EPISODE 162

Written by A. Washington-Beeby
Story Consultants: C. Nathaniel Richardson & Nick Monarco

 

 

Nick sits in the Horton Town Square, sipping on a coffee while he flips through his phone. Moments later, Nicole makes her way into the square.

 

NICOLE: Nick! I've been looking for you.

 

Nick looks up, nonplussed. He responds cooly.

 

NICK: Oh, so now you're looking for me? But when I try to reach you, you're too busy. So...

 

Nicole rolls her eyes, sighing as she sits down at the table opposite Nick.

 

NICOLE: Look, I'm sorry about yesterday, but...it was a very important day for me, and I couldn't meet up with you. I'm sorry if that's a problem.
NICK: Nicole, cut the crap. I know you were getting married to Eric yesterday. 

 

Nicole looks back at Nick, sternly, but with begrudging respect.

 

NICOLE: (sigh) Right. And I know it was wrong to ignore your calls. 
NICK: I had a lot of very important things we had to discuss.
NICOLE: I know, I KNOW. 

 

Nicole calms down, knowing Nick has power over her. Keeping her temper in check, she continues.

 

NICOLE: Look, I...I just wanted to thank you.

 

Nick looks up at Nicole, slightly confused.

 

NICK: Thank me? For what?

 

Nicole sighs, trying to hold her emotions in.

 

NICOLE: I know you could've sold me out with Eric yesterday. I get that. But you didn't. You gave him the Chyka files, and you never said a word about how I kept them from him. And I really...I really appreciate it.

 

Nick's face changes, starting to smile as he realizes what has happened.

 

---

 

Sheryl steps into the supply closet by the locker room at University Hosptial. She hastily pilfers through the cleaning supplies, desperately searching for something.

 

After a moment, she turns from the shelf, hands on hips. Her frustration clear on her face, as she shakes her head.

 

SHERYL: The hell am I gonna do?

 

Sheryl looks back over at the shelf, and slowly realizes what to do.

 

Stepping slowly over to the shelf, she pulls out a bottle of rubbing alcohol. She looks at it momentarily, before reaching down for the jug of bleach. Sheryl opens the bleach and notices it's half-empty. She smiles knowingly.

 

SHERYL: Perfect.

 

Sheryl, without hesitation, covers her mouth with her hand, and pours the bottle of rubbing alcohol into the bleach container, making chloroform. She quickly seals the bottle up to avoid contact with the fumes.

 

Standing up, Sheryl looks for a cloth. Digging around through the shelves, the finds a package full of clean cloths. She steals one, and places it in the nearby mop sink.

 

Sheryl then quickly turns back to the shelf and looks for some kind of safety mask, and rubber gloves. The gloves are easy to find, but the mask, not so much. Desperately rummaging through the shelf, she's unable to find one. She stands back, cursing her misfortune.

 

SHERYL: Dammit! What kind of hospital doesn't even have face masks in every room?!

 

After a moment, Sheryl rummages through the cloths and pulls another one out. Sheryl pulls on the rubber gloves, then grabs the cloth. 

 

Hastily covering her mouth and nose to avoid being knocked out herself, she picks up the container of chloroform mix, and brings it over to the mop sink. She drops to her knees, and opens the bleach bottle again. Holding the cloth back up to her mouth and nose, she then tips the bottle gently over, and soaks the cloth in the chloroform mixture.

 

---

 

Jordan paces her office at the hospital, as Rafe stands up from his seat at her desk, stunned by the news she's just told him.

 

RAFE: What do you mean, you're not Jordan Ridgeway? So Kate was right?

 

Jordan lashes out, stopping Rafe from continuing as she shouts her response.

 

JORDAN: YES! Yes, Kate was right! Kate...(sigh) Kate wins again. I'm not Jordan Ridgeway. 

 

Rafe stands, stunned. He stammers out an answer.

 

RAFE: Well, then...I...what the...well, who are you then?
JORDAN: Rafe, I--

 

Rafe explodes, demanding an answer from his fiancée.

 

RAFE: Dammit, J...just tell me who you are. I think I have a right to know who I'm engaged to.

 

Rafe's tone drops after nearly calling her Jordan, as she begins to tell Rafe her story.

 

JORDAN: (sigh) Fine. You want my whole life story? Here it is. My name is Tammy Sue Weston. I'm from the Ozarks, my father is an abusive sociopath who made my life and my brother's life such a living hell that we had to run away from home the first chance we got, and I have been lying about pretty much everything I have told every person I have met since then about myself.

 

Rafe stands back, staring back at Jordan in stunned heartbreak, before Jordan steps toward Rafe. She puts her hand up to his chest. She looks deeply into his eyes.

 

JORDAN: But I haven't lied about how I feel about you. And if you want to know anything more about me...about what I've done in the past? The good? The bad? All of it. I will tell you, Rafe. I'll tell you all of it.

 

Rafe takes Jordan's hand in his, he holds it, and looks down at her hand, wearing his engagement ring. He studies it intensely, as he thinks over the bombshell Jordan just dropped.

 

---

 

 

---

 

Justin stands in the Kiriakis living room, pouring another cup of coffee from the caraffe on the bar, while Anjelica sits behind him in an armchair, calmly sipping her coffee. Alex stands behind the sofa, fixing his tie, while Maggie sits on the sofa. Alex and Maggie share Justin's uneasy expression.

 

JUSTIN: I would love to know how this family manages to get itself into such fine messes.

 

Anjelica smiles and responds with her usual dry sarcasm.

 

ANJELICA: You're all just especially fortunate that way.
JUSTIN: No one asked for your input, Anjelica.

 

Anjelica looks around the room as she replies, looking ever-so-smug as she reaches for her own coffee cup.

 

ANJELICA: Oh come on, Justin! This could be extremely advantageous for you. I mean, Nick isn't throwing us all out on the street. Quite frankly, I see this as an opportunity.

 

Justin turns around, a confused, and frankly irritated look on his face.

 

JUSTIN: An opportunity for what? My blood pressure to go up? We've already got one family member in the hospital from a heart attack, you wanna try for two? Maybe that way, we WILL have room if Gabi Hernandez decides to stay at the Kiriakis Inn!

ALEX: You know, Justin...Anjelica may be right. Maybe there's something to be said for keeping your enemies closer.

 

Anjelica turns to look at an unimpressed Justin, who glowers at his son for once again siding with his mother.

 

---

 

Nick leans forward to engage with Nicole, as Nicole pats her eyes dry, hoping to keep her mascara from running.

 

NICK: I'm glad the wedding went alright.
NICOLE: Well, kinda. Sami and Marlena found out, and...I know that was likely your doing too, so...don't think I don't know that was a warning. 
NICK: I was angry. 
NICOLE: I know.

 

Nicole nods sheepishly, but then looks up, a steely look in her eyes, indicating she means business.

 

NICOLE: But if you intend to keep this working relationship going, you need to cool that temper. I am not working against you, Nick.
NICK: I wanted to be sure.
NICOLE: Well, be sure about this. I've been given my own TV special at WXIR.

 

Nick raises an eyebrow, though is still slightly distracted by his phone.

 

NICK: Oh? What about?

 

Nicole looks on, a sly expression on her face, knowing the subject matter will intrigue Nick.

 

NICOLE: The EnerNext project.

 

Nick looks up immediately, as Nicole anticipated.

 

NICOLE: Sami gave me the green light. It airs tonight, and...I know it's last minute, but...I want you to be a guest. Our featured guest, in fact.

 

Nick smiles broadly at the invitation. He leans in with interest.

 

NICK: I am IN.

 

Nick and Nicole reach across the table to firmly shake hands. Nick keeping his smug grin, and Nicole with a cheeky smile.

 

---

 

Rafe holds Jordan's hand tightly. He nods before looking up at his fiancée.

 

RAFE: Tammy Sue Weston, hm?
JORDAN: Yeah. Even if I wasn't hiding, I think I would've probably changed my name by now.

 

Rafe looks down at Jordan's hand again, amused. He responds softly, before looking lovingly in Jordan's eyes.

 

RAFE: You know...I'm still upset about you lying to me.

 

Jordan cuts Rafe off, intent on getting through to him.

 

JORDAN: Rafe, if I could have told you, I would have. But I just...I need to be safe from my family. They're dangerous people.

 

Rafe holds up his finger to Jordan's lips, silencing her gently. He looks into her eyes as he leans in closer to her.

 

RAFE: Look, it's gonna take some time, but...I promise, no matter what your name is, I love you. All I want is for you to feel safe confiding in me. Okay?
JORDAN: I know. I will. But I need you to realize that I'm not perfect. There's a lot you don't know about me still, and...yeah, it is gonna take time. But I know that you're worth telling it to.

 

Rafe pulls Jordan into a kiss, then a tight embrace. Jordan closes her eyes tightly as she holds onto Rafe, as if afraid to let go.

 

JORDAN: I love you, Rafe.

RAFE: Me too. Me too.

 

---

 

Sheryl steps quietly back into the locker room, holding the chloroform-soaked cloth in one hand. She can hear Crystal humming to herself inside, but doesn't see her.

 

Sheryl steps softly into the room, and notices Crystal's locker is open, but Crystal isn't there. 

 

Looking behind her to make sure Crystal isn't lurking, Sheryl grabs Crystal's keys and cell phone from her locker, and quickly unlocks her own locker, hiding them inside, as well as Crystal's purse.

 

As Sheryl does this, the sound of the shower turning on comes from the next room. Sheryl turns her head suddenly, the sound making her jump. Realizing what is is, Sheryl relaxes, and finishes closing her locker. At this point, Sheryl steps almost silently into the next room. There, Crystal showers, humming a song to herself as she shampoos her hair, blissfully unaware of the sinister woman approaching her from behind.

 

Sheryl takes a step closer.

 

Crystal moves her head under the shower head.

 

Sheryl steps closer again.

 

Crystal closes her eyes as she lathers her hair in shampoo.

 

Crystal's humming drowns out any noise from Sheryl's movements toward Crystal.

 

As Crystal rinses the shampoo from her hair, Sheryl pounces, grabbing Crystal and covering her mouth and nose with one hand with the chloroformed cloth.

 

After a few moments of struggle, Crystal succumbs to the fumes, and loses consciousness. Sheryl beams, almost busting out laughing at her latest victory.

 

---