Second Chances: The Struggle
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason couldn't believe his eyes when he walked into Elizabeth's room. There he was, Ric Lansing, sitting next to her bed. The thunderous sound of his voice reverberated off the walls causing Ric to jump.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
Ric stood and suddenly felt dwarfed before Jason Mogan's tall frame but he never relinquished the hold he had on Elizabeth's hand. He was still her husband no matter what a legal document happened to say to the contrary and he wasn't about to leave her side.
"Get away from her!" Jason ordered as he stepped further into the room.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"The hell you're not! Apparently my little lesson this afternoon was lost on you. You won't be so lucky next time!" Jason grabbed Ric the way Max had at Kelly's that morning and started pushing him toward the open door. The sheer force of Jason's grip made Ric's arm ache.
"Like it or not she's still my wife," Ric groaned in agony ignoring the memories that flashed through his mind of his time at the safe house with Johnny. Instead he relished using the word wife against Jason every chance he got. Just as expected the enforcer's eyes clouded with fury as he tightened his hold on Ric's shoulder to the point where he felt as if it might pop. "Having trouble with the truth are we?" Ric sneered. He didn't care that Jason was nearly breaking his arm. He couldn't stop himself. "She's my wife. Wife - Morgan do you get that? I have every right to be here!"
"Like hell!" Jason's said jaw clenched. He watched Elizabeth stir in the bed before them. The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up to this scene. "Get the hell out of here!" With those words Jason shoved - nearly threw Ric from the room.
He was stunned for a second as his body made contact with the metal doorframe. Ric shook his head and rolled his shoulder as a stabbing pain shot down his arm. That sensation was nothing compared to the one that ripped open his heart as he watched Jason take the seat he had occupied minutes before.
"This is your fault," Ric stated as he stepped back into the room. "Someone's always trying to get to you or Sonny..."
"You'd know wouldn't you," Jason cut him off.
"It's your fault that Elizabeth is even in that bed. You could have gotten her killed tonight." Ric edged closer to them.
Jason wasn't about to let Ric bait him. He had rationalized so many times before that Elizabeth was better off without him. She'd be out of danger if he would just stay clear of her, but ultimately that had never been the case at all. No matter what, the enemies in his and Sonny's life knew what their weaknesses were and exploited them. He finally came to realize that Elizabeth was safer with him than without him, especially now.
"You're the one that's almost let her die," Jason said coldly. "You let her drink poison cause you were so afraid of ruining your plan to steal Carly and Sonny's baby. She was in a coma and nearly died of a pulmonary embolism because you wanted Sonny's child more than you wanted your own! How sick and twisted is that Ric?"
Ric eyed his rival quietly. He had no comeback for those remarks. They were completely true. He had put Elizabeth at risk so many times and he had just done it again. His single-minded desire never failed to skew his good judgment. He let his jealousy swallow him whole.
"She's still my wife. I have a right to be here," he said more softly this time. No matter what pang of conscious he may have just had, Ric wasn't about to hand Elizabeth over gracefully.
"You're unbelievable!" Jason laughed even though there was not a stitch of humor to its sound. "You selfish bastard!" Jason stood up and lunged toward Ric knocking him squarely into the wall.
Elizabeth heard the commotion going on around her but she felt as if she was in some sort of fog. She knew she knew the voices but their sounds were jumbled at best. It was finally Jason's angry voice that forced her eyes to open. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the bright overhead light but then she saw them - Jason and Ric. She made her best attempt at sitting up but the pain in her shoulder and swimming feeling in her head kept her down.
"Jason," she nearly whispered.
That soft sound was all it took for Jason to drop his hold on Ric and move to her side. Ric stood blankly staring at the man who by all rights could have killed him with his bare hands just seconds before. Now he was delicately holding Elizabeth's hand.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Nothing, Ric was just leaving," Jason said looking back at his nemesis.
"Elizabeth," Ric cleared his throat and moved to the end of her bed. "I heard about the accident. I wanted to be sure you were all right. I am still your husband." Ric's dark eyes implored her to understand.
"I'm fine. You can go now," she said matter of fact.
"I'd like to stay with you. It's my right as your.."
Jason stopped him before he could use the word husband again. "She told you to go."
"I don't want you to stay," she stated.
Those words pained him and the closeness the pair before him shared made his heart want to stop.
"Elizabeth," Desperation consumed Ric's voice. "Elizabeth, please. You could have died tonight. Please let me stay." He almost begged.
"Just go!" Elizabeth raised her voice hoping that he would understand.
"It's his fault." Ric pointed directly at Jason. "It's his fault that you were even out there tonight. It's his fault that you could have died."
"It was an accident, Ric." Elizabeth stressed as she heard Taggert's earlier acquisitions all over again.
"Nothing in his life is an accident." Ric stressed. "When are you going to see that?"
"And when are you going to see that it's over, Ric?"
"She asked you to leave." Jason finally spoke sensing that Elizabeth was putting up a brave front and she was just about to break. Monica had said she was fine but to Jason she didn't look it. She was still extremely pale.
"I'm not leaving!" Ric stood his ground. "I have more right to be here than you do. I'm her husband.H-U-S-B-A-N-D." He spelled out the word as though Jason hadn't understood it the first dozen times he had said it.
Jason dropped Elizabeth's hand and again had Ric by the throat unable to contain himself against the man's absurd arrogance any longer.
"What the hell." Both Tony Jones and Monica Quartermaine said in unison as they entered Elizabeth's room.
"Ric was just leaving," Jason said once more as he ushered him toward the door.
"Dr. Jones.Dr. Jones." Ric addressed Tony since he knew he wouldn't have any leverage with Monica. She certainly would side with her son. "Elizabeth is my wife. I have the right to be here."
Tony rolled his eyes. If all that he had heard about Ric Lansing and his offenses were true he completely understood Jason's manhandling of him. "Elizabeth." The doctor turned to his patient. "Would you rather Ric stay or should he leave?"
"I'd like him to go."
Ric hung his head in defeat her words like a knife in the chest.
"Well then Mr. Lansing, I believe it's time that you were going. Besides visiting hours have long since been over," Tony said.
"He's staying?" Ric pointed to Jason.
"Yes, he's staying," Elizabeth spoke before anyone had the chance to object. "I want him to stay, Tony." She smiled slightly.
"I'll clear it with Alan," Tony replied.
"Thank you." Elizabeth reached for Jason as he made his way back to her side.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monica closed the door behind her when she finished her examination satisfied that Elizabeth was in good hands for the evening. She made a note on the chart that Ric Lansing wasn't to be allowed into the room.
"Are you okay?" Jason asked when all was finally quiet.
"Yes, I'm fine. How about you, did you let anyone check you out from the accident?"
"I'm fine. A couple of cracked ribs but it's fine."
"I'm sorry about all of that with Ric." Elizabeth lamented.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"He didn't have any right to blame you for the accident. I know it wasn't your fault. I was the one driving."
"Don't worry about it, okay?" Jason had his own suspicions about the accident but he chose not to share them at the moment. He didn't want to worry her any more than she was. "Just rest. You look like you need to sleep." He still didn't like how pale she looked to him.
"I am tried."
"Then sleep. I'll be right here."
Elizabeth bit at her lower lip debating to ask her question.
"What?" Jason asked knowing that she had something on her mind. Her nervous habit was a dead give away.
"Could you just hold me?" She knew she sounded ridiculous but she needed to feel his arms around her just the same.
"Sure." Jason didn't waste a second climbing in beside her. He was careful not to disturb her shoulder or wrist.
Enveloped in his strong arms she felt secure and laid her head against his chest. Elizabeth listened to steady beat of Jason's heart beneath her ear and let the rhythm lull her to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jason couldn't believe his eyes when he walked into Elizabeth's room. There he was, Ric Lansing, sitting next to her bed. The thunderous sound of his voice reverberated off the walls causing Ric to jump.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"
Ric stood and suddenly felt dwarfed before Jason Mogan's tall frame but he never relinquished the hold he had on Elizabeth's hand. He was still her husband no matter what a legal document happened to say to the contrary and he wasn't about to leave her side.
"Get away from her!" Jason ordered as he stepped further into the room.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"The hell you're not! Apparently my little lesson this afternoon was lost on you. You won't be so lucky next time!" Jason grabbed Ric the way Max had at Kelly's that morning and started pushing him toward the open door. The sheer force of Jason's grip made Ric's arm ache.
"Like it or not she's still my wife," Ric groaned in agony ignoring the memories that flashed through his mind of his time at the safe house with Johnny. Instead he relished using the word wife against Jason every chance he got. Just as expected the enforcer's eyes clouded with fury as he tightened his hold on Ric's shoulder to the point where he felt as if it might pop. "Having trouble with the truth are we?" Ric sneered. He didn't care that Jason was nearly breaking his arm. He couldn't stop himself. "She's my wife. Wife - Morgan do you get that? I have every right to be here!"
"Like hell!" Jason's said jaw clenched. He watched Elizabeth stir in the bed before them. The last thing he wanted was for her to wake up to this scene. "Get the hell out of here!" With those words Jason shoved - nearly threw Ric from the room.
He was stunned for a second as his body made contact with the metal doorframe. Ric shook his head and rolled his shoulder as a stabbing pain shot down his arm. That sensation was nothing compared to the one that ripped open his heart as he watched Jason take the seat he had occupied minutes before.
"This is your fault," Ric stated as he stepped back into the room. "Someone's always trying to get to you or Sonny..."
"You'd know wouldn't you," Jason cut him off.
"It's your fault that Elizabeth is even in that bed. You could have gotten her killed tonight." Ric edged closer to them.
Jason wasn't about to let Ric bait him. He had rationalized so many times before that Elizabeth was better off without him. She'd be out of danger if he would just stay clear of her, but ultimately that had never been the case at all. No matter what, the enemies in his and Sonny's life knew what their weaknesses were and exploited them. He finally came to realize that Elizabeth was safer with him than without him, especially now.
"You're the one that's almost let her die," Jason said coldly. "You let her drink poison cause you were so afraid of ruining your plan to steal Carly and Sonny's baby. She was in a coma and nearly died of a pulmonary embolism because you wanted Sonny's child more than you wanted your own! How sick and twisted is that Ric?"
Ric eyed his rival quietly. He had no comeback for those remarks. They were completely true. He had put Elizabeth at risk so many times and he had just done it again. His single-minded desire never failed to skew his good judgment. He let his jealousy swallow him whole.
"She's still my wife. I have a right to be here," he said more softly this time. No matter what pang of conscious he may have just had, Ric wasn't about to hand Elizabeth over gracefully.
"You're unbelievable!" Jason laughed even though there was not a stitch of humor to its sound. "You selfish bastard!" Jason stood up and lunged toward Ric knocking him squarely into the wall.
Elizabeth heard the commotion going on around her but she felt as if she was in some sort of fog. She knew she knew the voices but their sounds were jumbled at best. It was finally Jason's angry voice that forced her eyes to open. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the bright overhead light but then she saw them - Jason and Ric. She made her best attempt at sitting up but the pain in her shoulder and swimming feeling in her head kept her down.
"Jason," she nearly whispered.
That soft sound was all it took for Jason to drop his hold on Ric and move to her side. Ric stood blankly staring at the man who by all rights could have killed him with his bare hands just seconds before. Now he was delicately holding Elizabeth's hand.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Nothing, Ric was just leaving," Jason said looking back at his nemesis.
"Elizabeth," Ric cleared his throat and moved to the end of her bed. "I heard about the accident. I wanted to be sure you were all right. I am still your husband." Ric's dark eyes implored her to understand.
"I'm fine. You can go now," she said matter of fact.
"I'd like to stay with you. It's my right as your.."
Jason stopped him before he could use the word husband again. "She told you to go."
"I don't want you to stay," she stated.
Those words pained him and the closeness the pair before him shared made his heart want to stop.
"Elizabeth," Desperation consumed Ric's voice. "Elizabeth, please. You could have died tonight. Please let me stay." He almost begged.
"Just go!" Elizabeth raised her voice hoping that he would understand.
"It's his fault." Ric pointed directly at Jason. "It's his fault that you were even out there tonight. It's his fault that you could have died."
"It was an accident, Ric." Elizabeth stressed as she heard Taggert's earlier acquisitions all over again.
"Nothing in his life is an accident." Ric stressed. "When are you going to see that?"
"And when are you going to see that it's over, Ric?"
"She asked you to leave." Jason finally spoke sensing that Elizabeth was putting up a brave front and she was just about to break. Monica had said she was fine but to Jason she didn't look it. She was still extremely pale.
"I'm not leaving!" Ric stood his ground. "I have more right to be here than you do. I'm her husband.H-U-S-B-A-N-D." He spelled out the word as though Jason hadn't understood it the first dozen times he had said it.
Jason dropped Elizabeth's hand and again had Ric by the throat unable to contain himself against the man's absurd arrogance any longer.
"What the hell." Both Tony Jones and Monica Quartermaine said in unison as they entered Elizabeth's room.
"Ric was just leaving," Jason said once more as he ushered him toward the door.
"Dr. Jones.Dr. Jones." Ric addressed Tony since he knew he wouldn't have any leverage with Monica. She certainly would side with her son. "Elizabeth is my wife. I have the right to be here."
Tony rolled his eyes. If all that he had heard about Ric Lansing and his offenses were true he completely understood Jason's manhandling of him. "Elizabeth." The doctor turned to his patient. "Would you rather Ric stay or should he leave?"
"I'd like him to go."
Ric hung his head in defeat her words like a knife in the chest.
"Well then Mr. Lansing, I believe it's time that you were going. Besides visiting hours have long since been over," Tony said.
"He's staying?" Ric pointed to Jason.
"Yes, he's staying," Elizabeth spoke before anyone had the chance to object. "I want him to stay, Tony." She smiled slightly.
"I'll clear it with Alan," Tony replied.
"Thank you." Elizabeth reached for Jason as he made his way back to her side.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Monica closed the door behind her when she finished her examination satisfied that Elizabeth was in good hands for the evening. She made a note on the chart that Ric Lansing wasn't to be allowed into the room.
"Are you okay?" Jason asked when all was finally quiet.
"Yes, I'm fine. How about you, did you let anyone check you out from the accident?"
"I'm fine. A couple of cracked ribs but it's fine."
"I'm sorry about all of that with Ric." Elizabeth lamented.
"You don't have anything to be sorry for."
"He didn't have any right to blame you for the accident. I know it wasn't your fault. I was the one driving."
"Don't worry about it, okay?" Jason had his own suspicions about the accident but he chose not to share them at the moment. He didn't want to worry her any more than she was. "Just rest. You look like you need to sleep." He still didn't like how pale she looked to him.
"I am tried."
"Then sleep. I'll be right here."
Elizabeth bit at her lower lip debating to ask her question.
"What?" Jason asked knowing that she had something on her mind. Her nervous habit was a dead give away.
"Could you just hold me?" She knew she sounded ridiculous but she needed to feel his arms around her just the same.
"Sure." Jason didn't waste a second climbing in beside her. He was careful not to disturb her shoulder or wrist.
Enveloped in his strong arms she felt secure and laid her head against his chest. Elizabeth listened to steady beat of Jason's heart beneath her ear and let the rhythm lull her to sleep.