Second Chances: The Accident
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
There was little Jason could do to hold the bike up. He felt it sliding out from under them and Elizabeth's screams pierced his ears. Suddenly he had a flash back to his accident with AJ years before. He felt helpless then and he felt even more so now. 'God spare her,' he thought.
Jason braced his body against Elizabeth's hoping to shoulder most of the collision himself as he watched in slow motion them come careening against the inflexible pavement, his motorcycle going one way and their bodies the other.
"Elizabeth!" His frantic calls filled the night air. "Elizabeth!" Jason's eyes scanned their surroundings but he couldn't see her anywhere. "Elizabeth, answer me!" He ordered but his voice held an inkling of panic. Scrambling to his feet he ignored the pain that throbbed in his side. All he could focus on was finding her. "Elizabeth!"
Finally the sight of her body came into view. She had been thrown further up the road upon impact. Jason rushed to her side feet sliding out from under him as he tried to skid to a stop beside her. "Elizabeth, baby look at me." He took notice of the blood trickling down her forehead from a deep gash. "Sweetheart," He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. "please open your eyes," he pleaded with her. Attempting to reign in his composure Jason surveyed the rest of her body. There were a few bloody scrapes and cuts, bruising was already beginning to show on her fair skin but nothing else appeared to be wrong. He just needed her to wake up.
"Elizabeth, come on baby, open those beautiful eyes. Show me those gorgeous blue eyes." Jason choked on his unshed tears. Absently he found himself stroking her creamy smooth cheek. There were so many emotions teeming through him.
"J - Jason?" Elizabeth's voice was shaky as her eyes fluttered open.
"Thank god!" Relief filled him. He bent down and kissed her softly. "Hey lay still," he instructed as she tried to put her body in an upright position. His eyes scanned the area searching for his cell phone.
Elizabeth cried out in pain and his full attention was resting on her again.
"What? What hurts?" Gone was the cool calm and collected enforcer, the man whose stares had the ability to bring many to their knees.
"Everything," she cried. "But mostly my wrist and shoulder." It was then she reached up and touched the gash on her forehead. Her fingers returned with blood smeared across them. "And my head," she groaned.
"Don't move okay? I need to call for an ambulance." She nodded but stopped suddenly as a wave of nausea filled her at even that slight motion. "Elizabeth?" he questioned as he watched her grow even paler than her usual complexion was. He was worried that she might be going into shock. 'Damn, where was that cell phone?'
"I'm okay," she finally muttered the sensation passing.
'Finally,' he thought as he fished his phone out of the weeds. Quickly dialing 911 he waited for an operator to pick up. "Come on - come on," he said with an anxious tone.
"911 Emergency services what is the nature of your call?" The nasally operator's voice questioned.
"There's been an accident. We need an ambulance. I'm afraid my girlfriend is going into shock."
Even through her pain Elizabeth heard that single word - girlfriend - and it made her heart swell. Suddenly the ache that filled her body lessened and was replaced with elation. Jason had called her his girlfriend. Had he really meant it or was it just anxiety from the accident that had him saying that word? She desperately wanted to believe he had meant it.
"What's the location of the accident?" The operator asked.
"The bend just before Vista Point."
"I've dispatched a paramedic team and a squad car. They should be arriving shortly."
Jason didn't even bother saying thank you to the woman on the other end of his phone. He just click it closed and went back to where Elizabeth sat cradling her left arm with the other.
"An ambulance is on its way. How bad does it hurt?" he asked motioning toward her arm.
"I'll live."
"You better. I can't lose you." Jason all but dispensed with cool detached demeanor. He had never really been able to pull it off with Elizabeth anyway but seeing her lying there unconscious before had been enough for him to know that he wasn't going to lose her again.
"You won't." Elizabeth reached up with her good hand and stroked his dirt-smeared cheek. "I'm fine." She winced as she said it.
"Sure you are. Here." He placed his jacket gently around her.
"Ouch.ouc.." She yelped as the heavy leather jacket made contact with her shoulder.
"Sorry.sorry." Jason removed it as quickly as he had placed it there.
"Calm down," she instructed seeing the tension filling his body. "Are you hurt?" she asked him wanting desperately to turn his attention away from her.
"I'm fine." He reached for her right wrist to check her pulse. Some things from his life as Jason Quartermaine still lingered in the recesses of his mind.
"Are you sure?" She asked again as the blaring siren barreled toward them in the distance.
"It took them long enough." His agitation was written all over his face.
"Jason," she spoke softly, "Don't maim them okay?" She laughed then groaned as the sound of her laughter echoed in her head.
"Could you step back sir?" One of the EMTs asked before he placed himself between the patient and the man hovering next to her. Elizabeth gave him a gently nod and Jason did as he was asked.
"Anger boy," Taggert's voice sliced through the night air. Jason stared at him as he always did. "Looks like you got some trouble here."
"It was an accident!" Elizabeth piped in from the sidelines. "I was driving, not Jason." She so hated it when Taggert took every opportunity to harass him.
"Is that so?" Taggert turned and gave her a questioning glance. "A little thing like you driving this massive motorcycle? Now that's a first. Who wants you dead now Morgan?"
"I was driving!" Elizabeth tried to stand but that action caused a rush of pain through her left side and she let out a soft cry.
"It's okay Elizabeth," Jason said in a quiet tone. He hated to see her in any sort of pain. "Taggert's just getting his rocks off." He turned again to stare at the lieutenant with a stone cold gaze. A gaze Jason knew drove Taggert crazy. "You heard the lady it was an accident."
"We're ready to load up."
Jason heard the paramedics say. "If we're done here, I'm going with Elizabeth."
"How is it that you don't even have a scratch on you, Morgan?" Taggert inquired cocking his brow.
"Jason," Elizabeth's voice called. "I need you to come with me."
"I'll be right there. If you are finished or not I'm going." Jason climbed into the back of the ambulance leaving Taggert to watch after them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The blonde wanna be Mob Boss sauntered into Kelly's surveying her surroundings. Immediately she was drawn to the dark haired man with his back to her sitting at the counter.
"If you are waiting for your little wifey, I don't think she'll be here. There's been a little accident." Faith Roscoe purred in Ric Lansing's ear.
Alarm flashed in his eyes. "What have you done to her?"
"Me?" Faith said coyly. "For once not a damn thing and I still have the pleasure of enjoying it all from a distance." She giggled.
Ric threw his money on the counter and reached for his coat. "Seems like her little ride with Jason Morgan ended up being rather eventful." Ric's face paled. Did she say ride with Jason? "What - you seem so shocked to hear that your little wifey still has a yearning for Sonny's borg? She's not worth your time Ric. Let Jason have her already. You and me we could set the world on fire - starting with Sonny."
"Get out of my way Faith. I have to go to my wife." He pushed passed the over bearing blonde and exited the diner.
"She doesn't want you anymore Ric. She doesn't want you!" She yelled to his retreating form. "But I do," she said softly as the door to Kelly's swung shut.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Jason," Monica's came up behind him.
"How is she?"
"Badly sprained wrist, dislocated shoulder.."
"And her head? What about the gash on her forehead?" He pressed.
"Tony wants to send her for a CAT scan but really it's only precautionary. From the looks of things she has a mild concussion."
Jason finally let out a full breath. He had been waiting for what seemed like hours to find out how Elizabeth was.
"How about you? Have you been looked at?" Monica asked her son.
"I'm fine."
"That doesn't answer my question. Has a doctor looked at you?"
"I'm fine. When can I see her?" Jason needed to see with his own eyes that she was as fine as Monica said she was.
"After you've seen a doctor yourself." Monica rested her hand against his side and saw him wince. "That's it - now! Get into exam 2."
Jason raked his hand through his blonde hair and begrudgingly followed his mother behind the curtain.
Twenty minutes later he emerged with his ribs tapped. The x-rays Monica ordered showed a hairline fracture.
"Jason?" Sonny's voice questioned. "What are you doing here?"
"Elizabeth and I had an accident on my bike tonight."
"What?" Sonny couldn't hide his surprise. Jason had always been able to handle his motorcycle. The thought of him being in an accident just didn't fit. "You okay? Elizabeth?"
"I'm fine. Cracked ribs. She's got a sprained wrist, dislocated shoulder and a concussion. What are you doing here?" Jason asked.
"Sonogram. Carly's with Dr. Meadows right now. So you think it was just an accident?" Sonny stressed his final word.
"I don't know," Jason said honestly. "With all of the stuff going on at the warehouse lately, I don't know."
"You think it was Faith?" Sonny questioned.
"With me out of the way that would give her a clear shot at you. You know that's what she wants."
"Dumb bitch!" Sonny growled. "Are you sure this isn't about Elizabeth? We know she's tried to hurt her before."
"How would she know that Elizabeth would be me tonight?"
"Well Jas, it's no secret that you have been spending a lot of time with Elizabeth since Emily died..."
"So?" Jason interrupted him.
"Well, I'm just saying for Faith maybe it was a way for her to kill two birds with one stone. You know what I mean?"
"I guess." Jason had his own thoughts about it all but he knew that Sonny wouldn't want to hear them considering they involved his brother. "I'm going to assign another guard to Elizabeth. I think Max might need the back up."
"Yeah - sure whatever. Listen I have to get up to Dr. Meadows office before Carly comes looking for me. You do what you have to do to protect Elizabeth."
Jason let his head fall backward as Sonny walked away from him wondering if Sonny could live with what Jason wanted to do to protect her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ric closed the door to Elizabeth's room quietly. His eyes rested on her still frame lying in the bed. He let out a sigh of relief. She was alive. The scenarios that ran through his head between Kelly's and General Hospital were gruesome at best.
She had a bandage wrapped around her wrist, arm in a sling and gauze covering what Ric assumed was a cut on her forehead, but she was breathing. He pulled a chair closer to the edge of the bed and watched her sleeping.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Jason," Monica approached him. "Tony just informed me the CAT scan on Elizabeth showed no abnormalities. She's going to be sore for awhile and have a hell of headache but she's fine. We've given her some medication for the pain so she should sleep most of the night."
"Good." He hated to think of her in any kind of pain.
"We're moving her to a room now. Tony thought it would be a good idea to keep her overnight for observation. She'll be released in the morning."
"Can I see her?" he asked.
"Yes, room 313"
"Thanks Monica."
"You're welcome."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Why? Why did you have to be with him?" he asked. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. You were supposed to come back to me." Gently Ric laid his hand across hers. "I love you, Elizabeth. Everything.all of it's been for you. I can be the man you need me to be if you would just give me the chance."
Elizabeth stirred at bit suddenly restless.
"I promise you that I'll change. I can do anything with you by my side. You're still my wife Elizabeth. Please let me be your husband."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason stepped off the elevator and made his way to room 313.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!" Jason's voice echoed off the walls at the sight of Ric perched along Elizabeth's bedside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
There was little Jason could do to hold the bike up. He felt it sliding out from under them and Elizabeth's screams pierced his ears. Suddenly he had a flash back to his accident with AJ years before. He felt helpless then and he felt even more so now. 'God spare her,' he thought.
Jason braced his body against Elizabeth's hoping to shoulder most of the collision himself as he watched in slow motion them come careening against the inflexible pavement, his motorcycle going one way and their bodies the other.
"Elizabeth!" His frantic calls filled the night air. "Elizabeth!" Jason's eyes scanned their surroundings but he couldn't see her anywhere. "Elizabeth, answer me!" He ordered but his voice held an inkling of panic. Scrambling to his feet he ignored the pain that throbbed in his side. All he could focus on was finding her. "Elizabeth!"
Finally the sight of her body came into view. She had been thrown further up the road upon impact. Jason rushed to her side feet sliding out from under him as he tried to skid to a stop beside her. "Elizabeth, baby look at me." He took notice of the blood trickling down her forehead from a deep gash. "Sweetheart," He swallowed hard around the lump in his throat. "please open your eyes," he pleaded with her. Attempting to reign in his composure Jason surveyed the rest of her body. There were a few bloody scrapes and cuts, bruising was already beginning to show on her fair skin but nothing else appeared to be wrong. He just needed her to wake up.
"Elizabeth, come on baby, open those beautiful eyes. Show me those gorgeous blue eyes." Jason choked on his unshed tears. Absently he found himself stroking her creamy smooth cheek. There were so many emotions teeming through him.
"J - Jason?" Elizabeth's voice was shaky as her eyes fluttered open.
"Thank god!" Relief filled him. He bent down and kissed her softly. "Hey lay still," he instructed as she tried to put her body in an upright position. His eyes scanned the area searching for his cell phone.
Elizabeth cried out in pain and his full attention was resting on her again.
"What? What hurts?" Gone was the cool calm and collected enforcer, the man whose stares had the ability to bring many to their knees.
"Everything," she cried. "But mostly my wrist and shoulder." It was then she reached up and touched the gash on her forehead. Her fingers returned with blood smeared across them. "And my head," she groaned.
"Don't move okay? I need to call for an ambulance." She nodded but stopped suddenly as a wave of nausea filled her at even that slight motion. "Elizabeth?" he questioned as he watched her grow even paler than her usual complexion was. He was worried that she might be going into shock. 'Damn, where was that cell phone?'
"I'm okay," she finally muttered the sensation passing.
'Finally,' he thought as he fished his phone out of the weeds. Quickly dialing 911 he waited for an operator to pick up. "Come on - come on," he said with an anxious tone.
"911 Emergency services what is the nature of your call?" The nasally operator's voice questioned.
"There's been an accident. We need an ambulance. I'm afraid my girlfriend is going into shock."
Even through her pain Elizabeth heard that single word - girlfriend - and it made her heart swell. Suddenly the ache that filled her body lessened and was replaced with elation. Jason had called her his girlfriend. Had he really meant it or was it just anxiety from the accident that had him saying that word? She desperately wanted to believe he had meant it.
"What's the location of the accident?" The operator asked.
"The bend just before Vista Point."
"I've dispatched a paramedic team and a squad car. They should be arriving shortly."
Jason didn't even bother saying thank you to the woman on the other end of his phone. He just click it closed and went back to where Elizabeth sat cradling her left arm with the other.
"An ambulance is on its way. How bad does it hurt?" he asked motioning toward her arm.
"I'll live."
"You better. I can't lose you." Jason all but dispensed with cool detached demeanor. He had never really been able to pull it off with Elizabeth anyway but seeing her lying there unconscious before had been enough for him to know that he wasn't going to lose her again.
"You won't." Elizabeth reached up with her good hand and stroked his dirt-smeared cheek. "I'm fine." She winced as she said it.
"Sure you are. Here." He placed his jacket gently around her.
"Ouch.ouc.." She yelped as the heavy leather jacket made contact with her shoulder.
"Sorry.sorry." Jason removed it as quickly as he had placed it there.
"Calm down," she instructed seeing the tension filling his body. "Are you hurt?" she asked him wanting desperately to turn his attention away from her.
"I'm fine." He reached for her right wrist to check her pulse. Some things from his life as Jason Quartermaine still lingered in the recesses of his mind.
"Are you sure?" She asked again as the blaring siren barreled toward them in the distance.
"It took them long enough." His agitation was written all over his face.
"Jason," she spoke softly, "Don't maim them okay?" She laughed then groaned as the sound of her laughter echoed in her head.
"Could you step back sir?" One of the EMTs asked before he placed himself between the patient and the man hovering next to her. Elizabeth gave him a gently nod and Jason did as he was asked.
"Anger boy," Taggert's voice sliced through the night air. Jason stared at him as he always did. "Looks like you got some trouble here."
"It was an accident!" Elizabeth piped in from the sidelines. "I was driving, not Jason." She so hated it when Taggert took every opportunity to harass him.
"Is that so?" Taggert turned and gave her a questioning glance. "A little thing like you driving this massive motorcycle? Now that's a first. Who wants you dead now Morgan?"
"I was driving!" Elizabeth tried to stand but that action caused a rush of pain through her left side and she let out a soft cry.
"It's okay Elizabeth," Jason said in a quiet tone. He hated to see her in any sort of pain. "Taggert's just getting his rocks off." He turned again to stare at the lieutenant with a stone cold gaze. A gaze Jason knew drove Taggert crazy. "You heard the lady it was an accident."
"We're ready to load up."
Jason heard the paramedics say. "If we're done here, I'm going with Elizabeth."
"How is it that you don't even have a scratch on you, Morgan?" Taggert inquired cocking his brow.
"Jason," Elizabeth's voice called. "I need you to come with me."
"I'll be right there. If you are finished or not I'm going." Jason climbed into the back of the ambulance leaving Taggert to watch after them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The blonde wanna be Mob Boss sauntered into Kelly's surveying her surroundings. Immediately she was drawn to the dark haired man with his back to her sitting at the counter.
"If you are waiting for your little wifey, I don't think she'll be here. There's been a little accident." Faith Roscoe purred in Ric Lansing's ear.
Alarm flashed in his eyes. "What have you done to her?"
"Me?" Faith said coyly. "For once not a damn thing and I still have the pleasure of enjoying it all from a distance." She giggled.
Ric threw his money on the counter and reached for his coat. "Seems like her little ride with Jason Morgan ended up being rather eventful." Ric's face paled. Did she say ride with Jason? "What - you seem so shocked to hear that your little wifey still has a yearning for Sonny's borg? She's not worth your time Ric. Let Jason have her already. You and me we could set the world on fire - starting with Sonny."
"Get out of my way Faith. I have to go to my wife." He pushed passed the over bearing blonde and exited the diner.
"She doesn't want you anymore Ric. She doesn't want you!" She yelled to his retreating form. "But I do," she said softly as the door to Kelly's swung shut.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Jason," Monica's came up behind him.
"How is she?"
"Badly sprained wrist, dislocated shoulder.."
"And her head? What about the gash on her forehead?" He pressed.
"Tony wants to send her for a CAT scan but really it's only precautionary. From the looks of things she has a mild concussion."
Jason finally let out a full breath. He had been waiting for what seemed like hours to find out how Elizabeth was.
"How about you? Have you been looked at?" Monica asked her son.
"I'm fine."
"That doesn't answer my question. Has a doctor looked at you?"
"I'm fine. When can I see her?" Jason needed to see with his own eyes that she was as fine as Monica said she was.
"After you've seen a doctor yourself." Monica rested her hand against his side and saw him wince. "That's it - now! Get into exam 2."
Jason raked his hand through his blonde hair and begrudgingly followed his mother behind the curtain.
Twenty minutes later he emerged with his ribs tapped. The x-rays Monica ordered showed a hairline fracture.
"Jason?" Sonny's voice questioned. "What are you doing here?"
"Elizabeth and I had an accident on my bike tonight."
"What?" Sonny couldn't hide his surprise. Jason had always been able to handle his motorcycle. The thought of him being in an accident just didn't fit. "You okay? Elizabeth?"
"I'm fine. Cracked ribs. She's got a sprained wrist, dislocated shoulder and a concussion. What are you doing here?" Jason asked.
"Sonogram. Carly's with Dr. Meadows right now. So you think it was just an accident?" Sonny stressed his final word.
"I don't know," Jason said honestly. "With all of the stuff going on at the warehouse lately, I don't know."
"You think it was Faith?" Sonny questioned.
"With me out of the way that would give her a clear shot at you. You know that's what she wants."
"Dumb bitch!" Sonny growled. "Are you sure this isn't about Elizabeth? We know she's tried to hurt her before."
"How would she know that Elizabeth would be me tonight?"
"Well Jas, it's no secret that you have been spending a lot of time with Elizabeth since Emily died..."
"So?" Jason interrupted him.
"Well, I'm just saying for Faith maybe it was a way for her to kill two birds with one stone. You know what I mean?"
"I guess." Jason had his own thoughts about it all but he knew that Sonny wouldn't want to hear them considering they involved his brother. "I'm going to assign another guard to Elizabeth. I think Max might need the back up."
"Yeah - sure whatever. Listen I have to get up to Dr. Meadows office before Carly comes looking for me. You do what you have to do to protect Elizabeth."
Jason let his head fall backward as Sonny walked away from him wondering if Sonny could live with what Jason wanted to do to protect her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ric closed the door to Elizabeth's room quietly. His eyes rested on her still frame lying in the bed. He let out a sigh of relief. She was alive. The scenarios that ran through his head between Kelly's and General Hospital were gruesome at best.
She had a bandage wrapped around her wrist, arm in a sling and gauze covering what Ric assumed was a cut on her forehead, but she was breathing. He pulled a chair closer to the edge of the bed and watched her sleeping.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Jason," Monica approached him. "Tony just informed me the CAT scan on Elizabeth showed no abnormalities. She's going to be sore for awhile and have a hell of headache but she's fine. We've given her some medication for the pain so she should sleep most of the night."
"Good." He hated to think of her in any kind of pain.
"We're moving her to a room now. Tony thought it would be a good idea to keep her overnight for observation. She'll be released in the morning."
"Can I see her?" he asked.
"Yes, room 313"
"Thanks Monica."
"You're welcome."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Why? Why did you have to be with him?" he asked. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. You were supposed to come back to me." Gently Ric laid his hand across hers. "I love you, Elizabeth. Everything.all of it's been for you. I can be the man you need me to be if you would just give me the chance."
Elizabeth stirred at bit suddenly restless.
"I promise you that I'll change. I can do anything with you by my side. You're still my wife Elizabeth. Please let me be your husband."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason stepped off the elevator and made his way to room 313.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!" Jason's voice echoed off the walls at the sight of Ric perched along Elizabeth's bedside.