Chapter 16

24 Hours

Interior Operating Room

EJ lays on the table with his head in the halo. Lexie walks in her heart drops when she sees EJ. She walks over with the surgical tray. She hands it to Daniel. The nurse ties his mask and hers. The lights are turned on and Daniel makes the first cut.

Daniel( looking at the monitor) He's nearly dead already if I cut any deeper he'll bleed out.

Lexie( removing the dead tissue) He deserves to wake up and be able to know his children. His children's children. Sami deserves this. Stefano never did anything for EJ this is his chance.

Daniel(calmly) Fine I'll replace the tissue but his memory.

Lexie(firmly) Just save his life Daniel.

Daniel(taking a breath) Its going to take a while.

Lexie(calmly) I've got time.

Fade Out.

Interior Dimera Living Room

Marlena ties Anna to a chair and hands her a box of photos letters and memories. Marlena is obviously delirious and under some sort of influence. Anna is shaken but determined to save herself.

Marlena( lighting a cigarette) You know my old friend you have been so good to my daughter. Now I'm going to make sure your son never ever knows you. I will be his mother just like I was to Carrie. You you're pathetic. You need to be taken care of me on the other hand I take care of others. Tony Tony told me that I was being manipulated and he was right.

Anna(angry) Marlena what are these photos. Explain what they mean to us. What they mean to Tony and I. Or you and I. Who in the hell is this little boy in these photos. Who the hell is my son. Marlena please tell me the truth I can help you.

Marlena(angry) Help me how in the hell can you help me. You took my daughter as your own. You are not good for anyone. Tony told me how you are plotting against me.

Anna( looking at the photos) Its EJ isn't it EJ is my son my son with Tony. You little bitch how dare you listen to the Dimeras and keep my son from me. Marlena damn it answer me. Tell me the truth. Tell me did Stefano take my baby from me. Did he let me think my son was dead for all these years.

Marlena( feeling dizzy) Anna Anna I'm sorry I hope you can forgive me.

Marlena passes out on the floor and her cigarette ignites a firey blaze.

Interior Waiting Room

Sami sits with Tony. Sami gets a text message.

Sami(reading the message to Tony) I have your son and daughters don't forget about what happened to your other son. The fair william is dead and sweet Sidney and Johnny are next.

Await further instructions you will have twenty four hours to complete the task.

Tony( shocked) Andre!

John( calmly) The police just received a call from the Dimera Mansion. Its on fire and there are people inside. I thought you might want to come with me.

Tony(calmly) Right behind you. Sami just try to find out who sent you that message. Let me know if there is any change.

Interior Dimera Mansion

Anna tries to untie herself while Marlena tries to crawl outside the door.

Anna(screaming) Marlena you can't leave me here. Marlena what are you doing.

Marlena(taking a pill) This will help me sleep. Anna I don't get enough sleep all I can think about is Sami. How she looked at me when she found out that I was responsible for Will's death. Marlena was so weak but I'm not.

Anna(solemly) Oh my god you've lost your mind. If you're Marlena then who are you. Whats your name.

Marlena(laughing) Whats my name you mean you don't know.

Anna(curiously) Should I?

Marlena(laughing) Anna its me your old pal Renee. Renee Dimera.

Anna(untying the ropes) Marlena come on.

Marlena(slapping Anna) Come on Anna. Time to go to Tony. Time to leave.

Marlena and Anna leave walking through the burning house.

Interior Abandoned House

Andre opens the door for Anna and Marlena.

Marlena(smiling) Hello Tony.

Andre(smiling at Anna) Hello my pet. I see you brought us a visitor.

Marlena(setting her things down) Did you retrieve the little munchkins.

Andre(calmly) Well yes they are in the bedroom.

Marlena leaves the room.

Anna( slapping Andre) What the hell do you want with Andre. What did you do to Marlena.

Andre( grabbing Anna) Get a hold of yourself Anna. Or I'll will end the lives of those little brats. Your choice.

Fade To.

Interior Emergency Room

Daniel and Lexie rush to salvage EJ.

Daniel(calmly) Oh God we could surely use another twelve hours or a miracle to save EJ.

Lexie(nervous) Come on EJ.

EJ's heart rate begins to increase. His brain activity increases as well. Daniel stitches EJ up. He then looks at Lexie.

Daniel(looking at Lexie) We tried to do the best we could with what we had. He may not be able to salvage what was left of his brain but he's very weak and the damage could be severe. You need to be prepared for the worst.

Lexie(wiping her eyes) I'll tell Sami. You'll let me know when he's settled.

Daniel(calmly) I promise you that I will let you know as soon as I can.

Lexie leaves the room.

Fade To.

Waiting Room

Sami sits with Caroline and Victor. She sits with Caroline holding her hand.

Sami( reaching for her phone) Its Tony. (answering her phone) Hello Tony did you find Andre?

Is he there did you find the kids are they safe? What about my mom and Anna. Did you find them.

Tony(looking at John) The mansion's been destroyed. It seems there's been a fire. They have found no sign of the children or Anna or your mother but we'll keep looking.

Sami(calmly) Tony you don't think.

Tony(quickly) No Sami don't even allow yourself to think that. John and I will bring them back. You just keep praying. We'll keep searching.

John(hands Tony a bracelet) This isn't Doc's.

Tony( looking at the bracelet) Its Anna's. I gave it to her after we returned to Salem. Its covered in blood. Where did you find it.

John(calmly) I found over there near Stefano's garden.

Tony(following John) Show me.

John(calmly) Tony it looks like a ring over there. (picking up the ring) What the hell is that over there.

Tony(shocked) Oh my God!

Fade To….

Interior Cabin Bedroom

Anna sits in the rocking chair with Sidney while Johnny an Allie sleep on the bed.

Anna(calmly) Its alright little Sidney. Anna's here and she's not going to let anything happen to you or your brother and sister but its not going to be easy. But I think help will be here shortly. I pray they will. I need you to be strong for me ok. After all I'm told you're my granddaughter.

Andre enters the room.

Andre( opening the door) Renee needs your help.

Anna(placing Sidney in bed) What the hell are you talking about. Renee's dead you killed her. Remember. Now do you want my help with Marlena.

Marlena(falling over) Help me. I need help.

Anna(reaching for Marlena) Marlena come on wake up. Marlena wake up what happened to you. Can you talk to me. Marlena come on talk to me. Andre listen to me damn it if we do not get her to a hospital in the next fifteen minutes she's dead. Look at her come on Andre you have me and let her and the children go to the hospital.

Andre( nervous) No she can't go. You can't go. No one can go anywhere.

Anna(furious) Well then you better come up with an excuse as to how Marlena dies. Because if you don't let her out of here that's exactly whats going to happen. She will die Andre she's half way there now. Please do the right thing and let her and the children go. Please.

Andre(angry) No damn it I said no. Now help her Anna.

Anna(firmly) Fine I'll prepare her for her funeral. Seeing that you have already given her the death sentence.

Anna helps Marlena into the bedroom.

Anna(calmly) Marlena you have to wake up. Look at me Marlena. You have to much to live for. Don't let him win. Keep fighting come on. Andre damn it what have you done to her.

Marlena starts to turn blue. Anna screams for Andre.

Fade To….

Interior EJ's hospital Room

Sami sits with EJ. He's unconscious and still ventilated but still she sets. She sleeps in the chair beside him when Lexie enters to tell her about Ej's condition.

Sami(waking up) Lexie how is he? When will he wake up. When can he go home.

Lexie(sitting down) Sami the surgery was an overall success but he did suffer some damage that we could not repair. Sami if he wakes up he might not be able to take care of himself. Sami you have to be prepared for the worst. The next twenty four hours will tell us more.

Lexie leaves…

Exterior Dimera Garden

Tony and John rumage through the garden until the reach an old cabin.

Tony(walking back to the house) John over here there's a window. John its Sidney and Alllie and Johnny.

John(calmly) We have to hurry. Who knows what Andre will do next. You know him better than I do would he hurt the children.

Tony(tapping on the window) We have to get them now.

Allie goes over to the window…

Allie(opening the window) MR. Tony Grandpa John. You have to save us.

John pulls Allie out of the window. Allie is handed over to Tony.

Johnny(calmly) Grandpa John what about baby Sidney. We can't leave her.

John(pulling Johnny out) I'll get her just stay here with Tony alright.

John climbs inside the window.

John(looking in the CRIB) Sidney wake up come hush now little Sidney. Come on wake up. You know you want to.

JOhn hears Anna screaming and leaves Sidney in the crib.

Anna(from the other room) Andre she's shaking but she can't keep her eyes open. She can't even breathe comfortabley. Let her go to the hospital. Fine tell me what you did to her. Just tell me so I can help her.

Andre(pacing the floor) I can't believe it Stefano was telling the truth. The drug was responsible for Will's death and now its killing Marlena. He gave it to you first but then will died and he knew he had to find an antidote or it would kill you too. He found it but I reinjected you with the drug at a much higher dose. Its only a matter of time before it kills you too.

Anna(calmly) We have to help her and me this is your fault Andre. All of this. How can you do this. Why did you do this.

Andre( calmly) It was meant at first to cause dilusons in way to make it easier for Stefano and I to turn people against one another. It was never meant to go this far.

John(calmly) Its all over Andre let them go.

Andre( holding a vial) It funny John because it seems to me that if I break this little vial then the virus will become airbourne and highly contagious. So you see John you have a choice to make. Sacrafice these two lovely ladies or keep your ladies and lose all of Salem the choice is yours.

Fade to….

Interior Tony's Car

Tony places the sleeping kids in the backseat of his car.

Tony(on his phone) Hey Bo its Tony. Yes the real Tony. Listen Andre is holding Marlena and Anna hostage in a Cabin in the old hunting ground behind the mansion. From what I can hear he has some kind of virus he is threatening to release. John and I could really use your help.

Bo(on the other end) Alright we'll be right out.

Bo and Carly pull up along Tony's car.

Bo(getting out) Tony, Carly came to help. Roman and Hope are on their way. And Abe is on his way as well. We also contacted Shane at the ISA. We are not going to let Salem be infected by some virus of Stefano's.

Tony(calmly) Thank you. Who knows where all of the containers with that virus are at. But the next 24 hours are going to be very crucial.

A huge loud explosion is heard as the cabin explodes. Wood and Rocks and debree flies through the air. The air is thick with the virus. Everyone is on the ground covered in blood and coughing.

Bo(coughing) Carly wake up

Carly(walking over to Bo) Bo I'm fine what about you how are you.

Bo(dilusional) Hope Hope listen to me. I love you I always will love you. I want to be with you.

Carly(calmly) Bo Bo wake up.

Hope and Shane run over with masks on to protect themselves from the viruses.

Hope(rushing over) Bo Bo you got to wake up come on Brady you got to wake up.

Carly(calmly) I can handle Bo why don't you go help some one else.

Hope(firmly) I am not leaving him.

Hope and Carly help Bo into the first Ambulance. Then Carly goes with Shane to load the kids into it.

Carly(placing Sidney Johnny and Allie inside) Go on guys the sooner you get going the sooner you can see your mummy and daddy.

Fade to…

Interior Emergency Room

Lexie puts on gloves and a gown to protect herself. As does Daniel.

Daniel(calmly) Bo ok we have to give you some strong antibiotics to kill this virus.

We really need you to tell us how you feel and where you feel pain.

Bo(coughing) My chest really hurts. It feels like something is sitting on my chest.

Daniel(listening to his chest) Lex we need to get him to ICU now.

Sami's Kids come in.

Lexie(rushing over) You guys ok.

Allie(calmly) Yes Mr. Tony put us in his car. We're fine.

Lexie(hugging the children) Go with the nurse she'll take you to your mommy.

Another ambulance comes in with a dead body inside it.

Everyone stands and watches the body being rolled into the cubicle.

Paramedic(rushing into the hospital) Here mam this baby was found underneath that woman's body. She saved her life.

Lexie(calmly) Sidney. Nurse come and take this little woman to cubicle one.

Lexie walks into the cubicle where the dead body is.

Lexie(unzipping the body bag) Oh my God not you. Anybody but you. Oh my God please.(crying) No how will I tell your family.

Lexie wipes her tears. She walks out into the emergency room. The room is filled with people as the clock ticks on the wall. Tony is wheeled in with John following. Carly is rushing behind them. Shane and Hope enter with masks on.

Daniel(taking John into the cubicle) John you ok.

John(trying to get up) I have to find Marlena where is she?

Daniel(calmly) I have some bad news for you John.

Fade To…

Interior Cubicle Five

Lexie(injecting Tony with the antibiotics.) Tony what the hell happened on that mountain.

Tony(coughing) I don't know where to begin but I would like to start with Anna. Can I speak to her.

Lexie(sitting down) Tony I have some bad news.

Fade To…

Bo's Hospital Room

Bo( coughing) Fancy Face. Hope.

Hope enters the room.

Hope(crying) Oh Bo I'm so sorry this happened to you.

Bo(surprised) Are you kidding me this isn't your fault.

Hope(looking down) There's something else you need to know.

Bo(looking at Hope) There's something you need to know too.

Hope(calmly) Ok you first.

Bo(calmly) I still love you and I want to know if we can have another chance.

Fade To…

Interior EJ's Hospital Room

EJ wakes up in his bed and looks around the room. He is unable to feel his legs or speak properly. He lies there looking at the ceiling minutes after pushing the call button.

EJ(sighing) It was only Twenty Four Hours.

Fade Out!