NIKOLAS AND EMILY
TYLER | NATALIA

Emily's Coma: Kiss and Wake Up!
ABC Soaps In Depth
September 16, 2003

From the heart of GENERAL HOSPITAL'S hot triangle, Natalia Livingston surveys how the shocking aftermath of Emily's wedding will affect Zander and Nikolas.

The In-Depth Story: This week, GH keeps fans of the hotly-debated Zander/Emily/Nikolas triangle on their toes with a wedding, a near-death experience, and a romantic recovery.

"Emily marries Zander," reveals Livingston, eliciting a sigh of relief from that pair's supporters. Ah, but it's a brief one, as ailing Em lapses into a coma. In that unconscious state, "She dreams she is a bride, surrounded by light, and the light is getting fainter. Basically, she is dying."

More on that later.

Such ebb and flow between bliss and sorrow is the recipe GH has been following to tug at fans' heartstrings and leave them to debate which hunk Emily should end up with. "All of this has been unexpected for me," shares Livingston. "I came into this knowing that Emily was going to be with Zander, knowing their history and how much they love each other. So everything that has happened with Nikolas has been a surprise."

And one that has stireed a passion in warring fan bases. "There has been a huge, huge outpouring of fan mail," says the actress. "People really are torn."

Has Livingston spied any trends in the reaction? "Before, it was all Emily/Zander fans writing. But not it seems like a lot of Emily/Nikolas fans are starting to develop. It has been a really good balance."

Now back to that coma. "Emily dreams that Nikolas kisses her," narrates her portrayer, "and that wakes her up in real life. She believes that Nikolas brought her back." As a result, "She realizes more than ever how strong her attraction is to Nikolas - as it is to Zander - but she can't do anything about it" because of a debt Stefan can only repay by keeping his nephew bound to Lydia. "If she does anything, Nikolas will be killed."