At Memorial, Alison's mother checked her as Aaron watched. Alison could not remember what had happened at the pond or in Chris's room, but Aaron was sure that Chris had drugged Alison. Susan went to check on Alison's lab results and ran into Margo. Margo relayed Chris's account of Alison's behavior at the pond to Susan, but Susan refused to believe her daughter had waded into the water on her own. Susan was sure Chris was behind Alison's weird behavior.

Margo went into Alison's room to check if she had regained her memory. Alison could not remember, and Margo explained that she could not charge Chris with anything if Alison could not explain what had happened. Aaron was angry, but Alison agreed that Margo was right to let Chris go. When Margo left the room, she found Susan with Alison's latest lab results and learned that there were no toxins in Alison's blood. Susan did explain there was a strange compound in her blood, and the lab was working to determine exactly what it was. Susan was relieved there was no crystal meth in Alison's system but worried about what was really causing her daughter's blackouts. Margo told Susan she was off to the station to release Chris.

In the interrogation room at the police station, Chris told his father about Alison's strange conduct and suggested she might have been on drugs. Bob was worried that Chris would be accused of drugging Alison, but Chris tried to convince his father that he had saved Alison from drowning, not plotted to rape her. Bob explained to Chris that his behavior had also been very odd and that he should take a break from practicing medicine. Chris was annoyed with his father's advice and seemed unwilling to listen.

Margo returned to the station and told Chris that Alison was recovering at the hospital, and her lab results proved she had not been on drugs. Margo went on to explain that Alison did not remember anything that had happened. Chris did not understand why Alison had acted so odd if she had not been on drugs and was worried about his ex-girlfriend. Margo and Bob warned Chris to stay away from Alison, but Chris was determined to learn what was making Alison sick.

Chris went to the hospital and wanted to see Alison's chart. Bob tried to stop his son from going into Alison's room, but Chris was adamant that he would see Alison. Aaron heard the two arguing in the hall and walked out to confront Chris. Aaron told Chris to leave, and Chris insisted he did not want any trouble but needed to make sure that Alison was all right. Bob finally pulled Chris away from Alison's room, and Aaron returned to her.

In her room, Alison showed Aaron the bracelet she believed her father had given her and worried that the good luck she thought it held had finally rubbed off. As Alison put the bracelet back on, Aaron reassured her everything would be fine. Aaron began to quiz Alison for her next nursing exam, but Alison soon became agitated and confused. She quickly began to complain about being hot and began to rip the blankets off her bed.

Out in the hall, Chris pleaded with his father to check Alison's chart and try to find out what had made her almost kill herself. Bob was convinced and got Susan to hand over the chart. Chris thanked his father, and Bob explained he had done it so Chris could see Alison had the same rare compound in her blood that they had found in Chris's. Chris and Bob both realized it could not be a coincidence, and they were certain the compound was behind both Chris and Alison's strange behavior.

After their impromptu marriage in St. Louis, Casey and Emily got a suite at one of the hotels and began to celebrate their honeymoon in bed. After making love, Casey shocked Emily when he referred to her as Mrs. Hughes. Emily suddenly seemed to emerge from a fog, and she asked Casey why he had called her that. Casey assumed Emily did not want to use his name but then joked that Emily regretted the marriage. Emily looked at her ring finger and suddenly realized she and Casey were actually man and wife.

Emily bolted up and began to yell that she and Casey had made a very big mistake. Casey reminded Emily that getting married had been her idea, and she had been obsessed with the idea, but Emily could not remember convincing Casey to marry her. Emily grabbed her clothes and insisted they end their marriage as quickly as possible. Casey refused to let Emily get dressed until she explained why their relationship would not work. Emily admitted she loved Casey, but said loving him did not change the fact that they could not be married. Hurt by Emily's words, Casey told her he would do whatever she wanted.

On the flight back to Oakdale, the flight attendant recognized Casey and Emily and asked how the happy couple was doing. Emily and Casey's demeanor told her that things in St. Louis had not gone well. Once the flight had landed, Casey told Emily he could not deal with her craziness any longer, and unless she would to return to St. Louis to celebrate their honeymoon, they were over. When Emily said she could not stay married to him, Casey left brokenhearted.

Casey returned home and told his mom about his marriage to Emily. Margo was infuriated by the news and wanted to know what her son had been thinking. Casey begged his mom to stop yelling then told her that Emily had dumped him. Casey took off his ring and threw it in the trash. Margo realized how devastated her son was.

Back in her office, Emily tried to throw away her wedding ring but could not. She began to weep as she wondered why she was acting so weird. As Emily tried to get over dumping Casey, Margo barged in and demanded to know why Emily had convinced Casey to marry her, only to break his heart. Margo continued to push Emily for an answer, but when Emily stood to deal with Margo, Emily passed out.

Margo took Emily to the hospital, where Susan was shocked to find her oldest daughter in the room across from her youngest. Margo phoned Casey from the hall to tell him that Emily had collapsed. Susan reassured Emily she would be fine, but out in the hall, Susan told Bob and Chris about Emily's crazy behavior and explained that she was very worried about Emily. Within seconds, Aaron rushed to Susan and told her that Alison was acting strangely again, and he needed Susan to look at her. Chris pleaded with Bob to let him help, and Bob agreed to get Chris reinstated so he could care for Alison. Chris watched from the hall and vowed to save Alison.

Katie arrived at the farm and explained to Janet that Brad had left her a message saying he had taken Liberty on a road trip. Janet overacted and assumed Brad had kidnapped Liberty and threatened to phone the FBI. Katie calmed Janet down long enough to persuade her to ask Parker if he had heard from Liberty.

Janet and Katie went to Carly's house and asked Jack and Parker if they knew where Liberty was. Parker refused to tell Janet anything and denied hearing from Liberty. Moments after Parker left the room, Katie received a call from Brad who explained that Liberty was with him, and they were fine. Katie relayed the news to Janet then went outside to ask Brad what he was doing. Brad tried to explain that he needed to be alone with Liberty to get through to her about Parker, but Katie was not convinced Brad had made the right decision. Brad had heard enough and hung up.

Meanwhile, out in the wilderness, Brad decided to deal with Liberty's recent lying by taking her to his own version of boot camp. Liberty was not impressed with the cabin that Brad had rented and was convinced that he had only taken her out of town to get her away from Parker. She decided she was going to head back to Oakdale on her own, and despite Brad's warnings about the wilderness surrounding them, she walked out. Brad knew Liberty would return, and a short time later, she did. Liberty ranted at her father about taking her out to bear country in an attempt to scare her out of having sex with Parker. She went on to tell Brad that she'd had enough of his fatherly love and was ready to go back to life without a dad.

A short time later, Brad received another call from Katie, who pleaded with him to tell her where he and Liberty had gone. Brad still refused to tell Katie, so Janet grabbed the phone and threatened Brad with bodily harm if he did not tell her where Liberty was. As Liberty tried to rip the phone out of Brad's hand, he hung up and was determined to reconnect with his daughter. Liberty sulked around the cabin and whined about being hungry. Brad told her that her only chance of eating was to fish. Liberty was grossed out by the entire fishing experience but finally began to laugh and relax with her dad.

Back in Oakdale, Katie finally figured out that Brad had taken Liberty to a friend's cabin at Half Moon Lake. Jack was able to confirm through a friend that Brad was at the lake. Parker overheard his father's account of Liberty's whereabouts and was determined to get to his girlfriend. Katie and Janet wanted to head out to find the two, as well, but Jack was convinced Brad and Liberty were safe and would be home soon. Katie told Jack and Janet she was going home. Meanwhile, Parker phoned the bus station and planned his trip to get to Liberty.

After Liberty and Brad caught a few fish, they went back to the cabin to clean their catch. After leaving Jack's, Katie sneaked out to the cabin and looked in as Liberty squirmed over scaling the dead fish. Liberty began to sing as she gutted, and Brad complimented her on her beautiful voice. Brad was happy to learn new things about his daughter and was grateful the trip to the cabin had given them time alone. Katie looked in and laughed as she saw her husband and his daughter really bonding. Katie left reassured that Brad and Liberty would be fine.

Jack consoled Janet at the farm about Brad's trip with Liberty to the woods for some father-daughter bonding time. Katie arrived to tell them that all was going well at the cabin, but Janet was upset that Katie had gone there without her. She accused Katie and Jack of thinking Liberty was better off with her dad than with her. The three of them began preparing dinner.

In the woods, Liberty admitted her driving lesson with Brad had actually been fun. Her dad cautioned her to go slowly in all aspects of her life, and she got the message. Neither of them noticed Parker peeking through the window. Brad offered to walk to a camp store for supplies, and after he left, Parker walked in. He wanted to know why Liberty had not let him know she was leaving with her dad. Liberty tried to explain that she was enjoying Brad's company, but Parker did not believe her. As Brad returned, Parker hid.

While napping in her bedroom in Fairwinds, Meg saw the vision of Sofie once more. Sofie told her to kill Paul in order to save herself. Meanwhile, Paul called the psychiatrist, Lynn Michaels, to advise the doctor about Meg. Sofie continued to taunt Meg until Meg got so upset that Paul heard her noises and ran to her. He comforted his wife and suggested she seek professional help from Dr. Michaels. Meg resisted, but Paul told her he had already made an appointment for her. Sofie's image returned and continued to upset Meg.

Liberty asked Brad if she was still going to be under house arrest when they returned home. She was particularly worried that Ugo would be accompanying her to classes. Brad told her he still had the right to determine whom she could see. Liberty protested that Brad had not bought mustard and pleaded with him to go back to the store.

As soon as Brad left, Parker returned and suggested that he and Liberty run away together. "Get real!" said Liberty. Parker kept after her until Liberty agreed to drive Brad's car and go with Parker. The girl's driving skills were dramatically lacking, so they did not get far. Brad returned to the empty cabin and found his daughter, his keys, and his car missing.

Katie called Brad and confessed to sneaking around the cabin to see what had been happening. He told her that Liberty had taken the car while he'd been gone and asked Katie to join him to help look for the girl. Under no circumstances was Katie to tell Jack and Janet that Liberty was missing. Jack and Janet overheard Katie's part of the conversation, however, and soon guessed what had happened. The three of them drove to Jack's house to quiz Parker but found him gone, as well. They started for the cabin.

Meg began her consultation with Dr. Michaels, but Sofie's apparition joined them. Meg admitted to the doctor that she was stressed because of the recent shooting but protested that she did not need treatment. Dr. Michaels went out to confer with Paul, and she suggested they admit Meg to the hospital for observation immediately. Paul resisted and volunteered to watch Meg closely at home. Reluctantly, Dr. Michaels gave Paul a prescription for a sedative and her private phone number.

Paul took Meg home and offered her a glass of water. Sofie suddenly appeared to Meg and warned her that the water was poisoned. Meg knocked the glass out of Paul's hand.

Janet, Jack, and Katie arrived at the cabin, much to Brad's dismay. He asked Katie what part of "come alone" she hadn't understood. Brad soon realized that Parker was also involved with his daughter in the scheme. Jack received a phone call from the state police telling him where Brad's car had been spotted. They drove to the location but found the car empty.

The two teens, who had abandoned the car to picnic in the woods, discussed their options. Parker was concerned that Jack, being a police officer, had access to other police forces and the state police. They tried to make plans for living on the road, but Liberty introduced a dose of reality when she reminded Parker that they were young and still in high school. It was a lame idea, she said, to hit the open road. She started back to the car, but Parker refused to go.

Paul could not figure out why Meg was acting so strangely. She complained that she was tired and went back to bed. Paul called Dr. Michaels' private number for advice. Sofie appeared again to Meg and continued her lies about Paul, who soon appeared with the sedative the doctor had prescribed. Meg pretended to swallow the medication but spit it out as soon as Paul left the room. Sofie urged Meg to get Paul's gun out of the safe for her own protection.

Liberty returned to the car without Parker, but Jack soon found the boy. Parker was disgusted with Liberty for siding with the adults. Brad refused to allow Liberty to ride back in the same car with Parker, so Jack told Parker he was riding with him. Parker was still angry with Liberty.

Paul talked again with Dr. Michaels, and she agreed that she would see Meg again the next day. Meg went to the safe and opened it, taking out Paul's gun. Paul went to her bedroom, but Meg was already back in bed with the revolver hidden under the covers.

After returning to Oakdale with Liberty and Parker, the two families set out to deal with their runaway teens. At Carly's house, Jack got a visit from Brad, who wanted Jack to keep Parker away from Liberty. Jack agreed the kids needed to be apart from one another, but he felt both families needed to work together to figure out a good answer. As the brothers worked on a solution, the doorbell rang, and Jack opened the door to find Janet with a peace offering.

Once she saw Brad, Janet began to yell that he should not be talking to Jack about Liberty behind her back. Brad accused Janet of being too lenient with Liberty and even said Janet had set a bad example for Liberty by sleeping with Jack. Janet did not take kindly to Brad's accusations, but Jack had heard enough and told Brad and Janet to stop arguing about the past and focus on ending Parker and Liberty's sexual relationship. Brad and Janet agreed that they needed to work together to protect the kids.

Liberty woke to find Katie waiting for her in the kitchen of their home. Katie tried to explain to Liberty why everyone was so upset by her and Parker running away together. Liberty insisted that leaving had been all Parker's idea and she should not be grounded for going along with him. Liberty soon noticed that Brad was not at home and asked Katie where he had gone. Katie explained that Brad was with Jack, trying to figure out how to keep her and Parker apart until they could be trusted again. Liberty was not surprised. Katie said Liberty needed to go with her to work.

Liberty went with Katie to the station, and once they were there, she worked with Katie to pick out designs for a segment on teen fashion for the show. As Liberty looked over the pictures, Katie talked to Liberty about the trouble with Parker. Liberty admitted things with Parker were not ideal, and Katie was pleased to hear what Liberty had to say. Moments later, Brad phoned and asked Katie to take Liberty to Carly's house so he could lay down the law.

Katie arrived with Liberty, and once Parker entered the room, Jack, Brad, and Janet explained to the teens that they would not be alone together anymore. Parker immediately dismissed the idea, but Jack told him the new rules were not open for discussion. To everyone's surprise, especially Parker's, Liberty agreed without any arguing. Parker had heard enough and stormed out of the house.

After the discussion was over, Brad and Katie dropped Liberty off at school, and when Parker saw Liberty alone, he rushed to talk to her. Parker asked Liberty if she'd meant what she'd said about staying away from him, and Liberty said she thought it was best to listen to their parents for a while and do what they asked. Parker could not contain himself and blurted out that he loved Liberty and could not be apart from her. As soon as the words left his mouth, Parker realized he had said too much. Liberty began to walk away, and Parker said he would call her later. Liberty told him she thought it was best if he did not call.

A thoroughly devastated Parker returned home, where his father greeted him. Jack said that he had just heard from a tennis program in Chicago, and Parker had been accepted. Jack said he knew Parker did not want to go, but Parker shocked his dad when he said he would go. However, Jack looked concerned when Parker said he had nothing keeping him in Oakdale.

At Memorial, Alison jolted awake and told Aaron she was having trouble breathing. Aaron ran to the hall and called for a doctor. Chris entered to help Alison, and Aaron angrily insisted he get out. Aaron took a nurse into Alison's room and demanded that Chris be taken off Alison's case. The nurse confirmed that Chris was Alison's attending physician, and there was nothing the nurse could do to change that. Aaron decided to find Bob and have him remove Chris from Alison's case.

While Aaron searched for Bob, Chris continued to work on Alison, and as she languished in her altered state, he pleaded with her to stay awake. Chris was determined to run more tests on Alison, but as he stuck the needle in her arm, she suddenly woke up and ripped the needle out, plunging it into Chris's shoulder. As Aaron returned to the room with Bob, Alison screamed that Chris was trying to drug her. The nurse said Chris was only drawing blood for a test, and Chris pleaded with his father to let him continue his examination of Alison. Bob had heard enough of the two men arguing and sent them to the hall so he could check Alison on his own.

After he gave Alison a physical, Bob told both Chris and Aaron that Alison was resting comfortably, but she could not get that agitated again. Aaron said Chris was the one who had made Alison act out, and Bob agreed that Chris should keep his distance. Chris said he would work in the lab but would not give up on Alison's case.

Determined to help Alison, Chris went to work in the lab. Bob took him a sample of Alison's blood and encouraged Chris to find a cure but not make himself ill again. Soon, Chris began to have symptoms, but did his best to hide them from the other doctors and nurses around him. Chris realized he was getting sick and went to Alison's room to tell her he was also ill.

Aaron saw Chris next to Alison's bed and told him to get away from her. With a psychotic look in his eyes, Chris began choking Aaron, but Bob saw what was happening and was able to give Chris a sedative. Aaron demanded that Bob get Chris locked up, but Bob explained that Chris had to be infected with the same thing that was making Alison sick. Bob worried that Chris was their best chance of finding out what was wrong with everyone and was concerned that they were facing an epidemic.

Down the hall, Susan comforted Emily and told her that she seemed to be doing better. Susan let Emily know that Alison had also been admitted to the hospital and had the same symptoms as her sister. Emily asked how Alison was recovering, and Susan said she hoped Alison would recover just like Emily had. As they were discussing Emily's crazy behavior, Casey arrived with flowers and demanded to see his wife. Susan left the two alone to talk, but she warned Casey not to cause Emily any stress.

Alone in her hospital room, Emily apologized to Casey for pressuring him into marrying her and for her bizarre behavior that had followed the ceremony. Casey explained how concerned he had been for Emily and that he did not want to lose her. Emily said their marriage had taken place too quickly and was not the right thing for either of them. Casey refused to listen and told Emily he was not going anywhere.

When Susan returned to check on her daughter, Emily told her mother she was leaving the hospital. Susan handed Emily a bag filled with magazines she had for her and the other vial of perfume that Emily had given her. Susan explained she seemed to be allergic to the perfume but did not want it to go to waste. She returned the bottle to Emily, not knowing the perfume was what was making Emily so sick. With Casey out of the room, Emily confessed to her mother that she knew she had to break things off with Casey.

Once Emily was released from the hospital, Casey took Emily back to her office and asked her if she was well enough to be back at work. Emily insisted she was fine but was tired of the smell of the hospital. She spritzed herself with the perfume and sat down. Casey wanted to talk to Emily about not ending their marriage, but the perfume was already affecting Emily. She grabbed Casey from across the desk and told him she wanted him. Casey did not understand Emily's sudden desire, but Emily did not want to talk and took off her clothes.

Emily demanded that Casey lock the door and make love to her immediately. After they were done having sex, Emily told Casey to get dressed because she was ready to show him off and make sure everyone knew they were a couple. Casey was not sure it would be a good idea to rub their love in his family's face, but Emily was clear that it was all or nothing. As the two set out to confront Tom and Margo, Casey noticed that Emily looked strange. He insisted that Emily let him take her back to the hospital, and she reluctantly agreed.

Once Casey got Emily to the hospital, Casey also began to feel sick. Susan entered the room to check on Emily and asked Casey to go outside. As Casey stood to leave, he had to lean against the wall for support. Susan turned and asked Casey if he was all right, but Casey was obviously not himself and began screaming at Susan to get out. He kicked Susan out of the room and demanded that she get Emily another doctor.

Casey tried to block the door with equipment to keep everyone out of the room, but Susan had security break into the room and restrain Casey. Once inside, Susan found Emily passed out and unresponsive. Susan did not understand what was making everyone act so strangely and why both her daughters were so sick.

Carly returned to Metro from Montana and presented Henry with a bribe of two fancy cowboy hats for him and Vienna. She proposed that she become more of a "silent" partner in the club, and that sent Henry straight for a martini. She told Henry that she needed more time to spend with her children and also to get over a doomed love affair. Carly left Henry to his martini, and Bonnie arrived after overhearing part of their conversation. Bonnie declared there was no way Vienna would allow Henry to spend more time at the club.

Henry told Bonnie the sad news that Vienna had left him. Bonnie suggested he find someone else and told him she was meeting an unsavory client there at Metro. The client arrived and handed Bonnie an envelope full of money. Henry was curious as to what business the client had, but Bonnie's lips were sealed. She told Henry she hated that part of being a lawyer and was determined to give the money to charity. She wished she could make a living some way other than defending scum, and that gave Henry an idea. He offered Bonnie a job at Metro, remembering that she had worked in a nightclub with Isaac before she became a lawyer. She told him she had not even considered that, but was willing to give it a try.

Luke surprised Holden while he was working on divorce papers from Lily. Holden explained that the divorce was not his idea, and Luke urged his father to talk with Lily one more time for a reconciliation. Holden agreed and drove to Lily's house. He looked through the window and saw Lily and Mike sitting close to one another on the couch, deep in conversation. He did not realize that Lily had asked Mike to repair the retaining wall that Lily had damaged when she had gone after Carly with her car.

Holden asked to speak privately with Lily and pleaded with her not to end the marriage. He argued that they owed it to their children to keep the family together. Lily told him she was finally getting past him, thanks to Mike. Holden gave up and left, and Mike told Lily he would prefer that the two of them remain friends and nothing more. Lily agreed, but after Mike left, she called him and invited him to meet her for lunch at the Lakeview, and Mike reluctantly agreed.

Meg awakened at Fairwinds and found the gun she had hidden under her pillows. Paul walked in and reminded her of her appointment with Dr. Michaels. They kissed, and Paul left her to get dressed. Meg picked up the necklace Barbara had loaned her for the wedding, and the vision of Sofie appeared. Meg put on the tainted necklace as Sofie continued to urge Meg to get the gun.

Meg grabbed the revolver and took it downstairs, hiding it behind her back. She suddenly pulled out the gun and aimed it at Paul. Sofie's apparition returned and continued to taunt her. Paul made a grab for the weapon, and it fired once. Meg called out to Sofie while Paul wrestled with his wife and called 9-1-1.

Holden dropped in at Carly's and explained that Lily was seeing Mike, and he wanted a favor from Carly. He requested that Carly contact Mike and ask him to back off from Lily. Carly was reluctant to get involved but finally agreed. She told Holden she missed him and the two of them as a couple. Holden said he was trying to do the right thing by salvaging his marriage. Holden left, and Carly tracked down Mike and asked him to stay away from Lily. Mike immediately figured out that Holden had sent her and told Carly that he was meeting Lily for lunch in a few moments. He assured her that he only wanted to be friends.

Carly left, and Lily appeared, very grateful that Mike had not canceled their "date." Mike was uncomfortable with Lily after his talk with Carly and told her he had reconsidered and could not have lunch with her. He urged her to forgive Holden and remember that she had not always been what Holden had expected and that he had forgiven her. Lily recognized the truth her friend was telling her and thanked Mike then decided to find Holden and tell him of her change of heart.

Carly went to the farm and told Holden she had talked to Mike on his behalf. Holden was alone but invited her in, assuring her that nothing would happen between them. They had a serious discussion and were sharing a hug when Lily walked in.

An ambulance transported an unconscious Meg to Memorial Hospital, and she was admitted to a room. Paul begged to see her before she was evaluated. He told his wife that he was sorry, and Meg revived. She realized she was in the hospital, in the psych ward, and in physical restraints. She became hysterical when she realized that Sofie's specter was in the room, as well.

Lily walked into the Snyder farmhouse and saw Holden and Carly hugging. Although they tried to explain it wasn't what it looked like, Lily became angry. She told Holden she'd arrived to tell him she would give him another chance, but having seen him with Carly, she had changed her mind and wanted nothing more to do with him. Lily left and returned home, where Luke was disappointed to hear that things weren't any better between his parents.

Emma went home and was surprised to find Carly there. Carly left quickly, while Holden told his mother what had just happened. Emma went to visit Carly and begged her to talk to Lily and convince her that what she'd witnessed at the farm had been innocent. Carly reluctantly agreed, but Lily was unreceptive to Carly's pleas. Carly told Lily she was being a hypocrite, since Lily had wanted Holden to forgive her right away for having slept with Dusty.

Lily told Carly that because of her affair with Dusty, she knew how Holden felt and knew that even when he was sleeping with her, he was thinking of Carly; Lily said she couldn't live like that. Carly told Lily to let Emma know she'd tried to get Lily to change her mind about Holden. Carly left, and Lily called Emma and made it clear she didn't want any more help concerning her relationship with Holden.

After Emma told Holden that he and Lily were both too stubborn, Holden told Emma he was going to move to the Lakeview for a while. When he arrived there, he called Carly and invited her to join him at the hotel for drinks. Carly hung up on him after telling him she didn't think that was a very good idea.

Barbara joined Paul at the hospital and asked what had happened to Meg. He explained that her hallucinations had become worse, and she had tried to kill him. Barbara asked whether Paul had called Holden or Emma yet. Paul said no, but Meg began shouting for him, and he got the nurse to let him back into Meg's room. Meg was confused about why she was hospitalized, and Paul tried to calm her.

However, Meg continued to have visions of Sofie, who insisted Meg needed to kill Paul unless she wanted to spend the rest of her life locked up in a mental institution. Meg talked Paul into undoing her restraints, but the minute she was free, she tried to strangle Paul. Paul subdued her long enough to call for a nurse, but Meg ran out of the room when the nurse entered. Paul found her and took her back to her room, where the doctors sedated her.

Chris and Casey were sharing a hospital room, watched over by Kim and Margo. Although Casey was heavily sedated and unconscious, Chris appeared to be feeling better and wanted to go to the lab to try to figure out what was wrong with everyone. Bob entered the room and told everyone the lab had found a synthetic toxin in the blood work for Chris, Casey, Emily, and Alison. Chris said that meant someone had poisoned them all.

Bob told Margo the toxin could be fatal and asked if Margo had spoken to Tom. Margo said Tom was on his way back from an out-of-town trip but that she hadn't told him how serious it was because of Tom's heart problems. Kim told Margo she should go to the police station to try to find out who was behind the poisoning, even though she didn't want to leave her son, Margo agreed she needed to be at the station to try to help Casey by solving the mystery.

When Kim picked up a pile of Chris's clothes, his new watch fell out. Chris told his mom he thought he'd lost it. Kim asked where he'd gotten the watch, and he told her she'd given it to him. Kim assured him she had not, and Chris realized that meant someone had sent him the watch and tried to make him think it was from his mother. It dawned on Chris that the watch might have been coated with the toxin.

Alison and Emily were also sharing a hospital room, watched over by Susan and Aaron. Chris stumbled into their room and asked Susan whether Alison or Emily had received any unexpected gifts recently. Susan said the only thing Alison had gotten recently had been the bracelet her father had sent her. Chris asked if she was positive the bracelet was from Alison's father, and Susan said she thought so. Chris asked her to call Larry to ask whether he'd sent the bracelet; Susan did, and she reported to Chris that Larry had said he had not sent the gift.

Chris took the bracelet and his watch to the lab to have them analyzed. Bob found him there, and Chris explained his theory. Chris said they didn't yet know how Emily had been exposed to the toxin, but Casey could have gotten the toxin in his system after having had sex with Emily. A lab technician took in a report of yet another patient with the toxin in her blood; Bob told Chris it was Meg Snyder Ryan.

Chris went to Meg's room with Bob and asked Barbara and Paul whether Meg had received any clothing or jewelry recently. Barbara told them about the necklace Meg had been wearing, and they told her to call Will and Gwen to find out whether they had actually sent the necklace. Barbara called them and left a message; when her phone rang a minute later, it wasn't Will, but Rick Decker. Barbara spoke to him and realized he knew what was happening to her family. Decker told Barbara to hire him, and he would help make things better.

Barbara told Paul about the phone call. Paul wondered how Decker would know what was happening, and Barbara suggested Decker was behind it, as a form of revenge against the people responsible for putting him in prison. Barbara reminded Paul that the necklace Meg had been wearing had actually been intended for Barbara. Paul suggested they kill Decker, but Barbara said that would have to wait until they got past the medical crisis. Paul agreed that they should hire Decker.

Dallas Griffin spoke to Emily, who remembered having received perfume from an advertiser. However, when Emily called the advertiser, they told her they hadn't sent the perfume. Susan gave Dallas the bottle that Emily had passed on to her, called "Second Chances." Dallas asked what type of perfume Emily had kept for herself, and Emily said it was called "Sweet Revenge."

Paul and Meg went to the police station and told Margo they needed her help to get Decker out of prison again to help them with the case. Margo agreed reluctantly, since everyone was grasping at straws, trying to help the people they loved. Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Casey awoke and became frantic, wanting to see Emily, so Kim called Margo and said she'd better get to the hospital immediately.

When Margo arrived, Casey was still very agitated. Margo asked Susan to take Emily to Casey, which she did. They undid Casey's restraints, and Emily lay down next to him on his hospital bed. Margo went to the lab, where Bob asked if she had any leads on who might be behind the poisonings. Margo said she didn't but told Bob about Paul and Barbara hiring Rick Decker. As she related the story, she suddenly realized they had to have hired him because they thought he was the culprit.

Dr. Decker was taken to the police station under guard, and he told Barbara and Paul he was happy to see them and that their business arrangement would be mutually beneficial. They took him to the hospital, where he told them he had the antidote for the toxin. When Barbara asked what he wanted in return, Decker told Paul and Barbara he wanted them to help him escape.