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Moral
Date: 13 Apr 1998 07:55:02 -0400
From: pitman@anotherwayout.com (Kent M Pitman)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv.soaps.cbs
Subject: Y&R: AWO#93: "Man Infest Destiny"
Message-ID: <sfwaf9qrl61.fsf@world.std.com>
INSIDE...
* Does Victor's conquest protest with zest or just suggest a vest ingested?
* Is Diane at last impressed by Jack's honest interest modestly expressed?
* Will Miguel's guest infest Nikki's nest pestering without arrest?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ANOTHER WAY OUT, Episode 93, 13-Apr-98 by Kent Pitman (kmp@harlequin.com)
"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, Sen~or, 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' sen~or..." "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', Sen~or," Miguel says
again, starting to exit in apparent shame. "Hey, Miguel," Nick asks, "where
ya goin'?" "To the diner, sen~or." "Oh, right. Well, before you do, could
you make me a sandwich? All this talk of food has made me hungry." "Of
course, Sen~or," 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. "Sen~ora. 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..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1998 Kent M. Pitman. All Rights Reserved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Another Way Out" takes plotline state at time of publication and shows that
there are interesting places right around the corner. The goal, besides
having some fun with good-natured parody, is to challenge the notion that we
must be mired in certain tired plotlines for months just to have a good time.
There is always another way out...
Archives of this and older episodes of "Another Way Out"
as well as the more serious "morals" that underly them,
can be found at: http://world.std.com/~pitman/awo/index.html
Don't forget to try the "character index" and "ratings index"!