Thursday, September 18, 2008, Episode #5400

Donna frets that she's been banned from the mansion.

At her house, Brooke listens as Donna confides that she feels like things are slipping away, noting that Stephanie hired guards to keep her away from Eric. Brooke assures Donna that she'll see Eric if he wants her to, but Donna doesn't think that will happen if Stephanie and her kids have anything to say about it. "I'm banned from the house," Donna laments, "and they're running Eric's life now." Donna then tells Brooke how she wrote a letter to Eric and got Marcus to deliver it, but he was thrown out. She is desperate to talk to Eric and tell him her side of the story. Brooke reminds Donna that Eric saw her with Owen, but Donna contends that it never went beyond sitting on the bed and kissing. Now Eric is confused and hurt, Donna states, and Stephanie is loving every minute of it. Brooke agrees that Eric should decide if he wants to see Donna and should be shown the whole picture, but she doubts that Stephanie will show him that. Donna bemoans that Stephanie has the whole house on lock-down to all Logans. Brooke thinks she can get in, since she's the mother of two of Eric's children, but Donna doesn't think that will matter to Stephanie. Brooke declares that she'd like to see Stephanie try to throw her out and turns to leave. Marcus arrives and asks Brooke if she heard what's going on at the mansion. He's impressed when Brooke states that she's tough enough to stand up to Stephanie. After Brooke leaves, Donna tells Marcus that she finally has an ally in her big sister.

Dr. Siefert thinks something is bothering Eric.

At the Forrester mansion, Dr. Siefert checks on Eric and notes that they're moving in the right direction, but he thinks it's too soon to tell what the long term prognosis will be. Still, he's pleased with the progress Eric has made, but he's concerned that something is weighing heavily on Eric right now. He wonders if Eric is worried about the long journey ahead of him. Stephanie and Ridge promise to do anything necessary to support Eric. While Ridge shows the doctor out, Stephanie walks over to Eric's bed and notes that the worst is behind him, promising that they'll face whatever's ahead together. "You haven't lost anything that's important," she points out, but Eric whispers Donna's name.

Marcus has an idea to help Donna.

Sitting out on Brooke's terrace, Marcus tells Donna that Eric looked good when he was at the house. He notes that Eric didn't seem out of it, although he bets that Eric would feel even better if he saw his wife. "He misses you. I could see it in his eyes when I read him the letter," Marcus insists. Donna hopes he's right. She's grateful that Brooke is trying to help her, but this is her fight and not her sister's, so she needs to get into that house at any cost and talk to Eric. Marcus tells her to calm down and think about this for a minute. Instead of being so gung-ho, he suggests that she adopt a stealthier approach so she can fly under Stephanie's radar. Seeing the gleam in her son's eye, Donna asks if he has something in mind. Marcus confirms that he knows a real smooth way to get her inside that house.

Ridge discusses Eric's condition with Stephanie.

Alone, Eric reads Donna's letter again. Downstairs, Ridge suggests to Stephanie that Eric could be down after seeing Donna with Owen and might need someone to talk to about it. Stephanie wishes Eric would focus on his recovery and just forget Donna and the whole stupid mess. When Ridge asks if she really means that, Stephanie says that she doesn't want to discuss it anymore. Stephanie then gets a call from the guard at the front gate that Brooke has arrived to see Eric. Stephanie tells the guard not to let Brooke in, but Ridge takes the walkie-talkie from her and instructs the guard to let Brooke come up. Stephanie asks Ridge why he did that, since she fears that Brooke will only upset Eric. Ridge protests, but Stephanie says that they can't just let anybody in to see Eric. Brooke enters and tells Stephanie that Eric is a grown man who can see who he wants. Ridge thinks Eric would want to see Brooke, so Stephanie agrees to let Brooke see him on the condition that she won't mention Donna's name or advocate for Donna.

Eric is glad to see Brooke.

Stephanie and Ridge take Brooke up to Eric's room. Eric is happy to see Brooke and smiles as he whispers her name. Stephanie asks Brooke not to wear Eric out by making him talk too much. Brooke is just delighted to see Eric and to hear him say her name. Eric mutters that he's happy to see her. Brooke says that she's happy to see him, too, especially since Rick and Bridget have told her how well he's doing in his recovery. Eric asks to talk to Brooke alone, so Stephanie and Ridge leave. Alone with Eric, Brooke tenderly tells him that she missed him so much, and so did Donna. She guesses that it must be confusing for him, since he feels like no time has passed at all since his heart attack, but everyone else is here fussing over him. "I missed you, too" Eric whispers. Brooke asks if he remembers anything from before he went into the coma. Eric shakes his head no. Brooke asks if he knows about Pam. He nods, but he's then confused when Brooke tells him how worried Donna is that Pam is still on the loose. Brooke can tell from his expression that no one told him what Pam tried to do to Donna. After explaining that Pam framed Donna and then tried to kill her, Brooke admits that she's not surprised that Eric wasn't told, but she is disappointed. She then tells Eric that Donna was there for him, trying to protect both him and the company. "You need to hear these things not from me, but from Donna, your wife," Brooke states as Eric strokes her cheek.

Stephanie interrupts Brooke's talk with Eric.

Downstairs, Stephanie frets that Brooke might be upsetting Eric. Ridge reminds her that Brooke understands Eric's condition, but Stephanie fears that Eric will start hyperventilating again if Brooke merely mentions Donna's name. Ridge asks her not to worry, but she reminds him that Eric was the one who said that he wanted Donna to leave. She just doesn't want to see Eric upset. Ridge tries to dissuade his mother, but she insists that it's time for Brooke to leave and makes a beeline for the master bedroom. Meanwhile, Brooke tells Eric that Donna never gave up on him. She can't explain or excuse what he saw Donna doing with Owen, but she wants him to know that Donna just wants to talk to him. She starts to explain how Stephanie barred Donna from the grounds and tells him that he'd be proud of the way Donna took care of the company, even though Donna was stressed out and overwhelmed. As Brooke tells him that Donna was just trying to find comfort with Owen, Stephanie enters the room. "What are you doing?" La Forrester asks. Brooke says that she's just telling Eric what he needs to know, but Stephanie grabs Brooke and drags her out of the room.