Michelle takes out a can of whup-ass on Carmen :-) …

Michelle has just come to the Santos home to see Danny, because Carmen had called her, claiming that Danny had asked her to invite Michelle to the house. But Carmen has something else in mind.

MICHELLE: I don’t know what’s going on but…but you said Danny called from the road, right? So…when do you expect him back?
CARMEN: I don’t.
MICHELLE: You don’t.
CARMEN: It’s just you and me, Michelle. Judgement day at last. Not only did you take Mick away from me, but you…
MICHELLE: I had no choice to take Mick from you, Carmen…he was gonna kill me without even giving me a second chance…that’s the kind of son that you raised
CARMEN: You’re making this so easy for me, Michelle.

[Cut away to Danny driving in his car, racing back to save Michelle, after overhearing Carmen give Dietz orders to kill Michelle. He is sweating bullets and is removing his jacket.]

DANNY: I promised nothing would happen to you…come on…fifteen minutes, I’m there…Hey! [The horn of what sounds like a truck sounds, and its headlights nearly blind him. He tries to brake and steer clear, but swerves off the road, hitting the railing. His head has hit the dashboard and he is bleeding. He struggles to find his phone.] Michelle…[His head hits the car horn which sounds, and he is unconscious for a moment.]

[cut]
[commercial]
[cut]

[Back to the Santos home]

MICHELLE: All right, I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I know that we’re finished…
CARMEN: Not quite. We’re not finished yet. I still have a couple of things to say to you before this is all over. I wonder if you know what you have done, Michelle. Not only did you take Mick away from me, but Daniel too, even my baby Pilar has suffered because of you. Every bad thing that has happened to this family can be…traced back to the day that you entered our lives.
MICHELLE: [Michelle’s facial expression here is priceless…mock surprise.] I can’t believe you’re blaming me for your mistakes as a mother. I never asked to be dragged through this family.
CARMEN: It saved your miserable little life.
MICHELLE: *You* are responsible for your children deserting you. Not me…*you* are…and that…y-you know what the funny thing is, is that you’re not even upset over the fact that they left, you’re upset about the fact that you lost control over them…
CARMEN: [interrupting] Damn you…
MICHELLE…And you’re also upset about the fact that *you* don’t have control over me and you never did…and Danny saw to that.
CARMEN: You corrupted my son…
MICHELLE: I corrupted him?! Me?! What do you call what you did to him?
CARMEN: I turned him into a man. A brilliant, dynamic young man who is going to take over the…family business after me and lead it into…greatness. And then you came along…
MICHELLE: [interrupting] Greatness?! The Santos family is despised by every normal person in Springfield
CARMEN: You’re so wrong. We’re feared and respected.
MICHELLE: Fear is not respect. You are loathed, and that is why Danny left. You’re right, he is a dynamic man, and he is decent, and God knows where he got that from…
CARMEN: That’s enough.
MICHELLE: Danny left because he couldn’t stand what you turned him into.
CARMEN: Once you’re out of the way, he’ll come back to me.
MICHELLE: [a slight pause] No, he *won’t*. Because he *knows* what you’ve done…he *knows* how you’ve manipulated him. When he was 14 years old, you brought him into an environment that nobody, especially a child, should be exposed to. Thanks to you, he didn’t even have a chance.
CARMEN: You know, I’m gonna make you suffer, Michelle, for what you did. I’m gonna see to that.
MICHELLE: Why don’t you stop pretending that this is about…me hurting your family. This is about Danny, and about the fact that I have feelings for him and he has feelings for me and you can’t handle that.
CARMEN:Well, we’ll never know…will we?
MICHELLE: Know what?
CARMEN: How Danny felt. Because…he’s far away. He can’t help you now, Michelle. In fact, no one can help you now. No one.

[Cut to Danny in the crashed car. Danny finds the phone and calls 911]

DANNY: Yeah..yes, this is Danny Santos…uh…send help…my house…10 High Ridge…this is…all right, please…ohhh…[He struggles to get out of the car. He gets out, but falls to the ground. Flashing lights and sirens approach.]

[cut]
[commercial]
[cut]
[commercial]
[cut]
[yes, this was a long break between Santos family scenes! Meanwhile, the fire is going on at the diner, Drew is giving her family dinner, Beth is trying to seduce Jim, and Fletcher is talking to Holly, thinking she’s asleep.]

[Cut to the hospital]

LILLIAN: Oh good, Rick, there’s been an accident.
RICK: No [picking up a phone] …I have my hands full, Lillian, all right? It’s Dr. Chang…
LILLIAN: It’s Danny Santos, come. [He puts the phone down and follows her into an examining room.] It was a car accident
RICK: Was he unconscious when you found him?
LILLIAN: Yes, the officer said that he was unconscious.
RICK: [examines his chest] He’s not responding…all right, full blood work with an X-ray, stat!
LILLIAN: Okay.

[Cut back to the Santos home]

CARMEN: You don’t know *anything* about my life.
MICHELLE: I know too much.
CARMEN: You’re an outsider…
MICHELLE: Lucky me, right? I suppose you should be thanking God for the day that I came into your life, because before I did, you had nobody to blame your problems on.
CARMEN: We are *together*, not like the Bauer family, who doesn’t give a damn about their own.
MICHELLE: What are you talking about?
CARMEN: Where’s your father, Michelle? Where has he run off to now?
MICHELLE: He hasn’t run off.
CARMEN: Last time it was Africa, now this time it’s Europe.
MICHELLE: Europe, yes. He’s helping people…that’s probably not something you know too much about.
CARMEN: Oh yes, he’s helping people when he’s not having an affair or involved in a divorce…
MICHELLE: What?!
CARMEN: I know about the Bauers, Michelle, I’ve read the society pages. Dr. Ed is quite a ladies’ man, isn’t he? Isn’t that why your poor mother died? Because she had a…reaction to one of your father’s affairs?
MICHELLE: Oh, you are evil…God…
CARMEN: If you can see the truth, Michelle, so can I. But you know, I’m getting…really tired of this garbage…
MICHELLE: Go to hell, Carmen…
CARMEN: After you, dear…long, long after you. Because the truth is, you are *all* alone now, no one here to help you and my son has finally realized how you took advantage of him.
MICHELLE: You know, it’s funny how little you know about everything.
CARMEN: Now I’m getting really bored with this conversation, so I’m going to say. Viya con yos [??!! I think it’s Vida con Dios? I don’t know Spanish!]. Dietz! You’re about to leave my life permanently. I don’t have to look at your face anymore.
MICHELLE: Well, good. ‘Cause that’s what I want. I’m not gonna let you intimidate me anymore, I’m finished with that. I’m finished playing your-your little…games. I have my life back, and I fully intend to keep it. [She starts to leave when there is heavy knocking on the door.]
CARMEN: Whoever it is, you’re not to let them in, do you hear me?
DAVID: Open the door.
SERVANT: I’m sorry, Mrs. Santos, he wouldn’t wait.
MICHELLE: David! What…
DAVID: [to Carmen] I’m Officer David Grant…
CARMEN: I don’t care who you are, you’re trespassing. I’m calling my attorney.
MICHELLE: No, it’s not…
DAVID: Look, Mrs. Santos, I didn’t come here to make trouble. I came here to report an accident.
MICHELLE: [softly] No.
CARMEN: [slight pause] Oh my God. Danny.
DAVID: Yeah, patrol radioed it into the precinct, I took the call.
MICHELLE: Danny’s not dead, is he?
DAVID: No, no.
CARMEN: How bad is it?
DAVID: All I know is that he’s at Cedars right now.
CARMEN: You *must* know something else.
DAVID: The patrolman who radioed it in said that the injuries look extensive…
MICHELLE: Oh God…[Michelle turns to leave]
CARMEN: Where are you going?
MICHELLE: Where do you think I’m going, Carmen?! [She rushes out of the house]
CARMEN: My God, I have to…
DAVID: Mrs. Santos, I think there’s something else you should know.
CARMEN: What?
DAVID: Your son phoned us in. Uh, we’re-we’re assuming it was just after the accident.
CARMEN: Danny phoned?
DAVID: Yeah, he-he sounded pretty weak, but he seemed to believe there was some danger and trouble here at the house.
CARMEN: I don’t understand.
DAVID: What’s going on between you and Michelle?
CARMEN: Michelle and I were having a conversation. Why are you asking me these questions? I have to go see my son.
DAVID: Okay, well like I said, he did seem a little weak on the phone so maybe he was just a bit delirious.
CARMEN: Well obviously, he didn’t know what he was saying. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must see my son.

[cut to the fire and the great Justin Deas…I love him!]
[commercial]
[cut]

[Cut to the hospital. Michelle and Carmen rush in and David follows them]

MICHELLE: Lillian, Lillian, where is he? Lillian, where is he?
CARMEN: How is my son?
MICHELLE: Is he okay?
LILLIAN: It’s too early to tell but he was in a very serious accident.
MICHELLE: But he is going to make it, right?…
CARMEN: Of course he is. My son is to have the best care, the best doctors…
LILLIAN: Well, we certainly have that, Mrs. Santos.
CARMEN: Who is the attending physician?
LILLIAN: Dr. Bauer.
MICHELLE: Oh, is Rick with him right now?
CARMEN: What injuries has my son suffered?
LILLIAN: It’s too early to tell, but as soon Rick finds out, he’ll be out here to talk to you.
CARMEN: Please, you must *know* something else...
LILLIAN: I don’t know anything, so why don’t you sit down, and have a…cup of coffee and I’ll be… [yeah right!]
CARMEN: I don’t really need to be having…suggestions from you…
DAVID: I think that if we all just take it easy…
CARMEN: …certainly not from police…
DAVID: I’m just trying to help you out, Mrs. Santos.
CARMEN: Please, nurse, tell me. You must have some answers…
MICHELLE: Carmen, would you back off and let them…help him, please?!
CARMEN: Back off? Who are you to tell me what to do about my son? You’re the reason why he’s in here in the first place. Haven’t you done enough?
DAVID: Mrs. Santos, please.
MICHELLE: [seeing her brother] Rick…
RICK: Michelle, we have him stabilized but we won’t know anything until…
CARMEN: Until what?
MICHELLE: Can I see him, please?
RICK: Of course, come on, please…
MICHELLE: [softly] Thank you…

[They all enter the cubicle where Danny is lying on a bed where a nurse is cleaning the blood from his forehead.]

CARMEN: Daniel…
RICK: He’s unconscious.
MICHELLE: That’s temporary, right? That’s only…
RICK: I have no idea, Michelle, and…it’s too soon…[he is busy scribbling notes on a file]
CARMEN: You don’t know what’s wrong with my son?
RICK: When we get the X-rays back, Mrs. Santos, we’ll be able to pinpoint the problem.
MICHELLE: Does he need surgery or anything like that?
RICK: Michelle, we’re going to be moving him to surgery very soon.
CARMEN: If my son needs surgery, I want to have specialists brought in.
RICK: Michelle, he’s lost a lot of blood [at this point, both Bauers are ignoring Carmen…she is basically talking to herself!]
CARMEN: I have names in New York.
LILLIAN: Look, I have a consent form right here. I need someone to sign it.
MICHELLE: I’ll take that.
CARMEN: You have no right.
MICHELLE: I have every right. I’m his wife, I’m his next-of-kin. I’ll sign it, and I think you should leave. I’d like to spend some time alone with my husband.

[cut]
[commercial]

CARMEN: You’re more stupid than I thought if you think I’m going to leave my son now.
DAVID: Why don’t you step out into the waiting room with me…
CARMEN: Take your hands off of me!
DAVID: Mrs. Santos, please, I’m not trying to cause any trouble…but standing here arguing when your son needs attention is not…
CARMEN: I am not going to leave my son here alone with her…
RICK: It’s not gonna help your son to have you hauled off by security, Mrs. Santos.
CARMEN: What kind of ridiculous doctor *are* you, to not allow a mother access to her own son…
RICK: Believe me, you’ll get your chance to see your son. In the meantime, I want everyone out of this cubicle right now.

[Michelle stays in the cubicle with Rick (I guess that “everyone” didn’t include her!). She goes to Danny and holds his hand.]

MICHELLE: [whispers:] He’s so cold. [His mouth moves slightly] Danny?
RICK: What is it, Michelle?
MICHELLE: Hi! He’s coming to…Hi…
DANNY: [very softly and very weakly:] Michelle…[his eyes open just a bit as they focus on her]
MICHELLE: Hi…[she kisses him]…I’m right here, I’m right here.
DANNY: [still very weak:] Michelle…

[cut to Buzz and the fire]