nadine: Good morning.

Nikolas: Morning.

Nadine: What?

Nikolas: Nothing, just thinking how beautiful you look in the morning light.

Nadine: You are quite the romantic, aren't you?

Nikolas: A frustrated one, after i couldn't convince you to come upstairs with me last night.

Nadine: I was tempted.

Nikolas: Yeah, i do have to admit that i tossed and turned a bit, dreaming about you last night.

Nadine: [Growling]

nikolas: Morning.

Nadine: Morning. What?

Nikolas: Nothing, i was just thinking how sore your ankle must be. 27 Bedrooms here and you had to be stubborn and spend the night on this cramped couch.

Carly: And i remember how easy it was just to stay in that water and drift off to sea. And then i looked back and the shore was getting so far away and i was so scared that i was going to be lost. And then i thought about you and morgan, and i knew i could make it. I knew i could make it because of my boys and all the people who were home who loved me so much and who were waiting for me to come back. Just like you're going to come back. Because everyone here loves you so much, michael, and they're waiting for you to come back.


nadine: The swelling's definitely gone down, see?

Nikolas: I'm sorry, not to state the obvious here, but you are limping and clearly in pain.

Nadine: I'm not limping.

Nikolas: Oh.

Nadine: It's all emily's fault.

Nikolas: What?

Nadine: I never would have tripped if she hadn't flung that caboose at me.

Nikolas: Now who's hallucinating?

Nadine: Well, you're dying for emily. The least i could do is sprain my ankle.

Nikolas: Are we really having this conversation right now?

Nadine: Don't worry, i'll deny it ever happened. Although you deserve to have things thrown at you for choosing a hallucination over life-saving surgery.

Nikolas: Like you deserved to hurt yourself?

Nadine: Absolutely. And for giving a damn about you in the first place.

Nikolas: Then i guess we're even, huh? So, shall we seal the truce with a little breakfast? According to alfred the new chef makes a really great french toast, so --

nadine: I'm going to be late for work.

Nikolas: Come on, how can you care for patients when you can't even stand?

Nadine: I'll walk it off. I have a new pair of heels that i want to fit into tonight.

Nikolas: Oh, you got a date?

Nadine: The haunted star's reopening. I thought i'd try my luck at a little blackjack.

Nikolas: I didn't think you were much of a gambler.

Nadine: You don't have to be rich and spoiled to have fun in life. Oh God, i forgot. You've given up on any fun, haven't you?

Nikolas: Well, it sounds like you'll have enough fun for the both of us.

Nadine: Have a nice breakfast. Oh, don't forget to tell alfred to put extra syrup on emily's french toast.

Luke: Thanks. Oh, cupcake. Well, what brings you to your old man's unholy house of worship?

Lulu: I came by to see how you're doing. This place really looks great.

Luke: Yeah, young mr. Z ponied up enough money to make the old tub sparkle and shine.

Lulu: So, tonight is the big reopening?

Luke: It is. Are you planning to make an appearance?

Lulu: Well, the haunted star is closed more than it's open, so i figure it's my one night to see it before you pull another disappearing act.

Luke: Oh, so you're going to come just to spend time with me.

Lulu: Yeah, it's all about family togetherness.

Luke: As opposed to being about hanging out where my business partner might be.

Lulu: Yeah, well, if johnny wants to see me, he knows where to find me.

[Random piano notes]

claudia: Original composition. You think i got talent?

Johnny: None whatsoever. You could use a few lessons.

Claudia: So teach me.

Johnny: First we need to focus on keeping you alive.

Claudia: I've been taking care of myself for a long time, little brother.

Johnny: Ok, but sonny has been too grief-stricken to think straight. Once he starts thinking, he's going to put pieces together. He'll be out for blood.

Claudia: Not yours.

Johnny: You hired the shooter. He could decide to turn you in.

Claudia: Johnny, i told you, i can handle this. You don't need to worry about it.

Johnny: Ok, then there's jason morgan, who's the best enforcer in the business. He'll put a piece together that links back to us. That's why i need to go to sonny first.

Claudia: No, you can't.

Ric: Looking well, mr. Zacchara.

Anthony: For a rutabaga? Thanks.

Ric: I mean you're looking much more aware.

Anthony: I'm aware that so far you're nothing but a grab bag of empty promises about getting me out of here. Where is that sword when i need it?

Ric: Mr. Zacchara, i've made progress in your release. If you haven't noticed, you have all new guards and nurses.

Anthony: I noticed. The pill-pushing broad with the hairy arms is gone. The rest all look alike.

Ric: Yes, and they were all on your children's payroll.

Ric: You know, it seems to me that the biggest obstacle in your release hasn't been your history or your insanity or your crimes, or even the justice system. It seems to coming from your loving son and daughter.

Anthony: Claudia, maybe. But not john.

Ric: Oh, come on. Take the blinders off, anthony. You're smarter than that. Your children want to keep you locked up so they can use your empire to do with whatever the hell they please.

Jax: Why don't you go home and get some rest for a few hours?

Carly: I need to be here with michael.

Jax: I can stay here with him. I mean, you could change your clothes and get some decent food into you.

Carly: I'm fine, jax.

Jax: Carly, you've practically been living off vending machine food and drinking coffee the whole time.

Carly: So, i can have mike bring me some take-out and i can use the nurse's shower and you could bring me a change clothes.

Jax: Carly, come on.

Carly: Michael could wake up and i need to be here.

Jax: Look, i'll stay here with him. And i'll call you if there's any change in his condition.

Carly: When michael went to the warehouse, i should have gone and picked him up. And i didn't, and that's the biggest mistake of my life.

Jax: Carly, you couldn't have known.

Carly: I am not leaving michael again.

Jax: You can't stay with him. You cannot stay with him every second of the day for the rest of his life.

Carly: This is my son. He's going to wake up, and when he does i'm going to be here.

Spinelli: Stone cold has returned. May the jackal assume he spent the night at the hospital with the valkyrie and young michael?

Jason: I stopped by to see carly, but i spent most of the night riding.

Spinelli: And now you have returned to casa de stone cold for some much-needed rest and to partake of restorative nutrients. Fortunately, the jackal --

jason: Spinelli, we're going to need your help. So i need you to focus. We're going to find who shot
michael..

Spinelli: It is not surprising that you'd wish to avenge the shooting of young michael, to make the denizens of darkness who hurt him pay.

Jason: I hurt him.

Spinelli: Uh, that is most untrue. You have been young michael's most devoted protector.

Jason: The choices i made for michael affected everything in his life. He was never safe. I put him in that bed. He may never wake up again.

Epiphany: Nice of you to join us, nurse webber. Are you going to be here for the rest of the day, or will you be running off to attend to other crises?

Elizabeth: Excuse me for having a life.

Leyla: I'll check on mr. Gibson.

Elizabeth: You asked for it.

Epiphany: What happened?

Elizabeth: It doesn't really matter. My so-called life just got a lot smaller and safer.

Elizabeth: Icu?

Epiphany: The shooting of the corinthos boy rattled all of us. I can assign another nurse to the floor.

Elizabeth: No, no, no, it's fine.

Epiphany: It's hard to see a child wounded by an act of violence. Don't think i don't know it.

Lucky: Hey, elizabeth, you got a minute?

Elizabeth: Um, barely.

Lucky: Well, i don't want to put you on the spot.

Elizabeth: Just ask.

Lucky: My dad, he's reopening the haunted star, and i thought i should keep a close eye on him just in case he keels over or something. So i was hoping you would go with me.

Elizabeth: Tonight?

Lucky: Well, it's not a date. I just thought it would be nice to have somebody with medical training on hand. He hasn't been taking good care of himself ever since his heart surgery.

Elizabeth: Yeah, sure. Yeah, i would be glad to go.

Lucky: Great. It's a date. But if you don't mind, i'd like to come by the house earlier so i can see the boys.

Elizabeth: Yeah, that would be nice. They would like to see you.

Lucky: All right, we'll see you later.

Elizabeth: Ok.

Ric: After our last visit, johnny had me picked up. We had a little discussion. I get the feeling that your son doesn't want you loose among respectable folks.

Anthony: Sounds more like claudia. She's always been bitter and spiteful. She never forgave me for divorcing her mother.

Ric: Oh, it sounds like john has his own axe to grind.

Anthony: Claudia's lying to johnny about how things were, putting poison in his ears to keep me locked up in this joint.

Ric: The point is, that i am taking substantial risk if i continue to facilitate your release, mr. Zacchara.

Anthony: Oh, and how much is this substantial risk going to cost me?

Ric: How much is it worth to you?

Anthony: I'm getting better every day. When i'm free and in charge of the zacchara family again, you can name your price.

Ric: I knew we'd understand each other.

Anthony: Oh, i'll be a hell of a lot more understanding when i get out of here.

Ric: Don't worry about it. I'm setting up a hearing right now, and you'll have a court date. Uh, but do me a favor. Don't discuss any of this with your family.

Claudia: John, we made a deal. You agreed you were not going to turn yourself in to sonny for michael's shooting.

Johnny: Even though we're both responsible.

Claudia: I planned the whole thing. It was my idea.

Johnny: That makes me --

claudia: What did you do? You went along for the ride, john.

Johnny: So i'm guilty too, then.

Claudia: But the whole point was to keep you safe. That's why i took the hit out on sonny in the first place.

Johnny: Taking the blame and getting both of ourselves killed isn't going to accomplish anything. But sitting around and waiting isn't going to work either, because sonny's going to come after us. So i'm going to go to him and tell him that we had nothing to do with it.

Claudia: That's way too dangerous right now.

Johnny: Well, it's exactly what we would do if we were innocent. I'll even invite him to interrogate any member of our crew, if he wants. Assuming what you said is right and this third party can't be traced back to us, we'll be fine.

Claudia: There's no link between us and the shooter.

Johnny: Well, let's hope not. Things could get ugly.

Luke: Make sure sandy has five cases of that ready to open.

Lulu: Dad, johnny and i are over. I've told you that a million times. Remember, you said you were going to stay out of my love life?

Luke: Yes, i did. And you remember that i told you i thought it was really stupidfor you to try to insert yourself into a mob war for romantic or any other reason?

Lulu: I'm not.

Luke: Little michael corinthos is in a coma because somebody tried to shoot his father. Now, johnny z has plenty of reasons to want to see sonny dead.

Lulu: So end your partnership with him.

Luke: What, and give up all that lovely money? It's so green, it's so fresh, there's so much of it.

Lulu: Ok, fine. Then tell sonny that johnny didn't put out the hit.

Luke: How do i now that he didn't? I mean, i think johnny is probably smart enough not to hire some hit man to try to whack sonny, but i can't be sure. He's subtle, this young man you're interested in. And he's smart. I mean, look what he did here. He inserted himself into my business just so he'd have a reason to be near you. I've gotta say, i like his style.

Lulu: So which is it? Do you like him or do you think he's a walking disaster?

Luke: Both.


Jax: Did patrick examine michael today?

Carly: Yes.

Jax: Does he think he's making progress?

Carly: Patrick doesn't know michael. My child has amazing inner strength, and he's fighting. And i know it.

Jax: And patrick is familiar with hundreds of similar cases.

Carly: If you don't believe in michael, jax --

jax: No, it's not -- i just don't want you clinging to false hope.

Carly: Michael is going to surprise everybody. You'll see, he's going to.

Jax: I'll get you some coffee.

Alexis: How's it going?

Jax: The doctors think that michael's condition is permanent.

Carly refuses to believe that, of course. How do i help her accept the truth?

Alexis: I don't know that you can.

Jax: Yeah.

Jerry: Dr. Devlin, are you absolutely certain that left no trace that ties you to michael's shooting?

Ian: My, my, my. Getting jumpy, are we?

Jerry: It's a simple question.

Ian: I already told you, there's no evidence whatsoever.

Just as i told you i'm the last person sonny or jason would suspect. And if you're still thinking about killing me to cover your tracks, my death would only raise questions you won't be able to answer. If you want to protect yourself, protect me. I look blameless, so do you.

Jerry: That still leaves claudia.

Ian: Who's highly motivated to keep her mouth shut.

Jerry: She's far from being discrete.

Ian: She'll keep quiet to protect her brother. Because if sonny finds out she was responsible for putting his child in a coma, he won't stop until claudia and john are both dead.

Luke: And it will be an open bar tonight, pouring all the good stuff, unwatered. We're going to have these people totally greased up and ready for high stakes wagers.

Tracy: No one ever said you weren't good at spending other peoples' money, sweetheart.

Luke: Oh, and that reminds me. I'm afraid you won't be able to play on the house tonight. You're going to have to buy in like everybody else.

Tracy: You are having a good time, aren't you?

Luke: It's the smell of sheep ready to be fleeced.

Tracy: I hate to put a crimp in your style, but please remember that the doctor said that you are a heart attack waiting to happen if you don't pay attention to his suggestions.

Luke: Oh, damn. I left that list home.

Tracy: Allow me to recap. Stay away from alcohol.

Luke: I've cut way back.

Tracy: Eat a healthy, low cholesterol diet.

Luke: Nothing lower on the food chain than caviar.

Tracy: Get plenty of exercise.

Luke: I'm going to be walking the decks all night on my three legs. And doing bicep curls lifting a big fat cigar to my mouth.

Tracy: Good. I'll plan on taking you to the emergency room.

Luke: No, you plan on having a good time. Relax.

Tracy: It's hard to do when i know you could drop dead at any minute.

Luke: Sweetheart, we could all drop dead at any minute. What's important is how you live just before that moment comes.

Tracy: That old song.

Luke: Spanky -- spanky buns. You know, if anybody dies tonight, it's probably going to be my business partner.