Ben, hoping to set things right between him and Betsy, begs her not to run off to England. "What happened to us?" he asks. "Why did we let so many unimportant things come between us? Betsy, I love you and I want us to be together always..." Betsy points out she's five months pregnant with Elliot's child, and that's hardly unimportant. She emphasizes that Ben can't love her and hate the baby she's carrying. Ben swears he doesn't hate the baby and is willing to accept Betsy's decision not to go through with the abortion. "I love you and the baby. Please give me a chance," Ben pleads. When Betsy mentions his recent affair with Mia, Ben insists it didn't mean anything to him -- Betsy's the only woman he loves and will ever love. Ben suggests that he and Betsy go up to Meg's cabin on the lake for a last try at planning a future together. Betsy agrees to spend a few days alone with him....

When Elliot informs Mia that Ben and Betsy have gone up to the lake, Mia is devastated. "I can't believe it!" she screeches. "Ben never told me anything about it." If it's the last thing she ever does, Mia vows, she's going to get Ben back....

While sitting in front of a glowing fireplace, Ben and Betsy resolve to put the past -- especially Mia and Elliot -- behind them and think only of the future from now on. Ben passionately kisses Betsy and asks her to marry him -- right away. She accepts his proposal, but tells Ben that they owe it to their families to notify them first before they get married.

When Ben later tries making love to Betsy, he's reminded that she's carrying Elliot's child because he raped her. Ben loses his desire for intimacy with Betsy and begs her to understand that it's going to take him a while to get used to the idea of her pregnancy. "We have our whole lives to make love," Betsy says.



While Ray is out of town for the afternoon, Hal invites Arlene to go flying with him. (Hal's a licensed pilot.) Arlene eagerly accepts the invitation. After a few hours of flying, Hal's plane develops engine trouble and crashes in a desolate wooded area in the mountains! Although Hal has badly hurt his leg, Arlene manages to pry him loose from the plane before it bursts into flames and explodes. The two take refuge under some trees, but a few moments later, it begins snowing heavily. How long can Hal and Arlene survive in the bitter cold without food and water?

At Meg's bedside, Tom reiterates that he cares for her. Tom urges Meg to undergo physical therapy. "You've got to help yourself!" he says emphatically. Meg shouts that she won't start doing exercises because she doesn't want to associate with "a bunch of cripples" in the hospital's physical therapy program. She then accuses Tom of wanting her to recover only so she won't prosecute Liane. "She ruined my life, and I'm going to ruin hers," Meg screams. "I want her to suffer!"

Ray, nearly at wits' end worrying why Arlene hasn't returned home, regrets pressing her to have another baby, instead of being content with just her and April. Furious that the search planes have been grounded because of heavy fog, Ray vows: "I'm going to find Arlene if I have to go up in a plane and look for her myself..."

Meanwhile, Arlene finds a tree branch for Hal to use to support his injured leg so they can go for help. Hal blames himself for the crash... if only he hadn't tried to fly in the storm... if only the plane hadn't exploded. Arlene, ever understanding, assures Hal that the crash wasn't his fault.

Despite the excruciating pain in his leg, Hal insists on moving to an area where he and Arlene might stand a better chance of being spotted by a rescue plane. "We'll come out of this alive," Hal promises. They soon discover a dilapidated mountain cabin and struggle toward it. When they safely reach the shack, Hal starts a fire inside to keep them warm. Her clothes soaking wet, Arlene develops chills, combined with a high fever. Hal undresses her and wraps her in an old blanket...

In a vicious mood, Mia telephones Betsy at the cabin and sarcastically inquires how the "romantic reunion" between her and Ben is going. Mia mentions that she's surprised Ben didn't tell her that he was spending the weekend with Betsy, for they (Ben and Mia) are "very close." She also says she's introduced Ben to "creative lovemaking" and that he couldn't get enough of her in bed! "Ben and I have been practically living together," Mia continues. Pointing out what a virile man Ben is, Mia tells Betsy that she has too many "hang-ups" to satisfy him! Furthermore, she drones on, Ben hates the idea of Betsy carrying Elliot's baby and he'll never love the child. "Ben needed so much and I gave him everything I have," Mia adds, then demands, "Now may I speak to him?" Betsy calls Mia crude and disgusting, drops the phone, and dashes out of the cabin.

Ben catches up with Betsy down by the lake and insists on taking her for a rowboat ride until she calms down. When Ben demands she tell him what Mia said, Betsy recounts that Mia gloated about her great sex life with him. Ben explains that Mia, because she has every reason to be vindictive, was trying to get at him through Betsy. Suddenly, Ben sees something in the boat and swings his oar. The boat overturns, dumping Ben and Betsy into the water! Two men fishing nearby witness the mishap and one photographs it....

The fisherman help Ben pull an unconscious Betsy to shore. After she's rushed to Rosehill Hospital, the fisherman tell the local sheriff that Ben had been waving an oar and screaming at Betsy before the boat tipped over. They hint that the mishap might not have been an accident!

...At the hospital, Dr. Marriott informs a distraught Ben that Betsy has a hairline fracture of the skill -- apparently, she hit her head on the boat. "She's gotta make it," Ben pleads, "don't let her die..."

Once Elliot learns that Betsy's been hurt, he storms into the hospital waiting room and attacks Ben! "I'll hold you personally responsible if anything happens to Betsy or my baby," Elliott threatens. "I'll make you pay if it's the last thing I do!"

Betsy, barely conscious, goes into labor and aborts her baby, a boy.

Bambi informs Paul that Kim and Tony have found Tran and are bringing him back to Rosehill. Though she's happy for Kim, Bambi fears that her relationship with Tony will come to a swift end now.

When Arlene's fever dissipates, she regains some of her strength, but she's desperately hungry and cold. Arlene feels that if she and Hal don't get out of the cabin themselves, no one will find them and they'll die! Hal reassures Arlene that he won't let anything happen to her. "You do know how I feel about you, don't you?" he asks. Though Arlene says she doesn't want to hear it, Hal tells her that he's been in love with her ever since they first met in Des Moines. "Please let me love you, Arlene, please," Hal begs. He kisses her and she responds....



Arlene explains to Hal that she loves Ray and can't be unfaithful to him, even knowing that she and Hal may die soon. Hal replies that he'll settle for Arlene's respect if he can't have her love. "You'll always have that," she says.

Mia tells Ben she's sorry about Betsy's accident. Angry with Mia for upsetting Betsy on the phone, Ben accuses her of causing the accident. Mia retorts: "I didn't force Betsy into the boat, I only told her the truth, that you and I were lovers -- something you didn't have the guts to do!" Furious, Ben shouts, "We were never lovers, Mia, just damned good bed partners!" After screaming that she hates Ben, Mia, orders him to get out of her life. She bursts into hysterical tears.

When Betsy regains consciousness, Tom asks her what she remembers about the accident. Betsy recalls that she and Ben were arguing, but she can't remember why the boat tipped over.

Meanwhile, Elliot contacts Mr. Wilber, the fisherman who photographed the accident, and asks him for the pictures he took that day. Although most of them are out of focus, there's one clear shot that shows Ben standing over Betsy's head with an oar in his hand... it looks as though he was about to bring it down on her head!

While Ben's visiting Meg, a police sergeant informs him that Elliot has a warrant for his arrest, on charges of manslaughter and intent to commit murder! Ben is handcuffed and hauled into jail.

Elliott, who's been sworn in as Rosehill's new D.A., lets Ben know that he intends to prove Ben tried to kill Betsy and deliberately caused the death of her unborn baby. "I love Betsy too much to try to hurt her," Ben shouts. Elliott declares that Ben hated the baby and wanted to destroy it. Ben retorts that Elliott has a sick mind, and furthermore, his motivation is jealousy -- Elliot can't stand the idea that Betsy left him to return to Ben. As far as Ben's concerned, Elliott will be laughed out of court as a jealous ex-husband carrying out a personal vendetta. Elliott counters that he has an "airtight" case, complete with witnesses, and suggests Ben had better get himself a good lawyer! "You'll need one," Elliott sneers.



Ben calls Bruce for legal help and explains what happened on the lake. ...The reason the boat tipped over, Ben says, was that he saw a huge black snake underneath Betsy's seat. When he lifted his oar to try to kill the snake, the boat overturned. "How can that be called manslaughter and attempted murder?" Ben screams. "I'm telling the truth -- that's the way it happened!"

Ben repeats his story to Elliott, but he refuses to believe it. Elliott points out that he has photos as well as sworn statements from the fishermen, who'll testify that Ben and Betsy were having a heated argument before the accident. "I don't have any evidence of a snake underneath Betsy's seat," Elliott bellows. He then turns to the sergeant and orders him to book Ben!