IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL
Chapter 21
He had just put the kids down for their nap when the front door slams. Not wanting to wake the kids, he doesn't call out. Instead, he gently closes the doors to their rooms and tips down the stairs.
"Sam?" he calls out, anxious to find out what she's discovered. "Is that you?"
She doesn't answer, but he figures she can't hear him since she's buried in the closet. He assumes she's hanging up her coat. But when she emerges with the shiny, silver weapon in her hand, he stops in his tracks.
"Sam, what are you doing?" he asks gently, slowly easing his way towards her. "Are you all right?"
"I'm perfectly fine," she says calmly. A little too calmly for a woman who's standing in her living room, expertly loading bullets into a gun. "I just have a little something to take care of."
"Hold on a minute," he says. He reaches out to her and grabs onto the hand holding the gun. She has a tight grip on it, so it takes him a minute to pry it from your fingers. "You can't slam in here, get a gun, and breeze back out talking about a "something" you have to take care of. Not only is it dangerous, considering my line of work. But it's also insulting, considering my line of work."
That gets a tiny smile out of her.
"I'm not trying to take over your action, if that's what you're worried about," she tells him, the edges of her frazzled nerves starting to settle a little.
He takes advantage of her distraction and leads her towards the couch. He sets the gun on the table, well out of her reach, and sits next to her.
"Tell me what's going on. Who did you need to take care of?"
"Ric," she practically growls, her cold rage starting to build again. "I got proof that you were right. About him drugging me."
He sighs and closes his eyes.
"I didn't want to be right. I mean, I did, but I didn't. Because by being right, I realize what that means he did to you."
"Don't say the word," she begs him, inwardly cringing at even the thought. "I just . . . I don't want to think . . ."
"It's okay," Jason says, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, relieved when she doesn't shrink away from his touch. "Just tell me what happened."
"I never wanted to tell you this," she practically whispers. "I told you about what happened with Ric, about what I believed had happened with Ric. But I didn't tell you the whole story."
"Why not?"
"I was afraid. And ashamed. And I just wanted to forget what I had done," she tries to explain, not really sure she understands her own reasons for keeping it from him. "But I have to tell you now. And just pray that you won't hate me for it."
"For what, Sam? Just tell me," he begs her, beginning to get nervous at what she could possibly be so afraid to tell him. "Just start from the beginning."
"I was drinking. And fighting with Alexis. It was after you pushed me away that final time and I just snapped. I yelled at Alexis for making you push me away. Then she snapped and started yelling at me, too. Then she left and it was just Ric and I. He listened, Jason. And now that I think about it, he must have kept refilling my drinks because my glass was never empty. Before I knew it, we were . . . you know. I don't really remember who started what or even what we did. I didn't know if he used a condom, or what. I didn't want to risk . . ."
She sighs and goes to stand by the window. Whenever she has something hard to tell him, that window seems to comfort her in a way, somehow making it easier what she has to say.
"Risk what, Sam? Sam?" he calls out to her when she doesn't answer the first time. "Are you still with me?"
"I'm sorry," she apologizes, not realizing she had zoned out for so long. "This is just hard for me. I still don't have everything straight in my head. I still have so many blank spots. And it doesn't seem to be helping now that I know what to fill those spots with."
"It's going to be okay," he says to her, coming to stand behind her. He sets his hands on her shoulders and leans over to place a kiss on to the top of her head. "Just finish. Please. I need to hear the rest."
"I went to a clinic. The same clinic I went to when I was going to . . ."
"Terminate your pregnancy. When I found you and stopped you in time," he finishes for her.
"Yeah," she nods. "I went and explained what happened to the best of my knowledge. I was so confused and angry and mixed up that morning. But I was clear one thing. I couldn't get pregnant. I couldn't risk that. So I asked for the morning after pill. And I took it. And until today, no one else knew about it. Now you do and you probably think I'm the biggest hypocrite out there. With as much as I talk about wanting a baby so badly, I had the chance at one and got rid of it as soon as I could. Some maternal instinct."
"Sam, don't do this to yourself. Don't blame yourself for the consequences of Ric forcing himself onto you. Besides, the clinic wouldn't have given you the pill if they didn't think there was good reason for it."
"That's what Lainey said. That's how I realized what Ric had done to me. They ran blood tests at the clinic before they gave me the pill. They found traces of the date rape drug and ecstasy in my system. So as it turns out, you were right, Jason. That creep violated me. And now, he has to pay."
"I agree with you a hundred percent," he says, trying to keep his own anger at bay. "But not now. Not like this. Ric is the DA. There are rumors he's making a run for mayor. So whatever happens to him has to be carefully executed to avoid an in depth investigation. I already beat him badly. I'm going to be the first person they look at should he end up dead now. Especially if you use my gun to do it."
"I didn't think of that," she frowns. "I just wanted him dead. And gone. I know I shouldn't think like that about another human being, but I can't help it."
"Believe me. I know exactly how you feel," he sympathizes. "And I can promise you, Sonny and I are working on a way to get Ric permanently out of our lives."
"Okay, then. I'll leave him alone. For now," she warns. "But I can't be responsible for my actions if I run into him alone in a dark alley."
"Ooh, you got a bit of a dark side, don't you?" he teases, wrapping his arms around her. "It's kind of sexy."
They stand there holding each other, pretending that everything is all right. But they both know that things aren't all right. Ric Lansing made sure of that. And if either of them have anything to say about it, Ric Lansing is going to pay for it.
- - -
Two more weeks. Whether she delivers or not, the baby will be here two weeks. They'll induce labor if they have to, Kelly had said. Two weeks isn't a long time for Elizabeth to figure out what to do about the paternity test. What is she going to do if Jason finds out there's a problem?
She sighs, not knowing what to do.
"What's the matter with you?" Epiphany asks as she comes up behind her at the nurse's station. "The baby's okay, right?"
"The baby is fine," Elizabeth assures her. "I'm not sure I am, though. I'm just tired, I guess. I'm tired of fighting Sam so that my baby can have a father."
"Well, I might be able to help you on that," Epiphany smiles. She waves a file under Elizabeth's nose. "It's Sam's. She had an appointment today, so it was on its way back to central records. I didn't even have to check it out."
"Give it here," Elizabeth says, grabbing it eagerly. She looks over her shoulder to make sure she won't get caught before opening it.
"This girl certainly has had her share of medical attention," Epiphany notes. "Maybe she's one of those hypochondriacs or something."
"Sam's a con artist, but even she can't fake a miscarriage of a full term baby and a gunshot wound. Those were very real injuries. Ooh, what's this?"
Elizabeth stops at the newest entry into the file.
"It looks like something from that women's clinic downtown. Why would she have gone there?"
"To get something she wouldn't have gotten quietly here," Elizabeth smiles, a smug grin on her face. "Look. The morning after pill."
"You might be able to use this to your advantage. Show it to Jason and prove to him she doesn't want any kids, despite what she says. She either tried to make sure his baby or someone else's baby would never be born. Something like this has to make him think twice about her."
"No, look at the date. They weren't even together, so it wouldn't have been his baby."
"That was the day after the blackout," Epiphany says without really much thought for what she said.
"That's right," Elizabeth gasps. "That would mean she was trying to make sure she didn't get pregnant from her night with Ric. Stupid girl didn't even think to use protection. Not that it helped me any."
She gently rubs her belly, silently thanking ELQ for distributing faulty condoms.
"Um, Elizabeth," Epiphany alerts her. "You might want to read a little further. Clinics don't normally give out that pill just because a woman comes in and wants one. They do testing and counseling and make sure the situation really warrants it. And according to them, this situation did. Look at the results from her blood test."
Elizabeth scans the files, seeing a couple of names that don't immediately ring a bell with her.
"So what? She was doing drugs? So she's not only a home wrecking slut, but she's a drug addicted home wrecking slut?"
"I don't think she took those drugs by choice," Epiphany says quietly, suddenly feeling very sick to her stomach at what she's reading. "Someone gave her the date rape drug, Elizabeth."
"Are you saying someone gave her roofies and then had sex with her? That's rape!"
"Not someone, Elizabeth. Ric."
"No. I don't believe that. Jason said himself that she was all over Ric. She couldn't have been that drugged."
"The other drug is ecstasy. It would have kept her awake, but still unaware and prone to hallucinations. I used to work at a clinic. So I've seen that particular combination before and the effects it has on its victims. If Ric gave those drugs to Sam, then there's no doubt in my mind that what happened between them was rape."
"That's if he gave those drugs to Sam. What if he didn't? What if she's the one who took them voluntarily? What if she drugged him? What if she went out later and hooked up with someone else? I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that my husband is a rapist because of something Sam said. For all I know, she could have planted these results. We don't know that this is even real."
"Get real, Elizabeth. I'm not saying that Sam is dumb, but do you really think she'd even know how to spell methylenedioxymethamphetamine let alone what it's used for? You're a medical professional and didn't even know what those drugs were. You need to face the facts. Perhaps Sam isn't the evil home wrecker you assumed her to be. Perhaps Sam is just a victim in all this. She's gets shot, then dumped by the man who loves her, then she's raped by her step father, only to find out that the man she loves cheated on her with another woman and got her pregnant. Then she nearly dies, and loses her unborn child, to a medical "accident" that happened right here in this hospital."
"Sam is far from innocent," Elizabeth says, rolling her eyes.
"Really? Well, it sounds to me like the woman can't catch a break. I don't blame her for wanting to hold onto a man like Jason."
"I'm sorry, but I can't scrape up any sympathy for the woman who's keeping my child from having a father."
"Could be," Epiphany shrugs. "But, my son has been working for him for a long time. Jason Morgan seems like a man who knows his own mind. If he doesn't want to be with you and your baby, I don't think it's because of Sam."
"Are you saying I forced him out of his child's life?"
"Depends on what kind of choice you gave him."
"A simple one. His child or Sam. He chose Sam. End of story."
"No, it's not. Are you serious, Elizabeth? What did you expect? For him to leave the woman he loves and move in with you and the kids and play daddy in your happy family scenario?" Epiphany asks her incredulously.
"My child deserves a full time father."
"Every child does, Elizabeth. In an ideal world, every child would be raised by both his father and his mother living together happily under the same roof. But what kind of life would your child have if his father was miserable every day?"
"Jason and I have been friends for a long time. Several times, we were close to being more than that. If Sam weren't around, we would be able to have something special."
"But Sam is around. And he loves her. And you're punishing him for that. You're taking away access to his child because he won't leave Sam for you. Then you're blaming Sam for making him choose her over you."
"No, he chose Sam over his baby."
"This isn't about the baby, Elizabeth, and you know it. This is about you and how you want Jason. My mistake was believing that he actually wanted you too, but he doesn't, does he? He wants Sam. He loves Sam. He wants to be with Sam. She's not trying to trap him with a baby or forcing him to do anything. That's just what you wanted to believe about her. But it's not true, is it?"
"Jason would be with me if Sam would just let him," Elizabeth maintains. "That is the only truth that matters."
Elizabeth grabs her stuff and storms off, grateful that the elevator is there to take her from that dreaded floor. She can't believe Epiphany taking Sam's side like that. She thought Epiphany was a friend. Apparently not.
"Elizabeth, Darling!" Her grandmother calls out to her when she exits the elevator. "What on earth are you doing here? You shouldn't be working still."
"I'm not, technically. I had an appointment today and I needed to get things settled with my maternity leave. My impromptu vacation a few weeks ago kind of messed things up."
"Well, you needed the break," Audrey nods. "Things are going to get hectic once the baby arrives."
Elizabeth gives her a weak smile, not enjoying the fact that she lied to her grandmother about the real reason she was gone for all that time. But no one, especially not her Gram, can know what she did to Sam to make her lose her baby. So everyone has to believe she took a pre-baby vacation when she really was in hiding.
"Are you here alone, Dear? Where's Jason? I thought he was bringing you to your appointments."
"Not anymore, Gram," Elizabeth sighs. "I think Sam finally succeeded in turning him completely against me. He acts like he doesn't even want anything to do with me."
"That's terrible. First Lucky leaves you alone and pregnant. Now Jason, the man who got you into this trouble, desserts you as well. I thought that young man knew more about responsibility than that."
"It's okay, Gram. He'll come around. And it's not him so much as it's Sam. She just refuses to let him do the right thing by me and his baby."
"Well, what can you expect from a woman like her?"
Elizabeth gives her grandmother a shocked look.
"I'm old, but I'm not entirely out of the loop, Darling. I know about the way she seduced her poor sick mother's husband. That's just reprehensible!"
"Well, that's Sam," Elizabeth shrugs before leaning over to kiss Audrey's cheek. "I need to go. I have to get Cam from daycare and head home."
"Why don't you let me get him tonight for a few days. I'm sure that baby will be coming any day now and you should have some time to relax before then."
"You don't mind? Gram, that would be great. You're right, I wouldn't mind an evening alone."
She smiles and continues on out the hospital. Yes, some time alone is just what she needs. She's had a trying day. Besides, Cam doesn't need to be around when she talks to Ric about Sam's accusations. The man deserves to know what she's saying about him. Sam is beyond sick. As a former rape victim, Elizabeth is disgusted that Sam would use that as an excuse for her actions. Elizabeth is not going to let her get away with it.
- - -
"Come in."
Ric ushers his guest inside the house, anxiety rushing through his blood. They go back into his office to avoid being seen together. Elizabeth said she had a late shift at the hospital, so they should have time. But he doesn't want to take any chances.
"So you've decided what you want to do?"
Ric looks at his friend, Randy Cleary, and nods.
"You're in this as deep as I am, now. So if I go down, you're going down with me," Ric warns him.
"I'm a judge," the man shrugs. "Trust me. Neither of us will be going down for this. Just so long as you remember what you promised what you'd do for me once you're mayor."
"I remember. You've got as much at stake in all this as I do. It'll keep us both honest."
Ric fixes them both a drink before getting down to business.
"So what have you decided?" Randy asks him.
"I've decided that it happens tonight. I can't wait for the baby to be born. Actually, I don't want to wait for the baby to be born. Not anymore. Not the way they so callously stole my own daughter away from me. They're going to pay for that. Starting with Jason Morgan. By the time we're done with him, he's going to have nothing. No Elizabeth. No baby. And what's worse, he'll be on his way to death row for killing them."
Elizabeth stands frozen, a look of horror on her face. The hand she had raised to knock on the door to Ric's office remains frozen in the air while the other moves protectively to her belly. She can't believe what she just heard. What she's still hearing.
"Are you going to use the drugs?"
"Maybe on him. Not on Elizabeth, though. While they served their purpose with Sam, she still fought me tooth and nail that night because she flat out didn't want me. I won't need them for Elizabeth. She'll willingly allow that loser into her bed."
"So you're going to drug Jason, put him into bed with Elizabeth to let her have her way with him, then kill her, leaving the evidence all over Jason with no real memory of what happened because of the drugs. That's slick. That's smart," Randy compliments him. "There's no way I'd let him off for that."
No, Elizabeth nearly gasps aloud. But she's smart enough to keep herself hidden from the men. She has to get out of there. She has to go. She can't believe everyone was right. Ric is a rapist. And he's a murderer. He's going to kill her. And she has no clue on how to stop him.
So she just runs. And she prays that she'll run into someone who will help her.
To be continued . . .