Daily Updates

Subject:
Sent:        8/28/96 8:46 PM
From:        Jan Yarnot, jyarnot@netcom.com

Kind of a boring day, even with Tracy.  Eavesdropping and Spencers, and
taunting the Soap Gods:

UPDATE, THURSDAY AUGUST 22

1. ESCAPE TO L.A.!
(What, no smog?)
Lois and Ned are talking.  She loves L.A.  The phone rings, it's Burt at
the club who wants them to extend their gig.  Brenda and Jax are in
Australia, running L&B via fax machine.  So it can be done.  They talk
each other into staying.  "Nothing's going to ruin this" says Ned.  The
phone rings.  Tracy.  Lois "Mother Ashton"s her (you go, girl!)  [I would
love for MY daughter-in-law to get a solid dose of Tracy.  Maybe then
she'd appreciate *me.*]  Ned says "That call was a message from God."  Lois:
"What did She tell you?"  Ned: "That we made our decision in the nick of
time."

2.  TRACY SPINS HER WEB, OR MAYBE IT'S HER WHEELS
Tracy is listening to Justus on the phone, and mutters to Alan: "What are
we going to do about this?"  She goes on: "An outsider is taking over."
Alan points out that Justus is a family member, and excuses himself.
Tracy asks Justus: "Who are YOU to make that kind of decision?"  When
Justus tries to explain, Tracy snidely remarks "My, my, aren't WE drunk
with power!"  She calls him the result of a one-night stand out behind
the woodshed, and he shuts her up.  His grandmother had grace and
dignity, not unlike her own mother--- qualities he finds sorely lacking
in Tracy.

"Who do you think you are?"  "Well," he responds, "I'm not the chauffeur,
miz Tracy..." She announces she never said she was against affirmative
action, and he replies "You're not a closet bigot.  You're right out in
the open with it."  He tells her he's going to use ELQ as a springboard
to get him where he wants to go, and "now, if you have a problem with
that, then why don't you stick around and fight it out like a man?"
Tracy guffaws, and leaves.  Edward, who has been hiding from Tracy, comes
in, and says that he THOUGHT there was more at stake here than he'd imagined.

Edward and Justus discuss DAMIAN'S MURDER and WHAT JUSTUS IS AFRAID OF
and his POLITICAL VULNERABILITY.  "Justified or not, I KILLED A MAN."
ELQ is his SPRINGBOARD to higher things.

Shortly thereafter, Tracy returns.  How much did she hear?

3.  SPENCERS ARE SPECIAL, PART 1
Nik is stretching out in the park when Stefan comes up and tells him he,
Stefan, is meeting Laura.  Nik doesn't like Stefan making life-decisions
like this, and huffs off.

Meanwhile, at Kelly's, Ruby is alone in liking Luke's Prince Valiant
haircut.  Laura tells Ruby about her other son.  When Bigmouth Bobbie
comes in, Laura leaves to meet Stefan in the park.  Bobbie tells Luke about
the rumors all over the hospital that Laura is acknowledging Nik.
Bobbie "needs" to know what the story is.  Luke says Laura is making
all the decisions, and Bobbie says it sounds like Laura is caught in
the middle.  Bobbie gossips about the "confidential" hospital problems.
"I don't know why Alan wants to put the hospital in debt to the Cassadines
and what are we going to do to stop it?" (The chutzpah and skewed world-view
in this question defy description.)  Luke says what I'm thinking: "Don't you
have a job?"  (Translation: "I have no idea, but I don't want you to know
that.")  Bobbie, finally, leaves.

At the park, Laura is sad Nik has left.  She asks Stefan about him.  She
says there's far too much pain and anger in his life.  Stefan says :"I
can't imagine Nikiolas Cassadine having family holidays with the people
who killed his father."  Laura gets angry and starts to leave.  Stefan
asks her to stay.  He says he does care, and tells her a story about
Nik's governess, Demetria, who was sent away by Helena.  Nik was lied to
about this, and felt abandoned again.  Stefan says to Laura "You have a
long row ahead of you, even with my help.  Does your husband know about
this meeting?"  He's disappointed when she says "of course."

Bobbie goes to Alan, and continuing the weird world-view, says "Have you
forgotten how much pain the Cassadines caused my family?"  (Has she
forgotten how much pain she caused Monica?)  Alan, having grown up in
Eavesdrop Manor, tells her in confidence how much trouble the hospital is
really in.  Bobbie widens her eyes.  Later, Luke comes into Alan's office.
"Court the Cassadines and you're inviting the plague on your house.
[They already have Tracy, a mere PLAGUE is nothing!]  You deal with this
man, and their curse is going to come right down on your head."  Stefan
is in the background, hearing this.  Bobbie, meanwhile, spots Laura on
the park bench.

4.  SPENCERS ARE SPECIAL, PART 2
Lucky throws a basketball to Gina outside of Kelly's, and finds out she
lives there.  Nik overhears them talking about Lulu.  Lucky sees him,
starts to bluster, Nik pokes him in the chest, and all the frustrations
of the past few weeks overtake Gucky, who throws a lucky sucker punch.
Luke breaks up the fight before Lucky gets hurt.  He screams at Nik, who
leaves.  They hover over Gucky. The kid is upset because he wanted to
"finish him off."  Luke says it'll feel better when they have the edge.
(Translation: "I really don't know what I'm doing, but I don't want you to
know that, so I will pretend to have this great plan.")  They talk about
bluffing at poker.  (Yeah, right.)  Gina brings ice.  Luke thinks the
crush is cute.