General Hospital; the Wrath of Jason Morgan

A Line in the Sand

Robert Scorpio exited the elevator on the 4th floor and soon found himself standing outside of Monica Quartermaine's office. He needed someone to confide in, and Monica was the one person he had known the longest at General Hospital.

The door opened and three people exited Monica's office. She saw Robert standing outside and invited him in.

Robert entered and closed the door behind him.

"I assume by your closing the door that this will be a serious discussion," Monica told him as she sat behind her desk.

Robert nodded his head as he sat in one of the chairs across from Monica. She, for her part, reached into one of her desk drawers and brought out a bottle of dark bourbon. She noticed Robert arching an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that Robert. I know for a fact, because Alan told me once, that Steve Hardy was known to breakout a bottle on occasion whenever he and Lee Baldwin had a serious legal situation to discuss; so why can't I?"

Robert smiled and accepted a glass of the hard liquor.

"Oh, you won't get a complaint from me," Robert said with a wry smile as he looked at liquid in his glass. "What was that meeting about? The people who came out looked very grim."

Monica took a deep breath and sighed.

"Those three people are responsible for the food and water rationing," Monica explained with worry in her voice. "Robert; at best we have six months, maybe nine, until we run out. And then I'm not sure what we will do after that point."

Robert nodded his head in understanding. It was a worrisome subject, and Robert, having once been a world traveling super-spy before landing the security job at GH, had seen hunger on an international scale.

"There may come a time," Robert told her, "when we may have to put armed guards around the food and water storage area. I have seen that people will go through great lengths to feed themselves."

Monica finished her glass and poured another.

"Well," she said to Robert, "what brings you here today?"

Robert looked over at the door just to make sure it was still closed then he looked back at Monica.

"Monica, what I am about to tell you," Robert began, "is very secret; it must not leave this office. I come to you because quite frankly, I have nowhere else to go."

Monica nodded her head.

"Alright," Monica replied, "I understand."

Robert downed his drink and continued.

"At the bottom of the closed elevator shaft, a mile or so below the hospital…"

Monica cut him off.

"Are the caverns where those creatures, the Cassadines existed, which Jason closed off after he defeated Mother." Monica said back to Robert. She already knew about the caverns after Robert had told everyone at one of the first briefings given in the hospital's theater.

Robert nodded his head and continued.

"I was down there a few days back," Robert explained. "Jason found a breach in one of the caves, and to make a long story short, the last of the Cassadines, he calls himself Mikkos, came up through the breach and secretly came to my office earlier today. He seems to have powers, just as vast as Mother (Helena) did. But he claims he has come in peace, and wishes to help us return to the normal world."

Monica thought for a moment.

"Do you believe him?" Monica asked.

Robert gave her a dubious look.

"To a point," Robert finally said. "But that isn't the worrisome part," Robert went on to say. "Mikkos claims that Jason, your son, cannot be trusted with his powers and that he must be neutralized before we can return to the world beyond the wall."

Monica gave Robert a worried look of her own.

"I think it might be more complicated than you think," Monica said after a pause. "Elizabeth is pregnant with Jason's child, and during my last visit with her, I ran some tests."

Robert reached out his glass and she poured him another.

"What did your tests find?" Robert asked.

Monica searched for the right words to say.

"Robert; I didn't tell Elizabeth what I'm about to tell you because…well…I will tell you because of what you have told me," Monica said with caution in her words. "The baby's brain scan is already showing signs of a highly elevated cognizant function."

Robert gave Monica a look of curiosity.

"What does that mean?" Robert asked with worry in his words.

Monica looked directly at Robert.

"I am basing my opinion on the writings of Dr. Kevin Collins," Monica pointed at a book on her shelf and went on to say. "Cognizant levels that unborn baby's brain are registering are as the same as those of a five year old child; it is extremely unnatural."

Robert took a breath, he didn't know what it meant, but it didn't sound good.

"So what are you trying to tell me?" Robert asked.

Monica downed her third shot of bourbon; Robert was still on his second. She knew that she was talking about her grandchild.

"I am just guessing, so I could be wrong," Monica said. "But I believe Jason has passed on his abilities to the baby."

Robert sat back in his chair with a look of defeat in his eyes.

"Mikkos is worried that Jason could abuse his powers, if and when we leave this place," Robert explained. "In fact, he believes the entire human race would learn how to use these powers, and in time, we would destroy ourselves, just as the Cassadines did over time."

Monica knew where the conversation was heading and she didn't like it at all.

"What are you saying Robert? Are you telling me we must destroy Jason AND the baby?" Monica asked in an accusatory tone. "I will not condone that choice; the life growing inside of Elizabeth is innocent."

Robert looked directly at her.

"Ultimately," Robert said back at her, "wouldn't that be Elizabeth's choice?

Monica shook her head side to side.

"Robert," Monica said as she put the bottle of bourbon back in the drawer, "Elizabeth has asked me not to tell Jason about the pregnancy; but I will tell him if it means saving my grandchild."

Robert sat forward in his chair.

"By doing that, you could condemn everyone in this hospital," Robert told her with a tone of anger, "and possibly the world beyond that wall."

Monica just stared back at him…she had drawn a line in the sand.

Continued; next time Mikkos finds Drew.

This issue featured

Leslie Charleson as Monica Quartermaine

Tristan Rogers as Robert Scorpio