Episode 117, originally published 06-Dec-98

Out of Touch

Gina's plan touches the lives of the Genoa City needy.
Alice finally gets in touch with Cassie's family.
Jill and Katherine enjoy touching memories of Phillip.
Carl is touchy about Paul's attempts to touch base with him.

The base of a phone sits on the floor of an otherwise empty office. The cord is stretched as Grace paces back and forth angrily, talking into the handset. "I can't believe what they did to me, Michael. I slept with Nicholas and then--poof!" "They fired you?" he asks. "No, they transferred me to a different job--same status." "They were clever to do that," he says. "What's the new job doing?" "Well, it's basically an empty room--no furniture, no papers, no fax machine. Empty--totally empty." "An empty office? And that's the same status as you had before?" he asks. "Well, I guess all this emptiness is to make me feel less like I've lost something," she admits. "How so?" he asks, still confused. "Well, I used to work with Nick. He's quite the stud in bed, but he's not got very much upstairs, if you know what I mean. I guess they just figured I'd miss having such a giant emptiness nearby..."

"Mother, will you just keep out of this problem between me and Sharon?" Nick scolds Nikki. "I'm just trying to help," she insists. "It's my marriage. Mine. Does that word mean anything to you? Mine. My problem. I have to solve it. Get it?" He waits for Nikki to respond. She just stares for a moment as if for once left with nothing to say. Finally she says, "Well, we'll just see about that. Just wait until your father gets home." And she huffs out.

Gina greets Paul as he comes into her restaurant. "I'm sorry, we're closed tonight." "Again?" he asks. "This is the third night in a row." "Sorry," she says. "There are a lot of homeless people in Genoa City and I'm doing my best to take care of them." Paul shrugs. "Well, if you can do it, so can I. Give me an apron." "All the aprons are taken," she says. "We're really fine on the help part. We just need money for supplies." He nods and hands her a fifty. "That's very generous," she says smiling. "Well, the homeless people really need it," he says. "By the way, I don't see any of them here." "Well, there aren't any right now," Gina admits. "Aren't any?" "Not enough room. Too many volunteers." "But there are people at the tables." "Yeah, those are all volunteers--I have to feed them after all. I've got them working in shifts feeding each other." "Each other?" Paul asks, still confused. "Well," Gina explains, "there are too many to feed all at once." "But what about the money I just gave you?" "I'll use it to buy supplies for the volunteers. And what's left over will be profit." "Profit?" "I have to make a profit, don't I? You can't expect me to just do this for free. But just think of all the people I'm helping." "I don't see anyone you're helping." "Don't be ridiculous, Paul. These people all feel terribly guilty about the homeless--I'm helping them to feel less guilty." "But it's not even Thanksgiving any more." "Why should people only feel guilty on Thanksgiving? This is an everyday problem, so I'm providing an everyday solution. Besides, I made more on donations on Thanksgiving than I normally do on my normal menu. So I may just keep this up indefinitely." "Even if no homeless come?" "Especially if no homeless come. Paul, this is a restaurant. You really can't have a bunch of filthy people in and out all the time--it'd never get by the health inspectors. This way, I have a clean client base. A regular source of income. And I don't have to pay any staff."

Elsewhere that evening, a Genoa City policeman has let Katherine into the house. "Could you leave me, please?" she says. He looks uncertain. "Please," says Katherine, "what do you think I'm going to do? Steal this place? Burn it? Oh, Dear Lord, I love this place, don't you see? It's all I have left of my late, darling Phillip. I just need to be alone with my thoughts." The deputy nods and withdraws, leaving Katherine to wander the halls reminiscing. Suddenly, though, she hears a rustle and turns to see Phillip smiling behind her. "Oh, my dear, dear Phillip," she says. He comes toward her and they embrace, hugging first, and then kissing deeply.

It's later that night and Alice slips into Nick and Sharon's house. She's wearing the kind of designer black leather slacks and jacket that's all the rage for Y&R characters rescuing a family member. Her outfit glistens in the moonlight coming in through the window, and she carries a flashlight to help her see. Quietly she scopes out the area, checking first the kitchen and then Noah's room. Then, suddenly, there's the sound of a door opening. It's Nicholas. She hides in Noah's room and peeks out, wondering why he isn't turning on the lights either. He heads quietly up the stairs as she sits down to wait. "Great," she says in a whisper. "The one night I pick to break in, someone else is burgling it, too."

Back at the Chancellor estate, it's Jill's turn to be wandering alone in the mansion, consumed by her thoughts of yesteryear. She sets aside the crowbar she used to get in through the back entrance and wanders around until she finds the ballroom. Phillip Chancellor, dressed in full formal garb, awaits her arrival. They dance and dance until she collapses into his arms and he carries her smiling body in his arms up the stairs toward the bedroom.

Alice gets up from the bed in Noah's room and tiptoes quietly up the stairs to the top, where she can hear Sharon fending Nick off. "Nicholas," Sharon says, "I told you to get away from me. You slept with Grace--go find her if you want a good time." "But you're my wife," Nick says. "I don't want Grace. I want you." Alice slinks back down the stairs and sits in Noah's room eyeing Noah, who starts to make noise. She coos him back to silence. "Hey," she says, "I was looking for my little girl, but maybe I should start over with a little boy instead..." Just then there's a sound outside and she ducks under some covers to hide. Nick peeks in to see Noah in the dim moonlight. "Hey, big guy," Nick says. "Your Mom won't let me touch her, can you believe that. And I really need--" His eye catches on a shape in the bed. "Grace?" he asks. No answer. "Grace, I know it's you--I just spoke to Sharon upstairs and I--Grace, I realize I've treated you badly, but I was just--" A hand reaches out and pulls him under the covers. "Grace!" he says. "You're not mad at me?" No answer. "I guess NOT," he says excitedly as the covers swirl.

The next morning at the Chancellor estate, Jill awakens in bed. She is curled up toward the window, with light streaming in. "Oh, Phillip, last night was truly wonderful. I haven't had a night of lovemaking like that since--since--" she rolls toward him. From the other side of the bed, "I agree, that was an extraordinary night," Katherine says, rolling find herself in a passionate embrace with Jill. "You!" Jill says. "You??" Katherine says. "Oh, my god!" Jill says. "You don't think it was you I--" Katherine pulls away and blushes. "No, of course not. It couldn't have been. It was too good. I haven't had a night like that since--" Jill nods, still very embarrassed. "It was really good, though, wasn't it." Katherine nods back hesitantly. "Yes, well, it was probably just a fluke. You know--one of those things that--" Just then, Esther enters. "Mrs. C., I brought you some morning coffe--Mrs. C! Mrs. A!" In unison, both Katherine and Jill say, "Esther, could you please learn to knock!"

On a plane to Norfolk, Paul is on the plane phone. "Lynne, what's happening back there? Everything calm?" "Well, mostly. But Mr. Hansen called and he's caught a thief at his factory--he wants to know if there's a way to get a positive ID since the guy won't reveal his identity." "Lynne--how long have you been in this business? Fingerprints. Did you try fingerprints? He's probably done it before. They'll be on file." "Sorry, boss. Ok. And the police called to ask your advice about a slaying across town--they have a suspect, but--" "Blood samples? Hair samples? Skin samples? Dental records? DNA testing? Lynne--there are so many ways to prove the identity of someone when you're right there with them. Am I going to have to send you back to Private Eye 101?" "No, boss. You're right. I should know that. Well, that's it. Have a safe flight." "Thanks, Lynne."

At the Genoa City courthouse, the camera trains on the judge, who bangs his gavel and says, "Court is in session." "Ouch," we hear a small voice say. The camera pans around to reveal Cassie and Nikki at a table together. The judge asks, "Is there a problem?" "I'm sorry, Your Honor," Cassie says. "I'm having a disagreement with my client. Could we have a moment?" The judge looks skeptical but nods and says, "Make it quick." Cassie turns to Nikki and the camera comes in close to give the sense that this is a private conversation. "Will you please stop kicking me," Cassie whispers. "I just didn't want you to back down," Nikki says back to her. She speaks also in a whisper, but the tone is clearly authoritative. " "But you're going to get me disbarred," Cassie whines. "Well, if you don't try, I'm going to talk to your mother and get you grounded." "That's extorsion!" the little girl says, surprised. "Believe me, no jury of my peers is going to convict me. The judge interrupts impatiently, "Young lady--did you wish to address the court today?" "Not really, Your Honor, but I'm told I have to or--" Nikki kicks her again and shs leaves that sentence hanging. Getting suddenly more serious she says, "Well, nevermind. Ok, Your Honor, here goes..." But we'll have to wait until after a commercial to finally find out what's going on.

Back in the courtroom, Cassie continues, "The plaintiff would like to petition the court to become part of the marriage between Sharon and Nicholas Newman." The judge looks perplexed. "Isn't she already the husband's mother?" he asks. Cassie nods. "She is. But my da--I mean, Nicholas, the husband, keeps telling her that she should--" She pauses again and whispers to Nikki. "Can I really use that word in open court?" Nikki nods. "You're quoting, Cassie. It's ok." She turns back and says, "that she should `butt out' because it's not her marriage. So she would like to make it be her marriage, too." The judge shakes his head. "This is pretty irregular--I'm not sure there's any precedent for this." "I worried about that, too, but if I could just call one witness, I think I could clear up that part of things." The judge sighs. "Call your witness."

In Norfolk, Paul comes face to face with his father. "Dad, is it you?" "No, son, it's not me." "But you look like you, Dad," Paul says. "Sorry, Paul, I've never seen you before in my life. Now head on home and tell Mary I won't be home for sauerkraut and and spare ribs tonight because I don't remember either of you." "Dad, I just know it's you, but I have no way to prove it." "You're right, son. If I don't remember you, that's that." "But--" "Son, I'm a career police officer--I outrank you. Now get out of here and go back to Genoa City or wherever you came from." Paul sighs. Cricket pats him on the back and they both walk out the front door. "I'm sorry, Paul, I really am." "It's all right, Chris. He's right: if he doesn't remember he doesn't remember. I guess that's that."

"We call Victor Newman," Cassie says. Victor stands and moves to the front. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?" he is asked. "I am Victor Newman," Victor says. "Pity the poor person who tries to suggest anything I say is not true." The bailiff looks to the judge to see if this counts. The judge rolls his eyes and twirls a pen in a "just move it along" gesture. "Now, Mr. Newman, you are recently an expert in the marriage code for the State of Wisconsin?" "Indeed I am." "And could you explain how that happened?" "Well, my darling wife Nikki came to me, you see, and she said there was a problem with our son Nicholas, and that she wanted to interfere but that our son was excluding her because it was not her marryage. That offended me, you know, because as a Newman, I am used to interfering wherever I want. So, of course, I immediately contacted the state of Utah and arranged to lease their legal system." "Why the state of Utah?" "Well, they have those polygamous marryages there--you know, where more than one woman can be married to a man at one time. I figured it would help Nikki in this case, and if it works out, I may just buy the whole damned lot of laws for my own situation, so that I can just stay married to Diane and Nikki at the same time, and get on with the business of cheating on both of them without anyone complaining that something illegal is going on."

Just at that moment, Alice enters the courtroom. "Cassie!" she says from the back of the room. "That's my little girl!" she says, pointing to Cassie. Cassie looks over to her and starts running. Toward Alice. "Mommy!" she says. "Thank goodness you've come. I've been held hostage by crazy people but now I can go home." "Not so fast," Alice says. "First I need you to represent me in a paternity suit against some guy named Nicholas Newman."

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 118!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

Feedback, good or bad, is always appreciated.