MARQUETTE COVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

Aaron Maddock strolls through the hospital corridor, checking his cell phone for any missed calls. None from Melissa updating him on what's happened with Alec, none from Blake, the one person he was really expecting to hear from.

In fact, Blake hasn't called Aaron in weeks. Not since the incident with Darren that landed him in the hospital. Of course, there had been one or two pity phone calls, but nothing that could pass for an actual conversation. And there certainly wasn't any sex that resulted from the calls.

Aaron was surprised to find that he actually missed Blake, but not that surprised. He'd developed feelings for the men he'd slept with in the past. Just never these sort of feelings.

He isn't gay.

This he knows. He wouldn't enjoy sex with that Rebecca Li woman if he didn't. But he also knows that he enjoys sex with men. Younger men, at least. College men who are about the same age Aaron was when he first began to experiment with his sexuality.

He doesn't like to sleep with men his age.

They're either closeted and hate themselves, or they're out and ready to settle down and start a family. He doesn't want any of that. He just wants to have fun. And he had plenty of fun with Blake.

Fun that he would like to continue.

If only Blake would call him, instead of playing around with that goddamn Darren Bale.

He's a thorn in Aaron's side that needs to be removed, and quickly. He has no idea where his "partner in crime" Eric Hanley is at the moment, or what he's been doing to further their mutual goal of keeping Blake and Darren apart, but he needs an update.

Only his phone has no missed calls from Eric either.

Aaron enters a nearby stairwell and removes a pack of Camel Lights from his pocket. He hurries down the stairs that lead to the morgue, where he often slips to have a smoke break.

It's not as if dead people are going to complain about cigarette smoke.

Once he's in the hallway, he presses the cigarette to his lips and lights it. Unfortunately, he's only able to enjoy one drag before the elevator opens and someone emerges pushing a gurney.

"Shit," Aaron says, dropping the cigarette and stamping it out. He nods to acknowledge the doctor wheeling an oxymoronically fresh corpse.

He barely pays attention to the gurney until the doctor accidentally bumps into the morgue door. The sheet covering the body falls from the gurney and crumples on the floor. Aaron instinctively moves to help the inept doctor, but stops short when he sees the corpse on display.

"Melissa..." Aaron says, having no other words or even the strength to speak them.



EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE

Felicia Bale tosses a wad of bills at her cab driver and hurriedly slides out of the backseat. She holds the door open just long enough for Darren Reynolds to exit behind her. He follows her into the hospital where she immediately stops at the nurses' station for directions.

"Jessica Bale?"

"Felicia."

Felicia turns to see her ex-husband, Robert Bale, only a few feet away from her. She rushes to his side and embraces him.

"Robert!" Felicia says. "What is going on? Why is our son in jail? Why is Jessica in the hospital?"

"She was shot," Robert says, barely able to speak. "And the bullet...it went into...it went through her and killed Melissa. She's dead."

Felicia gasps and backs away from Robert, attempting to clutch at something to keep her balance but finding only the air. "Melissa's dead?"

Robert has only the energy to nod.

"Robert...I am so sorry," Felicia says. "I don't...I don't know what else to say. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Robert says.

"And Alec?"

"He's at the police station," Robert says, a deep coldness in his voice that Darren has never heard before.

"He was arrested?"

"I should...I should go and see him," Felicia says. "If Jessica's okay, then..."

"Maybe he should stay there for now," Darren says.

Robert wanders away from them, as Joel Kincaid approaches Felicia. He shoots Robert a disgusted look.

"Felicia, have you heard?"

Felicia nods.

"I'm assuming not everything," Joel says. "There's something you need to know...about Robert."



OUTSIDE SEAN MOORE'S ROOM

"I don't want to be here," Vincent Moore says, staring into the hospital room where his father lies.

"Then maybe we should go," Blake Thomas, Vince's best friend, says. "Do you want to go back to the mansion? I'm sure Eric could drive you."

"I'm not going anywhere with Eric," Vince says, becoming increasingly irritated. "Why the hell are you here with him in the first place?"

"He...um...it's not important," Blake says.

Vince shrugs and watches as his mother and Michael stand over Sean's bed, speaking to Dr. Anderson. He can't stand being here, waiting for good news about a man who apparently never gave a damn about Vince in the first place.

He doesn't even want to know why Sean is here. He doesn't care.

Eric approaches the both of them and takes Blake's arm. "Hey, can we talk for a second?"

"We're in the middle of a conversation," Vince says.

Blake smiles. "I'll be right back, Vince. Then we go, or do whatever you want, okay?"

"Whatever," Vince says.

As they head off, Vince continues to stare into the hospital room. His trance is finally broken as Leslie emerges from the room.

"Are you okay?" Leslie says.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Vince says, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "My dad's back from the dead. And he thinks he's some dead white woman. That's every boy's childhood dream."

"I don't need lip right now, Vincent."

"I'm going home."

"Did you call your sister like I asked?"

"She didn't answer," Vince says, turning away and heading toward the elevator. "Lucky her."



STAIRWELL

"Maybe you shouldn't tell Vince about our date," Eric says. "Just for a while."

"I was actually thinking the same thing," Blake says. "He doesn't seem to like you all that much."

Eric feigns surprise. "Really? You don't say?"

"I'm surprised, he hasn't ever even mentioned you. Not that we've really talked all that much lately."

"Why not?"

"No reason," Blake says.

He glances around the stairwell nervously, on the off chance that there might be someone around them. Realizing his anxiety is baseless, he takes Eric's hand.

"I'm looking forward to going out with you," Blake says. "It's been forever since I've been able to do something without any sneaking around, or any pressure. I mean, I know we're not telling Vince yet, but...I'm out. You're out. And you're not way older than me, which is a plus."

Eric nods. "I get what you mean."

He leans in toward Blake, whispering in his ear.

"And for the record, I'm really looking forward to it too."

"What the hell is going on here?"

Blake and Eric spin around, almost as if they were school children who'd been found with their hands in the cookie jar. Standing at the bottom of the stairwell is Aaron Maddock, with a decidedly pissed off expression on his face.

"Aaron," Blake says quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Aaron says, angry at first. But then he revaluates his attitude in haste. "I just found out about Melissa. I needed some time alone."

"I was sorry to hear about that," Blake says, extending a comforting hand. "If you ever need to talk, you can call me. But I should probably get going."

Blake casts an empathetic glance in Aaron's direction once more before exiting the stairwell. Eric attempts to follow suit, but Aaron grabs his arm and tightens his grip.

"You always did like it rough," Eric says.

"What is this? You're sleeping with Blake now?"

"No. I'm trying to keep him away from Darren, you idiot. Haven't we already had this conversation before?"

"That looked like a lot more to me."

Eric shrugs. "I got horny?"

Aaron shoves Eric against the wall. "My cousin is dead! The only family member that I have left alive is dead! My parents, my uncle, her own brother Kyle...every single person is dead. And now you want to take away Blake from me? He's all that I have."

Eric slides out of Aaron's grip. "Dude. People die. Man up and get over it."

He opens the stairwell door and turns back to Aaron, grinning, before he leaves. "And don't worry. You'll have Blake nice and sweaty in your bed again before long. He just might have to make a brief stop in mine first."



EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE

"You can't be serious," Felicia says, clutching at her stomach as if she's about to vomit. "Robert would...he would never molest his son. He never abused Alec!"

"I'm just letting you know what I was told," Joel says. "Alec, when all of this happened, he had a gun and he accused Robert of molesting him. Aaron warned both of us when he made the realization during a therapy session and took off."

"Aaron made the realization?" Darren says.

"No, Alec did. He rushed out of a therapy session and ran into me and Melissa at the hospital."

"You and Melissa were at the hospital?" Felicia says, attempting to make sense of all the information she's just received. "Why were...that's not important. I need to...I need to get my son out of that prison."

"He was arrested for shooting Melissa, and several other charges," Joel says. "One of the neighbors called the police."

Felicia nods and turns to Darren. "Can you go down to the police station with me? I don't feel right leaving Alec there. This isn't...this is too confusing. I don't want my son there."

"Do you think we should talk to Robert and —"

"No," Felicia says. "I just want my son."



MARQUETTE COVE POLICE DEPARTMENT

Alec Bale sits in a ball on his cot, staring out beyond the cell bars. He doesn't flinch, doesn't register any emotion on his face as Detective Jamie Grady moves toward the cell.

"Alec, did you want to make a phone call?"

Alec remains silent.

"He ain't gonna respond," the guard near the cell says. "He's been like that since you brought him in."

"Not speaking?" Jamie says.

"Not moving. Not anything. Like he's a statue or something."

As Jamie watches Alec closely, he becomes more than a little concerned for Alec's well being, particularly considering everything that has occurred this evening, and from the report Joel gave him when he arrived on the scene.

For his part, Alec doesn't even realize there's anyone surrounding him. He doesn't even realize where he is.

He has completely shut down.



HANLEY HOME

Vince pays his taxi driver and stumbles out into the driveway. Smashing his head against the concrete would be a favorable alternative as opposed to going inside and letting the day marinate in his mind.

Everything with Jessica. And Alec. And now his father.

He digs into his pocket and produces his cell phone, ready to call the one person he knows can help him deal with all of this. Which is strangely odd, because he's always had a rather tenuous with her.

But right now. He just needs his sister.

He dials Akilah's number. As the phone rings, he becomes impatient, wondering if she's been screening his phone calls all night. He hangs up the phone and trudges toward the front door, but in a split second, hears the faint sound of a ringtone.

Akilah's ringtone. Some stupid pop song he hasn't heard of.

Vince opens his phone again and redials her number. Then he lowers the phone and listens for the ringtone and...yes. He hears it. Somewhere near the front door.

"Akilah?" Vince says, calling out into the night. "I'm not in the mood to play around right now!"

The ringing grows louder when he reaches the front door, and then he sees it. What is normally attached to his sister like a limb, something she has never let out of her sight, lies in the bushes next to the front door.

Her Blackberry.

Vince picks up the phone and stares at it, registering all the missed calls and texts on her display screen. And in that instant, he knows something is very, very wrong here.