Days of our Lives Recap, May 26, 2025: John’s family prays for a miracle

On Days of our Lives today, Monday, May 26, 2025, as word of John’s heroism spreads, devastated family members gather at the hospital, while Xander faces the music with Maggie.

What Happened on Days of our Lives

At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie caught Xander passing through the main room and demanded to know why he was there. He reminded Maggie that it was his house, too, as per Victor’s wishes. Maggie contended that Victor wouldn’t want Xander anywhere on the premises after what Xander had done to Philip. She laid into Xander for the attack, but he refused to directly acknowledge culpability.

Xander challenged Maggie on why she had so much sympathy for Philip and excused his actions while not giving Xander the same “grace.” Maggie quickly retorted that she’d been Xander’s biggest champion and had gone to bat for him multiple times. But just like with Victor, Maggie was not afraid to put Xander in his place when he crossed the line. She couldn’t forgive Xander for breaking his promises to Sarah and to Victoria. Xander was hurt and angry that Maggie would give up on him so easily, and he tried to place the blame on Sarah for her lies.

Maggie was having none of it and defended her daughter and her choices. She admitted that she had known about the forged letter as well and had supported Sarah in her decision to keep quiet. Xander had ultimately proven Sarah’s fears were not unfounded. Maggie also let Xander know that she would support Sarah fully if Sarah decided that Xander was not fit to be around Victoria. She ordered Xander never to return to the mansion.

Xander agreed to go but warned Maggie that he would fight anyone or anything to be with his daughter. When Victoria’s cries were heard on the baby monitor, Maggie stopped Xander from going to Victoria and said she'd handle it. Xander took a long glance at Victor’s portrait. Later, Maggie returned to the main room to find Xander gone…as well as Victor’s portrait. She immediately surmised that Xander had taken the painting from the wall.

Meanwhile, in an alley, Xander hauled the portrait to a garbage bin. He took out a blade and stabbed the picture several times. Then, he threw the painting into the trash and collapsed in despair against the bin.

At the hospital, Steve and Marlena stood vigil at a bandaged John’s bedside. As scenes of his various identities through the years flashed through his mind, John flatlined. Kayla ordered life-saving equipment into the room and desperately tried to revive John while a frantic Marlena begged for John’s life.

Steve urged Marlena not to give up hope and compelled her to remember all the times John had come back to them. Marlena recalled when John and she had been saved at the last moment from a guillotine. She sobbed in relief after Kayla announced John's pulse had returned. Later, Steve and Kayla sat with John. Steve told Kayla that if Bo lived, they had John to thank.

At the nurses’ station, Brady, Belle, and Paul rushed up to Sarah and asked for an update on John. Sarah was taken aback, as she hadn’t heard about John’s accident yet. She expressed her sympathies and promised to get information for the family. Just then, Kayla and Marlena approached. Belle started to ask if John was alive.

Marlena confirmed John was still with them and added, “But he’s –” She couldn’t finish the phrase and instead accepted Belle’s hug. The family gathered in the waiting area. Marlena insisted she needed privacy and left for the chapel while John’s kids silently absorbed what had transpired.

Later, Sarah joined Brady after Belle and Paul briefly stepped away. Brady tried to distract himself by asking Sarah about Philip and about Xander’s potential involvement in Philip's attack. Sarah claimed she wasn’t ready to talk about it. She told Brady she was there if he or the rest of the family needed anything and then departed.

Paul rejoined Brady and reminisced about the good times he’d experienced with John, including John’s enthusiastic participation in a Pride parade. Paul felt like he’d just discovered John was his father “yesterday,” and he regretted he didn’t have more time with his dad. Brady concurred that they’d both “hit the lottery” with John as their father. The statement made Paul tear up. After he composed himself, Paul confided he had some more positive news to share.

Paul had planned to elope with Andrew, but John had insisted that the couple say their “I do”s in Salem. Paul wasn’t sure it was appropriate to do so anymore, but Brady reaffirmed a family wedding was what John wanted. When John recovered, the brothers looked forward to celebrating with him at the happy event.

Back at the nurses’ station, Kayla and Sarah caught up with each other. Kayla filled Sarah in on John’s sacrifice with the Versavix, and Sarah updated Kayla about her fight and break-up with Xander.

Belle also spoke with Kayla and inquired about the accident. Steve emerged from John's room and said that John’s accident was due to him. Steve told Belle about having looped John in on the rescue mission and John’s insistent offer of help. Kayla and Steve stressed that John had saved not only Bo’s life but the lives of countless people who would benefit from the sepsis drug. Belle was touched and not surprised that her dad had embarked on another rescue mission before coming home.

When they had a moment alone, Kayla and Steve opened up about their own feelings. Steve knew Kayla was having a hard time because her sister was fighting cancer and her brother was fighting for his life. Kayla corrected that she had two brothers to worry about. For the past four decades, she’d considered John her brother. Steve felt the same way. He admitted the tremendous guilt he felt because he was the one who’d sought John’s assistance.

Kayla gently reminded him that John wouldn’t have had it any other way. Steve remembered one of his first encounters with John, when John had again been bandaged in a hospital room. Steve brokenly recited the words he’s said to John that day: “Your pal Patch is here to help.” Kayla embraced her husband in comfort.

Sarah visited Philip’s hospital room, and she was enraged when Xander stepped inside. She commanded him to leave, asking him if he hadn’t done enough already. Xander guessed from Sarah's demeanor that something else had happened, so Sarah told him about John. She blamed Xander in part for the chain of events since Xander’s brutal assault had prevented Philip from acquiring the Versavix drug as intended.

Xander was incredulous and wondered what other catastrophe Sarah wanted to blame on him. He shot back that Sarah should hold herself accountable for John, too; if she hadn’t sat on Philip’s secret, then Philip would have been “out on his ass” months ago. The comment angered Sarah anew, and she shouted at Xander to get out. He eventually obliged.

Before leaving the hospital, Xander tried to extract information about the Versavix drug from Kayla. Both Steve and she cautioned him that it wasn’t the time or place and strode away. Belle, however, put Xander on notice that she knew what he had done to Philip. The two traded barbs about Belle’s defense of Philip before a fed-up Belle sarcastically snapped that while the town might lose Philip, Bo, and her father, at least Xander would have his precious cash cow.

In the hospital chapel, Marlena prayed for God to help John fight. John was the best man Marlena had ever known. He’d saved her life more times than she could count; he’d even saved her very soul, Marlena affirmed as she remembered John facing down the demon inside her. John and she had survived Stefano, Orpheus, Kristen, and the devil himself. She believed they had one more miracle left.

Belle found her mother in the chapel and told Marlena she wanted to talk about John’s last wishes. Marlena didn’t want to hear it at first, until Belle reminded her of the difficult conversations she’d been forced to have with John when Marlena was dying. The friction with Belle at that time had made John realize that he never wanted Marlena to endure the same struggles. He’d given Belle power over his medical decisions.

Marlena was heartened when Belle revealed that John explicitly stated that he wanted to fight until the very end. Belle and she took comfort in John’s unwavering fighting spirit.

Later, an emotional Steve sat down in the chapel for his own heart-to-heart talk with the “Big Dude.” He acknowledged that he hadn’t prayed in quite a while. “Can you please help my partner? Please?” Steve pleaded as he wiped away fresh tears.

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