Steve takes Kayla to the hospital after kidnapping her. He quickly realizes he made a mistake and needs to hide her elsewhere, to protect her from whoever tried to poison her.

Steve asks Alice Horton to help him get Kayla out of harm's way, and to get the antidote Kayla needs.

Mrs. Horton says she owes Steve after he risked his life to help her when she was held hostage. She also says she knows that Steve loves Kayla, so she agrees to help.

Steve is grateful to Mrs. Horton, and kisses her on the cheek...

Alice distracts Jack and Harper, and takes them to the OR...

So that Steve can get Kayla out of the hospital unnoticed...

Steve takes Kayla to Gabrielle's house

He tries to make her comfortable...

He is worried out of his mind because her temperature is so high.

1

Steve wants Kayla to stay awake, but then closely watches her sleep.

He promises he won't let anyone hurt her, and that he will take care of her.

Kayla's only getting worse, and Steve is terrified.

He holds her in his arms after giving her
a sponge bath.

Steve is desperate to see her get better.
He goes back to the hospital, asking Alice to see if there is anything else they can do for Kayla. (Alice tells him she will ask around and meet up with him later.)

Alice comes to Steve's place in disguise.(She tells him that she found out the antidote just takes more time to
take effect.) Alice tells Steve to pray for Kayla.

As she is leaving, Abe comes by asking Steve questions about Kayla's disappearance. Abe is surprised to see Alice there, but she covers well.

Steve returns to Kayla's bedside, only to find that she is doing worse. Her heartbeat is rapid and her temperature is high.  "You stay with me here, stay with me,  I love you! C'mon baby please!"

Steve desperately cries out
"Hey dude, (nervously laugh)...I know you're up there man, Can you do me one favor here??!!  Don't let her die...I love her, don't let her die!"

Steve holds Kayla. Later on, she finally wakes up and is confused to see Steve.

Steve lovingly caresses and comforts Kayla, then watches her sleep.

Steve to God: "Thank you"

The next morning, Steve watches Kayla continue to sleep. He wants her to wake up. (Steve also realizes he is out of medicine for Kayla).

Steve breaks into the hospital's medicine closet but doesn't find the antidote he needs.

Outside the closet, he runs into Jack who accuses him of taking Kayla. A fight ensues when Steve says Jack didn't take good care of Kayla. A doctor has to break up the fight...

Dr. Marcus Hunter is surprised to see that he recognizes one of the people fighting...his old friend Steve Johnson.

Steve and Marcus go way back and are very happy to see each other.

Steve tells Marcus he really needs him right now....

Marcus checks Kayla as Steve tells him
why he's had to hide her.

Steve is  extremely worried because all Kayla is doing is sleeping. Marcus says that is the best thing she can do right now.

Steve is relieve to hear that Kayla's going to make it. "All I want in this world is for her to get better, man. That's all"

"More than just a friend, isn't she Steve?"

"I love her man."

"I really love her"

Steve kisses Kayla. Marcus says he never thought he'd live to see the day when Steve could fall so hard for anyone.

Steve says, "I've never felt this way before". Marcus leaves for the hospital
and Steve begs Kayla, "Come on back to me, I love you...I need you."

Kayla wakes up the next morning

She reads about her disappearance in a newspaper and wants to know what's going on.

Steve is excited to see her finally awake.

Kayla is not as excited to see him. She wants an explanation. She is shocked to hear Steve say someone tried to poison her.

No matter what Steve says, she is angry at him and doesn't believe him. She wants to go home.

Steve breaks down the details of how he realized she was poisoned. (She was isolated from family & friends, she recovered only when she left behind the medicine she was given in Salem, she was only allowed a private doctor, and Steve had her pills tested...proving they were laced with poison.)

Kayla says the only time anyone wanted to kill her was when she was hanging out with Steve. She thinks Steve just can't stand the fact that she rejected him and is making everything else up. Steve says he has no reason to lie, why can't she trust him on that.

Kayla says, "I'm afraid to trust you. You used to always say I was so naive, that I was living in a fantasy. And I saw everything through rose colored glasses. But I don't anymore. I guess I have to thank you for that. You really straightened me out on a few things. I loved you....I still love you. But no one is ever going to hurt me again the way you did. Not even you."  

Steve begs her not to go back to Salem, he is telling the truth. He doesn't know what he would do if anything happened to her. Steve says he is going to go get them some food, and Kayla says she will stay at the house until he comes back. But as soon as he leaves, Kayla takes off for Salem. She stands outside the Deveraux mansion, then leaves. At the docks, she makes a phone call to Roman....then passes out. (She goes missing for days, and Steve desperately searches for her...) continued on page 2