General Hospital, May 1977

 

General Hospital

Written by: Eileen & Robert Mason Pollock

Produced by: Tom Donovan

Best friends Terri Arnett and Dr. Lesley Faulkner found their futures with the men they loved jeopardized by the other women in their men's lives. Terri, recovering from brain surgery performed by the man in her life, Dr. Mark Dante, found she was unable to remember the words to songs she had always known. Mark told her that in removing the clot, he might have inadvertently removed some of the memory links, but with time and therapy, the songs would be Terri's again. Mark's wife, Mary Ellen – Mellie -, who had discovered Mark's love for Terri, had arranged the accident that resulted in Terri's needing surgery. To make sure Terri had trouble recalling the 24 hours surrounding the accident, Mellie volunteered to work with Terri. Mellie misinformed Terri about that time, confusing Terri when she began to have memory flashes. Mellie told her it was her own idea to have tea; Terri recalled Mellie's threatening to sue her for alienation of affection unless Terri joined her for tea. Mellie told her she begged her to give Mark up; Terri finally recalled that Mellie said she'd kill Mark before letting Terri have him. Terri threatened to tell Mark about that conversation at tea. Mellie ran from Terri's house after swearing to carry through with her threat to kill Mark.

Lesley was engaged to Dr. Rick Webber. Rick's sister-in-law, Monica, with whom he'd had a torrid affair, had threatened to reveal the affair, thus ruining Rick's career, unless Lesley broke off with Rick. Lesley tried to show Monica that Rick loved her, Lesley, and would blame Monica, not her, for ruining his career. Monica was unable to see Lesley's point. Lesley decided not to break the engagement, feeling she and Rick could practice anywhere, as long as they were together. However, Dr. Pearlman, on leave as head of cardiology, being temporarily replaced by Rick, returned to resign for health reasons. He recommended Rick as his replacement, and chief of staff Steve Hardy concurred. Rick was ecstatic. This job was what he had been working for all his life. His father used to be head of cardiology. Rick wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, and then he had the chance. Monica told Lesley she had until the Board met to make her decision to break off. In great emotional pain, Lesley wrote Rick a letter telling him she would hurt him more by marrying him than by breaking up with him. She returned his ring. Ironically, the letter was delivered to Rick as he was describing to Monica how much the impending appointment meant to him. Rick read the letter and went to see Lesley immediately. He pointed out the ring was a pledge of loyalty and love, that in giving the ring to her, he handed her his life. He couldn’t understand. Monica, meanwhile, told friend and confidante, Dr. Gail Adamson, that she couldn’t follow through with her threat, as she knew what the job meant to Rick. Lesley's daughter Laura felt she was to blame for the breakup. Both Rick and Lesley assured her she was wanted as part of a family. Unable to tell Rick the reason for the break up, and desperately unhappy at being denied this chance for a happy future with the man she loved, Lesley made plans to go to Venice. Rick found out. He pleaded with her to stay and marry him, to no avail.

Unable to tell Rick she didn’t love him, Lesley left for Venice, having arranged for Laura to stay with Adam and Jill Streeter. Gail, in an effort to stop the agony for Lesley and Rick, asked Monica to tell Lesley her threats to disgrace Rick would never be carried through. Aware of the broken engagement, Monica was unable to respond to Jeff's pleas for forgiveness and reconciliation, hoping she could still win Rick. When Rick didn't seem overly disturbed by Lesley's leaving, Monica felt it was his pride, but in reality, Rick hadn't given up on his love for Lesley or hers for him.

Terri confronted Mellie with her full memory of the day of the accident, Mellie's threats to sue for alienation of affection, followed by Mellie's threats to kill Mark rather than let Terri have him. Terri responded that she would tell Mark everything, driving Mellie from the house. At the apartment, Mellie toyed with a letter opener, then called Mark with a fake suicide threat. He arrived and bandaged her slightly damaged wrists, but had her committed to the hospital. Peter persuaded Mark that Mellie might be sicker than they thought, and restricted her visitors to himself, as her psychiatrist, and her nurses. Mellie couldn’t bear the isolation. Terri, unaware of Mellie's fake attempt, went to the hospital to tell Mark of Mellie's threats. He told her about Mellie first, so Terri backed off. She contacted Rick. When he arrived, Terri told him she was breaking all ties with Mark, because unless she did, Mellie would kill him, and she couldn't bear the pain of wondering if Mellie'd succeeded everytime Mark was late coming home to her. Rick was to tell nobody and snuff any vestiges of feeling Mar might have. Terri planned to join Lesley.

Terri told Mark she couldn’t wait any more, that she felt he still loved Mellie. She told him it was over, that she didn’t love him. Broken up, Mark left, somewhat bitter.

Heather Grant, pregnant with Monica's husband Jeff's child, was having trouble with her blood pressure, causing resident Gina Dante to fear toxemia pregnancy. When Heather saw Gina with a woman from whom her mother had stolen stationery to forge a reference for Heather, her blood pressure soared. Heather finally confessed to Gina about the forged references she gave Peter and Diana Taylor in order to get the job as their mother's helper. Gina urged Heather to tell Diana, pointing out Heather had proven herself. Unfortunately, Diana was assigned to Mrs. Bradley and learned the truth before Heather could tell her. The Taylors forgave Heather for this mistake in judgment, but wondered about her story that a married man named Carlton, who lived in another state, was the father of her baby. Heather was sent home to her mother to spend the rest of her pregnancy in a quiet, unthreatening atmosphere.

But the Taylors’ concern about Heather was shoved to the background when their adoption of Mike Mallon was threatened. Mrs. Endecott, their case worker, began asking strange questions about Mike's adjustment to their family, then saying things like "that will help." The Taylors were unaware that some anonymous person - Pat Lambert - had revealed Diana was mixed up in a sensational murder case - Phil Brewer's - and the adoption board had decided the Taylors were unfit to have Mike. Finally, Mrs. Endecott was sent to get Mike. Peter assured the devastated Mike that they loved him and would do everything they could to get him back. Diana went to Mrs. Endecott and pleaded for the reasons behind their taking Mike away. When Mrs. Endecott, under orders, couldn’t tell her, Diana told her they would do whatever they had to to regain Mike. She was overheard by the head of the board, who felt the Taylors had to be involved when Mike disappeared. Without their knowledge, Mike was hiding in a storage room in the basement. Martha was taking him food. Finally, Mike called his friend, Tommy Baldwin. Mike had realized he might get the Taylors in a lot of trouble by hiding there and wanted Tommy to get him enough money to get to an old neighbor in his old home town.

Just after having been warned the Children's Center was after a search warrant to search their house, Diana found Mike in the cellar. He then understood he had to return to the center. Diana promised they would have him permanently by summer.

Jeff had told his sister Terri that Heather was carrying his child. He was afraid to tell Monica, fearful he would lose her. Terri told him he had to tell Monica in order to know whether he really had a marriage and future with Monica. Jeff told Monica who was overwhelmed by the irony of the situation. Before Rick's engagement to Lesley she could have used Heather's pregnancy to end her marriage to Jeff and resume her place with Rick. Then... Monica moved out of their bedroom, telling Jeff she needed time to think. She wondered how they would be able to face the Taylors, knowing the baby they were adopting was Jeff's. Jeff suggested they move away. Monica demurred, saying they were both head residents in their departments – she was Rick's head resident - and they couldn't give that up easily.

Tom Baldwin having returned after being imprisoned in Mexico for nine years, found he was still in love with Audrey Hobart. Their son Tommy had been trying to get them together by feigning illness, something he saw in a movie. However, medical tests had shown nothing wrong with him. Tom and Audrey were completely baffled until Martha Taylor told them she overheard Tommy telling Mike his plan. They confronted Tommy, who admitted his crime. In the aftermath, Tom asked Audrey to cancel their divorce, revealing his love for her. As gently as possible, Audrey told Tom that she loved Steve and always would. Tom planned to take a job elsewhere. When his brother Lee, a lawyer, asked about the possible bad effects on Tommy, Tom told him he had no intention of leaving Tommy behind, that he would fight for custody. When Audrey told Tommy she was going to marry Steve, Tommy turned hostile, trying to cut her out of his life. When Tom refused to help, at Steve's request, Steve took the matter into his own hands. Steve told Tommy that one couldn't force people to love each other. Tommy replied that Tom and Audrey loved each other when he was born. Steve admitted that, but pointed out it was a long time ago. Steve reminded him that one thing had not changed—his mother's love for him. Steve asked Tommy to stop punishing Audrey, Tommy apologized to Audrey for hurting her and Steve.

Tom’s plans to leave for a job in Salt Lake City were disturbed a bit when he found Rick wanted him to help train cardiac paramedic volunteers.

Lee Baldwin had resumed his practice in Port Charles, unhappily leaving his wife Caroline in Florida. Caroline refused to join Lee, preferring to stay and look after her son Bobby and his family. Bobby had a rare disease which was presently in remission. Lee's loneliness had been abated somewhat by the friendship of Dr. Gail Adamson. Lee was coming to depend on Gail for help and companionship. Gail suggested to Lee that he persuade Carolyn and the whole family to join him for the summer.  Caroline agreed but Bobby's doctors were concerned that the remission was abating, and so Caroline had cancelled. Gail was falling in love with Lee, but had told Monica that she wouldn't do anything to jeopardize her friendship with both Lee and Caroline.

Jill Streeter, angry at her father, Adam, because he appeared taken by Gina Dante and because he, backed by Gina, refused to buy her a car, got a sample of Adam's  signature and forged it on a withdrawal slip to get $2000 from her trust fund for the car. Her boyfriend Dexter and Laura Faulkner warned she could get in trouble, but Jill wouldn't be deterred.

Adam Streeter told Gina Dante he loved her. When she couldn’t declare similar feelings, he suggested they give each other six months. If at that time, Gina still couldn't say she loved him, they would go separate ways with no hard feelings. Gina agreed.