Ok so this is a much shorter post than you're all used to from me, but that's for two reasons. One being that in one hour I have my last final of the semester! YAY!!! But I wanted to post a little before I went and took it. And secondly…I decided I wanted to keep Sam and Liz's conversation separate since I feel it's important and everyone is waiting for it to happen. So I'm giving you this smaller update now, but don't worry. As soon as I'm done with my LAST final (Yay!) I'm coming home to start the next chapter. I'm feeling very inspired right now! Anyways…I hope you all enjoy this newest chapter! Thanks to those reading and THANK YOU a million times to those reviewing…you guys rock!
Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or the characters!
"So what did Max want on the phone?" Jason asks following Sonny off of the elevator.
Sighing Sonny runs a hand on the back of his head. "He was calling to tell me Claudia is starting to get restless and pissing off the guard I have on her." When Jason just rolls his eyes, Sonny chuckles. "Yes, apparently you aren't the only one that can't stand her, but Jason…between her messed up father and the car accident she's been having a hard time…"
"Sonny I don't want to discuss Claudia with you. You know how I feel about her and you have ignored me time and time again when I try and tell you the mistake you've made, but you won't listen! So if that's all you have for me…well than good luck with your problem and I'll talk to you later."
"Jason I have a bad feeling about her."
"Most people get that feeling around Claudia." Jason mumbles. "I think it has something to do with the fact she's a heartless manipulating liar."
"I think she's hiding something." Sonny says ignoring Jason's comments. "And I know you have your hands full with Sam right now and that's fine, so I just want you to know I'm going to ask for Bernie to look into this for me."
Jason nods his head. "Thanks for understanding that I can't do this for you, but I'm sure Bernie can do this for you. And I can even have Spinelli look into it…he was working with me, but that was before…"
"Yea that's fine. If you think he can help."
"I don't know if you're going to like what you find Sonny."
Sonny lets out a tired, drawn-out breath. "I think I've put this off long enough."
"You can say that again."
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"Hi Sam." Elizabeth says closing the door behind her and stepping into the hospital room. Both women just stare at each other, neither sure what to say to the other. Finally the silence in the room gets to be too much and the nurse steps forward and pastes on the best smile possible. "We just had shift change and I need to check your vitals and update your chart." Her smile strained on her face she waits for Sam to say something. "Ok?" She asks, her smile faltering.
Sam just stares at the woman, frozen in both movement and speech. Her mind, however, was not frozen...her thoughts were racing a million miles a second, so fast that Sam was even struggling to keep up. Standing before her was the embodiment of everything Sam wasn't and could never be. Elizabeth was a professional, she was well-respected, and she was a mother. It was the last one that hurt Sam the most, because it was the one thing she wanted so desperately to be and the one thing she never could be. Seeing Elizabeth just brought back all of Sam's worst moments and it hurt…a lot. "Yea…sure whatever." Sam says waving a hand before lifting it to rest on her forehead. Closing her eyes Sam wills herself to be anywhere but here. Anywhere but trapped in a room with the woman who single-handedly took away from Sam the life she had once thought could be hers.
Elizabeth didn't know what to say to try and ease the tension in the room. Running a hand through her hair she picks up Sam's chart and starts read over the notes there, her eyes going wide. "Oh my gosh, Sam! It says here you were attacked in the hospital…that can't be right."
Sighing Sam opens her eyes to stare at the naïve nurse. "What you're reading is true. Some man wearing a face mask slipped into the hospital and tried to strangle me, but…Jason…" Sam hesitates to say his name, her voice shaky; she breaks eye contact to look out the window. "But Jason stopped him before he could finish the job."
"Well are you alright?"
"As good as can be expected… I guess…nothing that I can't handle." Sam says bringing her gaze back to the nurse. "Nothing that I haven't been through before."
"That's right." Elizabeth says setting Sam's chart back down. "I forgot that you were always great in those high pressure and adventurous situations." Shaking her head the nurse steps up to the machine at Sam's bedside to check the readings. "I could never do some of the things you've done I'm sure. Your life is just too wild for me I'm afraid."
Sam knew the nurse was just trying to make small talk, ease the tension that had filled the room, but it wasn't working. If anything, Elizabeth was only making matters worse. She was voicing what Sam had always thought when Jason started his affair with the nurse, how could she handle his lifestyle? Sam never understood that…she still didn't. "Yea…well. With the adventure you have all those pesky things called risks and the consequences." Sam says ringing her hands in front of her.
Elizabeth just stares at Sam for a second before looking down. "You sound like you might have regrets?" She was curious…part of her had always wondered what made Sam tick.
Sam gives a humorless laugh and shakes her head. "I definitely have regrets…" She says bring her gaze up to stare at Elizabeth. "But I don't really have to tell you about that do I?" Sam waits for the nurse to raise her gaze to stare back at her. "You already know my deep dark secrets…"
"Sam…"Elizabeth tries to stop her from going down that path, but Sam won't let her.
"No." Sam says shaking her head, she needed to say this. "What I did was wrong…it was so very wrong and I don't think a day has gone by that I wish I would've acted differently." Sam looks down quickly, but then forces her gaze back up to stare at Elizabeth; she wasn't going to be a coward in this. "But as terrible as what I did…I wasn't the only one in the wrong two years ago…and I think we both can agree to that. Don't you?"
Elizabeth couldn't hold Sam's gaze a minute longer, it was too hard. "Sam…really…we don't have to discuss this. Especially now when you're hurt and…"
"I was hurt than too Elizabeth!" Sam shouts, silencing the nurse. "And you didn't seem to care."
"It wasn't that…Sam…everything then was so messy and I….just, please." Elizabeth says pleading with her words and her eyes. "Just let me do my job…" She stops talking when Sam starts shaking her head.
"You still can't admit it…that you were in the wrong too…that you weren't the sanctimonious mother that everyone should admire and respect."
"Sam." Elizabeth says her tone stronger that Sam had been expecting. "I'm sorry for what happened two years ago…really, I am." When Sam just rolls her eyes Elizabeth sighs. "And I can see that that's not good enough for you, but it's all I have to offer you now." The nurse waits for some retort, but gets none and she takes a deep breath, her resolve growing. "It has been two years Sam….two long and tiring years. I really rather not dredge up the past when so much of it is painful and so full of regrets…on both of our parts."
Sam stares at the other woman in disbelief. "You just…what…just forget everything that happened two years ago? Like that is even possible?"
"Well…it could be." Elizabeth says shrugging her shoulders. "Sam I don't know what happened after you left Port Charles, but I have…" Elizabeth stops and shakes her head. "I mean we all have moved on here. We had to with everything that happened." Uncomfortable at the fact Sam was just staring at her Elizabeth raises her hand up to brush her bangs behind her ear and she then rests her hand on her chest. "I hope that you can just let this go Sam…Sam are you alright?" Elizabeth asks in concern seeing the tears well up in Sam's eyes.
Sam had been listening to Elizabeth with skepticism, because she honestly didn't think it would be possible for anyone to forgive or forget what had happened…especially Jason Morgan. She had been watching the nurse closely looking for any tells that she was lying when her attention was drawn to the hand Elizabeth had raised. It wasn't the hand itself that caught Sam's attention…it was the shiny diamond ring placed on her finger that Sam was staring at. The rest of Elizabeth's words fell on deaf ears as Sam just stares at the ring. Of course Elizabeth would be married now. Lucky and her were getting divorced and Sam had left town. The stage was all set for her happy ending…she could have the family that she always wanted…the family the woman climbed all those stairs to have. Sonny had even tried to tell Sam about the woman in Jason's life when he had been interrupted by Jason returning. It all made perfect sense now, why Jason wasn't angry with her anymore and why Elizabeth was so willing to forget everything. They finally had their family that both had wanted. Staring at the ring Sam felt her eyes burning and she blinks, feeling the tears slowly start to roll down her cheeks. Swiping them away angrily Sam looks back at the ring and shakes her head. "I'm fine!"
"Sam…are you sure? Are you in pain?" Elizabeth asks stepping closer.
Sam scoffs and wipes at the remaining tears, she was in pain alright, but not the kind the nurse was talking about. "It's fine, please just finish whatever it is you have to do. I want to be alone." Sam says looking away from the woman and her ring, Sam felt like both were mocking her at the moment.
"Alright." Elizabeth says a little confused, she grabs Sam's chart and records her vitals. Turning to leave the nurse stops and turns before opening the door. "About what we were discussing…I mean what I was saying Sam. I really hope that we…"
"It's fine Elizabeth. It's forgotten. I'll never mention it again." Sam says, hoping that the woman would finally leave. Turning to watch as she opens the door Sam lets out a deep breath. "Oh Elizabeth…!" Sam calls out to stop her.
"Yes?" Elizabeth asks turning around with a curious look on her face. "Did you need something?"
"Just a different nurse from now on is all." Sam says staring the woman down. "I just think it might be for the best…you know what I mean?"
Elizabeth nods her head. "I understand and will make a note of it for future scheduling. This will be the last you see of me Sam. I…" Elizabeth stops, unsure if her words would be considered sincere, but deciding it didn't matter either way. "I hope that you feel better." With nothing left to say the nurse walks through the door and closes it behind her, feeling some regret that things with Sam had to be that way.
Sam just stares at the closed door and shakes her head before looking around the room…she was all alone.
As you can all see I don't have Elizabeth being the terrible and cruel villain in my story that I'm sure most were expecting (and possibly hoping for). I don't want to give too much away, but since so many people have such strong views on her character I want to clear the air now…Liz isn't an intricate part of my story. I don't plan on writing her a lot, because I don't really like her and find it too difficult to separate my feelings from my writing. So with that said…I hope you all enjoyed the update! I can't wait to hear what you all think about Sam and Liz's conversation! Thanks for all who are reviewing…you're AMAZING!