"how many fucking times will this happen to me?" Sam stared blankly at the crème colored wall waiting for yet another doctor to come and tell her what is wrong with Jason this time. When Jason first got sick in 2005, she would often joke about trading him in for a newer model but when it came down to it, he was it for her. Danny was off at Summer camp for the next two weeks, so it would give her and Jason plenty of time to figure out something to tell him
Sam was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice Jade, Morgan's wife appears around the corner with a cup of coffee. "Sam, you alright." Sam zoned back in and forced an uneasy smile as she handed the worried wife the coffee, "I am sure that Jason will be fine, he has beat greater odds with ease; he will beat this!" Jade said adding a light pat on Sam's left shoulder. "It would be even easier to hear this pep talk if we knew what "It" is" Jade nodded in agreement before sitting by her.
"Where is Morgan?" Sam asked Jade, Morgan had only been back in Port Charles for almost a year, but things were still tense after everything that happened with Morgan's death being faked and his memory being wiped. "He is taking Liam for his first-year checkups." Jade grinned, every time she talked about her son with Morgan, she got all giddy and lovesick. "How is he doing, Morgan I mean?" Jade pursed her lips and tried to find the words to describe her husband's mood swings. "We have good days and bad days, but he is more tortured by the fact that he has no memory of Carly or Sonny. I mean it hurts that he doesn't remember Michael, but I think the fact that he doesn't remember his parents, it's on a whole other level."
Matt Hunter, who had been released from prison five months earlier and was already back at work, cleared his throat, seemingly interrupting their conversation. "How is he? "Sam casually asked as she stood from the harvest beige colored chair. "Jason is alive and that is probably the most fortunate news that he could ever hope to get when it comes to a patient with his medical history." Matt really did have his brother's bedside manner, if Sam didn't know Patrick as well as she did she would have him pegged as a total prick.
"you certainly are a ray of sunshine, what are you going to tell us next? Does Jason have cancer or kidney failure? "Jade was just being a smartass, it was in her genes to be sarcastic, never did she for a split, micro moment of a second think that any one of those two things could have ever been true about Jason. "Both, actually! Jason has a form of colon cancer, and both of his kidneys are failing." Jades mouth practically fell open and Sam swallowed hard, practically choking on the word "Cancer" she quietly spoke, she took a deep breath and tried her best to appear calm and assured.
"Oh my god! Jason is dead, isn't he?" Carly hurried off the elevator with Sonny trailing behind her, she had seen Jade and Sam's reaction while speaking to Matt and jumped to the worst conclusion. "Carly; Jason, he has cancer." Jade stood from the chair and walked over to her mother in-law who was now in absolute devastation and fear, Jade pulled her into a deep and meaningful hug and Carly allowed the two of them to have that special moment. "He will be fine, Carly! Jason is a fighter!" Jade reminded her before glancing at Sam who was still standing mute in the same spot, looking as if she had just been hit with a million tons of bricks. "You still with us, Sam?" Jade called out and she quickly shook the thought of their past from her mind and wiped away a few of her tears.
"I really need to get home! I need to relieve Melanie, get some laundry done and supper on the table before my husband gets home!" Sam took one final deep and exasperated breath before disappearing down the hallway towards the elevator leaving Jade, Sonny and Carly all looking stunned and concerned.
Samantha never thought she would be that person again, that concerned woman waiting to see if the love of her life was alive or not, it wasn't fair that after all these years she was still waiting in a fucking waiting room to see if Jason was alive. She was so mad at him, she was angry at him for not being enough to make him happy, he always had to live life at the most dangerous edge, if it wasn't life-threatening. He was bored! After pulling up to her colonial mansion; Sam put her car in park and grabbed a couple bags of groceries from the passenger seat and headed inside.
"Mommy; you are home!" Hunter came barreling towards her stark-naked with his arms wide open as if to give her a big hug. "Hunter, where are your clothes?" Sam chuckled as she dropped the bags at the doorway and picked him up. "Melanie was trying to give me a bath; I don't want one!" Hunter was three years old and he was already an absolute genius with pulling strings to get what he wanted. Sam laughed softly as she carried him back to the downstairs bathroom where Melanie appears out the door soaking wet, from head to toe. "I will take it from here, Mel; why don't you take the rest of the day off." Sam smiled politely and gave Melanie eighty dollars, it might seem like a lot for such a small amount of time but those two hours that Melanie has with hunter is a lot for anyone to spend with him, he is a handful.
"I really appreciate that, I actually have a date tonight and I would like to get home and get ready for it." Mel took the money and gave Hunter a kiss on his cheek before heading out. "Mommy, do I still have to take a bath?" Sam arched her brow, daring Hunter to give her any problems. "Yes; and Daddy will be home soon so the quicker you take your bath, the more time that you will have with Daddy before you go to bed." Sam swallowed hard; it was almost like she was refusing to let herself come to terms with Jason's predicament, so she was just focusing on everything else and everyone else in her life. "You want to help me with dinner? After we finish your bath, we can throw on some ribeye's, baked beans, red potatoes and cheese and some corn." Sam loved her babies, they really were her biggest fans, and she was theirs; there was nothing more important in her life than her children. "Can we make cake?" Hunter asked grinning from ear to ear, Sam chuckled softly as she carried him into the bathroom to give him his bath.
A few hours later, Sam and Hunter were standing in the kitchen finishing up the finishing touches of dinner before throwing together their cake. Hunter loved chocolate swirl; it was her favorite as well, she had never really been a fan of chocolate, but swirl was incredible.
"When will daddy be home?" Hunter and his father had an amazing relationship, he was great with both Hunter and Danny. The three of them really did have the perfect father-son relationship. "He is on his way home, he will be here before you know it." Sam said cracking an egg into the cake mix. "What about big brother? When will he get home?" Sam grinned as she whisked away in the deep red mixing bowl. Danny and Hunter were great brothers…when they weren't trying to kill each other, they had each other's back though, the first to jump to the others defense. "He will be home in two weeks." Sam reminded Hunter the second or third time but with how young he was, she didn't mind reminding him how long his brother would be at Summer camp. "Do you like it just being you, me and dad?" Sam asked Hunter who looked up and adorably tapped his chin with his index finger. "Yea, but I still miss brother." Sam stood in awe; sure, the boys fought like crazy when they were around each other, and sure; they stood up for one another but here was Hunter, openly admitting that he missed his brother. "Damn, I wish I got that on camera." Sam slapped her pant leg as Hunter roared laughing, a little too dramatic for her taste but that was Hunter for you. He was loud and outgoing; he was the entertainer of the family.
"Hey! Where is my welcoming committee?" Hunter practically dropped the whisk that he was licking when he heard his daddy come into the house. "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy." Hunter screamed bolting for the front door with Sam following behind him drying her hands preparing for a much-needed smooch. "Hey Hon! We have been waiting for you, my Sous chef and myself have been slaving over the hot stove to make dinner tonight, and do say so myself, we killed it!" Sam kneeled with her hand raised in a high five as Hunter reach on his tip toes and high-fived her. "I know that I am late, but you guys are awesome, I was just finishing up going through Jason's medical files for Matt, he wants me to look at his case." Sam swallowed uneasily; just hearing his name was putting her in a downward spiral.
"Well, Dr. Drake; you are home now, and we have this amazing feast to enjoy so go wash up and meet us down here, me and Hunter still need to finish our cake." Sam kissed his lips softly before disappearing back into the kitchen with Hunter following closely behind her. "Is it chocolate, you know that I love chocolate." Patrick really didn't care for chocolate all that much, but he knew that Hunter thought it was disgusting by itself and it amused him to hear Hunter's "Ewe, Daddy; chocolate is disgusting." In the sweetest childlike voice. "Patrick, do you want wine or a beer?" Sam knew that Patrick usually went for the simplicity of a good ole fashion cold one but there were days far in-between when he appreciated the fine things in life such as a glass of pinot grigio. "I am good with a beer." He answered aloud as she grabbed one from the fridge and placed it on the dining table. "Mom, is the cake ready, yet?" Sam sighed softly as she bent down to get at eye level with him. "Hunter, we just put it into the oven; it won't be ready till after you finish your dinner, and you won't be able to have a piece until you finish your dinner, deal?" Hunter crossed his arms in the most adorable pouty way. "Seriously? Moms these days!" Sam let out a guffaw as she stood back to her feet and grabbed the silverware. "Okay, I cannot begin to describe how amazing it feels to be out of scrubs, I mean; why can't I ware a simple pair of sweats to work?" Patrick asked as he came trotting down the stairs with a big grin on his face.
Sam glanced at him and couldn't help but smile by how happy he was but this was getting so hard for her, she couldn't keep pretending to be happy and not at all be effected by the fact that her ex-husband Jason was fighting for his life while she was feeding her family, Jason was still Danny's father and he needed her to help him. "Honey, are you okay?" Patrick asked standing behind her and rubbing her shoulders. "I am okay, I am just worried about Jason! I mean, Matt didn't exactly sugarcoat his prognosis." Sam had learned to love her brother in-law, but his bedside manner really needed a major reevaluation. "Why would he? Sam, I know that you care about him and that he is Danny's father, but Jason is very sick, and Matt needed to be honest about how seriously sick Jason is this time around." Sam took a deep breath as Patrick rubbed her shoulder. "I will say this, Jason Morgan is a fighter and this battle isn't prepared for the level of whoop ass that Jason will bring upon it." Sam agreed, Jason was a fighter and he could take almost anything in the world and come out of it stronger than he was before, but she wasn't so sure this time.
Sam, Patrick and Hunter all sat at the table and began to enjoy their meal meanwhile, across town in a lonely hospital room, Jason remains in critical condition. He hasn't regained consciousness with his girlfriend, Elizabeth sitting in a plush visitation chair practically nodding off to sleep. Jason's eyes flicker furiously back in forth in a rotation manner before he whispers out the words. "Sam."