Episode 1309

Aired: Thursday July 1, 1971

We see a replay of Stokes' placing Liz under hypnosis and Alan entering asking what is going on before the titles. When we come back, Stokes tells Alan that he had snapped his fingers because he had just remembered that he left his watch behind at home. Alan tells him that Liz shouldn't be having any visitors because it's almost time for the preparations for her surgery. Liz tells Alan it's all right and that Professor Stokes is a close friend of the family. "Besides," she adds. "there are still three and a half hours to go before the operation begins at two." Alan looks at his watch and says "Perhaps, but I still want you to be ready." Stokes smiles at Liz' estimate, and politely excuses himself with a goodbye. Liz asks Alan what kind of preparation she needs anyway, and he takes her hand again to remind her that while he may be an expert in performing this operation, there are still some risks involved, and she will need to consider them. Liz smiles at him and, picking up a ledger and pen from a side table, says that she's already made detailed plans for every possibility, and taking his hand tighter, adds "Especially for when after I've recovered."

In a waiting area, Roger is pacing and Carolyn is trying to read a magazine. The clock reads 3:30 next to a television tuned to a soap opera with an ABC logo over it. Roger switches off the set and says "Rubbish!" (Sorry, couldn't resist). Carolyn tells him to calm down and that everything will be all right. "I don't see how you can be so calm," he scoffs. Carolyn answers that she knows that her mother will be all right because she trusts Dr. Slater. "There's something about him that gives me confidence. He just seems so intelligent, that he knows what he is doing." Roger laughs a little and says that maybe the reason that he's so nervous is that whenever he looks at Slater, he "still sees a groundskeeper." Carolyn tells Roger he shouldn't be such a snob, and that if anything "The family should be proud that we helped him out when he was younger. Think of what he's doing for mother as way of paying us back." Roger says he'd like to think of things that way, but then looks at the clock again and wonders what is taking so long. Meanwhile, Stokes comes to Collinwood looking for Julia, who he finds in the drawing room. She tells him that they are waiting for Roger to call with news about Liz, and Stokes tells Julia that he has some good news of his own about Liz, being that she is no longer disconnected from time as far as he can tell. Julia is glad, but still watches the phone with a grim "I suppose that depends on what happens in surgery."

Roger is still pacing as Alan comes through a door, still in surgical scrubs. Roger and Carolyn run to him and ask him what happened, and he tells them that Liz will be just fine. Carolyn is tearfully happy, and suddenly hugs Alan, but then backs away when she sees some blood spots on his scrubs. She babbles about "mother's blood....I touched my mother's blood...." before fainting. Alan leads her over to a couch while Roger frets that he knew "Carolyn was holding in all of her worries, trying to be confident enough for the both of us. The strain must have gotten to her." Alan calls for a nurse and then tells Roger that Carolyn will be fine, and that the operation went "like clockwork. There were no problems. Your sister is a very very strong woman." The nurse gives Carolyn some water as she comes to, and she apologizes to Alan, who tells her that her reaction was "perfectly understandable and nothing to be ashamed of. Roger asks Alan when they can see Liz, and Alan says "She'll be moved to the recovery unit shortly, but she won't come out from the anesthesia for a few more hours." Carolyn asks how long Liz will have to stay in the hospital, and Alan answers "Oh, probably just a few more days, just while we double check everything. Then she'll be back at home, good as new." Carolyn thanks Alan gushingly, and then goes off to "call Collinwood and tell everyone the good news." Roger holds out his hand for a shake, telling Alan he did a good job. Alan shakes his hand and says "I'm glad you think so. Liz wanted me to supervise her post-operative recovery, so you'll probably be seeing a lot of me around Collinwood for a while." Roger, shocked, says "What?" Alan smiles at him.

Alan pats Roger on the back and says "Liz wrote out all the instructions, but I'm sure she'll tell you when she wakes up." Roger asks Alan what will happen to his practice in Boston, and Alan tells Roger that "my people back there can handle it. Elizabeth is a very important patient to me. I want to see to it that she's healed in every way." Roger tells Alan that he'll try to arrange for a room for him at the Collinsport Inn as long as he's looking after Liz. Alan tells him "Thank you, that's very generous. But Liz has already left instructions with your Mrs. Johnson to prepare a room for me at Collinwood. I'll be staying there to watch over Liz's recovery as her personal physician. She'll tell you more about it when she wakes up." Roger watches as Alan goes back beyond the "restricted area" doors as Carolyn comes back. She tells him that everyone at Collinwood was "so happy to hear about mother," but then notices Roger's pained expression. When she asks him what's wrong, he only answers "It seems we will be having a guest at Collinwood for a while," with his characteristic frown.