITING!

Sonny: Good to see you up and walking.

Dante: [ Weakly ] Yeah, you know, I might as well… be moving backward.

What matters is you’re doing it.

Yeah, unsteady though I may be.

You know, I wasn’t there when you took your first steps, but I’m getting a taste of that right now. This time, if — if you fall… I’ll be there to catch you.

Elizabeth: Jake, will you hurry up? I’d really like to take a shower after my shift! And the plumber hasn’t fixed mine yet, so hurry up!

[ Knock on door ]

Aiden, can you get that? I’m not dressed.

Yeah.

Hi. It’s, uh, aiden, right?

Yeah. You’re jason.

Yeah, it’s, uh — it’s been a while.

Sorry. Do you want to come in?

Thanks. Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Hi.

I hope it’s okay that I stopped by.

Yeah. Of course.

I saw you at my arraignment, and I just wanted to say thank you for being there.

Yeah, well, I-I just wanted to see for myself what was going on. Congratulations on having the charges dropped.

Thanks. Yeah, I’m sorry, I should have — I should have dropped by sooner.

No, no, I-I mean, it’s — it’s fine. Um, to be quite honest, I don’t know what sort of reception you would have received had you shown up any earlier. So maybe now the timing is just right.

Nina made me associate publisher, and I have every right to weigh in on where my pieces run.

Well, you don’t have any right to decide the layout of the paper, because that’s my job.

Oh, why don’t we call nina?

What —

see what she says?

You 5 years old? This is not kindergarten. You’re going to call the principal? No, we’re not doing that, adrian.

[ Knock on door ]

Diane: Knock, knock. Bad time?

So, how does it look?

Seeing it in print makes it seem real.

[ Laughs ] Of course it’s real. And we — we are all so excited to have you as the new face of Deception.

Thank you. I’m glad you circled back and that it’s working out this time.

Of course. Of course it’s working out. You are the perfect pairing with Deception, like peanut butter and chocolate or wine and cheese or a facial and a massage —

you know what? Lucy is right. This is going to be a great partnership. I say that not only on behalf of Deception, but also as your music manager. This is a really smart step for your career.

Maxie: Yeah, your popularity as an artist will bring eyes to Deception, and Deception’s large ad reach will boost your profile and expose your music to a whole new audience. It’s a win-win. We just need your signature.

Gladly.

[ Laughter ] Hi. I am so sorry I’m late. Traffic was just crazy. Have you signed that yet, honey?

Not yet.

Okay, perfect. Because it is so much harder to tear these things up and start from scratch.

Excuse the mess. Um, I just got off a double shift. I’m a head nurse now.

I heard, and epiphany died. It’s just so much to process, you know? First bobbie and then britt and epiphany. So much can happen in two years. But I’m happy you made head nurse. You deserve it. I know epiphany would be proud of you.

Thanks. Big shoes to fill, but so far, I’m loving it.

You look good. Happy.

Thank you. You look different.

It’s because I am.

Diane, I’m so glad we could meet. I was just showing adrian out.

In point of fact, we had not yet finished.

Go ahead. Call nina. In fact, she’s probably really busy. Why don’t you e-mail her and make sure you cc me?

Hold space for the review on the front page!

Perfect timing.

[ Laughs ] It looks like your day’s going well.

Nina has foisted this gossip columnist on me, made him associate publisher, and now I think he — he runs the place.

Oh, I’m sure that’s fun for you.

No. Nina is determined to turn the invader into some fluffy, gossipy rag magazine and making my life a living hell.

So you could obviously use some good news.

Do you have some to share?

I’ve done some digging, and with the information that I have found out, we are half a step closer to getting you back to practicing law.

So, I understand that this is not the first time you’ve approached alison about being the face of Deception. The woman who had the position until just recently, why did you two separate?

Um, that’s sasha gilmore. Sasha gilmore was wonderful and amazing, and we love her. And we’re so grateful to her for all she contributed. It’s just that, you know pop culture. It’s ever evolving and changing, and her look was just a little too wholesome. And the magazines right now want hipper, edgier, you know, the gen z that has that style. Which Blaze as a musician obviously has in spades.

Yeah. That’s, um — that’s unacceptable.

Which part?

Well, I’m just not going to have the word “edgy” associated with Blaze, because it just has less than savory connotations. Now, creative, gifted, those are acceptable.

[ Chuckles ] Okay. Blaze, uh, what do you think?

Well, my mom makes a good point. I define myself as a creative. Whether people find my look, my presentation edgy, so be it. But that’s not something I’m striving for.

Uh, well, you know, we just want you to be your own lovely, wonderful self.

Thank you.

Um, okay. I have a little problem here with clause number three. It says something about Blaze being a “spokesmodel” for Deception products. What exactly does that mean?

Anything you need, you, you know, just say it.

Look at me. [ Chuckles weakly ] I want my strength back. I feel like I just ran a marathon or something.

That’s going to take time. You’ve been through a lot. But you’re getting your color back to your face, right? So, when you were unconscious —

hey, I’m going to be okay. Alright? You’re not getting rid of me that easy.

That’s good to know.

Uh, you know, I was shocked when I, uh — when I heard that jason was arrested for shooting me. I’m glad — glad I got that all sorted out with anna.

You positive that that’s what happened?

Yeah. Yeah, I went after the two suspects. Caught up with them at the — at the pier. Told them to stop. One of them — one of them did. The other didn’T. The guy that did, I told him to turn around with his hands in the air. And when he did, it was jason. Then the other guy, he came back, and he opened fire.

I saw on the news you’d been shot.

Uh, yeah, I’m okay.

Thank you.

Okay, mom. The bathroom’s all yours. And, um, if you still want to get me that electric razor for my birthday —

hi, jake.

Why are you here?

Diane: Something about the disciplinary hearing that resulted in your disbarment has never sat right with me, so I did some digging. One of the original attorneys on the panel had to recuse himself.

On what grounds? I don’t know. You tell me. The attorney in question, fergus byrne.

Byrne. Byrne!

As in the older brother of dr. Neil byrne, with whom you had a relationship and then lied to the board to protect.

And also the reason I was disbarred.

Mm-hmm.

I had no idea there was a third brother. And yet he was the lawyer that recused himself on my case?

Mm-hmm. The byrnes were quite the overachieving irish american family — a doctor, a lawyer, an executive turned blackmailer.

This is really intriguing. Although how does it help me?

When fergus byrne recused himself, he was replaced with his very own law partner. Now, that alone gives the whole proceeding an air of illegitimacy, don’t you think?

I wanted to talk to you about a possible candidate for the police academy.

Oh, yeah. Well, we’re always looking for new recruits, especially one that comes recommended by the police commissioner.

Oh, yeah. Um, his name is, uh, dex heller. And I wanted to talk to you because you’re an instructor over at the academy, and I just wanted you to assess his potential.

Sure, I’d be happy to meet with him. How’d he do on the written exam?

He didn’t sit that yet. I-I wanted us to get the ball rolling first.

Okay. Uh, why is that?

He’s ex-military. He served in afghanistan. And so, therefore, I’m sure he’ll pass the physical and the jst and, you know, the alcohol and drug screening. I-I just wanted him to have extra time to study for the written exam.

Okay, that’s definitely not the usual process, commissioner, but I-I trust your judgment.

Thank you. Yeah. I have a good feeling about him, about dex. His experience with his former employer I think is going to be very useful for us.

Really? Uh, okay. What was he doing?

Working for sonny corinthos.

You know, the guy who shot me, I’d never seen him before. Not that it matters. Anna said they can’t find his body anywhere. No forensic evidence, nothing.

I guess jason knows what happened to him ’cause they were working together.

They were together on the roof, yeah. Lining up a shot at me.

Yeah, I don’t know what he was doing with that guy anyway. But I remember he was — he was trying to get me help. He was trying to stop the bleeding.

I guess we know where our tax dollars are going.

Tax dollars? What are you talking about?

I saw jason last night. He’s working as an informant. For the fbi.

You’ve been on the news a lot. Everyone’s talking about you, but I haven’t heard anyone say where you’ve been all this time.

All I can say is, uh, I got into some trouble, had to take a job I didn’t want in a place far away from here.

And they didn’t have phones in this faraway place or computers. Or — or did you just not feel like telling us you were alive?

Jake…

it’s — it’s okay. I’d be asking the same question. I know this doesn’t make much sense to you, but if I could have gotten in touch, I would have. And I know it’s a lot to ask, but please… believe me.

Would you believe you?

Blaze would represent Deception at all our in-store product launches and of course on the home & heart shopping channel. She would be showing off our merchandise. And look at that face. This face would sell millions of units of beauty and wellness products. Yeah, it’ll get a ton of eyes on Blaze. We can’t buy that kind of publicity for her music career.

Absolutely not.

I’m sorry?

No, she — Blaze will do photo shoots, yes, but she’s not going to be personally hawking products on some home shopping show or live events. No.

Okay. I’m sure we can come up with a compromise that works for everyone.

Natalia: No. No compromise. You will not be signing the contract unless you agree that the face of Deception is completely separate than this traveling salesperson of Deception.

In the old days, organized crime would quietly infiltrate the force or hand out bribes to put some cops in their back pocket. So now you’re telling me the department is actively recruiting mobsters?

Well, dex had a somewhat contentious parting with his former employer. I believe that he has left that life firmly behind. And he will be 100% loyal to us here.

You know hiring this guy is going to cause conflict with corinthos.

Yes, that — I think it’s natural that there’s conflict between law enforcement and racketeers.

I always thought you had a soft spot for corinthos and tried to go easy on him.

Well, I apologize if I gave that impression. We go back, sonny and — and detective falconeri is his son. And I know that raises a few eyebrows around here, but he has never cut his father any slack, and nor will anyone else in this department, including me. Sonny corinthos will be held to the same standard that we hold everyone else.

Can I ask what prompted this change of heart?

Say it was a series of events that occurred recently that shed light on the fact that we have to check organized crime in this city, specifically limit sonny’s influence. To that end, dex will be invaluable to us. He will be able to give us insight into how sonny’s operation is run. I think that if we pass up this opportunity, we will never get one like this again.

Jason’s been working for the feds this whole time?

Supposedly.

Why? Did he explain it?

Not really. He just said he was working as an informant for the fbi, and he wanted me to swallow it. But how can I swallow something? That’s the worst thing he could have done.

I guess I know how you feel about it.

I mean, working for the feds? He’s dead to me.

Come on. Why don’t you get the full story first before you write him off?

I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to talk about it. Go ahead, say it, dante. Whatever it is you’ve got to say, say it.

Jason was your right-hand man, for years. You relied on him.

When I came back from nixon falls, I had amnesia. And I come back, my wife’s marrying my — my best friend. I have feelings for another woman. Things were never the same after that. Maybe jason’s not the jason that I know. I’m sorry. I don’t — I don’t want to waste, you know, our valuable time talking about this right now. I want you to get better. I want you to even make fun of me if you want.

[ Chuckles weakly ]

I really don’t care. Hell, I’ll even let you. How’s that?

I’m gonna hold you to that.

[ Chuckles ] You better.

This is all very intriguing. But I-I don’t want to get my hopes up.

I believe the implication of bias gives us further grounds to appeal your disbarment.

Wish I had paid more attention to neil’s family tree. I mean, I knew there was a lawyer out there somewhere, vaguely. But if neil’s brother fergus was at his memorial, I never met him.

Well, maybe there’s a very good reason why fergus didn’t introduce himself to you. If he was even partially responsible for your disbarment, he’d want to stay as far away from you as humanly possible before you started putting the pieces all together.

True.

But fergus is no longer on the disciplinary committee. I checked. So he won’t be a factor in your appeal this time.

All joking aside, I truly am impressed with the progress that you’ve made on this so quickly. [ Sighs ] I’m just not sure that I should proceed with this.

Why the hell not?

Because my job at the invader is annoying, and it’s frustrating, but an argument in its favor is I get to sleep at night. I won’t be up at 3:00 in the morning making revisions on a closing argument or having nightmares that I make a procedural error and I get my client wrongly convicted.

Yeah. Well, there’s a lot to be said for a restful night’s sleep. But the alexis I know never took the easy way out for anything. You love a challenge, and you love being a lawyer. So, my friend, what is this really about?

Molly’s worried. She said the last time that I practiced law, I also happened to be a raging alcoholic, and I turned my life into a car wreck. And she’s worried that if the appeal is dismissed, I’ll dive right back into the bottle.

I see. Well, what did you say to that?

She’s got enough on her plate right now, so I don’t want to worry her, but I told her that I go to meetings regularly, and I’m working the program. And that is all true. But what if my trying to get my law license back derails my sobriety and everything else that I’ve worked so hard to salvage from the ruins of my old life?

Okay. I have crossed out all the sections about the live participation in pitching products, and the rest of it looks good to me.

Okay. Well, what if we want the live participation sections to remain in force?

Well, then you will have to find another face of Deception.

Hey. Look, I know that your mom wants the best for you and for your career.

Of course.

But you do realize being the face of Deception is a very prestigious role. I mean, it’s big, big, big. Are you really willing just to pass that up?

No, I don’t want to. Uh — but my mom makes a valid point. I’m a singer, a performer, not a spokesmodel.

Ah. I see.

But I don’t think that means we have to forget about the whole thing. Would you be open to hiring a second face? Someone to do the home & heart appearances and meet and greets? I’d do print advertising and related media.

We really need to discuss —

that is so perfect. You know, two faces, two are better than one. And I have a great idea how we’ll handle home & heart without you.

I-I told you everything I can.

Which is basically nothing! Am I supposed to give you extra points because you aren’t lying?

I-I know that I have a lot of things to make up for. I’m just hoping that if we can spend some time together, you can see that you can trust me.

Why would i want to spend time with you when I don’t even know how long you’re planning to stay this time? Or what even brought you back to port charles, because it obviously wasn’t me or anyone else in your family. But hey, at least you dropped by and got to play dad for a minute, right?

I didn’t want to leave, jake. I didn’t have a choice.

And you came back just as soon as you could, right?

No. No. I-I can’t explain… why, but I can see how much it hurts you.

You don’t know anything about me, so stop pretending you do.

I didn’t mean to upset you. I should go.

Then go!

Elizabeth: I’ll walk you out. You know, um, part of me wants to apologize for that, but… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get where he’s coming from. I have a lot of those same questions for you myself.

I know.

But… despite all of that… …it really is good to see you. Your death never felt real to me. I’m glad it wasn’T.

Yeah, me, too. Jake has every right to be angry. I’m glad he’s not afraid to say so.

Don’t kid yourself. He may act tough, but he is still just a teenager who’s afraid of an awful lot. Mostly, he’s afraid of losing his father.

I know this isn’t easy. First you had to mourn your dad and accept that he’s gone. And now all of a sudden, he’s back with no real explanation of where he went for so long. But this isn’t good for you to be so angry with him.

Well, I don’t think it’s good for you to be so okay with this and act, like, all nice to him, like — like he didn’t do anything wrong and everything’s fine.

That’s not what I’m doing. Jake, I understand that you’re hurting, but it doesn’t make it okay for you to lash out at everyone around you. So can you tone down the snark just a little?

Did you know?

Know what?

That my dad was alive. He didn’t call you or get in touch with you or send you something? Did you know and — and keep it a secret from me?

No. No, god, no, jake. I didn’t know he was alive, I promise.

Okay. It’s just hard, you know? It’s like, I-I feel guilty because — never mind. It doesn’t matter.

No, no, no, no, please j– tell me. All of your feelings matter. And you get to feel however you want to about this. And you can talk to me. No judgment here, I promise you that.

Well, it’s — I-I feel guilty because I was so sad when dad died. I used to lay in bed at night wishing I could talk to him just one more time. But now I think that it was easier to have a dead father that people would tell you stories about, rather than one who’s alive but only shows up to commit crimes and get arrested and has nothing to say to his own family.

[ Knock on door ]

Come in.

Hi, anna. How are you?

What can I do for you, sonny? I’m very busy. Um, I don’t have a lot of time.

Oh, okay, I’ll get to it. Um, I just got back from seeing dante.

How’s he doing?

He’s doing — he’s doing alright. He got up, and he was walking. You know, full recovery’s going to take a while, but, uh — I hate seeing him that way.

Of course. But then, the alternative is much worse.

Dante also said that it — he’s positive it wasn’t jason who shot him.

I’m aware of that. Like I said, I have a lot of work to do, so if that’s what you came here to tell me —

yeah, well, if jason, uh, isn’t guilty of shooting dante, he was still on the roof with that sniper who shot at me.

Fortunately, you weren’t hit.

Yeah, I was lucky. But, you know, um, you know jason was there, so do you have any idea what you’re going to charge him with?

Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.

No, I just didn’t, uh — didn’t expect to see you here. Um… I’m happy you are here, though. I wanted to, uh — I wanted to thank you.

For what?

Well, for the bandage. For calling 911. I think I, uh, probably would have bled out by the time the ambulance got there.

Well, if it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t be down on the pier in the first place.

Huh. That’s a good point. I take it back.

[ Chuckles ]

You know one thing I can’t figure out? Why’d you turn around? You didn’t want to be identified. Why didn’t you keep running?

Because I knew you wouldn’t stop chasing us. And I thought it would be… safer if I let you arrest me, but it turns out that I was wrong.

Let me ask you this, as a — well, as a cop and a victim. Can you tell me what happened to the guy who shot me?

No. The name I had for him was fake. But what’s real is he’s dead.

What happened to his body?

Uh, I have no idea. I have some theories, but it doesn’t really matter.

Well, maybe you can tell me this, then. Was he also an fbi informant?

My friend, none of us knows the future. If your appeal is denied, could the disappointment that you feel cause you to start drinking again? I don’t know. I — I guess anything’s possible. But I know you, and I know how strong you are. You have accomplished everything you have set your mind to. So there’s no reason to think that this would cause you to start drinking again. Hell, you say this place is a nightmare, but you’re not tossing ’em back, are you?

No.

No. So there you go.

Thank you.

Now let’s get to my other big news. My petition to petition the appeals court was granted. So now the justices just need to agree that there are grounds for an appeal. Even though, technically speaking, that window was closed a long time ago.

Diane, we both know that motions to vacate disbarment are rarely granted.

God! I do not have the time right now to manage your fear of success. So would you please stop being the voice of doom? Honey, I’m ready to run with this, but only if you are committed to seeing it through and of course, paying me back for all the hours I will be logging by joining my practice once we see this through.

Nina and I had a great idea I’d love to run by you.

I’m in the middle of something. Can it wait?

It’ll just take a minute. Everyone has been loving my column so much that nina and I thought we could split it off into daily pieces. We’ll call it something like “spotlight of society,” highlighting what all the movers and shakers of port charles are up to, who are the hot new couples, who’s getting divorced, who lost all their money. It could be a big hit. What do you think?

I think that if you don’t leave my office right now, you’ll be putting out the evening’s edition all by yourself.

[ Chuckles ] Oh. I know that’s meant to be a threat. But I’ll have you —

get out, adrian!

[ Sighs ] Do it.

Huh?

Please. Get me the hell out of here.

[ Laughs ]

Here you go. Consider this contract official.

Thank you. I will walk you out.

[ Laughs ] And thank you.

You know, I am so glad that we could work things out. We are going to do amazing, great things together.

Me, too. I’m the new face of Deception.

And a gorgeous face it is!

Congratulations.I’m so happy for you, baby. I have so many shoot ideas I cannot wait to talk to you about.

[ Women laugh, speak indistinctly ]

See? Everybody is so, so excited to get started working with you.

Oh, uh, just one more thing. And this doesn’t have to be in writing or anything, but I really would like your word that moving forward, alison will be a woman of mystery.

[ Chuckles ] What does that mean?

Just that her private life will remain off-limits. So she won’t be doing any interviews. You won’t publish puff pieces about her. Alison, or Blaze as you’ll be calling her, will just be known to the public by her beauty and her music.

Okay, um… is that what you want?

Absolutely.

Your father is a man of few words, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. He wouldn’t have shown up here if he didn’t want to see you.

Maybe he just felt like he had to.

No. No. I don’t know where he’s been for the past few years or why. But I saw the way he looked at you just now. He wouldn’t have stayed away on his own.

Why is he like this?

He’s complicated. But he never makes things up. And he doesn’t lie. He may not say a whole lot, but every word that comes out of his mouth is the truth.

You always defend him.

I’m explaining him. It’s different.

Doesn’t matter anyway. He knows I’m mad at him. I doubt he’ll ever show up here again.

I wouldn’t count on that. He’s not going to make some big declaration about how he’s your dad and he loves you. Instead, he’s going to keep showing up until you realize that’s the only explanation.

Guess you’ve been talking to sonny.

Yeah, he left a — he left a little while ago. You know, you working for the feds, that’s really messing him up.

I’m an informant, not an agent.

Sonny thinks you’re a traitor, but… there’s something else going on here. I mean, how many deals did you get offered over the years, and you didn’t take them? How many times could you have flipped on sonny, and you didn’t do it?

I didn’t inform on sonny.

Then who?

[ Sighs ] That I can’t — I can’t say.

Well, the fbi, they must have some serious leverage, something big, to get you to cooperate.

It was something big enough that I had no choice to… take their deal and do exactly what they wanted.

You swear to me it has nothing to do with my father?

Sonny has nothing to do with this. He’s safe. And I’m going to do my best to make sure he stays that way.

Son of a bitch. You have the gall to come in here and try to get me to file charges against jason?

I just wanted a heads up, just in case I have to testify.

There are no charges to file. It’s clear that jason stopped that sniper from shooting you. Anyway, this is an fbi case now, so if you’ll just — I mean, if you want me to arrest someone, I can always circle back to the attack on cyrus on christmas eve.

Anna, where is this hostility coming from —

no, I mean, it’s an open case. It’s in my jurisdiction, and I have a lot of dna evidence collected from the victim indicating you as the attacker. Cyrus may have declined to press charges against you, but I — honestly, I don’t need him in order to move forward.

Wh– I thought we were, like, getting closer, and that doesn’t seem to be the case now. What’s — what’s happening?

No, it’s — it’s not the case, sonny. It’s not. I think my attitude towards you was really colored by your friendship with robin and what you did for her and for stone. But if you thought for one second that I was okay with you beating an old man bloody and unconscious, no matter if he’s a vile person, you were sorely mistaken. I’m police commissioner. And your days of thinking that you can skate no matter what the offense, they’re over! So if you don’t mind — e-even if you do mind, get out of my office!

On the next “General Hospital” —

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