One Stormy Night

 

Suddenly, Lawrence Alamain rushes in, his suit and hair drenched. He is carrying a small boy in his arms. Carly is shocked to see him, but covers her surprise and disgust, by concentrating on the child. When Carly has a nurse take the little boy to a room, Lawrence uses the opportunity to flirt with Carly, telling her that he was probably the last person she expected to see on this night. She does not take the bait and walks away without answering him, to tend to the child. Neither Carly, nor Lawrence, notices that Bo Brady has observed this one sided exchange, and does not look too happy.

Alice Horton is not too happy herself, as she watches her granddaughter Jennifer head out into the storm, to go to the TV station. Her boss, Dan, has asked her to broadcast live, to cover the storm for viewers.

John and Isabella arrive as well. He tells her that the dock will have to be sandbagged, so that the water doesn't rise. Isabella offers to help, but John quickly admonishes her, telling her that she shouldn't be risking herself. Isabella agrees, kisses him goodbye, and promises to take it easy there at the hospital.

Meanwhile, Carly is looking over the child, and asking Lawrence questions about how he found the boy. Bo comes up behind them and tells Carly that someone else needs her. Carly rushes off as Bo and Lawrence face off. Bo asks what Lawrence is really doing at there at the hospital. Lawrence coolly tells him that he's playing the new role of 'angel of mercy'. Bo tells him to 'get off of the stage' because the role doesn't suit him. Bo then walks off, as Lawrence stares after him.

Also, Carrie Brady has just arrived in town by way of hitchhiking. She begs cars to stop and finally flags down a car, and gets in.

At the TV station, Jennifer is prepared to stay the night, commenting to her boss that she 'has nothing to go home to'. Her boss then leaves her alone and soon, the lights go out in the studio.

Jennifer begins calling out for someone to turn on the lights and bumps into Jack in the darkness. Her fright soon turns to annoyance, as she asks why he is there? Jack is carrying a bag of sorts filled with music and flowers....romantic trinkets to woo Jennifer back to him. She scoffs at this, telling him he wouldn't know how to be romantic.

When he brings up a baseball game he took her to, the previous summer, as an example, Jennifer walks out of the studio. She soon ends up running, just to get away from Jack, who is intent on following her. Jennifer finds a new soundstage to hide on, one called 'Ask Dr. Love'.

Jack follows her there, but cannot find her at first, since she is hiding in the shadows.

At the hospital, Bo and Carly share a private moment, before he too, leaves for the docks to help sandbag. They kiss goodbye and both go their separate ways, unaware of the fact that Lawrence is still lurking about and watching the two of them. He then looks at his watch and stares after Carly again.

Jennifer, thinking that Jack is gone and that it is safe to come out of her hiding spot, comes back into the light, only to find that Jack is still there. Still annoyed with him, Jennifer hurries to the door, only to find it locked. We see that there is a note posted about an 'automatic time lock'. Jennifer bangs on the door, still ignoring Jack. Soon, her boss, Dan, and a security guard, arrive outside of the door. They tell her that the storm has knocked out the circuit for the door. They tell a very displeased looking Jennifer, through the door, that they will do what they can for her and Jack. Jack tells her that they might as well just relax, since they are locked in. Jennifer gives him a dirty look and walks away.

Carly arrives at the cabin and finds the door unlocked. She calls out for the patient and finds a fireplace roaring. Carly is most puzzled by this, but is even more disturbed by a setting of white flowers in a basket. As she stares at them, Lawrence comes up behind her and says, 'hello, Katerina'. Carly is disgusted and tells him he is unbelievable. She also informs him that she has patients at the hospital that need her. She then starts to leave.

Lawrence hurries after her, begging for a chance to just talk to her. Outside, Carly tells him to stay away from her, just as a small tree falls on Lawrence. Carly stares at him, torn for just a second, before getting the tree off of him and helping him back into the cabin. She tells him that he will have to take off his shirt, once they sit down. Lawrence's arm is injured and he does not believe he can do it using one hand. Carly tells him it has been done before.

Lawrence attempts to, but is unsuccessful, so Carly takes off his shirt, gently easing it over his wound. She then looks at his arm. Lawrence asks her what the verdict is and she tells him that he needs stitches and he might not bleed to death(that last part is said sarcastically). Lawrence tells Carly if that's what she wanted(for him to bleed to death), then she would've gotten in her car and driven off. Lawrence then tells her she could still do so, but predicted that she would not. Carly wraps his shirt around the wound and gives it a hurtful squeeze, telling him her bag was out in the car. She then gets up and goes outside to get it.

In the 'Ask Dr. Love' studio, Jack comes up with the idea to play the game, 'Ask Dr. Love'. Jennifer is unfamiliar with the format, and asks him how it is played. He tells her that the computer decides whether their answers to the questions are correct, and the first person to get 500 points, wins. Jennifer agrees to play, but soon finds herself behind and forced to listen to Jack gloat in an Arnold Schwarzenegger type of voice, as he refers to him self as the 'Jackmeister'. Jennifer is disgusted, until she begins to win. Finally, there is one last question and Jennifer has 480 points, while Jack has 490. But before either of them answer it, Jack gets the bag he was lugging around, and opens it, revealing a bouquet of lavender flowers and music. Jack then sings(and quite badly) a Johnny Mathis song, "Wonderful, Wonderful" to her.

At the cabin, Carly is getting out her first aid supplies. While her back is turned, Lawrence removes a flower from the bouquet and puts it into Carly's coat pocket. Carly then sits down in front of Lawrence to tend to his wounded arm. He asks her what all the supplies are, but she does not answer, dousing him with stinging antiseptics. He then tells her that she should work on her bedside manner, slyly suggesting that it isn't what it used to be. Carly ignores him, and Lawrence then asks her about the wedding date Bo and her have set. Carly still does not answer him. He then tells her that the date is very mediocre, as far as dates go, and that he was always very good at remembering important dates. Lawrence then challenges Carly to ask him the most important date in his life. Carly still does not answer, and chooses to inject him with something instead. Lawrence then tells her it was May 20, 1983. Carly gives him her full attention now, and he asks her if she still likes poetry? Carly goes back to tending to his arm, and Lawrence continues to reminisce, telling her that he remembers she was fond of Shakespeare, but her favorite was Yeats, because she always thought there was something 'wild in his heart'. Lawrence then asks her if she remembers her favorite Yeats poem? Carly says she does not, and begins to stitch him up. Lawrence tells her that it is her lucky day, because he does.

Lawrence begins to recite the poem and Carly looks very, very, uncomfortable, and at one point, asks him to stop. But he does not, and the poem triggers a memory for Carly. One where Lawrence is reciting the poem to her and gives her a white flower. He then tells her he loves her. She tells him she loves him too, and he picks her up and carries her over to the bed. In real time, Lawrence is determine to keep eye contact with Carly, as he finishes the poem. After he is done, Carly looks at him and he begs her not to marry Bo. That ticks Carly off, and she asks him why he's doing this, after all of this time? She also tells him that her name is now Carly, not Katerina and that she cares nothing at all for him. Lawrence counters by reminding her that she was happy with him. Carly tells him she was happy with the illusion he created, but Lawrence insists that was the real him. He tells her he loved her then, and he still does now.

Jennifer is touched by Jack's efforts to at least try and be romantic with her. The question that ends the game is, 'what is the number one reason women leave their husbands?' The answer is 'a husband's inability to be romantic'. Jennifer then answers the question wrong, on purpose, so that Jack can win. He gets to pick from a bunch of gifts, among them, a bed. Jack picks the bed, then asks Jennifer to help him try it out. Jennifer and Jack sit on the bed, and eventually, end up making love on it.

Lawrence tells her that Bo will never be able to make her happy, but Carly is not listening. Soon, he grabs her and tells her that even if she makes a life with Bo, she will always remember this....and he kisses her forcefully. Carly begins to squeal, as she tries to get away from him and the kiss. When she finally does, she yells at him to stay away from her.

Carly goes home to the boat and soon Bo arrives. She does not tell him where she was that evening, but instead, begins making love to him, in an effort to forget the feelings that Lawrence has stirred up. Meanwhile, Lawrence is still at the cabin, now sitting in front of the fireplace, deep in thought.