Ethan Lovett tried to talk his way out of Luke's gunsights, and while it didn't exactly work, Luke recognized a kindred spirit and engaged the smooth-talking Aussie in a round of blackjack,during which, Luke won back the cash Ethan had grabbed, and Ethan said he's traveling the world, enjoying booze and women, and never met his father. Luke offered Ethan a job as a shill, but the kid declined. Luke sent him packing, and barred him from the Haunted Star.

As Jax knocked on the locked front doors of the hospital, Jason and Sam explained the facility is quarantined. Meanwhile, in the ER, someone stole one of Earl's little red poison balls. Mac tried to arrange an evacuation of the hospital but was told to wait. He then told Lucky how Elizabeth collapsed after being exposed to Earl's balls. Epiphany told Jason Elizabeth is critical. Back at the hospital, the collapsed Claudia was wheeled out. Anthony expressed concern for his daughter, but Sonny was suspicious. Anthony warned Ric that if Claudia blabbed to Sonny about Kate's shooting, Ric will pay. Ric quizzed Nadine about toxins, but the nurse didn't know much. Edward, Tracy, Anthony, Ric, Sonny and Carly argued over who should be taken out for decontamination next. Anthony was the lucky duck. Tracy accused Carly of whitewashing Michael's condition — and Edward blamed Sonny. Elsewhere in the hospital, Lulu was antsy about Johnny, while Zen-like Spinelli searched for accident reports. Unfortunately, he found mention that Maxie's car was found "crashed and abandoned." Matt awakened in a room, where Patrick revealed Earl was carrying spheres of poison, and assured his brother the disaster was not his fault. Patrick said the poison "is and it isn't" fatal. Leyla awakened and gasped for breath. "There's something I need to tell you," she croaked. She's happy for his happiness, now that she has found some of her own. "Everything works out in the end," she said — then flatlined. In the hub, Sam stopped Lulu from trying to enter the contaminated area. Then Lucky appeared. "I broke in," he confessed. "I need to make sure Elizabeth's okay." Jason heard Claudia rambling that she had to warn Sonny about Anthony before she passed out. Then he pointed Lucky toward Liz. Jason and Sam wondered if Earl had co-conspirators. Lucky went to Elizabeth's room and vowed to stay by her side and offer her his strength. Tracy was taken out next, and learned that Epiphany had to scrub her down. Sonny told Carly this disaster wasn't her fault, and marveled at how good she is in a crisis. The phone rang — it was Jax! "I love you so much, Jax," she said. After getting decontaminated, she rushed to the front doors to meet him.

Maxie complained about being snowed in at the garage with Johnny who, recalling a youth spent learning piano and cars, dreamed of opening a custom garage, but lacks a license. Maxie encouraged him to follow his bliss — after all, she has dreams, "right down to my stilettos." She talked about her love for fashion mags as a child, and how working for Kate is "just a stepping-stone." She wants to team with an up-and-coming designer to form a fashion house. She credited Spinelli for believing in her, but worried about blowing her opportunities, as she always does.

Back at GH, Anthony gave his nurse the slip, and found Claudia unconscious. He noted how he sees her mother's "treachery" in her, and since she knows he shot Kate, "I have to shut you up for good." In the OR gallery, Jason realized one of Earl's balls was missing. "This just got a whole lot worse" Sam sighed.