AN: Not a medical professional but trying my best to be as medically accurate as possible. Enjoy!

Chapter 14

It was nearing the end of the day and the respiratory therapist had come and gone. It was seemingly a longer process than either Alexis or Jason had expected but nevertheless, Sam was now breathing completely on her own. They had both stayed in the room when the medical professionals were extubating Sam, and they both cringed upon hearing Sam coughing and choking. The sound was somehow made worse when they began suctioning Sam's mouth, causing Sam to cough, even more, groaning in pain in the meantime. Her ribs were still very tender, not to mention that the chest tube was still in place and the stitched incisions in her abdomen pulled with every movement.

Alexis nearly begged for them to stop but Sam could already see her mother's thoughts and placed her hand up as if to say stop. A nurse saw Alexis's distress and asked if it might be better for Alexis to leave the room until they had finished. Alexis had insisted on staying, however.

A blue paper-like drape had been placed on Sam's chest for when they pulled out the endotracheal tube, much to Sam's relief. Immediately, an oxygen mask was placed over Sam's nose and mouth and the nurse left to grab more pain relief for Sam. The respiratory therapist kept an eye on Sam's breathing and vital signs for several moments and meanwhile, invited Alexis and Jason back to Sam's bedside. Sam had a few tears that had streamed down her cheek. Jason wiped them away and tightly held onto her hand. She was already so exhausted from the painful and uncomfortable ordeal, but she wanted to fight the drowsiness. The only thing she had been doing since waking up was sleeping and she wanted to be more aware of her surroundings.

Thankfully, however, the additional dose of painkillers was enough to make Sam sleep for the rest of the morning and afternoon. After a few hours, the doctor deemed Sam well enough to move her out of the ICU ward, much to everyone's delight.

"I just got off the phone with Drew. He said that he spent the day with Danny and Scout and he told them about what happened to Sam while sparing all the gory details," Alexis said when she and Jason stepped out of Sam's room for a moment to catch up.

"He reassured them that Sam was going to be okay?" Jason asked.

"Yes, of course," Alexis answered. "He also said that he dropped them off at Monica's and that he is on his way. There was no use in convincing him otherwise. He still cares very deeply for Sam."

Jason sighed but knew that Alexis was right. He didn't want to deal with his brother right now, especially with the continued animosity between the two. Monica had asked for them to work it out and Jason wanted to, but Drew, understandably, felt too betrayed by everyone he knew. He was bitter and it seemed to be spilling over into every relationship he had.

"I also spoke to Kristina and Molly and gave them an update. They wanted to come to visit as well, but I told them it wasn't necessary. It may be that in a day or two, we can get Sam transported back to Port Charles," Alexis continued. They were able to talk to Sam's doctor one more time at the end of his shift and had asked again, when, if possible, would be the soonest possible moment to move Sam to GH. With the improvement in Sam's condition, the doctor had reassured them that it wouldn't be too much longer but that he still wanted to keep Sam overnight. He did stipulate that it would be best for Sam to be airlifted, to offer the quickest possible transport and minimal risk of infection.

"Was there any change with Sam?" Alexis asked.

"No, not really. Her vitals and such seem to be very stable. Occasionally she stirs and moves around a little bit but for the most part she's been out like a light since they've moved her into this ward."

"That's good. They say it's important to rest, that it heals the body." Alexis replied back.

"Yeah, of course." Jason tried to hold back a yawn, but it was futile. By now, he'd been up for nearly 36 hours, and it was catching up on him.

"You need to go to the hotel and grab some sleep, Jason."

"No, I'm fine." Jason tried to object.

"No, you're not. You're not going to be any use to Sam being this exhausted and tired. I'll stay with Sam, so she won't be alone. Besides, I doubt she'll wake up in the next few hours and if she does, she'll understand that you need to get some sleep."

Jason stayed silent, not wanting to give in.

"Go, Jason. Keep your phone on you and I promise I will call if there is anything." Alexis insisted, this time finally convincing him.

"Okay, fine, let me just say a quick word." Jason gave in. He walked back into Sam's room and headed towards her bed. "Hey," he whispered, he didn't want to wake her up, "I have to leave but I'll be back in a few hours. I promise." He gave her one small kiss on her forehead, brushing his hand through her hair before glancing one last time at her and turning around.

"Go, get some rest. Here is the key card for the hotel room," Alexis handed the card over to Jason, and then pulled him into her arms, giving him a tight hug before letting him go.

It was eerily quiet in the room. The hustle and bustle of the ICU were gone and all that was left was the hum of the pumps attached to Sam and the computers and machines in the room. Alexis took stock once more of her daughter and noted that not only had she physiologically improved but visually too. Gone was the big blue tube and the oxygen mask and all that was left was a simple nasal cannula. The color in her face had returned and she didn't seem to look so sickly anymore. It was a relief, sort of.

There was still a lot of worry for Alexis. It was clear that this would still be a long road to recovery for Sam. The doctor had warned that it may be entirely possible that Sam may need additional surgery in her abdomen, in case there would be an infection, further bleeding, or obstruction of some sort. Beyond that, it would take 4-6 weeks for her ribs to heel completely, her collapsed lung would be 6-8 weeks. Her fractured hip was on the same timeline, not to mention the likely months of rehab.

The respiratory therapist had given Sam several breathing exercises to help stave off infection and heal her lungs, but Sam could barely cope to take a full breath. To see her daughter in pain was at times too much for her and she wanted so desperately to take the pain for herself. And she didn't want to think of the painful recovery that lay ahead of her.

Sam began to stir slightly, immediately catching Alexis off guard and snapping her out of her daydreams.

"Jason?" Sam called out, the volume of her voice just a mere whisper.

"It's mom, honey. I sent Jason to the hotel to get some sleep."

"Hm," Sam nodded, "that's good. He needs his rest."

"How do you feel?"

"Like I could sleep for another hundred days."

"It's the medications and your body's way of healing. Why don't you try to get a little more sleep, okay?"

"No, no," Sam gently refused. "I want to stay awake for at least a few minutes. How are Scout and Danny?"

"I spoke to them a few hours ago and they are fine. They miss you of course but I told them it wouldn't be much longer before they can visit you."

"No, I don't want them to see me like this," Sam replied.

"Sam come on, Danny has already seen you in the hospital..."

"No, not like this...," they were referring to when Jason had first come back and Sam had to be hospitalized for a near-drowning and for being drugged. "I'm bruised and bandaged up now, I have tubes coming in and out of me everywhere. I don't want to scare them, mom."

"It won't be for another day or two, okay? We spoke to the doctor about sending you to GH tomorrow and by then, some of your bruises will have disappeared and there won't be too many tubes anymore. Sam, the kids miss you. And they'll make you feel so much better."

Sam didn't respond.

"Why don't you just think about it and we can revisit the topic another time," Alexis suggested.

"Okay."

"Are you in any pain?"

"No, it's okay. I can handle it," Sam replied.

"Honey, it's not about being able to 'handle' it. You shouldn't be uncomfortable."

"Mom..."

"Sorry, sorry," Alexis threw her hands up, "I'm hovering sorry, I'll stop. It's what moms do."

"Thank you," Sam replied. "How is Jason? Physically I mean, like his head and his arm."

"You should know Jason enough by now. He is never one to complain but I don't think he has any lasting effects from the concussion. At least none that he is letting. And with his arm, I occasionally notice that he gets frustrated he only has only arm to use but otherwise it doesn't seem like he's in pain."

"I'm glad he is getting some rest at least," Sam replied.

"He didn't want to leave. I had to do some convincing before he finally comprised to go to the hotel for a few hours. I think it might also be best that he takes a shower while he's there."

"Was he beginning to smell?" Sam smiled.

"Well, I wasn't going to tell him that," Alexis laughed, which caused Sam to laugh but then immediately gasp and raise her arm to her ribs. "Oh, I'm sorry honey, I didn't mean to make you laugh."

"No, no it's okay. It's not your fault. My ribs are just a little bit sore," Sam consoled her mother. There was a small pause and break in the conversation, almost like a change of air.

"What happened out there?"

Sam looked to her mother and kept quiet for a moment, unsure of what to reveal. "I kissed him and told him that I loved him."

"You missed him," Alexis said matter of fact. "And everything felt right in the world?"

"Yes," her mom had spoken her thoughts. "I saw him lifeless against the glass of the car with blood streaming down his face and all I could think of was 'not again'. I don't know if I could go through that again, him not being there. Not being in my life or Danny's life. And then... later that night, I started feeling stupid and wrong that I had pushed Jason away all these months."

"Sam, you were doing what you thought was right," Alexis reasoned.

"But mom, how could I deny my feelings like that. I mean, gosh, every time Jason and I separated, we always found our way back together again. Why would I even try to fight that?" Sam began to become emotional, with a few tears threatening to roll down her cheeks.

"It's like I said, honey, you didn't know."

"I feel guilty that I made him wait. That I made him wait to tell him that I love him and that I never stopped loving him." Sam confessed and just as she spoke those words, the door opened in walked in Drew.

"Sam."