Karen, Joe, and Courtney
Courtney accuses Karen of deliberately trying to hurt Neal by giving him penicillin. Karen tries to defend herself, however, Courtney is not happy. She wants Karen off of Neal's case. Joe defends Karen to Courtney. Afterwards, Joe excuses Courtney's behavior because of her obvious fear of losing Neal. Karen tries to find out who might have changed the prescription.
Later, Joe asks Karen how she would feel if he produced another child with Courtney in order to have a bone marrow recipient. Karen tried to use logic with Joe. She feels that a new child is a huge commitment between Joe and Courtney. Karen asks how Courtney feels about it. Joe confides that he has not discussed this with her. He wanted to see how Karen felt first. He reassures Karen that he still wants her in his future.
Karen speaks to Gail about this. Gail suggests that Karen is going to have to trust that Joe will make the right decision for himself. Karen went to Joe and told him that Neal is the most important thing, so he needs to do whatever he has to, to help Neal.

Julie, Chris, and Garcia
Chris phones Julie to tell her the good news. Cooper has agreed to take the rap in exchange for removal to a sanitarium. Julie wants to know about Christina's whereabouts. Chris has no idea where Scotty and Lucy have taken her. Julie demands that he find out or she will break out of there and do it herself.
After she gets off the phone with Chris, Julie calls Garcia and asks him to visit her. Using the pretense of Cooper's confession as her conversation piece, Julie then questions Garcia about Lucy and Scotty's whereabouts. Garcia replies that they went on a vacation. He then excuses himself.
Chris pays a visit to DV. DV asked Chris why did he come when he was instructed never to make contact. Chris replied that he had crazy Julie issuing threats to find Christina. DV questioned Chris's ability to handle Julie. Chris asks for some information to feed Julie about Christina's whereabouts. DV would not divulge any information.

Eve and Kevin on Jasmine Island
The two arrive on the island to find that the lock on the door was broken. Kevin searched the house but did not find anyone. However, it was obvious by looking at the disarray that someone had been staying there. Eve finds a file containing documents in some kind of code. Kevin feels that if they can break the code, then they will probably be able to solve the mystery.
After an unsuccessful attempt to decipher the documents, the two decides to go to bed. As they were walking up the stairs, a wild looking Victor was outside looking in the window.

Today's recap was provided by Victoria Hart

Kevin and Eve are very startled when they realize Victor is not really dead after Victor knocked on the front door on their Jasmine Island house. Victor was mumbling the words "monk" and "you're not supposed to remember" very quietly. Victor tries to explain how he is alive but he is so ill and weak that he can not. He is ill because he did not take his medicine. Kevin thinks Victor is trying to tell him that he is in danger of losing Eve.

Rachel and Chris are pleased to know that Cooper's confession made headlines on the newspaper. However, Rachel informs Chris that Julie is throwing a fit at Ferncliff saying that she has a baby girl. At Ferncliff, Julie says that she gave birth to a child but she [Christina] is with Lucy and Scott right now. She also told Rachel that Chris brought Christina into this world. As Chris gets nervous that the truth about Christina will get out, he informs Rachel that he would like to have a private moment alone with Julie. After Rachel steps into the hallway, Chris informs Julie that no one can know about Christina because it will ruin their plan. Julie agrees to keep her mouth shut about Christina. After Rachel returns, Julie confesses that she was just lying about Christina being her own child. After Chris and Rachel leave, Julie "talks" to Christina and says that Chris and Rachel can not be trusted.

Today's recap was provided by Jill RC Moore

In the hospital lobby, Chris and Rachel discuss how neither has heard from Julie since that morning. The competency hearing for Julie is being scheduled hopefully by Dr. Leopold and they discuss how Julie's insistence that Christina is her daughter could affect the situation. Chris observes that competency equals freedom for Julie. Rachel told Chris that challenges are her forte when he asks if she's really that good. They go for coffee.

Kevin finds Mary at the desk and she looks up to see Victor! There is great joy all around. Mary is tenderly fussing over Victor in his hospital bed, telling him how much she missed him. Kevin and Eve fill her in on what they know about Victor and what they found at the Island. Kevin briefly told Mary what he knows of Victor's story while Victor rests. Mac enters and confirms that there is a guard on the door. He and Kevin go outside to talk about the situation. Mac does believe the danger is real and has also put a guard at the Lighthouse. Along comes Rachel who brought up Cooper's confession and how Julie is and exits wishing them a good evening. Mac and Kevin briefly discuss Cooper and Mac says he doesn't trust Cooper, Julie *or* Rachel.

Neil, Courtney and Joe are playing happily in Neil's room when Karen enters and gives Joe the test results. She also gibes Neil the book Swiss Family Robinson which happens to be required reading for him this year. He is thrilled and comments that he won't be so far behind when he went back to school. The tests show N's white blood count is the same and no donor's have been found. Karen and Joe go into the hall to talk while Courtney and Neil have a Kodak moment. Karen asks Joe if he's said anything to Courtney about having another baby to save Neil. Karen told him it's a hard decision but she's trying. He asks her if things would be over between them if he does go ahead with it but she says it's not that black and white. They discuss it (and discuss it and...) and she says she's not ready to say okay. He understands, she understands, heck *everybody* understands.

Mary is tenderly fussing over Victor telling him how much she missed him. Kevin and Eve fill her in on what they know about Victor and what they found at the Island.

Eve and Chris run into each other (at the desk again) and chat about Victor with Chris wanting details. She just told him Victor was off meds and wandered away - and to lay off! She questions his role in Cooper's confession and he insists Julie is innocent and on her way back to PC. Eve points out the absurdity of this while Chris acts superior, telling her it will all come out in the trial. Eve expresses concern for Chris who assures her he knows Julie is innocent and will be set free. Eve hopes not.

Mary, at Victor's bedside, asks him to never do anything like this again. She told him how precious he is to her and how she missed him. Joe enters and Mary told him her prayers were answered. He asks he to go talk in the hall. Joe questions all the varied stories and voices his concern about Victor. Mary strongly defends her husband and say she is going back to him - and does. Joe looks concerned.

In Neil's room, Karen tenderly covers him, not realizing Courtney is watching. C admits Karen does truly care about Neil and apologizes for her actions the previous day. She says Joe convinced her that the med error was not Karen's. Karen responds that she has always loved Neil and admired how hard he has fought. She told Courtney that Neil has healed her more than she him.

Kevin finds Rachel at the desk. He asks if they can discuss Julie and Rachel says she was hoping they could. He says Julie belongs where she is and that he knows her better. Rachel insists Julie is innocent but Kevin told he that he remembers the murders and that they stopped once Julie was locked up. Rachel told him Cooper planned it that way. He says even so, Julie isn't stable enough to be released. Rachel told him that he's guilty because the murders were based on his book. He's amused and asks why she insists Julie should be released. Rachel says it's unfair for Julie to be locked up for crimes she didn't commit. Kevin disagrees and Rachel told him things are yet to be proven. Back in Neil's room, Courtney is reading to him from Swiss Family Robinson and Neil compares it to her and Joe on the island and talks about how the family stuck together and never gave up Joe enters and asks Neil if he wants to watch the Yankee game and Neil asks Karen to join them. Joe and Karen go to talk *in the hall* and she tells him that she loves Neil and will support Joe if he does decide to have another child with Courtney. Joe is happy and grateful.

Back at the desk, Chris and Rachel (after moving to the waiting area) talk about how only one person heard Julie's babbling about Christina. Rachel had him suspended and then fired to shut him up. They wonder how Julie ever got along without Rachel.

Eve and Kevin chat about how Chris and Rachel believe Julie is innocent; they don't think so. Eve observes that not only do they have to worry about erased memories and possible danger to them but Julie coming back to GH - with a scalpel in her hand.

Today's recap was provided by Anne Ruybal

We begin at the GH nurse's station, where Ellen runs into Rachel as she (Ellen) is answering a page. She starts to pick up the phone, then pauses, turns to Rachel, and exclaims "AMA convention, Chicago, 1995!" That's where she thinks she previously met Rachel, but Rachel says she wasn't there. Rachel says that Ellen just keeps mistaking her for somebody else. Ellen: "Perhaps. I'll figure it out sooner or later." Rachel is clearly uncomfortable [and I want to know the scoop on this past connection--it must be something major to be able to shake the "unshakable" Dr. Locke..]. She told Ellen that even if they had run into each other before, it's more interesting to see what they have in common now. Ellen, again: "Perhaps."

Ellen answers her page. It's the hospital in San Francisco, still wanting to talk to her about the job offer, but she says she's not interested. They want to fly her out to SF to tour the facility and meet the staff. She finally relents and told them she'll check her schedule. Matt has come up to the nurse's station and overhears Ellen's end of the conversation. After she hangs up, he asks her "Well, I guess you're taking that job in San Francisco after all?" Ellen says she hasn't decided yet; Matt asks what's holding her back. Meaningful pause. Ellen: "Nothing, I guess." They both leave, whereupon an angry Rachel makes a call to an unknown person. "You're not making the offer attractive enough. Everyone has a price, even Dr. Ellen Burgess. You find out what that is, and you *make it*. Quickly." She hangs up, looking most upset.

At the Scanlon house, a disheveled-looking Frank returns from parts unknown. Courtney told him he looks horrible; he replies "I love you, too." He told her that he had been to Atlantic City to try to do a quick "investment" of the money she gave him for donating the blood sample for Neil, and to solve his cash flow problems--but that Lady Luck had had different ideas. Courtney requests that the next time he decides to go off on a bender, he inform her where he can be reached. She told him that while he was off partying, their son had almost died. In the hallway outside Neil's room at GH, Joe and Karen discuss his case. His temperature is down, and he's responding to the new antibiotic, which should clear up his bronchitis. Joe reassures Karen that no one blames her for the mix-up with the medication, but she still feels responsible. They speculate about whether Bordisso is behind the mix-up; Joe assures her he won't let Bordisso get to either Neil or her. They then talk about the possibility of Joe and Courtney's having another baby in hopes of saving Neil. Karen urges him to discuss it with Courtney right away. He knows having another baby won't be easy on his and Karen's relationship, but agrees to talk to Courtney that day.

Still at GH, Karen and Matt finish consulting about a patient, and the topic then turns to Ellen. Matt informs Karen that "it's over between Ellen and I," and that Ellen is considering accepting the SF offer. Karen has a feeling he could stop her if he tried. When he thinks about Ellen and Sebastian sleeping together, he gets so angry that he can't see straight. Karen reminds him that at that time, he and Ellen weren't together, and that what she did during that period was her own business. If she were in the same situation and Joe had slept with someone else while they were broken up, she wouldn't be crazy about it but would try to get past it, because she doesn't "own" Joe. She told him she's learned from experience that a lifetime is a long time to be without the person you love, and urges him to keep trying to mend the relationship, because it's worth fighting for.

At the nurse's station, Rachel approaches Ellen again. Starting a new job in a new city and making new friends has been exciting but exhausting. She's been looking for an apartment, dry cleaner, stylist, etc. Ellen told her that Port Charles has plenty to choose from. Rachel then starts the mind games. "Aww, heck, you'll never have to worry about it. You'll probably be at GH forever." Taking the bait, Ellen told her about the SF job and says she's considering it. Rachel says she knows the chief of staff at the SF hospital, who is very particular. Ellen is flattered but is happy at GH. Rachel told her that starting a new job in a new city can be intimidating and lonely, and that she admires her for putting her personal happiness ahead of her career. Ellen: "Are you implying that I'm playing it safe?" Rachel: "No..no..not at all. I just think that it's refreshing to meet a woman who's not obsessed with..having it all. You know who you are and what you want." Ellen (hesitating): "I..hadn't thought of it in those terms before." Rachel (realizing she's gaining ground): "Yeah, well..I'm sure you'll be much happier. In the long run, you're probably doing the right thing."

In Neil's room, Joe is telling Neil a story about when he was a kid--he had taken Christmas tree spray and written "JOE THE GREAT" all over his bedroom walls. His mom had been furious and had grounded him for life. In the meantime, Neil hasn't even noticed that Karen has started his new IV. Karen thinks she should check with the FDA and have Joe Scanlon officially approved as a needle distraction. Frank and Courtney enter. Neil is glad to see him; Karen and Joe aren't. Karen is paged and leaves. Frank explains that he's been on a "business trip"--to Atlantic City. Joe looks disgusted. Frank wants to give Neil a present that he got for him in Atlantic City: a pair of "lucky" fuzzy dice, but Joe [who absolutely will not cut his brother any slack] says they need to be careful about germs and won't let Neil touch the dice. Joe asks Frank to join him out in the hallway for a private conversation. A worried Courtney stays behind with Neil.

In the hallway, we have yet another "bickering brothers" scene, in which Joe told Frank that as Neil's dad he has to make tough decisions sometimes, and that he's making one now: Frank is not to visit Neil, especially after he's been out drinking all night. Frank: "You're saying it's tough being Neil's dad? Huh? Well, I've got news for you, bro--I would trade places with you in a second. As a matter of fact, why don't we trade places right now?" Courtney is standing just inside the door to Neil's room. Overhearing this conversation, she looks horrified.

Back to the bickering brothers. A shouting match ensues. Joe doesn't want Neil to see Frank after he's obviously been out drinking. He reminds him of all the times their father had come home drunk. Once again, Frank reminds Joe of how he had always stepped in to shield him from their abusive father. Joe remembers, but says that Neil has a father who loves him, and told Frank to butt out. Courtney comes rushing out of the room and intervenes just as Frank tries to drop the big bombshell: "You don't have as much to say about this as you think." Gotta love that quick-thinking Courtney: "He's right, Joe. I'm his mother, and I have a say in this, too." She convinces Joe that because Neil loves Frank, keeping them apart wouldn't be good for him. Joe went back into Neil's room, still fuming. Courtney calms Frank down--for the time being. He insists that "Someday I'm going to tell Neil that I'm his father--and when that day comes, there's not one thing that Joe can do about it." At the nurse's station, Rachel told Ellen she has an appointment to look at an apartment. Ellen says she'd appreciate it if Rachel would pass along any helpful apartment-hunting tips, and says she might change her mind about taking the SF offer as a way to re-focus herself and her career. Rachel continues with the mind games, raving on about how wonderful SF is. Ellen is wavering. Matt approaches and asks to speak to her; he wonders if she's made up her mind yet. She hasn't. She told him that a lot has changed between them since she first turned down the job. Matt says that Karen had helped him realize what he'd be losing if he let her walk out of his life, and that he might have been too harsh with her when he found out about Sebastian. He wants to give their relationship another try. Ellen wonders what will happen if she turns down the job but they *still* can't work things out. She is paged; they agree to talk more later. Rachel observes them from the nurse's station.

Back at GH, Ellen told Matt "Your about-face threw me earlier." He's convinced they can be together if they both want it badly enough. Ellen says she's not sure it's what she wants anymore. "Matt, I loved you. I would have done anything to be with you, even if it cost me my career. But after you came down on me so hard about something that happened when we weren't even together, I realized that maybe our relationship isn't what I thought it was." Matt whines that he was hurt; Ellen says she was too. But the bottom line was, she learned she couldn't count on him--and at this point in her life, she can only count on herself. Rachel seizes this most inopportune moment to bring Ellen an article on ER medicine, written by one of her potential colleagues from the SF hospital. Ellen says she looks forward to reading the article; Rachel leaves. Ellen told Matt that although she hasn't made up her mind, she's leaning toward accepting the position. Rachel looks on, smirking.

Outside Neil's room, Frank tries to make nice with Karen. He offers her a stuffed animal like the one he won when they went to the carnival. Karen wants nothing to do with him. Frank knows they're not going to be friends the way they used to be, but wants to make peace. Not a chance, Karen assures him. "You can't just turn your life around with one quick roll of the dice." Frank: "I wasn't gambling just for myself. I thought maybe if I hit it big, I could use the money to help Neil. I know I can't buy a cure, but I could at least buy distractions from the pain." Karen thinks that sounds like a sorry excuse to party. She told him he's never owned up to a single one of his mistakes, because he never puts anybody else's life before his own. He flies into a rage and throws the stuffed animal against the wall. Karen: "You are out of control. For God's sake, get yourself together--and stay away from me." She leaves. In Neil's room, Joe and Courtney are watching him sleep. Joe admits that Courtney was right to let Frank spend time with Neil. He then mentions the search for a bone marrow donor. Courtney says they have to stay positive; they're searching nationwide for a donor. "I won't accept losing him." Joe: "I won't either. That's why I'm gonna suggest something that may seem..drastic." Courtney: "But..we've done everything possible--what else is there?" Joe: "Well, as his parents, there is one more thing we can do..we can have another child together." Courtney is stunned.

Rachel annoyed Kevin some more by taking over Victor's case while Gail is out of town. She suggested that Mary sing to Victor to calm him. It worked and Eve told Kevin that maybe Rachel's not so bad.

Ellen told Kevin that she didn't trust Rachel. Ellen said she might take a fellowship and leave. She doesn't think that Matt will ever forgive her. Ellen heard Rachel make a comment about a former working place. Ellen called a friend there and made a comment about Rachel using another name. Ellen later saw Rachel and told her that Ellen is about to remember where she knew her from and did Rachel ever use another name. Rachel looked shaken and Ellen was paged.

Joe asked Courtney about having another baby to save Neil. Courtney eventually agreed and then she called Frank. Frank came to the hospital and discussed it with her, saying he would be a father to the new baby and wouldn't stand back for her dream of Joe. But he agreed to father a baby if it came down to it.

Scott called Karen. She told him about the chart and how Victor is alive. Lucy was happy and wanted to talk to Kevin, but Scott and she decided to limit any contact to PC to keep DV off their trail.

Joe called Karen and said he would be over for dinner. Karen went home and openned her door to find the place trashed.