Yes another update. I had a lot of this chapter already written. It's more of a snapshot of a moment in the story, but in reality with them living so far away their time together is limited. There are about 2 more snapshot chapters before the beginning of the wrap up. And those chapters will be longer! I hope to have the next chapter out before the week is up! Hope you enjoy let me know what you think!?
April 2008:
"Hey Max. It's uh—it's Jason. I just—just wanted to hear the sound of your voice. Um—uh call me back when you get a chance. You're probably at work but if you could—Love you."
It wasn't that Maxie wasn't happy to hear those words—they'd said them to each other before. This time was different though, Jason didn't sound normal. When the main focus of your relationship is conversation and not physical intimacy you notice things about people's voices, and Jason's didn't have the steady tone and beat that it normally had.
"Logan I have to go." Maxie said rushing into the back office of the club that was rarely used during business hours.
"What—Maxie what's going on?" Logan said standing up and stepping away from the young brunette who was sitting on the edge of the desk, her obnoxiously short skirt hiked up higher than it had been earlier when she had spotted them.
"Jason—I have to go to New York something's happened." She said pulling on a pair of shorts under her short dress; next slipping her feet into the flip flops next to the desk. "I'm sorry I know this is horrible timing but—"
"It's fine, go." Logan said pulling Maxie in for a quick hug, ignoring the sounds of the disgruntled girl. "Are you sure you're good to drive?" He had seen Maxie when she was stressed but he'd never before in their five years of friendship seen her this frazzled.
"No, I'm not. I'm going to take a cab to the airport; will you find someone to take my car home?"
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
"I'll call you when I know what's going on." Maxie called as she walked out of their office and back into the noisy club quickly moving through the dancing bodies pulling up the website to purchase a red eye plane ticket. Maxie spent the taxi ride booking her ticket and trying to get in touch with Jason. She didn't want to leave a voice message so she called the second best alternative.
"Spinelli, I know it's late but I just got a really weird voicemail from Jason. I know something is wrong, so I'm on the way to Port Charles. My flight gets in about 5am. If you are awake and get this please leave me a message if not I'll see you once I get to town. Please take care of him for me."
Hanging up Maxie was surprised to find they were already at the airport. Quickly paying the taxi driver Maxie made her way quickly through the airport, thankful that the security check point lines were small give the fact that it was almost one am. She tried both of the men once more before the flight attendants issues the turn off electronics sign.
She still didn't know what had happened but she would find out soon enough. The two hour and fifty five minute flight felt like ten hours but finally the plane was taxiing into the terminal. Turning her phone on she found a text message from Spinelli with a link to a news article. It didn't go into many details but it did fill in some of the holes that explained the phone call. As she exited the plane and Port Charles airport she quickly pulled on the sweatshirt she had grabbed from the office to fight out of early morning hours cold and the surprising chill of New York in April. Calling out her destination to the cab driver Maxie prepared herself to walk into the situation, unsure of how he would handle her being there. He was pretty understand when she flew to Port Charles after his accident but he was also heavily medicated at that time. This could potential change everything, but she was already this far. No turning back now.
Maxie rushed into General Hospital stopping at the nurse's station where a black woman stood behind the desk, dressed in scrubs.
"Excuse me could you tell me where I could find Michael Corinthois' room? More specifically where I could find Jason Morgan?"
"That family has been through enough without you damn reporters trying to get your story." The woman yelled, not even bothering to look up at her.
"I'm not a reporter. I'm a friend of Jason Morgan's." Maxie said trying to keep her anger in check. She had tried calling once entering the hospital but it kept going straight to voicemail.
"Michael is in surgery; his family is probably in the surgical waiting room. It would be wise if you avoided it all cost." She woman finally spat walking away from the desk.
Realizing that she wasn't going to get any information from the woman, Maxie went to the hospital index by the elevator scanning through until she found the surgical floor, listed on the 12th floor.
Looking into the surgical waiting room she didn't see Jason and she didn't want to go around asking people in the waiting room where he could be. There was a woman that she recognized as Michael's mother, from the pictures Jason had shown her. Just as Maxie was about to try Jason's phone again, a woman dressed in scrubs exited the waiting room.
"Excuse me. Do you happen to know or have any clue where Jason Morgan might be?"
"He was in here not too long ago. If you can't find him here you might try the roof."
"The roof?"
"Yeah, take the elevator to the top floor, then the stairs."
Following woman's instructions, Maxie quickly headed back to the elevator terminals, following signs towards the roof access. A blast of cold air greeted her but so did the sight of her boyfriend…with his arms around another woman, his ex-girlfriend and nurse at GH Elizabeth Webber Spencer.
"Jason." Maxie said softly not wanting to startle them. They both turned their heads in the direction of her voice. Jason's arms instantly dropping.
"Maxie what are you doing here?" Jason said walking towards her.
"I got your phone call. I knew something was wrong; Got on the first plane to Port Charles." She explained as Jason rushed into her arms for a hug, calming all of Maxie's fears. "Any word on how Michael is?"
Elizabeth awkwardly stood back watching Jason hug the Maxie remembering her from Jason's surgery months prior. "I didn't mean for you to get on a plane and rush out here."
"Isn't that what girlfriend's do?" Maxie joked lightly; Elizabeth visibly cringing at Maxie's words. "You needed me so, I'm here, although I might have to go shopping at some point. I did stop to pack clothes."
"I can't believe you're in Port Charles." He hugged her again; finally remember that there they weren't alone. "Elizabeth, I'm not sure if you remember, this is Maxie Jones."
"It's nice to see you again." Maxie said smiling at the beautiful woman, "I just wish it were under better circumstances."
"Yeah, I'll let you know if I hear anything more." Elizabeth smiled before leaving the two alone.
"God I'm so glad you're here." He pulled her into a breath taking kiss. "When do you have to go back?"
"Don't worry about that now. I'm here for as long as you need." Maxie said allowing him to kiss her breathless. Finally Jason pulled back resting his head on top of Maxie's head keeping her as close as possible. "I checked the waiting room first. I didn't go in though. Some nice doctor suggested I check the roof for you." Maxie explained. Plus I didn't want to just show up there and have to answer all those questions. I don't know who knows about me and whatnot."
"Sonny and Carly know about you."
"Well I didn't want to divert the attention. Right now the focus needs to be on Michael. What about Morgan, does he know yet?" Maxie asked letting Jason lead her over toward the ledge looking out at the city lights.
"Morgan knows that Michael's hurt. But that's it; we didn't want to give any more details until we know more."
"Well if Carly and Sonny need a break, I can hang out with Morgan. Maybe I can distract him a bit?"
"Yeah I'm sure he'd love that. I tell him and Michael stories about Florida and our adventures all the time." Jason sighed, placing his hands along the brick ledge.
"Do you need to be somewhere? I mean down in the waiting room with Carly and Sonny?" Maxie asked hoping that she wasn't interfering with whatever he was doing before.
"I'm good right here." He whispered pulling her tightly into his chest again.
"Well is there anything I can do for you? Just name it and it's done."
"You being here is more than I could ever hope for."
The couple had been wrapped on each other's embrace for what only seemed like a few minutes when Jason's cell phone began to vibrate.
"Yeah Carly," Jason answered, his grip tightening around Maxie as he waited for what Carly might have to say. "I'll be right there."
"Should I go?" Maxie asked watching Jason's entire demeanor change at the prospect of news on his nephew's condition.
"Come downstairs with me," Jason said moving them quickly down the stairs, fingers laced together as they walked back into the hospital and to the elevators back to the surgical floor.
Maxie stood beside Jason as the woman in scrubs who had told her about the roof and another man wearing scrubs talked to the woman she knew to be Carly and the man she assumed to be Sonny.
"So now we wait—" the man said. "We got the bullet and the fragments out but there was some swelling and bleeding so it's just a waiting game now."
"How long?" Sonny asked.
"It's different with all brain injuries." He continued. "We'll start running scans in a few hours once he is fully stabilized."
The doctors both excused themselves and Carly quickly moved to hug Jason finally seeing Maxie for the first time. "Oh, Maxie."
"Hey Carly," Maxie whispered not sure how to respond. "Jason called so I hopped on a plane to Port Charles, I can go if you want me to."
Jason found her hand again and squeezed letting her know she didn't need to be nervous right now.
"No, it's good you're here, Jason could use you." She smiled moving to hug Maxie, surprising them both. "Michael's going to be fine. He's going to wake up in a few hours and be happy to meet Uncle Jason's girlfriend and it's all going to be okay."
Jason went over to talk to Sonny who still hadn't even looked in Maxie's direction, she tried to ignore it and focus on distracting Carly. After a while Sonny left the waiting room and Jason moved back over to take a seat next to Maxie until the doctor's allowed them into Michael's room. It was then that Jason suggested Maxie head back to the penthouse with a guard to a waiting Spinelli
It was midday, when Jason finally returned to the home, where Maxie was still laying away after hours of worrying. He wordlessly stripped out of his jeans and shirt and climbed into the large bed in the dark room thanks to the curtains. Maxie gave him time settle into the bed before she spoke.
"Hey Jason."
"Hmm." He said stroking her arm.
"I love you." Whether it was the gravity of the situation taking place, or Jason's walls finally crumbling. It was there in Maxie's arms that Jason finally shed tears over the shooting of his nephew. Jason's head pressed into Maxie's chest she clung to him willing to take his hurt away. Knowing there was nothing she could physically do to make this better for him.
If it wasn't clear, this is when Michael was shot in the head while at the warehouse with Sonny. I'm going to try and follow timeline with GH.