1978 (#10) - Derek's involvement in organized crime and Katherine's leg paralysis

The turning point in what seemed to be a marriage meant to end soon, the one between Katherine and Derek, is when Derek's past in Boston comes back. Speaking with Derek, Katherine learns that the man has a daughter named Jamie Thurston who lives with his ex-wife Suzanne Lynch; Katherine, despite Derek's refusal, is convinced that the man needs to be close to his daughter and that she may therefore be the key to obtain the man's love. Katherine decides to travel to Boston in secret to bring his former family to Genoa City and make him understand how important his happiness is to Katherine; however, she is disappointed by her encounter with Suzanne. She tells her that she has no intention in leaving Boston for Genoa City and seeing Derek again, convinced that it is the same for him; then she suggests to Katherine to put her plan aside and forget about Derek. When Katherine asks her for explanations, Suzanne thus informs Katherine that Derek has had major problems with organized crime in the past when he asked for help from moneylenders to get his business going again. When, due to a deal gone wrong, he was no longer able to pay, Derek instinctively rebelled and reacted abruptly to threats from the criminal gang. In a gunfight, therefore, the brother of the boss died and the fact aroused a great scandal that led to the arrest of many other members of the gang. It is for this reason that Derek was forced to flee from Boston, leaving his family to keep them away from him and protect them. Back in Genoa City disappointed for having failed the attempt at reconciliation, Katherine does not know, however, that she is being followed by the gangsters, who thus manage to track down Derek. So, together with Katherine, two criminals arrive in Genoa City with the sole purpose of revenge and therefore ready to do anything to kill Derek. Katherine was naturally unaware of this fact, but when she sees two men attacking the man, she instinctively interferes trying to stop the beating. The whole thing ends with the woman falling to the ground, immediately fainting from a gunshot aimed at Derek. Taken to the hospital, the doctors are worried not so much about the damage to the head caused by the fall, but they are more worried about the damage to the legs caused by the bullet. Derek, moved by the gesture of the woman, who saved his life, and desperate for her critical condition, is not comforted by the doctors, who inform him that the woman risks losing the use of her legs because a paralysis of the lower limbs had been diagnosed.