Chapter 16
“The course of true love never did run smooth.” William Shakespeare
It is now three weeks after Katherine and Jerry’s party. Jerry had to go out of
town for a week on business, and was gone overnight, arriving home just in time
for the ultrasound at seven-thirty this morning. Jerry knew that Stefan would
use the time he was away to try to woo Katherine back. So, before he left,
Jerry set up a meeting with Laura and Stefan; a test if you will. He sent word
to each of them that the other wanted to meet in the park. Jerry then made sure
Katherine would be there. Jerry was torn; part of him hoped that Stefan would
pass the test, and Katherine could go back to be with the father of her child,
knowing how much she loves Stefan. Even though they haven’t, and don’t ever
intend to consummate their marriage, another part of him was enjoying being a
husband; having someone to come home for, someone to buy gifts for, someone to
snuggle on the couch and watch movies with, and someone to sleep next to at
night, knowing she’d be there in the morning and he wouldn’t have to ask her
name. He didn’t want that to end, not just yet, anyway.
When Jerry arrived home that night, the minute he walked in the door, he had his
answer. Katherine was staring out the window with tears rolling down her cheeks.
He held her as she told him of how she watched as Stefan and Laura talked, then
touched, then almost kissed. Even though Stefan pulled away, Katherine could see
he was still torn. Witnessing that made Katherine more determined not to return
to him until he could prove he was over *all* his old feelings for Laura.
Katherine spent the three weeks overseeing Lucy and the Nurse’s Ball
preparations. Katherine took great delight in using the phrase, “I think it
should be like this or that, after all, MY *husband* is paying for the Ball.”
solely to annoy Lucy. However, Katherine was surprised at how well Lucy took all
of the suggestions she made. Lucy would just get a wicked little smile every
time Katherine made a recommendation and then used the new catch phrase.
Lucky and Liz were only able to see each other in the halls at school and at
work. It drove both of them crazy not being able to talk on the phone, or go out
together. Lucky tried to sneak into Liz’s room one night, but Liz made him
leave. She knew if Audrey caught them, they’d not only miss the Nurse’s Ball,
but would probably be grounded all summer.
Alexis was able to spend time with Ned, and forget about Helena for awhile. Ned
made a practice of stealing kisses from Alexis every chance he could. He even
shocked her one-day when he pulled her into the stairwell and “had his way with
her”. As he was busily kissing and unbuttoning, unzipping, and unhooking, she
breathlessly tried to talk some reason into him by pointing out that at any
moment Edward, A.J., or even a secretary could catch them. He laughed, said that
was just adding to the thrill, and to, “Stop talking and help me with your
pantyhose”. She complied with his demands blissfully. Alexis was all at once
happy that Helena had not called her in the last three weeks, and yet
apprehensive that the “other shoe” hadn’t dropped yet.
Alexis still feared that Helena would find out about her affair with Ned, and
use that against her somehow.
The Nurse’s Ball is going wonderfully. Bobbie and Carly did a magic act, with
the last trick having Carly go into the “Disappearing Cabinet” and Katherine
“appearing” to make the next announcement. Allan and A.J. did a wonderful take
off on Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on First” routine. Theirs involved hospital
insurance procedure, as the twist. As each act closes, Lucy is becoming more and
more giddy at the thought of how humiliated Katherine would be by the end of the
night.
Lucy, Gail, Eve, and Kevin did a cute skit about dream analysis, where in Kevin
is a talk show host who analyses dreams**.
K: O.K. So, why don’t you go first Gail?
G: Well, every night this week I’ve dreamt that I was getting ready for school
and I was afraid I would miss the bus. I think…
K: Oh, you don’t have to go any further. I know what your dream means.
G: Really? What?
K: (confidently) Your subconscious is telling you, that you *want* me. (Audience
laughs)
G: (confused) No. I don’t think that’s what it means.
K: Yes, you WANT me.
G: (annoyed) No.
K: YES. Let’s move on, shall we? So, Eve, what was your dream?
E: (nervously) Ummm. I dreamt that I was in one of those mazes, you know the
kind made of hedges…
K: Uh-huh… Uh-huh.
E: And I kept trying to find my way out, but I…
K: O.K. you don’t have to say anymore. Your dream means that you *want* me.
E: (irked) No! It doesn’t.
K: HEY! Who’s the dream analyzer here? I say it means you WANT me.
Eve and Gail exchange disgusted looks. The audience giggles.
K: Alright, Lucy, tell me about your dream.
L: Well, in the dream I’m a tunnel, and you’re a train. And you keep entering
and leaving, entering and leaving, faster and faster, until…
K: (puzzled) Really? Is the train electric or steam?
L: I’m not really sure.
K: (perplexed, rubbing his chin) Huh… Is it a passenger or freight train?
L: I… I don’t know.
K: Wow… Gee, folks I’m kinda embarrassed… You’re a tunnel, and I’m a train?
L: Yes. And you enter and leave, faster and faster.
K: (stumped, scratching his forehead) Huh. Phewww. This is a first… I have NO
idea what your dream means… Well, that’s all the time we have for tonight.
Everyone has a good laugh as the curtains close. There are dance numbers by the
nurses, orderlies, and the surgeons. The last act is Ned and Dara singing a duet
of Simon and Garfunkles “Bookends/Time It Was”.
Stefan has been looking for an opportunity to get Katherine alone, but Jerry is
always close by. Stefan has one of his lawyers place an urgent call to Jerry.
When Jerry leaves to answer the phone, Stefan heads backstage. He makes his way
to where Katherine is, but hides himself among the curtains when he sees Lucy.
Katherine and Lucy are standing facing each other, waiting for Ned and Dara to
finish their song, so Katherine can go out on stage for the closing
announcement. Katherine is too happy in Lucy’s estimation, so she decides to
take a cheap shot at her.
L: You know Kathy, I hate to say this, but that dress makes you look *fat*.
K: (smugly) That’s because I’m pregnant.
L: (stunned) What? Pregnant?
K: Yes. Where have *you* been? Jerry announced it to everyone at the party three
weeks ago.
Lucy gets a struck look on her face. Jerry walks up behind Katherine, and puts
his arms around her, and kisses her on the cheek.
J: We just went for the ultrasound today.
L: (desperate and catty) You still look awfully BIG for someone, what? Two
months pregnant?
J: (smiling and patting Katherine’s belly) That’s ‘cause she’s carrying two
joeys in her pouch.
Lucy gets an even more shocked look on her face. Stefan has to grab a hold of
the curtains to steady himself.
L: TWINS? You mean you’re going to have TWO babies?
K: (condescendingly) That’s the usual definition of twins. Now if you’ll excuse
me… I have one final announcement to make.
Lucy grabs Katherine’s arm and pulls her back.
L: (frantic) You can’t go out there.
K: (irked) Let go of me! And why not?
L: Lets just say revenge is a dish best served cold, and I’M going to have to
eat this one.
Katherine smiles as she realizes what Lucy is talking about. Jerry looks puzzled
at this, but doesn’t ask.
K: Ohhh, is that why you’ve been so easy to get along with? You’ve been planning
this for a while, haven’t you?
L: (mad) Oh, stop it. I should just let you go out there and take your medicine.
But I guess I’ll have to go take it for you.
K: (smiling and gesturing to the stage) Then, by all means, you go ahead on out
there.
Lucy goes to the “mark” and smiles nervously at the audience.
L: (in typical Lucy style) Well, here we are. The end of the evening… hehe… Oh,
you’re wondering why our illustrious M.C. is not out here to say goo… hehe…for
the fair well. As many of you know, she’s pregnant…
Scott leans into Kevin.
S: (whispering) What’s Lucy up to now?
K: (whispering) I’m afraid Lucy’s revenge is about to blowup in her face.
Scott and Kevin both smile knowing smiles at each other.
Lucy has been stalling and looking upward nervously the whole time.
L: When she was uhhh, backstage, uhhh… She was hit with morning sickness… It’s
not morning, but… hehe… OH! She just told me she and Jerry found out today
they’re expecting twins!
The audience breaks out into a round of applause. Nikolas appears completely
stunned and looks around for his uncle. Scott smiles at Kevin.
S: (cupping his mouth with both hands) GET ON WITH IT, LUCY!!
L: OH, ALL RIGHT! (Cringing) Well, goodnight ladieeeee
At that moment Lucy is drenched in gallons of green slime. Before anyone can
react a rope yanks her upside-down by her ankles, and she is swinging to and
fro. Kevin shakes his head in dismay, while the rest of the audience laughs and
applauds. Katherine is backstage nearly in tears from laughing so hard.
K: (through her laughter) Jerry, would you go get some towels?
After Lucy is lowered down, she storms off stage to a waiting Katherine, who
wraps the towels around her.
K: (laughing) Thank you for not letting me go out there.
Lucy looks disgusted. Katherine is helping to dry Lucy off.
L: Well, it’s not your babies’ fault they have a nasty mother. And I don’t want
to be responsible for your losing them, then everyone would think *I’m* the
nasty one.
A beaming Katherine gives Lucy a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.
K: Well, maybe next year.
Katherine walks off, leaving Lucy with a dumfounded look on her face.
Katherine goes to one of the offices where she left her purse. As she turns to
leave Stefan enters and closes the door behind him. He has a strange look on his
face, and Katherine is not sure whether he is happy or mad. Seeing him brings
back her hurt and angry feelings at what she saw in the park over two weeks ago.
Stefan’s hands are shaking as he talks to her.
S: Katherine, (pointing at her stomach) those are MY children.
K: (coldly) In this country possession is 9/10ths of law, so I’d have to say
they’re MY children.
S: (dismayed) How can you even *think* about keeping me from MY children?
K: (mad) They’re not YOURS. I am a married woman and these children are Jerry’s
and mine.
S: You don’t even *love* him. You only married him, because you’re angry with
me.
K: (angry) How DARE you! How dare you stand there and tell ME what my feelings
are. When YOU don’t even know what your OWN feelings are.
S: I told you I’m over Laura.
K: Really? It didn’t look that way in the park a few weeks ago. You may not have
kissed her, but you sure had to fight it, didn’t you?
S: (surprised) You were there? (Coldly) Now I understand why Mr. Jax set up that
meeting between Laura and me. Or, didn’t your *husband* tell you that? Katherine
is not sure whether to believe him or not.
K: Even if that’s true, YOU could have refused to go, YOU could have walked away
from her, and it was YOU who almost kissed her, *again*. So don’t blame Jerry
for YOUR actions. (Hurt and angry) Seeing you with her again, showed me that you
need *a lot* more time to figure out what or who you really want.
Stefan realizes he’s losing ground by discussing Laura. He is angry, because he
knows she is right about his feelings being disordered every time he gets near
Laura. There is a long pause in the conversation, as Stefan searches for the
words that will take away the hurt he sees in her eyes. He knows this time the
hurt can not be blamed on Alexis, or anyone besides himself. After not having
her near him for the last nine weeks, he appreciates the light and joy she
brought into his life. A light that he *must* get back. He becomes enraged at
himself when he can think of none, but he knows he must say something.
S: (loudly) Those babies are MINE, Katherine, and I will NOT be denied what’s
MINE.
K: (hushed, but angry) Lower your voice. I can’t believe you. Haven’t you
considered if your mother thought these were *your* children - she would kill
me, kill them? I have. I can only assume that’s why you never told her Nikolas
is *your* son.
S: (shocked) How did you…?
K: I figured it out. I had always thought your love for him was so strong
because you raised him, but when I saw you and Laura kiss (hurt) that night in
the cellar. It all fell into place. You love him like a son because he IS your
son. You loved Laura all those years because she *gave* you that son. (In tears)
And you never got over her, not even when you were with me, did you?
S: (impassioned) Katherine, I told you I love you. What you saw was an error in
judgment on my part. I do love you. I want you to come home.
Katherine is suddenly fighting back nausea. Jerry enters the room and looks
between Katherine and Stefan. Jerry can see she is upset and about to be ill.
J: Lois, are you O.K.?
Katherine shakes her head then runs to the bathroom in the office, slams the
door, and vomits. While she is out of the room, Stefan and Jerry exchange
scowls.
S: (coldly) Katherine does not love you. Those are MY children she is carrying.
J: (smiling and smug) I think you’re just angry you didn’t have the
*testicular**fortitude* to marry her when you had the chance. You were too busy
dallying in the past to see what you had in front of you. And as of two weeks
ago you still couldn’t stop dallying.
S: Yes, the park. You arranged that meeting. And you made sure Katherine would
be there to see the whole thing. How could you deliberately hurt her like that?
J: ME? Well, I may have set it up, but YOU were the one who couldn’t keep his
hands off Laura. THAT is what hurt her. Now, Mr. Cassadine, I’m going to tell
you this once - She is MY wife, and those are OUR children. You stay away from
her, from us, or I’ll move her so far away and so remote, neither you OR your
mother will find us - EVER.
S: Mr. Jax, you’ll find I don’t respond well to threats. Especially when they
involve the people I love. If you think…
Katherine reenters the room slowly. Jerry rushes to her, and she leans her
forehead against his chest, her eyes closed. He rests his chin on her head,
closes his eyes, strokes her hair with one hand, and rubs her back with the
other.
J: (softly) Lois, Did you take your vitamin today?
K: No. I left home early and forgot it.
J: And I suppose you didn’t have your nap today, either?
K: No. I was really busy with the Ball.
J: You know, the doctor said you need to take good care of yourself for these
babies to go full term. We want them to stay in there a good long time, so
they’ll come out nice and healthy and strong…
Stefan suddenly felt like a voyeur, like he should leave this husband and wife
to their private conversation. He had to remind himself this was HIS Heart
talking so intimately with another man about HIS children’s well being.
J: Lois, I want you to promise me, now that this Ball business is over, we can
get you back to a normal schedule.
K: (weakly) I promise. Would you get the car, please? I’m ready to go home.
Jerry pulls away from Katherine and looks into her tired eyes. Jerry glares at
Stefan as he leaves. Katherine walks toward the door, stopping to look at
Stefan.
K: (calmly) I’d suggest you don’t ever mention this again. Remember, if your
mother thinks these babies are yours - she *will* have me killed.
Katherine leaves Stefan in the office. He stands there for a long time thinking
about what to do next. Nikolas has been searching for him, finds him in the
office, and calls for him.
N: Uncle!
S: Yes?
N: Did you hear the news?
S: Twins.
N: Yeah. Did you talk to Katherine?
S: Yes. She is still angry with me. She’s afraid, and rightly so, if your
grandmother thought that the babies were mine, Helena would have her killed.
N: So what do we do?
S: We don’t speak of this again. To anyone.
N: But, Uncle…
S: I’ll give you my reasons on the way home.
Stefan and Nikolas walk out to the entrance to wait for their limo. They are
just in time to see Jerry help Katherine into their limo. Stefan stares as the
car drives away.
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