Friday, November 5, 2004

General Hospital: Sam McCall’s Hospital Room

“Mr. Corinthos.”

A blonde nurse was at the doorway when Sonny turned. “There’s paperwork,” she said. “You’re listed as next of kin for the baby.”

Sonny nodded and stood. He followed the nurse into the hallway and down to the nurse’s station.

“Jen’s keeping him busy for at least a half hour,” Elizabeth told Jason as they came out of the next room. “She’s promised there’s more than enough paperwork to give him. I’m sorry it’s not more time.”

“It’s more than enough.” He kissed her fingers, the most he dared to do in such a public place.

“I have to get back to Cameron, Gram will ask questions.” She squeezed his hands before disappearing around the corner.

Jason exhaled slowly and went into her room.

General Hospital: Conference Room

“Sorry I’m late,” Steven said as he entered the room, Kristina’s file in hand. “I had some things to take care of.”

“Kristina’s looking much better isn’t she?” Alexis asked. “She’s fine right?”

Steven gestured for her to take a seat. “Where is Mr. Corinthos and DA Lansing?”

“Ric had to go into work, he had no choice. And I didn’t–Sonny’s daughter died.” Alexis shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t think we should reschedule.”

“Right. Of course.” Steven nodded. “Well, Dr. Quartermaine says that Kristina came through the transplant with flying colors. So far there’s been no sign of rejection. She’s been in the isolation unit as you already know from having spent the night there. She’ll remain in there for another week or so until her immune system is strong enough to be moved into a regular room. But should her body not reject the marrow, Kristina will make a full and complete recovery,” Steven finished.

Alexis slumped in her chair. “I can never thank you enough. I know you spent so much time on this case, much more than you needed to. And your sister…” she closed her eyes. “I can never repay her.”

“It wasn’t hard to imagine my own sister going through this with her son,” Steven admitted. “She’s a single mother as well. I only did what I would expect any doctor to do. I’m just glad this has a happy ending.”

“Me, too,” Alexis smiled tremulously. “Me, too.”

Port Charles High School: Library

“So this is where you’re hiding,” Georgie said, sitting next to Dillon and setting her books down. “I was worried when you weren’t in English class.”

“Didn’t feel like dealing with it.” Dillon sighed. “Brooke comes home on Tuesday, Ned told the family today that he and Lois and Brooke would be living in the gatehouse for the immediate future.”

“Well, that’s good.” Georgie nodded. “They should be together. The next few months are going to be rough. Rougher than anything.”

“I still haven’t seen her,” Dillon admitted. He stared at the table. “I know it’s hurting her.”

“Yeah,” Georgie admitted. “But I understand and part of Brooke does, too. Going into that room, seeing her–it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.” She took a deep breath. “And for the first moments, all I could see was what he’d done to her. Her beautiful face. Her spirit. I just–it was so hard, Dillon. Brooke is like part of my family, our family.” She touched his hand. “You, me, Maxie, Brooke–even Lucas. We’re a family. We stick together.”

“Other than my mother, you were the first person that really cared about me,” Dillon said. “You and Maxie. And then Brooke came into my life and she’s a Quartermaine, Georgie. She gets it. And she’s been more like a sister than anyone in my entire life.” His voice faltered. “She’s so bright and beautiful and she deserves so much.”

“The knowledge that he won’t get away with it,” Georgie said slowly, “that he will go to prison, it’s not a lot of help. Because even though he’s going to pay for it, it still happened. And nothing is going to change that for Brooke. I know you want to make this better for her, we all do.” She shoved her hair away from her face. “I even went to Diego for her.”

Dillon snapped his head up, his eyes dark with fury. “What?” he demanded.

“She wanted to know why, she begged me to find out,” Georgie said unapologetically. “You would have promised her the world if you thought it would help. So yes, I agreed. And I went. I’ve already heard this from my dad, you don’t really need to lecture me about this.”

“The hell I don’t.” Dillon straightened. “You are completely out of your mind, Jones, if you think that you can just–”

“And you are completely out of your mind if you think you can yell at me for something you would have done,” Georgie contested hotly. “Now will you shut up and let me finish?”

“Fine,” Dillon said, irritated.

“Anyway, she’s going to need you. Because if she’s got to get up in a courtroom and testify in front him, she’s going to need us all. So even though I know how hard it is, you have got to get past this and go to see her. Because no matter how hard it is for you, it is impossibly more so for Brooke.”

General Hospital: Sam’s Room

Jason eased himself into the seat Sonny had vacated. He took Sam’s limp hand in his own and took a deep breath. “Since you convinced me to see Elizabeth before she woke up to catch her in a vulnerable state, me not being there this morning wasn’t entirely my fault.”

He hesitated. “But I am sorry. I’ve tried so hard not to let you down and I feel like that by leaving this morning, I did. Elizabeth–she tells me that the condition you had was no one’s fault. That even if I had been there and had seen it happen, this might have happened the same way. But we’ll never know for sure and I’m going to know that for the rest of my life.”

“You were right–that I needed to see her this morning. That this situation has gone on so long because I’ve let it. And when you wake up, I’m going to need you to keep reminding me of how selfish I’m being by trying to keep everyone in my life. That my priorities are screwed up and need some serious readjustment.” He closed his eyes. “When you wake up, I’m going to make it a point to be there for you, every step of the way. I’m just–I’m so sorry, Sam. I should have been there this morning and it’s going to be hard to forgive myself.”

“You’re allowed to have your own life,” Sonny said from the doorway. Jason stood hastily and Sonny smiled faintly. “The nurse was a nice diversionary tactic but I could tell she’d run out of paperwork after a little while.”

“I just–I just wanted to see her,” Jason explained. He let go of her hand and moved away from the bed.

“I’m sorry for earlier…” Sonny shrugged. “I was angry. You’re always there when I need you.”

Jason nodded. “I’d do anything to change what happened this morning. I’m not sorry that I–” he broke off and looked back at Sam before looking at Sonny. “How much of what I said did you hear?”

“Enough to know that you didn’t trust me.” Sonny moved inside the room and stood at the foot of Sam’s bed. “I didn’t know that you’d been seeing Elizabeth again. I’m sorry you felt like you had to hide it from me.”

“I–we weren’t telling anyone,” Jason said after a moment, feeling slightly surreal. Could it be this easy? “Sam knows. I had to tell her. And her brother found out. But that’s only recently.”

“So you had a fight with her and Sam convinced you to speak with her this morning.” Sonny nodded. “There’s nothing wrong with having your own life, your own priorities. I guess–it’s been so long since they didn’t mirror my own.”

“I know.” Jason realized now that Sonny didn’t quite understand the situation. Sonny was assuming the relationship with Elizabeth was new. He didn’t understand that Cameron was his son, that Elizabeth was not just someone he was seeing.

But there was time for all that. Sonny knew. And accepted. With time, Jason thought he might be able to make his friend understand that he’d never meant to hurt Courtney. That he had married her, believing Elizabeth was lost to him forever.

And Sonny might just understand that. But he wouldn’t appreciate the knowledge now.

“I am sorry that I wasn’t there this morning but Sam was fine last night. She’d been fine for months. There were no problems. I thought–thought she would be fine.”

“You can’t predict these things,” Sonny said. “I don’t blame you. And I shouldn’t have this morning.” He hesitated. “And you should be here when she finds out.”

“Thank you.”

“So.” Sonny sat down and gestured for Jason to take the other chair. “Tell me about Elizabeth.”

Cottage: Living Room

When Elizabeth got home, Emily was sitting on the couch, surrounded by wedding magazines and her wedding planner. “Em!”

“Your grandmother had a meeting at the hospital,” Emily said. “So she asked me to come by. Since I took this semester off from classes and Connor’s gone, I don’t have much to do other than plan my wedding.”

Elizabeth sat next to her on the couch and started flipping through the magazines. “How is it, planning a royal wedding?” she teased.

“It’s so much pressure,” Emily sighed. “I never realized just how influential the Cassadines are in Europe. There are so many people I have to invite and so many customs I have to adhere to.”

“Why do you have to?” Elizabeth questioned. “Nikolas didn’t when he married Lydia and when Stefan married Bobbie, it was just an elopement.”

“I know, but I want to do this right. Nikolas has made his fortune back in investments this year and we can afford to do the wedding the right way. So I was thinking of a spring wedding, in April,” Emily said. “Out on the Spoon Island. We’d have to hire tons of crew to get the grounds cleaned up and the house, Lord, so much of it has been closed up for the last year. But I love Nikolas and I want the whole world to know.”

“Well, you know anything I can do, I will,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Cameron’s napping?”

“Yep.” Emily tugged the mammoth wedding planner binder into her lap. “I’ve already hired the company to clean up the grounds. They’re going to be doing that for the next few months and then planting gardens and just making it a much friendlier place to live. Nikolas is flying to Europe for most of January and February to oversee some of the companies he’s bought.” Emily shook her head. “With Connor out of our lives and this Mary Bishop stuff finally over, Nikolas is throwing himself into the business and I’m doing the wedding.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re happy.” Elizabeth thumbed through another magazine before hesitating at a dress–a slim column of white silk. “This is gorgeous.”

“Hmmmm…I was thinking more of something like this,” Emily showed her a picture of a white gown with a full skirt and corset bodice. “It’s got silver shot through the white, so it kind of gleams.” Emily hesitated. “But that one is perfect for you.”

Elizabeth shut the magazine immediately. She and Jason had never discussed marriage and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever want to get married again anyway. “I don’t know where I’d wear it,” she joked.

“You’ll find someone,” Emily said quietly. “Someone who makes Ric Lansing a very distant memory.” Her dark eyes ignited with fury. “Sometimes I could just strangle him for what he’s done to you.”

“Emily–”

“You hardly go out anymore, you keep Cameron to yourself, we rarely see him. You’re always working and don’t think I don’t know you’re working yourself half to death to afford this place.”

“That’s not Ric’s fault,” Elizabeth argued. “It’s me. I’m just–I’d rather be home when I’m not working and Cameron deserves this home.”

“And now he’s married Alexis like you never existed,” Emily continued to fume, “Well, he’s not invited to my wedding–”

“Emily.” Elizabeth sighed deeply. “There’s nothing wrong with me or with Ric. He’s been perfectly normal and sane for the last year and a half. The thing with Carly–it doesn’t–it doesn’t even matter anymore. I wasn’t what he needed and he wasn’t what I needed.” Elizabeth tucked her hair behind her ears. “He’s married to Alexis now and you can’t pretend he’s not. You can’t pretend he’s not part of your family and it’s not fair to Alexis.”

“Alexis is just so smart, how could she delude herself into thinking he loves her?” Emily shook her head.

“You don’t know what she thinks,” Elizabeth said. “You have no right to judge her, to judge him.” She stood and tossed the magazines on the coffee table. She started to pace in front of the fireplace. “That’s not loyalty to family, to friends. It’s Alexis’s life, who are you to make her feel bad, feel ashamed of her choices, of the way she–” Elizabeth broke off and shook her head. “I–I’m sorry.”

“Elizabeth, sweetie…” Emily set her planner aside and stood. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me.” Emily stepped towards her and put her hands on her friend’s shoulders. “That little rant? Wasn’t about Alexis, it wasn’t about me. It’s about you. I know I’ve been self-absorbed and selfish but you’re my best friend. My sister. You can trust me. You can always trust me.”

“Zander…” Elizabeth’s lower lip quivered. She looked down. “He wasn’t Cameron’s father.”

Emily blinked. Removed her hands. Stepped back. “What?”

“I didn’t–I didn’t know until after he was gone or I would have told him the truth.” Elizabeth shoved her fingers through her hair. “Before I left for Napa, my doctors readjusted my due date and I realized that Zander couldn’t be his father.”

“Who is his father?” Emily asked. She knew it wasn’t Ric. Couldn’t be Ric.

“Someone I love more than almost anything in this world,” Elizabeth whispered. “But he has a whole other life and Cam and I don’t really fit.”

Emily’s mind was racing, fitting possibilities into the slot and discarding them just as easily. Was the man married? Who could Elizabeth love so deeply and so fiercely that she couldn’t even tell her own best friend?

“What do you mean, you don’t fit?” Emily shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“We don’t belong in his life.” Elizabeth moved away from Emily and went towards the kitchen. After a moment, Emily followed her.

Elizabeth poured herself a glass of iced tea and sipped it. “He knows. About Cameron. As soon as I was ready, I told him. And he loves Cameron.”

Emily couldn’t find words. A name was stuck in her throat. She didn’t want to believe it but she couldn’t imagine who else it could be. Not Zander, not Ric.

“So he’s spent time with Cameron? With you?” Emily asked slowly.

“As much as he can.” Elizabeth set the glass on the counter. “He’s provided for me, for his son. He loves us. But it’s not enough. It can never be enough.”

“Elizabeth…” Emily spread her hands out in front of her. “I don’t–you’re not making sense. How could he afford to provide for you like this?” She looked around her. “Did he help you buy this place?”

“He bought it. I didn’t argue because he doesn’t feel like he can do much for Cameron other than provide him a place to live.”

“He bought it?” Emily repeated. She blinked. “I don’t–” She looked around the kitchen. The small cozy kitchen. She wandered past the dining room and into the open living room. Looked at the staircase that led to the three bedrooms upstairs. She turned back to Elizabeth. “Why don’t you fit?” she asked. “Is it his job?”

“No,” Elizabeth said, sounding offended. “I could never ask him to change that part of him.”

“Then…what’s wrong?” Emily demanded. “His family adores you. His friends love you–”

“What?” Elizabeth sputtered. “What are you talking about? His friends can’t stand me.”

“Since when?” Emily asked. “Nikolas and I are like family to you–”

Elizabeth blinked. She looked at Emily oddly. “You and Nikolas aren’t his friends.”

Emily closed her mouth. “I’ve been Lucky’s friend longer than you have,” she tossed back.

“Lucky?” Elizabeth repeated, her eyes wide with shock. “What does Lucky have to do with this?”

General Hospital: Brooke’s Room

Dillon slowly slid the door to Brooke’s room open. His niece was sitting up in bed, reading some trashy romance novel. He blanched at the bruises on her face. “Hey,” he said, trying to sound casual.

“Hey.” Brooke set the novel aside. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah.” Dillon rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that. You know how it is. People to mock, places to avoid.”

Brooke smirked. “Yeah, how goes that mocking thing?”

“Ah, the population of Port Charles High makes it pathetically easy.” Dillon sat at her bedside. “All joking aside, I’m sorry I haven’t been here.”

“It’s okay.” Brooke shrugged.

“It’s not. I was just–” Dillon looked away. “I didn’t want to have to see what he did to you. I’m already angry enough to kill him without actually seeing what he’s done to you.”

Brooke bit her lip. “Dillon.”

“I’m sorry, I just–” he exhaled slowly. “I’m so angry, Brooke. I didn’t want you to see that.”

“I don’t want you to be angry.” Brooke twisted her fingers in the white sheets. “I just–I want this to be over.”

“I wish I could make that happen.” Dillon sighed heavily. “I can yell at you though. For sending Georgie to see that…sorry excuse for a human.”

Brooke hesitated and slid him a glance out of the corner of her eyes. “She actually went?”

“Yes. I can yell at you for that right?”

“I’m sorry, I never should have sent her there.” Brooke sighed. “I just–I wanted to know why.”

“Still.” Dillon sniffed. “Bit irresponsible.”

“Yeah…since when I have cared about being responsible?” Brooke asked with a small smile.

PC Municipal Building: District Attorney’s Office

Alexis pushed open the door to her new husband’s office. Ric sat behind the large mahogany desk, his suit jacket long gone, his tie loosened and his hair disheveled. “Hey.”

“So I met with Dr. Webber.” Alexis closed the office door and sat down. “He told me that Kristina can be moved from the isolation unit in about a week and she’ll be home by December 1.”

“That’s…” Ric shook his head and grinned. “That’s incredible.”

“It is.” Alexis sighed and leaned back in the chair. “I feel like this huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Things are finally turning around. Did I tell you that Nikolas has asked me to be the lead counsel for the hospital?”

“Yeah? I wasn’t aware the Cassadines were still on the board there,” Ric remarked. He capped his pen. “Did Nikolas buy back interest?”

“Yes, he always enjoyed that part of the business. He wants to restructure the hospital and eventually all of Cassadine Industries.” She smiled wistfully. “Seems like yesterday he was a little boy, chasing after Stefan.”

“They all have to grow up some time,” Ric said. He stood and crossed to rub her shoulders. “So what else is on your mind?”

“Our future,” Alexis admitted. “We’re married now and I don’t think that’s sunk in for either of us.”

“No, I guess it hasn’t,” Ric said. “Is it really that dreadful to think about?”

“No.” Alexis’s lips curved into a smile. “Surprisingly, it’s not.” She stood and leaned against the desk, facing him. “But there are things we have to speak about. Living together, for one. Your apartment, mine?”

“How about…some place entirely new. Something that’s not…part of either of our pasts?” Ric suggested. “Kristina’s a little older now. I think maybe something with a backyard.”

Alexis blinked. “You mean…buy something?”

“Sure, what’s wrong with that?”

“I rent,” she replied, a little mystified. “I’ve never owned anything.”

“Well…” Ric took her by the shoulders and kissed her briefly. “There’s a first time for everything.”

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