Category: Daytime

General Hospital Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

THIS STILL NEEDS EXTENSIVE EDITING!

brava! Whoo! Violet, you were brilliant. Yes. Uncle chase was good, too. Yes, he was. He definitely was. You know, maybe I could get you a part-time gig as a studio musician, babe. Never mind me. I think you found your next breakout performer. Please bite your tongue. Please. Don’t worry. I do think violet’s a little too young to go on tour. Okay. Maybe, but I’m not too young to sing at your wedding. Please?

[ Laughing ] Ohh.Oh. Something tell me you’re not working on your christmas list. No, pop, I’m not. And if I get my wish this year, I’m never gonna ask for anything ever again. Sorry I’ve been too busy to cook for you lately. I’m not. Ouch.

[ Laughs ] I like your cooking. I love your cooking, actually. Mm-hmm. But I was in the mood for sushi, and you have not mastered that yet. Okay, well, I’m making dinner for you this weekend. Oh, if you insist. Only if I can help you. Deal. Any requests? I don’t know, something cozy. Maybe your bolognese? Oh, wait. I know. We can go to the store and get some ingredients. And then on the way back, we can get you a little christmas tree for in here. Uh, that’s okay. What’s okay? I don’t need a tree. Sam: We should figure out when we want to decorate the christmas tree. And what is the deal with christmas? Well, you know, fat, jolly guy comes down the chimney, and then you buy me a bunch of presents. You’re hilarious.

[ Laughs ] Seriously, tell me something I don’t know. No, I mean, like, when are we gonna go to the quartermaines versus my mom’s? And what about sonny and nina? I don’t know. I think we have too many family members. That is not an answer, detective. Hmm. Oh, gus, you can just place them right on that table. Thank you!

[ Laughs ] I appreciate you. Well, hello! Well, hello, yourself. How are you? Oh, good. Oh. Mm! Wow. Yeah, I know. Yeah. Did you leave anything at the store for, like, other people to buy? Ha, ha, ha. Make fun all you want, but this is our first christmas as husband and wife, and I am gonna go all out. We do good work. Sister joanne claire would be proud.

[ Laughs ] True. We got a lot more house to go, but these two rooms look beautiful. Mwah.

[ Door closes ] No. No, no, no, no, no. This will not do, not at all. What won’t do?

[ Chuckles ] It looks like coney island in here. What, you got a beef with coney island now? Don’t worry. I’m home in the nick of time, apparently. Aw, man. Christmas is ruined.

Okay, I got this and this for avery and donna. Not sure who’s gonna get which one. They’ll love those, yeah. Yes, I thought so, too. And I got, uh, ties, bunch of ties for the guards. Nice. And, oh, got a new laptop for dex. You weren’t kidding when you said you went all out, nina. I couldn’t — can’t help myself. Oh, and I got riding boots for james. You know, he’s really into riding these days. He’s taking lessons from cody bell. Well, it looks like you thought of everything. Yeah. Now, what about amelia and wiley? Yeah, I’m not too concerned about sonny and nina, because they live down the hall, and we can stop in and see them at any time and have a drink. That’s okay. Either way, there will be enough cookies for everyone. Cookies? Yeah. I-I bought two dozen from aiden webber. Two dozen cookies? What are you doing to me? I’m trying to be good this year. No one’s good during the holidays, detective. I like the sounds of that. I will not tell santa.

[ Chuckles ] No, what I meant by that was not only are aiden’s christmas cookies absolutely delicious, but he’s using the money to pay his way to paris. He wants to go to pastry school. Isn’t that really cool? What’s that? Pastry — pastry school? What? You haven’t logged that thing in yet. Well, no. If I had, it would have been long gone by now. Am I dating the grinch and I didn’t know? No. Do you not celebrate? I do. Then why don’t you want a christmas tree? Because it’s — because why? It’s a lot of work, isn’t it? You got to water it, decorate it, sweep up all the pine needles. Oh, the horror. Besides, christmas is for kids anyway. Yeah, exactly. It’s the one time of year that we’re reminded of all that childhood magic. Yeah, if you had that kind of childhood. You should absolutely sing at our wedding. Really? If not at the ceremony, definitely at the reception. Whoa, whoa. Are — are you two sure? I mean, you’re absolutely positive about this? ‘Cause she — she’ll remember this. 100%. Okay. That’s a lot of percents, daddy. She’s got you there. Kid’s got me everywhere. I’m so excited for you. You’re gonna have to pick a special song for such a special day. Will you help me, grandpa? I’d love to. When are you gonna have your wedding? Oh, you would fit right in in bensonhurst. Is that a place where they have weddings? Oh, frequently. Is that the place where you’ll have your wedding? We haven’t figured that out just yet. Violet, weddings take a long time to plan. Sometimes you have to pick a date that’s more than a year away. You’re gonna wait a whole year?! I’ve been gone a pretty long time. Aren’t you happy to see me? Yes. Oof. I sense a “but” in there. But christmas is fun, and you don’t like fun. I-I like fun. Occasionally. And luke was a-a big believer in fun. When’s the last time? I had fun? Um, I had fun, uh, uh, at the luau with brook lynn. Luau? There was a luau at the metro court. Oh, and you went? I’ve got photographic documentation.

[ Chuckles ] I want to see that. How are you, leo? Pretty good. Did you see any animals on your trip? I did. You should look in your photo ark book — uh, uh, red deer and peregrine falcons. I will. Zoo or natural habitat? Okay, fine. I saw the falcon in captivity, but the deer I saw in nature. Cool. You should check it out. I will. The house looks pretty. “The house looks pretty.” Thank you, sweetheart. Thank you.

[ Chuckles ] You know that expression — beauty’s in the eye of the beholder. Tracy, what is not beautiful about all of this, tracy? Where to begin? Buckle up. There’s way too much garland. Way too much garland. Ah! Too many ornaments.

[ Gasps ] And the tree is in the wrong place. Face it. If my son were still in his right mind, you never would have been given free rein.

So, instead of taking years to possibly regain mobility, I could be walking with full body support in a matter of weeks.

[ Scoffs ] Man. This sound like magic. It could be, pop. Uh, hey, hey. Downsides. Well, it is an experimental procedure in the early stages of human trials. So there are a lot of unknowns and absolutely no guarantees. That’s a nice way of saying a lot of things could go wrong. Yeah, pop. But what if it all went right? Ned is ned? No more eddie maine? Well, I think that eddie is always gonna be a part of ned. But, yes, your son’s memory is fully restored. When? Uh, a week ago, I guess? A week? Yeah, give or take. Yeah. And no one thought to tell me. I guess it makes sense. I’m only his mother. Well, I mean, I th– I think that we assumed that — that he might want to tell you himself, you know, in person. Uh, face to face. Mano a mano. Mano — mano a mama.

[ Laughing ] That’s a good one. Are you done? Yes. Yeah. I guess it’s really lucky I came home, because I might have gone to my grave thinking that my son was lost to me forever. Okay, speaking of which, tracy, if — if ned did not prompt this visit, why did you fly all the way home? We haven’t picked a date just yet, but we promise it’ll be way sooner than a year. Like way, way sooner. You mean it? As if I could wait any longer to marry your uncle. So give me a ballpark. Violet! Hey. What? I just want to know how long. And would it be longer if there were two brides and two grooms getting married? Oh, no. We’re not. No. What’s wrong? Um, you know, that — that star on top of the tree is crooked. It needs to be fixed right away, don’t you think? Absolutely. Is there a tree doctor in the house? Dr. Violet reporting for duty. I don’t know, doctor. This is a very complicated christmas tree surgery. Are you sure you’re up to it? As sure as I’ll ever be. Alright. We’ll take it. Pick up or ladder? Of course pick up. Well, hurry up. The patient doesn’t have a lot of time. You ready? 1, 2, 3. Oh! You didn’t have a christmas tree growing up? Uh, we did. We did all the rituals, followed all the traditions. But it was all kind of for show. Like we were playing make-believe or something. And christmas was not a happy time in our house. Why not? Look, I mean, if you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to tell me, but I love you. And this is a part of you. So… if you do want to share it, I would like to hear. It’s not all that original. My, uh — my dad was a selfish sob that just cheated on my mom all the time. And you knew? He didn’t exactly try to hide it. I’m so sorry. That’s awful. The worst part is that she stayed with him. Why do you think she stayed with him? He was successful. He gave her a good life. But I really just don’t think she was strong enough to stand on her own. That must have been really hard for you and your brothers to watch. For me, yes. My brothers, not so much. They — they grew up to be just like our dad. I was the only one that didn’t play along. And your brothers didn’t like that. That’s why they beat me up. Oh, the, uh, final arson report came back on anna’s house. Anything interesting? Yeah, you could say that. They found shreds of fabric in the bushes that tested positive for the accelerant used to start the fire. And dna was a match for this jameson forsyth guy. Aka the dead guy with the key. Right. And because there was incriminating evidence against him in that report, anna thinks he stole it. What she doesn’t know is that he might have put it in this locker before he was murdered. So anna still doesn’t know about the key. No, and I was going to tell her. What stopped you? The M.E. Get this — forsyth’s body is gone. What do you mean his body is gone? It just disappeared from the morgue? Basically. The wsb had it confiscated.

Oh, that looks so much better. Oh, yeah. So much. Thank you, doctor.

[ Cellphone chimes ] Any time. Yeah. My mom wants us to stop by the house. She say why? You know lois. She loves a good mystery. Anyways, thank you guys so much for having us. This was so much fun. Thank you for all the help with the tree. She’s a beaut. It’s a perfect choice. Congratulations, bro. Congratulations again. I’m so happy for you guys. We are happy. I can tell. I want to know the wedding date as soon as you decide. Yes, ma’am. Welcome to the family. Are you sure about this? Sure as I’ll ever be. Just the best news you could give us. Love you, dad. I love you, too. Brook lynn: Alright. Bye, everyone. Bye, everyone. Thank you. Thanks so much. Finn: Hey, guys, thank you for everything. Yeah. As soon as you decide! We got the memo.

[ Laughter ] Good night, guys. Okay, missy. Who are you calling missy? Who am I calling missy? The girl whose bedtime was over an hour ago. Why don’t you two relax, and I’ll tuck her in? Can grandpa do it? I would be delighted. Good night, aunt elizabeth. Good night, my baby girl. I love you. Good night, daddy. Good night, sweetheart. I love you. Love you, too. Yeah. Ready? Lead the way. You know, portia — she’s the one who brought this, uh — this procedure to my attention. Portia signed off on this? Yeah, she submitted me as a potential candidate. Mm. So portia is alright with you being a-a guinea pig, no matter the dangers involved? Pop, you’re acting like portia’s pushing me into this. Isn’t she? Well, she’s my wife. She provided me with information and an opportunity. But ultimately, you know, the decision is mine. Sounds like you already made it. And if I have, would that be a problem for you? Not only did the wsb confiscate the body, they classified everything related to forsyth — the forensics on the accident, all of it. Well, clearly the wsb doesn’t want anyone knowing why forsyth was in port charles or who killed him. You know what else was on that list of confiscated things? The arson report. I don’t have access to it anymore. Okay, so the wsb knows that it was forsyth who burned anna’s house down. Since you’re getting those yankee tickets for wiley, I thought — you know, I was thinking maybe I’ll get him a baseball cap or — or a jersey so he could be outfitted for the game. And for amelia, you know, I saw this really cute lavender snowsuit, so I thought maybe that — it had a really cute fur-lined hood. What? Are those bad ideas? No, they’re great ideas, but it’s just kind of modest. I mean, look, amelia’s a little girl. She’s not gonna know the difference. But wiley, why can’t you get him a little more? Well, he comes from a really big family, okay? He’s probably gonna get a mountain of gifts. I don’t want to overwhelm him. Like my nanny used to say, if you get so many presents, no present is special. Is that it? No. That’s exactly what I thought. What else? I’m trying not to provoke michael. Luke’s legal affairs are impossibly tangled. Bobbie, to her credit, has been really tenacious. She won’t accept no for an answer, and she is also charming all of the bankers and the bureaucrats. It’s definitely a two-person job. Which is exactly the opposite of explaining why you are here. Well, in order to be more effective, I have to prove my legal standing. And luckily, luke did give me power of attorney a while back, so I came here to retrieve those documents. You flew halfway across the world so you could get paperwork that we could have just pulled and sent to you? I don’t trust anyone with my personal papers. Huh. “Huh”? What does that mean? No, nothing. Nothing. I just — I just thought that maybe, just maybe, you flew all this way because you wanted to be with your family at christmas.

that there’s still tension between you and michael. It should not be that way. Well, it could be worse. I mean, he is perfectly pleasant when we’re all together. There’s a difference between pleasant and welcoming and even, you know, accepting. Okay, all I can hope for — all I can hope for is that things get better with time. I mean, it certainly has with willow, right? I mean, look where we’re at. I know it’s new, but I treasure that relationship. Willow is a special person. And for me to have her in my life, I have to keep the drama at a minimum. So this is me, sonny, letting michael set the pace. Okay, you know what? I’m going to talk to michael on your behalf. No, no. Please. You can’t do that. Well, we got another piece of the puzzle from the medical examiner. Oh. Do tell. Forsyth had a burn scar on his leg. Oh, let me guess — approximately four months old? Lines right up with anna’s house burning down. I’m assuming the wsb took those notes, too? What, are you a detective or something? No, I’m a P.I. Even better. Oh. Hey, you were really smart not to log that key in. Well, if I had, they would have been all over it. Wsb, they must not know that this key exists. Are you gonna tell anna about it? No. Not yet. I want to look into it for myself first. Wait. Your own brothers beat you up? It was kind of a thing in our house. Fun for the whole family. Hey, how can you joke about this? ‘Cause I’m here, aren’t I? They didn’t break me. But why? Why did they want to hurt you? I mean, was it because you protected your mom? No, my mom and I weren’t close, actually. I never understood her. I was always disappointed that she didn’t leave my dad, who to my brothers was king. God, they worshiped him. It was so obnoxious. They were just these arrogant, win-at-any-cost, just jerks. Well, it sounds like I chose the right brother.

[ Chuckles ] You would have had even less use for them than I did. By the time I was 12 or 13, all I wanted was to get out. So that’s why you enlisted. The day I graduated high school. Uh, look, I’m sorry. You — you just asked me why I didn’t want a christmas tree, and here I am opening a vein. Hey. No. I’m glad you told me. You are? Yeah. Makes me love you even more. “But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, happy christmas to all, and to all a good night.” Ho, ho, ho! You know we’re not supposed to read this until christmas eve, right? We’re jumping the gun a little bit. Grandpa, do you think the christmas tree is happy now? Most definitely. Especially since you fixed the star. You were so right, violet. It is a special tree. We made it beautiful. We certainly did. It takes kind heart to do that, you know, to make a home for a less-than-perfect tree. That really is the true spirit of christmas. I just love christmas. Me, too. It is a beautiful tree. Flaws and all. Shh. You think it has ears? You never know.

[ Chuckles ] Maybe there’s a lesson in there somewhere. How so? Well, the point of the christmas tree isn’t that it’s perfect. It’s what it represents. Love and light and warmth. Hot cocoa.

[ Laughs ] That, too. When I look at this tree, I see the joy in violet’s face and chase and brook lynn decorating and your dad, so happy to have his family together. Tell me. I don’t want to say it. It might help. This might be my dad’s last christmas.

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[ Sighs ] Thank you. Thank you, pop. Now, I’m not saying I’m good with the risks involved, but, son, if it gives you hope, if it gives you any chance of recovering what you lost, it’s worth a shot. That means a lot. Okay. Okay. Timeline. What’s your timeline? Mm, as in when the procedure would get started? Yeah. Somewhere around january or february.

[ Whistles ] That soon? What’s the point in wasting time? If I’m gonna do it, there’s no sense in waiting. Keep thinking I’m gonna get used to it, but every time my dad stumbles or collapses into a chair — it’s torture. He’s getting less and less steady on his feet every day. Sooner or later, he won’t be able to hide it. I don’t think he’s trying to. What he is trying to do, and succeeding in my opinion, is basking in his family, soaking up every ounce of joy that he possibly can. My dad said he wants this to be a good christmas. I want that, too. I want it to be a great christmas, for him and for violet — for all of you. And I do. I want to appreciate their joy, not dwell on what we’re about to lose. Then do that. I’ll try. Do me a favor, though, will you? Anything. You see me start to backslide… call me on it. Okay. But if I’m not around and you feel yourself heading towards a dark place, I want you to look at that tree. It’s all the light you need. Are you glad uncle chase and brook lynn are getting married? Very glad. Me, too. What song should I sing at the wedding? Let’s talk about that tomorrow. Right now, it’s time for dreamland. Okay? Good night, sweetheart. Good night, grandpa.

[ Grunts ]

[ Sighs ] Grandpa? Why do you use a cane now? Well, I recently discovered that I am needing help to walk. That’s okay. We all need help sometimes. What is the tree doing in here? It’s always in the foyer. The tree is perfectly fine there, tracy. I see that nobody purchased any gifts. Well, we just put the thing up, like — a tree without gifts is depressing. These are for leo. I thought you came home just for some paperwork, tracy. I did. But you had time to go shopping for your grandson? Why are you still here? Aren’t you late for a nail appointment in bensonhurst? I don’t know how many times I have to tell — I do these myself every– of course you do. I should have known that. And recent events have necessitated my presence here. Like what? It looks so beautiful in here. You see? I agree with brook lynn. Very festive. Granny…mother. Welcome home.

[ Sighs ] It is great to see you, tracy. How was your flight? You look happy. I am. Yeah, but unusually happy. Why is that?

that’s a lot to absorb. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t just a bit overwhelming. I’d be worried if you weren’t overwhelmed. You got this, son. And when you need help, you just look behind you. You’ll see portia, stella, me, trina, all there to back you up. Yeah. I’m just not used to being propped up, you know? It’s typically the other way around. Good. Give us a chance to repay you for everything you’ve done for us. I’m scared, pop. That’s good, too, son. ‘Cause you can’t be brave if you ain’t got nothing to be afraid of. Thank you. Hey. All good? Violet is fast asleep. Thank you. It’s my privilege. Can I give you a ride home? No, I’ll grab a rideshare. Oh, I’m sorry I posed that as a question. I’m taking you home. I wouldn’t argue with her. No, I’m getting that sense. Thank you. Thank you for, um… taking violet christmas tree shopping. It was a very good day. Watching you be a father to that incredible little girl makes me insanely proud. Good night, dad. Good night, hamilton. Night. You’re beautiful. I do not want you advocating for me. That’s the last thing I want. And the thing that I want even less than that is to again be a point of contention between you and michael. I-I saw how sad you were when you two were estranged. I love michael. I know my son. He’s loving and loyal, and he could be the worst enemy you could have. He got his stubbornness from carly and his ruthlessness from me.

[ Sighs ] Well, let’s look at the bright side, okay? Michael has decided that he is going to bring willow and the kids to our place on christmas eve. That’s huge. That is a step forward, a big step. Yeah, it is. Do you want to know about you? What about me? Well, do you want to know — I can give you a little hint of what I got you for christmas. You as my wife… is the only thing that I need for christmas.

[ Chuckles ] I know that you would never let anna do this alone. So why don’t the two of you just investigate this together? Because the wsb definitely has anna under surveillance. If I involve her… it would alert the wsb. That’s why I got to go. I got to go do it myself, retrieve this thing, whatever’s in this locker, and I-I’ll take it to a secure place and — and check it out. But what if you’re also under surveillance? I just — I feel like that’s unlikely. Plus, I’ll be super careful, okay? Sold? No, it’s just the brief time that the wsb had you almost destroyed your life. I don’t want it to pull you in any deeper. Hey. It’s because of my time with the wsb that I feel like I have to do this. They’ve been grossly abusing their power. I feel like I have to hold them accountable. And to me, it all starts with that report. Good night, sweetheart. Sweet dreams. Chase and i are getting married. Whoo-whoo!

[ Laughs ] I knew it. My only question is, what took you so long? That’s q code for “congratulations.” I just wanted to make sure that brook lynn knew I loved her for her and not her money. You know what? There is a very easy way to convince us of that. Sign a prenup. Tracy! Come on. I’m just being practical. Now is not the time to be practical. We just announced our engagement, and we’re on cloud nine. If I’ve learned anything from what’s going on with my dad, it’s that the future isn’t promised. But whatever it holds, however long it lasts, I know I want to face it with your granddaughter by my side. Aww. Aww! Well, in that case, I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.

[ Voice breaking ] I mean it. Thank you. Means the world. Thank you.

On the next “General Hospital” —

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General Hospital Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

THIS STILL NEEDS EXTENSIVE EDITING!

[ Keys jingle ] Okay. For doing this. Oh, I wouldn’t miss it.

[ Keys jingle ] Okay. Violet: Daddy, is that you? It sure is. Don’t come in until I tell you to. Okay. You can come in now! Look at our tree! Violet picked it herself. It’s just what I wanted.

[ Chuckles ] Molly. Hey, wait. Wait, wait. Wait for what? Are we sure we really want to do this? You’re having second thoughts? Let’s call it an abundance of caution. Sometimes life doesn’t give you time to think things over. You make a snap decision, and then you live with the consequences, right? But we can take a moment to review and re-evaluate. Where are you going with this? Some clichés exist for a reason. You are the smart davis daughter. Sam is the resourceful one. Kristina… is the impetuous one. Ar e we 100% sure thatwe want her to be our surrogate? Hello. Uh, is charlotte here? She’s with laura. Helps her to spend some quality time with her grandmother. Oh, yeah. Yes, that’s — that’s perfect. Really. She’s A…wonderful presence in her life, and so empathetic. She’s lucky to have her. She’s got a dad, too. What can I do for you? Nothing. I just came by to give you an update. On? The arsonist that set fire to my house. It wasn’t charlotte. This is a disaster. I know, right? Not one inch of this entire gigantic house has been decorated for christmas! Flight attendant: Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching the atlantic coastline and should soon be turning south for the final leg of our journey. We anticipate landing in an hour. We are pleased to offer you a light snack… [ Sobs ] …Complimentary beverages, and cocktails for our first-class passengers. An attendant will be coming through the cabin shortly to take your order.

Lila would be so upset. She would have reginald and the — reggie who? Oh, reggie. He was the butler when ned and I were married. She would have reggie and the entire staff decorating this house by the first of the month. Everything would be out, except for a few things that came out on christmas eve. I’m thinking of a specific train set that alan was very fond of. Train set, huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. It was, um… it was a family heirloom given to him by his grandfather, who was in railroads. What, like — like an engineer or something like that? No, no, no, no, no. Grandpa — great-grandpa quartermaine, he owned railroads in upstate new york, going into canada, and this particular train set was an exact replica of one of his trains. And alan — oh, alan, he was so proud of it. Well, why wouldn’t he be? Yeah, but by then it was an antique, so it only came out on christmas eve. But everything else, everywhere else, there were wreaths on the doors, there was a garland going all the way down the staircase, everything by december 1st. I cannot believe that you were not more on getting decorations in here. I… your family’s house. Your father’s garage was like a-a christmas wonderland. Your own apartment! I know. Come on! I could tell your room from the street just by walking by and looking up. Lois… I still enjoy christmas decorating. When — early on in my marriage to ned, monica and i sort of, uh… clashed over the christmas decor. She wanted a fresh tree. I had put up something a little more… effusive. Mm. She made it very clear that this was her house, it was her choice, so you know what? I just let it be. Mm-hmm. I let her take the lead on the christmas decorating. Okay, and I appreciate the sensitivity, but we can’t leave this house bare while we’re waiting for monica to come back from a medical conference. Okay, then let’s go for it! Yeah? Yes. Okay. Alright. But if my vote has any weight to it, I’m gonna say… I would appreciate an actual tree as well. I can do natural. Look at my fingernails. Don’t make me… okay, but if we’re gonna do this with the port charles pioneers, we got to get moving. Okay. Let’s go. The tree looked lonely. It wasn’t as pretty as the others. And if I hadn’t picked it, it might not have been picked at all. Yeah, you know what, sweetheart? I think… I think you chose the perfect tree. The whole point is that it’s not perfect. Mm-hmm, but I think it’s perfect for us. Elizabeth: I agree. You’re really getting into the spirit of christmas. And I promise you, we are going to make this tree look spectacular. Mm-hmm. And the first step is putting on the lights. Who’s going to do the honors? Daddy. Yeah. Daddy. Right. How about a nice cup of hot cocoa first? Tj, from the moment we decided we wanted to have a baby, we have faced nothing but setbacks. Sometimes I think the universe is trying to tell us something. Maybe you and I aren’t meant to have children. I-I never said that. So, you do want to have a baby? Absolutely. So do I. Because anytime I think about giving up, accepting that we aren’t meant to have kids, I-I get this pit in my stomach. I mean, that’s why I was crying in the park when kristina found me. The thought of never having a family with you broke me. I’m so sorry, mol. But that’s when everything started to shift. I mean, think about this. I’m never in the park in the middle of the afternoon. I’m in my office or in court. What are the odds that I’d be there and so would kristina? A-about a million to 1. I mean, that’s — that’s got to be fate, right? Like, fate that my sister would find me. Fate that she’d offer to carry our child again. And I have no interest in fighting fate. I can feel it in my heart. This is the right thing to do. And I’m 1,000% sure about kristina. Then so am I. Okay, let’s — let’s do this.

[ Chuckling ] Okay. Molly, tj, hi. Come in. What brings you guys over? This is more of a sister thing, so I’ll let molly explain. Spill it, sister. I am about to officially ask you for a huge favor. One that will dominate your life for the next nine months. Yes, I’ll be your surrogate!

[ Laughing ] Are you sure? Are you kidding me? I have never been more sure of anything in my life. Oh!

[ Both laugh ] Well, charlotte has always denied burning your house, but she lies about a lot of things. She didn’t lie about this. How can you be so sure? Forensics. Csi collected some scraps of fabric from the hedges around my house, and they all tested positive for the accelerant that started the fire. And they lifted some dna, which matched someone that isn’t your daughter. Oh, thank god. Yeah. It’s a relief, yes. I-I didn’t want to think that she’d gone that far. Why didn’t i believe her? Why didn’t I have faith in my own daughter? You said there was a dna match. Who’s the arsonist? I can’t tell you that.

the whole point is that it’s not perfect.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Sighs ]

[ Groans ] Hey, dad? You okay? Yeah. I’m fine, fine. Yeah? Yeah. Just sat down a little more quickly than I intended.

[ Chuckles ] I really want this to be a good christmas. One to remember. Okay. Cocoa’s ready! Here you go. Take a cup. Oh, wow. Here you go. Oh, my goodness. Yep. Oh, hey, you want the big one? It’s okay. No, take that one. Drink yours fast, daddy, so we can put up the lights. Okay, well, listen, you — you and elizabeth did such a great job making the cocoa, it’d be kind of a shame just to gulp it down. Oh, don’t worry, I can make more. Ah, okay.

[ Knock on door ] I’ll get it. Hey! Merry christmas! Happy decorating!Merry christmas. Get in here. We bought a few extra things. How are you? Good to see you. Hi! How’s it going? Yay! More decorations! Brook lynn:

[ Laughing ] Yes! Hey. How are you with christmas lights? Just wanted to let you know that your daughter is not responsible for the fire at my house. Okay, wait a minute. If there’s a dna match, that means that the arsonist is in a database somewhere. So, who is it? I can’t share that information with you. Why not? Is it classified? I-I don’t know. I would imagine that someone, somewhere considers it classified, yes. Well, I’m not talking to them, am I? I’m talking to you. So who burned your house? It’S…need-to-know. You don’t need to know. Why do I not need to know that? I don’t understand. Really? That astonishes me that you fail to understand, because I feel that I made myself quite clear the last time we saw each other. I can’t tell you who burned my house down because I don’t trust you.

[ Dramatic music plays ] Mols, you were so emotional the last time I saw you. I wasn’t sure if maybe upon thinking about it more, you might not want me to be your surrogate. Life’s been a roller coaster since I found out I can’t get pregnant. And when andrea miscarried, tj and I were devastated. I could quote you the medical statistics on the odds of a miscarriage, but… none of that prepared us for when andrea told us that she lost our baby, or having to tell molly. When andrea miscarried, I… I realized that I needed to do some real soul-searching. For the first time in my life, something that I really wanted wasn’t going to come to me because I was smart and prepared and willing to work hard. I felt entitled to being a mom, like whenever tj and I were ready, whenever it fit into our schedules, I’d get pregnant and we’d have a baby nine months later. But when that couldn’t happen

[Voice breaking] Because of me… because I am basically infertile, I just — I jumped right in to finding a solution. Solving the problem — I can do that. So I found andrea to be our surrogate, and she got pregnant, and everything was going according to plan. Until it wasn’T. And it’s only now that I realize that I have to do the thing that scares me the most. I have to accept that I am not in control… and ask for help. Ahh! Ohh! Well, at least we made a start. Yes, I will get the other garlands and the wreaths from the florist, I guess. I’m so glad we got the tree from pc pioneers. Oh, yeah. Me too. So good. It makes you feel so good knowing that you gave back to the community. And those kids in their uniforms — so cute! It makes me think of little dante when he was that age. Was he a pioneer? Uh, no, he was not. But that was not for my lack of trying. I signed him up, I took him to the first meeting, and that kid had jumped out the window and escaped before I even got my car out of the parking lot.

[ Gasps ] No! Yes. Hand to god. I got a call from the troop leader. He was apologetic, beside himself. I said, “calm down.” I went and checked the corner lot, and who was there playing baseball but little dante falconeri?

[ Laughs ] I swear to you, lois, I wanted to grab that kid by the back of his hair and drag him home. Aww! And then I said, “you know what? Who am i to dictate his dream?” You know, if my kid wants to — to play sandlot baseball and dream of a career in the major leagues instead of learn the fundamentals of camping, like, who am I to say? Aww! He’s my kid, and I should support him. So that’s what I did. Oh, vivi. You know what? That has always been one of my favorite things about you. You just take people as they come and you love them for who they are. You never try to make them who you think they should be. Well, it’s a fine line sometimes, you know. With your kids, you — you got to accept them… mm-hmm. …But you also got to provide some guidance, so… mm-hmm. Yeah. It’s like being A… a carpenter and a gardener. That’s the difference. I don’t follow. Oh, okay. So, a carpenter builds a house based on his plans, right? Uh-huh. The wood has no say. But a gardener, it’s different because he raises what he has. You know, he may tend the soil, fertilize it, pull the weeds, give it water, a little bit of love. But he doesn’t plant a pine tree expecting it to grow into an oak. He just raises the very best trees that he can. Well, you’ve definitely done that with brook lynn. Aww. She is a spectacular young woman, really. Aww. Thank you so much. And, you know, you did a pretty good job with dante and leo as well. Well, we’re both very good gardeners. That we are. Oh, my god. Cody’s gonna be here with the tree any minute. We got to get up to the attic and get the christmas tree ornaments! Let’s do this!

People always say that I’m generous… and humble.

[ Chuckles ] But what I never realized is that the person who’s giving is in charge. Like, they’re deciding when and how much. And hopefully they’re doing good, but they are the one in control. And we all know how much I love to be in control. You’re being way too hard on yourself. Asking for help means giving control to someone else. And that would be hard for me under any circumstances, but it is excruciating when the person I’m asking for help is someone that I treated unfairly. Well, if you mean me, you’re forgiven. Not that there’s anything to forgive. Well, how about the fact that I was a total witch the first time you offered to be our surrogate? I didn’t really think it through. I-I didn’t really understand what was at stake. Molly and I were both pretty raw in those first weeks. Neither one of us made an honest effort to see where you were coming from. Yeah, but especially me. I mean, I-I’ve realized that my reaction back then had a lot less to do with you and a lot more to do with me being messy and irrational. Two things that I try to avoid. It hurt that you can carry a child and I can’t, and that it would be easy for you. It just doubled down on my pain. Which makes no sense, I know. Please. I wrote the book on being messy and irrational. And if you would have taken me up on my original offer, it would have been a huge mistake. We weren’t ready. As painful as it was going through this process, it made us ready. You know, I am ready and I want to do this. Thank you. I’m so lucky to have you as my sister. And as my surrogate.

[ Chuckles ] I am the lucky one. I really do want to be clear about this. You lied to me. And because you lied, I-I had no idea that the intruder in my apartment was your daughter. You’re right. You’re right. I take full responsibility. But you withheld information, too. You’re far too good an agent to shoot at point-blank range without a confirmed target. You were gunning for somebody that night, weren’t you? Charlotte got in the way. Well, I guess we both have to live with that for the rest of our lives, right? Wait, wait. I’m sorry. I wish I had told you. I didn’t tell you that charlotte was stalking you because I was afraid. I was afraid that if you knew, that… you’d leave me, that you’d end our relationship. Why would I? I mean, I don’t know that, that I would have ended the relationship. But we’ll never know, becauseyou didn’t give me a choice. You didn’t tell me the truth, so I couldn’t make my own decision. Well, it’s too late for us. But it’s not too late for your — your daughter. You know, you need to focus on her and get her the help that she needs. Okay, everybody cross your fingers. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Violet, come here. If you make a wish the moment before the christmas lights come on for the first time, it’ll come true. So get your wish ready. Brook lynn: Okay.

[ Laughter ] I knew it would be beautiful.

[ Laughter ] Oh-ho!

[ Laughs ] Oh, my. Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What? What… what does this — this remind you of?

[ Laughing ] What do you think? How about st. Finbar’s our sophomore year? Oh, my god. Sister joanne claire was so mad when she realized it was us sneaking into her office and moving around her pictures of the saints. We would swap peter and paul, peter and paul, peter and paul. Oh, man. She got us, though. Detention, and we had to decorate the entire auditorium for christmas all by ourselves. We were there until 3:00 A.M. Well, 3:17, but who’s counting? Oh, and when we came out that morning and our parents were waiting for us… I don’t think I’ve ever seen my mother so angry. But my father, he was disappointed. And somehow, that was so much worse. I know, I got a speech all the way home. I can still hear it. “Your cousin connie would never do anything like this.” Because your cousin connie never stepped a toe out of line. Although, I got to say, I wished I had followed your cousin connie, because I was grounded. I was grounded with a 5:00 P.M. Curfew until the following april. And by the way, you were supposed to be grounded, too. I was grounded, technically. Mm-hmm. Do you remember my bedroom window? It was a joke. I know! You snuck out of that room so easily, it might as well have been on the ground floor. Yes, right out the window and out to the nightclubs in the city all night long. Oh, your poor parents. Honestly, I think back, lois… honestly, I really feel bad for all the worries I gave them. But you know what? At the time… mm? …I really enjoyed myself. Yeah, you did.

[ Both laugh ] Okay, I grabbed the tree, I got some garland. Where do you want them? Well, I am so glad you asked. Flight attendant: Ladies and gentlemen, please bring your seats completely upright and fasten your tray tables. Kindly make sure that your belongings are safely stowed under the seat in front of you. We will be coming through the cabin to do a final check as we prepare for landing. Damn you, luke spencer. I miss you.

I don’t think you’re in any position to tell me what charlotte needs right now. She needs counseling. She was stalking me for months. That is not normal behavior. You saw the letter from victor. You know that her actions were not malicious. Maybe not, but they are unquestionably illegal. She thought she was protecting me. She thought that you were a threat. You’re not doing her any favors by making excuses for her. You’re enabling her. Anna, she was manipulated by a master manipulator. Victor exploited her love for her father, her need for a family. She thought that you were dangerous. And then, of course, when he released your file and the world knew that you had been acting as a double agent — oh, don’t throw that in my face, please. I’m not. But you can’t refute it. It was true. She thought she was protecting me. Think about that. A teenage girl standing against a master spy. So, we can say what we will about my daughter, but she’s not a coward. She did what she thought she had to do. And what, you’re proud of her? I’m appalled at what she did. But I’m proud of her courage. I’m proud of her determination. I’m sickened that victor twisted her for his purposes. Well, he didn’t tell her to write the word “murderer” on my door. Or break into my hotel suite and trash my clothes and write a threatening message on my mirror. Charlotte came up with that all on her own. I can’t believe this is actually gonna happen. Sometimes the universe finds a way. All I know is I’m grateful, ’cause this feels right. Okay, okay. I think it’s high time the expectant parents celebrated up.

[ Both chuckle ] Mama q, could you hand me some wire, please? Yeah. Here you go. Thank you. I have been meaning to ask you, why do you call olivia mama q? Well, she’s dante’s mother. What else would I call her? If you say “zia,” I will murder you right there where you’re standing. I’m just sayin’! What’s a zia?

[ Laughing ] Now that the tree is lit, we can start hanging ornaments. Uh, before we get to the real decorating, brook lynn and i have an announcement to make. Can you announce fast? We need to decorate. Violet! This may be important.

[ Laughs ] Don’t rush them. Uncle chase, brook lynn, I apologize. Please take as much time as you need. Thank you. I think you should do the honors. Okay. Dad, finn, violet, elizabeth… brook lynn has agreed to be my wife, and we are getting married. Ohh! Yay! Oh, what?! Yes! That’s amazing!

[ Laughter ]

To the baby to come. No child will ever be more loved and more welcome. Hear, hear. Hear, hear.

[ Chuckles ] Mm… it’s ginger ale. Gotcha.

[ Laughter ] Not that there’d be anything wrong with drinking right now. Are you jump-starting a healthy new lifestyle, or is this the only thing with bubbles that you had in the fridge? Ah, both. I had a-a friend bring a really nice bottle of champagne over, actually, but it doesn’t last very long in this house. Maybe I should get an early start and — and indulge in all the caffeine and alcohol while I can. We — we know that you’re giving up a lot. It’s well worth it. To you, kristina, and this… to this expanding family. Cheers. Cheers. It’s true. Victor never told charlotte how to stalk you. I imagine she got that off the internet, from some book — you “imagine”? I mean, did you question her about this? I’ve not interrogated my teenage daughter. No. She’s been traumatized. She’s recovering from a gunshot wound. I’m aware. She needs time to heal. She needs her father to stop making excuses for her. You’re not protecting her, valentin. You can’t keep blaming victor for what happened. Victor’s to blame. Yeah? If she had been arrested for the crimes that she committed, what was she gonna plea? “My dead grandpa made me do it”? It doesn’t matter what victor wrote to her. It doesn’t matter what lies he told her. Charlotte is responsible for her own actions, and you have to make her understand that. And you have to get her the help that she needs before she does something irrevocable. Congratulations, bro. Thank you. Oh! Hey. Congratulations, brook lynn. You are an incredible young woman. Aww. You are a lucky man. Oh, I’m the lucky one. No, we both are. I wish you both a lifetime of love. Did you give brook lynn a ring, uncle chase? You know, violet, I did. But I, um — I kept it hidden as to not ruin the surprise. Finn: Ohh! Do you want to see me put it on her finger? Yes, please.

[ Laughter ] Alright. Wait! You’re supposed to go down on one knee. Oh, he did, when he asked me to marry him. Can’t you go down on one knee again, uncle chase? I want the complete picture. Finn: Me too! Me too! Ohh. Of course I can. Alright. Yeah! Aww! Daddy, when are you gonna get aunt elizabeth a ring? Uh… it’s time to decorate the tree! Yes, the…tree.

[ Sighs ] So, what’s so bad about being called a-a zia? Well, nothing. Or — or everything, depending on your circumstances.

[ Laughs ] I still don’t get it. Okay. Zia means “auntie,” right? Which could refer to your mother or your father’s sister. Or — or your sister-in-law. Uh-huh, or it could be a distant cousin or any female relation. But it could also be a term of affection. Or — or someone, a woman that you are close to, but you’re not actually related to. But there is a generational aspect to it. It’s for somebody older. For example, you would never refer to my brookie as zia. Right, but I — I could call you zia?

[ Laughs ] Uh, no. He’s got you there, though. No, but — I don’t mean — okay, hold on one second. Because technically yes, but absolutely no, you cannot. I would prefer it if you continued to call me lois. Totally understand, lois. Aww, honey, this tree looks so beautiful. It does. It’s so nice having you here to help out. Hey, it’s my pleasure.

[ Sighs ] So… how do you like working for the quartermaines? I really, really like it. Yeah, it’s the first place in a long time that feels like home.

[Dee p breath]

[ Speaking italian ] Ohh! Ahh! Cody, you know what? Thank you so much, sweetheart. We could not have done this without you. Oh, yeah, no, and you get extra points for patience. That was a lot of fun, you know. Learned a new word. Not that I’ll ever call either of you “zia.” Yeah. And it got me into the spirit of the season. I might even… yeah, I might grab a tree for the stables. Well, ladies, thank you for a fun time.

[ Both laugh ] Oh, my, oh, my, oh, my. Oh, you know what? Hm? I got to say… this looks a lot better than the auditorium at st. Finbar’S. Yeah?

[ Laughing ] You know.

[ Both laugh ] Charlotte needs to know that what she did was wrong and that she can’t solve her problems by breaking into people’s houses and writing threatening messages. I agree. Charlotte needs limits. Oh, limits… she’ll get them. She needs counseling, and she’ll have that, too. But we have a big problem. Victor convinced charlotte that you were dangerous. And you shot her. So in charlotte’s mind, victor was right. I hope you get through to your daughter and that you get her to understand that victor was never right about anything. Anna, wait. I’m sorry. So am I.

[ Door closes ]

[ Muffled sobs ] That is one gorgeous tree. Mm-hmm. Might be the best tree I’ve ever seen. It certainly is lovely. You were right, brook lynn. When you make a wish on a christmas tree, your wish comes true. Mine already did. What did you wish for, sweetheart? Is it okay to tell? Absolutely. I wished for this to be the best christmas ever. And it is. Our tree is beautiful, uncle chase and brook lynn are getting married, and I have a present for all of you. What kind of present? Stay here. I’ll be right back.

[ Chuckles ] Any idea what this is? Ah, could be beaded necklaces… uh-huh, uh-huh. Acting kind of secretive there, bro. Sure you don’t have any idea what this present is? I can neither confirm nor deny. Finn: Uh-huh. I’m going to sing a song that I wrote myself, and uncle chase will accompany me. Gregory: Uh-huh!

[ Guitar plays ]

When there is no light we will shine, shine, shine when the darkness falls I’ll be by your side if you don’t mind I really wanna shine with you you I wanna shine with you you I wanna shine with you do you remember that night when the stars were bright? And the moon was above shining in your eyes if you don’t mind I really wanna shine with you you I wanna shine with you you I wanna shine with you you I wanna shine with you you I wanna shine with you

[ Applause ] Whoa! Brava! -That’s amazing. -Whoo! Whoo-whoo! Okay. So what happens next? We’ll talk to our fertility specialist, let them know that we have a surrogate, and are ready to move forward. And once we have a more concrete timetable, we’ll get back to you about scheduling, but we’re hoping it’ll be soon. The sooner the better. Now that we know what we’re doing, there’s no point in waiting around. Thank you so much. I will be grateful to you forever. It is my great honor.

[ Chuckles ] Okay. Bye. Bye. This — this… this is really happening. We might just get our miracle after all.

[ Laughs ]

[ Laughs ] We do good work. Mm. Sister joanne claire would be proud.

[ Chuckling ] True. We got a lot of house to go, but these two rooms look beautiful.

[ Door opens, closes ] They do! Tracy: No. No, no, no, no, no. This will not do. Not at all.

On the next “General Hospital” —

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General Hospital Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

THIS STILL NEEDS EXTENSIVE EDITING!

. Hurry! We have to find our tree before they’re all gone! Looks like there’s a lot of them to choose from. We have to find the perfect tree. Perfection is the enemy of the good. What does that mean? It means that sometimes when you’re looking for perfection, you miss something quite special. Okay, I’ll be on the lookout for a special tree. Well, I-I doubt that I’ll get a tree myself, but I’m delighted you invited me here to help select yours. Well, I got to hand it to you, pop. You can decorate the hell out of a christmas tree. I mean, portia and I, we have — we have tons of ornaments between us. And yet, you managed to get them all on the tree. What, did — did that one break? Just my heart. I recognized this ornament the moment I unwrapped it from the tissue paper. Your mama made this for us our first christmas together. Something yummy and fruity for me, and a three-olive martini for you. Well, lucy. You sure do know what I like. Well, uh, I think after our long and tangled history, I better. So, with your busy schedule, I’m glad you could pencil me in. I always make time for you. I wish, uh, liesl would do that, but she’s running around, conference to conference to conference. She’ll do anything to stay away from me and just…

[Sighs] Forget about me. But I’m glad that I have a friend like you. Why are we meeting here? Is there another — no, no, no, no. Nothing like that. I just, uh, wanted to keep it quiet. Yeah? I got a look at the final arson report on your house. Was it charlotte? We meet again.

I am surprised, though, that mom never told me that she made an ornament marking your first christmas together. We were newlyweds. I had a great gig with a club band, so I was out late most nights. Anyway, we — we managed to get ourselves a tree. But I was always too busy to help decorate it. Christmas eve rolls around, I come home, right? And I find the tree strung with lights, with just one ornament — this ornament. I figure, I say, “whoo-hoo! She mad. She mad now.” I start apologizing, offering to stay up late, do whatever it is she needed me to do. But she said — she said, “no. No need.” Your mom, she liked that tree just like that. Yeah, this tree here is a beaut. And our first tree, with this ornament, that was the best tree I ever seen. You know what I love about you, though, is you don’t judge me. You never have. You just see my core, and you don’t judge my heart or my soul. Although, you know what? You have judged several of my relationships. Oh, like you haven’t judged mine. That’s just because I really do — I just want what’s best for you. So, you know, if it couldn’t be me… go on. I mean, you know, it could have been. I mean, we tried on the legit and the down low, but… well, you know, that stupid, stupid affair really did cost me my relationship with doc. Such a messy thing that upended everything. It was such a wake-up call. And I did have to completely reevaluate my life. And I think that — that’s why we know that we just are better friends than lovers. Well, we… have changed course a few times. Several times. But somehow we still stay connected there, don’t we? Because of our daughter, because of serena. Have you — have you, by the way, heard the latest about serena?

[ Sighs ] Grandpa, look at this one! I’m gonna go down that aisle and see if I can find anything that’s special. I’ll look forward to that. That’s a nice one. Yeah. Diane: I think it’s this one. Robert: Hmm. Just imagine this tree covered with lights, lots of ornaments. You got all that? Absolutely. And what about the — what do you call that stuff? The stuff? The mistletoe-y stuff.

[ Laughs ] Alexis! Oh, hi. Alexis: Hi! What are you doing here? Hi! Oh, I would ask you the same thing. Hello, robert. Alexis. I’m here with diane to select a christmas tree. Oh, that’s new. I don’t recall you ever having a tree before. Really? I thought you had one every year? No, no, no. I said I-I think about having one every year. But this year, I’m following through. It’s just the start of a new tradition. Mm. One of many, I hope.

[ Chuckles ] Come on, grandpa, let’s go this way. What an unfortunate coincidence running into you, ms. Miller. Um…hmm. May I join you, or are you too busy? No, no, I-I can take a break. Please have a seat. Here you go. So, a-are you here for another burger? Oh, this time, I’m trying out your blt. Oh. I hear raves about it. The house specialty. Great. Do you want fries or coleslaw with that? Fries, of course. Oh, okay. Danielle. This gentleman would love to have the blt with fries. Do you want a shake? Because our shakes are legendary. Uh, water’s fine. Thank you. Have to save the calories somehow. So, how are you enjoying port charles? There’s nothing in t he reportthat ties charlotte to the fire. Oh, thank god. Yeah. I mean, honestly, it’s just — it’s a huge relief. Yeah. Yeah. Any indication who’s responsible? Uh, yeah. We have pinpointed another suspect. Let’s hear it. Morning after the fire, evidence was found in the bushes outside your house. Scraps of fabric. They tested positive for the same accelerant used to start the fire. Okay. So, the arsonist fleeing the scene would have caught their garments on the hedge or something. Also, we were able to lift dna from the fabric. Great. We got a match to the late jameson forsyth.

Why is it unfortunate to see this lady, grandpa? You know, I think I’ve had enough tree shopping for tonight. Besides, it’s getting a little chilly out. Why don’t we find something to warm you up? Uh, good evening, folks. Good night. Good night. Bye, di. Diane: Bye. Who is that lady?

[ Sighs ] You know what? I was going to inspect some of those trees down there. You want to go scope them out first? Sure! Stay where we can see you.

[ Sighs ] Was that really necessary? Robert: So, what was that all about? I am representing a family that is suing general hospital for malpractice. So what? Everyone’s entitled to representation. I mean, it doesn’t have to get personal. It gets personal when the doctor at the center of the lawsuit is your son. And gregory chase’s son is dr. Hamilton finn. Well, you handled the whole thing with a lot more tact than professor chase. Thank you for noticing. I promised you something warm. Let’s go. Alright.

[ Chuckles ] So, forsyth would have set the fire thinking that the last copy of the mission report was in my house. But he couldn’t have been certain of that, so he would have kept me under surveillance and would have seen me and robert move the trunk into maxie’s apartment. So…forsyth would have been watching the night that charlotte was shot? Yeah. I mean, he was probably waiting for cops and everyone to leave till the apartment was empty to go in and get the report and whatever supporting evidence. Okay, so, forsyth is dead… murdered. What happened to the report? I’m not sure what I thought port charles would be like, but it has definitely surprised me. Really? In what way? Uh, the cuisine, obviously. Obviously.

[ Chuckles ] And the people seem friendly. Yeah, we’re pretty friendly. I mean, for the most part. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the city. I run through the park every morning past the port charles museum. The chuck. I mean, that’s what the locals call it.

[ Laughs ] Well, thank you for the correction. I haven’t had the chance to visit yet, but I plan to make time for it. Great. How long are you staying in port charles? I’m not sure. Right now, my visit is, uh, open-ended. Mama never tell you that story? I don’t know, maybe it just made her miss you too much. Man… I’d hate to think I ruined christmas for your mama. No, you didn’T. I told you that when we got the tree, pop. Christmas was mom’s favorite time of the year. I remember she would wait till december 1st before she would start decorating, but when she did — oh, look out! She went all in — garland, ribbons, wreaths, christmas music from mahalia jackson to the jackson five, bing crosby to aretha.

[ Laughs ] It was 24/7 music, pop.

[ Chuckling ] Yeah. You know, I do believe that’s why I still love christmas so much to this day. ‘Cause that’s when mama was always her happiest. You know, even though I-I was the surrogate and I didn’t give her, really, my biology, I feel like, deep down, I gave her a part of my…spirit heart. Spirit heart? That sounds like something new age.

[ Chuckles ] What I do know is that we really made a great kid. Yeah, we really, really did.

[ Cellphone chimes ] Uh, sorry. Excuse me. Oh, sorry. Okay, remind me not to take any texts from work because tracy quartermaine being involved with deception is the absolute worst thing that could possibly happen. Yeah, I’m really sorry that you gave away all your stock of deception, including the tie-breaking vote with elq. Yep, I’m really sorry, too, you know? But, um… sometimes you just have to sacrifice for those you love. And maxie and sasha and I, we are not taking salary right now just to make sure we don’t have to lay off any of our staff. You know, dominique was serena’s biological mother. She was all heart, but I think you’re right. I think she did get your… spirit heart.

Thank you so much. I look forward to getting all of the details from you. Okay, okay, bye. Hey, babe. Did you guys decorate the tree? Marshall: Mm-hmm. Oh, my gosh, it’s so beautiful! Well, you can credit pops for most of it. He even managed to get all of both of our ornaments on this one tree. Ye– no, I-I-I see! I’m — I’m in awe. It even smells like christmas around here.

[ Laughter ] I am pleased that you like it. And with that, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to step outside and get myself a breath of fresh air. Okay. Are you sure, pop? It’s kind of cold outside. Uh, I like the cool.

[ Chuckles ] And there’s a throw on the chair. I’ll be fine. Okay. You and your dad, um, have fun decorating? Yeah, like I said, pop did most of the work. I just kept him company. We reminisced. Pops told me a great story about… …about this one. Irene: You should use that blanket. You’ll catch your death out here. I love that serena’s, you know, running around florida, saving all the manatees. But, you know… I hope she settles down one day and, you know, maybe I get a little grand-toddler to bounce on my knee.

[ Laughs ] Okay, you know what? Don’t tell anybody, but you really are an old softie. You wouldn’t want to be a grandmother? Um, well, I’d have to wrap my mind around it. Oh, yeah. You know, I don’t think I’d mind because I like the age I am right now. I mean, I-I kind of like the well-earned wisdom and that I really am becoming the woman I want to be, and I know who I am, and I certainly know what I want. But that doesn’t change the younger lucy, who was fearless and curious about everything and saw endless possibilities, or the 30-something lucy, who actually relished being in my bra and panties in front of everybody at the nurses’ ball. You liked being half-naked up there? Well, I didn’t at first. I was kind of mortified. But you know what? By the third or fourth time — don’t tell a soul, but I just pretended to be embarrassed ’cause I knew I looked damn good. Yes, you do. Finn did nothing wrong. The muldoon family is already grieving their loss. The last thing they need is some lawyer swooping in to make a buck. I’m gonna stop you right there. Diane is a shark, but she is not a vulture. She is also not the attorney that filed this suit. She’s a litigator. She’s a trial attorney. And she took over this case because it went to trial. She’s also on retainer for the muldoon family, so she has a legal and financial responsibility to look out for them. And quite frankly, from the facts of this case, she’ll probably win. I have a complex business situation to untangle and get up and running. What kind of business are you in? I’m a security consultant. I set up security systems, both cyber and real world, everything from individuals to large companies. So, you used to be a spy?

[ Laughs ] I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. Oh. [ Laughs ] In all seriousness, why would you think that? Because my ex-husband uses a security consultant, and he used to be a spy. Seems to be where all the best security people learn their craft. Well, I know the types. But in my case, you’re mistaken. And I’m still really good. Clearly. Mm-hmm. Okay, well, let’s see. Ex-military? Although that would be the same thing, right? Mm. Hmm. Oh, I’m sorry. Can you… I’ll be right back. Diane, hey! How are you? In desperate need of hot chocolate. Oh, okay. Robert, how are things? Busy, busy, you know. Never a dull moment. We’d like two beverages to go. We’re planning on an excursion. Oh, okay. Come on, come on. Right this way. Okay, one hot chocolate to go for diane and robert. Coffee for you? Hot chocolate. I’m actually quite fond of it. Yeah, but don’t let that get out. It’ll ruin his carefully crafted grouchy image. No.

[ Carly laughs ] So, forsyth — obviously, he was a pro. There’s no way he keeps that report on his person. Yeah, but I don’t think for one second that he would have destroyed it. No, I mean he wasn’t the only person involved in the op. He would have kept that for leverage. Or insurance. Like I did. Yeah. I don’t think forsyth acted alone. Someone else is involved. I know it. Okay, look, I-I think you are onto something here, anna. Mm-hmm, yeah. If you are here to view jameson forsyth’s body, it’s gone.

You believe finn committed malpractice? I thought we were on the same page on this. Gregory, you know how much I love your son, and I think he’s an excellent doctor. But I am looking at this from a legal perspective. And there is a strong argument to be made that he should have pushed for more testing when muldoon first came to see him. Doctors test based on symptoms presented. Of course, there are tons of tests he could have run, but are they practical medically, not to mention financially? Again, I am not saying that finn is guilty. I’m saying there’s an argument to that effect, and diane is going to make that because that is the way the law works. Spoken like a former legal eagle.

[ Sighs ] Yes. Facts and testimony matter greatly. But in the end, the winning attorney is the one that makes the most compelling argument to the jury. And yes, I used to be an attorney. And I miss it. Thank you for the, um, compliment. You always have been such a sweet talker. But, you know, with your rakish good looks and your pocket squares… oh. …I think you could be the next golden bachelor. Golden bachelor?

[ Laughs ] Well, maybe if the contestants looked like you. Oh, no. No, no, no, no. Uh, wouldn’t — no, and I-I wouldn’t — no, you know, I think this is just all about you being at loose ends over liesl. But you know what, lucy? I’m not here to sing the blues. What’s going on with you? Why are you flying alone? Curt is says christmas was stillyour favorite time of year. I’m glad my leaving didn’t change that. I just regret missing all those christmases with you and the boys. Irene… why did I ever leave? Mulled wine, huh? Did you make this, or did marshall? Well, I put out the wine while dad was trimming the tree. Hmm. You two make a really nice team. This

is a very welcome endto a long…long day. Honey, I can have one of these waiting for you every night from now until christmas. Oh? Well, be careful. You don’t want to start spoiling me now.

[ Both laugh ] That’s the plan. And it’s a ramp-up until your real christmas present. Ooh! Mysterious. I like it. Um… but I may have something special for you. But it’s not a present. It’s the chance to walk again. I can’t stand when these agencies just swoop in here, no warning, demanding this and that, going through my records. What agency are you referring to? The wsb. They took forsyth’s body, classified the autopsy and all the related reports. Hang on here. Oh, my gosh. Look at that. Yeah, they classified the, uh, arson report. I can’t even have access to it. I suppose you went old school and made a copy of the report. No, I didn’t, ’cause I didn’t have time. What about your autopsy notes? You got those? They took everything. But it’s interesting that you mention an arson report. Why is that? Because the victim had a partially healed burn on his left leg. Okay. Are you guys headed to christmas festivities? Well, we just came from rice plaza. By the way, if you’re planning on getting your christmas tree from the port charles pioneers, hurry ’cause they’re going fast. Do they have good ones? They do. They do. I found a good one. But the shopping trip was cut short by a work complication, so I’m gonna have to circle back. Oh, that’s too bad. Well, I did offer her a consolation walk in the park. I mean, it’s all nicely lit up, very festive. The city trees aren’t lit yet, but however… I think th at sounds romantic and fun.

[ Chuckles ] Thank you guys for stopping in. Thank you. Thank you. Carly, your table’s order is up. Oh, thanks. Mm-hmm. (Vo) no matter who you are there are times it can be tough to be yourself when you have severe asthma. Triggers can pop up out of nowhere and lead to an asthma attack. But no matter what type of severe asthma you have tezspire can help you be you. Tezspire is an add-on treatment for people 12 and over that can help you have fewer attacks,… breathe better and relieve your asthma symptoms. So you can be you, whoever you are. Tezspire is not a rescue medication. Don’t take tezspire if you’re allergic to it. Allergic reactions may occur and can be serious. Rash or eye allergy can happen. Don’t stop your asthma treatments unless your doctor tells you to. Tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection or your asthma worsens. Sore throat, joint and back pain may occur. Avoid live vaccines. By helping control your asthma tezspire can help you be you. No matter who you are. Ask your asthma specialist about tezspire today. Want the power of 5 serum benefits in 1? New olay super serum activates on skin to hydrate, smooth, visibly firm, brighten, and improve texture. It’s my best skin yet. Olay (vo) get in the holiday spirit with chex cereal’s 12 days of surprises! Learn easy recipes, get festive freebies, and more. Shop specially marked boxes of chex cereal today. Ho. Ho. Ho. It’s santa. We got a problem. Ho! Ho! Ho! Pain hits fast.So get relief fast. Only tylenol rapid release gels have laser drilled holes. They release medicine fast for fast pain relief. And now, get max s trengthtopical pain relief precisely where you need it. With new tylenol precise. The long-lasting scent of gain flings made it smell like dave was in his happy place… …the massage chair at the mall. But…he wasn’T. Gain flings with oxi boost and febreze. (Vo) purina cares here. Tually, I’m the onewho has been neglecting marty. You know, I’ve just been so focused and so all-consumed about deception that I-I just feel awful about it. Well, why? You’re a busy person. H-he should be paying attention to you. Well, he is. I mean, he’s attentive and everything. I’m the one that has limited availability. Well, why should you go out of your way? I mean, he should be paying attention to you at all times. I would be. I’m sure you mean well, okay? I just don’t want to get my hopes up for some christmas miracle. I completely understand that. Of course not. But please, please, honey, just — just hear me out. Now, I came across this studyon an experimental procedure, and one of the subjects was a man who was paralyzed from the waist down. Curtis, after this procedure, this man could walk with full body support after only 11 days. Are you saying that this is a possibility for me? You begged me not to go. Said you’d stand by me no matter what. But I wouldn’t listen. Mnh-mnh. I left you and my boys. Told myself I was sparing my family from my illness. Maybe I was just sparing myself from being less-than in your eyes. Joke’s on me, right? It was all a lie. A misdiagnosis. I never had schizophrenia.

[ Voice breaking ] And I am so sorry. Baby…

[ Sobbing ] I… I am just so sorry.

[ Sobbing ] Marshall ashford. You have been given a gift. You have a clean bill of health, and you’ve reconnected with your son. Why do you waste one more second looking back at something that can’t be changed, instead of living the life you have now? It’s beyond me. Merry christmas! Merry christmas. Just so you understand, I’m team finn, right? In fact, I-I helped martin prepare him for his deposition earlier. You did? How did it go? I didn’t pull any punches. I played diane’s part. I was the opposing counsel. No wonder you argued that there was a case to be made by diane. Yeah, and I think finn is more prepared now. I also have to confess that I rather enjoyed it. Cross-examining him, trying to trip him up, pointing out the weaknesses in his testimony… being ruthless? With a purpose. I was using the skills that I spent all those years developing. Getting back on that judiciary bike, riding it with the wind at your back. It’s hard to believe that I’m not going to practice law ever again. I’m sorry. I know how painful it is to be confronted by something you used to be great at and not being able to do it anymore. Wow. I’m sorry. You win. I promise never to complain or pine away about my career loss again. It’s not about comparing losses. I’m just saying I understand. I know you were an excellent lawyer. Thank you. Hey, violet, is that the one? I don’t remember you mentioning a burn. A lot was happening at the time. He had a significant bruise on the left heel. Is that unusual? Actually, yes, since it was starting to callus. So what — what — what does that tell you? It indicates it wasn’t a fresh bruise, and it certainly didn’t come from the impact of the vehicle striking him. I found that odd, so we looked into his left shoe, and we found this under the lining. Right, my partner was able to get a match on the guy’s fingerprints. How old do you think the burns were? Between three and four months. August. That sounds about right. Yeah. Listen, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Yeah. Appreciate it. We’d also appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention this to anyone. What would be the point? I have no proof. The wsb took it all, which is a gross abuse of power. I’ve never seen anything like it. I-I work with federal and state agencies all the time. None of them swarm in and take what they want with impunity like this. I sure hope someone can rein them in. Well… what do you think? I think someone at the wsb is going to a great deal of trouble to clean this up. Huh. You’re back. Sorry about that. I never pegged you for the dine and dash type, but — or, more accurately, the order and dash. But people can surprise you. I got an overseas call, and the reception was dicey. I needed to call back on my satellite phone, which I realized I’d left in my hotel room. So, I left, fully intending to return and pay for my meal. And, uh, on the way back, I saw these, and I hoped you’d accept them… with my apologies.

Sitting here fretting over things that happened 30 or so years ago won’t change anything, and it won’t absolve you of a thing. The here and the now — that’s what matters. The only thing the past can do for you is to let you learn from it, so you don’t make the same mistakes going forward. What do you do… with the feelings?

[ Sobbing ] The regrets… …from leaving you and my boys. Let it go. Yes, I was angry and hurt at first, but I didn’t let it stop me from living my life. I had a lot to figure out. You know, I-I-I struggled some, but I enjoyed life plenty. I mean, my boys were a handful, but they were my pride and joy. And I still managed to have a full life. And yes, sure, I… I missed you plenty. And I thought about you all the time. But I didn’t let myself worry, waste my life thinking about what could have been. I lived my life and I loved living it. And that’s what I want for you, marshall. You’re safe. You’re alive. Be thankful for the life you have with your beautiful family — our family. Our son needs you. And you’re right here for him. Isn’t that something? And I-I’m so thankful for that. Aren’t you? You may not have been here in the past, but you’re here now. So enjoy this christmas and every christmas to follow, and I’ll be right here, enjoying it with you. That’s the best gift you can give me. This procedure… it’s in the very early stages of human trials. But as soon as I read it, I knew. I knew that you would be the ideal candidate. Before

you were shot,you were in perfect health, great physical condition. And, baby, I hope you don’t mind. I submitted your name and medical records. But before you get mad, I just heard back. They’re considering you to be a part of the trial.

[ Exhales deeply ] Well…why would you submit my name without tell– got it. You didn’t want to get my hopes up. And, again, this is in the very, very early stages, and there’s no guarantee that… you will be able to walk again. But, honey, this is a chance. Thank you, baby. Thank you. Oh.

[ Sighs ] Oh, my god. You know I always appreciate, um, getting attention from you a-as long as we, you know, maintain our boundaries. I still feel that spark between us. Do you? Um… nostalgia.

[ Stammering ] You’re feeling nostalgia. I think we’re both feeling nostalgia. You know, we cannot deny our past. We can’T. And we will always be connected because of serena. But I am with marty, and you, you know, you’re hoping to get back with liesl. It might happen. It could. And if not, I’m sure you’ll find somebody very wonderful to be with. And I got to go, you know. Thank you for the conversation and the — the drink. And, uh, you know, if you hear from our daughter, please remind serena to call her mom when she hits dry land.

[ Exhales deeply ] Okay, lucy. I’ll catch you later, huh? Of course you will.

[ Chuckles ] Okay.

[ Chuckles ] I felt the needles, and it’s not dry, so it’s fresh. Good. And it’s not too tall, but tall. Mm. And nice, with no bald spots. No, I don’t see any. Great. Now, if we could just track down a sales person. But I don’t want this one. I thought you liked it. I do, but it’s too pretty. Someone else will want it. I want to find a tree that’s not so pretty, but special, and give it a home. Sounds like a plan. Why don’t we look down that aisle there? I appreciate the apology, but the flowers were not necessary. They’ll just go to waste in my hotel room. Please accept them. Come on. Add a little more christmas cheer to the place. Okay. Uh, thank you. Um… well, your food had to be wrapped up, and I’m sending it to the homeless shelter. But I can put another order in for you. Well, let’s, uh — let’s save that order for another day. I’m in the mood for something a bit more elevated. Can I take you out to dinner? Uh, thank you, but, um, I’m seeing someone. Of course. Why wouldn’t you be? It’s my loss. Well, that… should cover my bill. You didn’t come here for the blt, did you? No. But I’m glad I came. Alright, well, thank you for everything you’ve done. I’ll — I’ll take it from here. Whoa, whoa, whoa. What are you talking about? “Thank you.” I’m not just gonna — just gonna drop out of this. I know. Look. Forsyth, he came for the report because he’s named in it. And then someone else wanted him and the report eliminated — someone who’s probably incriminated in the report, also. Mm-hmm. And whoever it is, they got a lot of power. Enough resources to murder forsyth, disappear the body, classify any mention of it so that we can’t access it. Right, we’re looking for someone high up in the wsb food chain who was there on the day of that blown op. Not “we.” Me. Anna, stop it, stop it!

Me. You’re a loose end, too. You’re target number one. I’m not letting you do this on your own. No, but it’s my past, dante. I am not going to put anyone else I care about in danger. It’s cost me too much. So…I’m good. I’ll just handle this alone, alright? Thank you.

On the next “General Hospital” —

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General Hospital Transcript

Transcript provided by Suzanne

THIS STILL NEEDS EXTENSIVE EDITING!

sh pretty standard diagnosis and treatment. Nothing out of the ordinary. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I agree with your assessment. As soon as I get back to the office, I’ll log on and I will okay the treatment. Thank you, dr. Robinson. Well, that was tough. You know he’s a leader in his field. Seems a little ridiculous that he has to have supervision to treat his patients. Just a reminder — I am not the enemy here. Finn isn’t the only one who was sued for malpractice and wrongful death. The hospital was also listed as a defendant on the suit. I-I have no choice. I’m just following procedure. I know. I’m sorry if I made it seem like it was all your doing. I know it’s not. It’s just that this whole situation is very frustrating. I know.

[ Cellphone chimes ] Um… mm! Can you try dr. Gatlin-holt again, please? In the meantime, we’re gonna have to shift his patients to other doctors. Yeah. Well, scout and I are running late, so you can fill me in on this “matter of concern” when I get back, yeah? Okay. Okay. Scout! Sweetie! We’re running late! Hi, uncle sonny! Guess where I’m going today. Uh, let me guess. The museum. Nope. I’m meeting daddy at the metro court, and I’m gonna interview him about his job for a report for school. Wow! That’s a big-girl assignment. I’ll tell you what. Maybe when you’re finished with the report, you can show it to me. Okay. Okay? Alright. That sounds good. We’ll see you later. See you. Bye. Bye. What’s this “matter of concern”? It’s about the man who tried to kill avery’s mother. Well, I’m always happy to see you, but I’m curious. Is this a social meeting or is this about business? Uh, actually, it’s family-related. I wanted to check in with you about how esme was doing at her job and whether or not you were still happy with her work. Actually I am. She’s proven to be competent, organized, efficient. She works well with the other departments, and she manages to stay ten steps ahead of me, which is not easy. She even asked for a raise, and I gave it to her because she earned it. I am so happy to hear this! You know, esme is about to move out on her own, and I’m gonna sign the lease actually tomorrow, but I just sort of wanted to know that she was likely to be employed in the near future. Unless something changes, I don’t see why not. I’m wondering about spencer, though. He’s so attached to ace. I’m worried about how he’ll handle esme and ace leaving. So am I. The matching professional called me this morning. She asked how we were doing after andrea’s miscarriage. She informed me that andrea does not want to try again, which I explained I already knew, but then she asked if we wanted to move forward with another surrogate. Neither of the women that we interviewed when we met andrea is available. They’ve both been successfully matched with other couples. Mm-hmm. But the matching professional felt she had some other candidates that might really work for us. So you said yes. What? When the matching professional asked if you and I wanted to try again, you said yes without asking me?

[ Knock on door ] Finn? Sorry. I just need to finish this e-mail to portia to remind her to sign off on the course of treatment I’m recommending. It’s a good thing it’s not an emergency, or my patient would be dead by the time I got rid of all this paperwork. End. Send. Okay. What can I do for you? I want you to close your eyes and take a breath. Are we gonna do yoga? Do you think this is really a good time? This isn’t yoga. It’s a breathing exercise. Now, trust me and close your eyes. Okay. I want you to breathe in for a count of four, hold it for two, and out for five. Are you gonna count me through this or do I have to keep track in my head? I’ll count for you. Now close your eyes. Ready? Breathe in. Two, three, four. Hold. One, two. Out. Two, three, four, five. One more time. Breathe in. Two, three, four. Hold. One, two. Out. Two, three, four, five. I’m not complaining at all, but what was that supposed to accomplish? It’s supposed to push all that anger and frustration out of your head, clear everything out so you can actually hear me when I tell you this. You did nothing wrong. My m oh, I’m gonna have to call you back. Somebody really important just showed up. Okay. Bye. Hi, daddy! Hi! Hi, hi, hi, sweetheart. Hi. I am so excited. Here. Have a seat. I’m so excited to tell you all about what I do at work. It’s gonna be so fun. Oh, I want to show you something. Look at that. That’s the plaque that you gave me. I look at it every day. Do you like it? I love it. My teacher told me I should record an interview with you so I don’t forget when I write my report. Is that okay with you?

[ Laughs ] Of course it’s okay with me. Yes, I give you my permission to record our conversation. You can ask me anything you want.

[ Recorder beeps ] Okay. I’m ready to start. Ask away. What is the name of the company you work for? It’s aurora media. And I work there, but I also own it. For how long? Six years. Your mom and I bought another man’s business, and, uh — and then we renamed it aurora. Why did you make this company? Well, your mom and I wanted to — to build something for you. We wanted to have a company that you would be really proud of and that maybe you would work at someday, if you wanted to. You know I can’t discuss an active investigation. I’m not asking for anything privileged. Can you at least tell me how long before mason gatlin is transferred to pentonville? Well, I guess it’ll be when the doctors clear him. How long is that gonna be? Could be any day. Okay, well — [ Sighs ] I’m assuming that the D.A. Is gonna make him some kind of plea deal. I don’t know what robert’s plans are with this case, but could I ask — why are you so curious? I don’t want scorpio to let him off easy. If it were up to me, he’d be in prison for life, throw away the key. I agree with you, but the theory is that mason was working for somebody. He didn’t order ava’s kidnapping. But we’re pushing him right now to get the name of his boss. Well, don’t — don’t — don’t waste your time. I can tell you right now who was responsible for ava’s kidnapping. So, because nikolas disappeared the way he did, spencer took on a role in ace’s life, uh, that was pretty major. More like a father than a brother. So, naturally, he would want ace to continue to live in the same house. Obviously he re– reconsidered. Yes, he did. He absolutely did. He is still very sad about it, but he’s not angry about it anymore. He’s not even fighting it. I’m sure that had something to do with trina.

[ Chuckles ] Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. She’s a very good influence on him. You know, that’s not an easy feat. I know my family and how stubborn they can be — fatally — when they actually make up their mind. And spencer gave every indication that he was heading down that path. Yeah, I actually give spencer an awful lot of credit here. I think that in — that he’s matured an awful lot. In part because of the role that he has played in ace’s life, he had to learn how to put somebody else’s needs ahead of his own, so that’s made him more thoughtful a-and a little less impulsive. But to be honest, you know, there aren’t many men his age who would take such an interest in a newborn baby brother. Good for spencer. Yeah. Good for him. He is no longer the grandchild I am most worried about. I assume you are referring to charlotte? Tj, I didn’t commit to another surrogate — just to entertaining more candidates. The matching professional is gonna meet us at the port charles grill this afternoon for a preliminary discussion. Why didn’t you tell me? I just had the conversation this morning, and i am telling you right now. T-this is — this is happening too fast for me. I’m still processing the loss of our baby that — that andrea was carrying. It wasn’t just a hypothetical. It was real. W-we had hopes for it. W-we had dreams for it. We were only a few weeks out from learning if we — if we were gonna have a son or a daughter, and I didn’t even realize how emotionally invested I’ve become. And I-I just — I don’t know when I’m gonna be up to making that kind of emotional investment again. I just know I’m not ready now.

[ Cellphone beeps ] I have to go. I’ll see you tonight. This is traumatic for both of you. I-I don’t — well, there aren’t any words. You — I just want you to know that I’m here for you. Whatever you need, honey. Whatever you need, tj. I know, mom. Thank you, alexis. I was looking forward to putting my hand on andrea’s belly, feeling our baby kick. We were almost to the point of ultrasounds and imaging, finding out if we were having a boy or a girl. Now our baby’s gone. I want to believe I did nothing wrong. You didn’T. You know, I — I keep going over it in my head. Was there anything that I, uh — I missed? Was there — there some little thing that could have saved muldoon’s life? Okay, what’s the first, hardest lesson any doctor has to learn? We’re not god. Right. And it’s not just doctors who think that. Sometimes it’s the patients, too. They want to believe — they need to believe that you have all the answers, that there’s a medicine or a treatment out there that’s gonna heal them and give them their life back. But we both know medicine doesn’t work like that. You run tests, you give a diagnosis, you provide treatment, and you hope it’s the right one. Now, bet ween what mr. Muldoontold you and the tests you ran, you provided the best treatment possible. I know that. And I’m gonna keep reminding you until you know it, too. I wouldn’t dream of arguing with you.

[ Knock on door ] Hi. Dr. Finn. I’m dede clark. I’m representing general hospital in the muldoon malpractice lawsuit.

Rsv is out there. Okay. Last question. What is your favorite part of your job? Well, nobody’s ever asked me that before. That’s a very good question. Um, I think my favorite part of the job is knowing that aurora entertains people as well as informs them… and also that aurora is just a really good place to work. People have good jobs with good benefits and are treated with respect. Thank you for your time, mr. Cain. Hm! Well, you’re welcome, miss cain. I don’t know about you, but all this interviewing made me a little bit thirsty. W-what do you say you ask the waitress for — for a few drinks, maybe three ginger ales? I’ll go get them for you, daddy. Okay.

[ Chuckles ] What do you think? Do you think I was, like, too preachy? I think scout asked you some honest questions, and you gave her honest answers. She took it so seriously. Right? I mean, maybe she’s got, like, a serious — like a future in journalism. She could. I mean, or she could just get it from my mom. I don’t know. Yeah. The drinks are coming. Okay. Great. Thank you. In the meantime, guess what. I’ve got some big news for you, scout. Dr. Navarro: Molly! This is a nice surprise. Dr. Navarro. It’s good to see you. I was told that your surrogate suffered a miscarriage. I’m so sorry. Yeah. Of course we’re disappointed. I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to upset you. No. But you should know that miscarriages are always a risk, particularly in the first trimester. Do you think you and tj will try again? Please come on in. This is elizabeth baldwin. She was recently named head nurse here at general hospital. Nice to meet you, elizabeth baldwin.

[ Chuckles ] Congratulations on the promotion. Well, thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too. And since you’re already here, did you have any involvement or interaction with mr. Muldoon? I’m sure I was here when he was a patient, but I don’t recall having any personal interaction with him. Okay, well, my team will be doing a comprehensive records check, so if it turns out that you did have any involvement with mr. Muldoon, we may need to interview you in the future. But right now I’m here to speak to dr. Finn. Hm. Understood. I’ll talk to you later. Bye. Please have a seat. Thank you. Uh, before we begin, I’ve been advised to retain my own separate counsel. Congratulations on the promotion. Well, thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too. And since you’re already here, did you have any involvement or interaction with mr. Muldoon? I’m sure I was here when he was a patient, but I don’t recall having any personal interaction with him. Okay, well, my team will be doing a comprehensive records check, so if it turns out that you did have any involvement with mr. Muldoon, we may need to interview you in the future. But right now I’m here to speak to dr. Finn. Hm. Understood. I’ll talk to you later. Bye. Please have a seat. Thank you. Uh, before we begin, I’ve been advised to retain my own separate counsel. As you should. Your attorney will focus on your defense. I represent the hospital. But your actions with regard to diagnosis and treatment of mr. Muldoon will directly affect my defense. That’s why I’m here. And I apologize in advance if any of my questions seem intrusive, but the key to defending a malpractice suit is having all the information so that there are no surprises in the courtroom. You know, I also want to thank you for the discretion that the invader showed in reporting the shooting. You gave all of the facts and managed to leave out anna and charlotte’s name. Well, first of all, charlotte, the victim, is a minor, so she’s protected. And anna has been so unfairly treated by the sun. I just wanted to do what I could to protect her privacy. And I’m so grateful that you made that call. You know, when I was elected, I had to learn how to deal with the media scrutiny, but I think I’ve developed a tougher shell. But, you know, then I-I read one of these opinion articles about me, and I-it’s just absolutely brutal sometimes. And I would never want charlotte to be exposed to anything like that. And it’s the last thing that anna needs, just having to live with the fact that she — she knows that she shot a child. I can’t imagine the guilt she must be dealing with. In truth, if the circumstances were different, I would have had a searing op-ed written on gun violence. I mean, if someone as trained and skilled as anna devane could shoot an innocent person by accident, I mean, what better argument is there against carrying guns?

[ Glass shatters ] I can take some of austin’s patients. That would be perfect. And I also called dr. Park. He should be here soon. Portia? I’m sorry, tj. Yeah. Hm? I called dr. Gatlin-holt again. Still no answer. Left another message. What about the texts? Nothing. Okay. Have we checked the last time he was on duty? I did. It was two days before thanksgiving. He had the holiday off, and he was due back this morning. But still, it could be anything. It could be car trouble. He could have forgot to charge his phone, which could be dead. Do you want me to go to his apartment and check on him? I don’t really want to ask you to do that. You’re not asking. I’m volunteering. Mason gatlin is working for cyrus renault? That’s right. How long have you known? Since the day cyrus was released from pentonville. You remember avery’s temporary nanny, betty? Yeah. I was wondering why you moved on from pilar. Why? Because I knew that betty was a plant. Mason used her to spy on me. So I got brick to dummy up the computer and put in false information. She stole the information, took it to austin. Austin delivered it to cyrus at pentonville. Hold on. Austin gatlin-holt was in on this, too? Austin and his cousin, it looks like, have been working with cyrus all along. Damn it! What?

[ Line ringing ] Man: Hello? Yeah. I’m sorry. Who’s this I’m speaking to? Who am I speaking to? Well, I asked you first, but it’s detective falconeri with the port charles police department.

Nice to meet you,

detective.

Paul briscoe, detective with pautuck pd. Why are you calling

this number? Well, I’m trying to get ahold of dr. Austin gatlin-holt. He’s on staff at general hospital here in port charles. I’m sorry to inform you. Austin gatlin-holt is dead. My late father-in-law lit up a room, but his vision dimmed with age. He had amd. I didn’t know it then, but it can progress to ga, how did mr. Muldoon become your patient? My daughter, violet, and mr. Muldoon’s daughter are in the same class at school. We were at a parent gathering, and mr. Muldoon mentioned that he traveled abroad for business and that he was feeling a little under the weather and that he may have contracted something along the lines of a tapeworm. I recommended mr. Muldoon come in and make an appointment and visit me here at general hospital. And he agreed. And did he come see you? He did. How soon after your initial conversation with mr. Muldoon did you examine him? It’s lucky that your office is in a hotel so we can come up to the restaurant. Should I put that in my report? Well, I think it’s your report. You get to decide what you put in there. Just, you know, it’s good training in case you become a journalist, deciding what you put in your story and what you don’T. Okay, if our daughter isn’t gonna ask you about your good news, then I will. What’s — what’s going on? Okay. So, I closed a deal with steve harris. Wait. Should I be familiar with that name? Yeah, h-he works in venture capital. He’s got a daughter a little bit older than scout who attends westwood academy. Westwood academy? That’s that, um — that fancy private school, isn’t it? Yeah. Yeah. St-steve’s on the board, and I told him about scout, and I convinced him to open a spot for her so scout can go to westwood, too. I always knew that miscarriage was a possibility, but I was not prepared emotionally. No one ever is. So what are your thoughts about moving forward? Andrea, our surrogate, made it very clear that she does not want to try again. So if we decide to move forward, we’ll have to start from scratch. I know that will set you back a few more months, but I’m sure you and tj will find a suitable candidate. Honestly, I-I’m not sure we can go through this again. That’s very understandable. It’s a decision only you and tj can make. But while miscarriages are not uncommon, many, many surrogacies have been successful. There are lots of parents in the world, lots of people in the world who are proof that surrogacy can work. I wish you and tj the very best, whatever path you choose going forward. Yes. Thank you, detective briscoe, for the update. Sounded serious. Yeah, it was. Uh… but I can tell you about it ’cause you’re gonna hear about it soon enough. Austin gatlin-holt is dead. You know how it happened? He was shot to death at a house in pautuck. You didn’t know about it? How would I — I don’t know anybody in pautuck. Why would I know? Unless you arranged for it to happen. Dante, you’ve — you’ve known me long enough. You know how I work. If I’m gonna arrange for austin to be dead… they’re not gonna find his body. And the last thing I’m gonna do is come here and talk to my son, the detective. You gotta give me a little more credit than that. Alright. Well, I’m relieved you didn’t do it, but now I got to figure out who did it. No, you don’T. If the tray is too heavy, then make two trips. Got it. Yeah. The cost of the broken glasses will come out of your paycheck. Alright. Yes. Now finish the clean-up. Yes, sir. Either he doesn’t know who his new dishwasher is, or that matre d’ has a death wish. Sometimes it can feel like westwood academy? Well, you and I have never discussed scout going to a private school. Yeah, it’s a great opportunity. No, I know. Kristina — s-she went to westwood. I remember my mom having to do backflips to get her in. Not to mention I think sonny had to have, like, “a talk” with someone to get her accepted. And it’s — it’s really expensive. I mean, he — he could afford it. Yeah, so can I. But westwood? I believe the acceptance rate is like 7% or something. And there’s an epic waiting list. Is scout just gonna jump to the front of the line? Well, there’s a big waiting list because it’s such a great school, and it turns out there’s a student in scout’s class that had to leave, so scout can kind of just slide right in there and start right after christmas break. Scout, what do you say? Westwood is an amazing school. It’s — so, it’s all girls, and they have one of the best swim teams in the state. You’re gonna be able to study so many more subjects than you would at public school. And as you get a little bit older, they even have, like, a study-abroad program. Do you want me to go there, daddy? Well, all I’ve ever wanted for you, scout, is the best life possible. This — this school, westwood, is a great step up. I think you’re gonna love it. What do you say? Okay, daddy. Austin gatlin-holt lived and worked in port charles. It’s my duty to investigate. You just told me that austin was shot in pautuck, the same place where you shot his cousin mason. Yes, in the line of duty. Is-isn’t it gonna be a conflict of interest to investigate austin’s death? Shouldn’t that fall on the — on the cops from pautuck? Yes. If I was running lead investigator, yeah, it would be a conflict of interest. But it’s not because austin was murdered in pautuck, the pautuck pd will run lead. But because, like I said, he lived and worked here in port charles, the pcpd, we — we got to share information. I mean, you could save us a lot of time and effort if you can tell me who you suspect. It’s the same person you suspected all along. Cyrus renault. I got to go. I’m surprised an upscale place like the port charles grill would hire an ex-con like cyrus. Well, uh, maybe the manager here believes in second chances. Do you think he can be reformed? You know, I just had this conversation with my other brother, martin, and I’ll tell you what I told him. It is entirely possible that cyrus hasn’t changed a bit and this turn towards god is just a big act. But I believe in second chances. So until cyrus has proven himself to be a threat, I’m gonna stand by my own principles and just say that, uh, my brother deserves a second chance, just like everybody else. Shall we? Thank you for lunch. No. Thank you. After you. Thanks. Okay. I checked in on those patients of dr. Gatlin-holt’S. They’re all doing fine. They shouldn’t need to be checked on until evening rounds. Thank you so much. And I hate to say this, but I may need to ask you to stay late to cover. Actually, the timing couldn’t be better. And what does that mean? Molly and I had a difference of opinion on whether we should look for a new surrogate. And that is just not a conversation I want to have right now. So if I can bury myself in work instead, bring it on. Tj, I’m so sorry again. Portia, I really need to talk to you. Not a problem. I’ve got more patients to see. Okay. Um, I went to austin’s apartment. Mm-hmm. No one was there, but there was a food delivery sitting outside his door. I looked at the receipt. It had been delivered on thanksgiving day. Clearly, he never brought it inside. Okay. Now I’m starting to get concerned. I found the super. I explained the situation. He let me in. No sign of him. In fact, it looked like austin hadn’t been there since before thanksgiving. What?! Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Should we call the police? We’re travelling all across america,hey, steve. Drew cain. Yeah. I-I’ve got an update about my daughter. I spoke to scout and her mom about westwood academy, and they are all for it. Yeah, so — so let’s figure out a time where we can get together and move forward about scout getting admitted. Sam: Ooh! I know you need to write up that report on your dad’s job, but did you have any other homework you had to finish up? No, mommy. Just the report. Okay, well, I was thinking that maybe we could take a drive over to westwood academy and see what it looks like on the outside. What do you think? We could go by kelly’s or perks and get some hot chocolate? Mommy? Yes, sweetie? I don’t want to go to that school. Come here. Hi. Um, I’m meeting someone here. I don’t see her yet, but she said the reservation should be under her name. Claire brown. Mr. Muldoon came to visit me about a week after our conversation. What kind of symptoms did he complain about? He had some G.I. Distress, weight loss, general fatigue. Anything else? He complained of some dizziness, but it hadn’t gotten as far as fainting. How did you treat him? I did some blood work and a culture. Tests came back with low hemoglobin and elevated white blood cell count. And the culture came back positive for a tapeworm. I treated him for the tapeworm. He called me a few days later to say he was feeling much better. I also requested that he come in for a follow-up, just in case. Just in case what? It’s standard procedure to make sure the condition is properly treated. But mr. Muldoon refused, saying he had to go on another business trip. And then what? Well, mr. Muldoon came in two months later, at which time I ran further bloodwork and a colonoscopy. And at that time I discovered that he had cancer. What happened then? I immediately referred him to oncology, but unfortunately he was already stage iv. Mr. Muldoon passed away shortly after. Were any of the symptoms that mr. Muldoon complained about in his first visit signs for cancer? Dr. Finn, when mr. Muldoon initially told you about his symptoms, did you ever think it might be cancer? Before answering more questions, I think I’d like my lawyer present. Yeah. Listen. I’m on my way to the metro court. Get over there now. There’s something you need to know.

[ Engine starts ] Detective falconeri, you’ve got a detective briscoe from the pautuck pd waiting for you. I put him in the interrogation room. Thank you. Detective. Hey. I’m dante falconeri. We spoke earlier. Good to meet you in person, detective. You, as well. I’m requesting interdepartmental cooperation to investigate the murder of austin gatlin-holt.

On the next “General Hospital” —

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THIS STILL NEEDS EXTENSIVE EDITING!

 I have been looking forward to this all week. Freshly cut pine trees are the best smell in the world. You always felt that way. Anytime we got near one when you were young, you’d say, “this ‘twee’ smell like christmas, daddy.”

[ Laughter ] Well, I still feel that way. Trina, honey, take your pick. Any one you want. Uh, no way. This is a group effort. The three of us are picking a tree together.

[ Chuckles ] Mommy is going to call up a rideshare so someone can pick us up and take us to our new apartment, okay? Spencer: Why don’t you just let me drive you? Detective falconeri. Thank you for stopping by. Yeah. I have asked deputy mayor ashford to sit in. Yeah. What, uh — what can I do for you, mayor? We would like a full update about the austin gatlin-holt murder case. Well, that couldn’t have been a better public appearance. You two were a hit. Everyone at wyndham’s loved you! Ah, it was all sasha. Are you kidding? They couldn’t take their eyes off you. It was the two of you together. That’s what people are responding to. You guys have this special chemistry that everyone can see.

[ Rapid knocking on door ] What’s the emergency? The results just came in for the organic chem make-up test. Okay. How’d you do? I don’t know, I-I’m — I’m too scared to look. Okay, well, you studied really hard. I’m sure you’re fine. Well, w-what if I didn’t?! I-if I got less than an 85%, my — my life is — is over. And, honestly, I might as well just jump off a-a bridge. Don’t say things like that. I’m sorry. I make bad jokes when I’m nervous. It’s one test. One super-important test that will help determine if I become a doctor! I’m just — I’m way too stressed out. Can we please just look together? Look at all these beautiful trees! How are we gonna pick just one? Well, one is all we can fit in the house, so… well, you don’t have to be so literal. Well, whichever one we pick, aiden’s just gonna have to be on board because it was his choice to stay home and bake. Christmas and valentine’s are his busiest time of the year. Lots of people want custom cookies. This is true, but if you don’t help pick out the tree, you can’t criticize our choice, right? Mom. Is something wrong? Wrong? No. Why? It just feels like you’re trying too hard to make it seem like you’re happy. Is something bothering you? Good. You’re right on time.Glad you’re here. I am prepared and ready for you. Ready for what? I-I-I thought we were prepping my deposition. Martin: That’s exactly what we’re gonna be doing. Alexis has kindly volunteered to act as opposing counsel for your prep. Ah. Opposing counsel, huh? That’s right. And just so you know in advance, I won’t be playing nice.

At we know so far isthe morning after thanksgiving, a pautuck resident noticed the door of an unoccupied house in the neighborhood was open. They walked in and found austin’s body. How was he killed? Two shots to the chest. Close range. Sometime in the 48 hours leading up to thanksgiving. And do we know who owns the house where he was found? And when was it last lived in? It was being used as a weekend and short-term rental, but it hadn’t been occupied since late september. And it was owned by the victim, austin gatlin-holt. Well, what about this one? That one? You don’t like it? Honey, I know we said you could choose any tree you wanted, but, um, you sure you want to make a decision so — so quickly? How about you look around for something else? Why? I mean, this one’s nice, and — and it smells… it smells amazing! What’s wrong with it? If your father won’t tell you his problem with this, I’ll tell you. It’s small. It’s too small. When did you become so perceptive? I’m not a little kid anymore. No, you’re not. You know, when I became a mom, I promised myself that I would always be honest with my kid if I thought they could handle it. And you are definitely old enough and mature enough to talk about this, so… I’m worried about finn. Why? Well, there’s a situation at the hospital where he’s being accused of doing something wrong. You mean like a malpractice suit? I may not have my law license anymore, but I got a lot of legal stuff still right in here, and I’m gonna use it to help you with your deposition. I’ll take all the help I can get. Diane is a formidable opponent. Indeed. They don’t call her “killer miller” for nothing. She’s gonna try to trap you into making a-a statement of negligence. So no matter what happens, do not let her provoke you. If you lose your temper, your need to defend yourself may lead you to say things on the record that can’t be taken back, such as statements that might give the impression that you are too arrogant to admit you missed something, and now a man is dead as a result. Right. And the best way to make sure that doesn’t happen is to let alexis beat up on me a little. It’s for your own good. Spencer, we have been over all of this. It just seems…crazy. It seems crazy to me. Because you’re gonna have to load all of ace’s things into some stranger’s car, you’re gonna have to strap in his car seat, and then you’re gonna have to pay someone that you don’t know to drive you a short distance just so that you can unload ace and all of his things, like… my car is parked in the garage. It’s ready to go. I am more than happy to take you guys, and I’m more than happy to help you carry everything that you have to carry. S-stop! I-I really don’t know how much clearer I can be. I can’t rely on you anymore, spencer. Okay. I think I found the grades. Are you ready? J-just tell me. Got a 97. Congratulations. Oh, my god! Oh, my god. Hey, dad? Yeah. Guess what. I just got my organic chem make-up test back. And… I got a 97%. Yeah. Yeah. I did — I did — I did say “make-up test.” Why did I have to take it again? Um, no, it wasn’t anything I did wrong. It was actually because of someone else. M-my friend josslyn had to — had to go to the emergency room during the exam, and they — they asked me to take her. I know it’s been a long day, but just one more piece of deception business, and then you guys can go? Maxie, don’t worry about us. I am excited. We have a video conference call with pebela. That’s huge. I know. It took me forever to convince them to take that meeting. But I have another piece of good news. Do you guys remember that desert photo shoot I was talking about a few months ago? Cody: Yeah. Well, it’s a go! I mean, we have to wait a few months because the photographer is completely booked, but we’re gonna go on location in monument valley. The monument valley? Like, the — the one where all those westerns were shot? Yes, and everyone tells me it’s even more spectacular in person. We’re gonna shoot at the pink cliffs at sunset. That’s amazing! I’ve seen it in movies but never in person. Deception’s really going all-out for this, huh? Of course we are. The perfect photo-shoot location is so important to this campaign. Because deception is not just selling makeup and beauty wands. We are selling romance.

Have a seat in the witness chair. And I meant what I said. Diane miller is one of the best. Yeah, I’m — I’m aware of her reputation. Well, being aware of it and experiencing it for yourself are two totally different things. She will turn your deposition into a minefield. It sounds like we’re going into battle. We kind of are. Okay. Then how do we ensure the truth comes out and we win this case? Preparation. That’s what’s key here. And we make absolutely certain that you abide by the golden rule. Which is? Both: Never volunteer anything. It’s very humbling trying to shield you from something you already know about. Yes, finn is being sued for malpractice. Why? Did one of his patients die? The man he was treating had cancer, and they didn’t find out in time. And, unfortunately, he passed away. Wow. It must be so hard on finn. Yeah, it is. He’s really beating himself up over it. As much as we like to think that doctors are infallible, medicine is not a science. They’re not gods, and they can’t fix everybody all the time. I know that. But if he’s getting sued, did finn do something wrong? No. No. Absolutely not. Finn is an incredible doctor. He — he gave that man the best care possible. What happened was not his fault. I’m glad you told me and that you realize I can handle hearing things like this now. Jake, you’ve been so good with aiden picking up the slack since cameron left. If I haven’t told you enough, I am so proud of you. Thanks, mom. Now that you asked me a question… can I ask you one? I guess this one doesn’t seem small to me because it’s the size mom and I always got. Small has a lot of advantages, you know. They’re easy and cute, and you don’t need a ladder to put up ornaments. It’s okay. We both know I won’t be climbing any ladders this year, but… it doesn’t mean that someone else can’T. We’ve been blessed with a beautiful big house with high ceilings. It would be a shame to not take advantage of that space by not filling it with the biggest, best tree we can find. After today, ace and I are gonna be on our own and I need to get used to loading him and all of his stuff in and out of rideshares. Fine, but can’t you just let me do this for you just one more time? No. I-I’m sorry, but I have to get comfortable being alone and relying on myself. And the sooner I do that, the better it will be for ace. Look. I’m doing this for him. Can’t you see that? I guess I didn’t really think about it like that. Spencer, I know that this is hard on you, and I’m sure you probably think that I’m shutting you out and making things as difficult as possible for no reason. Kind of. Yeah. But I see where I was wrong. And I am sorry. Apology accepted. Dad, I-I have to go. I’ve got a lot of studying to do. I’ll — I’ll see you at christmas. I’ll t-talk to you later. Bye. Why’d you lie? Laura: I am concerned that you’re not further along in the investigation at this point. Austin gatlin-holt was a doctor at general hospital. He was related to the quartermaines. There are many people in this town who want to know who’s responsible for this man’s murder. Right. I-I get that, mayor, but we’re doing what we can. He wasn’t killed here. Which means this case is officially being handled by the pautuck pd. That’s right. And we’re in constant contact with them. And we’re also talking to austin’s associates here in port charles. Has either department come up with any suspects? Uh, no one officially yet, but, uh, there are a couple persons of interest. One of them is your brother.

I-I’m explaining this all wrong. Of course, deception’s products are amazing. The best in the business. I mean, the deceptor? Game changer. But advertising is all about making customers associate what we’re selling with something that they want, even if it’s subconsciously. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, everyone wants a little romance in their life. You two together in front of a gorgeous desert sunset? Well, it’s the epitome of that. Sasha: Wow, maxie. Sounds like you have a very thorough, well-thought-out marketing plan.

[ Knock on door ] Come in! Hi. Sorry to interrupt. I just didn’t want you to worry. James is okay. Wait. Did something happen to james? I had no idea that curtis was going to have such strong feelings about what tree we should get. This one? He always did. When he was barely 3 years old, me and irene, we took him and tommy to pick out our tree. This one, he makes a beeline to the one he wants. This ugly, gnarly piece of tree. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. Did we end up getting the tree? Absolutely. ‘Cause your mama agreed with you. She said — she said, “curtis picked out the loveliest tree.”

[ Laughter ] Sure, mom. You can ask me whatever you want. How are things with you and charlotte? I’m not really sure. I-i think we’re still dating, but, um, since what happened… …we haven’t seen each other that much and she isn’t really texting me back, either. Well, maybe she just needs more time. Maybe. Even before that, she was kind of hard to read. Most girls I know talk a lot and say everything on their minds. But not charlotte. I never know what she’s thinking. Adam: I-I’m sorry. I-I shouldn’t have done it. I just panicked. My dad would have been so mad that I left an important test. Even to help a friend? Yeah, he would have hated that. Except I was the one who left for you, so… I-I know. So what you’re saying is, if I had been the one who was in trouble, you wouldn’t have helped me and you would have left me on my own?

[ Scoffs ] Okay. J-josslyn, you don’t understand. Okay? Ever since I can remember, my parents have wanted me to be a doctor! And what do you want? It doesn’t matter what I want! It doesn’t work like that in my family! Okay, so you’re just gonna do what they want you to do forever? When are you gonna start making decisions about your own life? Uh, the rideshare will be here in 10 minutes, so I’m gonna go double-check our rooms to make sure I didn’t accidentally leave anything he needs. Okay. Yeah. Don’t forget his favorite blanket. The warm, fuzzy one that he likes. It was the first thing I packed. Do you mind watching him? Of course.

[ Smooching ] Okay, ace. This is it, buddy. You and your mommy are gonna be getting your own place, which means that, uh, we’re not gonna see each other as much. And I’m gonna miss you. But I’m still gonna take you to the park to see the ducks. And I will ask if I can be the first person to give you some ice cream, ’cause I know it’s gonna be your favorite, too.

[ Sniffles ] A-and, uh, next summer, we will go to the pool again because I know how much you like the water. A-and, um…

[ Stammers ] I know that we’re not gonna be living together anymore, but I want you to know that I will always, always, always, always be your big brother, okay? No matter what happens. What you want to do is you want to keep your answers short. Yes or no. Don’t volunteer anything. This is all much more complicated than I realized. Yeah, well, the law is much more complicated than most people realize. And, by the way, this is important, specifically to your case. It could backfire on you if you say, “I don’t remember.” A man is dead. There’s a family grieving. And the jury wants to feel that you will remember every detail leading up to the death. But don’t lie. If there is something you forgot, it’s better to admit it than to make up a story that’s gonna come back and bite you. Well, no one’s ever accused me of being overly verbose, so don’t worry. I think I got this. Clearly, you’re not talking about martin. Uh, no. Your other brother, cyrus. Well, considering his rap sheet and all the crimes

i personally saw him commit, he’s certainly capable of murder. What’s his connection to austin gatlin-holt? It looks like both austin and mason were working for cyrus the whole time he was in pentonville. Doing what? And how do you know this? Yeah. Dante, this is a huge accusation. Do you have any proof?

Can you state your name for the record? Dr. Hamilton finn. Wrong. No, I’m pretty sure that’s my name. It is, but that’s not what she asked. She specifically asked you,

“could you state your name for the record?” To which you reply…? This is ridiculous. That’s what I reply. Look. Um, this is a deposition, not “simon says,” alright? I’m not gonna play lawyer games and parse every word coming out of diane miller’s mouth. Well, you better, because she’s gonna parse every word that comes out of your mouth and then try to get a jury to see that you’re negligent and at fault. So you want to take a breath and we’ll start again? Can you state your name for the record?

[ Exhales deeply ] Yes. What is your name? Dr. Hamilton finn. Jake, charlotte’s been through a lot. There are two kinds of trauma after someone gets shot, and she’s going through both. Obviously there’s the physical pain, but then there’s also the mental and emotional trauma of knowing that she could have died. I guess I didn’t think about it that way. She’s lucky, though. I mean, her physical injuries are healing. She’s gonna make a full recovery. But the other wounds, they’re gonna take a lot longer to heal. I hate guns! Trina: Okay. I’m a little scared to ask, but how do you both feel about this one? Oh, well, don’t look at me. Talk to the tree whisperer here. It’s all his decision. Curtis: We’re getting close. But this ain’t it. You guys, why don’t we take another look at this one?

[ Cellphone chimes ] Um, it is perfect. I love it. Okay. Can’t wait to see it decorated. Hm. Bye, guys.

[ Laughs ] I guess — I guess she had someplace to be. Right?

[ Both chuckle ] James went to the school nurse saying that his tummy hurt. And when they couldn’t reach you, maxie, they called me. Oh! I can’t believe I left my phone here! They tried to call me four times! Maxie, don’t worry. It’s okay. Okay. Well, h-how sick is he? Where is he now? Well, I-I took him home, and I put him right to bed and gave him some ginger ale and his favorite comic book. Liesl was willing to examine him and said don’t worry. It’s just a case of the 24-hour flu that’s been going around. She’s there with him now and said he should be as good as new tomorrow. Okay. Okay. So it’s not an emergency. Not at all. Okay. Alright. That’s good. I’m happy to hear that. Look, I understand that you’re under pressure, but I don’t like when people lie about me — for any reason. I stayed because it was the right thing to do, and I wouldn’t have felt great if I had just focused on my test and left you to fend for yourself. I’m sorry. I owe you. No, no, no. You don’t owe me anything but honesty. You don’t have to go around telling people what happened, but if you do, tell the truth. I got to get goin’. I… I need to get a jump on my gross anatomy and histology before I get too far behind. O-oh, b-by the way, um, I forgot to ask. What — what’d you get on the make-up test? I got a 90.

[ Sighs ] I-I’m sorry. T-that’s too bad. Look, I’m sure you’ll do better next time. I’ll see you later.

[ Door closes ] Looks like I have everything, so I guess, um, this is it. Do you want me to put him in his stroller? Oh, no. I-I’ve got it. Okay. Okay. Well… not enough hands. Oh.

[ Chuckles ] But you don’t want me to help, right? Um, it’s quite the production, but I’ve got it. So I, um… I guess this is it. It looks good. So… wish us luck. Luck.

[ Elevator bell dings, doors open ]

I have a confidential informant, and they are telling me that austin visited cyrus in pentonville at least one time, maybe more that we don’t know about yet. Well, that’s interesting. It is interesting, especially when you consider the fact that austin testified at cyrus’ hardship release hearing, saying that he was ill and that he wasn’t a danger. Okay, it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how many times austin visited cyrus in prison. There’s a visitor’s log. T-there’s security footage. Pentonville is full of cameras. You’re right. In theory, that should be the case. But when I called pentonville and asked them, they said that they had no record of austin being there at all. Is there any possibility that your confidential source is lying? Not a chance. They’d have no reason to. I think someone wiped the records clean. Tell me about mr. Muldoon’s first appointment. What were his symptoms? Dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, and weight loss. Did mr. Muldoon disclose anything that pointed you toward a preliminary diagnosis? He had been traveling to rural areas in the tropics and believed he had contracted a tapeworm. Who initially raised the possibility of a tapeworm — you or mr. Muldoon? I believe mr. Muldoon did. And what was your response? I ran some tests and a culture. Hm. What do you think those results indicated? Well, the tests revealed a low hemoglobin and elevated white blood cell counts, and the culture came back positive for a tapeworm, so I, uh… you — “I, uh,” what? The tests confirmed mr. Muldoon had a tapeworm. And did you treat mr. Muldoon for that diagnosis? Yes. How? I gave him praziquantel. And could those symptoms mr. Muldoon was experiencing have been indicative of anything else? Dr. Finn, I’ve asked you a question. You said that your patient was complaining of dizziness, of fatigue, of low hemoglobin, of high elevated white blood cell counts. Could any of those symptoms been indicative of another disease or illness? Only about 10,000 things.

[ Sighs ] Curtis: Right on. Thanks, man. Well, pop, they’re gonna deliver the tree this afternoon. I hope you’re up for it tonight because I am ready to hang some ornaments. I love how you get so excited about christmas. It reminds me of your mama and how excited she got about it, too. Yeah. It was always her favorite time of the year. Even when times were tough, she always went all-out no matter what it cost.

I know that anna shootingcharlotte was an accident, but it still really scared me. So I started reading about some gun-control groups, and I think I want to get involved with one of them. I love that. I love that you’re finding something that matters to you and you want to make a difference. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I will. But right now… we got to find a tree. You’re right.

[ Sighs ] And we need to get the best one to send pictures to cameron.

[ Chuckles ] I like that one over there. You know, when I was a kid, I used to think christmas just happened.

[ Chuckles ] Mom and aunt stella… always did such a wonderful job of making christmas so magical for tommy and me that it never occurred to me that it took work. I mean, it wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized that they had to plan and save all year so that day could be memorable for us. And then every year, without fail… we always had many gifts under the tree. Good gifts, too. Stuff we wanted. Mama knew how to make us the happiest. Her and aunt stella would go without so they could make it happen for us. I asked mama one year, “is christmas any fun for you?” Right? Because she doesn’t get many gifts. And I remember her saying… “baby, the best presents are the smiles on your faces.” Yeah, that — that — that sounds like irene.

[ Exhales heavily ] I hate to admit it, but I think that esme was right. It’s taken me a very long time to understand this, but… I think that this is gonna be better for ace in the long run. It may not mean much in the moment… but I am so proud of you… for being so mature and putting ace first. It means a lot, actually. And it’s better that it’s happening now when he’s so young because he’s never going to remember that his life was any other way. But the thing is that… I will. You know, I’m never gonna forget all those months of seeing him change and watching him grow. Watching him figure out that he’s got fingers and toes. And I’ll always remember how it felt to hold him and rock him in the chair in his room. Both of us so cozy and happy. While I sang him to sleep. That’s beautiful, spencer. And I believe that ace will remember all of it. Maybe only subconsciously, but it will be somewhere in his mind that your voice was the first one that he heard and that your arms used to hold him. And he’ll remember how safe and secure that he felt with you. That will be imprinted in his mind and his heart.

[ Josslyn groans ]

[ Drawer slides ] Maxie: I don’t know what to do. I-I hate not being with james when he’s sick, but this video conference call is really important. Well, listen, maxie, if it’ll help make up your mind and get you to james, I can talk to pebela’s people, like, all day, really. I appreciate that. I-I really do. And it’s not that I don’t trust you and sasha ’cause you guys were great together on “home & heart.” It’s just this conference call is so important. Maxie, cody and sasha want to do this, and you yourself said they can handle it. So just say, “thank you,” and let them. I promise, maxie, we’re gonna call you right after and tell you how great it went. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Alright. Yeah. You guys have convinced me. Um, you just have to let me set you up first. So let’s go over to this table. Okay. Cody, you sit there. Sasha, next to the window. Alright. I’m gonna remove these flowers. It’s just a little much. Alright. Scoot closer to her! Yeah. No. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yep. Yep. And this. Yes. Okay. Perfect. Alright. Let’s go before I change my mind. Hey, uh, tell james I said hi and, you know, hope he feels better. Okay. You ready? Hit it. Hi, everyone. Hi. Thank you so much for meeting with us today. I’m sasha gilmore, and this is my colleague cody bell. Hi. Nice to meet you. Sasha and I just want to fill you in on what’s going on with deception. Done. You were right. Broke him in less than 15 minutes. Objection! I did not break! As much as it pains me to say, as your attorney, you definitely did. When you snapped at her, what you said was basically the equivalent of admitting you took the easy way out when you diagnosed him. But that is not what happened! It doesn’t matter what happened. If you say that, this is what the jury is gonna hear — that you took your patient’s word for it, you wrote him a prescription, sent him on his way without finding or treating the cancer that eventually killed him. Understand this. There are literally thousands of illnesses that present with fatigue, distress, low hemoglobin, and an elevated white blood cell count. That’s a fact. Look it up. How would you like me to answer this question? As simply as possible. When she asked you if those symptoms were indicative of anything else, you just say, “yes.” Just that. Just that one word. “Yes.” Okay. Keep my answers short. Duly noted. Thank you. Alright. Let’s take it from the top.

[ Clears throat ] Can you please state your name for the record? Yes. I’d like to know your opinion, dante. Do you think cyrus murdered austin gatlin-holt? I don’t have any evidence to back up that theory. I’m not asking about evidence. I’m asking your opinion. Well, did cyrus have a motive? Yeah, sure. Austin came to see me at the pcpd before he died, told me he was worried that mason was gonna make it look like austin kidnapped ava. He wanted immunity. He was gonna give up the name of the person that he and mason were working for and he was gonna provide the corroborating evidence. And you think that person was cyrus? Just to be clear, austin never told me he was working for cyrus. I found that out

after he died. But it certainly gives cyrus ample motive in austin’s murder. Yeah, the problem is, is that cyrus has an alibi. He was mopping floors at the port charles grill when austin was killed. But this is cyrus we’re talking about. If he didn’t want to do it himself, he certainly could have hired someone else to do it for him. Right, but that’s, you know, making a couple assumptions. One of them is that he’s still got the associates and contacts that would actually murder for him… and, two, that he knew that austin was gonna give him up. And I’m not convinced that he did. Alright. I want you to keep me in the loop on everything involving this investigation. Nothing is too small, okay? Absolutely. Because if my brother is the same ruthless killer that he always was, I’ll make sure he never sees the light of day again.

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