Chapter 24
Wyndemere
Skye was horrified to see blood pouring out of a bullet hole in Sonny's shoulder. She sprang into action, kicking the gun into a far corner, then tossing off her high heels and hitching up her skirt. She barrelled down the hall until she reached the ball room. "CALL 911! CALL 911!" She screamed to the startled guests. She spotted Alan and Monica, and yelled at them, "Come quick! Sonny's been shot! Hurry!" She flew back down the corridor, Alan and Monica close behind her. Following them was a whole bevy of people who had heard her – Mac, Taggert, Carly, Jax, Alexis, and Zander. When Skye reached the sitting room again, she was distressed to see that Whitaker was now gone, and Sonny still lay unmoving on the floor. She collapsed into a heap by his side, sobbing about how it was all her fault. Monica gently moved her aside so she could examine his wounds. Alan went over and held Skye in his arms. Mac found the gun and told everyone not to touch it until the crime scene techs arrived. Carly tried to get to Sonny, but Jax held her back. Alexis stood to one side, her hand over her mouth, Zander's arm around her.
Monica looked up and announced that the bullet hole was high enough to have missed vital organs. All that was needed now was to try and stop the bleeding. She tore Sonny's shirt, crumpled it up, and pressed it against the wound. They all heard the sounds of a helicopter landing nearby, and knew that help was now on its way. Mac attempted to get an understanding of what happened, but Skye's retelling was too incoherent. When the paramedics wheeled Sonny away, Skye tried to go after him, but Mac held her back. "We need you to come down to the station and give a report." She sobbed, "No! I need to know if he's okay." Mac turned her to face him. "Don't you want to catch whoever did this? I need your help, Skye." She shook her head wildly. Alexis came and put her hand on Skye's shoulder. "Sonny's condition won't be known for awhile. All you'd be able to do is wait and worry. Go with Scorpio, and I will call you as soon as I know anything. I promise." Skye's shoulders sagged and she nodded. She wrote her cell number on a business card and gave it to Alexis. Then she followed Mac out the door.
General Hospital
When Sonny woke up, he saw Alexis sitting beside his bed. "Skye! Where's Skye?" Alexis put her hand on his. "She's okay, she wasn't injured at all. They still have her down at the police station looking at mug shots. Apparently the cops have never heard of a Roger Whitaker. Probably an alias." Sonny winced. "I take it he escaped?" Alexis nodded. "He was gone by the time we all got there. But the gun was still there." He frowned. "Couldn't they ID him from it?" She shook her head. "Its unregistered, and there weren't any prints." He nodded. "He was wearing gloves." There was a pause. "So what's the word on my condition?" Alexis narrowed her eyes. "You came through surgery just fine. You fared a lot better than the last time you were shot. You should be good as new in a few days." He smiled. "Good thing I have the premium mobster medical insurance or else I'd never afford all these hospital bills." Alexis glared at him. "I'm so glad you find this all amusing. This whole situation certainly is thick with irony." Sonny raised one eyebrow. "Irony?" She folded her arms. "To refresh your memory, I believe you avoided getting involved with Skye because you were afraid she'd be hurt by your enemies. Now here you are laying in a hospital bed because you were hurt by one of her enemies. Irony." Sonny looked thunderstruck.
Alexis folded her arms over his bed railing. "You know what the moral to the story is, don't you?" Sonny frowned and shook his head. "The moral is that you cannot control everything that happens to the people you care about. You tried to distance yourself from Skye, but it didn't prevent her life from being in danger. Sacrificing yourself does not provide any guarantee except that of lonliness." Sonny rubbed his face with his hands. "Okay, lets accept for a moment that what you say is true. Skye has given me no indication that she wants me in her life, and I can't blame her. There are plenty of other men out there that would be much better for her than me." Alexis gazed at him skeptically. "Such as Taggert perhaps? She did seem to enjoy her dinner with him that one time at the Grille." Sonny glared at her. "Do not ever, ever mention that incident again, do you hear me?" Alexis tried not to laugh. "I won't, I promise. It's going in the vault." "The what?" "Never mind. Sonny, you may think that she could do a lot better, but I think that she could do a lot worse. And its not like Skye has men flocking to her door." Sonny frowned. "How can you say that? She's beautiful, intelligent, stylish, confident. Any man would be thrilled to be with her." Alexis raised one eyebrow. "Be that as it may, Skye is also like a….a bare wire. Anyone who gets too close is liable to be electricuted."
Sonny grinned. "I don't think you should mention the words 'Skye' and 'bare' in the same sentence. I'm sure the doctor doesn't want me to get overexcited." Alexis closed her eyes. "Okay, I think you should put THAT in the vault. Um, Skye is like an exposed…er…stripped…no…charged…oh forget it, you know what I mean!" Sonny laughed, then winced when it hurt his shoulder. "Okay, Alexis, I'm done teasing you. I've already decided to have Skye move in with me anyway. As long as Whitaker is on the loose, I want to make sure she's protected at all times." Alexis looked skeptical. "Somehow I don't think she'll go along with that." Sonny folded his arms, winced at the pain, and unfolded them. "If she refuses to move in with me, then I'll know once and for all how she feels about me."
"No, absolutely not!" Skye's face was made of stone, hiding her disbelief that Sonny would make such an offer. "I don't want you getting hurt, Skye. Whitaker will come after you. Why won't you accept my protection?" Because I want more than that, she screamed silently. Aloud she said, "Because I can take care of myself. I'll hire my own bodyguards." Sonny lay in his hospital bed, frustrated by his lack of control. "Whitaker's not going to take any rent-a-cops seriously. If he knows you are under my protection, he'll back off. He doesn't want to start a war." Skye folded her arms. "I am not moving in with you just to scare off some thug. I have my pride." Sonny drummed his fingers against the railing on his bed. "I'm not asking you to move into my bedroom, if that's what you're worried about. I do have a guest room. We'd be like roommates. I'd cook dinner, you'd bake dessert. Mocha would love it in my penthouse, I know just the place for the cat tree." Skye stood up. "I don't want to hear another word! The whole thing is preposterous! I came here to find out if you are okay, and since you are, I think I'll leave now." She stormed out of his room. "Skye! Skye, get back here! Damn it!"
Carly strolled into the room as he was letting loose a string of curses. "Back to your ornery self I see. I guess that means you're feeling good." Sonny looked mutinous. "Depends on your point of view." Carly glanced at the doorway. "I passed Skye on my way into ICU. She looked pretty ornery herself." Sonny glared at her. "She's stubborn as a mule!" Carly smirked as she sat down. "Let me guess, she didn't go along with some idea of yours." Sonny looked at her in exasperation. "All I wanted was for her to move into the penthouse for her own protection. But she refused. Can you believe that?" Carly stared at him, then shook her head. "I can't believe YOU. Weren't you the one giving me a lecture about learning from your past mistakes?" Sonny looked at the ceiling. "What are you talking about?" Carly folded her arms. "Are you forgetting that you came up with some pretty lamebrained excuses to get me back into the penthouse, rather than just tell me the truth – that you loved me and wanted me with you." Sonny glared at her. "If she loved me, it wouldn't matter why I wanted her to move in." Carly laughed. "Bullshit! Are you also forgetting that I refused to move in with you because you wouldn't tell me how you really felt? I was just as stubborn as you were, and would rather have walked the streets of Port Charles with Mikey than admit that I wanted very much to move back in."
Sonny smiled at the memory, then sobered. "Carly, how can you be so sure that this is the same situation? You're suggesting that she doesn't want to move in with me because….because she loves me and wants to hear me say I love her. How do I know it isn't because the idea of living with me disgusts her?" Carly shook her head sadly. "That's just it, Sonny, you don't know. And you'll continue to stay in the dark unless you tell her how you feel. You've got to learn to trust your heart. Take a risk, go out on a limb. For once stop trying to control the outcome and just go for it!" Sonny gazed at her thoughtfully.
Musical Interlude
*Skye's Song (courtesy REO Speedwagon)
So you think that you've got him all figured out
He's a sweet talkin stud
Who can melt a girl's heart with his pout
He's the kind of lover that the ladies dream about
He's got plenty of cash
He's got plenty of friends
He drives women wild
Then he drives off in a mercedes-benz
He's got a long wick with a flame at both ends
He's hot
But don't let him go
Just give him a chance to grow
Take it easy, take it slow
And don't let him go
He makes you so angry
He makes you so sore
The wait may be worth it
But how can you wait anymore
When you're wonderin what you're waitin for
Baby I don't know
But don't let him go
He just needs a chance to grow
Take it easy, take it slow
And don't let him go
Don't let him go
*Sonny's Song (courtesy Marc Antony)
They say around the way you've asked for me
There's even talk about you wanting me
I must admit that's what I want to hear
But that's just talk until you take me there-oh
If it's true don't leave me all alone out here
Wondering if you're ever gonna take me there
Tell me what you're feeling cause I need to know
Girl you've gotta let me know which way to go
Cause I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
My every thought is of this being true
It's getting harder not to think of you
Girl I'm exactly where I wanna be
The only thing is I need you here with me - oh
If it's true don't leave me all alone out here
Wondering if you're ever gonna take me there
Tell me what you're feeling cause I need to know
Girl you've gotta let me know which way to go
Cause I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
Wyndemere
Skye was horrified to see blood pouring out of a bullet hole in Sonny's shoulder. She sprang into action, kicking the gun into a far corner, then tossing off her high heels and hitching up her skirt. She barrelled down the hall until she reached the ball room. "CALL 911! CALL 911!" She screamed to the startled guests. She spotted Alan and Monica, and yelled at them, "Come quick! Sonny's been shot! Hurry!" She flew back down the corridor, Alan and Monica close behind her. Following them was a whole bevy of people who had heard her – Mac, Taggert, Carly, Jax, Alexis, and Zander. When Skye reached the sitting room again, she was distressed to see that Whitaker was now gone, and Sonny still lay unmoving on the floor. She collapsed into a heap by his side, sobbing about how it was all her fault. Monica gently moved her aside so she could examine his wounds. Alan went over and held Skye in his arms. Mac found the gun and told everyone not to touch it until the crime scene techs arrived. Carly tried to get to Sonny, but Jax held her back. Alexis stood to one side, her hand over her mouth, Zander's arm around her.
Monica looked up and announced that the bullet hole was high enough to have missed vital organs. All that was needed now was to try and stop the bleeding. She tore Sonny's shirt, crumpled it up, and pressed it against the wound. They all heard the sounds of a helicopter landing nearby, and knew that help was now on its way. Mac attempted to get an understanding of what happened, but Skye's retelling was too incoherent. When the paramedics wheeled Sonny away, Skye tried to go after him, but Mac held her back. "We need you to come down to the station and give a report." She sobbed, "No! I need to know if he's okay." Mac turned her to face him. "Don't you want to catch whoever did this? I need your help, Skye." She shook her head wildly. Alexis came and put her hand on Skye's shoulder. "Sonny's condition won't be known for awhile. All you'd be able to do is wait and worry. Go with Scorpio, and I will call you as soon as I know anything. I promise." Skye's shoulders sagged and she nodded. She wrote her cell number on a business card and gave it to Alexis. Then she followed Mac out the door.
General Hospital
When Sonny woke up, he saw Alexis sitting beside his bed. "Skye! Where's Skye?" Alexis put her hand on his. "She's okay, she wasn't injured at all. They still have her down at the police station looking at mug shots. Apparently the cops have never heard of a Roger Whitaker. Probably an alias." Sonny winced. "I take it he escaped?" Alexis nodded. "He was gone by the time we all got there. But the gun was still there." He frowned. "Couldn't they ID him from it?" She shook her head. "Its unregistered, and there weren't any prints." He nodded. "He was wearing gloves." There was a pause. "So what's the word on my condition?" Alexis narrowed her eyes. "You came through surgery just fine. You fared a lot better than the last time you were shot. You should be good as new in a few days." He smiled. "Good thing I have the premium mobster medical insurance or else I'd never afford all these hospital bills." Alexis glared at him. "I'm so glad you find this all amusing. This whole situation certainly is thick with irony." Sonny raised one eyebrow. "Irony?" She folded her arms. "To refresh your memory, I believe you avoided getting involved with Skye because you were afraid she'd be hurt by your enemies. Now here you are laying in a hospital bed because you were hurt by one of her enemies. Irony." Sonny looked thunderstruck.
Alexis folded her arms over his bed railing. "You know what the moral to the story is, don't you?" Sonny frowned and shook his head. "The moral is that you cannot control everything that happens to the people you care about. You tried to distance yourself from Skye, but it didn't prevent her life from being in danger. Sacrificing yourself does not provide any guarantee except that of lonliness." Sonny rubbed his face with his hands. "Okay, lets accept for a moment that what you say is true. Skye has given me no indication that she wants me in her life, and I can't blame her. There are plenty of other men out there that would be much better for her than me." Alexis gazed at him skeptically. "Such as Taggert perhaps? She did seem to enjoy her dinner with him that one time at the Grille." Sonny glared at her. "Do not ever, ever mention that incident again, do you hear me?" Alexis tried not to laugh. "I won't, I promise. It's going in the vault." "The what?" "Never mind. Sonny, you may think that she could do a lot better, but I think that she could do a lot worse. And its not like Skye has men flocking to her door." Sonny frowned. "How can you say that? She's beautiful, intelligent, stylish, confident. Any man would be thrilled to be with her." Alexis raised one eyebrow. "Be that as it may, Skye is also like a….a bare wire. Anyone who gets too close is liable to be electricuted."
Sonny grinned. "I don't think you should mention the words 'Skye' and 'bare' in the same sentence. I'm sure the doctor doesn't want me to get overexcited." Alexis closed her eyes. "Okay, I think you should put THAT in the vault. Um, Skye is like an exposed…er…stripped…no…charged…oh forget it, you know what I mean!" Sonny laughed, then winced when it hurt his shoulder. "Okay, Alexis, I'm done teasing you. I've already decided to have Skye move in with me anyway. As long as Whitaker is on the loose, I want to make sure she's protected at all times." Alexis looked skeptical. "Somehow I don't think she'll go along with that." Sonny folded his arms, winced at the pain, and unfolded them. "If she refuses to move in with me, then I'll know once and for all how she feels about me."
"No, absolutely not!" Skye's face was made of stone, hiding her disbelief that Sonny would make such an offer. "I don't want you getting hurt, Skye. Whitaker will come after you. Why won't you accept my protection?" Because I want more than that, she screamed silently. Aloud she said, "Because I can take care of myself. I'll hire my own bodyguards." Sonny lay in his hospital bed, frustrated by his lack of control. "Whitaker's not going to take any rent-a-cops seriously. If he knows you are under my protection, he'll back off. He doesn't want to start a war." Skye folded her arms. "I am not moving in with you just to scare off some thug. I have my pride." Sonny drummed his fingers against the railing on his bed. "I'm not asking you to move into my bedroom, if that's what you're worried about. I do have a guest room. We'd be like roommates. I'd cook dinner, you'd bake dessert. Mocha would love it in my penthouse, I know just the place for the cat tree." Skye stood up. "I don't want to hear another word! The whole thing is preposterous! I came here to find out if you are okay, and since you are, I think I'll leave now." She stormed out of his room. "Skye! Skye, get back here! Damn it!"
Carly strolled into the room as he was letting loose a string of curses. "Back to your ornery self I see. I guess that means you're feeling good." Sonny looked mutinous. "Depends on your point of view." Carly glanced at the doorway. "I passed Skye on my way into ICU. She looked pretty ornery herself." Sonny glared at her. "She's stubborn as a mule!" Carly smirked as she sat down. "Let me guess, she didn't go along with some idea of yours." Sonny looked at her in exasperation. "All I wanted was for her to move into the penthouse for her own protection. But she refused. Can you believe that?" Carly stared at him, then shook her head. "I can't believe YOU. Weren't you the one giving me a lecture about learning from your past mistakes?" Sonny looked at the ceiling. "What are you talking about?" Carly folded her arms. "Are you forgetting that you came up with some pretty lamebrained excuses to get me back into the penthouse, rather than just tell me the truth – that you loved me and wanted me with you." Sonny glared at her. "If she loved me, it wouldn't matter why I wanted her to move in." Carly laughed. "Bullshit! Are you also forgetting that I refused to move in with you because you wouldn't tell me how you really felt? I was just as stubborn as you were, and would rather have walked the streets of Port Charles with Mikey than admit that I wanted very much to move back in."
Sonny smiled at the memory, then sobered. "Carly, how can you be so sure that this is the same situation? You're suggesting that she doesn't want to move in with me because….because she loves me and wants to hear me say I love her. How do I know it isn't because the idea of living with me disgusts her?" Carly shook her head sadly. "That's just it, Sonny, you don't know. And you'll continue to stay in the dark unless you tell her how you feel. You've got to learn to trust your heart. Take a risk, go out on a limb. For once stop trying to control the outcome and just go for it!" Sonny gazed at her thoughtfully.
Musical Interlude
*Skye's Song (courtesy REO Speedwagon)
So you think that you've got him all figured out
He's a sweet talkin stud
Who can melt a girl's heart with his pout
He's the kind of lover that the ladies dream about
He's got plenty of cash
He's got plenty of friends
He drives women wild
Then he drives off in a mercedes-benz
He's got a long wick with a flame at both ends
He's hot
But don't let him go
Just give him a chance to grow
Take it easy, take it slow
And don't let him go
He makes you so angry
He makes you so sore
The wait may be worth it
But how can you wait anymore
When you're wonderin what you're waitin for
Baby I don't know
But don't let him go
He just needs a chance to grow
Take it easy, take it slow
And don't let him go
Don't let him go
*Sonny's Song (courtesy Marc Antony)
They say around the way you've asked for me
There's even talk about you wanting me
I must admit that's what I want to hear
But that's just talk until you take me there-oh
If it's true don't leave me all alone out here
Wondering if you're ever gonna take me there
Tell me what you're feeling cause I need to know
Girl you've gotta let me know which way to go
Cause I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
My every thought is of this being true
It's getting harder not to think of you
Girl I'm exactly where I wanna be
The only thing is I need you here with me - oh
If it's true don't leave me all alone out here
Wondering if you're ever gonna take me there
Tell me what you're feeling cause I need to know
Girl you've gotta let me know which way to go
Cause I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
I need to know
I need to know
Tell me baby girl cause I need to know
