‘Hospital’ Check-in?

Is Rick Springfield checking back into “General Hospital,” the daytime sudser he left in 1983 after a two-year stint as Dr. Noah Drake, a role that shot him to heartthrob fame?

(Soap insiders say that “GH” has been looking for a musical cast member since Jack Wagner (Frisco Jones) left last winter.)

An ABC publicist said yes--that singer-actor Springfield will begin ‘Hospital’ rounds Nov. 2. “That’s all I know,” said the publicist. “It’s all so premature. He just signed (Oct. 14) and is working things out now.”

Springfield’s agent Ron Weisser said no: “Neither Rick nor I know anything about this. ‘General Hospital’ did present us with an enticing deal, but Rick is not interested. He’s busy working on his next album (his sixth).”

It sounded like negotiating talk to us.

“GH” executive producer Wes Kenney hedged: “It’s possible he’ll sign. Rick has been in to see us; we’d love to have him back.”

Also coming home: Pat Faulken Smith, who penned the much-publicized Luke-and-Laura story line on “General Hospital” from 1979 to 1981, will return as “GH” head writer Monday.

Smith, replacing Anne Marcus, told us she plans to retain all current writers, most of whom she’s worked with before. But don’t look for Luke and Laura to resurface.

“There will only be one Luke and Laura,” Smith said. “They are a one-of-a-kind couple. But watch for an exciting love story heating up in early ’89.”