GENERAL HOSPITAL AM I THE KILLER

Patterns of a Man (part two)

"Is that my wallet?" Jason asked as his eyes caught Marco's glance. "How did you know?"

"Because, kid," Marco came back with, "you left it here last night. You had told me you were a patient, so when I found it, I looked at your ID and then called your room on the phone and you told me you would write yourself a note so as not to forget to come and get it; and now, here you are."

Jason's befuddled expression made Marco laugh…

"I never wrote myself such a note," Jason said to the server.

"Sure you did, kid," Marco said back with a chuckle as he showed the note AND the order Jason had placed; the handwriting on both matched. "Now, if you would be so kind to move along, you are now a cog in the machinery."

Jason looked behind, and saw the line of patrons with impatient looks on their faces. He looked inside his wallet, and not having exactly $4.57, he left a five dollar bill in the food slot and moved on….

He exited the cafeteria and handed shoe-shine-boy Blackie Parrish a ten-dollar bill and then decided to go and find Hardy's View. As he made his way toward the elevator at the end of the hall, he realized someone was walking directly next to him; an attractive Asian woman.

"Can I help you?" Jason asked her.

The woman had very exotic oriental features; and the look in her eyes indicated she wanted to be more than just friends. And, just like Carly Spencer, she was a nurse. The name on her blouse read; Jade Soong.

"I was hoping you'd want me to help you," Jade said with a very sexy voice and a very inviting look in her eyes. "The stairwell is right over there next to the elevator. We could be in, and out…if you know what I mean…very quickly."

Jason was going to say no, but then he realized this was an opportunity to test his faithfulness to Elizabeth; his wife…whoever she was. It would also test the core of his soul; was he really a killer no matter what he believed?

"Sure," Jason said, "let's go."

Jade smiled, but she had to make sure they were on the same page.

"Will this be cash or credit?" Jade asked. "If it is credit, I will have to provide my manager, Sonny, with your card number."

Jason opened his just retrieved wallet, and saw there was cash.

"How much do you want?" Jason asked politely.

Jade licked her lips, and grinned at him.

"I'll keep an open tab," Jade said as he looked him over with hunger in her eyes.

Jason nodded his head, knowing all the while that not only was Jade a nurse, she was also a prostitute; had Carly been both as well?

Jason concluded, but he couldn't be sure, that both Jade and Carly were prostitutes. Knowing that to be the case, he would go with Jade, into the darkened confines of the stairwell, and see how far temptation would take him.

And although he found Jade to be sexually appealing, he did not feel an urge to be sexually active with her. But he had to take it to the edge; to the pinnacle and test the rough edges of his mind.

But there was an inherent risk in this endeavor; what if he had killed Carly. What if he was a serial killer of call girls, who loved to carve circles into the flesh of his victims?

And then, just for brief moment, a piercing pain came from the center of his forehead, just as it had before. He closed his eyes and saw an image of her, of Elizabeth his wife. They were both naked together atop a bed, and he could see her mouth moving as she talked to him, with tears in her eyes. Although he could not hear her voice, he could feel sadness and guilt coming from her soul; but why?

Maybe he could not hear or remember her words, but some aspect of his existence did; perhaps his soul? Perhaps she just said something that had broken his heart?

He opened his eyes, and at that moment, he entered the stairwell with Jade. It was now 5:00.

And, as the chimes rang throughout the hospital; the Cleansing began.

NEXT issue…Patrick meets Mother and he might not live much longer. And coming soon; A child?

This issue Featured

Steve Burton as Jason Morgan

Tia Carrere as Jade Soong