The deaths of Santa Barbara
Caroline Wilson
's death

 

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The year 1986 sees a new woman, Caroline Wilson, returning to Santa Barbara who is C.C.'s former girlfriend, back in town to recover her children. The recovery is long for Caroline, who has to be forgiven for all her mistakes. Alice is the first to do so, and then forgiveness will come from her second daughter Jane and, at the same time, she will find love in Lionel Lockridge's arms. Caroline, over time, succeeds in finding her place with Lionel between a recomposed family and the memory of Augusta .

Caroline ends up accepting Lionel's proposal: to go with him for a few days to Guatemala . Upon their return, Caroline starts to feel much weakened. Lionel is also touched by this sudden tiredness, but with a lesser degree. And whereas Lionel, in a romantic dash, proposes to her, Caroline collapses. Very quickly, Caroline Wilson's health condition gets worse and Lionel does not have any other solutions than to request the help of Dr. Alex Nikolas. Lionel begs him to use his antibodies to develop a vaccine which could save the woman he loves. Nikolas, realistic, knows perfectly well that the production of such a vaccine will take a long time.

In addition to her disease, Caroline must also face Laken, who reacts very badly to the relationship between her father and her. Laken accuses her of all her problems. And even though Caroline collapses during one of their arguments, Laken does not care: she is ready to do everything to try to reunite her father and her mother again. Conscious that the time which passes is their terrible enemy, Lionel, sure of his feelings, decides to advance the wedding ceremony as soon as possible. And after a harsh discussion between father and daughter, Lionel and Caroline get married in the garden in the Lockridge property. Their love will even receive Minx’s blessing a few days later!

Ready to do everything to save the woman he loves and also because he is unable to watch her suffering, he enters Alex Nikolas' laboratory to steal the vaccine which is being prepared. Conscious that she does not have anything to lose anymore, the hour of the end approaching very quickly and because she wants to fully benefit from the happiness which is offered to her by Jane, Brick and Lionel, Caroline injects the vaccine into herself. Very quickly her health condition improves. Caroline is happy. Lionel is like in heaven. Only Alex Nikolas comes to discourage them that it is perhaps only a short remission.

And indeed, Alex is right. After a few days, Caroline's health condition degrades days after days. The few days of respite spent following the injection of the vaccine are very quickly forgotten. Caroline’s state is so bad that one day Lionel hurries to Johnny's to inform Jane: according to the family doctor, Caroline may not have more than a few days to live.

At the Lockridge residence, everyone is destroyed by this sad news. Caroline is confined to bed and she cannot benefit from the garden on the property anymore. Fortunately, Lionel does not leave her bedside. He suffers terribly to be there, helpless. Caroline and him share the same concern: the hour of the end is close...

Helpless towards the suffering of his wife, Lionel leaves looking for Alex Nikolas' help. Lionel begs him to give her a second injection of the vaccine. Alex refuses this, knowing well that there is no hope anymore. Lionel, helpless in front of Alex's lack of action, gets worked up: "You will stay without doing anything, so you can win...". Because the stakes of the vaccine is other: it is a revenge weapon for Alex against C.C. Capwell.

Then Lionel can only entrust his sorrow to Laken: "It is the end. Caroline is dying. It is useless to hope for a reprieve." Laken then realizes the error that she made: she did not say anything to her father, when she could note that Caroline's health condition is deteriorated.

In her bedroom, Jane, her daughter visits Caroline. She talks about old memories spent on an island at seaside, whereas she was only a child. In Caroline's dream, passed and present mix. Lionel, Gus and Alice are also present. Thereafter, Caroline acknowledges that she regrets the years spent without children, and justifies herself behind the fact that she believed herself not to be a good mother. Caroline reviews the moments of her life lived here, at the Lockridge mansion: the best moments of all her life. She could have made peace with her children and she passed the road of a good man she loves tenderly. Then, Caroline says to Jane that she loves her, and mother and daughter embrace each other. Jane, while leaving the room, bitterly regrets her passed behavior, her anger against her mother. Brick comforts her and shows her that all these errors enabled them to reunite again. Jane is afraid to lose her mother and realizes that she needs her.

Caroline is happy that today is a beautiful day while Lionel worries about her suffering. Feeling death coming, Caroline speaks about her native Georgia and the subtle perfume of flowers. Caroline makes Lionel promise to bring her back to Georgia , and then she asks him to take her in his arms, where she gives her last breath. Lionel lays her gently on the bed and moves away.

Then Lionel comes to announce to Brick and Jane the death of Caroline, by these words: "She did not suffer at all". Jane bursts out sobbing. Lionel entrusts to Jane that he will take her back to Georgia , with Gus and Alice. Jane agrees to come with him, and says that she has to be buried near her parents in the family vault. Jane, destroyed by the sorrow, goes out in the garden to find the presence of her mother. Staying together, Brick comes to comfort Lionel: the son becomes a rock just as his father Lionel helped him after the death of Amy. A real emotion can be read on Lionel's face.

During this time, at the Capwell mansion, Alex comes to announce to C.C. and Sophia the death of Caroline, whereas C.C. has just learned the confirmation that the health department has just withdrawn the licence of the vaccine. On her side, Laken will look for comfort with Ted. She sincerely regrets her behavior towards Caroline. C.C. comes to see Lionel to present his condolences to him. Lionel does not want any. Arizona undergoes an epidemic of this virus. C.C. wants Lionel to give him the authorization to conduct the autopsy of Caroline's body. Lionel flatly refuses.

At the Capwell mansion, Sophia faces Alex. But she acknowledges that the only person in charge of Caroline's death is neither C.C. nor her, but Lionel, because it was him who stole the vaccine, him who made it possible for Caroline to inject it to herself. Sophia, as a tender friend, comes to present her condolences to Lionel. She does not know how to say to him that she is with him with all her heart. Lionel tells her about the last minutes of Caroline's life. At the time to leave, Caroline, huddled up in Lionel's arms, was serene; she did not have anguish anymore. Lionel, by smelling a flower, makes it possible for Caroline's memory to live again.

And faithful to his promise, Lionel accompanies Jane with Caroline's body towards her native village of Georgia , where she will be able to find peace. Gus and Alice will also be there to accompany her in her ultimate journey.

Text written for this site by Lilian