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Chapter 9

Stepping off the elevator Jason instantly knew something was wrong. There were too many of his friends in the hall. "What happened?" Once again the door to Elizabeth's room was closed.

"Kiefer called." Sonny told his partner. "Stan is already tracing the call."

"Why wasn't I notified?" He'd been two floors down. She needed him so he should have been here. "You should have sent someone to get me." Jason was pissed.

"We needed the blood." Robin said stepping out of the room. "If you are going to be angry with anyone it should be me. Jason, Elizabeth needs the transfusion to start healing. If we called you there was no way you would have stayed downstairs."

"If something else happens and I'm not here, call me. Immediately." Was all he said trying not to snap at Robin. "Can I go in now?" He wanted to know. Robin had closed the door behind her.

"Give Gail a minute." She told her friend. "We've disconnected the line to the room for the time being. Audrey told Steven to call on her cell phone. The volunteer on the desk said that a man called and asked to be transferred to Elizabeth Webber's room."

Jason ran his hand over his hair and breathed out. "He's too bold. As soon as Stan knows anything I want a report."

"I'll make sure you get it." Sonny would just have the tech guy call Jason directly.

Gail Baldwin opened the door. "Good, you're here." She tilted her head silently asking him to come in.

Jason took a deep breath to calm down. His anger would scare Elizabeth, and that was unacceptable. When he got his hands on Kiefer he would have an outlet for his rage. In control he followed the doctor into the room.

Elizabeth was shaking in fear. Seeing him she held out her uninjured hand.

"We are tracing the call." Jason took her shaking hand. He didn't ask her how she was doing because he could see for himself.

"He wasn't here. It was just a call. He can't hurt me over the phone." Elizabeth said looking into Jason's eyes.

"That's my girl." He gave her a wink and she gave him a small smile.

Gail and Audrey looked on with smiles of their own. Elizabeth was drawing strength from Jason.

"What happens when I leave the hospital?" She was sure that when she got a new place her neighbors wouldn't be thrilled with have an armed guard standing in the building. "How will I stay safe then?"

Jason looked at Audrey before turning back to Elizabeth. "I have an apartment for you at the Towers."

"Jason I can't afford to live there. I have money in the bank but not that much." Elizabeth didn't want pity.

Audrey started to speak up but Gail placed a hand on her arm to stop her. Elizabeth needed to learn that she could express her opinion with Jason and stay safe. It wouldn't be until they had their first major fight that she would know with absolute certainty that he wasn't going to hit her for speaking her mind.

"Do you have enough money to bail me out?" Jason asked furrowing his forehead.

"Bail you out?" Elizabeth asked confused.

"The first time you call me because someone has upset you I'm going to kill them." He told her totally serious.

"Don't exaggerate Jason." Elizabeth said to him.

"I'm not exaggerating." He assured her.

Looking up she saw he was serious. "Jason."

"I picked the unit myself. This afternoon I painted it with Johnny, Cody, and one of the crews." He told her. Holding out his arm he pointed to the splashes of color he couldn't get off during his quick shower. "This is the living room, and this is the color in your room. I'd have to get the guys in here to show you the other colors." Although knowing Johnny he wouldn't have a speck of paint on him.

"You picked out colors for me?" She couldn't help but smile. Pulling his arm closer she looked at the orange color. "Pumpkin?"

"Yeah. I remember you saying you liked the color last year when we were carving." She had talked him into helping her doing the gourds for the hospital Halloween party.

"Why this color?" Elizabeth pointed to the blue that reminded her of his eyes.

"Cloud watching." At the annual Corinthos Morgan company picnic they had laid on the ground and she pointed out different shaped clouds for him. It was relaxing and silly and he had a great time.

"What other colors did you pick?" The phone call was slowly being forgotten as she listened to Jason explain how he decorated the apartment.

"Yellow in the kitchen. The same color as the cookie jar in Robin's kitchen. You said that was a happy color." The cookie jar had been a birthday gift to the doctor from him and Elizabeth. "I put green in the second bedroom. The color you had trouble getting right." She'd been painting and struggling to find the correct shade of green. It took two days for her to be satisfied. "The third bedroom is still white so are the bathrooms, but I did get you an obnoxiously loud shower curtain that has tropical fish on it."

"Because I want to learn to snorkel." She said smiling. He cared so much for her. How could she argue with that? He painted the walls with their memories.

"Yeah. You're neighbors with Francis, Milo, and Cody is moving in tomorrow." Jason told her. "You'll be safe and when you aren't home you'll have a guard." He felt the tremor run through her hand. "Tell me what's wrong?"

"He used to watch me. To make sure I was doing what I should. I would look up and he would be there watching me." Elizabeth didn't know if she could handle having someone else doing that.

"That's not why the guards are there. You've had guards before." When things got tense both she and Robin got guards. "This will be the same. They aren't there to report what you are doing. They are there to keep you safe. They will be with you when I can't." He planned on being with her as much as possible for the next few months.

"O-okay. Who?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Would it make you feel better to pick your guard?" He would try to honor her request.

"I could do that?" Elizabeth said surprised.

"Yes, within reason. You can't pick Johnny because he's not a guard and you can't pick Max because he's Brenda's guard." Jason set some boundaries. He wanted to tell her she couldn't pick Francis because he was getting a promotion to LT., but he knew the big guard would hurt him. If Elizabeth wanted him then Francis would take the assignment. If that happened Jason would make sure Francis still got the pay raise.

"How about Chris?" Elizabeth asked slowly. She didn't know him well, but she knew that Jason trusted him.

"That's a good choice." It was not who he wanted with her but it was a good choice. Chris was a good employee. Jason would have picked Cody. "I'll talk with Sonny." It was just a courtesy. Sonny would give Jason whoever he wanted. "Chris is in the hall, do you want me to bring him in?

"Not right now." She looked down. At the moment she didn't think she could tolerate being around any of the other guys.

"Then we'll wait." Jason gave her hand a light squeeze.

There was a knock and Robin came in. "I have a delivery for Ms. Vlad." The doctor joked holding up the pint of blood.

Epiphany followed her in and started hooking the bag to the IV. "You lie back and let this do its work."

"I'll be in the hall." Jason told her. He would stand where she could see him.

"That was very well done Jason." Gail told the young man as they left the room. "But don't think the battle is over yet."

"I know." He watched Robin and Elizabeth talking while Epiphany fussed with the IV bags. Jason turned to the guys. "She agreed to move in."

"Good." Sonny said smiling. "I'll be there tomorrow after the furniture Audrey picked arrives."

"Thanks. Chris." Jason turned to the guard who was still on the door.

"Yes?" He figured his boss needed him to go get something.

"Elizabeth asked that you be her guard." Jason told the other man. All the guys looked at Audrey.

"What can I say, I know my granddaughter." Audrey said smiling wide.

"Do you know anything about the ponies?" Johnny asked, so far Elizabeth's grandmother had been spot on.

"Jason you can come back in." Robin told the enforcer who didn't hesitate to return to Elizabeth's side.

The older woman just smiled. "Sonny may I speak with you?" She asked him.

"What did you need?" He asked enjoying being her assistant.

"I will be eating with the Baldwins this evening. So it will just be Jason and Elizabeth here at the hospital. I need you to do something." Audrey knew the other guys could hear her as well.

"Okay." Sonny said grinning. The older woman had a plan and she was going to make it happen. She would have made a great mob boss.

"I need you to send the soup in a bowl instead of the container you have been using." Because Elizabeth's whole body hurt Sonny had been sending the broth in cup with a straw, that way the young woman could sip it and not have to raise her arms too much.

Sonny smiled wider. "You want him to have to feed her? Have you done this before?"

"No, Claire had Steven corralled before he even knew what was happening." Audrey laughed. Her grandson had never stood a chance. "I'm going to check on Elizabeth."

Francis looked at Sonny. "If she had been on our side from the beginning they'd be married by now."

"If she had been on our side from the beginning, you'd all be married by now." Sonny said watching as a horrified look come across Francis's face.

"We need to get this done and her back to France." He answered. Francis was not looking for a wife.


They were doing a crossword puzzle when dinner arrived. Actually Jason was doing the puzzle and she was helping. After her books arrived yesterday Elizabeth realized that writing in the answers hurt too much. Her Gram had written the thank you note so that was Elizabeth's first time trying to hold a pen. So Jason was filling in the puzzle when she figured out the clues. It was a nice relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

"What did Sonny send you?" Elizabeth loved soup but she would be happy to be able to eat something else soon.

"Ziti with meatballs." It was Jason's favorite. "Do you want me to go downstairs?"

"Why?" She asked enjoying the aroma. Sonny really was an outstanding cook.

"It seems a bit cruel to eat this in front of you." Jason told her.

"No, it's fine. All this soup is helping me to stay slim. Since I'm stuck in bed I wouldn't want to get pudgy." She joked. Kiefer had often remarked on her weight.

Jason thought she looked fine. He also knew why she made that remark. It was another thing Kiefer would answer for. "You don't have to worry about that, you look great. Let's see what Sonny sent you." He opened the bowl. "Beef broth." He hated soup.

"Robin said I might be able to have oatmeal tomorrow if the bleeding stops." Elizabeth hoped so she wanted to see her new apartment so she needed to start getting better. She reached for the spoon only grimacing slightly. Sonny must be out of those cups he normally sent.

"Do you need help?" Jason had seen the face she made.

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment. Not asking for help before was why she was in the hospital. "Would you mind? It hurts to raise my arms." She said not quite meeting his eyes.

"It's no problem." Jason picked up the spoon and blew on the soup before bringing it to her mouth. "Do you want me to make airplane noises?" He teased hoping to make her smile.

Elizabeth snorted. "Trains are much cooler than airplanes." She took another spoonful of soup. "Thanks Jason."

"No problem. When you're up to it we can go to Kelly's and get some chili." He told her still helping her eat.

"That sound's wonderful." Elizabeth closed her eyes and smiled. "I miss going outside."

Jason scooped up another spoonful. "Did he not let you out?" If she didn't want to answer he wouldn't press her.

"Not often by myself." She told him plucking at the blanket. "Or not without permission. On the rare occasions I went out alone I had a curfew. Even before we lived together he would check." Her life had taken such a crazy turn and it had happened so quickly. Looking back Elizabeth realized the abuse had started before their first date, when he was pursuing her. She was so used to trying to please the people in her life, that when he criticized she immediately made changes. He was controlling her before he ever hit her. "We should talk about something else. I'm sure you don't want to hear this."

"If you need to talk I'll listen." It would shred him inside but he'd let her lean on him.

"Thanks. I'll be talking to Gail more and maybe we can talk again." They would need to talk she knew that, he did too. She just didn't think she could sit down and tell him everything all at once. It would hurt too much. He fed her the last of the soup and then ate his dinner.

"You look tired, would you like me to turn the lights down." It was just after seven.

"Thanks, sorry to bail on you so soon." She gave him a small smile.

"Don't worry about it." He'd been shot twice so he knew that healing was hard work.

"Jason?" Her voice was fading.

"Yeah?" He answered quietly.

"Will you stay until I'm asleep?" She didn't want to be alone.

"I can stay all night if you want." Tonight he wanted her to be aware of what was going on.

"I'd like that." Her voice was softer still. "Thank you."

"Sleep well Ella." He whispered placing his hand over hers.


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