Daily Updates

Subject:     GH Update 7/31
Sent:        8/4/96 9:23 PM
From:        Pat Herman, pat@aimnet.com

                           GENERAL HOSPITAL UPDATE
                          Wednesday, July 31, 1996

Welcome to the Cynic's Update.  I didn't plan it that way.....
must be Tracy's influence.

TODAY'S STORYLINES:
------------------
* Remembrances of Steve's Past
* Feelings, Nothing More than Feelings
* Bestest Friends
* Let the Games Begin

REMEMBRANCES OF STEVE'S PAST
----------------------------
Tom, Felicia, Kevin, and Lucy are dining together at the Outback.
As we join them, Kevin is telling a story about Steve Hardy as
a boss, and Tom tells about Steve, in a business suit, hopping a
fence to attend a little league game.

Meanwhile, at the bar, Mac and Garcia are reviewing the evidence
[or lack thereof] in the Felicia's Stalker case.  The PCPD, in its
usual investigative brilliance, has turned up absolutely nothing
useful.  No fingerprints on the post office box or on the
application form, and the stalker didn't provide his/her real
name on the application form [the NERVE....]  With breakthroughs
like these, it's no wonder Garcia felt obligated to he rush right
over to the Outback to deliver the news.  They wonder why the
stalking hasn't started again now that Filly is back in town.

Back at the dinner table, Tom is finishing the little league story.
Tom wonders what Tommy will say about him some day.  They discuss the
fact that all kids have grievances against their parents.  "Who would
want perfect parents anyway?" asks Felicia, and the others raise
their hands.  Felicia hopes her kids will forgive her for sending
them away for so long.  Lucy asks when it will be safe to bring them
back; it turns out that Filly told them today that "the coast is
clear."  Right on cue, her cellular phone rings.  But it's new - how
did someone get the number?   Mac looks over, alarmed.  OH, NOOOOOO!!
A RINGING PHONE!  AAAAIIIIIEEEEE!!!!  [Haven't these people heard of
wrong numbers?]  Filly stares at the phone in alarm.

After a commercial break of almost inhuman suspense, Filly answers
the phone and - oh, the horror - it's Amy, looking for Tom, who left
that number at the hospital.  [Wouldn't most doctors in this day and
age have their own cell phones, or else a fancy pager like Simone
has?]  Audrey has been in Steve's office for quite a while, and Amy
thinks she's having a rough time.  Tom and Filly leave to go see
Audrey, no doubt sticking Kevin and Lucy with the check.

Kevin and Lucy stay on to finish their coffee.  They both enjoyed
the dinner, and Lucy is glad to see Kevin so relaxed.  She is
worried because he's been edgy and distant lately.  He's been
spending a lot of time painting, and seems to have a lot of anger
inside him.  Having caught us up on the storyline, since we've seen
so little of it that we've probably forgotten, she explains that she
is worried that it has to do with her.  He assures her it has nothing
to do with her.  He's been working under strain, but things are
easing up.  Kathy arrives, and Lucy is tempted to gloat at her a bit,
but she restrains herself.  But she is concerned about Kevin.  In his
job, and in the twin study, he has so much empathy with people and
their problems, but perhaps sometimes it all overwhelms him.  She
thinks that sometimes he needs to step back and take more time for
himself.  She asks if he is angry - he assures her he is not.  He
has asked himself some of these same questions.  He assures her that
he loves her very much, and he will never be angry with her for
expressing her feelings.  Lucy is very happy - the way they feel
this moment is everything she ever wanted.  [Then isn't it about
time for you too to get married or something?  HUH????]  Some
people won't let themselves be happy, but Lucy isn't that way -
and neither, she says, is Kevin [don't be so sure].  She feels so
lucky to be able to love Kevin.  They smile at each other as the
scene ends.  [Oh, Lucy, my dear, you just tempted to soap gods in
a BIG way.  This is the second time this month you've made a speech
like that.  Heartbreak can't be far around the corner.]

Tom and Filly find Audrey in Steve's office.  She is looking for
Steve's address book.  It's full of names and addresses of people
who should be notified about Steve's death.  She has searched all
the boxes they packed up, and she is afraid they might have put it
with the stuff for Goodwill by mistake.  Felicia makes the helpful
observation that once she couldn't find a check, but it turned up
on the refrigerator on a magnet.  But rather than race home and
check the refrigerator magnets, Tom remembers that Steve always kept
it in his lab coat pocket.  Sure enough, there it is.

The book leads to more reminiscences about Steve's record-keeping
idiosyncracies (including a cute story about his filing things in
"a safe place", which was literally the label on the folder).  Filly
remembers Steve's kindness to Maxie when she was in the hospital.
Audrey talks about Steve's perserverance - only once in a while did
he come across a problem he couldn't solve.  "His son?" asks Tom.
Audrey assures him that's not what she meant - she was referring
to things like his ineptitude around the house (as Tom said, "a
brilliant surgeon and a lousy handyman").  Audrey and Tom muse about
how much of Steve's life is recorded in the pages of the address
book, as she hands it to Tom.

Audrey and Tom remember a bottle of Scotch Steve was given by a
patient in 1989.  He saved it for "just the right moment."  Since
this seems to be that time, they open the bottle, and Audrey,
Tom, and Filly share a toast to Steve.  [Sniff... this was lovely.]

Meanwhile, back at the Outback, Kathy tells Mac about her meeting
with Edward (see below), and suddenly she has some sort of inspir-
ation about how to become "top dog."  Later, while they are in bed,
Kathy muses that Edward called her because he was sad about Steve's
death and wanted to talk to a friend.  Mac sits up suddenly,
connecting the fact that the stalking stopped to Steve's death.
He thinks he knows who the stalker is.

After this revelation, we see Audrey and Filly leaving Steve's
office.  As scary music plays, Tom shuts off the lights and looks
around the office.  A clue, or a red herring?  You decide.

FEELINGS, NOTHING MORE THAN FEELINGS
------------------------------------
Jason and Robin are down on the docks, talking about what happened
at the ELQ board meeting.  Jason is angry with Alan for what he said,
and he wants to stay away from the Q's:  "Those people are out for
blood, especially that old man."  Jason says you would almost think
Edward had suffered the same brain injury as Jason:  "The guy has
no feelings at all."

Robin challenges Jason's implication that he has no feelings.  But
Jason doesn't understand the point of feelings, after watching the
Q's tear each other apart.  He is especially upset to have seen
Alan again.  Robin, though she agrees that what Alan said to Sonny
was wrong, defends Alan, relating his kindness to Stone and to her.
She draws parallels to her troubles with Mac regarding Stone, to
explain that when you are afraid for someone you love, it can make
you behave badly.  As long as Alan keeps worrying, Jason and Alan
are going to be at odds with each other, she concludes, and he says
he understands.

Robin explains that after Stone died, for a time she didn't want
to feel anything.  But one day, she saw some kids in the park, and
one of them called another "Butt-nose."  It started her laughing,
and it opened up something inside her.  After that, she let herself
feel again.  Jason can deny it, but some of the same things are
happening to him.  Jason knows he feels anger; Robin points out
that he feels affection too - for Sonny, for her, usually for Ned.
But Jason says he won't be "cured" till he laughs.  Robin tries
a couple of lightbulb jokes, but they don't work.  Robin assures
him that one day he will laugh - she hopes she'll be there for it,
and he threatens to hold off just to keep her around.  She assures
him he won't be able to, and they head off to Robin's house while
Jason wonders why a kangaroo would want to screw in a light bulb.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN
-------------------
Tracy has arrived Chez Jax, and as we join them she is attempting to
engage Jax in a serious liplock.  [That "thunk" you heard was Kate's
clipboard crashing to the ground as she shrieked in envy.]  Jax
manages to push Tracy away, reminding her that "my wife is upstairs."
Tracy is not impressed by the presence of "the little wifey" - in
fact, as she explains, "Why do you think I slapped you before?"  Her
annoyance over Jax's vote ousting Ned was just her public reason:
"I didn't want anyone thinking you and I were in cahoots to take
over ELQ."  Jax agrees, surprised that Tracy would come to his house
so late at night.  She tries to come on to Jax again, but he holds
her at bay.  She is upset at his "impetuous" marriage, given that the
two of them missed "so many opportunities."  She goes on to ask,
"You mean you're not going to give me a chance to make you sorry
you never took advantage of me?"  Jax explains that, after he met
Brenda, it changed everything.  [Yeah.  It changed him from an
eccentric, quirky, vaguely dangerous yet charming tycoon into a
fawning lapdog, just for openers.  But, with any luck, he is about
to change yet again.]

Tracy criticizes Brenda for a while.  When she was in high school,
she was a conniver.  When Jax points out that, coming from Tracy,
that's high praise, Tracy dismisses him with, "No, she wasn't any
good at it."  [In other words, nothing has changed.]  She can't see
why he'd marry Brenda - she can't do anything for him.  "Except make
me happy," replies Jax, and Tracy has a good laugh at this.  Tracy
insists that there is more than one person who could make Jax happy,
and just then the little wifey herself appears in her satin PJ's.

Brenda challenges Tracy - why is she there?  Probably to offer an
excuse for why she slapped Jax.  [Brenda clearly does not know Tracy
very well - the idea of Tracy feeling the need to explain why she
did something like that is laughable.]  Tracy expresses some outrage
at the way Ned was treated, but Brenda isn't buying any, and she
throws in a few digs in Lois's defense.  "You're so obnoxious,"
Brenda says, which makes Tracy laugh and reply, "Well, aren't you
the little tiger, and so brimming with spunk.  Some people even
like spunk."  Jax:  "I do."  Tracy:  "I find it tiresome."  Brenda
throws Tracy out, but Tracy gets the last word:  "I remember you as
an amateur manipulator.  Obviously you've gotten better at it."
[Tracy's lucky she was spared the whole Canadian ski resort mess.]

Brenda rants about Tracy for a while, and Jax tries to calm her down.
He tells her Tracy is just defending Ned; Brenda laughs at this idea,
insisting that there's something in it for Tracy - she has no
loyalty to anyone but herself.  Jax is tired of talking about Tracy -
he strips off his jacket, tie, and shirt, and embraces Brenda in
order to propose an alternate diversion.

Later on, the phone rings and Jax rushes out, clad in nothing but
blue silk boxers, to answer it.  [This must be TPTB's answer to all
those "MORE JAX!!!" posts - we sure saw more of Jax today......]
It's Tracy, telling him they need to meet to discuss their "latest
fly in the ointment, Sonny Corinthos."  Jax tells Brenda Tracy was
calling yet again about Ned, and he scoops her up and carries her
back to the bedroom.

BESTEST FRIENDS
---------------
[You know that thread about friendship on GH that's been on RATSA
for the past few weeks?  Well, apparently we forgot one long-term,
close, cherished friendship......]

Katherine shows up, at Edward's invitation, at the Q house.  Edward
tells her first that Tracy is in town, "which means that all hell is
about to break loose."  [Ah, yes, we're counting on it!]  Edward
isn't sure why Tracy is in town.  Katherine asks if she is in the
house.  Edward has the LOD:  "No, she's somewhere out in the night,
but she'll have to be back in her crypt by dawn."  Then he tells her
the rest of his news:  Sonny is now an ELQ stockholder.  He wants
Kathy to use her public relations skills to help with spin control.
Kathy is just pleased as punch to help out - she's never too busy
for her dear friend Edward.  They slop sugar on each other for a
while [and your updater gags a bit].  She asks how Sonny got the ELQ
stock.  Edward explains that he's "surrounded by idiots", except
for Lila and Justus (and he's not completely sure of Justus either).
But he's guided the ship through stormy waters for years - he can
keep doing it, with the help of "beautiful, kind friends."  [gag]
And Edward is the first person Kathy would go to for help and advice:
she's never doubted his good intentions towards her.  [OH????  Just
how good were his intentions back when she blackmailed his family
into letting her marry Ned?  Or have the new writers wiped that
little pecadillo out of the history books?]

Then things get philosophical, as Edward talks about the impact on
him of Steve's death.  Edward worries about what will happen to the
business when he's gone - that is his life's work, and he wants it
continue on the way he established it.  Kathy asks why Edward
doesn't just relax and enjoy his wealth and power.  Edward turns the
question back on her, and she admits that she likes to work.  Edward
believes Kathy is like him - the need to fight and win is more
important than anything else.  She insists that isn't true anymore,
since she fell for Mac.  Edward laughs - he doesn't believe her.
Much as he loves Lila, he needs more than that.  "Then we're very
different," says Kathy, but he's not convinced.

He asks about Deception.  She has just masterminded a new campaign
to give Lucy a run for her money.  Edward observes, "Forget Lucy Coe.
One-upsmanship is not power."  It's just instant gratification, and
it's reactive, not proactive.  A little more sugar is slopped around,
and they are sharing a hug when Tracy flies into the room - without
her broomstick.

Edward explains that the hug is "a tribal custom that you have
probably forgotten", and introduces his "very dear friend" to Tracy.
Tracy:  "And what tribe is your affectionate friend from?"  Edward
explains that Kathy is going to help with P.R., and that she used
to be married to Ned.  Tracy sums things up:  "THAT Katherine - the
beautiful blackmailer."  Kathy simpers - she must be so proud.
Tracy is impressed with her - "Why would Ned throw you over for
that trailer trash in the gatehouse?"  Kathy says it's a long story,
and Tracy says she'd love to hear it some day.  Kathy leaves, and
Tracy observes, "Ned's a bigger fool than I thought."

Edward asks Tracy why she came back, after he sent her away.  She
insists that Edward needs her - with everything going on, the
company is on the brink of disaster.  Just then, Dillon, who seems
to have been SORAS'd but is a cute little boy, comes in, and Tracy
scoops him up into her arms.  She explains that *this* is her
reason for coming back.  She intends to do it right this time,
not like Ned, and she intends to make sure Dillon is not cheated out
of his birthright.  Dillon's nanny comes in and retrieves him after
Tracy tells him (both verbally and in sign language, interestingly
enough) that she loves him.

Edward threatens to tell Paul that "his kidnapped son" is back.
Tracy explains that she has settled things with Paul, so that
threat won't work.  She's back, and that's that.

-----------------------------
by Rika, 1/2 of the Wednesday Update Team