a trio of Sara, her old nemesis Charlotte Waring Bauer and Dr. Steve Jackson.) Peggy was at wit ends, as Johnny became even more mentally unbalanced. Then in December 1972, Johnny just up and left town for parts unknown. For a long time Peggy had no idea what to do, to go ahead and have the marriage annulled or declare Johnny legally dead? For a while, Peggy just had to become the best both father and mother to Billy and work at Cedars as a nurse the best she could. Although they deeply loved each other, Sara and Joe's marriage became strained and Joe began having an affair with Sara's nemesis Charlotte Waring. Joe soon confessed the affair to Sara, but in the meantime, in August 1973, Charlotte was rushed to Cedars after suffering an apparent heart attack. Joe tried to save her life, but she did not pull through, and he was blamed for her death, which caused Cedars to deny him privileges and he was fired as a doctor which catapulted him into a self-destructive affair with the unstable Kit Vested, who'd had an obsession with Joe for some time. Joe made plans with Kit to leave Springfield. It would later come out that Kit had caused Charlotte's death by poisoning her tea, and, in an attempt to get her out of the way so she could be with Joe, she later poisoned Sara, poisoning her coffee. Fortunately, Joe learned of Kit's plans at the airport and was able to make it to Sara to get her to the hospital in time. Unfortunately Joe discovered that Kit was still in the house and Kit pointed a gun at Sara's head. Joe tried to talk Kit into giving him the gun, but they ended up in a struggle for the gun. During the struggle Kit was shot dead instead in April 1974, and Joe was shot and injured. When it was revealed to all that Kit had killed Charlotte, Joe was exonerated of Charlotte's death and was reinstated at Cedars. After Kit's death, Sara and Joe tried to resume their relationship, adopting a son, Timothy "T.J.". But Joe had a developed a heart condition, due to his being shot by Kit, and eventually had a heart attack in December 1976, while in India, and Sara was once again a widow. Papa Bauer died in his sleep in February 1973,