After the ball, Miles took Belinda to the Valley Inn where he had rented a private dining room. Belinda was impressed by the display, but there was much more on the way. Miles checked the temperature of a special bottle of champagne he'd ordered. He determined that the bottle needed to chill a little while longer. He suggested that they dance while they waited for the champagne to chill. A beautiful jazz number played in the background, prompting Belinda to ask her date if he knew the artist of the song. "You're dancing with him," Miles smiled proudly. Belinda recalled that Miles had told her that he was a musician, but he'd never told her that he'd cut an album. Miles told Belinda that until now he didn't know who he'd written the song for. He leaned over and the two shared a kiss. They danced for most of the night, but when the sun came up the next morning, Belinda had to leave for work. Miles asked her if she'd join him later that night for another night of dancing. Belinda quoted some of her Aunt Grace's famous advice, "Never tell a man yes when maybe will do." Miles smiled and looked forward to seeing Belinda later in the day.
The night proved painful for Dimitri in more than one way. He taunted Edmund for taking sadistic pleasure in his slow demise. Seeing Dimitri pinned under a tree must have been like a dream come true for Edmund. Well, that's what Dimitri thought. He ordered Edmund to turn his back and walk away. Edmund obliged him and left Dimitri to die alone. A few minutes later, Edmund returned and told Dimitri that the paramedics were on their way. He took a close look at the wound on Dimitri's leg and used his handkerchief as a makeshift tourniquet. Edmund urged Dimitri to fight and hold on, but the fight dwindled from Dimitri's body. With a final gasp, Dimitri's body thumped lifeless to the ground.
In the hallway outside of her room, Janet bumped into Erica who was still wearing her French maid's uniform. Janet asked Erica why she was dressed in the ridiculous costume, adding that Halloween was long since over. Erica smiled coyly and replied that Janet shouldn't knock her outfit until she'd given it a try. Janet unlocked the door to her room and invited Erica inside before she caught pneumonia in the frigid temperatures. Erica informed Janet that she and Jack had spent some "time" together and that they appeared to be an item once again. While Janet was happy for her friend, Erica noticed that Janet's forced happiness was masking a broken heart. Janet told Erica that Trevor had proposed to her. Erica opened her arms and ran across the room to give Janet a big hug. Before she wrapped her arms around Janet, Erica realized that Janet wasn't smiling. Janet confessed that she'd turned Trevor down. That confused Erica. She'd remembered that Janet had once told her that she wanted to be part of the Dillon family. What changed? Janet summoned up her lie about her renewed relationship with her first husband. She explained that she'd bumped into Mr. Green a few weeks prior and that he'd fallen in love with her all over again. As a side note, she added that her ex-husband loved the face she's obtained as a result of her plastic surgery. Janet didn't want to talk anymore, so she asked Erica if she'd mind leaving so that she could get some beauty sleep. That elicited two responses from Erica. The first was a warning about giving ex-husbands a second chance. She had made that mistake with Dimitri, Erica said. Then Erica asked Janet for her ex-husband's name. Janet stumbled for a few minutes before giving the correct answer. Erica tapped her foot and told Janet that she's going to have to come up with a better lie if she wants Trevor to believe her. Janet was surprised that her lie was so transparent---Trevor bought it. Made Trevor had, Erica commented, but it would be only a matter of time before he realized that there were too many holes in Janet's tale. Erica pressed Janet for the reason behind her proposal turndown. Janet came close to telling the truth on a couple of occasions, but her ultimate explanation was that "it makes sense to me." Janet forced Erica to promise that she wouldn't tell Trevor that she'd lied. It was against her better judgment, but Erica agreed to keep her lips sealed. After Erica left, Janet sat down to work on her lying. She reviewed Axel's birthplace, his favorite color, and television program. She was displeased by the boring stats and suddenly realized why she was so happy to be rid of her ex-husband. Janet looked at a picture of Natalie and vowed to keep her promise---but said that it wouldn't be easy.
Jake accused David of luring them to the hospital as part of his sick obsession with Allie. He must have felt like a real fool when David informed him that he'd paged them for work-related reasons. David told them that there'd been a serious pile-up on the Interstate involving a busload of passengers. Meanwhile, Joe was thanking Gloria for putting her personal difficulties aside to help out at the hospital. She assured him that work was the best thing for her at the moment.
David and Allie tended to an injured woman in cubical one. Her condition was quite serious and Allie determined that the woman was suffering from internal bleeding. She was rushed off to surgery. That should have signaled the end of David's need to talk to Allie, but it didn't. David prevented Allie from leaving the room. He then issued her an ultimatum: Stop telling people about their personal lives or risk his wrath. Joe entered the room and asked if the two doctors could assist in the operating room.
Clutching his neck, a twentysomething-year-old man entered the emergency room and asked Gloria for assistance. Gloria sat the man down and took some information from him. The man, named Ryan Lavery, claimed to have no address, no job, and no insurance. He told Gloria his blood type and told her that he was sure that he'd suffered whiplash during the accident. Gloria accidentally dropped her pen and Ryan quickly dropped to the ground to retrieve it for her. Only then did Gloria know that the man was faking his injuries. She accused him of trying to commit insurance fraud. Ryan insisted that he was really injured. Gloria said that she'd believe his story if he could show her his bus ticket. Ryan couldn't and suddenly felt a lot better. Edmund tracked Gloria down and told her that Dimitri had been rushed in to the hospital in very poor condition. Gloria raced into Dimitri's room and determined that his situation was critical. She managed to resuscitate her husband, but she felt a conflict of interest and called out for assistance. Being short-staffed, no one heard her cries, so she was forced to tend to Dimitri by herself. Dimitri's condition seemed to stabilize, but Gloria knew that Dimitri would need a major blood transfusion in order to pull through. She checked the hospital's computer system and learned that the influx of injuries had depleted the blood supply. Then she recalled that Ryan had the same blood type as Dimitri. She raced into the waiting room and pulled Ryan away from an interview he was giving to a news reporter. She again reminded him that she could report him to the police. To buy her silence Ryan was told that he'd have to donate blood. He reluctantly bowed to Gloria's request.
Several hours later, Joe informed Edmund that Dimitri was out of surgery and that he would make a full recovery. Joe praised Gloria as being the one who'd saved Dimitri's life, not an easy task considering what she'd been through. Edmund led Gloria to the chapel so that he could have a few words with her. He thanked her for looking out for Maddie during the few months that the baby lived with Dimitri. Gloria claimed that she was just doing what came naturally to her. Gloria told Edmund that she wanted to make a fresh start now that she had learned of Dimitri's lies. She wasn't exactly sure what that would entail, but she only hoped that Dimitri wouldn't try to make her life a living hell. Edmund told her that he'd be there to help her if Dimitri got out of line. Joe entered the chapel and told the pair that Dimitri was regaining consciousness. Gloria turned her head to the side, so Edmund offered to be the one to be with Dimitri.
Jake and Allie took a breather after caring for all of the injured. Jake told Allie that her transcript fraud might not be as serious as she thinks. He told her that he's going to meet with Jack and ask him for some legal advice. He would, of course, pose his questioning as a hypothetical situation. David cornered Allie in the locker room area and told her that he finally decided how he can deal with her once and for all.
Dimitri was surprised to see Edmund in his room. He had thought that he'd been dreaming. "Why?" Dimitri muttered, asking Edmund why he'd saved his life. "Because you're by brother," came the reply. Edmund turned and walked out of the room.
A knock on Jack's door sent the district attorney into his suave mode. "Well you just can't get enough," he purred, thinking that Erica was on the other side of the door. His macho stride to the door suddenly disappeared when he opened the door and saw Jake! Jake told Jack that he was there with some legal questions. He took a deep breath and spouted off that a friend of his had forged some college transcripts and he now wanted to know what could happen to him if the truth was revealed. Whenever anyone starts off a question with "a friend of mine," it usually means that the person asking the question is the one seeking advice. Jack asked Jake if he was the person facing the troubles. Jake assured Jack that he really was asking for a friend. Jack placed a phone call to get the answer to the question. It wasn't good. The one thing that perplexed Jack more than anything else was why someone would falsify the school they went to. Their grades? Sure. But why the school? Jake explained that his friend needed to come from a top-notch undergraduate school in order to impress the university that he wanted to go to. Whether or not it made sense to him, Jack came up with the same conclusion: His friend would need to get himself a good lawyer. Jack told Jake that the university could sue his friend to recoup the scholarships they'd given him. Surely returning the money would satisfy the school, right? Not so, Jack replied. He explained that Jake's friend had committed fraud---a felony---and could face jail time and the revocation of his medical license.
Tad sat in his office at WRCW ogling the locket left on his lawn by "the mystery woman." A voice from behind him called out his name. Tad turned and saw the blonde-haired object of his desire. He told her that he knew she'd come. Tad's daydreams had infiltrated his reality. The woman standing at the door was not Joy, but rather a woman who was going to fill in for the station's vacationing receptionist. After Tad gave the woman instructions on her duties for the day, he turned his mind towards his own work. He picked up the phone and called The Bulletin to place a lost and found ad in the paper. The ad simply stated that an item of jewelry had been found with a one-word inscription upon it. To claim the item, the owner was asked to contact him by phone or by mail with the mystery word. A few seconds after Tad hung up the phone, Ryan poked his head into the office and asked to speak to Liza. Tad told him that Liza was away and that she was due back in a few hours. Ryan nodded his head and pulled up a chair. Tad cleared his throat and explained that Ryan was supposed to leave---come back later, not wait. Ryan proclaimed that waiting for Liza would demonstrate his persistence. Ryan assured Tad that he was not a stalker, but when Tad suggested that Ryan wait in the waiting room Ryan took evasive actions. Ryan clutched his neck and told Tad that he'd been in a severe accident the night before and suffered a nasty case of whiplash. Ryan's concocted sob story continued up until the point that he so nobly donated blood to save a man's life. Ryan couldn't recall the person's name, but he remembered that it had a Russian ring to it. Tad muttered Dimitri's name, thereby jogging Ryan's mind. Tad canceled all of his meetings for the day and headed to Wildwind. Ryan, meanwhile, made himself at home in Tad's office. He was so bold that he even answered Tad's phone when it rang! Ryan put his feet up on Tad's desk and remarked how easy it would be for him to get used to Tad's lifestyle.
David may have had a solution to his problem, but Allie had one as well. She informed David that all of his headaches (and hers too) would go away if he would hop on a plane and travel back to California. David laughed nervously and told Allie that he wanted to give her a present. The present he planned on bestowing his former lover wasn't something tangible. He informed her that he had decided to let her go. Allie was shocked. Why, she wondered, would David suddenly give up on winning Allie back? She accused him of playing games with her, but David fervently denied having any ulterior motives. David explained that he'd finally come to the realization that Allie had found someone new and that nothing he could do would bring Allie back to his arms. He added that he could never turn Allie in to the authorities on fraud charges because he knows how badly she wants to be a doctor. In doing so, he also knew that he'd be hurting scores of sick people who would rely on Allie for treatment. Allie was speechless. David unlocked the door and walked away without saying another word.
Adam returned to the hospital and demanded to see the chief neurologist on staff, Dr. Shimatori. Ruth was turned off by Adam's brazen attitude and jokingly said. "Fine, and you?" Adam blasted Ruth for trying to make small talk. How many people, he asked her, drop by the hospital to make conversation? Ruth picked up a clipboard and asked Adam some questions about his health. Adam was still bitter and told Ruth that he would not answer any of her questions because she was not a doctor. The doctor happened to be walking down the hall, so Ruth flagged him down and pointed him in Adam's direction. Adam told the doctor that he'd had "a vision." Dr. Shimatori wondered if Adam had been drinking when he saw the ghostly apparition. Adam shook his head and told the neurologist that the vision he'd seen was of someone from his past. Perhaps a mistaken identity? Again, Adam shook his head. He explained that the woman in his vision looked exactly like the woman he'd known so many years ago---and that she hadn't aged. Shimatori implied that the woman could have had some plastic surgery done. Adam, in his best form when peeved, snapped that "She was transparent and floating like a bloody bubble! Is there a cosmetic procedure for that?" The doctor was silent. He asked an orderly to get a wheelchair because Adam was going to be admitted to the hospital. Ruth kept Adam company while the orderly fetched a wheelchair and the doctor processed some paperwork. Ruth told Adam that it was a shame he'd missed the entertainment at the ball. Adam claimed to be too grown-up for "circus acts." Ruth chuckled and told Adam that he'd have thought differently if he'd seen Gloria levitating in the air. "That's it," exclaimed Adam as he leapt to his feet. He cackled gleefully as he raced out of the hospital.
Jake returned to the hospital and told Allie that her situation was quite serious. Allie smiled broadly as she told Jake that David had given up his fight. Jake wasn't so sure that David was sincere. Allie tried to explain what had happened to Jake, but Jake warned Allie to keep her guard up for what he saw as an impending sneak attack by Dr. Hayward.
Adam showed up at Wildwind and watched as the magic troupe packed up their belongings. He made small talk with one of the members of the troupe hoping that he could get some information on the woman he'd seen the night before. The man denied putting on a "special performance" on the terrace. Adam didn't believe him and offered him a large chunk of cash to tell the truth. Still the man said nothing. He showed Adam the troupe's media kit that contained all of their photos. Adam leafed through the packet and couldn't find anyone that looked like the woman he'd seen only hours before. After Adam left, the mystery woman walked onto the stage and thanked the man for keeping her secret. The woman, now wearing overalls instead of the flowing white gown, told her partner that she was going to be leaving the troupe to tend to some business in Pine Valley. The man told her that he'd miss her and hoped that she'd one day rejoin them. A familiar voice called out from the distant. She remembered her run-in with Tad from the night before and instantly matched the voices. She looked for a place to hide as Tad closed in on her position.
Adam returned to the hospital and asked Ruth if he could still be admitted. Jake walked over and told Adam that he made a wise decision in returning. Adam wasn't the least bit interested in hearing from "a pipsqueak." Adam was wheeled off to his room and Jake left in a huff. David had overheard the tete-a-tete and asked Ruth why Adam disliked Jake. Ruth explained that Jake and Adam had personal differences and that Adam isn't one to give up on grudges, "Neither am I," David mumbled under his breath.
Ryan left the comfort of Tad's chair and began poking through some of WRCW's confidential files. AS he snooped, Liza returned to her office and demanded to know what he was doing in her office. Ryan turned around, extended his hand, and introduced himself to Liza as "the answer to [her] prayers." Liza had never heard of Ryan, so it was only natural that she walked over tot he phone and called security. Ryan pressed the receiver before she could finish her call, but security was able to get enough of her message to dispatch someone to her office. Ryan plopped himself down at the desk and tapped feverishly away on a calculator. He ripped off the printout and handed it to Liza just as George, the security guard, entered the room and began to drag him away. Ryan told her that the printout calculated the advertising revenue that WRCW could be making. Liza looked over the paper with a quick glance and told George to let Ryan free. Ryan was pleased that Liza was interested in what he had to say. He told her that the easiest way for the station to make more money from advertising was to raise its costs for placing an ad. It sounded simple, but Ryan had a whole spiel about how to make his plan work. In his plan, he would pit advertisers against each other to get more money for the station. If he told an advertiser that their ad prices were going to go up and that advertiser decided to back out on advertising, he'd simply tell them that their chief competitor had plans on taking their place in the advertising line-up. Liza rummaged through her files and handed over a copy of a memo she'd written up the week before. In the memo, Liza asked her advertising department to increase advertising revenue---and she had the exact same figures as Ryan. Ryan told Liza that he wanted to take on the project and that he'd work on commission only. That means he wouldn't get a regular salary, only a portion of the revenue he generates. Liza told him that he'd have one week to work his magic. Ryan said that he wouldn't even need that long. He told her that he'd need only twenty-four hours to increase the profit. If he couldn't accomplish his goal in that timeframe, he'd be wasting Liza's---and his---time.
Kelsey sauntered in WRCW and hunted down Scott. She told him that she wanted to drop by to thank him again for freeing her from the magician's handcuffs. Scott told her that he was glad to help. As Kelsey approached him, Scott began sneezing. He asked her what she was wearing. That was just the question that Kelsey had been waiting for. She unbuttoned her long black coat and revealed a low-cut brown dress. Scott was taken aback by her outfit and commented that she looked like Gillian. To Scott that was a quasi-compliment, but to Kelsey it was an insult. Kelsey offered to take Scott along the next time she went clothes shopping so that he could give her advice on what to wear. Scott told her that he doesn't like clothes shopping and quickly noted that Kelsey looks good in her usual everyday clothing. Kelsey reached into her purse and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. She told Scott that she'd picked them up at the magic shop. Before Scott knew what was happening, Kelsey cuffed herself to Scott. Things got tense when Scott received a page from his supervisor asking him to report to the stage and Kelsey couldn't unlock the cuffs. From the hall, Ryan watched with a smile on his face. Kelsey had put the key down the front of her blouse and with her hand cuffed she couldn't reach the key. She wiggled and jiggled until the key feel through the bottom of her dress. Scott bent over, picked up the key, and then freed himself. Once Scott had left, Ryan entered the room and praised Kelsey on her plot to win Scott over. Ryan felt that Kelsey needed a new approach. Kelsey denied that she was trying to win Scott... then she realized that she was talking to a complete stranger. Ryan suggested that Kelsey make herself "unavailable." That drives any man crazy, she said. Perhaps in the older set, Kelsey griped. Ryan insisted that his plan would work, but it was up to Kelsey to decide if she wanted his help out not.
Ruth stuck her head in Dimitri's room to check on his progress. Dimitri opened his eyes and asked Ruth if e was going to be okay. "Unfortunately," she groaned. Dimitri asked Ruth an awkward question, asking "Did Tad and Gloria...?" His question was open-ended, but it what he was implying was quite evident. Ruth rolled her eyes and fired back that Gloria's mind was not on amorous adventures. Ruth was so furious by Dimitri's lack of thought, that she told him that had it not been for Gloria...he'd be dead. Dimitri was stunned. Ruth didn't give him the details on what Gloria had done to save him, but then again he really didn't need to know. Ruth stormed out of the room just as Peggy was walking in. Peggy accused Dimitri of trying to send her to an early grave by nearly getting himself killed. Dimitri told Peggy that he'd shot Edmund. Peggy scratched her head and informed Dimitri that Edmund was alive and well. Dimitri struggled to shake his head back and forth. He explained that he would have killed Edmund if his bullets had not been replaced by blanks. Peggy noticed a similarity between the present-day Dimitri and the Dimitri of many years ago: Neither could express their sorrow. Peggy recalled the only time she saw Dimitri cry. Unfortunately, Hugo also saw the young Dimitri letting out his emotions. Hugo grabbed Dimitri and gave him a beating, telling him that a Marick never cries. Years and many beatings later, Dimitri had become his father---cold and easily angered. Dimitri didn't want to blame his father for what he'd become. He told Peggy that he "saw" his father at the mausoleum the night before. The tale sent shivers up Peggy's spine. She had words that she hoped would make Dimitri feel better, but in the end they didn't seem to help. She assured Dimitri that he still had time to change his ways. Dimitri wondered when he'd become so heartless. Peggy told him that she noticed the first signs of his changes shortly after Erica left him. Dimitri refused to believe that a woman caused his downward spiral. Besides, Erica left him over a year ago---he was over her now.
Joy hid behind a curtain, but she accidentally knocked something over. Tad heard the crash and moved closer to investigate. He might have found her had Gloria not entered the room. Tad told Gloria that he'd stopped by to visit Gloria. It wasn't clear why he felt the need to explain himself to Gloria, but he did so anyway. Asking forgiveness for the pun, Gloria told Tad that her life was "up in the air." Joy leaned her ear in the direction of the two strangers and listened intently to their conversation. Gloria told Tad that she'd come to a conclusion as to why she chose Dimitri over him. She said that Dimitri "needed" her more. She didn't understand why she stopped trusting her instincts. Had she listened to her heart she said that she never would have believed that Tad had slept with Liza. Tad asked Gloria to stop blaming herself for what happened. He'd made mistake, too. He told her that he was wrong for exposing Dimitri's lies to her in the way that he had. He forgot to take into consideration that Gloria had genuine feelings for Dimitri and that her life would crumble once she learned the truth. Gloria felt that Tad could've and should've blamed her for their relationship falling apart. She could have had everything, she sighed. Something Gloria said hit a nerve with Joy. The young woman bowed her head as though she was in deep thought about a painful memory. Gloria said that she'd made many mistakes, but that her "saddest mistake" was not marrying Tad. "We missed our chance, didn't we?" she asked Tad. Tad nodded his head. Tad assured Gloria that she'd find someone special one day, someone that would make her feel special. Gloria wasn't sure if she would ever find someone like that, but she definitely knew that her special someone was not living in Pine Valley. Gloria decided that it was time for her to move on and leave Pine Valley behind her. Tad asked her to reconsider, but Gloria's mind was made up. She told Tad that she wanted to make a clean break and that meant that she'd have no communication with anyone from Pine Valley. She hoped that Tad would someday find a woman that would provide him with the "love, happiness, and joy" that he deserved. Gloria leaned towards Tad and the two shared a final kiss. Gloria stood up and walked away. Tad pulled the locket from his pocket and repeated the word "joy." Joy's heart sank at the mention of her name. She watched as Tad held her locket in his hands.
Scott returned to the office and found that Kelsey hadn't moved since he left. He told her that he was sorry for yelling at her. Kelsey had a new attitude about her. She told him that she was the one who should be sorry. Scott asked her out for a cup of cappuccino, but Kelsey said that she had plans. Scott offered to walk to the door. Kelsey told him that he didn't have to, but Scott insisted. When the young couple left, Tad entered the office. Outside, Joy hovered by the doorway waiting to make her move.
Dimitri rested comfortably in his room. Gloria walked in, but when she realized that Dimitri was sleeping, she turned and started to walk away. Dimitri's eyes parted slightly as he called out to her, begging her not to leave.
Tad returned to his office and asked for his phone messages. Scott reminded Tad that he isn't his personal secretary, but hinted that any messages should be on his desk. Tad was mildly miffed that no one had contacted him about his lost and found ad. Liza happened to return to her office and heard only a few words of Tad and Scott's discussion. She asked Tad if he'd been placing personal ads in the paper. The two jokingly too swipes at each other before Tad told Liza about the lost locket. The talk soon returned to business, with Liza telling Tad that one of their guests had suddenly cancelled on them. The trio headed towards the stage. Once the coast was clear, Joy entered the office and rifled through Tad's jacket in a desperate search for her locket. She found it, but she was forced to cut her search short when Scott returned to the office. Joy turned her back so that Scott couldn't see her face and pretended to be a messenger. Scott left the room to find Tad, but Joy wasn't going to stick around until he returned. On her way out, Joy dropped the locket. Tad told Scott that he hadn't sent for a messenger. When they returned to the office, Tad saw the locket on the ground. He asked Scott for a description of the "messenger." Joy's baggy clothing coupled with the fact that Scott hadn't seen her face, led Scott to conclude that the messenger was a male.
Allie offered Jake support to help him deal with being assigned to the hospital's most difficult patient---Adam. Adam wasn't pleased that Jake would be taking care of him and demanded that he be assigned a "real doctor." Jake assured Adam that he was competent and that he only wanted to take his blood pressure. The argument seeped out of the room and could be heard in the hallway. David followed the trail of raised voices to the room and asked what was going on. Adam told David that he disapproved of having Jake as his doctor. David defended Jake, saying that Dr. Shimatori wouldn't have put Jake on the case if he weren't qualified. Jake stepped out of the room. Now Adam had a gripe with David's presence. Adam pointed out that he was having neurological problems and that there was nothing wrong with his heart. David explained that Adam's continued outbursts put a strain on his entire body. Following up on his brief chat with Ruth, David asked Adam why he disliked Jake so much. Adam informed him that Jake had tried to steal his wife. David understood Adam's situation and commented that there was no way he'd let a man run off with the woman he loves.
From his hospital bed, Adam placed a call to WRCW to speak to Liza. Tad tried to tell Adam that Liza wasn't in, but Adam could overhear Liza's voice in the background. Liza agreed to take the call and was probably surprised by the way the call went. Adam didn't beg her for forgiveness or yell at her for deserting him. Instead he told her that he was in the hospital. Liza was concerned that he'd suffered another attack, but Adam informed her that he was just having some tests performed. Why place the call? Adam claimed that he wanted Liza to know where he could be reached if she needed any divorce-related papers signed. Liza appeared to want to talk more, but Adam hung up the phone before she could say anything. Tad could detect the concern in Liza's eyes. Liza denied that she was still hung up on Adam, but Tad... well Tad just knew better. Liza tried to take the heat off of herself, so she asked Tad several questions about his mysterious locket. Tad told her that a woman dropped it on his lawn. Liza wondered what kind of woman would traipse around on private property in the middle of the night---in a gown nonetheless! She mused that the woman might have been an alien who wanted to take Tad back to the mothership. That, she chuckled, could lead to the topic for a future Cutting Edge: Talk show hosts who've been abducted by aliens! Tad's face became serious. He told Liza that the woman he saw had taken his breath away. Then he told her that he wouldn't say another word about his mystery woman until she admits that she still loves Adam.
Edmund summoned Rodney, Tempo's head investigative reporter, to his office to get an update on his investigation into Jim's past. There really wasn't all that much to discuss. Rodney handed over a file folder with only a few sheets of paper inside. Rodney told him that hardly anyone had ever heard of Jim. Sure, there were a few companies that had employed him... but that was about it. Oddly, there was a several year gap in the records. It was almost as if Jim had disappeared for a few years. Frustrated by the lack of information, Edmund vented on poor Rodney. He ordered him to get back on the case and find more dirt on Mr. Thomasen. A few minutes after Rodney left, Jim showed up in Edmund's office. Jim told Edmund that he hadn't heard from Brooke since she left for Boston and that he'd become worried. Edmund told Jim that he was worried about Brooke too. Not for the same reasons, though. Edmund came right out and said that he doesn't trust Jim. Jim was totally caught off guard when Edmund flashed Rodney's report in front of him. "You had me investigated?" Jim squawked. In Jim's mind that secret investigation signaled that Edmund thinks he's a criminal. Jim had a quick explanation for the missing years in the report---he was in Central and South America on top-secret business. Jim's story was filled with a great deal of vague details. Every time Edmund asked a question, Jim claimed that he couldn't give any answers because of the clandestine nature of his assignment. The person or persons who hired him procured the photos he'd taken. Even his bosses' names were shrouded in mystery. His mission, he said, was to document the various sides of the wars in Central America. He also hinted that he didn't always work for the good guys. Edmund told him that Trevor had worked as a mercenary in Latin America during the same timeframe, so he could ask Trevor for information. If the comment was an effort to cause Jim to crack, the man didn't flinch. Suddenly, Jim figured out why Edmund was so hell-bent on making him into the bag guy. Edmund, he said, was still ticked off that he had been the one to spend the final moments of Maria's life with her. He made subtle insinuations that Edmund wasn't there for his wife in her time of need. As the two men squabbled, Brooke entered the office and demanded to know what the two were fighting about.
Dimitri thanked Gloria for saving his life and that her actions proved that she still loved him. In a frigid display, Gloria told her soon-to-be ex-husband that her actions had nothing to do with her feelings. She nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders as she told Dimitri that she was just doing her job. She added that she doesn't believe she ever really loved Dimitri. The remark cut like a thousand daggers. Dimitri called his love for Gloria the "finest part" of his life. He begged for her forgiveness and a second chance to prove that he still loves her. Gloria didn't honor either of his requests. She actually smiled and let out a slight laugh as she told Dimitri that their relationship had already had too many chances. Dimitri trumpeted a new found mentality and declared that he could change. Gloria didn't even offer a response. She told Dimitri that she wasn't there to accept apologies or trade barbs; She wanted to say goodbye. Dimitri knew that something was amiss. He told her that Pine Valley was her home. Gloria, however, stated that she'd never really made a home in Pine Valley---or at least not the kind of home that she wanted for herself. She told Dimitri that she'd have her lawyers send him the divorce papers. Her hand shook as she removed her wedding ring and placed it in Dimitri's hand. Tears welled in Dimitri's eyes, but he bit his lip to prevent himself from crying. Gloria wasn't as emotional. She stood tall as the weight that had rested on her shoulders finally was lifted. She turned and walked away.
Joy stalked the halls of Pine Valley Hospital in search of Adam's room. Adam was in a deep sleep and didn't even know that Jake was in his room checking his vital signs. Jake left the room and tracked down Allie. The two headed for a coffeebreak and discussed their relationship. Both wondered if they'd ever have a real date. With no one around to see him, David slipped into Adam's room. He hovered over Adam's bed with a syringe in his hand. He carefully injected an unknown substance into Adam's bag. Then he slipped out of the room unnoticed. In his dreams, Adam again saw Joy lying in a coffin. He woke from his sleep and looked out the window. There he saw Joy, standing in her familiar white gown. He begged her not to leave, but once again she vanished into thin air. Beads of sweat formed on Adam's brow as his breathing became erratic. His bedside monitors beeped rapidly and the alarms went off as his heart monitor started to flat-line.
In an attempt to hide his squabble with Jim, Edmund asked Brooke about her trip to Boston. Brooke offered a brief answer---saying that the trip went well and that Laura fell in love with the youth center---before quickly turning back to what she'd overheard. Edmund claimed that he and Jim were just "getting to know each other." Jim wasn't so diplomatic. He told Edmund that Brooke could "handle the truth" and told her that Edmund had had him investigated. The news didn't seem to phase Brooke. In fact, she asked Edmund if he'd learned anything interesting. Jim was stunned by Brooke's apparent display of disloyalty. He accused her of tossing their relationship in the trashcan. Brooke noted that their personal and business relationships are two different things. That didn't sit well with Jim and his fury slowly rose to the surface. Edmund told Brooke that several years of Jim's life seemed to have been swallowed by a black hole. Jim turned and faced Brooke. He rattled off his story about his secret mission in Latin America. Edmund gave him a test, offering him specific dates that were missing from his report. Jim rapidly offered his response, saying that he was in Guatemala---and for proof his said that he could give the names of the three people that he saw killed. Jim wasn't in the mood for a continued inquisition, so he opted to go back to work. Once he was gone, Edmund waited for Brooke to lash out at him for his probe. Brooke, however, was quiet...to quiet. Edmund somehow knew that Brooke had doubts about Jim. She wouldn't admit to it, though. At every opportunity she actually made excuses for Jim. She told Edmund that Jim had a right to be upset once he found out that someone was poking around in his past. Perhaps he'd done something in his past that he wasn't proud of. Edmund nodded. He commented that everyone has made mistakes that they'd wanted to hide---but they don't just vanish for years at a time. Brooke got on the subject of the plane crash, to which Edmund vowed that he would find the person or persons responsible for planting the bomb. Brooke seemed surprised that Edmund believed the bomber was still alive. Edmund explained that he found it hard to believe that the explosion was a suicide mission. Brooke couldn't look Edmund in the eyes, but she told him that she, too, wants to find the person who killed Maria.
Hayley learned of Adam's admission to the hospital and dropped by the hospital to make sure that he was okay. Allie explained to her that Adam checked himself in for some tests and that he had not suffered another attack. As they talked, the bells and whistles on Adam's monitors went off. They raced into the room and found Adam gasping for air. He reached his hand out to Hayley before collapsing to the ground. David entered the room and started some emergency procedures. Allie was asked to escort Hayley out of the room. Hayley placed a call to Mateo to ask him to join her at the hospital. It was a struggle to convince Mateo to leave home, but he eventually agreed to Hayley's request. Joy cornered Allie in the hall and asked about Adam's condition. She was concerned that her little hocus-pocus act had caused Adam to have a heart attack. Allie didn't have a diagnosis to give. When Mateo arrived, Hayley filled her husband in on Adam's condition. When Joy overheard Hayley telling Mateo that her father could die, Joy's jaw dropped.
At WRCW, Liza and Tad continued their friendly teasing about their botched relationships. Ryan entered the room and bragged that he'd increased their ad revenue. Liza was impressed; Ryan asked for twenty-four hours and it had barely taken him more than twenty-four minutes! Tad was furious with Liza for hiring Ryan without his permission. Tad somehow felt that since Ryan was selling ad space during The Cutting Edge that he had a say in the matter. Liza yelled that he would have been told about Ryan's hiring if he had not been so preoccupied with his ghost. On cue, the phone rang. Liza took the call and, with a smile, hung up the receiver. Liza told Tad that someone was on their way to see him about the lost and found ad. Tad stumbled out of the room with an awkward look on his face. Liza got back to business and asked Ryan about his advertising coup. While they talked, the phone rang again. Hayley told Liza about Adam's latest health scare. Liza was moved, but she didn't want to admit her feelings. After she hung up the phone, Ryan asked her what was wrong. He could tell by the way her face whitened that the call did not bring good news. Rather nonchalantly, Liza stated that her husband was in the hospital. Ryan offered to give Liza a ride to the hospital, but Liza turned him down. She said that she isn't sure that Adam is really sick. "Is he a hypochondriac?" asked Ryan. "No, a liar," Liza replied. Ryan found it odd that Liza would speak so coldly about the man she married. Surely there had to be something about him that Liza liked or why else would she have married him? That, of course, would have been a long story, so Liza simply stated that a lot of things had changed since her wedding day. Ryan's voice grew serious. He asked Liza if she could live with herself if something horrible happened to Adam and she wasn't by his side during his final hours. That was all Ryan needed to say. Liza thanked him for his insight and headed to the hospital.
Down the hall, an older woman with red hair entered Tad's office and told him that she was there to claim Joy's necklace. Tad told her that she wasn't the right person. The woman thought that Tad was trying to get a reward out of her before giving up the piece of jewelry. Somehow, Tad got the idea that the woman was there on Joy's behalf. Before giving up the locket, he asked if the woman had pictures of Joy. She woman rummaged through her purse and eventually discovered a picture of Joy. Joy turned out to be a poodle! Tad held up the locket and the woman quickly realized that she'd made a mistake. She mused that her Joy had a "dainty" neck and that the locket was far too clunky for her! Tad sat down at this desk, dejected over his failure to meet up with Joy. The phone rang, but when Tad picked it up no one was there. He listened to the silence on the other end and knew that it was Joy on the other end. Joy, however, was too scared to speak.
In Adam's room, David and Allie went over some paperwork. While Allie had her back turned, David placed a small vial on the floor. When Allie turned around, she couldn't help but see the vial. She picked it up, figured that it was a vial of the medication that Jake had given Adam, and then readied to toss it in the garbage. David ordered her to halt and plucked the glass container from her hands. He looked at it for several minutes. Her then picked up the half-used bag that had been given to Adam and ordered her to take it to toxicology. Allie asked for an explanation, but David didn't give her one.
Liza arrived at the hospital and asked Joe if she could see Adam. He initially refused, but when he saw how upset she was, he granted her permission. Liza pulled up a chair and say by the bed. She told Adam that she would never forgive him if he died.
Back outside, David received the results of the toxicology examination. He waited until Jake was surrounded by Adam's family before confronting him with the news. "You administered the wrong medication,": David growled. "Were you just being incompetent or were you trying to kill the man?" Allie lowered her head and rolled her eyes. She knew that David was up to something.
Brooke visited Jim at this hotel room. The two talked about what had taken place in Edmund's office. Brooke claimed that she was caught off guard by the confrontation and that she didn't know what to say or do. Jim moved on to other topics---his future with Brooke. He told her that he'd done a lot of thinking while she was in Boston. He'd determined that he doesn't like going to bed alone---and that he likes waking up alone even less. He walked over to his nightstand and grabbed hold of something. He returned to Brooke and knelt before her. He told her that he cannot imagine his life without her. He opened up a ringbox and presented her with a sizeable diamond ring. He asked Brooke to be his wife, but Brooke neither accepted nor rejected his proposal. "I wanted to be with you too," Brooke said using the past tense. She told Jim that she was shaken by his lack of concern of the luggage fragment they'd seen. He denied that he didn't feel anything, saying that he was just has concerned as Brooke. "The explosives that killed Maria and all those other people," Brooke said as she walked over to the closet, " was in a suitcase just like this." Moving the boxes and other clutter aside, Brooke held up the suitcase that she'd found in Jim's closet.
