Her body twitched, and had she not known that there were guards waiting right outside the door, prepared to shove her back inside and slam it in her face, Sam would have run straight outside and searched the night for Jason. It wasn't fair that everyone had their lives back. It wasn't fair that she had to wait. It wasn't fair that she didn't know why she had to wait at the penthouse, instead of at the hospital like everyone else.
Carly had an excuse. There was no way that her mother would allow her to be discharged until well into the next afternoon. Because of her own injuries, she was able to be with her son, her daughters, and her husband could be there, as well. She could be with her entire family, including brother-in-law and relatives that she wished didn't exist. Which meant that she could also be there if Jason were brought into the hospital.
Sam wondered if that was why she had to wait at home. Was Lorenzo afraid that she would cause a scene when Jason was wheeled in? The thought angered her. Why should Carly get the chance to cause a scene? She would be there, and she would see Jason on his deathbed, and she would be able to say goodbye. Sam would have to wait until everyone else knew. She would probably have to wait until they reported it on the news.
The television was off just for that reason. Were she to turn on any program, only to have it broken into by an urgent news update, one that pronounced Jason Morgan being rushed to the hospital or worse, as dead on the scene… She knew she wouldn't have been able to handle it. Jason was her life, and if he were to die, there would be nothing left. She was alone in the penthouse, alone in Harborview Towers, though plenty of strangers occupied various apartments in the building, and she couldn't handle receiving news of that kind alone.
It had been hours since she was sent from the hospital, accompanied by Lucky Spencer. Emily had offered to go with her, but Sam could see that she wanted to stay with Zander. Besides, if the news came back bad, the last thing Sam would be able to deal with was the breakdown of Jason's sister. So, she got to stay at the hospital, to have her scene where medical professionals would be able to attend to her, to revive her when she fell faint to the floor. Sam would just have to fall to the floor and wait for someone to arrive for her revival, if she woke up at all.
The door started to open slowly, and Sam spun around, her anxious and nervous pacing coming to an abrupt stop. Her hands were clenched in front of her, braced tightly beneath her chin. Her thumbs pressed against her still chest. Her breath stopped as she watched the door open more and tears fell from her eyes. She waited, chest burning, lungs aching to breathe, but she wouldn't let them. Not until she saw the visitor, saw the face that came to bear the bad news to her.
Jason stepped into the penthouse, closing the door behind him. His face was covered in dust and soot. His leather jacket was torn, ripped to shreds and hanging off of him. His face was scratched. His neck and the parts of his chest she could see through his torn t-shirt held ever expanding sections of blood. He limped and stumbled, moving closer to her. He shifted his weight to his left leg and his right balanced on the ball of his foot. He stepped forward more, until he reached the end of his desk, then placed his hand flat on the desk and let his body sag.
Sam's knees went weak as she released the hold on her breath. Her body started to collapse into itself, but before she could fall to her knees, she pushed herself forward. Sam ran to Jason, wrapping her arms around him. His left arm went around her waist and he pressed her face against his chest. At the same time that she felt his blood oozing against her face, the touch of something solid hit her back.
Sam stepped back just enough to look up at his face. She wiped tears from the right side of her face and the drops smeared with Jason's blood. She looked at her fingers, coated red with the coagulating fluid, then looked back up at Jason. He was bleeding, he was hurt, but he was alive. Injuries could heal. Blood could be washed off. He was alive, and nothing else counted.
Jason pulled his arm from around her and handed her the gun. "Dismantle it," he said, his voice low and soft. "Take it apart and tomorrow, we'll dump the parts in the harbor."
"Jason?"
"Alexis can only hold off the search warrant for so long. At the latest, in the afternoon." He pushed himself up and stood as tall as he could. "I'll run a hot bath, soak myself and… I hope you'll be in there with me."
She looked up at him and understood. He didn't need to say that he loved her. He had come home. He hadn't even stopped at the hospital. Battered and bruised, he came home because he had to let her see that she was alright. He had to alleviate her pain. And her tears at the sight of him said she loved him and needed him more than any words could say. And, above his presence, above his embrace, the most important thing to Sam was the gun. Jason trusted her to help him, knew that she would take care of everything.
Sam nodded and took the gun from his hand. Jason bent down and kissed her lips gently, then stood straight. "I'll see you in a few minutes." Jason turned and limped across the room, then up the stairs, leaning against the wall for support. And as soon as he was out of Sam's direct line of sight, she pulled a rag out from one of the desk drawers and set about to the quick task of dismantling the gun in her hands. It was still warm.
General Hospital. Late at night, with the moon shining into the room, slit into pieces by the blinds. There were only two people in the room, and the door was closed. One person stood outside the door, making sure that the occupants weren't disturbed. One lied in the bed, his body weak and half of his torso bandaged. The other stood to the left of the bed, arms folded. The television blared…
"Known drug trafficker, suspected murderer, and alleged racketeer Sonny Corinthos has been found floating in the Port Charles Harbor. No details have been officially released by the Port Charles Police Department and, on request of police commissioner Mac Scorpio, the identity of the witness who found the body is being withheld from the general public. However, word is quickly spreading that Corinthos died of two bullet wounds, one to the throat and the second to the forehead. No arrests have been made and Commissioner Scorpio has not yet named any suspects. Stay tuned to Channel 4 news, as we will continue to keep you updated."
Lorenzo Alcazar let his arms drop to his sides and turned. He cast his gaze down to Luis Alcazar, and the two men nodded. Luis turned off the television and closed his eyes. Lorenzo touched his twin tentatively on the shoulder, nodded once more, then walked out of the room with his back straight and his mind at ease.
Author's Note: I realize that everything was not completely resolved, and that is for a number of reasons. First, if you've read any of my other completed fics and one shot stories, you'll see that I don't wrap everything up in a neat little bow. I like to leave some things to the imagination. Secondly, this will evolve into a series of sorts. I will be continuing with this world in other stories that are more couple centric, i.e. Brenda and Luis, Nikolas and Gia, AJ and an OC, Jason and Sam, etc. Right now, those named specifically are the ones I know for sure that I'll be working on. Others may come as I think of them. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and enjoyed the fic. Your reviews were much appreciated and I'm glad that I was able to entertain you for a little while.
