Daily Updates

From: rika1@mindspring.com (Rika)
Subject: PC: Update, Thursday, 2/19/98
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 22:39:56 GMT
X-Server-Date: 20 Feb 1998 22:42:59 GMT

                       PORT CHARLES UPDATE
                     Thursday, Feb. 19, 1998

TODAY'S STORYLINES:
-------------------
* The Lady or the Tiger
* Matt and the Mancusi Murders

MATT AND THE MANCUSI MURDERS
----------------------------
At the nurses' station, Grace asks Ellen why the hospital admission
date on Matt's chart has been changed to a date two weeks earlier.
Ellen explains that she did it, claiming that she made the change to
preserve Matt's insurance eligibility, since he was late paying a
bill.  Grace is astonished to learn that Ellen falsified medical
records, and asks Ellen what is going on; Ellen insists that Grace is
blowing it out of proportion.  Grace isn't convinced.

Matt is looking much better.  Grace visits him, and he tells her he is
going back to work the following day.  He notices that she seems tense
and asks her what is wrong.  She asks Matt about the change in the
medical records; he tells Grace the insurance-company story.  Grace
assures him that she would have done it for him, and she's surprised
he asked Ellen since she does things "by the book."  Grace offers to
help him if he's in trouble; he asks her simply to keep the
medical-records thing a secret.  She assures him that any of his
secrets are safe with her.

With her, maybe, but not with certain other people.  Out at the
nurses' station, Chris is on the phone pretending to be a PC Herald
reporter looking for information on the hotel bombing.  He learns that
it was aimed at a surprise witness in a trial (the "Mancusi murders").
He further learns that two Federal marshals died, but that the
surprise witness survived the explosion.

Mike comes to the hospital to visit Matt.  He talks to Grace, and she
is surprised that Mike seems to think Matt has pneumonia.  Grace asks
Mike if he has noticed anything unusual; she feels something is
different with Matt.  Mike goes into Matt's room; he has a big bowl of
vegetable noodle soup for Matt.  Matt notices that Mike is watching
him, and asks why.  Mike asks if Matt has everything worked out for
when he gets out of the hospital; Matt says he does.  Mike says,
"Good, because I'm going to say this straight out.  I respect your
privacy, and I know how to keep my mouth shut."  (And that's true.
But Matt might be understandably reluctant to trust the father of
Sonny Corinthos in this particular situation.)  Matt insists that
everything is fine.  Mike tells him again that he has friends who can
help him and who won't ask any questions.  As Mike is leaving, Ellen
arrives.  Matt tells her that too many people are getting curious
about him, and that worries him.

Next, we see Chris, wearing rubber gloves and putting together a note
saying, "Hey, Matt, I found you", cut out of letters from various
magazines.  Chris inspects his handiwork and toasts it with a martini.

THE LADY OR THE TIGER
---------------------
Karen, Joe, Julie, and Jake (there'd be some nice alliteration there
if Karen would change her name to Joanna or Jane) are at GH, poring
through toxicology references and brainstorming about what poison Rex
may have given to Lucy.  The Long Island Poison Center, according to
Karen, isn't having any luck either.  We learn that Lucy's
electrolytes are screwed up and her white cell count is way up.  Some
options are considered and dismissed.  Joe feels Lucy should be
admitted to the hospital so they can chart her symptoms; Karen
explains that Lucy wants to wait till it is absolutely necessary.  The
group splits up - Joe and Karen go to the lab, while Julie and Jake
stay in the On-Call room.  Jake and Joe argue about one possible
poison - Jake insists that can't be it, but Joe decides to test for it
anyway.

At the police station, Lucy, Kevin, Eve, and Scott brainstorm about
Rex's latest clue (the one found behind Serena's photo on Rex's desk):
"The U.S. Congress rules this place we call by another name.  Since
her birth was unique, can the same be said for the soul held in this
frame?"  They figure out in a convoluted fashion that the next clue is
at Serenity.  Kevin stays behind in order to try to get more
information out of Rex; the others head for Serenity.  Lucy warns him
to be careful of Rex, but Kevin assures her that Rex can't hurt him.

Lucy, Eve, and Scott arrive at Serenity; the caretaker gave them free
access to the house.  Scott mentions that the caretaker hates Rex in
part because he believes Rex poisoned his cat years ago (CLUE
ALERT!!!!!).  Somewhere they've gotten another clue - I assume Kevin
got it from Rex while the others were on their way to Serenity and
they communicated via cell phone - and it is, "When is fruit like a
power line?"  Eve figures it out - current/currant.

They look around, and Lucy spots a fuse box.  She opens it and finds
two fuses and an envelope inside labeled, "The Lady or the Tiger?"
Scott explains the story of the man who had to choose a door, to
either see a beautiful lady or be eaten by a tiger (I'll take Door #3,
Monty).  The envelope appears to be simply taped to the top of the
box, but for some reason they think they have to pull out a fuse in
order to get it.  Scott uses a cane to pull out a fuse and is knocked
to the floor by an electrical explosion.

Scott is temporarily knocked unconscious, but by the end of the
commercial break he's recovering nicely other than a bump on the head.
Lucy goes over to what's left of the fuse box and NOW picks up what's
left of the envelope, which amounts to a small charred piece of paper.
They head back to the police station.

Meanwhile, Karen and Joe are working in the lab.  They haven't found
any clues.  Karen tries to stay optimistic, while Joe yells and
carries on about how little time they have left.  (Karen's attraction
to Joe is making more and more sense - Joe is almost as big a hot-head
as is Karen's dad).

Back at the police station, Scott yet again (sheesh) threatens to go
in and snap Rex's neck.  Kevin won't let him, though he relates to the
impulse - it's everything Kevin can do not to kill Rex.  Kevin didn't
get any more information out of Rex, who refused to talk until the
gang returned from Serenity.  Kevin thinks both fuses may have been
phony, so that Rex knew what would happen.  (Yeah, but wasn't there a
way to cut power to the fuse box?)

Kevin is starting to sound frustrated - Rex is loving leading them
around by the nose.  Lucy asks Kevin to be careful not to fall into
the dark pit of Rex's mind:  he has to leave himself a way out.  Kevin
assures her that "All I have to do is think of you."  Kevin asks Lucy
how she feels - she feels weaker, and she's thirsty.  Kevin goes back
in to see Rex.  Scott asks Lucy if Kevin is all right, and Lucy
assures Scott that Kevin is much stronger than anybody imagines.

In the interrogation room, Kevin asks Rex, "What kind of game has no
rules?"  Rex asks what happened; Kevin explains about the explosion.
Rex says that was their "unlucky break."  What was in the envelope?
"Salvation."  Rex is sure that Scott was the one who triggered the
explosion:  "That man has no finesse."  Rex goes on to explain that
the formula for the antidote was in the envelope:  "Sorry - time's up,
game's over, bye bye, Lucy."

Kevin, summoning a strength of will I can't begin to comprehend,
maintains his composure at this news and challenges Rex.  He doesn't
believe it was all that simple - it's not like Rex.  Kevin figures
there was another riddle, or maybe just a blank piece of paper, in the
envelope.  Rex congratulates the gang for getting as far as they did.

Kevin asks Rex what happens now; Rex advises him to spend time with
Lucy because she should be going downhill quickly any time.  Kevin
walks around to Rex's side of the table, perches on the table edge,
leans in close to Rex, and says quietly but with utter conviction:

KEVIN: "You should know this, Rex.  If Lucy dies, you won't see the
next 24 hours."
REX: "You don't have it in you."
KEVIN: "You obviously don't know me.  Not only will I cut your heart
out.... I'll enjoy it.  Don't make the mistake of underestimating me."
REX: "Whoo!  What a rush!  Did you FEEL it?  I KNEW I could push you
to violence.  Way to go, Kevin!  YESSS!"  (he laughs exultantly)

Rex continues to explain to Kevin that, in fact, he was right - there
is still hope to find the antidote.  But they'd better get busy,
because soon Lucy will be "food for the worms."

Out in the hall, Lucy, Eve, and Scott have been listening to this.
Lucy is furious that Rex considers her life to be a game.  Suddenly,
the water glass she is holding slips through her fingers and crashes
on the floor.  A terrified Lucy realizes that her fingers are numb.

Back in the lab, Joe is flailing around yelling and throwing things
while Karen tries to calm him down.  She points out that all of his
temper fits are doing nothing but wasting time, which is something
Lucy doesn't have.

We then see Lucy sitting in the hall outside the interrogation room.
As Eve and Scott look on, Kevin kneels in front of Lucy, gently
stroking her face.  As the episode ends, Kevin and Lucy look into each
other's eyes in silence:  they know one another's hearts far too well
to need words at that moment.

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by Rika, Thursday updater