Monday, September 15, 2008, Episode #5397

Rick tries to reassure Taylor.

Rick finds Taylor sitting in the dark and puts his arms around her. He asks why she isn't reading like she said she'd be. Taylor says she couldn't concentrate and asks if Jack is down. "He's snoring," Rick jokes, but Taylor doesn't find the humor in it and laments that she can't get her own baby to go to sleep. Rick suggests that Jack is picking up on tense vibes from her, and asks if her nervousness comes from Brooke's offer to help. Taylor tells Rick that his mother's heart is in the right place, but Brooke is the last person she'd turn to for help mothering Jack. Jack starts crying, so Taylor and Rick pace around the house to get Jack back to sleep to no avail. Rick suggests to Taylor that she accept that she needs help and call Nick, but Taylor rejects the idea. She already lost custody of Jack one and refuses to let that happen again. Rick points out that circumstances are different now, but Taylor stands firm in her refusal to ask for help.

Thorne refuses to let Donna see Eric.

Donna tries to enter the Forrester mansion, but Thorne catches her and pushes her out, calling security to make sure Donna leaves the grounds. Meanwhile, Dr. Patrick is upstairs checking Eric out. When the doctor notices that Eric seems a bit down, Ridge, Felicia and Stephanie tell him that Eric caught his wife cheating with another man right here in this house and Eric saw it. They assure Dr. Patrick that they sent Donna packing to protect their father. As Ridge makes a comment to the doctor, Thorne comes in and tells Stephanie that he had to throw Donna off the premises. Finishing his exam, the doctor reports that Eric is generally in good health, although he will need therapy and a great deal of attention to get back to normal. The siblings credit Stephanie with bringing their dad back. After the doctors leave, the others explain to Eric that Pam drugged him and is now on the run. Eric seems shocked, but the members of his family assure him that they will protect him.

Donna tells Brooke that Eric is awake.

Brooke is leaving a message for Nick to call her about Jack when Donna drops by. The two sisters hug over the news that Eric is awake now. Brooke thinks this is great news, but Donna informs her that there's been a huge misunderstanding. Brooke asks what she means, so Donna explains how she allowed Owen to stay to protect her. She recounts that she was in one of the guest rooms with Owen feeling lonely and sad and exhausted over Eric's plight so she turned to Owen for comfort. They started kissing but that's all it was. But then Eric heard noises and wheeled over to see what was happening, and he saw Owen kissing her and assumed that something more was going on. Trying to be sympathetic, Brooke suggests that Donna try to explain to Eric. Donna wishes she could do that, but she's been banned from the house by Stephanie and her children. Refusing to take this, Donna calls the mansion and demands that Stephanie put Eric on, but Stephanie tells her that she's not interested in hearing any explanations and refuses to let Donna talk to Eric. Donna demands to be allowed to see Eric, but Stephanie hangs up.

Brooke tells Donna that neither of them can see Eric right now.

Donna tells Brooke that Stephanie hung up on her and fears that Stephanie and the children are poisoning Eric against her as they speak. Brooke wonders if Ridge might be able to help and calls him. After Ridge tells her that Eric is doing well so far, he asks if Brooke has heard from Donna. Brooke tells him that Donna is with her and wants to see Eric, but Ridge informs her that Eric clearly does not want to see Donna right now. He thinks it's important that only family be allowed to see Eric for now. Brooke understands and looks forward to seeing Eric. Ridge agrees that Brooke is family, but he points out that she is also Donna's sister, so he thinks it might be a good idea for her to stay away from Eric as well for now. Hanging up the phone, Brooke tells Donna that neither of them is welcome at the house right now. "The family wants to be with Eric alone," she explains, but Donna points out that she is Eric's family, too, as his wife.

Eric tells his family that he lost his way.

In Eric's bedroom, Felicia tells Eric that Stephanie was more of a wife to him the last few weeks than Donna could ever hope to be. Stephanie says she was just determined to make sure Eric didn't leave them, leading Thorne and Felicia to note how persistent their mother can be. Eric weakly chimes in that he agrees and tells him that he loves them all. He mutters that he let them down by losing his way, but now he's back with his children and his Stephanie where he belongs. He hopes they'll have him back with them. Of course they will, Felicia says as tears roll down her face.

Ridge and Felicia tell Eric that he's better off without Donna.

Stephanie leaves the room, leaving Ridge, Thorne and Felicia with their father to tell him not to dwell on his life with Donna. He's better off without her in his life, they insist.