Kate confronted Sonny at the coffee warehouse because he was conducting business as usual, instead of being with Michael. Sonny was bent on revenge and told Kate to go away. She persisted by telling him that his other children would be caught in a mob war if he did not take better care of them. He told her that he had the right to seek revenge for Michael. Sonny told Kate that she did not understand and she agreed. Before their argument could escalate further, Diane answered Sonny's summons. Sonny sent Kate away with their issues unresolved. Sonny called Max in, and then berated Diane and Max for "sleeping" together. When Diane told Sonny it was none of his business, he forbade Max from having a relationship of any kind with Diane. Before a furious Diane could respond, Sonny got a phone call and left with Max, while she remained behind, sputtering and calling him names.
Jerry caught Dr. Devlin in the doctor's shower room. Jerry pulled a gun, and played his own form of Russian roulette with the naked doctor. Jerry let Devlin live, but warned him to keep Jerry's part in Michael's shooting quiet or Jerry would put a bullet in the good doctor's brain.
Michael opened his eyes, but despite Carly's best efforts, remained unresponsive. After examination, Patrick told Carly and Jax that Michael's condition was unchanged. Opening his eyes was just a reflex action. Carly was firmly fixated on Michael's recovery. An exasperated Patrick told Carly that a second opinion would back him up. She wanted one and demanded that Jax find a doctor committed to the belief that Michael would wake up. Carly continued talking to Michael and encouraging him to fight. After Robin, Patrick, and Jax left, Sam came in and tried to be nice to Carly, but Carly refused any comfort from Sam.
At Jason's apartment, Nikolas told Jason that he gave Dr. Devlin money because Devlin was providing him with illegal medication that was reducing his tumor and allowing him to hallucinate Emily. Jason understood and told Nikolas that if he could take a drug and see Emily, he might do the same thing. After Nikolas left, Jax dropped by and begged Jason to help Carly face Michael's situation realistically.
Jax returned to Michael's bedside and Carly continued in denial. Patrick and Robin stopped in. Patrick gave Carly a list of doctors who could provide a second opinion and informed Carly that he was transferring Michael to Robin's care during the interim. Carly went on another tirade against Patrick, when Robin told her that they were transferring Michael out of ICU, which Carly took that as a good sign. Robin defended Patrick, saying that he was just being objective and honest. She also told Carly that medical science had done all it could to help Michael and during the coming week they would need to make plans for Michael's long-term care.
Outside in the lobby, Jason ran into Sam, who offered her support. Jason pumped her for information about Devlin.
Ric met Claudia at the Zacchara compound to let her know that Anthony would be getting a new hearing. Johnny overheard and demanded that Anthony stay incarcerated. Claudia told Ric that everyone, including him, was better off with Anthony in the lockup because Anthony was evil and would turn on anyone at any time, even Ric. Ric said too bad. He had already arranged a transfer for Anthony to a private sanitarium without guards, scheduled a hearing, and successfully petitioned to keep Johnny and Claudia away from their father until after the hearing.
Ric next went to the sanitarium where he met with Anthony, who, though happy with his new surroundings, was itching to get home. After telling Anthony not to trust his children, Ric left. Shortly after, Johnny showed up for a visit. Anthony said he was a changed man, but Johnny did not buy it.
Ric went to Sonny's warehouse to meet Logan. Logan was skeptical about Ric's motives, but when he offered Logan a job as Anthony's bodyguard, and pointed out that Anthony's return would seriously curtail Johnny's power, and therefore, attractiveness to Lulu, Logan jumped at the chance for the job.
Kate went to Claudia, and Claudia taunted her about the one-night-stand that Claudia had with Sonny. Kate was undeterred and told Claudia that if anything happened to Sonny or his children, Kate would use all of her considerable power in the press to crush Claudia and Johnny. Before Claudia could phrase a response, Sonny arrived and told Kate to leave and let him handle it. She did and Sonny asked Claudia out for dinner.
Maxie tracked Spinelli down at the hospital where he was trying to snoop in Devlin's files. They left and broke into Devlin's sleazy motel room. Both agreed that Devlin was very untidy. While they were searching, Devlin came back. Spinelli managed to hide in the closet, but Maxie was trapped. When Devlin opened the door, she pretended that she was attracted to him. Devlin told her that he usually ordered brunettes from the escort service, but since she was already in his room, perhaps she could help him forget that she was blonde. Then he grabbed her and kissed her.
Carly told Robin she was having another doctor, who had hope for Michael, come to check on him. Later when Jax asked Patrick and Robin for their opinions, the two doctors told Jax to beware of physicians who would give false hope in order to make more money. Jax asked them if they thought Michael was hopeless, and they both said yes. Jax said he would do whatever necessary to help Michael, even moving heaven and earth. He checked out both doctors, and he was confident the new doctors would be able to offer choices. Robin and Patrick felt Michael would need to be moved to Shadybrook where doctors and attendants would be able to appropriately care for Michael in his comatose state. Jax thought Carly would want to be the one caring for Michael, but Robin tried to explain that Carly wouldn't be able to take care of her vegetative son and still spend time with Morgan. After Jax left, Patrick noticed Robin had been clearly affected by the conversation with Jax about Michael. She reminded him she was the first person to hold Michael when Jason brought him home from the hospital after his birth. Later, Robin almost hyperventilated and talked to Liz about her anxiety over her unborn child. Liz assured Robin she would be a good mother and advised her to do the best she could do. That was what a mother did for her child.
Jason talked to Sam about his concerns with Ian and his possible role in Michael's shooting. Sam didn't know much, but she did tell Jason that Ian was an awfully big flirt. They were interrupted when Spinelli called Jason for help. He was stuck in the closet at Ian's apartment, and Maxie was with Ian and could be in serious trouble. Maxie tried to make excuses for why she was in Ian's apartment, but Ian wasn't buying any of the excuses. Maxie tried telling him she was there to interview him for Kate Howard's new magazine, and she also tried flirting with Ian. Jason came to Maxie's rescue, though, and Ian warned Jason not to send a little girl to ask his questions. Jason and Maxie left but were worried about Spinelli. They shouldn't have feared for Spinelli, though, because Spinelli had made his escape while Ian was preoccupied with Jason and Maxie at the front door. Jason was less than thrilled with Spinelli and Maxie's involvement in the investigation. Once Maxie had left, Spinelli assured Jason he had learned his lesson and would not be making the same mistake again.
Sam went to see Dr. Ian Devlin and ended up having a drink with him. During their conversation, Ian's phone rang. It was Claudia, who was demanding to see him immediately. Ian hung up and told Sam they would have to get together another time. He forgot he had made a prior commitment.
Carly talked to Michael and told him that Jax was bringing in new doctors that would make him better. Jax warned Carly not to get her hopes up. Carly said she was too tired to have the same fight again, so Jax walked out into the hall and met up with Sonny and gave him an update on Michael's condition. When Sonny heard that the doctors were talking about moving Michael to a more permanent place, Carly asked Sonny if he had any hope for their son.
Claudia met with Sonny and told him she had expected to be treated a little better than the way he was acting towards her. Sonny suggested they should meet up outside of town, but Claudia wasn't that gullible and realized Sonny was trying to set her up. Sonny warned her that if she or Johnny had anything to do with Michael's shooting, he would find out and God help them then. Later, Johnny and Claudia talked about Sonny and his meeting with Claudia. Johnny was worried about him, but he was also worried about his father. Although Anthony was in a wheelchair, he was completely sane. Claudia said she wasn't scared of Anthony, but Johnny thought she should be worried and should perhaps move back to Italy.
Claudia met up with Ian, who told her about Jason snooping around. They both realized running would be the same as committing suicide. Ian told Claudia that he would reveal he was working for her if Jason came to kill him.
Sonny went to see Michael at the hospital, and when he ran into Carly, she asked his opinion on whether there was any hope for Michael or not. Sonny said he was just there to visit Michael and did not want to get into a fight. Sonny went into Michael's room and realized his son's spirit was not there. He told Michael he hoped he was happy and not in any pain. Sonny assured his unconscious son that he loved him very much. When Sonny walked out of the room, he told Carly they would need to decide where to send Michael. Carly got upset with him and didn't want to talk about it. Before Sonny left, he asked Jax to keep him informed of any progress. Later, Patrick and Robin approached Carly and Jax about running more tests on Michael. Carly was against it at first and pointed out that Robin and Patrick were no longer Michael's doctors. Robin said the new doctors would want current information on Michael, so Carly finally agreed to the new tests.
Ric was upset when he went to see Anthony and found Johnny visiting his father. Ric threatened to have Johnny arrested, but Anthony told Ric that his son could visit him anytime he wanted. Logan entered the room, and Ric introduced him as Anthony's new bodyguard. Johnny wasn't happy with this revelation, but Ric explained Anthony would need assistance with bathing, dressing, and other day-to-day activities. Anthony needed a guard who could be there to assist him all the time. Johnny wouldn't be able to afford his father all that time.
Alexis met up with Diane at Sonny's office for help with Diane's relationship with Max. Sonny was not allowing the couple to be together, and Diane thought Alexis could change his mind with examples from her own one-night stand with Sonny. Alexis said she had no regrets about her children, but she did regret ever sleeping with Ric or Sonny. Ric walked in just in time to hear these comments and questioned Alexis. She changed the subject and asked what he was doing there. Ric explained he was not representing Anthony Zacchara. They all talked about representing clients who were undeserving of their talents. When Sonny came into the office, he was surprised to see the group that had assembled. Ric revealed who his most recent client was, and later Sonny asked if Alexis could stop Ric. Alexis thought she could, but Sonny warned that things could get a whole lot uglier.
Nadine visited Wyndemere, ostensibly to ride a horse she called Ruby (but which was actually named Rubicon), and ran into Nikolas who challenged her to a race around the grounds. Nikolas won, but he respected Nadine's riding skills. They discussed western versus English style riding. Their conversation eventually got around to Nikolas' need for surgery. Nadine made cracks about his decision to keep his hallucination and give up his life. Nikolas declared that he could not live without Emily. They parted with their argument unresolved.
Logan wheeled Anthony back from physical therapy to find Claudia waiting in Anthony's hospital room. He introduced Logan as his medic and bodyguard. Claudia tried to take credit for hiring Logan, but Logan quickly called her a liar and said that Ric had hired him. Claudia snapped at him to "know his place," before trying to convince her father that she and Johnny had hired Ric. When Ric arrived and denied it, Anthony wanted to know why he should believe Ric over his daughter, who made sure that Anthony knew that Sonny was Ric's brother. Ric pointed out that he was the one who had secured the hearing, not Anthony's children.
Ric made use of the court order he had that prevented Claudia from seeing Anthony, so a guard came and took her away. Logan was sent away also, so that Anthony and Ric could chat privately. Anthony made it clear that he did not completely trust Ric and Ric made it equally clear that his only motive was revenge against Trevor. Logan came back and Ric left. Anthony asked him why he trusted Ric. Logan said it was because he had heard Johnny talking and knew that Johnny did not love Anthony. Anthony told Logan not to come between Anthony and Johnny and to be very careful of Claudia. Logan nodded, as though he was taking what Anthony said to heart.
Robin locked herself out of her apartment while talking to Patrick who rushed to her side after she screamed and the phone went dead. She explained that she forgot her keys and was locked out of her apartment. She also forgot to charge her cell phone. When the landlord let her in, he and Patrick laughed about "hormones" and the forgetfulness that stereotypically accompanies pregnancy. When she finally made it to the hospital, Jax was there with the European specialists he had flown in to look at Michael. She gave them the charts then left for the day and went back to her apartment.
Carly and Jason sat by Michael's bedside. Liz came in to take Michael's vitals. She and Jason exchanged longing glances before she left the room. Carly continued to believe in Michael's recovery. Jason tried to inject a note of reality, but Carly clung to her beliefs. Jason told her to take a step back and think. Jason reminded her about his brain surgery. Even though he recovered, he was not the same. He pointed out that Michael might be changed also. She promised to try to be objective. She told Jax the same thing when he arrived. Jason got a phone call from Claudia and left to meet her when she said that she had a clue about who shot Michael.
Carly tried to be objective, but when the specialists said that they needed to do more tests to determine if Michael was merely severely brain damaged or would reside in a permanent coma, she took that as a good sign. She declared to a speechless Jax that she would take Michael home and care for him herself until he regained his health.
Sam met Dr. Devlin at the nurse's station. She wanted to take up where they had left off earlier. He wanted to know why she was interested in him. She turned it back on him by pointing out that he was the one who had first started coming on to her and then pulled back. She wanted to know why. Devlin accepted her explanation. As they flirted, Liz eavesdropped. When they went back to his filthy room, Sam wanted to know why he did not have a better dwelling. He said that his lifestyle might cause questions. When Sam tried to delve deeper, Devlin accused her of trying to pry information out of him to give to Jason, and summarily threw her out of his sleazy lair.
After work, Liz dropped by Robin's apartment with baby clothes for her. They chatted and Liz wanted to know how Robin had stopped loving Jason when they broke up. She told Robin that she had been seeing Jason in secret before Michael got shot, but since then they had realized that they had to break up because of the danger it put her and her children in. Robin said that she did not have much help to offer. She said that it took her a very long time. She had to move to Paris and ultimately it was falling in love with Patrick that did the trick. Liz told her that Patrick was a great guy. Just then Patrick walked in and the ladies shared a big giggle.
Nikolas was having a conversation with a very wan Emily when Devlin arrived. As Emily looked on, Devlin told Nikolas that he had access to an expensive new drug that would let him keep seeing Liz and extend his life indefinitely.
Jason was waiting for Claudia near Shady Brook, when she called to say that she had been delayed talking to her father's doctors. As she neared Jason's location, her brakes failed and her car went off the road. At Shady Brook, Logan left for the day and one of Anthony's henchmen came in to tell him that the hit on Claudia had failed because Jason had pulled her from the wreckage. Anthony told his thug to have the sniper take out both Jason and Claudia. He did. Back at the accident site, Claudia and Jason were pinned down and ducking bullets from a sniper.
Patrick was curious about Liz's cryptic parting words, "No time like the present." Robin brushed it off as mommy talk, pointing out that Liz had stopped by her apartment to drop off baby clothes. Patrick was skeptical. Robin relented and was on the verge of telling Patrick what her friend meant when the phone rang. It was Anna calling to let Robin know that she was coming to Port Charles. Robin tried to find out when Anna would be arriving, but the weak reception resulted in the call being dropped. Robin seemed less than thrilled at the prospect of a visit from her mother. When Patrick questioned her about it, Robin admitted that she had not told Anna about the baby. Patrick was shocked. He pointed out that she was several months along. He couldn't believe that there hadn't been an opportunity to tell Anna. Robin reminded Patrick that her mother was an international spy. Communication was spotty and there never seemed to be a right time. She was also worried about Anna's reaction to the news. In Robin's words, "How do you tell Wonder Woman that she's going to be a grandma?"
As bullets rained down on them, Jason and Claudia took cover behind a huge boulder and tried to figure a way out of their precarious situation. Jason quickly became annoyed with Claudia, who proved to be of little help beyond working her agenda. While the sniper continued to fire at them, Claudia let Jason know that her father was behind the attempt on her life. She also tried to suggest that Anthony hired the man who shot Michael. Jason said little. He focused on devising an escape plan. Eventually he decided that their only chance of survival would be to make a run for it. As the sniper took aim, Jason and Claudia ran for their lives, literally. They managed to make it to a deserted cabin and temporary safety. Once they were out of the line of fire, Claudia asked Jason why he had saved her.
Alexis went to see Sonny at his office. She wanted Sonny to use his brotherly influence to convince Ric to stop his efforts to have Anthony Zacchara released and cleared of charges. She let Sonny know that there was a very good chance that Anthony would be found not guilty because of his undiagnosed schizophrenia. As they were talking, Diane barged into the office. She mistakenly thought Alexis was there to champion Diane's cause-to freely date Max. She wasn't and Alexis was quick to remind Diane why she thought her friend seeing Max was a bad idea. As the women argued back and forth, Sonny listened. He was struck by something that Alexis said about Kate while trying to convince Diane to forget Max.
At Crimson, things were tense between Maxie and Lulu. Kate tried to focus on business but it was difficult with her assistants constantly bickering. Kate handed out assignments and returned to her office to work. Things didn't improve between the young ladies. They continued to argue right up until Spinelli walked in. Lulu thought Spinelli was there to visit with her, while Maxie thought he had stopped by to see her. They were both wrong. Spinelli was at Crimson on business. Kate had hired him to recruit a blogger to write a column for the first edition of Crimson. Kate was hoping to generate some Internet buzz about Crimson. Later, Sonny stopped by to see Kate. He was worried about what Alexis had said in his office. He felt that Kate would be better off without him in her life. Kate reminded Sonny that they had discussed it before and nothing had changed. She loved Sonny and wanted to be a part of his life.
On Spoon Island, Nik found Ian's behavior puzzling. He asked Ian why he was so desperate to sell Nik a drug that Nik didn't want. Ian lied; he said that he was only trying to help Nik keep his visions of Emily. Nik wasn't interested. He felt that their agreement was an insult to Emily and his love for her. Nik made it clear that he was done taking Ian's drugs and warned him that if Ian continued to push his 'miracle' on him, or anyone else, Nik would make sure that Ian was brought before the Medical Review Board. After Ian took his leave, Nik turned to the apparition of Emily and told her that he had decided to have surgery to remove the tumor. It was a difficult decision. He confessed that he had no idea how to go on without her. "Emily" told him that the real Emily had died months ago and that she wouldn't have wanted Nik to shut himself off from everyone, as he had been doing. Nik tearfully told her that he couldn't stop thinking about how he first met Emily. He said it was impossible for him to believe that after everything they had been through, it was really over. "Emily" insisted that it wasn't over. As long as Nik was alive, she said, Emily would be a part of him.
Ian returned to the hospital and asked Nadine if he had any messages from Nikolas Cassadine. Nadine told him no and then made a passing remark about how it was probably for the best. Ian was annoyed and asked Nadine what her problem was. Nadine was more than happy to tell him. She said that she didn't like the way that he treated the staff at the hospital, specifically the nurses, and then let him know that she was aware of his agreement with Nik. As far as Nadine was concerned, Ian was no better than the drug dealer on the street corner. Ian was livid. He grabbed her wrist and asked her if the aunt she was always quoting told her "girls with loose lips wind up in tight places," Nadine was rattled. A short time later, Nik stopped by the hospital and found Nadine at the nurse's station. She was thrilled to learn that Nik had decided to break ties with Ian and have the surgery.
As Ric prepped Anthony for his upcoming court hearing, Johnny walked in. Things did not go well. Anthony questioned Johnny about who had hired Ric. Johnny lied and insisted that he and Claudia had. Anthony was reflective as Johnny left. Ric tried his best to convince Anthony that Johnny was not loyal to his father. As they were talking, Sonny entered the room. Anthony and Ric were surprised when Sonny asked his brother to drop Anthony as a client. Ric asked Sonny what would be in it for him if he did as Sonny requested. Sonny answered, "me,"
After receiving some advice from Diane about what women really want, Spinelli decided to return to Crimson to see Maxie. She was working late and surprised to see Spinelli. She tried to figure out what Spinelli was all worked up about but had difficulty following. Things took an embarrassing turn for Spinelli when he accidentally put his hand on Maxie's breast.
Lulu met Johnny on the docks. He told her about Ric's plans to have Anthony released and then tried to break things off with her. Lulu refused to accept Johnny's decision.
Anna walked into Robin's apartment after her knocks on the front door went unanswered. Robin was in the other room and thought it was Patrick. As she made her way to the door, she yelled out, mentioning her pregnancy. Robin broke out in smiles when she found her mother, a stunned expression plastered on her face, standing in her living room.
At the hospital, Ian approached Patrick and said he was leaving town. Ian explained he had lost something he couldn't get back. He suggested Patrick get his life together. Patrick had a baby on the way, and he should figure out what was best for his child and its mother. Ian told Patrick to forget his fears.
Despite Anna's reaction, Robin welcomed her in to sit and try to calm down. Anna apologized for her shock. She was very happy about Robin's pregnancy, but she wasn't ready for the "grandmother" word yet. Robin explained how she met Stacey, an HIV-positive pregnant woman at the hospital who died shortly after giving birth. Robin decided after that experience that she also wanted to be a mother. Patrick wasn't ready to be a father, so they split up. They had a one-night stand after Georgie's death, and Robin became pregnant unexpectedly. Robin didn't tell Patrick at first, but he figured out he was the father of her baby. The conversation was interrupted when Patrick knocked on the door. Anna opened the door for him and hugged the father of her daughter's baby. Patrick mentioned his plans for getting a beer, and Anna thought that was an excellent idea. Robin suggested Patrick get them a table at Jake's, while she and Anna freshened up. After Patrick left, Anna took a phone call and told Robin she had to go. Anna promised she would be back soon and rushed out the door. Robin showed up at Jake's just in time to hear Patrick telling Coleman how hot Robin's mother was.
Lulu argued with Johnny and refused to let him dump her. Johnny tried to explain his father would go after Lulu in an effort to get his business back from Johnny. Lulu thought Johnny should stand up to his father and send him back to prison. When Johnny's phone rang, Lulu didn't want him to answer it. Johnny answered the phone and Lulu stormed off. Johnny was trying to get any information on Claudia's whereabouts.
Anthony told Ric to stop being Sonny's lap dog. Sonny said family should mean something to Ric, but Ric retorted that family only meant something when it was convenient for Sonny. They continued to argue, and Sonny told Ric not to come asking for help when the bodies started piling up. After Ric left, Trevor came to see Anthony, who warned Trevor of the consequences of his past problems with Ric. Anthony offered a co-counsel position between Trevor and Ric, but Trevor wasn't interested.
Alexis brought Kristina to the hospital after she had fallen at home. Kristina was asking for Ric, so Liz offered to call him. Ric was surprised to receive a phone call from Liz, but he assured her he was on his way when she told him about Kristina. When Ric arrived at the hospital, he asked Liz if Alexis had asked her to call him. Liz explained Kristina had been asking for him, so Liz had made the offer to call. Ric explained Marianna had left, and he was now representing Anthony Zacchara. Trevor was going to be destroyed. When Alexis saw Ric was there, she went over to talk to him. They talked about him representing Anthony, and Alexis didn't think it was a good idea. Alexis told Ric he should do the right thing and throw the case.
Kate went to see Sonny at the house and was upset to learn the guards were still on "break." Sonny said after Michael was shot he understood he couldn't protect everyone like he previously thought. He had to learn that lesson the hard way, and it was time for him to start getting out of the mob. A bodyguard entered and said he had information Sonny would want to hear. Kate stormed off after realizing this was business and Sonny wouldn't want her involved. Later, Johnny showed up at Sonny's and pointed a gun at Sonny's head. Johnny demanded to know what Sonny had done with Claudia. Sonny said they had slept together once and that was a mistake because he didn't like Claudia.
Maxie thought Spinelli was trying to wipe a spot off the dress, and she started freaking out about Kate discovering she had tried on one of the dresses. Maxie made Spinelli promise to never mention the dress again. He was shocked into silence when she asked for help getting out of the dress. Spinelli heard a beeping from the computer. When he went to look, he discovered Ian was on the move and possibly heading out of town. Maxie offered to get Mac to the piers if Spinelli could gather the evidence in order to stop Ian. Lulu showed up just in time to take over so Maxie could leave. When Kate showed up later, Lulu covered for Maxie and said Maxie had gone home sick. Kate wasn't sure Lulu had earned her "stripes" yet, but Kate told Lulu to make herself useful when she discovered she had left her PDA at Sonny's. Lulu arrived at Sonny's house just in time to see Johnny shoot Sonny.
Maxie lied and told Mac to meet her at the docks to help her with a "career" problem. She stalled when they showed up before Spinelli had arrived. When Spinelli finally got there, he didn't have enough evidence to tell Mac of his suspicions. They saw Ian at the end of the docks preparing to leave, and Spinelli doubled over in fake pain. Mac called Ian over to assist.
Claudia tried to talk to Jason while they barricaded themselves and tried to prepare for the ensuing gunfight. She talked about her mother and how she was banished when Anthony fell in love with Maria. The first time Claudia saw Johnny, she was in love with him. Claudia swore she would protect her brother with her life. Claudia realized Jason only had five bullets and didn't know how he was going to defend them. Jason said he just wouldn't be able to miss when he fired his shots. They talked some more and Jason mentioned he would hunt down and kill whoever shot Michael. Claudia started to talk about what she would do if something happened to Johnny, but they were interrupted when shots were fired at them.
