Chapter 7



"Carly!" a voice called causing the woman in question to stop midstride and turn.

"Hey, Sonny," she said simply as she watched her former husband and a couple of his bodyguards walk towards her. "Is everything OK with Michael?"

"Of course. Don't you trust me?" he asked flashing her his famous dimples.

"If I didn't do you think I'd leave my kid with you?"

"Whoa, what brought this mood on?"

"Your former lieutenant. He seems to think that this whole thing is my doing."

Sonny only shook his head, "You know that's not him talking."

"I'd like to think that. G-d, I'd never thought I'd say this but I really wish Robin would come back to town and they would get back together."

Sonny only laughed at that as he pulled her in for a quick hug. "How are you dealing with this?" he asked before letting her go so he could look into her eyes and make sure she was being honest with him.

"I'm focusing on Donna. Keeping Ned from doing anything stupid," she admitted. "It keeps me from remembering most of the time. When. . . when the memories surface Jax and Ned have helped."

Sonny frowned slightly at that, "You don't need to do this to yourself."

"Yes, I do, Sonny. I need to be here or all I will see will be me going down those stairs. All I will think is that I should've shot him when I had the chance."

Sonny stayed silent at that as he started to lead them to the room he had been informed was Donna Moss's. "So, you're keeping Ned from doing something stupid, huh? Isn't that like the blind leading the blind?"

"Oh shut up," she replied on a slight laugh, before turning serious again. "He blames himself, Sonny. He had brought her upstairs to talk."

"To talk?"

"Sonny, don't start."

"Sorry, it's just Donna Moss didn't strike me as the kind of woman a smart man took upstairs just to talk to."

"She's in love with someone else," Carly told him, as if it explained it all.

"She would be that type."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Give your heart to someone, don't share the rest with anyone else even if you go through the motions of it," he said with a shrug. "Listen, I'll talk to Ned."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not leaving you two alone."

"We'll be fine, and yes, you are. You need to get changed."

"I'm not going home."

"I brought you some stuff to change into, as well as breakfast."

"Sonny. . ." Carly sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"Just because we're divorced doesn't mean I'm not going to look after you. How many times have I told you that?" he asked as he handed her the bag with the change of clothes he had brought for her.

"Who'd have thought?" she wondered.

"Huh?"

"Who'd have thought that when we went through that mess of a divorce that we'd ever be civil to each other much less be friends?"

Sonny shrugged, "well, it wasn't because of lack of love. Just lack of trust and timing." Carly only nodded at that as Sonny pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess it would be too much to ask for you to get some sleep, huh?"

"I'm staying until I'm sure Donna's going to be OK, or until there's more people here for her."

"Figured that. Want me to take Michael this afternoon?"

"Can you?"

"If I can't I'll ask Alexis to," he replied earning an eye roll. "Carly, don't start. Alexis has been spending time with him on his visits to the Penthouse."

"I know that. I just don't have to be that thrilled about it. Although, I will admit she is better for you than Angel was."

"Gee thanks," Sonny sighed sarcastically.

"That's the best you're getting mister."

"Go get changed. I'll talk to Nedly."

"Behave, Sonny."

"Hey, I know how to behave. Hell, I even brought enough food for him and Candyboy. Where is he by the way? I'd like to avoid a confrontation if possible."

"Jax went to the airport to pick up the person listed as Donna's contact person. They should be here soon."

"Then go get changed and leave Nedly to me."

Carly sighed and started towards the bathroom before turning back to Sonny's retreating form. "Hey, Corinthos."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks," she said earning another smile before they both turned and continued on their ways.

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Alan strode angrily into his wife's office slamming the door behind him. "What are you playing at?" he asked her as she looked up at him in surprise.

"Alan, what's going on?" she asked as he came forward.

"This," he said as he threw a memo down onto her desk.

Curious as to his reaction she picked it up and read it, "It's standard policy in most hospitals, Alan. I was just reminding the staff of it."

"And it just happens to occur when the Moss girl is in the hospital. When there's no one to sign off on her treatment? When she's having insurance problems?" he demanded.

"That's just a coincidence. I came into the office to check on a few things last night and I. . ."

"It's going to backfire, Monica. It's not going to help AJ, only hurt him," Alan interrupted.

Monica rolled her eyes at that, "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Monica. . ."

"He's innocent, Alan. It was an accident. Just like with Carly."

"Just like with Carly is right."

"ALAN!" Monica cried at his sarcastic tone. "That little imp has been leading him on for over a month now."

"She went to the police to get a restraining order."

"Because Carly put her up to it."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Because you have no faith in our son. The police are ruling it an accident."

"Because it was, or because he's a Quartermain?" Alan asked as he ran a tired hand down his face. "They're going to be screaming cover up, Monica."

"Who?"

"Ned, Jax. . ." Alan sighed. "We know Father's pulled strings already. To stop a drug and alcohol test. To keep it out of the press. To keep them from questioning AJ. Even if it were an accident, it doesn't look good."

"It was an accident, and I was just making sure that procedure was followed. If you can't understand that get out!"

Nodding sadly, Alan did just that.

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Toby stared at the phone wondering how he was going to do this. He had put off the task as long as he could. Long enough to call Concannon about coming on board. Long enough to look over the reporter's first set of notes on the information she had received. Long enough that he should have the words to break the news to CJ. But it hadn't been. And it wouldn't be. Sighing, he picked up the phone, knowing he was being ridiculous. He just had to state the facts as simply and impartially as possible. He could do that. . . yeah, and Sam Seaborne could write a good first draft.

Dialing before he could lose his never he waited for CJ to pick up, hoping that he would get her and not her voice mail. . .

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CJ Cregg hurried out of the bathroom of the her hotel room and grabbed her cell phone, hoping she caught it before voice mail picked up. "Hello."

"Hi, it's me," Toby started simply.

At the sound of his voice, CJ tensed. "Toby, what's wrong?"

"Who said anything was wrong?"

"Your voice told me all I needed to know," CJ sighed. "Now, tell me before I have to come there and hurt you," she teased.

"Sometimes I hate it that you know me so well."

"Only sometimes?"

"Funny Claudia Jean," Toby sighed. "You sitting down?"

"Not work related huh?" she asked.

"In a way it is," he started. "Donna Moss is in critical condition in a hospital in Port Charles. They want us all there."

"What?" CJ asked, shock clear in her voice, as she jumped to her feet.

"Donna's in the. . ."

"I got that Toby. Sometimes I really wish you wouldn't take things so literally," she interrupted frustratedly as she ran a hand through her wet hair and paced.

"Sorry, but it took the reporter who told me doing so twice, and a call to Leo, to get me to believe it."

"What do we know?"

"Not much," Toby admitted. "Leo got a call last night informing him that Donna had been hurt. He's en route to the hospital now. All we know for sure is that the injuries she received were the result of a fall down a flight of stairs."

CJ nodded silently as she tried to digest the information. "I take it one or the other of you have called the Bartletts."

"Leo called them last night. From what Leo said they're going there as soon as Ron can arrange it. Dr. Bartlett will most likely be taking on part of her medical care."

"What about the others?"

"Leo was going to call them."

"I hate to admit it, but I'm glad I'm not the one who has to break the news to Josh," she sighed as she sat back down.

"I think most of us feel that way. But, CJ, you and Dr. Bartlett are probably the ones who are going to have to sit on him the most. He's not going to listen to the rest of us."

"Fine," CJ replied without thinking and then gulped. "D@mnit, Toby, I just saw her two weeks ago when I was speaking in Land View. She took the day off to drive up and see me. We went out for dinner. Talked about the old days. . ."

"CJ, was she OK? Was she worried about anything?"

"Why?" she asked as she grasped onto the question as a way of keeping her composure.

"Just answer the question."

"I don't know. . ." CJ admitted. "I mean, it was the first time I had seen her since the end of the term. She seemed, different somehow. But who isn't?"

Toby frowned at that, knowing that he had to let her know everything. "CJ, there's a rumor. . . My reporter has a source who saids that her fall wasn't an accident."

"G-d, Toby. . ."

"Leo was told it was just an accident."

"You don't sound convinced."

"I hate to say it, but I think we might just be walking into a press fiasco."

"Toby?"

"The source is talking about a cover up."

CJ got to her feet and started to pace again, "Does Leo know this?"

"I haven't told him yet. I just got the first set of her notes."

"Her source could be wrong."

"Maybe," Toby replied to silence.

"I guess I'll be acting as spokesperson?"

"Sam and I will draw up the statements. I'm planning on working on the first one on the plane ride there."

"I didn't even think of that. Do you know how hard it's going to be for me to get a flight?"

"Leo said that Donna's boss could probably take care of it."

"Well, that's one less thing to worry about," she replied on a choked sob.

"CJ. . ." Toby started at the tone in her voice.

"Don't. . .I'll. . .I'll be fine. I just need a few minutes to digest this," she reassured him as she sat back down on the edge of the bed, "I'll have it together by the time we get there. By the time I have to face the press. I always do."

"I know you do. That doesn't mean I'm not worried about you right now. I've had time to digest it. To figure out how to tell you, although it seems like I haven't done that good of a job of it."

"You did fine, Toby."

"Yeah," he sighed, then remembered he had something else he needed to tell her. "CJ, I had to pull the reporter off the story because she was too inexperienced and Leo vetoed my doing it. I'm going to have to ask Concannon to cover it."

CJ nodded at that, then realizing he couldn't see her answered: "we'll be able to trust him. He likes Donna."

"Are you sure you're going to be OK?"

"Are you?"

"Call Leo and get him to arrange a flight for you," Toby responded evading her question.

"You do the same," CJ sighed, knowing exactly what he was doing, as she ended the call. Shakily she dropped both herself and the phone to the bed. Sometimes, she really hated that she had let Toby talk her into the job with "Bartlett for America."

Staring at the ceiling, she rubbed her left hand down her face, catching sight of the ring on it and smiled. And others she wouldn't have it any other ways. Taking a deep breath she forced herself to get up and start getting her act together. After all, she had a job she was going to have to do.