A Boozy Teen Holly Drunk Dials Her Hot Step Brother

In the Days of our Lives recap for Wednesday, December 21, 2023, lonely Holly rings in her birthday all alone and drunk — hence her ringing up Johnny and making a complete fool out of herself.

Days of our Lives Recap Highlights

In addition, Chanel insisted on spiriting Paulina to the hospital, while Kate, Roman, Steve, Kayla, Marlena, and John got into the spirit of the holiday and laid some old ghosts to rest. Now, let’s dig a little deeper into what happened.

Problems Compounded

Despite the words coming out of her mother’s mouth, it was obvious to Chanel (Raven Bownes) that Paulina (Jackée Harry) was ailing. In addition to sleeping till noon the previous day and then crashing a few hours later, there was the cough that wouldn’t quit, and…what the heck was that lump on her neck?!

Paulina brushed all that to the side. The fatigue was down to her busy schedule. The cough, a mere winter cold. And the lump…well, the lump was just a swollen gland. Nothing at all to worry about. Chanel disagreed.

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The young woman put in such a persuasive argument that Paulina decided to head to University Hospital. That or she agreed to submit to tests in order to get Chanel to shush. Either way, they were in line to see a doctor, and early detection is key. Neither one of the ladies wanted Paulina to wind up like Uncle Stuart. One day it was a cough and the next he was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer!

Opposite, Johnny (Carson Boatman) came upon a sullen Holly (Ashley Puzemis) and learned she was all alone on her birthday. EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) and Nicole (Arianne Zucker) just had to get away from it all for a day. (They couldn’t be bothered to wait a whole 24 hours.) And Tate (Jamie Martin Man)…well, he did walk out on her the other night, so…bummer!

As her “protective big brother,” Johnny insisted on ordering Holly a cake and decorating it with the correct number of candles — 17. The age of consent in the state in which they lived. A fact Johnny didn’t care to know.

Soon, Johnny was alerted to Paulina’s plight by his lady love and raced off to the hospital. There, he threw around the DiMera name and got Paulina a room and a promise that she’d be seen to momentarily. While Johnny relayed to Chanel how he once spent Christmas getting a tumor-riddled eye removed, Holly opened a decanter of scotch and started chugging.

After a few glasses, she considered sending Johnny a lovey-dovey text message. A few more glasses in and she phoned him up to let him know that he was a big fat jerk for abandoning her on her big day. That, of course, led Johnny to going back home to check in on her, finding her passed out, and tucking her in on the couch.

Tidings Good And Bad

Despite their ire at the ISA for (supposedly) being unable to enhance the image of Victoria Margaret’s kidnapper, John (Drake Hogestyn) and Steve (Stephen Nichols) managed to enjoy themselves at the first annual “Grateful to Survive Another Crazy Year in Salem Club.”

Spearheader Kate (Lauren Koslow) welcomed the gentlemen and their wives and laid out a spread that included angel-hair pasta, angel food cake, ambrosia, and the Heaven that was a dried martini. Noticing a theme?

Kate, Marlena (Deidre Hall), and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) privately considered getting matching tattoos. Something small and discreet…like wings or a halo. Something to symbolize their apparent trip to Heaven. (Take a look back on that storyline here.)

Later, the group reflected on Christmases past. John and Steve recalled the time the latter cared for the former as the Pawn. Kayla flashed back to the time she was a fugitive on the lam dressed as Saint Nick. John toasted to finding his father and the peace it brought him.

There was even a spot of mystery when Kate realized she was a ring short. What could have possibly happened to it? Luckily it didn’t take long before John found it…in his mouth! How in the world did it get into that bite of food?

Before the group retired — sometime after wrapping a whole heap of presents for children in need — Roman relayed that Xander (Paul Telfer) and Konstantin (John Kapelos) would be joining the Hortons for their annual tree trimming. News that did not sit well with John and Steve. They thought that Konstantin was back in Greece. What’s Maggie (Suzanne Rogers) doing giving him the time of day?

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