Days of Our Lives Update
Update written by Joseph
At the DiMera Mansion, EJ calls Johnny and leaves a message that he knows Johnny is trying to avoid him but no matter how he feels or what happened between them, he will always love him. EJ then looks at the Spectator article on who shot him. EJ goes through the mail and comes across an envelope from DiMera that he wonders if it’s from Johnny.
Philip runs in to Stephanie in the town square. Philip says he was on his way to check in with Roman about Bo and invites her to come too. Stephanie says her parents are keeping her in the loop. Stephanie adds that she figures Philip and Kate would want to celebrate taking over DiMera and getting everything he ever wanted. Stephanie asks if it was all worth it.
Alex joins Xander in the living room of the Kiriakis Mansion. Alex explains that he just did a deep dive on DiMera Pharmaceuticals and they are sitting on a gold mine. Alex reminds Xander that he said all it takes is one breakthrough drug and this is it.
Belle runs in to Shawn at the Brady Pub and says she’s so sorry to hear about Bo. Belle encourages Shawn to stay strong as Bo won’t give up without a fight. Shawn responds that he won’t either.
Steve joins Kayla in her office at the hospital. Kayla informs him that Hope sent over Bo’s latest medical records and his condition is deteriorating rapidly. Steve tells her that he’s so sorry. Kayla worries that they are running out of time, so if Steve is going to steal the drug to save Bo’s life, he needs to do it now before it’s too late.
Philip thought he and Stephanie could call a truce with everything going on. Stephanie argues that what’s happening with Bo doesn’t give him a free pass and that Bo would be the first person to call him out for lying to Xander. Philip explains that Xander kicked him out of the house but he can’t kick him out of the company without compromising their DiMera takeover and tanking Titan’s market cap. Stephanie remarks that he gets to keep the treasure he plundered. Philip asks if this means she’s not going to say anything. Stephanie says she would love to tip off Chad and have it land on the front page of the Spectator but she’s not going to do that. Philip thanks her. Stephanie assures that she’s not doing it for him but for Sarah because the only thing that would hurt Xander more than Philip betraying him is knowing that Sarah kept the secret from him. Stephanie states that could destroy their marriage. Philip agrees that some things are better left unsaid. Stephanie goes to leave but Philip stops her and says there is something more to be said that he should’ve told her a long time ago. Philip tells her that he’s sorry.
Xander didn’t expect Alex to attack this head on right after they talked about it this morning. Alex felt there’s no point in waiting and says it stood out to him that DiMera had tried unsuccessfully to fund a treatment for Sepsis. Alex adds that Justin told him what’s going on with Bo. Xander says he feels for everyone who loves Bo. Alex says a lot of people they care about are hurting and a drug for Sepsis could prevent a lot of suffering. Xander encourages getting to work on this miracle. Alex notes that the one catch is someone could be beating them to the punch.
Steve doesn’t think Kayla should be talking about this in the open. Kayla isn’t worried and says there’s no way she doesn’t get implicated if he gets caught and she’s made peace with that. Steve doesn’t want her to jeopardize her entire career for some false hope when the drug isn’t even in human trials yet. Steve asks what if it can’t save Bo. Kayla knows there are a lot of risks but the upside is that it could save Bo’s life and then it would give hope to millions of people because it will be fast tracked. Steve states that they have to break in and steal the drug in a way that no one notices but wonder if that’s even possible. Kayla encourages him to just take one dose and then Jeffrey can chalk it up to human error so the plan is to get in and out without being detected. Kayla asks if he looked at the floor plan of the lab. Steve confirms that he did and it turns out there’s one major roadblock to their plan. Steve informs her that Dr. Russell goes in and out of the lab at all hours of the night and has no set schedule so he could pop in and catch him at any time. Sarah then walks in and asks if she’s interrupting.
EJ opens his mail hoping it’s from Johnny but it’s a get well card from Stefan, so he trashes it. Dr. Jeffrey Russell walks in and asks if it’s a bad time. EJ says no and reminds him that he asked to see him because they have a lot to discuss. Jeffrey questions if they do and reminds EJ that Kayla won’t even consider giving him the rights to his drug, so without that, he feels it’s game over for them but EJ disagrees. EJ repeats that all is not lost and tells Jeffrey that everything is going exactly as he planned.
Belle asks Shawn if there’s been a change in Bo’s condition. Shawn says there hasn’t been but he’s not losing faith. Belle says she won’t either and she knows that can be hard. Shawn knows she can relate. Belle says Paul and Andrew are confident they will find John but it’s hard to keep getting her hopes up. Shawn is sure they’re doing everything they can to bring John home safely. They agree to send each other prayers. Shawn calls it sad that both of their dads are fighting for their lives. Shawn talks about how John and Bo still considered themselves family. Belle says that’s kind of like them.
Stephanie questions what Philip is sorry for. Philip doesn’t know where to start and apologizes for lying about the letter, compromising her integrity at work and most of all for treating her like dirt afterwards. Philip feels he’s been treating her like an afterthought which is selfish and idiotic since she always had his back. Stephanie asks why he did it when there were legal ways that he could’ve tried to claim his part of the inheritance, so she questions why it was so important for him to deny Xander his.
Alex informs Xander that DiMera is not the only one working on a drug to cure Sepsis as word is the hospital is working on their own. Xander talks about the hospital’s financial struggles and says it may give them time to catch up to them. Alex wants to rally the board and get to work. Xander asks if Alex has plans tonight. Alex confirms that he does, so Xander tells him to take the night off and commends him for his fantastic work as they shake hands. Alex goes to leave but stops and tells Xander that he knows he let him down by covering for Philip, but promises that he will not regret giving him a second chance. Alex then exits.
Sarah apologizes but Kayla assures she has an open door policy. Sarah mentions hearing about Bo and wishes there was something she could do. Kayla thanks her and says they all feel the same way. Steve decides he should get going. Kayla says she’ll keep him posted as soon as she figures a way around her schedule as Steve then exits. Sarah suggests Kayla should call it a night and asks if she can take anything off her plate. Kayla thanks her but says she should keep busy although she isn’t looking forward to signing their new budget. Sarah offers to skip this weekend’s research conference in Chicago if it saves the hospital money. Sarah then admits her motivations aren’t pure but it’s the first weekend she’s had off in awhile and she’d love to be able to spend it with her husband and daughter. Sarah mentions having her eye on renting a cabin but guesses she can’t find someone to go to the conference in her place on such short notice.
Jeffrey tells EJ that the hospital retaining the rights to his drug Versivex doesn’t help them. EJ says not in the short term but they are playing chess not checkers. Jeffrey doesn’t understand. EJ explains that it’s all about thinking several steps ahead. EJ is not surprised that Kayla turned down his request and says he would’ve done the same. Jeffrey asks why he made him grovel to her though. EJ says it’s covering all their bases and he couldn’t risk Kayla catching wind of their plan. Jeffrey questions what plan since if the hospital goes under, his research is lost. EJ tells him that the hospital is not going under because it’s about to find itself a new bankroller and he’s looking at him.
Sarah tells Kayla that she better go pack but Kayla stops her and tells her to go spend the weekend with her family. Kayla says the conference is for research so they should send somebody with more lab experience anyway. Sarah asks if she can even find anybody in time. Kayla tells her to go ahead. Sarah hugs her and thanks her. Kayla assures the pleasure is all hers as Sarah then exits. Kayla then grabs her phone.
EJ informs Jeffrey that he’s going to buy University Hospital. Jeffrey questions how when he’s been ousted from his family business. Jeffrey asks why he didn’t just swoop in months ago when the hospital was first in trouble. EJ says he had to get his ducks in a row and then the shooting derailed his timeline, but now that he has everything in order, he’s ready to pull the trigger. EJ pours him a drink as Jeffrey questions if he’s really thought this through. Jeffrey warns EJ that the cost of funding the hospital will eventually bleed him dry. EJ says once his drug is approved, it will fund the hospital for decades and they will be heroes for curing a deadly illness. Jeffrey asks if his profit participation is just an added benefit. EJ says they have noble intentions and asks why good men shouldn’t be rewarded for their good deeds. Jeffrey then gets a text from Kayla, wanting to see him. He assumes she doesn’t know he and EJ are working together. EJ says there’s only one way to find out.
Philip tells Stephanie that he wasn’t trying to deny Xander his share of Titan and it was about doing something Victor couldn’t do. Philip talks about having to fake his death and Victor being ashamed while he never got a chance to redeem himself in Victor’s eyes before he died. Philip explains that he convinced himself if he did something Victor couldn’t do, it would make him proud in some way but feels saying it out loud sounds stupid. Stephanie disagrees and calls it the most human thing she’s heard him say since he came back to town. Philip says nothing else mattered to him and he was on a mission like a soldier. Philip can’t say he regrets doing what he did, but he does regret hurting the people he cares about because he’s pretty much lost every friend he had left. Stephanie says not everyone. Stephanie acknowledges that there are still a lot of hurt feelings between them but she has known him for most of her life and she’d like to think that one day, they can put all of this behind them and be friends again. Philip agrees that would be nice. Stephanie tells Philip to take care of himself and walks away.
Sarah goes home to Xander and says she has a surprise for him but questions what he’s reading that has him so enthralled that he didn’t hear her come in. Xander says he’s just trying to make heads or tails of the DiMera Pharmaceuticals division. Sarah comments on their careers overlapping and asks what it’s about. Xander asks what she knows about Sepsis. Sarah explains that in simple terms, it’s when an infection spreads so much that the immune system attacks it’s own body. Sarah says there are antibiotics but still a high morality rate. Xander asks if developing something would be a worthwhile pursuit. Sarah says tons of labs must be dedicated time for that. Xander asks if she knows about the hospital’s research. Sarah guesses this isn’t about Bo, so she asks what all these questions are about.
Steve meets Shawn at the Pub. Shawn asks if there’s any updates. Steve says he got some valuable insight from Kayla as he more or less told her what they are planning. Shawn worries that this is a big risk for Kayla. Steve says Kayla told him how much they can take without compromising the entire trial. Shawn feels it’s pretty simple to get in and get out. Shawn offers to go tonight if he wants but Steve tells him there’s a new complication.
Jeffrey goes to see Kayla in her office. Kayla says she didn’t like how they left things. Jeffrey asks if this means she’s changing her mind but Kayla says no. Kayla wants to throw another opportunity his way and asks if he’s busy this weekend. He says no outside of his research. Kayla tells him that he deserves a break and Chicago is beautiful this time of year. Kayla explains that they need someone from his department to represent them at a medical research conference and when he’s finished, he can enjoy the city. Jeffrey appreciates the offer but doesn’t think he’s the best person for the job as he’s not exactly known for his people skills and his staff can’t continue their research without him there to supervise. Kayla thinks it’s for the best because of the hours they’ve been working and says they all need the weekend off. Jeffrey remains unsure, so Kayla asks for one good reason why he wouldn’t do this.
Belle finds Philip in the town square and asks if he’s okay. Philip says he’s wiped from his apology tour but he’s sure he owes her one too. Belle guesses it’s about Titan and admits she was wondering when the other shoe would drop. Philip tells her that he gets to stay on as co-CEO because legal worries that it could compromise both companies if what he did got out. Philip adds that he took her advice in reaching out to Justin but he was pretty disappointed in him, almost as much as Maggie is. Philip admits he can’t blame her. Philip says he knows Victor would’ve wanted he and Xander to work together but says he took what he wanted without caring how it would affect anyone else. Philip tells Belle that the person he feels most guilty about hurting is Xander because for a second, it really started to feel like they were brothers in every sense of the word.
Xander tells Sarah that he’s trying to wrap his head around all this science and says it’s hard for him to make decisions about stuff he doesn’t fully understand. Sarah says luckily he employs people to do it for him and says she wants to get to her surprise. Sarah then shows him her phone and reveals that she booked them a cabin on the lake for the weekend and there’s a nearby day spa with a daycare for them to be alone. Xander thought she wanted to go somewhere tropical for their honeymoon. Sarah says she still expects that, so Xander asks what all this is. Sarah asks if there has to be a reason and says they’ve both been swamped so they can think of it as a mini honeymoon. Xander calls it incredibly sweet. Sarah says between everything with Titan and the hospital’s money troubles, they have both been run ragged. Sarah argues that Alex can watch Philip for a weekend but Xander is unsure. Sarah whispers to Xander what he would be missing.
Alex brings Stephanie to his bedroom with candles lit around the room, a bowl of popcorn, and bottles of wine. Alex figured with everything going on lately, it would be nice for them to stay in for a change and stream a movie. Stephanie calls that perfect as they kiss. Alex tells Stephanie they can even watch The Notebook but Stephanie says maybe they can go with something sexier. Alex asks if she means something like the novel she’s writing which surprises her.
Sarah has Xander relax to imagine what a spa day would be like but Xander says he’s never really been much of a spa guy and asks why this getaway is so important to her. Sarah says it’s just been one thing after another for them lately. Sarah talks about Xander being incredibly stressed by being forced to work with Philip and she’s wiped out from the hospital’s money troubles. Sarah wants one weekend without thinking about her job. Xander then agrees to the getaway. Xander tells Sarah that he loves her. Xander adds that he’s pretty sure they have the house to themselves tonight. Xander suggests giving her a taste of what they will be getting up to this weekend as they then exit together.
Stephanie questions Alex reading her manuscript. Alex confirms he read the first few pages. Stephanie says she’s so embarrassed because nobody was supposed to read it as it was just something she was doing in her spare time. Alex encourages that she’s so good at it and he can’t wait to finish it. Stephanie asks him not to. Alex acknowledges that it’s graphic and a little steamy but Stephanie feels it’s mortifying. Alex asks if she’s afraid that he will learn about her inner most fantasies and desires. Stephanie argues that he already knows most of them. Alex says if he’s not allowed to read it, maybe they can act out a couple chapters instead. Stephanie says she likes that idea as they kiss on the bed.
EJ joins Jeffrey in Kayla’s office and asks if it’s a bad time. Kayla asks Jeffrey to excuse them but notes that she won’t take no for an answer and asks if she can count on him. Jeffrey then agrees to be there and exits. EJ asks what that was about. Kayla says it was none of his business so EJ withdraws the question. Kayla asks if there’s something she can do for him. EJ responds that he’d like to do something more to help the hospital get out of it’s current predicament. Kayla says they are happy to take another donation but EJ declares that he wants to be the hospital’s savior.
Belle thinks Philip is mourning the loss of Xander because he’s afraid of losing his other brother too. Philip calls that an insightful theory. Philip adds that he knows he has no right to ask but he doesn’t want to cause more trouble for Xander if what he did ever got out. Belle assures that he’s covered. Philip says he appreciates that. Belle advises him to keep his nose clean and not get too comfortable since he may have dodged a bullet but he royally pissed off a lot of people so she suggests he watch his back as she walks away.
Shawn asks Steve how they will keep Jeffrey out of the lab. Steve says it will be tricky but he promised Kayla that they wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the drug’s approval because they can’t take away the hope from millions to save one man which Bo wouldn’t want, so they have to be patient. Steve says that Kayla is working on a workaround as they speak. Shawn says she better hurry because Bo doesn’t have much time.
Kayla questions EJ wanting to buy University Hospital. EJ points out that they’ve been looking for a financial backer and here he is, calling it a perfect solution. Kayla says it might be too perfect and questions where this is coming from. EJ says that almost dying has a way of changing his outlook on life and it’s torn down his greed. EJ says he wants to use his fortune to put some good in to the world. EJ adds that with Kayla’s endorsement, the sale of the hospital will be approved in no time so he asks if she will help him help her. Kayla responds that it’s a hard pass which EJ questions. Kayla admits that EJ could solve all of the hospital’s problems and she would like to believe his intentions are pure but experience tells her they are not and there will definitely be strings attached. EJ calls this madness and asks if she hates his family so much that she would let the hospital collapse. Kayla is optimistic that they will succeed. EJ asks how since they will never find a backer in time. Kayla feels the fundraiser gave them some room to explore other options. EJ argues that she’s being unreasonable. Kayla warns that he’s getting on her last nerve and decides they are done. EJ argues that she doesn’t have final say on this and threatens to go over her head to the board. Kayla says she would recommend they not entertain his offer. Kayla points out that she’s spent decades building up good will in Salem while EJ can’t say the same. EJ remarks that she will come crawling back soon enough and warns her to pray that he’s just as generous when she does as he then exits the office.
Alex and Stephanie lay in bed together after having sex. As Stephanie falls asleep, Alex sneaks out of the bed to answer a call from Xander. Alex asks if he got any more word about the drug. Xander says DiMera will never catch up in time to the hospital but he has a new plan that will save the hospital, Sarah’s job, and get their hands on this breakthrough treatment. Alex asks what it is. Xander declares they are going to buy the hospital.
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