Will's loved ones try to get through to him
Hope was at the police station, staring at a digital copy of a tabloid's front-page spin on J.J.'s shooting of an unarmed Theo, when Rafe joined her in one of the conference rooms and shut the door. Rafe tried to show Hope his written account of what had happened in Memphis, but she tiredly set the report aside without bothering to look at it. "I keep thinking of the terrible irony of it: Sami getting her son back -- a blessing, a second chance -- just as Abe may lose his," Hope mused with a heavy sigh. Nodding, Rafe agreed that it was hard to believe that both events -- the resurrection and the shooting -- had actually occurred.
Hope countered, "You know what's not hard to believe? That Sami landed herself back in jail because she did something stupid -- again. But, God forbid, does Sami ever -- does she ever listen? Oh, that's right -- you would know better than anyone, wouldn't you? Because you were married to her. Sami wants what Sami wants when she wants it, and usually, there is always someone around to help her get it, whether it's right or wrong." Rafe took Hope's rant to mean that she was angry about the things he had done to help Sami prove that Will was still alive.
Hope clarified, "I'm frustrated that you risked your reputation [to help Sami exhume Will's grave]. The last thing I really need right now is to lose one of my best detectives." Rafe expressed skepticism, observing that Hope certainly seemed to be exhibiting signs of anger, not frustration. "Damn it -- you're right, okay? I'm mad, and I'm disappointed as hell, 'cause the one person -- the one person -- I thought that I could count on to be here as a detective -- as a fiancé -- wasn't here because he was in Memphis with Sami!" Hope bitterly confirmed.
Rafe said he was sorry that Hope felt like he had abandoned her in her time of need. "I didn't just feel it; it's what you did," she insisted.
Sighing, Rafe assured Hope that he had never meant to hurt her. "Sami and I, we obviously have history; we were married, for God's sake! Will was my stepson, okay? I felt that I needed to be there for him and for her, you know?" Rafe stressed. "And I needed you here!" Hope countered.
Hope started to complain about everything she had been dealing with since the shooting, but Rafe was quick to point out that J.J. was responsible for all of that. "He never intended to hurt --" Hope began to protest. "It doesn't matter what he 'intended' to do!" Rafe interrupted. Annoyed, Hope sternly warned Rafe, "Stop right there, Detective Hernandez. You have no idea what went on because you weren't here...so I strongly suggest that you...maybe you need to stop judging, and think before you say another word."
Nodding, Rafe conceded the point and apologized for being out of town at a time when Hope had really needed his support. Rafe insisted, however, that he wasn't going to apologize for helping Sami prove that Will was still alive. "I didn't ask you to," Hope replied, adding that Rafe had done a good thing.
Softening a bit, Hope admitted with a sigh that she had a bad feeling that the aftermath of the shooting was only going to get worse in the days ahead. Rafe assured Hope that he would be around to help out either way. Hope revealed, when asked, that she hadn't told Ciara about the shooting yet because there was a good chance that Theo might not survive, and she couldn't bear to admit that to her daughter. "Don't go there," Rafe advised. "I have to go there. I'm the commissioner. Everybody's gonna look to me to make sense of this," Hope countered.
"[But] how am I supposed to do that if it doesn't make sense to me?" Hope fretted. Rafe assured Hope that she would find a way to do so. After she thanked him for the vote of confidence, he started to excuse himself. "We good?" he asked before walking away. "Want us to be?" she replied.
Rafe nodded and gave Hope a quick kiss then left without waiting for confirmation that everything was fine. Sighing, she raised a hand to her lips and sadly shook her head.
In Memphis, Justin joined Adrienne in her hotel room and tried to start a conversation with her, but he quickly realized that she wasn't listening. She apologetically explained that she had been thinking about her earlier conversation with Sonny. "He is determined to get through to Will -- to somehow make him remember what they had together [and] how much they loved each other," she continued.
Justin wasn't surprised to hear that, since Will was, in Justin's words, the love of Sonny's life. "I'm gonna support Sonny in whatever decision he makes; it's just...I can't help thinking about Paul. He must be going through hell right now," Adrienne mused with a sigh. Justin insisted that Sonny had every right to be upset with Paul, and Adrienne agreed that Paul shouldn't have kept the truth about Will to himself for even a single minute. "But, honey, Paul was scared -- just like Lucas was scared of my feelings for you," Adrienne continued.
Justin didn't think that the two scenarios were comparable because, for starters, Will didn't even remember his old life with Sonny. "That's not gonna stop our son from trying desperately to change that. And where does that leave Paul? No, you know what -- for that matter, where does it leave Sonny? [He] could wait forever for someone who might never remember him. And what if Sonny gets tired of waiting, [but] Paul has already moved on [by then]?" Adrienne fretted.
"Then [Sonny will] just have to deal with that. He's a grown man. He'll have to, um, you know...live with it. He gets to make his own decisions, however ill advised we may think they are. All we can do is be there if and when he needs us," Justin reasoned, adding that he and Adrienne simply needed to hope and pray that everything would work out for Sonny the way it was supposed to, just as it had for them.
Adrienne admitted that she was grateful that Justin had never given up on their relationship. "[Because I love you]. And our son loves Will, [so] he will never give up on Will, just like I never gave up on you," Justin predicted. Justin gave Adrienne a kiss, and when she started to respond to it, he pulled away and reminded her that she had previously stated that she wanted to take things slowly. She explained that she had since changed her mind.
Later, while Justin and Adrienne were lying in bed together, they agreed that if they ever found themselves drifting apart again, they would remind each other of everything they had gone through to get back together.
Meanwhile, at the nearby police station, John suggested to Marlena that it might be best to stop trying to get through to Will and start trying to instead get through to Susan. "Okay. How do we do that?" Marlena asked. "We don't," John clarified. "You do, Dr. Evans," he continued.
Marlena doubted that Susan would ever trust her again, even though they had once had a doctor-patient relationship, but John argued that, at the very least, there was probably something in Susan's file that Marlena could exploit to snap Susan out of her delusional state. "Do you know what you're saying? That is so...unethical!" Marlena protested. "Yes, it is, [but] this is our grandson we're talking about!" John countered.
Marlena insisted that Susan didn't exactly have a lot of dirty laundry to exploit, anyway, but John found that hard to believe. "Yes, she was troubled, [but she] wasn't inherently evil," Marlena stressed, adding that Stefano and Kristen had been the cause of most of Susan's misdeeds. John was quick to remind Marlena that Susan had been a willing participant in Stefano and Kristen's schemes for quite some time -- and had even gone off the rails at one point and started causing trouble on her own. Nodding, Marlena mused that Susan had been lucky enough to eventually escape the DiMeras' influence and start a new life in the United Kingdom.
"Susan's ex-husband might be able to help us here," Marlena suddenly realized. John agreed that Marlena's idea was worth a shot. However, a quick call to Edmund revealed that he was still living in the United Kingdom and didn't want to have any further contact with Susan because losing her had been a very painful experience. "What a wimp," John grumbled.
John wondered if Edmund had at least offered Marlena advice on how to get through to Susan. "Not exactly," Marlena replied, adding that Edmund had simply explained that E.J.'s death had been so hard on Susan that she had eventually decided to leave her old life in the United Kingdom behind and move to a place where she would always feel close to her son -- the city his namesake had once called home.
"So, anything short of bringing E.J. back to life..." Marlena began to muse. "That's it!" John interrupted, getting a sudden burst of inspiration.
Meanwhile, at Susan's house, Sami asked Will to hear her out. Susan pointed out that Sami was supposed to be in jail, prompting Sami to clarify that her attorney had managed to get her released -- and had also managed to get the restraining order lifted. Susan started to drag Will off with her, insisting that they were leaving town right away -- and there was nothing Sami could do to stop them. "You wanna bet?" Sami countered, blocking Susan's path. Will shielded Susan protectively and refused to listen to any more of Sami's lies, adding, "It's time you listen to me."
Will insisted that Sami -- and Sonny, for that matter -- needed to stop making claims on him and his life. "I have a mother -- I have a real mother -- and she's right here," Will stressed, gesturing toward Susan. Sami maintained that Susan wasn't Will's mother, but Will argued, "Yeah, she is! She's the one who got up in the middle of the night when I had a stomachache, who took me to the hospital when I fell off a bike --"
"And broke your wrist?" Sami concluded for Will. "I know that story...because my late husband -- her son, E.J. -- told me," Sami continued. Sami guessed that Susan had also claimed that the accident had messed up one of Will's front teeth, prompting him to hesitantly confirm that he had been told that the tooth had needed to be capped.
Sami gently clarified, "[Will], you weren't even born yet. Those are her memories. Those are her memories with her son; they're not your memories. We have memories of your childhood -- like the time that you lost your first tooth [and] cried, not because it hurt but because you were worried about how the Tooth Fairy was gonna find you."
Susan insisted that Sami was lying, but Sami maintained that Susan was the liar. Sami and Susan continued arguing, each woman trying to convince Will that he couldn't trust the other, until he tiredly shouted, "I don't want to talk about this anymore!" Sami said that was fine because a simple DNA test at the nearby hospital would settle the matter for good, anyway, with no further discussion needed.
Susan ordered Sami to leave, but Sami refused, instead showing Will the many pictures she had stored on her cell phone -- not just of him but also of the real E.J. DiMera. Will was confused when Sami mentioned, while showing off a picture from one of his birthday celebrations, "It's today -- today is your birthday." Will protested that his birthday was in February, but Sami clarified that E.J.'s birthday had been in February.
As Sami continued showing Will pictures, Susan frantically tugged on his arm, insisting that he needed to leave with her right away. Overwhelmed, Will eventually rushed off, explaining that he was supposed to be starting a shift at the bar soon.
Susan tried to chase after Will, but Sami stopped her. "You say you're doing this for E.J. -- that you love him? That's not E.J.; that is Will! E.J. wouldn't even recognize his own mother right now! E.J. loved Will, and he treated him like a son! He would hate that you are hurting me and my family -- and that you are hurting your own grandchildren! What is the matter with you? E.J. would be brokenhearted to find out what you've done!" Sami spat. Susan protested that E.J. had loved her, and Sami agreed, recalling that he had often talked about how Susan had been the highlight of his childhood -- which, thanks to Stefano, hadn't always been easy.
Susan confirmed that she had always tried to teach E.J. the difference between right and wrong as a way of countering Stefano's negative influence on him. Sami stressed, "What you are doing here is wrong, and Susan, you have to know that E.J. would be devastated by what you are doing! He wouldn't recognize his own mother right now!" Susan protested that E.J. had professed his love for her just a few minutes earlier, but Sami incredulously countered that the young man who had rushed off earlier was Will, not E.J.. "You need to stop saying that!" Susan insisted, slapping Sami.
"Look what you made me do!" Susan added, raising a hand to her mouth in shock. Sami empathetically stressed, while rubbing the burning side of her face, that the death of a child was something that no mother should ever have to endure. "Then why are you trying to take mine away from me?" Susan asked, clutching a pillow defensively. "Because he's not yours, and brainwashing him into thinking that he is won't bring [E.J.] back!" Sami replied. Sami urged Susan to stop lying to herself, reasoning that Will would never be able to fill the void E.J.'s death had left behind in Susan's heart, anyway. "Please tell Will the truth," Sami begged.
Susan seemed to be considering the idea at first, but she eventually tossed the pillow aside and insisted, "I'm not giving up my E.J.!" Susan maintained that the young man who was living with her was her son, adding, "Besides, who would want a horrible bitch of a mother like you?" Susan rushed off after adding, with another gasp of shock, that all the cursing she had been doing lately was Sami's fault, too.
Sighing, Sami tearfully muttered, "I swear, I have been really patient with your whack-job mother, [but] E.J., if you're out there [somewhere], watching over me, you have to stop her. Find some way to reel her in...or I will kill her." After wiping away the tears, Sami chased after Susan.
Meanwhile, at the bar, Sonny explained to Paul that he was looking for Will. Disappointed, Paul reported that Will wasn't working at that time. Sonny started to rush off, planning to check Susan's house next, but Paul stopped him and begged for a few minutes of his time first. Sonny acknowledged that he and Paul had a lot to talk about; he insisted, however, that the conversation would have to be postponed until a later date because, at that moment, he was focused solely on finding Will. Confused, Paul wondered why Sonny needed to "find" Will if they had already reunited earlier. Sonny quickly filled Paul in on what Susan and Rolf had done to Will.
Paul said he was sorry to hear that Will had no memory of Sonny. "Are you, though? 'Cause after what you did, I find that hard to believe," Sonny countered. Paul begged for a chance to explain his actions, but Sonny insisted that there was no excuse for what Paul had done. "How could you not tell me?" Sonny asked incredulously. "Knowing how much of a nut job Susan is, [what if] she would've taken off with him again before I knew the truth? I would've lost him all over again!" Sonny continued. Paul stressed that he had never meant to hurt anyone, and he acknowledged that he had made a huge mistake that he couldn't even begin to justify.
"That's right," Sonny agreed, adding that it was too late for Paul's apologies. "Please, just try to understand -- I was scared [that] if Will ever came back into your life that you'd forget about me, [and] that I would lose you forever," Paul explained -- just as Will entered the bar. Sonny rushed over to Will without saying another word to Paul. Sighing, Will tiredly wondered what Sonny was doing at the bar. "Looking for you! I told you I'm not giving up on you, and I meant that!" Sonny replied as Paul listened sadly.
When Will guessed that Paul was another person from Salem who was planning to try to take him on a walk down memory lane, Paul hesitantly clarified, "My name is Paul Narita. I'm Sonny's fiancé." Scoffing, Will reminded Sonny that they were supposed to be married. "You told me we had this 'amazing' love. It's funny how you left out the part about having a fiancé," Will continued with obvious skepticism. Sonny explained that Paul had entered the picture after Will's supposed death. "I know this is hard to take in all at once, but if I can just show you the life that you had in Salem --" Sonny continued.
Interrupting, Will tiredly pointed out that Sonny had already given him a summary of that life earlier -- including the part that had involved some adorable little girl who was supposedly his daughter. "Arianna -- the most adorable girl in the entire world," Sonny confirmed, adding that Will had been shot on the night of Arianna's birth and had nearly died -- a fact that could be proven because there was a scar on Will's body that told the tale. Will hesitantly lifted the side of his shirt a few inches to reveal the scar on his waist, right where Sonny had said it would be. Confused, Will maintained that Sonny was lying and that Susan was the only person he could trust.
"You're wrong," Marlena said as she entered the bar and approached Will. "Wow. It really is you," Marlena softly added. "I've seen you before," Will admitted. Sonny and Marlena took that as a good sign at first, but Will quickly clarified that Sami had shown him a picture of Marlena earlier and had referred to her as his grandmother.
Nodding, Marlena confirmed that she and Will had been very close; she added, however, that she would rather focus, at that moment, on what had happened to him after his supposed death. "I've known Susan a long time," Marlena started to explain, prompting Will to recall that Sami had mentioned earlier that Marlena had once been Susan's therapist. "Yes, but, you see, I knew her when she lost her son. She was devastated, [and] I think that made her do some things that were completely irrational..." Marlena continued.
Susan burst into the bar at that moment and warned Will not to listen to another word. "You're supposed to be my friend!" Susan added, glaring at Marlena. "I am your friend, [but] Will is my grandson, and he deserves to know the truth," Marlena countered. Susan tried to drag Will off with her, but Sami soon arrived to stop that from happening. "You're not taking my son anywhere, you hear me?" Sami insisted. "Or my husband," Sonny added. John soon joined the group and revealed, "Hold on, everyone -- I found someone that Will trusts who's gonna tell him the truth."
Susan was relieved when Roger followed John into the bar. However, when Susan begged Roger to back up her claims, he replied, "Sorry, babe -- can't do that. Not anymore."
At the Kiriakis mansion, Maggie told Eve that she was sorry for Eve's loss, and she urged Eve to not be bitter. Victor demanded that Eve move out. Narrowing her eyes, Eve informed Maggie that someone had planted the amulet in her bag and had her arrested for murdering Deimos. Eve noted that her airtight alibi had proven that she was innocent. Eve swore that someone in the Kiriakis mansion had framed her, and she named Brady as her prime suspect.
After Eve left to take a phone call for work, a suspicious Maggie questioned Brady and Victor. Brady swore that he had no idea how the amulet had ended up in Eve's bag. Victor asked for a moment alone with his wife, and Brady headed upstairs. Victor told Maggie that neither he nor Brady had killed Deimos. Victor declined to give any more details. With a sigh, Maggie said that she believed Victor. Maggie did not press for more information.
Upstairs, Brady barged into Eve's bedroom and warned her not to make her accusations public. Shaking her head, Eve wondered aloud what had happened to the nice Brady she had known. Brady growled that women that had appeared to love him but did not had hurt him too many times. Brady said he was glad that Theresa was gone because she would have ruined Tate's life. With a sneer, Brady said Theresa was as bad a mother as Eve.
Eve slapped Brady across the face. Brady pulled his fist back, threatening to punch Eve. Eve encouraged Brady to prove that he was a monster. Brady lowered his fist and muttered that he would never hit Eve. With a raised eyebrow, Brady again warned Eve not to make her accusations against him publicly. "What? Or you will kill me like Deimos?" Eve asked.
In Memphis, Sami, Sonny, John, Marlena, and Paul stood around while Roger told Will everything he knew about him. Roger told Will that he had traveled with Dr. Rolf and Susan to Salem and had witnessed Ben strangle Will. Roger added that after Ben had fled the scene of the crime, Rolf had checked Will's vital signs and had determined that Will was still alive. Rolf had injected Will with fluids that had given him the appearance of death. Later, Rolf and Susan had sneaked into the morgue and revived Will with another drug. Will had awoken with no memory of his life. Susan pleaded with Roger to stop talking, but Roger continued at Will's insistence.
With a shrug, Roger admitted that he knew it had been wrong to allow Susan to pretend that Will was her son E.J., but he had been relieved that Susan was happier. Roger urged Susan to seek psychiatric help. Susan cried and denied the accusations. Nodding, Will noted that the story explained why Susan had kept him sheltered and had avoided questions about his life. Marlena calmly urged Susan to accept E.J.'s death. Marlena told Susan that holding onto Will would not bring E.J. back to life.
"What have I done? I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. I just miss my boy so much," Susan cried out. Tears rolled down Sami's face as she watched Susan break down. Marlena arranged for an ambulance to pick up Susan and escort her to the hospital for observation. Marlena noted that Susan had suffered a psychotic break. Roger thanked Marlena and everyone for their help and kindness. As Roger escorted Susan outside, she called out to Will that she loved him.
Sonny was still angry, but Will shut him down, noting that Susan had been a good mother to him. Sami was anxious for Will to return to Salem, but Will refused to leave his "mom." Will ran out in pursuit of Susan. Sami worried aloud about losing her son again, but Marlena reminded Sami that Will's whole world had crumbled and that he needed space. Sami resisted, but Marlena convinced Sami to stay in the bar while she talked to Will alone.
After Marlena left, John advised Sami to take a step back. Sami lashed out at John, and Paul interrupted to support his father. Sami yelled at Paul for hiding the truth about Will. Sonny objected to Sami's attack on Paul, and Sonny stressed that Paul had only waited a day to tell the truth. Sami disagreed with Sonny's defense, noting that nobody knew how big a difference that day could have made in Will's life.
At the hospital, a sedated Susan slept while Roger held her hand and sat next to her. Will stared at Susan from the foot of the bed. Roger lamented that he had let the charade play out for so long. With a sigh, Roger told Will that the best way to help Susan was for Will to leave. Will did not want to abandon Susan. Roger explained that Susan could not get over her grief if she kept replacing E.J. with Will. Marlena overheard the conversation, and she agreed with Roger. Marlena told Will that the best way to help Susan was to leave. Frustrated, Will walked out.
Marlena followed Will back to Susan's cabin. Will glared at Marlena as she walked into his room. Marlena promised that she would not push Will to return to Salem, but she said she was worried about him. Will admitted that he was overwhelmed. When Will said he felt like an idiot, Marlena corrected him and said that Will was very loyal to a woman who had been very good to him. Will said he was angry with Susan, but he could not abandon her.
Marlena reiterated her fears that Will's presence could impede Susan's recovery. Shaking his head, Will said Susan had told him terrible things about Sami. Marlena suggested that Will return home and rediscover his life. Chuckling, Marlena said that their conversation reminded her of when Will had first spoken to her about his sexuality. Marlena told Will that he might not be ready to leave town, but if he stayed, he would be living a lie. Marlena added that Will had once said he never wanted to live a lie again.
With a smile, Marlena urged Will to return to Salem and rediscover his true self. Marlena added that Will did not need to remain in Salem if he did not want to stay. Will promised to think about Marlena's suggestion. With a nod, Marlena started to leave but stopped. Marlena asked for a hug. When Will nodded, Marlena hugged her grandson tightly, holding back tears.
After talking to Will, Marlena returned to the bar to inform everyone that she had talked to Will. Marlena said that it was up to Will whether he returned to Salem or not. Sami wanted to stay in town, but Marlena advised everyone to return home and wait. Will walked in the door with his bag. "Room for one more?" Will asked with a sheepish grin.
At the hospital, a nun stood at the foot of Susan's bed, talking to Roger. It was Sister Mary Moira Banks, Susan's sister. Mary commented that Susan had a good heart, unlike their sister Kristen. At Susan's cabin, Kristen stood in Will's room and chuckled. Kristen said aloud that Susan had been stupid to pretend that Will was E.J. when she could have had the real thing. Kristen laughed.
At the DiMera mansion, Chad was in the living room, staring sadly at the chess table, when Abigail joined him and comforted him with a hug, knowing that he was thinking about Theo. "He had his whole life ahead of him," Chad mused with a heavy sigh. "He's [still] gonna have it," Abigail confidently predicted.
Changing the subject, Abigail excitedly informed Chad that Sonny was back in Salem and had called a few minutes earlier to deliver some really good news. Chad was stunned to hear that Will really was alive -- and was in town at that very moment. Abigail stopped Chad from rushing over to see Will right away, gently explaining that there was more she needed to reveal first.
"Sonny must be devastated. Will must be overwhelmed," Chad guessed after Abigail finished detailing Will's substantial memory loss. Abigail was optimistic that Will would eventually remember everything about his old life, and Chad hoped that, with Will back in the midst of people and places he had known for twenty-plus years, the recovery process would be relatively swift.
"Guess there's, uh...something to be thankful for [this Thanksgiving], after all," Chad noted, managing a smile.
Meanwhile, at the Evans-Black townhouse, Marlena entered the living room just as Will was wrapping up a phone conversation with Roger, who was still with Susan in Memphis. "Listen, Roger, I know -- I know Susan is sick, and I know that she has hurt a lot of people, but, um...she's always been very kind to me and -- and loved me very much, so...I'm grateful for that, and just...yeah, just...please tell her I said that," Will requested.
After Will ended the call, Marlena gently cleared her throat to announce her presence. Will started to somewhat apologetically explain that he hadn't realized that anyone else was awake yet, but Marlena was quick to assure him that she wasn't upset about what she had overheard. "How did you sleep?" Marlena asked. "Not so well," Will admitted, revealing that his desperate -- and ultimately fruitless -- attempts to remember his past had kept him awake most of the night. Nodding, Marlena advised Will to be patient with himself. "Sometimes, uh...well, memories come back when you least expect them," Marlena added, shrugging to further illustrate just how difficult it could be to predict how matters involving the brain would play out. Will was relieved to hear that Marlena wasn't planning to drag him to a massive family gathering for Thanksgiving in an effort to jog his memory.
"I was thinking more of a quiet day...[but] I did call Gabi, and, uh, [I] invited her to bring Arianna over," Marlena revealed. "Oh. Yeah, that sounds -- that sounds great," Will replied -- just as the doorbell rang. Somewhat surprised, Marlena admitted that although she had expected Gabi and Arianna to be excited to see Will, she hadn't expected them to drop everything and rush right over to the townhouse. "I think [Gabi] needs to switch to decaf," Marlena joked as the doorbell rang again. Chuckling, Will stood and watched anxiously as Marlena opened the townhouse door -- and found Sami standing in the hallway.
"What are you doing here?" Will asked, his smile fading at once. "It's Thanksgiving! Um...where else would I be? I'm your mother!" Sami replied. "Not as far as I'm concerned," Will countered. Hurt but undeterred, Sami revealed that Doug and Julie were hosting a big Thanksgiving celebration at their club later. "Everyone's gonna be there -- I mean, everyone you know -- so I thought if you saw all those familiar faces, it might really just make all those memories come back! You should get dressed!" Sami enthusiastically added. Nodding, Will looked to Marlena for help and asked hopefully, "You want to take this one?"
Marlena suggested that Doug and Julie's family gathering might be too much for Will to deal with at that time, but Sami argued that Marlena couldn't be certain of that -- and the idea was therefore worth a shot. As Will gave Marlena another pleading look, she maintained, "No, I disagree. He is having to absorb so much so fast, I think we have to respect that process." Forcing a smile, Sami assured Will and Marlena that she understood -- and that she would settle for a low-key, pressure-free Thanksgiving celebration instead. "I brought something I wanted to show you, [Will]," Sami added, retrieving an item from her purse.
"Uh...is -- is that a duck?" Will asked, obviously confused. "You remember?" Sami excitedly concluded. "Uh...no, I don't," Will replied, looking to Marlena for help again. Oblivious, Sami explained that Will had made the item in the third grade, and although it was supposed to be a turkey, she had mistaken it for a duck when he had presented it to her. Sami insisted that Will had to remember that, since he had just identified it as a duck himself, but he clarified that he had only identified it as a duck because, while it might look like a turkey to a child, any adult could see that it more closely resembled a duck.
"I'm sorry -- are we -- are we done?" Will tiredly added. Sighing, Sami set aside the crafted item and told Will, "Okay, look -- I spent two years thinking that you were dead, okay? And I'm just gonna say this straight out: if anyone thinks that I'm just gonna disappear and -- and not make sure that you get your memory back, they are as wacko as Susan --"
"Oh, shut up!" Will angrily interrupted. Quickly calming down, Will continued, "I'm sorry -- um, what I meant to say was...that Susan is the only mom that I -- that I -- that I know right now, so...please, if you would, don't talk about her like that." Nodding, Sami apologized and assured Will that she understood -- and that, deep down, she would actually always be grateful to Susan for saving his life. "But you're stuck with me as your mom. When you look in the mirror and those blue eyes stare back at you...you got them from me," Sami added with a shrug.
"Sami, I think it's time..." Marlena gently began to suggest. "For me to leave," Sami sadly concluded. Nodding, Sami started to exit the townhouse, purposely leaving behind the crafted item. Turning back to get one more look at Will, Sami tearfully stressed, "Hey, um...I love you."
Sami left without waiting for a response, and Marlena followed her out of the townhouse and reassured her that Will simply needed time and space to adjust to the life he had just been thrust back into so traumatically. "Just trust me on this," Marlena added. Nodding, Sami claimed that she would. Satisfied, Marlena reentered the townhouse and shut the door. "You trust me, Mom -- there is no way in hell I am risking losing my son again. No way in hell!" Sami defiantly muttered before storming off.
Meanwhile, Marlena admitted to Will that she wasn't exactly known as the world's greatest cook. "But I can rustle up your favorite breakfast, so...one Denver omelet coming up!" Marlena added before starting to head toward the kitchen. "Oh, great -- uh, except that my -- well, my new favorite is, um...French toast," Will somewhat apologetically clarified. "Oh. Okay. French toast coming up!" Marlena assured Will, who seemed relieved that she wasn't upset.
After Marlena stepped into the kitchen, Will noticed a framed photograph of him and a young girl. As he started to take a closer look at it, the doorbell rang again. He called out to Marlena but didn't receive a response, so he tentatively approached the townhouse door and opened it himself.
"There he is! Welcome back to the land of the living!" Chad excitedly declared, seizing a hug from Will. "Thank you. Uh...you are?" Will asked, pulling away from Chad. "Oh, right. Uh...Chad DiMera -- best friend. Abigail -- cousin," Chad explained, gesturing toward Abigail at the appropriate time. "Ringing any bells?" Chad asked expectantly. When Will shook his head apologetically, Chad stressed, "That's cool. [And] if you never remember us, that's cool, too. I'm just happy you're alive!" Chad seized another hug from Will, who didn't pull away as quickly as he had the first time.
Later, while Chad was entertaining Will with tales of their high school antics, Marlena returned with a breakfast tray. "I hope you don't mind -- um, I made, uh, the Denver omelet and [the] French toast. Uh...I mean, why have to choose when you have two favorites? So...there, have 'em both!" Marlena urged Will, placing the tray on the coffee table in front of him.
Chad and Abigail started to excuse themselves so Will could enjoy the breakfast in peace, but Will hesitantly pointed out, "Uh, actually, you know, this is a lot of food, and I don't think I'm gonna be able to eat it all, so if it's okay with everybody, uh...you're welcome to stay." After Marlena confirmed that she didn't mind, Chad and Abigail quickly and happily accepted the invitation.
At the Martin mansion, J.J. received a visit from Gabi, who explained that she had heard about the shooting and simply wanted to make sure that he was okay. "I may never be okay again," he admitted with a heavy sigh. As she hugged him, he continued that his guilt was eating him alive. "I breathe it. [Even] when I sleep -- if I sleep -- it's right there. This morning, I had a dream [that] I went to visit Theo in the hospital, [and] he pulled out a gun and shot me," he revealed. "I just need to see him, Gabi. I need to apologize, to let him know how sorry I am... Even if Theo can't hear me, I need to say the words," he stressed.
Gabi suggested that it might be helpful for J.J. to be around family that day -- since, after all, it was Thanksgiving -- but he insisted, "There's no way in hell I'm feeling thankful [this year]." He sadly added that the Carvers certainly weren't going to be feeling particularly thankful, either -- and that was his fault. She tried to assure him that the Carvers might get a miracle soon because miracles happened every single day, but he found that hard to believe because he hadn't seen any lately. "[Haven't] you heard? About Will? He's alive," she revealed to prove her point.
J.J. was thrilled to hear that but declined to accompany Gabi to the Evans-Black townhouse to see Will, explaining that he wasn't really in the right state of mind to be around anyone at that time -- including a presumed-dead loved one he would normally be quite eager to see again. Nodding, Gabi gave J.J. another hug then left after stressing that she was just a phone call away if he ever needed a friend.
Later, as J.J. paced around his room, he stepped on a pile of clothes that had been left at the foot of his bed. He picked them up and started to put them away but froze when he saw blood on them and remembered that they were the clothes he had been wearing at the time of the shooting. Replaying the event in his head yet again, he began ripping the clothes in frustration then tossed the shredded remains aside and rushed off in disgust.
At the hospital, Lani joined Abe in Theo's room and informed him that Doug and Julie were going to be hosting a Thanksgiving celebration for family and friends at Doug's Place later that day. "There's no way in hell that I'm giving thanks -- not 'til my son opens his eyes," Abe insisted. Nodding, Lani went to call Doug and Julie and politely decline their invitation.
Later, Eli joined Lani in one of the break rooms and told her that he was sorry about what had happened to Theo. Eli was quick to add that his mother was sorry, too, but Lani assured him that Valerie wasn't to blame for what had happened. "The only person that my dad blames for Theo lying in that bed is J.J.," Lani added with a sigh. Eli guessed that it couldn't be easy for Lani to be caught between her father and her boyfriend. Nodding, Lani admitted that her father had ordered her to stay away from J.J., and she had consequently been ignoring J.J.'s calls. Lani added that she couldn't even blame her father for viewing the situation the way he did.
Eli wondered how Lani viewed the situation. Lani started to admit that she had been trying to put herself in J.J.'s shoes to determine if she would have done things the same way he had, but she soon realized that Eli was attempting to subtly question her as part of his investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Eli unapologetically pointed out that he was going to need a statement from Lani sooner or later. "[Even though you weren't present for the shooting], as J.J.'s partner, your testimony as to his actions and his state of mind are critical to us getting the truth," Eli explained. Eli was quick to add, however, that it hadn't been his intention to ambush Lani -- and if she ever needed someone to talk to off the record, he would be there for her as a friend instead of a detective.
After Eli left, Lani tried to contact J.J., but the call went to voicemail.
Meanwhile, Roman and Sami joined Abe in Theo's room. Roman soon had to excuse himself so he could answer a phone call from Caroline, but Sami stayed behind to comfort Abe. "You shouldn't be standing here with a grieving father; you should be celebrating [the fact that] your son's alive. It's a miracle," Abe pointed out. "Well, I believe there's enough miracles for all of us," Sami replied, adding that Will didn't really want her around at that time, anyway. Sami admitted that she felt guilty because her prayers had been answered while Abe was still waiting for a response to his, but he insisted that he didn't want her to feel that way.
Later, Abe stepped out of Theo's room for a minute to say goodbye to Roman and Sami. After Sami left, Roman insisted on taking Abe to the cafeteria for a quick meal, pointing out that Theo would want him to take care of himself. As soon as the coast was clear, J.J., who had been lurking nearby, sneaked into Theo's room and tearfully stressed, "I am so sorry, Theo. I wish to God it was me lying in this bed instead of you."
A short time later, as J.J. was grasping Theo's hand and begging him to wake up, Abe -- who had managed to get rid of Roman after compromising on a takeout order from the cafeteria -- reentered the room with Lani. "What the hell are you doing? Get your hands off my son!" Abe angrily demanded, charging toward J.J.
While passing through Horton Town Square, Chad and Abigail struggled to process the fact that Will was alive -- and that they had actually just finished spending time with him. Abigail remained optimistic that Will would eventually remember his old life, but Chad was quick to point out that some things were probably best left forgotten. "Ben Weston?" Abigail guessed before deciding that she didn't want to talk about him on Thanksgiving, of all days.
Changing the subject, Chad started to excuse himself so he could go to the hospital to check on Theo. "I was actually thinking maybe we could go by J.J.'s. He's having a pretty rough time," Abigail suggested. "I don't want to do that," Chad hesitantly replied. Taken aback, Abigail tried to insist that J.J. wasn't to blame for what had happened to Theo, but Chad argued, "Wasn't too long ago that [J.J.] pulled his gun on Ben in the police station. [He's] a hothead -- act first, think later -- and he pulled the trigger too fast." Abigail maintained that J.J. needed love and support at that time instead of judgmental accusations, but Chad couldn't change how he felt about the situation, so he concluded that they were simply going to have to agree to disagree about the matter. Chad assured Abigail, however, that they would get through the ordeal together because they loved each other.
Sami soon entered the town square, and when Chad and Abigail guessed that she was on her way to see Will, she clarified that she had actually seen him earlier -- and he hadn't been able to get rid of her quickly enough. "We actually had breakfast with him this morning," Chad revealed. "Yeah, he insisted that we stay," Abigail added. "How classy of you to twist the knife, Abby," Sami bitterly replied.
Confused, Chad wondered what he was missing. Sami explained that Will didn't want to see her because Susan had poisoned him against her. Chad sympathetically assured Sami that Will would remember her eventually, and Abigail optimistically added that Gabi and Arianna, who were supposed to be visiting Will later that day, might be the key to unlocking his memories.
Meanwhile, at the Evans-Black townhouse, Marlena warmly greeted Gabi and Arianna. When Gabi revealed that Arianna, in her excitement to see Will, had fallen and scraped her hand earlier, Marlena decided to take the child out to the parking lot so they could get some bandages and ointment from the medical bag in her car.
While Marlena and Arianna were gone, Will emerged from the kitchen and tentatively approached Gabi, who seized a hug from him then quickly released him and apologized. "It's okay. I've been getting hugged by strangers for days now, so go for it," Will assured Gabi, who happily accepted the offer but forcefully limited herself to only one hug.
"Is Arianna with you?" Will asked hopefully. Gabi confirmed that Arianna was outside with Marlena but would be back soon. Noticing that Will had been looking at a framed photograph of him and Arianna earlier, Gabi told him about the day that it had been taken then assured him, "It doesn't matter if you remember anything [or] if you never remember anything. We love you, okay? Nothing changes that."
Marlena soon returned with Arianna, who tentatively asked Will, "Daddy?"
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, Days of our Lives did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no lost episodes as a result. Regular programming resumed on Monday, November 27, and picked up where the Wednesday, November 22 episode concluded.
On behalf of the entire Soap Central team, we are so grateful for your supporting over the years. We are thankful that there is still deliciously soapy drama to entertain us and bring us all together.
Due to the extended Thanksgiving holiday, Days of our Lives did not air. This was a planned preemption and there were no lost episodes as a result. Regular programming resumed on Monday, November 27, and picked up where the Wednesday, November 22 episode concluded.
