Claudia: I'll be back in a little bit, ok? I'll see you.

Johnny: We need to talk about Michael Corinthos's shooting.

Claudia: John, I don't want to argue with you.

Johnny: You didn't tell me that Jerry jacks knew we were involved. You said it was for my own good, but I'm wondering what else you're not telling me.

Claudia: You're safe, I'm alive. We're in a stand-off with Jerry. Can we just leave it at that?

Johnny: You are trying awfully hard to get me to let this go. Who else knows we hired the shooter?

Spinelli: Please -- please be gentle with The Jackal's cyber companion.

Jason: Ok. You need to get some rest.

Spinelli: But the ague is a nightmarish memory now.

Jason: Listen, you just -- you just got out of the hospital yesterday. If you spike a fever, you're going back. I don't want you to go back.

Spinelli: The Jackal is pleased his master is conversing with him again. Does that mean he is no longer enraged with his grasshopper for elaborating to fair Elizabeth about Vixenella's feelings for him?

[Knock on door]

Carly: Happy news, I'm not pregnant.

Sonny: Yeah, Jason told me. He also told me you didn't have sex with him. I figured you were lying, but, you know, you never know with you. If you had been pregnant and that baby was -- was mine, you would've lied to my face to keep it from me.

Carly: Well, you made sure that didn't happen. You told Jax to get a paternity test.

Sonny: [Groans]

Carly: Let me tell you something, Sonny.

Carly: Let me tell you something, Sonny.

Sonny: Yeah?

Carly: If you do anything else to hurt my marriage with Jax, I'll make sure you never marry Kate.

Logan: You need help with those?

Lulu: No, no, no, thank you. I've got it all balanced.

Logan: Kate Howard's got you jumping through hoops. Shopping bags, coffee.

Lulu: Yeah, well, she flips out when her latte's not hot, so I got to go.

Logan: Well, I'm kind of surprised the way you're throwing yourself into this job.

Lulu: Why?

Logan: No, I mean, I never had you pegged for the fashion magazine type -- shopping bags, clothes, accessories, the Kate Howard social scene. You used to think all that stuff was shallow and stupid.

Lulu: Yeah, well, I guess, I don't know, I've changed or the job has changed me. Either way, I -- I like it most of the times.

Logan: Well, you must stay busy. I hardly ever see you anymore.

Lulu: Yeah, Kate has us working very long hours. I don't want to be late, I told you, so --

Logan: You know, there's this great band playing out on third street. I don't know what time you get off, but maybe we could check --

Lulu: Logan, please, don't do this. I told you I'm not going to go out with you.

Logan: Why is it so easy for you to ignore me when all I think about is you?

Jason: Here's the juice you wanted.

Spinelli: A multitude of thanks. This blend of 19 fruits will surely speed The Jackal's recovery.

Jason: Ok, then drink it.

Spinelli: You know, perhaps Stone Cold should imbibe. I mean, he would no doubt benefit from the juice's curative powers. It's known to release stress, and Stone Cold seems most tightly wound at the moment.

Jason: Spinelli, I'm fine.

Spinelli: The Jackal fears that the master may still harbor resentment for fair Elizabeth drawing the wrong conclusions from his remarks.

Jason: I just -- I don't want to do anything to upset Elizabeth, ok? So just don't talk about that stuff in front of her anymore.

Spinelli: You know, with all due respect, jackal does not think his words were the cause of fair Elizabeth's distress.

Jason: What do you mean?

Spinelli: Well, her discontentment arises from her heart-rending break-up with Stone Cold and she no doubt envies Vixenella for being free to associate with Stone Cold at any given time or place.

[Knock on door]

Maxie: Hi, I'm here to take care of Spinelli, so you can go.

Maxie: Here.

Johnny: Tell me the truth about this shooting.

Claudia: You're making it sound like I've been lying to you.

Johnny: Not at all, you've just been conveniently omitting the facts.

Claudia: I didn't want you involved, John. I wanted your hands clean.

Johnny: It's too late for that. It's done.

Claudia: You know that I'm the one person you can trust. You know that, right?

Johnny: Yeah, I trust that you love me. I trust that you'd do anything for me, if it came down to it, to protect me. I trust you'd never turn on me. What I don't trust are your methods.

Claudia: I was -- I screwed up. I'm sorry. I was trying to make it right for both of us.

Johnny: Claudia -- we need to be able to rely on each other. We are in this together. And if we're going to get through it, we need to watch each other's backs. So who else knows about this besides Jerry?

Claudia: Nikolas Cassadine.

Johnny: Lulu's brother knows that I had a hand in Michael's shooting. Matt: Oh, great. Yes -- so, yes, this is it.

Nikolas: This is it, doctor -- doctor -- doctor -- doctor -- Matt Hunter, right. Yes, this is nurse -- nurse Mir and nurse Crowell. Nadine and

Leyla: Hi.

Matt: Hi. Any other doctors on staff?

Nikolas: Nope, just one. But we'll get a few more in the coming months. Come on, let me show you around.

Matt: Right.

Nadine: Ok, you have to stop selling me so hard to Nikolas.

Leyla: What? He seems very appreciative.

Nadine: Leyla, it's embarrassing. Any minute, I'm expecting some big neon sign to pop out saying "bachelorette number one."

Leyla: I think you're overreacting just a tad.

Nadine: No, I'm terrified that you're going to blurt out to Nikolas that he should ask me out.

Leyla: That's not such a bad idea. Maybe I should just --

Nadine: Leyla, I'm serious, ok?

Leyla: Come on.

Nadine: This is really important to me. And whatever my feelings are for Nikolas, he's going to have to decide on his own whether he's interested, ok?

Leyla: Ok.

Nadine: Ok.

Nikolas: So, I guess you'll be putting in about a minimum of, I'd say, 15 hours a week.

Matt: Yeah, yeah, that's -- that's not the problem. You see, I'm a surgical resident and, from the looks of things here, you have more of a vaccination and band-aid-type crowd.

Nikolas: Well, you know, the clinic just opened and -- and we'll get some more patients once the word gets out. We're going to need other medical expertise, doctor.

Matt: Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So, why don't you just go ahead and call me when things pick up and I'll take all comers. I mean, broken bones, head trauma --

Nikolas: Maybe -- maybe -- I'm sorry, maybe I didn't make myself clear the last time we met, but your fellowship and this clinic was established in the memory of Emily Quatermaine, ok? She was -- she was an intern at general hospital who cared for anybody who needed it. So that is the standard that I expect you to adhere to. So you'll start your hours, let's say, today, right now, and give respect to any patient you treat. Ok.

Sonny: You can't stop my wedding to Kate, Carly.

Carly: She hasn't already told you? I laid the groundwork.

Sonny: If you told Kate that we slept together --

Carly: That's my last resort.

Sonny: All right, I'm just telling you --

Carly: Only to be used if you or Kate somehow break up me and Jax.

Sonny: Why would I want to do that? I am thrilled you're married to Jax. It's a relief that your lies and craziness are somebody else's problem. Stay the hell away from Kate.

Carly: Too late. I already told her that you're probably going to leave her at the altar.

Sonny: And what did she do, laugh in your face?

Carly: No, she tried that, and then I mentioned your wedding to Brenda as an example. So, I'm sure right about now, she's doing all kinds of research about the details or she's having her little people do it. And I'm also sure she's sitting there going, you know what? That was ages ago and different circumstances. But you're going to have a nervous broad on your wedding day, if you make it that far.

Sonny: So what you're telling me again is that you went out of your way to hurt Kate.

Carly: Yeah, just like you went out of your way to hurt Jax.

Sonny: You -- look, you're going after Kate for no reason at all, out of spite. No?

Carly: No.

Sonny: Yeah, no. I told Jax about the paternity test because if the child is mine, I wanted it, just like I want Michael and Morgan back. But that's not going to happen. If you want to stop this cycle of blame and anger between us, tear that piece of paper, and let me see my damn children!

Carly: I can't do that.

Sonny: You can't do that.

Carly: No.

Sonny: Of course, you can't do that because you want to punish me for it. How long do I have to pay for what happened to Michael?

Carly: You know what? If you don't believe that I'm doing this to protect my kids, then I can't convince you. I know you miss the boys and I am sorry, but they are safer away from you.

Sonny: No, they're not.

Sonny: It's not enough that I'm a coffee importer, completely legitimate. I'm making a decent living now. I'm not in the violent business anymore. I don't have the same life. I don't, you know -- I don't hold the same power, and I gave all that up for one reason, to keep my children safe. And instead of you thanking me, you tear Michael and Morgan away from me.

Sonny: Tell me how that's protecting them. Tell me how you've done our children any good at all.

Nikolas: Mayor Floyd, what brings you here today?

Mayor Floyd: Mr. Cassadine. Well, I was just in the neighborhood. I thought I'd stop by.

Nikolas: Really? What a coincidence because we had a surprise visit from the inspector just now.

Mayor Floyd: Well, if the clinic isn't up to code --

Nikolas: Actually, they were quite impressed.

Mayor Floyd: Hmm. You know, the only reason you're still up and running is because your aunt called in favors from the city council.

Nikolas: As opposed to the favors that you call in. The clinic is here to stay, mayor. So I suggest you change your attitude.

Mayor Floyd: You are dangerously overconfident, Mr. Cassadine. That's usually when disaster strikes.

Johnny: Nikolas tells Lulu that I was involved in Michael's shooting, I'll lose her forever.

Claudia: That's the least of our worries, Johnny. If Nikolas tells Lulu, she'll go and blab to Jason Morgan and then he'll come and kill us both.

Johnny: So, what are you suggesting? That we kill Nikolas in order to keep his mouth shut? Even if we could get away with that, I don't know how I feel about knocking off my girlfriend's brother.

Claudia: Don't worry about Nikolas. He's not going to tell.

Johnny: What? You think that he wants to protect his sister against the evil, murderous, John Zacchara?

Claudia: I told him that I was the one who set up the hit with Devlin, and that if I'd known Michael Corinthos was in that warehouse, it never wouldn't have gone down the way it went down.

Johnny: Why the hell did you even tell him in the first place?

Claudia: You remember the three days I was at Wyndemere after I was stabbed? I had a really high fever, John. I was sick. I was rambling. It just came out.

Johnny: So you think, out of sympathy, he'll keep his mouth shut?

Claudia: No, Nikolas has -- he bought this experimental drug from Devlin and he's sitting on his own guilt about giving the guy money. He's not in a position to judge us.

Johnny: You want to bet your life on that? How many people can know something this explosive before it's not a secret anymore?

Claudia: Maybe you're right. Maybe we've been going about this whole thing the wrong way.

Lulu: I'm sorry that you're having a hard time letting go, but I am with Johnny now.

Logan: I don't buy this sudden devotion to Johnny.

Lulu: It's not sudden. We've known each other for months.

Logan: Maxie -- she tricked me --

Lulu: It's behind us now. It's --

Logan: Look, don't -- don't you remember what -- what a good thing we had going? I mean, come on. We used to sit around and talk for hours about our families and how we both felt like outsiders. I mean, it even went so well, you moved into my apartment.

Lulu: Yeah, but was like -- that was, like, a night.

Logan: Well, look, Lulu, she's pathological, ok, when it comes to hurting you. And maybe, if we were back together, I could convince her to back off.

Lulu: Logan, that's fine. I can handle Maxie.

Logan: I was wrong, you know? But if you could just find it in your heart to give me a second chance --

Lulu: Logan, I forgive you. I forgive you. I -- I wish you well. I really do. I hope you have a great life, but I am with Johnny now and that's not going to change. I need to go.

Maxie: Spinelli needs his rest, so don't even think about asking him to do any of that illegal hacking you had in mind. He needs to recuperate.

Spinelli: Well, it was actually Stone Cold who discouraged The Jackal from an early return --

Maxie: You give him too much credit. You're way too nice to Jason. I brought flowers. I thought it might cheer this place up. And you, too, maybe.

Spinelli: Well, most grateful thanks.

Jason: He's -- he's getting better, so if you need to go back to work, I could take care of things.

Maxie: That's nice of you, Jason, but I'm pretty sure I can take care of Spinelli a little better than you can. Isn't that right, Spinelli?

Spinelli: Oh.

Maxie: Are you ok?

Spinelli: The Jackal's constitution fluctuates between peaks and valleys. Maybe if the Maximista could spare a moment of her most precious time, it would surely speed his recovery.

Maxie: Aw, I would do anything to make you feel better.

Spinelli: Oh, most grateful thanks. And no doubt, Stone Cold has many duties that he can attend to. So, I mean, he can feel free to leave The Jackal to Maximista's tender administrations.

Sonny: I had to give up the boys because I'm too dangerous. But, yet, you see Jason all the time and -- and he's the hit man running the mob now.

Carly: Jason doesn't go near the boys. He hasn't been to the house since he signed the papers and took over your territory.

Sonny: But you're risking your life every time you see him, aren't you?

Carly: I have guards. So do Morgan, Alexis, and Kristina. We were targets way before Jason took over, and now he's the one keeping us safe.

Sonny: Oh, really? Well, it doesn't make sense. How can a mob boss be less dangerous than a coffee importer?

Carly: Well, let me explain that to you, Sonny. Because Jason will never be standing next to Morgan when someone tries to shoot him. Jason will never be standing next to Morgan again, just like you will never be standing next to Morgan again.

Sonny: I'm Morgan's father. You don't think he misses me a little bit?

Carly: Of course, he misses you.

Sonny: Right.

Carly: And Morgan understands that Michael was hurt very badly and we don't want the same thing to happen to him. And that's why daddy has to stay away. And I'm not doing this to punish you. I'm doing this because Michael is lying in a bed.

Sonny: You know what? I wish I could believe you. If you would concentrate on rebuilding your life, making Morgan, maybe even Jax, for god's sakes, a priority instead of coming in here, lashing out at me, making me angry. First, you used the kids. Now you're using Kate.

Carly: I don't give a damn about Kate. I think you're a fool to marry her. But you know what? She's your mistake to make.

Sonny: I have never been more certain about anything in my life.

Carly: Why? Because she has faith in you, Sonny?

Sonny: Yeah, well --

Carly: Because Kate believes that you can be redeemed? Come on. She is just another woman in a long list who is going to change your life, who believes in you. But guess what. They never lasted, and Kate's not going to last either.

Sonny: Yes, she will. You know why?

Carly: Why? Why?

Sonny: Because I'm out of the organization. I'm out of the violence. She's not going to have to be afraid or angry or even bitter like you.

Carly: So -- how long are you going to be able to stay in retirement? Because, you know, you love the power. And you're way too selfish to give it up.

Sonny: Self -- I'm selfish?

Carly: Yeah.

Sonny: I'm -- you're married to Jax. It didn't stop you from having sex with me in a limo.

Carly: It takes two, Sonny.

Sonny: You took advantage of my grief. You -- you forced me to sign over -- to sign that paper, to give away my kids. That's selfish.

Carly: I didn't make you do anything, Sonny. You wanted me. And that's our problem. We want each even though we know better.

Carly: Sorry you had to hear that, Max.

Max: Mrs. C.

Max: No offense -- no offense, boss, but why would you marry Kate if you still have the hots for Mrs. C? It was that day at the airport.

Johnny: Our only option is to stay quiet.

Claudia: Or we could go to Jason and tell him what we've done.

Johnny: That we're the real reason for Michael's shooting? Claudia, that's suicide.

Claudia: Well, I mean, if I just explained it to him, that you had nothing to do with it and I never intended for Michael to get hurt, I think maybe --

Johnny: Michael is in a permanent vegetative coma because of us. Why wouldn't Morgan retaliate? I would.

Claudia: He's had plenty of chances to start a war. He clearly doesn't want one, Johnny. And I think he'll -- he'll think it through before he does anything.

Johnny: Jason Morgan is a hit man. He kills. It's what he does. It's in his blood and he does it without a shred of remorse.

Claudia: I just spent 24 hours with the guy, and you should've seen him with Spinelli. I mean, he took care of him, like he was a little brother. I think he has a soul. Johnny: Ok, but, Claudia, the Zaccharas are the enemy. You'd be delusional to think that'll change.

Claudia: I think he'll listen to reason.

Johnny: Why are you so sympathetic toward him? I need you to promise me that Jason or anybody else will not find out about what we've done.

Claudia: I promise you.

Matt: Mr. Brody needs a full blood panel in room 3.

Nadine: Ok.

Matt: Yup, thanks.

Patient: I don't understand. You said I'd feel better, but --

Nadine: Mrs. -- Mrs. Cusak, she was in here earlier today.

Matt: Yeah, ok. She definitely has a fever.

Matt: Yeah, ok. Her breathing is labored. What was the diagnosis?

Nadine: Bacterial pneumonia.

Matt: Ok, why wasn't she prescribed antibiotics?

Nadine: She was. We gave her her first pill here and sent her home with a prescription.

Matt: No, this woman shows no sign of taking any medication.

Nikolas: Here -- here's her prescription right here. How do we -- how do we find out if there's anything wrong with these?

Sonny: You're joking, right? I'm not hot for Carly. What are you talking about?

Max: Well, Mrs. C just said that you and she and the limo -- when I used to drive you, it was one of the places you guys liked to -- not that I ever looked, because I never looked.

Sonny: Max -- Max, I don't want you to breath a word about this to anyone.

Max: My lips are sealed.

Sonny: Especially, if you say anything to Kate, I will kill you.

Max: Not to push, but you and Mrs. C have a pattern that's been going on for years. You break up. You swear it's over. Then you get back with each other. So, if you're having second thoughts about this --

Sonny: Max, please, what do I got to say? I love Kate. I'm marrying Kate. I want her -- I don't want her to have to deal with -- with Carly's insanity.

Max: All right, you got it, Mr. C, ok?

Sonny: Right.

Max: What did you call me for?

Sonny: There's a shipment coming in from South America. I just want to know, you know, where -- where it's being landed.

Max: I'm not supposed to discuss it.

Sonny: Just tell me. You don't trust me?

Max: No, of course, I -- no.

Sonny: No, listen. Just tell me where -- where is it being landed?

Max: It's coming in today. Jason's made new arrangements.

Jason: Look, Spinelli needs to rest and that's really not going to happen with you sitting right next to him.

Maxie: Hello, I'm the one who helped Spinelli sleep through the night after your friend, Sonny, rammed his head into the wall. Isn't that right, Spinelli?

Spinelli: Oh, Maximista is correct.

Maxie: See? He's withering away. Spinelli needs me.

Spinelli: Maximista is, indeed, soothing to The Jackal, Stone Cold.

Maxie: I'm soothing, and you're not. You should probably go.

Spinelli: Jackal requests that you speak in moderate tones. This is, in fact, Stone Cold's abode.

Maxie: Please, you've earned a few privileges around here after l the cyber stuff you've done for him. The least he can do is leave you alone for a little while.

Jason: I'll be at the office. Keep him off that computer.

Maxie: Ok. Alone at last.