| Significant Facts: |
Was addicted to prescription pills. Father is an alcoholic. |
| Chronology: |
|
| 1970 |
Rick's parents, Ed & Leslie Bauer, divorce shortly after his
birth. As Rick grows up, he develops a close relationship with his
grandmother, Bert. He goes away to Lincoln Prep where he befriends
Phillip Spaulding. |
| 1983 |
Rick returns to Springfield for his senior year of high school.
He dates Beth Raines, but loses her to Phillip. Later, Rick and Mindy
Lewis fall in love as they search for Beth & Phillip, who have
run away to New York. |
| 1985 |
Rick gets involved with Roxie Shayne, but leaves her when he develops
an addiction to prescription pills while in medical school. |
| 1986 - 1988 |
Rick moves to Chicago, where he practices medicine. |
| 1988 |
Rick returns to Springfield and diagnoses his cousin Johnny Bauer's
cancer. Dr. Meredith Reade does not agree with Rick's treatment of
Johnny and brings a malpractice suit against him. Rick travels to
England with a dying Johnny and his lover, Roxie. When Meredith shows
up, she decides to drop the suit against Rick. |
| 1989 |
Rick and Meredith marry, even though he knows she is pregnant with
another man’s child. Meredith’s pregnancy leads to complications
and Phillip, who is the father of the baby, is forced to choose between
saving Meredith or his unborn child. He chooses to save Meredith.
Meredith is heartbroken and leaves Rick. Rick cuts Phillip out of
his life. |
| 1990 |
Rick dates Mindy again but she will not commit to him. He also reconciles
with Phillip and helps Phillip fake his own death when he is on trial
for murder. Rick marries Phillip's fiancée, Beth, to throw
off the suspicion that Phillip is still alive. The marriage is annulled
when they are all caught and prosecuted. |
| 1991 |
Rick is temporarily banned from practicing medicine and goes to
Chicago to do community service. While in Chicago, he meets and marries
nurse Annie Dutton but her alcoholism tears them apart. |
| 1995 |
Rick returns to Springfield and to Cedars Hospital. Rick reveals
to Annie that their divorce was never finalized; their divorce attorney
died without filing the papers. Although he wants her back, Annie
wants to marry Josh Lewis and Rick agrees to a quickie divorce. |
| 1996 |
Rick treats hearing-impaired Abigail Blume and helps her enroll
in American Sign Language classes. Still carrying a torch for Annie,
he rejects Abby's advances and, one drunken evening, sleeps with a
devastated and equally soused Blake Marler, who mistakenly believes
her husband, Ross, is cheating on her. When Blake and Ross reconcile,
she and Rick resolve never to tell Ross about their lovemaking. Rick
begins dating Abigail and falls in love with her when Blake discovers
she is pregnant . Though Blake changes the hospital records, initially
convincing Rick that the babies are Ross's, Rick eventually discovers
that he is the father of one of the twins. Blake convinces him it's
better for all involved if they conceal the truth of the baby's paternity,
to which Rick agrees. Rick helps a stranded Blake and Ross deliver
the twins. |
| 1997 |
Abigail accepts Rick's marriage proposal. When an accident posits
Rick as baby Kevin's surgeon, Rick cannot operate, and Ross overhears
the truth of Kevin's paternity. Rick reveals the truth to Abby,
who in turn breaks off their engagement. In time, Rick and Abby
reconcile.
When Abigail is attacked by Roy Meechum, Rick stands by her side
during the ensuing trial. When the charges are dropped, a dazed
Abigail shoots Roy in the courtroom. Despite Rick's efforts to revive
him, Roy dies and Abigail is charged with his murder. Abigail pleads
guilty and is sentenced to two years in jail. Rick and Abigail get
married before she's incarcerated.
|
| 1998 |
Rick is highly upset to learn that he is not the father of Kevin
after all. Rick stands by Abigail while she's in jail and eventually
gets her out. |
| 1999 |
Rick supports Abigail's decision to undergo cochlear implant surgery
in order to regain her hearing. They are thrilled beyond words when
she hears for the first time.
Rick worries when his sister, Michelle, becomes involved with mobster
Danny Santos but eventually, he accepts Danny and leaves them largely
in peace.
|
| 2000 |
Rick supports Michelle as she is put on trial for Ben Warren's
murder. During this time, he tends to a comatose Vanessa Reardon,
and grows suspicious of Carmen Santos' attention to his patient.
He is shocked when Michelle is convicted of Ben's murder. He helps
Michelle escape from jail and eventually, with Vanessa's help, the
truth comes out that Carmen framed daughter-in-law Michelle for
the murder.
Rick and Abby separate when they cannot agree over the issue of
starting a family.
Harley Cooper, on a mission, comes into contact with Claire Ramsey,
Michelle's biological mother, with whom Rick shares a terrible secret:
she covered for him after he failed his medical school exams. Later,
it is revealed that Claire lied about the exams and that Rick did
indeed pass them on his own.
|
| 2001 |
Still hurting from his split with Abigail, Rick joins in Harley's
divorce "celebration" and the two drunken friends wind up
in bed together. This secret is well kept until Harley finds herself
pregnant and the two struggle with how to tell Phillip that Harley
is carrying Rick's child. An ugly scene ensues when Phillip learns
this information on his own and their lifelong friendship is endangered.
Eager to be a part of his child's life, Rick vows to stand by Harley
and their son, Jude, when he is born. Although they are not in love
with one another, they agree to move in together for the sake of the
baby to establish some sort of family unit. Complicating matters:
Rick's attraction to medical student Melissande Boudreau and Harley's
inexplicable attraction to FBI agent Gus Aitoro. |
| 2002 |
After he and Harley make a hasty decision to get married, they both
rethink it and decide that they are better off as friends. Rick moves
out of Harley's house and back to the Bauer residence. Rick and Mel
become an item despite their age gap. Rick and Mel marry in the hospital
as a deathly ill Rick waits for a heart donor to become available.
Eventually, Rick receives a heart transplant from the late Richard
Winslow. |
