Ch. 2

Elizabeth clutched Jake's shirt to her chest as she paced back and forth in the ER. On the phone, she listened to Lucky's voicemail pick up once again. "Come on, Lucky, pick up," she cried into the phone. "Jake's been hit by a car, we're at GH, GET HERE! she screamed and hung up. Snapping the phone shut, she threw it against the wall. She turned around and saw her brother hurrying to her.

Throwing herself into his arms, she begged him, "Please, just let me be with him. I told Jakey he wouldn't be alone. He's going to be scared Steven, please."

Stroking his sister's hair, he answered, "You know hospital regulations. Parents aren't allowed in a trauma situation. Robin and Patrick are in there doing their job. You're their friend. Jake has played with their daughter. Don't distract them anymore then they probably already are."

Tears leaked out of the corner of Elizabeth's eyes. "I turned my head for a second. How did I not hear him open the door? This is all my fault."

Moving Elizabeth back so he could look into her eyes, he said, "This is NOT your fault. Do you understand me, it was an ACCIDENT!"

Elizabeth nodded her head as the tears continued to stream down her face.

"OK, I'm going to go check on Jake. Why isn't Lucky here with you?"

Eyes flashing, Elizabeth replied, "He won't answer his damn phone. I've left him 20 messages and left a 911 at the police station. Since the police arrived with the ambulance, I know many of Lucky's buddies know."

"Will you be ok by yourself while I check on Jake?"

Shaking her head, Elizabeth sat down and once again, clutched Jake's shirt to her chest.

Giving his sister a kiss on the forehead, he headed off to the trauma room where Jake was. Whipping out his cell phone, he dialed a number he never thought he'd have to call.

"Morgan," came the terse replied.

"It's Steven Webber. There's been an accident-Jake's been hit by a car, you need to get to GH as quick as possible."

On the other end of the phone, Jason stilled in the middle of his penthouse. "How bad," he managed to get out.

Taking a deep breath, Steven replied, "It's really bad. Head trauma and body trauma. Someone hit him and kept going. Look, I gotta go, but Elizabeth's here by herself and I think she's going to lose it."

"Where's Lucky," Jason questioned.

All but growling into the phone, Steven grumbled, "That's the million dollar question," and hung up the phone.

Slamming his phone shut, Jason grabbed his eyes and shot out the door, praying the entire way to the hospital.

Elizabeth paced up and down the hall. No one would let her see Jake and Robin and Patrick had just wheeled him into emergency brain surgery. Her little boy was currently on an operating table and she wasn't there with him. Steven promised he would stay so Jake wasn't alone, but she was HIS mother. SHE should be there! A sob broke through and she started to crumble.

Strong arms caught her. Arms that she knew she would never forget. For a moment, her entire body stiffened. Then, she slowly turned around and looked into the cobalt blue eyes that were an exact match to her sons. Eyes that had haunted her every day since she and Jason had stopped seeing each other. Eyes that were currently as pain filled as her own.

"I didn't hear the door, I swear my eyes were turned for one second, Jason," Elizabeth sobbed as Jason's arms engulfed her.

Rubbing his hand over her hair, he whispered, "It's not your fault. It was the person who hit him who's to blame."

Sobbing, she clutched the lapels of his leather jacket. "It is MY FAULT, she screamed, "YOU GAVE HIM UP TO PROTECT HIM AND I COULDN'T EVEN KEEP HIM SAFE IN OUR HOUSE!"

With that Elizabeth's knees buckled and she started to fall to the floor, sobbing. Jason sunk to the floor with her, whispering that they would get through this. Silently, he thought to himself, how does one get through this?