A Big Little Secret
(2nd Story in the Secrets and Lies Series)
Chapter 1: Heaven and Hell
University of Miami Medical Center, Miami, Florida
The nurse quietly started to turn off the machines one by one. The EKG machine was still beeping loudly and the flat line was still on the screen. She looked at the person in the bed and held back a sigh. She knew who this girl was and she thought it was a real shame. After all Jordan was only 14.
Somewhere between heaven and Earth…
"I opened my eyes and I saw that I was floating. It scared me half to death. What was this? I mean this isn't what I was told heaven was like. I couldn't be dead I thought, I just can't. I've worked way too hard to let death get in my way now. Then a thought occurred to me, damn Helena! I looked around for the first time and saw the visions flashing past me. They all looked so familiar and then I realized that the visions I saw were parts of my life. When they say that life flashes before your eyes when you die, they weren't kidding! I had to get out of here! I'm too young to die God! Please, pretty please send me back to my family! I know I acted like a brat but I miss my daddy and my Uncle and my Aunt, and Nikky, and Alexander I want to go back. Then suddenly I felt myself falling downwards. Thank you God! A split second later I felt myself land on my bed with a tiny thud."
The nurse turned suddenly when she heard the EKG machine start to beep. It was slow for a split second but then it picked up. The nurse checked her pulse and found that she really was alive!
"Dr. Bernard come in here quickly!" shouted the nurse.
The doctor heard her frantic cries and quickly ran into the room. When he saw the machine and the nurse he knew it was true. Jordan Cassadine-Corinthos had come back from death by herself! He was flabbergasted to say the least. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Jordan's family outside in the hall and he went out to tell them.
"Mr. Corinthos?" said Dr. Bernard to the man in the chair.
"Yes?" said Sonny quietly.
"I have some good news for you and your family. Your daughter is alive."
"She's alive?"
"Yes and you can go and see her if you don't believe me."
Sonny walked past the doctor into the room. He saw Jordan lying in the bed, her color no longer pale. The nurse left just as he made his way over to the bed. He kissed her forehead softly and sat down in the chair.
"You're a stubborn one baby girl. I knew deep down that you wouldn't give up for anything. But I have to admit that you had all of us going there for awhile."
He reached for her hand and took it in his own, examining its features and he kissed it. Then he looked at Jordan sleeping peacefully in her bed unaware of the bruises, contusions, and lacerations that covered her body. She lay in the bed with tubes running to and from her body. Jordan couldn't move even if she tried; her neck was braced in, so was the lower part of her right leg and the lower part of her left arm. A respirator assisted her breathing, an IV forced nutrients into her body, and the EKG machine monitored her heart rate. He made a silent pact to himself to find who did this to Jordan, although he already had an idea of who did it.
Meanwhile outside In the Hall…
Alexis wrapped her arms around her brother in relief. Jordan really was going to be all right. She pulled out of their embrace and studied Stefan carefully.
"It's time Alexis," said Stefan firmly
"Are you sure Stefan? I mean Jordan isn't even awake yet, do we really want to put her through that?"
"Alexis, we've kept this secret too long. Jordana was very close to death. She needs to know."
"I know that she does but, she's not the only one who doesn't know. What about Sonny, what are we going to tell him?"
"We're not."
"What do you mean we're not? He has every right to know."
"I'm not saying that he doesn't. But it won't do any good telling him unless we are sure she's coming.
LYCÈE CARNOT, PARIS
Jenna Christianson was walking out of her last morning class when she was pulled aside by a teacher. The teacher didn't say very much, only that Jenna's parents wanted to talk to her. When they arrived in the main office Jenna saw her parents there waiting for her. She frowned slightly at the expressions on their faces. After getting permission from school Jenna and her parents headed back to their house in London. It was a long trip but Jenna was dying to know what was going on. Finally they all sat down together and started to talk about this pressing issue.
"Sweetheart we need to take a trip," said her mother
"A trip to where?" Jenna asked suspiciously.
"To America," said her father
"We told you how you were adopted right?"
"Yes"
"Well part of it was true. But friends of ours gave us to you in order to protect you from harm. Before we came to pick you up we got a phone call from our friends in America. One of their family members was involved in an explosion and she almost died. So now they have decided that it is time to meet you."
"There's something more isn't there?"
"Yes but you'll find out in good time."
Miami
The next day
The night passed uneventfully and the doctors said that Jordan should wake up at anytime. Stefan and Alexis were in deep discussion about something and no one disturbed them. Sonny spent the entire night at his daughter's bedside praying to God that she would wake up soon. He was talking to her about everything that was happening since the explosion when he felt her hand move in his. He looked at her and she was opening her eyes very slowly.
"Hey baby girl. It's about time you woke up," said Sonny.
Her green eyes penetrated his brown ones; they were foggy with sleep and medication. But the spark was still in her eyes. The spark was covered with a thin veil of fear when Jordan realized she couldn't move. Sonny saw this and spoke soothing words to her in Spanish. He reached over slowly and buzzed the nurse who came in immediately and left as quickly as she had come. Soon the doctor came in and started his preliminary examination.
He checked all of the normal stuff like pupils and blood pressure. Dr. Bernard noticed that Jordan was breathing a little faster than normal and was concerned.
"Are you having any chest pain or trouble breathing?" asked Dr. Bernard.
When Jordan nodded Dr. Bernard asked Sonny to step aside and buzzed the nurse. He whispered something in her ear and she asked Sonny to wait outside. When he was gone the doctor proceeded to take Jordan's chest tube out. He asked her to cough as he pulled it out and when she did bright red blood came up.
"Call upstairs and tell them to prep an OR STAT! Call the blood bank too!" Dr. Bernard barked as they quickly got Jordan out of the room.
Sonny and everyone else in the hall were wide-eyed as they saw Jordan being whisked into an elevator and disappeared. He had just gotten his daughter back and now she was in danger again. This is a nightmare that he wanted to end now.
"She'll be fine Sonny," Carly said softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"God I hope so Carly I can't lose her now, I just can't," said Sonny.
The end of chapter 1: more to come so stay tuned!