Dr. Michael Vaughn is involved in a custody battle for Jodi Abbott, an 11-year-old whose late mother willed her custody to Dr. Vaughn and his companion, Alex Halpern. However, the child's aunt and uncle, Nora and Cameron Wheeler, have sued for custody because they don't want Jodi raised by homosexuals. The judge awards custody to the Wheelers, but Jodi, angry and miserable, runs away, returning to Michael and Alex. Mrs. Cabot hosts a meeting to return Jodi to the Wheelers, but Nora convinces Cameron to allow Jodi to live with Alex and Michael. Peter recruits Christine to be his navigator for a road rally. Inexperienced in races, Christine directs them onto the wrong road, where a truck forces Peter and Christine into an accident. Peter suffers a serious head injury, and they spend the night in the wilderness. Later, Dr. Kulwin informs Christine that Peter has a blood clot that must be removed. As they prepare for surgery, Peter slips into a coma. While most of the hotel staff wait in

Peter has given Andrea Green, a photographer-friend of Julie's, a chance at the photo assignment for the new hotel brochure. Andrea's father Louis is highly critical of his daughter's work ethics, which leads to bitter family squabbling. Andrea's mother Sonya, rapidly succumbing to Alzheimer's, begs her husband and daughter to work things out. Architect David Welch befriends Christine and offers to help convert Christine's Napa Valley barn into a home. While Christine and David share a dinner date, David's ex-wife Rebecca visits Peter. Rebecca demands that Peter stop Christine's affair with her husband before the hotel gets caught up in a scandal. Later, Rebecca trips Christine on a stairway, causing her a painful fall. Peter tells Christine to work at home for a few days until he and Billy can get rid of the obsessive ex-wife. Rebecca, however, visits Christine in her apartment and holds Christine at knifepoint as she screams accusations. When a phone call from Peter interrupts the co