At the hospital, Daniel assured Carly that any man would be lucky to have her. Carly said that she didn't need a pep talk from Daniel. Daniel said that he just wanted to remind Carly that she was a terrific woman. Carly sarcastically stated that she was terrifically high-maintenance. Daniel started to reiterate that Carly was an amazing woman, but Carly interrupted.

"I'm an extraordinary, accomplished, capable woman, with a body that just won't end -- yeah, I get it. Um, listen...can we just stop talking about me? I'm tired of talking about myself, I'm tired of thinking about myself -- it's me, me, me, all the time, and who cares?" Carly asked. Daniel insisted that he cared; Carly assured Daniel that she was aware that he cared about her.

Daniel started to excuse himself so that he could find Jennifer, but before he could leave, Melanie entered the room. Melanie wondered if Daniel and Carly would be interested in having a family dinner together. Carly and Daniel eagerly agreed.

At the police station, Hope desperately tried to find another piece of evidence that would incriminate Stefano and E.J. Bo told Hope that she was going to have to accept that the case was over. Hope admitted that she didn't think that she would be able to do that. Later, Roman escorted someone into the station. The suspect, Ellis Pendleton, had broken a homeless man's arm, and he had also stolen six dollars from the man.

Hope told Ellis that he was looking at some serious jail time. "I'm not worried; in this town, you can set your husband on fire and get away with it," Ellis dryly stated. As Hope's temper flared, she grabbed Ellis and shoved him into a nearby chair. Roman assured Bo and Hope that he would take care of Ellis, and he quickly escorted Ellis out of the room.

After Roman and Ellis left, Hope insisted that she was fine, but Bo wasn't convinced. Bo theorized that Hope had lashed out at Ellis because she was upset about the DiMera case. Bo reminded Hope that her position on the force was precarious. Bo wondered what would have happened if the D.A. had been in the room. Hope conceded that Bo was right, and she excused herself so that she could clear her head.

Outside the Brady Pub, Vivian gleefully told Gus about the trap that she and Quinn had set for Carly. Gus admitted that he was upset because Vivian had failed to ask for his help with the plot. Gus pointed out that Vivian had been spending a lot of time with Quinn. Gus added that he had started to feel like Vivian had forgotten about him.

Vivian told Gus that it wasn't polite to pout. "But since Carly's probably in a drug-induced stupor, well...oh, it makes me think of Ellen Burstyn in Requiem for a Dream -- remember when she thought she was being attacked by her fridge? Did you see that? Marvelous film; anyway, the thing is, I'm feeling in a wonderful mood, and very forgiving...do you remember when you found that signed picture of Joan Collins online?" Vivian asked. Gus told Vivian to stop toying with him, but Vivian insisted that she was being serious. Vivian said that she was going to buy the Joan Collins picture for Gus.

Vivian's mood instantly dampened when she spotted Carly, Melanie, and Daniel sitting at a table in the pub. "Damn it! She was supposed to be having the DT's, not clam chowder!" Vivian snapped. Meanwhile, inside the pub, Melanie tried to ask Daniel about his relationship with Jennifer. Daniel claimed that there had been a misunderstanding, but Melanie wasn't satisfied with that vague response. As Daniel tried to evade Melanie's questions, Hope entered the pub, and she asked to talk to Melanie.

After Melanie and Hope left, Daniel wondered how Jennifer was going to react when she learned that he had told Carly about his earlier conversation with Jennifer. Carly assured Daniel that Jennifer would get over it. Meanwhile, Vivian sat at the bar, eavesdropping on Daniel and Carly's conversation.

Outside the pub, Hope asked Melanie if E.J. had said anything about the fake Rafe scheme on the night of his attack. Melanie apologetically admitted that E.J. had been unconscious the entire time. Hope conceded that she was grasping at straws, and she thanked Melanie for her help.

Back at the police station, Roman wondered if Hope was all right. Bo explained that Hope was upset about the DiMera case. "There's a couple other things...the D.A. is a bit ticked off because we went over his head to get her reinstated; Internal Affairs -- not an easygoing bunch at the best of times -- they're breathing down my neck...watching her like a hawk -- watching us like a hawk," Bo added. Bo warned Roman that Hope wasn't aware of the Internal Affairs investigation, and he said that he wanted to keep it that way.

As Bo and Roman continued to discuss the Internal Affairs investigation, Hope entered the room. Bo told Hope that Roman had managed to get Ellis to agree to keep his mouth shut about what had happened earlier. Hope thanked Roman for covering for her. Roman assured Hope that it wasn't a problem, and he excused himself.

After Roman left, Hope told Bo that she wasn't going to lose her temper again. "It's just...this thing with the DiMeras, Bo. I mean, they do what they do, and they never pay for it -- they just walk, and I keep asking myself, 'What is the point?'" Hope explained. Bo cryptically stated that he had an answer for that, and he asked Hope to follow him.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Jennifer wondered if Abigail and Chad had enjoyed the movie that they had watched earlier. Abigail said that Chad had groaned the entire time. "It was dumb. All right, listen to this -- the whole movie was about this girl freaking out because she thought her boyfriend wanted to get with her girlfriend, when in fact, he was just being nice. Ms. Horton, the girl wasn't twelve -- she was a senior in high school," Chad explained.

Jennifer wondered if Chad believed that the girl's actions had been immature. "Don't get me started, all right? She does this matchmaking thing to prove that she's right, and then arranges for the guy and the friend to meet at some restaurant or something," Chad added. Abigail tried to defend the movie, but Jennifer agreed that Chad's assessment was probably right.

Abigail could tell that something was bothering Jennifer, so she asked Chad to order some drinks. After Chad left, Abigail wondered if Jennifer was upset because of Daniel. Abigail told Jennifer that she needed to stop denying her feelings for Daniel. Jennifer insisted that her mind was made up. Jennifer said that she wasn't going to do anything that might jeopardize Carly's recovery.

As Jennifer and Abigail continued their discussion, Gus entered the bar. Jennifer told Abigail that she needed to think of a plausible explanation for why she couldn't continue to see Daniel. Abigail pointed out that the real explanation wasn't even plausible. Jennifer ignored Abigail's warnings, and she explained that she had decided to tell Daniel that Jack might be returning to Salem.

"What is going on with you, Mom? Did you have a lobotomy recently that I didn't know about?" Abigail asked incredulously. Before Jennifer could respond, she received a phone call from Daniel, who asked to see her. Jennifer told Daniel that she was at the Cheatin' Heart, and Daniel agreed to meet her there. Meanwhile, Gus called Vivian, and he explained that Daniel was headed over to the Cheatin' Heart to talk to Jennifer.

As Abigail tried to convince Jennifer to change her mind, Chad returned to the table. Chad wondered if everything was all right. Abigail explained that they were just dealing with some mother-daughter issues. Abigail added that the main issue was that Jennifer refused to listen to Abigail's advice.

Back at the Brady Pub, Melanie said that she hoped that Jennifer had not done anything to upset Daniel. Melanie said that she didn't want to have to hate Jennifer. Carly pointed out that Jennifer had just finalized her divorce, and she suggested that it might just be too soon for Jennifer to start a new relationship. Melanie noted that Carly seemed happy that Daniel and Jennifer were not together.

Carly said that she just thought that it was weird that Daniel and Jennifer's relationship had abruptly fizzled out, because they had seemed really happy. Before Melanie could respond, Carly abruptly excused herself. Melanie wondered if something was wrong; Carly deflected Melanie's question, and she rushed out of the pub before Melanie could say anything else. Vivian followed Carly out of the pub.

Meanwhile, Abigail and Chad entered the pub. Abigail asked Melanie if Carly was all right. Melanie admitted that she wasn't sure. Melanie said that she had gotten the impression that Carly was worried about Jennifer. "Do you really think this is about my mom? 'Cause, I mean, your mom's been through a lot lately, and maybe she's just stressed out in general, but...I mean, even just now, she seemed like she was really on edge," Abigail noted.

Melanie started to say that she didn't know any surgeons who were not on edge, but a phone call from the hospital cut her short. After Melanie left, Chad wondered what Abigail had been trying to tell Melanie about Carly. When Abigail didn't respond, Chad wondered if she was upset because he had cracked jokes about the movie earlier. Abigail said that she was upset with herself for making them see the movie in the first place. Chad assured her that it wasn't the end of the world.

"Yeah, I know, but...I'm mad at myself, because I didn't even wanna see it in the first place. I just...I don't know, I thought you would think it was weird that I would have rather seen a movie about aliens trying to destroy L.A.," Abigail explained. Chad was pleasantly surprised to learn that Abigail liked movies like that. Abigail said that she liked to watch Die Hard when she was depressed. Chad grinned and said that he had never felt closer to Abigail.

Abigail said that she felt really stupid. "But, you know, you were really nice about it; that's what I love about you," Abigail added. Chad noted that Abigail had used the word "love." Abigail quickly pointed out that the word had many different meanings. Chad wondered if that meant that Abigail didn't really love him. Abigail admitted that she wasn't sure what she was feeling, but she added that she would not mind exploring the possibilities. "Well, you know what? Neither would I," Chad said, as he leaned in to kiss Abigail.

At the hospital, E.J. started to recall a blurred image of Melanie's face from the night that he had been attacked. Meanwhile, in the waiting area, Lexie told Stefano that she was worried about E.J.'s mental state. Stefano said that Lexie needed to be worried, because E.J. had given Sami full custody of Johnny and Sydney earlier that night. Before Lexie could respond, the monitors in E.J.'s room started to beep.

Lexie rushed into E.J.'s room to find out what was happening. A short time later, Lexie returned to the waiting area, and she informed Taylor and Stefano that E.J. had suffered some sort of episode. Lexie wondered if E.J. had really signed away his rights to Johnny and Sydney. Stefano nodded, and he said that he couldn't imagine anything that would hurt E.J. more than that.

As Lexie and Stefano continued their discussion, Taylor slipped into E.J.'s room. E.J. groggily acknowledged Taylor, and he told her that he had been having dreams about the night that he had been attacked at the pier. Taylor asked E.J. to tell her more about his dreams. E.J. said that there had been a woman at the pier with him, but he admitted that he didn't know who she was. Taylor suggested that the woman might have been E.J.'s guardian angel.

Taylor wondered if E.J. had really given up custody of his children. E.J. said that it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Taylor wondered why he had made that decision, after everything that he had done to keep them. "Well, you know me -- it's kind of a bottom-line thing, really; they seemed like a great deal of expenditure, time, money, without any real guarantee of a return," E.J. dryly stated. Taylor ignored E.J.'s sarcastic remark, and she said that it was obvious that E.J. loved his children.

E.J. pointed out that things usually didn't end well for the people that he loved. E.J. said that Stefano believed that E.J. had given up custody of his children because he wanted to impress Taylor. E.J. admitted that Stefano might be right, and he wondered if Taylor was impressed. Taylor said that she was just sad, and she quickly left the room. After Taylor left, E.J. muttered that she wasn't the only one who was sad.

Back in the waiting area, Stefano told Taylor that he wanted to talk to her about E.J. "I'm, uh, pretty sure that you are here because you have some feelings for Elvis, so...I am counting on two things -- number one, that you are a sane, rational young woman, and number two, that you only want the best for Elvis. So, my question is...what would it take for me to set you up somewhere else?" Stefano asked. Taylor wondered if Stefano was trying to buy her off.

Stefano shrugged and pointed out that being paid off was better than the alternative. Taylor wondered if Stefano was threatening her. Stefano impatiently told Taylor to just take the money and leave. Taylor said that she wasn't going to take orders from Stefano. "I believe that you have destroyed my son's spirit, hmm? You did more than just kill this man; you've made him into something that he is not. So...please, go away, so I can revive him. Do it now, and I'll pay for it; you wait, and I will ensure that you'll relocate," Stefano said.

Taylor glared at Stefano, and she told him to go to hell. Taylor admitted that she might have lost E.J., but she pointed out that Stefano was losing him, too. Taylor warned Stefano that E.J.'s conscience had convinced him to give up his children. Taylor added that E.J. might continue to listen to his conscience, and she noted that Stefano probably wouldn't like that.

Stefano sarcastically pointed out that Taylor's petty comments might jeopardize her reputation as the world's most morally superior person. Taylor turned away from Stefano, and she muttered that Stefano didn't know who she really was. Stefano thoughtfully agreed that there was probably a lot about Taylor that he didn't know. Stefano said that he had told Lexie that Taylor was dangerous.

Taylor said that Stefano needed to take a look in the mirror. "Why don't you take a look at what you have done to him? You drag him into your schemes; you tell him that you're gods who can play with people's lives...but you can't keep him from getting beaten up like some foolish drunk coming home from his bowling league," Taylor said.

"You're right -- I was not able to stop that. But trust me, I will find out who did this to my son, and when I do, that person will wish they were never born," Stefano vowed. Meanwhile, back in E.J.'s room, Lexie wondered if anything had happened to E.J. earlier that might have triggered his episode. E.J. told Lexie about his dream; E.J. said that he had seen a woman in his dream, but he added that he didn't know who the woman was.

Later, Melanie entered E.J.'s room, and she started to check his vital signs. When Melanie approached E.J.'s bed, he reached out and grabbed her arm. E.J. stared at Melanie for a moment, then he asked her for a glass of water. After Melanie left, E.J. muttered that Melanie was the woman who had found him on the pier.

Back at the Cheatin' Heart, Daniel greeted Jennifer. Jennifer immediately started to tell Daniel about Jack's possible return to Salem. Jennifer insisted that she had been telling the truth about Carly's feelings for Daniel, but she claimed that Jack's return was the real reason that she had decided to slow things down with Daniel. Jennifer said that she had decided that she wanted to be completely honest with Daniel.

Daniel agreed, and he admitted that he had told Carly about their earlier conversation. Daniel assured Jennifer that Carly was not in love with him. Jennifer said that Daniel had ruined everything; before Daniel could respond, Jennifer rushed out of the bar. Meanwhile, Gus called Vivian to let her know what had happened.

In Carly's hotel room, Carly tearfully retrieved the bag of pills that she had hidden earlier. Meanwhile, Vivian lurked in the hallway. Vivian received a phone call from Gus, who told her about the fight that Daniel and Jennifer had gotten into at the Cheatin' Heart. Vivian wondered what was going on with Jennifer, Daniel, and Carly.

Back inside the hotel room, Carly quickly swallowed one of the pills, as she continued to sob uncontrollably. Later, in the park, Jennifer tried to call Carly, unaware that Carly was passed out on the floor of her hotel room.

Nicole dropped by the DiMera mansion to pick up the sweater she'd left behind when she'd taken E.J. to the hospital, but was chagrined to find Kate in the living room. Kate accused Nicole of being stupid for not noticing what had been going on between E.J. and Taylor. Scoffing, Nicole wondered what she could have done about it. "Well, I think you should have done something, because she ruined everything," Kate asserted. Nicole argued that it was Stefano who had ruined everything.

Kate wouldn't allow Nicole to badmouth Stefano in his own house, especially because he had been devastated because of E.J.'s surrender of the children and was concerned about E.J.'s health. Kate was clearly worried about Stefano, and blamed Taylor for the whole situation. Nicole was astonished to realize that Kate seemed to truly love Stefano. With a shrug, Kate admitted that she didn't know how it had happened. Nicole understood the appeal of DiMera men, since the same thing had happened to her with E.J. Kate confessed that she hated seeing Stefano so sad, and Nicole admitted that she hated to see E.J. without his kids. "What the hell happened to him?" Nicole wondered.

Kate blamed Taylor, pronouncing her "an opportunistic infection." Nicole confessed that she'd almost left E.J. on the floor where she'd found him, but then she had thought about what Stefano might do if he ever found out. Kate teased that it had been because Nicole loved E.J., but Nicole denied it. Kate noted that at least Stefano could cross Nicole off his list of suspects in who had beaten up E.J., or hired someone to beat him up. Nicole was grateful for Kate's support. She wondered who else was on the list, but Kate would only say that Stefano would make whoever had done it pay dearly.

Maggie arrived at the Kiriakis mansion to see Brady. She was dismayed when Victor answered the door, because Henderson had told her that Victor was out of town on business. Maggie suspected that Victor had gotten Henderson to lie for him, but Victor suggested that since she was there anyway, the two of them could have tea. Maggie got a text message postponing her meeting with Brady, so she declined Victor's invitation, and left.

Gabi was hanging out at the Brady Pub and surfing the Internet on her computer while Will was working. When Sonny arrived, the others greeted him warmly, but T's angry entrance interrupted them. "Why didn't you tell me you were gay?" T demanded. While Will tried to calm T down, Sonny asked why he should reveal his sexuality to someone he barely knew. After a little digging, Gabi turned her computer screen around to show the guys what had likely set T off: the picture of T and Sonny on the beach, where a shirtless T had his arm around Sonny.

Sonny pointed out that T had insisted on having their picture taken together. T maintained that he never would have done so if he had known that Sonny was gay, because T didn't want people to think he was gay, as well. Sonny asserted that T was overreacting. T argued that he wasn't overreacting, because the picture was on the Internet. "People are gonna think I'm some kind of perve, like you! You're disgusting!" T proclaimed angrily, backing away. "No, he's not. You are," declared Victor, who had arrived unnoticed.

Maggie entered the pub, and listened from the doorway as Victor read T the riot act for being stupid enough to talk to a Kiriakis that way within earshot of Victor, and ignorant enough to think there was anything wrong with being gay. T didn't need Will's gentle encouragement to hurry out, but Sonny stopped T before he could leave.

"I feel sorry for you. Being prejudiced against someone who's not like you -- it's not going to serve you well. I hope you can change at some point, become enlightened," Sonny said quietly, but T left without another word. Victor expressed his admiration to Sonny for being generous with T. Sonny thanked his uncle, and the two embraced affectionately. Victor looked up and noticed Maggie watching them, but she just gave him an approving look and slipped back out.

After Victor had gone, Gabi commended Sonny for the way he'd handled T. Sonny hoped that in getting to know him, T would learn to become more accepting -- although all bets were off if T kept acting like a jerk. Kinsey arrived just then, but when she saw Gabi and Sonny, she quickly made an excuse about getting her coffee to go. Sonny assumed that Kinsey hated him, too, but Gabi assured him that the opposite was actually true.

Sonny approached a clearly uncomfortable Kinsey at the bar, and assured her that he liked her and wanted the two of them to be friends -- but only if she could manage it. Kinsey admitted lightly that she didn't know how to deal with guys who weren't sexually attracted to her, because then she couldn't make them do whatever she wanted. Sonny reassured her that if he were straight, she'd be the girl who could walk all over him and turn him into the laughingstock of all other straight guys. Kinsey and Sonny were laughing together when Will clocked out and left with Gabi.

Outside, Gabi asked if it bothered Will that Sonny was gay. Will admitted that he had been disappointed in himself for being shocked about it. He added that he had thought to himself that Sonny didn't seem gay, but then he'd realized how stupid that sounded. "Anyway, Sonny's just Sonny, just like he's always been," Will concluded with a shrug and a smile. Gabi kissed him, and he asked why. "For you being Will, just like you've always been," she replied simply. Will kissed her again.

Maggie returned to the Kiriakis mansion. When Victor answered the door again, she requested, "The tea that you offered? I'd like that, and a side of crow." Beaming, Victor invited her in. Maggie declared that what Victor had done for his nephew had been wonderful. Victor reminded her that he had assured her that he wasn't prejudiced. "But you insist on believing the worst about me. And ninety-eight percent of the time, you're right," he added, eyes twinkling. Maggie stifled a laugh.

As they sat awkwardly on the sofa later, Maggie admitted that she couldn't tell if the two of them were making progress or not. Victor concurred, "You'd think we'd get better at this romance malarkey at our age." Maggie countered that they knew all too well how much it could hurt if things didn't work out, and that made her feel as if she were teetering on the edge of a cliff with a strong wind blowing. Victor surmised that they both felt that way because they both suspected that what they had was "the real thing." Maggie put her teacup down, then sat on a surprised Victor's lap and, giggling, kissed him.

At the Sapphire Club, Vivian was moaning about how her plans to lure Carly deeper into drug addiction had gone awry. Gus cheerfully assured her that all was not lost, although he hinted at his jealousy of Quinn. Vivian ordered Gus to stop pouting, because their plotting was not about any of them; it was about avenging Lawrence's death.

At the hospital, Melanie asked Daniel how things were going with Jennifer. Although uncomfortable talking about his personal life with his daughter, Daniel admitted that Jennifer had angrily walked out on him the night before after a conversation that had lasted about 45 seconds. Melanie wondered why Abigail seemed to believe that there was something wrong with Carly, not Jennifer. Daniel then opened a piece of mail that apparently infuriated him, because he charged off.

Maxine arrived at the nurses' station, and noted that Melanie appeared to be preoccupied. Melanie confessed that she'd been trying to call her mom, but so far Carly hadn't answered. Maxine urged Melanie to go check on Carly. A grateful Melanie seized the opportunity, but tried to reassure herself that nothing was wrong.

After Melanie had changed out of her scrubs, she was waiting for the elevator when she ran into Dario, who was there to deliver some papers to the board from Titan. Since he had a little time to kill, he asked if the two of them could take a walk together. Melanie hesitated, but realized she could check on Carly later, and then left with Dario.

In her office, Jennifer left a worried message for Carly, who didn't answer because she was passed out on the floor of her hotel room. Jennifer was headed out the door to check on Carly when an angry Daniel showed up. He confronted her about a commendation that he and Carly were supposed to receive that Jennifer had nominated them for. Jennifer pointed out that it was an honor they deserved, but Daniel accused her of playing games.

Jennifer firmly asserted that the commendation was good publicity for the hospital. Daniel demanded sarcastically, "Why don't you just focus your energy on the return of Jack, and leave me and Carly the hell alone?" Jennifer apologized with mock-sincerity and promised that she would never recommend him for anything again before storming out.

As they strolled on the pier, Dario informed Melanie that the papers he'd dropped off had been about commendations that Melanie's parents were going to receive for being outstanding surgeons. Melanie was excited for Daniel and Carly, but Dario wondered why Melanie was with "an idiot like [him]" when she had parents like that. Melanie lightheartedly declared that Dario was an idiot for feeling like an idiot.

Dario reminded her that he'd been a thief and a bartender before becoming a messenger boy, while Melanie had a very wealthy ex-husband, a great job, and incredibly successful parents. Although Melanie tried to argue with him, Dario insisted, "I'm a mess, and your family's damn near perfect." Melanie kissed him, and asked if he felt better. Dario asked her to try some more, so she did.

When Maxine asked Daniel to sign some forms, he snapped at her. Maxine ordered him not to take his out anger with Jennifer out on Maxine, then added firmly, "Fix things with Ms. Deveraux, and fix them with Doctor Manning."

Carly was still unconscious when Vivian, disguised as a maid, let herself into the room. Vivian opened a large bottle of pills, counted out a few, and dissolved them in a glass of water. She lifted Carly's head, and forced her to swallow the water. "This is for Lawrence. May you rot in hell for what you did to him. Drink it down!" Vivian commanded. Carly choked a little, but swallowed.

Jennifer arrived later, and tapped lightly on Carly's door, but when she got no answer, she went in. Seeing Carly on the floor, an alarmed Jennifer rushed to her friend's side. As she yanked Carly upright, pills from Vivian's bottle scattered on the floor. Jennifer slapped Carly's face and shouted her name, then practically carried her into the bathroom.

Jennifer dragged Carly into the shower and turned on the water, forcing Carly's face into the stream. Carly fought back, but she began to choke and slipped out of Jennifer grasp onto the floor. Jennifer held Carly's face up so she wouldn't gag, but then she shoved a bar of soap in Carly's open mouth. It had the desired effect, and Carly began to cough and vomit violently.

They both looked sodden by the time Jennifer helped Carly onto the bed. As Jennifer began to make a phone call, Carly groaned, "I can't go to the hospital. Please, Melanie can't know! Jennifer, please!" Jennifer shouted that she refused to enable Carly for another minute. Carly accused Jennifer of wanting Daniel so much that she was willing to ruin Carly's life and career. "I broke up with Daniel because of you!" a fed-up Jennifer yelled, then added vehemently, "I don't care if you think the worst about me! I am done taking care of you!"

A furious Carly threw off the towel Jennifer had wrapped around her, got off the bed, and raged at Jennifer. Jennifer listened calmly until Carly accused her of betrayal, and then she smacked Carly across the face. Jennifer maintained that Carly was using Daniel as an excuse. Carly sat miserably back on the bed, whimpering that she had lost everything. Unmoved, Jennifer argued, "No, you have thrown everything away! All you care about are these stupid pills; they are the most important thing in your life right now... You don't want to change; you just don't want anyone to find out about it!"

Jennifer continued that Carly should want to be present for her daughter, but instead, Melanie had a drug addict for a mother. Jennifer asserted that nothing mattered to Carly but the drugs -- not her job, not her friends, not Daniel, and not her daughter. Carly insisted that it wasn't true. Jennifer picked up some of the pills from the floor, and held them in Carly's face. She declared that she didn't care if Carly took them, because sooner or later, Melanie was going to see that the pills were more important to Carly than her daughter was. Carly finally shrieked and slapped Jennifer's hand away, sending the pills flying. "I hate you!" Carly screamed hysterically, but Jennifer refused to take the bait.

Sobbing inconsolably, Carly crumpled face down on the bed, and admitted wretchedly that she was an addict. Jennifer pulled the comforter up from the foot of the bed and covered Carly with it. She crawled in bed next to Carly, and promised to take her friend to a great rehab facility where she could get some help. Carly was worried about the hospital finding out. Jennifer pointed out that Carly hadn't used any vacation days, and assured Carly that they would find somewhere discreet. At last Carly agreed to go. Jennifer took Carly in her arms, and vowed, "I love you. And I promise you, it's gonna be okay. No one's gonna find out; I promise you." Wrapped in her best friend's loving embrace, Carly wept desolately.

Vivian returned to the Sapphire Club, where she and Gus toasted their success with champagne. Vivian gleefully filled Gus in on finding Carly overdosed when she'd gone to plant drugs around the room. Gus was just happy to have been able to help. "Just one more little thing I need you to do for me," Vivian said.

Later, Gus showed Vivian something on his computer. "It's all set. All you have to do is press this little button here," he instructed. "And Carly Manning is toast!" Vivian concluded happily, and pressed the "enter" button.

As Melanie and Dario were kissing on the pier, her cell phone rang. Since Melanie was technically still on duty at the hospital, she pulled away to answer it, but when she looked at the screen, she whispered, "Oh, my God."

Meanwhile, Maxine was working on a computer at the nurses' station, and Daniel was nearby doing paperwork. "Doctor Jonas. You need to take a look at this," Maxine declared. Maxine and Daniel were horrified to see a photo of Carly, passed out on the floor, surrounded by pills -- with the caption "Dr. Feelgood."

While Will and Gabi were hanging out at the lake with Kinsey and Sonny, Gabi realized that the lunch she had packed had been out of the refrigerator for too long. Sonny volunteered to go to the Brady Pub to pick up some food for everyone, and told Kinsey that if she went with him, she could tell him about her plans to be a singer. Kinsey happily agreed, and as they left together, she was already chattering about her future singing career.

Will and Gabi decided to go for a swim while they waited for their food, so she returned to the car to retrieve their towels. After she left, T showed up, and lit into Will for associating with Sonny. Will urged T to stop disparaging Sonny, but T got even angrier. Will pointed out that despite all the appalling things T had said about gays, Sonny hadn't put T down for being a bigot. T was furious that Will, Gabi, and Kinsey were hanging out with Sonny after Sonny had made T look bad. "We're hanging out with him because he's a nice guy! Man, what is wrong with you?" Will demanded incredulously.

Will urged T to fix things with Sonny, but T argued, "I don't want to fix anything with Sonny. Him asking me to a baseball game -- how do I know that's not him coming on to me?" Just as Gabi returned, T's cell phone rang, and he left to take the call. Will admitted that he'd always believed that T was open-minded. Gabi spat, "T's a homophobic jerk, and I for one don't want anything to do with him anymore."

Kinsey was still babbling to Sonny about her career as they picked up their order at the Brady Pub. Finally she changed the subject, and asked about Sonny's life. He admitted that he'd always been the kind of guy who had a detailed plan for his life until he'd told his parents that he was gay. Kinsey wondered what that had been like, and Sonny boasted that he was lucky to have parents who were supportive in every way. He continued that he was taking a year off from college to train for a triathlon, and he had also gotten into mountain climbing; he'd climbed Mt. Fuji the month before. Kinsey confided that Sonny was her first gay friend. Sonny corrected her, "You just think you don't know anyone else who's gay."

T returned to the beach, and snidely asked Gabi why she wasn't hanging out with her new best friend, Sonny. Will jumped out of his beach chair to lay down the law with T: "Being down on Sonny for something that he did is one thing, but being down on him for something that he is is different. We're not gonna put up with that anymore!" T blamed Gabi for Will's behavior, but Will asserted that T was just acting like a jerk.

Just then, Kinsey and Sonny returned, but Will didn't see them. "Apologize to Sonny, show him some genuine respect, and then we're good," Will encouraged T. Disgusted, T stormed off. "You didn't have to go to bat for me," Sonny said to Will. "Yeah, I did," Will countered.

At the Sapphire Club, Vivian became positively giddy looking at Gus's handiwork -- the photo of an overdosed Carly with the caption "Dr. Feelgood." Gus was dismayed when Vivian gave credit to Quinn, who walked in just then. Vivian reintroduced her son to Gus, and then asked Gus to get the waiter so that they could toast to their success again. After Gus left, Vivian gloated that thanks to Quinn, there was a photo of Carly on the Internet, passed out, with a bottle of pills.

Quinn pointed out that he hadn't gotten Carly hooked on prescription drugs, but Vivian wanted to buy him a sports car as thanks. Quinn declined, so Vivian suggested that they at least have a special dinner to celebrate. When Quinn agreed, Vivian looked around for Gus so she could have him make reservations, but Gus had left the club. With a shrug, Vivian said that Gus would eventually get over his peevish mood, then she began happily wondering aloud if Carly had seen the pictures yet.

Melanie called Daniel from the pier while he was working at the hospital. She started to tell him about the picture of Carly, but Daniel said that he'd already seen it. Neither had been able to reach Carly by phone. Daniel told Melanie that he was on his way to the hotel to check on Carly, and promised that he would call as soon as he found out anything.

In Carly's room, Jennifer delivered a glass of water to Carly. Carly admitted she was thirstier than she'd ever been, and that she felt completely humiliated. Jennifer assured her that they would get Carly the help she needed -- plus it was no one else's business. Just then, both women's cell phones and the phone in the hotel room began to ring simultaneously. Jennifer checked her phone, and was distressed to see the picture of Carly. She tried to hide it from Carly, but Carly snatched the phone out of Jennifer's hand. Carly shrieked in horror, just as Daniel began to pound on the door. To Carly's dismay, Jennifer let him in, and he was relieved to see that Carly was all right.

Daniel made a quick call to Melanie to let her know that her mom was okay. After he hung up, he said that Melanie was upset that she hadn't figured out what was going on with Carly, and so was he. Daniel and Jennifer wondered who had taken the picture, but Carly didn't care -- and she thought that Jennifer should have let her die. Jennifer and Daniel ordered Carly not to say things like that. Daniel wanted an explanation for what had happened.

Jennifer described how she had found Carly, likely right after the picture had been taken, and she thought the drugs had probably cleared Carly's system. Daniel was taken aback that Jennifer hadn't called the paramedics, but Carly assured him that Jennifer had done everything right. When Daniel learned that it hadn't been Carly's first time to use drugs, she admitted that she'd been having a hard time dealing with things, and the pills had helped. Daniel figured out that Carly had stolen the drugs from the hospital, and pressed for more details.

Carly confessed that when she'd run out of the drugs she'd stolen, she had written a prescription for a nonexistent patient. She had tried to stop, but then things had happened, like Nicolas refusing to speak to her, that had made it difficult. Jennifer urged Carly to tell Daniel the whole story. Carly admitted that she had lied to Daniel the night before; she'd realized as they'd bonded because of their daughter that she had feelings for him, but he'd been married to Chloe at the time. When Daniel and Chloe had broken up, Carly had hoped they might get together.

On the pier, Melanie quickly filled Dario in that her mom was all right, but the picture had been real and not edited. Dario reassured Melanie that Carly was alive and with people who loved her. He urged her to go see her mom. "You take care of her. I'll take care of you," Dario said understandingly before kissing Melanie goodbye.

Just as Daniel was attempting to apologize for any way he might have hurt Carly, Melanie burst into the room. She knelt on the floor next to Carly and threw her arms around her mother. Melanie assured her mom that they would all take care of her, but Carly barked that she didn't want that. Carly explained irritably that she didn't like being the center of attention, and she wanted them all to leave her alone and go live their lives. "I can't stand all of you looking at me!" she declared as she grabbed her purse, ran into the bathroom, and slammed the door.

Daniel asked if Jennifer had known about Carly's problem all along. Jennifer informed Melanie that her mom had been abusing prescription drugs for a while, but explained to both of them that she hadn't said anything about it because Carly had sworn that she had stopped. Jennifer had only realized that Carly hadn't stopped when she'd found Carly that morning. Melanie was just grateful that Jennifer had saved Carly's life.

"So that's what's been going on with you and me," Daniel deduced. Melanie was confused, so Jennifer explained that Carly was in love with Daniel. Melanie suddenly realized that Carly had been in the bathroom for a long time, so she knocked on the door. When she got no answer, she opened it, then reported in a panic that the window was open and Carly was gone. Daniel ran out to look for her.

Jennifer and Melanie were both trying to reach Carly with their cell phones when Daniel returned. He hadn't found Carly, but her car was still in the parking lot. Daniel instructed Melanie to look for Carly at the hospital and Carly's usual hangouts while he and Jennifer searched the neighborhood. The three of them hurried out.

Brady was surprised to find Taylor alone, drinking a Mai Tai before lunch, at the Cheatin' Heart, and asked what E.J. had done to her. Taylor informed him that E.J. had given up custody of the kids because he didn't deserve them -- and Taylor blamed herself because E.J.'s life seemed to have lost all meaning. Brady maintained that E.J. was still playing Taylor. Taylor insisted that she had known exactly who E.J. was, but she had stayed with him anyway. "Why? Because you're drawn to men with a dark side?" Brady asked. "What if I am?" Taylor replied coyly, sucking on the straw of her second Mai Tai. After a bit more flirting, Taylor put her arm around Brady and pulled him in for a kiss -- just as Nicole walked in.

"You little slut! Did you purposely come to Salem to ruin my life?" Nicole demanded angrily. Taylor slurred that Nicole was doing a great job of ruining her own life. They exchanged heated words until the fight nearly became physical, so Brady intervened. "I can't believe you fell for her garbage!" Nicole exclaimed incredulously. Once the women had calmed down, Brady let go of them, and apologized to Nicole. "We had a couple drinks, and we did something stupid, okay? Don't let it get between the two of you. You're sisters," Brady reasoned. Tired of defending herself to Nicole, Taylor left.

Outside, an inebriated Taylor had to steady herself on the doorjamb before continuing on. She ducked behind a stack of crates when she saw Quinn. She watched as he fiddled with his cell phone, and emerged again after he had gone.

Daniel and Jennifer went to the Cheatin' Heart, where they asked if Brady or Nicole had seen Carly. Neither had, so Jennifer and Daniel left. Once they were outside, Daniel suggested that they search on the pier. Jennifer hoped Carly wasn't trying to find more drugs, but Daniel no longer knew what Carly was capable of.

Brady tried to reassure Nicole that his and Taylor's kiss hadn't meant anything. Nicole confided that when she'd seen E.J. in the hospital, he had seemed as if he were actually sorry for what he'd put her through. Nicole started to apologize for dumping Brady to be with E.J., but he interrupted to tell her that things would not have worked out between them. Nicole implored him, "You keep saying that, and I guess you mean it. And I know that you're going to find someone else -- but if you cared about me at all, could you please, please not let that person be Taylor?"

Daniel and Jennifer returned to Carly's room to see if she'd gone back there, but the room was empty. Although both were upset that they hadn't found Carly, Jennifer was relieved that no one on the pier had seen Carly. Jennifer wanted to call the police, but Daniel pointed out that the cops couldn't do anything for 24 hours, plus Carly didn't want Bo to find out. Jennifer started telling Daniel about the rehab facility she'd found, but he interrupted to admonish her for not telling him about Carly's pill problem.

"I really loved you telling me that Carly has a thing for me, but not telling me that she has a drug habit!" Daniel declared. He angrily reminded Jennifer that Carly had stolen from the hospital, and performed surgery while "high as a kite." Jennifer insisted that Carly had sworn she had it under control, but Daniel argued that one could never believe a drug addict. "You sound like Abigail right now," Jennifer retorted hotly. Daniel was incredulous that Jennifer had discussed the situation with Abigail but not with him. He left to look for Carly again, but refused to let Jennifer accompany him.

Stefano entered his son's hospital room, and declared that he was having E.J. moved to the mental ward, because only an insane person would sign away his children. Stefano added that the custody papers could be reversed once he had proven that E.J. was delusional. E.J. countered calmly that the children were not property; they were human beings who deserved a normal life. "With Samantha? That is normal?" Stefano demanded skeptically.

E.J. promised that if Stefano did anything to reverse the custody agreement, E.J. would go to the police and make a full confession. E.J. offered up some good news to cheer his obviously depressed father: he was starting to get his memory back from the night of his attack. Stefano asked if E.J. remembered who had attacked him. E.J. replied that the images had been vague so far, but he believed that it had been an orchestrated attack against the entire family.

Later, Taylor entered E.J.'s room, only to find it empty. Carrying a cup of coffee, she lurched across the room, and looked at his bed in confusion. E.J. appeared in the doorway and watched her for a minute before asking what she was doing there. "I don't even know," Taylor admitted, giggling. She helped E.J. into bed, and he asked again why she was there. He realized that she was drunk, and checked her cup to make sure it contained only coffee.

Taylor said that she had just wanted to make sure E.J. was all right, because despite everything, she didn't want anything bad to happen to him. E.J. then informed Taylor that he had remembered that a nurse had been there the night he was beaten up. Taylor asked who it was. E.J. replied, "You're not going to know who she is. Her name's Melanie."

On his cell phone outside the Brady Pub, Stefano informed one of his men that E.J. was starting to get his memory back. "So I want you prepared. Of course, I will call you as soon as he gives me a name. You know what to do."

Inside the pub, Dario tried to reassure Melanie that they would find her mother.

Carly staggered, barefoot, onto the pier, where Vivian was very surprised to see her. "What's the matter, dear? Waiting for your dealer?" Vivian asked casually. Carly accused Vivian of taking the picture, but Vivian claimed she hadn't even known about it until someone had sent it to her. "Nicolas was absolutely nauseated," Vivian added. "Go away!" Carly ordered, but Vivian continued to needle Carly about her drug habit until Carly left.

Carly then stumbled down an alley, and stopped to rest against a pile of crates. "I'm so dehydrated," she muttered, then spotted a couple of water bottles under a pile of trash. She picked them up, but both were empty. She looked around for something to drink until she spied two half-empty beer bottles in the dumpster. She pulled them out, and seemed to think about it for a moment before downing the remaining contents of one of the bottles. She tossed it back into the garbage, and sat on the concrete to drink the other beer. Soon Carly was passed out on the pavement, her purse and the empty beer bottle beside her, as footsteps approached.

In a dirty alley, a man loomed over Carly, who was sprawled out on the ground near a dumpster. "Little girl's all strung out, just the way I like it," the man muttered, as he stroked Carly's face. Carly started screaming as the man tried to kiss her. As Carly struggled, Quinn rushed into the alley and pulled the man off of her. Quinn knocked the man out, then hurried over to Carly's side to check on her.

Quinn assured Carly that he just wanted to help her. Carly tried to tell Quinn that she was beyond help, but Quinn insisted that no one was ever beyond help. Quinn carried Carly to his room at the Sapphire Club. When Carly was safely wrapped in a blanket on Quinn's bed, Quinn sniffed his shirt, and he winced in disgust as he removed it.

Meanwhile, Vivian started knocking on the door; Quinn quickly pulled the blanket over Carly's head to conceal her identity. When Quinn opened the door, Vivian barged into his room, carrying a bottle of champagne. Vivian said that she wanted to give Quinn a token of her appreciation. Before Quinn could respond, Vivian noticed the lump on his bed, and she realized that she had interrupted something. Quinn insisted that Vivian had jumped to the wrong conclusion, but Vivian wasn't convinced.

Quinn explained that the woman in his bed had just passed out. Vivian applauded Quinn's performance; Quinn groaned with disgust, and he tried to get Vivian to leave. Vivian agreed that she should probably let Quinn get back to doing whatever it was that he was doing. "Before I fly, I just want to ask you one thing. Is she...D.I.L.M.? Daughter-in-law material? Oh, stop being so coy! Just introduce me to the woman, for God's sake," Vivian said, as she started to walk over to the bed.

Quinn stopped Vivian, and he reiterated that the woman in his bed was not his girlfriend. As Quinn tried to usher Vivian out of the room, Vivian said that she wanted to schedule a dinner date with Quinn. Vivian explained that she wanted to thank Quinn properly for his help with Carly. "And, you know, since Carly Manning has disintegrated in front of our eyes, we have to make sure that none of the king's horses, none of the king's men ever put that murdering addict back together again," Vivian joked.

After Quinn managed to get rid of Vivian, he went over to the bed to check on Carly. Later, Carly started to wake up, as Quinn rummaged through her wallet. Quinn assured Carly that she was safe, and he explained that he just needed to find out who she was so that he could help her. Quinn was shocked when he found Carly's hospital key card; as he compared the woman in the photograph to the woman in his bed, he realized that he had rescued Carly Manning.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Nicole tried to convince Brady that it would be a bad idea to get involved with Taylor. Nicole pointed out that E.J. wasn't going to be very happy if he learned that Brady had kissed Taylor. Brady insisted that he and Taylor were just friends, and he added that he wasn't afraid of E.J. "You don't have to be scared to know that he is crazy and evil, and he and Stefano are hell-bent on making sure that whoever attacked him pays," Nicole warned Brady.

Brady assured Nicole that E.J. was never going to remember who had attacked him, but Nicole wasn't convinced. "It's not an if, it's a when. He won't stop until you are six feet under, and I'm not gonna let that happen, which is why I'm taking control...once and for all," Nicole said. Nicole insisted that Brady was going to leave Salem immediately, and she added that she was going with him. Brady reminded Nicole that he had already told her that they wouldn't be getting back together, but Nicole was undeterred.

"Brady, listen to me. You are the only guy who's ever made me feel like me -- like it is okay to be me. How long are you gonna punish me? Can I help it if I prefer not to see you destroyed? Is it silly for me to be concerned for your well-being? Think about it, Brady...would getting away from here really be such a bad idea?" Nicole asked. Nicole said that she couldn't believe that she had left Brady to be with Sydney. Nicole added that she had finally realized that Sydney didn't need Nicole in her life.

Nicole insisted that she had learned her lesson, and she begged Brady to consider leaving Salem with her. Nicole assured Brady that there would not be any strings attached. Brady told Nicole that he had things that he needed to deal with in Salem. Nicole cryptically assured Brady that she would handle everything, and she abruptly exited the bar.

At the hospital, E.J. told Taylor about his dream, and he insisted that Melanie had been at the pier on the night that he had been attacked. Taylor tried to convince E.J. that there was no reason to jump to conclusions. Taylor said that E.J. couldn't start accusing Melanie based on fuzzy recollections, because Stefano probably wouldn't hesitate to hurt Melanie. E.J. assured Taylor that he had not told Stefano the whole story about his dream.

"Look, in spite of what you may believe, I'm not interested in causing any more people any pain. I'm not my father, Taylor; I have no intention of becoming him. I'm just trying to find out the truth," E.J. said, but he could tell that Taylor was still suspicious. Taylor noted that love prevented people from being able to see things objectively. Taylor added that Fay's death had forced her to stop denying the truth about E.J.

At the police station, Bo met with the D.A. to discuss the fake Rafe disaster. Bo insisted that fake Rafe's death had been a fluke, but the D.A. wasn't convinced. Bo said that he knew exactly what the D.A. was trying to do. "You sandbag someone to take the blame; the pristine D.A. gets off unscathed," Bo noted with disgust. D.A. Woods said that he was glad that he and Bo understood each other, and he abruptly excused himself from Bo's office.

Later, Bo told Hope that the D.A. was probably going to tell Internal Affairs that the disaster had been caused by Bo and Hope's negligence. Hope noted that the D.A. was still upset because Bo had pulled some strings to get Hope reinstated. Bo said that he stood by that decision, and he added that it was one of the best decisions that he had ever made as the police commissioner.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, because...you're gonna have to pay the piper on this one, little brother," Roman said, as he entered Bo's office. Roman explained that Bo had been demoted. Roman noted that the good news was that Hope was going to get her partner back. Bo added that he wasn't going to miss doing all of the paperwork, and he grinned as he realized that he could finally burn his collection of ties.

Bo wondered who the new commissioner was going to be. Roman hesitated, and he said that he had turned down the position the last time that it had been offered to him. Roman said that he might change his mind if the position was offered to him again, but he admitted that he wasn't sure. Before Roman could continue, Detective McCarthy entered the office, and she announced that there was something that Bo, Hope, and Roman needed to see right away. Detective McCarthy used Bo's computer to access the photograph of Carly that had been posted online earlier; Bo, Hope, and Roman were stunned by the photograph.

At the Brady Pub, Abigail greeted Melanie and Dario, and she told Melanie that she was really sorry about what had happened to Carly. Melanie assured Abigail that Carly was a strong person, and she added that Carly was going to be all right. Abigail agreed, and she blurted out that she was responsible for what had happened to Carly. Dario excused himself so that Abigail and Melanie could have some privacy.

After Dario left, Abigail explained that she had known about Carly's drug abuse for a few weeks. Abigail apologized for keeping that information from Melanie, and she admitted that she had made a terrible mistake. Abigail tried to explain that she had been sworn to secrecy, but Melanie wasn't interested in hearing Abigail's excuses. "I don't care what your mom said; I don't care what anybody says. When someone's life is on the line, you don't keep that a secret -- does that make sense, Abigail?" Melanie snapped.

Dario heard Melanie shouting, and he tried to calm her down. "Melanie, just -- look, it's not gonna help anything to blame Abigail. Whatever she said, or didn't say, she had her reasons. Come on, look at her -- she's really hurt; she cares. No one wanted this to happen...no one," Dario insisted. Melanie conceded that Dario was right, and she apologized for lashing out at Abigail. Melanie and Dario excused themselves so that they could continue to search for Carly. Abigail offered to help, but Melanie turned down Abigail's offer.

After Melanie left, Abigail called Chad, and she said that she needed to talk to him right away. Chad could tell that Abigail was upset, and he wondered what had happened. Abigail said that she didn't want to talk about it over the phone. Chad said that he was at the Sapphire Club, and Abigail agreed to meet him there.

After Chad ended his conversation with Abigail, D.A. Woods approached him. "I...owe you an apology," D.A. Woods admitted. Chad said that there was no need for the D.A. to apologize. Chad added that he knew how D.A. Woods behaved when he was working on a case -- especially one that he had just lost.

"Regardless of that, nothing excuses how I acted toward you, and for that, I am deeply sorry. How I've treated you these past few months...and before that, too, but especially recently -- I was so angry at your mother's betrayal...humiliated...and I took that out on you...the guy who just lost his mother. Chad...I'm so sorry. Will you forgive me?" D.A. Woods asked. Chad hesitated for a moment, then he firmly stated that he would not forgive the D.A.

"I was your son for almost twenty years. Now, you may not have been the kind of father who'd...play catch or take me to the movies, but you were still my dad, and I loved you. But you blaming me for my mother's death, and then basically throwing me out of your life as soon as you found out about her affair with Stefano -- I mean, I'm supposed to just forgive you for that?!" Chad asked incredulously. D.A. Woods conceded that he had not expected Chad to forgive him right away. D.A. Woods added that he had hoped that Chad might eventually agree to see him from time to time.

D.A. Woods explained that he had been thinking that he and Chad might be able to have dinner occasionally, or play golf with each other. Chad shook his head in disbelief, and he assured the D.A. that nothing like that was ever going to happen. D.A. Woods realized with dismay that Chad had moved on with his new family. "Yeah, I've moved on...because you weren't there. The DiMeras were; Stefano, his wife, the whole damn family. They made me feel like I belonged. You never did that...even before Mom died," Chad said.

D.A. Woods sighed heavily. "Your mother was always very proud of you, and I know she'd want you to be happy...and feel loved. I want that, too -- that's all that matters," D.A. Woods admitted; before Chad could respond, the D.A. abruptly walked away. When Chad glanced over his shoulder, he noticed that Abigail was standing nearby. Chad stood to greet Abigail, and Abigail silently rushed over to embrace Chad. Abigail told Chad that she was extremely proud of him.

Chad shrugged and insisted that there was nothing to be proud of, but Abigail disagreed. Abigail said that Chad had been honest with the D.A. Abigail added that Chad had stood up to the D.A., and she said that she knew that it had probably been difficult for Chad to do that. Chad nodded, and he said that he hoped that he would never have to explain anything to the D.A. again.

Chad was eager to change the subject, so he asked Abigail if she was all right. Abigail told Chad that Melanie blamed her for what had happened to Carly, and she admitted that Melanie was right. Chad was confused, so Abigail explained that she had found out about Carly's drug abuse a few weeks earlier. Abigail said that she had agreed to keep Carly's secret from the rest of Carly's family.

Chad said that it was obvious that Abigail had never intended to hurt anyone. Chad told Abigail that there was no point in beating herself up over what had happened. Abigail conceded that Chad was right, and she noted that Carly was in a lot of trouble. Abigail said that she hoped that Carly was in good hands, wherever she was.

Back at the hospital, Taylor asked Maxine to give Melanie a message. Taylor stressed that it was extremely important that she talked to Melanie. After Taylor left, Melanie and Dario entered the hospital, and Melanie started to check the computer to find out if Carly had logged in. Maxine was relieved to see Melanie, and she explained that two of her nurses had called in sick. Melanie insisted that she wouldn't be able to help Maxine because she was dealing with a serious situation.

Dario pulled Melanie aside and assured her that the distraction would probably be good for her. Dario told Melanie that he would continue to search for Carly on his own. Dario added that Carly might be less likely to run if he was the one who found her. Melanie conceded that Dario might be right, and she reluctantly agreed to take Dario's advice.

Back at the Cheatin' Heart, Taylor warned Brady that they had a big problem that they needed to deal with. Taylor quickly told Brady about her earlier conversation with E.J. Taylor insisted that they needed to find Melanie and warn her. Brady assured Taylor that they were going to protect Melanie. Taylor wondered who was going to protect Brady.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that; I've got it all under control. Brady and I are leaving town," Nicole announced, as she entered the bar, towing a bag of luggage behind her. Brady insisted that he wasn't going to leave town with Nicole. Brady said that he was going to stay in Salem so that he could protect Melanie.

Back at the hospital, Maxine gave Taylor's message to Melanie. Melanie dismissively stated that she would call Taylor later. Melanie grabbed one of the hospital charts, and she headed for E.J.'s room. Melanie wondered how E.J. was doing, and she noted that E.J.'s color seemed to be returning. As Melanie started to take E.J.'s pulse, E.J. cryptically stated that his color wasn't the only thing that was returning to him.

E.J. said that he was starting to remember the details about the night of his attack. E.J. said that he still didn't know who had attacked him, but he had remembered that someone else had been there that night. E.J. told Melanie that he had remembered that she had been at the pier that night.

"Melanie, I know it wasn't you who bludgeoned me. You were just there cleaning up somebody's mess...right? Covering up a crime. You know, I have a lot of enemies, but there is one, more than most, who is prone to...erratic behavior. You know who I'm talking about, don't you?" E.J. asked. Melanie said that she didn't know what E.J. was talking about. "Cut the crap, Melanie. We both know who we're talking about. It was Brady Black...wasn't it?" E.J. asked.

In Bo's office at the police station, Bo and Hope were shocked when they saw the photo of Carly passed out with a pile of pills. Hope commented on her own past drug use, but Bo noted that Hope's situation was different because Hope had a bad reaction to pills that a doctor had prescribed. Hope theorized that Vivian could have Photoshopped the picture of Carly, but Bo thought about Carly's recent odd behavior and shot down Hope's suggestion. "I should have seen this coming. She was in trouble. Big trouble," Bo said. "Then you and I are gonna help her," Hope said.

Jennifer and Daniel went to the police station to report Carly missing. Roman informed Bo and Hope about the missing persons report while Jennifer and Daniel talked in the main room. "This is all my fault. You were right, this is all my fault," Jennifer said. Jennifer commented that she had not told Daniel because she had not wanted Carly to lose her career, but she feared that Carly had lost a lot more than her job.

Jennifer gave a statement to Bo, Hope, and Roman about Carly's drug problem. Daniel and Jennifer explained the situation leading up to the overdose and what had happened after they confronted Carly. Citing the photo circulating online, Roman noted that they did not need to wait 24 hours to begin searching for Carly. While Jennifer talked to Bo, Hope spotted a familiar face on the surveillance cameras in a nearby alleyway. Noting that the man on the camera was a "frequent flier" occupant in the county lockup, Bo and Hope left to pick up the man for questioning about Carly.

At the Brady Pub, Vivian remarked on Quinn's genius, while a jealous Gus reminded Vivian that it had been his idea to post the photo of Carly online. Vivian waved off Gus's comment and noted that if Quinn had not ensured that Carly scored drugs, there would have been no photo to take. Gus informed Vivian that Carly's family was looking for Carly, but they had not found her yet. "I hope wherever she is, she stays there," Vivian said.

Vivian marveled at the fact that though Quinn resented Lawrence, he had been the one to exact revenge against Carly on Lawrence's behalf. Remarking on Quinn's father, Vivian said, "How did he bring up such a fine son without any help from me?" "Good question. Why don't you think about that?" Gus joked.

Ignoring Gus's jape, Vivian chatted about how Quinn had single-handedly taken down Carly. "She was ripe for the plucking, don't you think?" Gus said. "Revenge is a wonderful thing to share with the people you love," Vivian said cheerily. "Why don't you do just that," Gus huffed before marching out of the Brady Pub.

In his hotel bedroom, Quinn stared at Carly's hospital identification and realized that the woman he had rescued on the pier was Carly Manning. "The woman my mother is so eager to destroy," Quinn muttered. Carly stirred awake and asked Quinn what had happened. Quinn explained that he had found Carly in an alley where a drunk was harassing her. Carly did not remember what had happened and struggled to get out of bed. Quinn gently pushed Carly back into bed and introduced himself.

When Quinn urged Carly to talk to him, Carly explained that she was a doctor but that her life had begun to spiral out of control when she married "the wrong guy." Carly explained that her husband Lawrence had locked her up but that she had escaped after her son Nicholas had grown up. With a wistful smile on her face, Carly talked about her son and how much she wanted to see him smile. Carly admitted that her son no longer spoke to her because she had killed his father in self-defense.

"I was finally free, but I lost my son," Carly said. "It's all my fault," Carly whispered as she lay her head back down on the pillow. Quinn was rifling through Carly's purse when she came to. Carly urged Quinn to kick her out of the room because she was a troublemaker. Quinn offered to get some aspirin for Carly, and she reluctantly agreed before lying back down. Carly saw the hotel phone on the nightstand and made a call.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Brady refused to leave town with Nicole because he feared that E.J. would hurt the people that had helped him after he beat up E.J. With a sigh, Nicole argued that E.J. would only be interested in hurting Brady. "Didn't you both tell me that E.J. had grown a conscience?" Brady asked. With a shrug, Nicole explained, "I don't know, maybe for the women he's screwed over like me. But for someone who put him in the hospital, trust me, he's still kicking it old school."

Nicole urged Brady to leave town with her, but Taylor interrupted to comment that Nicole's idea was terrible. Worried about Melanie, Brady stepped aside to take a phone call from Dario. While alone, Nicole asked Taylor to convince E.J. not to kill Brady. When Brady returned from his phone call, he explained that Melanie was safe and that he was going to deal with E.J.

Nicole offered to go with Brady, but he asked her to stay behind. "Please do not make this any worse," Taylor pleaded. Shaking his head, Brady said, "I won't." After Brady was gone, Taylor pleaded with Nicole not to follow Brady. When Nicole grew argumentative, she harped on Taylor's involvement with E.J. and Taylor's kiss with Brady. Taylor stressed that her relationship with E.J. was through and that there was nothing between her and Brady. "It is hard for me to say the past is the past," Nicole said.

With a shrug, Nicole admitted that she had forgiven Taylor for breaking up her marriage to E.J. and that she was not offended that Taylor was attracted to Brady. Nicole then stressed that if anything bad happened to Brady because Taylor had kept her from following Brady out of the bar, then she would make Taylor wish she had never been born.

At the hospital, E.J. accused Melanie of covering for Brady. "I'm not guessing. I remember," E.J. said firmly. With a grin, Melanie countered that E.J. was bluffing. When Melanie leaned in and whispered that she was going to get E.J. another nurse, E.J. grabbed Melanie's wrist and pulled her close. E.J. asked Melanie whether she wanted to continue to lie for Brady. Avoiding the question, Melanie assured E.J. that he was imagining her on the pier because he had a concussion.

When Melanie threatened to scream if E.J. did not let go, E.J. tightened his grip. Melanie started to scream, and E.J. covered her mouth and pulled her onto the bed against him. Dario rushed in from the hallway and ordered E.J. to let go of Melanie. With a scowl, E.J. let Melanie go and warned Dario to back away. Dario noted that he was Rafe's brother, and E.J. flashed a wicked grin. "I've had so much fun with your family," E.J. said. As Melanie pushed Dario toward the doorway, E.J. noted that he would remember what happened the night he had been beaten.

Sitting alone in his bed, E.J. thought about seeing Melanie on the pier the night he was beaten. "Nice try, Melanie. Based on the look on your face, I'm right," E.J. said smugly. As E.J. stared at the wall, Chad walked into the room for a visit. Chad asked E.J. if he believed the beating was the start of an attack on the DiMera family. With a shrug, E.J. admitted that he did not remember enough about the night on the pier. "It might be better for everyone if you don't remember," Chad said.

Once Chad was gone, E.J. called for a nurse. When the nurse asked E.J. if he needed his pain medication, E.J. retorted, "No, I'm feeling much better. In fact, I'm going to go home."

At the Kiriakis mansion, Brady rifled through the desk drawer and pulled out a set of keys. As Brady finished his drink, Melanie and Dario arrived at the mansion. Melanie informed Brady that E.J. remembered her on the pier the night of the beating but that she had told E.J. that he had a head injury and was not thinking clearly. "That's my girl," Brady said. "Whether he has proof or not, he wants it to be you," Melanie commented. "Don't you worry about that," Brady said. Alarmed, Melanie asked Brady what he planned to do.

Melanie called Daniel and learned that Bo and Hope had a lead on Carly. Brady urged Melanie to wait with Daniel at the police station, but Melanie countered that Brady was attempting to get rid of her and Dario. "I promise I won't do anything stupid," Brady said. "I'm holding you to that," Melanie countered.

Brady ushered Melanie and Dario out the front door of the mansion and asked her to keep him up-to-date on Carly. Brady shook Dario's hand and asked him to take care of Melanie. Once Brady closed the door, he took the keys from the desk out of his pocket and opened a lockbox with a gun inside.

Bo and Hope tracked down the "frequent flier" Lewis to an alleyway. Hope showed Lewis a photo of Carly and asked him if he had seen her. When Hope noted that surveillance cameras in the area had shown Lewis on camera in the alley with Carly, and Bo threatened to haul Lewis down to the police station, Lewis caved in and informed Bo and Hope that he had found Carly passed out on the ground. Lewis noted that a man had taken Carly, and Bo took Lewis down to the station for questioning.

At the police station, as Daniel assured Jennifer that Carly was fine, Roman walked in and informed them that Bo had a lead on Carly. Thrilled, Jennifer hugged Daniel tightly. Feeling awkward, Jennifer apologized and pulled away. When Bo and Hope returned with Lewis, they had him work with a sketch artist to create a composite of the man last seen with Carly. Bo showed Jennifer and Daniel the sketch. Hope urged Jennifer and Daniel to head home and rest.

After Bo and Hope went back to their office, Jennifer noted that she did not want to rest. Jennifer asked Daniel to join her in the search for Carly. With a raised eyebrow, Daniel countered that if Carly saw him and Jennifer together, it might drive Carly away again. Over in Bo's office, Hope stared at the sketch and noted that the face looked familiar to her.

Vivian was leaving the Brady Pub as Quinn was passing by. Giddy with excitement, Vivian informed Quinn that Carly had disappeared. "I owe it all to you," Vivian cooed to her son. When Vivian asked about the woman in Quinn's bed, Quinn grinned and noted that he had found the woman "quite interesting."

In Quinn's hotel room, Carly called the hospital to reschedule her surgeries, noting that she was taking time off.