Episode 116, originally published 23-Nov-98

Double or Nothing

Will we find Victoria doubled over in grief about her loss?
Will Ash and Cricket stop at nothing to make their husbands doubly happy?
Can Neil fill Vikki's void by doubling up on empty promises?

In Genoa City Memorial, Malcolm has dropped by to allow his wife an opportunity to badger him about Callie. But wait--don't go to sleep yet--it looks like someone has accidentally inserted some pages from an Another Way Out episode into the script. There may be hope yet! "So while I'm here, what's the story with the little Newman girl?" Malcolm asks. "It's a bit premature," Olivia says. "Well, then give me a guess," Malcolm says. "We're family. I won't tell." "Malcolm, I wasn't hesitating--that's the baby's status." "What?" "Premature." "Oh, that's right--I heard somewhere she wasn't expecting it to be born yet." "None of us were," Olivia says. "It took us totally by surprise." "But, wasn't Victoria pregnant like about 10 months?" Malcolm asks. "What's your point?" Olivia asks indignantly. "Well, it seems to me like with a little simple math..." "Malcolm? Who's the doctor here? The baby's fine--just a little small. And when babies are small, that means they're premature. I've put her on a respirator and I'm sure if we just wait a month or two, she'll be proper size and ready to take home. Now, if you'll please leave me, I have another baby that did die and I have to notify the family."

Cole comes down the hall of the hospital looking for Olivia. He starts to knock, but seeing that Malcolm has conveniently left the door partway open, he cocks his ear toward the door and listens to see if he's interrupting. In the office, Olivia says into the phone, "Well, I need to find him as soon as possible. His little girl has died and I have to break the news to him before someone else does." Cole's jaw drops and he withdraws into the hallway again to consider what to do. "Poor Vikki," he says to himself. "I'd better find her immediately and tell her before someone else does."

In her hospital room, Cole has told Victoria the bad news. "NOOOO!!" she wails. "Hey, Vikk, sometimes things just work that way. You have to trust the man upstairs." "But Cole, don't you understand? That was my special bond with you! Now we'll have nothing." "Hey, Vikki, don't think I don't know where you're coming from. You think I want to spend all day with Ashley every day? I've really enjoyed this excuse to get out and see you." Suddenly, she brightens. "Really?" "Well, sure." "And if you had to do it all over again, you still would?" "Well, uh, I guess so. But--" "But what, Cole? Let's do it." "Victoria, I can't marry you again. I'm married to Ashley." "No, not that. Just the baby thing. Let's make another." "Now, Victoria, I don't think that's--" "Don't THINK Cole! Just do. Do it for me. And if you don't, I'll cry again. A lot. Really a lot." "But Vikki, what about birth control--I didn't bring any," he says. "What if--" "Cole, THINK! We're going to make a baby. We don't NEED birth control. Besides--you know how hard it is to have a baby anyway. It'll probably take months of trying." "Months?" Cole says, pondering the possibilities. "It's not an option, Cole. You owe me this." "I do?" "Of course you do. You got me pregnant, didn't you?" "Uh, yeah...." "And I'm here because that pregnancy didn't work, right?" "Uh, yeah..." "So you owe me a replacement. Now get those jeans off and get to it before I call John Silva in here and ask him to get me TRIPLE damages."

Later, at Gina's, Cole is sitting at a table by himself when Gina comes up. "You look like someone just died," she says in her usual psychic way. Then, realizing her faux pas, she says, "Uh, sorry--I hope it's not your little boy or girl?" "It was a girl, Gina, and I'm afraid so. I just came from telling Victoria. Man, I'm tellin' ya, my heart really went out to her. She was screaming and yelling like there was no tomorrow." Gina nods understandingly. "Well, I'm glad she had you there to help her through it." Just then, Ashley sits down. "Help you through what?" Gina says, "I think that's my cue to leave," and disappears from view. "What's going on, Cole? Why the long face? Did something happen to your little boy or girl?" "It was a girl, Ashley, and yes, I'm afraid so." No longer fearing a special bond between Cole and Victoria, Ashley's empathetic side goes into high gear. "Oh, Cole, I'm so sorry," she says. "There must be something I can do." "No, Ash, I don't think so. Short of another baby, I don't think there's anything anyone can do." "Well, I hope you didn't volunteer to help with that!" Ashley says. Cole thinks for a moment and then, smiling slightly toward the camera, says, "No, I didn't volunteer." Ashley thinks for a moment and then says, "Cole, wait--I have an idea!"

At GC Memorial, Victoria is in tears because Cole had to cut their baby-making session short to meet Ashley for lunch. Neil enters to see her. "Hey, Victoria," he says gently, "what's the matter?" Thinking quickly, she remembers the death of her child and says, "Cole was just here to tell me the bad news." "Bad news?" "Uh, oh--no one has told you?" "Told me what?" She goes slowly: "Our child--Eve--she's dead." She waits for a reaction, but Neil's reaction is only of confusion. "What are you talking about? The baby is fine. I just came from the ICU." "Really?" Victoria says, confused. "Yes, really," he assures her. "She's fine." "Then Cole must have just been confused. Did you see my daughter? How is she?" "Well, I couldn't actually see her. She's in a respirator. But the heartbeat is fine--weak, but regular. They tell me that's normal."

Back at Gina's, Ashley unfolds her idea. "Listen to this Cole. Victoria is grieving, right?" Cole is uncertain where she's going, but plays along. "Right..." "Because she's lost a kid, right?" "Bingo," Cole says. "No, Bingo went back to Kansas with Hope and little Victor," Ashley says. Then she goes on, "But look--suppose we found her and Neil another kid. A replacement child." "A replacement child?" "Yes, of course. It's all the rage, Cole." "Sounds a little weird to me," Cole says. "Well, that's all little Cassie is--a replacement child for Noah," Ashley explains. "But Noah didn't die," Cole notes. "That's true. But you see--it worked out anyway." "And Cassie really is Sharon's daughter," Cole notes. "Yes, yes, that's all true. Details. Look, we'll scour the countryside--there must be some little girl somewhere--perhaps a little older--that is related to Neil or Victoria and that we could get and bring back to them to use instead of this little---" "Eve," Cole says. "Right. Eve." "Well, I dunno. I don't really have time to--" "Not to worry. It's the Christmas season at Jabot. Not much going on--just our seasonal roll-out. I'm sure I can squeeze in the time to go on the search. You just do whatever it is that you need to do and I'll be back with a surrogate child for those guys in no time."

Later that afternoon at Paul Williams' office, Ashley has just explained the problem to Paul. "So what do you think?" Ashley asks. "Can you find us someone like that?" "It sounds like a tall order," Paul says. Just then Cricket walks in. "Tall order, huh? Sounds like my kind of project. What's on the agenda?" Paul explains, "Well, Ashley here wants me to find a substitute baby for Neil and Victoria--apparently their new little baby Eve didn't die. She wants someone that's a blood relative of either Victoria or Neil--but maybe just a little older. I said I'd ask around and see what I could come up with." "What about Neil's daughter Lily?" Cricket asks. "No," Paul says. "She's a little young to be interviewing. I doubt she knows much about the family." "I didn't mean to interview," Cricket says. "I mean--she could be the blood relative." "Hey," says Paul amazed. "I like that. She'd be both a young blood relative and Neil's daughter. That's very much like what you're looking for." Ashley nods. "Not bad. Paul, you're the greatest." She starts to leave and says to Cricket on the way out, "And thanks for stopping by when you did, Christine. You're just the inspiration your talented husband needs."

In the Hotel Napoleon in Paris, Ashley meets up with Dru. "Go play for just a bit more, sweetie," Dru says to her daughter. Then she turns back to Ashley. "Let me get this straight. You want me to give you my daughter so you can take her to a loving household where she'll have care and attention that Neil and I have never been able to give her." "That's right." "Can I just do that?" "Oh, it's done all the time," Ashley explains. Here's the number of a Mildred Johnson in the United States who gave up her adoptive granddaughter to a total stranger and it worked out fine. You can call her and ask if you don't believe me." "No, it's ok. I trust you," Dru says. Then she calls to her daughter. "Lily, pack your things, honey. Momma's going to send you on a little trip."

At the office of Paul Williams Investigations, Paul buzzes Lynne. A moment later, she scurries happily into his office, ready to take dictation. "Lynne, I'm starting to suspect Chris is up to something." "Are you sure, Boss?" "Well, no, I'm not sure. But 137 trips to Norfolk in just two weeks? I don't know--it must be the private investigator in me but that seems just a little high." "Whatever you say, Boss." "Lynne, I want you to trace her credit card receipts and find out exactly where she is. I want to talk to her and I need to do it in person." "Right, boss!" Lynne says.

"I'd like to see my daughter," Neil tells the nurse at the ICU. "Are you sure?" the nurse asks. "Yes," Neil insists. "My wife--well, she's not my wife yet, but she WILL be--anyway, she's been asking a lot of questions about the baby. And since I haven't seen her..." The nurse smiles sweetly and nods. "Of course," she says. She goes to a respirator and opens it to reveal a little black baby. "Uh, this is not my baby," Neil says. "How can you know that? You said you hadn't seen her." Neil points to the baby's skin color. "My wife's baby--well, just trust me on this, ahright? it should be white." The nurse checks the little tag on the kid's leg and then rushes to a phone. A voice comes over the intercom, "Dr. Winters to ICU stat."

Lynne comes into Paul's office. "I've got that info you wanted on your wife. She rented a car with GPS and I've been able to reverse the signal so we can tell you exactly where she's parked in Norfolk." "That's great, Lynne, but how is Danny involved in all of this." "Danny?" "Yes, that's right. Danny. I'm sure he's in there somewhere. Find me a link. Any link. You can reach me on my cell phone. I'm on my way to Norfolk."

Olivia checks the tag on the baby. "This is very embarrassing," she says to Neil. "It seems your baby is dead after all." Neil looks heartbroken. "Dead? Are you sure?" Olivia nods. "I'm sorry, Neil. We apparently confused someone else's baby with yours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to call the other parents and tell them the happy news." "No, wait," Neil says. "I have to ask you a favor." "Uh, oh," Olivia says. "I don't like the sound of this. What is it?" "Don't tell Victoria right away about the baby." "Don't tell her? Why?" "Well, I don't think she can handle it." "Neil, she has to know sometime." "Maybe. Maybe not. For now, let's just keep it under wraps." "But Neil, she's going to want to see her little girl." "I know. But couldn't you just--issue instructions to your staff to tell Victoria the baby's in the respirator and that it can't be let out? It's just that, well, Victoria and I now have this special bond and I want to keep it that way." "But Neil, isn't it kind of a junk bond right now?" "Maybe," Neil says. "But it might still mature." Olivia rolls her eyes. "Something stinks about this metaphor," she says. "And I thought you didn't want to lie to her." "I'm not going to lie," Neil insists. "I just won't answer her questions. ... And I'll let you lie for me." Olivia sighs and says, "Neil, if I didn't love you so much..."

Victoria is on the phone to Cole. "So it was all a big mistake," she tells him. "The baby's fine. Everything's fine." "So, well, that's great," Cole says. Just then, the door opens. "Oh, that's Ashley. I'll call you back later," he says, putting down the phone and going to greet his wife--and Lily.

In a taxi in Norfolk, Paul's cell phone rings. "I found a link to Danny, Boss." "Great, Lynne. That's just what I need to finally confront Chris and end my marriage to her. What is it?" "Well, you know the car she rented?" "Right." "It was from Avis." "Right." "And the guy who owns that office is a big fan of Danny's music." "So you think--?" "I don't just think--I know. I checked his plane records, and he was recently in the same city as Danny at the same time. Now, I called him and he says he was just there for a concert...." "But you think it was more than that?" "Could be, Boss. He might be running love notes back and forth to your wife." "I knew it. Great work, Lynne." "Shall I arrange divorce papers for you and Chris?" she asks hopefully. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble," Paul says. "Nope, no trouble at all. Consider it done," she says. They both hang up.

At Cole and Ashley's, the camera pans from a shot of Lily sitting bored in Ashley's guest room back out to the living room where Cole and Ashley are talking. "So the baby's still alive?" "Yep. I'm the proud father of a bouncing baby girl. Little Eve. They even named her after my mom, can you imagine that?" "I don't remember your mom as being particularly little," Ashley says. "Well, the point is, Ash, that Victoria has her baby and she's happy again." "Well, then what do we do about Lily?" "Why not just return her to her mother?" Cole suggests. "Cole, we can't just do that. That would be rude. We only just took her. I think we should hang onto her for a while." "To raise as ours?" "Sure, why not. We could say she was a relative and that we were just taking care of her for a while..."

Olivia is with Neil again. "You aren't going to be able to keep this up, you know." "Who says? Maybe I'll find a replacement baby." "Well, you may just be in luck on that," Olivia says. "Really? You know of a replacement? Someone I can love and cherish forever and ever just as if she were my very own?" Olivia nods. "I do, actually." "Where?" "Not where. When." "When?" "That's right. When. Victoria's pregnant." "Well, well, well," Neil says, "the Lord does move in mysterious ways." "What do you mean?" "Well, I just came from the chapel and I'd prayed for a new baby for her. And here it is just moments later, and my prayers have been answered!"

In Ruth's house in Norfolk, Cricket is confronting Jim and Ruth when suddenly Paul comes charging in. Paul immediately goes for Cricket's purse, looking for love notes from Danny, when he sees Jim out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, hi, Ben," Paul says. "Ben?" Cricket asks. Paul nods. "Yes, you didn't know? What on earth are you doing here if you didn't. That's Ben Williams, my dad's twin brother." Jim gets a sudden look or recognition on his face. "Ben Williams. You're right! That's me. It's all coming back to me, Ruthie! I finally remember. I'm really Ben Williams, twin brother of Carl Williams. I was hiking in the mountains years back and I fell and--that must be when I lost my memory and started wandering. Wow, I bet I look really beat up when you found me. And you--you're Paul Williams, right? Carl's son? How's my brother doing?" "I'm afraid he's dead, Ben." "Dead? Well, that's a shame. But then, he and I were never really that close." "How long ago did it happen?" "Quite a while now," Paul admits. "Well then," Jim/Ben says. "What DOES bring you here to see me then?" All eyes move to Chris, who looks a bit embarrassed at FINALLY having been wrong about one of her hunches.

That's all for this episode. Hope you learned something. Don't miss Episode 117!
If you missed any older episodes, see the index.

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