Wednesday, November 28, 2007, Episode #5196

Nick's pleased by the good news about baby Jack.

Bridget drops by the Marone mansion to check on baby Jack. After she completes her exam of the baby, Bridget is pleased to tell Nick that Jack's immune system is developing even faster than they expected. Nick is thrilled and bets that Taylor will be, too, once he gives her the news. Bridget is sorry she didn't get to give Taylor the good news in person, but Nick says she needed to get away for a little bit to get some space. Just then, Brooke drops by, so Nick gives her the good news that the bone marrow transplant she gave Jack took. Brooke is thrilled and relieved that Jack can finally be around people; she's glad that things are back to normal for someone, since things are hardly "normal" for her family with Stephanie's shooting being investigated. While Nick goes to put Jack to bed, Bridget fills her mom in on Stephanie's surgery. When Nick returns, Bridget suggests that she and her mom get going. Brooke asks Nick if Taylor mentioned that she was stopping by. Nick says she did and gives Brooke copies of the parental release papers that Brooke had previously signed; he explains that Taylor finally agreed that she should sign the papers so they'd have a formal acknowledgement that she was the baby's mother, although he and Taylor remain grateful to Brooke for giving Jack the transplant. What's important, Brooke sighs, is they the baby gets the love he needs, and she's sure Nick and Taylor will be great parents.

Bridget's not pleased by her mother's opinions of Taylor.

Nick tells Bridget that Taylor had some questions about a new formula they had talked about for Jack. Brooke bristles upon hearing that Taylor is not breast-feeding the child. Bridget and Nick explain that they talked about formula as an alternative when Jack wasn't eating, but Brooke insists that breast-feeding is best because of its benefits for the immune system and scoffs at what she's sure is a poor decision for the child's health. Bridget points out that breast-feeding is not the best decision for all babies, but Brooke stands her ground, so Nick asks her to please drop the matter. It's Taylor's call, he insists. Bridget says she should be going, since she's been busy at the hospital, so she goes to get some samples of that new formula from her car. Brooke tells Nick that she should be going, although she finds it odd that Taylor asked her over and wasn't even there. She hopes Nick isn't upset with her. Nick explains that he understands that she's just concerned about the baby, but he wants to spare Taylor any more stress over the situation with Jack. Brooke says she is concerned, because she's concerned that Taylor isn't doing everything possible for "our child." "It's my child with Taylor," Nick replies, but Brooke points out that the baby is also her and Nick's child at some level.

Brooke asks Nick not to turn his back on her.

Bridget returns and tells her mother that she has to stop this and let Nick and Taylor raise their own child. Brooke reminds her daughter that she's the biological mother of the child, but Bridget says that she's just the egg donor and pleads with Brooke to stop acting like Taylor is a bad parent by not breast-feeding the baby. Brooke says that's not what she meant. Bridget points out that Taylor raised three kids, so she's sure Taylor will do fine with Jack as well. That said, Bridget leaves for the hospital, but Brooke stays behind for a bit. Alone with Brooke, Nick promises that he and Taylor will give baby Jack what he needs. Brooke tells him that she'll step back and let him and Taylor be Jack's parents, although Jack will always be special. She takes out a photo of Jack and thanks Nick for letting her have it. Nick wonders if giving her that photo was a mistake. Brooke asks him not to say that, since she can't afford to have him turn his back on her now. Nick asks what she means, so she tells him that Stephanie claimed her shooter was a Logan. She doesn't think anyone in her family could do that, so she's worried for them with all this attention on them.

Pam pays Stephanie a visit.

Pam stops by Stephanie's hospital room and finds Stephanie fast asleep. She laments how helpless her normally big, strong sister looks lying in that bed and tells the sleeping Stephanie that she even brought Stephanie's favorite goose-down pillow, Mr. Cuddly, all the way from Chicago. "I plan to personally see to it that you get exactly what you deserve," Pam tells her sister. Standing next to the bed, she thinks about all the years she spent at home in Lake Forest tending to their mother while Stephanie was living a grand, glamorous lifestyle here in L.A. with her family. Now she gets to take care of Stephanie, as well; she looks down at her sister lying so helpless in bed, barely able to speak, and wonders what would happen if the person who shot Stephanie came back to finish the job. Still holding the pillow, Pam lies next to Stephanie in bed and recalls how Stephanie recently came to stay with her and Pam in Illinois for a while. She remembers that Stephanie barely stayed a week, which can't even begin to compare to the years Pam spent with their mother without any relief. She sometimes thinks it would be easier to close her eyes and just not wake up. Wouldn't that be nice, she asks her "darling Stephanie," to just slip away on a cloud and never stop dreaming?

Eric tells Donna that he believes her.

Donna finds Eric in his bedroom, thinking about the shooting. Donna assures Eric that she didn't shoot Stephanie and pleads for him to believe her. Eric assures her that he does believe her, although he admits he was taken aback when Stephanie named her as the shooter. Still, he knows in his heart that she couldn't do something like that. Donna thanks him for believing in her; she knows he wants answers, but she reminds him that Stephanie has many enemies. Eric concedes that there are many people who hate Stephanie, but he can't believe that one of those people would express that hatred by shooting her. Donna says she should get going. Eric agrees that it's not a good idea for her to stay here tonight and tells her that he's going to take a shower. Donna frets about his being here alone, but Eric tells her he's not alone and explains that Stephanie's sister Pam is here. Donna is surprised when Eric explains that Pam came into town for the showing and decided to stay and help around the house once she heard about Stephanie's shooting. Donna tells him that she heard about Pamela from Jackie, who said that Pam had a crush on Eric. Eric admits that Pam did, although he thinks that stemmed from Stephanie and Pam having an abusive father and a mother who was quite the handful. He thinks Pam especially had a hard time with her mother, since she took care of Ann for all those years while Stephanie was here in L.A. Donna wonders if Pam resents Stephanie enough to get her own sister out of the picture; Eric tells her not to go there, since Pam is so sweet. He bids Donna goodnight.

Donna is shocked when she meets Pam.

Donna comes downstairs and runs into Pam, who introduces herself to "Donna Ho-gan." Pam chuckles that she overheard Donna's futile attempts to talk her way into Eric's bed. She then tosses Donna a torn, chewed up leopard print thong (it's the one she found in the laundry) and explains that her dog Tiny found them. "Lucky he didn't catch you wearing them," Pam laughs, since Tiny hates cats. Pam whistles for her dog to come, and Donna is shocked as she comes face to face with a growling, ferocious Doberman pinscher.