Part Sixteen

Author's Note: This chapter contains medical information.  It may not be accurate and I am sorry if it is not.

            Marcus Taggert rushed into the ER at General Hospital.  He had been called to a shooting at Carly Corinthos' club.  As soon as he got there, he knew something was wrong.  He was standing in a room full of Gia's things.  Then Mac told him.  He didn't even wait, he ran out of there.

            He grabbed the nearest nurse.  "Where's Gia Campbell?"

            The nurse appeared to think for a moment.  "She is down the hall in Room 35."

            Marcus ran off in the direction the nurse had shown him.  He opened the door not knowing what to find. 

            Amy Vining was hanging up an IV bag.  His sister lay in the bed, not moving. 

            "What's wrong?" Marcus demanded.

            "She has a severe concussion.  Dr. Quartermaine thinks that she may have already slipped into a coma.  It's not a deep coma but she won't respond to anything." She placed a hand on his shoulder.  "I'm sorry."

            "Is there any good news?" Marcus asked shrugging off Amy's hand to sit down next to his sister.

            "The swelling on the brain is beginning to go down." She told him.  "Dr. Quartermaine thinks she might wake up before morning.  Then we can determine if there is any brain damage."  She waited for any other questions and then left.

            Brain damage…he hadn't thought about that yet.  He reached out to take Gia's hand.  "Hey baby girl, why don't you wake up so we can talk?  I promise I won't lecture you like I have been doing lately…"

            He heard the door open.  Sonny and Carly Corinthos stood there.  Marcus stood up.  "I would really like it if you left."

            "Gia is my friend." Carly said quietly.

            "You did this to her." Marcus said to Sonny.  "Because she knew you and Morgan she was in danger…"

            "We don't know anything yet." Sonny told him.  "Look, I am sorry that Gia got hurt but you know as well as I do that nothing has happened in Port Charles in a long time.  I don't think anyone is going to stir up any trouble."

            "There is always someone who wants to have a piece of your pie…" Marcus trailed off.  "I swore to myself that I wouldn't let anyone hurt my baby sister.  I failed."

            "We'll go." Carly said pushing her husband out the room gently.  "I'll come back to see her later." She told him.  "Taggert is really upset right now.  I don't blame him.  He needs time to digest what happened." She bit her lip.  "Let's go check on Jason."

            Sonny put his arm around Carly.  He knew that she was dreading going upstairs to the OR waiting room.  He was too.  Bobbie had told them both that it wasn't good.  When they went upstairs they found the waiting room full of Quartermaines.  Alan, Monica, Ned and Edward were all waiting for word on Jason.

            "Maybe we should go." Sonny said.

            "We have every right to be there." Carly said sitting down in the chairs away from the family.  "Jason is not a Quartermaine…just like Michael isn't." She laid her head on his shoulder.  "I wonder how this happened."

            "I got men on." Sonny informed her.  "When Gia wakes up she will be the one to tell us everything."

            "This is horrible." Carly said feeling the tears coming down her face.  "They are my friends.  What if neither one of them make it?"

            "You can't talk like that." Sonny told her.  "You just can't."

            Zander and Emily Smith were the next ones to arrive.  They both sat closer to Sonny and Carly.  Emily knew her parents didn't approve of her marriage but she wasn't in the mood to fight about it.  She was worried sick about her brother.

            To everyone, minutes felt like hours so when the surgeon appeared after three hours it felt like a lifetime had been spent waiting.  They all stood at once.

            "He lost a lot of blood; we had to give him numerous transfusions." The doctor began.  "He had damage to his spleen, stomach and liver but we managed to repair them all.  We stopped all the internal bleeding."

            Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

            "He is not out of the woods yet.  If he makes it through the next few days I say he should recover nicely."

            Carly stood up.  "Where is he?  Can we see him?"

            Edward growled.  "You are not going anywhere near my grandson! It's because of you and your hoodlum husband that Jason nearly died."

            "He is not a Quartermaine.  I am sorry to say this but he wouldn't want half of you in that room.  Jason is our family." Carly cried.

            "Blood is what counts." Edward bellowed.

            "Both of you stop it…" Emily jumped to her feet.  "Carly's right, grandfather.  Jason loves Sonny and Carly.  We can't deny them their right to see him."

            "They can see him." Alan finally spoke up.  "Jason may need them."

            "Thank you…both of you." Carly said, looking back at the surgeon.  "Where is he?"

            "ICU…don't stay long."

            Sonny took Carly's hand and they walked down the hallway to where Jason was.  When Sonny opened the door, Carly let out a sob.  Jason had so many machines hooked up to him.  She pulled a chair next to the bed.  "Hey you…You knew I would be the first one here, didn't you? I can't stay away from you.  You're my best friend.  I am not going to give up on you, I promise.  So you can't give up on me.  You have to open your eyes.  You have to come home because the children want to see you already."  She bit her lip and wiped away a few tears.  She knew that Jason could here her…just like she could hear him after her accident.

            Sonny placed his hand on his wife's shoulder.  "Buddy, Carly's right.  She's not right all the time…"

            Carly swatted him.  "Hey!"

            Sonny chuckled softly.  "But she's right about one thing…you can't leave now.  You are just starting to get you're life back.  You met a great girl; you have great friends…not that I am bragging.  Jason, we need you."

            Carly turned her head away.  With all the tubes connected to her friend she was having trouble being there.  "I'm going to check on Gia, okay?"

            Sonny nodded and took her place in the chair.  He watched his best friend fight for his life.  His voice was more solemn now.  "To tell the truth, Jason, you are my only friend.  You don't know how much that means to me.  You are the only one who stood by no matter what when my other friends decided I was not good enough to be their friends.  And they were right; there was a time when I wasn't a good friend to anyone.  But you didn't care.  I hope you know that…Jason, you are my best friend."

            He heard a knock at the door and stood up.  Emily was standing there. 

            "Do you mind if I visit?"

            "Not at all." Sonny said leaving the room.  Emily's husband was standing outside the door.

            "Who did this to Jason and Gia?" Zander asked, hating to see his wife in pain. He also hated to see Carly upset.  He still cared a great deal for her.

            "I wish I knew." Sonny said feeling anger stirring in him.  "I hope to know soon.  Gia should wake up soon.  She may be able tell us."

            Zander leaned against the wall.  "I thought you had no competition."

            "I thought I did too." Sonny admitted.  He hated to think that he had overlooked something.  He hated to think that he may have had some small part in this.  "I'm going to call Leticia about the children.  Please tell Emily that if she needs anything I'm here."

            "I will." Zander said entering the room to be with his wife.

            Sonny dialed his number.  He also decided to put extra guards at his door incase there really was a new threat in Port Charles.  His family meant everything to him and he knew he would die if anything happened to Michael, Adella or Carly.

            ****

            Carly wasn't surprised to find Taggert still in the room with Gia.  No matter how annoying he was he still loved his little sister.  She pushed open the door. 

            Marcus looked back.  He wasn't as angry as he was before.  He knew that Carly was Gia's friend and that she cared for her.  "She still hasn't woken up.  The nurse said she looks better." Gia was getting more color but Marcus wanted to see her eyes.

            Carly knew it was too much to ask for some time alone with Gia so she just stood there.

            Marcus stood up.  "I know I don't like your husband but you are Gia's friend.  She would want you here.  I'm going to get some coffee.  If she stirs please come get me."

            Carly nodded.  When he was almost out the door, she spoke up.  "Thanks."  She sat down in the seat.  "Okay girl, you want to wake up so we can talk.  How come you didn't tell me you were thinking of getting with Jason?  I knew you thought he was hot." She teased.  "And I wanted to talk about last night.  We had so much fun didn't we?  I think it is safe to say that you are my first real female friend since I came to Port Charles.  I had one or two but it was mostly a business arrangement." She said remembering Lorraine.  Boy that was a long time ago, she thought.  "But you and I…we click.  We have been neighbors and friends for a month and my kids just love you.  I need you to walk up so we can talk about when we will have our next Ladies Night."

            Carly leaned against her chair.  She was tired and hungry.  She suddenly remembered that she had skipped supper.  She closed her eyes.

            "Carly…"

            Carly's eyes flew open.  Gia was moving a little, her eyes fluttering open and shut.  "I'm here, Gia."

            "Carly!" Gia felt really fuzzy.  She struggled to open her eyes but the bright light sent a pain shooting through her head.  "Where…"

            "The hospital, Gia."  Carly put her hand gently on her chest.  "Don't try to move.  I am going to get a nurse…and your brother.  I'll be right back."  She darted out the room and found Amy first.  Then she found Taggert by the coffee machine.  "She's coming around."

            Marcus' face lit up.  He raced off down the hall.  Carly was about to join him when she remembered that Sonny had mentioned Gia might know who did this.  She should go get him.

            Marcus never felt so relieved in his life.  He saw that Gia's eyes were open and she was questioning Amy about her head.  Amy was in the process of giving her some pain medication.  "Gia!" 

            "Marcus." Gia cried.  "I am glad to see you.  I was scared there for a moment." She laid her head back on the pillow.  "How did I get here?"

            "You don't remember?" Marcus asked.  "You were at Club 101…"

            It all came flooding back to Gia.  She remembered running in to see Jason lying on the floor covered in blood.  She remembered the wild look AJ had.  "JASON! How is Jason?"

            "He is in the ICU."

            Gia sat up.  "I have to go up there."

            Amy placed her hand on Gia's shoulder.  "You aren't going anywhere.  I think that you need to rest.  Well, this is certainly a good sign.  I think your cat scan should show no damage."

            "That's great." Marcus said sitting down.

            "But you don't understand." Gia said.  "I have to go to Jason."

            "Gia, you don't understand." Marcus told her.  "You were nearly killed because of him.  He is in the mob and people like him can't help but attract people like the one who attacked you.  You were lucky tonight Gia…"

            "I thought you knew." Gia said.

            "Knew what?" Marcus asked confused.

            Gia could see that Sonny and Carly were in the doorway now.  "It wasn't anyone from Jason's line of work.  It was AJ Quartermaine who did this to us!"