"How is she?" Jason asked as he welcomed himself into Patrick's apartment followed by Max and five other men.

Patrick protectively went to the intercept Jason. "She sleeping and you're making to much noise."

"I need to see her." Jason stepped towards the bedroom door and Patrick immediately gave him a shove backwards. "I said she's sleeping." Jason's mouth formed a scowl that clearly indicated Patrick was standing on thin ice.

"Carly more than likely has a concussion. The last thing she needs is for you to go in there and upset her. She needs her rest." Patrick scolded Jason.

"Move" Jason demanded. Patrick remained steady in his position.

Jason became furious and pushed Patrick with such force that he hit the bedroom door with a thud.

The sound woke Carly. Carly opened the bedroom door to find Jason being held by Max. "What in the hell is going on here!" She yelled.

Her voice caused both men to become silent. Carly inched her way out of the doorway. She wore a pair of scrubs and her legs weren't to steady so she clung to the wall for support. Patrick rushed to her side. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

"I wouldn't be if the two of you weren't out here acting like wilder beast."

She rubbed the back of her head. Patrick moved her hand and inspected the lump. He gently pressed and she winced in pain.

Jason shook Max loose and jumped to her side. "Carly."

"I'm ok Jase." She said in a soothing voice and ran her hand across his furrowed brow. Then she remembered that she was furious with him and pulled away from him retreating back to Patrick.

Jason's heart sank. She was there with him for that split second. She had looked at him with all the love she always showed him and then she was gone. "Damn you Elizabeth"

Patrick helped Carly over to the couch. "I'm taking to GH for a CAT scan. I want to make sure this is just a mild concussion. I'm not going to take any chances." Carly began to murmur something in protest, but the stabbing pain she was experiencing caused her to quickly accept the doctor's orders. She nodded in acceptance.

"Have anymore of those pills you gave me last night."

"Sure" Patrick responded and got up to get the medication.

Jason knelt down next to Carly. "Those men last night were after you." Carly's eyes widened. "After me?"

Jason explained, "When I got home last night someone had ransacked the penthouse and the only thing I could see that was missing were two pictures. One of you and the boys and the other of Liz and Jake." Carly tensed up at sound of him speaking Liz's name. Jason ignored her reaction and continued. "I think Zacchara may be trying to get to us through the people we love. This means you and the boys are the perfect targets. If he hurts either of you he will not only devastate Sonny, but now he knows he will get to me as well. With both of us off balance he can step in and easily take over. You need to move into with Sonny and the boys. It's the safest place for you right now."

Patrick returned with the pills and a glass of water and handed it to Carly. Carly eyes watched Jason intently as she swallowed the pills She gulped the pills down and then responded. "You and Sonny better make sure nothing happens to my boys. You can put as many guards on me as needed, but I'm not moving in with Sonny."

Jason looked worried. "Carly stop being so damn stubborn. This isn't about you being pissed at me. This about making sure nothing happens to you so you can be around to see your boys grow up." Jason threw his hands up in disgust.

Carly's will almost faltered when she saw how tormented Jason was over this, but she was not going to depend on him any longer. He had already proven to her that his loyalties lied elsewhere. She needed to break free from him, a clean break. There would always be some sort of danger looming trying to draw her back to him.

Carly ignored Jason and looked at Patrick. "Can I stay here until Jax returns at the end of the week?"

The question caught Patrick off guard. He looked at Jason and saw he did not approve, but Carly looked up at him her face pleading then she added,"You'll be able to monitor me to make sure I heal completely. I won't be a bother. I'll sleep on the couch."

Patrick shook his head. "No,"

Carly's eyes saddened.

"You'll sleep in my room and I'll sleep on the couch." Patrick corrected her.

Her eyes danced with appreciation.

Jason grunted and gestured. "You're kidding me. How is he going to protect you?"

"He won't have to." Carly replied. "Isn't that what all these guards are for?" She pointed at the men standing in the room. "Besides, Patrick is quite capable of protecting me."

Jason huffed in protest.

Patrick responded. "I won't let anything happen to her." He helped Carly up off the couch. "Why don't you go get dressed so we can go to the hospital?"

Carly gave his arm a squeeze to show she knew he was going out on a limb for her and she appreciated it and then walked into the bedroom. As soon as the bedroom door closed Jason let loose in a calm fury.

"You're no where near equipped to take care of her."

"And you are?" Patrick shot back.

"Since when did it become your job to protect Carly?" Jason questioned.

"Since you left the position vacant." He retorted. Jason closed the small gap that separated them. "I'll allow this for now only because Carly is still way to upset for me to effectively protect her. She'll fight me on everything and in the end put herself in more danger, but if anything happens to her while on your watch." Jason's voice grew cold and trailed off. He didn't need to finish the sentence. Patrick understood him completely.

Carly emerged from the bedroom and Jason took a few steps back away from Patrick.

"I'm ready" She announced. "But we need to stop by the house so I can get some clothes and a few other things." Patrick was about to answer when Jason jumped in. "It's not safe to go to the house. Make a list give it to Max and he'll get what you need." Carly looked at Max and then back at Jason. "Max is not going through my undergarments." Max cocked his head to the side and tried to give an uncaring look. "Fine." Jason said. "Give him the list and I'll have Sonny go over and pack up the things. It's not like he's never seen your undergarments." Carly eyes narrowed then she agreed. Jason motioned to the guards to follow Patrick and Carly.

ooooOOOOOooooOOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOO

Robin and Lucky were at the nurse's station talking about Liz, Jake and the divorce when Patrick, Carly and their entourage entered. Patrick didn't notice her standing there. He immediately went and found a wheel chair and helped Carly into it. Robin was more than a little bit taken aback by the attention that Patrick was giving Carly. She looked fine. Maybe a little tired, but besides for that the woman looked her normal distasteful self.

Lucky hurried over to his cousin. "Hey, You alright? Should I call Aunt Bobbie?"

"No, I'm fine. I just took a little spill and hit my head. No big deal. I have a nice size lump on my head and Patrick wanted me to get it checked."

Lucky reached back and gently felt the lump Carly had pointed at. "That's a pretty big lump."

"I can be pretty clumsy sometimes." Carly responded in a ditsy voice.

Lucky looked like he wasn't buying it, but he didn't push it.

Patrick came to her rescue. "Ready?"

"Let's get this over with." She responded.

The nurse came up behind the wheelchair and began to wheel her down the hall. Carly's entourage in tow. Robin stepped in front of them. "They can't go in there" She said pointing at the five men standing all around Carly.

Patrick pulled Robin to the side. "They can go if I say they can. She's my patient."

"Oh really" Robin said as she reached down for the phone behind the nurses desk.

Patrick grabbed the phone out of her hands. "Look, Robin this has nothing to do with you, but since you insist on making trouble. They are only going to accompany us to the diagnostic center. Then they will wait in the waiting room until the test is done." He slammed the phone back down and motioned for the nurse to continue.

The nurse pushed Carly down the hall and her entourage followed.

Patrick pulled Robin over to the lounge area and sat her down, but before he could say a word she jumped down his throat. "What, we've been broken up for like two seconds and Jax gone a couple of days and you and Carly are already at each other to the point where she's hitting her head so hard that she needs tests."

Patrick just shook his head and walked away. He didn't have time to coddle Robin and her insecurities. He already had acquired a full time job of protecting Carly and he wasn't quite sure how that had happened.

Robin took his non-response to mean she hit the nail on the head. She threw the charts she had in her hands in disgust. Carly always seemed to wind up smack dead in the center of her life.