"What's gotten into him?" Leslie asks. "He hasn't said a single word since we left New York."

Michael shrugs. "No idea." He knows he is lying through his teeth, but he's just grateful that Vince believes the story he fed him about his father faking his own death in order to start a new life with another woman. Otherwise, Michael knows he'd be sitting in a jail cell, not breathing in the fresh air of Marquette Cove.

The air is the only beautiful thing about the city at the moment. Somehow, they've managed to return home in the midst of a solar eclipse. The entire town is blanketed with an eerie glow of darkness from the tiny sliver of moon left in the sky.

Akilah wanders in behind them, frantically checking the messages on her Blackberry. Her phone was turned off on the plane ride and she'd fallen asleep in the car on their way home, so she knows she has at least nine to ten messages.

"Take your luggage upstairs before you get on that damn phone," Leslie says.

Akilah plants herself in the center of the foyer. She tilts her head to where Vince's luggage lies in a pile. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously," Leslie says. "Now go."

"Akilah, we have to get to the hospital."

The three turn to find Vince entering the foyer once more. He has a horrified look on his face. He's checked his message before Akilah.

"I got a call from Julia," Vince says. "Blake and Jessica are in the hospital. And they might not make it."

"Mrs. Reyes," Vince says, embracing her.

"It's so good to see you," Natalie says.

Vince smiles. He still remembers when he was the last person Natalie would be glad to see. Back when his love for Jessica was immature, childish. Now that he cares for Jessica as a friend...now that he's not responsible for knocking up her daughter like Alec, Vince is one of Natalie's favorite people. Parents are fickle that way.

"How's Jess?" Vince asks.

"Still in this coma. Whoever did this to my little girl..."

"Everything's going to be okay," Vince insists. "Jessica's been through worse."

Alec Bale opens the door and exits the room. His surprise at seeing Vince is obvious. There is a moment of silence between the two...a tension palpable to everyone standing outside the hospital room.

"What are you doing here?" Alec demands.

"I called him," Julia Mitchell says, appearing behind Vince. "I thought Jessica should have as many friends here as possible."

"You're not her friends," Alec spits.

"Neither is she," Julia remarks, casting a glance toward Farrah Louis who stands nervously next to the nurse's desk.

"Don't worry," Vince says, brushing past Alec. "I won't wake her."


JACK ATLAS' ROOM

"I'm certain these tests aren't wrong," Dr. Anderson insists.

"Well, run them again," Chris Server snaps. "Those bitches in the lab are always messing up stuff."

Dr. Anderson rolls his eyes. "Then perhaps I should assign you to the lab."

Jack remains silent throughout the entire conversation. He doesn't dare speak. He knows that Dr. Anderson's test is right. He's not HIV-positive. And soon, everyone else will know that he's been colluding with Chris to break up Darren and Blake.

"I'll run the tests again," Dr. Anderson says, stepping outside. "This won't take long."

Darren sighs. "Thank God they needed consent before they did a transfusion. Otherwise they'd have one big ass lawsuit on their hands."

Jack nods weakly. "You should go and check on Blake."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was stupid to act jealous before," Jack says. "And this is all my fault...I just don't want to be responsible for him dying."

"Thanks Jack," Darren says, heading out of the room. "There's got to be someone else in this hospital. I'll transfer blood if I need to. I just have to make sure Blake survives."

Once they are alone, Jack motions for Chris to approach his bed.

"We're in trouble," Jack whispers. "So here's the big dilemma...do we tell people the truth and save Blake's life? Or do we keep lying until they find out the truth...and be responsible for Blake dying."

Chris wipes tears from his face. He has no response.


WAITING AREA

What she knows now is that he's dead.

"Horrible, isn't it?"

Melissa turns to find her cousin, Aaron Maddock, standing behind her. She rolls her eyes at his obvious sarcasm, an activity she's become accustomed to these days. She still found it incredibly hard to trust him knowing that he'd been lying to her for years while being blackmailed by Hugh Rogers.

Though it turned out Hugh had been playing Aaron and in fact wasn't keeping Melissa's long-lost son from her, there was still the fact that Aaron did believe it and had been manipulating her. Even in the midst of their therapy sessions.

It took everything in her not to have him stripped of his medical license.

"Show a little compassion for one of your co-workers," Melissa mutters.

"It's good to see you too," Aaron remarks. "What are you doing here?"

"Jessica is in the hospital," Melissa answers. "And Robert's nephew, Darren, is here with here with his boyfriend, Blake. It's been a long Monday."

Aaron's face goes pale. "His boyfriend Blake?"

Melissa pauses for a moment, not immediately realizing her error. "Oh, I'm sorry. Jack. Blake is in the hospital too, I was just confused."

"Blake is here..." Aaron's voice trails off as his mind creates horrible fantasies of the countless ailments that could have brought Blake to the hospital. He can't react in front of Melissa, however. He can't let her or anyone else know about the affair he's been having with Blake for months. "I should —"

Aaron stops speaking when he notices Simon approaching them. He tenses up, preparing to go on the defensive.

"Hello Simon," Aaron says.

"Aaron," Simon replies. "Melissa. How are you?"

Melissa smiles. "Not as great as you must be doing. Reunited with your son. Staying away from Valerie must be doing you wonders."

Simon forces a smile to match hers. "Yes," is his terse response.

"Are you going to take your job back at the hospital?" Melissa asks.

"That's awfully tacky, Melissa," Aaron says. "Dr. Li just died."

Melissa rolls her eyes. "And my thoughts are with his family."

"I'm not sure your cousin would be too fond of me joining the staff again," Simon says. "Isn't that right, Aaron?"

"Whatever," Aaron grumbles. "The hospital staff doesn't tend to hire people who flake out."

"Flake out?" Melissa scoffs. "You know Aaron, from some of the recent talks we've had in our therapy sessions, I thought you were actually supportive of Simon rejoining the staff."

Aaron narrows his eyes at Melissa. Is his cousin trying to blackmail him? She grins widely at him, assuring Aaron that she is, in fact, blackmailing him. "Shit."

"Huh?" Simon asks.

"You know, I'll see what I can do about you getting your job back," Aaron says, frowning. "But you can't have your seat on the hospital board back."

"Thanks," Simon says. "But I'm not even sure I want to come back. Though I'm sure it would make my son happy to see my staying here."


HANLEY HOME

Michael glances up from his suitcase upon hearing Leslie's voice. He smiles and sits on the edge of the bed. She sits next to Michael and kisses him. "I wholeheartedly agree. How are you feeling?"

"Better," Leslie says. "I don't know what could have happened to me in New York. It's been so long since I even had memories of Sean."

"It's understandable," Michael insists. "I don't think a day goes by that I don't think of Elizabeth."

Leslie nods. That's a name she hasn't heard in years. "That's right. Your first wife, I remember her. She was a..."

"She was a secretive woman," Michael says, standing. "It's all right. To this day, I have no idea where she was heading on that jet. I thought she was leaving me. And our children. I was furious. And then when the jet crashed...well, I tried putting it out of my mind."

Michael walks toward his dresser, picking up a photograph of him with his two children, Ariel and Eric.

"I know that I failed them as a father," Michael said. "In so many respects."

"Don't say that, Michael."

"I can only...I can only hope to be half the father that Sean was to Vincent and Akilah."

"I don't know how Vince would have survived after his father's death without your help," Leslie admits. "Or how I would have. Stop selling yourself short. You're a wonderful man."

Michael feels tears forming in his eyes. He keeps his back to Leslie, so as not to reveal this moment of weakness to her. He is soon startled by a knock at his bedroom door. "Come in," Michael calls out, wiping away the tears before they can roll down his cheek.

"Michael, may I have a word?" Riley Schaefer is behind the knock at the door. "Downstairs?"

"Yes, of course," Michael says quickly.


MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

"Eric," Vince says. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to see how Darren is doing," Eric replies.

Vince raises a suspicious eyebrow. "How do you even know Darren?"

"We used to be friends before my dad shipped me off to boarding school," Eric says.

Vince shrugs. "Whatever."

He continues on his way, with Eric following him. Vince stops when he sees Darren pacing in front of Blake's room. Darren glances up and noticing Vince, smiling. But his smile quickly turns to a pale frown when he sees who is with him.

"What's he doing here?" Darren demands loudly.

"Hey Darren," Eric says. "I was just in the neighborhood and I —"

"When did you get back in town?"

"A few months ago."

"You shouldn't be here," Darren says. He doesn't flinch. He continues to stare directly at Eric's face. "You should leave."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Eric insists.

"Eric. Leave," Darren snaps.

Eric rolls his eyes. "Fine. I know when I'm not wanted." He spins around and heads back in the direction he entered from. Darren allows himself to relax once Eric is gone.

"What was that all about?" Vince asks.

"It's not important," Darren says. "What's up? How's Jessica?"

"Still the same," Vince answers. "I just came to see how Blake is doing."

"Not well," Darren says. He doesn't cry as he speaks about Blake, but his red eyes reveal that he had been crying earlier. "I need to go and see Jack. Can you stay here with Blake?"

"Of course," Vince says, nodding. "And look, I know he's your boyfriend and all, but if he did this to Blake..."

"It's complicated," is all that Darren says as he walks away.


HANLEY HOME

"A problem?" Michael asks. "Regarding what?"

"Robert Bale and your sister, Felicia," Riley answers.

"What about them?"

"They're here."

"Whatever could they possibly want?" Michael demands. "Isn't their son's wife laid up in the hospital right now?"

"No, what I mean is that they're there," Riley says, motioning toward the bookcase in Michael's office. "While you were in New York, they both snuck in and discovered the laboratory."

Michael's throat dries up. His face turns stark white and he stumbles, nearly falling onto his face. He grips the edge of his desk to maintain his balance.

"Please tell me I just heard you incorrectly," Michael says softly.

"I'm sorry," Riley said. "But they're downstairs in the lab now. Sealed in. And I think we both know very well that you can't keep them down there forever. They know everything...I'm afraid your only option may be..."

"Killing them," Michael intones. "Yes. I know."


MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

"How are we supposed to come up with a story?" Jack demands. "I've had repeated tests. I've even been pretending to take medication. If I was really HIV-negative, my tests would have shown it."

"We are so fucked," Chris says.

"You can say that again."

Jack and Chris turn to find Darren in the doorway. There's no expression on his face that reveals one way or another whether he overheard them.

"There's not a single blood type that matches Blake's," Darren says. "Not even with all of these damn people in the hospital. Everyone's either in critical condition or not a match."

"There's not a single match in blood storage?" Jack asks.

"There's been severe blood shortages," Chris says. "Thefts from the blood bank, actually. I'd make a joke about vampires if it were a more appropriate time."

"Blake is going to die."

Neither Jack or Darren speak the words that ring in Chris' mind. He blinks and tries to pretend he is imagining things, but he's not. Standing over Jack's hospital bed is Damon Johnson. His ghost. Back for more, apparently.

"Blake is not going to die," Chris insists.

"This is all your fault," Damon says, grinning. "You going to let him die? I don't see why you should care. Look at me. Blake obviously doesn't have a very high regard for human life."

"Blake's not going to die," Jack says, agreeing with Chris, not understanding what motivated Chris to speak. "Because I can save him."

"No, you can't," Darren says.

"Yes, I can. I'm not HIV-positive, Darren," Jack says, shutting his eyes. "And I think it's about time I finally told you the truth."

Chris' mind races as he continues to stare at Damon. He has no Plan B. No Plan C...no anything. It's all over.