Friday, August 29, 2008, Episode #5388

Marcus and Steffy learn that Pam drugged Eric.

As he speeds to Big Bear in his pilfered police car with the siren blaring, Owen calls Marcus and explains how Pam drugged Eric with her lemon bars. Marcus asks if the police know. Owen says that they don't, but what's most important now is to warn Donna. Marcus says that Donna is safe at Big Bear, but Owen informs him that Pam is there, too! Marcus tells Ridge, Brooke, Stephanie and Steffy about Pam, but Stephanie defends her sister. Ridge reminds his mother that she told them earlier that Pam is off her meds and is out of control. As the others come to grips with the idea that Pam poisoned Eric, Ridge recalls the day that Pam interrupted his private meeting with Eric to give Eric his daily lemon bar fix. He tells the others that Eric had one of the lemon bars the day of the heart attack. Stephanie wants to call the cabin to find out what's going on from Pam directly, but Marcus tells her that he already tried and no one is answering the phone, so Ridge goes to pull his truck around so they can all head up there.

Pam turns her attentions to Donna.

At the cabin, Donna freaks out at Pam pointing the rifle at her and remembers all Pam's past misdeeds and threats. "You, Donna, have become my obsession," she recalls Pam forewarning. Donna realizes that Pam both attacked her and drugged Eric and tearfully asks Pam why she would hurt Eric. Pam tells Donna that she caused all this by ruining Stephanie and Eric's marriage. Donna surmises that Pam thought no one should have Eric if Stephanie couldn't, but Pam says that's not how it was. Eric wasn't supposed to have a heart attack. He was just supposed to have some mild heart palpitations to make him think that sex with Donna was too strenuous. With their sex life in tatters, Eric would feel like his marriage was empty and run back to Stephanie. But she never thought Eric would go into a coma, and she'd do anything to bring him back so he could be with her sister again. Donna tells Pam that Stephanie would not want her to do this. Pam tells Donna not to dare talk about her sister after the way she stole everything Stephanie cared about. "I can't let you get away with this," Pam sighs as she aims the gun at Donna. Donna makes a dash for the door and cries out for help, but when she opens the door, she comes face to face with a big snarling grizzly bear! Pam creeps up behind Donna and hits her over the head with the rifle, sending Donna falling to the floor.

Meanwhile, Ridge's SUV speeds up the highway to Big Bear Lake. Marcus tries to call the cabin while Brooke tries to reach the caretaker, but they both fail to reach anyone. In the seat next to him, Stephanie gives Ridge a concerned look as Steffy urges her dad to drive faster. Further up the road, a determined Owen heads for the cabin, praying that Donna can hold on until he gets there.

Donna pleads for her life.

Pam drags Donna inside the cabin, ties her to a chair and squeezes honey from the "honey bears" on Donna and the floor around her. Donna comes to and asks Pam what she's doing. Pam explains that she realized that she and Stephanie would top the suspect list if Donna was found shot, so she instead decided to stage a freak accident for the monster who stole her sister's family. Donna pleads for Pam to stop, promising to tell the police that Pam never meant to hurt Eric, but Pam thinks she's being tricked and says she won't fall for that after what Donna did to Stephanie. "I will never, ever let you hurt her again!" Pam vows as she tosses one last empty honey bottle to the ground. Pam walks over to the door. Donna begs Pam not to open the door, pointing out that Eric could still come out of his coma. "You're not a murderer," pleads Donna, but Pam says she has no choice. She gave Donna so many chances to do the right thing, but Donna didn't take any of them, so now it's too late. She failed to protect Stephanie from their father when they were younger, but she won't let her sister suffer anymore. Saying she's sorry, Pam opens the door and lets the bear in. Struggling with her bonds, Donna gasps and screams as the roaring, hungry bear draws near.

A grizzly bear approaches a honey-covered Donna.

Pam watches Donna, who tries to kick away but finds her feet slipping on the honey around the chair. The bear starts to sniff the honey and gets closer as Donna continues to scream and sob. Just then, Owen arrives and the bear growing ever closer to the tied-up Donna. Pam points the rifle at Owen but he ignores her, grabbing some nearby pots and pans and banging them together to get the bear's attention. Donna tells Owen to leave, but he keeps calling out to the bear to come to him, banging the pans together loudly. Pam takes advantage of the confusion to duck out the door and flee into the woods. As the bear finally turns toward him, Owen tosses some food out the door and tells the bear to go get it. Once the bear is out the door, Owen slams it shut and unties a weeping Donna, offering a reassuring hug once she's free. Meanwhile, out in the woods, Pam clings to her rifle and reflects on what she did. "I just did what had to be done. It wasn't my fault," she sobs as she prays for Stephanie to forgive her and for Eric to come back.

Stephanie tells Donna she's sorry.

Brooke, Ridge, Marcus, Stephanie and Steffy burst in the door. Seeing the state of Donna and the room, Brooke and Marcus rush to Donna's side and ask what happened. Owen quickly fills them in about what happened with Pam, Donna and the bear. Marcus asks where Pam is, hoping they can catch her. Donna tells them that Pam confessed to both drugging Eric and attacking her. A silent Stephanie is clearly shocked at the lengths her sister went to. The state troopers arrive, having gotten a 9-1-1 call to come there. Owen tells them that Donna was attacked. Stephanie informs the troopers that her unhinged sister was the attacker and offers to help them search, thinking she might be able to reason with Pam if they find her. The troopers bolt out the door to start looking, but Stephanie stops to tell Donna she's sorry before following.

Ridge makes some apologies.

Ridge admits that he had it all wrong about so many things. He lashed out at Owen, who confessed to a crime he didn't commit to confess Donna, and he accused Donna and Owen of trying to kill Eric when they did everything to protect him. He's sorry for that. While Owen takes Donna in the other room so she can cleaned up, Brooke tells Marcus that his instincts were right, but Marcus points out that he was actually wrong about Owen. They all misjudged Owen, Steffy states - and looking to her dad, she hints that Owen wasn't the only one they misjudged. Ridge turns to Marcus and admits that Steffy is right. He thanks Marcus for not letting go and pressing to find the truth about what happened to Eric, since those efforts kept a huge tragedy from becoming any worse.

Brooke is relieved that the truth is out.

Steffy asks Marcus to go outside with her to get some air. Ridge tells them to stay close, since Pam is still out there. (How about the bear?) Alone with Ridge, Brooke sighs at how things turned out. At least they know the truth now, Ridge muses. And Donna will be okay thanks to Owen, Brooke adds as she puts her hands on his shoulders. Outside, Steffy tells Marcus that at least some good came out of this. Her dad now sees what a great guy Marcus is and Donna is going to be OK. Marcus tells her he feels sorry for both her granddad and her grandma now that they know what Stephanie's own sister did. Steffy tells Marcus that he's a big hero now, but Marcus thinks that title belongs to Owen. "Not to me. You're my hero," Steffy praises as they kiss.

Owen tells Donna how he feels.

After cleaning herself up, Donna calls Lt. Baker to explain what happened. After ending the call, she tells Owen that she told the police everything and explained about the police car, so the charges against him are dropped and he's a free man. She's just grateful that he arrived in time to save her tonight. Owen sees Donna shivering a bit and gives her a hug to warm her up, but she pulls away and says she should go dry her hair. Owen tells her to wait, because he doesn't want her out of his sight. Sitting down on the bed, Donna recalls all the times that he's been there when she needed him over the last few months. Owen sits next to her and confides that he almost lost her, reflecting that something like this makes you realize what's important. "You're all that matters to me, Donna, and I love you," he professes as he gazes at her. He tells her that this is meant to be. Donna is hesitant at first, but then she leans in and accepts a kiss from him. Donna lies back on the bed as Owen lies over her and kisses her passionately.