Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. The powers that be at General Hospital do. They just don't use them very well. There are some original characters in here as well.
Feedback: Is greatly appreciated. If you like it tell me why, if you don't, please tell me what you don't like. It's how I learn.
Author's notes: A lot of the characters on GH will be in this fic, if you don't see them right away give me time. I like fic's with a lot of characters in them, so that is how I write them.
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What If…
Chapter 21
~Docks~
"So what did this guy look like?" Luke demanded again, watching Jax shiver in the cool April air, but not caring.
"I don't know." Alexis snapped, wrapping the blanket tighter around her husband. "Luke I already told you we were a ways away all I know is, he was white, with a black cap and coat."
"Look Spencer we have told you what we know. So we're leaving." Jax said putting his hand on Alexis's back to lead her away.
"Alright." Luke stepped back letting them pass. "Natasha if you think of anything else…"
"I'll let you know Luke." Alexis shot back not breaking stride. "But you know what I do, Lucky was looking at the water and someone shoved him in."
Luke was silent then, turning back to focus on Spook Island. It didn't make any sense. Who would shove Lucky in the water? And that net, just because he didn't work the docks, didn't mean he didn't know that, that type of net was only used in the open sea, not near the shore.
His eyes flicked over to the edge of the Cassadine yacht that he could see in the distance, it had been quiet on the Cassadine front lately. Quiet wasn't good when it came to Helena, that usually meant the old bitty was up to something. He shrugged, until he found out what it was, he was going to have to keep a closer eye on her and her devil spawn. He pulled out a damp cigar and tried to light it. Not to mention he had to find out about that Rory girl, that had Lucky so confused. The cigar refused to light and he threw it in the river in disgust.
"I hope that means you're finally quitting." A cheerful voice called from behind him.
~Warehouse~
Jason had let the phone ring 20 times before finally slamming it down on the desk. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"She's not a Jakes?" Sonny asked from the doorway.
"No and I still can't get through on her cell." Jason winced slightly when he brought his hand up to rub at the base of his neck. "I don't know where she could be."
"Did she say anything about meeting someone?"
"No." Jason sighed moving to the window. "She's not a morning person." He admitted quietly. "She had her head buried in a pillow when I left, she was mad that I had woken her up again."
"Maybe she fell back asleep." Sonny suggested moving towards his desk.
"No." Jason closed his eyes and remembered yesterday morning, was it only yesterday?
"Yeah right, like I can sleep when you're not in bed with me." Rory grumbled, her eyes widening when she realized what she had said.
His hands tightened on her waist, in response to her words. He hoped she was finally willing to say that she loved him. He watched her while she tried to backpedal.
"What I mean is…well I've gotten used to…I mean it's just."
"I can't sleep when your not there either." Jason said quietly interrupting her.
That got her attention, and she looked up at him. "What does that mean Jason?" She asked quietly.
"No." He repeated. "She wouldn't have gone back to sleep. Besides she had some stuff to do today."
"No more Ivy routine I promise."
He shook his head, maybe he liked the Ivy routine, liked that she had needed him. That she finally trusted him enough to let go completely. It hadn't always been like that. She had let him get to know her in stages, even after they began traveling together, she let her guard down a little at a time, almost as if she were testing him. Testing to see that if he knew the whole Rory Nichols, he would still be there, and want to be with her. He rested a hand on the cool windowpane, like he was going anywhere. He wasn't and neither was she. Another prickle of uneasiness ran down his back. He just had to find her.
"You told me she likes to explore." Sonny offered trying to ease Jason's mind.
"Yeah."
"So she's probably out driving around and she's just out of cell range." Sonny was starting to worry himself, Jason's belief that something had happened to her was beginning to get him.
"Sonny? Jason?" Johnny called from the doorway.
"Yeah?" Sonny asked turning halfway around to face the bodyguard.
"I think we might have a problem." Johnny said quietly. At his words Jason turned to focus on him.
~Cliff~
"Fuck." The curse slipped out, while Marin stood there watching the car sink farther under the dingy water. He was in a lot of trouble. You didn't become the best in the business by making mistakes, there were too many people around just waiting to capitalize on the slightest error. He was good, and he had been the best for longer than most, but he knew he wouldn't survive this.
He sighed, he had prepared for this eventuality, the nuns, besides drilling into him a hate of anything secular, also drilled in him a sense of practicality. He had money, papers in different names, in a few hours he could be gone and Emil Marin would cease to exist. He was good enough that he could stay one step ahead of anyone who might come looking.
Still Marin couldn't bring himself to walk away from the cliff. He didn't like to fail, but he really hated to lose. There had to be a way out of this. His eyes were drawn to the water again, and he saw the last of her tires, disappear beneath the surface.
He shook his head, maybe there wasn't. He shifted on the edge, sending some loose rocks falling farther down the cliff. He absently watched the rocks progress and jolted in surprise when they came to rest next to a brown haired woman about 150 feet down the cliff. He smiled in relief, there was still a chance that Rory was still alive, if she was Emil Marin could live too.
"Hey." He called down to her, in his excitement he forgot to disguise his voice. "Quest qe Ce?" He called out in French.
There was no response from her, he refused to believe that she had made it out of the car only to die on the cliff. He wouldn't allow her to be dead. Marin looked around for more rocks and began to throw them at her hoping to get some sort of reaction, movement, a groan, anything to prove that she was still alive. But she just lay there not moving, as the rock shower cascaded around her.
"Wake up you stupid bitch." He yelled, picking up a larger rock and dropping it over the edge in her direction.
The rock connected with her left shoulder, and he saw her whole body jerk in response to the impact. The wind carried her groan of pain up to him, at the same time she shifted on the loose soil she was lying on and slid further down the cliff.
She was alive. Marin smiled in relief. Now he just had to get her up the cliff. He scanned the rocky surface leading down to her, he could make it with ease. The only problem was, what if she was awake and saw him when he got there?
He stepped away from the edge heading for his car. He had already decided that he would kill her one-day, when the client had no further use for her. But for now he couldn't afford to have her see his face. One of the reasons that he was the best was that no one in his business, not clients or competitors, ever saw his face. The only ones who had were dead. He never met the clients face to face, he relied on computers and phones. It had worked that way for 20 years and he wasn't about to get careless now. He waited until his car was in view before pulling out his cell phone. He set the alarm on his watch and dialed.
"911. What is the nature of your emergency?"
"Ma'am." Gone were the melodious French tones, in its place was a guttural Southern drawl. "I just seen this car go flying off a cliff."
"Did you say you saw a car go over a cliff?"
"Yes'm." God what an idiotic woman. "I'm out on Highway 81, at the turnout, just past mile marker 138."
"What is your name sir?"
"It's Elwood, Elwood P. Dowd." Marin said opening his car door. "I think someone fell out of the car when it was going over, but I can't say for sure, you better hurry though."
"Sir could you give me your address?"
"We'll ma'am I'm from Tennessee, I'm just driving my horses home from a race." His watch began to beep in warning. "You best hurry, I got to get back to my farm now."
"Sir…"
Marin closed the phone, now he could only hope that the incompetent American woman would send help.
~Docks~
Luke turned around a smile lighting his features, causing his blue eyes to sparkle. For the moment his concern for Lucky was pushed back. "Well if it isn't Ms. Quartermaine. Are you here to brighten up the docks?"
"Nothing or no one is that pretty." Emily smiled moving closer. "So are you quitting?"
"Bite your tongue." Luke said with a smile. "That one was just wet."
"So are you." She studied his dripping form. "What happened to you?"
Luke sobered. "It seems Lucky decided to go for a little swim in the river."
"Oh my God, is he okay?" She asked touching his arm.
"Yes." He patted her hand to calm her down. "Me and the Australian wonder got him out, then Alexis got him breathing again."
"Where is he now?" She paused. "Was he drunk?"
"No this time he was sober, apparently someone shoved him in the water." He let that slip out and was instantly sorry when he saw the worry in her face. "Don't worry, he's at GH getting checked out as a precaution." He sighed bending to pick up his coat. "He was fine enough before he left to give me grief, so he'll be okay."
"Good." Emily said moving to the bench.
"Not that I didn't do the same all the time when I was your age." Luke started dropping down beside her. "But aren't you supposed to be in school?"
"We're having review sessions, I skipped them to meet Rory." She wondered if Nikolas knew. If not she really should tell him. She had wanted to avoid him for a while though.
"Rory?" Luke's voice was sharp. "Rory who?"
"Rory Nichols, Jason's girlfriend." She was only half way listening to Luke. Lucky was Nikolas's brother he deserved to know what happened. She couldn't not tell him, just because she was feeling uncomfortable, at the thought of being around him.
"So the unflappable and talkative Mr. Morgan is back in town?" He asked that would explain some of the bruises on Lucky's face.
"Yeah for a few days now." Maybe she could tell him and then go right away.
"And this Rory, she is with him?"
"Yes." Emily pulled herself over her internal debate over telling Nikolas or not, to focus on Luke. "Do you know about her?"
"What about her?" Luke asked fishing out another damp cigar. "I know she seems to have done something to my son."
"No she didn't do anything to Lucky." Emily paused and laughed slightly. "That's not true, she did deck him and knock him out."
Luke looked at her in surprise.
"But it wasn't her fault, Lucky kind of deserved it." Emily finished quickly.
"Emily you want to tell me why Lucky deserved to be hit?" Luke asked rolling the damp cigar between his fingers.
"She only hit him because he was going after Jason from behind." She saw the expression on Luke's face and tried again. "You see he thought she was Elizabeth and he grabbed her and wouldn't let her go, even when Jason told him too. When Jason got her away from him, he sort of started a fight."
"So Lucky thought she was Elizabeth?" Luke asked quietly. His eyes were focused on the damp spot on the dock that his son had laid on dead for a few minutes just a half hour ago.
"It really wasn't his fault for thinking that, she does look like Elizabeth." Emily admitted.
Luke shifted his gaze to her. "There is a resemblance?"
"It's more than that Luke. She looks exactly like Elizabeth would look today if she were still alive." Emily shuddered slightly. "It's spooky, sometimes she even acts like her."
What did that mean? He didn't believe in coincidences. A girl shows up in town that looks exactly like Elizabeth Webber and a few days later someone tries to use his son as a fishing lure. Something was definitely going on in Port Chuckles.
"Luke?"
"Hmmm?" He focused on Emily again.
"Are you going to get that?" Emily asked again pointing to his pocket that was ringing.
"Oh, yes." Luke smiled and pulled out the phone. "I hate these things, it's probably just Claude, crying because he lost his keys again."
"Spencer." He said into the phone. "What?…Come on DeLucca give me a break…" He groaned. "Alright give me ten minutes." Luke snapped the phone closed. "Sometimes I think he left part of his brain in prison."
"Is everything okay?" Emily asked.
Luke smiled at her. "It's fine." He softened his voice. "Will you do me a favor and check on Lucky, he doesn't want me around."
"I always do."
"I know. Thanks." This thanks to the brown-eyed girl he didn't mind saying. "Goodbye Ms. Quartermaine."
"Bye Luke." Her smile faded while she watched his retreating back. She had to let Nikolas know for Lucky's sake. She pulled out her cell phone and pressed Memory 1 to reach him.
"Hello."
"Nikolas, it's Emily."
"Hi Emily." Nikolas voice softened at the same time tension entered his body.
"I wanted to tell you something." Emily said quickly, if she kept the subject on Lucky she should be fine.
Nikolas moved around a gurney in the E.R. "I need to tell you something too."
"Oh." She paused. He was probably going to apologize again, Nikolas was nothing if not exceedingly polite and formal, and she didn't want to hear it. "I just talked to Luke…"
"So you know about Lucky already?"
"You know?" Emily asked.
"Yes. I am at the ER with him now. The doctors are checking him out." Nikolas told her glancing at the closed doors leading to the exam room.
"Good I'm glad he's not alone, I just wanted to tell you." Emily said preparing to hang up.
"Wait, Em about what…" Nikolas turned when a nurse grabbed his arm. "What?"
"You can't use a cell phone in the hospital. You need to end your call right now."
"I will."
"Now." The nurse snapped.
Emily heard the conversation and took advantage of it. "I just wanted to tell you about Lucky, so goodbye Nikolas."
"Em wait." Nikolas tried but she was gone. He saw the nurse frown in direction again and he shut off the phone slipping it in his pocket. Why wasn't she in school?
Emily put the phone back in her bag, glancing at her watch while she did. 10:45 a.m., she still had forty-five minutes before meeting Rory. She had decided to tell Rory everything, once she had made her decision, she was in a rush to do so.
She looked over at the warehouse and spotted Jason's bike. She got to her feet and headed for the warehouse. If he was back, maybe Rory was free now, and they could meet earlier than they planned.
~Cliff~
"Is this where the caller said?" Frank Scanlon asked his partner Steve Grey.
"It's supposed to be. The turnout right after mile marker 138." Steve scanned the chart. "According to this anyway."
"I don't see a car or a person." Frank said bringing the ambulance to a stop, pulling on the turnout on the side of the road.
"Well the car was supposed to have gone over the cliff Frank, we wouldn't see the car." Steve explained with a grin.
Frank glared at him. "Just for that you get to go check the cliff."
"Oh man." Steve said getting out of the ambulance and heading for the cliff. He looked over the edge into the lake below. The sun was hitting the water at such an angle that it was impossible to make out anything below the surface reflection. He turned back to Frank and shook his head.
Frank sighed reaching for the radio. "Dispatch this is Unit 21."
"Go ahead 21."
"That call to Highway 81 is a bogus one."
"Copy that, return to base."
"Unit 21 out."
Steve had just stepped away from the edge when he heard something that sounded like a moan. He turned back studying the rocky slope. He spotted a woman lying on the side of the cliff. He hurried towards the vehicle. "Frank we got a woman on the cliff about 150 feet down."
Frank picked up the radio again. "Unit 21 to dispatch."
"Go ahead 21."
"You better send a crew, we have a woman over the cliff about 150 feet below."
"Copy that, PCPD and Fire Rescue will be notified."
"21 out." Frank said getting out of the ambulance to help Steve with the gear. "Looks like we're going rock climbing."
~Warehouse~
"What sort of problem Johnny?" Sonny asked leaning against the desk. From his casual stance you would think he could care less. But Johnny saw the sharpness in his boss's eyes, and knew he was bracing himself.
"I checked the rope, it was frayed, so that is why it snapped."
"And?" Jason asked.
"Dean told me that the rope on that pulley system had just been replaced yesterday, with a brand new one." Johnny walked into the room setting a section of the rope on the desk.
Jason crossed to the desk to study the rope. "This isn't new."
"I know." Johnny said. "I talked to Dean, he replaced it personally yesterday. He swears this isn't the same rope."
Sonny picked up the end of the rope to see where it had snapped, it did look like it was just frayed, but that probably wasn't the case. "Johnny you better check the rest of the pulleys."
"Yes sir, Dean's already started." Johnny told him before heading outside the office closing the door behind him.
Jason looked at Sonny but didn't voice the question that he knew was going through both of their minds. If it wasn't an accident, and it was beginning to look like it wasn't, who was the target? Was it him and by extension Sonny? Or was it intended for anyone in the warehouse, and he had just gotten caught?
"It's been quiet around here, no whisperings of anything, and I've been listening real close." Sonny said finally.
"No one could have known I would be under that crate when it finally snapped." Jason commented. Only that wasn't true. He had left his jacket on the last crate, giving somebody plenty of time to rig the pulley, knowing eventually he would be back there.
Sonny nodded in agreement, picked the phone up, and dialed. "Pete."
"Yes Mr. Corinthos?"
"Is everything okay there?"
"Yes sir. Mrs. Corinthos is in a meeting with Mrs. Spencer."
Sonny sighed in relief. "Keep your eyes open today. I want you to keep an eye out for anything strange."
Pete straightened and stepped away from Elton's prying ears. "Is there a situation I need to be aware of?"
"I don't know." Sonny ran his hand over his chin. "Just be extra careful today. If you even smell anything you don't like get back up."
"Yes sir."
"Try not to tip her off." Sonny told him before hanging up.
"What about Michael?" Jason asked.
"He's at the Penthouse with Leticia. He had a little cough today, so we kept him out of pre-school."
"Good." Jason moved back to the window. Thanks to what Johnny had found out, his uneasiness over not being able to reach Rory had only grown. His own aches were forgotten. He racked his brain trying to figure out where she could be.
"Do you want me to get some people to look for her?"
"They wouldn't know where to look." Jason turned back from the window. "Besides if she thinks someone is following her, she likes to play with them, you know how she is."
Sonny nodded. "What…" He broke off when a knock sounded on the door. "Yeah Johnny?"
"It's Ms. Quartermaine." Johnny announced opening the door slightly. "She wants to see Jason."
Jason nodded and Johnny opened the door letting Emily inside.
"Hi." Emily said quickly. "I don't want to interrupt you. I just saw your bike and I thought if you were done with your meeting with Rory we could meet earlier than we planned."
Jason crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean my meeting with Rory?"
"Are you okay?" Emily ignored the question crossing to him in concern when she saw the bandage on his forehead.
"I'm fine. I just had a little accident." He waved off her concern. "Now what about Rory?"
"Well we were going to meet today and…" She trailed off. She wasn't about to tell Jason that she was going to a clinic with Rory to have a pregnancy test. "Talk."
"Why did you think she was here?" Sonny asked.
"Well." She turned to look at Sonny. "We were going to meet at 11:00 a.m. but she said she had to meet you." She focused on Jason again. "So she pushed it to 11:30, when I saw your bike I thought you might be done."
"Did she say where she was going to meet me?" Jason asked quickly, he didn't like the sound of this.
"No." Emily answered. She could tell he was worried. "Jason what's wrong?"
"Think back Emily did she say anything else." Jason asked, reaching out and catching her hands. "Try to remember."
"She was laughing." Emily closed her eyes trying to remember the conversation. "She said she had to meet you." Her eyes flew open. "I heard a rustling sound like she was reading from a piece of paper."
"Like she was reading a note from me?" Jason pressed. "Do you know where she was when you talked to her?"
"Jakes." Emily caught his hand when he went to move around her. "You didn't leave her that note did you?"
"No."
"God Jason where is she?" Emily asked the concern evident on her face.
"I don't know." Jason gave her a quick hug to reassure her. "But I will find her." He stepped back and looked at Sonny. "Sonny will you…"
"Go on I'll handle it." Sonny interrupted.
"Call me when you find her." Emily called after him.
"I will." Jason said heading out the door.
"This day keeps getting weirder and weirder. First this morning with Nikolas, then what happened to Lucky, Jason's accident and now Rory." Emily muttered softly.
Sonny stepped closer. "What happened to Lucky?"
"Someone tried to drown him."
~Cliff~
"I got a pulse, it's weak and thready, but it is a little stronger since I popped her shoulder back in place." Frank told Steve unhooking the cable wire on the roll cage and picking up one side of the cage they had used to get the woman up the side of the cliff.
Steve and some other firefighters moved into help on either side and they headed for the ambulance. The once deserted turnout was now a hub of activity. Police and rescue personnel littered the area, like ants.
"Has she said anything?" Officer Watts asked moving over to question Frank.
"She was conscious briefly." Frank told him. "When I set her shoulder she slipped back under and hasn't woken since." He shifted, lifting the cage to put it on a stretcher inside the ambulance. Steve hopped inside to secure it.
"Did she give you her name? Or did you find any I.D. on her?"
"She just moaned." Frank said shutting one of the doors. "We checked but she didn't have any I.D. on her, it's probably still in the car." Frank slammed the other door and headed to the front of the vehicle. "We're taking her to GH."
"Okay I'll be along later for a follow-up." Watts said stepping back.
"Wait." Frank paused halfway inside the door and pulled out a handkerchief. "This was stuck between her coat and her shirt."
Watts took the handkerchief from him, he could tell from the weight that it was quality, probably some sort of linen. He focused on the initials in the corner. EM. "Thanks I'll try to track her down." He said finally handing the handkerchief back to Frank.
Frank nodded and started the engine, he hit the sirens and headed back towards town.
Watts stopped a passing patrolman. "Were you able to get close enough to read the plates on her car yet?"
"Johnson's down there now. The car is close enough to the surface, that he should be able to get the license number's soon."
"Good." Watts moved back to the cliff. With any luck they would soon know the names that matched those initials.
~Jakes~
Jason let himself into their room and felt a rush of disappointment she wasn't there. He knew when her car wasn't in the lot, she probably wouldn't be but still he had let himself hope. He moved to the desk, to look for the note. He saw the money that he had left for Jake still there but no note.
"Damn'it." She must have taken it with her, he said after glancing around the room. His eyes fell on the soft blue dress she had worn last night, which was now hanging on the closet door. He walked over and touched the soft material. Had he told her how beautiful she had looked? Probably not, he sighed, he never remembered to tell her things like that, at least not verbally.
"Thanks for the compliment." Rory said sliding into the seat opposite him. "You look pretty good yourself."
Jason looked at her in surprise. "I didn't say anything." He shifted guiltily. "But you do look nice tonight."
"It's our second date, I thought I would make an effort." She smiled at him. "And you did tell me, but it's nice to hear the words just the same."
"So how did I tell you then?" He asked resting his elbows on the table. She was so unusual she fascinated him.
"Your eyes told me when you first saw me." She said patting his hand. He felt the jolt of electricity from that light contact all the way through him. "You might not have said the words, but I saw them in your eyes."
Jason turned his hand over to lace their fingers. "Good because I'm not always good with words."
"With those eyes you don't have to be." She shot back. Her eyes widened and she changed the subject. "So I am actually going to get fed on this date right?"
He smiled he knew her admission had caught her off guard. "It's not my fault you didn't eat last night. You were the one who started the fight, by throwing your food."
"I didn't throw it." Rory retorted, her eyes glowing in laughter at the memory. "I simply rammed the plate in that guys face."
"Well if you control your urges tonight you might get something to eat."
"Control my urges around you? Yeah right."
"What did you say?" Jason asked. Did he just hear what he thought he did?
"Let's order." Her voice was muffled, because she was hidden by the menu. "I'm starved Morgan."
Jason unclenched his hand and released the fabric, he ran his hand over it to smooth out the wrinkles he had caused. He could never find the words but she didn't seem to mind. She had once said she could talk enough for both of them. He focused on the dress again. So why was it so hard to say the most important words? "I love you Rory." He whispered. He turned away heading for the door. Now all he had to do was find her and tell her.
~Warehouse~
"What do you mean?" Sonny asked. Who would try to kill Lucky?
"I just saw Luke on the docks." Emily explained. "He said someone shoved Lucky in the river. Lucky's okay but he's at GH getting checked out."
"That's good." His spider senses were tingling. A lot of things had happened this morning, and none of them added up.
"I'm going to go back where I was supposed to meet Rory." Emily told him. "Maybe she'll show up."
He nodded. "Let me know. Where are you meeting her?"
"On the docks, by the bench at Bannister's Wharf."
"Be careful." Sonny said automatically.
"I will." She smiled briefly before heading out of the office and down the hall. Rory had to be okay, she could see how much she meant to Jason.
"Morning Sonny." Benny said walking into the office. He had waited for Emily to leave before making his presence known.
"Benny." Sonny greeted the man absently. His mind was still trying to piece together what was going on.
"Have you seen Jason?" Benny asked tapping a file. "I have the information he requested."
Sonny moved behind the desk. "He had to leave." Jason, Rory, and Lucky what did the three have in common? "You can leave it with me."
Benny hesitated. "He said it was for his eyes only."
Sonny looked up at Benny in surprise. "What is it?"
Benny sighed. "The police report on the death of Elizabeth Webber."
Elizabeth she was the common thread. Sonny held out his hand for the file.
~GH~
"We have a woman, late teens, early twenties. She's been unconscious for about 40 minutes now." Frank reported to the attending resident Dr. Karen Wexler. "She was conscious briefly at first contact, but she made no sense. Her left arm was dislocated upon setting it she passed out, and has not regained consciousness."
"Trauma 2." Karen said scanning the chart. "How about her extremities?"
"Muscle reflexes are good."
Karen ran a penlight over the girl's blue non-responsive blue eyes. "What happened?"
"Apparently she dove out of her car, while it was going over a cliff." Frank said. "The police are still on-scene they will be here shortly. She had no I.D. on her."
"Possible concussion and head injury, we need neurology on this." Karen told the nurse, "Please page the attending neurologist."
"Yes doctor." Melissa the nurse answered stepping away to the intercom.
Frank's beeper went off. "Anything else?"
"Dr. Jones to Trauma 2, Dr. Jones to Trauma 2."
"No thanks Frank." Karen said looking up to smile at him.
Frank winked back and stepped back through the doors. "Excuse me Dr. Jones."
"Frank." Dr. Tony Jones said briefly moving inside the room. "What do we got?" He asked pulling on his latex gloves.
"A woman, early twenties, she dove out of her car as it was going over a cliff. She has been unconscious for at least 40 minutes, she was awake but not lucid when she was first found. Her reflexes are good, and her pupils are responsive, but there might be some pressure on the brain." Karen reported.
"Can we clean some of the blood and dirt off her face, so I can get a better look at that cut?" Tony requested, after checking the girl's eyes himself, before moving down to check out her reflexes himself.
Melissa stepped up and removed some of the dried blood from the girl's face.
Tony moved back to the head. "Oh my God."
"What?' Karen asked noticing the way he paled. "Do you know her?"
"She's Elizabeth." He shook his head. "But that's impossible, Elizabeth is dead. What is her name?"
"There was no I.D. on her." Karen answered. "Do we need to get another Doctor, or can you go on?"
"No." Tony said moving again. "She just looks like someone I used to know. Let's continue with the exam."
~PCPD~
Taggert paused by the dispatch desk, and waited for Garcia to catch up. He had decided to let Garcia pitch the idea to put the Corinthos-Morgan Warehouse back under 24-hour surveillance. Now that Morgan was back in town, he knew it was only a matter of time before something bad happened in Port Charles.
He took a drink of his lukewarm coffee. Garcia would have a better chance than him of getting through to Mac. He shook his head in amazement. Here he was a cop, the good guy, and he had more citations against him because of Corinthos and Morgan than they did. He got reprimands and they skated, that was just wrong.
"Dispatch this is Watts." A staticy voice came over the airwaves.
"Go ahead Watts." Lily said smiling up at an oblivious Taggert. The man was so good looking, but so serious, if he just looked her way she would lighten him up.
"Did you get any information on those plates I asked you to run?"
"Illinois plates, DWG 012?" Lily asked.
"Yes." Watts said.
Taggert shifted glancing at his watch. What was taking so long? Mac had to agree that Morgan being back in town could only lead to trouble.
"The car is registered to a Rory Nichols of 1711 Freemont Dr., Chicago, Illinois." Lily said.
"What did you say?" Taggert asked focusing on Lily.
"Copy that out." Watts said.
"About the car?" Lily asked.
"Yes." Taggert snapped, before smiling down at the dark haired woman. "Who did you say it belonged to?"
"Rory Nichols."
Taggert continued looking at Lily, but he wasn't seeing her, he was remembering a conversation he'd had the day before.
"Miss what is your name?" Taggert asked softly trying to get through to her. Her resemblance to Elizabeth was quite astonishing and a little unnerving.
"Why? Don't you have a cute little nickname for me officer?"
"Lieutenant." He correct automatically. She didn't act like Elizabeth though. "Miss look at me."
She focused on him. "Nichols, my name is Rory Nichols."
"Lieutenant are you okay?" Lily asked touching his hand to get his attention.
"Why are you checking out her car?" Taggert demanded.
"It went over a cliff." Lily explained. His eyes were cold at the moment and they were fixed on hers. She watched in fascination as they began to blaze in anger.
"Is she dead?"
"No she's on route to GH." Lily told him.
Taggert nodded stepping back from the desk, Lily and Garcia forgotten. Anger and frustration coursed through him, yet another innocent victim was in the hospital all because of Morgan and Corinthos. He shook his head, heading for the door. This time they wouldn't get away with it. He would Get Rory Nichols away from them and then he would nail their asses to the wall.
~Warehouse~
"Hello."
"Sonny any word?"
"No." Sonny leaned back in his chair. "She wasn't at Jakes?"
"No. Neither was a note." Jason sighed looking around. "She's not at Kellys either."
Sonny glanced down at the open file on his desk. "I'll have some of the guys look for her. What's her plate number?"
"It's an Illinois tag, DWG 012." Jason said stepping out the door. "I'm going to check a few other places." He glanced at his watch it was only 11:20 it felt so much later than that.
"Keep in touch." Sonny said hanging up.
~GH~
"I want a Cat scan of the temporal lobe." Tony ordered while watching the gurney head to the elevator.
"Anything interesting?" Bobbie asked walking up beside Tony and entering the Nurses station. "Tony what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"I think I have." He leaned against the nurses station. "Bobbie it's the strangest thing. That girl." He gestured to the gurney by the elevator. "She looks exactly like Elizabeth Webber."
Bobbie glanced over to the gurney. "Do you know who she is?"
"No she doesn't have any I.D. and she's been unconscious since she got here." His pager went off. "Excuse me."
Bobbie hurried to the gurney to look at the woman. Yes it was her, Jason's friend, Rory Nichols. "Oh God."
"Bobbie are you okay?" Melissa asked.
Bobbie ignored her and hurried to the Nurses locker room. She opened her locker and fished her address book out of her purse. She found the number she needed and headed for the phone. She hoped Jason hadn't changed his cell number.
"Hello."
"Jason, thank God I reached you, it's Bobbie."
"Bobbie? What's wrong?" Jason asked shutting off the bike, he had been ready to leave Kelly's parking lot when his phone had rang.
"I need you to come to GH right away."
"What happened?" Jason asked.
"It's your friend Rory, she's been in an accident." Bobbie said softly. "I don't have all the details, yet, but you need to get here now."
Accident the word echoed through his head. "How bad?"
"I don't know."
"I'm on my way." Jason hung up and shoved the phone in his pocket. She had to be okay, he didn't know what he would do if she wasn't. He started the motorcycle with a roar and tore out of the parking lot in the direction of GH. The memory of her voice dogging him every step of the way.
~GH Parking Lot~
"She's still alive." Marin said as soon as the call was picked up.
"Well that's a good thing all around isn't it?"
"Yes." Marin agreed.
"I trust there won't be anymore mix-ups Mr. Marin."
Marin swallowed hard. "No." He hung up the phone. One day he was going to make Rory Nichols pay.