Episode 93, originally published 13-Apr-98

Man Infest Destiny

[Note to those who've read Episode 91 or 92: In this episode, I gave in and Nikki really IS sick, not just faking it. No bulletproof vest has protected her and we'll have to work with the situation as actually scripted on the show. Well, more or less.]

Nick is in the living room of the main house at the ranch. There is yellow tape all around reading "CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS". He either doesn't see it or figures it doesn't apply to him; in any case, he ignores it. He wanders into the kitchen where he finds Miguel, making a sandwich. "Hey!" he exclaims, his brow crumpled into his usual annoyed look. He eyes the sandwich. "That can't be for my mother because she's still in the hospital." "That's right," Miguel says cheerfully, "I was feeding myself." Nick shakes his head, half in anger, half in sheer disbelief. "Miguel, no one has ever said you could eat here." "Yes, I know, Señor, but this food was going to go stale if not eaten, and I--" "Nice try, Miguel, but you're a servant and where do servants eat?" Miguel sighs, then repeats as if he's heard this before: "At the diner. ... Si' señor..." "Thanks for not making a scene, Miguel. I wouldn't want to have to tell Mom on you--'cuz it'd probably kill her in the state she's in. She's got enough people to be disappointed at anyway--Joshua for dying, Sharon for being mean to me, Cassie for causing Sharon to be mean to me... well, you can see the trend. Mom doesn't need to hear any grief about you getting greedy while she was away." "Si', Señor," Miguel says again, starting to exit in apparent shame. "Hey, Miguel," Nick asks, "where ya goin'?" "To the diner, señor." "Oh, right. Well, before you do, could you make me a sandwich? All this talk of food has made me hungry." "Of course, Señor," Miguel says cheerfully, "vivo por esa oportunidad."

The minister crowds in and Victor motions him to hurry up. "Do you Victor take--" "Yes, yes, yes, I do," Victor says. He takes the ring from Nicholas. "With this ring, I make you my wife--now and forever. Even Death shall not part us." He slips it onto her hand. "And you, Nicole, do you--?" "I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I-- I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I-- I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I-- I--I--I--I--I--I--I--I--do," she says. There is a sigh of relief from all around. The minister says, "I now pronounce you man and wife. Victor, you may kiss your bride." Victor leans over and plants his mouth over Nikki's only breathing passage and remains with his mouth sealed to hers for quite a time--so long that her heart monitor starts to show a drop off in vital signs. Finally, he comes up for air. As she gasps for air herself, Victor spits out a small piece of gauze. "I found that thing there lodged deep in her throat," Victor says. "I think it was obstructing her breathing!" From the monitors, we deduce that Nikki's breathing and heartbeat have again stabilized. She seems now able to talk a bit more coherently. "Thank you, Victor. Thank you!" she says with no longer a stutter.

But all is not perfect. Later on, Olivia is looking over Nikki's chart while the others are out of the room celebrating Victor having enabled her to be moved off the critical list. "Nikki," Olivia says, "I have to be honest with you: With these bullet wounds, and with that back injury you had a few years ago, well, ..." She pauses, unsure about how to finish the sentence. Nikki looks alarmed. "Dr. Winters, you're not telling me I'm going to be--" She can't say the word either. Olivia nods. "I'm afraid you may end up paralyzed..." Nikki says. "Doctor--I've done that before? It drove me to drinking and that almost killed me. It's only barely a life. Isn't there something you could do? Anything?" "Well," Olivia says uncertainly, "there is one possibility. It's something that's never been tried but--it might work. And if we're going to do it, we have to do it NOW." "What is it, Doctor?" Nikki asks, "And what are the risks?" "Well, I do have to warn you--you might lose your ability to have children--but you WOULD still be able to walk." "And to make love?" Nikki asks. Olivia rolls her eyes. "Uh, yes, I think you'll be able to do that." "You think?" "Well, there are no guarantees in medicine." Nikki thinks for a while. "Ok, I'll do it. I don't want to know any more, Doctor. If the odds are best that way, just do it. Before I change my mind." Olivia asks, "You're sure?" Nikki nods confidently. "Ok, I'll tell them to prep surgery. A nurse will be by with some forms for you to sign. You're a brave woman, Nikki. Very brave."

Victor calls Diane on the phone. "Hello, Victor," she greets him. "Hello, my darling Diane," Victor says, still trying in vain to convince the audience that he cares at all about the woman. "I'm here at the hospital," he explains, "and I need a favor." "ANOTHER favor?" Diane asks with a sigh. "Yes, well, you are the perfect person to provide this. As you know, Nikki and I are now remarried..." "Yes, I think you did mention that," Diane says with a tone of mild sarcasm. "Well, Nikki's condition is improving and it's time we consummated this marryage. Now, I'm very worried about hurting her--you know. For example, she seems to have bandages all over her chest--perhaps from those bullets or something. Anyway, I don't think she can support much of my weight on her." "Well, what do you want me to do? Round up my friends and come down there to hold you suspended in mid-air while you-- do the deed?" Victor smiles at the imagery, almost as if he is taking her suggestion seriously. "Heh, that's very funny," he says finally. "No, what I was thinking was that you could do the same idea but without the extra people, you know. You are good with a pen, drawing, so I thought you could make some blueprints or something--a design, in other words, for a device to suspend me in the air above my new bride--similar to those things they use to hold up a broken leg. Only it would hold all of me." There is quiet while Diane shakes her head in disbelief at the request. Victor eyes the phone curiously wondering why she isn't responding. As he does, she mutters under her breath, "Well, thank God you had that vasectomy." Victor pulls the phone back tight against his ear. "What was that?" he asks. "If you were worrying about my vasectomy--don't. Damnest thing--I never thought to research the matter while you and I were married, but when Nikki asked just now I figured I'd finally better get the straight facts. Damn'dest thing--did you know the damned things can usually be reversed?" "Can they?" Diane asks, starting to boil with anger but holding it all in. "Yes, well, anyway, don't worry about that. I have a doctor waiting to undo the procedure the moment I'm off the phone--he's promised I'll be all set by the time I have the rest of the gear in place. But what I really need is that device for suspending me above Nikki. Can I count on you?" he asks. "I'll, uh, do what I can," Diane says.

It's a day for phones. At a Diner, Veronica picks up the phone and dials. "Genoa City Hospital," a voice responds. "Hello, I wanted to check on the state of Nikki Landers." "Are you family?" "No." "I'm sorry, we can only give out information to family." She hangs up and dials again. "Genoa City Hospital," a voice responds. "Hello, I'm Gloria Landers. I'd like to inquire about the state of my sister, Nikki Landers." "Just one moment, Ms. Landers. Ah, yes, she's still on the critical list but stabilizing. Would you like me to connect you to her room?" "No, thank you..." She hangs up and returns to her seat. As she walks, we hear her muttering about "Nikki" and how she "can't believe the old bag had the bad taste to survive". She sits in a booth and says to herself, "I guess I'm just going to have to find a way to finish the job." Just then, wonder of wonders, she looks up to see Miguel eyeing her up and down. A voiceover says, "Ugh, I don't know which is worse--not having killed Nikki or the thought of dating Miguel again in order to get a second chanceq." She sighs. But after a pause, she forces a smile and even winks at Miguel.

It's the next afternoon. "I assume you've seen this," Jack says as he enters Diane's office and tosses the Genoa City Chronicle onto her desk. Diane peruses it quickly, catching on the headline, which she reads aloud:

``Even Death Shall Not Part Us'' says Rich Tycoon
to Former Love as They Remarry on her Would-Be Death Bed
before miraculous recovery!

"Oh, Jack, I've lost him--I've lost him forever, haven't I?" They hug. "I don't know, Sugar," he consoles her. "I just don't know." They look into each others' eyes and a kiss seems inevitable. They fall back onto her couch out of sight as the camera finds a nearby photo of Diane and Victor to focus on.

It's the next day. Jack enters Diane's office to find her not there. Then he hears the sound of her coughing from the next room. "Diane? Are you ok?" he asks. She enters a few moments later. "Uh, yes," she explains. "But I think we might have a little problem." Jack says, "Uh, in case you haven't noticed, you are hip deep in problems. What's one more?" "Funny you should use that particular unit of measure," she explains. "Jack, I think I'm pregnant." Jack ponders the statement carefully before responding. "Mine? Or Victor's?" Diane looks him in the eye surprised. "Jack, it's not that Victor and I haven't left open the possibility of me becoming pregnant--but you know as well as I do that the chances are only slight that it's his. It's got to be you." "Well," Jack says with a sly smile. "Maybe that means you'll just HAVE to marry me." "Come on Jack, I'm serious about this!" Diane says. "And what makes you think I'm not? Victor's off rescuing a woman from death who it turns out is not likely to die after all. It doesn't look like he's going to be back any time soon." "Oh, Jack! After all I've put you through, you'd still be willing to marry me? Even knowing the baby might turn out to be Victor's?" Jack laughs. "That's the easy part. After all, it wouldn't be the first kid I've raised for the Black Knight. I've made a virtual career of cleaning up after Victor's little family messes. And I think I've done pretty well at it, too. But all that aside, it's your child, too. And I love you. So I'm only disappointed that you even still feel you have to ask to be sure. Of course I want to marry you." "Oh, Jack..." she says, blushing. "So what do say, do we tie the knot?" Diane sighs. "Jack, could you please use another metaphor?" Jack winces. "Oh, right. I forgot the Big V had had the Big V. Not another word about that naughty knot, then. I'll do it the traditional way instead:" He gets on his knee. "Oh, fairest Diane, will you do me the honor of marrying me." She smiles broadly. "I will," she says.

"How are you feeling?" Olivia asks Nikki. "Alright, I think." Olivia taps Nikki's toes. "Feel that?" Nikki nods. "Good! That's an improvement!" "It is?" Nikki asks with surprise. "It sure is," Olivia explains. "Yesterday before the operation you weren't having any activity there at all." "Well, now that it's over, maybe you can tell me what you did." Olivia smiles uncertainly. "Well, we basically replaced your spine and--" "My spine??" Nikki says, surprised. Olivia nods. "How do you find a donor for such a thing?" "Well, that's usually a bit tricky. But as you know, your husband Joshua was also injured in this affair... fatally..." "Yes, but..." "Well, he had signed his organ donor card and ..." "Oh, that's ok, Doctor--I'm just glad to hear they did something with Joshua. No one's been talking about him and I had this image of him upstairs rotting away." "Oh, no, not at all. We were in there right away looking for organs." "That's such a relief. I think everyone should sign an organ donor card so they can be remembered the way we all remember Joshua," Nikki says. "By the way, you said I got his spine--did he really have much of a spine?" "Yes, he did. In fact, it was an excellent spine--it just hadn't been used very much." Nikki feels around under the sheets for other `effects'. "Oh my God, it's Joshua," she says. Olivia nods. "Yes, well, we had a small complication during the surgery--we weren't sure if we were going to be able to disconnect the spine fully--turns out we were not able. So we had to give you the whole groin and legs, too." Nikki starts looking a bit panicked. "But, Dr. Winters, you told me I would still be able to make love..." "Well," Olivia says, "technically you still can. It's going to be a little different, that's all." "A LITTLE different? This is looking to me like a pretty BIG difference. Perhaps I'll let you explain it to my husband!" Victor enters just at that moment, and asks, "What? Explain what to your husband?"

The next day, Jack enters Victor's office with a big smile on his face. "How's married life?" he asks, twisting the knife. "That's why I wanted to talk to you," Victor says. "I want my wife back," he adds. "No can do, Vic old boy," Jack says. "What's that?" "Well, I just married the woman--and we don't all have corporate jets and connections in Latin America." "You can borrow my jet--I'll make the arrangements." Jack just smiles. "Not a chance. And anyway, I don't know why you care--I did you a favor. You and Nikki are back together again--and I'm making sure Diane doesn't take it too hard." "Let's not talk about Nikki, ahright?" "Not talk about her? Victor, she nearly died--and you married her, to save her. Now you don't want to talk about her?" "Look, she's not--not--" "Not what?" "Not the person I married, that's all." "Victor, you've been married a little over a day--you're saying the bloom is off the rose already?" "No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm saying that in the world of the garden, Nikki is no longer a rose." "Victor, she's been through hell. Give her a chance to recover." "It's not that, Jack. She is no longer a rose--she's a bird, or a bee--I never really did understand that metaphor. Anyway, she's not a flower, ok?" He sighs. "Never mind. This is too hard to talk about. Just get outa here, ahright?" "Ok..." Jack says, still confused and he leaves. Victor remains seated and spins around in his chair. He says only, "Damn you, Jackabbott... damn you!"

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Nick and Victoria help their mother hobble into the house. (The police tape has been removed and the bloodstains cleaned up.) "Wow, Mom," Nick says. "You're really doing very well after your operation. I'm amazed you can walk." "Me, too, honey," she says. "Yeah, and your voice seems to be getting better, too," Victoria says, "though it does seem to be just a little lower than I remember." Nikki nods. "Well, the Doctor told me that that's to be expected in cases like mine," Nikki says. "Really?" Victoria asks. "That's weird." "We'll get into it later," Nikki explains. "Right now, I think I'd just like to relax and--"

Suddenly, Miguel and Veronica enter from the the pool area. Veronica recognizes Nikki but tries to hide the coldness she feels behind general startlement to find anyone there. "Señora. It's so good to see you," Miguel says. "And who is this?" Nikki asks. "Oh, this is my, uh, friend--V--" "Ronny," Veronica volunteers. "My friends call me Ronny." "We met at the diner," Miguel says. Nick shoots him a silent thumbs up for having taken the hint and gone there to eat. "It's nice to meet you all," Veronica says. "This is a very nice house you have," she adds, looking around and fixing on the mantle, where she finds a nice expensive-looking glass bauble to pick up and paw at. Nikki feels a weird sense of Deja Vu as we revert to a flashback of Sarah doing the same. Suddenly, we see Veronica break the object she has. "Oh my goodness!" she says, trying to appear apologetic for dropping the item. Nikki's first reaction is anger, but suddenly a strange rush of attraction rushes over her, a force she has never before felt. As if some other part of her body was in control. "That's ok," she finds herself saying to Veronica. "It could happen to anyone. Why don't you sit down and visit for a moment--I'm sure Miguel wouldn't mind getting us some tea..."

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 94!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

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