Episode 068: THE GUIDING LIGHT
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The Guiding Light: Episode 068
Friday, May 25, 2007
Written By: Dan Gobble & Josh Hawkins
Friday, May 25, 2007
Written By: Dan Gobble & Josh Hawkins
<HR>
“Severe storms rage through the city, paralyzing transportation and cutting off power to thousands of homes,” said an eerie voice on the radio. “Citizens are urged to stay in the lowest level of their homes away from doors or windows. Springfield Power officials said that it would be some time before power would be restored to the city. What that ‘some time’ means is anyone’s guess.”
The voice ends his report almost as suddenly as it began and the radio now floods the darkened Towers restaurant with a stream of soothing music. Servers and attendants busily light the room with candles. Danny Santos flits around the room making sure that everything is okay then rushes to the elevators.
“How many people do we have stuck in here?” Danny asks one of the maintenance staff members.
“There are two people stuck in elevator A, two in elevator B, and one in elevator C. We’re in contact with the elevators now,” the man replies.
“Good. How long do you think it will be until you guys can get them out?”
“It’s hard to say. We’re working as fast as we can. Elevator A is stuck between floors 48 and 49. We’re trying to open the lock to that floor from the stairwell, but it could take some time.”
“Alright. Keep me updated, okay?”
Meanwhile, in elevator A, Hope Bauer speaks into the emergency phone to one of the attendants as Alan Spaulding nervously adjusts his tie. “Okay,” Hope replies as she sets the phone on the receiver.
“What did they say?” Alan asks.
“They say that they are trying to get to us, but it could take more time than they thought,” Hope replies.
“Oh God,” Alan gasps as he slides down the elevator wall to the floor.
<HR>
“Phillip. I think my water just broke,” Olivia said.
Phillip rushes to the phone and dials 911 for an ambulance. Meanwhile, Olivia sits down on the sofa; her hand rests on her stomach. Phillip hangs up the phone with a frown seared onto his face.
“The paramedics can’t get through the roads. There are trees and power lines down all over the city.”
“Phillip, I hate to tell you this, but this baby is coming ambulance or no ambulance!”
Phillip runs out of the room to get help, knocking over a picture of Beth on the table. Meanwhile, Beth sits in the damaged skeleton of her car; her head is cradled by the steering wheel. A stream of crimson blood pours down her face.
<HR>
And now the SONBC Award Nominated 'The Guiding Light!'
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<HR>
Beth’s head slowly rises off the steering wheel with a groan. Her thoughts slowly come into focus. “What happened?” she thinks. Her first thoughts race to Phillip. She has to get a hold on him somehow. He will be able to help her. Beth’s fingers carefully paw the inside of her purse. She picks up the phone and begins to press the buttons. However, the phone slips out of her hand as Beth slips out of consciousness. Her head slumps back into the steering wheel.
<HR>
Marah strikes a match and ignites a candle on the mantle of the Santos Mansion.
“Thank goodness that we were able to find these candles,” Marah said. Her father, Josh, sits on the sofa in the living room. “I hope Danny is okay in this weather.”
“Where did he go?” Josh asked.
“He’s over at Towers. I’m sure he has his hands full over there with the blackout.”
“I hope that Danny has been keeping his nose out of the mob these days. Goodness knows that that business has caused him some trouble over the years.”
“He is dad,” Marah replies. “He is keeping himself busy over at Towers with Aunt Cassie. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just…You guys seem to be getting a bit close. I just don’t want to see my baby girl get hurt.”
“Don’t worry daddy. Danny and I are taking it slowly. We are both still mourning Tony and trying to figure out our feelings for each other.”
“So there ARE feelings, huh?” Josh grins.
Marah smiles “Is it wrong if I feel that way? Tony’s temper always made loving him such a battle. I was too young and foolish to understand. But with Danny, it feels so easy. When you get to know him, he is such a loving person that it is so easy to love him. We have a lot of things to work through but we click together.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that Marah. I’m happy for you. I’m sure Tony would feel the same way.”
<HR>
Phillip helps Olivia lie down on the sofa in the Spaulding study. The contractions begin to die down for a time. Olivia is finally able to relax for a few minutes. She looks at Phillip and remembers all the time that they have shared. Before she knows it, the words she has longed to express pour from her lips.
“Phillip, I—I love you,” she weakly said. “I always have. I even tried to push you back to Beth because I thought that if you were with someone that I could put aside my feelings for you. But, I can’t. It only made me want you more.”
Phillips looks at Olivia. Phillip’s face softens as a look almost of relief passes over his face.
“I love you too Olivia. I thought going back to Beth would help me move on, but it didn’t.”
With their feelings finally expressed, Phillip and Olivia kiss passionately. Meanwhile, Phillip’s cell phone vibrates on the table. The screen on the front of the phone lights up. “Lizzie,” it reads.
<HR>
On the other end of the line, Lizzie waits for her father to pick up the phone. When she hears the answering machine pick up, she hangs up. She then tries her mother, but gets the same result. “Where could they be?” she wonders. She looks at the list of numbers in her phone, wondering who she could call. She decides to call Braxton. She can hear the dial stop and Braxton say “Hello?” However, before she can say anything, the battery gives out on her phone.
“Hello?” Braxton repeats. “Lizzie?”
Must have lost her, he says to himself. He cranks up the volume on the radio.
“Accidents have occurred throughout the city, slowing traffic to a standstill,” the announcer said. “The roads are treacherous out there. City officials stress that citizens should remain in their homes until the weather has cleared.”
“I wish I could do that,” Braxton replies. The accidents have left the emergency room at Cedars Hospital overloaded. All staff has been paged to help out. As he rides down the debris-cluttered street, he sees that the side guard rail has been destroyed. Must be an accident, he thinks and pulls over to the side of the road. Braxton gets out of the car and goes down into the ditch. He sees a woman’s head on the steering wheel.
“Ma’am! Are you okay? Can you hear me?”
He pulls Beth out of the car and tends to her wounds. He realizes that there is no way an ambulance would get there, so he picks her up and takes her to the ER.
<HR>
“Alan! Are you okay?”
“I—I didn’t think it would take this long for us to get out of here. I thought that I could handle it, but I don’t think I can anymore.”
Despite her better judgment, Hope gets out a handkerchief and dabs Alan’s sweaty head.
“You took care of me like this once before, remember?” Alan asks.
“Yeah. I remember. But that was a long time ago. We were two very different people,” Hope replies.
“Maybe if we talk, I can keep my mind off of all of this,” he suggests.
“How’s Alexandra doing? She made quite the scene at Roger’s funeral.”
“She’s still angry. No matter how much I try to talk to her, she still blames me for it all.”
“Alan, you and Brandon have both done such horrible things to her—and to others.”
“I don’t think I’m in the mood for a lecture Hope,” Alan seethes. “What are you still doing in Springfield anyway?”
“Charles Grant called me and he wants me to head up the interior designing of the new Cedars project.”
“Oh yes. I forgot that you were a designer. That is how we officially met I remember.”
Hope nods.
“Well when Alan-Michael gets Spaulding attached to the Cedars project, you can work with him.”
“Alan, did you even hear a word that I said to you a few days ago?”
“Hope, Alan-Michael does not need you to fight his battles anymore. He can do it by himself without your prodding. At least I am trying to secure the legacy for my children and grandchildren. If Alexandra had it her way, I would be shut out of the company forever and my heirs would be kicked out.”
“She’s going through a rough time Alan. You may not have given Gus away like Nick and Lujack, but you still have the blame.”
<HR>
“How are you and Danny dealing with the Michelle issue?” Josh asks. “Your Uncle Billy told me what’s been going on.”
“We’re just trying to roll with the punches,” Marah replies. “Whatever happens, we will just have to sort them out as they come. Danny and Michelle made a mistake in the past that may have conceived a child. It is in the past, just as my relationship with Tony is in the past. There’s no need in dredging up old news.”
“Could I give you a little piece of fatherly advice?” Josh asks.
Marah sighs. “Sure.”
“You know you were going to get it anyway, right?” Josh jokes. “Marah, before you commit to fighting this battle with Danny, make sure that you are truly committed to him for the long run.”
“I am,” she replies.
<HR>
Meanwhile, Danny continues to rush around the Towers restaurant like a pinball. He goes over to the elevator lobby to check on the status of the elevators. “How are things going,” he asks one of the staff members.
“We’re proceeding along smoothly. We were able to get the magnetic locks opened in the stairwell, so we can try to start opening the elevator.”
“Good. I hope nothing else goes wrong tonight.”
Danny walks down the hall past a crewmember speaking into the elevator telephone. On the other end is Lizzie Spaulding. “How much longer will I be stuck in here?” she asks.
On the other line, she hears the attendant say that they are not sure how long it will take, but they are working as fast as they can. She hangs up the phone and sits down on the floor.
“I hope mom and dad are okay,” she says.
Meanwhile, at the Spaulding Mansion, Olivia and Phillip wonder about the status of their relationship.
“What does this mean?” Olivia says.
“I don’t know,” Phillip replies.
“At least the truth is out now.”
Their embrace is interrupted by the advent of another contraction. Olivia groans in pain as her stomach contracts.
“Phillip,” she says in between breaths. “No matter what, this baby is yours. It has to be. Please promise me that. I can’t let Alan near this baby. I just can’t,” she sobs.
“I promise,” Phillip says.
Phillip grabs the phone and calls Rick Bauer. Phillip hears the machine and hangs up the phone. “He must be at Cedars,” he thinks. He decides to call 911 again so that he can at least figure out what he can do while they are waiting for the ambulance. The operator takes him step by step and together, they are able to deliver the baby in the study of the mansion.
Phillip takes the baby and wraps it in a blanket. He sits down by Olivia.
“It’s a girl,” Phillip whispers as he gives Olivia the baby to hold.
“Look at her; she’s so precious,” Olivia sobs.
Phillip leans over and kisses Olivia on the forehead.
“What are we going to name her?” Phillip asks.
“I’ve always dreamed of naming my first baby Hannah after my grandmother and Marissa after my sister.”
“Hannah Marissa. Do you like that name?” he asks the baby. “I think she likes it. Hannah Marissa.”
Phillip and Olivia kiss again as they hold their newborn child in their arms.
<HR>
“I think the rain is finally starting to taper off,” Josh says. “I think I can start heading out now.”
Marah gets up and hugs Josh.
“By the way, um, how is mom?” she asks. Josh is surprised that she even mentioned Reva. He takes this as a glimmer of hope that their relationship can be patched up.
“She’s doing fine. She asks me every night how you are. She went to San Jemar to see Jonathan for a little while. She will be back in a week or two.”
“That’s cool,” she replies. Like clockwork, Josh’s phone goes off. He looks at the phone and says “Speak of the devil.” However, before he can answer, the phone loses its signal.
“Why don’t you use the landline while I make up a bed for you? The roads are probably still pretty bad.”
“No, that’s ok, I’m sure I can get through.”
“Daddy, I insist. You’re staying here tonight.”
“Fine, you twisted my arm,” Josh replies.
Marah heads up the stairs as Josh begins to dial Reva’s cell phone.
“Dad, When she asks about me, tell her I said ‘hi.’”
“I’ll do that,” Josh smiles.
Marah continues up the stairs as Josh reports back to Reva.
<HR>
“Can we change the subject now?” Alan asks Hope.
“Fine. How is Olivia doing? She should be going into labor any day now.”
“She’s doing okay. We’re having some marital problems, but nothing that we can’t work out I think.”
“Good, you have a second chance to be a father. Don’t screw it up.”
“I think I already did. The only reason that Olivia is pregnant is because I switched her birth control pills with placebos. Then she went and slept with Phillip.”
“See, this is what I’m talking about Alan. I know I am the LAST person that should be giving you advice on how to patch up your marriage, but you don’t always have to strong-arm people into doing what you want. Marriage is not some business deal that you are trying to land. Alan, you showed me on that island that you could be a loving and generous man and, no, I don’t believe that it was the fever talking. If only you could tap into that more.”
“Do you think it could ever have worked out between us Hope?” Alan asks.
“Maybe, had we not had not come back to this damn town and if we were still on that island. Maybe we could have been happy for the rest of our lives. But that isn’t how it happened was it?” Hope laments.
The phone rings and Hope answers it to hear one of the maintenance crew on the other end. He tells her that they are almost to the elevator shaft, but it will take a little more time.
Danny Santos walks by the elevator shaft again and back into the main restaurant. The stream of music is again interrupted by the sound of the DJ.
“The accidents across the city have left the hospitals overcrowded conditions. Cedars officials say that about five people have died in the storm tonight and many others were wounded. The staff continues to take care of the steady stream of people entering the emergency room.
Meanwhile, Braxton O’Dell finally gets to Cedars. He opens the door, carrying Beth Raines Spaulding inside.
“Can someone help me?!” he yells.
:Fade to Black:
On the Next Episode...
- Harley wakes up to find...Alan-Michael!
- Beth clings to life!
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