Chapter 21: Eric Brady – Thursday, September 15th, 2016

Driving around aimlessly, Eric hoped something would catch his eye soon. He needed inspiration, but so far he was getting nothing. He turned and looked at his camera on the passenger seat and wondered if he would be able to get anything in for the next art show. The struggle was real, and he knew he needed to put something together that truly meant something to him. Deciding to take a break to clear his head, Eric pulled in and parked close to the Brady Pub.

Entering the pub, Eric saw Gabi behind the bar. He placed his hands in his pockets as he approached her to ask, "Is my grandma upstairs?"

"Yes, she is," Gabi quickly answered before returning to what she was doing.

"Thanks." Eric headed upstairs and found Caroline in the TV room watching one of her favorite shows. "Hey grandma, I stopped by to make sure you're feeling okay."

Caroline grabbed the remote and pushed the pause button. "I'm fine. Belle and Shawn were here earlier. I also talked to Bo and Hope before that."

Taking a seat next to Caroline, Eric rubbed her shoulder and asked, "Are you feeling crowded?"

After Eric winked at her, Caroline shook her head and denied it. "No. I'm happy to have visitors since I don't do much these days. You know, I honestly think that's why I'm not as strong as I used to be."

Eric hated thinking about his grandmother being weak. "You are helping out with the food Saturday morning, right?"

Caroline nodded her head to confirm she was. "I'm also helping with some of the prep on Friday," she shared verbally before changing the subject. "How's Nicole?"

Showing a bit of tension on his face, Eric released, "Nicole is fine. We're just keeping busy with work."

Caroline took Eric's hand from her shoulder and asked, "Are you being totally honest with me? I know that Nicole was having a tough time for a while."

Sighing to release the tension he felt, Eric claimed, "Things are getting back to normal every day. We're adjusting."

Patting her grandson's hand, Caroline beamed, "I hope you two get what you want in the end."

"I hope so, too, grandma," Eric replied through a smile.

"How is work going for you?"

When Eric's phone went off, he took his hand from Caroline and stood up so he could pull his phone from his pocket since his pants were a bit tight. He received a text from Nicole that read: "Brandon just called me and said Theo had to be rushed to the hospital."

Noting the worried look on Eric's face, Caroline asked, "What's the matter?"

Eric returned his phone to his pocket before moving in closer to give Caroline a kiss on her forehead. "Theo Carver had to be rushed to the hospital. Seems Nicole is heading that way, so I should go and meet her there." After giving his grandmother a hug, he said, "I'll come check in with you tomorrow. I love you."

Caroline nodded her head. "Okay, Eric. I love you, too. Please be careful. See you tomorrow."

Friday, April 11th, 2014

For their wedding, Eric and Nicole decided on a small ceremony with close family and friends at St. Luke's. Even though it was nice to have the support from the many who attended, Eric and Nicole mainly focused on each other throughout the ceremony. "Now comes the time for you two to share your vows," Father Felix declared.

As Eric began to speak his vows, Nicole watched him lovingly while continually noting how dapper he looked in his fitted black tux. She never thought this day would come; tears fell down her face as every word that escaped her soon to be husband's lips made her fall more in love with him. She sincerely didn't want to mess this up and hoped that nothing or no one would get in the way of their relationship, including herself.

Eric finished his vows. It was Nicole's turn. Taylor quickly handed Nicole a tissue due to the tears. As Nicole began to share her vows, Eric beamed as he took in Nicole's beauty. With her form-fitting pearl gown, she never looked more elegant before. He breathed deeply and felt honored by the way she described their love and how he made her feel. It was all he wanted and as he mentioned in his vows, he knew he would always fight for Nicole no matter what. He never wanted to lose her again.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Present: Thursday, September 15th, 2016

Eric arrived to Salem University Hospital in time for Daniel to come out to give Nicole, Lexie, Celeste, Hope, Ciara, Brandon, and Cameron an update on Theo. He stood back as Dr. Jonas shared, "We are running tests now to check his blood sugar levels once more. We still don't have answers unfortunately since we are waiting for the results from the CT scan." He kept his eyes on Lexie as he continued to admit, "We probably won't have those until tomorrow if we're lucky. In the meantime, we are considering an EEG overnight if you sign off on it, Lexie."

Ciara carefully walked over to Lexie unsure of what to make of Daniel's update. "Lexie, is there any way I can go and see Theo now?" She couldn't get the last image of Theo out of her head.

Processing the news herself, Lexie took a moment before answering. "Actually, I think that would be great." She remembered how Ciara was the only one Theo would talk to after what happened in Urbino a few years back.

Celeste watched as Lexie took Ciara to go talk to Theo. She was upset that Lexie was obviously keeping her far from her grandson. She wondered if Lexie wanted it that way or if Theo asked Lexie to keep her away. Walking off, she decided she needed some coffee.

As Cameron encouraged Brandon that everything would work out, Eric watched Nicole's face. He moved closer and noted this was greatly impacting her. Attempting to grab her hand, he said her name. "Nicole…"

Nicole took her hand before Eric could grab it. She didn't do it purposefully because she wasn't aware of the fact that her husband was reaching for it. "I should go talk to my brother…" she decided. Approaching Brandon, she gave him a hug hoping to be a comfort for him, but this was too much for her. Ashamed, she let go of her brother and, without warning, rushed down the hall.

Tuesday, December 16th, 2014

At the penthouse, Eric and Nicole were rushing around to make sure everything was in order because of a call they had received a half-hour ago. They were trying not to let the pressure get to them, but they really wanted to make a great first impression. A knock on the door forced them to stop what they were doing and turn to each other. "Here goes nothing," Eric said as he grabbed the back of his neck.

Nicole led Eric to the door before opening it. "Hi," she released softly hoping she could mask her nerves.

Kimmy Nguyen, the D.H.S. worker, entered the penthouse with a small boy. She gave Eric and Nicole a smile as she introduced him. "This is Colton. He needs a place to stay for the time being." Looking down at Colton, she decided to give him a nudge as she introduced his new Foster parents. "Colton, this is Eric and Nicole Brady. You'll be staying with them while we figure things out with your parents."

Eric stood back nervously as Nicole leaned down and introduced herself again. "Hi Colton. My name is Nicole. I don't know what happened with your parents, but I hope you know that my husband and I are going to do our best to be there for you. I know this must be hard for you."

Colton locked eyes with Nicole and saw sincerity in them. He firmly took Nicole's hand and said, "Hi, Nicole." They had an immediate connection.

Present: Thursday, September 15th, 2016

Eric quickly followed Nicole into one of the waiting rooms. Giving her some space, he stayed back and attentively requested, "Nicole, please tell me how you're feeling about all of this."

Avoiding eye contact, Nicole dismissively answered, "My feelings aren't important." She wiped her moist face and added, "I want to be here for Brandon and Lexie, but I am struggling with keeping myself together. I wish I was stronger."

Eric thoughtfully stepped closer. "You are strong, Nicole. Do you want to go home?"

"No," Nicole swiftly declared.

"Do you want to go back to work?"

Nicole gave the same answer before continuing, "I want to stay and talk to Brandon. I know this has to be hard for him." She knew that even though she did rush away, he was the reason she came to the hospital in the first place. She wanted to show her brother she was there for him.

With a heartfelt sigh, Eric tried to say something positive. "I'm sure Theo will be okay." He inched closer and asked, "Do you want me to stay?"

Bewildered, Nicole promptly replied without any true emotion, "Do what you have to do. I will call you later."

Not wanting to push further, Eric agreed to go. Though he felt dejected, he managed to push his feelings to the back of his mind. He knew Nicole needed her space and his presence only seemed to make her more anxious. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

Realizing how she was treating Eric, Nicole finally looked into her husband's eyes. She felt horrible that her perceived weakness was now pushing him away because of what they had been through over the past year. "Yes. There's something important I need to tell you tonight." She gave him a kiss to show her appreciation for his meeting her there. She knew he did not have to do that.

After the kiss, Eric slowly headed for the elevator. He thought about the kiss, and though it was a nice gesture to help him feel more at ease, he couldn't help noticing how Nicole didn't seem completely into it. On his way, he bumped into Sonny. "Oh, sorry man."

With a big smile on his face, Sonny exclaimed, "Eric, I'm really happy to see you…"

The smile on Sonny's face really caught Eric off guard because of the sadness in Nicole when he left her. He tried to brush off the weird experience and asked, "What's up?"

"I only want to check in with you about the festivities tomorrow," Sonny shared. He had just talked to Celeste.

Eric nodded his head as he tried to turn his focus on what Sonny was talking about. "Everything is in order. I've got everything I need for the photo booth, and it should be set up before anything starts. It will be a great party." The weirdness inside of him continued because while a part of him felt down, thinking about the wedding also made him feel the same happiness Sonny was clearly experiencing.

Pleased, Sonny graciously replied, "Thanks again for your help. I'll see you around."

After Sonny walked off, Eric returned to his trek for the elevator. He made it and pushed the button, but before he could go in, Hope stopped him this time. "Eric."

Since there were a few people who wanted on the elevator, Eric told them to go ahead before turning his attention to Hope. "Aunt Hope, what can I do for you?"

With her arms wrapped around her body, Hope grimaced and said, "It's been a tough week. Caroline being rushed to the hospital and now Theo is here. Hopefully, his seizure was a one-time thing." She shuddered as she moved on, "We should talk about your dad. When was the last time you talked to him?"

Remembering how Sami told him she would talk to EJ about Roman and let him know if she heard anything, Eric grabbed the back of his neck as he thought back to the last time he talked to his father. "The last time I talked to him was earlier in the year. I tried to call him a few times after, but he never answered. I know Sami and Will tried as well with no luck either." He noted the look of fear on his aunt's face and realized she seemed to know more than he expected. "How… how did you find out about my dad – about his being missing?"

Dropping her hands so she could place them in her pockets, Hope revealed, "Caroline told Bo and me about Roman and Egypt this morning."

Completely shocked to find out Caroline remembered everything, Eric realized she was hiding her concern about his dad rather well when he saw her earlier. "It's such a mess," he said under his breath.

Hope sighed wishing someone had something they could use to find Roman. "Bo had the same problem with trying to contact him. We will find your dad. Don't worry."

"I hope so," Eric said before saying bye to his aunt. He pushed the button for the elevator again. Fortunately, it opened right up. He entered the elevator so he could head home.

Saturday, March 14th, 2015

Coming down the long stairs, Eric wiped his hands on his pants as he joined Carrie and Will on the sofa in his penthouse. "By the way, you are witnessing a good day with Colton. Finn's presence is most likely helping."

Carrie, who was in town with Austin and Finn for her birthday, began to laugh at Eric because of the overwhelming expression on his face. "I am sure Colton has good days with you all the time."

Throwing himself down on the couch, Eric shamefully admitted, "I don't know what I'm doing with Colton. With Nicole working with Jack, I struggle because Colton seems to really hate me when she's not around."

Noting this was a real struggle for his uncle, Will tried to encourage Eric. "I don't know what to say as far as parenting goes because I'm not one, but I know that you are one of the most caring and helpful people I know."

Carrie echoed Will's sentiment and added, "Maybe the pressure is just getting to you. Being a parent isn't easy, and though there are tons of self-help books on different types of parenting, each experience is not the same. I know you won't give up on Colton, and he will see that."

Eric sighed heavily. "You're right." He knew he couldn't give up on Colton no matter how hard it got.

(*)*(*)*(*)

Present: Thursday, September 15th, 2016

Arriving home, Eric found John and Marlena sitting outside drinking coffee. They were staying with him temporarily since they found their townhouse unexpectedly flooded when they returned from Colorado the night before. Throwing his keys on the table, he made his way to the balcony to share, "I was just at the hospital."

Marlena looked up and asked, "What happened? Did Caroline faint again?"

Eric denied it. "No. Theo had a seizure while he was at school."

John took Marlena's hand and suggested, "Maybe we should go to the hospital to check in with Lexie."

Before his mother could agree, Eric stepped in and shared, "The hospital is a bit crowded so you may not really get to see Lexie." He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Aunt Hope asked me about dad before I left."

"Why?" John curiously questioned.

Realizing John and Marlena had no idea about his father's disappearance, Eric wondered why Hope and Bo didn't tell them. He hadn't told them about why Caroline fainted because Sami asked him to keep that bit of information a secret. Figuring there was no point in withholding the truth from them, he revealed, "My dad is apparently missing. Sami got the news from Peter and told our grandma, and that's why she fainted."

Confusion covered Marlena's face. "Why would Peter know?"

Eric shrugged his shoulders as he took a sip of his cooling coffee. "I am not completely sure if Peter could be playing games, but it has been difficult to reach him for a while now."

"I'll make some calls," John decided to involve himself. He felt a bit restless because he hadn't returned to work since his mini-vacation with Marlena.

Marlena shook her head. "I hope he's okay." As John headed inside, Marlena saw the uncertainty in Eric and encouraged, "Your father will be okay. John will find him."

Monday, July 13th, 2015

As soon as he spotted Jack standing in one of the waiting rooms, Eric couldn't hold back on his frustrations. "What the hell do you think you were doing out there?" Eric raised his voice. He was especially stressed due to a conversation he had with Colton about death and Nicole not even two weeks prior.

Jack put his hands out and tried to calm Eric. "Whoa there… Eric… we were working." He had never seen Eric this way before.

"Working?" Eric questioned making sure he heard Jack correctly. "That's all you have to say? While you were working, my wife was attacked! She was brought to the hospital to make sure she would be okay! The last time I checked, your job description did not include putting your life in danger any chance you got! This cannot keep happening, Jack!"

Jack remained calm and casually crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you really think I wanted this to happen? This is our job. Nicole and I get to the truth. I can't control all the variables."

"Obviously, Jack…" Eric understandably shook his head, but he wasn't done chewing Jack out. "You can control where you go though. You need to stop putting my wife in dangerous situations when she is going through so much in her life!"

With a concerned look, Jack countered, "What about all the other people going through so much in their lives? They need someone to be there for them." He paused for a moment to study Eric. He could tell he was only getting more flustered about this. "Are you really going to stand there and tell me Nicole can't make a decision for herself?"

Even more annoyed, Eric argued, "You know that's not what I'm trying to do. I simply want you to listen, for once in your life, to what is happening outside of yourself to realize that the people who are closest to you are hurting, too."

Now feeling personally attacked, Jack questioned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Eric knew Jack wasn't an idiot but he couldn't help himself from becoming increasingly frustrated. "Let me be straight with you, Jack. Maybe I'm not being completely clear here." He dropped his hands in front of him for emphasis as he continued, "Nicole and I are people, too. We don't deserve to get hurt."

Challenging Eric still, Jack wondered, "Is this really about Nicole or you? Are you more afraid that you will be the one who's hurt in the end?"

Jack clearly hit the final nerve with Eric. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Present: Thursday, September 15th, 2016

While John was upstairs making calls, Eric sat with his mother in silence. Marlena studied her son and was worried about him because though he did not say a word verbally, his body language was communicating quite a bit. "Did you ever find inspiration for your art show this morning?"

Eric picked up his coffee cup and remembered it was empty. Placing it back on the small glass table next to him, he turned and disclosed, "I didn't. I drove around before checking in with grandma at the pub. That's when Nicole informed me about Theo, so I rushed to the hospital. I can't believe this is happening to Lexie again."

Marlena leaned back in her seat and questioned, "Is Nicole with Brandon?"

Eric confirmed it and admitted, "I'm worried this will only bring Nicole down again."

Noting the fear in her son, Marlena commented, "I know Nicole has lost a lot in life, but she has you there to support her through this."

Eric wished he could be so sure. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm enough for her," he confessed.

"Why do you think that?" Marlena wondered as she turned her head to the side.

Eric looked past his mom as he expounded, "Nicole wants so much out of life, and I want her to have it all, but… but I can't do that."

Moving in closer to Eric, Marlena cautioned, "Son, you're putting too much responsibility on yourself. Is Nicole giving you what you want?"

Offended by his mother's question, Eric gave her an annoyed look. "You're showing your dislike for Nicole again."

"Eric, that's not what I'm doing," Marlena quickly claimed. "I'm asking because you don't seem happy."

Still defensive, Eric argued, "I am happy because I am married to the love of my life."

Marlena still doubted Eric's happiness but figured he hadn't realized it himself. She could see there was a cut off between Nicole and Eric recently and their work schedules definitely played a role in that. There was a bigger issue that came to the forefront though. "Do you want to have children, Eric?"

"I do," Eric answered in a way to show he wondered why she would even ask.

"What is the problem then?" Marlena rhetorically enquired. She wanted Eric to process everything with her as she continued, "I know you're not happy because you keep blaming yourself for not being able to please Nicole."

Eric was done. He did not want to continue this conversation. "Please just drop this because I'm not in the mood for a therapy session."

Offended now, Marlena claimed, "I'm not shrinking you, Eric. I'm only concerned you are ignoring yourself."

Shaking his head, Eric responded, "I'm not because Nicole is me. We became one when we married each other."

Marlena sighed. "I can understand that – believe me – I can. I can also understand that love is not always easy. It can be torture sometimes."

Seeing that Marlena was talking from her own experience, Eric softened towards his mother. He could relate to what she was saying now. "Nicole wants to talk to me tonight about something," he revealed.

Following Eric's lead, Marlena asked, "Do you have any clue what it may be?"

"I'm not completely sure," Eric admitted, "…but I think it could be good news with the way Nicole looked at me when she told me."

Giving her best look of reassurance, Marlena said, "I hope so. I want the best for you and Nicole."

Eric looked out towards the view and took a deep breath. "I want the same."