Amanda Rhiannon – you did it again with your ejami montage on youtube entitled "Caribbean blue" it was just beautiful! And it tickled my muse.

Disclaimer: days of our lives is not mine, the actors are not mine, although I can think of one tall dark handsome one with an accent that I would love to have be mine but that's beside the point.

The invisible thread part three

Sami entered his room again - cautiously glancing around to ensure that no-one she knew saw her.

EJ lay on the bed, either asleep or unconscious. His breathing seemed laboured. She stepped closer and studied him. His face was flushed and a thin sheen of sweat covered his skin.

She remembered how distraught he had been the last time she was there. She tentatively reached out and brushed aside the hair on his forehead, which had been plastered, to his brow. His skin was hot.

Apparently the antibiotics weren't working. He moaned and she snatched her hand back. He started tossing his head back and forth restlessly. "Samantha."

She gulped. "What is it, EJ?'

"Why did you leave me?"

Confused she looked at him, his eyes were still closed. "You asked me to."

"I loved you, I really loved you. I understand you like no one else does. And you understand me," he mumbled.

She realized then he wasn't awake. He was in some fever induced delirium apparently thinking about her.

She put her hand back on his brow. "Shhhh, just sleep, EJ."

"I thought, I had hoped, you were falling in love with me like I was with you."

She took her hand away again finding herself getting frustrated with him. After all the things he had done how could he possibly think that she could be falling in love with him. He attempted to turn to his side as if trying to find the comforting touch of her hand again but the restraints on his wrists kept him in place. His breathing grew quicker. She noticed a bowl full of ice on the nightstand along with a wash cloth. She dipped the wash cloth, wrung it out and laid it on EJ's forehead. "Just calm down, it's going to be ok."

"The babies are mine."

She frowned. "First and foremost, EJ, they are mine. I am their mother!"

"I want to help raise them, they need to know who their father is. Please Samantha…"

His plea tore at her heart. "EJ."

His eyes fluttered open, he looked groggy and confused. She remembered how Marlena had said that he was heavily drugged.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

He went to move his hand but realized he was restrained. A brief look of panic crossed his features and Sami realized he must have been remembering the time when Tony had him tied to a bed to be shot. He lifted his eyes to hers. "Water, please," his voice came out in a whisper. She filled a cup to the brim and held the bendable straw to his lips. He gulped half of the water in the cup, then lay back and closed his eyes again.

"Do you want me to leave?" She asked hesitantly.

Did he? He didn't' know how to answer that, he settled for a question of his own. "Why are you here?"

Sami froze for a moment then, "I heard about the fever and the temporary paralysis."

His eyes lifted to hers again and for a moment she was struck speechless by the raw pain she saw in the dark depths but then in a heartbeat it was gone replaced by something darker. He raised a brow looking at her. "So you came to see me suffer? Get everything you think I deserve?" His voice was harsh and bitter.

"NO!" She practically yelled. Then looking frustrated she finally said more quietly. "I only wanted to make sure you were ok."

As if staring at her caused him pain, he looked away again. His voice was cruel, "Why, Samantha? Why do you keep coming here? Are you here to profess your love for me? Do you want to raise our children together? Do you want to be a family?" He looked back at her.

"NO!" Never! I love Lucas and I have a family with Lucas, Will and these babies!" she yelled.

"Then stop wasting my time! Run off to your perfectly manufactured family. Get out of here, GET OUT!" he lunged up but doubled over with an agonizing cry of pain. His arms held back by the restraints. Shocked, Sami reached out to him as a nurse bolted into the room.

"What happened?" she snapped at Sami, pushing her out of the way.

"He tried to sit and …is he ok?"

"Mr. Wells, calm, I'll get you a pain killer." She attempted to get him to lie down but he stayed hunched over gasping for breath. The nurse ran out of the room and returned seconds later injecting a needle into EJ's IV. His breathing slowed and with the nurse's help he managed to lie down again. His face was tight with pain.

"You need to leave. You are upsetting my patient." the nurse ordered Sami.

Sami nodded; her stomach was in knots.

"Can you please take the restraints off?" EJ asked the nurse. She did so reluctantly after making him promise to stay still and to remember that she had just given him another dose of painkiller.

"EJ, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. You will have access to your children. We'll work something out. I don't want you to think otherwise." Sami assured him, her heart pounding erratically.

He looked at her again as he carefully rubbed his wrists.

"Thank you for that." he said softly.

She smiled at him for a moment then suddenly gasped.

"What is it?" he asked alarmed. "Is something wrong with the babies?"

She shook her head. "No. You just moved your leg. EJ, I think the paralysis is wearing off. Try and do it again!" She moved closer to him and grasped his hand.

He didn't need anymore incentive. He concentrated on wiggling his toes and succeeded. He released a heavy sigh of relief as Sami enveloped him in a hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad the doctor was right, I was so worried." She blurted out. She moved out of the hug and cupped the side of his face with her hand. Then realizing what she was doing she quickly removed her hand. "I better go. Take care of yourself and get rid of that fever."

"We need to talk, Samantha, about everything." EJ said looking at her intently.

Her eyes flashed. "No, EJ, we don't. The only thing that we need to discuss is our children. Everything else is off limits."

"How can you say that when…"

"Just stop! Focus on getting better. I need to get home to Lucas."

She walked out without another glance back. Leaving him lying there with his fists clenched tightly in frustration and darkness creeping back into his heart.