Chapter Three
Emily walked down a hallway in the hospital in a daze. After Melissa had broken the horrible news, Laura had rushed over to take Melissa's place with Gia, who was completely hysterical. Laura broke down as well; her whole body shook with her bitter sobs. Luke watched on sadly while Lucky and Elizabeth turned to each other, both sobbing as well. Ned shed a few tears as he held a hysterical Alexis. Emily had never felt so alone. Even when she was at the rehab clinic, she wasn't alone. Jason came to visit her often, and her parents called her every day. Lucky, Elizabeth, and Nikolas all called frequently, too. However, at this moment, she had no one to turn to. Lucky and Elizabeth hadn't meant to shut her out, but they had. And the only other person who would have thought to comfort her, except for maybe Ned, was Nikolas. Memories of all the good times they shared flooded Emily's mind. She just wished that she had been in Port Charles for the last six months instead of at the rehab clinic. Then she would have had more time with him. Time that couldn't be made up for. Time that was gone forever. Emily brought her hands to her eyes as she felt tears slide over her eyes and down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening.
Suddenly, Emily collided into someone rushing past her. The collision knocked her down to the ground. Emily groaned a bit as she sat up against the wall.
"Oh, my God, I am so sorry!" The man apologized as he knelt down. "Emily! Emily, are you okay?"
Emily just stared at him with wide eyes, momentarily unable to speak. Finally, she choked out a small whisper. "Zander."
********
"Alexis!" Kristina exclaimed as she and Jax ran in. Ned and Alexis pulled apart and Alexis attempted to regain her composure. "We came as soon as we heard, how are they?" Alexis wiper her tears away as Kristina looked past her to see Laura and Gia on the ground. "Oh, my God.. Nikolas. he's. he's.."
"He's gone," Ned told her mournfully. Kristina looked at Alexis, her mouth agape. "Stefan is dead, too," Ned added. Kristina stared at Alexis in horror, waiting for Alexis to confirm it. Alexis took a deep breath and nodded. Kristina wasted no time in jumping into her sister's arms. Jax and Ned gave each other grim looks.
"I'm going to go look for Emily," Ned said when he realized she wasn't in the room. Alexis nodded and mouthed a "thank you" to him. He nodded before turning and walking out the door.
**********
Alan Quartermaine stepped into the crowded waiting room and what he saw broke his heart. Almost everyone was crying. Laura and Gia were on the ground, neither of them caring how loud they were being. Gia's wedding dress was dirty and there were a few patches of blood. Nikolas' blood, Alan guessed. If only there had been something he could have done.
"Dr. Quartermaine," Luke called from across the room. Alan stepped over Laura and Gia and shook Luke's hand.
"I'm sorry," he told Luke. "I tried everything I could. He was a great guy."
Luke nodded sadly. "I wish I had seen that sooner," Luke agreed. "Thank you."
"Monica told me that Emily went to the wedding. Is she here?"
Luke looked around. "She was here. I don't know where she went."
"Are you okay? Does your back hurt? I should have been more careful," Zander stated. He remained kneeled down by Emily.
"No, my back is fine. What are you doing here? Why were you in such a hurry?"
"I. well, it's not important. I didn't know you came home."
"Well, I just got back this morning." Emily avoided eye contact with Zander, feeling awkward about their unexpected run-in.
"So, then what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Nikolas' wedding? I mean, I know you don't like Gia, but Nikolas is one of your best friends."
Tears immediately formed in Emily's eyes. "Did I say something wrong?" Zander asked quickly. "Emily?"
Emily shook her heard and looked at Zander, their eyes locking. "No, you didn't."
"Here, let me help you up." He started to gently pull her up but she stopped him.
"No, I don't want to get up," she protested. "I just want to sit here for a minute."
"Are you sure you're okay? Are you sure your back is okay?"
"My back is fine, I promise. I didn't realize you would still care."
"Of course I do, Emily. You were my whole life. It was your idea to break up, not mine. Because AJ lied to you."
"Can we not talk about this, please?" Emily cut in.
"Emily tell me what's wrong. I know something is wrong. You wouldn't miss Nikolas' wedding."
Before Emily could respond, Ned entered and saw Zander kneeling down to Emily, who was sitting up against the wall. "Emily!" he exclaimed as he ran to her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine! Zander and I collided, that's all." Ned very gently pulled her to her feet. "Would everyone please stop acting like I'm made of glass?"
"You just recovered from a very serious back injury."
"Believe me, you don't have to tell me."
"And it's not just your back I'm worried about," Ned continued. "I assume you left the waiting room because you wanted to be alone."
Emily let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Well, that didn't happen, did it?"
"Whoa, tell me what's going on," Zander cut in. Why aren't you two at the wedding? What happened?"
Emily began breathing hard as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Ned enveloped her in a hug as he looked at Zander. "Stefan and Nikolas were killed in a car accident on the way to the church."
Zander stared back at Ned in shock. "Wow. I'm sorry. Gia must be a wreck. And Alexis."
"Everybody is," Ned replied as Emily burst into sobs. "I. I think it'd be best if you left."
"I have an appointment here."
"I meant. left Emily alone."
Zander nodded. "Okay. Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened. Really, I am. Nikolas was a nice guy."
**********
Gia had been completely oblivious when Laura took Melissa's place. But now her sobs were subsiding and it was definitely Laura crying next to her. She looked around and saw Alexis, Jax, Kristina, Elizabeth, Lucky, Luke and Alan in the room as well. She hadn't even realized any of them had arrived. Gia took a long look at Laura. Nikolas' mother. She was obviously just as devastated as Gia was. Why did this have to happen? Why was Nikolas taken from them? Gia shook her head. The tears kept coming.
Laura looked up at Gia and their eyes met. "Oh, God, tell me this isn't happening," Laura choked out. Gia didn't say anything-she knew the second she opened her mouth, she would start weeping again.
"Can I get you anything?" Alan asked as he bent down next to Laura and Gia.
"Tell me something," Laura requested immediately. "Nikolas. was he. was he in any pain?"
Alan patted Laura's shoulder. "He was unconscious the whole time, Laura. He probably didn't feel a thing."
Laura nodded and looked at Gia again. Gia was staring off into space. "Gia.sweetie? Gia, do you want to go with me to see Nikolas?"
"Oh, I don't think that's a good idea," Alan protested quickly.
Laura turned back to Alan, her eyes flaring. "Why not?"
"Laura, it's really not pretty."
Laura shook her head. "After the fire, I went in and saw the charred body that was supposed to be Lucky. I'm going to see my son, Alan. Gia, would you like to come with me?" Gia, still staring into space, nodded softly.
"Well, let me go clean him up, okay?" Alan offered. Laura agreed and, after Alan left, Laura moved Gia to a couch.
"GIA!" Florence exclaimed as she and Taggert ran in. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here. Gia? Honey?"
"He's dead, Mom," Gia cried, barely audible. "He's gone and so is my whole life."
Emily walked down a hallway in the hospital in a daze. After Melissa had broken the horrible news, Laura had rushed over to take Melissa's place with Gia, who was completely hysterical. Laura broke down as well; her whole body shook with her bitter sobs. Luke watched on sadly while Lucky and Elizabeth turned to each other, both sobbing as well. Ned shed a few tears as he held a hysterical Alexis. Emily had never felt so alone. Even when she was at the rehab clinic, she wasn't alone. Jason came to visit her often, and her parents called her every day. Lucky, Elizabeth, and Nikolas all called frequently, too. However, at this moment, she had no one to turn to. Lucky and Elizabeth hadn't meant to shut her out, but they had. And the only other person who would have thought to comfort her, except for maybe Ned, was Nikolas. Memories of all the good times they shared flooded Emily's mind. She just wished that she had been in Port Charles for the last six months instead of at the rehab clinic. Then she would have had more time with him. Time that couldn't be made up for. Time that was gone forever. Emily brought her hands to her eyes as she felt tears slide over her eyes and down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening.
Suddenly, Emily collided into someone rushing past her. The collision knocked her down to the ground. Emily groaned a bit as she sat up against the wall.
"Oh, my God, I am so sorry!" The man apologized as he knelt down. "Emily! Emily, are you okay?"
Emily just stared at him with wide eyes, momentarily unable to speak. Finally, she choked out a small whisper. "Zander."
********
"Alexis!" Kristina exclaimed as she and Jax ran in. Ned and Alexis pulled apart and Alexis attempted to regain her composure. "We came as soon as we heard, how are they?" Alexis wiper her tears away as Kristina looked past her to see Laura and Gia on the ground. "Oh, my God.. Nikolas. he's. he's.."
"He's gone," Ned told her mournfully. Kristina looked at Alexis, her mouth agape. "Stefan is dead, too," Ned added. Kristina stared at Alexis in horror, waiting for Alexis to confirm it. Alexis took a deep breath and nodded. Kristina wasted no time in jumping into her sister's arms. Jax and Ned gave each other grim looks.
"I'm going to go look for Emily," Ned said when he realized she wasn't in the room. Alexis nodded and mouthed a "thank you" to him. He nodded before turning and walking out the door.
**********
Alan Quartermaine stepped into the crowded waiting room and what he saw broke his heart. Almost everyone was crying. Laura and Gia were on the ground, neither of them caring how loud they were being. Gia's wedding dress was dirty and there were a few patches of blood. Nikolas' blood, Alan guessed. If only there had been something he could have done.
"Dr. Quartermaine," Luke called from across the room. Alan stepped over Laura and Gia and shook Luke's hand.
"I'm sorry," he told Luke. "I tried everything I could. He was a great guy."
Luke nodded sadly. "I wish I had seen that sooner," Luke agreed. "Thank you."
"Monica told me that Emily went to the wedding. Is she here?"
Luke looked around. "She was here. I don't know where she went."
"Are you okay? Does your back hurt? I should have been more careful," Zander stated. He remained kneeled down by Emily.
"No, my back is fine. What are you doing here? Why were you in such a hurry?"
"I. well, it's not important. I didn't know you came home."
"Well, I just got back this morning." Emily avoided eye contact with Zander, feeling awkward about their unexpected run-in.
"So, then what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Nikolas' wedding? I mean, I know you don't like Gia, but Nikolas is one of your best friends."
Tears immediately formed in Emily's eyes. "Did I say something wrong?" Zander asked quickly. "Emily?"
Emily shook her heard and looked at Zander, their eyes locking. "No, you didn't."
"Here, let me help you up." He started to gently pull her up but she stopped him.
"No, I don't want to get up," she protested. "I just want to sit here for a minute."
"Are you sure you're okay? Are you sure your back is okay?"
"My back is fine, I promise. I didn't realize you would still care."
"Of course I do, Emily. You were my whole life. It was your idea to break up, not mine. Because AJ lied to you."
"Can we not talk about this, please?" Emily cut in.
"Emily tell me what's wrong. I know something is wrong. You wouldn't miss Nikolas' wedding."
Before Emily could respond, Ned entered and saw Zander kneeling down to Emily, who was sitting up against the wall. "Emily!" he exclaimed as he ran to her. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine! Zander and I collided, that's all." Ned very gently pulled her to her feet. "Would everyone please stop acting like I'm made of glass?"
"You just recovered from a very serious back injury."
"Believe me, you don't have to tell me."
"And it's not just your back I'm worried about," Ned continued. "I assume you left the waiting room because you wanted to be alone."
Emily let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Well, that didn't happen, did it?"
"Whoa, tell me what's going on," Zander cut in. Why aren't you two at the wedding? What happened?"
Emily began breathing hard as more tears rolled down her cheeks. Ned enveloped her in a hug as he looked at Zander. "Stefan and Nikolas were killed in a car accident on the way to the church."
Zander stared back at Ned in shock. "Wow. I'm sorry. Gia must be a wreck. And Alexis."
"Everybody is," Ned replied as Emily burst into sobs. "I. I think it'd be best if you left."
"I have an appointment here."
"I meant. left Emily alone."
Zander nodded. "Okay. Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened. Really, I am. Nikolas was a nice guy."
**********
Gia had been completely oblivious when Laura took Melissa's place. But now her sobs were subsiding and it was definitely Laura crying next to her. She looked around and saw Alexis, Jax, Kristina, Elizabeth, Lucky, Luke and Alan in the room as well. She hadn't even realized any of them had arrived. Gia took a long look at Laura. Nikolas' mother. She was obviously just as devastated as Gia was. Why did this have to happen? Why was Nikolas taken from them? Gia shook her head. The tears kept coming.
Laura looked up at Gia and their eyes met. "Oh, God, tell me this isn't happening," Laura choked out. Gia didn't say anything-she knew the second she opened her mouth, she would start weeping again.
"Can I get you anything?" Alan asked as he bent down next to Laura and Gia.
"Tell me something," Laura requested immediately. "Nikolas. was he. was he in any pain?"
Alan patted Laura's shoulder. "He was unconscious the whole time, Laura. He probably didn't feel a thing."
Laura nodded and looked at Gia again. Gia was staring off into space. "Gia.sweetie? Gia, do you want to go with me to see Nikolas?"
"Oh, I don't think that's a good idea," Alan protested quickly.
Laura turned back to Alan, her eyes flaring. "Why not?"
"Laura, it's really not pretty."
Laura shook her head. "After the fire, I went in and saw the charred body that was supposed to be Lucky. I'm going to see my son, Alan. Gia, would you like to come with me?" Gia, still staring into space, nodded softly.
"Well, let me go clean him up, okay?" Alan offered. Laura agreed and, after Alan left, Laura moved Gia to a couch.
"GIA!" Florence exclaimed as she and Taggert ran in. "I'm sorry it took us so long to get here. Gia? Honey?"
"He's dead, Mom," Gia cried, barely audible. "He's gone and so is my whole life."
