Episode 1305

Aired: Friday June 24, 1971

Roger is sitting in Liz's room when suddenly Liz starts to stir a bit. Roger gets excited and calls for the doctor, and then moves to Liz's bed. Liz opens her eyes and sees Roger, and he says "Liz...you're going to be all right." Liz smiles and weakly says "I know....somehow, I just know...."

After the titles, the doctor enters the room and asks Liz how she is feeling. Liz says she is okay, just "extremely tired." The doctor tells her that a specialist is on his way from Boston, and "I'll be turning the case over to him. He's one of the best men in the country, Mrs. Stoddard. I'm sure you'll be in excellent hands." Outside in the waiting area, Carolyn is waiting for Roger when Willie arrives, with some flowers. Carolyn says hello, and Willie says "Hi Carolyn... er...I brought these for your mother, I heard she was sick." Carolyn thanks Willie for the flowers and tells him to thank Barnabas for sending them, but Willie interrupts "Oh no, those aren't from Barnabas, those are from me. I got 'em in town before I cam here." Carolyn is touched by this and tells Willie it was a sweet gesture. He tells Carolyn how grateful he was that "Mrs. Stoddard agreed with Barnabas that I could be the groundskeeper for the whole Collins estate." Carolyn is surprised to hear this, and Willie tells her that yeah, it's true. Roger comes out and says hello to "Loomis" gruffly, and Carolyn tells Roger that Willie brought the flowers. Roger thanks him, and asks him if he's come back to work for Barnabas again. "Well, sorta" Willie answers. "Uh, actually Mrs. Stoddard was gonna hire me to be the new groundskeeper for the whole estate." Roger is surprised to hear this, and asks Willie if he was sure. "Oh, yeah yeah!" Willie says. "Barnabas told me he squared it all away with her." Roger says "Well, I'm sure if Barnabas was able to convince my sister, he must have had a very good reason." Willie says he did and snickers a bit, and Roger says to himself "Groundskeeper....how ironic." Carolyn wonders what he means.

Carolyn asks him what he means, and he thanks Willie again for the flowers, but asks to talk to Carolyn alone. Willie says okay, and says he's "gotta be gettin back to Collinwood anyway." Carolyn asks Roger what he needs to talk to her about, and Roger answers "Your mother. The doctors say the specialist they are bringing in is one of the best, but I'm not sure...." Carolyn asks why, and Roger says he just has a feeling. Carolyn tells Roger that he is being too negative, and should have a better outlook. Suddenly, we hear someone call "Roger Collins! You've changed, but I'd recognize you anywhere!" Roger turns to see Dr. Alan Slater (David Hurst) standing before him. Roger looks at him and answers "Slater. Yes, it has been a long time." "Long enough for me to be Doctor Slater," Alan replies, then looking at Carolyn and saying "And you are..." "I'm Carolyn Stoddard Hawkes, Mrs. Stoddard's daughter." she says. "I wish we could have met under better circumstances," Alan says. "I want you to know I'll do everything in my power to assure your mother's speedy recovery." Carolyn thanks him, and says she wants to go in and see her mother. After Carolyn leaves, Roger looks Alan over and says "So, you've made quite a lot of yourself in all these years." "Yes, I suppose so," Alan answers. "I guess you can never tell what may happen to a Collins family servant once they get a scholarship." "Well," Roger answers, "the doctors around here seem to think you're quite a miracle worker. Perhaps some of the Collins family traits have rubbed off on you." "Perhaps," Alan answers smiling, "I can be fairly arrogant at times. I think I better go in and see my new patient." He goes into Liz' room while Roger frowns.

Alan is talking over Liz's case with another doctor while Carolyn listens. Liz is asleep again, and Carolyn asks Alan what is going to happen. "Well," he answers. "I want to talk with your mother about it, but I'm going to recommend surgery." Carolyn is scared at this prospect, but Alan soothingly says "Your mother will be in no danger. I've done this operation before to correct the same sort of irregularity in the heart. It should permanently take care of the problem." "Somehow you have a way of making everything sound very easy," Carolyn says. Alan laughs a bit, and tells Carolyn that she should go tell her Uncle Roger what he just told her since "he'd probably rather hear it from you." Carolyn asks him how he knows Roger, and all he says is that "it's a long story that I'll save for when your mother is better. How's that?" Carolyn nods and leaves the room with the other doctor as Alan moves towards Liz. He starts to take her pulse and she starts to wake up. She looks over to him. He smiles at her and says "Hello, Elizabeth." She recognizes him, and says weakly "Alan! What.... how..." He shushes her softly and says "They brought me in to be your doctor. I've been a cardiologist in Boston for many years now." "You are my doctor?" Liz asks. He answers "Yes," and then moves his pulse taking hand from her wrist to her hand and adds "You're going to be just fine, I promise you." He raises her hand and kisses it. Liz smiles at him.