All These Lives
Author's Note: For the Disclaimer, see Chapter 1. The subtitle of this part is a lyric from David Cook's "Permanent". Thoughts are in italics.
Part 9: "I know he's living in hell every single day"
Sonny Corinthos paced back and forth as he silently seethed while listening to his old friend tell him why he needed his help. "Zach, stop."
The use of the man's name startled Zach temporarily. They had known each other since Zach Slater had been Alexander Cambias, Jr. and Sonny still liked to tease him at times. It seemed Sonny just couldn't bring himself to do so under the current circumstances any longer.
Yanking his office door open, Sonny yelled for his right hand man to join him. Jason Morgan rushed into the office at the sound of his boss' voice. Rarely was Sonny anything but calm and it worried the younger man. They had a unique relationship. At times they were like brothers, best friends, and then sometimes the older man treated Jason like his son, his employee. It didn't bother Jason though. The depth of their trust and loyalty to each other was enough to prove they both knew that they were each other's permanent family.
Hitting the speaker button on his cell phone, Sonny placed it on his desk and rubbed his face with both of his hands. "We've got some news. Continue, Zach." As the man on the other end of the line proceeded to recap the events going on in Paris, Sonny watched the younger man standing before him and noticed the clenched jaw, the tight fists hanging by his side, the fire in his eyes… Sonny felt the exact same way. They wanted blood. No one messes with my family! And that's just who Zach and Maggie were to him. He and Zach had a long history together and when his old friend's family was threatened that meant that Sonny's family was being threatened as well.
Maggie was a slightly different story though. He had come to care for her and Leo because they were Robin's family and he loved that young woman like a daughter. He and Jason had met the young mother when Emma had been born. They were both immediately entranced by the young doctor who quickly became a part of their lives. And Leo… Leo was a light in their dark world. Every time he and his mother would visit Port Charles, both Sonny and Jason lit up at the little boy's spirit, at times forgetting their harsh mob personas and lifting him into their arms to shower him with love and attention. "This woman has just fucked with the wrong family!" Sonny exclaimed as he removed his pistol from his desk.
Shook from his thoughts, Jason realized what Sonny was planning. "No, Sonny, you can't leave the country, remember?"
The older man rubbed his chin and unceremoniously dropped his gun back into his desk drawer, slamming it shut. His eyes full of fire and determination, Sonny exhaled loudly and spoke with hate in his voice, "Fine. Zach, don't talk to anyone else about this. Jason will be in Paris soon, but the two of you cannot make contact."
Zach nodded as he saw Ryan's car pull into the airline hangar. "Understood. The last thing we need is to draw unnecessary attention."
"Right. Jason, you'll contact Aidan and get the details from him. Once it's done, I want you out."
Jason ran his hand through his hair in exasperation. "What about Maggie?"
Slumping in his chair, Sonny sighed. "I know you want to be there for her and Leo, but we don't need the authorities connecting your name to the hit. This bitch cannot be allowed to torture anyone else again."
"You're right. I'll keep a low profile." Jason looked at the phone on the desk. "Zach, I'll be in the air within a couple of hours. You'll let Maggie and Robin know that we're thinking of them?"
Zach retrieved his suitcase and slammed the car door. "Of course. I've gotta go. The cavalry is starting to show up."
Standing in the middle of the hospital lobby, Maggie held Leo tightly to her chest. Never in her life did Maggie think she would be in such a position to watch her son suffer at the hands of a madwoman. She just hoped and prayed that Stewart was wrong with his information. After the struggle to overcome his leukemia three years prior, she thought they were in the clear since Leo had gone into remission and with most cases, about eighty percent of them, that usually meant the child was cured. Of course we're the minority… Maggie rubbed her son's back again as she walked toward the man who approached the group. "Dr. Mannheim…"
The older doctor nodded his head in greeting and noticed the group of women and children behind his colleague. "We could have done the MRI tomorrow, Dr. Stone."
Maggie shook her head. "No, Michel, there have been some… developments." She proceeded to explain Leo's symptoms and the possibility that he hadn't received the correct medication for some time as they walked toward an exam room. "We've all been around him today and we're worried that he might have meningitis…"
After briefly examining the little boy, Dr. Mannheim nodded. "That is certainly a possibility, Maggie. However, with his cancer already having spread to the central nervous system, it's also a possibility that these symptoms are just from that. We'll do another LP, blood tests, and an MRI so we can see what we're dealing with…" He grabbed a handful of masks and handed them out to the group before him. "We'll take some blood, but I'd rather avoid having to put you all through lumbar punctures unless it is necessary. For now, just wear the masks and wait in here while I get Leo's room set up with some extra cots and chairs." He watched the adults nod as Maggie helped Leo off the exam table.
Whispering, Leo pulled on his mother's shirt as she placed him in the wheelchair, "Mama..."
Maggie looked into her son's tired and unfocused eyes. It broke her heart to know that Leo no longer had the energy to be his usual six-year old self, so full of life and child-like wonder. She momentarily choked on her words having to clear her throat, "Yes, sweetheart?"
The little boy looked around the room at his new friends talking amongst themselves and caught eyes with his Godmother. "Can Aunt Greenie come with us?"
Taken back by the request, Maggie looked at her dear friend with questioning eyes. She noticed Kendall whisper in Greenlee's ear and then received a nod in response. "Of course, honey." Maggie leaned forward and kissed her son on his forehead. As Greenlee pushed the wheelchair out of the room with Dr. Mannheim following close behind, Maggie hesitated and looked back to the room. "Um… We'll see you in a bit when they take him for his MRI." Unable to look at the worried faces of her friends and family any longer, Maggie quickly left the room to follow her son.
Robin watched the four children huddled together in the corner looking at books. It seemed that they were unaffected by what was going on, but she feared that wasn't the case. She had seen the fear in Spike's eyes as Leo had been wheeled out of the room and hoped the other children weren't as aware as the eight-year old. She would have to talk to Kendall and Bianca soon. They needed to figure out what they were going to tell the children about everything that was happening.
Robin sighed as she looked for her mother. She must be outside with the officers. They weren't really around Leo to potentially get infected. Robin closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath as she thought of all the possibilities, all the things that could go wrong. She shook her head to rid the negative thoughts and briefly watched Kendall and Bianca with their heads together by the exam table whispering. She pulled out her cell phone and stared at the number on the screen. Robin needed to call him… but she also didn't want him to do anything stupid, which was a definite possibility with how much she knew he cared for Maggie and Leo. Resigning herself to make the call, Robin walked toward the farthest corner of the room away from the rest of the group and waited for her friend to answer.
"Hey, sweetheart…"
Robin made sure to keep her voice low as she spoke with the man on the other end of the line. "Sonny…" She sighed. "I have bad news…"
The older man sat at his desk staring at the most recent photo of his family. Maggie and Leo, even Jamie, had come in for the big birthday bash Robin had thrown for him just seven months ago. Everyone he cared about had been there and they were able to snap an impromptu photo of the unlikely group. Sonny wondered if he should tell Robin he already knew what was going on. It would certainly save her the grief of explaining… Not wanting to upset the woman any further, he made the decision to tell her that Zach had informed him of the situation. However, he vowed not to reveal their plans for the monster that had wreaked so much havoc already.
Bianca looked at her watch nervously. She didn't want to miss being there for her daughter at midnight and time was certainly flying by as they waited in the exam room. She heard Gabrielle and Emma giggle at something in a book they were looking at and Bianca was glad her youngest was able to make a new friend in all of the chaos that had broken out. She noticed Robin staring at her cell phone and realized that she hadn't thought to call anyone. Pulling out her cell phone, she was stopped by her sister placing a hand on her wrist.
"Hang on, baby sis, Greenlee and I made all the necessary phone calls." At her sister's relieved expression, Kendall smiled slightly. "Everyone is on their way."
Bianca whispered in response, "Thanks, Ken. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you hear with me!"
Kendall quickly wrapped her younger sister in a tight embrace. "Hey, shh, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm just so worried… I'd feel a lot better if I had Miranda in this room with us."
Pulling away, Kendall kissed her sister's forehead. "I know, Bianca, but she'll be with us soon. And then we won't have to split our focus." Kendall knew that Bianca had been struggling over who to worry about. She had been too. She needed her niece back in her sister's arms, but she also knew how much Leo meant to her partner and it was breaking her heart to see Greenlee in so much pain. Not to mention it was breaking her heart to see Maggie so torn up, especially since the doctor had become a part of Kendall's life again some years back. Kendall wasn't sure if Maggie thought of it that way, but the older Kane could never forget what the doctor had done for her family.
Kendall owed her heart to Maggie. The doctor had saved Ian's life when Zach had been visiting Port Charles one weekend. Kendall hadn't seen Maggie since the fated Satin Slayer commotion, but Zach had run into the doctor upon arriving at the same hotel and Kendall thanked God every day that he did. Having been left alone, Ian had fallen into the pool. When Zach came back with his forgotten cell phone, Maggie was soaking wet and performing CPR. Zach had been so scared that he hadn't thought to let Kendall know of the incident until after they returned home and although she had been upset, the relieved feeling of having her son in her arms won out. She remembered wanting to contact the doctor to express her thanks and to apologize for her actions years before, but she had been afraid and ultimately decided that it was best for Zach to nurture the friendship he and Maggie had begun that weekend without her interference. And now, Kendall hoped and prayed that someone would save Maggie's heart.
Sighing at her sister's silence, Kendall rubbed her back comfortingly. She noticed that Bianca seemed willing to accept the doctor into her life again, whatever capacity to be determined later, and in amidst of all the tragedy that made Kendall very happy. She didn't care anymore about past heartache. Maggie was a good friend to her family and that was good enough for her.
"He's in bad shape, Anna. The doc said the next forty-eight hours is critical. They almost lost him twice during surgery and they've already had to use the paddles since he got to his room." Aidan sat in the chair beside Jamie's bed, leaning on his knees with his head in his hands as he spoke with his aunt. "I know we've seen our share of evil, but why now? Why Jamie? He's been nothing but a great friend and father. And why Leo? He's just an innocent little kid. How could a person do something that heinous?" With sad eyes, he looked up at Jamie's prone form as the machines helped him to breathe. "I can't even comprehend that kind of hatred… My God, Anna, how is Maggie-"
Anna leaned her head against the wall of the hospital hallway with closed eyes as she interrupted, "She's a fighter. She's going to get through this. And hopefully, we'll have a couple of Thanksgiving miracles."
Aidan nodded his head. "If anyone's due a miracle, it's Maggie with that Stone luck of hers…" Looking at the writing board with the doctor and nurse information, he noticed the date and sighed. "You know, the anniversary of Frankie's death is in three days…"
Anna snapped her eyes open and looked at the date on her watch. "Oh my God… as if everything else isn't enough..." She rubbed her forehead in thought. "Oh and isn't that just perfect… that's Thanksgiving too."
"You think Leo will want to play catch when we get there?" AJ asked his father excitedly.
JR stood next to his son's seat and looked out the window at the sea below. Avoiding eye contact, he kept his voice light and even, "I dunno buddy, that game might be a bit too much for him." He turned around and noticed his son's disappointment. "Hey, I bet he'd love to play one of your favorite video games though." AJ smiled and nodded as his father scruffed up his hair and went back to playing his Xbox.
Tad waited for JR to be out of earshot of AJ and a sleeping Brooke before he spoke, "We're going to have to talk to him about-"
Frowning, JR interrupted in a hushed voice, "We don't even know what's going on!" He ran his hand over the back of his head and sighed. "This is a long flight. Things could change." Closing his eyes, JR slumped down in his chair and prayed for his family. They have to…
"Alright, let's get that blood drawn!" The nurse exclaimed excitedly as she walked into the exam room. The shocked faces of children and annoyed faces of adults she received in response did not damper her mood. She set her supplies and paperwork down on the exam table and turned to address the adults who had gathered around. "Since we're going to have to draw blood anyway, Dr. Mannheim would like your consent to test each sample for a possible donor match to the patient."
"His name is Leo." Robin said through clenched teeth. Even though she was a doctor and knew the nurse was only trying to remain detached, Robin did not appreciate the horrid bedside manner.
"Right…" The nurse looked away and busied herself with her supplies, handing out the consent forms. "There is no obligation to go through with the procedure should a match present itself, but the doctor would like to get this out of the way so he can weigh all of his treatment options."
"Well of course we'd go through with it! What a horrible thing to say…" Kendall exclaimed as she placed her hands on her hips prepared to enter Kane-mode.
Bianca hid her smile as she brushed off her sister and apologized to the nurse. "Go ahead and do the tests."
The nurse slapped her surgical glove as she put it on. "Who first?"
tbc
