A feather could have dropped on the plane and you would have heard it.
That's how quiet everyone aboard the Kiriakis jet was. Everyone was in his
or her own state of grief and just wanted to get this trip over it
Chloe handed her ticket to the ticket agent, ready to board the plane. Craig had driven her home and they were both shocked when she'd told them she wanted to go to Puerto Rico. But they didn't argue with her they would let her go on one condition. They also wanted to go with her. She was too tired to argue and admittedly she needed their love and support. They were making travel arrangements when the call had arrived. Victor had his private plane waiting at the airport for anyone who wanted to go to Puerto Rico. Philip's father never liked her, and that call was the least thing she expected. But she didn't care; this was not the time to dwell on the past. Entering the doorway, she was a bit surprised at all the flight's passengers. There were Bo and Hope sitting in the far left corner. Though Philip and Bo weren't all that close, they were brothers. So seeing them wasn't a surprise. Kate was sitting in the front row, wearing some dark, stylish, sunglasses. No doubt hiding her blood shot eyes, Chloe thought. Henderson, Philip's butler and friend was also on the plane. Her gaze came upon John, Marlena and Brady all sitting in one row. Brady caught her gaze and he looked away. Chloe could have sworn he looked like he'd been crying also. They were all looking at her with such
sadness and sympathy; she couldn't take it anymore.
Chloe rushed to a vacant seat near Henderson and sat down. Philip was always fond of his butler. He saw him more as a father figure than one of the Kiriakis's many servants. She liked Henderson also. He was always nice to her whenever she'd stopped by to see Philip at his house.
"Hi Henderson" she greeted the butler, trying to force a smile.
"Always a pleasure to meet you Chloe. Although I wish this time it wasn't under these circumstances. Philip was a great kid, I loved him like a son." Henderson acknowledged her presence, his voice strained.
She felt like she was riding on autopilot. Everyone was ready to bury Philip and they hadn't even seen a body yet. Until she saw his body, she would never believe he was dead. He couldn't be. Swallowing a lump in her throat she just blurted out her feelings. "Henderson, Philip isn't dead and I'm going to prove it!!"
Nancy gasped behind her. Kate took off her glasses, Brady, his hat, as everyone just stared at her.
Henderson, shocked at the young lady's outburst, understood her distress. She was clearly in denial and didn't want to believe Philip was dead. He didn't want to believe it either.
"Chloe, it's okay, we're all going to face this together. We all loved him too."
Chloe shook her head. "I'm not in denial, Henderson, I know that Philip isn't dead. I just know it."
Nancy, who had overheard her daughter's declaration, came over to join her. She wasn't the only visitor; all the plane's occupants had crowded around Chloe and demanded an explanation to her reasoning. The questions came flying right at her from every direction.
"What do you mean that Philip isn't dead, Chloe?"
"Have you talked to Philip?"
"What do you know?"
She regretted such an outburst because now everyone was looking at her like "she" had suddenly grown two horns on her forehead, except for Kate.
"Can everyone be quiet and let Chloe speak, please?" Kate said quietly. She looked at the grief stricken girl and knew she was in love with her son. She only hoped Chloe was right and that Phil was alive.
Chloe silently thanked Kate for putting the brakes on the constant barrage of questions.
She took a deep breath and began talking, hoping that when she was done that someone, anyone would believe her.
"No, I haven't talked to nor have I seen Phil since he went on the trip a couple months ago. I don't have any real, concrete prove that he's alive either. Except I just know that he is, Kate." She looked at everyone, not once breaking eye contact. She wanted them to know how serious she was about this.
"And how do you know this, Chloe?" Kate asked wanting to believe her.
"Because I would know if I'm living in a world that doesn't have Philip in it." Chloe answered her. She held both hands over heart. "I would feel it in here and I don't, Kate. I don't. See even when Philip and I were apart we were still connected. It seems like he was always with me. Always. And I'm not going to give up on him, not now, not ever. And until I see his body, I'm not going to lose hope. And I urge everyone not to either."
Marlena blinked back tears. She was touched by this young girl's love for Philip. She hoped he was alive because Chloe would be one heartbroken girl if he weren't. She knew Belle would be crushed also. Philip was one of her best friends.
Chloe held her breath anticipating their reaction. No matter what it was, she was on a mission. She was going to find Phil and bring him back home, with or without their cooperation. Leaving Puerto Rico without him was simply not an option.
However she was pleasantly surprised by what they had to say. Kate stood by her and said she would do anything to find Philip. Everyone else agreed, though she could see the skepticism written all over their faces. They wanted to believe her so badly but didn't want to get their hopes dashed. Well, she was just going to prove to them and everyone else that Philip was alive. And that there love could overcome anything, including death.
Each person sat in their seats, sadness and grief now mixed with a renewed sense of hope.
*************
The plane touched down at the Puerto Rico National airport and Victor had a couple limos waiting to take everyone to the nearby hotel. Belle and Shawn were waiting for her in the lobby. The minute she saw her best friend, Belle, she ran into her arms sobbing.
"I'm so sorry, Chloe. We just heard the news, I can't believe Philip's dead." They embraced as they cried over their friend and loved one.
"I know Belle, but Philip's not dead." Chloe said as she hastily wiped her tears.
"But, I don't understand, have you talked to Philip?" Belle was so confused, she saw Chloe face and knew how devastated she looked. She didn't understand why Chloe were saying these things. And then it dawned on her.
"Oh Chloe, you're not the only one who wished Philip was alive."
"We all loved Philip, Chloe." Shawn said.
"No guys, you don't understand..," her voice trailed off as she spotted Victor across the lobby. She needed to talk to him about Philip.
"Hey, I'll be right back. It's going to be okay, I promise." She hugged both her friends again and hurried off to see Victor.
They were left staring after her. Belle looked at Shawn. "Oh Shawn, she doesn't even think he's dead", she said her voice cracking.
"Yeah, she's in denial. But who am I kidding we all are. I just want my friend back. I want Philip back". He said, as he reached for Belle, fighting back tears.
"Mr. Kiriakas, can I talk to you for a minute?" Chloe stood there patiently waiting for him to end his call. He'd just finished a tense conversation and she wondered if this was the right time. But there would never be a right time to have a conversation like this. "I know you don't like me very much", she began.
"Our differences is the last thing on my mind right now Chloe". Victor interrupted her. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
He led her towards an empty conference room to talk.
Nervous but determined, Chloe told him how she felt. "Mr. Kiriakis, do you believe that Philip's dead?"
Taken aback by her question, Victor replied with one of his own. "Why are you asking me this, Chloe? I've been running around here trying to find out the details about the plane crash and where my son is." He didn't answer her question but at least he didn't mention looking for Philip's body. That was a step in the right direction, she thought.
"I'm sorry, I know you have so many things on your mind right now; so I'm just going to say this. I don't believe Philip's dead, Mr. Kiriakis. Have you seen his body yet, have you seen any concrete proof that leads you to believe that he's dead. Other than the plane crash and the confirmation that Philip was on the plane?" She prayed he wouldn't be offended by her persistence.
"No", Victor said his eyebrows frowning.
Chloe saw her chance and jumped at the opportunity. "See, Mr. Kiriakis. I know you didn't believe that Philip and I belonged together but I love your son. I truly do and this may sound sappy but I believe in our love for each other. I would know if he were dead, I would feel it. Yeah, initially I was so shocked at the news that I believed it. But once everything settled, call it denial or whatever. I just couldn't bring myself to believe he was gone. It just didn't feel like he was, it still doesn't. Mr. Kiriakis, I'm begging you, please help me find Philip. From what he's told me about you, you wouldn't rest till you had absolute proof that he's gone. You would exhaust all your resources trying to find him. She looked down at her hands, balled up in her lap. "I love him so much," she whispered. "I want to tell him that so badly. But what I want isn't important right now. Philip is such a wonderful person; I once told him that he had the soul of a poet. He deserves a second chance at life. His time hasn't come yet. I hope you can find him."
Victor just stared at her for what seemed like an eternity but in reality only a few seconds. "My son is a lucky man to have a young lady like you in his life. C'mon on, let's go find Philip." He stood up and helped Chloe up to her feet. He had his arms around her shoulders.
"I'm so glad you believed me, Mr. Kiriakis."
"There's nothing to believe Chloe. I love my son. What do you think I've been doing, my dear? I intend on finding out exactly what happened with this plane crash before burying my son, if he's dead." He squeezed her hand in assurance.
A hotel employee cleared his throat, making his presence known.
"I'm sorry to bother you sir. But I was told to inform you immediately. The morgue just called, they think they may have your son's body. He paused, "they want you to come down and make a positive id."
Chloe gasped, she could feel herself trembling. They had found Philip's body? She squeezed Victor's hand, almost crushing it.
"Thanks for the message", Victor said calmly. He turned towards Chloe and grasped her shoulders. He touched her chin, tilting her face towards him. "Listen to me, Chloe. Philip's not dead remember, trust those feelings. We all have to." He was trying to be strong for everyone but this latest news was killing him inside. But this was not the time to show any sign of weakness. His son needed him.
Chloe could only nod, blinking back tears. They walked back to the lobby and Victor went to tell Kate about the message he'd just gotten. She could see the gamut of emotions displayed on her face as she heard the news. Even though only immediate family was allowed in the morgue to identify the body, everyone decided to go to show their support for Kate and Victor.
"Belle", Chloe asked looking around for her best friend.
"I'm right here, Chloe", her friend answered as she slipped her hands around Chloe's. Nancy and Craig also came by her side as everyone stayed close to their loved ones. In a few hours, their lives were going to be changed, one way or the other.
*******************
The morgue was so cold and sterile. Families and friends sat in the waiting room, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. She was shocked when Victor has asked her to come inside with him and Kate to view the body. She hadn't asked him. But she knew that Victor realized that seeing Philip's body would be the only thing that would allow her to accept his death.
She stood between Kate and Victor as the coroner lifted the sheets. They braced themselves as they saw a young man laying there, his life cut short. Kate reacted first, "Oh god, it's not Philip", she cried. "No it's not our son", Victor let out a huge sigh of relief. Chloe knew it the instant the sheet was pulled and a sense of calm came over her. Tears Of joy and sorrow spilled over down her cheeks. Words couldn't express how happy she felt, but on the other hand, some family had lost their son.
"Hold on Philip, wherever you are, we will find you." She vowed.
(Room 22 B, Guatemala Hospital)
Her long, black tresses shined like jewels in the moonlight. Her beauty took his breath away. He could see her standing there smiling at him. She was reaching out to him but he couldn't touch her.
"Philip," she called out to him over and over again. "I'm coming Chloe, don't go", he pleaded with her. But he could feel her slipping away.
"No, Chloe don't go" he moaned as he slipped in and out of consciousness. "Chloe, I love you, please don't leave me."
He must love her so much; Maria thought as she quietly close her patient's door. She had just checked the young man's vitals in 2b. And once he again he was calling out this young girl's name. Whoever this Chloe person was, She prayed that she knew where to find this young man. Because she was his lifeline.
*********************
Chloe handed her ticket to the ticket agent, ready to board the plane. Craig had driven her home and they were both shocked when she'd told them she wanted to go to Puerto Rico. But they didn't argue with her they would let her go on one condition. They also wanted to go with her. She was too tired to argue and admittedly she needed their love and support. They were making travel arrangements when the call had arrived. Victor had his private plane waiting at the airport for anyone who wanted to go to Puerto Rico. Philip's father never liked her, and that call was the least thing she expected. But she didn't care; this was not the time to dwell on the past. Entering the doorway, she was a bit surprised at all the flight's passengers. There were Bo and Hope sitting in the far left corner. Though Philip and Bo weren't all that close, they were brothers. So seeing them wasn't a surprise. Kate was sitting in the front row, wearing some dark, stylish, sunglasses. No doubt hiding her blood shot eyes, Chloe thought. Henderson, Philip's butler and friend was also on the plane. Her gaze came upon John, Marlena and Brady all sitting in one row. Brady caught her gaze and he looked away. Chloe could have sworn he looked like he'd been crying also. They were all looking at her with such
sadness and sympathy; she couldn't take it anymore.
Chloe rushed to a vacant seat near Henderson and sat down. Philip was always fond of his butler. He saw him more as a father figure than one of the Kiriakis's many servants. She liked Henderson also. He was always nice to her whenever she'd stopped by to see Philip at his house.
"Hi Henderson" she greeted the butler, trying to force a smile.
"Always a pleasure to meet you Chloe. Although I wish this time it wasn't under these circumstances. Philip was a great kid, I loved him like a son." Henderson acknowledged her presence, his voice strained.
She felt like she was riding on autopilot. Everyone was ready to bury Philip and they hadn't even seen a body yet. Until she saw his body, she would never believe he was dead. He couldn't be. Swallowing a lump in her throat she just blurted out her feelings. "Henderson, Philip isn't dead and I'm going to prove it!!"
Nancy gasped behind her. Kate took off her glasses, Brady, his hat, as everyone just stared at her.
Henderson, shocked at the young lady's outburst, understood her distress. She was clearly in denial and didn't want to believe Philip was dead. He didn't want to believe it either.
"Chloe, it's okay, we're all going to face this together. We all loved him too."
Chloe shook her head. "I'm not in denial, Henderson, I know that Philip isn't dead. I just know it."
Nancy, who had overheard her daughter's declaration, came over to join her. She wasn't the only visitor; all the plane's occupants had crowded around Chloe and demanded an explanation to her reasoning. The questions came flying right at her from every direction.
"What do you mean that Philip isn't dead, Chloe?"
"Have you talked to Philip?"
"What do you know?"
She regretted such an outburst because now everyone was looking at her like "she" had suddenly grown two horns on her forehead, except for Kate.
"Can everyone be quiet and let Chloe speak, please?" Kate said quietly. She looked at the grief stricken girl and knew she was in love with her son. She only hoped Chloe was right and that Phil was alive.
Chloe silently thanked Kate for putting the brakes on the constant barrage of questions.
She took a deep breath and began talking, hoping that when she was done that someone, anyone would believe her.
"No, I haven't talked to nor have I seen Phil since he went on the trip a couple months ago. I don't have any real, concrete prove that he's alive either. Except I just know that he is, Kate." She looked at everyone, not once breaking eye contact. She wanted them to know how serious she was about this.
"And how do you know this, Chloe?" Kate asked wanting to believe her.
"Because I would know if I'm living in a world that doesn't have Philip in it." Chloe answered her. She held both hands over heart. "I would feel it in here and I don't, Kate. I don't. See even when Philip and I were apart we were still connected. It seems like he was always with me. Always. And I'm not going to give up on him, not now, not ever. And until I see his body, I'm not going to lose hope. And I urge everyone not to either."
Marlena blinked back tears. She was touched by this young girl's love for Philip. She hoped he was alive because Chloe would be one heartbroken girl if he weren't. She knew Belle would be crushed also. Philip was one of her best friends.
Chloe held her breath anticipating their reaction. No matter what it was, she was on a mission. She was going to find Phil and bring him back home, with or without their cooperation. Leaving Puerto Rico without him was simply not an option.
However she was pleasantly surprised by what they had to say. Kate stood by her and said she would do anything to find Philip. Everyone else agreed, though she could see the skepticism written all over their faces. They wanted to believe her so badly but didn't want to get their hopes dashed. Well, she was just going to prove to them and everyone else that Philip was alive. And that there love could overcome anything, including death.
Each person sat in their seats, sadness and grief now mixed with a renewed sense of hope.
*************
The plane touched down at the Puerto Rico National airport and Victor had a couple limos waiting to take everyone to the nearby hotel. Belle and Shawn were waiting for her in the lobby. The minute she saw her best friend, Belle, she ran into her arms sobbing.
"I'm so sorry, Chloe. We just heard the news, I can't believe Philip's dead." They embraced as they cried over their friend and loved one.
"I know Belle, but Philip's not dead." Chloe said as she hastily wiped her tears.
"But, I don't understand, have you talked to Philip?" Belle was so confused, she saw Chloe face and knew how devastated she looked. She didn't understand why Chloe were saying these things. And then it dawned on her.
"Oh Chloe, you're not the only one who wished Philip was alive."
"We all loved Philip, Chloe." Shawn said.
"No guys, you don't understand..," her voice trailed off as she spotted Victor across the lobby. She needed to talk to him about Philip.
"Hey, I'll be right back. It's going to be okay, I promise." She hugged both her friends again and hurried off to see Victor.
They were left staring after her. Belle looked at Shawn. "Oh Shawn, she doesn't even think he's dead", she said her voice cracking.
"Yeah, she's in denial. But who am I kidding we all are. I just want my friend back. I want Philip back". He said, as he reached for Belle, fighting back tears.
"Mr. Kiriakas, can I talk to you for a minute?" Chloe stood there patiently waiting for him to end his call. He'd just finished a tense conversation and she wondered if this was the right time. But there would never be a right time to have a conversation like this. "I know you don't like me very much", she began.
"Our differences is the last thing on my mind right now Chloe". Victor interrupted her. "What did you want to talk to me about?"
He led her towards an empty conference room to talk.
Nervous but determined, Chloe told him how she felt. "Mr. Kiriakis, do you believe that Philip's dead?"
Taken aback by her question, Victor replied with one of his own. "Why are you asking me this, Chloe? I've been running around here trying to find out the details about the plane crash and where my son is." He didn't answer her question but at least he didn't mention looking for Philip's body. That was a step in the right direction, she thought.
"I'm sorry, I know you have so many things on your mind right now; so I'm just going to say this. I don't believe Philip's dead, Mr. Kiriakis. Have you seen his body yet, have you seen any concrete proof that leads you to believe that he's dead. Other than the plane crash and the confirmation that Philip was on the plane?" She prayed he wouldn't be offended by her persistence.
"No", Victor said his eyebrows frowning.
Chloe saw her chance and jumped at the opportunity. "See, Mr. Kiriakis. I know you didn't believe that Philip and I belonged together but I love your son. I truly do and this may sound sappy but I believe in our love for each other. I would know if he were dead, I would feel it. Yeah, initially I was so shocked at the news that I believed it. But once everything settled, call it denial or whatever. I just couldn't bring myself to believe he was gone. It just didn't feel like he was, it still doesn't. Mr. Kiriakis, I'm begging you, please help me find Philip. From what he's told me about you, you wouldn't rest till you had absolute proof that he's gone. You would exhaust all your resources trying to find him. She looked down at her hands, balled up in her lap. "I love him so much," she whispered. "I want to tell him that so badly. But what I want isn't important right now. Philip is such a wonderful person; I once told him that he had the soul of a poet. He deserves a second chance at life. His time hasn't come yet. I hope you can find him."
Victor just stared at her for what seemed like an eternity but in reality only a few seconds. "My son is a lucky man to have a young lady like you in his life. C'mon on, let's go find Philip." He stood up and helped Chloe up to her feet. He had his arms around her shoulders.
"I'm so glad you believed me, Mr. Kiriakis."
"There's nothing to believe Chloe. I love my son. What do you think I've been doing, my dear? I intend on finding out exactly what happened with this plane crash before burying my son, if he's dead." He squeezed her hand in assurance.
A hotel employee cleared his throat, making his presence known.
"I'm sorry to bother you sir. But I was told to inform you immediately. The morgue just called, they think they may have your son's body. He paused, "they want you to come down and make a positive id."
Chloe gasped, she could feel herself trembling. They had found Philip's body? She squeezed Victor's hand, almost crushing it.
"Thanks for the message", Victor said calmly. He turned towards Chloe and grasped her shoulders. He touched her chin, tilting her face towards him. "Listen to me, Chloe. Philip's not dead remember, trust those feelings. We all have to." He was trying to be strong for everyone but this latest news was killing him inside. But this was not the time to show any sign of weakness. His son needed him.
Chloe could only nod, blinking back tears. They walked back to the lobby and Victor went to tell Kate about the message he'd just gotten. She could see the gamut of emotions displayed on her face as she heard the news. Even though only immediate family was allowed in the morgue to identify the body, everyone decided to go to show their support for Kate and Victor.
"Belle", Chloe asked looking around for her best friend.
"I'm right here, Chloe", her friend answered as she slipped her hands around Chloe's. Nancy and Craig also came by her side as everyone stayed close to their loved ones. In a few hours, their lives were going to be changed, one way or the other.
*******************
The morgue was so cold and sterile. Families and friends sat in the waiting room, hoping for the best but fearing the worst. She was shocked when Victor has asked her to come inside with him and Kate to view the body. She hadn't asked him. But she knew that Victor realized that seeing Philip's body would be the only thing that would allow her to accept his death.
She stood between Kate and Victor as the coroner lifted the sheets. They braced themselves as they saw a young man laying there, his life cut short. Kate reacted first, "Oh god, it's not Philip", she cried. "No it's not our son", Victor let out a huge sigh of relief. Chloe knew it the instant the sheet was pulled and a sense of calm came over her. Tears Of joy and sorrow spilled over down her cheeks. Words couldn't express how happy she felt, but on the other hand, some family had lost their son.
"Hold on Philip, wherever you are, we will find you." She vowed.
(Room 22 B, Guatemala Hospital)
Her long, black tresses shined like jewels in the moonlight. Her beauty took his breath away. He could see her standing there smiling at him. She was reaching out to him but he couldn't touch her.
"Philip," she called out to him over and over again. "I'm coming Chloe, don't go", he pleaded with her. But he could feel her slipping away.
"No, Chloe don't go" he moaned as he slipped in and out of consciousness. "Chloe, I love you, please don't leave me."
He must love her so much; Maria thought as she quietly close her patient's door. She had just checked the young man's vitals in 2b. And once he again he was calling out this young girl's name. Whoever this Chloe person was, She prayed that she knew where to find this young man. Because she was his lifeline.
*********************