In early April, Matt is seen sitting in The Recovery Room, waiting to attend a party that Eve is staging for Kevin, who is now back practicing at General Hospital. While Mike decorates the bar, Matt sits and reads a newspaper. In the ending scene, as the camera turns towards the window, a figure can be seen looking through the window at Matt. There is a sinister overtone to the scenario.

Later, at the hospital, Matt can be seen talking to Joe. He tells him that he has found out about new research that helps spinal cord injured persons like him to walk. The Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) system is the Parastep-I System. While not a cure, Matt says that with it paraplegics could condition their bodies so that they will be strong and fit, and ready when a cure comes. Matt is interesting in seeing if General Hospital can acquire the Parastep so that they can begin training people in Rehab, and so that he, himself, can use it. He asks Joe's support in trying to get the system for the hospital.





Matt and Joe approach Alan Quartermaine, CEO of General Hospital. Alan is interested, but he explains to Matt that the budget for this year is shot. He suggests that Matt submit a request early next year. Matt, not being a person who takes "no" for an answer, calls the company that makes the Parastep, and offers himself up as a test subject. He is accepted, and the Parastep is delivered to General Hospital.

Matt is exercising in the rehab gym when Dr. Boardman comes in.
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For the next few days, we struggle with Matt as he learns to use the system, and we rejoice with him when he takes his first steps. Matt tells us that he has a problem with balance because he cannot feel the bottoms of his feet, and that he has no muscle strength in his lower limbs. Also, his upper body is not as strong as it should be. "It's hard, man," an exhausted Matt tells Joe, as he struggles to sit down in his wheelchair after a walking session. Little by little, and with dogged determination, Matt becomes better at using the Parastep.



He shares his triumph with us as he walks down the hall to where Karen and Joe are talking.
It is an altogether impressive and moving scene - a scene of awesome proportions,
made even more so by the realization that what we are watching is no act, but an
actual on-screen demonstration by Mitch Longley of the system that he uses in real life.