Carly's Mind:
Carly gasped as the breath rushed back into her body. She looked around. There was something familiar about this dark, musty hallway. She tensed when she heard muffled voices coming from one of the rooms. Carly moved towards the room slowly and quietly. She jerked to a stop just inside the door and peered closer at the two young women hunched together on the floor whispering and pointing at a large sheet of paper in front of them. It was her and Charlotte.
"Brings back memories doesn't it?"
Carly jumped, Charlotte was standing next to her. "Charlotte?"
"In the flesh." Charlotte said and then at Carly's odd glance added, "Well sort of."
"What's going on?" Carly looked from the Charlotte next to her to the younger Charlotte and herself on the floor.
"You tell me." Charlotte looked at Carly, "What do you see?"
Carly walked closer, "It's us. On a mission."
"Which one?" Charlotte asked
Carly moved even closer until she was just behind the girls. She looked over their shoulders to the paper in front of them. Clouds moved over her eyes as she realized where she was. "This is our last mission together. You're going to save my life and die in an hour." Carly turned away sharply, "What the hell is going on? You're dead, you can't be here and I can't be here. Where is here? Am I dead? I got shot. Did I die? Oh my God, who's taking care of Michael."
Charlotte walked over and took Carly by the shoulders, "You're not dead."
"You're sure?" Carly asked
Charlotte laughed, "Positive." Then she turned serious, "But you might be soon."
"Just tell me what's happening." Carly said
"You have a choice to make. You need to decide whether you want to live or die." Charlotte explained
"That's not even a choice. I want to live." Carly said immediately
"I told them you would say that but there are still some things that you need to understand." Charlotte
"Ok so I have to understand something. But what do I need to understand here?" Carly asked
"Because here is where you started going downhill." Charlotte responded, "There is a reason that I died that day. That was something that you could never understand. After I died you built your entire life on revenge. You never could accept that there is a reason for everything and that even though I died didn't mean you had to as well."
Carly wrapped her arms around herself, "I didn't die." She said confused.
"Maybe not physically but the part of you that I loved so much did. You weren't the same. I watched you day after day ruining your life and there wasn't anything I could do to help you. "
"What did you expect?" Carly shouted, "You were the one person in my life who never let me down. You were closer to me than a sister. You were my best friend. I watched you die. After all the things you have done for me I couldn't return the favor. I couldn't save your life."
"Don't you realize that if I hadn't died Michael wouldn't exist? You wouldn't have ever found your birth mother. You and Sonny wouldn't have met and Jason wouldn't be your best friend. Carry you have a better life than I could have ever wished for you." Charlotte brushed the hair out of Carly's eyes, "Sure you've made some bad choices but its not too late to fix it."
"What do I do?" Carly asked
"First thing is be happy. You've got a great life; good friends, a loving family and a husband who loves you more than life itself." Charlotte said
"Me and Sonny are getting a divorce. He doesn't love me. The only reason he's even sticking around is because of Michael." Carly shrugged
"Please." Charlotte scoffed, "I don't believe that for a second and neither do you."
A male voice came breaking through the silence, "Please Carly! Don't leave me!"
"Sonny?" Carly whispered
Charlotte looked at the watch on her wrist, "We don't have much time. Right now you are flat-lining at General Hospital. You can go back but if you can't change the future you won't have one."
"How can I leave you again? It doesn't matter what you say I know that I'm the reason you died. I left you, if I had been smarter or faster I could have saved us both." Carly whispered
"You know that's not true. I've never blamed you and its time you stopped blaming yourself." Charlotte said quietly
Carly looked back at the younger version of her and her best friend, "That was the worst night of my life. I still have nightmares about it. But every once in a while in the dream I find a way to save you, why couldn't I then?"
"Because you weren't meant to. It was my time, just like now isn't yours." Charlotte explained
Carly sighed, "Promise me you'll never leave me."
"I haven't yet." Charlotte said, "Its time to go home."
The two best friends walked in opposite directions.
PRESENT TIME AND PLACE
Carly's eyes shot open and life rushed back into her body. Tony stepped back quickly in surprise, "Carly? Can you hear me? Carly?"
"Stop shouting Tony! I'm might have died but I'm not deaf." Carly said
Tony smiled, "Good to know. I'm going to go tell you family that you are OK. The nurses are going to take your vitals." He turned to walk out of the room.
"Hey Tony?" Carly called
"Yeah?" He asked
"Thanks." Carly smiled
Tony stepped out into the hallway and was immediately bombarded by Carly's visitors. "Is she OK?" Jason asked
"The nurses are checking her vitals but with the way she just came out a flat-line I'm pretty sure she's going to be just fine. " Tony said reassuringly
"Can I see her?" Sonny asked
"For a little bit but she needs to rest." Tony responded
Sonny walked in to the room just as the nurses were walking out. Carly opened her eyes and gave Sonny a small smile. He sat down next to her and took her hand. "Scared the hell out of me Caroline."
"I'm sorry." Carly whispered
"Hey its only fair. I guess this is what you felt like when I got shot." Sonny whispered, "I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Don't ever leave me Carly!"
"I won't. You're stuck with me Mr. Corinthos." Carly smiled
Sonny smiled back, "Carly I am so sorry for everything. If you're willing to give me another chance I'd really like to try again."
"Sonny I want to more than anything but before I can there's something that you need to know." Carly said as she took a deep breath and prepared to reveal the secret that could destroy her life.