Mentally Sick

Charlie regains consciousness while lying on Emma’s coat. He’s not entirely with it as he gazes out into the pool, where he sees Emma floating. Sheer horror is on his face as he looks at her. It fades into a flashback of his mother’s death: screaming her name, trying to keep ahold of her hand, losing his grip and then his mom floating away down the river.

As Charlie can’t move, Oliver runs up. He stares in horror at Charlie before diving into the pool after Emma. Riley is strangely dispassionate about Emma’s death. Could she be the one who drugged her? Once he’s pulled Emma out of the pool, Oliver gives her CPR, even as he begs her not to die. A bit more emotional than someone who doesn’t want to lose the political connections that an alliance might bring. Maybe that’s why Riley is so dispassionate over Emma’s ‘accident.’ In fact, she looks downright angry at how he’s desperately trying to save Emma.

Switch to Emma hooked up to hospital machines and a doctor is telling Oliver and his minion that Emma is in a vegetative state and won’t be getting better. Oliver sounds desperate as he asks if there’s anything that can be done, but the Doctor isn’t going for it. Oliver, his voice full of menace, says that Emma’s situation doesn’t leave the room that they’re in. Doctor understands.

Emma’s unknown twin, Aria, is currently texting Charlie to try to meet with him so she can get her money back. But Charlie hasn’t seen any of the texts because he’s busy freaking out over what’s happened to Emma. Even though he’s trying to act calm, the ticking of the clock nearby is getting to him. Riley enters the room and tells him that Emma’s going to be released soon and that Oliver’s going to take care of everything. Right after she asks if he really doesn’t remember anything, he gets another text. Snapping, he grabs his phone and almost smashes it, but controls himself. After all, he doesn’t want to look like he’s crazy. Because he’s not crazy. Charlie turns to her and says that she's right. He did it. Emma is like that because of him. Is that what Riley wants to hear?

Oliver looks at Emma’s comatose state and remembers them having lunch together earlier that day – since she’s wearing the same clothes that she was when she was at the mall and ran into Aria. Emma tells him about meeting her unknown twin at the mall. He smiles and says that people say that if you meet a person with your same features, the first person that sees the other dies first. He asks who saw whom first? Emma doesn’t answer, but knows that it was her that saw Aria first. She relishes in the idea of the scandal that it would cause if Aria *was* her twin; the look on her father’s face, the ruined engagement to Charlie.

Oliver reminds Emma that this marriage is important. She asks “To whom?” He doesn’t answer. But his face says that it’s him. Why *is* it so important to him? Especially since he seems to care about Emma, or at least about the plan he’s concocted that uses her as a pawn. Emma loudly puts down her utensils and declares that she suddenly doesn't want to. After meeting Charlie, she’s apathetic, to say the least. She wonders if she should ask Aria to do it instead. Be careful what you muse about… Aria would probably do it for the right amount of money.

Not looking pleased, Oliver asks why Emma’s suddenly being like this. She says that it suddenly occurred to her that marrying into that household would mean that she sees him every day. It’ll make her go crazy. She asks if she *should* go crazy. Would living like that still be better? Back in the present, Oliver tells Minion to find Aria. No matter what.

Minion heads to the mall with a bunch of men to find Aria. Aria is upstairs, stewing over Charlie not calling her back. After all, she needs to find out what happened and where her money is. Her friend, Claire, wants her to report Charlie to the police: he took a drunk woman back to a hotel and took her money. Aria doesn’t want to, because it’s not like that. Plus, he’s an executive there, so what if she gets fired?

Charlie is now with Doc Kim (his psychiatrist). Charlie’s Stepmom enters and says that they have the CCTV footage. She suggests Charlie *not* watch it – and I can’t figure this woman out. She seems like she cares about Charlie, but then she also takes pot shots at him about his mother. Doc thinks that would be best, but Charlie wants to see it. That way he can see if he needs to do something or not.

As they’re walking down the stairs – Charlie suddenly gets dizzy. Drugged? PTSD? Stepmom wants him to watch it later, but he ignores her. And that looks like genuine concern and pity on her face. I hope it is. I like this actress, but she always seems to play nasty people. It would be nice to see her as someone nice for once.

Oh, look, the whole family has gathered for a fun afternoon of family movies. Stepmom says that the family has to know what happened so that they can help him. You know what might go a long way towards helping him? A father who didn’t constantly threaten and disapprove and instead one that was encouraging. That would probably help. Charlie sarcastically asks if that’s really it. Dad chimes in with his correction voice on. Dad tells Charlie that if he has issues, he should just hide until they rot away. See? Harsh Dad. Not helping. A twitch of Charlie’s eyelid says that that hurt. Dad tells him that if he’s going to watch with them, he should take a seat. Otherwise, get out. Nice. Loving Dad already. That shuts Charlie up and he sits.

Leo – maybe Dad’s secretary? – reminds Dad that Emma’s father is returning soon from Shanghai. Dad is not happy that Emma had the accident – but not for her sake, but for his. Dad yells at Leo to roll the footage. The only one who is not there is Oliver. Do they not find that strange? Or is it because they know he's taking care of things at the hospital with Emma. As they watch the footage, Charlie fidgets and nervously chews on his thumb. You can actually hear it when he bites off part of the nail. Doc is watching him more than the CCTV footage. Everyone is intently watching, except for Riley, who looks over at Charlie. She looks like she’s there for the appearance of caring. Hmm…

The CCTV footage cuts out – When it comes back on, Charlie is on the ground and Oliver is giving Emma CPR. So we're still in the dark just like everyone else. Leo says that it looks like it’s been deleted. Charlie demands to know who could have done this and as ‘luck’ would have it, only one person entered the security office: him. As everyone looks at him, he says that he only went in to check the CCTV. There was no one there, so he couldn't even verify. This does not put anyone at ease.