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From: rika1@mindspring.com (Rika)
Subject: PC: Update, Thursday, April 16, 1998
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1998 23:58:25 GMT
X-Server-Date: 16 Apr 1998 23:58:10 GMT

                          PORT CHARLES UPDATE
                           Thursday, April 16, 1998

TODAY'S STORYLINES:
-------------------
* Never Can Say Goodbye
* Picnic of Doom
* The Sure Cure for What Ails You

NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE
---------------------
Ellen comes out of her office into the OCR and finds Kevin there.  He
came to see her to congratulate her on the possible job in San Diego.
He's surprised she didn't mention it at the party; she says there
isn't much to tell because she doesn't have a firm offer.  Kevin
points out that if they're flying her to San Diego, they must be
pretty serious.

Ellen's answers to Kevin's questions have been noncommital, but his
skillful questioning finally draws her out.  He notes that she sounds
hesitant, and wonders why.  She remarks that there was a time after
Sam died when she would have moved there without hesitation.  She
devoted herself to her work, and it was enough - or it seemed so.  But
lately things have changed; she has reconnected with her mother.  And
she's made friends at the hospital, particularly with some of the
interns.  At first she maintained a distance between herself and the
interns, but (to quote Kevin) "they got under your skin."  One
"friend" accused her of ignoring personal considerations.  Kevin is
surprised - he's never known Ellen to care what people thought of her
personal life as long as they respected her on a professional level.
She explains that this is different because she values Matt's opinion.
Kevin suggests that Matt is just trying to tell Ellen that he would
miss her; Ellen thinks he didn't do a very good job of it.  Kevin
remarks that not everyone is good at expressing their feelings, and
perhaps Ellen should give Matt another chance.  Ellen:  "I might."
Kevin just gives her the *look*  - the one he uses to try to keep Lucy
in line, but that rarely works on her.  He has better success here,
because Ellen says, "I will," and then laughs.  (Memo to TPTB:  Let
Kevin and Ellen interact more often.  The actors have a nice, easy
chemistry, and the characters do well as confidants/advisors.)

Ellen heads to the nurses' station to talk to Matt, but she finds him
flirting with Grace and changes her mind.  She interrupts Matt's
attempt to say something and tells him that any questions should be
addressed to Boardman.  Matt, discouraged, leaves, remarking that he
wouldn't want the chief resident thinking he wasn't working hard.
After he leaves, Grace asks if Ellen needs any help; Ellen claims she
was just checking for messages before leaving for the airport.  Ellen
leaves; Grace watches her go, shaking her head.

Later, at the nurses' station, Joe is griping to Karen about having
two double shifts assigned.  This means an end to their candlelight
date at Mario's, among other things.  Grace arrives, and then Matt,
who asks Joe about Frank's recovery.  Joe considers trying to talk to
Ellen about changing his schedule; Grace explains that Ellen has
already left for San Diego.  Matt is surprised - and hurt - to hear
that Ellen left without saying goodbye.  In the past he might have
expected that, but she had changed - or, at least, he thought she had.

PICNIC OF DOOM
--------------
At the Lighthouse, Lucy is on the phone with someone at Jacks
Cosmetics, giving them the exciting news that she's moving the
headquarters to the Baldwin Building.  She wants Tina (her decorator,
the one who turned Kevin's hospital room into a facsimile of a suite
at the Plaza) to meet with her ASAP to work on the plans.  She wants
lots of publicity regarding the move (oh, yeah, those people with the
class action suit will be thrilled to find out that Lucy has enough
money to relocate and redecorate....).

Victor comes downstairs and tells her that he fixed the hot water
faucet in the guest bath.  Lucy assures him that she *could* afford a
plumber, but he explains that it was a minor repair - "Total cost,
including labor - about 75 cents."  (I wish he worked in MY
neighborhood!)  He wanted to do something to thank her for letting him
live with her.  Lucy assures him that he's part of the family, and
besides, it's giving him a chance to get to know Kevin again.  Victor
regrets the time he lost with Kevin; Lucy reminds him that it's not
his fault that he was ill.

Lucy suggests that Victor might be able to help Kevin.  Kevin has been
having nightmares about his past ever since Victor told Kevin that
some of the events in his book really happened.  She wants Victor to
help Kevin to fill in his missing memories.  Victor insists, as usual,
that it won't help Kevin to remember these things.  Lucy begins to
explain to Victor that suppressed memories caused Kevin a lot of
problems in the recent past, but Victor cuts her off.  Kevin needs to
learn to leave the past where it belongs - buried.  Victor walks off
before Lucy can say anything else.

Kevin arrives home from visiting Ellen (see above); Lucy complains
about how impossible Victor is (look at the bright side, Lucy; he'd be
even worse off if his doctor were Dr. Bennett "my patients get the
latest in new drugs - even ones I don't understand" Devlin).  She
fills Kevin in on her conversation with Victor.  Lucy isn't used to
failing to get secrets out of people.  Kevin isn't ready to give up -
he wants to know about his past.  Lucy wonders what they should try
next - direct confrontation and snooping have failed.  Kevin
recommends that they try another approach (well, duh).  He calls,
"Victor?"  After about a two-second pause, he *bellows*, "VICTOR!!!!"

Victor comes running, wondering what's wrong.  Kevin angrily tells
Kevin that he's been stalling long enough; it's time to for Victor to
explain the similarities between Kevin's book and real events.  (So
much for "another approach" - this seems like direct confrontation to
me.)  Victor can't see what he's done to make Kevin so angry.  Lucy
points out that Victor has been evading their questions; Victor
insists that he's trying to protect Kevin.  Kevin assures Victor that
he doesn't want to be protected.  He doesn't like having memory gaps,
and he already went through "hell on earth" to regain painful
memories.  He needs to know if there's anything else he blocked out.
Victor begs him to let it be, but Kevin persists, asking what part of
the book reminded Victor of the past.  Victor finally relents - "It's
against my better judgement, but I'll tell you what you want to know."

The event in the book that resembled real life was a picnic.  Kevin
doesn't understand - nothing bad happens at the picnic in the book.
Victor explains that the picnic started out that way - lots of
laughter.  But at the time, his marriage was starting to come apart,
and eventually on the day of the picnic he and Melanie got into a
terrible argument.  Victor refuses to say what the argument was about.
He thinks it's good that Kevin doesn't remember, and wishes he was so
lucky himself.  Victor leaves the room abruptly; Kevin knows Victor
isn't telling him everything, and he vows to find out what happened at
the picnic.

Later, Kevin is pacing the room; Lucy wonders if perhaps the picnic in
the book and the one in real life are related only by coincidence.
Kevin doesn't believe that and he knows Lucy doesn't either (my
personal theory - they were attacked by killer ants).  Lucy wonders
how they can get Victor to talk - they can't use thumbscrews or a
rubber hose on Kevin's father.  Kevin:  "Don't tempt me."  Kevin
remarks that Victor tried to downplay the significance of the picnic
(which doesn't strike me as precisely true, but never mind); if the
picnic is so insignificant, why won't Victor talk about it openly, and
why burn his mementos?  It concerns Kevin that the first murder in his
book happens right after the picnic (see, I was right - killer ants!
Or maybe killer bees....)  They are both worried - the picnic in the
book was harmless, but it triggered murder.

THE SURE CURE FOR WHAT AILS YOU
-------------------------------
Devlin goes in to see Subject X - I mean, Frank.  Frank is weaker than
he was before; Devlin blames it on Frank's little field trip to
Grace's party.  Frank asks Devlin what he injected into Frank's IV.
Devlin tries to evade the question, but Frank won't let him - he grabs
Devlin by his lab coat, yanks him close, and demands to know the
truth.  Devlin claims it was a vitamin shot; Frank tries to force him
to provide more details, but he doesn't get anything more than a claim
that he was given a "standard adult dose" of vitamins.  Frank doesn't
buy it - vitamin shots in the past haven't made him feel like a "body
builder on steroids."  Devlin is thinking of ordering another
injection; he leaves.

Lark, who was hiding in the closet, comes out (which seems a great
moment for a clever "coming out of the closet" quip, but I can't think
of an appropriate one, so insert your own).  Frank instructs her to
follow Devlin in order to find out what he's up to.  Meanwhile, back
in the lab, Devlin is filling a hypodermic with (I assume) some of the
experimental drug.  Lark arrives with a carton of petri dishes, and
then starts watching Devlin at VERY close range.  She claims to be
thinking of going to med school, and she wants to observe his lab
work.  He grabs her and tells her that nurses do not deliver petri
dishes.  He recognizes Lark as the runaway teenager, and he calls
security while Lark struggles to get away.

Julie sees a security guard leading Lark (sans blonde wig) away, and
takes the opportunity to taunt her.  The security guy explains that
Devlin caught her; Julie exults, "Well, finally my father did
something right."  Lark begs Julie not to let her be sent to Juvenile
Hall; Julie tells her to forget any idea of help, since Lark almost
killed Frank.  Lark realizes that Julie hates her, but she begs her to
call Eve or Scott, who promised to help.  Julie tells her, "I wouldn't
call 911 if you were on fire."  As the guard drags Lark away, Lark
begs Julie to tell Frank what has happened.  Don't count on it, kiddo.

Devlin arrives in Frank's room with the "vitamin shot."  Frank wonders
what took Devlin so long (his anxiety suggests that the drug could be
addictive - we'll see).  As Devlin is preparing to inject the drug
into Frank's IV, Frank grabs his wrist and stops him.  Frank wonders
what would happen if he gave the hypo to Joe or Karen and asked them
to analyze the contents.  Skipping past the all-too-obvious snarky
remarks he could make about the capabilities of that dynamic duo,
Devlin insists they'd find a standard multivitamin mixture.  Frank
asks if Devlin expects him to believes that; Devlin doesn't really
care.  He calls Frank's bluff and asks, "Do you want the shot or not?"
Frank admits that he wants it, and Devlin gives him the injection.

------------------------
by Rika, Thursday updater