January 21, 2003 Transcript
"What It Means to Put Your Family First"

Cameron gazes down at sleeping Zander in his hospital bed.

Gia: This is your flesh and blood. Where I come from that means something. Doesn't that mean anything to you?

Cameron: I'm beginning to find you rude and presumptuous.

Gia: I don't care what you think of me, look at your son. He took an overdose. He could've died. Is any of this getting through to you?

Cameron: You have no idea what's at play here.

Gia: I know Zander needs help, and since you're not only a shrink but his father, you should be able to give that to him. But instead, you're looking down your nose and judging him, like you've never done anything wrong in your life. (Cameron turns and looks at her)

Don't turn away from him. You're the parent here. You need to put your pain aside and focus on your son's. It's the least you can do, since you're the reason why he's in this bed.

Carly answers her door only to find Alexis standing there.

Alexis: I need to see Sonny.

Carly: Well, he's not here. I don't know where he is, and I'm busy -- Michael's sick.

Alexis: I won't take you away from him long.

Alexis walks in.

Carly: Alexis, what do you want?

Alexis: Kristina needs an operation. I'm taking her to Johns Hopkins tonight.

Carly: I'm sorry, I didn't know. Of course you need to go. Is there a postponement?

Alexis: That won't be possible. The judge is insistent on seeing that this trial move forward.

Carly: That's ridiculous. Your baby's sick and she needs surgery. Of course he'll give you a postponement.

Alexis: He won't.

Carly: Even a jerk like Scott would agree to hold off since your baby needs emergency surgery.

Alexis: Kristina needs this operation. It's up to me when it happens. I'm choosing now.

Carly: Excuse me, let me get this straight. Kristina's not in danger?

Alexis: No.

Carly: Her life isn't at risk here?

Alexis: No.

Carly: Ok, you're just choosing to go ahead with this surgery right now while Jason is in the middle of a murder charge and you're defending him?

Alexis: I don't expect you to understand it.

Alexis turns and walks toward the bar.

Carly: (Following Alexis) No, I don't, because either you've gone stark raving mad or you're doing this deliberately to hurt Jason and Brenda's chances for acquittal. Come on, you were in court. You saw how damaging that tape of Brenda was to the case. (She pause and then smirks) I get it. I get it now. You're doing this deliberately to hurt them. Right. Now that everyone felt comfortable with you and safe because you're such a brilliant legal mind, you're going to go ahead and bail on everybody as soon as you get -

The door opens and Carly turns around.

Sonny: Who's bailing?

Cameron backs Gia away toward the door.

Cameron: Look, I admire your passion, Gia. Alexander's fortunate to have a friend like you fighting his battles for him. But this is not my doing. Alexander made choices. (Turns and glances at him) He chose to leave home. He chose to take and sell drugs, to run with the mob, to kidnap young girls. (Turns and looks at him again) Believe it or not, I take no pleasure in seeing what he's become. But I didn't cause it and I can't change it. (He turns back to Gia) I don't respect my son because he's a coward. (Zander wakes up and listens) He's not man enough to stand up to the fact that he killed his own brother.

Alexis: The arrangements have been made. I'm taking Kristina to Johns Hopkins tonight.

Carly: Why don't you just admit it, Alexis? You still blame Sonny and Jason for your sister's death, so walking out on Jason in the middle of the murder trial is the way that you can get your revenge. You know, I didn't give you enough credit. You're good. You're very good.

Alexis: I did what I was retained to do -- I took apart the prosecution piece by piece.

Carly: Yeah, now when things are at their worst, you're bailing.

Alexis: I'm taking care of my daughter.

Sonny: You don't give a damn about innocent people who might be put to death? The oath you took when you became an attorney?

Alexis: I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding another attorney who is more than capable of seeing this through. I will turn over all my case files and I will make myself available for consultation.

She turns and starts to walk for the door.

Sonny: But this is wrong, Alexis. You shouldn't have taken the case if you knew you weren't going to be able to see it through.

She reaches the door and turns around.

Alexis: You, of all people, should know what it means to put your family first.

Sonny: You have a responsibility now is what I'm telling you.

Alexis: To my child, who comes before anything or anyone else. I've said what I've come to say.

She opens the door and passes Jason on the way out.

Jason: What's with Alexis?

Sonny: She just walked off the case.

Jason: Let her. Brenda and I aren't going to be here anyway.

Sonny: What does that mean?

Jason: We're leaving the country tonight.

Gia: I can't believe what you just said. Zander killed his brother? You know that's not true.

Cameron: Both my sons were schooled and drilled constantly to take every precaution in the book. They learned first to respect, then handle firearms. But Alexander hated following rules, always looking for shortcuts, shirking responsibility.

Gia: It was an accident.

Zander: He's right, Gia.

They turn and look at Zander.

Zander: Doesn't change the fact that I shot my older brother and he died. Want to hear the bedtime story that I tell myself every night, dad?

Cameron: Not really.

Zander: Once upon a time, the father woke up to the worst day in his life. Only he didn't know it. Seemed like any other ordinary day. But he took both of his sons hunting, the favored and the other. But he came home with only one. The favored was the light of his father's world, who was going to realize all of his hopes and dreams. He died that day, shot by the other. And that was the cruelest joke of all. So the father looked around at his life and what he had left. There stood the other, the waste, who had the blood of the other son, the only son that he ever really wanted, on his hands. And nobody lived happily ever after.

Cameron: That about sums it up.

Gia: How could you be so cold?

Cameron leaves.

Zander: You don't have to stick around, Gia. You can go, too.

Gia: No.

Ned arrives a the hospital and passes Bobbie at the desk.

Ned: Hey.

Bobbie: Well, hey! What are you doing here?

Ned: Well, I'm going to go see Kristina. What else?

Bobbie: Oh. Alexis didn't tell you?

Ned: No. What?

Bobbie: She took the baby. They left.

Ned: Wait a minute. Kristina's been released? That's impossible.

Bobbie: No, they took a medevac to Johns Hopkins. Kristina's having surgery.

Ned: Wait a minute. I know she needed surgery eventually, but it wasn't supposed to happen for a few months.

Bobbie: Well, I guess Alexis must've changed her mind. Oh, Ned, I'm sorry, I've got to go. I'm sorry, I didn't know you didn't know.

Bobbie walks away and Ned looks at little perturbed. Cameron walks up to him.

Cameron: Ned? Have you seen Alexis?

Ned: She already left.

Cameron: Left for where?

Ned: You mean, she didn't tell you, either?

Sonny goes out to the airport and says goodbye to Brenda. As she waits for Jason, Jason is saying goodbye to Courtney.

Cameron: Well, I have to admit, I'm stunned. Alexis didn't mention a word about it to me.

Ned: To you? I'm that baby's father.

Cameron: Which is exactly why Alexis might be more comfortable confiding in an objective party. You two haven't exactly seen eye to eye about Kristina of late.

Ned: And we have just started to disagree. See, she's making a statement. She's telling me, in the most provocative way she can, that she is Kristina's mother and I am basically nothing. I'm not even worth the courtesy of a consultation.

Cameron: Maybe you should cut her some slack. She is a first-time mother, she's been dealing with a lot. You did know that she needed surgery sooner or later.

Ned: And I had every intention of being there because I am Kristina's father. Alexis is pushing me, so I'm going to start pushing back.

Cameron: Well, there's constructive attitude, sure to ruin any chance you have at rebuilding the relationship with Alexis. She's vulnerable right now, Ned. This isn't going to snap her out of it.

Ned: You seem to think you know her pretty well, don't you?

Cameron: I try to be observant. It's my job.

Ned: Well, Alexis isn't your patient. And if you think you're going to do any better with Alexis on a personal level, you're in for a big disappointment.

Ned walks away.

Gia sits down on the bed next to Zander.

Zander: Look, I told you, Gia, you don't have to stick around babysitting me.

Gia: There's nowhere else I need to be.

Zander: I don't want your charity, Gia.

Gia: God, you're so incredibly defensive. At least now I'm beginning to understand why. What happened to your brother explains so much, the fact that this stuff's been inside you this whole time eating you alive.

Zander: Look, it's none of your business, ok? You're just making matters worse.

Gia: I'm really sorry, Zander. I wish you could forgive me.

Zander: I was joking.

Gia: And I was so wrong about you. I thought I had you all figured out. I was a judgmental, superficial snob who didn't take the time to look at you. Well, I'm looking now, and I see a guy in terrible pain with nowhere to put it. I know under ordinary circumstances I'd be the last person you want to confide but this isn't ordinary and I happen to be here. I really want to hear your side of things.

Zander: Well, things weren't much different than they are now. I was the same accident waiting to happen. My dad told me that I was going to come to a bad end. Pete used to always defend me. He'd tell my dad to lay off and he shouldn't be so hard on me for being who I am.

Gia: So you and your brother got along?

Zander: Most of the time. Whenever we didn't it was because I had picked a fight. Don't get me wrong, I -- I loved Pete. But he was a lot to live up to. I didn't stand a chance, so I liked messing with him. Try to get him mad or upset, just to put a little chink in the armor and know that I'd put it there.

Gia: Hmm. Sounds like your dad put a lot of pressure on both of you.

Zander: Difference was Pete thrived on it. It got worse when he went to Princeton. He was pushing for straight A's because nothing else was acceptable. It all seemed like it was getting to Pete. But then something happened and he hit some sort of alpha stride or something. It was like -- was like he smashed through some level of success I wouldn't know anything about. Before we went on that hunting trip, I took him aside and I asked him how he was doing. Pete -- he looked at me. He said, "Alexander, don't worry about me. I'm going to be just fine."

He starts to cry.

Zander: And then he died. I shot him the next day. I shot him.

Gia takes his hand as he cries. Nikolas appears at the doorway and watches.

Nikolas: Here you are. We were supposed to have dinner at the Madduxes'. Did you forget?

Gia: Sort of.

Nikolas: How you doing, Zander? Will you excuse us?

Zander: Yeah, no problem.

Gia and Nikolas walk out into the hall.

Nikolas: I could've reminded you, you know, if you'd pick up your cell phone. But since you didn't and I couldn't reach you, I decided to go alone. You know, I thought you'd be late but you would show, then I would. Instead, I sat there looking like a fool, wondering where you were. What am I supposed to make of this, Gia?

Cameron walks into Zander's darkened room and gazes at his sleeping son.

Cameron reaches out to touch Zander's hair when Zander opens his eyes.

Zander: Don't you touch me.

Ned arrives at he and Faith's brownstone meeting place.

Faith: I hope you have a good excuse. I detest being kept waiting.

Ned: This is a really bad day to get demanding. I've already been blindsided by Alexis.

Faith laughs.

Faith: Alexis means nothing to me.

Ned: I wish I had that luxury. She happens to be the mother of my child.

Faith: You're starting to worry me, Ned. We have a job to do, a big one. Ruining Sonny Corinthos is not going to be an easy task. Neither one of us can afford to become distracted. Now, if you are more concerned about the neurotic mother of that little rug rat of yours than you are with our relationship and what --

Ned puts his finger on Faith's lips to quiet her.

Ned: Shh. I know exactly what you and I are about.

Faith seductively bites Ned's finger.

Ned drives in and kisses her.

Jason arrives at the airport and gives Brenda her passport and IDs. He tells her he isn't going.