Chapter 23

Carly smiled at Francis as she stepped off the elevator! "They in?" she asked as she walked towards PH4, the fatigue of the last hours showing on her.

"Yeah," he shrugged as he leaned against the wall eyeing her.  "You look horrible."

"Gee, I so needed you to tell me that!" Carly laughed as she slugged him playfully in the shoulder.

"Better me than the boss," he shrugged non-pursed.

"Like I won't be hearing it anyway?"

Francis merely shook his head as he leveled himself away from the wall and went to announce her, not at all surprised that she shouldered past him and into the room. 

"Nice try," Sonny remarked from his des as he saw them.

"Where's Michael?" Carly asked as she put her purse on the couch and shrugged out of her jacket.

"In the kitchen," Sonny told her as he came over and helped her with the jacket, folding it over his arm as she turned.

"So why is she allowed unsupervised in your kitchen?"

"Michael's supervising her," Sonny cracked as he reached around her to place the folded jacket on the arm of the couch.

"My six year old is supervising your attorney/girlfriend in the kitchen, what's wrong with this picture?" she asked as she leaned against the back of the couch.

"They're making popcorn," Sonny shrugged.  "Can't set fire to or ruin any equipment."

"Unless they overload the air popper."

"It's microwavable."

"I couldn't make frozen pizzas but microwavable popcorn has your ok?"

"Is there a reason you're spoiling for a fight?"

"Sleep deprivation do anything for you?"

"Used to be you thrived on it," he shot back with a dimpled grin.

"Depends on the cause," she returned with a shrug.  "I do need to talk to Alexis though."

"Not in this mood."

"I told Jax I would.  I could always call him or Ned. . ."

Sonny shook his head, "do I even want to know what this is about?"

"Jax has a plan."

"I'm not saying a word," Sonny said shaking his head.  "Although I suppose it's better than one of yours. . ." he paused catching her darting gaze.  "Oh, no.  Carly. . ."

"It's just a consistency plan."

"Carly. . ."

"Look, I'm not up to this right now.  I spent all night at the hospital.  I kept it together so Ned would.  I behaved.  Didn't even cause any scenes, even was polite to Tony.  But G-d, Sonny, this whole thing is so wrong! They're giving Donna substandard care.  Wanted to transfer her to another hospital because her insurance didn't go through.  They wouldn't run tests because of paperwork, which apparently was lost because her friend had already had it faxed.  Jax has issues with this guy.  Ned thinks his name's familiar, but doesn't know why, and Jax wants him blocked from seeing Donna because he doesn't think we can trust him.  So, now, instead of focusing on AJ, I'm here to ask Alexis to look into seeing if we can get her Medical Power of Attorney away form him!"

"Your plan?"

"His."

"You don't sound happy about it."

"I'm not.  Personally, I think the more people working for Donna's benefit, the better.  I mean, he didn't seem happy about the delay in her treatment.  He got the paperwork we were waiting for.  He's bringing in his own doctor.  V. really seems to like him. . ."

"But. . ."

"Jax is right.  There's something off with him.  V's covering something about him up."

"So why don't you find out what without bothering Alexis?"

"How?"

"How do you think?"

Carly rubbed her forehead tiredly, "I don't. . ."

"Use your resources."

"My resources?" Carly paused as she tried to work through her confusion.

"You really are dead on your feet aren't you?"  Sonny asked concerned, then sighed.  "Go upstairs and take a nap."

"Sonny, I have a ton of stuff I've got to get done. . ."

"After you get some sleep."

"Whatever. . ."

"Yeah, you really are tired," he laughed.

"You're a real jerk, you know that?"

"So they keep telling me," Sonny deadpanned.  "Go on up to the guest room.  I think you have a change of clothes there."

"I really wanted to see Michael," she pouted.

"Where do you think he's going to be when you wake up?"

"True," she sighed as she started towards the stairs.

Watching her, Sonny frowned slightly as he replayed their talk.  "Carly, what's your plan?"

She paused on the stairs and turned slightly.  "The file," she said softly.  "If they can't bring him down for this I wanna use the file."

"You're tired Carly.  Get some sleep."

"I'm serious, Sonny."

"So am I."

"Sonny. . ."

"We'll discuss it, if it comes to it."

"It probably will," she sighed, watching him turn and walk to his desk.  "It's a resource," she added as she leaned against the railing. 

"Use your others first."

"I still. . ." she shook her head.

"If V. won't tell you the information, find it another way," he told her, changing the subject.

"How. . .oh. . .I'll call Johnny and have him do a background check."

"After you get some sleep."

"Yeah."

"And tell Candyboy, its Alexis's idea."

"Sonny. . ."

"She'd need the information anyway."

"He's gonna. . ."

"And I'll. . ."

"Right."

"Go take that nap."

"I would if someone would stop yapping at me," she shot back as she continued to walk up the stairs, Sonny's chuckle following her.

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Abbey rolled her eyes as she hung up the phone and looked to Chris, "Well this certainly an uphill battle.  I think I faced less red tape and run around in D.C."

"Politicians don't hold the monopoly on bureaucracy," he sighed as he reviewed a file on another patient.  "Let me guess, problems because the alternative and not the main PA signed off."

"I don't think they have the brains to dream that one up.  Apparently the orders have been lost, or they don't have someone to transport her, or there's just a plan old backup."

"Amazing how it's only backed up when it comes to her," Chris groused.

"Well, I didn't want to do this, but. . ." she shrugged picking up the phone and checking the extension list.  "Abbey Bartlett for Stefan Cassidine. . . Stefan, I'm sorry to bother you. . . Yes, I know. . . Well, it seems that we just can't get Donna's tests. . .I'd be upset about a delay on the results but we can't even get the tests performed. . .that depends on who you ask. . . Well the reasons range from no orders to no available transport and everything in between. . . I was hoping to have it cleared up before I had to get back to the hotel. . . my detail's ready now. . .I understand. . .Thank you."

"Well?" Chris asked as she hung up, a blank expression on her face.

"He'll see what he can do," she told him on a sigh.

"That's helpful."

"I don't like this not knowing, and without those results I can't even suggest we move her to another hospital.  There are just too many unknown variables involving her condition, especially with the vitals we're getting."

"I hate to say this. . .I mean she hasn't even been here for a whole day, and we haven't even gotten any tests done, never mind the tests results. . ." Chris paused and shook his head.  "I just have this feeling that if she doesn't start coming out of this coma soon, she never will."

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CJ tapped her foot as Toby checked them into the Port Charles Hotel, her nervous energy  growing the more she had to wait.  Exhaling sharply, she pivoted and started to pace a small area of the lobby, her mind reviewing and discarding information that she would need when facing the press and whomever else she'd need to on this.

"Detail's meeting us in a minute," Toby said from behind, watching in slight amusement as she missed a step before pivoting.  The expression was lost as soon as se punched him in the arm.  "Hey, what was that for?" he asked as he rubbed his arm.

"For scaring me you dolt," she sighed as she pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I won't do it again," he groused with a roll of his eyes.

"See that you don't," she smirked as she moved to one of the nearby couches and perched on its arm, watching people as they hurried past.  "We should've come before this."

"You're not starting on this again," he shook his head as he leaned against the back of the couch and looked down at her, taking full advantage of being the taller of the two for once.

"I'm not 'doing' anything.  Just making conversation."

"We can't change what happened."

"Well excuse me for feeling a moment or two of guilt here!"

"I'm not exactly guilt free myself, Ceej.  I'm just not letting my emotions. . ." he paused shaking his head and scratching his beard.  "You're right, OK? We should've kept in better touch with each other.  But, hell, CJ she should've known she could turn to us! We're not the only ones in the wrong in this communications fiasco! Do I feel guilty? Damned right I do! That and worried, and angry. . .But I prefer to focus on something more productive then my feelings right now.  The self-recrimination can wait till things are straightened out."

"It's just. . .this is just one more thing I should've seen coming."

"It's not the same, CJ."

"Isn't it? I keep asking myself why didn't you go after her? Make her tell you what was wrong! I knew Toby, I knew something was wrong, but I didn't do anything about it.  I let her walk away and went back to business as usual.  I didn't even call to see what was wrong.  Figured it couldn't be anything very important if she didn't call.  Didn't tell me.  I made it unimportant.  Even worse, I made her unimportant."

"I think the only person who made Donna unimportant was Donna, and she  started ding that long before we ever met her.  We just gave her a reason not to for a while."

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Ned slid back into the room and shook his head.  So much for Jax's promise to stay, he thought as he went to retake the seat next to Donna's bed.  He sat with his head in his hand, watching her chest move up and down with each breath.  "They all say I shouldn't blame myself, but I do.  I'm the family gatekeeper.  I'm the one gets them out of trouble, only I never seem to keep them out of it.  Especially him.  I lost Lois and Brooke, because of it.  Kristina too.  The family was my priority.  There were so many times when I wondered what would've happened if I hadn't lied about the accident.  If I let him take the blame.  Maybe. . ." he paused shaking his head.  "I don't think I know what to do anymore.  I knew he was capable of something like this.  Of hurting you.  Hell, I knew he was doing things to hurt you.  Knew you weren't the first.  And I didn't do anything.  Didn't help him, but didn't help you either.  Instead I did the worse thing I could've done.  I feed into his jealousy by taking you upstairs to talk.  I put you at the top of those stairs because of my ego.  My need to know why I wasn't irresistible to you.  I put you in this bed as much as he did, and for that I'm sorrier than you'll eve know," he finished as the door opened.  Slowly he turned to see Bobbie entering the room.

"I'm sorry, but we're prepping her for a test.  You're going to have to leave.  Besides, you look like you can use the rest."

"I don't want to leave her alone."

"We'll take good care of her," Bobbie reassured, a touch of guilt in her voice.

"Bobbie. . ."

"There's nothing you can do here, Ned.  Go home.  Get some rest.  I'll call you if there's any change," nodding slightly, Ned rose and started out, pausing at the door to shoot one more look at Donna to reassure himself that she was still holding on.

As the door closed, Bobbie walked over to the bed, a frown on her face as she took a syringe out of her pocket and she looked everywhere but at the woman.  "I am sorry, but I have no choice.  You should've been more careful about who you made angry.  Then again, you're not the only one," she sighed as she moved to the IV and injected the contents into it.  "This will just make you sleep a while longer.  That's what Monica said.  I have to believe her.  Have to believe that she wouldn't resort to. . ." she swallowed hard as she stepped back and started out, dropping the syringe into her pocket, unaware that her actions had been observed. . .