Ch 9
The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
But the Lord tests the heart. (Prov.17:3 NIV)
Monica entered Jason's room carrying a shopping bag and a big smile on her face. "Good morning." Jason put his book down as he watched the woman approaching him. He smiled back at her. "I got you something because I have good news for you." She held up the bag and placed it on his lap. He opened it and started to pull the items out. There was a pair of jeans, a simple long sleeve t-shirt, a pair of socks and a blue corded v-neck sweater. "You are going home today." He smiled and nodded at her. "All your clothes were ruined except for your boots so I thought I would get you something to wear home."
"Thank you, you didn't have to."
"I know, but I haven't gotten to buy you anything in years, and I really wanted to. I guessed at the sizes, so I hope they are ok." She looked over and saw the tray from breakfast that he had not touched. "Well, get dressed and you can get out of here and find something more suitable to eat." She turned to leave.
"Thank you again, Monica."
"You're welcome." She felt the happiest she had in years around him, and it showed in the beaming gleam in her eyes.
*
Bobbie called the Lab for what felt like the hundredth time. They had been backed up due to personnel cut backs, and the test results were taking longer than expected. This time when she call, the technician said the results were back. She hurried down and found the young man who worked there waiting for her arrival.
"Mark, you said there was some good news on the phone." She was almost out of breath from the quick pace she had taken to get there. Mike's status had not changed, and she knew that his family needed something to hold on to.
"Yes, we got a good match."
"Who is it?" She nearly snatched the file from him.
"His daughter, you know the girl who gave him blood the night they brought him in."
"What?" Bobbie shook her head trying to read the report. "Elizabeth is not his daughter. Why did you even run the DNA test on her?"
The man in the lab coat looked at her confused. "I was here when she came down to give blood for him. Being a match on the blood type, AB- being so rare and all, I just thought for sure she was his daughter. When the order came down to test the children, I tested her too. I still had some of her blood from the bit we put aside for screening, so I used it."
"Well she may be a match, but Elizabeth is not Mike Corbin's daughter."
He walked over and took the file. He removed a piece of film from it. Putting it up on the lighted board, "I beg to differ." He started to point to different parts of the DNA mapping. "Do you see here where the lines match? Well, there are certain traits that only a parent can pass to a child. Right here in these two, look, they are almost all the same. But in this one," he said as he changed the overlapping DNA film, "they don't match at all. In fact, in this one, about the only genetic similarities they share are that they are both human and Caucasian."
"Wait, whose is that?" Bobbie stared at the films he was displaying.
"Um, Courtney Mathews."
"Are you telling me that Courtney is not Mike Corbin's child?"
"Not by blood."
"And Elizabeth Webber is?"
Looking at the report, "Yes, Elizabeth Webber and Michael Cortinthos are both Mike Corbin's biological children. But Michael is not a close enough match for a transplant." He handed the file back to the nurse.
"You are sure. There is no mix up or anything?"
"I'm sure." He had become annoyed with her and turned back to the microscope at the nearby table.
Bobbie left the lab shocked. She was not real sure what to do. She passed the ICU and Mike's room. Looking in, she saw Courtney sitting at his bedside where she had been everyday since the shooting. How was she going to deliver this news? She arrived at the nurses' station where she ran into Jason Morgan signing his discharge papers. They made some polite conversation before she excused herself to make a phone call.
Jason had started to walk away when he overheard the nurse say Elizabeth's name. Then ask her to come to the hospital on an urgent matter.
"Is something wrong?" He asked the woman when she hung up the phone.
"I'm sorry, Jason. I can't discuss it." She gave him a sympathetic smile as she picked up the phone to call her daughter's home.
Jason was not sure what was going on that would involve Elizabeth. She had not come back to the hospital, and he felt they had an understanding that they would talk after he got out. Both Alan and Monica came by to see him leave. He casually asked them if they knew anything, but they both shook their heads. He also asked about Mike and was some what distressed to hear his condition had not changed. Jason decided he would go by and see Elizabeth later. First he had to go down to the PCPD to give a statement about the night he was stabbed. Taggert had laid off only because Jason had promised Mac he would come down when he got out of the hospital.
*
Jason took the deepest breath he could within the constraints of his injures as he walked into the PCPD. He did not wish to talk to Taggert, but he had already decided to tell the police the truth. He knew they had evidence that placed him in the alley. Also, he had not actually done anything illegal that night; so, when he had discussed the matter with his lawyer at the hospital, she had agreed the truth here was not a problem. To his good fortune, he spotted Mac.
"Well, you must be sailing under a lucky star these days." The police commissioner said when he saw him. Jason looked at him a little sideways but did not respond. "Doctor Cameron Lewis just brought Alexis Davis in, and she confessed to killing Alcazar."
"What?"
"Yeah, I know it sounds strange, but we have evidence that collaborates her story. Your attorney was just here and has gone to file a motion for dismissal." Jason studied the man. "But you still need to tell us what happened the other night." Jason nodded and followed the man into the interrogation room. He was running the news through his mind, he could not figure how or even why Alexis could have killed the man.
Jason ran through the events for Mac and Taggert. He told them he did not remember making the 911 call, but when he gets his cell phone they can check its memory. They told him that they had a warrant for his gun, and he told them he did not have it. Jason admitted that he did have it in the alley, but he did not know what happened to it. He made a mental note to talk to his lawyer before turning it over, warrant or not. Mac was very concerned when Jason informed them that it was Tagliatti's men who Mike was meeting with. That was the reason he was there. But he lied and said he could not identify the men. Before he left, Mac warned Jason that he did not want to hear of any retaliation from this incident. That they were to let the police handle the matter. Jason only half nodded his head as he followed the detective out of the room. Then he headed home. Jason knew from experience that Tagliatti was planning to go after Sonny. He also knew that Sonny's organization would be very vulnerable with out. He was going to have to find a way to make him listen to reson and put him back in place before Tagliatti and any other enemy found out. Being the vipers they were would strike at the first opportunity.
*
Elizabeth walked through the hospital halls passing Jason's room. It was empty and freshly made up. Passing an orderly she asked about it and he said the occupant had been released that morning. Elizabeth heard her stomach growl. She had skipped breakfast and now it was almost lunch time. She found her way to the waiting area by the ICU where Bobbie had asked to meet her. She frowned to see the little group of the Cortinthos family gathered there. They all looked a bit anxious, and she started to walk away when Bobbie passed her.
"Good, perfect timing." The nurse lightly grabbed her elbow and lead her to the group. She was smiling, but no one could have guessed that her news would change all of their lives forever. The woman's eyes trailed over everyone's faces before she settled on Carly's, knowing it would be the easiest one to focus on and get the news out.
"I have the DNA results for Mike's transplant." Everyone held their breaths except for Elizabeth. She could not figure out what this had to do with her. Bobbie turned to look the brunet directly in the eyes. "We have a match."
Carly and Courtney had missed Bobbie's subtle hint and excitedly asked who it was. Sonny had not been fooled and took a step closer to the girl. "It is you, Elizabeth."
The words had not been fully comprehended by Elizabeth. She had been told about Mike's condition but had no idea that she had been tested to be a match. She even felt a quick flash of anger at being tested without her consent. She finally found her voice, unaware of the stares from the others, "I don't understand. How... and why did you test me?" Her gaze settled on the file in the nurse's hands.
Bobbie began to explain that the technician had done the test under the assumption that she was Mike's daughter. She looked at the other faces taking them in one at a time. "It is not that I mind trying to help, but I would have liked to have been asked first." Her face was still bewildered, and Bobbie moved next to her and asked everyone to sit down; she still had some things to discuss with all of them. She explained to Elizabeth that she had time to decide about the transplant due to the lack of change in Mike.
Courtney piped up insisting that Elizabeth would do it. That she had to, to help Mike. Before she could get to far into her tirade Bobbie gained control over the situation again. Bobbie took a deep breath and took Elizabeth's hand. "The DNA results showed something else." She paused to make sure everyone was calm. "Elizabeth, the reason that you are such a close match is that the test revealed that you have to be Mike's biological child."
"What? That is ridiculous. You can be a match with out being related," Elizabeth spoke in protest.
"That is true, but there are certain genetic codes in the DNA chain that show up only between close relatives. Not only did yours match up with Mike's but also with Sonny's." Elizabeth felt dizzy, and if she had not been sitting she was sure she would have fainted. She could not focus on anything. The people around her were a haze, and Bobbie's words kept repeating in her head.
Finding her voice, "there has to be some kind of mistake. They must have mixed up Courtney and my results."
Bobbie shook her head. "I asked the same thing and there was no mix up. In fact," the nurse looked up and into Courtney's eyes, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Courtney, you are not Mike's daughter at all."
"What? Are you sure?" The blond was on her feet approaching the woman. "Can I see that?" She took the file from her and started to read through it. Her eyes widened as she dropped it to the table. Soon tears were spilling as she turned from the group and ran away. Carly got up and left to go after her friend.
Sonny picked up the file and moved to sit on the other side of Elizabeth. His eyes flowed quickly over the contents of the file. He offered it to her, but she did not feel like she could focus enough to read at the moment. Sonny took her hand, "Do you think there is any way this could be true?"
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. Her eyes filled with water as she dropped her face into her hands. Shaking her head, "I wish my grandmother were here." Bobbie slipped her arm over the girl's dainty shoulders.
"Maybe you should call you folks and see what they have to say," her old friend suggested.
It took her some time to pull herself together as both Bobbie and Sonny tried to comfort her. After a long silent moment she pulled her thoughts together and announced she needed to go. Bobbie handed her a copy of the DNA results before she excused herself. Walking slowly through the ICU ward she stopped and looked in at the comatose man who had just been revealed as her father. She felt nothing. 'Wouldn't I feel something if we really were related. Some sixth sense or something?' She asked herself. She stood there for a good ten minuets but never dared to venture into the room before she left for home.
Elizabeth half stumbled through the door of her grandmother's home. A drunken-type haze encompassed her. She looked around at the familiar surroundings as nothing more than a lie. The keys slipped from her fingers to rattle onto the nearby table. The chilly air from outside had followed her in, and she wrapped her coat tighter around herself seeking both warmth and comfort from the garment. She had cried all the way back to the house, but now her body was done crying. It was a turn in her life she had no way of preparing for, and with the sinking of her body into the soft cushions of the chair, she found the settling of chaos as well.
*
Jason flipped through the mail left on the desk. He came to a large yellow envelope from an attorney's office. Fingering it, he slipped his index finger under the flap and the glue released. He pulled out the contents to find legal annulment papers signed by Brenda Barrett. Reading over the contents he did not hesitate to pick up a nearby pen and sign them next to her name. Folding the documents he enclosed them in the return envelope and had no second thoughts as he drug his tongue over it to seal it. He was about to pick up the phone to call his soon-to-be-ex-wife when there was a rapping at the door.
He opened it to find the red eyes of Courtney falling on him. "Can I come in a moment?" He stepped back giving her room to enter. He followed her to the middle of the room, where she turned to face him nervously fidgeting with her hands. Not sure where to start her words came slow. "I just came from the hospital."
"Did something happen with Mike?" His eyebrows tightened together slightly.
"Um, he is the same." She walked to the sofa and sat down. "You knew he was going to need a kidney transplant, right?" Jason nodded in response. "Well, the results of the DNA screenings came back today." Jason sat down next to her. By her posture this was bad news. "They found a match."
"But that is good news. Why do you look so upset?"
"Because the match is Elizabeth Webber," her eyes piercing with pain.
"Elizabeth, that seems odd. Why was she even tested?"
"The lab tech thought she was his daughter because he was there when she came in to donate the blood for him. So, when he tested Sonny and I, he tested her too."
Now he understood why Bobbie had been calling Elizabeth this morning. "Don't worry, Courtney." He took her hand in his. "If I know Elizabeth, she is a very giving person, and she will come through for Mike."
Her eyes filled with tears and Jason was not sure why Courtney would be so upset by this news. "Jason, the DNA test showed that I'm not Mike's daughter. I called my mother and she said it was possible. That her and Mike had a very rocky relationship and she had had a few other relationships at the time she got pregnant with me." The ache he saw made scene to him now, and he pulled her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder sobbing gently for a moment before she pulled away and smiled with streaks still on cheeks. "In a strange way this is good news."
"I don't follow you."
She got up and took a few paces. "Well, don't you see? If I'm not Mike's daughter, then I'm not Sonny's sister. We can be together, and you would not be betraying him. He has no say now."
Jason shook his head and stood to address her. "Courtney, it is not that simple. Sonny thinks I did something behind his back, and he doesn't trust me now."
"But that is just silly. I'm not his sister."
"We did not know that at the time. And it won't make any difference to him."
"Carly told me about the fight the two of you had. She doesn't believe that he will throw you out of the organization."
"It is already done. But that is beside the point. We still can't be together."
"Why? There is nothing standing between us." She had walked to him and put her arms around his neck. He gingerly placed his hands around her wrist and slid her hands down to free himself.
"Courtney, I tried to explain this to you before. I can't care about you the way you want; the way you deserve." He turned away from her and dropped his head. "I...I just don't love you." He turn back to her again. "You deserve to be with someone who only wants to be with you and is not thinking of someone else."
"You are talking about Elizabeth, aren't you?" Sudden anger laced her words. "Well, you can forget about being with her." Her pause gave him a chance to study her changed attitude. "If you want to work things out with Sonny, that is."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, Elizabeth is Mike's biological daughter. That is why she was a match. So that also makes her Sonny's sister."
"Are you sure?"
"The DNA test proved it."
"Does she know?" The cold water that felt like he had been hit with now covered his every nerve. Courtney could see the concern in his stunned features. She felt the hot flash of anger and jealousy at his distress for the other woman.
"I have been a fool all along, haven't I? You never stopped loving her." Her gaze went to the floor. Sucking in a breath she turned to leave. He watched her as she stopped with her hand on the door handle.
"I'm really sorry how all of this has hurt you," Jason said as he tried to breach the newly opened space between them. "I will be here for you, if you need me." She did not look back at him and moved thought the door to pull it silently behind her.
*
Elizabeth had not moved for what had to be hours. Outside the shadows appeared long and dark. It had taken the remainder of the day for her to find enough clarity to try and call her mother for an explanation. The overseas operator was taking forever to make the connection. She had been pacing the living room floor for fifteen minutes when they came back with the line. She heard the ringing on the other end. She hated the antiquated lines. There was always a delay when you talked and made it hard to have a flowing conversation. On the fifth ring a woman came over the line to say their were having trouble getting the call through, and that they would keep trying, and would ring her back when they had it, but it could take up to an hour. Elizabeth nodded to herself remembering having to do this just a few weeks ago when she had called to tell her parents about her grandmother's death.
Jason's foot fell heavily on the front step. He peered in the window to see Elizabeth pacing with a long black object to her ear. He was about to leave, not wanting to disturb her, when she threw the thing on a chair and walked away. Letting his breath go to see it in the chilly afternoon air, he pushed the small button and waited. He was not sure if he should tell her he knew about Mike and decided to just wait and let her tell him if she wanted.
The chiming that rang in the house caught Elizabeth off guard. She almost jumped not expecting anyone and moved cautiously toward the signal. Surprised by the half smile that greeted her when she opened the door. His shoulders were hunched up with his hands clasped in front of him. The blue sweater hugged his torso accentuating his broad shoulders. "Can I come in? It's cold out here."
"Sure," she push the screen door that separated them.
"Why don't you have on a coat?" He studied her to see any sign of the news she had received that morning.
"Oh, I think you might have my coat." She smiled at him. A pleasant face was just what she needed right now. She decided to try and forget the ridiculous information she was given that morning. But she frowned at the mention of his jacket.
"Oh, Jason, I fear it is a mess." She walked to the kitchen and into the laundry room. Where she found her clothes basket. His black leather jacket lay on top of it. She reached down retrieving it and handed it to him. He started to inspect it. "There is a lot of blood on it. I called a few place but no one would even try to clean it. I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? Don't worry about it. I'll just get another one." He looked over the sticky mess that had once been his jacket when he found a hole in it. He stuck his finger through the gap and showed it to her. He started to laugh, "Looks like it has seen better days anyway." She giggled slightly; surprised she had not noticed it before. "So, is there anything else of mine in that basket of yours?" he eyed her.
"I think so." She fished around and pulled out the small silver phone. Handing it to him, he instinctively flipped it open. "I think the battery is dead by now." He nodded to her, and the two stood staring at each other for a moment.
"Isn't there something else?" he cleared his throat.
She looked back down at the basket not sure if she should find it herself, not really comfortable handling a gun. However, she was not real comfortable having Jason search through her dirty clothes and underwear either. "Would you like me to get it?" Feeling her discomfort he moved toward the basket.
"No, that's ok." She almost knocked him out of the way blocking him from the basket. It took only a moment to pull the menacing object from the pile. With the barrel between her fingers, she spun around to hand it to him. In her attempt to be quick, a white lacy object still clung to the handgun.
"Jesus, Elizabeth!" he jumped. "That is not how you handle a pistol." He reached for the grip, deliberately avoiding the trigger, and pulled it easily from her grasp. He shook his head tossing the stray bra back into the basket. She was not sure if she looked pale or flushed crimson with horror and embarrassment. Jason lowered his head trying to bite away the grin on his face. He released the clip, and it slipped out into his palm. "It is loaded." He ejected the round from the chamber and made a mental note that one bullet was missing, confirming his suspicion that his gun was used to shoot Mike.
"Is something wrong?" she read his expression as he inspected the weapon.
"Nothing for you to worry about." He took the items and walked back into the kitchen. "How are you?"
"I'm ok. You are the one that just got out of the hospital."
"I just know a lot has happen to you lately, and I've been worried about you."
"I'm ok, really." She bit her lip trying not to expose herself. Before either one of them could speak the phone rang.
"I should go." He offered as she hurried to find the receiver she had discarded in the living room. She held up a finger signaling him to wait a moment.
"Hello." She was watching him move toward the door as she listened to the operator explaining that she could try her call now. The line was quiet a moment. "I'm sorry; I put in a call to my mom overseas." She tried to explain before it started to ring.
Jason figured that this call was not going to be what she hoped, and he did not feel right leaving her. Thinking quickly, "Can I use your bathroom before I go?" She nodded and waved back in the direction of the kitchen.
"Hello," Elizabeth heard a tried woman on the other end.
"Hi, Mom, it's Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth. Is something wrong?" Elizabeth thought about how her mother never really beat around the bush. Given the fact that over the last few years the only reason the two had spoken was when there had been some family tragedy. So, her response was not unexpected.
"Did I wake you?" She was trying to find a way to ease into the conversation.
"No, I just came off shift. Your father is asleep, though. Did you need to talk to him? Something about Audrey?"
"No, I called to talk to you." She started to pace, "Mom, I don't even know how to say this; so, I'm just going to say it." Jason stepped into the hall and started to listen to Elizabeth's anxious voice. "Mom, is it possible that you and dad are not my biological parents?" She stopped her movements and stood in front of the window waiting for her response.
"Elizabeth, what's happen?" She could hear fear in her mother's question. While Elizabeth tried to explain about the DNA test and its results, Jason moved into the room and found it impossible to move either closer to her or toward the door to exit. Elizabeth had forgotten that he was even still there.
"What is his name?"
"Mike Corbin." Elizabeth turned just in time to meet Jason's apprehensive eyes when her mother's response reached her ear.
"Yes, I think that sounds about right."
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth realized that Jason knew. Either it was just now, from her explanation to her mother, or if he had known before, she could not tell. He pointed towards the door and started in its direction. She could not release the lock with his eyes. She was drawing strength from it. She shook her head at him as her mother tried to explain.
"Oh, honey, I never meant to tell you over the phone. In fact I never intended to tell you at all." Elizabeth felt a weakness shadowing her, and Jason seemed to become aware of it. He reached for her arm and moved her over to a nearby chair. He helped her lower into it dropping to his knees in front of her. He held her hand in his, but her gaze remained wild and insecure.
"Tell me what?" she swallowed hard.
"Elizabeth, I don't really know where to begin." Even though there was a pause, Elizabeth did not dare speak. "Some girlfriends of mine from college decided to get together in Atlantic City for a girls' weekend. Your grandparents came to watch the kids because your father was working. So I went and ... Well ... We had been having a lot of fun. We all had been drinking, a lot. Then we met up with some men in the casino bar. I'm not real sure what happened next. I just know I ended up in this hotel room. My head was pounding and everything was so foggy from all the alcohol. I have no idea how much I drank. I hardly remember anything. I know we were kissing and then things started to go to far. I remember trying to push him off me and saying no. But I was so out of it. The next thing I remember was feeling sick and going into the bathroom to throw up. He came in and handed me my clothes. He was trying to be nice to me. Then he walked me back to my room, where I sleep it off."
Elizabeth pulled her hand from Jason's grasp to cover her mouth. She closed her eyes, trying not to hear the words from her mother's mouth. She could not stop the silent tears that started little rivers down her face. "He raped you?" the words choked out. Jason swallowed hard. His eyes widened.
"I'm not sure about that. I had no business being in a man's hotel room, especially as drunk as I was."
"Mom, if you said 'no,' than that is rape." She stood up almost pushing Jason over. "Does dad know?"
"Yes, I was such a mess over the whole thing. I told him as soon as I got home. I thought he would divorce me, but he said he loved me, and that it was a mistake, that we would work through it. Not to long after, I found out I was pregnant," she paused, "with you." Elizabeth stared out the window again as the line feel silent. "I didn't know whose child you were at first. Your father wanted so much to love you." Elizabeth could tell her mother was crying. "As you got older, it became obvious that you were not his. It was so hard for him. Every time he looked at you it just reminded him of what I did. Not that he ever blamed me, he just could not live with the constant reminder of it."
Elizabeth took a long ragged breath. Jason could not stand to see her body so filled with pain. He moved closer to her. It had just been the other day that he had seen her smile and laugh. A laughter that held some real happiness. He stepped behind her trying to read her expression from the reflection in the glass. The few words she had said did not reveal a pretty picture. He was not sure if she would welcome his touch or find him intrusive. So he stepped to her side and lowered down to rest on the armrest of the sofa.
"Elizabeth, I'm so sorry. I should have told you a long time ago. Maybe then you would have understood things better."
"What am I suppose to say now, Mother?" Elizabeth could feel the contemptuous rage building in her. "Say that I understand completely. That I was treated as an outcast all my life because you got drunk and passed out so Mike could take advantage of you."
"That is not fair."
"You're damn right it's not. But my life has not been fair either. I'm not blaming you for being raped. I for one understand that situation if anyone does." Elizabeth shook at the quick flash of her own rape. "But everything after," she had to take a breath to try and calm down, "you could of handled differently."
Jason felt Elizabeth could use some privacy but he did not want to leave until she finished her conversation. So he got up and went to sit in the kitchen. On the table he found the report revealing the results of the DNA testing. He read over the papers, and regardless of all the technical jargon, he understood the implications of its results.
Elizabeth and her mother continued to talk for another five minutes before she told her daughter she needed to go. Her mother tried to reassure her how much she loved her, and despite everything, her father loved her too. She hoped that she could come to terms with this, and if she wanted to talk some more to call anytime. After telling her mother she loved her too, Elizabeth hung up the phone. The receiver slipped like water from her fingers hitting the rug in a dull thump. Her body not far behind it.
Night had pushed away the daylight, and the room was dark with only a small table lamp on. Elizabeth found reality a muddled bedlam. The past had lost all meaning in the mush of fabrications, while the present hovered around her in a nauseating stench. Neither place was somewhere she wanted to be, and her body erupted in tearing distress. Lost in the grips of a reality that this nightmare had become, her awareness escaped into a sludge pit.
Jason heard the primeval gaps and groans coming from the other room. Cautious of her willingness to have him present, he approached her. "Elizabeth...Elizabeth?"
Her name coming from the far end of a tunnel somewhere she could not locate. Her mind started to search for the source. She could feel something warm pressing against her, heavy and gripping.
"Elizabeth, look at me." She felt like she was breathing in a vacuum, forcing the air into her lungs was fierce work. "Elizabeth," the gentle firmness in the calling voice made her focus. She locked onto the soft caress from a pair of blue eyes in front of her. Jason was relieved to see the recognition in her face even if it was racked over in anguish. He pulled her body into his. He smoothed back the strains of hair that clung matted and soaked to her face and neck. He slowly rocked her, trying to ease the little earthquakes that captured her body at times. He held his lips close to the labyrinth of her ear softly allowing a simple "shhh" to flow into it. Her breath raspy with each inhalation. At times she would try and tell him of the events from the day. Mostly her voice stayed lost in the pain and confusion of it all.
Jason's attention was grabbed by the chiming from the grandfather clock in the hall. He realized that over an hour had passed since she had ended her phone call with her mother. He also realized that the only movement from their two bodies was the rocking he was generating. Her body slumped and was dead weight in his arms. He leaned back a little and could feel the gentle rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. He spoke her name softly but she did not stir. The fear and isolation were now gone from her face. Her eyelashes dark and heavy from the last traces of tears. Processing the day proved to much for her. She had given into mental and emotional exhaustion.
Jason was not aware that her sleep had been erratic from the day she had discovered him and Courtney together. She had rationalized that she was only all worked up about moving, then her grandmother's death. After that, Jason had shown up bleeding at her door. Everything just kept compiling. Today had thrown her into more chaos. So now her body gave up the fight and submitted to the rest she needed. He could tell she needed to sleep. Gathering her up in his arms together they arose from the floor. He became intensely aware how light she felt and that she had lost weight in the past few weeks. He carefully moved with her up the flight of stairs and down the hall to the only room with a light on. Laying her on the bed, he made gentle movements so as not to disturb her slumber. He pulled at the small leather shoe to free each foot. Worried he had woke her when she stirred, but she only turned over, murmured something, and dropped deeper than before. Fingering the edge of the comforter he pulled it up to cover her shoulders.
Jason gazed upon the sleeping beauty before him. The slumbering woman had fallen into a mythical sleep bought on by some evil force. If it were only like in fairytales where a simple kiss would heal all past transgressions.
It was only half past seven, and he was not sure how long she would sleep. He did not want to disturb her, but he did not want to leave her either. Making himself comfortable in a chair nearby, he closed his eyes for a bit of a nap himself. He found it hard to sleep as he went over the information in his head. He settled for watching her rest. It had been a long time scene he had watched her sleep. Knowing what she had endured over the past few weeks and especially today, it amazed him how peaceful and angelic she looked with the rising moonlight on her linen skin.
Monica entered Jason's room carrying a shopping bag and a big smile on her face. "Good morning." Jason put his book down as he watched the woman approaching him. He smiled back at her. "I got you something because I have good news for you." She held up the bag and placed it on his lap. He opened it and started to pull the items out. There was a pair of jeans, a simple long sleeve t-shirt, a pair of socks and a blue corded v-neck sweater. "You are going home today." He smiled and nodded at her. "All your clothes were ruined except for your boots so I thought I would get you something to wear home."
"Thank you, you didn't have to."
"I know, but I haven't gotten to buy you anything in years, and I really wanted to. I guessed at the sizes, so I hope they are ok." She looked over and saw the tray from breakfast that he had not touched. "Well, get dressed and you can get out of here and find something more suitable to eat." She turned to leave.
"Thank you again, Monica."
"You're welcome." She felt the happiest she had in years around him, and it showed in the beaming gleam in her eyes.
*
Bobbie called the Lab for what felt like the hundredth time. They had been backed up due to personnel cut backs, and the test results were taking longer than expected. This time when she call, the technician said the results were back. She hurried down and found the young man who worked there waiting for her arrival.
"Mark, you said there was some good news on the phone." She was almost out of breath from the quick pace she had taken to get there. Mike's status had not changed, and she knew that his family needed something to hold on to.
"Yes, we got a good match."
"Who is it?" She nearly snatched the file from him.
"His daughter, you know the girl who gave him blood the night they brought him in."
"What?" Bobbie shook her head trying to read the report. "Elizabeth is not his daughter. Why did you even run the DNA test on her?"
The man in the lab coat looked at her confused. "I was here when she came down to give blood for him. Being a match on the blood type, AB- being so rare and all, I just thought for sure she was his daughter. When the order came down to test the children, I tested her too. I still had some of her blood from the bit we put aside for screening, so I used it."
"Well she may be a match, but Elizabeth is not Mike Corbin's daughter."
He walked over and took the file. He removed a piece of film from it. Putting it up on the lighted board, "I beg to differ." He started to point to different parts of the DNA mapping. "Do you see here where the lines match? Well, there are certain traits that only a parent can pass to a child. Right here in these two, look, they are almost all the same. But in this one," he said as he changed the overlapping DNA film, "they don't match at all. In fact, in this one, about the only genetic similarities they share are that they are both human and Caucasian."
"Wait, whose is that?" Bobbie stared at the films he was displaying.
"Um, Courtney Mathews."
"Are you telling me that Courtney is not Mike Corbin's child?"
"Not by blood."
"And Elizabeth Webber is?"
Looking at the report, "Yes, Elizabeth Webber and Michael Cortinthos are both Mike Corbin's biological children. But Michael is not a close enough match for a transplant." He handed the file back to the nurse.
"You are sure. There is no mix up or anything?"
"I'm sure." He had become annoyed with her and turned back to the microscope at the nearby table.
Bobbie left the lab shocked. She was not real sure what to do. She passed the ICU and Mike's room. Looking in, she saw Courtney sitting at his bedside where she had been everyday since the shooting. How was she going to deliver this news? She arrived at the nurses' station where she ran into Jason Morgan signing his discharge papers. They made some polite conversation before she excused herself to make a phone call.
Jason had started to walk away when he overheard the nurse say Elizabeth's name. Then ask her to come to the hospital on an urgent matter.
"Is something wrong?" He asked the woman when she hung up the phone.
"I'm sorry, Jason. I can't discuss it." She gave him a sympathetic smile as she picked up the phone to call her daughter's home.
Jason was not sure what was going on that would involve Elizabeth. She had not come back to the hospital, and he felt they had an understanding that they would talk after he got out. Both Alan and Monica came by to see him leave. He casually asked them if they knew anything, but they both shook their heads. He also asked about Mike and was some what distressed to hear his condition had not changed. Jason decided he would go by and see Elizabeth later. First he had to go down to the PCPD to give a statement about the night he was stabbed. Taggert had laid off only because Jason had promised Mac he would come down when he got out of the hospital.
*
Jason took the deepest breath he could within the constraints of his injures as he walked into the PCPD. He did not wish to talk to Taggert, but he had already decided to tell the police the truth. He knew they had evidence that placed him in the alley. Also, he had not actually done anything illegal that night; so, when he had discussed the matter with his lawyer at the hospital, she had agreed the truth here was not a problem. To his good fortune, he spotted Mac.
"Well, you must be sailing under a lucky star these days." The police commissioner said when he saw him. Jason looked at him a little sideways but did not respond. "Doctor Cameron Lewis just brought Alexis Davis in, and she confessed to killing Alcazar."
"What?"
"Yeah, I know it sounds strange, but we have evidence that collaborates her story. Your attorney was just here and has gone to file a motion for dismissal." Jason studied the man. "But you still need to tell us what happened the other night." Jason nodded and followed the man into the interrogation room. He was running the news through his mind, he could not figure how or even why Alexis could have killed the man.
Jason ran through the events for Mac and Taggert. He told them he did not remember making the 911 call, but when he gets his cell phone they can check its memory. They told him that they had a warrant for his gun, and he told them he did not have it. Jason admitted that he did have it in the alley, but he did not know what happened to it. He made a mental note to talk to his lawyer before turning it over, warrant or not. Mac was very concerned when Jason informed them that it was Tagliatti's men who Mike was meeting with. That was the reason he was there. But he lied and said he could not identify the men. Before he left, Mac warned Jason that he did not want to hear of any retaliation from this incident. That they were to let the police handle the matter. Jason only half nodded his head as he followed the detective out of the room. Then he headed home. Jason knew from experience that Tagliatti was planning to go after Sonny. He also knew that Sonny's organization would be very vulnerable with out. He was going to have to find a way to make him listen to reson and put him back in place before Tagliatti and any other enemy found out. Being the vipers they were would strike at the first opportunity.
*
Elizabeth walked through the hospital halls passing Jason's room. It was empty and freshly made up. Passing an orderly she asked about it and he said the occupant had been released that morning. Elizabeth heard her stomach growl. She had skipped breakfast and now it was almost lunch time. She found her way to the waiting area by the ICU where Bobbie had asked to meet her. She frowned to see the little group of the Cortinthos family gathered there. They all looked a bit anxious, and she started to walk away when Bobbie passed her.
"Good, perfect timing." The nurse lightly grabbed her elbow and lead her to the group. She was smiling, but no one could have guessed that her news would change all of their lives forever. The woman's eyes trailed over everyone's faces before she settled on Carly's, knowing it would be the easiest one to focus on and get the news out.
"I have the DNA results for Mike's transplant." Everyone held their breaths except for Elizabeth. She could not figure out what this had to do with her. Bobbie turned to look the brunet directly in the eyes. "We have a match."
Carly and Courtney had missed Bobbie's subtle hint and excitedly asked who it was. Sonny had not been fooled and took a step closer to the girl. "It is you, Elizabeth."
The words had not been fully comprehended by Elizabeth. She had been told about Mike's condition but had no idea that she had been tested to be a match. She even felt a quick flash of anger at being tested without her consent. She finally found her voice, unaware of the stares from the others, "I don't understand. How... and why did you test me?" Her gaze settled on the file in the nurse's hands.
Bobbie began to explain that the technician had done the test under the assumption that she was Mike's daughter. She looked at the other faces taking them in one at a time. "It is not that I mind trying to help, but I would have liked to have been asked first." Her face was still bewildered, and Bobbie moved next to her and asked everyone to sit down; she still had some things to discuss with all of them. She explained to Elizabeth that she had time to decide about the transplant due to the lack of change in Mike.
Courtney piped up insisting that Elizabeth would do it. That she had to, to help Mike. Before she could get to far into her tirade Bobbie gained control over the situation again. Bobbie took a deep breath and took Elizabeth's hand. "The DNA results showed something else." She paused to make sure everyone was calm. "Elizabeth, the reason that you are such a close match is that the test revealed that you have to be Mike's biological child."
"What? That is ridiculous. You can be a match with out being related," Elizabeth spoke in protest.
"That is true, but there are certain genetic codes in the DNA chain that show up only between close relatives. Not only did yours match up with Mike's but also with Sonny's." Elizabeth felt dizzy, and if she had not been sitting she was sure she would have fainted. She could not focus on anything. The people around her were a haze, and Bobbie's words kept repeating in her head.
Finding her voice, "there has to be some kind of mistake. They must have mixed up Courtney and my results."
Bobbie shook her head. "I asked the same thing and there was no mix up. In fact," the nurse looked up and into Courtney's eyes, "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Courtney, you are not Mike's daughter at all."
"What? Are you sure?" The blond was on her feet approaching the woman. "Can I see that?" She took the file from her and started to read through it. Her eyes widened as she dropped it to the table. Soon tears were spilling as she turned from the group and ran away. Carly got up and left to go after her friend.
Sonny picked up the file and moved to sit on the other side of Elizabeth. His eyes flowed quickly over the contents of the file. He offered it to her, but she did not feel like she could focus enough to read at the moment. Sonny took her hand, "Do you think there is any way this could be true?"
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. Her eyes filled with water as she dropped her face into her hands. Shaking her head, "I wish my grandmother were here." Bobbie slipped her arm over the girl's dainty shoulders.
"Maybe you should call you folks and see what they have to say," her old friend suggested.
It took her some time to pull herself together as both Bobbie and Sonny tried to comfort her. After a long silent moment she pulled her thoughts together and announced she needed to go. Bobbie handed her a copy of the DNA results before she excused herself. Walking slowly through the ICU ward she stopped and looked in at the comatose man who had just been revealed as her father. She felt nothing. 'Wouldn't I feel something if we really were related. Some sixth sense or something?' She asked herself. She stood there for a good ten minuets but never dared to venture into the room before she left for home.
Elizabeth half stumbled through the door of her grandmother's home. A drunken-type haze encompassed her. She looked around at the familiar surroundings as nothing more than a lie. The keys slipped from her fingers to rattle onto the nearby table. The chilly air from outside had followed her in, and she wrapped her coat tighter around herself seeking both warmth and comfort from the garment. She had cried all the way back to the house, but now her body was done crying. It was a turn in her life she had no way of preparing for, and with the sinking of her body into the soft cushions of the chair, she found the settling of chaos as well.
*
Jason flipped through the mail left on the desk. He came to a large yellow envelope from an attorney's office. Fingering it, he slipped his index finger under the flap and the glue released. He pulled out the contents to find legal annulment papers signed by Brenda Barrett. Reading over the contents he did not hesitate to pick up a nearby pen and sign them next to her name. Folding the documents he enclosed them in the return envelope and had no second thoughts as he drug his tongue over it to seal it. He was about to pick up the phone to call his soon-to-be-ex-wife when there was a rapping at the door.
He opened it to find the red eyes of Courtney falling on him. "Can I come in a moment?" He stepped back giving her room to enter. He followed her to the middle of the room, where she turned to face him nervously fidgeting with her hands. Not sure where to start her words came slow. "I just came from the hospital."
"Did something happen with Mike?" His eyebrows tightened together slightly.
"Um, he is the same." She walked to the sofa and sat down. "You knew he was going to need a kidney transplant, right?" Jason nodded in response. "Well, the results of the DNA screenings came back today." Jason sat down next to her. By her posture this was bad news. "They found a match."
"But that is good news. Why do you look so upset?"
"Because the match is Elizabeth Webber," her eyes piercing with pain.
"Elizabeth, that seems odd. Why was she even tested?"
"The lab tech thought she was his daughter because he was there when she came in to donate the blood for him. So, when he tested Sonny and I, he tested her too."
Now he understood why Bobbie had been calling Elizabeth this morning. "Don't worry, Courtney." He took her hand in his. "If I know Elizabeth, she is a very giving person, and she will come through for Mike."
Her eyes filled with tears and Jason was not sure why Courtney would be so upset by this news. "Jason, the DNA test showed that I'm not Mike's daughter. I called my mother and she said it was possible. That her and Mike had a very rocky relationship and she had had a few other relationships at the time she got pregnant with me." The ache he saw made scene to him now, and he pulled her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder sobbing gently for a moment before she pulled away and smiled with streaks still on cheeks. "In a strange way this is good news."
"I don't follow you."
She got up and took a few paces. "Well, don't you see? If I'm not Mike's daughter, then I'm not Sonny's sister. We can be together, and you would not be betraying him. He has no say now."
Jason shook his head and stood to address her. "Courtney, it is not that simple. Sonny thinks I did something behind his back, and he doesn't trust me now."
"But that is just silly. I'm not his sister."
"We did not know that at the time. And it won't make any difference to him."
"Carly told me about the fight the two of you had. She doesn't believe that he will throw you out of the organization."
"It is already done. But that is beside the point. We still can't be together."
"Why? There is nothing standing between us." She had walked to him and put her arms around his neck. He gingerly placed his hands around her wrist and slid her hands down to free himself.
"Courtney, I tried to explain this to you before. I can't care about you the way you want; the way you deserve." He turned away from her and dropped his head. "I...I just don't love you." He turn back to her again. "You deserve to be with someone who only wants to be with you and is not thinking of someone else."
"You are talking about Elizabeth, aren't you?" Sudden anger laced her words. "Well, you can forget about being with her." Her pause gave him a chance to study her changed attitude. "If you want to work things out with Sonny, that is."
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, Elizabeth is Mike's biological daughter. That is why she was a match. So that also makes her Sonny's sister."
"Are you sure?"
"The DNA test proved it."
"Does she know?" The cold water that felt like he had been hit with now covered his every nerve. Courtney could see the concern in his stunned features. She felt the hot flash of anger and jealousy at his distress for the other woman.
"I have been a fool all along, haven't I? You never stopped loving her." Her gaze went to the floor. Sucking in a breath she turned to leave. He watched her as she stopped with her hand on the door handle.
"I'm really sorry how all of this has hurt you," Jason said as he tried to breach the newly opened space between them. "I will be here for you, if you need me." She did not look back at him and moved thought the door to pull it silently behind her.
*
Elizabeth had not moved for what had to be hours. Outside the shadows appeared long and dark. It had taken the remainder of the day for her to find enough clarity to try and call her mother for an explanation. The overseas operator was taking forever to make the connection. She had been pacing the living room floor for fifteen minutes when they came back with the line. She heard the ringing on the other end. She hated the antiquated lines. There was always a delay when you talked and made it hard to have a flowing conversation. On the fifth ring a woman came over the line to say their were having trouble getting the call through, and that they would keep trying, and would ring her back when they had it, but it could take up to an hour. Elizabeth nodded to herself remembering having to do this just a few weeks ago when she had called to tell her parents about her grandmother's death.
Jason's foot fell heavily on the front step. He peered in the window to see Elizabeth pacing with a long black object to her ear. He was about to leave, not wanting to disturb her, when she threw the thing on a chair and walked away. Letting his breath go to see it in the chilly afternoon air, he pushed the small button and waited. He was not sure if he should tell her he knew about Mike and decided to just wait and let her tell him if she wanted.
The chiming that rang in the house caught Elizabeth off guard. She almost jumped not expecting anyone and moved cautiously toward the signal. Surprised by the half smile that greeted her when she opened the door. His shoulders were hunched up with his hands clasped in front of him. The blue sweater hugged his torso accentuating his broad shoulders. "Can I come in? It's cold out here."
"Sure," she push the screen door that separated them.
"Why don't you have on a coat?" He studied her to see any sign of the news she had received that morning.
"Oh, I think you might have my coat." She smiled at him. A pleasant face was just what she needed right now. She decided to try and forget the ridiculous information she was given that morning. But she frowned at the mention of his jacket.
"Oh, Jason, I fear it is a mess." She walked to the kitchen and into the laundry room. Where she found her clothes basket. His black leather jacket lay on top of it. She reached down retrieving it and handed it to him. He started to inspect it. "There is a lot of blood on it. I called a few place but no one would even try to clean it. I'm sorry."
"Why are you sorry? Don't worry about it. I'll just get another one." He looked over the sticky mess that had once been his jacket when he found a hole in it. He stuck his finger through the gap and showed it to her. He started to laugh, "Looks like it has seen better days anyway." She giggled slightly; surprised she had not noticed it before. "So, is there anything else of mine in that basket of yours?" he eyed her.
"I think so." She fished around and pulled out the small silver phone. Handing it to him, he instinctively flipped it open. "I think the battery is dead by now." He nodded to her, and the two stood staring at each other for a moment.
"Isn't there something else?" he cleared his throat.
She looked back down at the basket not sure if she should find it herself, not really comfortable handling a gun. However, she was not real comfortable having Jason search through her dirty clothes and underwear either. "Would you like me to get it?" Feeling her discomfort he moved toward the basket.
"No, that's ok." She almost knocked him out of the way blocking him from the basket. It took only a moment to pull the menacing object from the pile. With the barrel between her fingers, she spun around to hand it to him. In her attempt to be quick, a white lacy object still clung to the handgun.
"Jesus, Elizabeth!" he jumped. "That is not how you handle a pistol." He reached for the grip, deliberately avoiding the trigger, and pulled it easily from her grasp. He shook his head tossing the stray bra back into the basket. She was not sure if she looked pale or flushed crimson with horror and embarrassment. Jason lowered his head trying to bite away the grin on his face. He released the clip, and it slipped out into his palm. "It is loaded." He ejected the round from the chamber and made a mental note that one bullet was missing, confirming his suspicion that his gun was used to shoot Mike.
"Is something wrong?" she read his expression as he inspected the weapon.
"Nothing for you to worry about." He took the items and walked back into the kitchen. "How are you?"
"I'm ok. You are the one that just got out of the hospital."
"I just know a lot has happen to you lately, and I've been worried about you."
"I'm ok, really." She bit her lip trying not to expose herself. Before either one of them could speak the phone rang.
"I should go." He offered as she hurried to find the receiver she had discarded in the living room. She held up a finger signaling him to wait a moment.
"Hello." She was watching him move toward the door as she listened to the operator explaining that she could try her call now. The line was quiet a moment. "I'm sorry; I put in a call to my mom overseas." She tried to explain before it started to ring.
Jason figured that this call was not going to be what she hoped, and he did not feel right leaving her. Thinking quickly, "Can I use your bathroom before I go?" She nodded and waved back in the direction of the kitchen.
"Hello," Elizabeth heard a tried woman on the other end.
"Hi, Mom, it's Elizabeth."
"Elizabeth. Is something wrong?" Elizabeth thought about how her mother never really beat around the bush. Given the fact that over the last few years the only reason the two had spoken was when there had been some family tragedy. So, her response was not unexpected.
"Did I wake you?" She was trying to find a way to ease into the conversation.
"No, I just came off shift. Your father is asleep, though. Did you need to talk to him? Something about Audrey?"
"No, I called to talk to you." She started to pace, "Mom, I don't even know how to say this; so, I'm just going to say it." Jason stepped into the hall and started to listen to Elizabeth's anxious voice. "Mom, is it possible that you and dad are not my biological parents?" She stopped her movements and stood in front of the window waiting for her response.
"Elizabeth, what's happen?" She could hear fear in her mother's question. While Elizabeth tried to explain about the DNA test and its results, Jason moved into the room and found it impossible to move either closer to her or toward the door to exit. Elizabeth had forgotten that he was even still there.
"What is his name?"
"Mike Corbin." Elizabeth turned just in time to meet Jason's apprehensive eyes when her mother's response reached her ear.
"Yes, I think that sounds about right."
"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth realized that Jason knew. Either it was just now, from her explanation to her mother, or if he had known before, she could not tell. He pointed towards the door and started in its direction. She could not release the lock with his eyes. She was drawing strength from it. She shook her head at him as her mother tried to explain.
"Oh, honey, I never meant to tell you over the phone. In fact I never intended to tell you at all." Elizabeth felt a weakness shadowing her, and Jason seemed to become aware of it. He reached for her arm and moved her over to a nearby chair. He helped her lower into it dropping to his knees in front of her. He held her hand in his, but her gaze remained wild and insecure.
"Tell me what?" she swallowed hard.
"Elizabeth, I don't really know where to begin." Even though there was a pause, Elizabeth did not dare speak. "Some girlfriends of mine from college decided to get together in Atlantic City for a girls' weekend. Your grandparents came to watch the kids because your father was working. So I went and ... Well ... We had been having a lot of fun. We all had been drinking, a lot. Then we met up with some men in the casino bar. I'm not real sure what happened next. I just know I ended up in this hotel room. My head was pounding and everything was so foggy from all the alcohol. I have no idea how much I drank. I hardly remember anything. I know we were kissing and then things started to go to far. I remember trying to push him off me and saying no. But I was so out of it. The next thing I remember was feeling sick and going into the bathroom to throw up. He came in and handed me my clothes. He was trying to be nice to me. Then he walked me back to my room, where I sleep it off."
Elizabeth pulled her hand from Jason's grasp to cover her mouth. She closed her eyes, trying not to hear the words from her mother's mouth. She could not stop the silent tears that started little rivers down her face. "He raped you?" the words choked out. Jason swallowed hard. His eyes widened.
"I'm not sure about that. I had no business being in a man's hotel room, especially as drunk as I was."
"Mom, if you said 'no,' than that is rape." She stood up almost pushing Jason over. "Does dad know?"
"Yes, I was such a mess over the whole thing. I told him as soon as I got home. I thought he would divorce me, but he said he loved me, and that it was a mistake, that we would work through it. Not to long after, I found out I was pregnant," she paused, "with you." Elizabeth stared out the window again as the line feel silent. "I didn't know whose child you were at first. Your father wanted so much to love you." Elizabeth could tell her mother was crying. "As you got older, it became obvious that you were not his. It was so hard for him. Every time he looked at you it just reminded him of what I did. Not that he ever blamed me, he just could not live with the constant reminder of it."
Elizabeth took a long ragged breath. Jason could not stand to see her body so filled with pain. He moved closer to her. It had just been the other day that he had seen her smile and laugh. A laughter that held some real happiness. He stepped behind her trying to read her expression from the reflection in the glass. The few words she had said did not reveal a pretty picture. He was not sure if she would welcome his touch or find him intrusive. So he stepped to her side and lowered down to rest on the armrest of the sofa.
"Elizabeth, I'm so sorry. I should have told you a long time ago. Maybe then you would have understood things better."
"What am I suppose to say now, Mother?" Elizabeth could feel the contemptuous rage building in her. "Say that I understand completely. That I was treated as an outcast all my life because you got drunk and passed out so Mike could take advantage of you."
"That is not fair."
"You're damn right it's not. But my life has not been fair either. I'm not blaming you for being raped. I for one understand that situation if anyone does." Elizabeth shook at the quick flash of her own rape. "But everything after," she had to take a breath to try and calm down, "you could of handled differently."
Jason felt Elizabeth could use some privacy but he did not want to leave until she finished her conversation. So he got up and went to sit in the kitchen. On the table he found the report revealing the results of the DNA testing. He read over the papers, and regardless of all the technical jargon, he understood the implications of its results.
Elizabeth and her mother continued to talk for another five minutes before she told her daughter she needed to go. Her mother tried to reassure her how much she loved her, and despite everything, her father loved her too. She hoped that she could come to terms with this, and if she wanted to talk some more to call anytime. After telling her mother she loved her too, Elizabeth hung up the phone. The receiver slipped like water from her fingers hitting the rug in a dull thump. Her body not far behind it.
Night had pushed away the daylight, and the room was dark with only a small table lamp on. Elizabeth found reality a muddled bedlam. The past had lost all meaning in the mush of fabrications, while the present hovered around her in a nauseating stench. Neither place was somewhere she wanted to be, and her body erupted in tearing distress. Lost in the grips of a reality that this nightmare had become, her awareness escaped into a sludge pit.
Jason heard the primeval gaps and groans coming from the other room. Cautious of her willingness to have him present, he approached her. "Elizabeth...Elizabeth?"
Her name coming from the far end of a tunnel somewhere she could not locate. Her mind started to search for the source. She could feel something warm pressing against her, heavy and gripping.
"Elizabeth, look at me." She felt like she was breathing in a vacuum, forcing the air into her lungs was fierce work. "Elizabeth," the gentle firmness in the calling voice made her focus. She locked onto the soft caress from a pair of blue eyes in front of her. Jason was relieved to see the recognition in her face even if it was racked over in anguish. He pulled her body into his. He smoothed back the strains of hair that clung matted and soaked to her face and neck. He slowly rocked her, trying to ease the little earthquakes that captured her body at times. He held his lips close to the labyrinth of her ear softly allowing a simple "shhh" to flow into it. Her breath raspy with each inhalation. At times she would try and tell him of the events from the day. Mostly her voice stayed lost in the pain and confusion of it all.
Jason's attention was grabbed by the chiming from the grandfather clock in the hall. He realized that over an hour had passed since she had ended her phone call with her mother. He also realized that the only movement from their two bodies was the rocking he was generating. Her body slumped and was dead weight in his arms. He leaned back a little and could feel the gentle rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. He spoke her name softly but she did not stir. The fear and isolation were now gone from her face. Her eyelashes dark and heavy from the last traces of tears. Processing the day proved to much for her. She had given into mental and emotional exhaustion.
Jason was not aware that her sleep had been erratic from the day she had discovered him and Courtney together. She had rationalized that she was only all worked up about moving, then her grandmother's death. After that, Jason had shown up bleeding at her door. Everything just kept compiling. Today had thrown her into more chaos. So now her body gave up the fight and submitted to the rest she needed. He could tell she needed to sleep. Gathering her up in his arms together they arose from the floor. He became intensely aware how light she felt and that she had lost weight in the past few weeks. He carefully moved with her up the flight of stairs and down the hall to the only room with a light on. Laying her on the bed, he made gentle movements so as not to disturb her slumber. He pulled at the small leather shoe to free each foot. Worried he had woke her when she stirred, but she only turned over, murmured something, and dropped deeper than before. Fingering the edge of the comforter he pulled it up to cover her shoulders.
Jason gazed upon the sleeping beauty before him. The slumbering woman had fallen into a mythical sleep bought on by some evil force. If it were only like in fairytales where a simple kiss would heal all past transgressions.
It was only half past seven, and he was not sure how long she would sleep. He did not want to disturb her, but he did not want to leave her either. Making himself comfortable in a chair nearby, he closed his eyes for a bit of a nap himself. He found it hard to sleep as he went over the information in his head. He settled for watching her rest. It had been a long time scene he had watched her sleep. Knowing what she had endured over the past few weeks and especially today, it amazed him how peaceful and angelic she looked with the rising moonlight on her linen skin.
