Daily Updates

Subject:
Date:        05/02  7:53 AM
From:        Jan Yarnot, jyarnot@netcom.com

GENERAL HOSPITAL, UPDATE THURSDAY APRIL 17

A red-letter day!  NO SIDAR!!  NO STEFAN-AND-KATYBLECH!!  And, we actually
get to see.... tada!.... Betty!  Betty the World's Best Babysitter!

1. IT STARTS TO UNRAVEL: (pity, this, I really like Tony and Carly, but
soap law states a homewrecker can't be happy)
Luke and Tony ("Doc Bro Ex In-Law") are discussing Bobbie in the hallway and
Carly  overhears Tony hoping Stefan isn't hurting Bobbie like he, Tony, did.
 Tony is surprised and happy to see Carly.  She's brought him a present.
The phone rings, and Luke asks about Virginia.  He warns Carly to stick
to the truth wherever possible.  He leaves.  Tony's gift is a sweater,
but when Tony opens it Carly panics.  She can return it if he doesn't
like it.  "Do you still love me?"  She starts to tell him about "that
childhood friend," and it looks like she'll tell the truth, but just then
the doorbell rings.  It's Lucas and (mighod, she exists!) Betty!  Lucas
leaps into Tony's arms, then pouts at Carly and says "Why is SHE always
here?"  Carly has had it with the brat.  "I live here, Lucas.  And I
would appreciate that you'd remember that when you come into MY house,
you're a guest here."  Tony bundles off Betty & Lucas & starts a fight
with Carly.  "Why are you doing this?  HE's the one that's 6!"

[Your Fearless Updater scrambled for her GH scrapbook.  Yep, Lucas was
born in 1989.  Maybe Bobbie canoodling with Alan in the alley for Lucas'
birthday made him miss it?  Harlan Ellison wrote a story about a little
boy who was always 5 ("Jeffty is Five") so maybe GH is doing "Lucas is Six."]

Carly says, correctly: "He's old enough to treat me with respect.  Now
you ought to teach your son some manners."  "He didn't mean anything."
"The Hell he didn't mean anything!  Now come on!  I am sick and tired of
dealing with his little temper tantrums and I am sick and tired of being
left here alone while you run off with your son, or your ex-wife, or your
patients or whoever else you can dream up to be with, instead of me."

Tony is stunned and follows her into the bedroom.  "I can't believe
you're acting like this--- Lucas is a small boy, he's hurt, he's confused."
"Lucas is manipulating you, Tony.  He is sucking up your guilt and you
are buying into it."  Tony points out that Carly was the one who told him
to spend time with Lucas. "Yeah, that was before he started showing up in
MY apartment telling me to Get out!"

Tony throws up his hands and makes a Big Mistake: "It's like I've got two
six-year-olds on my hands."

Carly reacts: "Don't you do that to me, all right?  Bobbie stubs her
little toe and you rush off to be by her side.  Now, Lucas, anything he
wants he gets.  God forbid *I* should ask you for one lousy evening of
your time and suddenly *I*'m the spoiled child?"

It gets worse: "Hey, Miss, you're Way Out of Line here, because you knew
exactly what you were getting into..."  She had thought he cared about
her, but he left her Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day... Carly says
Bobbie gets off seeing  Tony jump through hoops, and doesn't need him.
Tony calls her "wrong, mean-spirited, and petty."  "You have spent more
time protecting that woman than you have ever thought about me....Just
once in my life I'd like to think you would do the same for me instead of
that manipulative little witch!"

"You don't SAY anything about my w--" Carly interrupts that Bobbie is no
longer Tony's wife.  Tony says he was going to say "his friend"  Carly
brings up Bobbie's hooker past.  "She was nothing but a low class whore!"

DYSFUNCTION JUNCTION
At the Quartermaine's, everyone is looking for A.J.  Alan is worried
about Jason.  [Edward still hasn't recognized his own guilt in this, by
buying off the judge and keeping A.J. on the streets. My hope is Alice
will pin him to the wall.]  Emily asks Monica if she's OK.  Monica is
not.  Sonny comes by to ask about Dorman, but Monica hustles him out.

At the hospital, Jason and Dorman are watching the news.  Jason turns it
off. He looks at Dorman: "It was YOU, wasn't it?"  "Poor brain-damaged
Jason."  Dorman lies.  Audrey comes up and hears Jason say "If you had
anything to do with leaking that story, I will kill you."

Jason sees Sonny outside of the Q's and tells him what's going on.  They
discuss why Jason is now taking care of A.J. (in the NICE way, that is!)
Robin told Jason he was supposed to take care of the people Jason
Quartermaine cared about because "he's not here and I am.  I didn't get it.
I still don't, but she's usually right about that stuff so I promised her
and I'm going to try. ... Wish me luck, 'cause I don't know what I'm doing."

Meanwhile, A.J. has gone to Keesha, who thinks he's accusing her of going
to the press.  She's confused.  She can't promise to stick with A.J.
They break up.  Later, Keesha talks to Dara.  "I blunder around making
all the wrong choices.  My family doesn't understand me."  [Oh, poor BABY!]

A.J. goes to Jason's apartment and looks around.  As Defender of the
Houseplants, I must protest.  Where is the Helmet Plant?? A.J. has
flashbacks that are actually interesting and move the story along, about
himself and Jason in happier days.  He takes out a picture of the two of
them, and sits down to write a note.

Emily offers to call A.J., as he might pick up for her.  Jason goes in
and calls his apartment, just as A.J. leaves it. He calls Keesha.  Edward
blames Jason for telling Sonny.  Jason tells him "He's got more honor
than you and Ned put together, so instead of trying to blame him why
don't you use some of that money trying to FIND him!"  The news comes on
showing Veronica Bowles in fine harry-the-Quartermaine style.  Jason
leaves to look for A.J.  They all wander off and Emily looks lost.

ZEROING IN
Sonny tells Luke about A.J.  They discuss Dorman.  He keeps making
mistakes and "sooner or later it's going to cost him."  Sonny's beginning
to think he's the drug person.

A.J. goes to the bar at Jake's [I *miss* Jake!], leaves the letter for
Jason, and starts drinking.

Dorman gets a call at the hospital. "Relax.  It's all taken care of."