Gus was against Vivian's plan to use Chloe to eliminate Carly, but Vivian didn't want to hear it. She explained her plan again to have Carly killed while Vivian's hands would stay clean. Gus got a call and informed Vivian that Chloe left the apartment and went to the hospital. Vivian was delighted and went to the hospital to witness Carly's demise.

At the hospital, Chloe felt guilty for sleeping with Philip after realizing that Daniel wasn't cheating on her with Carly, after all, and was instead undergoing eye surgery. Daniel woke upon hearing her say that she ruined everything, and he asked her why she felt that way. Chloe asked if his vision was back to normal, and he said they would know for sure in a few days. He was glad to see her, but he wanted to know what she meant about her ruining everything. Chloe looked back and realized that Carly was in the room.

Chloe asked when the surgery had taken place, and Carly said they had finished the surgery an hour before. Daniel apologized for not telling Chloe about the surgery he was about to undergo, because he wanted to wait until afterwards and they had determined that his problem was over. Chloe understood that he didn't want her to get her hopes up. Daniel said that Carly had arranged to have a doctor do the surgery.

Daniel asked if Chloe had gotten her message. She said she got it and had thought she understood it, but she realized she was mistaken. "God, what have I done?" she said. Daniel asked again what she had done. Chloe explained that the message he left got cut off, and she didn't know that he was the one being operated on. Daniel said that was because he didn't make that clear, and besides, he didn't want her to know.

Chloe still felt bad, because she wasn't there with him. Daniel was sorry about the fight that they had prior to the surgery. He admitted to saying some hurtful things, but he didn't mean them. He said he overreacted because of stress. He thought that things were finally good between them. Carly interrupted them while they were hugging and explained that she needed to examine Daniel, so Chloe waited outside.

At Maggie's house, Melanie thought that Philip was mad at her for Nathan kissing her, so she tried to explain that she loved Philip and wanted to be worthy of him. Philip wished that he had known the truth about what happened between Melanie and Nathan before he slept with Chloe. He started to explain it to Melanie, and she assumed that Philip was through with her.

Melanie thought that she waited too long to "come to her senses" and Philip didn't want her anymore. She said she wouldn't blame him if he didn't want to be married to her because she was emotionally unfaithful to him. She had been beating herself up over it ever since she realized that Philip was the only man she wanted to be with. She said while she wasn't unfaithful to Phillip physically - Nathan did kiss her, and she was angry with herself because of it. Philip told her to stop, and she apologized. He said she didn't do anything wrong, but she felt like she had been "awful" while he had been "so wonderful." However, Philip said that wasn't true, because he made a "huge mistake."

Chloe tried to call Philip to explain to him what happened before he revealed their secret. She called when Philip was just about to tell Melanie that he slept with Chloe. Melanie heard his cell phone ring and asked if he was going to see who was calling. Chloe left a message explaining that she misunderstood what happened with Daniel. Carly overheard that Chloe was leaving a message for Philip. Chloe started to explain, but Carly interrupted her and said she knew why Chloe was calling Philip.

Carly assumed that Chloe was calling Philip to have him tell Melanie how Daniel was doing. Chloe felt guilty about misunderstanding Daniel's message. She said if she hadn't been so paranoid, it would have changed everything. Carly tried to calm Chloe down and encouraged her to visit with Daniel.

Melanie asked why Philip wouldn't answer his phone, and he said nothing was more important than them. Philip explained that he walked in on Melanie and Nathan kissing and that she confessed before Philip confronted her. He said her honesty meant a lot to him, and it was time for him to be completely honest with her.

Philip said he took it the wrong way when he saw Melanie and Nathan kissing, so he got drunk and did something stupid. Melanie assumed that something stupid was driving drunk. She said she wouldn't know what she would have done if she had lost Philip. Carly called Melanie while Philip was still trying to explain himself.

Carly told Melanie about Daniel's operation and recovery. Carly said that Daniel was asleep because of the heavy medication he had been given. Melanie thanked Carly for helping Daniel. After she hung up, Melanie explained to Philip what had happened. Melanie said that Chloe was with Daniel, and she needed to see him, so she left, but he ran after her.

Vivian went to the hospital, but didn't see anything salacious. Melanie arrived and thanked Carly for helping Daniel. Vivian wondered why Carly was at the hospital and in one piece. Melanie visited with Daniel, while Chloe sat down in the chair. Philip looked over at Chloe. Daniel assured Melanie that he was doing okay, but he was concerned about Melanie, because he noticed she was crying. Daniel asked what had upset her.

Melanie was about to explain, and Philip started to leave the room with Chloe, but Melanie told them to stay. She told Daniel that she and Philip got some things out into the open, but before she could explain, Chloe interrupted and apologized and asked for forgiveness.

Carly told Nadine that things were okay between Carly and Chloe. Nadine said that she was there when Chloe called Carly "a miserable bitch." Vivian told Carly, "Rumor has it you wrecked another home, but then you're so adept at it, you could probably do it in your sleep, couldn't you?"

Will stopped Sami from leaving to find E.J., because Johnny had a bad dream. Sami comforted Johnny, but he said he wanted his "daddy." Sami told Johnny that he had spent the night with his father the other night, and that night was her turn, but Johnny insisted on seeing his father. Sami got Johnny back to sleep, and she realized that Johnny wasn't as comfortable with her as he was with E.J., and Johnny wasn't happy when he was just with Sami. Will said that Johnny probably felt that way when he was at the DiMera mansion and missed Sami.

Sami didn't agree with Will's theory, because E.J. never had to call Sami and ask her to help him with Johnny. Sami realized that Johnny was just going through a phase. Will thought that Johnny was just unhappy with "the back and forth" and didn't prefer E.J. over Sami. Sami also wished that Sydney were more comfortable with her and would finally call Sami "Momma."

Sami said that Sydney said "Momma" once before when she saw Nicole. Sami realized that E.J. made a good point about Sami and the kids moving into the DiMera mansion. Will thought it was a bad idea, because Sami hated Stefano. Sami asked how Will could live there. She left to find out whether E.J.'s idea was a scheme that he thought up with Stefano or if he genuinely wanted to do what was best for his family.

Hope knocked E.J. out as Dr. Baker watched. Dr. Baker said that E.J. knew what Dr. Baker did, and he worried about what would happen if E.J. woke up. Hope suggested that they kill E.J. Hope aimed the gun at E.J., who was unconscious on the ground, but Dr. Baker stopped her and said she couldn't shoot him. "You're right, but you can," Hope said, handing the gun to Dr. Baker.

Hope explained that Dr. Baker needed to get rid of the threat, since E.J. saw him. E.J. started to wake up, so Hope kicked him in the head with her shoe until he was out cold again. Hope admitted that she was testing Dr. Baker. She said they wouldn't have any problems as long as he did what she said. He examined E.J. and said E.J. needed stitches and an MRI for brain hemorrhaging.

Hope asked how Dr, Baker knew that, and she said it was because he was a doctor but had taken a break from medicine. Hope asked what the prognosis was, and Dr. Baker said that depended on Hope. After Dr. Baker left, she went through E.J.'s pockets and took his wallet. Hope followed Dr. Baker back to his place. He assumed that she had killed E.J., and he called her a "lunatic bitch." She held him at gunpoint.

Dr. Baker apologized for what he called Hope. She pretended to shoot Dr. Baker, but the gun didn't fire. Dr. Baker demanded to know why Hope was playing games with him. Hope said she didn't want to kill anyone -- she just wanted to enter a partnership in which they knocked guys unconscious and took their money. Hope insisted that only she would pick the targets, and they would all be men. Hope felt the men were getting what they deserved.

Hope threw E.J.'s wallet to Dr. Baker and asked if he was in or not. "Not a bad payday," he said, taking the money out of the wallet. Hope promised to be in touch, and she left. Hope put E.J.'s wallet in the box under her bed with the rest of the wallets and then went to sleep. Meanwhile, Dr. Baker looked at E.J.'s credit card and decided to act fast before "that limey bastard wakes up and remembers the last face he saw before the lights went out."

Sami found E.J. unconscious on the ground and tried to wake him. E.J. woke up and was disoriented. Sami asked who hit him. E.J. was trying to remember, but Sami told him to relax while she looked for her phone. Sami realized that she didn't have her phone, so she tried to find E.J.'s phone. When she couldn't find it, she told him she would leave to get help, and she asked him to promise to stay there. He asked her not to leave. E.J. started to lose consciousness, so she tried to wake him up. He tried to get up, but she told him stay there. She fell down into his arms, and they were about to kiss.

At Salem Hospital, Vivian accused Carly of destroying Chloe's life. Confused, Carly protested that she had not done anything to Chloe, but Vivian noted that Maxine had witnessed Chloe cursing at Carly earlier. "Not that it's any of your business but she was upset because of a quarrel that she had with Daniel," Carly said tersely. Vivian insisted that the fight Chloe had with Daniel was about Carly.

In Daniel's room, Chloe blurted out, "I am so sorry! Please forgive me!" Confused, Daniel asked Chloe what she was talking about. "I'm sorry but you need to hear the truth," Chloe said sadly. After looking at Philip, Chloe seemed to change her mind and said that the announcement was not important. With a chuckle, Daniel urged Chloe to talk to him. Chloe explained that since she was old friends with Philip that she went to talk to him earlier about her fight with Daniel.

"I am glad that you were there for her. Thank you," Daniel said to Philip. Philip hugged Melanie tightly as she said, "It's not like anything really bad happened." Philip suggested that Chloe join him for some coffee and leave Melanie and Daniel alone. Daniel urged Chloe not to worry about him and told her that he would be well again soon.

Out in the hallway, Philip whispered, "Don't say a word till we're alone." Chloe informed Carly that Daniel was doing well. Chloe apologized for yelling at Carly earlier, and Carly told Chloe not to "worry about it." Chloe thanked Carly for being a good friend to Daniel and "a good person." Nearby, Vivian dropped her head in disbelief as she eavesdropped on Chloe and Carly.

In Daniel's hospital room, Daniel asked Melanie why she was crying earlier. Melanie explained that she had told Philip about her feelings for Nathan and that Philip had witnessed Nathan kissing her. Melanie stressed that she told Philip she no longer had feelings for Nathan and that she believed it made her marriage stronger. "I have you to thank for that," Melanie said. Daniel advised Melanie that her gratitude was misdirected and that she needed to thank Maggie rather than him.

At the Java Café, Philip and Chloe admitted that they did not have the fortitude to come clean with Melanie or Daniel about their sexual encounter earlier. Philip and Chloe agreed that the sex was a mistake and that they both misunderstood what was going on with Daniel and Melanie. "Obviously someone was feeding me lies. I don't know who, but I'm gonna find out," Chloe vowed. Philip and Chloe agreed never to speak about their sexual encounter again.

As Chloe started to talk about her guilt, Carly interrupted to say hello. "What, they don't have coffee at the hospital?" Philip joked. Philip excused himself in order to return to the hospital, and concerned, Carly asked Chloe if she was okay. When Chloe said she was fine, Carly advised Chloe to forget about her argument with Daniel earlier. "He loves you so much and he needs you, especially now," Carly said.

In Daniel's hospital room, Philip was surprised to find Daniel alone in the room. Daniel noted that Melanie had stepped out for a minute, and he invited Philip to wait for her with him. "You know there's no need to walk on eggshells with me. She told me the truth," Daniel said. Daniel told Philip that he appreciated that Philip and Melanie were able to talk through their issues earlier. "No father ever thinks any guy is good enough for his daughter but you come pretty close, man. So you treat her right. Just like you did tonight. And remember, you do anything to hurt my little girl, I'll break your neck," Daniel concluded.

At the Kiriakis mansion, a furious Vivian confided to Gus that her plan to trick Chloe into attacking Carly had failed. "Don't say I told you so. I am begging you!" Vivian cried out. Gus advised Vivian that it was only a matter of time before Chloe figured out what happened. Frustrated, Vivian swore to keep Chloe and Victor from finding out. After running through a few scenarios, Vivian seemed to think of a plan. "Aha! I've nailed it," Vivian said brightly.

At the Cheatin' Heart, Nathan talked to Stephanie about work. Pleased with the atmosphere, Stephanie told Nathan how relieved she was that their date was going well. "Bet I can guess why? 'Cause a certain someone isn't sitting here with us," Nathan said sullenly. Nathan told Stephanie that Melanie informed him what was in the letter she wrote him. Nathan added that he and Melanie agreed that they were over one another. Smiling, Nathan assured Stephanie that he wanted to concentrate on her since she was the one in his heart.

Adrienne stopped by Stephanie and Nathan's table to say hello. Nathan asked about Justin, and Adrienne explained that Justin was fully recovered. As Nathan went to get more drinks from the bar, Adrienne sat at the table with Stephanie. "I couldn't help but notice the way that Nathan was looking at you. How do I describe it? Total adoration?" Adrienne said with a grin. When Adrienne asked about Melanie, Stephanie explained, "That played itself out."

After updating Adrienne about what happened with Melanie, Stephanie asked her about Justin. Uncomfortable talking about Justin, Adrienne changed the subject and asked Stephanie how hard she had fallen for Nathan. "He's the one, Aunt Adrienne. There's no doubt in my mind," Stephanie confided. Stephanie countered that she still believed Adrienne and Justin were soul mates. With a resigned smile, Adrienne explained that she had to let Justin go, then added, "But don't you do that with Nathan. Promise me." When Nathan returned to the table, Adrienne headed back to the bar. Nathan explained that he had to go back to the hospital but promised to make up the date to Stephanie later.

Once Nathan was gone, Stephanie walked over to Adrienne at the bar. When Adrienne noted that Stephanie's face was glowing, Stephanie's smile broadened. "I know Nathan doesn't love me the same way that I love him, but I think he's heading in that direction. And now that Melanie is out of the picture, I think that Nathan and I are on our way," Stephanie said.

As Philip entered the waiting room in the hospital, he received a call from Chloe, who was leaving the Java Cafe. Chloe thanked Philip for helping her keep their affair quiet. "Daniel can never find out that we slept together. Okay? It would be the end of us. It would be the end of me," Chloe said. After hanging up her phone , Chloe turned around to find Nathan standing there with his mouth agape.

At the DiMera mansion, Stefano eagerly greeted Rafe at the front door. Stefano told Rafe that he wanted to discuss the possibility of Sami moving into the mansion. When Rafe noted that Sami's living situation was no longer his concern, Stefano questioned whether Rafe loved Sami anymore. Suspicious, Rafe asked Stefano why he summoned Rafe to the mansion to talk about Sami so late at night. Rafe theorized that Stefano was asking him about Sami because he wanted to make sure that Rafe would not "cause trouble."

As Rafe started to leave, Stefano explained that he was opposed to Sami moving into the mansion. "I still have to be aware of everyone's feelings, especially my son's," Stefano stated. Rafe noted that he was confused why E.J. wanted to live in the mansion, much less want Sami to move in, as well. Rafe pointed out that it was peculiar for E.J. to change his heart so suddenly. "What happened? What made E.J. change his mind and turn on a dime?" Rafe asked.

Stefano explained that E.J. changed his mind because of time and because Stefano was ill. Smirking, Rafe disagreed with Stefano. "I hate to break it to you but if E.J. knew you were at death's door he'd get out a shovel and start digging the grave himself," Rafe said. "What's the real reason he forgave you?" Rafe questioned. Stefano explained that he and E.J. had agreed to set aside their differences for the good of the children. Stefano added that he was concerned that Sami was an "unfit parent" and wanted to keep an eye on the children by having them live in the mansion.

"Elvis wants to protect the children, yes. That is the simple and plain truth," Stefano said. "With you the truth is never simple. In fact, it's rarely the truth. But hey, it's not a problem. 'Cause I know the real reason E.J. wants Sami back," Rafe responded. Rafe noted that if Sami moved in, she was not likely to stay long. Still suspicious, Rafe urged Stefano to reveal how he'd got E.J. to agree to move back into the mansion and urge Sami to join him with the children.

Dr. Dick Baker continued to hide out from E.J., and he hoped that E.J. would not wake up and remember seeing him at the pier. "Either way, that money's just sitting there," Dick said to himself as he stared at the bankcard in his hand. Dick called a contact named Santos and asked him to track down a pin number for the bankcard he took out of E.J.'s wallet. "Would you trust me on this, Santos? E.J's not gonna kill you. He's not even gonna know, all right? Guaranteed. All right, listen, you hack into his account, I'll split it with you," Dick said. After receiving the necessary bank information, Dick called the bank and asked for a transfer of money into the account for Robert Bishop. "I have the number and the pin right here," Dick told the bank.

Down at the docks, a frantic Sami cradled E.J. in her arms as his head wound continued to bleed. E.J. begged Sami not to leave his side and whispered, "I need you." E.J. then grew quiet, and afraid, Sami screamed for help. Sami urged E.J. to wake up, then realized he did not appear to be responding. In tears, Sami continued to cry for help, and gently shook E.J., as she attempted to wake him up. Sami began CPR on E.J and urged him not to die. After a few breaths and compressions, E.J. began to breathe again. "You're gonna be okay!" Sami urged E.J. Sami told E.J. to fight, pulled him into an embrace, and gently cradled his head. With their lips close together, Sami and E.J. kissed.

As the sounds of sirens filled the air, Sami pulled away from the kiss and explained that though she was scared, she believed E.J. was going to be fine. As E.J. closed his eyes again, a police officer approached and Sami explained what had happened. E.J. struggled to remain conscious and whispered a thank you to Sami as he gently squeezed her hand.

At the hospital, Lexie was shocked to see E.J. wheeled down the hallway with Sami at his side. Sami informed Lexie that E.J. had been mugged like Abe and Justin. Lexie reviewed E.J.'s chart, while a barely conscious E.J. gently caressed Sami's hand and whispered, "Samantha."

Back at the DiMera mansion, Stefano continued to sell his story about E.J.'s reasons for moving back to the house, but Rafe did not appear to believe him. "After all is said and done, we are family," Stefano noted. Rafe grunted in response, and as Stefano started to speak, the phone rang. Lexie called to inform Stefano about E.J.'s accident and that he was at the hospital. In a panic, Stefano announced that the meeting was over and left for the hospital.

When Stefano arrived at the hospital, Lexie updated him on E.J.'s condition and the attack. As Lexie cried out in frustration over the attack, Stefano attempted to calm her down, and Rafe crept quietly toward E.J.'s room. Lexie assured Stefano that E.J. was fine and that Sami was sitting with him. When Stefano noted that he was too upset to deal with Sami, Lexie reminded Stefano that Sami might have saved E.J.'s life. "I am grateful but I am also very angry," Stefano growled. Stefano complained about the police incompetence in bungling the case of the mugger, and he promised to make the mugger pay.

In E.J.'s hospital room, a groggy E.J. woke up. Sami informed E.J. that he had a concussion, but that he was going to be all right. When E.J. asked what had happened, Sami told him that he was attacked like Abe and Justin had been. E.J. remembered Sami was with him and thanked her for saving him. "You already showed me your gratitude," Sami said with a smirk. When E.J. said he did not remember what she was talking about, Sami told E.J. to forget she said anything. Curious, E.J. asked Sami to tell him how he "showed his gratitude." As Rafe poked his head into the room through the side door, Sami reiterated to E.J. that he did not do anything.

Sami noted that she was terrified when she found E.J. "If something happened to you, I mean, I don't know how I'd explain that to our kids," Sami said. With a smile on his face, E.J. promised that he was not going anywhere. "That's the best news I've had all week," Sami said with a grin. Hearing enough, Rafe slipped quietly back into the hospital hallway.

At the DiMera mansion, Will told Kate that his study group would be arriving soon. When Kate heard that Chad was in the group, she was not pleased, and Will wanted to know why. "I don't have a problem with Chad Woods," Kate maintained. "But I do have a problem with his parents." She explained that the district attorney and his wife were still convinced that Kate had tried to poison Chloe, despite the lack of evidence, so Kate and Will had to stick together. Will didn't think Mr. and Mrs. Woods would go after him, but Kate cautioned him not to be too sure.

When Chad met his mom in the park, she handed over the keys to her car. Madeline explained, "How can you expect to raise your grades if you can't get to the library or your study group?" Chad was surprised, but grateful. Just then, Mia called Chad from the Java Café, where she was working, to inform him that the study group had been moved from Kinsey's house to Will's grandfather's house. When Madeline heard that Chad's study group was meeting at the DiMera mansion, she demanded her keys back.

Chad wanted to know why his mother freaked out every time she heard the DiMera name. Madeline testily reminded her son that Stefano DiMera was a mob boss. Chad recalled how his mom had reacted when they'd once run into Kate DiMera, and asked if Madeline objected to the DiMeras' reputation, or if it were a more personal bias against Kate. Madeline pointed out that she and Chad's father worked hard to get people like the DiMeras off the streets, and it wouldn't look good if their son was spending time at the DiMera family's home.

Madeline suggested firmly, "Certainly this study group can meet somewhere else." Chad grudgingly called and explained to Will about his mom's opposition to the study group meeting at the mansion. Will wasn't happy about it, but agreed to meet Chad at the Java Café. As Chad left, Madeline said to herself with a sigh, "I know you're angry, but you'll get over it. The DiMeras could ruin everything, even after all these years."

Mia was thrilled when Chad and Will arrived at the Java Café. As Will walked away to call the other study members, Mia suggested that she and Chad hang out together later. Chad had no problem letting her know he wasn't the least bit interested. After Mia returned to work, Will was surprised to learn that Chad and Mia were no longer dating. Chad explained, "When I found out Mia was playing both of us, that was it for me." He acknowledged that Mia had been through a lot, and admitted that he was partly to blame, but he and Will concurred that Mia was not the person either of them had originally thought she was.

Behind the counter, Mia sulked because she knew that Chad and Will were talking about her. "Chad, you still want me," she said to herself. "And I think I know how to make you see that."

Madeline stopped by the DiMera mansion to speak to Kate. "I was hoping after our last little encounter that we could stay away from each other," Madeline stated. "But it's not working out that way." Kate was immediately defensive, but Madeline offered to let Kate blame Chad's potential bad influence on Will as an excuse to keep the boys apart.

A skeptical Kate argued that Chad and Will would see right through that story. Madeline dropped any pretense of civility, and ordered Kate to stay away from the Woods family-"Or I will make sure that this pretty little life that you've cooked up with Stefano comes crashing down. And you know that I can do that."

Arianna and Nicole met for coffee on their way to work so Arianna could review the news director's story suggestions with Nicole. As they bickered about the ideas, their cell phones chimed simultaneously with text-message alerts that E.J. DiMera had been attacked. Nicole announced that she was the best person to get the story, since she was E.J.'s ex-wife.

Arianna didn't think that management would approve, or that E.J. would even let Nicole in his room. When Nicole learned that E.J. and Arianna had become friends during Sydney's kidnapping, she suggested that Arianna should soften E.J. up before the interview-or Nicole would tell the news director that Arianna had refused to help them get the story. Arianna reluctantly agreed.

At the hospital, Lexie went in to check on E.J., who was peeved that he still couldn't remember who had mugged him. He quietly vowed to find out who had done it and make them pay. Lexie sat on the bed with a resigned sigh. "I suppose it never occurred to you not to go all Sonny Corleone on this," she stated pointedly. "Although father's already gone there."

Although E.J. scoffed at the idea, Lexie hoped that the Salem police caught the perpetrator soon, and cautioned E.J. not to hold back any details when Hope interviewed him later. A frustrated E.J. asked if his memory would return when the concussion healed, but Lexie could only say that it might.

When they arrived at the hospital, Nicole sent Arianna into E.J.'s room. Lexie was irked when she spotted Nicole hanging around the nurses' station, and made a snide remark about Nicole's baby-stealing ways. Nicole countered that Lexie had no room to criticize after having sex with Abe's son-who was also Nicole's brother-to get back at Abe.

E.J. was happy to see Arianna, but she cautioned that he wouldn't be after he found out why she was really there. Arianna clarified that she had just started working at Titan TV as the production assistant to the roving reporter. E.J. surmised that the reporter simply wanted a statement, which he was more than happy to give.

Arianna finally blurted that Nicole was the reporter, and then asked, "You want to throw me out now?" E.J. was annoyed that Arianna had turned down his job offer, but accepted Nicole's. Arianna quickly explained that she had been hired to work for Cece Chavez, and hadn't known until she'd shown up on her first day of work that Philip had hired Nicole to replace Cece.

A still irritable E.J. wanted to know what would happen if he refused to grant the interview. Arianna guessed that Nicole would probably conjecture on-air that if E.J. didn't want to talk to the press, he had something to hide. As she watched E.J. stew, Arianna offered her sincerest apologies and started to leave, but E.J. stopped her. Worried that Nicole would blame Arianna, he told Arianna to send Nicole in.

Arianna went to get Nicole, but first warned Nicole not to treat E.J. the way she'd treated Abe. Nicole ignored her and went inside, where E.J. didn't even bother to open his eyes as he addressed his ex-wife somewhat snidely. Arianna carried in the camera equipment as Nicole declared that she was finally going to get to have her say, after E.J. and Sami had expressed their opinions about her to the world.

Arianna interrupted to warn Nicole that the interview would be over before it had begun if Nicole harangued E.J. on the air. Nicole agreed to "play nice," so Arianna handed her the microphone and turned on the camera. Nicole addressed the camera with introductory remarks about the four wealthy, powerful men who had been attacked in the previous week, and then asked E.J. what he remembered about what happened to him. E.J. stated that there had been more than one person, and he could identify one of them. "I'm not going to stop until I track that person down," he vowed.

When Nicole learned that E.J. hadn't even told the police about the second attacker, she excitedly asked if he could identify the person, and if he thought the attackers had a score to settle with E.J. E.J. confirmed that he did, and then added, "As a matter of fact, Nikki, I think this person is an associate of yours."

At the police station, Hope informed Roman that she was headed to the hospital to take E.J.'s statement. Roman and Hope were both determined to solve the multiple muggings. After Roman left, Hope knocked over her purse, and spilled her bottle of sleeping pills all over the floor. Julie walked in as Hope was picking them up, and asked if Hope were all right. Hope stated that she'd merely been having trouble sleeping, so the doctor had written her a prescription for non-addictive sleeping pills, which she'd have to ask for more of, since she'd just spilled them on the squad room floor.

A concerned Julie maintained that all sleeping pills were addictive, if not physically, then psychologically, and urged Hope to first try things like taking warm baths before bed. Hope reassured her stepmother that she hadn't been taking the pills that long, and only after she'd tried everything else she could think of first-but her child and her job needed her focused, not sleep-deprived.

Hope refused to discuss her insomnia further, and then confided that she'd been having problems with Ciara. Julie pointed out that Ciara's acting out was probably her way of getting her parents' attention, since the child didn't know how to express what she was really feeling. Hope admitted with a sigh that she was overwhelmed and asked for Julie's advice about what to do.

Julie asked whether Hope had considered taking a leave of absence at work, but Hope didn't want doing so to send the wrong message to Ciara. Julie asked some prying questions about Hope's relationship with Justin, but Hope didn't want to talk about it. On Julie's way out to pick up Ciara at school, Hope implored Julie to relay anything that Ciara said to Doug and Julie that might give Hope some insight into the girl's behavior. Julie was more than happy to oblige.

In his hotel room, Dr. Dick Baker awoke with a start, because he thought he'd been having a nightmare about Nicole-but really he'd been hearing her voice on the television. He immediately snapped the set off. "Nicole DiMera is a TV reporter? That's like Paris Hilton being a life coach," he said to himself with a shudder of disbelief.

Baker looked over the five hundred dollars in cash from the night he and his mystery woman-Hope-had mugged E.J., and was pleased that he'd been able to increase the balance in his offshore account with funds from E.J.'s bankcard. Baker vowed to double his money, and then to find his partner in crime so he could buy her a drink to celebrate-once he figured out who and where she was.

Baker was having a drink at the Cheatin' Heart when a very large, bald man thumped him on the shoulder. "Bernie! My old buddy!" a grinning Dr. Baker exclaimed, but Bernie was only interested in the money Baker owed him. Baker made some excuses about having been out of town. Bernie threatened Baker with physical harm, so Baker offered him the five hundred dollars as a down payment. Bernie reluctantly took it, and then stalked out. "Okay, on to plan B-whatever that is," Baker muttered. "Where are you, dark-haired lady?"

Hope went to her doctor's office and explained about spilling her sleeping pills. The doctor said that he couldn't write her a new prescription because her insurance wouldn't cover a refill so soon. When Hope offered to pay for the new ones out of pocket, the doctor became a bit suspicious. Hope assured him that she wasn't abusing the medication, so the doctor wrote out a new prescription, which Hope exchanged for the ones she'd spilled. The doctor wanted to know how well the drug worked for Hope. Hope told him how exhausted she'd been in the mornings, and about the tiring dreams she'd been having, but since taking the medication, she no longer remembered her dreams, and awakened feeling great.

After her doctor's appointment, Hope checked in by phone with the police station from the pier, on her way to interview E.J. As Hope hung up, Dr. Baker arrived. "You're a sight for sore eyes," he greeted her. "I've been looking all over for you." Hope looked at him with a complete lack of recognition. "I'm so sorry; do I know you?" she asked.

E.J. accused Nicole of orchestrating his attack in an attempt to get revenge. Nicole assumed that E.J. was accusing her to get back at her and that's why he agreed to do the interview. She ordered Arianna to turn off the camera, but Arianna refused. Nicole reminded Arianna that she worked for Nicole.

Arianna told Nicole that they were putting together a great news story -- "a rich hero, a conniving bitch, and a real crime." Nicole gave up trying to convince Arianna to see things her way, so she took the tape out of the video camera and destroyed it. Nicole asked Ariannna to leave, but she refused to; however, she left the room after E.J. asked her to.

E.J. couldn't remember who the person was who attacked him. Nicole said she didn't do anything, but she assumed that E.J. planned to frame her.

Meanwhile, Arianna was surprised to see Brady at the hospital. She told him that E.J. knew who was behind the muggings and accused Nicole of the being the perpetrator. Brady defended Nicole, much to Arianna's dismay. She said it felt like she had a "strange sense of déjà vu."

Hope told an officer that she had no idea who Dr. Baker was. The officer filled her in on the suspect in the assaults, and said that they had no lead, because the perpetrator did a good job of covering his tracks. Dr. Baker was surprised to learn that Hope was a detective.

Hope realized out that the street mugger was more sophisticated than an average street mugger, because he had figured out E.J.'s pin number and transferred the money to an offshore account. Hope needed to tell E.J. about it so that he could freeze the rest of his accounts, and she asked the officer to check the accounts of the other victims for any activity. After the officer left, Hope wondered who Dr. Baker was.

Kate thought about when Madeline ordered Kate to stay away from her family or she would make sure that Kate's life with Stefano came "crashing down." Stefano walked in and asked Kate why she was alone, and she told him that they had a problem. He wondered why she was overreacting, so she told him how Judge Peterson-Woods threatened her. Stefano said that the judge made a "terrible mistake." Kate said that she and Madeline had been avoiding each other for years until Chad ended up in Will's class. Stefano made a call and told someone to "handle things."

At the Java Café, Mia tried to convince Will that she was sorry for the way that she had treated him, but Will saw right through her. Mia told Will that Chad didn't like Will. Chad's mother noticed that Will had figured out what Mia was really like. Chad said he felt sorry for Mia. His mother was concerned about Chad working in the same place as Mia, so she offered to increase his allowance. Chad didn't want to give his father any more reasons to blow up on Chad.

Chad's mother was certain that his father would calm down after the police caught the man who attacked him. She received a call as Chad was preparing to go back to work. Mia offered Chad's mother some flowers, but Madeline said she was running late. Mia said that lilacs were her favorite ever since she saw that Chad's mom had the flowers on a table in their hallway. Mia said she would take the flowers to her baby's grave, and she asked if Chad's mother had ever visited Mia and Chad's baby's gravesite. Chad's mother said she had not visited the gravesite, so Mia asked if she wanted to go with Mia.

Chad's mother excused herself, but Mia insisted that she deserved another chance with Chad. Mia thought that she would never be good enough for Chad.

Rafe told Sami that according to Stefano, E.J. wanted her to move into the DiMera mansion because E.J. didn't trust Sami with her children. Sami couldn't believe that Rafe decided to believe Stefano's story, especially since Rafe hadn't believed Stefano before. Sami assured Rafe that she wasn't interested in E.J. He asked if E.J. had made a move on her. Sami remembered the kiss that she and E.J. shared after he was attacked.

Rafe was upset because it seemed E.J. got everything he wanted. Sami explained that Will lived at the mansion, and Johnny and Sydney would be visiting, so she decided that her living there for a while would give her a chance to protect her kids. Sami said she knew that her decision to move to the mansion sounded insane, but she was scared of Will being at the mansion with Kate, who could try to turn him against Sami.

Sami said she wasn't worried about E.J., and if she was going to move to the mansion, she had to commit to it wholeheartedly. She said she was onto Stefano and Kate. Their conversation was interrupted when Rafe received a phone call and had to go out of town. He said he wanted to continue their conversation when he got back. He said he had something to tell her, but she said she was sure he had said it already. She left to see E.J. Meanwhile, Rafe discovered where Anna was hiding.

Hope interviewed E.J. about his mugging. E.J. said that the man he remembered that the man who was there was connected to Nicole. E.J.'s memory was hazy, and he couldn't remember the man's name. Hope dismissed Nicole so that they could speak candidly. Hope told E.J. about the ATM card, but he already knew about it and had frozen the account. She asked if Nicole knew his PIN number, but he said that Nicole didn't know. Hope said the assailant left a trail by using his computer.

Hope figured out that someone shorter had attacked E.J. "Like a woman," he said. He theorized that Nicole might have hit him, and he told Hope that he knew Nicole was involved somehow.

Nicole told Brady that E.J. blamed her for E.J.'s mugging. Brady said Nicole destroying the footage made her look guilty. She admitted that she was just scared, and she hugged him just as Arianna walked by and saw them. Brady said that if Nicole wasn't behind the mugging, E.J. couldn't prove that she was. Nicole asked Brady to lie and be her alibi. Brady explained that having an alibi wouldn't matter, because E.J. suspected her of hiring someone to attack him.

Hope told Nicole that the attack on E.J. seemed more personal than the others. Hope questioned where Nicole was the night before. Nicole asked why it mattered, because the suspect was supposed to be a man. Hope said it could have been a woman, so she asked Nicole the question again. Nicole tried to get out of telling her by saying that her elevator had arrived, but Hope insisted that they finish their conversation at the police station.

Sami visited E.J. He asked why she was so nervous. She said she was just worried about him. He said that Lexie had told him that he was fine. He said he was grateful that Sami had showed up when she did, because if she hadn't, he didn't know what he would have done. He asked if she had decided whether she wanted to live with him.

Brady reminded Nicole that he had warned her not to return to Salem. Nicole realized that she might need to leave town, because it was what everyone wanted. After Nicole left, he saw Arianna standing nearby. Brady assured Arianna that Nicole was still his friend. Arianna told him that he was a "good friend." She said she didn't just love him; she liked him as well.

Dr. Baker saw news coverage of E.J.'s attack and realized he should have stayed dead.

Will and Chad couldn't figure out their class material, and Chad thought they needed Mia's help, but Will didn't want to ask. They both realized that Mia had returned to the Java Café. Will asked if Chad wanted him to leave, but Chad told Will to stay. Mia flirted with a boy and asked him to kiss her.

The boy kissed her, and then she slapped him. The boy asked why she had slapped him, and Will said it was for Will and Chad's benefit, because Mia thought that Will and Chad would flip out from jealousy. Mia said she didn't do it for Will's benefit -- she did it for Chad's, and she didn't care what Will thought about anything.

Stefano approached Madeline and said that next time he asked to meet with her, he didn't want her to ignore his wish. She said there wouldn't be a next time. Stefano told her that she had made a big mistake by threatening his wife. She assured him that it wouldn't happen again, and she said that if he ever mentioned the past, he would be the one to suffer.

Kate was drinking something and then looked down at her hands and saw blood all over them. Will startled Kate, and she asked him not to spend so much time with Chad. He wanted to know why she and Chad's mother cared about them spending time together.

Daniel invited Carly into his apartment for a drink to celebrate his successful surgery, but she was hesitant about hanging out with him when Chloe wasn't there. Daniel didn't see the problem, but before they could discuss it much further, Melanie and Philip knocked on the door. Melanie presented her dad with a gift basket to celebrate his improved health, and Daniel jokingly asked why she had gotten two of them. "That's not funny!" Melanie and Carly declared in unison.

Philip remembered having had sex with Chloe in that very living room, and hung back uncomfortably from the rest of the group. Melanie wondered where Chloe was, but Carly knew that Chloe would be home soon for Daniel's homecoming. As Daniel offered Philip a drink, Melanie spotted the smashed picture of Chloe and Daniel on the floor. Daniel confessed that he and Chloe had fought—only he obviously hadn't realized exactly how upset Chloe had been afterward.

Carly pointed out that Chloe wasn't angry any longer, and Melanie chimed in her agreement. Melanie then noticed that Philip was drinking instead of contributing to the conversation. Philip confessed that he was worried about work, which Melanie completely understood. She asked Philip to drop her off at the hospital on his way to the office, so she could catch up on some paperwork.

In the hallway after everyone had said their goodbyes, Melanie guessed that Philip had lied because he'd sensed how uncomfortable Daniel had been about the picture. "You're kind of amazing," she declared gratefully, hugging him.

Carly started to leave, as well, but Daniel needed to talk to her. "I don't want you feeling uncomfortable here," he stated. Carly countered that Chloe had been more upset than she had let on—and she had been upset with Carly. Daniel insisted that he and Chloe had worked things out, and since Melanie was a part of his life, Carly was, too. He added that they should all move on and put all the tension behind them.

Carly then said that she had to get to work, and urged Daniel to check with Chloe before he rushed to return to work himself. Daniel cheerfully argued, "Chloe and I are on exactly the same page, and from here on out, it's going to be smooth sailing."

Chloe waited at the hospital for Nathan, and explained that she needed to talk to him before he left. "You mean before I tell Daniel what I heard last night," he assumed. "That you slept with someone else." They moved into a private waiting area, where Chloe pleaded with Nathan not to tell Daniel, because Nathan had misunderstood what he'd heard. Nathan heatedly pointed out that Daniel would have given his life for Chloe when she'd been in the coma—and Melanie wouldn't be happy if Chloe hurt Melanie's father.

Chloe begged Nathan again not to tell Daniel, but Nathan countered that Chloe should tell Daniel if she were unhappy. Chloe insisted that she had only thought that because a nurse had told her that Daniel was with Carly. "I know it's not an excuse, but someone set me up," Chloe insisted. "But it was weak, not malicious." Nathan promised he wouldn't tell Daniel, but cautioned Chloe that secrets didn't always stay secret.

Stephanie arrived just then and asked what was wrong, after witnessing the intense moment between Nathan and Chloe. Chloe claimed that she was still worried after Daniel's surgery, and thanked Nathan for listening. After Chloe left, Nathan asked Stephanie what she wanted to do for their date that night. "I know exactly what I want to do," Stephanie declared, pulling Nathan in for a kiss.

"Who hates me?" Chloe wondered to herself as she paced near the nurses' station. "Who made that nurse lie to me?" Maxine spotted Chloe and asked why she was there so long after Daniel had been discharged. Chloe stated that she wanted to talk to Nurse Greg. "He quit," Maxine replied grumpily. "Apparently he thought you give two seconds' notice, not two weeks'." She added that Greg had left town, and hadn't given an address for his last paycheck. "Must have won the lottery or something," Maxine guessed.

Chloe called the motel to talk to the desk clerk, and learned that he was at the Cheatin' Heart. "Let's hear it for irony," she muttered to herself as she left.

Chloe found the clerk sitting at the bar at the Cheatin' Heart, and confronted him. He pretended not to know her, so Chloe reminded him, "You lied to me before at the motel. You said my fiancé was there with another woman." She demanded to know why. The clerk refused to talk to her, and tried to leave, but Chloe dropped the Kiriakis name before he could make it out the door.

"You may not have meant to, but you messed with the richest, meanest man in this town," Chloe asserted, and threatened to call Mr. Kiriakis if the clerk didn't start talking. Finally the clerk agreed to cooperate. Chloe wanted to know why he had said that Dr. Jonas and Dr. Manning had checked in when they hadn't been there. "Somebody's yanking your chain, lady," the clerk declared.

Stephanie was on the phone with Nathan when she arrived at the Brady Pub. As she hung up, she spied Philip drinking alone at a table, the full bottle in front of him. "So, what did Melanie do this time?" Stephanie asked. Philip irritably retorted, "Melanie didn't do anything, okay? I did; I'm the bastard."

When Melanie bumped into Nathan at the hospital, she told him that they needed to talk. Nathan was reluctant, but Melanie pulled him into the private waiting area. "I just wanted to tell you that I told Philip everything that happened with us the other night," she stated, adding that she was surprised at how well Philip had taken it. Nathan was happy that everything seemed to be working out.

In his hospital room, E.J. asked Sami if she'd decided whether to move into the DiMera mansion. She admitted that while she was not comfortable with the idea, she hadn't entirely rejected it, either. Sami repeated what Rafe had wondered, which was why E.J. was so insistent on living at the mansion with Stefano and Kate, when his goal was to create a stable family life for the children. E.J. reminded her that it was because his father didn't have much time left. Sami agreed to think about it some more.

Stefano waited near the nurses' station for Sami leave, and then he went into E.J.'s room. E.J. wasn't thrilled to see his father, who wanted to know what Samantha had decided. E.J. noted that it might be easier to persuade her to move into the mansion if Stefano and Kate hadn't made Samantha's life so miserable. Stefano was confident that his son would manage, and made a remark about E.J.'s foul mood.

"Well, let's see," E.J. recounted. "I've got you trying to blackmail me, and Nicole trying to bash my head in." Stefano was incredulous that Nicole would be stupid enough to hire someone to attack E.J. The subject turned back to E.J.'s attempts to get Sami and the children to move into the mansion. The two men argued, with E.J. concluding that even he believed that Samantha would have to be crazy to do it.

Sami went to the Brady Pub to see Caroline, who had just returned from visiting the ailing Kimberly in California. Caroline reported that Kim and Bo were both doing well, and Bo should return home very soon. Caroline sensed that something was going on with Sami, and asked what was wrong. "Nothing," Sami replied with an unconvincing shrug. "Will's living with Kate and Stefano, Rafe has decided to leave town, E.J. and several other people were bashed on the head and we don't know by whom, and I really don't like the spring colors this season."

An understanding Caroline listened as her granddaughter recounted how she and Rafe had been fighting, but she and E.J. had been getting along really well—and she was considering E.J.'s suggestion for her and the kids to move into the DiMera mansion. "Sami, are you totally out of your mind?" Caroline demanded. "When they say it takes a village, they don't mean a village of the damned."

Sami insisted that there were advantages to the arrangement, but Caroline didn't buy it. Sami stated that it was only temporary, because Stefano was very ill, and then added that E.J. had been very supportive. "It's worse than I thought—you're falling for him all over again," Caroline declared, and then reminded Sami of the awful things that E.J. had done.

Sami asserted that E.J. was fighting the DiMera way of life, and had managed to forgive Stefano—and she believed it was because of the kids. She hoped that with their continued influence, and hers, E.J. might become the person she knew he could be. Caroline was completely skeptical. Sami reminded her how the Bradys went to church frequently, and prayed to be able to "forgive those who have trespassed against us," but none of them ever actually did.

Later, Sami returned to E.J.'s hospital room, and was surprised to find Sydney there. E.J. explained that Lexie had taken Sydney to see him. Holding Sydney lovingly on her hip, Sami announced, "I'll do it. We'll move in." A pleased E.J. assured her that she wouldn't regret it.

As Hope led Nicole into an interview room at the police station, Nicole insisted that E.J. was trying to frame her for his mugging. Hope showed Nicole a stack of files that represented every time Nicole had been charged with a crime and proclaimed her innocence, and noted that E.J. had been Nicole's lawyer in many of the cases. Although Nicole bristled at Hope's attitude and allegations, Hope also pointed out how Nicole was only walking around free because she had bribed a corrupt governor.

Hope demanded, "Who was the man E.J. remembered?" Nicole was adamant that E.J. was lying to set her up, but Hope wanted to know why Nicole had destroyed the interview footage. Nicole maintained that there was nothing incriminating on the tape. Hope asserted that E.J.'s amnesia and vagueness about the details gave his story credibility, because if he'd wanted to set Nicole up, he would already have done it. Hope declared, "I want to know who this man was, and I want to know why he was connected to you."

Nicole argued that she couldn't answer that without so much as a description of the man. "If you're going to charge me, then charge me," Nicole added irritably. "But—oh wait—you can't, because you don't have a shred of evidence against me." Hope calmly noted, "I know where to find you when E.J. remembers the rest." After Hope left, Nicole realized she needed help—and she knew just who would give it to her.

Stefano was dismayed to find Nicole on the doorstep of the DiMera mansion a little later. She demanded his help in stopping E.J. from spreading lies about her, but Stefano adamantly refused. Nicole threatened to allege that E.J.'s head injuries had made him paranoid, and to expose how Stefano's illness and Tony's death had created a "leadership vacuum" at the top of the DiMera family. "Do you really want the DiMera family to be perceived as vulnerable?" Nicole asked.

A furious Stefano quietly but decisively reminded Nicole, "You walk and talk at our discretion, so you had better be very, very careful how you deal with us." Then, shouting, he ordered her to leave. As the door slammed in her face, a determined Nicole muttered to herself, "Okay, so they're closing ranks. But I didn't get out of prison so E.J. could bring me down with lies. That just ain't gonna happen!"

Dr. Baker showed up for a poker game with his suitcase in hand, and told his poker buddy that he was planning to leave town as soon as he'd won enough money to travel first class. The man asked why Baker would want to leave after the rumor that he'd hooked up with a gorgeous woman. Baker informed him that the woman was indeed good-looking—but she was also "a total whack job." Baker maintained that she obviously had man issues, and he didn't want to stick around to find out if she had an issue with him.

As Hope was getting ready for bed at the Kiriakis mansion, she talked on the phone to Ciara, who was staying with her grandparents for the night. After Hope hung up, she told herself, "What I really need is a good night's sleep." She then took a sleeping pill.

Baker won a big hand of poker, and then announced that he was leaving. "Wow, I've never seen you walk out on a streak before," his friend remarked. "This is when you start making real money." Baker agreed to stay for one more hand, "Before that nut case catches up with me again."

Afterwards, Dr. Baker stuffed his winnings into his wallet, and then the friend left Baker alone in the shabby room. Baker pulled on his sport coat over his Hawaiian shirt, happily declaring, "And away we go!" He picked up his suitcase and opened the door, only to find Hope on the other side of it, dressed all in black again. "Just where do you think you're going?" she asked.