A/N – Thanks for the comments! * DreamLover, I wanted to show how Carly would be different if she started out differently. * klj5017a – Gina/Ric and their agendas will be an interesting development. * Kikimoo – Ric and Gina are both holding a lot in…. * ABCSOAPFAN – Glad you like it! * Liasonisthebomb – lol. I couldn't help it. * ilovedana53, doralupin86, TwistedMusalih,LiasonLuv – Thanks! * Virgy15 – Thank you! * mvalle – Thanks! * Joyful71 – Thank you!

Chapter 11 – Trying to Cope

Diane was staring out of the front window. "There's somebody out there," she said after watching a man dart behind a bush.

"Where?"

"Behind that bush."

Liz squinted. "I don't see anyone."

"Trust me, he's there."

"It's probably just a reporter."

"Step to the side a minute." They did and she mouthed, one, two, three and then they looked out the window again and the man stopped in his tracks. "Ha! I told you," Diane yelled.

Liz grinned and ran to the door and almost flew down the steps. Johnny caught her as she hurled herself into his arms.

"Elizabeth, you're going to freeze to death."

She pulled back. "What are you doing here?"

"Jason sent me and Francis to check on you."

She smiled. "Where is he?"

He moved to the side and there was Francis, standing in front of the car. She waved him over and gave him a big hug too. "Come inside."

Diane had been curiously watching from the window. Francis looked up at her before he started up the steps and she noticed how handsome he was and wondered how Elizabeth knew them.

"Diane, this is Johnny and Francis. They are Jason's friends and were with us on the jet ride back."

Diane shook their hands holding Francis's longer than she should. "What brings you gentlemen here?"

"Jason was worried about Elizabeth, so he asked us to keep an eye on her for the next few days. He doesn't want the reporters bothering her."

"Well that was very thoughtful."

"Have a seat," Elizabeth said. "We just ordered some lunch. I'll call them back if you want a sandwich."

They told her what they liked and she made the call.

"Well, exactly what do you do for Mr. Morgan?" Diane asked curiously. Due to the news coverage, she was completely aware of what Jason did for a living and was trying to piece together the puzzle.

"We're guards," Johnny said.

Diane nodded wondering what that entailed.

Elizabeth sat next to Johnny.

"Have you spoken to Jason since you've been back?"

Liz shook her head no. "I didn't want to be a pest."

Francis frowned. "I don't think he'd ever think you were annoying."

Liz sighed. "I'm just trying to be respectful of Ric and Gina. I don't want to over step."

Francis understood that the situation was a bit sticky. "If you really need him, you shouldn't hold back okay? Right now, you're trying to come to grips with everything, so don't feel guilty about reaching out for help."

Diane liked him already.

The doorbell rang and Liz jumped up and answered it, thinking it couldn't possibly be the food. "Hey," she said as she was swallowed up in Matt's arms.

"How are you?"

"I'm good."

"Johnny and Francis, this is my very good friend,Dr. Matt Hunter."

Matt shook their hands. "Hey Diane."

She led him to a chair.

"I got a break at the hospital, so I thought I'd drop by and check up on you." He was so happy when he found out that she was alive.

"Thanks."

She steered the conversation away from her and got Matt to tell them about what was going on at the hospital. He told a funny story about a drunk who had come in the night before and had them all laughing.

The sandwiches arrived and he shared half of Elizabeth's.

Diane observed her closely. Not once had Elizabeth mentioned anything about the crash. She was adept at changing the subject if it came up and was also trying very hard to pretend she was okay so that Matt wouldn't worry.

Johnny and Francis went back outside when Matt had to leave.

"You must be exhausted from all of that acting," Diane said dramatically.

Elizabeth's mouth dropped open.

"Bitch please. I'm so on to you."

Elizabeth chuckled at her friend's facial expression. "God, I missed you."

"We're going shopping tomorrow, so pop a pill and get a good night's sleep. I have a hefty commission check coming and I want to stalk some shoes."

Liz smiled. "I will." She'd do anything to take her mind off the crash.

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Jason's phone rang and he grabbed it. "Yeah."

"It's Johnny. She spotted me."

Jason groaned. "Was she mad?"

"Actually, she was happy to see us. We ate lunch with her."

Jason relaxed a little bit. "How is she?"

"The same. A friend came over and she avoided talking about the crash."

"Just keep a close eye on her okay?"

"I will."

Jason hung up and grabbed his keys. He needed to get out of the penthouse before he went crazy.

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Sonny was shocked when Jason walked into the warehouse. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to get out of the house."

"How's it going?"

Jason shrugged.

"That good?"

"It is what it is."

Jason walked to his office and then closed the door behind him. He dropped into his chair and rubbed his hands over his face and then started looking at the stack of paperwork on his desk.

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Ric knocked on Elizabeth's door. She hurried across the room and answered it. "Hi," he said before handing her some flowers.

"Thank you."

Ric walked inside and watched her put them in some water and then place them on a table.

"The weather seems to be getting a little worse."

"That's why I came over now."

"You didn't have to. I'm fine."

Ric nodded and sat down. They had been practically living together before the crash and Elizabeth was acting as though it was normal for them to spend the night apart. "It didn't feel right leaving you here by yourself."

Elizabeth fidgeted nervously on the couch. "I took some chicken out for dinner."

"You know I'll eat whatever you make,"he said smiling to reassure her. "Your wedding planner texted me. She had a question and didn't have your new number."

Diane had gotten her a new phone.

"Oh, I think I left it in the bedroom."

"Elizabeth, do you still want to marry me?"

She stood and then walked back into the kitchen. "Can we table that discussion for a few days? I'm just not myself right now."

Ric nodded. "Of course."He was glad that she hadn't just come out and said no.

"Green beans or corn?"

"Either one is fine."

She poured some water into a sauce pan. "I'm going shopping with Diane tomorrow."

"That should be fun."

Liz nodded. "Hopefully, the weather will clear up a bit so we can still go."

"It's supposed to be sunny actually," Ric said looking at the newspaper so he wouldn't stare.

Elizabeth sat on the couch and turned on the television.

"Sources say that AirValue Jet survivor Jason Morgan was just rushed to General Hospital after collapsing at one of the Corinthos/Morgan warehouses. Our reporter said that it looked like he might have stopped breathing." The voice droned on, but Elizabeth didn't hear it. She was breathing shallowly and Ric jumped up as she passed out and fell to the side.

He tried to wake her up as he heard a knock on the door.

"What!" Ric yelled as he flung it open.

Johnny was taken aback. "I'm sorry. I need to speak to Elizabeth."

Ric recognized him and stepped back so he could walk inside. "She just passed out."

Johnny ran over to her. "Elizabeth." He shook her gently as he spoke.

She started to wake up and when she saw Johnny, she gripped the sleeves of his jacket. "What happened?" she asked tearfully.

"He had a seizure. They think it's because of the skull fracture."

"Is he okay?"

"He's stable. They are doing all sorts of tests. Max will call me as soon as they know anything okay?"

She nodded.

Ric's heart was breaking watching her shake. It was then he decided that there was no way he was going to give her up. He was going to fight for her and for the wedding to stay on because they belonged together and he wanted to help her heal. They were belonged together even if Elizabeth couldn't see it right now. Eventually, she'd be okay again and she would be happy with him like she was before. He would do everything he could to comfort her.

Elizabeth was torn. She really wanted to go back to Port Charles, but she didn't want to intrude and there was also Ric to consider. "Johnny, will you please keep me informed? Let me know when it's safe for me to call him okay?"

Johnny nodded. "I will."

He left and Elizabeth gazed at Ric as he sat next to her and put his arm around her. "It's okay. He'll be alright."

She couldn't hold back any longer, so she gave in and cried softly, praying that Ric was right.

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Gina paced back and forth in the waiting room. "How is he?" she asked as Alan walked towards her.

"He's are doing tests. We should know something within the hour." He gave her a gentle hug.

"Do you know what happened?"

Sonny stepped forward. "He was at the office. I was about to knock on the door when I heard a crash. I found him on the floor having a seizure and Max called 911."

"Thank God you were there," Alan said.

Carly rushed into the room and Gina embraced her.

A nurse hurried towards them. "Dr. Quartermaine, he's waking up. He was mumbling the name Elizabeth."

Carly felt Gina's body jolt. Alan rushed away as she moved the distraught woman to a chair.

"I'm losing him aren't I?"

"They are just friends. He's probably having a nightmare. Don't make it more than it is."

"I just want him back Carly. We were so happy and now he treats me like a total stranger. I just don't know how long I can do this."

Carly grabbed both of her shoulders. "You will stick by the man you love for better or for worse. He's hurting. You can't abandon him just because he's having a tough time. It has only been a few days."

Gina nodded. "I know I'm being horribly impatient, but do you know how hard it is to see that another woman is what he needs instead of me? It's like a knife in my heart every time he looks away from me or utters her name."

Carly looked over at Sonny. This was bad.

A nurse came and got Gina. "Your fiance is awake. You can see him now."

She stood and took a deep breath and followed her to the room.

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Jason watched her enter the room. Everything about her demeanor suggested that she was upset. "Hi."

She wiped a tear away and sat down on a chair next to the bed. "Hi."

"Sorry if I scared you again."

"It's not like you did it on purpose."

"True."

She kissed his hand and then rubbed it.

"I know it's been really hard on you since I've been back. I hate that I'm hurting you., but I just don't know how to be what you need me to be."

"Jason, I'm really trying to not put any pressure on you. It's probably going to take weeks before things start to shift for you, but it's just really hard to watch you hurt when I know I can't do anything to help you. If you were in my shoes, you'd feel the same way, but I refuse to give up on us. We'll wait a month or so and see what happens then." Carly's words had an affect on her.

He sighed. There was no guarantee that the disconnect would disappear and more than anything, he didn't want her to hate him. Even though everything had changed, she was still important to him. He loved her enough to marry her, it wasn't like it was a casual relationship. "Okay."

Patrick Drake came into the room. "Mr. Morgan, I have the results of your scans."

"Is it bad?"

"Actually, no it isn't. I believe the seizure was due to the area that is swollen. I compared this scan to the one you had in Chile and you are doing better. Just take it easy and try to relax. Your body is trying to heal itself. Do you think you can do that?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah. So, can I get out of here?"

Patrick shook his head at the man's low threshold for hospitals. It wasn't the first time he had treated Jason. "You're really predictable, you know that?"

Jason smirked.

"I already signed your release papers. You are free to go."

Jason smiled. "Thanks!" He sat up and looked at Gina. "You ready to go home?"

"Yeah."

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Jason sat on his bed as he answered his phone. "Hello?"

"Hi," Elizabeth said. "Are you alright?"

He smiled as he savored her voice. "I'm fine. I'm home."

"Good. I was so worried."

"Elizabeth, you should be resting."

"Seriously? If it were me in the hospital, would you still be in Port Charles?"

He chuckled. "Probably not."

"That's what I thought."

"What are you doing?"

"I just cleaned up the kitchen from dinner and I'm taking a bath."

"That sounds nice."

"It's very relaxing. You should try it."

"Maybe I will."

"How's it going with Gina?"

"Not the greatest. How are you and Ric doing?"

"The same. Every time he looks at me, I feel like he's wishing I'm back to normal. I can't blame him, but I just feel so pressured."

Jason sighed. "It's the same way here too."

"You would think that we wouldn't want to talk to each other because it's just a reminder of what happened, but the truth is that I've never felt more alive than when we were on that mountain. Every breath I took reminded me that we had survived."

"I know."

"Ric asked me if I still wanted to marry him."

"What did you say?"Jason asked as he unexpectedly felt his stomach drop.

"I asked him if I could table it. I'm kind of running out of time though."

"Gina is having a hard time too. We're supposed to get married the last Saturday of the month."

"Do you still want to marry her?"

"I don't know. I feel like I'm having what they call an out of body experience."

"I agree. It's hard to make the connection. I'm hoping that the more time that goes by, the better we'll feel."

"Me too."

Elizabeth jumped. "Ric just knocked on the door. I have to go."

"See you later."

Liz smiled. "See you later."