General Hospital Update Tuesday 1/7/03

By Danielle
Pictures by Juanita

Summer admitted to Luke that she passed up a “real date” to spend the evening with him, but the news wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He told her she was changing her life, but she shouldn’t use him to do it. “I can’t be your place to hide,” he told her, encouraging her to find someone who gave her a reason to get up in the morning, someone who made her believe in magic again. “I pay you to play the game. The game was never intended to turn into a full time job,” he explained. She put on a sad face and convinced him to take her dancing. When he reluctantly agreed, she hurried home to change.

Liz and Lucky discussed Lucky’s attempt at going back to school because of the Deception fiasco. She suggested he talk to his brother or his father for the cash for education, knowing they would both oblige. He rejected the idea at first and pointed out an acting class on the list. He decided to take her suggestion after all, though and headed over to Luke’s to hit up his father. Lucky admitted there wasn’t much work to be found in town and told his father that he was looking to go to college. Shocked but happy, Luke was happy to offer his help, after rejecting Lucky’s thought that he could barely make ends meat himself. “Hey, who do you think you’re dealing with? I’ve always got a bankroll for my son,” Luke told him. They discussed Laura’s wishes for him to go to college as a child and his prospects. When Luke asked him the inevitable “why,” Lucky simply stated, “I really want to find my way.”

Summer was on her way back to meet Luke when the State Senator stopped her, asking her to go to his wife and tell her things were over. When she informed him they were, he thought different. She told him she would cause him no more problems, but he refused that decision, wanting to settle his wife’s concerns and rejuvenate their fling. When she refused again, he grabbed her by the arm and told her it wasn’t over, that she would need him one day, “And it’s going to cost you, whore.” Lucky joined her on the docks after the Senator had departed and noticed her upset. He joked with her calmingly when she told him she was stupid for wanting to change her life and go to college. He teased her until she agreed to hang in there with him. She excused herself, telling him she was late. He teased again, asking if it was a guy and she just didn’t have the heart to tell him. She admitted he was right, so he asked if her gentleman friend was nice. “Yeah, so are you,” she told him, unaware of his parentage. She asked him to walk her to the corner, but before they made it off the dock, a police officer stopped them, telling them they were under arrest.”

Courtney and Carly chatted at Kelly’s, discussing Sonny’s decision to jump bail and check out Puerto Rico for leads to Ida’s killer. Carly brought up the Speak Easy to her sister-in-law, telling her the story of the old joint and the horror that lay behind the bricks. She encouraged Courtney to take a look and give her opinion on the feel of the place. They tracked to the basement and Carly relayed the story the old woman had told her. “It feels like something wonderful was supposed to happen and it just didn’t,” Carly admitted. Courtney offered that as a challenge – a chance for Carly to make that something happen herself. Rick chose that moment to interrupt, looking for Sonny. Carly excused herself and Courtney chatted with her boyfriend’s lawyer. Courtney tried to sneak him the information about AJ and pointed out how devastated Carly would be if Jason ended up in prison. Rick had just gotten off the question about why Jason’s well being was so important to the young woman, when Jason arrived. He told his lawyer that he wasn’t going to testify, but Rick pointed out that Baldwin would make him look like a cold hearted hitman, Jason told him it was his job to defend him, not question him and left. Courtney followed a few steps later, leaving Rick to think about the confrontation.

Rick went to the diner and discussed Jason with Elizabeth, who wasn’t surprised Jason wouldn’t cooperate. He explained that he just wanted Jason’s trust. Elizabeth assured him that would never happen. He bounced an idea off Elizabeth – asking a friend (Courtney) to help him convince Jason, but Elizabeth turned the idea down, telling him that to Jason, Courtney was a job. He admitted that maybe that was for the best, that Jason and Brenda needed to be closer than ever.

Courtney followed Jason to their apartment. She tried to explain that Rick was trying to help, but Jason informed her he wasn’t too confident in the lawyer’s story. “Rick’s at the right place at the right time again and it’s just a little too convenient,” he told her. Asking why he didn’t just get another lawyer didn’t help much; Jason simply explained it made more sense to go along with everything. She told him to be careful, that she needed him – more than he knew.

Brenda opened the door to find Jax on her doorstep, trying to convince her to plead insanity. She refused, explaining that she hadn’t killed Alcazar and she wasn’t going to admit that she had. Jax tried to scare her into it by telling her that Scotty had another plan, one that would put her behind bars, if she didn’t take this leap. Dr. Lewis jumped in, telling her that he would have to evaluate her before he declared her insane, encouraging the use of “battered woman syndrome.” Jax wanted to use her mother’s emotional instability and her breakdown to back up the declaration. “I didn’t kill anybody and I’m not going to say that I did,” she repeated. “And I’m definitely not going to say I’m crazy.” She told Jax if this were the kind of help he was offering, she would decline. Cameron told her testifying against Jason was the only way to win her case. Cameron left when the discussion became heated. Brenda told Jax she’d find her own way out. He asked if she was waiting on a miracle or counting on Sonny. Brenda defended Sonny, admitting that at least he believed in her innocence. Jax commented that she would follow him to prison. “I get what I want because I do what it takes,” Jax admitted. She continued to refuse his idea. He left, angry, telling her she was putting her life on the line and asking her what stakes there were.

As soon as Jax departed, Carly stood on the doorstep, pointing out that Brenda and her lover were loud enough for the building to hear. She explained that Jax had already asked Alexis to frame Jason. Brenda again told her she hadn’t killed Alcazar and she was going to tell the truth. They had their typical argument about Brenda’s outburst and chasing Alcazar with a knife, but agreed that all they needed was for a jury to believe her. Brenda informed her neighbor that she always protected the people she loved. Carly pointed out that she hoped Jason was on that list.

Jax returned to Brenda’s penthouse to apologize. She told him she needed him to believe in her. He promised he would and told her after the drama was over they could live the life they’d dreamed of. “I need you,” she told him.

Ned and Faith kissed forcefully on the docks, Alexis accidentally stumbling upon them. As soon as she saw them, she left immediately, retreating to Kelly’s to cry and argue with her best nemesis, Dr. Lewis. When she finally admitted she was upset with Ned for practically shedding his clothes right there on the docks, Lewis shared his thoughts on the matter: “Good for Ned.” Alexis sarcastically told him to hurry and maybe he could catch them and root Ned on. She asked why he felt so concerned for Ned. “Why can’t you appreciate that Ned simply wants to be close to his child,” Cameron asked. “Because it’s not his child,” Alexis blubbered out. Upset she had spilled the secret, she asked him to leave, but he remained, wondering if Ned even knew the truth. “Of course he knows,” she told him, then she got a chance to hear Cameron’s story –the story about his family and why he felt it was important Ned get brownie points for trying to be in Kristina’s life. “I abandoned my own son,” he told her. He explained that he had taken his sons hunting in the wilderness in Florida, and while he was a few steps ahead, his eldest, Peter, got shot in the chest. The younger son, he told her just stood there and watched. Afterwards, when he needed his father most, he was not there. He admitted his son ran away after the funeral and he hasn’t spoken to him since. Though he didn’t name the son, his recalling the event showed his son’s face, and Zander, was the child whom he abandoned.

Ned explained to his new partner about Carly’s club and ordered her to get some information on the old place. He offered the solution of distracting Sonny with his wife’s business so they could move in on the real money.

Carly returned to the Speak Easy to pick up her jacket that she left behind. Before she could leave, Faith joined her. “You’re Sonny Corinthos’ wife,” Faith recognized. “Yeah. You’re Roscoe’s widow,” Carly returned, asking the woman what she was doing there. Faith “informed” her that this old Speak Easy was her past – her grandmother’s club. She mentioned the right names in the right order and got the larger details out of the way – enough to convince Carly the place had some really bad karma. She tried to convince Mrs. Corinthos the place was haunted, that you could hear 20’s music there on a silent night, but Carly didn’t buy. “I don’t believe in ghosts,” Mrs. Corinthos formed her new nemesis. “Neither do I. It’s fate. That’s what you’ve got to look out for,” Faith informed.

Luke sat in his office and waited for Summer to arrive. When she didn’t show he poured himself a shot and toasted her. “To Summer. She had the good sense not to show.”