A/N: Hey! Sorry it's taken so long to get this update out, but with the way it was written I couldn't exactly split the chapter up, but it's extra long to make up for the wait. This chapter like I mentioned was written differently. It starts off with Spinelli and Maxie talking to their respective friends, Spinelli in the hospital, Maxie at home and they reflect on the day's events. They switch on and off point of views which is broken up by a dash, you know you're in a flash back because it'll say "General Hospital, (wherever they're at in the hospital" followed by the theme of that particular flash back. This chapter shows the continue struggle Maxie and Spinelli have with one another as well as friendships growing while discussing the particular events. I would say this chapter is going to make you laugh, cry, get angry, be upset, smile and well it's got a lot of good themes to it. Please review, if you've never taken the time out to review please do so this time because the chapter is like three times as long as it usual is and I would really love the feed back. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 12
He was sitting on his hospital bed in his pajamas watching TV when he heard a knock, "The Jackal is not in the mood for visitors, go away."
However as son as the door opened, he changed his mind for he should have known there was only one person would knock, "Come in Stone Cold."
-
She walked to the front door in her pajamas wondering whom it could at 8pm, "Hel…Sam er Robin."
"Hey, you up for a little company?" Sam softly smiled.
"I brought ice cream!" Robin hung up the bag of goodies obviously implying a girl talk.
-
"Hey Spinelli," Jason stood in the doorway, "I know it's kind of late and all, but that plan of yours worked."
"It did?" He asked surprised for he had no idea if it would because Jason hadn't visited since that day almost a week and half ago.
"It did," a sweet voice echoed behind Jason.
Jason walked further in the room revealing Lulu in the doorway.
"Hi Spinelli," Lulu smiled feeling like she hadn't seen Spinelli in a while and she hadn't, even when she was here in Port Charles, she hadn't exactly been that friend that he so desperately needed now.
"Hey," he tried to smile, but really couldn't find the will to do so.
"Anyway," Jason interrupted, "I brought you something." He revealed Spinelli's laptop and handed it to him.
"Wow," Spinelli spoke with barely any enthusiasm, his separation anxiety wore off a long time ago, but the truth was that he just didn't care, it was only a computer there were more important things to life.
Jason glanced at Lulu both noticing that Spinelli had no particular connection or interest in his laptop, Jason knew of the earlier day's events, but Lulu didn't and the reality was they both didn't know what lied under the man before him, Damian Spinelli who was a man, not a boy anymore.
"Hey man," Jason joined him at his bedside, "How've you been?" He knew it was probably a stupid question to ask, but he felt if he put on a happy face that eventually he would too.
"Stone Cold if it's okay by you, I would prefer to just be alone right now." He looked down at the bed avoiding either ones glance.
"Spinelli," Lulu softly smiled joining him on the opposite side of his bed.
"No please," Spinelli frowned not wanting to discuss what happened earlier, he could feel a tear creeping from his eyelashes.
"Spinelli," Jason raised his kind gentle voice, "Elizabeth told me what happened."
"Great." He sighed letting his hands hit the bed in frustration.
-
"So what are you two here for?" Maxie walked away from them after letting them in to the house.
"Well," Sam looked at Robin as they followed from behind to the living room.
Robin watched her sit on the couch watching the news that was just reporting the charges on Lulu and Johnny being dropped, "Guess his plan worked."
She glanced at them who were confused, "Spinelli told me he had this plan to get them free to protect us all four of us," she sighed, they were such an odd quad, all four of them completely different, complete opposites.
Robin and Sam joined Maxie on either side, "Hun we know what happened."
"I don't want to talk about it, it's a long story," Maxie turned the TV off attempting to get up from the couch when Sam grabbed her hand, "That I heard has a happy ending."
Maxie glanced at Robin feeling her sympathetic touch, "What do you guys want? You want me to tell the entire story?"
"Hun we just thought you could use a little company that's all, if you don't want to talk about what happened then that's fine." Robin tried to get her cousin to open up, to find a way to not be so bitter.
"Fine, I'll tell you, it's really nothing dramatic, okay," she fell back on the couch, "It started around noon that's when Spinelli told me he was supposed to have his therapy session."
General Hospital, floor 2, the lie
"Leyla?" Maxie asked as she walked onto the floor seeing her chatting with Nadine.
"Maxie," she smiled while cringing.
"Hey, um, not trying to tell you how to do your job, but shouldn't you be with Spinelli getting him ready for physical therapy?" Maxie innocently suggested.
"Um he already had his physical therapy for the day," it the other days it had been true, but today was the first lie of many that Spinelli wanted them to tell.
"He did?" Maxie looked down at her watch wondering if she had messed up the time but it was noon, she was right on time.
"Yeah, they had a spot open early this morning and he eagerly jumped in," she grinned hoping Maxie would go away or leave or stop asking questions.
"Oh well, is he in his room right now?" She could at least say hi.
"Yes," Nadine murmured even though she wasn't exactly sure where he was, the last time she saw him, which was an hour ago, he was in the gym.
"No," Leyla raised her voice trying to overcome Nadine's voice.
"Well which is it?" Maxie looked at them while laughing wondering what was going on and why they were acting so strange.
"No," Leyla spoke up, "No he's getting x-rays done and such."
"Okay well I'll just wait in his room," she began to walk passed them, but Leyla stopped her, "You can't."
"Why not," Maxie crossed her arms getting annoyed now.
"Because," Nadine spoke up walking off the nurse's station, "Because the truth is…"
Leyla glared at her not to do this, but Maxie glanced away from Leyla to Nadine, "What's going on?"
Nadine thought it was wrong to lie to her like this, "The truth is that Spinelli is in therapy right now and he's had us lie to you all week to keep you from seeing him," that was only half the truth.
Maxie looked at Nadine confused, "Why would he do that?"
"Because he's trying to protect you," Leyla stammered out wondering why Maxie was always so blind by Spinelli's decisions.
Maxie humorously laughed, "What floor is he on."
"Eight," Leyla thought she could try to throw her off and gain Spinelli some time or something.
"Five," Nadine stated like her answer was correct.
Maxie glared at Leyla wondering why she was purposely trying to separate her from Spinelli.
"Thanks Nadine for being so honest," Maxie glanced at Leyla as she turned to the elevators.
Leyla rushed in front of her, "Take it from me you don't want to see him."
"You know you have been doing this ever since he was in the hospital," Maxie pushed the button waiting for the elevator come up.
"What?" Leyla looked at her wondering what she was suggesting.
"You have your eye on Spinelli, you want him all to yourself that's why you don't want me to see him," it was the only reason that seemed logical to her.
Leyla rolled her eyes crossing her arms as if she couldn't be anymore wrong, "Mr. Spinelli and I are just friends and as a friend to him, I'm telling you that if you see him, you will regret it."
"No, I'll regret it if I don't," the elevator opened and Maxie purposely hit her shoulder as she walked in.
Leyla huffed wishing Maxie could look pass their jealousy over each other and just listen to her.
Maxie looked at her in disbelief as she ran into the elevator, "Look you can be with Spinelli all night, I haven't been able to sustain a conversation with him for days," Maxie pushed the button to floor five.
"And why do you think that is?" Leyla looked at her to open her eyes, "Why do you think that every time you came by this week he's been sleeping?"
"He's tired," she looked at Leyla as if he wasn't trying to push her away, there wasn't some ulterior motive behind his actions, "I knew it was going to be hard on him that's why I want to be there for him."
The elevator doors opened and Leyla walked out with her, "Maxie please believe me when I say you don't."
Maxie stopped in the middle of the hallway, "You know I understand that you care about Spinelli especially after he beat up a guy for you, bless his heart, but you don't know him like I do. So I'm going to try to be nice here and tell you thanks for the warning, but I can handle whatever it is you think I can't."
"And," Maxie suddenly remembered that Leyla was supposed to be his physical therapy assistant, "Why aren't you in there with him?"
Leyla put her hands on her hips, "Because he fired me."
"Oh," Maxie didn't expect this-her answer.
"He didn't mean to do it, he doesn't mean anything by it, he's tried to apologize about hundred times to me, but I was in there with him and he snapped, he yelled at me and then asked me to leave and to never come back."
"When was this?" Maxie quietly asked as if some part of her actually believed what she said.
"A few days ago," Leyla looked away from her seeing in the corner of her eyes Maxie's face that was completely taken off guard by so much happening with him that she didn't know of.
"Look it's your choice," Leyla looked up at her, "but he already feels guilty about hurting me, lashing out at his coach who just makes him work harder, he doesn't need to feel guilty about hurting the woman he loves," Leyla immediately cursed herself for saying such words.
Maxie glanced up at her trying to understand what was just said, she knew Spinelli loved her, she remembered that confession on the docks very well. Even though they hadn't discussed said confession, she knew that he cared about her but hearing it from someone else was…a little uncomfortable? Weird? Or just right?
Leyla pointed to the direction of the gym, "Whether he wants to admit it or not he is terrified."
"That's why I need to be there for him, to tell him he has nothing to be scared about."
"But he won't look at it like that," she honestly looked at Maxie who didn't understand so she explained, "We love Spinelli for his boyish looks and sweet words and gentle behavior, we love him because he's not an egotistical jerk or a man out to prove something, but right now he's not that guy," she pointed at the gym once more, "He's a man with a really hurt pride who is feeling things that make him feel bad about himself."
She might have been right about that, but Maxie remembered the last conversation, the last wholehearted honest conversation she had with him and he was not the man Leyla spoke of.
"I'm begging you for his sake, for yours, the best thing you can do is stay away from him, doing so isn't a sign of betrayal Maxie, it's not," Leyla tried to explain to her but she seemed less than convinced.
"Thank you for being concerned, I'm sure Spinelli would appreciate it and I…I do to," Maxie was about to say something else, but Leyla's pager went off, "I have to take this, but I hope you do the right thing."
Maxie watched her leave and then looked back down the hall where she saw the sign Physical Therapy Nest.
-
Lulu squeezed Spinelli's hand, "Oh Spinelli, what did you do?"
"Something unforgivable Lulu," Spinelli wiped his hand through his hair.
Jason sighed leaning back in the chair, "Maxie knows you're under a lot of pressure and pain and maybe I should get you another trainer, I thought you wanted to get well as soon as possible so that's why I hired him."
"I do," Spinelli looked at him, "And it's not Mickey, he's the Rocky Balboa of all trainers, he's the best, but what happened isn't his fault it's mine."
"It's not your fault," Lulu tenderly touched his hand thinking back to Lucky and his addiction and the people he hurt.
"Don't make excuses for me," Spinelli removed his hand from hers, "Just because I'm in pain doesn't mean what I did was okay."
He folded his hands into his face, "I was an hour into the workout, Mickey was pushing the Jackal like normal, I was lifting weights and having a really hard time with it."
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, Eye of the tiger
"Do you want to quit!" Mickey screamed in his ear, "Do you?"
"No," Spinelli clenched his jaw lifting the bar.
"What?" Mickey looked into his rear vision, "I couldn't hear you?"
"No!" Spinelli shouted erratically breathing.
"Then prove it!" He shouted, "Come on kid!" Mickey walked in front of him helping him left the bar, "Come on Damian we've been doing this for a week now, one…two…there we go." Mickey grinned as Spinelli began to really use the muscles that he had re-established in his arms.
"Slow and easy, this isn't a contest," Mickey informed him once again.
"But it hurts."
"That's the point," Mickey looked into his eyes, "You need to allow a full minute before challenging the muscle, slower now."
Spinelli sighed in annoyance as Mickey once again began to give him the speech about pain, "Pain is your friend."
"Pain is your ally, it will keep you awake and angry!" Mickey shouted while helping Spinelli lift the bar, "six..."
"It will remind you to get the job done!" He stared at Spinelli who was beginning to have trouble again, "It will remind you of what is important in your life and that you need to get home!"
"Mick…" Spinelli looked at him clenching his jaw.
"Finish the set, eight…nine…"
"I can't," Spinelli sighed as he brought the bar up to his shoulders, really feeling the pain in his shoulder intensify by the second.
Mickey flipped, "You what!"
"Nothing," Spinelli changed his mind remembering the last time he said he couldn't do something.
Mickey put his hands on his knees, "Are you quitting Mr. Spinelli?"
"No," Spinelli hated hearing this lecture again, "No sir."
Mickey motioned to his ear where Spinelli shouted, "No sir!"
"Good!" He looked into his eyes, "I know this hurts!" He watched Spinelli hesitantly lower the bar down and the slowly lifted it up, "Boy I served in a lot of wars and I got shot a lot of times, I have gone through this pain!"
"Ten," Mickey quietly shouted, "Count my boy it helps."
"E-le-ven," Spinelli lifted the bar back up closing his eyes, "Twel-ve."
"Good, thirteen," Mickey smiled, "We're almost there."
"AH!" Spinelli shouted in agony like he had been the entire time, "Four..."
"Teen," Mickey finished his syllable watching Spinelli lower the bar, "Come on, one more and then we're finished."
Spinelli clenched his jaw using everything he had in him, "AHHH!" He moaned as he slowly brought the bar up.
"Come on push yourself!" Mickey yelled as he walked behind Spinelli, "Finish the job!"
Spinelli brought the bar up to his shoulders, his face red with fury pushed to its limit.
Mickey leaned over his shoulder, "Feel the burn. It feels good doesn't it?"
Spinelli wandered his eyes to him like he was crazy, there was nothing about it that felt good, "Su-rreee."
"Lower it nice and…" Mickey heard the hard clunk on the floor.
"Spinelli!" Mickey hit him in the back of the head, "You can't just drop the bar you're going to break your foot!"
"Sorry sir," Spinelli said as he sighed taking a deep relaxing breath.
"Yeah, yeah," he walked near the bench grabbing him a towel, "Here!" He threw it at him, "Five minute break today."
Spinelli looked at him wondering if he heard right, "The Jackal deserves a whole five minutes?"
"Yes Damian," Mickey stressed the man's actual name, "You put good effort in today."
Spinelli smiled feeling proud of himself, "Thank you wise one."
"Wise one?" Mickey gave him a weird look.
"Oh sorry," Spinelli rolled his eyes, "thanks Mickey." Spinelli corrected himself as he wiped his face of sweat.
"Nah I like Wise one kid," the short man patted him on the back before turning away from him to get the next activity ready.
Spinelli nodded silently laughing at him before walking over to the bench and grabbing his orange flavored Gatorade. Unscrewing the top off he took a few sips before hearing the man grunt towards him, "Give me that." He whisked it from his hands.
"You know back in my day all we had was water, here." He shoved a water bottle in his hand.
"Sir Gatorade has proved to be…"
"Full of sugar," he walked away from him throwing the drink away.
"You are so…" Spinelli wanted to say old, but the man looked at him to watch his words carefully.
Spinelli decided not to test him and instead looked back down at the water bottle, "Nothing wrong with H2O."
He took a few sips before squeezing a portion of the bottle over his head letting the ice-cold water drip down his sweaty droopy brown hair and his stinging back and shoulders of hotness, "What are you doing!" Uh oh.
Spinelli opened his eyes quickly jerking his head to his trainer who looked like he was about to have a heart attack over nothing, "This isn't the place to take a shower!" Mickey yelled stopping in front of Spinelli who was just startled.
"God I can't leave you for two minutes!" He took the bottle from his hand, "Here," he gave him another one, "Drink it!"
Spinelli glared at him in almost the same annoyance as the man who walked to the back of the gym. Turning away from the man he took a sip from the bottle where as he arched the bottle down from his lips to his chest, he saw her, looking in through the window, he saw her staring at him.
-
"I had been watching him since before he dropped the bar," she looked at Sam and then Robin, "I had seen this old man who looked as old enough to be in one of those old people homes."
Sam silently laughed, old people homes, it cracked her up.
"And he was just yelling at Spinelli over and over again which didn't seem to help Spinelli it just made him more furious and I almost wanted to barge in there and ask him to stop being so tough on him."
"Maxie," Sam gently touched her arm, "That's how it works though."
"Well I know, but he just looked so miserable, it was killing me," she looked at Robin feeling as though she was reliving the entire moment.
"What happened next?" Sam asked wanting to move on.
"Well he dropped well more like threw the bar down which completely irritated the old man which I don't know why, he should totally expect Spinelli to do that because obviously Spinelli couldn't lift it and…"
"Maxie," Robin playfully touched her shoulder, "Hun slow down."
"Yeah," Sam agreed, "You're talking like warp speed Spinelli."
"Sorry," she laughed, "So anyway it looks like they're taking a break and Spinelli begins wiping the sweat off his face and chest which was firmer then I remembered when we were together and…"
"Whoa," Robin put her hand up for her to stop where she's at, "When you say together…" She gestured her fingers trying to put together the underline meaning of her words.
"Oh," Sam interrupted with a grin, "They hooked up Robin."
Robin's face turned electrified, "Why didn't you tell me!"
Maxie rolled her eyes pretending to wonder what the big deal was, but inside was just excited as they were, "Because we got together sort of right after Anthony kidnapped me and…"
"Let's go back to the sex thing," Robin could learn the reasons they hooked up later, "How was it?"
"Ooo good question!" Sam high fived her, "So yeah how was he?"
"I'm not gonna tell you guys," Maxie got up from the couch wanting to avoid this discussion and get back to finishing the ridiculous story.
"What!" Robin looked at her to get her but back down on the couch, "You can't just stop there!"
"Yes I can!" Maxie looked at them disappearing into the kitchen.
Sam looked back at Robin, "I'm guessing it was pretty good."
Robin winked in agreement before they both heard Maxie yell, "I heard that!"
Maxie returned from the kitchen with a bowl of barbeque chips, "So anyway…"
"No…No…No," Sam put her hand on Maxie's as she sat down, "You have to tell us."
"It's driving us crazy," Robin insisted and it was.
Maxie looked at them where they both shouted at the same time, "How was it!"
"How was what?" Mac asked walking through the front door.
"Oh nothing dad," Maxie rolled her eyes completely thankful that he hadn't heard anything.
Mac walked into the living room where he stopped to see the three of them obviously having some slumber party, "I don't want to know."
"That's what we thought," Maxie grinned wanting him to hurry upstairs.
He eyed Maxie and Robin and then stopped hassling them, "Okay have fun ladies," he ran up stairs where as soon as they heard the door shut Robin and Sam glared at her.
"Okay, okay," Maxie rolled her eyes like this was stupid, but she couldn't wipe the smile on her face, "It was sex. It was awkward I mean if I had let him undress me we would still be waiting to have sex," she chuckled before softly sighing, "But no though he was sweet, he was gentle and he was nervous, but excited nervous like I was."
Robin glanced at Sam, the two coming up with the same conclusion, it wasn't just sex.
"And I don't know, I just remember feeling really scared and he comforted me," she giddily smiled, "He just made me feel alive, he told me he'd protect me and I believed him…"
"So he rocked your world basically?" Sam playfully grinned.
Maxie didn't know how to respond, "I don't know I guess, I mean I don't know." She looked at Robin really having no idea, but couldn't stop laughing as if the answer was 'yes', "I mean all I know is that I needed him and he was there for me and it was just…"
"The best night of your life?" Robin finished her sentence knowing it was true.
"Well no, the best night of my life was him coming back to me after being dead for ten minutes, that was the best night of my life," she knew that for sure.
"Okay then it was the second best night of your life then?" Robin corrected herself like it didn't really matter if it was the best or the second or the third as long as the night, the event in itself was great.
"I guess."
"You guess?" Sam question, "It sounds like this guy made mind blowing sex to you and you guess?"
Maxie burst out laughing, either one of them not holding back at all, "Guys it's complicated, it was great, it definitely was, but I don't think it can ever be again."
"And why not?" Robin looked at her like this made no sense.
"Because if you haven't noticed every guy that falls in love with me dies or in the rare exception of Lucky, gets hooked on pills."
"Oh Maxie," Sam rolled her eyes leaning over to grab a chip, "You can't seriously be denying yourself love because you're afraid it's going to kill him."
"Um it almost did," she wondered how they could forget about the last weeks events.
"Maxie," Robin spoke seriously, "Come on now."
"You know I think we're getting too far off topic," she could see what they were doing and she wasn't about to do this now.
"How is that?" Sam looked at her, the topic was Spinelli.
"Because, because I just said so," she pouted looking away from them to grab a few chips, "So where was I?"
"Spinelli is on a break…"
"Oh right," Maxie leaned back on the couch, "So he's taking a break and after he wipes the sweat off his face and chest," she giddily smiled again like it was hottest thing she had ever seen, "He begins drinking his favorite orange Gatorade which he got two sips out of before the old humpback of Notre Dame takes it from him and gives him a water bottle," Maxie slightly laughed remembering Spinelli's priceless expression.
"And so like most typical guys he takes a few sips and then drowns his hair in the water and the old man waddles back barking at him and I only wish I could have heard what he was complaining about," she paused putting a chip in her mouth, "So…" She crunched on the chip, "Spinelli takes another water bottle from him and begins drinking it when he sees me."
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, It's been a while
Maxie sweetly smiled seeing him notice her and before even hesitating she walked into the gym where Spinelli slowly walked towards her.
"Hey," she asked with her hands nervously clasped together, she didn't know why she was so nervous, she didn't know if it was the sweat beating down his chest, his muscles that were flexing or just Leyla's warning, but whatever it was it had her heart beating so fast she wondered if he could hear it because she certainly thought she could.
"Hey," he softly smiled back not able to show annoyance that she had some how found him.
"How are you doing?" She shyly asked.
"Um okay," he grabbed his hurt shoulder, he didn't know why he felt the need to.
"Damian!" He heard the old man's voice from the back, "Are you grabbing that shoulder of yours?"
"NO!" He quickly whisked his arm away.
"You better not be!"
Spinelli cursed the man under his breath rolling his eyes as the old man threatened to make him work harder, "Old man."
Maxie chuckled, "He seems…"
"Great," he uttered without realizing what he said, "I mean," he looked over his shoulder at the old man and then back at Maxie who was just confused, "He's just being grumpy, but you, you seem great, better."
She slightly laughed crossing her arms, "Yeah. I mean I still don't know what came over me, but I'm feeling better."
"Good, good," he smiled, "Hey I'm sorry I haven't exactly been around."
"No," she tenderly touched his arm not wanting him to worry about it, "It's okay."
He gently smiled at her nodding no, "No it's not."
She sweetly smiled back not sure what to say in return, she was beginning to see what Leyla was taking about, "I got your flowers."
"Oh yeah?" He smiled, "I hope the fashionista didn't mind…"
"No Kate didn't mind, I think it was because you sent her flowers too," she laughed like it was very clever of him.
"Well," he blushed.
"I liked them," she softly smiled, "Spinelli I really liked them and I don't know if I ever really told you my favorite flower…"
"Daisies," he quietly interrupted, "We were…I think if the Jackal remembers correctly we were sitting on the Commissioner's couch and Patrick came to see Dr. Robin to apologize for being an egotistical jerk," he paused laughing with Maxie, "That's right!"
She then finished the story, "And I couldn't believe how unoriginal he was bringing her red roses and I said if he was really sorry, that a real man brings real flowers, her favorite ones and I said I per-son-ally prefer…"
"Daisies," he said over her quiet hushed tone.
"I can't believe you remember that," she smiled completely taken back by the memory from at least four months ago.
"The Jackal remembers everything the blonde one says," he slowly, but softly smiled in the smile that was specially reserved for her.
An awkward silence fell between them until they jumped at the old man's voice, "Damian!"
Spinelli turned away from her as Mickey's voice seemed closer and he was right for Mickey marched on over with a white shirt in his hand, "Damian will you get dressed! What do you think this is your bedroom?"
Spinelli looked at him confused while taking the shirt from him, "Uh…."
"I swear," Mickey glanced at girl while laughing, "First he takes a shower…" He joked while Spinelli through the shirt over him.
Mickey glanced away from Maxie, "Damian, you ready to get back in there?"
"Yeah," Spinelli looked away from her where he realized he should probably introduce everyone, "Oh um," Spinelli became nervous, "Mickey this is Maxie Jones."
"Oh the friends with benefits girl?" Mickey smiled taking in a little pleasure humiliating him.
Spinelli jerked his head back to Maxie who looked surprised, "I didn't say that."
"He's right," Mickey admitted, "Nurse Mir said that."
"No she didn't," Spinelli nervously blushed looking back at Maxie, "She didn't."
"Well she kind of did Damian, special friend doesn't go under girl friend, but it doesn't go under friend either so…" Mickey looked at him to make his mind up.
Spinelli put his hand on the old man's shoulder, "He's just joking," Spinelli looked into his eyes to cut it out.
"He's right, I am, I like to kid," he laughed before looking at Maxie, "Um are you here to chat or to help."
"Help," she nervously bit her lip, "I mean if that's okay with you."
"Sure," Mickey nodded, "I think I have a few activities you can help him in."
-
Spinelli looked up at Jason, "There's always a time in our session where we move away from the body building, from working the muscles in my shoulder to doing everyday tasks."
Spinelli glanced down as his hands, what weapons they were, "Sometimes they're harder than the actual workout itself," he insisted looking up at Lulu, who was intently listening to him, "Because these things that we do everyday, these simplistic movements that we associate with being so easy to do, we don't really take them for granted until we find ourselves unable to do them."
He rubbed his fingers over his hurt hand, rubbing the joints, the bones, the act itself didn't hurt, his hand didn't hurt like it did two weeks ago, no, Spinelli wasn't scarcely holding his hand because he was in pain, he was staring at it remembering how everything fell apart so quickly, he casually closed his eyes flashing back to how quickly he turned into the villain.
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, Beauty and the Beast
"Ha, you still write like a chicken!" Maxie teased him as she watched him write stupid little notes to her, the exercise was to help Spinelli remember how to write.
Spinelli rolled his eyes, scribbling another note, "Well…" He slid the note over to her.
You still write like a girl.
"I am a girl Spinelli," she looked at him, he always used the same rebuttal.
He slid another post-it forward.
I know, that's the only come back I could think of.
She laughed before preparing herself to read the next note.
He thought long and hard about the next note, Mickey had been occupying himself with some of the other trainers, so the two of them had five more quality minutes together since she entered the place.
He had wanted to wait at a more appropriate time to confess his love, which she had yet to bring up from the shooting at the docks. He wanted to tell her when things were relaxed, when he wasn't hurt, when he could plan something romantic, but as he sat in front of her at a little kids table her glow couldn't keep him from scribbling his feelings on the yellow sticky.
"Damian," Mickey walked over as he was just about to finish writing the last letter.
"Yeah," he quickly hid the note crumbling it up in his pocket.
"Tea party?" Mickey teased him with the tray.
"Um," Spinelli glanced at Maxie like this was stupid.
"Or we could go back to weight training," Mickey innocently threatened, he wasn't actually going to put Spinelli back on the bench, but Spinelli didn't know that.
"No, that's okay, tea party it is," Spinelli grinned taking the tray from his hands, "So blonde one have you ever had a tea party?"
She laughed clasping her hands together, "Yeah all the time."
"Really?" He asked surprised for he could definitely imagine Georgie sitting around a table with dolls, but Maxie struck him for the girl who didn't give in to her imagination.
"What?" She wondered why he looked so surprised.
He laughed, "Nothing," he paused as he took the plastic Disney princess set off the tray, "So which princess are you?"
"Huh?" She asked distraught as she found herself thinking of Georgie and the fun they had growing up.
"Which one of these princesses are you?" He remembered vaguely from when he babysat Kristina for the first and last time that she talked about Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Ariel, Snow White and he knew there had to be more, but those were the only ones that instantly came to mind.
"Umm," she thought about it for a minute, "Um none of them I guess…"
"What?" He looked at her like she had to be one of them, "The Jackal doubts that…"
"Well I can't be Cinderella because I don't have an evil step mom," she paused for a second thinking about her mother, she could fit into that category, but she didn't have a sister anymore so no she definitely wasn't Cinderella, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, "I mean that cancels out like half the girls."
"And I can't be Ariel cause I don't live in the ocean," she joked.
"No you don't," he smiled, "But there has to be one that you admired that you looked up to."
"Well I, I looked up to Georgie."
"Well who did fair Georgie look up to?"
"Belle," she smiled, "Which isn't surprising, Georgie was smart, loving, a compassionate person who cared about everyone around her and defended them no matter what, no matter what they had done, she stood by them."
"The blonde one is just the same," he insisted, smiling at her face of uncertainty.
"No I'm not," she looked away from him.
"Yes you are," he sweetly said, "Stubborn, but Belle looks passed the beast, she sees good in him despite how he looks on the outside and well the Jackal is often referred to as a freak by Mr. Corinthos Sir and well you looked passed this freak."
She was saddened by the way he called himself a 'freak', she leaned over to him touching his hand that was grasping the tea pot, "First, you're not a freak, a secondly Sonny is a jerk."
"The Jackal appreciates your kind words but."
"But there is no but."
Spinelli softly smiled before hearing Mickey's footsteps and looked away from her removing his hand from hers, "Yes wise one, this tea party the Jackal is supposed to be having with his blonde one, um well what in the heck kind of tea party is it supposed to be?"
"If you're asking me if it's supposed to be fun," Mickey glared at him, "Yes and no. The point of it is for you to accurately pour her some tea…"
"Here," Mickey removed from his back, some saltines, "I think you'll appreciate these."
Spinelli nodded yes and then turned to Maxie who was watching the old man with interest, "What is it blonde one?" He asked while opening the white plastic cracker package.
"What did he mean by you'll appreciate these?" She looked at him wondering if the old man was implying for whatever reason or if he was implying Spinelli which meant something was wrong.
"It's nothing for you to be worried about," he took a few crackers before sliding the package over to her.
"No thanks," she ignored his generous gesture and went back to the subject, looking up at him with concern.
"Maximista it's nothing, it's what the doctor told me to expect," he explained.
"And that is?" She looked at him while she grabbed a cracker, "What's going on?"
He smiled when she took a cracker, it made him want to laugh, "Nothing Maximista, the jackal's medicine is simply not making him feel very well so these help me from getting sick."
"Sick?" She grabbed another cracker, "Spinelli why didn't you tell me?"
"I could ask you the same thing remember?" He referred to her dizzy spell a week ago, where it had been obvious that she was under the weather and she didn't tell him anything.
"Spinelli," she glared at him not wanting to bring that up.
"Maximista I didn't tell you because I simply haven't seen you enough to trouble you with this," he noticed her take another cracker.
"Well…" She took her hand in his as she bit into another cracker, "I still wish you had told me."
"And what would the Maximista have done?" He rubbed his thumb over her hand.
"I don't know," she said weakly, looking down at their hands, "I just, I just can't wait until this is over and I can take care of you at home."
"Maximista you don't have to take care of me," he tried to look into her gaze.
She looked up at him, "I already worked it out with Kate and Mac said it was okay."
"The commissioner sir said it was okay?"
"Um yeah, you saved me remember, I think he can let the man who saved his daughter into his house," she sweetly smiled, "So come on."
"Alright Jackal accepts your kind offer," he smiled looking down to grab a cracker and noticed about half the bag had been eaten.
"Someone's hungry," he playfully joked with nothing behind it.
"Oh," she chuckled, "Sorry I'll reimburse you."
"It's okay."
"I've just been so busy I haven't had time to eat and when I do get the time I'm not really hungry," she bit her lip knowing he'd take that in as a sign that she wasn't better.
"Maximista, I thought we talked about this," he looked at her annoyed as he began to lift the teapot.
"I'm fine, I really am," she looked at him who wasn't convinced, "Spinelli."
"Max..." He paused as he noticed while pouring her a cup of tea that his hand was shaking, the hand of the shoulder of the arm that had been shot.
He stared down at his hand, never noticing it really shaking before, perhaps because whenever he ate or drink he always used his other hand, but seeing his hand uncontrollably shake began to more than just bother him.
She looked up at him wondering why he stopped talking and then she could hear the plastic teapot and cup clinging together. Seeing his hand shake she didn't exactly know what to say, if she offered to help him or excused what was going on he could easily turn on her and she had no idea what she'd do if he did that.
Mickey watched from a distance seeing the boy's hand shake just as he knew it would and it was then he heard his brother's voice, "You sure he was ready for that?"
"It's either now or later, eventually he has to push everyone away before he can let anyone in."
"Hmm," Dr. Bayard crossed his arms as he watched with his brother at the situation that was just getting ready to unfold.
Spinelli smiled pulling away from her cup to his own where his hand seemed to shake even more. He frustratingly motioned to put his other hand on his, but refrained seeing Mickey in the corner of his eye, watching him like this was a test. He set the teapot down with annoyance and then glanced up at her who was looking at him like he knew everyone around him was looking at him like a freak. He was being paranoid, but as he lifted his cup with his hurt hand and saw the liquid moving around without him able to control it, he threw the cup out of his hand and then shoved everything off the table onto the floor.
Mickey looked at Dr. Bayard, "That's why we use plastic."
Spinelli watched as the liquid spilled on the floor, but instead of reacting to clean it up, he just leaned his hand on his forehead trying to calm his sudden rage.
Maxie motioned touch him even though she was still flustered from what just happened, "Spinelli it's okay."
-
"So he completely freaks out," Maxie looked at Robin, "He completely explodes in a burst of rage and I try to tell him that it's okay that it's probably just the medication that he won't be like that forever."
"But," Sam interrupted, "But he didn't believe you did he?"
Maxie nodded, "No he didn't and things just got worse from there."
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, for better or for worse
She got up from the chair where as she came around the table Spinelli folded his hands on his face. She knelt down in front of him where he removed his hands from his face, but wouldn't look at her.
"Hey," she touched his hand before cupping his cheek, "It's okay."
She looked into his eyes that were red with puffiness from tars in his eyes that he refused to let out, "Spinelli it's okay, alright?"
"It's probably just the medication," she explained to him rubbing his cheek.
But it wasn't the medication, it couldn't be because he stopped taking the pills days ago, no, his shaking was him.
She watched him turn away from her removing her hand from his cheek, "Go. I want you to go."
"No Spin," she touched his good shoulder, "I'm staying."
Mickey leaned off the wall looking away from his brother who disappeared into the back exit to prepare for surgery, "What happened?"
Maxie turned to him getting up from the ground placing her hands on her hips, "Oh like you don't already know."
Mickey pretended to be confused, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh sure," Maxie rolled her eyes, "You knew he was going to have trouble doing that."
"Maxie I'm a professional, this is how we do things." This is why family and friends aren't supposed to be involved.
"Oh by setting up your patients for pain?" She looked at him like this was unbelievable.
Spinelli turned to her, "Maximista, please."
Mickey looked down at Spinelli, "Come on, Jimmy will clean this up, let's move on."
"No," Maxie put her hand on Spinelli's good shoulder before looking up at Mickey, "Can't you see he's in pain? Can't you see that he needs a break?"
"He's had his break, the last fifteen minutes were wasted on you who distracted him," Mickey looked away motioning for Jimmy to come over.
Maxie turned to Spinelli who was getting up from the table, "Spinelli come on, you've pushed yourself too much, let's just go back to your room and…"
"No," Spinelli frowned at her.
"Spinelli," she looked at him like he couldn't be serious, "Come on." She put her hands on his chest, "Come on I'll make you feel better."
He looked down at her, putting his hands on hers, "I think you should go." He removed her hands from his chest and walked away from her.
"Spinelli," she looked at him hurt while Spinelli looked at Mickey, "What are we doing next?"
"Jimmy," Mickey motioned, "The lat pull, set him up."
Jimmy a forty something year old black man who was just as buff as Jason, nodded, "Come on Spin."
Spinelli looked at Maxie not wanting to hurt her, "Please Blonde one just go."
"Spin no," she looked at him not to do this, but he walked away from her to the lat pull.
"Ms. Jones," Mickey kindly tried to say her name.
"Don't," she snapped at him, "You have Spinelli believing you are some Mr. Miyagi some Rocky Balboa trainer, but you're not, you're an old man who is seriously going to hurt him."
"That's where you're wrong Ms. Jones." Mickey walked towards her, "You are the one that's hurting him, when you undermine me in front of my patient you put the patient at risk for being distracted for not listening to me, the guy whose going to get him back on top."
Spinelli put his hands on the bar and waiting for Jimmy to lock in the weight, "Remember nice and slow." Jimmy insisted as he stood to the side of the machine to spot him.
"Right," Spinelli smiled, looking towards the bar and slowly pulling it down trying to focus, you need one minute before challenging the muscle again.
Maxie pointed at the old man, "Oh and putting little activities together to show him that he's a freak because he can't keep a cup full of liquid still is helping him?"
"You said it not me," he looked at her with his hands on his hips.
"Hey Spinelli," Jimmy raised his voice seeing Spinelli not focused on the exercise itself, "Focus."
"Sorry," Spinelli looked at him who pointed to look at the bar, "Three…four…"
Mickey could see Spinelli in the corner of his eye distracted, "Let's take this outside."
"No," Maxie crossed her arms, "I'm staying."
"Well darling, if you want to stay in my gym, you will walk with me outside and convince me why he can't do this without you," Mickey glared at her before walking to the door nearby swinging it open for her to walk through.
"Fine," she nodded her head like this was a waste of her time as well as his.
"So," Mickey let go of the door as she stood in front of him, "Why is it so important that you jeopardize his treatment and be in there?"
"First why would I be jeopardizing his treatment? Spinelli and I are best friends, he's seen me in my worst and has been there for me every time, I wouldn't be a good friend if I just sat back and let him go through this alone!"
Mickey laughed at this woman's blindness, "First you need to understand that crying on his shoulder and holding his hand while he lifts a weight that is eating him away inside are two different types of emotional distress problems."
"Maxie he is going through a character change right now," he glanced back in the window, "He is learning what his strengths are and what his weaknesses are and you and that other girl that was here, you two are weaknesses, family and friends are weaknesses in physical therapy conditions."
She nodded in disbelief, "I can help Spinelli."
"No you can't ma'am this is something you have to understand, you have lost this battle with him, you lost it the moment he got shot, he doesn't want nor does he need your help."
She turned away from him where he continued to talk only this time he was softer in delivering his point for he could see she was wiping away tears from her eyes, "It's not about betraying him or showing him good faith. If your relationship is as strong as you say it is then he knows that!" He walked in front of her looking up at her fragile face.
"Maxie, the simple act of knowing you want to be there is enough, I tell this to every patient's family, friend, spouse, girl friend," he looked at her obviously implying that she was the girl friend in this case, "I tell them this so they let me do my job."
He followed her gaze, "That's why this works so well because I'm not his friend, I'm not his parent or his sibling or someone that's going to hold him back from being the person he needs to be to get back to who he was."
He walked closer to her, "It works because I didn't know him before the shooting, I'm not emotionally attached to him which means I'm not going to hold his hand and tell him it's okay when it's not, I'm not going to make excuses for why he can't pick up a cup without shaking it, I'm not going to remind him of who he was because I don't know him and because I don't know him is why he listens to me, why he trusts me."
Maxie put her hand on her forehead, "I just don't understand why…" She paused unable to form the words.
Mickey looked up at her knowing exactly what she was going to say, "It's supposed to be hard otherwise nothing in this life would be worth anything if it came to us freely without pain."
He could see that he almost had her convinced that he almost had her from leaving the gym and never looking back until the door burst open, "He's dislocated his shoulder!"
She quickly glanced into the window of the door seeing Spinelli hold onto his arm where she heard the mumbling yells of his pain, "God damn it! Son of a…" He huffed, breathing rapidly as he leaned against the white wall of the gym before falling to his knees with his eyes closed wanting to cry it hurt so badly, "Oh gawd…."
"Spinelli!" Maxie shouted running in through the doorway with Mickey.
He looked at her horrified, "No…" He put his hand up to stop her from coming near him. Grabbing his shoulder once more he looked up at her as she stood just a few feet from the door, ten feet away from him, "Just go."
Mickey ran to him ignoring what was going on with them, "Let me see…"
"Not until she leaves," Spinelli looked up at Maxie.
"Spinelli," she looked at him begging him to let her in, but every time she tried to get closer his face grew tensed.
"Go, please," he looked at her with tears in his eyes, "Please Maxie, go before I say or do…" He looked away from her feeling the stinging grow every time he breathed.
"I'm here Spinelli," she bit her lip, "I'm right here just let me help you." She crept forward and his reaction startled her.
-
Spinelli glanced up at Jason, his eyes different, his eyes looking at them the way he looked up at her, "I snapped Stone Cold, I became the person I swore I would never be."
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, The Dark Knight
"God damn it," he got up from his knees holding his shoulder, "What the hell is so hard about following a simple command? Huh? It's not Rocket Science Maxie, it doesn't take a fucking college degree or a high school diploma for you to leave when someone asks you to!"
"I know you need me," she clenched her jaw trying to convince herself that Mickey was not about to be right.
"No, what I NEED," his mouth grinned grimily, "Is for you to stop playing the concerned friend," he stopped a few feet in front of her, "And listen to me when I say LEAVE, can you do that? Can you listen to me just this once?"
-
"I looked at him completely mortified," she slowly said with deep hollow emptiness to her voice, "I knew this wasn't him, I knew that as he yelled at me, I knew he didn't mean anything by it, if anything I could see he needed me more than ever," Maxie ran her hand over her face through her blonde curls catching the tears in her eyes, "But I was so shocked by the way that he talked to me which sounded so familiar to the way Lucky did when he was on the pills that I…" She paused closing hers for a moment, composing herself.
"It's okay," Robin touched her hand where Maxie soon felt Sam's touch.
"I was scared and I was hurt and I was just feeling so much that I couldn't move and that…not able to move or say anything, infuriated him, he was gone, Spinelli was gone."
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, Sticks and Stones make break my bones, but words will never hurt me
"No you can't because Maxie does whatever Maxie wants to do, just like that day, I ASKED you NOT to leave the penthouse and what did you do? You left, you left and now I have to face the guilt every single time that I look at you I have to pry myself from wishing that I never saved your life."
She gasped, he did not just say that, she told herself, no, he didn't just say that.
"That is…" He evilly laughed, "That is how much pain the Jackal is in," he clenched his jaw together before losing his hideous humor, "He looks at you and hates himself because he wishes he had saved your precious life as someone who isn't your best friend who doesn't love you," he took a deep breath grabbing his shoulder while hunching over, the hostility in him taking over the sweet, kind and gentle man she once describe him to be.
He closed his eyes, huffing like he wanted to cry, but he could feel something rattling in his gym shorts, "Oh and let me not forget that while the Jackal is hurting internally he is also hurting physically!" He let go his shoulder grabbing the pills from his pockets, "Because these pills don't work!" He threw them at her with the top loose so the pills spilled everywhere.
-
"The look on her face Lulu," he grinded his teeth in disgust, "She was terrified and I knew it. I knew it and I didn't stop." He leaned back on the pillows closing his eyes while feeling Lulu's touch, "What kind of person attacks the person they care about most in this world? What kind of person says horrible things to the extent that I did? What kind of person throws things at her?"
"Spinelli you were in a lot of pain," Lulu slowly explained becoming just as emotional as Spinelli.
"And that gives me the right to abuse her?" He eyed her like of course it didn't.
Jason's eyebrows raised, "Did you…" He didn't have to finish his question; the look in Spinelli's eyes said it all.
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, pain has driven him mad
"So please," he grabbed his shoulder, "Please just leave me be and never come back!" He looked down at the ground waiting for her to make a move, leave, say something, but as he looked up, he saw her mindlessly blinking at him, petrified.
"Get out." He quietly shouted taking his voice down a notch before raising it louder then he ever had, "GET OUT!" He stormed towards grabbing her arm.
His grip had been tight on her; he knew she'd have a bruise later, a memory of how he became the bad Jackal, the unhinged one.
-
"Did he hit you?" Robin instantly checked her out to see if she had any markings any signs of abuse.
"No," Maxie softly nodded, "He just grabbed me by the arm that was it."
"Maxie I'm sorry," Sam looked at her, "I really am I mean I didn't think he had it in him."
"Guys, this isn't Spinelli," she looked at Robin and Sam who acted as if this was who he always was, "He was hurting, in a lot of pain with medication that wasn't helping."
"That doesn't excuse it," Sam looked at her. She had been with a few guys in her time that thought hitting a woman was a daily activity.
"I'm not excusing it, but this is Spinelli we're talking about. Spinelli who's never violent, who's never hurt me before," she saw their glances as if she was right, she was, Spinelli was still a good guy.
"And I could tell as soon as he had me against the door that he was hurting, I mean really hurting like he knew what he had just done and couldn't bear to live with himself," she closed her eyes flashing back to the bittersweet moment that broke her heart.
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, Save Me
She could hear his irrational breathing as they leaned against the door, the rage in him disappearing for a second, a glimmer of the real Spinelli coming to light. She looked into his blue eyes that she couldn't recognize anymore, a man torn, a man falling apart in front of her scared to death of the villain he just appeared as.
Behind those cloudy blue eyes of his was an apology, a deep sadness and willingness to break down, to let it all go. His forehead crashed into her shoulder and he silently sobbed for the way he let her down, for the way he let himself down in hurting the one person he needed most.
"Spinelli," Maxie softly cried wanting to catch him as he spiraled down the deep dark whole.
He felt her fingers stroke his brown locks, her lips pressed against is head, he felt guilty, unworthy of her touch, "No," he turned his face away from her ashamed of himself while whispering, "I'm not good for you." And like that he shoved her out the door refusing to be saved.
-
Spinelli looked up at Jason and Lulu with tears in his eyes, "How do you…how you make up for something like that?" He bit his lip feeling his warm tears cover up his dry cold words of the worst story he'd ever tell, "You can't, you just can't."
-
"So as timing would have it just as he threw me out Elizabeth came around the corner having just seen that and it was then that I began to put it all into perspective," she looked down at the carpet, "I finally knew or understood a little of what she had gone through with Lucky."
General Hospital, hallway, Woman to Woman
"Are you okay Maxie?" Elizabeth asked, but knew she wasn't okay.
"Does it look like I'm okay?" Maxie unintentionally bitched back.
"Okay forget it," Elizabeth turned away from her realizing that she had assumed wrong to try to be nice to her of all people.
"Wait," Maxie hated the way she took her frustrations out on her.
Elizabeth slowly turned around to see what the blonde wanted.
Maxie walked towards her, "I just want to say, that I get what you were going through with Lucky. I get it now and I really see now more than ever how wrong I was in messing up your marriage."
Elizabeth was taken back, "Um okay."
Maxie nodded taking her little words as an apology accepted and turned away from her wondering what to do or where to go.
"I take it that Spinelli's not doing so well?" Elizabeth sincerely asked.
Maxie slowly nodded crossing her arms with tears in her eyes, "He's made it his goal to push me away."
Elizabeth bit her lip, she felt sorry for her, "You want to talk about it?"
Maxie looked at her surprised, she wants to talk to me, the woman who broke up her marriage?
Elizabeth gently put her hand on her back, "Come on" and led her to the bench nearby.
"Tell me what happened?" Elizabeth had no idea why she was doing this, maybe it was a favor to Jason or maybe she was doing her one good deed for the day or maybe she was just talking to her woman to woman about an experience they now had in common.
"Well I showed up after finding out that he's been lying to me all week about when his physical therapy sessions have been, I didn't get mad at him, we just talked and he was genuinely happy to see me," she looked down at her hands clasped together.
"We were laughing having fun and then his stupid jerk of a trainer decides to bring over a tea set…"
"The old teapot trick," Elizabeth cursed.
"You know it?" Maxie looked up at her surprised.
"Yup," Elizabeth nodded, "He threw the teapot at me."
"Well Spinelli knocked the entire tea set off the table and he just threw his bottle of pills at me," she felt embarrassed talking to Elizabeth, the history with Lucky becoming a little overwhelming.
"What's he on?" Elizabeth hoped this wasn't Spinelli hooked on pills for that was the right behavior.
"I don't know something Ultram."
"Ultram?" Elizabeth looked at her wondering if she heard right.
"Yeah, he says the pills don't help with his pain or his inner struggle of hating himself for wishing he never saved my life," Maxie looked down at her hands gently rubbing them.
"Well no wonder he's in pain, Ultram on a scale of 1 to 10 has a pain relief of 3, it's used to moderate pain for say after rehabilitation, is there a reason they won't give him hydrocodone?"
"Dr. Bayard wouldn't prescribe it because Spinelli smoked pot a few times a year and a half ago and doesn't want to risk Spinelli getting…"
"Addicted, I see," Elizabeth nodded her head understanding the situation.
Maxie nodded her head in disbelief still, "And now he's dislocated his shoulder probably because of me."
"And how would you be blamed for that?"
"Because I'm a 'distraction'. His trainer took me outside to lecture me and instead of just leaving like he asked I pushed him to lose his temper and he grabbed me and…"
"That's when I walked in," Elizabeth slowly nodded understanding now, "Lucky grabbed me once."
Maxie looked up at her knowing this must have been when Lucky was heavily into his addiction.
"I told him I was leaving and he just wouldn't have it, I threw my wedding ring at him, grabbed my bag and he flipped. He grabbed me, threatened me and then threw me to the ground," Elizabeth frowned thinking back to how horrible the entire thing was, not just for her, but for Lucky too.
"Maybe if I hadn't just found out that I was pregnant that it all would have hurt less or I wouldn't have been so scared, but…" Elizabeth wiped a tear from her eye, "Well that was the past and well this is about you so…"
"I'm sorry," Maxie genuinely looked at her, "I really am sorry for what happened between Lucky and I."
"I know you are Maxie, I know." Elizabeth actually wanted her to stop apologizing for something that happened two years ago, "Back to you though."
Maxie nodded waiting to hear her advice, "You have to remember that Spinelli is not addicted to pills, he's just in a lot of pain and Lucky was the same way, he wanted to push everyone away, he wouldn't take any help from anyone, it's a pride thing."
Maxie annoying laughed because it sure was about pride, stupid pride.
"And," Elizabeth smiled at her, "You don't have to worry about the problems that Lucky and I had, you and Spinelli are friends," Elizabeth paused for a brief second remembering Maxie's confession, "Or in love whatever…" It didn't really matter because the point was that "You two aren't married having to worry about hospital bills or having some hot affair try to break the two you up," she innocently joked.
Maxie giggled, "No we don't."
"Right," Elizabeth smiled, "Spinelli will come out of this just fine and when he's back to his old self you get to reap the benefits of him trying to make it up to you, which isn't necessarily a bad thing."
"No it's not," Maxie smiled as the two were some how making peace with one another, odd this was.
Elizabeth's pager went off, "I've got to take this," she got up from the bench with Maxie getting up with her.
"Robin and Patrick need me," she looked up at Maxie, "But you hang in there." Elizabeth put her pager back on her purple scrubs, "And be remotely happy," she looked up at Maxie smiling, "That while this is happening that you don't have any kids like I did, that you're not pregnant."
Elizabeth's pager went off again, "I really have to take this."
"Well thanks," Maxie slowly nodded, "Thanks for taking out the time."
"Sometimes we all need a little help," Elizabeth faintly smiled before walking down the hall.
Maxie took a deep breath wiping her hand through her hair as she turned away from her, and be remotely happy that…you're not pregnant. She sighed in relief sliding her hand to her hip while her other rested on her forehead, things could be a lot worse and they're not so why freak out.
She walked down the hall not realizing that she had stopped right in front of the doors to the gym. She turned to the window seeing Mickey and Jimmy help Spinelli to an examination table. She crossed her arms worryingly staring at him who was so pale with exhaustion that he looked like he was about to pass out. She put her hand over mouth seeing Mickey rush to a desk picking up a phone and seeing Jimmy run back into the area with a first aid kit, something was terribly wrong, she could see it on his face and it was then that she knew what she had to do.
-
Spinelli looked up at Jason, "So the Jackal waited for his prognosis which he knew wasn't going to be good, whatever he did was bad not only because it hurt like nothing other, but Mickey was quite nervous…"
General Hospital, Physical Therapy Nest, Good news is…
"Okay, alright, no I get it brother," Mickey slammed the phone down, "Alright Damian." Mickey hastily walked over to him, "My brother is in surgery and can't leave to examine you, but from the way I described it, it sounds like out prediction was right, you've dislocated your shoulder."
"How…bad…" Spinelli took deep breaths wanting to know how bad it was going to hurt.
"You know I wouldn't like to you kid, it's going to hurt…a lot, but the good news is I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance thanks to Gecko." Mickey joked seeing Spinelli's face slightly amused.
"The wise one did not just crack a joke in my most dire situation."
"I couldn't help it," he grinned, "But there is good news."
"The suspense is killing the Jackal," Spinelli looked at him waiting for this good news.
Mickey chuckled, "The pain will go away as soon as I put it back in place."
"Oh what a relief," Spinelli rolled his eyes.
"Hey it could have been worse…" He insisted that he could have pulled the tendon, "Okay it's going to be quick, but painful so on the count of the three."
Mickey moved his hands to his arm when he remembered something, "Oh and I almost forgot…"
Spinelli looked at the wooden object in his hand that looked like a jumbo pencil, "What's this for?"
"To keep you from biting your tongue, grinding your teeth, just put it in your mouth," Mickey handed it to him.
"Okay," he looked at Spinelli, "You ready?"
-
"The Jackal was indeed ready, he accounted for the pain, the frustration, his surroundings, he thought he took everything into account, but as Mickey said the numbers the Jackal dreaded…" He paused with a look of frustration.
"Spinelli what is it?" Lulu looked at him wondering why he suddenly stopped.
"Well," he pouted, "Fair Lulu," he looked at her and then glanced to Jason, "Stone Cold, what the jackal doesn't understand is why, is why after I humiliated her, talked down to her, abused her, the Jackal doesn't understand why she came back."
General Hospital, Physical Therapy, I'll stand by you
"Three."
He felt her hand tightly squeezing his, her voice overpowering the agony, her eyes staring into his telling him she was in this for the long haul.
-
"I had no idea what to expect when I ran back into there," Maxie nodded like it was an impulsive move, "But I didn't care. I saw him in there and I just couldn't stay away."
Maxie glanced from Sam who nodded understandably to Robin who was crying, "So what happened?" Robin wiped her eyes with a tissue.
General Hospital, Physical Therapy, love means never having to say you're sorry
She felt his head fall to her shoulder, "I'm so sorry Maximista, I didn't mean any of it."
"Shh…" She rubbed his back as he sobbed, "I know. I know." She ran her fingers through his hair while looking at Mickey who backed away from them.
"It's okay," she kissed his cheek while hugging him, "It's going to be okay."
"Maximista?" Spinelli looked up at her, his eyes red with tears, "I'm sorry I hurt you."
"Spinelli, you never have to apologize," her frown formed into a smile.
Their eyes met, glistening in each others and then ever so gently they leaned in towards one another softly kissing each other like it was the first time.
-
Maxie smiled at Robin's joyful tears where she then wondered if Sam was just as moved by the story. Glancing at her Sam wiped the few tears in her eyes with her fingers, "It did have a happy ending."
Before Maxie could admit it Robin interrupted, "Damn hormones of mine."
-
Jason smiled while Lulu still comprehended the fact that they kissed, "You know why she came back Spinelli?" Jason softly smiled, one of the rare occasions that he actually showed happiness.
"Because she's a loyal friend who's feelings run deep for the Jackal?"
"If that's your way of saying that she loves you then yes," Jason nodded, he was still the same Spinelli, took forever to get to the bottom of the truth.
"So," Lulu looked up at him, "You and Maxie kissed." She needed to make sure she heard right.
"Fair Lulu, Maximista and I have intimately been together," he nervously gestured his hands.
"Like you and Maxie," Lulu couldn't even put the word together.
Spinelli goofily grinned, "It's called sex Fair Lulu."
"No," she gasped, "No Spinelli." There was no way he could be with her worst enemy, despite how they had each other's back, she and Maxie were not friends.
Jason looked at the two of them, "I'm going to leave you two together, seems like you guys need to catch up."
Spinelli nodded as Lulu just looked shocked.
"Oh and Spinelli, the doctors said you're being released tomorrow, I hired Leyla to take care of you and…"
"Actually Stone Cold," Spinelli nervously interrupted, "Maximista is taking care of me at Casa de Commissioners."
"Mac is going to let you stay at his house?" Lulu questioned, what the hell happened when I left?
"Yes, she's taking a few days off," he looked away from Lulu to Jason, "So thank you for the offer Stone Cold, but…"
Jason softly smiled, "Let me know if you need anything."
Spinelli assured him he would and then left the room where he looked back at Lulu who simply looked at him, "Spinelli how could this happen?"
"The Jackal senses Fair Lulu is upset…"
"I'm more than upset Spinelli, I'm…" She looked away, "Spinelli how can you be in love with her?"
Spinelli smiled, "I just am Fair Lulu, how can you be love with Johnny?" He turned the table where she looked at him and realized that she couldn't exactly explain her love for him just like he couldn't explain his love for her.
"Can the Fair Lulu promise to be nice to Maximista, can she promise that although she may not support my relationship with her just as the Jackal is not impressed with Fair Lulu's relationship with the Mob Prince, can Fair Lulu promise to be happy for the Jackal just as the Jackal is happy for her?"
"I guess," she sighed, "I'll be nice to her for your sake and for the sake that she helped Johnny and I."
"The Jackal appreciates it."
"Yeah well you helped Johnny and I, so I owe you and if the only way to make it up to you is to befriend Maxie then that is what I'll do," she touched his hand, "I'm glad your okay though."
"Eh, the Jackal is getting better each day, his shoulder is resting with three days off from training with Mickey," he sighed in relief.
"That's good I guess, this Mickey guy sounds like a tool."
"Oh he is," Spinelli nodded, "But I was actually wondering if Fair Lulu and the Mob prince don't have any plans um Saturday night, I was wondering if they would like to accompany the Jackal and Maximista to see Eli Love and the Saints in concert."
"Are you serious?" Lulu looked at him surprised cause that would actually be great.
"Yes, but the Jackal hasn't asked Maximista yet so if you could keep it quiet then…"
"Of course I can, um I'll let you know if Johnny is interested, thank you, but can I ask why?"
"Well seeing as the Jackal is your best friend and you are his, he just thought it would be great if he could get to know the mob prince and if…"
"I don't think Maxie and I will ever be friends," she honestly looked at Spinelli.
"Aw never say never Fair Lulu," he insisted, "I never thought that Maximista and I could be friends and look at us now."
She sweetly laughed, "Okay Spinelli, I'll put the effort in."
"And I will try to befriend the Mob Prince, I will even go as far as to call him by his actual name," he smiled, "Johnny right?"
"Yes, his name is Johnny and he's not that bad you know," she suggested.
"Oh the Jackal knows, the Jackal remembers working with him to rescue your fairness, he was much nicer than the crabby commando," he grinned.
She laughed once more amazed at how much she missed him, "Well it's getting late, I just wanted to see how you were and thank you."
"The Jackal appreciates the visit."
She got up from the chair and kissed his forehead, "Get well Spinelli."
"I will," he happily grinned saying goodbye to her where as soon as she left he couldn't help, but feel a certain weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
-
Maxie was sitting on the couch snacking on barbeque chips, it was almost ten o' clock at night and Sam and Robin had left her an hour ago, so it was just her watching Soapnet trying to catch up on all her favorite soaps.
She heard a knock at the door and wondered if it was Sam or Robin coming back to pick something up that they might have forgotten, but to her surprise it was Lulu.
"Can we talk?" Lulu looked at her knowing she probably wasn't the person she wanted to see right now, "I promise it won't be long."
"Sure, why not," she opened the door all the way and let Lulu in.
They walked to the living room where Maxie sat on the couch and Lulu sat in a sofa diagonally from her.
"So what is it Lulu, I have something I want to watch in ten minutes so," Maxie wandered her eyes to her.
"Um this won't take long, I just wanted to say that I know about you and Spinelli," she couldn't believe she was saying them in the same sentence.
"What about Spinelli and I?" Maxie looked at her not reading that Lulu knew they hooked up.
"I know that you and Spinelli slept together," Lulu couldn't help but want to laugh.
"Oh," Maxie became quiet wondering if Lulu was just here to put her down and tell her she wasn't good enough for him, "Listen Lulu…" She sincerely looked at her, but Lulu interrupted.
Her goal tonight wasn't to come here and yell at Maxie, she said she would try to be nice to her, befriend her and that's what she was going to do, "I don't know how I feel about this because Spinelli is my best friend and he's a great guy with a wonderful heart and you, you are not the ideal person I want to see him with."
For some reason that phrase, those words they actually hurt Maxie's feelings, why wasn't she good enough for him? She never cared about Lulu's opinion just like Lulu never cared what Maxie's opinion was of her yet at the same time both girls wanted to be accepted by one another for Spinelli's sake.
"However," Lulu looked at her unnerved, this was unchartered territory for her, "What you did for him today…"
Maxie looked up at her, she knew what she had done, she knew that outside of the bitch who stopped at nothing to ruin her life there was perhaps someone who was human.
"When you came back after the way he treated you, well I don't think I could have done that," Lulu honestly told her, she really didn't think she could have, "I don't think I would have been strong enough to walk back in there and…"
Maxie really didn't want to get into today's events all over again, they just reminded her of how emotionally strained she was, "So Lulu, what are you saying?"
Lulu silently was annoyed that Maxie interrupted her, but she let it go, nervously saying, "I guess, I guess I'm saying that I approve of," she looked away from Maxie saying under her breath, "of you and Spinelli."
"What?" Maxie pretended she couldn't hear her.
"I approve of you and Spinelli," she spoke a little louder, but still not making eye contact with her.
"I'm sorry what? Speak louder Lulu," Maxie could barely keep herself from laughing.
Lulu annoyingly jerked her head to her, "I'm okay with you and Spinelli being together!"
Maxie evilly smiled, "That's what I thought you said."
Lulu nodded her head in utter disbelief of her antics, here she was trying to make an effort and Maxie could care less, "Anyway, yeah." Lulu got up from the sofa ready to leave now.
"Not like we needed your approval," Maxie said just as Lulu walked passed the couch Maxie was sitting in.
Lulu turned to her, "You know just as I think we've made progress…"
"I know," Maxie slightly laughed, "I make you doubt that you and I could ever be friends."
"Ug friends," Lulu spoke with disgust, "That word just sounds so."
"Chummy, I know." Maxie looked at her the same way, having the same trouble with the word.
"Yes!" It was exactly what Lulu was thinking.
"Well," Maxie sighed trying to think of a compromise, "Maybe instead of being friends…"
Lulu joined Maxie on the couch, "We can just vow to get along for Spinelli's sake."
"And promise to stop bringing each others past up?" Maxie looked at her.
"As long as you promise to stop sabotaging me and not just with Johnny, but at work," Lulu paused, did she still have a job left?
"You're still working for Kate, I covered for you," Maxie looked away from her at the TV.
"You did? How did you manage that?" Her picture was only plastered everywhere as an escaped fugitive.
"Oh I told her that Johnny kidnapped you and that you were innocent, but I don't think she believed me so it's pretty much up to you now," Maxie looked at her trying not to show that she might have grown to like Lulu as an actual friend.
"Thank you I guess," Lulu looked at her trying to hide the very same thing, "So we have a deal?"
Maxie looked her, "Yeah."
Lulu stuck her hand out where Maxie looked at her like this was getting stupid, "We have to shake on it?"
"Um yes and I want to see your other hand," Lulu couldn't trust her to actually be loyal.
"Oh jeez!" Maxie showed her hand and uncrossed her legs where Lulu did the same thing, both girls revealing all their cards.
Lulu looked at her as she took her hand, "Okay, frenemies?"
Maxie rolled her eyes, "If you want to get technical Lulu than yes, frenemies."
They shook hands where Maxie made it very clear, "But we're not going to be friends."
"No of course not." Lulu assured her.
"Because this town needs…"
Lulu interrupted, "Two girls…"
"Who can't stand each other." Maxie seriously smiled, "We will vow to be friends…" Maxie cringed at using the word, "We will get along for Spinelli and stop our stupid childish games, but we under no circumstances are going to hang out together, go shopping…well," Maxie paused for Lulu could really use her fashion sense, "We'll see about that."
Maxie took notice of Lulu's not amused face, "But we're not going to gossip to each other about our lives or anything unless it pertains to Spinelli or whatever."
Lulu forcefully smiled, "You read my mind."
"Don't say that." Maxie looked at her, "Cause that sounds like something…"
"Oh right that two friends say, yes, no, well okay I'm going to go," Lulu got up from the couch, "Um good night."
"Good night Lulu," Maxie politely looked at her, "Thanks for stopping by."
"Yeah, no problem, I mean after you helped me with well you know I also wanted to come over here and thank you," Lulu was beginning to feel a vibe of friendship.
"Your welcome, now go Lulu before I regret the treaty I just made," Maxie could tell she was just as uncomfortable in her presence.
"Okay, yeah I'm going," Lulu scurried out of the house.
Maxie looked away from the door back at the TV, "I just keep getting softer and softer."
She looked up at the ceiling as if Georgie was watching, "I know Georgie, you don't have to send me a sign or anything I know you are probably laughing your head off that I've decided to band together with that twit and if it weren't for Spinelli I wouldn't be, but...But Spinelli has just weaved his way into my life and…now I don't know what I would do without out him and if pretending to like Lulu is going to make him happy then I'm going to do it because I would do anything for him, he's all I've got."
--
Wow that was long, but great right? As you can see I really couldn't have split the chapter up. Maxie and Lulu were pretty funny in this chapter, we had some cute Spixie scenes as well as some scenes that made us angry and sad. Look for more Maxie and Lulu bonding as well as Johnny to join the cast and be Spinelli's first guy friend besides Jason that is.
Next Chapter: Spinelli comes home, Maxie needs taking care of...And I'm not quite sure whether to involve the concert/double dating in the next. We'll see.
As always if you have any suggestions or you're confused or hey you want spoilers I'll be happy to give them to you! Thanks for reading and please REVIEW! Only takes a minute. Once again I appreciate the support!
