Later, we see Matt and Ellen having breakfast in the Recovery Room.
It appears that they have made strides towards reconciliation.
Dr. Matthew Harmon of Port Charles
Synopsis
July - August 1999
The month of July marked another big change for Port Charles. It was announced that the actress, Marie Alise Recasner, was leaving the show, and there was a posibility that the character, Ellen Burgess, would be written off. We saw very little of Matt during the month of July, and the question of his and Ellen's post-Sebastian relationship was not resolved. The story of Matt and Ellen picked up again right before Marie Alise Recasner left the show:
A mysterious woman, Psychiatrist Rachel Locke, comes to Port Charles to
treat Julie, who is incarcerated in Ferncliff Correctional Institute for the General
Homicide murders. She and Ellen meet at a fashion show, and Ellen thinks that she knows
Rachel from somewhere. She questions Rachel, who states that Ellen must be mistaken; they
have never met before. Shortly afterwards, Ellen is offered a job in San Francisco. She
refuses it, wanting to stay in Port Charles near Matt.
Later, we see Matt and Ellen having breakfast in the Recovery Room.
It appears that they have made strides towards reconciliation.
Rachel Locke, the sinister psychiatrist with a past, attempts to get Matt and Ellen on her
side regarding her decision to allow Julie to go on trial. Matt tells Rachel that he
thinks that Julie is the General Homicide killer. Ellen continues to suspect that she
knows Rachel from somewhere in their past. Rachell returns to the hospital and puts the
seed of an idea in Chris' head about Ellen having slept with Sebastian and the fact that
she withheld that information from Matt. Chris meets Matt in a corridor and they have
words regarding a patient. Chris becomes angry and tells Matt about Ellen and Sebastian.
Matt confronts Ellen.
On several occasions, Ellen attempts to talk to Matt, but he is too hurt to listen to her.
He tells her again that as far as he is concerned, it's over.
Ellen receives a phone call from a hospital in San Francisco offering her a job. Rachel
encourages Ellen
to take the job, but Ellen is reluctant to leave General Hospital and Matt. We see Rachel
talking
to someone on the phone, telling them to up the offer to Ellen so that she will leave.
Matt talks to Karen, and Karen encourages him to forgive Ellen.
"A lifetime is too long to be without the person you love," she tells him.
Matt decides to try to talk to Ellen once more about reconciliation.
Matt and Ellen meet near the Nurse's Station. "So, have you decided to take the
job in San Francisco?" Matt asks Ellen. She answers, "It's an excellent
opportunity." "Is that a yes?" "No, the only reason I didn't jump on
it immediately was because of us, but so much has changed since then - why are you
suddenly so interested?" "Well, I came down on you pretty hard about sleeping
with Sebastian - maybe too hard. Karen made me realize what I'd be losing if you walked
out of my life." Ellen looks at Matt, "Are you saying you want to work things
out?" He answers, "I want to give it a try."
Ellen tells Matt, "I don't know what to say - so much has happened between us. I
don't know if it's even possible to work things out -- and if I don't take this job in San
Francisco, what happens if we still don't work things out?" Ellen's receives a call
on her beeper. "Ellen, can we just finish this later?" Ellen nods and walks off
as Rachel looks on.
Later, Matt and Ellen are sitting in the visitor's waiting room. They are alone.
"Your about face threw me," Ellen tells Matt. Matt tells her, "I know it's
not gonna be easy, but I'm convinced we can be together if we both want it bad
enough." Ellen is clearly upset. "I'm not sure it's what I want anymore, Matt. I
loved you - I would have done anything to be with you even if it cost me my career, but
after you came down on me so hard about something that happened when we weren't even
together, I realize that our relationship isn't what I thought it was." "I was
hurt, Ellen." "So was I - I learned that I couldn't count on you, and at this
point in my life I can count only on myself." Rachel interrupts them to show Ellen an
article about San Francisco - Matt clears his throat, Rachel takes the hint, and leaves
with a smile on her face.
Matt questions Ellen, "I guess your mind is made up?" "Not yet - but I am
leaning heavily towards accepting the position," she says, as she walks away from
Matt. Matt is devasted - Rachel looks upon the scene of the breakup with a sinister smile
on her face.
Ellen is seen later talking to Rachel at the nurse's station. She is called over the pager
system
to go to the Emergency Room. She goes into the elevator, and is never seen again.
Continue to September 1999
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(Copyright 1999, Barbara Allen & Alayna Proffit