What Price Freedom?

     Scott asks this question to Ava when he offers to sell her The Recording for $5 million.   Lucas confronts an incarcerated Julian about Sonny's shooting.  The Corinthos clan await news on Sonny.  Nathan has something important to say to Valerie.  Dante takes his turn with The Supreme Being and takes a page from the Elizabeth Webber book of Non-Confessions.

      OUTSIDE ICU

      MORGAN:  WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING SO LONG?  
      CARLY:  You can't fast-forward surgery, Morgan.  
      MORGAN:  THEN WHY IS PATRICK SUCH A SLOW SURGEON?  IMMA GO IN THERE AND TELL HIM TO HURRY THE HELL UP AND FIX DAD. 
      MICHAEL:  And distract him so he nicks an artery?  Slow your roll, Morgan. 
      MORGAN:  I don't know about you, Mikey, but I CAN'T SIT HERE AND DO NOTHING!   Maybe I'll go strangle Julian instead. 
      CARLY:  I need to go to the chapel again and pray for some Xanax for my younger son.  

     
      PCPD

     VALERIE:  Lunch time!   I'm gonna go to GH and tell Dante that Julian's still in the slammer.  He's not answering my texts.
     NATHAN:  Oh no you won't.  Valerie, I know about you and Dante.  I know you two did the nasty while fireworks were going off all over The Chuckles. 
     VALERIE:  Who the hell told you?  Was it Maxie?   I thought we were sorta friends.  
     NATHAN:  I got it straight from the source.  Dante 'fessed up to me.  So are you still hot for my partner? 
     VALERIE:  And this is your business how? 
     NATHAN:  Look, Val, I'm not getting in your face because the whole fourth of July cheating debacle is all your fault.  The blame pie can be split four ways, because Lulu and Dillon lied and took off to Canada.   I'm just looking out for my right-hand man. 
     VALERIE:  I get it.  It's not like Dante's loins are burning for me either.  He's committed to Lulu, who is my cousin, so I can't begrudge him that.  Besides, Lulu and I are cool now and I'm sorta halfway dating Dillon, so can we move on from the Independence Day sexcapade gone awry? 

   HOSPITAL LOBBY

   OLIVIA:  Here are a few cups of joe.  Where's Dante?  
   LULU:  Up in the chapel having a convo with The Man Upstairs. 
   OLIVIA:  I'm worried about Dante.  
   LULU:  In other news, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.  
  
  HOSPITAL CHAPEL

   DANTE:  Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. 
   GOD:  I know you're Catholic and all, but I think you have this place confused with a confessional. 
   DANTE:  I cheated on my wife, Dear Lord.   Oh, and I also pissed my earthly father off and caused him to flatline when I lectured him on his violent lifestyle. 
   GOD:  You've got a lot on your plate, kid.  First, let's talk about your night of misguided passion with your wife's cousin.   Yes, I do know it all, thank you very much.   The truth has a way of coming out.  Give it a few months and the truth will become impossible to hide.   About your dad, I've been fielding prayer requests on his behalf for a couple of decades.   The guy's been keeping me on my toes, that's for sure, and something tells me that's not coming to an end anytime soon. 

   PCPD JAIL

    LUCAS:  So did you do it, Dad?  Did you put my sister's fiance in the hospital, clinging to life while a bullet is reviving the disco era between his spine and his aorta? 
    JULIAN:  I wouldn't put a lot of stock in what that unhinged nephew of yours is saying. 
    LUCAS:  I'm not talking to my nephew, unhinged or otherwise.  I'm talking to you, Dad.  Did you shoot Sonny or didn't you?  
    JULIAN:  Of COURSE I didn't and I'm hurt that my own son doesn't believe in me. 
    LUCAS:  Would love to believe you, Dad, but stuff's been going down with Sonny and some dude named Charlie Highneck or Heinich, or whatever his name is and that dude named you as his boss. 
    JULIAN: You think that No-Neck was gonna tell the cops who his REAL boss is?   The whole thing's a setup.  How many times do I have to tell my own family that I've de-mobbed?  
     LUCAS:  Let's just say the mob is known for taking the idea of a severance package literally.  I see it all the time in the ER, being a soon-to-be doctor and all.   I don't want your body parts to be the ones I see next.  

    SCOTT:  Hello there Ava Jerome DeMuccio or whatever you're calling yourselves these days.  Meet your new lawyer. 
    AVA:  BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!   Where's Diane?
    SCOTT:  Not coming.  She's in with Sonny's peeps so she claims conflict of interest.  
    AVA:  Really?  That's not what she told Julian. 
    SCOTT:  Speaking of Julian, it's Sibling Day in the holding cells.  Julian's down here too.  Something about putting a bullet in Corinthos.   If you're nice to him, maybe he'll let you share his juice box and animal crackers. 
     AVA:  Ha. Ha.  How do I know you won't railroad me for what I did to Franco? 
     SCOTT:  You have screwed my son over a few times, but the two of us have something in common:  We both hate Corinthos.   He wants you dead.  I want him behind bars.  Besides, I have something you need if you ever want to see the light of day again.
     AVA:  What might YOU have that I need?  A Get Out Of Jail Free card from an old Monopoly game in your attic? 
     SCOTT:  Figuratively speaking, yes.  I have THE RECORDING.  It can be yours for a cool five million bucks.  
     AVA:  You slay me, Mr. Baldwin.  Five million for one stupid flash drive? 
     SCOTT:  Said stupid flash drive has your murder confession on it.   Five million.  Take it or leave it. 

      HOSPITAL CHAPEL

      DANTE:  Will you forgive me, God? 
      LULU:  Coffee?  
      DANTE:  Lulu?  
      LULU:  It's from your mom.   By the way, what were you asking forgiveness for?   You're not still feeling the guilt about that kiss with Valerie, are you? 
      DANTE:  I was asking for forgiveness for pissing off my Dad and causing him to flatline.  I was all in his face about his violent mob lifestyle and how much it has cost his family.  Then, all of the sudden, BEEEEEEP and the line goes flat.  
      LULU:  Remember how Patrick said Sonny's bullet was dancing around in his chest?   THAT is what made him flatline.  Not you yelling at him while he was unconscious. 
     
       ICU

       PATRICK:  Sonny made it through surgery.  The bullet was removed.
       MORGAN:  HALLELUJAH!  PATRICK, YOU ARE THE GREATEST SURGEON TO EVER LIVE!
       PATRICK:   He's still in a precarious condition and he's gonna need all of your support and strength. 
       CARLY:  Can we see him?  
       PATRICK: One at a time. 

      SONNY'S ROOM

      CARLY:  Sonny, it's me.  You're out of surgery and the tap-dancing bullet with a razor's edge is gone.  Yay Patrick!   The whole fam is here.  Michael, Morgan, Dante.  Morgan's been so scared and he's been driving us BANANAS ever since you got shot.   We all love you, Sonny.  
      SEMI-CONSCIOUS SONNY:  Hold on a minute.  I'm getting a signal.  I feel consciousness coming on.  Carly, is it you?  

       ICU

     VALERIE:  I have some bad news.  Julian has been sprung.  There wasn't enough evidence to hold him.  
      MORGAN:  THAT BASTARD'S FREE?   WAIT 'TIL I GET A HOLD OF HIM! 
      MICHAEL:  Oh good grief! 

       CHAPEL

       OLIVIA:  Sonny's out of surgery.  
       DANTE:  So I'm off the hook?  
       LULU:  You need sleep, honey.  

       PCPD JAIL

       NATHAN:  Good news, Jerome.  You're free to go.  
       LUCAS:  Yeah, good luck with that, Dad.  Keep a Kevlar vest handy and a disguise wouldn't hurt.