Friday, October 31, 2008, Episode #5431

As Ridge helps Brooke set up a hospital bed up for Rick, he notices that she can't look at him. Brooke assures him that she doesn't want him to move out, but she really feels like she has to do this for Rick. Ridge asserts that they need to deal with this as a family, but Brooke thinks Rick just needs some time until he starts feeling better. Ridge points out that this will keep him from seeing Hope and R.J., but Brooke insists that it won't be for that long as Rick is already getting sensation back in his legs. Ridge isn't as certain. Brooke tells him that she has to do this because Rick feels like he lost his future thanks to Taylor. Ridge reminds her that she tried to warn Rick, but she thinks Rick needs her to put his needs first more than he needs to hear her tell him, "I told you so."

Eric and Ridge try to talk to Rick.

Beth calls up to announce that Rick and Eric are there. Ridge tells Brooke that he understands why she wants him to leave, but that doesn't make it right. Brooke says she has to do what works and not worry if it's right or not. Ridge asks what will happen when they're married, wondering if she'll ship him off to a diner on Christmas if Rick won't be around him. He tries to get Brooke to admit that Rick is manipulating her, but before she can respond, Eric leads the ambulance workers in with Rick in on a gurney. Once he's moved to the bed, Rick sees Ridge and angrily asks why he's there. "I live here," Ridge answers. As the ambulance crew leaves, Rick tells Eric to call Bridget right now. Ridge tries to have a calm, adult conversation with Rick, but Rick won't stay with the guy who threw him off a building. Eric suggests that Rick stay with him, but Brooke points out that Eric's not 100% himself. Rick sees no reason to argue and insists on going to Bridget's. Brooke points out that Bridget will have to hire someone to care for him, but she can do that if he stays here. Rick is adamant that he will not stay here with Ridge in the house. Ridge tells Rick that he'll give Brooke whatever she needs, and she knows that. He's just going to pack a bag and then leave. As Ridge turns to leave the room, Brooke thanks him and gives him a kiss that doesn't escape Rick's notice.

Ridge says goodbye for now to Brooke.

While Brooke walks Eric out, Rick tries to reach for something from his bed. Ridge returns and frets upon seeing Rick straining. Pulling himself back into bed, Rick says he's fine. Ridge hopes Rick learns from this that Brooke loves him, as her actions should dispel any lingering doubts Rick might have about her love. Rick retorts that Ridge has had Brooke's undivided attention for most of Rick's life, using and abusing her for years; he wonders if Ridge fears Brooke might remember that without Ridge as the center of her world. Ridge presumes that Rick's only saying that because he's not himself and assures Rick that he and Brooke will eventually be married. "At least you won't ask me to stand up for you," Rick quips, "since that's something I won't be able to do for quite some time." Ridge goes downstairs and finds Brooke on the terrace. He tells her that he packed a bag and asks if she's going to be OK. "Without you?" she asks, putting her arms around him and kissing him. Rick watches from his window and fumes. Ridge asks Brooke why they're doing this. Brooke says it will only be a while and asks where he'll stay. At a hotel, he presumes, or maybe with Eric. Brooke warns him not to skip meals or stay up till 2 AM like he often does when they're apart. Ridge says he'll be thinking about her, and no amount of hunger or working late will keep him from missing her. They kiss again and Ridge leaves while Rick still angrily watches.

Stephanie talks to Taylor's kids about their mom and Brooke.

At Taylor's, she tells her kids to explain to their father how his decisions have affected them emotionally. Thomas asks how he can tell his dad who to be involved him. Taylor advises him and Steffy not to give Ridge orders and just step back and tell him how they felt when their family fell apart. Steffy and Thomas confess that they felt bad. They want their father to be happy, but they can't help worrying because something always seems to go wrong when he's with Brooke. They like Brooke, but they never felt like his relationship with her was as strong as it was with their mom, and there were never any issues between their parents unless there's something they didn't know about. There was one problem, Stephanie quips, and they saw plenty of her. Steffy notes that Ridge is coming over soon to pick her up for a lunch date, so Stephanie thinks that will be the perfect opportunity to talk to Ridge. Steffy doesn't want her dad to feel ambushed. Taylor doesn't want that either, which is why none of what they say or do can seem choreographed. She just wants them to be real and genuine. Stephanie tells the kids that Taylor is right, but Taylor tells La Forrester, "I was talking to you." She doesn't want to Ridge to feel badgered, so she wants them yo just show him where he's loved and missed the most. Steffy asks Taylor if she thinks Ridge will come home. Taylor thinks Ridge, like everyone, just wants to feel safe and loved and happy, and they can remind him that he had that once with them.

Taylor is surprised by what Ridge tells her.

When Ridge arrives to pick up Steffy, Taylor asks him to come in for a moment to talk. He hopes he's not going to tell her that Steffy can't make it, since that would just make his bad day even worse. Taylor asks what's wrong. Ridge explains that he was reminded that he's not as important to someone as he thought. Taylor tells him that's not true and asks if it has to do with Brooke. Ridge explains how Brooke asked him to move out while Rick is there recovering. Taylor scoffs that he would accept that kind of arrangement, even temporarily, and asks why he'd want to be just of the objects in Brooke's ever-shifting attention span. Steffy comes over, so Ridge tries to table the subject, but Steffy thinks they need to talk about this now. Thomas comes in and Ridge is surprised to see him. Steffy says that Phoebe would have been there, too, had she caught a flight. Stephanie enters and tells Ridge that it's not just Taylor who wants him back.

Thomas and Steffy tell their dad how they feel.

Ridge seems surprised by all the attention. Taylor asks why he's find it odd that she would tell her family how she felt, pointing out that he came over here feeling unhappy about being put on the back-burner by Brooke. Steffy tells him that they've all been talking, and they want to share with him how much they miss being together as a family. Thomas adds that they know he loves Brooke, and they do, too, but it feels like something bad always happens when he's with Brooke. Steffy reminds Ridge that he told them that not all fantasies come true and suggests that his dream of a life with Brooke might be one of those. Ridge says he's the only one who can make that judgment, so Taylor tells him to do that right now and consider how happy and centered he felt when he was here with their family. Ridge acknowledges that he was happy then. Taylor asks him to compare that with his life with Brooke, filled with the drama of her having feelings for other men or having children who didn't respect him. She thinks if he was talking to someone he cared about and asked them to think of the same things, he knows what he'd tell them to do. "Come home," pleads Taylor.

Rick discovers he can stand.

Brooke asks Rick what he wants for lunch. He asks for a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Brooke recalls how that was his favorite while he was up late working or studying over the years, but he says the catch was that she made the sandwich for him. Brooke asks what she did that was so special. It was that she made it herself, Rick explains, without any help, and he got to hang out with her while she made it. Brooke asks if she really seemed so unavailable. Rick chuckles that he was always really happy once he got his sandwich. He doesn't even know what he was thinking then, but he's glad she's here now. Brooke gives him a hug and tells them that nothing means more to her than seeing him well, and she promises that Ridge will give him the space he needs to heal. Rick tells her that Ridge was always hurting her, but she thinks a lot of that pain was self-inflicted. She assures him that he can go back to his life once he gets better, and then she and Ridge can get back to planning their wedding. After Brooke leaves to make the sandwich, Rick spots a photo of Ridge and Brooke on a nightstand at the foot of the bed. He can't reach it, so he pushed his feet off the bed and tries to get the photo again. Still unable to get to it, he flashes back Ridge threatening him over Phoebe and Taylor dumping him. The memories get him fuming about all the broken hearts Ridge has left in his wake, and in a fit of rage, he lunges for the photo again - but this time, he grabs the photo and finds that he's standing on his own. Slowly walking around, Rick laughs victoriously.