Nik is inconsolable, Luke needs to change his lifestyle and Ric offers Alexis a truce.
Sonny is brought into the hospital, escorted by Kate and Robin. After he's checked out, Robin leaves to see about the others. Later, he asks Kate how he got to survive when someone like Emily didn't. He talks about his time with her and how she was the kindest and gentlest person he ever knew. He tells Kate that it was Emily who figured out that he was bipolar and needed help. "And what did I do to repay her? I bring down Anthony Zacchara on her." Kate says that she is to blame because Trevor came to Port Charles to find her and that's what started everything.
As Luke is wheeled off of the elevator, Dr. Leo takes him for an examination and Tracy follows. Afterwards, Dr. Leo summarizes by telling him, "You're a mess." He informs Luke that he will have a procedure (angioplasty) to stabilize him right away, for starters. Tracy wants to see his credentials, but Luke tells her that the good doctor is about to slice him open and she shouldn't antagonize him. After Leo leaves the room, Luke asks Tracy to keep an eye on Lulu if anything happens to him. "You are not going to make me a widow," she insists. Later, Luke is still out from his surgery when Dr. Leo tells Tracy that her husband's heart is severely damaged. He says that he'll have a bypass surgery ASAP, but will need a lifestyle change as well. Things like boozing and cigars have to be a thing of his past, Leo says firmly.
The investigation is getting underway at Wyndemere. Detective Harper is questioning Jason and Liz, who have remained with Emily's body. He asks them if Nikolas had any reason to hurt his fiancé. Liz and Jason are quiet for a minute as Carly watches on. Then Liz talks about how crazy Anthony Zacchara was and lists the numerous times that he tried to kill them. When the detective turns to Jason, he says, "All I saw was Nikolas holding my dead sister." The cops move on for a while and Liz and Jason are left alone with Em's body. They worry that there will be an autopsy, and Jason says that it's not really Emily anymore anyway. He says that he needs to go tell Monica, and Liz gently tells him that she will stay with Emily.
After Jason leaves, Liz talks to her best friend. She says that she forgot to tell her how beautiful she looked last night. Then she recalls how much Emily has always loved Nikolas, even back in high school. She says that eventually he did fall helplessly in love with her and then gives Em credit for trusting her heart. Liz bends down close to Emily's lifeless face and says, "Em I promise you, I will not waste another minute. I will follow my heart the way you wanted me too." As she looks up, she sees that she hasn't been alone with Emily after all. Sam is there. It only takes a moment before they are arguing again (this time the subject is Lucky), even though Liz says that she doesn't want to fight next to her dead best friend's body.
Mac takes Carly into another room to ask her questions about what happened to her. She tells him that the person who killed Leticia was on the island too. Just then, Jax brings Jerry into the room and is thrilled to see her. He asks what happened to her neck and Carly says that she's okay now. As they are hugging, Jerry collapses.
Meanwhile Nik is on the parapet holding Emily's engagement ring. Nadine comes out and he speaks, as much to himself as to her, "Oh God, what have I done to her?" Nadine tries to get him to come inside and he apologizes because he can't remember her name. He worries where his manners have gone. She tells him that he is in shock, but he just talks about the fact that there's no more Emily and how she makes him think his next breath is worth the effort.
Lulu is with Johnny outside of the mansion. She tells him that he can do anything he wants now that he's free. Sam approaches them and asks if Lulu has seen Lucky. Lulu says that he wasn't on the helicopter with her dad. Sam explains that she's really worried about him.
Ric is being taken away from the mansion with Trevor and Skye by his side. Trevor is trying to make nice with his son and Ric says that it's too bad it took for him to nearly be killed for his father to care.
Patients keep being wheeled into GH. Jerry arrives and is whisked off to surgery. Next up is Lelya. She starts to come around and Patrick welcomes her back. After she is taken away, Robin tells him that he is the reason that more people didn't die. She tells him that she's glad they had the chance to be really honest with each other last night and now she feels at peace with their decision. Patrick says that how she has her baby is her own business and he will support her choice.
Dr. Ford informs Ric that Alexis had a straight-forward appendectomy and is recovering just fine, but he needs surgery to clean up the procedure done at Wyndemere. After he leaves, Ric asks Skye why she stuck by his side last night. "I danced with the one who brung me?" she jokes and they both laugh. Then, she walks out into the hallway and finds Alexis. She says that Ric needs to talk to her. Alexis decides to go see him. She tells him that Molly wants to bring him dinner. Ric laughs because they both know it'll be peas. He goes on to say that he couldn't help but to think about what a rotten father Trevor has been and that he wants to break the cycle for Molly. "I want to make peace, and it starts with you and me." He tells Alexis that she is a great mother and it's time that he treats her with respect. She cries and says that she doesn't know what to do with all of this. He tells her to just accept it. She says that she's not perfect, but for their daughter's sake she'll try not to hate him anymore. They both smile.
Luke is waking up from his angioplasty and even though Tracy's head is on his bed, the first person he sees is Skye, who has learned about his heart attack and is standing in his doorway. He tells her that it's always a pleasure to see her, and Tracy boots her out of the room. Then she whips around and yells at Luke, "You're half dead and you can still flirt?" Luke weakly assures her that he's saving all of his "flirt" for her. Before long, Lulu arrives. Tracy whispers that her dad is stable, but in a guarded condition so she isn't to upset him. Luke wakes up and tells Lulu that he was right - the Spencers all got out in one piece, as promised. Then he asks her where Lucky is.
Skye runs into Edward as he is getting off of the elevator. He asks her why she's so overdressed for the board meeting and Skye realizes that he hasn't heard about what happened last night. She gently tells him about Emily. She holds his hand as he says that this is all his fault. He says that when he was a young man he idolized a brilliant business man that he had the chance to shake hands with in college. He says that he asked the man what the secret to his success was and the answer was, "Whatever it takes…you have to have the stomach to do whatever it takes." Edward says that's the way he started to live his life from that point forward. But then he saw that same man lose his son to a war, a daughter to a plane crash and then his son, the President, was assassinated. He said that one by one this man's golden children's family fell away to drugs and tragedy and all he ever wanted to be was like him -- and now he is. "I've buried my own children and my grandchildren…and my beloved Lila." He says that he did whatever it took and he will pay until the day he dies for what he's become. He goes on to say that Skye should run and get away from his poison while she still can. He collapses in tears and Skye rocks him in her arms.
Monica hasn't heard about Emily's death either. She is at the Q mansion leaving Emily a voice mail. She asks her daughter to call and tell her everything about the ball last night. As she finishes, Jason walks through the terrace door and Monica only has to look at his face to know that something is terribly wrong. He simply tells her that Emily died last night. He says that she was strangled and the police think a man named Anthony Zacchara did it. Monica recognizes his name as a gangster. You can tell from her tone that she blames Jason for the mob connection. She says that she spends her days saving lives and asks him when was the last time he saved a life? Jason can see that she's getting more and more upset, so he offers to get her some help and Monica screams that they're all dead! A.J., Alan, and now Emily. Jason tries to take her in his arms and Monica goes nuts and tells him that he is not her son and he shouldn't dare show up at Emily's funeral. She pushes him out the door and from the terrace Jason listens as she slides to the floor and sobs.
There are only a few people left on Spoon Island. Nik comes back into the ballroom as the coroner is putting Emily into a body bag, with Emily looking on. He tells the cops and everyone to get out of his house and leave them alone! Detective Harper tells him that this is a murder investigation now. Nik isn't backing down, but Sam comes in and tells him to let the police do their jobs. He holds Emily and Liz reminds him that he can keep her in his heart forever. She gently pries Nik away from Emily and rocks him like a baby as the coroner takes her away.
NEXT ON General Hospital:
Coop tells Maxi that he misses her.
Patrick tells Robin that Mac has invited him to their family Thanksgiving meal.
Monica tells Nik that they both have to figure out a way to go on.
All recap photos are courtesy of Soaps.com.
They've been there for each other for a long time.