Shot in an Alley: Fever Dreams

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Elizabeth placed a cool hand on Jason's forehead and sighed, the fever was getting higher. Last time she checked had been a half an hour ago. 102 degrees - a dangerous temperature. She was going to have to go to someone for help if the temperature got any higher.

She was amazed that all of this had happened in just under five hours. Jason getting shot, finding out the truth about her husband and hearing that Jason had missed their friendship too. Most importantly, finding out her true feelings for him. How was she going to make this work? Yes, love or not she was already planning to leave Ric if this all turned out to be true but Jason and Courtney are in love. Nothing she could do was going to change that. She couldn't take love from Jason, who deserved it. Not even if she wanted to replace it with her own.

The fact of the matter, however, was that if this fever didn't go down soon it would all be a moot point.

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Jason had never felt pain like this - wracking his body, heat everywhere. He felt as though he were on fire. Every now and then he would feel something cool on this hot skin, but it would always disappear.

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Elizabeth filled a bowl with cool water. She dunked a hand towel in and rung it out. Bringing it to Jason's forehead she prayed it would help him. She ran the cool cloth over his face, neck and chest, hoping to comfort him, to bring down his fever.

"Does that feel better Jason? I hope it does. You need to fight Jason. Hang on and stay with me okay? I think I'm going crazy. I love Ric, right? Then why do I feel this way now? Why haven't I felt it ever with Ric? I know you love Courtney, I do. But God, I'm in love with you Jason. So you need to hang on, okay? Even though we can't be together I still need to know you're okay. It's easier to love someone who's alive. Trust me, I know."

She knew he couldn't hear her, but part of her wished he could.

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Compared to the pain and heat that had been ever present since he had fallen asleep, he could only vaguely appreciate the something cool that was continually running across his skin.

"-that feel...-Jason?" Elizabeth… He could hear her, but she was so far away. What she was saying wasn't making sense. He wanted to talk to her but he couldn't make his lips form the words.

"Hope-----you need, ...fight. Hang...-stay with me. I---crazy. Love...feel... way now? Didn't---feel...Ric. Love...Courtney. God- I'm...love...-you."

His mind stuck on the word "love" but he still couldn't make his mind connect it to anything else.

"Hang... okay? Can't---together I still---know. Easier...love - alive. Trust me..."

His head hurt from trying to focus on her words.

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Elizabeth continued to run the cloth over his fevered body. She dipped it in the water again, to make sure that the cloth was still cool.

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"JASON!"

Sonny's voice rang out in his mind and Jason lay back, confused. Sonny sounded so mad…

Jason opened his eyes. He wasn't in Elizabeth's studio anymore, but rather General Hospital. Had she taken him there?

He looked around, but didn't find Elizabeth. Carly and Mike were sitting in the waiting area, crying, but before he had the chance to ask what was the matter Sonny appeared before him. "You promised me you would always protect her!"

"Protect who?" he asked his friend. He wanted to know what was going on. Why wasn't he with Elizabeth?

"WHO?" Courtney! How could you let her die? " Sonny was now red-faced and shaking.

"Courtney's dead?" No it couldn't be true.

"Yes, you bastard! It's all your fault! Courtney's dead because of you!" Sonny screamed at him.

Jason's head was pounding. He backed up from Sonny, pain wracking his body.

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Elizabeth dropped the rag. "Jason, what's wrong?"

Now she was getting scared. He was thrashing around on the couch.

"No, not dead! I'm sorry!" He had to be having a nightmare, some horrible dream brought on by his climbing fever.

"Jason, it's okay!" she told him as she wrapped him up into her arms. "Nothing is your fault. I promise. It's okay, baby, I'm here." She repeated this over and over again. He seemed to calm down a bit. She never once realized she had called him "baby". It just seemed natural to her.

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He could hear Elizabeth again but she seemed ever further from him. He didn't know where he was. He had clamped his eyes closed after the hospital.

"Why did you leave us Jason?"

It was Sonny's voice again, he sounded sad not angry. Jason opened his eyes and was relieved to be out of the hospital. Sonny was ahead of him kneeling down on the ground, back to Jason.

"I'm so sorry, man. What were you thinking? Going after a mad man like that, alone? If I had just listened to you then you would be fine. We would all be fine." Sonny stopped and Jason narrowed his eyes. What was Sonny talking about? Going to find Ric?

"But it's never going to be okay again. God, you were right Jason. It was Ric. Why was I so stupid? Courtney, Scotty, the Feds, Mac. Me…why didn't we trust your instincts? Even Baldwin admitted it Jase, you were right." Jason stood behind Sonny, unmoving and still confused. He felt like he was on a five second delay and all of the information was taking longer to be processed by his tired mind.

"Courtney's broken Jase. It's like the light went out. She loved you. Carly is… so mad. She has every right to be. It's my fault you're gone. The Quartermaines seem lost Jason. I think they really did love you. Even the old man seems… different. Emily and Monica can't stop crying. They actually had to sedate Emily when they told her. I think Alan is popping pills again." Sonny stopped and pulled in a deep breath, voice going shaky, "Michael doesn't understand. He thinks we're keeping him away from you. He is just too young to lose someone he loves. Elizabeth Webber. Did you know that when they told her all the things Ric had been doing she had been fine? Then they mentioned you. She just broke down, calling your name. Oh Jason. I'm so sorry. I can't do this Jason. It hurts too much. I'm sorry."

Jason watched in horror as Sonny pulled a gun out. He brought it to his head.

"Sonny NO!"

Sonny whipped around. "Jason?" Jason could see the tears running down Sonny's face. Behind him was a headstone.

His own.

Before he could talk to Sonny he was suddenly somewhere else again.

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Tears were steaming down his face. Elizabeth was afraid for him. She vowed that if he didn't improve in a half an hour then she was going to Sonny. She couldn't care about the consequences to Ric with Jason in such danger.

"It's okay Jason, hang on. Fight Jason."

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Elizabeth's voice was back again. She didn't sound mad or sad at him - she sounded soothing. He wanted her to stay with him.

"I'll stay as long as you need me Jason."

He turned around to face her. She looked beautiful in the white flowered dress she was wearing, but then again she always looked beautiful. "Elizabeth… you're here?"

"Of course I'm here, Jason. You want me here."

He was happy to see her, but he felt like he shouldn't be. He should want Courtney, but he didn't. He wanted Elizabeth. He couldn't figure out why. Elizabeth was safe, she felt good to be around. He wanted Elizabeth there with him, to take care of him.

Elizabeth felt right.

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She couldn't help the smile that had shown through when she read the thermometer. She had been sitting there for two hours since she last read it. Then it had said 102. Now it was 99. Slight fever. She had been scared at one point especially, but a little while after he started to calm down and the fever started to drop.

It was a miracle.

She had almost lost him numerous times tonight, but for now it seemed he would be all right. Tomorrow night may be a whole other story. Until then, she was content with sitting there watching him sleep as the sun's earliest rays came out.

I hope you thought the chapter was good! Please, I do so love reviews!