Chapter 42

Carly, Ned, and Jax stepped off the elevator and into the parking garage of PCGH.  "I still can't believe that i we're /i the ones who had to leave," Carly groused.  "I mean we're the ones who have been there."

"Apparently, the good doctor doesn't feel that way," Jax replied as he paused.  "Am I the only one who gets the feeling that she was already acquainted with those two?"

Ned frowned a bit at that.  "I was wondering the same thing.  I can't shake the feeling that I should be able to place their names."

"Johnny's running checks on all of them," Carly reminded.  "And I suppose they all must be connected somehow through McGarry.  That is who Dr. Bartlett said requested her."

"And that's another thing I find odd.  I mean, she just drops everything and comes because he asked her to? And why would someone who knows Donna ask for someone like her?"

"Maybe," Ned mused, "we don't know Donna as well as we thought we did."

"Meaning?"

"Just. . . I don't know," Ned shrugged, as he tried to put his thoughts into words.  "If Donna kept what AJ was doing to her a secret, what else has she?  What has she kept to herself about her life before she came here?"

"Come on, Ned, you're going in the wrong direction there," Jax reprimanded.  "We do know about Donna.  She spent the five years before she came here working for some economics professor.  Before that she was in school."

"And what else? How does she know there people? What makes McGarry, Lyman, Cregg, and the other guy so important to her? What did she choose McGarry and Lyman as her PAs? Why would someone so young even have those papers drawn up to begin with?'

"Well, this much I can guess.  Lyman's the guy she's in love with, or at the least he's in love with her," Carly put in.  "McGarry I haven't figured out yet."

Jax rolled his eyes at that, "and you can tell that how?"

"I was married to a mobster, you don't think I learned how to read people?"

"Really, then old wise one, why don't you tell us which one didn't show when she needed them."

"Whoever they are, they didn't show up in that room tonight."

"And how do you know that?"

"McGarry was too annoyed about the delays for it to have been him."

"Could've been guilt."

"But it wasn't. 

Lyman's in love with her.  CJ already said she saw her recently, just not here.  The other guy, I couldn't get that much of a read on, but you could see he was shaken by her condition, and there was something in the way he spoke to her. . . Besides, when I mentioned the friend they didn't seem much happier about them pulling a no show then we were, and there wasn't tension between any of them."

"Then why'd the other guy leave?"

Carly shrugged: "some people just aren't comfortable in hospitals.  And like he said, there were a lot of us in the room, someone had to leave.  I mean, com'on we're out here ourselves."

"It still doesn't give us a whole lot.  We're just talking about supposition," Ned put in, trying to pull them back to the previous topic.

"You really think any of that matters in the long run? Her past is her past, and considering the recommendation that V gave her, I doubt there's anything major that she's hiding," Jax retorted.

"I'd just like to know what we're up against. If they're going to cause trouble or not."

"Considering we're the ones down here and they're the ones in the room with her, I don't think there's much of a question about it at this point."

"Find.  Then who are they going to cause it for? Us? Them?"

"And again I ask: after their performance in that room you still think that's in question?" Jax wondered as they came to Carly's car.

"Would you two knock it off?" Carly asked as she leaned against the hood.  "They're here and we can't stop them.  They have the power when it comes to making the decisions when it comes to Donna's treatment," she started, then put a hand up to forestall any interruptions.   "I don't like it a hell of a lot either, but it's what's happening.  Johnny's running background checks, and in the meantime, there are ways to get around their little edicts."

"Meaning?"

"Oh, would you look at that? I seem to have mistaken my purse, wherever could it be?" she asked in mock horror.

Jax and Ned just shook their heads as she turned and started back towards the elevator.  "I'll let you two know what I find," she threw over her shoulder before turning a corner.

Jax started towards his car, Ned a few steps behind him.  "You going to get some rest?"

"I was going to do some research first.  See what I can find out about Donna's past and friends."

"Ned, Johnny'll handle that.  Get some sleep so we can take your family on."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"I have some things at my disposal," Jax shrugged.  "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Oh goody," Ned groused as he took out his key and hit the remote start, "something to look forward to."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jason pulled his motorcycle to a stop outside of his house and turned the engine off.  Taking off his helmet, he eyed the house critically.  It was, he supposed, just what people strived for, right down to the white picket fence, only it wasn't what i he/i wanted.

Truth be told, he wasn't sure he ever knew what it was that he wanted, at least not as Jason Morgan.

Couldn't remember if he had tried to do anything other than try to be the person someone else saw him as.

Inhaling, he climbed off his bike and slowly walked to the door, the light shining from the window adding weight to his steps, if for no other than that he didn't want to hurt Liz, and his planned sojourn would.

He knew she'd try to get him to talk to the Quartermains, not understanding--- or even trying to--- that it just reiterated how he wasn't Jason Quartermain any more.  How he could never be that person again.  How that knowledge made him feel like a failure.  And the truth was, going in and seeing Liz would remind him of one more. 

Opening the door, Jason slid into the house, breathing a sigh of relief when Elizabeth didn't immediately appear.  Feeling guilty over the thought, he moved to the closet and pulled out the packed bag he kept in its recesses out of habit.  He then closed the closet and backed back towards the door, paused to look into the darkened living room, and then opened it and walked back into the night.

Meanwhile, from an upstairs window, Liz watched him, unseen as questions and tears pooled in her eyes. . .

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Abbey stood in the doorway of Donna's room staring at her two friends.  "And don't think you two are getting off easy," she told them as she strolled into the room.  "I've arranged for a cot to be brought in for you Josh," she said pointedly.

Josh stiffened at that, "with all due respect Mrs. B. . ." he started.

"Oh, cut the crap, Joshua.  I've already spoken to you all about how Jed and I feel about you standing on formality when we're alone, and you know full well I don't appreciate my edicts being ignored," Abbey interrupted.

"But. . ."

"Josh, let me put it this way: you are going to get some sleep tonight if I have to have one of the Secret Service Agents handcuff you to the cot."

"I just. . ."

"Am about to fall over, not to mention your back has been bothering you for hours, and I don't even want to guess at what your blood pressure it," she bulldozed on, not letting him get a protestation in.  "Besides that, you've already had one episode, you know that if you don't get some rest, chances are you will have another.  You need to be here for Donna, we can all agree on that.  You can't do that if you're laying in another room."

"It's just. . . I need to be here for her, how can I be if I'm asleep.  She wouldn't. . ."

Abbey shook her head and crossed the room to him, taking his hands in her and waiting for him to look at her, "believe me, she'll understand.  You were to doped up to have realized this, but the only way we got her to rest those first few days was by similar means, and a few tricks that I will take out of my reserve if I have to."

Josh sighed at that, "all right, I'll concede.  I'll get some rest."

"Good," she smirked before turning her attention to an amused CJ.  "Now as for you, Claudia Jean."

"Ummm. . ."

"You both barely ate at the hotel, and I know your eating habits, or lack there of, well enough to know you two more than likely hadn't eaten previous to that either, so this is what's going to happen.  CJ, you're going downstairs to the cafeteria and getting something more substantial than coffee for the both of you.  And before you ask, yes, you may purchase coffee, just as long as Josh's is decaf.  And don't even bother rolling them, Josh, consider a modified version of the rules back in effect.   Besides, you're jumpy enough without it. 

CJ, on your way you may call Toby and let him know what's going on and find out what time he or one of the others will be relieving you."

"Yeah, because I really need a babysitter," Josh sighed as he shifted his feet, his eyes on them.

"The way you're acting you really want me to comment?" Abbey asked with a raised eyebrow. 

"She has a point, Josh, the babysitter spiel is getting a bit old," CJ put in looking at him over her shoulder from the chair she was sitting in next to Donna's bed.

"I know, I know.  I can hear Donna now about how I'm on ego overload," he shrugged.

"And she'd be wrong," Abbey sighed as she watched him. 

"What?" Josh asked confused.

"Denial ain't just a river, Joshua. It's ok to admit you need support.  It's also ok to want to be here alone with her."

"That's not. . ."

"Sure it is," CJ sighed as she stood and turned to face him, "and I'll even give you two newsflashes: one we all know and understand, and we won't step on your toes.  In case you never figured it out, which considering we're talking about you, my very thickheaded friend, we didn't just stay away because of the rules.  We figured you both needed that time.  But newsflash number two: we all need to be here.  We need her to iknow/i that we're here for her and care.  You got that even if we weren't.  Donna. . . well, she needs to see it. We'll rotate in and out, you and your ego can have the cot."

"Gee thanks," Josh exhaled with the beginnings of a smile.  "I have to say I have so missed your abuse."

"Love you too, Mi Amore," she shot back as she blew a kiss before reaching for her purse, "I think I'm going to go get us some food."

"Can you get me something other than salad?"

"I'll try," she laughed as she started out the door, stepping to the side as two orderlies wheeled a cot in, before continuing into the hall.  Following signs, she made her way back to the elevator, leaning against the wall after pressing the down button.  Inhaling deeply as she raised a hand to her forehead, she fought back tears.  Hearing, the ding announcing the elevator's arrival, she turned raising an eyebrow as Carly stepped out.  "I thought you were leaving," CJ said briskly as she gave the younger woman a quick once over.

Staring her down, Carly titled her head slightly, "and I thought you were staying with Donna. Guess we were both wrong."

"Actually, I'm just heading downstairs to get myself and Josh something to eat.  What about you?"

Carly shrugged: "forgot my purse."

"Well, isn't that convenient," CJ groused, her tone dripping in sarcasm.

"Not quite," she sighed as she looked over to the elevator, "well, you better go, wouldn't want you to miss your ride."

Rolling her eyes, CJ stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby, as the doors slid closed her thoughts mirrored that of the woman on the other side: "g-d what an annoying woman."