Several hours after the operation. Laura is in Luke's room,
sitting quietly, watching him still sleep. Luke moves his hand and
Laura rushes over to him.
Laura: Luke? Luke, wake up.
Luke: (opening his eyes) What? Where am I?
Laura: Back in the hospital.
Luke: How did I get here again?
Laura: Well, you seemed to have drank yourself back here. You had to have a heart transplant.
Luke: I have a new heart? What's going on?
Laura: I went to the club to find you and I saw you passed out at your desk. Sonny and I tried to wake you, but you were completely out, so we called 911. You ended up having a heart attack and went through surgery. That's when they told me you needed a new heart, so I authorized the transplant.
Luke: Why?
Laura: What do you mean why?
Luke: Why didn't you just let me die? Everything would have been better that way.
Laura: You know, I'm tired of hearing you say that. Don't assume that I would feel better if you died.
Luke: But...
Laura: No buts. No nothing, Luke. I would do anything to save you. I thought you knew that by now. I want you in my life.
Luke: Don't you want your son in your life more? He's making it clear that he won't be happy while I'm around.
Laura: Let me take care of that. All I want you to do is get better. When we get out of here, then we'll discuss this more at home. And I mean a real discussion this time. I want all your insecurities and guilt out in the open so we can get past this.
Luke: I don't know if we can.
Laura: We can and we will. Unless you are so determined to die. If you want to die, then die here. I'm tired of trying to chase you down. Tired of staying at the hospital because you're careless. If you truly are determined to ruin your life, then just do it, but don't do it in front of me. I won't allow you to die as long as I have the power to save you.
Luke: You're angry.
Laura: Damn right I am. I have every right to be. One minute we're at home and the next, I find you almost dead at the club. What were you planning on doing there?
Luke: I didn't try to kill myself.
Laura: Why were you there?
Luke: To think. I wanted some time alone.
Laura: I have one question for you, Luke. Where you planning on leaving me?
Luke: I don't know. (Laura starts to cry) I'm sorry.
Laura: For what? For making me cry, for putting me through all of this, or for messing up what you had planned? I'm tired of this. I'm tired of being the one who is fighting for this relationship to work. You're not helping out at all.
Luke: I know.
Laura: Is our marriage not worth it or something?
Luke: You know it is.
Laura: No I don't, Luke. I don't know anything anymore. Monica is going to want to take a look at you, so let me get her.
Laura walks out and looks for Monica. She runs into Bobbie first.
Laura: Your brother's awake in there.
Bobbie: Is something wrong?
Laura: Why don't you ask him? Maybe you can do me one favor. Convince your brother that there are people out here who care whether he lives or dies.
Laura walks away and Bobbie watches her. No matter how much she never liked Laura, she sympathized with her now. She knew that her brother was adding so much stress to everyone's lives and after a point, the stress gets to be too much. She knew Laura would always stand by him, but she also knew that Laura was angry with him too. Just like she was. She didn't know what she could do though. She figured if Laura couldn't get through to him, then no one could. But she would give it a try.
Bobbie walked into Luke's room and saw Luke staring at the ceiling.
Bobbie: So how are you feeling?
Luke: Pretty well, everything considering.
Bobbie: You know that you scared us all.
Luke: I didn't mean to.
Bobbie: What's going on? What's making you act like this?
Luke: Act like what?
Bobbie: A jerk.
Luke: Well, I've always been one. Didn't realize it would take so long for you to notice that.
Bobbie: Luke, I'm serious. What's bothering you?
Luke: Maybe the fact that my son hates my guts and no matter what I do, all I cause is pain to my family.
Bobbie: What do you mean?
Luke: Lucky found out about the rape.
Bobbie: You don't mean...
Luke: Yeah. That's exactly what I mean. He hates me for it and doesn't understand how Laura ever forgave me, let alone marry me.
Bobbie: That's why you tried to kill yourself before?
Luke: I just figured if I was out of their lives, they would find happiness again. Instead, I just seem to be making things worse.
Bobbie: I didn't know. I didn't realize what you were going through. Did you tell Laura everything?
Luke: Yeah. And she's upset. Upset that I didn't tell her as soon as Lucky found out. Upset I tried to kill myself. Upset that I walked out again and ended up almost killing myself by getting drunk at my club.
Bobbie: For once, I agree with her. How can you think ending your life would make any of this better?
Luke: I don't know. I wasn't thinking straight. I know that killing myself won't make the problems go away.
Bobbie: It will just add to them.
Luke: I know that. If I had just died back then like I was supposed to instead of Roy taking my place, then Laura wouldn't have to live with all this pain now.
Bobbie: You can't live in the past, Luke. You have a wife and two children who love you very much. (Seeing Luke look away when she mentioned the two children) Even if Lucky is angry right now, he does love you. Do me a favor Luke.
Luke: What?
Bobbie: Don't do what our dad did to us.
Luke: What do you mean?
Bobbie: Don't leave your family. Don't let Laura know the pain of losing a husband, Lucky the pain of losing a father he loves a lot, or Lulu the pain of not knowing her father at all. Don't do that to them. Promise me.
Luke: I can't.
