Wednesday, November 01, 2006, Episode #4927

Jackie still struggles to recover.

Nick spends the night in Jackie's hospital room so he can be there when she awakens. When she starts to stir, Nick asks how she is, but he then thinks twice and tells her to rest; after all, she just had brain surgery last night. Dr. Hillman comes in; Nick tells the doctor that Jackie tried to say something. Dr. Hillman tells him the process will take some time. Nick asks Dr. Hillman if they're still talking about a full recovery. Hillman says they did their best to relieve the pressure in Jackie's head, but they're unable to say how long her recovery will take, and to what degree she'll recover. He knows this is hard, but all they can do is let her rest and wait to see what happens. The doctor advises Nick not to give up hope, since miracles can happen.

Brooke is stunned by what Donna tells her.

Donna brings Brooke a change of clothes. After Brooke changes and thanks Donna, Donna asks where Nick is. Brooke explains that Nick spent the night by Jackie's bedside. Donna tells Brooke that there's something she and Nick need to know. Brooke gathers that this has to do with Donna's earlier comment that there are no accidents where Stephanie is concerns. It does, Donna replies, since she was being quite literal when she made that comment. She goes on to tell Brooke how Stephanie forcefully pushed Jackie over the banister. Brooke asks if she's sure, so Donna explains how she tried to get the kids out of there, but had to go back in because Jackie's car was blocking her. When she went to ask Jackie to move her car, she witnessed the scuffle between Stephanie and Jackie. She couldn't hear what was being said, but she could tell that they were exchanging harsh words. At the end of the scuffle, Stephanie pushed Jackie over the railing! Brooke is stunned at what her sister has told her.

Stephanie shares her story with Lt. Baker.

Outside Jackie's room, Stephanie asks a nurse about Jackie and learns that there's been no change. Stephanie then flashes back to the argument she and Jackie had, that led to Jackie falling. Eric comes over and joins Stephanie. He asks why she left the house so early this morning. She says that she wanted to check on Jackie, since the accident happened in her and Eric's home. However, now that he's here, she wonders if he'd have more luck checking since he's one of Jackie's longtime friends. Lt. Baker comes over and greets Eric and Stephanie, who tells the cop, "My goodness, you pop up like a groundhog everywhere. with the same serious expression on your face." Baker explains that he was in the hospital on business when he heard about Jackie's injuries. Eric says this was an accident. so he suggests that Baker let his one drop. Baker points out that he hasn't taken the case yet. Stephanie offers to tell him what happened. Just then, Nick comes out and overhears; he asks Stephanie who is going to offer his mother's version of this story.

Nick is angry at Stephanie's insinuation about his mother.

Lt. Baker introduces himself to Nick and asks how Jackie is. She'll live, Nick replies, but she can't talk or walk right now, and they don't even know if she'll ever do those things again. Stephanie says she's sorry, but Nick angrily asks what he's supposed to do with "sorry"? Stephanie tells him to calm down, but Nick doesn't want to. Lt. Baker says he'd like to hear what Stephanie has to say; Nick says he would, too, and tells Stephanie to go ahead. Stephanie explains how Jackie came to her house uninvited, upset at the notion that Stephanie might have interfered in Jackie's son's marriage to Brooke. They got into an argument and she asked Jackie to leave, but Jackie refused and followed her upstairs. Jackie then refused and followed her up, grabbing her arm. She then reacted to Jackie grabbing her, and Jackie must have lost her balance and fell down the stairs before Stephanie could even try to grab her. Across the hall, Donna overhears and says that's not true; she's about to say something, but Brooke stops her. Nick angrily tells Baker that they heard Stephanie's story now, so he wants to know who will tell his mother's version. Stephanie says it was an accident; she's sure Jackie will back that up when she can, and if Jackie doesn't, she'll be lying. Nick is enraged at Stephanie calling his mother a liar and lashes out at her, but Brooke pulls him away. Nick shouts at Stephanie that he will find proof. Stephanie tells Lt. Baker that Nick is understandably upset about his mother, but that reaction was a bit over the line. Donna overhears and thinks about how Stephanie is lying; she promises to make sure people find out about that lie and considers the possibility of this landing Stephanie behind bars for attempted murder.

Eric spends time with Jackie.

Eric slips into Jackie's room and sits by her bedside. He flashes back to some of the good times they shared - their first meeting, their kissing, his proposing to her - and tells her to keep fighting. He promises that after the medical miracles the doctors performed, he's sure she'll be back to her old self in no time. He then tells her that Stephanie really feels sorry about what happened; he knows she and Stephanie were never the best of friends, but he can't imagine Stephanie intentionally trying to cause her any harm.

Brooke tries to comfort Nick, who asks how he cannot blame his mother's condition on the person responsible. He just wishes someone else had seen what happened. Meanwhile, Stephanie sees Donna in the hall and suggests that Donna leave, since Ridge has no plans to be here today. Donna asks Stephanie what made her this way; Stephanie says she has no patience for fools, and she makes no apologies for that. Donna asks if Stephanie ever apologizes for anything. Not without a reason, Stephanie replies. But of course there are no reasons to, Donna sarcastically quips, since Stephanie never does anything wrong. Stephanie says she tries not to and excuses herself. Donna stops her and says she heard Stephanie talking to Lt. Baker. Stephanie confirms she and Jackie argued, but arguments don't cause people to fall. She again tells Donna that Ridge isn't coming and suggests that Donna leave. In fact, she thinks it would be good if Donna got out of Ridge's life completely, because he's spoken for. Donna calls Stephanie a bully who has bullied her sister and her parents over the years and is now trying to bully her; she warns Stephanie that someday, someone will stand up to her, and that someone might be her.

Stephanie walks away and asks Brooke if she got Nick calmed down. Brooke says she tried, but Nick has a right to be upset. Stephanie agrees, but she doesn't think that gives Nick the right to blame her for Jackie's falling. She then changes the subject to Donna; she knows Donna is Brooke's sister, but she also knows that Donna has a thing for Ridge. Since she suspects that Brooke intends to reunite with Ridge, Stephanie suggests that Brooke send Donna back home before she complicates Brooke and Ridge's relationship. Brooke says that she can handle her sister, but Stephanie thinks Donna will be nothing but trouble.

Donna is in Jackie's room, looking at what Stephanie did to the poor woman. She promises Jackie that Stephanie will not get away with this. Nick comes in and asks Donna why she was talking to his mother. Donna says that she knows that they're not really friends, but she thinks this shouldn't have happened. She knows he blames Stephanie, but... Nick mistakes her comment for another excuse for Stephanie; Donna assures him that she wants to help, but Nick doesn't think he needs her help and asks her to leave. He then walks over to his mother and asks her to smile. He then tells her that he just wanted to check on her and tells her to rest, so she can get back to being the funny, smart, beautiful, generous woman that everyone remembers.