Thursday, October 30, 2008, Episode #5430

Bridget is pleased that Rick can go home.

At the hospital, Bridget asks Rick why he didn't ask for a sleeping pill if he had trouble sleeping. Rick says that he didn't want one, since it wasn't that he had problems sleeping. It was just that he kept waking up and couldn't roll over. Bridget tells him it will take some time to get used to his "new situation," but Rick scoffs at the idea of his situation. Rick's doctor comes by and assures Rick that everything looks good except tor some swelling around the spinal cord that normally goes down with rest, so he's hopeful that Rick will still fully recover. He tests Rick's legs again with his instrument, but this time, after a moment of two, Rick feels something in his toes. The doctor is pleased at the partial recovery as a first step, but Rick points out that he still can't move his legs. The doctor tells him to give it time, and a beaming Brooke adds that Rick's "glass is more than half full" with this latest development. The doctor then tells Rick that he can go home now. Brooke is thrilled, although Rick thinks he'll still have to take things one day at a time. After the doctor leaves, Bridget asks Rick where he'll stay. "With me, of course," Brooke announces, planning to spoil her son rotten when he comes to stay "with us." Rick asks Brooke about that last part. "You don't really expect me to be in the same house as Ridge, do you?" he asks.

Rick makes a startling request of Brooke.

Brooke reminds Rick that Ridge lives with her. Rick asks her how she expects him to live with the man who tried to kill him. Brooke insists that what happened was an accident, but Rick points out that it wasn't an accident when Ridge punched him in Sydney, or when Ridge led Taylor on while being with Brooke. What Ridge might do scares Rick even more than his paralysis, and he's worried about how Ridge might hurt Brooke again and refuses to let that happen. Bridget steps in and suggests that the best solution is to let Rick stay with her while he recovers. Bridget then leaves to check on her patients, leaving her mom and brother alone. Brooke assures Rick that she just wants to help him heal, but Rick doesn't see how that will work with Ridge in the same house putting him down. "I'm not going home with you if Ridge will be there," Rick insists. Brooke acknowledges that he made that perfectly clear and advises him to get some rest, telling him that she'll be back.

Nick has concerns about Ridge's part in Rick's accident.

Nick and Katie drop by Brooke's house to pick up Jack. Ridge thanks them for taking Jack for the day and tells someone on the phone that he has to go because the "babysitters" arrives. Nick takes offense to being called a babysitter, but Ridge brushes it off. After Ridge tells Nick and Katie that Brooke is still at the hospital with Rick, Nick asks Ridge why he's not there and bets it has to do with Ridge being the reason that Rick's there. Ridge advises Nick to mind his own business. Katie steps in and tells the half-brothers to be good while she goes upstairs to get Jack. While Katie is gone, Nick asks Ridge what he fought with Rick about. Ridge doesn't want to discuss it, but Nick thinks he has every reason to be concerned about the house where his son lives. Ridge points out that Rick doesn't live here, but Nick counters that Rick's mother, who is also Jack's mother, does. Ridge doesn't feel like he really owes Nick an explanation, but he informs him that Rick was out of control after breaking up with Taylor.

Ridge asks Katie to take Jack out of the room.

Katie returns with Jack and overhears Ridge's last comment, so she asks about the break-up. Nick assumes Ridge played some part in that, but Ridge states that Taylor just wasn't ready to marry Rick. Nick bets Taylor called things off because she still has the hots for Ridge and asks "the dressmaker" how it feels to be in the middle of everything again. Ridge defends his actions and insists that what happened was an accident, but Nick doesn't seem to buy that. Ridge asks Katie to take Jack out of the room. Once Katie and Jack are gone, Nick assures Ridge that he'll have an opinion about how Ridge treats people, and especially Brooke's family, as long as Jack lives in this house. Ridge counters that he's helping raise Nick's son, and he expects Nick to respect him and his family as long as that's the case. Nick asks what that means. Ridge clarifies that it means that Brooke will be his wife, which means that Jack will be his stepson, and he will not let anyone or anything interfere with that.

Steffy tells Taylor not to be so hard on herself.

Stephanie and Steffy arrive at Taylor's and is surprised to see Thomas there. As Steffy joyfully greets her brother, Taylor explains that she asked Thomas and Phoebe to come over, but Phoebe unfortunately could make it. [But wasn't Thomas in Europe working for Forrester International? So how did Taylor just ask him to "come over" from across the river?] Steffy asks what's going on. Stephanie assures the kids that this is good news, since she already talked to their mom about this. Taylor explains to her kids that she wants to reunite their family by getting back with their father. Thomas asks how that can be if Ridge is engaged to Brooke. Taylor admits that wrinkle is part of the challenge. Thomas takes this news to mean that it's over between his mom and Rick. Taylor sighs that she broke up with Rick once she realized she made a huge mistake by not fighting hard enough for Ridge and for their family. She's not proud of the way she lost control and did some hurtful things she's ashamed of that drove Ridge away, but she thinks she learned from her mistakes. Thomas and Steffy tell her not to be so hard on herself and Stephanie agrees. Taylor thanks them for the support and acknowledges that Brooke did a good job taking care of her kids while she was gone, but she doesn't think that changes the fact that Ridge's relationship with Brooke is unhealthy. She claims that Ridge deserves so much more to Brooke and wants to help him see that, but she'll need her kids' help to do that.

Stephanie offers her two cents.

Stephanie tells the kids that she agrees with their mother. She can understand if Thomas and Steffy don't want to get involved, but she truly feels that their father's relationship with Brooke is not working. Steffy agrees, but she also knows that her father thinks he's in love with Brooke. Thomas adds that Brooke makes Ridge happy. Taylor points out that she thought drinking would make her happy while she was hitting the sauce, but it didn't, because no addiction ever makes a person happy. And Ridge and Brooke's relationship IS an addiction, she qualifies, but it's not love. She's seen the pattern repeat over and over through the years, so she's sure Brooke's addictive need for Ridge will lead her to hurt him again. Taylor asks the kids if that's what they want for their dad.

Thomas gives his mother his support.

Thomas admits that he's wanted his parents back together since they broke up, but they both told him it wasn't in the cards. "They were wrong," Stephanie states. Taylor clarifies that she was just too self-sacrificing and suggests that she might have even let Brooke convince her that Ridge fell in love with Brooke while Taylor was gone. So she may have backed away in an effort to make Ridge happy, but she doesn't intend to do that anymore. She makes it clear that she intends to get Ridge back, whether or not she has Thomas, Steffy or Stephanie's support. Thomas says that it would be a dream come true to have his parents reunited, but he doesn't see how that can happen if his dad and Brooke are about to get married. They're not married yet, Steffy points out. Stephanie chimes in and tells Thomas how Brooke asked Ridge to raise Nick's baby, and she thinks that's asking a lot. In fact, she actually thinks Brooke and Nick are better suited for each other. Steffy adds that Rick's hatred of her dad is a factor, too. And all that will lead Ridge to a very unhappy place in his life, Taylor predicts, which is why she has to help Ridge see that before it's too late. Thomas asks his mom if she really wants to do this, since it could be even worse for her if it doesn't work out. Taylor assures him that she's a lot stronger now, so she can do this. She knows how Steffy feels already, so she asks Thomas what he thinks. "I'm with you, Mom," Thomas answers.