The Bold & The Beautiful Update Monday 8/8/05

By Wanda
Pictures by Boo

Same day continuation of Friday's program.

At the hospital, Brooke is sitting vigil over Hope, holding her hands, and saying her mommy is right there. Could she please squeeze her hand again? Hope does squeeze Brooke's thumb very tightly. Brooke's tears begin to flow and she encourages Hope by saying that is very good. She strokes her hair/forehead and asks if she can open her eyes? When she doesn't, Brooke says it's okay, just rest and know the doctors are taking very good care of her. And she tells her she loves her so much. Meanwhile, an anguished Nick is standing just outside the door peering through the window. He spots the squeeze and excitedly calls for a Doctor to come look.

Hector is at Brooke's house inspecting/working on the Jacuzzi/spa drain. Katherine asks if he needs anything but he says he is almost through. She is baffled how Hope could almost drown when she was such a good swimmer. Hector finally holds up the drain clogged with hair and says this will explain it.

Dr. Sobel comes into the room and Brooke asks Hope to repeat the squeeze, but this time she doesn't Dr. Sobel thinks it could be involuntary, though Brooke says she did it twice. She leaves, brushing past Nick, to let Dr. Sobel examine Hope more thoroughly. Nick tells Brooke this is a very good sign and she just has to keep believing she's going to get through this. Brooke turns to face him and says that Hope is in that hospital bed because of him! She trusted him with the life of her baby and now she's in there fighting for her life because he nearly let her drown. "I thought you loved her?"

He says he does; he loves that little girl more than anything....this is killing him! She tells him to stop it and she lashes with hands flying that she can't stand to hear this; can't stand to hear his voice; she can't stand to even look at him.....and she walks off.

He follows her to the window and to her back says that he knows she hates him right now but, she shouldn't be alone......she says she shouldn't be here, period. Hope shouldn't be here. She walks away again and then turns to say she doesn't understand; how Hope's hair could get caught in the drain? She asks how long was Hope under water and Nick shakes his head and says a minute, maybe more, he's not sure. Brooke retorts, "just long enough to ruin her life." Nick argues NO! They just had to believe she would come through this; they just had to believe that! She says she hopes to God he's right. She cries her daughter may end up being disabled; she may never have a normal life again.

Hector arrives but stops and hesitates when he sees the confrontation between Brooke and Nick. Brooke walks off and Nick says aloud that he wishes that were him in there; that little girl is like a daughter to him; like his own flesh and blood. "I will give her my life; whatever she needs." Brooke is still standing there and she tells him that if her daughter is scarred by this; she will be reminded every time she looks at her that he is responsible........he is to go NOWHERE near her, not now, not ever!

Brooke slips back into the room and asks the Doctor how Hope is? He says there has been no more movement, but her breathing pattern seems normal. He also finds her neuromuscular responses and eye movement encouraging. And Brooke mouths, "Thank, God." The doctor leaves and she says she will call them if any more changes.

She sits again with Hope and holds her hand and tells her she knows it's hard, but she's got to keep fighting. Hope's eyes flutter a bit. Brooke continues that so many people love her - her little brother, Bridget, Katherine; they all need her. "So, please, please, please, come back to us."

Hector slips in and asks Brooke if he can come in? She replies of course. He drops his report in the chair and asks how Hope is doing? She replies that she's still unconscious but she did squeeze her hand twice. He agrees that is positive. He sits on the bed and put his hands on Brooke's shoulder and back rubbing them. She tells him she is glad he responded to the call. He reminds her, "from Nick." He tells her he knows she is worried sick, but Hope has everything she needs to pull through this. She has youth, excellent doctors and a loving mother by her side. But Brooke berates herself. Some mother, she never should have left her in Nick's care. Hector tells her not to do that to herself. Brooke gets up and walks around, covering her face with her hands as he says hindsight is always 20/20. He walks around to face her and says he knows how she is feeling, he really does. And Nick....he should have been paying closer attention but....there's something else she needs to know. He says he took another look at the spa and it was an accident just waiting to happen.

Nick enters the hospital chapel, looks around in wonderment and dismay, chooses a pew and sits down. He relives the sight of watching Hope in the spa and then her little feet poking out above water. He closes his eyes, scrunches his mouth and nose to block out the pain as he hears Brooke's words that it was he who did this to Hope.

Jackie rushes in but stops and reverently slips in when she spots Nick. She approaches his pew and he looks up as she slides down beside him, arms wrapping, cradling his head as he sobs.

Hector explains to Brooke that her spa only had one drain and the drain cover was broken. He shows her the packaged evidence and how as the water went through, her hair got sucked into it, causing her head to stay under water. He said there were precautions she could take. Nothing would replace, of course, adult supervision but she could put a bathing cap on Hope, or anyone else with long hair. And for a spa with only one drain like hers, she could install a vacuum release system which breaks the vacuum if something should get stuck in there. Better yet, get a spa with two outlets so that if one gets blocked, the suction won't be as strong.

She's amazed; she didn't realize it was an issue. He says her and a lot of other people, but children get injured by this accident every year. Again, Brooke blames herself. They had just moved back into the house and she was going to have it checked but there was so much to do. She says, "oh my God, my sweet little girl. What have I done to you?"

Jackie strokes Nick's hair and says she got his message but it was very difficult to understand him; what happened? Slowly he tells her that Hope was in the spa and he was supposed to be watching her. Brooke had gone to pick up R.J. and she'd asked him to keep an eye on Hope (just where oh where is Dante in all of this? He was also offering to watch Hope and has no car so how did he escape?). Nick gets up, holds his head and continues that he wasn't doing a very good job of watching her. Hope was playing and she wanted him to watch her, play under water to see how long she could hold her breath. And when he looked at her, he saw her legs sticking out of the spa....and when he tried to pull her out, she was stuck, her hair was stuck. They both are about to become unglued, but Jackie says thank God she is all right, he saved her life. Nick doesn't see it that way. Because of him this little girl may be brain damaged. She may never walk....or talk......she's upstairs now in a hospital bed, unconscious, with tubes hanging out of her, "because of ME!" Jackie tells him this could happen to anyone; he shouldn't blame himself.

He shivers as he repeats Brooke told him over and over not to take his eyes off of her; keep his eyes on her. Jackie keeps reminding him this happens all the time, especially to children. He says he let her down in the worst way possible. Jackie tells him to stop; stop tormenting himself; this isn't fair. He turns on her and tells her this is what's not fair. The life this little girl has led - being bounced from dad to dad and along comes this big hero, her Uncle Nick and he let her down more than anybody. Jackie tells him again that none of this will do any good; what she does need right now is her Uncle Nick to be with her, holding her hand, helping her recover. She begs him to go be with her. He shakes his head that he can't. She offers that of course he can; the child adores him. But he says Brooke doesn't want him to be near her. Jackie thinks that is ridiculous; Brooke needs him too,, now more than ever. He shakes his head, no, she blames him; she holds him responsible and she should! Jackie says that's only because she is scared. Any mother would be frantic in this situation, but once the crisis is past ....Nick turns and says, "then what? Tell me? All will be forgiven? We'll all go back to normal? I don't think you're hearing me, Mother!" He continues that her daughter may have brain damage. Her whole life would be different; perhaps paralysis, loss of speech, seizures....she had two of them on the way to the hospital; he watched her little body shaking. He sinks in the nearest pew and says maybe this is why he wasn't meant to have a kid. She sits beside him, patting his back as he says things happen for a reason. Obviously he wasn't meant to have children or be around children...you just can't love them enough. Parents are supposed to love their children; look out for them; protect them, not drown them!

She says he'd be a wonderful parent and he can't keep beating himself up, but he wonders just what is he supposed to do? She cries, "pray, and I'll pray with you for Hope's recovery.....that is the reason you came down here....to ask for HIS help."

He gulps as he sort of looks above, stiffens his arms on the pew in front of him and says, "don't take that little angel...give her back to her mother....give her back to Brooke....please". Jackie clasps his hands and tightly holds them.

Brooke is tightly holding Hope's little hand and says she did this to her. But Hector tells her she didn't know about it and her focus should be on Hope and her getting better so the next time she goes swimming, she's doing everything she can to protect her. She whispers to Hope that she didn't know she was putting her in danger and she's so sorry. Mommy is going to make sure nothing will ever hurt her again. Now she needs her to do something - be strong and fight. "I love you so much, Hope, you have to come back to us." Hope moans just a little, then tries to utter a word.

Brooke looks hopeful as he strokes Hope's head and says her mommy is right there, "I'm right here."

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