A car accident leads Jason and Elizabeth to intersect. They are both drawn to each other and start to develop feelings for one another. Then, another tragedy strikes and everything changes. It will lead them on an emotional journey and test their connection. AU/AH
A/N – This is going to lead to vintage Liason (with my twist of course). It will be an interesting and emotional journey.
Chapter 1 – Slippery Slopes
The trees were frozen in place like someone had cast a frosty spell. They were covered in a blanket of hardened snow and there was no movement; all was quiet except for the occasional swipe of the wiper blades glancing across the slightly fogged up windshield. Mounds of dirty snow were piled up along the side of the road as Jason slowly drove Keesha's car into a thawing Port Charles. She had told him that it had been acting up and had left it at some diner across the state line. The weather would progressively get worse during the next week, so after his shift was finished, he had decided to take a cab to go retrieve it.
Lately, she had been acting so strangely as she placed some distance between them. He had always loved her smile, but he couldn't think of the last time that he had seen it. In the beginning of their relationship, which had started over a year ago, he thought she was the one. She ran a community center and did a lot of activist work. Her passion for helping people was one of things he loved about her the most. You could see it in her eyes and body language when she spoke of it. And it was that zest for life that attracted him in the first place. They spent as much time as they could together, given Jason's busy schedule at the hospital, but that just didn't seem like enough anymore. It seemed like they weren't on the same page. Hell, Jason couldn't even find the book anymore. He was pretty sure he wasn't even in love with her anymore and that was a depressing realization.
About two months prior, they had a pregnancy scare. She wasn't and Jason was glad because he wasn't ready to be a father. It wasn't that he didn't want to some day, but he had just gotten out of his residency and he needed some time to breathe. His life at the hospital was hectic. Keesha, on the other hand seemed really disappointed about it, but once he voiced that maybe it was a good thing, she had shut down on him. When he noticed and asked about it, she would say it was nothing. Her grandmother was ill at the time and had since died and her demeanor had gotten worst after the funeral, but she wouldn't open up to him about it.
Reaching down to turn up the heat, he felt the car start to slide and he gripped the steering wheel as he tried to get control of it, but it was no use. His mind was running scenarios; turn with the spin—don't use the brakes. Before he could get his bearings, he went through the guardrail and plunged into the freezing water.
"Fuck." He yelled out a command for the phone and it dialed the last number accessed instead of what he wanted.
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Elizabeth sat down at her desk at the center. She had agreed to work a few hours every two weeks as part of Mercy's mental health outreach program. Epiphany, her boss, tagged along with her. Liz was nervous. It was her first time working at a suicide hotline. The thought of getting a phone call was almost making her stomach turn as she stared at the phone like it was a virus. She sat down and put on her headphones and prayed that it wouldn't ring.
"Shit," she muttered, when it did just that five minutes later. "This is Liz, how can I help you?"
Jason began to talk a mile a minute. "Listen, I've been in an accident. I hit some black ice and my car plunged into the water and I'm moving downstream. I don't know what to do. This can't be happening."
Liz stood up as her heartbeat quickened. "Sir, this is not 911."
"What?" Jason asked.
"Maybe you dialed the last call your phone made," she suggested.
"Who did I call?"
"A suicide hotline," Elizabeth explained.
Jason gasped and looked down and realized that Keisha had left her phone in the car. "It's not my phone," he muttered before quickly disconnecting it from the car because he knew that he'd lose the electrical system soon. Quickly, he put it on speaker.
Epiphany had walked over and Liz explained the situation and she called 911.
"Oh God, I'm headed for deeper water," Jason said, realizing where he was. "It's starting to get into the car and the electrical system just went out." The water was rushing in and Jason could feel his heart beating faster. When the cold water lapped against his feet, he pulled them up as the temperature shocked him.
"Sir, can you open your window?" Liz asked.
Jason tried. "No."
Liz looked over at Epiphany.
"Tell him to unbuckle his seat belt. It would be better if he releases it when he isn't panicked."
Liz relayed the message and Jason did so.
"Tell him he has to break the side window," Epiphany added as she received more instructions.
Liz nodded. "You need to break the side window. Do you have something you can hit it with?"
Jason looked around and found the large flashlight he had put under the passenger seat. "I have something."
"You're going to have to break it. The water will rush into the car and then you'll have to swim through the opening and get to the shore."
Jason gulped. It was like his life flashed before his eyes. This couldn't be the end. He had worked so hard to be a doctor. It was his passion. It would devastate his family and Keisha. "If I don't make it, my name is Dr. Jason Quartermaine. I work at General Hospital along with my mom and dad. Tell my family that I love them."
Tears started to flood Liz's eyes. She could hear the desperation in his voice and she wished she could do something more to help. Closing her eyes, she thought quickly about what he needed to know. "Jason, you have to hang in there. The water is going to be really cold. It will be a shock to your system, but you have to keep going okay?"
"I will," he said, softly. He simply had too much to lose to give up.
"Can you see any landmarks? There is a chopper in the air right now looking for you." Epiphany was still feeding her information.
Jason wiped the window and gasped. "I'm near the bridge at Vista Point. I'm right before it."
"Good job Jason."
Liz relayed the information. "Hurry and get out. You don't have much time before the water gets deeper."
She knew exactly where that bridge was and how difficult the terrain is in that area. "Swim to the side as quickly as you can and then get your body out of the water. Your muscles are not going to want to move but you have to get your limbs out so you don't get frostbite."
This was just unbelievable. He heard everything she said but at the same time, it was too crazy to process. He was wondering if he could even survive the shock let alone swim. "Okay. Thank you Liz. I'm going for it."
"I'll stay on the line."
She listened to him struggle to break the window and let out a sigh of relief when he did.
Jason leaned back and used his feet to kick out the rest of the glass as the water started filling up the car.
The line went dead and Elizabeth took off her headphones.
Epiphany looked at the door and then back at her and they raced towards her car. "They'll take him to GH because of their trauma unit," she said, quickly. "We'll head there."
It would be a slow ride, because the roads were really getting bad.
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Jason's body plunged into the cold water and the coldness took his breath away. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. His muscles had tensed as he struggled to get to the surface and when he finally broke through and gulped in cold air, it burned his throat and his body felt like it just froze. He could see the shoreline and started swimming towards it the best he could. As a doctor, he knew he was in trouble and needed to get out of the water quickly. His body would start shutting down on him soon. It already felt like a million pin pricks were assaulting it and the pain was almost doing him in.
A spotlight from a helicopter searched the area before the bridge and found Jason just as he was struggling to get out of the water. His body felt like it weighed a ton.
"I see him," Jerry Jacks yelled. "He's almost directly under the bridge."
Mac and a rescue team drove onto the bridge and got out of their cars. He took out a bullhorn when he spotted Jason. The helicopter still had the light on him. "Jason, your feet are still in the water. Move." Mac bellowed.
Jason barely had any strength left, but somehow he managed to move a bit before blacking out.
"Jerry, we're going to need you to take him," Mac said, into his radio. They didn't have a lot of time before Jason's organs shut down.
Jerry looked over at his co-pilot. "We'll get everything ready."
Mac directed the rescue team. They had already gotten the ropes ready along with a warming blanket. The men were repelling down. Once they got to the bottom, he watched as they ran along the bank to get to Jason.
"He's unconscious," one of the men said. "But, he still has a pulse."
They turned Jason over and moved him further away from the water before wrapping him in a warming blanket. Getting his temperature up would be the key to his survival.
The co-pilot lowered the rescue basket and Jerry lined it up as close as he could. One of the responders retrieved it and then they worked to put Jason in it. Once he was secured, they walked it closer to the water and Jerry lifted up. The co-pilot watched as Jason rose up and then got him inside the helicopter and they were off.
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Elizabeth and Epiphany rushed into General Hospital and ran up to the nurse's station. "Listen, we're nurses from Mercy Hospital. Is there a Quartermaine on staff tonight?"
Robin was coming around the corner. "Monica just got out of surgery. She's in the locker room."
"This is an emergency involving Jason. Can you please go get her?"
Robin hurried away and a minute later came back with a panicked looking Monica.
"What happened to my son?"
"He was in a car accident. He called a hotline by mistake and I picked up. He hit some black ice and his car went into the water and he had to break the window to get out. A rescue helicopter was in the area and that is all I know at this point. He told me his name and to tell his family that he loved them."
Monica's hands went over her mouth.
"Dr. Quartermaine. A helicopter just landed on the roof. They are bringing Jason down now." Leyla said.
Monica said a quick prayer before addressing the two women. "Thank you for helping my son. What are your names?"
"Epiphany Johnson."
"Elizabeth Webber."
Monica's mouth dropped open. "Jeff's daughter?"
Liz smiled. "Yes."
They were interrupted by Mac running towards him.
"Mac, you helped get him here?"
Mac nodded. "They should be bringing him down right now."
The elevators opened up and Jason gurney's came into view. Patrick was riding on top giving Jason chest compressions and Monica felt her legs buckle. Mac caught her and moved her over to some chairs.
"Deep breaths Dr. Quartermaine," Liz said, monitoring her pulse.
Alan ran into the room. "Monica, what is going on?"
"It's Jason. He was in an accident. His car went into the water. Patrick is tending to him."
"I'll go see if I can help," Alan said, rushing off.
Mac looked over at Epiphany and Elizabeth.
"She took the call," Epiphany said, pointing to Liz.
Mac nodded. "The roads are getting bad. Why don't I have someone drive you ladies home?"
Liz looked up. "Epiphany you go. I don't want to leave her."
"You sure?"
"I'm positive," Liz said.
Epiphany left and Monica gripped Elizabeth's hand. "Thank you."
"To be honest, I don't feel like I can leave until I know that he is okay," Liz said.
"I understand. You're a good nurse," Monica said.
"How do you know my father?"
Monica chuckled. "Would you believe that I was married to him?"
Liz's mouth dropped open. "No way."
"It was a long time ago. I was a little hussy back then."
Liz grinned. "Do tell."
"I was torn between Rick and Jeff and then you can throw Alan into that equation a little later."
"Dr. Quartermaine….." Liz said, pretending to be appalled.
Monica smiled. "I know. Anyway, we didn't make it. It was before Jason was born actually. I adopted him. He's my son in every way that counts."
Liz squeezed her hand as her smile faded.
Patrick walked towards them and Monica and Liz stood up. "He's alive. His temperature is dangerously low. We're doing everything we can to bring it back up. We're using warm intravenous fluids, as well as airway rewarming. If necessary, we can withdraw some blood and warm it and recirculate it in his body."
"Did his heart stop?"
"They couldn't find a pulse so I did it as a precaution. I think it was just low because of the hypothermia, but we'll be doing some tests to confirm that," Patrick said.
"Can I see him?"
"Soon. We are doing some scans and trying to get his temp up. I just want to make sure that he is stable," Patrick said.
Monica nodded.
He touched her arm and then turned and hurried back to Jason's room.
They sat back down. Alan joined them and Monica introduced him to Liz. About a half hour later, Patrick called for them to come back.
Liz didn't move, but Monica held out her hand and they all went back.
Monica and Alan rushed into the room. Liz stayed off to the side as she watched Monica fuss with Jason's hair.
A few minutes later, his eyes flickered open.
"Jason," Monica said. "You're in the hospital. You were in an accident and your car went into the water."
"I remember," he said, as his teeth started to chatter. "Cold."
"I know. We're doing everything we can to warm you up. You have frostbite on almost all of your toes but the tissues aren't dead so we're hoping they will heal."
"I'm a mess," he said, with much effort.
Monica nodded.
"What about my fingers?"
"They are fine," Monica said. "Mac said your feet were still in the water when he arrived on scene, and that he yelled at you to pull them out and you did."
"I don't remember that. Once I hit the water, it was just so cold. I couldn't think."
He was shivering, which was normal, but Monica hated that he was suffering.
"I was on the phone before that. Liz."
Monica slightly smiled. "She's right here. She's a nurse at Mercy hospital."
Jason tried to look around but he couldn't move. Monica motioned for Elizabeth to move forward. "Elizabeth Webber, this is my son Jason."
She moved closer and smiled. He had beautiful blue eyes. "Hi," she said, softly.
Jason stared at her. She was very pretty. "Thank you."
She reached out and touched his cheek. "I'm glad that I could help."
There was a commotion in the hallway and Emily ran inside. "Jason?"
Elizabeth stepped back and Jason actually missed her touch.
"Em," he said.
She started to cry.
Monica had forgotten that Emily was asleep in the on call room. She was a first year resident. Alan had gone to wake her up.
"I love you," she said, as she fiddled with his blankets. "We'll get you better."
"Scared," he said, softly.
"You're going to be fine. I won't have it any other way," Emily said.
A/N - Please let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated!