Chapter 31
Elizabeth sat in the General Hospital waiting room clutching Jason's leather jacket. It was covered in blood - his blood. The events of the last hour had passed in a blur. Within moments of Johnny's call to Sonny, he had arrived and taken charge. He had a doctor with him who had quickly concluded that Jason's injury was too serious for him to treat. He would need a surgeon and a hospital.
During the trip to GH, Elizabeth had been vaguely aware that Sonny was trying to comfort and reassure her, but her focus had been centered on Jason. She had held his hand and talked to him quietly - begging him not to leave her. They had reached the hospital and he had been whisked away, all without his having regained consciousness.
Now she sat, waiting to find out if the man she loved was going to live. Sonny, who had gone to call Carly and Emily, returned and took a seat beside her. "Are you OK, Elizabeth?" he asked, concerned by her pallor.
"No. I'm not," she answered softly, tears stinging her eyes as she stroked Jason's jacket.
Sonny reached over and covered her hand with his. "Jason is strong and determined. He's going to be all right."
Elizabeth nodded. "Did you reach Carly and Emily?"
"Yes. They'll be here shortly," he responded. "Can I get you anything, Elizabeth? Coffee or a soft drink?" Sonny wanted so much to be able to help her feel better, but he knew that the only thing that could do that was news that Jason was going to make it.
"No thank you, Sonny." Her answer was quiet, but the voice inside her head was screaming that this wasn't fair. She and Jason had just found their way back to each other and they deserved a chance to have a future together. If someone didn't come soon to tell her how he was doing, she thought she might lose it.
Suddenly, her grandmother was beside her. "Elizabeth," she said. "I just heard what happened. Are you all right?"
Elizabeth threw her arms around Audrey. "Gram!" she cried. "I'm fine, but Jason was shot. He saved my life. I can't lose him, Gram." She let the tears come now that her grandmother was holding her.
Audrey held her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I'm sure he'll be fine." She knew the words were meaningless, but it was breaking her heart to see her granddaughter in so much pain.
Elizabeth saw Alan and Monica coming towards them. She stood to meet them, wiping her eyes. They looked worried. "Is there any news on Jason's condition?" she asked.
Monica smiled sadly. "He's going to live, thank God, but his injury is serious. The bullet is lodged near the spinal column and it will be a very delicate surgery. The risk of permanent damage is significant."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was thankful that he wasn't going to die, but she knew Jason would hate it if he were permanently impaired. Opening her eyes, she smiled wanly. "Thank you for telling us. When will he have the surgery? Would I be able to see him first?"
Alan gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but they're already prepping him. You won't be able to see him until he's back in the recovery room. It could be hours. Why don't you go home and get some rest? We can call you when it's over."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Thank you, but I want to stay and be here when he comes out of surgery. I know this must be difficult for you both, but Jason is strong. I know he's going to beat this." She said it out loud as much to convince herself as them.
"I'm going to observe during the operation," Monica explained. "As soon as it's over, I'll come and let you know how it went." She reached out and took Elizabeth's hand. "We haven't had the chance to see you in a while, but we did hear about you and Jason. I just wanted you to know that we're very happy that he has someone as warm and loving as you in his life. I know he'll have more strength to get well simply because of his love for you, so thank you."
By this time, both Elizabeth and Monica were crying. "I'm the lucky one," Elizabeth said hoarsely. "Jason has brought so much to my life that I can't imagine it without him. I need him."
While they stood gripping each other's hands, Emily entered the room and asked frantically, "Is Jason OK?"
Monica turned to her and said, "I have to go prep for surgery. I'll let your father and Elizabeth explain everything." With that, she left the room.
Emily looked to her father. "Tell me, Dad. Jason's going to be fine, right?"
"Jason is going to live, Em, but he has a bullet lodged near his spine. Removing it without causing permanent damage is tricky. The surgeon performing the operation is one of the best in the country and I'm fairly confident that Jason will pull through just fine." He gave her a quick hug. "I'm going to go check on how things are going. I'll be back soon." He departed, with Sonny, who had been quiet during the discussion. He explained that he was going to see if Carly had arrived yet.
An uneasy silence followed. "Hey, Em," Elizabeth said softly. They hadn't talked in quite a while and Elizabeth knew that Emily still harbored some ill feelings towards her for what she had done to Jason. "Do you think we could talk?"
Emily looked at her. "Yeah, I guess so. Do you know how this happened to Jason?"
"Yes, I do. He was protecting me," she explained sadly.
"Just like always. Geez, Elizabeth, haven't you done enough to hurt him?" Emily's voice was hurt and angry.
Elizabeth winced. "I know how much I've hurt him. Amazingly, he still loves me and I love him. Jason has forgiven me, Emily. Do you think you could, too?"
Emily searched her estranged friend's eyes and saw the truth. "Oh, Elizabeth. I've missed you. I'm sorry I held on to my grudge for so long. I just didn't want to see Jason get hurt again." She reached out and hugged her.
"I know. I'm glad we can get past this because I plan on being in your brother's life for a long time." Elizabeth pulled back and smiled. "Forever, if he'll let me."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Elizabeth sat in the General Hospital waiting room clutching Jason's leather jacket. It was covered in blood - his blood. The events of the last hour had passed in a blur. Within moments of Johnny's call to Sonny, he had arrived and taken charge. He had a doctor with him who had quickly concluded that Jason's injury was too serious for him to treat. He would need a surgeon and a hospital.
During the trip to GH, Elizabeth had been vaguely aware that Sonny was trying to comfort and reassure her, but her focus had been centered on Jason. She had held his hand and talked to him quietly - begging him not to leave her. They had reached the hospital and he had been whisked away, all without his having regained consciousness.
Now she sat, waiting to find out if the man she loved was going to live. Sonny, who had gone to call Carly and Emily, returned and took a seat beside her. "Are you OK, Elizabeth?" he asked, concerned by her pallor.
"No. I'm not," she answered softly, tears stinging her eyes as she stroked Jason's jacket.
Sonny reached over and covered her hand with his. "Jason is strong and determined. He's going to be all right."
Elizabeth nodded. "Did you reach Carly and Emily?"
"Yes. They'll be here shortly," he responded. "Can I get you anything, Elizabeth? Coffee or a soft drink?" Sonny wanted so much to be able to help her feel better, but he knew that the only thing that could do that was news that Jason was going to make it.
"No thank you, Sonny." Her answer was quiet, but the voice inside her head was screaming that this wasn't fair. She and Jason had just found their way back to each other and they deserved a chance to have a future together. If someone didn't come soon to tell her how he was doing, she thought she might lose it.
Suddenly, her grandmother was beside her. "Elizabeth," she said. "I just heard what happened. Are you all right?"
Elizabeth threw her arms around Audrey. "Gram!" she cried. "I'm fine, but Jason was shot. He saved my life. I can't lose him, Gram." She let the tears come now that her grandmother was holding her.
Audrey held her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Elizabeth. I'm sure he'll be fine." She knew the words were meaningless, but it was breaking her heart to see her granddaughter in so much pain.
Elizabeth saw Alan and Monica coming towards them. She stood to meet them, wiping her eyes. They looked worried. "Is there any news on Jason's condition?" she asked.
Monica smiled sadly. "He's going to live, thank God, but his injury is serious. The bullet is lodged near the spinal column and it will be a very delicate surgery. The risk of permanent damage is significant."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was thankful that he wasn't going to die, but she knew Jason would hate it if he were permanently impaired. Opening her eyes, she smiled wanly. "Thank you for telling us. When will he have the surgery? Would I be able to see him first?"
Alan gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth, but they're already prepping him. You won't be able to see him until he's back in the recovery room. It could be hours. Why don't you go home and get some rest? We can call you when it's over."
Elizabeth shook her head. "Thank you, but I want to stay and be here when he comes out of surgery. I know this must be difficult for you both, but Jason is strong. I know he's going to beat this." She said it out loud as much to convince herself as them.
"I'm going to observe during the operation," Monica explained. "As soon as it's over, I'll come and let you know how it went." She reached out and took Elizabeth's hand. "We haven't had the chance to see you in a while, but we did hear about you and Jason. I just wanted you to know that we're very happy that he has someone as warm and loving as you in his life. I know he'll have more strength to get well simply because of his love for you, so thank you."
By this time, both Elizabeth and Monica were crying. "I'm the lucky one," Elizabeth said hoarsely. "Jason has brought so much to my life that I can't imagine it without him. I need him."
While they stood gripping each other's hands, Emily entered the room and asked frantically, "Is Jason OK?"
Monica turned to her and said, "I have to go prep for surgery. I'll let your father and Elizabeth explain everything." With that, she left the room.
Emily looked to her father. "Tell me, Dad. Jason's going to be fine, right?"
"Jason is going to live, Em, but he has a bullet lodged near his spine. Removing it without causing permanent damage is tricky. The surgeon performing the operation is one of the best in the country and I'm fairly confident that Jason will pull through just fine." He gave her a quick hug. "I'm going to go check on how things are going. I'll be back soon." He departed, with Sonny, who had been quiet during the discussion. He explained that he was going to see if Carly had arrived yet.
An uneasy silence followed. "Hey, Em," Elizabeth said softly. They hadn't talked in quite a while and Elizabeth knew that Emily still harbored some ill feelings towards her for what she had done to Jason. "Do you think we could talk?"
Emily looked at her. "Yeah, I guess so. Do you know how this happened to Jason?"
"Yes, I do. He was protecting me," she explained sadly.
"Just like always. Geez, Elizabeth, haven't you done enough to hurt him?" Emily's voice was hurt and angry.
Elizabeth winced. "I know how much I've hurt him. Amazingly, he still loves me and I love him. Jason has forgiven me, Emily. Do you think you could, too?"
Emily searched her estranged friend's eyes and saw the truth. "Oh, Elizabeth. I've missed you. I'm sorry I held on to my grudge for so long. I just didn't want to see Jason get hurt again." She reached out and hugged her.
"I know. I'm glad we can get past this because I plan on being in your brother's life for a long time." Elizabeth pulled back and smiled. "Forever, if he'll let me."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*