If my prayers are answered...
I'll be able to see myself by the end of the day.
VICTOR: I spoke to your mother
last night about what's ahead.
And obviously, she is concerned
that her present condition may be permanent.
Well, once she gets those bandages off,
no matter what happens, we're gonna make sure she knows
she has all of our love and support.
-VICTORIA: Yes. -VICTOR: Exactly.
That's exactly what we're gonna do.
But it's pretty much time to get going, so I'm going to
-go check on Mom. -All right.
What's got you so glued to that phone?
Well, you know that Matt Clark has an ankle monitor on
so I can follow exactly as to where he is,
and it seems he spent the night at the Athletic Club.
So he didn't leave town.
And you're not gonna like who he stayed with.
Hey.
Morning.
♪♪
Are you saying Matt Clark was with Phyllis?
You know, it was bad enough watching them make out
in the middle of the Athletic Club,
but then watching Phyllis take him upstairs...
I just couldn't believe it.
-Did you confront them? -Yeah.
I wanted to know why Matt was still in town
and why Phyllis was trying to convince him to stay.
I mean, she was telling Matt that he needed
to stand his ground and not be intimidated by us.
Do you think he listened to her?
I don't know. I went upstairs and knocked on their...
the door to their suite. They didn't open it.
-You went to Phyllis's suite? -Yeah, Dad.
I'm worried about her. I know Phyllis just...
Matt's got his whole kicked puppy thing going on,
but I know how dangerous he is.
I know what he's capable of, and Phyllis refuses to see it.
And the fact that she is actively
lobbying him to stay in town is insane to me.
You're right.
She should be resurrecting the company I gave her.
Well, I'll tell you, last night business was the last thing
on her mind.
You ready?
I am.
I am just grateful Detective Burrow was able
to arrange this video call with Martin so quickly.
Yah, hopefully Martin will be the key to the information
we need to find Markham.
And there's still time to back out
if you don't wanna do this, Traci.
We would all understand, after what Martin put you through.
I am more than ready for this. I am.
And I wanna thank you all for being here for moral support.
-I appreciate it. -JACK: We will be here
every step of the way.
And can I ask a favor? Don't say anything, okay?
Don't even make a sound no matter what Martin says,
because I'm afraid that if he thinks people are listening in,
-he'll shut down. -Well, I don't like it,
but, yeah, it's probably the best decision.
TRACI: Here we go. [ahem]
[click]
Martin?
MARTIN: Traci.
I can't tell you how wonderful it is to see you.
You're looking well.
Beautiful as ever.
I can't tell you how surprised I was and grateful
to hear that you wanted to talk to me, and...
does that mean you've been receiving my letters?
Yes, I have.
[exhales] I'm so relieved.
Not that I thought you would respond, but...
I thought the staff here was not letting them go through.
For which I blame the imbecilic practitioner overseeing my case.
She tries to restrict my every move.
Tries to control my actions, my mind.
Ha ha. Of course, she's too obtuse to realize
that it is I who's in control.
But you, uh...
you didn't reach out to discuss
the limits of modern psychiatry, did you?
-I did not. -Shame. Really.
Remember those long talks we used to have?
Over wine... at our favorite café.
Long walks along the Seine...
I treasure those memories more than you know.
I think about you all the time, Traci.
So much so that I dare to hope
that sometimes, despite the way things ended,
I'm not so far away from your thoughts.
Martin, um, this is not exactly a social call,
and I do not want to discuss the past with you.
I'm reaching out because I need your help.
It's the least I can do after all the anguish I've caused you.
Do you know a therapist by the name
of Dr. Laurence Markham?
Markham?
How could I forget the good doctor?
You didn't have to sleep on the sofa.
I, um, I didn't wanna be presumptuous.
Oh!
What a gentleman.
Thank you.
Nobody's ever called me that before.
They haven't? Really?
Well, you are a gentleman.
You're also a really good kisser.
-I enjoyed that. -I enjoyed...
the kissing part very much.
You put on the brakes.
I did. I'm not sticking around,
and I didn't wanna take advantage of the situation
-and then head out. -Oh, really?
Who said you'd be taking advantage?
The smart thing for you to do is throw me out right now
and just never see me again.
You have issues.
-Yeah, so many. -[laughs]
I think... I might have them too.
-No. No. -No, I do.
-None. -I think...[small laugh]
I think that's why we connect. Because...
we may both have issues, and that's our connection.
Maybe.
No.
I don't think so.
You know what I think you should stop doing is, um,
thinking you're a monster.
You should stop your apology tour. Just end it right now.
Because I don't see a monster. I see a really great guy,
and, um, I see a guy
who makes me laugh.
You made me laugh last night.
I also feel safe with you.
You know, that's the safest I've felt in a really long time.
I slept the best I've slept in a...while.
That's a very kind thing for you to say. Thank you.
Doesn't make up for all the horrible things
-I've done in my life. -Okay, but see,
there you are thinking about the past.
Don't do that.
Just stay here.
It's called the here and now. It's a lot more fun.
Sensing that.
So you asked me out on a date.
I mean, when are we-- when are we doing that?
When are we going on a date?
You know what would happen if we went on a date?
Here's what'd happen.
Nick, your ex-husband, he'd bang on the door again
like he did last night. He'd tear into us like he did
-in the restaurant downstairs. -It doesn't matter. Who cares?
-It does. -We'll ignore him like we did
-last night--who cares? -I don't know, Phyllis.
I'm starting to get the impression that
Nick might be jealous of any man you're ever with.
There she is. Good job, Mom.
-Yes. -You look amazing.
-You ready to attack the day? -You know what
the amazing thing is? Mom got ready all on her own.
Victoria was a big help.
I'm afraid I'm not very adept at living without my sight.
Not yet, anyway.
No, no, no. None of that, Mom.
Positive vibes only, right?
I'm trying my best.
I'm prepared to accept whatever the day brings.
That's what I wanna hear. I'm proud of you.
Is your father here?
I'm right here.
Will you be joining us?
I know you were concerned
that there might be too many people in the room,
so if you'd rather not go...
No, no, I'd like to go.
Unless, of course, you have changed your mind.
No, I-I didn't say that.
It's completely up to you.
VICTORIA: Of course Dad wants to be there.
Of course he does. So we're all gonna go together.
All right, then we should head out.
-I'll drive. -BOTH: [chuckling]
NICK: Let's take your Ferrari, Mom.
NIKKI: Yeah!
Trust me, Nick isn't jealous
of anyone that I'm potentially seeing.
Yeah. But I think any man who'd give up on you
would live to regret it.
No. Nick isn't upset
because he has romantic intentions toward me.
He's a white knight, you know? He likes to save people.
Ah. No residual feelings at all between the two of you?
-No! -Oh, my goodness.
When the man OD'd, you were in like a thousand percent.
Well, of course I was. Because he OD'd.
He's the father of my daughter.
You practically willed him back to life.
You willed his breath back into his lungs.
You can deny it all you want. There are some feelings
that are unresolved from both sides.
I'm not getting in the middle of anything like that.
But there's no middle to get into.
Nick hates me already.
I'm not gonna give him another reason to hate me.
-Oh, can we forget about Nick? -That doesn't work.
You can't tell somebody to forget about something.
Of course I can. Of course. Forget about him.
What, you wanna run? Is that what you wanna do?
No, I prefer to look at it like I wanna explore life
somewhere else, away from Nick and the Newmans
where I can walk out the front door
without anybody hating on me.
All right, well, you can go.
I mean, you can. I'm not gonna stand in your way.
Go.
I would just be really disappointed to realize
that you were the kind of guy who gave up on something
that could, you know, potentially change your life.
I'm really hungry and I don't have any money.
-Will you buy me breakfast? -Yeah.
-Thank you. -Okay. Let's go.
Also, uh, be prepared to continue this conversation.
And you should know I don't take no for an answer.
How well do you know Dr. Markham?
Well, he was friends with Alan,
so I met him on several occasions,
and, of course, when I was living as Alan.
Why are you interested in the man?
He has partnered with a woman
who has terrorized my family in the past and has returned.
He kidnapped Diane and he tried to convince her
that she had had some sort of breakdown
and needed therapy, but...
the bottom line is she was his prisoner.
And I assume Diane is safe now?
Yes, she is.
But Markham has fled and he's in hiding,
and until we know where he is, he's still a threat.
Yeah.
That's quite the story.
Perhaps your family should avoid psychiatrists from here on out.
Seems like you don't have much luck in that regard.
TRACI: [sighs] You are not
a psychiatrist, Martin.
You were just pretending to be.
The only difference between me and the real deal, Traci,
is a piece of paper.
And yet, look at all the damage you've done,
and not just to me.
No, you're right. I'm sorry.
Forever and ever. I've said it over and over
in my letters. I deeply regret how I hurt you.
Then talk to me. Anything you know
about Dr. Markham would be really helpful.
You're the one who says that you owe me
because of all the pain that you've caused.
If that is sincere, this is how you can pay me back.
Morning.
Good morning, Doctor.
How you feeling?
I-I'm a little nervous.
Are you here alone?
No. My family is out in the waiting room.
Oh, good.
Before I remove the bandages, I want to remind you
that what you experience once they come off
isn't necessarily an indication
of what you can expect moving forward.
All sorts of things can contribute to ongoing blindness
after a surgery like yours.
The optic nerve is incredibly delicate.
Because the tumor was pressing against it,
it's possible that it hasn't yet fully healed.
That doesn't mean it won't. It'd just be a matter of time.
-Do you have any questions? -No, I understand.
Good. Well, then let's get started.
I'll be removing the bandages one at a time.
-Are you ready? -Yes.
No! Um, wait, Doctor, um...
What is it?
I thought I could do this alone,
but I'm actually quite anxious.
Would it be all right
if I had someone from my family be in here with me?
Of course.
But given the size of the room,
I'll have to limit you to only one family member.
Who would you like to join you?
Thank you.
Oh! Oh, thank you.
You're welcome.
The empanadas are amazing.
Another--another reason for you to stick around.
-Thank you very much. -Yeah.
Lord knows--thank you-- I do love a good empanada.
But this place is owned by Victor Newman's daughter Abby
and Abby's a Newman, so she hates me,
so the empanadas're actually a reason for me to get outta town.
No, no, Abby is like...no. She's harmless.
-She's nothing. -Oh!
-Yeah. -She's the harmless Newman.
I see. Okay.
Um, listen to me, cheerleader
for the lovely township of Genoa City.
It's gonna require a greater incentive for me to stay
in a place where nobody's ever gonna look past my past
than just a perfectly prepared, airy pastry.
I'm just, um, I'm just working it out, you know?
I'm just coming up with... with...
things that will make your decision to stay
a little easier.
You're a woman who's very, very used to getting her way.
Yeah.
I feel seen.
I'm so glad.
Okay. Let's think this through.
Um...
let's say that I do decide to stay
and Victor, for whatever reason,
decides that he's not gonna throw me in jail, or worse,
for quitting.
How do I build a future here?
Tell me that, honestly.
What kind of life do you think I can lead here?
MARTIN: I can't say I'm surprised to see
he tried to play God with Diane.
After five minutes of meeting the man,
it was clear he was a sociopath with narcissistic tendencies.
I know what you're thinking.
Takes one to know one, right?
At least I own what I am.
But, enough about me. You wanna know about Larry.
Yes, please.
Well, I've read all of his work--
and I mean all of it.
It is...[huffs] pure drivel.
The circular ramblings of a lunatic on lunacy.
He's as empty-headed and vain as Alan was. Ha.
Were your brother and Dr. Markham close?
Well, they saw each other on occasion, you know,
exchanged emails, saw each other at conferences--
-that sort of thing. -Is there anything more specific
that you can remember?
Well, now that I recall,
there was a place that, uh, Alan used to stay with Larry,
a summer house he rented.
Um, do you happen to remember where that house is?
I'll tell you...
if you grant me a small favor.
Ha. No, you're the one who wants to make amends.
That makes me the person that gets to ask the favors,
not grant them.
Well, I'm happy to see that when I broke your heart,
I didn't break your spirit, Traci.
And, yes, under normal circumstances,
I would never presume to ask something of someone
I'd wounded so deeply.
But I'm afraid you have me at a severe disadvantage, Traci,
and I must ask you for this very small favor.
What is it you want?
I want you to come see me.
-To come see you? -There are things
left unsaid between us, things I need to tell you.
Martin, I have your letters.
And you can say anything you want to right now.
The things I wanna say I can't put in writing, and I--
not over a video chat that's being listened to.
You are sounding just a little paranoid.
Traci...
we both know I'm more than a little paranoid.
But that doesn't mean my doctor isn't recording this call.
Why would she do that?
To parse my every word.
To dissect my body language.
Yeah, and not to help me-- not that I need it--
but, uh, to use me as fodder for some insipid paper
she'll read at a third-tier conference at a subpar school
in some backwater town.
-Wow. That seems a little harsh. -It's the truth.
And I refuse to be treated like some lab rat in an experiment.
It's dehumanizing.
Maybe that's another reason why
I need to see you again, Traci,
to look into the eyes of the woman I love
and the woman who loved me
and tell her what's in my heart.
To ask her to forgive me for all my shortcomings,
to beg for forgiveness yet again.
Okay. If I were to come to see you...
you would give me all the information that I need, right?
I'm confident I know enough about Markham
to give you everything you need to know
to keep your family safe.
All you have to do is say yes.
All right. I will arrange a meeting.
[exhales] Thank you, Traci.
I can't tell you how much this means to me.
I really look forward to--
[exhaling] Oh.
You all right?
I--[laughs] That was--
that was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be.
[small laugh]
Okay.
There are so many things here in Genoa City.
-We have so many things. -Mm-hmm.
Um...parks.
-Lakes. -Lakes! We have lakes.
-So many lakes. -And--and night life.
-Right. The Shadow Room. -The Sh--
Right. We have friendly people.
Um...I grew up here. [laughs]
How many friends do you have?
-Um... -[laughing]
Yeah, I--it's okay. You know what?
That doesn't matter. I'm just...
I'm just giving you some ideas and...
there's a lot of opportunity for you to make a fresh start.
Great. Let's think this through. For a fresh start, I would need
a place to live, which would mean I would need money,
which means I need a job,
which means I need somebody that would actually hire me.
-What are you doing? -Yeah, on it. On it. On it.
-What are you on? -Yeah.
-I am on it. -What's going on here?
So tell me about your goals, your purposes,
what inspires you, what motivates you...
-We're--we're vision boarding? -Yeah!
-Okay. -I'm just...
we're just streamlining this, all right?
So what... what are you good at, Matt?
Terrorizing people. And--and almost--no.
Scratch that. Not almost. All of the illegal things.
So I got that going for me.
You do, you do. I mean, many businesses
would find that to be an asset, sadly.
Not going back to that life
-in any way, shape, or form. -No, of course not.
Of course not. Of course not.
We're just trying to... to work this out.
So, um, do you have references?
I'm not sure this is the best use of our time together.
No, it is, you know?
We're just gonna identify the problem, that's all.
-I'm the problem. -No, you're not the problem.
Your past was problematic,
but you are not your past.
We're gonna do this. It's not gonna be easy,
-but we're going to do this. -Why are you doing this?
Because I've...
been where you are.
And I understand what it's like
to have people hate me.
I understand that, so...
any--I, um...
I want you to know that there's light at the end of the tunnel.
You'd be my light?
Yeah, kind of, I'd be your light.
See? I made it out.
I didn't just make it out, you know.
I'm thriving.
So you can too.
You have this way of...
-Just-- -Getting what I want. I know.
Yeah, I'm sure you do.
But also, Phyllis, when you say things,
I just feel the nicest things.
Y-you make things seem possible.
They are possible.
They are.
[inhaling]
-Ahh... -Oh, no.
-I've got it. -No.
Oh, I'm not gonna like this.
No, you will. You'll like it. You know...
Victor gave me a company.
-Victor gave you a company? -He did. Well, I mean,
he gave me a shell of a company.
But he gave it to me probably as a joke...
but I'm not gonna be the punchline of his joke.
I'm gonna prove that I can turn it into something great.
So me and my partner Lauren...
I mean, we'll need help with this.
That's where you come in.
As requested.
I'm right here, sweetheart.
Are you all right?
I am now. Thank you for coming in.
I-I didn't wanna be alone for...
whatever the outcome is.
I'm right here.
Are we ready?
Yes.
Okay, Nikki. It's time.
Open your eyes.
-No... -What do you see?
No.
It's all black. There's nothing!
[crying]
VICTORIA: You know, Dr. Nowling came out to talk to us
after the bandages were removed, and he made it very clear
that there's still a very good chance
that you're gonna get your vision back
in the weeks to come, Mom.
Guy's an expert. He knows what he's talking about.
He also said that my vision may never return.
Well, sweetheart, we are not gonna think that way, okay?
This is temporary, and that's how we're gonna deal with it.
I know how much it means...
to you all that I get my sight back.
And obviously, I am praying for that as well.
So I am holding on to the possibility that...
someday soon...
I'll be able to see your beautiful faces again.
I was worried how you would react to seeing Martin,
even if it was over a video call.
I can't believe it. He completely got to me.
I have to be honest. I thought I was stronger!
Traci, it doesn't mean you're weak or powerless.
Men like Martin and Laurence Markham,
they live to manipulate people,
to take advantage of our vulnerabilities.
These guys just find a soft spot and go in for the kill.
Well, I think I may have too many soft spots.
No, no. You couldn't have been stronger, Aunt Traci.
You were focused, calm, in total control.
Martin tried to shake you, but you gave him nothing.
I gave him a face-to-face meeting.
JACK: Yeah, I don't like that.
And none of us would blame you if you want to back out now.
In fact, I recommend it.
We just saw how Martin was able to affect you
over a computer screen.
Why are we even talking about you facing him in the flesh?
Jack, I am not afraid of seeing him in person.
It doesn't mean you have to go through with it.
We will be in a supervised psychiatric ward in a prison.
I'll be perfectly safe.
Traci, what worries me is Martin's ability
to get inside people's heads, to get under their skin.
He fooled me once.
Martin Laurent will never, ever have power over me again!
Me? You wanna hire me? You want me to come work for you?
-Yeah. -Oh, come on.
It's genius. It's genius.
I should have thought of this sooner.
You're--you're so smart, and you're motivated and, oh...
you'll be a perfect match for Arabesque.
-You'll-- -The company's named Arabesque?
-Well, yeah, I mean-- -You make ballet slippers?
[laughs] No. No.
-No? -We can change the name.
Look at you! You're already bringing ideas to the table.
This is incredible. You know, I love this. Let's celebrate.
-Mimosas for everyone! -I think we're getting
-ahead of ourselves. -Mimosas for everyone.
Can we have service, please?
The only businesses that I'm qualified to run
are--are nightclubs and bars
and drug rings.
That doesn't make me a candidate for anybody.
But it does. Don't you see that?
You know how to deal with
people--sober, not sober,
um, shady, not shady.
Matt, you're a people person.
Yeah, I think there's a long list of people
who would disagree with that.
Oh, who cares about them? Who cares?
Your skill set, I mean, what you bring to the table--
you can repurpose that skill set into the corporate culture,
and then you will just
shine.
And together, we will be unstoppable.
Why are you looking at me like that?
You are so into me.
You are totally falling for me.
You have an ego. Wow.
You know, I'm simply trying to help you.
I see your value, and I'm just trying to help you as a friend.
You want me to come work for you
because of my excellent kissing.
Ha.
No.
Um, no. I-I have good instincts.
-I always trust them. -Oh, your in--
Phyllis, look--
you haven't vetted me. I don't have any references.
Nobody in their right mind would ever hire me to do anything.
Why would you hire me?
Well, those people don't matter.
I'm hiring you because I believe in you.
You know what? You should be thanking me right now.
You're right. I'm sorry, Phyllis. Thank you.
It's very sweet of you. It feels a little like pity.
It's not pity. It's not pity.
And you do have a skill set. It's gonna take you a bit
to just adapt that skill set.
That's all. You know, it's win-win for both of us.
Listen, Matt, you're gonna have to adjust
into the corporate world, but I believe that you can.
[softly] I mean, you're a guy who thinks outside the box.
I know you do.
And you can solve problems...
that come up.
And...I find that to be very beneficial.
Victor wants me to be his fixer.
That's what you want me to do.
Would you rather work for Victor...or work for me?
Well, we had an early start this morning. Um...
is anyone hungry? I can go grab some pastries.
-Coffee. -Yeah. Sounds like a plan.
Grandma, what can I get you?
Oh, nothing for me, darling. Thank you. I...
I think the excitement of preparing for my appointment
wore me out. I...
I think I'm just gonna go lie down.
-Can I get you a cup of tea? -No.
No, I-I'm fine.
I love all of you for supporting me
during this--
your energy, your love.
It means so much to me.
VICTORIA: It will happen.
You know? You will get your eyesight back.
We'll just have to wait and see
what the next days and weeks bring.
-Let me help you, sweetheart. -No, Victor, please.
I-I need to do this on my own.
You sure?
Yeah, I-I'm fine.
One, two,
three, four,
five, six,
seven, eight,
nine, ten,
eleven, twelve.
Well, I guess I should start arranging the meeting.
Traci, wait. Maybe you don't need to go see Martin at all.
It shouldn't be too hard for us to find out
where Markham had a summer home.
Except he rented it, and he could have done that
under any number of names, through a corporation,
-a clinic, even an alias. -JACK: Yeah, it's a good point,
and we can't know how he used the place.
Look, for all we know,
this guy was this dangerous and twisted
before he ever met Patty...
and I think could very well have gone as far
as using the place to hold his other patients.
You know, I don't even wanna think about that,
but it shouldn't be too hard for us to track down this property
without Traci subjecting herself
to an in-person meeting with Martin.
Sis, this is entirely your decision.
Whatever you are comfortable with,
we're gonna go with that, but...
if you have even the slightest doubt about your safety
or your ability to handle Markham,
this ends now.
I agreed to meet him in person
because I want Martin to see that I am not afraid of him,
and I am not.
But if I'm honest...
I am in favor of avoiding
ever having to sit across the table from him
or see that man's face ever again.
-Aah! -[glass shatters]
Captioned by Los Angeles Distribution and Broadcasting, Inc.
Captioning provided by Bell Dramatic Serial Company,
Sony Pictures Television and CBS, Inc.
Join us again for "The Young and the Restless."