At Club TBD, Chad stepped in front of E.J. as Marge fired two shots, sending him collapsing into E.J.'s arms. As she and Cameron rushed to Chad's aid, Abigail shouted for someone to call 9-1-1. Meanwhile, E.J. stopped Sami from charging at Marge, who was still poised to fire another shot at any moment. Sami angrily demanded to know why Marge had shot an innocent young man.
"He got in the way! I didn't mean to shoot him -- not him! I wanted your fiancé; I wanted E.J. DiMera because I wanted you to pay! I wanted to take him from you, the way that you took Joe from me," Marge told Sami. E.J. angrily dared Marge to shoot him as he approached her, stopping only when the barrel of her gun was pressed firmly against his chest. Marge hesitated and eventually lowered the gun, which E.J. quickly seized.
At the Horton Town Square, Hope watched as Ciara marched around a table, holding a potted plant in front of her. Hope guessed that Ciara was pretending to be a bride, but Ciara clarified that she was actually practicing to be the flower girl at Brady and Kristen's wedding. Hope gently pointed out that Kristen and Brady had not yet asked Ciara to be in their wedding.
"I bet you they're going to. And Father Eric's going to marry them, and everything's going to be perfect -- almost as nice as the last time you and Daddy got married," Ciara confidently declared. Before Hope could respond, she received a phone call from someone at the police station, who informed her that there had been a shooting at Club TBD. Hope rushed over to the club after dropping Ciara off at the Kiriakis mansion.
Meanwhile, back at Club TBD, Sonny kept Marge restrained while Will prevented Stefano from going after her. When the paramedics arrived, Cameron informed them that Chad had sustained gunshot wounds to the upper abdomen and the left shoulder. Sami and Gabi kept Abigail away from Chad so that the paramedics could have room to do their job.
Abigail's hands were covered with blood due to the fact that she had helped Cameron apply pressure to Chad's wounds earlier, and she stared at them in horror as she sobbed that she couldn't lose Chad. Sami assured Abigail that no one was going to lose Chad, and Stefano advised Marge to pray that Sami's prediction would turn out to be true.
Meanwhile, Hope arrived with two police officers, and Will gave her a quick recap of the tragic turn of events. As the paramedics wheeled Chad out of the club, Cameron handed Gabi his keys so that she could drive Abigail to the hospital. Hope tried to get a statement from E.J., but he impatiently snapped that he would talk to her at the hospital later. Will and Sonny offered to give Hope their statements instead.
As people started to clear out of the club, Sami confronted Marge, who continued to insist that she had never meant to harm Chad. "But you did. Was it worth it? Your -- your pain and your anger? Was it worth killing an innocent man? Marge, what have you done to Timmy? Because of this -- because of your hate -- you have left him with no one," Sami pointed out.
As the police officers escorted her out of the club, Marge asserted that Sami was the person who had started the sequence of events that had led to Chad's shooting. Sami handed Marge's gun to Hope before joining E.J. outside. E.J. marveled at the fact that Chad had willingly shielded him from the bullets, and Sami assured him that he would be able to thank Chad later.
At the Brady Pub, Jennifer told Kristen that J.J.'s arraignment had been scheduled for the following day. Kristen wondered if there was anything that she could do to help Jennifer, who replied that she could use a distraction. Kristen happily obliged, revealing that Eric had agreed to perform her and Brady's wedding ceremony. Nicole entered the pub in time to hear Kristen's announcement, and after ordering a martini, she took a seat at a nearby table so that she could eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation.
Kristen admitted that, while she had initially been skeptical about the Pre-Cana sessions, agreeing to attend them had ultimately proven to be the best thing that she could have possibly done. "The best thing you could have done is popped a cyanide pill," Nicole quietly muttered. Meanwhile, Jennifer received a phone call from Justin and excused herself so that she could answer it.
After Jennifer left, Nicole carried her martini over to Kristen's table and observed that Kristen was clearly a "shrewd, crafty little psychopath." Kristen countered that it was never shocking to see Nicole in a bar, and she wondered how many martinis Nicole had recently consumed. Nicole warned that, while she wasn't drunk, Kristen might soon have a very good reason to drown her own sorrows.
"You think you're so clever, but we are onto you, and we are gonna find out what you're hiding," Nicole cryptically added, although she failed to reveal who was being included in her group statement. "Oh, I think you'd really be bothered if you found out what I'd truly done," Kristen coyly replied as she silently recalled drugging and seducing Eric.
Kristen quickly clarified her statement, suggestively claiming that she was talking about all of the things that she had done with Brady, who had told her multiple times that she was the only person who had ever truly satisfied him. "He must be really good at faking it," Nicole dryly mused. Ignoring the comment, Kristen guessed that it had been upsetting for Nicole to realize that she would never be able to have Brady or Eric.
As Nicole and Kristen continued to trade insults, Jennifer returned, and Nicole said that she had been sorry to hear about J.J.'s recent problems. "And for the record, hanging out with [Kristen] isn't gonna make anything better," Nicole advised Jennifer before exiting the pub. Jennifer observed that Kristen's conversation with Nicole had seemed intense, but Kristen dismissively stated that Nicole was harmless.
"Kristen, it's Nicole. You still need to be very careful," Jennifer knowingly warned Kristen. Reminding Kristen that Nicole was one of Brady's closest friends, Jennifer cautioned that Nicole probably wouldn't hesitate to tell him about Kristen's affair if she ever found out about it. Kristen once again dismissed Jennifer's concerns, insisting that Jennifer was the only person who would ever know about the affair.
Meanwhile, Jennifer received a phone call from Sami, who informed her that Chad had been shot earlier. Sami reported that Abigail was extremely upset and could use Jennifer's support. After ending the call, Jennifer relayed the bad news to Kristen, and they rushed off to the hospital together.
At the police station, Marge wondered if the young man whom she had shot was going to survive. Hope estimated that it would probably take several hours for them to learn the answer to that question. Marge sighed as she realized that she didn't even know the young man's name, prompting Roman to reply that the victim's name was Chad DiMera.
The news shocked Marge, who suddenly recalled that Chad was the person who had recorded the video of Sami's argument with Bernardi. Marge said that, while she was still sorry that she had shot Chad, she hoped that her actions would make the DiMera family finally realize what they had taken from her. Marge insisted that the DiMeras had been behind everything that had happened to Bernardi.
Hope countered that Bernardi -- a grown man who had made his own decisions -- had been responsible for what had happened to him. Marge doubted that Bernardi had ever been given a choice to help the DiMeras, but Hope asserted that everyone always had the choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing. Marge reminded Hope and Roman that Mayor Marino had been killed when he had tried to go against the DiMeras several years earlier.
"Did either of you do anything to make the DiMeras pay for that? No, you didn't, and you never do. I'll bet Stefano DiMera threatened me and Timmy. That's why Joe did what he did. And I'm so sorry for shooting that kid, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life, but if Stefano DiMera and his family feel the way that I feel right now, then maybe justice was finally done," Marge reasoned.
Marge waived her right to an attorney, reasoning that it was pointless to hire one because plenty of people had seen her shoot Chad. Marge added that she couldn't afford the expense anyway, since she wanted all of her remaining funds to go to Timmy. Hope nodded and informed Marge that a public defender would be appointed to her later. After a police officer escorted Marge out of the room, Roman admitted that Marge's earlier statement about the DiMeras hadn't been wrong, since they had never really paid for their crimes. "Maybe what happened tonight is gonna change all that," Hope mused.
At the hospital, Eric ran into Daniel, who wondered if learning the name of the woman whom Eric had met during his first visit to the Capitol Plaza Hotel had triggered any new memories that might explain what had happened to him during that trip. Eric vaguely replied that he was still trying to process the new information. Daniel could tell that Eric was concerned about something, so he encouraged Eric to confide in him.
A short time later, in Daniel's office, Eric started to share his concerns with Daniel, but before he could reveal anything significant, Parker's babysitter interrupted to deliver the flash drive that Parker had discovered earlier. After the babysitter left, Daniel connected the flash drive to his laptop, hoping that he would be able to find something on the device that would lead him to its owner.
As Daniel's laptop detected the flash drive, Maxine rushed into his office and announced that a shooting victim had just arrived at the hospital. Daniel quickly removed the flash drive from his laptop and tossed it on his desk before exiting the room, leaving Eric behind. Eric eyed the flash drive and muttered that Daniel was going to have to wait until another day to find out who the device belonged to.
Later, at St. Luke's, Nicole was somewhat annoyed to find Eric in his office. Eric, however, was glad to see Nicole, but before he could talk to her about the woman named Fay Taylor whom he had encountered at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, she interrupted and snapped that she wasn't in the mood to help him with whatever it was that he needed help with. Eric struggled to understand Nicole's refusal to answer a simple question.
Nicole reiterated that she wasn't in a giving mood, elaborating that she had overheard Kristen gloating earlier about how Eric had agreed to perform Brady and Kristen's wedding ceremony. Eric confirmed the news, and Nicole wondered why he had neglected to share that information with her during their earlier conversation. Eric matter-of-factly stated that the matter was none of Nicole's business.
"Well, it will be when you come to regret it. As a priest -- as Brady's brother -- how could you sanction him getting married to the devil?" Nicole wondered. Eric told Nicole to stay out of the matter. "I can't. When it comes to you, I can't always do that," Nicole admitted. Confused, Eric urged Nicole to elaborate. "It's, uh -- it's nothing. You can't see the forest for the trees," Nicole sadly summarized before walking away. After Nicole left, Eric muttered that he was obviously not going to get any answers from her. Eric placed a call to someone and announced that he wanted to return one last time.
At the hospital, Daniel reviewed Chad's medical file as he headed toward the operating room with his team of assistants. Daniel feared that the gunshot wound in Chad's upper abdomen might have severed the celiac artery, meaning that Chad's survival would hinge on Daniel's ability to quickly repair the damage.
Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Stefano vowed that he was going to make Marge pay for what she had done to Chad. E.J. impatiently told Stefano to spew his "revenge crap" elsewhere, insisting that the people who loved Chad and were praying for him to survive the surgery didn't want to hear such nonsense. Stefano protested that he loved Chad, but E.J. countered that Stefano only loved controlling his children.
Will and Sonny arrived and received a quick update on Chad's condition from E.J. Will muttered that he had spent far too much time in the hospital lately, and he and Sonny excused themselves so that they could check on Abigail, who was sitting with Gabi nearby. After Sonny and Will left, Sami approached E.J. and acknowledged that they were back in the same place that they had been in when she had started their ordeal months earlier.
As he pointedly glared at Stefano, E.J. insisted that Sami wasn't the person who was responsible for what had happened to Chad. Meanwhile, Jennifer and Kristen arrived and joined Abigail and Stefano, respectively. As Stefano started to tell Kristen about what had happened at the club earlier, E.J. approached them and added that Chad had purposely taken the bullets that had been meant for E.J.
Stefano muttered that he was the person who should have been shot, since Chad still had his whole life ahead of him. E.J. agreed and reminded Stefano that Chad's life had not yet ended. Meanwhile, Kristen excused herself and stormed over to Sami, who was standing nearby. Kristen demanded to know why Sami had called Jennifer before letting Chad's own sister know that he had been shot.
Sami advised Kristen to reconsider her priorities, unapologetically adding that she had deemed it more important to let Jennifer know that Abigail had just been through a traumatic experience and could use her mother's support. Unsatisfied, Kristen once again demanded to know why she hadn't been contacted first, prompting Sami to dryly reply that she hadn't really been interested in talking to Kristen.
"Listen -- that nut job went into the club and shot my brother because you killed her husband. If Chad dies, it's on you," Kristen asserted. Sami refused to play the blame game with Kristen, insisting that it wasn't the right time for such petty things. Sami excused herself and approached Stefano to see if he knew where E.J. was. Stefano glared at Sami angrily, but she sensed what was about to happen and stopped him before he could say anything.
"Don't you even start with me. Before you jump all over me, I have one thing I want to say to you. If Chad dies tonight, you have no one to blame but yourself. You and I both know that you are the reason that I had to kill that woman's husband, and that is why she went so crazy that she showed up at that club and started shooting the place up. You put this in motion with your ridiculous jealousy about Kate and Rafe -- which is crazy because you're the one who kicked her to the curb in the first place! So if you want someone to blame, why don't you go down to the men's room and take a look in the damn mirror? And I hope, for once, you see what kind of man you truly are," Sami snapped before walking away.
Kristen approached Stefano to check on him, but he silently walked away without acknowledging her presence. Kristen stormed over to Sami and demanded to know what she had said to Stefano. Sami unapologetically stated that she had simply told Stefano the truth.
Meanwhile, Jennifer assured Abigail that Chad was in good hands, adding that Jennifer was living proof that Daniel was a miracle worker. Jennifer optimistically pointed out that Chad was young and strong. "He's a good person, too, Mom. He's so important to me, and -- now more than ever, because he's...the first...guy that I've -- he's my first --" Abigail stammered, stopping when Jennifer interrupted to confirm that she understood what Abigail was trying to say. Jennifer apologetically admitted that she hadn't realized just how close Abigail and Chad had gotten recently. Jennifer promised that she wasn't upset, adding that she simply wanted Abigail to be happy.
Elsewhere, Gabi told Will and Sonny that she was going to return to the apartment to relieve Arianna's babysitter. After Gabi left, Will and Sonny assured each other that, aside from being worried about Chad, they were all right. As he hugged Sonny, Will also assured him that Chad was going to be fine. A short time later, Sami approached Will and Sonny and observed that they looked like they could use a bit of a break.
Sami urged Sonny and Will to get some fresh air, promising to call them as soon as she received some news about Chad's condition, but they insisted that they wanted to stay at the hospital. Sami asserted that being friends with Will and Sonny had made Chad a better person, but Sonny believed that he could have been a better friend to Chad. Will optimistically suggested that it would be best to stop talking about Chad in a way that implied that he had already died, since that wasn't the case.
As Sonny and Sami agreed, Kristen interrupted and pulled Sami aside, once again demanding to know what Sami had said to Stefano earlier. Sami summarized that she had simply told Stefano that he would have only himself to blame if Chad died.
In the operating room, Daniel confirmed that Chad's celiac artery had been ruptured, and he muttered that he was going to lose Chad unless the damage was repaired right away. Elsewhere, Cameron researched the experimental treatment that Chad had reported that he was receiving for his brain tumor. Meanwhile, Maxine passed through the area, and Cameron asked if she had heard any new information about Chad's surgery yet.
Maxine showed Cameron the surgical plan that she had just received from Daniel. Cameron insisted that Daniel couldn't go through with his original surgical plan, prompting Maxine to urge Cameron to scrub in and join Daniel in the operating room right away so that he could share his concerns with Daniel. As Maxine walked away, E.J. approached Cameron and quickly surmised that something was wrong.
Cameron urgently revealed that Chad could die unless he immediately told Daniel about the special treatment that Chad was receiving for the brain tumor. Cameron started to leave, but E.J. stopped him, prompting Cameron to impatiently reiterate that he was trying to save Chad's life.
"Listen to me -- his tumor trials are not on his medical record, and if Dr. Jonas administers any kind of hemostatic agent, it could kill him because he's taking a nanomedicine, and if it senses any new or unusual proteins in the blood, it will find that source and attack it. It's -- it'll break down any of the agents helping the blood clot around the artery. Essentially, this could kill Chad, and Dr. Jonas needs to know that he's on the protocol," Cameron elaborated.
After considering the information for a moment, E.J. revealed that Chad wasn't actually on the protocol because he didn't actually have a brain tumor. "You disgusting son of a bitch," Cameron snapped, shaking his head in disbelief. E.J. invited Cameron to unleash his anger after saving Chad's life. As E.J. started to walk away, Cameron stressed that Chad and E.J.'s lie had nearly cost Chad his life.
In the chapel, Stefano sighed heavily as he considered Caroline and Sami's earlier statements about his various misdeeds. "They're right. I put this in motion. Please, dear God -- please -- save my son's life," Stefano begged as E.J. quietly eavesdropped.
Meanwhile, in the operating room, Daniel finished repairing the damage that the bullets had caused. As Daniel declared that it seemed like Chad was going to be all right, the machine that was monitoring Chad's vital signs started to beep rapidly. Daniel tried to use a defibrillator to revive Chad, but his efforts were unsuccessful.
"We've lost him. He's gone," one of the nurses solemnly declared.
In a hospital hallway, Sonny was anxious about Chad's condition. Seized with an idea of how to help everyone, Sonny led Will out of the hospital and over to Club TBD. Sonny explained that there was a lot of leftover food at the club from the party and that he wanted to make sandwiches and coffee for everyone waiting at the hospital. While the forensics team collected evidence at the club, Sonny and Will went behind the bar in an approved area.
Upset, Sonny attempted to sound upbeat, but when he spilled coffee beans on the counter, Will turned Sonny to face him. Will counseled Sonny to talk to him. Sonny admitted that he did not understand why Chad had thrown himself in front of E.J. and Sami. Will explained that the parents that had raised Chad had been dismissive of Chad. Will added that when Chad joined the DiMera family, Chad had finally found a family that cared for him.
Roman and Hope arrived at the club as Sonny and Will left for the hospital with the sandwiches and coffee. Roman wondered aloud if he would have been able to stop the shooting if he had agreed to go to Sami's engagement party. Hope reminded Roman that she had skipped the party, as well, and that Roman was no more to blame for the shooting than Hope was for it. With a sigh, Roman said that he was worried that it would not be the last shooting. Hope reminded Roman that Sami knew the risks of marrying a DiMera.
In the waiting area by the nurses' station, Abigail worried aloud about Chad, and Jennifer soothed her daughter. Abigail said that it felt like when Jack had died, but Jennifer pointed out that Jack's sacrifice had not been Abigail's fault, and neither was Chad's sacrifice. Abigail wondered aloud whether it was the family's destiny to suffer.
"Tough times make for a tough family," Jennifer said. Jennifer counseled Abigail to stay strong. Jennifer apologized for not being around for Abigail while Jennifer was looking after J.J., but Abigail informed Jennifer that she had not noticed Jennifer's absence because Abigail had had Chad at her side. With a smile, Abigail told Jennifer that Chad had given her the advanced copy of Jack's book. Jennifer said that she looked forward to getting to know Chad.
In the hospital chapel, E.J. listened from the doorway as Stefano prayed. Stefano said, "I put this in motion. Please, dear God, please save my son's life." Stefano asked God to punish him instead of Chad. Without a word to announce his presence, E.J. left the chapel as Stefano continued to pray.
Down the hallway, Kristen and Sami argued over who was to blame for the shooting. Sami said that Stefano was to blame because he had ordered Bernardi to harm Rafe. Kristen countered that Sami was to blame for Chad's shooting because Sami had shot Marge's husband. When E.J. returned to the nurses' station, Sami rushed to his side.
E.J. said that Chad would soon learn that being a DiMera had a price. Sami urged E.J. to talk to Kristen. As Sami walked away, Kristen grumbled that Sami had blamed Stefano for Chad's shooting. To Kristen's dismay, E.J. agreed with Sami. When Kristen asked about Stefano, E.J. directed her to the chapel.
In the chapel, Stefano continued to pray as Kristen stopped in the doorway. Unaware of his daughter's presence, Stefano admitted to God that the shooting was his fault because he had tested Kate and thrown her out of the house rather than apologize to her. Stefano further admitted that instead of facing the fact that Kate had moved on with Rafe, he had started a chain of events that had led to Chad's shooting. Stefano admitted to God that Sami had been right to blame him.
"All my power is useless, and only you, you can save my son," Stefano pleaded. Stefano prayed to God to spare Chad and allow Stefano to make up for his own sins rather than let his son pay. Stefano admitted that he could not bear to lose another child, especially by Stefano's own actions. Kristen quietly slipped away down the hallway.
Sami walked over to the coffee counter, and a nurse approached her. The nurse shared a story about when the nurse's brother had been shot and the family had been at one another's throats. The nurse explained to Sami that the family had realized that they needed one another. Sami thanked the nurse for her comforting words.
Sami returned to E.J. and hugged him. E.J. recounted the story of King Lear and how the king's machinations had started a war that had taken the life of the king's youngest child. E.J. hoped that Chad's situation would open Stefano's eyes to the horrible things Stefano had done. When E.J. wondered aloud why Chad had jumped in front of the gun, Sami said that Chad was E.J.'s brother, and anyone would have done the same for their sibling.
"I'm sure I'm not that noble," E.J. muttered. Shaking her head, Sami reminded E.J. that E.J. had been willing to sacrifice himself to the district attorney to save Sami during her murder trial. His head hung low, E.J. admitted to Sami that he had blackmailed Chad into moving into the mansion. As E.J. said that he had forced Chad to be a DiMera, Kristen stopped nearby and listened to E.J. talking with Sami.
In the operating room, Chad's heart stopped beating. Daniel worked feverishly to restore Chad's heart functions. The nurse urged Daniel to let go, but Daniel refused and ordered Cameron to push more drugs into Chad. Just as Daniel decided to stop compressions and announce the time of death, Chad's heart started to beat again. Though the heartbeat was weak and irregular, Daniel shocked the heart until the rhythm was normal.
"Something is making that kid want to stay alive," Daniel said. As Daniel left the operating room, Cameron whispered, "Or someone." Cameron closed up the incision and escorted Chad to a recovery room.
As Sonny and Will returned to the hospital with the food, Roman and Hope stepped off the elevator. Daniel walked up to the nurses' station where everyone was gathered. Daniel informed the crowd that Chad had pulled through the surgery and was recovering in a room. Abigail asked to see Chad, and Daniel promised he would pull some strings so that Abigail could visit Chad even though she was not family. Jennifer thanked Daniel for helping her family once again.
As Cameron joined the group, E.J. took him aside and asked him whether he planned to tell Abigail about Chad's non-existent tumor. Staring at Abigail, Cameron said he did not want to hurt Abigail. E.J. walked down the hall to the chapel and informed Stefano that Chad had pulled through the surgery. Overcome with joy, Stefano looked heavenward.
Abigail was the first to visit Chad in his room. Though Chad was unconscious, Abigail asked him not to be a hero in the future. Abigail admitted that the shooting had shown her that she could not lose Chad. As Cameron opened the door to the room, he overheard Abigail say that Chad was the sweetest, bravest, and most genuine guy she had ever known. Cameron attempted to slip out quietly, but Abigail spotted him and thanked him for helping to save Chad's life.
When Stefano and E.J. returned to the nurses' station, Kristen hugged her father. Kristen then took E.J. aside and asked him if Chad would escape the DiMera curse. Unsure, E.J. nodded at his sister. E.J. and Kristen visited Chad and told him that they loved him. E.J. thanked his unconscious brother for saving his life. After E.J. and Kristen left, Stefano visited with Chad. Stefano thanked God and informed Chad of the deal he had made with God to save Chad's life.
At the nurses' station, Roman asked Sami what would have happened if the children had been at the party. Roman asked Sami to think about what it would mean to marry a DiMera. "Is this really the life that you want?" Roman asked. When E.J. returned, Sami smiled at her fiancé and left for home.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. and Kristen headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Sami remained in the living room to think about what Roman had said to her. As Sami stared at Stefano's portrait, Sami thought about her father's plea to her at the hospital.
At the Brady Pub, after Nicole interviewed another person to replace her as Eric's assistant, she informed the young woman, Candy, that she wasn't right for the job. The woman said that the agency had warned her that Nicole had already rejected sixteen other applicants. "It's pretty clear that you can't stand the idea of anyone replacing you. Are you sure you want to leave?" Candy asked.
Nicole snapped that she already had another, better-paying job lined up. When Candy suggested that Nicole was in denial and needed to let go, Nicole retorted, "Trust me, honey. There ain't nothing left at St. Luke's to let go of." Nicole grabbed her coat, snapping it like a towel in a locker room, and strode out.
At the DiMera mansion, Brady woke Kristen up with breakfast in bed. After brightening her mood by informing her that Chad was doing much better, Brady remarked that if they hadn't left the party when they had, it might have been Kristen who'd gotten shot. Kristen wondered if, after years of causing others' lives to be cursed in Salem, perhaps it was the DiMeras' turn to be cursed. Brady pointed out that Kristen didn't believe in curses.
Brady noted that Sami had made a split-second decision when she'd shot Bernardi to save Rafe's life without thinking about the potential consequences. He mused, "In life, sometimes we do the right thing and we get burned, and there's other times when we just get away with crap when we should be destroyed for it." Brady apologized if he'd upset Kristen. Just as things began to turn amorous between them, Brady got a phone call.
Brady hung up and informed Kristen that it had been Sister Elizabeth, who was in charge of scheduling for weddings at St. Luke's -- and because another couple had cancelled, Brady and Kristen might be able to get married a few days earlier than they'd planned. "Nothing would make me happier," Kristen declared excitedly, kissing Brady.
A moment later, Kristen fretted that she didn't want to get married without Chad there. Brady reassured her, "Maxine said that guy's probably going to be doing laps around the hospital by tomorrow." Brady announced that he was going to tell Eric to clear his schedule so he could marry them.
At St. Luke's, Eric called the Capitol Plaza Hotel to ask Martha, one of the desk clerks, some questions about the night he'd gotten sick, since the other clerk had moved away. Martha regretfully informed Eric that she couldn't help him because management was concerned about bad publicity and lawsuits. She tried to give Eric the number for management, but Eric implored Martha to help him find out what had happened to him that night before someone else got hurt. Martha said that she would like to help Father Eric but she couldn't. She had to hang up abruptly when someone approached.
A little while later, Eric got a call from the employment agency about all of the applicants Nicole had interviewed and rejected. After promising to take care of the situation, Eric hung up. He then got a call from Martha, who apologized for hanging up. She assured Father Eric that she wanted to help him and offered to go to Salem to meet with him later that day. A grateful Eric thanked her.
Nicole arrived just as Eric was hanging up. He casually asked how the search for her replacement was going. Nicole complained that the agency had sent over nothing but applicants who weren't right for the job. Eric informed her that the recruiter thought Nicole was looking for reasons not to hire the best candidate, but Nicole denied it.
Brady showed up just then and offered to leave when he sensed the tension between Nicole and Eric. Nicole assured Brady that she and Eric had merely been having a disagreement about work. After a bit of hedging, Brady filled Eric in about Sister Elizabeth's phone call. Disgusted, Nicole made a snide remark and left. Eric's downbeat reaction to the news made Brady ask if Eric was still up for performing the ceremony.
Eric reassured Brady that he would be happy to marry Kristen and Brady, especially since they had completed Pre-Cana counseling as Eric had asked. Brady observed that Eric didn't seem particularly happy. Eric claimed that he was just preoccupied because of Nicole's impending departure. "I'm sorry to hear that," Brady said. "I'm pretty sure it's the best decision she could make, and I'm pretty sure everyone, especially Nicole, will be a lot happier when she's gone," Eric asserted.
Martha arrived after Brady had gone. Observing his guest's nervousness, Eric assured her that their conversation would stay between the two of them. Eric explained that he was hoping Martha could tell him about another guest who'd stayed at the hotel the night he'd been there. "Fay Taylor," Martha replied immediately. Eric was surprised that Martha remembered. Martha said that she remembered the woman very well.
In Horton Square, Nicole wondered how God could have made Brady so dumb and how He could allow Eric to help Brady ruin his life. She muttered, "I did everything I could possibly think of to get those two to see the truth about Kristen." Suddenly inspired, Nicole rushed out of the square with a plan.
Brady was a bit taken aback when Nicole showed up at the Kiriakis mansion. She warned Brady that he couldn't marry Kristen, but he irritably reminded her that she had only told him that six thousand times before. "No! No, I haven't. You can't marry Kristen because she's been unfaithful to you," Nicole declared.
Hope stopped by Daniel's on her way to the courthouse for J.J.'s arraignment. Daniel said that he wasn't going because he didn't want to set J.J. off. Hope wasn't optimistic about J.J.'s chances since the judge had added assault and battery to the charges that J.J. was facing, plus J.J. was no longer a minor -- and the judge was known to hate the legal advantage given young offenders from privileged families.
Hope warned Daniel that when the case went to trial, he could be called to testify for the prosecution. Daniel was loath to do so, but Hope asserted that it wouldn't be Daniel's fault if J.J. went to prison because J.J. had dug a huge hole for himself. Hope continued that the store owners were eager to take the stand, and the prosecution would likely call at least one of the people J.J. had assaulted, as well as J.J.'s former friend, "the narc."
Daniel didn't understand how Hope could do her job when so little was in her control. "When I'm in the O.R., at least I feel like I've got some control," he added, acknowledging that control was really just an illusion. Daniel wondered if he and Jennifer could ever get back to where they'd been. Hope understood that Daniel wanted to fix things for Jennifer and J.J., but the only person who could make things right for J.J. was J.J.
Near the nurses' station at the hospital, Theresa was playing with Daniel's bracelet, which she had stolen from his locker while he'd been in surgery. Anne urged Theresa to put the item away before someone saw her with it. The ladies privately exchanged catty remarks about J.J. and "Jenn-Jenn" when they saw Jennifer arriving just then. Abigail showed up a moment later after stopping by Chad's room and told her mom that Maxine had said the only reason that Chad was alive was that Daniel had fought to save him.
Theresa walked around the nurses' station so she could pass by Jennifer and Abigail and "accidentally" drop Daniel's bracelet in front of them. Abigail immediately recognized the bracelet as Daniel's. The volunteer, Karin, watched intently from behind the desk while Theresa claimed that she'd found it in the locker room and was going to turn it in to lost and found. Refusing to engage with Theresa, Jennifer and Abigail headed for the elevators.
After Anne and Theresa celebrated their minor victory, Theresa walked away, twirling the bracelet -- which Karin promptly plucked from Theresa's fingers. "I told Doctor Jonas I'd keep an eye out for his bracelet," Karin explained. With a coy smile, she asked Theresa what was really going on. Anne admonished Karin about gossiping. "Of course. My lips are sealed," Karin said, returning the bracelet to Theresa.
Privately, Anne and Theresa expressed certainty that Maxine would soon be calling Jennifer to warn her that she was about to lose Daniel. Anne wondered why she'd ever been jealous of Jennifer. "Kids' father falls to his horror-movie death down an elevator shaft, son's a lowlife criminal, daughter has the I.Q. of a salad bar. I mean, her life sucks," Anne pronounced. Daniel arrived for work just then, so Theresa marched over to return his bracelet. Smiling broadly, Daniel thanked her and walked away.
The women gathered around the nurses' station watched Daniel leave, then their heads swiveled around to observe Theresa's reaction -- one of obvious disappointment at Daniel's warm but laconic response. Anne sidled over and cautioned Theresa that she had an audience, so Theresa painted on a smile. Anne picked up the key ring that Daniel had left on the desk and suggested that the good doctor would soon have a chance to redeem himself. Reinvigorated, Theresa took the keys from her cohort.
Theresa returned a bit later after making a copy of Daniel's house key for herself. Anne admired Theresa's choice of blank for the new key -- pink with magenta hearts. Anne left to make sure that Daniel's keys didn't "fall into the wrong hands."
Daniel was working in his office when he ran across the flash drive containing the video of Kristen having sex with Eric. Just as Daniel plugged the drive into his computer, Kristen walked in. He ejected the drive and tossed it on the desk, where it landed under the edge of a stack of files. As Kristen took a seat across from Daniel, she thanked him -- again -- for saving Chad's life. Kristen shared the good news with Daniel that she and Brady were getting married in a few days because of a cancellation at the church.
When Daniel promised to be there as Brady's best man, Kristen reminded him that Jennifer was the matron of honor. Daniel assured Kristen that his and Jennifer's issues would not affect the wedding. Kristen knew that the problems weren't between Daniel and Jennifer but with J.J. "All I can say is if Brady and I can make it to the altar, then never say never," Kristen declared encouragingly. A nurse entered to return Daniel's keys.
Daniel maintained that Jennifer's priorities were exactly where they needed to be. He asked Kristen if she'd heard from the fertility specialist. She said that Dr. Dunstall wanted to run one more test, but he'd cautioned her that her chances of conceiving were not good. Daniel expressed his regrets. Kristen wondered lightly if she even deserved a child after all the "rotten things" she'd done in her life.
Daniel asserted that God didn't only grant the privilege of parenthood to the deserving. "Don't confuse a biological condition as an act of God," Daniel advised. He said that he had seen Kristen with lots of children, and he believed that she would make a great mother. When Daniel got a phone call and had to leave for the emergency room, Kristen asked if she could stay to make some phone calls to do some wedding planning. Daniel happily consented, so Kristen sat behind his desk and got to work.
Theresa used her key to let herself into Daniel's apartment. Wandering through the rooms, she mused, "Yep, I could live here." She stepped on one of Parker's toys and kicked it across the room. "Except that brat and his crap would have to go," she muttered. Theresa started digging through drawers until she happened upon the broken picture of Daniel and Jennifer.
"He must really be over her. Well, maybe he's ready to move on with someone less vanilla -- and more like me," Theresa said. She put the picture back in the drawer, then changed her mind and decided to take it with her. "Even if he's not, life is good, because Jennifer's life will be hell," Theresa declared on her way out.
At a police station holding cell, Justin cautioned J.J. that he might be denied bail and have to stay in jail until trial. An apathetic J.J. muttered that he didn't really care. Justin warned J.J., "You need to start caring or you're going to be stuck behind bars a hell of a long time -- and when you do finally get out, you'll be a felon for the rest of your life." He suggested that J.J. ask his cousin Nick what his life had been like since getting out of prison.
When Justin urged J.J. to grow up and stop acting like a "jackass," J.J. angrily mouthed off about how the whole family had lied to him his whole life about his dad and instead had let J.J. believe that his dad was a hero. Justin reminded J.J. that Jack had been a hero in a lot of ways, such as sacrificing his own life for Abigail's. Justin assured J.J. that Jack and Jennifer had been planning to tell J.J. the truth when he was old enough to understand.
"Were they waiting till I was seventy?" J.J. demanded, pointing out that his parents had somehow found the time to tell Abigail. J.J. guessed that Justin had told Sonny, who had in turn probably told Will. "Everyone in the town knows what my father did except for his son. And to think that I was actually proud to be named after my father," J.J. snarled. "Your mother gave you that name because she was proud," Justin asserted.
Justin continued that Jack had put his past behind him to lead an honorable life. Justin strongly advised J.J. to stop feeling sorry for himself and put his best foot forward at the arraignment. He informed J.J. that Chad had nearly died the previous night after a woman had shot him -- and Abigail had been there with Chad when it had happened. Stunned, J.J. sunk down onto his bunk as Justin pointed out that while things were bad for J.J., they could be much worse.
Before Justin could tell J.J. what he had planned for the arraignment, a guard arrived to take J.J. to the courtroom.
As they waited in the courtroom, Jennifer told Abigail that J.J. had gotten several college catalogs in the mail. Jennifer seemed to be blaming herself for J.J.'s troubles, but Abigail reassured her that none of it was her fault. Hope arrived, and after asking Abigail about Chad, she reassured Jennifer that Justin would do everything he could to help J.J. Abigail reminded her mom, "Mom, look at the charges that Sami was facing a couple weeks ago, and now she's moved on with her life -- just like J.J. will."
The guard escorted J.J. in just then. Although J.J. looked daggers at his mother, he gently asked Abigail how she was doing since Chad's shooting. When Abigail replied that Chad was going to be fine, J.J. said he was sorry for not being there for her. The guard then led J.J. to a seat. Justin entered the courtroom a moment before Judge Goldberg arrived.
After ordering J.J. to look at him, the judge asked, "On the misdemeanor charge of drug possession with intent to distribute, felony vandalism, and two counts of assault and battery, how do you plead?" J.J. replied, "Not guilty, your honor." Before Justin could enter a request for bail, Judge Goldberg proclaimed, "This young man was recently released on his own recognizance. He has demonstrated little to no respect for authority and apparently lacks the will to act as a productive or law-abiding citizen -- therefore bail is denied."
At the courthouse, Justin and the prosecutor approached the bench to inform the judge that they had agreed on a plea bargain for J.J. After supplying the judge with the necessary paperwork, Justin returned to the defense table and quietly asked if J.J. was certain that he wanted to go along with the plan. J.J. didn't think that there were any other options available, so he stood and announced that he wanted to change to a guilty plea.
The judge summarized the plea bargain -- probation and community service with no time served -- with obvious disapproval. Justin directed the judge's attention to an affidavit that Kayla had provided to explain the extenuating circumstances that had led to J.J.'s violent outburst in the town square, adding that Hope was also willing to testify about J.J.'s state of mind at the time of the incident.
The judge wondered if Justin had any witnesses lined up who weren't related to J.J. Justin hesitantly started to confirm that he could provide such a witness, but the judge interrupted and clarified that the question had been rhetorical. "Mr. Deveraux, maybe you should play the Powerball, given your recent spate of good luck. You faced shoplifting charges, but they were dropped. Then you were arrested for drug distribution, but you were underage by one day and your ace lawyer got you off on a misdemeanor. And now, your crimes of vandalism and assault and battery can be explained away by 'extenuating circumstances.' How convenient. I think maybe it's time for young Jack Patrick's luck to run out," the judge declared, ignoring Justin's attempt to interject.
Jennifer quietly sought confirmation from Justin that the judge had to accept the plea bargain. "No -- in fact, I don't. I would like to see this young man finally learn his lesson, and prison may be the only place that that is going to happen," the judge replied when he heard Jennifer's question. Justin pointed out that the plea bargain was acceptable to all parties and would save the taxpayers thousands of dollars, but the judge countered that the taxpayers could still end up paying thousands of dollars in fees if J.J. were freed and later decided to go on another costly rampage.
The judge stressed that, while he understood that J.J.'s outburst had been the result of some devastating news about J.J.'s father that had recently been revealed, that was no excuse for the string of bad behavior that had started long before J.J. had received that news. With a heavy sigh, the judge added that he would be willing to consider accepting the plea bargain on one condition -- that J.J. also agreed to start living with his mother again. Justin quickly accepted the stipulation and thanked the judge for his generosity.
"Don't thank me yet. Mr. Deveraux, it is clear that you have been on a bad path for quite some time now, so while I am not opposed to the plea deal -- a sentence of probation and community service -- I'm gonna need some time before I come to a final decision. Therefore, I will defer my ruling until a later date, which will give you a chance to redeem yourself, Mr. Deveraux. In the meantime, not only must you remain living with your mother, you cannot get into any more legal trouble. If you do, I will no longer consider the plea deal, but will instead impose the maximum sentence of five years in prison," the judge warned.
J.J. agreed to the judge's terms. "In the meantime, you and your family can have no contact with the witnesses or the victims of your crimes, in case they may be called to testify at some date in the future. All right, Mr. Deveraux is released for now under the conditions set forth. Jack, it is my fervent hope that the next time we meet, you will not have given me any reason to reject said plea bargain and send you to prison," the judge added before leaving the courtroom.
Jennifer, J.J., Abigail, Hope, and Justin returned to the Horton house, where J.J. thanked Justin for his help. Justin and Hope each needed to get back to work, so Jennifer escorted them to the front door. Abigail suggested that she and J.J. could order a pizza and play some games together, but he urged her to spend some time with Chad at the hospital instead.
J.J. hugged Abigail as he stated that he loved her and that he was glad that she was all right. Abigail returned the sentiment and added that she was glad that J.J. was back where he belonged. Abigail optimistically predicted that their family was going to get a brand new start. After Abigail left, Jennifer rejoined J.J. and returned his house key. J.J. thanked Jennifer for the key and abruptly excused himself.
Stunned, Jennifer wondered where J.J. was going. "Oh, I was just going out. I'll be back, uh...sometime," J.J. vaguely stated. Jennifer reminded J.J. of the judge's earlier words and insisted that J.J. wasn't going anywhere. "Yes, I am, all right? And you can't stop me, Mom," J.J. defiantly replied before exiting the house.
At the Brady Pub, Sami and Johnny were enjoying some fresh apple slices and caramel dipping sauce. Johnny noted that the snack was one of Chad's favorites, and Sami suggested that they could take a serving of the dish to Chad at the hospital. "'Cause the hospital food sucks," Johnny agreed.
Johnny wondered why Marge had shot Chad. Sami delicately explained that Marge's husband had recently died and that Marge's sadness had caused her to hurt someone whom she had never really intended to hurt. Deftly changing the subject, Sami advised Johnny to focus on the fact that Chad was going to be all right. Johnny asked if Sami and E.J. were going to postpone their wedding until Chad was well enough to attend.
Before Sami could respond, Caroline interrupted and informed Johnny that Kayla was making some scary Halloween-themed cupcakes in the kitchen. Johnny rushed off to indulge his sweet tooth, leaving Sami to protest Caroline's decision to encourage him to consume sugary foods right after finishing his lunch. After dismissively reasoning that sugar was the least of Sami's problems, Caroline repeated Johnny's earlier question.
Sami confirmed that she and E.J. wanted Chad to be at their wedding and would postpone it if necessary so that he could be in attendance. Assuming that there might be another reason for Sami's willingness to postpone the wedding, Caroline pointedly wondered if Sami believed that the Brady family could survive two Brady-DiMera weddings in one season. Sami sighed as she realized that Caroline had clearly talked to Roman recently.
"Don't be too hard on your father. He loves you and he wants the best for you, and that's -- that's what I was telling Shawn last night," Caroline replied, prompting Sami to gently grab her grandmother's hand in a subtle display of concern. Refusing to believe Sami's claim that nothing was wrong, Caroline forced Sami to reveal what had been said. Sami nodded and repeated Caroline's earlier statement about Shawn.
Stunned, Caroline insisted that she was aware of the fact that Shawn had died five years earlier. Sami suggested that Caroline had probably just meant that she had talked to Shawn in her prayers the previous night. Caroline sighed and admitted that she was apparently going to have to live with the fact that she was going to get confused occasionally, even with medication and therapy.
Caroline wondered what she and Sami had been talking about before she had made the erroneous statement. Sami dismissively stated that the topic hadn't been important, but Caroline suspected that Sami was just saying that because she didn't want to revisit the conversation. Sami hugged Caroline as she evasively replied that the only thing that she wanted to say was that she loved and didn't know what she would do without Caroline.
In Chad's room at the hospital, Chad woke up and found E.J. sitting at his bedside. Chad felt like a bus had struck him, but he slowly started to remember what had happened the previous night. As Cameron eavesdropped from an adjacent room, E.J. recalled that Chad had previously denied being the heroic type of person. Chad jokingly replied that he had only shielded E.J. from the bullets to prevent E.J.'s nice suit from getting ruined.
Chad wondered if anyone else -- specifically Abigail -- had been hurt, and E.J. assured him that Marge had been stopped before she had been able to hurt any of the other guests. As Chad breathed a sigh of relief, E.J. informed him that Abigail had stayed at the hospital for most of the previous night and that she had also visited Chad earlier that day. E.J. predicted that Abigail would soon return to check on Chad again. Meanwhile, Cameron quietly walked away.
Chad groaned when he learned that Stefano had also visited him earlier. E.J. reported that he had seen Stefano in the chapel the previous night and that he couldn't recall a time when Stefano had seemed more devastated. Chad was relieved to learn that E.J. hadn't told Stefano about Chad's fake brain tumor. E.J. assured Chad that he would never have to worry about Abigail finding out that he had been lying to Cameron about the brain tumor.
E.J. stressed that, despite the fact that he had blackmailed Chad into moving into the DiMera mansion, he had Chad's best interests at heart. E.J. summarized that, as Chad's big brother -- and especially since Chad had saved his life -- it was his job to protect Chad. Before drifting off to sleep, Chad assured E.J. that he understood that E.J. had only blackmailed him because Stefano had left E.J. with no other options.
After leaving Chad's room, E.J. found Cameron and asked to speak to him privately. Guessing that he already knew what E.J. wanted to talk to him about, Cameron assured E.J. that he hadn't told Abigail about Chad's lie. E.J. thanked Cameron for his discretion, and Cameron braced himself for the part of the conversation where E.J. produced a wad of cash or issued a death threat.
E.J. laughed and innocently claimed that he wasn't like Stefano. After encouraging Cameron to go ahead and tell Abigail the truth if he wished to do so, E.J. cryptically added that Cameron might want to make sure that he was in possession of all of the facts first. "I think you'd be surprised by the reason that my brother did what he did," E.J. vaguely stated, but he refused to elaborate, reasoning that it wasn't his place to do so.
Later, at the DiMera mansion, E.J. informed Sami that Chad had insisted that there was no need for them to delay their wedding on his account. Sami suggested that it might be a good idea for her and E.J. to delay the wedding anyway, since Chad needed some time to recuperate, Brady and Kristen were also planning to get married soon, and Halloween was quickly approaching. "Samantha, in as long as I have known you, no one and nothing have stopped you from getting what you want. Unless you're just trying to find some way of saying that you don't want to marry me?" E.J. wondered.
At the hospital, Cameron entered Chad's room and found Maxine reading Chad's medical file. Maxine recalled that Cameron had previously told her that Chad was receiving some sort of treatment that would have prevented the use of hemostatic agents to treat Chad's injuries, and she noted with confusion that it appeared that Daniel had gone ahead and used the hemostatic agents anyway. Cameron clarified that he had later learned that his original belief had been incorrect.
After Maxine left, Chad opened his eyes and wondered what the conversation between her and Cameron had been about. Cameron tried to dodge the question, but Chad wasn't fooled, and he guessed that Cameron knew. "That you may be a terminal liar, but you're not dying of a brain tumor? Yeah. Yeah, I know," Cameron confirmed. Chad wondered if Cameron had told Abigail. "Told me what?" Abigail asked as she entered the room.
Elsewhere, Marlena was surprised to find Kristen sitting alone in Daniel's office. Kristen explained that Daniel had given her permission to use his office phone to make some last-minute wedding arrangements. Kristen happily elaborated that she and Brady had successfully completed their Pre-Cana counseling sessions and that Eric had agreed to perform their wedding ceremony, which would be taking place in the very near future.
Kristen apologetically acknowledged that she was being insensitive about a situation that was probably somewhat humiliating and demoralizing for Marlena. After summarizing that she was ecstatically happy because she had finally obtained everything that she had ever wanted, Kristen pointedly wondered if Marlena had heard from John lately. Marlena warned Kristen that, considering what had happened the last time that she and Brady had tried to get married, it might be best to refrain from gloating until after the wedding ceremony.
Kristen insisted that nothing could possibly ruin her second attempt to marry Brady. "Well, that's what you thought before...but I'm sure you're right. I'm sure nothing will stop you from marrying Brady this time. I guess I should know that you can't beat a dead whor -- hor -- horse. Horse," Marlena conceded. Kristen replied that, while she wasn't dead and certainly wasn't a horse, she appreciated the general sentiment of Marlena's statement.
Kristen abruptly excused herself so that she could get back to finalizing the various details of her wedding. Kristen reached for her purse and lazily dragged it off of the desk instead of picking it up properly, accidentally scattering a stack of folders and the flash drive on the floor in the process. As Kristen knelt to pick up the folders, Maxine entered the room and wondered what was going on.
Kristen explained the situation, and Maxine told her to leave the folders laying on the floor because they might contain sensitive information about Daniel's patients. Marlena was sorry that she hadn't thought about that herself, but Maxine assured her that it wasn't a problem. Kristen pleasantly urged Marlena and Maxine to have a wonderful day, and she abruptly walked away after realizing that they weren't going to return the sentiment. Marlena followed Kristen out of the office, and Maxine proceeded to place the folders and the flash drive back on Daniel's desk.
At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady demanded to know the identity of the person whom Nicole believed that Kristen had slept with after Brady had called off the first wedding. Nicole reluctantly admitted that she didn't know who Kristen had slept with, but she insisted that Kristen had definitely slept with someone other than Brady recently. Brady challenged Nicole to provide him with proof of her accusation.
Nicole hesitantly admitted that she hadn't obtained any proof yet, clarifying that she had simply overheard Kristen telling someone about the indiscretion during a phone conversation. Nicole urged Brady to postpone the wedding so that she could have more time to find the proof that he desired, but he wasn't interested in doing so. Brady believed that Nicole was just making things up in a desperate, jealous attempt to ruin his happiness.
Nicole was hurt to realize that Brady believed that she was lying. "That's what liars do," Brady matter-of-factly summarized. Brady angrily declared that it was clear that Nicole was not his friend because friends were supposed to be supportive of each other. Nicole begged Brady to look into her eyes and realize that she was telling the truth, but he confidently insisted that she had to be wrong because he and Kristen had revealed all of their secrets during their Pre-Cana counseling sessions.
Nicole summarized that Brady was a bigger fool than she had originally assumed if he truly believed that he knew all of Kristen's secrets, but he countered that she was the fool because she was in love with Eric and was trying to control Brady's life as a way of coping with the fact that she couldn't be with Eric. Brady added that Nicole had such a casual relationship with the truth that she couldn't even recognize when she was lying anymore.
Brady said that he felt sorry for Nicole, who returned the sentiment. "Get out of here. Get out. I don't want you in my life anymore. Did you not hear me? Get out! Go. Go," Brady ordered Nicole. Hurt, Nicole reluctantly exited the mansion. Nicole went to Club TBD, where she arranged a meeting with Marlena. When Marlena arrived, Nicole summarized what had happened at the mansion earlier.
Nicole stressed that she hadn't mentioned Marlena's name during her conversation with Brady. Marlena assured Nicole that she would never stop trying to expose the truth about Kristen. Marlena feared that Brady might tell Kristen about Nicole's accusation, but Nicole was certain that he wouldn't do that. Marlena hoped that Nicole was right, since they were going to need every advantage that they could possibly obtain if they were going to have any chance of preventing Kristen from destroying Brady's life.
Marlena sincerely stated that she was sorry that Brady had chosen to cut Nicole out of his life. Nicole thanked Marlena and guessed that she had probably once assumed that Nicole was the worst thing for Brady. "You know, I -- I've said this before, but I swear, things can't get any worse than this, can they?" Nicole nervously wondered.
At St. Luke's, Eric was surprised to learn that Martha had remembered Fay Taylor, a seemingly random guest whom she had encountered months earlier. Martha explained that Fay had stood out because she had been a very strange woman whom Martha had quickly concluded had been up to no good. Martha recalled that Fay had checked in to and out of the Capitol Plaza Hotel on the same night, which was apparently unusual for that hotel.
Martha elaborated that Fay Taylor had checked out of the hotel shortly before the ambulance had arrived to take Eric to the hospital. Digressing, Martha added that Eric was extremely lucky that his friend Nicole possessed uncanny timing, since he might have died if Nicole hadn't insisted on seeing him that night. Eric wondered if Fay had mentioned where she was from or what she had been doing at the state capital that night.
Martha shook her head and speculated that Fay Taylor hadn't wanted anyone to know her true identity, since she had paid for her room with cash, had refused to provide the hotel with a credit card that they could charge her room service fees to, had been wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night, had used a bad accent, and had worn a wig. Martha casually added that Nicole had arrived shortly after Fay had left.
"Oh, my gosh. I never thought about this before, but...they were both tall, and thin, and overly assertive, and -- I know this sounds far-fetched, but...it's almost as if Fay Taylor could have been your friend in disguise," Martha suddenly realized. Eric found a recent photograph of Nicole on his laptop and showed it to Martha. Martha was unable to conclusively determine if Fay and Nicole were the same person based on the picture, but the theory made a lot of sense to her.
Eric was unable to think of a reason for Nicole to have disguised herself and pretended to be another woman, so he insisted that Fay Taylor had to be someone else. Meanwhile, Kristen knocked on Eric's office door and wondered if she could enter. Eric stepped into the hallway so that he could talk to Kristen, who just wanted to thank him again for agreeing to perform her and Brady's wedding ceremony. Martha spied Kristen through the partially ajar door and quietly wondered why Kristen looked familiar.
Martha asked Eric about his visitor after Kristen left, but she didn't explain why she wanted to know Kristen's identity, and Kristen's name didn't seem to mean anything to her. Martha started to excuse herself, but she quickly changed her mind and decided to confess that she had accepted bribes from Fay Taylor and Nicole on the night that they had each visited the hotel. When Eric asked her to elaborate, Martha explained that Fay had demanded the hotel room next to his.
Eric wondered why Nicole had bribed Martha, who replied that Nicole had said that she had been desperate to find him. Eric reasoned that Nicole couldn't have been Fay Taylor if she hadn't known which room he had been placed in, but Martha suggested that Nicole might have simply been trying to cover her tracks. Eric still couldn't understand why Nicole would have gone through that much trouble just to secure the room next to his.
Martha started to leave again, but she suddenly realized one final detail that she had neglected to mention earlier -- that the two hotel rooms in question shared an adjoining door. After Martha left, Eric braced himself against a nearby chair as he recalled his recurring sexual dream. "Dear God, it wasn't a dream. It really happened -- with Nicole," Eric whispered.
At the DiMera mansion, E.J. wondered if Sami were trying to find a way to tell him that she didn't want to marry him. Sami admitted, "I don't know, E.J. I don't know what I want." E.J. understood why Sami was upset, but she informed him that she had been up all night, wondering what would have happened if E.J. had been shot or if the kids had been at the club. Asserting that trouble haunted that house, Sami reminded E.J. that she had been there when the mayor had been murdered.
E.J. reminded Sami, "I gave my word to my father that you would live in this house, and as a result, Samantha, he set you free." E.J. guessed that Sami's doubts had originated in the conversation he'd witnessed between her and her father at the hospital. Sami maintained that her dad only wanted to make sure she didn't make a huge mistake. E.J. inferred that he was the mistake. Sami assured him that she didn't think he was a mistake -- and that she made her own decisions.
E.J. countered that Sami's independence was one of the reasons he'd fallen in love with her, but he didn't know if she were still in love with him. "E.J., this is not about whether or not I love you. This is about doing what is best for our family, you know, to keep him safe and secure -- from him," Sami insisted, indicating Stefano's portrait. E.J. insisted that Stefano blamed himself as much as Marge Bernardi for Chad's shooting.
Upset, Sami argued that since Chad had lived, Stefano wouldn't have to take responsibility for his actions. She tried to get E.J. to see what the stakes were for her and the children if they got married. Frowning, E.J. suggested rather snidely that they postpone the wedding, since it was clearly such an emotional issue for Sami. "Postpone? How about cancel?" Sami retorted. With an angry finger in her face, E.J. practically ordered Sami not to give up on them.
Sami insisted that she only wanted to take some time. She reminded E.J. that he had promised Stefano that they would live there, but neither she nor the kids had made that promise. Calming down a little, E.J. suggested that they both take some time to think about things. He gently urged Sami to spend some -- and not to do anything rash. "Thank you for not making us fight," Sami said quietly. After reassuring Sami that he loved her, E.J. left to visit Chad at the hospital.
Glancing at the portrait of Stefano that loomed over the living room, Sami reflected on several altercations she'd had with Stefano during Sydney's kidnapping. Sami smiled as she also recalled a playful, amorous moment with E.J. before their engagement party. Conflicted, her eyes filled with tears.
Abigail walked into Chad's hospital room just in time to overhear Chad asking Cameron, "You told Abigail, didn't you?" Abigail wanted to know what they were talking about. Cameron covered that he had just been telling Chad how close Chad had been to not pulling through, and Chad agreed that he hadn't wanted Cameron to upset Abigail with that information. Abigail asserted that Chad needed to not dwell on that so he could focus on his recovery.
The awkward silence and the look that passed between Cameron and Chad made Abigail suspicious that there was still something they weren't telling her. Cameron admitted that there was, but he was bound by doctor-patient confidentiality. As Cameron was leaving, Abigail thanked him for saving Chad's life. Cameron shrugged it off as all in a day's work.
After Cameron had gone, Abigail sat on Chad's bed and expressed her relief that he was all right. She presented Chad with a medal that her father had given to her, explaining that it was for good luck and protection. Chad promised to take good care of it. Abigail curled up in bed next to him, put her head on his chest, and confessed that she had told her mom about them.
Abigail explained that she had wanted her mom to understand how much Chad meant to her, so she had also told Jennifer about Chad getting her an advance copy of Jack's book. "It's so funny Chad -- way back when, when you lied to me, I never thought that this was possible, for us to have this kind of a relationship. You know? Something so perfect, so real, and so honest," Abigail marveled.
In the physical therapy room, a perspiring Rafe supported most of his weight with his arms as he walked the length of the parallel bars. When he reached the end and plopped down in his wheelchair, Jordan asked why he seemed upset. Rafe asserted that because of a chain reaction that had begun with him, it was his fault Chad DiMera had gotten shot. Jordan placed a soothing hand on Rafe's arm and said that she wouldn't let him talk like that.
Kate arrived outside in time to surreptitiously observe the interaction between Rafe and Jordan. Jordan wanted to know how Rafe had reached such a conclusion. Rafe explained that it had all started with his affair with Kate. Kate rolled her eyes and walked away. Rafe continued that it hadn't been Kate's fault, but he still believed that everything that had happened tied back to him. Although Jordan didn't see the connection, she concluded that Rafe was just very empathetic. All business again, she instructed Rafe to do another lap on the parallel bars.
Kate wandered to the nurses' station to sing Jordan's praises to Maxine and Cameron. Kate said that she would like to get a token of appreciation for Jordan, but since she didn't know Jordan very well, she hoped that Cameron could tell her something about Jordan. Cameron informed Kate that professionals at the hospital couldn't take gifts for what they did because it could be seen as bribery for preferential treatment. When Cameron left, Kate turned to Maxine, who concurred with Cameron.
Chad was alone when Cameron returned to check on him. Chad thanked Cameron for not telling Abigail what Chad had done. Cameron asked Chad for the explanation that he'd promised before they'd been interrupted. Chad stated that he freaked out when he'd first thought he had a brain tumor, and a part of him had suspected that the news hadn't really upset Cameron. Cameron insisted that wasn't true. Chad continued that when he'd returned with good news from the specialist, he'd seen Cameron kissing Abigail.
"I couldn't believe it. I went from thinking I was going to die to you taking total advantage of the situation. So is what I did really so bad compared to you?" Chad demanded. Cameron couldn't believe Chad's rationalization for faking a brain tumor. Chad insisted that at first he had merely wanted to punish Cameron, then Cameron had backed off from Abigail, and Chad had gotten everything he'd wanted. When Chad pointed out that Cameron knew the truth and could tell Abigail if he wanted, Cameron refused to take the bait and left to attend to his other patients.
As Rafe continued a grueling workout under Jordan's supervision, he wondered why, when she was so tough on him during physical therapy, she had gone so easy on him about Marge Bernardi. Jordan said that they weren't the same thing. Rafe maintained that as a cop, he was trained to know when someone was on a ledge and about to go over.
Jordan got a little agitated as she demanded incredulously, "When is it [Marge's] responsibility? When is the fact that she loaded a gun, went looking for someone to kill, and almost succeeded at it her fault? When? Ever?" Jordan continued, practically ranting, about Marge failing to cope or try to change her circumstances. "That's why someone almost died: because she just couldn't cope. And you can't let that happen or you're lost," Jordan asserted.
As Jordan was starting to wheel Rafe back to his room, Kate entered the physical therapy room. After informing Rafe that Chad was awake and doing well, Kate said that she would catch up with Rafe after he returned to his room. As soon as Jordan and Rafe were gone, Kate got on the phone and ordered the person on the other end to do an even deeper background check on Jordan Ridgeway -- who returned to the room just then and slammed the door behind her when she overheard Kate.
Abigail wandered into the park outside Horton Square and found E.J. sitting on a bench, lost in thought. Both admitted that they were relieved Chad was healing so well. E.J. said that earlier, Chad hadn't been able to stop talking about Abigail. Smiling, Abigail said that she wished Chad would stop worrying about her and focus on getting better. "He puts you first. That's how it is when you're in love," E.J. affirmed.
While Anne observed from a table for one, Theresa carried a weighty bag into the Brady Pub to join Karin for lunch. Karin didn't notice the bag right away, so Theresa "accidentally" knocked it onto the floor, where the broken picture of Daniel and Jennifer fell out. When Karin picked the photo up, Theresa pretended to panic. Karin asked why Theresa had that picture and why the frame was broken. Theresa claimed that she'd intended to drop the bag of clothes off at the hospital's charity bin for a friend.
"This friend? Doctor Jonas?" Karin asked. Despite Theresa's protests, Karin guessed, "You are sleeping with him, aren't you?" Theresa contended that those kinds of unsubstantiated rumors could hurt a lot of people. Karin didn't think Theresa should keep it a secret, since Daniel was, after all, a good-looking doctor. After urging Karin to drop it, Theresa wondered if she should donate the clothes somewhere else so people didn't get the wrong idea.
Karin volunteered to drop the items off for Theresa, but she asked what Theresa wanted to do with the picture. Theresa said since the frame was broken, she would probably just throw it away. Karin realized that she didn't actually have time to eat lunch, so Theresa said that they would just do it another time. When Theresa headed for the ladies' room, Karin gathered up the bag of clothes, hid the broken picture under her jacket, and left.
When Theresa returned from the ladies' room, she joined Anne, who announced that she was proud of Theresa. Theresa was confident that Karin wouldn't be able to resist spreading such juicy gossip -- as was Anne that Jennifer would quit her job in "humiliation and despair" when she got wind of the rumor. Theresa looked over at the other table and began to freak out when she noticed that Karin had also taken the picture.
Anne warned that Daniel would be able to figure out that Theresa had been in his apartment. Theresa tried to convince herself that Daniel wouldn't even hear about it because Karin was unlikely to show the picture to him. Still flustered, Theresa left to continue her plan with "Jennifer 'Kiss-Ass' Horton."
Karin returned to the hospital and placed Theresa's bag on the desk at the nurses' station. Maxine asked about it, so Karin explained that she was donating it for a friend. When Maxine spied the picture frame in Karin's hands, she cautioned Karin that the hospital only accepted clothing and shoes. Flipping the photo around to show it to Maxine, Karin said that she thought someone had thrown it away by mistake.
Karin continued that even if the picture had gotten broken accidentally, she didn't really know either person in the photo. "Can you check and see if one of them still wants it?" Karin asked. Maxine offered to leave the picture behind the desk.
At Daniel's apartment, Daniel was getting Parker ready for a two-day stay with Chloe when an excited Maggie dropped by to tell Daniel the great news about J.J. Daniel said that he'd already heard about it from Justin, and Daniel hoped that J.J. could live up to the terms of the deal. Maggie was optimistic because Jennifer was determined to turn things around for J.J. After Chloe had picked up Parker, Maggie invited Daniel to accompany her to Jennifer's.
Daniel firmly reminded his mother that he couldn't go to Jennifer's because it only made things more difficult for her. Maggie declared that as distressed as she was about J.J., she hated that his troubles were keeping Jennifer and Daniel apart. Daniel maintained that Jennifer doing exactly what he would be doing by putting her son first. Maggie wondered how J.J. could have changed from such a sweet and innocent little boy into the young man he'd become.
Jennifer tried to stop J.J. as he tried to storm out of the Horton house, but J.J. said angrily, "If you think that I'm going to start listening to you because of what the judge said, think again." Jennifer reminded J.J. of the terms of the judge's deal. J.J. retorted that had understood everything, but it didn't mean that he had to listen to his mom. J.J. accused Jennifer of pretending that they were a picture-perfect family when she had lied to him for so long about his dad.
Jennifer insisted that she had been trying to protect J.J. from the pain that he was feeling at that moment. J.J. argued that she had no idea who he was. With the same degree of sarcasm, Jennifer suggested that J.J. enlighten her about who he was. She offered her theory that J.J. believed he was a victim, and nothing he'd ever done or said was his fault. J.J. maintained that he hadn't said that; he'd merely begun to see things a lot more clearly.
Blocking J.J.'s exit, Jennifer demanded, "What is clear? What, J.J.? That you have so little self-respect that it doesn't matter what happens to you? That you could walk out this door and cause trouble again, and just confirm what everybody's been thinking about you: that you are a liar, a manipulator, and a drug-head, so why not just live the part?" With a sigh, J.J. noted, "You said it; I didn't."
Jennifer assured J.J. that no one really thought that about him. Fed up, J.J. walked out. Jennifer stopped him on the doorstep and begged him not to do something that he would regret. "Just stay away from those friends -- and stay away from Theresa, because she is so destructive and screwed-up," Jennifer implored. Snarling that she couldn't tell him what to do anymore, J.J. stalked off.
When Maggie showed up, Jennifer was a wreck. "He's going to go to prison, and I can't stop him, and there is nothing I can do to fix it!" Jennifer cried. Maggie tried to reassure Jennifer that she was a good mother. Jennifer maintained that she just wanted J.J. to be okay and feel like he was one of them again.
Breaking down again, Jennifer placed some the blame on J.J.'s friends and Theresa, whom Jennifer pronounced "the devil." Jennifer wailed, "I am out of answers. I am out of everything. If my son goes to prison, I'm going to die!" Although Maggie tried to sooth her, Jennifer grabbed her keys and left for work.
J.J. met Rory and Bev in the park. Rory gave J.J. a bag of pot and warned J.J. not to let his mom find it. J.J. declared that his mom had no say in his life. Explaining that her cousin was a court reporter who had told her what had happened in court, Bev asked if J.J. were all right. J.J. wrote the judge off as a "pompous jerk." Rory thought J.J. should have told the court what his dad had done that had made J.J. smash the store window displaying the elder Deveraux's book.
"How do you know what my dad did?" J.J. demanded. Rory and Bev said that word had gotten out about everything. Grabbing his backpack to leave, J.J. insisted that it didn't matter because it had happened a really long time in the past. Rory and Bev could tell J.J. was still upset and urged their friend not to go, but J.J. ignored them.
As J.J. walked through Horton Square, he left a message asking Theresa to call him because he needed to see her. When J.J. hung up, Daniel was in front of him. J.J. declared that they had nothing to say to each other. "Maybe one thing -- and it could change everything," Daniel said.
When Jennifer arrived at the hospital for work, she bumped into Theresa. "Hey, Jenn-Jenn. Where is J.J., anyway? I just missed a call from him," Theresa asked coyly. Jennifer grabbed Theresa and slammed her against the wall, growling, "You stay away from my son, or I will kill you!"
