Adam gets his hands on baby Jenny; Babe and JR get a handle on their relationship; Annie helps Kendall get a grip; Erica hands out an ultimatum; Zach hands Spike a shot at a miracle.
Morning dawns in Pine Valley, and Kendall wakes next to Spike’s crib at PVH. She tries waking up Spike by talking to him, but after a few seconds gets a sad look on her face. Ryan, in a nearby chair, wakes soon after and comes to Kendall’s side by the crib. Tearfully, Kendall tells Ryan that she forgot Spike couldn’t hear. She says she’d expected Spike to wake to the sound of her voice. “In my dreams nothing’s changed,” she says. Ryan tells her to hold out hope.
Annie enters Spike’s room with a doctor. Ryan introduces the doc as Dr. Norton, a specialist for Spike. Dr. Norton tells Kendall that getting a definitive diagnosis on Spike won’t be easy because they don’t have the necessary tools at PVH. He says the equipment they need are in Dallas. Kendall jumps right on board, saying they can fly to Dallas, but Ryan is apprehensive, since Spike’s still recovering from major surgery. Kendall’s feathers get ruffled, which just gets worse as Dr. Norton agrees with Ryan, saying that taking Spike on an airplane could make his hearing loss permanent. He tells Kendall to be patient for a little while. Kendall goes unglued. “I’m so sick of everyone telling me to calm down,” she says, crying. “I will calm down when my son can hear my voice again!”
Jack and Erica are in the park bickering over missed phone messages. Jack explains that he was helping Derek on a police operation and wasn’t available. Erica, not interested at all in Jack’s police mission, breaks the news to him that Spike is deaf and once again starts in on him about Greenlee being the cause of everything horrible that’s happened to Kendall. Erica wants Jack to leave the police work to Derek and take care of his daughter. He tells her that he told Greenlee to leave Pine Valley, but he can’t do any more than that. Erica begs him to make Greenlee leave town, no matter what it takes. Erica tells Jack that Greenlee needs professional help, and if Jack "can’t see that..."…Erica leaves the insinuation hanging. Once again, Jack’s insistence on standing up for Greenlee is driving a wedge between him and Erica. Erica says she can’t justify staying married to a man who is standing by the side of the woman who has so hurt her daughter. Jack says that Erica is asking him to choose between her and Greenlee. Erica says, “I wasn’t. But you have,” and stalks off. A camera crew pops out from behind the bushes, having gotten the whole thing on tape.
At the Martin/Carey household, Krystal is busy nagging Tad about eating on the couch in their new digs. Babe is playing with Little A and Jenny on the floor. Things are light and happy – a happy little household. JR enters – Krystal shows him the newspaper, where he and Ava are front page news. Babe quickly ushers him and Little A outside.
Adam is outside on the Chandler Mansion patio when Stuart drops by, dressed in his painting clothes. Adam is feeling bad about himself, saying he hadn’t eaten or slept for all his worrying about JR. Stuart, who seems to be saying all the wrong things at the wrong times, tells Adam that Colby is finishing moving in with Tad and Krystal today. He then goes on and on about how empty the place feels, just making Adam feel all the worse. Adam tells Stuart that everyone that he gave his whole life to has deserted him. Adam says at least Stuart won’t die alone. “You won’t die alone, Adam” Stuart replies. “I’m already dead, can’t you tell?” Adam says, breaking down. Stuart tries to make Adam feel better, but it seems like nothing will work. But then Stuart, as he’s telling Adam that he’s going to be painting over at Tad and Krystal’s house today, is struck with a brilliant a plan. He wants Adam to pretend to be Stuart and go do the painting in his place so he can see Colby. Stuart coaches Adam on how to paint – and, though Adam is reluctant to go along with it, his face brightens as he considers Stuart’s plan.
Outside on the front porch of the Martin/Carey house, JR is spouting off about reporters. Babe doesn’t care much about the newspaper – she’s hacked off at JR for taking risks, telling him that Little A needs a father. “A living, breathing father,” she says. Babe nags JR, telling him to be more careful in the future, if not for his sake or hers, for Little A’s. JR apologizes, but defends his actions, saying he wouldn’t have walked into the situation with Ava and Lenny if he’d known what he was getting into. Again, Babe doesn’t care what his motives were. “I want you safe, I want you happy,” Babe says. They begin talking about new starts, each admitting that they’ll always care about each other, in a partnership sort of way.
Back in Spike’s room Kendall is ticked off at Ryan, tearful, and trying to come up with options of how they can get Spike to Dallas. Ryan isn’t buying. Annie tells Ryan to go get some coffee, leaving Kendall and Annie alone. Kendall bitterly tells Annie she doesn’t need company or a cheerleader, but Annie hangs in there. Kendall ends up pouring her heart out to Annie, wondering what Spike must be thinking, having been able to hear one day and not the next. Annie warns Kendall not to make Ryan the enemy and talks Kendall down.
Meanwhile, outside the hospital, the guys are busy. Zach is on the phone bullying someone who “owes” him. Ryan is grilling Dr. Norton on how risky it is to get Spike to Dallas. Zach tells Ryan that it’s no longer an issue – he’s called in some favors and the equipment they need is coming to PVH! Kendall and Annie join the guys out in the waiting area and Zach springs it on Kendall that the equipment is on the way. They all congregate back in Spike’s room – everyone happy and loving, Kendall smiling once again and assuring Spike that everything will be okay.
With JR and Babe outside, Krystal and Tad are alone in the house. Krystal tells Tad that she thinks he wanted to move in together to keep her from getting back with Adam. In the meantime, Adam-as-Stuart has shown up at the Martin/Carey house. Making some excuses, Adam-as-Stuart manages to get past the suspicious eyes of JR and Babe and get inside, interrupting Tad and Krystal’s pow-wow. He asks to start in Colby’s room, but he can’t because Colby hasn’t decided on a color yet. He’s forced to paint in the living room, getting a front row seat to Krystal telling Tad how she’s still never gotten over Adam. Tad leaves and Krystal and Adam-as-Stuart are alone. Not knowing that it’s really Adam, Krystal is friendly with Stuart, wiping paint off his face, and is relaxed with Jenny. She gets a frantic phone call from Colby – something has happened to the freezer at The Comeback – and leaves baby Jenny in the arms of Stuart and races off. Babe and JR come back inside and Adam-as-Stuart wastes no time in dumping baby Jenny off in the arms of Babe and rushing out. Everyone is confused – why is Stuart acting so weird?
Next on All My Children:
Aidan takes Greenlee back to the scene of the accident.
Annie is acting strangely and Ryan is confused.
Kendall is hysterical, locked in somewhere and she can't get out!
