Strikers shown marching outside of building. Karen watches them from inside the building for a few seconds before looking searching for a bunch of files. She finds what she wants and rushes off. She runs into Matt, Chris and Eve. They all ask her what's going on, how long the strike is going to last, and she told them each to cancel whatever they had planned. She went into the boardroom where the hospital brass is trying to deal with the strike. Besides Tony and Dr. Boardman being incredibly sarcastic, nothing else is decided in the meeting. Monica mentions their "star" attraction, meaning Donatella Stewart. Gail says, at the risk of offending everyone, that this sucks.
Alan and Rachel walking through the hall, Rachel offers to help with public relations. Eve interrupts them asking if its true they're high school cheerleaders to temp for the RNs. Alan makes a comment about the hospital rumor mill. She dumps a file off on the desk and asks (none too nicely) Rachel to file it for her. Chris comes up to Alan and asks if there has been a decision yet on how he's going to be compensated for doing scut (scut?) work during the strike. Alan laughs and says he's going to say "Thank you." As he is walking away, Alan says that if Julie is serious about wanting to come back to work, she should call him. Karen runs into Alan and asks about Joe. Alan says he can't risk it. Alan says its been pushed back. And when Karen asks until when, Alan told her to ask the nurses.
Chris calls Julie on the phone and told her that his worst nightmare could be her dream come true.
Frank and Neil are watching the strike on TV. Frank tries to engage Neil in conversation, but gets the usual freeze out. Courtney, on the phone, asks Frank to turn it off because she can't hear anything. She slams the phone down and says that no one is answering. Frank asks if she needs something, and she told him its seven o'clock, time for Neil's medicine. They both realize that no one has probably been by to even check his chart. Neil says that if Joe wasn't suspended, he would have checked on him. Frank says that he'll help Neil and he and Courtney leave in search of staff.
Recovery Room: Joe is watching the strike on the television, as some of the striking workers come inside. Mary suggests they strike in July next time. Audrey suggests they move GH to Miami. They sit around the table and look at the picketing schedule. Mary asks if anyone has any idea when they will reopen negotiations. Joe comes to the table and told them to meet the first casualty of their strike Matt, Eve, Chris are all complaining about their workload and cancelled plans, and Karen says its all for a good cause. Chris asks if she thinks the strike is really about having qualified nurses, and Karen says that she does think that's what its about. She asks if they can work out a schedule. Eve volunteers to take care of Kevin Collins in the cardiac unit. Karen promptly signs her up for patient management in CCU. Karen asks for volunteers and Matt and Chris look away.
Frank and Courtney meet up in the hallway. Neither of them had any luck finding medical personnel. She says that Maggie (the nurse, I assume) said that Neil has to have the medication at the same time everyday. Frank says that he will.
Karen is still giving out assignments and Chris asks when they sleep, and Karen says that they don't. She asks for some team spirit and gets very amusing half hearted cheers from the other three. She told them to stop being prima donnas and to go out there and fight. Chris salutes her, and they all laugh. Frank catches them laughing and angrily asks if anyone in the place is taking care of the damn patients.
Eve in Neil's room giving Neil his medicine. Courtney says thanks and Eve says all it took was the threat of Frank doing it himself. Eve leaves and Neil says that a lot of people don't like Frank. Courtney asks if that includes him, and he just shrugs. Courtney sits down on the bed and says she knows that he's mad at her and Frank. Neil says that she would be mad if he lied to her. Courtney agrees that she would, and says that is one reason why she is letting Neil treat them so rotten. She told him that its about time she cut Frank some slack. When Neil asks why he should, Courtney says that Frank loves him. She says that Frank was trying to protect him by not telling him that he was his Dad. Neil says that maybe it was because he didn't want him. Courtney says that isn't true. Neil doesn't believe her. He turns over and says he's thirsty. Courtney lets him be bratty again, and went out to get him a drink.
Alan is on the phone in the boardroom saying he will leave if they go with scab nurses. Frank walks into the room and says he wants a job. Alan says no. Dr. Boardman comes in and says that patients in post op need attention, Alan told him to take care of it. Boardman says that's what residents are for, and Alan told him to take it up with Karen and leaves. Chris and Eve run into each other in the hospital. Chris says that it's a beautiful night. She wonders why he's in a good mood. Chris says if life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Eve says she's going to be sick. Chris told her she might have to heal herself, or, his wife could treat her. Eve told him not to tell her that Julie got her job back. Chris says he won't tell her, but Alan might. And he reminds her that its Devlin-Ramsey now.
Karen and Rachel are doing double duty on the phones. Matt comes by and Karen takes him off Boardman's assignment onto something more pressing. Rachel and Karen are talking and Boardman comes by saying that post-op has been waiting 15 minutes for one of her "lackeys" to show up. Karen told them that they are prioritizing. She told him that under the circumstances, it wouldn't hurt for him to do his own grunt work. He says he doesn't take orders from residents. Karen says that she probably just pissed him off, and Rachel told her she isn't there to win any popularity contests. Chris comes by the desk after being paged, and Karen hands him a piece of paper and says no one can make it out.
Courtney walks throught he hallway with juice for Neil, and walks by Donatella Stewart's room. She is complaining, as usual, and Courtney stops to help. She is in awe when she sees the patient. Donatella asks if Courtney can help her, while Courtney is still stammering in awe. Courtney says she isn't a nurse, and Donatella says that's okay, she's breathing. She just needs her pillow fluffed. Courtney sets the juice down and proceeds to fluff marvelously. Donatella asks what is going on, and Courtney told her the nurses are on strike. Courtney tries to make conversation, but Donatella isn't very engaging. She asks if Courtney is a domestic because she is very good with pillows. Courtney says she is a wedding planner. Donatella says that is quaint. Courtney asks if there is anything else she can do, and Donatella says she'd like to have a word with the woman who runs this place. Courtney says its a him, and Donatells says that's the problem. Donatella opens the juice Courtney had gotten for Neil, and Courtney runs off to see if she can find Alan.
Recovery Room: Joe comes to deliver food to the table of nurses, and says the strike isn't helping him get his job back. Sarcastically, they say they're sorry to put him out. He says forget him (gladly) and think about the patients. Audrey says that isn't fair and another nurse (one I happen to like quite a bit) says that Joe is just ticked because he got his butt kicked out of the hospital. Joe takes that opportunity to climb on board the soap box and say he's ticked because his life has been put on hold because they turned a legitimate strike into a political fiasco. Hector says they are doing it for the nurses and the patients and he can see how much Joe appreciates that. Mary comes to the table and asks what is going on. Joe says he is just doing his job and walks away.
Frank comes up to Alan and gives him a sample proving that he is clean. He says he will give him one every day if necessary. Alan says he is too high risk. Frank says he is more qualified than most of the people they have right now. Alan says that none of them were suspended for doing drugs, or trying to get a job during a high profile strike. Frank mentions something about being clean until he drops dead, and then, as if by magic, a patient drops to the floor off camera behind them. Alan and Frank rush over to him, and he has no pulse. They start CPR. Alan told Frank to get the cart.
Alan still working on the patient. Frank starts to put the mask on him, and Alan says he's in V-fib and for Frank to get the paddles. Frank gets the man's heart pumping again and Alan says welcome back to both of them. They shake hands.
Chris and Rachel are talking at the nurses station. He told her that he has some good news, Alan wants to talk to Julie about her old job. Rachel says she'll put in a good word. Camille's husband comes to the nurse's station and says that Camille is awake and no one is there to help her. Chris says he'll take care of that personally. Alan approaches and Chris leaves. Rachel gives him a fresh cup of coffee and asks if the rumors are true? Alan asks if she's talking about them hiring chimpanzees to take over for the nurses. She says no, about Julie. Alan says he'd like to give her a shot. Courtney comes up to Alan and says that Donatella Stewart has been asking for him. They go off in her direction.
Eve in the break room lies down on the couch, asking for just five minutes. Matt comes in and asks if she wants some of his veggie chimichanga. She glares.
Alan and Courtney make their way to Donatella's room. Donatella seems very unimpressed, and told Courtney she'd like a word alone with him. Alone. Courtney gushes a little more and then leaves. Alan asks how he can help her. She has made a list of her complaints. He asks if there is something he can help her with now. She says she wants a luxury suite, round the clock nurses and Alan, keeping a straight face, told her that she will get the same quality of care as everyone else; especially today. She says when she isn't treated like VIP she gets a terrible urge to talk to people and that she is very popular t inside edition.
Courtney runs into Frank in the hallway. Frank says "you saw Alan." Courtney says yes, and Frank says he wasn't going to stop until he got what he wanted. Courtney wants to know what he has to do with Donatella Stewart. Obviously, he doesn't know who she's talking about. She is so excited, and told him her news. She asks what Frank was talking about and he told her that Alan hired him on during the strike. She says she didn't know he wanted that. He says that its step one to getting his job back and taking care of her and Neil. She hugs him and says that its terrific. Then, she pulls away, and asks what his mother is going to think of him crossing the picket line.
Matt is complaining about work assignment in the break room. Eve knights him with the plunger, and Chris walks in, asking to be hidden. Eve asks him to complain about his day. He does, but at the end, he says that no one died. (As if Eve or Matt seemed to be concerned about that small fact.) They tell him that it was a good day then. Karen comes in and says she has their next assignment. They all groan. She gives out the assignments and Chris gets the fun job of sponge baths in geriatrics. He calls her Mussolini, instead of Patton, and she urges them up and out of the breakroom. They leave. Unhappily.
At the desk, Eve is on the phone attempting to get Kevin's X-Rays. It would seem that the nurse's strike has thrown the entire hospital into a tizzy. Eve is told that, if she want the, she should come and get them. In desperation, she asks a janitor if he'd get them for her. One of the OB docs is telling Allan that she's got some serious labor problems and that he best get her some competent help.
Eve sees Alan and complains that she can't get Kevin's EKG. He told her to take care of it herself. She says she's been busy with IV's; he says to take it up with Karen. And wind up on bedpan duty, she queries. Just then, Guy comes down the stairs raving about how Camille is missing. Alan told him Eve will help him as she look at him incredulously.
Lucy, at home, is on the phone telling someone that Donnatella Stewart is in GH! Isn't it *wonderful*? As she babbles, Scott wanders through on another phone also talking. It's hard to tell one conversation from the other (he says something at key lime pie). Lucy comments that they're actually doing business before Scott's second glass of O.J. They chat about carpe diem and opportunity knocking. Just then Lee does knock on the door. He says it's not a social call - he needs Scott's help. At the hospital, Alan runs into Amanda Barrington's granddaughter, Alison, as he walks through the hospital giving orders. He told her to clean up the cafeteria trays and she says no one said anything about janitorial; she thought she'd be doing flower arrangements. He says he'll let her know when they need that skill.
She follow him saying she had to volunteer because she broke curfew. He says volunteering is voluntary - no one is making her. But, if she doesn't, she won't get the BMW; she HAS to have that BMW! As he exits, he told her to answer the phone - she does. "County Jail!" The Recovery Room is full of the striking nurses on breaks from the picket line. Joe, employed there now, and Frank chat. Joe asks how Neil is doing with the strike. Frank says his needs are being met. Joe says he'd be glad to stop by but Franks says Thanks but no. Joe went to serve coffee as Frank suggests he order extra coffee; they may be on that picket line for a while. Joe says the hospital can't run without them, no replacement nurses have been brought in and no one's gonna cross that picket line. Frank says he will; he got a job there. Joe asks if he's doing it to get his paramedic's license back but Frank says, no, it's for Neil. He needs care and Frank is qualified to give it but the only way he can is to take a replacement job. They bicker about why Joe's not working and Frank says Joe did his job and now it's his turn. He has to make a living and take care of Neil and give him a real family. Joe asks what he'll tell Mary. Frank says the truth.
Chris approaches the front desk and finds Alison, who introduces herself. He does the same but is interrupted by a patient who hasn't gotten his breakfast. Chris told him to go back to his room and he'll see to it. Julie arrives with 2 mocha latte's. She says it was rough crossing the picket line. He says they are all upset. Julie is just grateful for the chance. Rachel comes over to congratulate Julie and take as much credit as possible. Chris gets beeped and leaves. Julie tells Rachel how good things are now and they agree she will have Christina very soon. Julie went to see Alan.
Back at the Firehouse, Lee asks Scott to join the negotiating committee on the strike. They need him. Scott agrees.
Eve brought Kevin's breakfast to him They joke about the food and Eve says later she'll give him his sponge bath. He says he'd be happy if someone would just change his dressing, Eve, appalled, yells into the hall for sterile bandages and Chris enters. Chris says she sleeps with the patient so she wouldn't page him to get Kevin's bandages, would she. She say no, actually no, it's about Camille Owens. Her husband is frantic that she's missing. Eve exits expecting Chris to follow but he stays a moment to tell Kevin he should apologize to Julie. Kevin says he never said she was a killer, just that she needed help. She does, no apology. Chris exits.
Alan asks Alison if Lee Baldwin has called but she doesn't seem to know. He told her to page him immediately if Lee calls. Julie approaches him but is interrupted by the OB doc who says he promised her 3 midwives. He excuses himself to deal with that. Julie sighs. At the Recovery Room, Mary and Frank are discussing the strike when Joe comes up and asks Frank if he told her he was going to scab at the hospital. Mary looks stunned.
Back at the hospital Alan is finally talking to Julie. He told her to her disappointment that she can work on staff but still has no M.D. privileges. This would be a good way to show her good intentions. She agrees. She told Alison to do some filing but Alison is bringing grapefruit juice to a patient which could cause a fatal drug interaction. She mouths off and Julie sets her straight but good. Scott, Lucy any the kids arrive. Scott went to his meeting and Lucy and the girls wave.
Frank is explaining things to Mary at the Recovery Room. He told her it's for Neil. She says it went against everything she believes in but told him that while she's not happy he's doing it, she is glad he took a stand.
At the hospital, Lucy is getting the girls organized when Serena sees Julie and frowns. Lucy has to tell her Julie didn't hurt Kevin. Julie comes over an they chat with Julie offering, as usual, to watch the girls if Lucy wants to help out. Lucy graciously declines. They go to visit Kevin and Chris approaches Julie when Guy comes racing over frantic that he can't find his wife. Chris asks Julie to help. She complies.
Lucy and the girls enter Kevin's room to find Eve kissing him. Eve excuses herself and they enter. They chat and Serena asks if she can talk to Kevin alone and shoos Lucy out. Serena talks to him about his recovery and how she was a little scared when she saw Julie even tho she knows Julie didn't hurt him. He told her that's right. She then asks if that doesn't make it okay that her dad was Julie's lawyer then, right? Alan temporarily thwarts Lucy's plan to see Donatella Stewart and forbids her to bother the woman and shoos her out - again.
Julie, having finally found Camille much to her husband's relief. Julie hands Chris the chart and tell them that the surgery went very well, no traces of the implants are left and just to be careful of the stitches until they come out. Chris thanks her and leaves.
Alan, Lee and Scott are discussing the meeting when Rachel enters. She approves of Scott's involvement (did someone ask?). Meanwhile on the picket line, Frank is nearly hit by a bottle entering the hospital. Mary is scared but he dodges it and enters.
Julie decided to swallow her pride and continue working as a receptionist at the hospital. Julie was later thrilled when Lucy decided to leave Christina with her while she pitched a business idea to Donatella Stewart. A reluctant Neil slowly began to warm up to Frank, but later admitted to Joe that he was unhappy with the prospect of moving in with Frank and Courtney. An angry Joe exploded at Karen after learning that Julie was working at the hospital. Frank and Courtney sought a break from the chaos of the strike and sneaked away for some time alone together. Joe later caught a scantily clad Frank and Courtney in a closet at the hospital.
Karen continued to experience difficulties in handling her staff and argued with both Frank and Eve. Later, Julie and Karen shared a moment of friendship after Julie helped Karen deal with Donatella. Rachel noticed Karen struggling and used the situation to further her own agenda. Courtney suggested kicking Joe out of the Scanlon house, but Frank refused to go along with the idea. Neil visited Kevin and admitted that he wasn't happy with the idea of moving again or with the possibility of Joe moving out of the Scanlon house. Kevin urged Neil to be honest with Frank and Neil later told Frank how he felt. After assuring Neil that he wouldn't kick Joe out, Frank confronted Courtney about going behind his back to get what she wanted. Kevin advised Gail and Rachel that the psychiatric department could help the staff with morale. Kevin later told Eve that he wanted to work at the hospital again as a psychiatrist. Courtney ingratiated herself to Donatella.
There was a morning scene at the Firehouse between Scott and Lucy that I didn't pay much attention to, assuming that I'd watch it later on video. My suspicion is that it simply set up their two storylines for the day (Scott's with respect to labor negotiations, and Lucy's with Donatella Stewart).
At the Recovery Room, a bunch of the striking nurses watched a news report saying that polls indicated that 90% of the public believed the nurses were wrong and should go back to work. The reporter continued to say that hospital officials claimed that everything was under control at the hospital. We then switched to a scene of mass chaos at the nurses' station.
Back at the Recovery Room, Joe approached the reporter from WPLC who keeps trying to get in to see Donatella Stewart. Joe made him an offer - if the guy agreed to talk to the nurses and represent their side of the struggle on TV, Joe would help him to sneak into the hospital to see Donatella.
Meanwhile, the negotiations continued. Scott proposed a compromise, but Boardman fumed, and Lee and Alan insisted that the hospital board (and Stefan) would never agree to any concessions. The union reps indicated that if the hospital wouldn't budge, neither would they. The meeting broke up.
Eve snuck into Kevin's room; she hopped into bed with him (but more for a nap than with any other activity in mind). As she lay there snuggling up to Kevin, Chris wandered in without knocking and fell into a chair next to Kevin's bed. Kevin sarcastically invited Chris to "come right in." Chris merely settled into the chair and closed his eyes.
Lucy, dressed in one of her sweaters with frou-frou and feathers around the neck, went to see Donatella Stewart. Lucy proposed a joint business deal to Donatella - baby supplies for fashion-minded women having children (such as herself). Donatella said she didn't like the baby idea - why should she create products for the very creatures who always ruin her airplane trips? Furthermore, she would never go into business with someone like Lucy: look at the way she is dressed! She insulted Lucy a bit more, calling Jacks Cosmetics a "tacky little company." Lucy, deeply hurt, left Donatella's hospital room; as soon as she was gone, Donatella got on her cell phone and ordered someone to research the idea of selling baby products.
Karen discovered Eve and Chris resting in Kevin's hospital room. She told them they were needed to help patients, but Kevin pointed out to her that the doctors were of no use to patients if they were completely sleep-deprived. Karen talked to Alan about it - she told him the doctors were exhausted and needed more help. She suggested hiring Joe; when Alan objected, she explained that she wanted to hire him as a nurse, not a doctor. Alan told her she'd be asking for trouble, but eventually he agreed.
Scott was contacted by the union representatives, and met them outside the hospital. They told him that as long as Lee was representing the hospital, there would be no settlement. They suggested that Scott dump Lee from the negotiating team.
Karen went to the Recovery Room to offer Joe the job. He was offended that the offer is for a nursing job. She asked, isn't taking care of patients what is important? He explained that there are a lot of factors to consider - for one thing, he didn't want to be a scab when his mother was on the picket line. Back at the hospital, Alan saw Lucy, who was still looking dejected after her encounter with Donatella. He told her that he wanted to reverse his previous order to her to stay away from Donatella - he could see now that Lucy was the only person who could keep Donatella happy. Donatella could generate a lot of bad publicity for the hospital; Lucy (who kept trying to interrupt him to explain what happened with Donatella, but he wouldn't let her) can help to prevent that.
The news guy from WPLC walked by, dressed in an orderly's jacket. Alan, thinking he was an orderly, told him to go to Pediatrics to do something or other. The guy headed for Donatella's room instead. Alan, noticing this, took a closer look at him and recognized him this time. He told Lucy not to let the guy out of her sight while Alan called Security. Alan walked off, leaving Lucy and the newsguy together to dish about Donatella.
Amanda Barrington's spoiled granddaughter came into Kevin's room, explaining that a patient required a doctor's services. Kevin, noticing that both Eve and Chris were asleep, wearily told the girl to assure the patient that someone would be right there. He began to remove his IV, apparently preparing to get up and see the patient himself.
