EJ sits on the edge of Abigail's desk. She seems visibly uncomfortable with EJ's intensity, which is unrelenting. His eyes are piercing, and it intimidates her.

ABBY: I...was just...I'm tired. That's all, EJ. Please just...don't worry about me.

EJ: Abigail, you've been like this for weeks now. You're getting your work done and it's pleasing Samantha but...I know something's off.

Abby gets up from her seat, but has difficulty doing so. EJ attempts to give her a hand, but she refuses.

ABBY: No. Please don't.

EJ looks, a great concern on his face.

---

Kate is working at her desk when Nick knocks twice and promptly steps into Kate's office. Kate is immeidately displeased by his barging in.

KATE: Have you never worked in an office before?

NICK: Your secretary wasn't at her desk, so...hey, I knocked first.

Kate rolls her eyes at Nick before motioning him to sit down. He obliges, taking an exceedingly casual pose in his chair.

NICK: So here's the deal...

KATE: Ohhh boy, here we go.

NICK: I know, right? Did you hear the news about Brady?

KATE: Yes, I did, and I would expect you would be a little more reverent, particularly since he's what, your...6th cousin or something? It's so hard to tell in this town, especially with the Hortons.

NICK: I didn't really know Brady. I know he had problems. I can empathize. But I don't really have the time to dwell on it. And neither do you.

KATE: Look, if this is about the Titan TV vote, I already agreed to vote in favour of divesting--

NICK: That's not what I'm talking about.

Kate stops cold, trying to figure out what Nick's getting at.

NICK: Victor is going to push back that vote as much as possible until Brady's found. We all know this. It's up to you to convince the board that that idea is reckless. The vote needs to happen immediately.

---

Anne pushes the Emergency Call button inside the elevator frantically. The light never turns on. The sound of the local radio station playing the daily news does nothing but heighten her panic. Worried that EJ is trying to do her in, she screams at the top of her lungs, hoping someone will hear her.

ANNE: HELP! SOMEBODY!

Her voice echoes but no voice returns her pleas.

She tries to climb up the the ceiling of the elevator, hoping the shaft contains an emergency escape. As she's about the use the back railing to boost herself up, the elevator jolts suddenly. The entire carriage shakes, and Anne falls back to the ground.

---

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og7-6YubuS4

---

Hope steps into Victor's office. Victor and Maggie are going over their plan to re-open the Penthouse Grille. Victor looks up at Hope, and Maggie turns to face her.

VICTOR: Hope! What a surprise. What are you doing here?

Victor and Maggie's pleased looks fade as they see Hope's sadness.

HOPE: Sorry, I...your secretary told me I could just come in.

VICTOR: Nonsense, you're always welcome. What can I do for you?

Victor gets up, motioning to Hope to take a seat next to Maggie. Hope slowly saunters over and sits down. She gathers her strength to give them the news.

HOPE: Well...I have some news. It's about Brady.

Maggie loses all the colour from her face, while Victor looks on, a stoic look, but almost as though if he said anything, he'd be sick.

HOPE: There's been an accident. Brady and Theresa drove off an embankment just outside the city, and...Theresa's in a coma at the hospital, and Brady....they...they can't find him, Victor.

Victor breathes deeply, before sighing, soaking in the news for a second.

VICTOR: Well, then you'd better get a bigger search party out.

HOPE: We have been searching for hours, Victor. There's no sign of him.

VICTOR: Well, then he's still out there. And you're wasting your time sitting her moping. Let's get out there and look. I'll have my men out there scouring the river in less than an hour.

HOPE: Victor! Stop! The forensics team said that considering the speed Brady was travelling when he drove off the road...the chances of him surviving the crash are still incredibly slim.

VICTOR: Then where's his body, dammit?! If you want me to believe it, I need proof, not conjecture.

HOPE: Victor, I'm sorry. We are going to keep looking for him.

VICTOR: (sigh) No. I'm sorry, Hope. I'm just in shock, and angry, and I'm taking out my frustration on you. Just...let me know what you find. Thank you.

Hope stands up from her seat, followed by Maggie. Maggie reaches over to hug Hope, before Hope leaves. As Hope heads fr the door, she stops, remembering one last thing to tell Victor.

HOPE: Victor, if you have any questions or anything, maybe a clue, give me a call.

VICTOR: Absolutely.

Maggie walks over to Victor's side the desk, and kneels down beside him. She cries as she lays her head next to his and embraces him.

---

Kate leans forward in her chair, staring Nick down as he lounges on the opposite side of her desk, his smug expression infuriating her.

KATE: Now, you are well aware that Victor is not going to allow Brady's votes to be removed from the board meeting until there's a body found, and that's final. If anything, he's going to try to proxy Brady's votes himself, or find a nearby ally to vote on Brady's behalf.

NICK: But I'm sure you realize how controversial that would be to the board. And I'm sure you know how to push the board to say what you want them to say. I mean, for one thing, your son and your daughter are on the board. So...that's two votes more tipping the scales in my favour, no?

Nick holds up his hands, counting the board members on both hands. He shakes three on his left hand, indicating Kate, Lucas, and Billie's votes.

KATE: You want me to use my children to vote your way, now

NICK: I want them to see sense, Kate. That TV station is nothing but a propoganda machine for the EnerNext tar sands, and everybody knows it. The FCC is going to come down on them hard for their lack of journalistic standards, and you could be looking at some pretty hefty fines for the reporting if Titan isn't careful.

KATE: I see...

Nick leans in towards Kate, looking intensely into Kate's eyes.

NICK: And you know how bad Titan's finances are, surely. I'd suggest if you want to keep MadWorld afloat, you might want to consider how a major loss in cashflow might affect your employment.

Nick gets up, and slowly heads for the door. As he opens the door, he turns and winks at Kate.

NICK: Nice talkin' to ya!

As he closes the door, Kate flops back in her chair, and rolls her eyes. Spent from trying to maintain her cool against Nick, she picks up her phone and calls Lucas.

KATE: You and I need to talk right now. And bring Billie with you. My office, yeah.

Kate hangs up, and sighs heavily.

---

Anne picks herself up off the floor, realizing the radio has stopped, and suddenly, a voice calls out to her over the speakers.

RADIO: Hello? Someone in there?

Anne jolts upright, relieved to hear a voice speaking to her.

ANNE: Yes! I'm in here!

RADIO: Okay, ma'am. Someone's on their way, that jolt you just felt was the repairman resetting the system. We'll have you up to your floor momentarily.

ANNE: Oh my GOD, thank you!!

RADIO: No worries, ma'am.

After a few moments, the elevator comes back to life. Lights come back on, and the elevator begins to move back upwards as before.

When the door opens, Anne is about to step off when a man looks back at her on the other side of the doors. Looking fast, she confuses the man's face with EJ's, and slaps him hard across the face, repeatedly.

ANNE: You disgusting bastard!

---

In the hallway at Countess W, a pair of repairmen step off the elevator, tool kits and ladder in hand.

RALPH: Hey Frank, so what's the deal with the ladder, man? I thought you broke it last week.

Frank sets the ladder up by Abigail's office door. He goes to step onto the first rung, unconcerned by his co-worker's reminder, and grabs a small flashlight from his toolbelt.

FRANK: Nah, I bent it slightly. Still holds up fine. I used it all day yesterday. Didn't even wobble.

RALPH: Alright, but I figure it's as good as excuse to get a new one as anything. Boss might even expense it.

Frank laughs as he climbs up, lifting the ceiling tile to check the wiring above.

FRANK: Yeah, right. Since when'd the DiMeras ever do anything nice, man.

RALPH: That's the truth.

Ralph grabs a wrench and begins looking through his toolkit.

Inside Abigail's office, Abby grimaces as she stands up, but EJ can't help but show his concern.

EJ: Abigail, really. What on Earth is going on?

ABBY: Just...ugh. I ate something I shouldn't have at lunch, it's no big deal, okay?

EJ: Abigail, I really think you should go see a doctor about this. It's obviously been bothering you for weeks now.

Abigail turns quickly to EJ, snapping at him.

ABBY: Stop telling me what to do, EJ! I am not going to a doctor, there is nothing wrong, I'm fine, okay? Just...leave it alone.

EJ: Leave what alone, Abigail? There's something you're not telling me and if it involves me then I need to know about it.

Abigail stares off into space, imagining her mother chastizing her for getting involved with EJ. Her voice rings clearly in her head.

JENN: I can't believe you're pregnant with EJ DiMera's baby, I'm so disappointed. My own daughter, letting me down...

The face Abby sees becomes JJ's.

JJ: My own sister, a DiMera slut...

JJ's face morphs into Jack's, much to Abigail's terror.

JACK: No daughter of mine would be so filthy as to...

EJ: ABIGAIL!

Abigail snaps back to reality upon hearing EJ. She looks up at him, almost terrorized.

ABBY: I can't. I need some fresh air. I'm gonna be sick.

Abigail storms out the door of her office, surprising Frank on the ladder, which knocks him off balance as the ladder buckles under the changing weight. It falls over, knocking Abigail and Frank down with it.

Upon seeing the accident, EJ rushes to Abigail's side. Ralph runs over as well.

RALPH: What the Hell happened??!

EJ: Abigail! Abigail!

Abigail lies unconscious on the floor. EJ leans over, holding her head in his hands, checking her vital signs.

---