Carly was on the verge of hysteria when her Mother had arrived looking for her.
Bobbie had tried unsuccessfully to reassure her daughter, " Honey, my cars parked outside, I'll take you to the hospital now." She'd reached out to comfort Carly, only to have her daughter retreat into what she assumed was Carly's own private hell.
"Oh my G… How did this happen?" Carly asked the question, but knew the answers as words tumbled out.
"From what I've heard, Luis Alkazar had taken Sonny hostage nearly two days ago… Honey, didn't you realize he was missing?"
Carly shook her head in denial, " Max… he told me he'd left town on business," She began to cry and glared in Ned's direction, who choked back a guffaw.
"He's holding his own, thankfully Jason was at the church when Sonny was shot."
"Jase… Jason was there?" Carly's bottom lip began to tremble," why were they at a Church?"
"I don't know… but what makes this even harder to believe is that… Brenda Barrett is alive." Bobbie revealed, shaking her head in awe.
Carly started to collapse, only to have Ned catch her, she swiped his hands away once she got her bearings, " I need to get to the hospital!"
"Carly, there's something else I need to tell you… Ned, this has to do with you too."
"What is it?" Carly asked impatiently, "We're wasting time!"
"Alexis was at the church too, " Bobbie started out, "she's at the hospital."
"Alexis?" Ned exclaimed, "I'm out of here."
"I'm coming with you, sorry Mother this isn't a time for you to curb my anger, I'm up for the fight of my life and I don't need you telling me how wrong I am."
"Are you coming?" Ned shouted, holding the door open to the club.
"Your car better have some guts to it Ned."
"We'll get there in plenty of time for you to throw one of your world famous tantrums." Ned shot back, handing the keys to the valet.
"If we don't stop this now Ned, they're going to make us look like a couple of fools… my husband was just shot and he's having an affair with Brenda Barrett… and Alexis must've been running after Sonny like a lost puppy, just like she always have."
Ned got into the drivers seat, his hands tightening around the steering wheel; he waited until Carly was seat belted in before taking off. They drove in silence for quite sometime until Carly couldn't take it anymore.
"I just don't get it… Brenda is alive, " Carly shook her head, " She probably faked her death, and plotted this whole thing to get Sonny and Jax's sympathy…the whole woe is me spiel and she gets the entire town in a frenzy… can you believe the nerve?"
"Would you zip it!" Ned shouted, " You had your day in the sun, five months ago."
Carly narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, " This town only has room for one Corinthos woman and that's me."
"I guess by Sonny's rules you aren't," Ned replied snidely, " at least Alexis came to her senses."
"Oh, yes the queen of hypocrites is supposedly to good for my husband, yet she spent my entire marriage slobbering after him, even when she was with you!"
"Are you going to continue to bray?" Ned asked sarcastically
"I don't bray!" Carly hissed.
"Fine you don't bray." Ned shrugged, not convinced that his definition of her voice wasn't dead on target.
"I don't bray!" Carly shouted.
"I said FINE, you don't bray!" Ned shouted back.
"You are such a simp." Carly sneered
"And you Carly are the Migraine of my day."
Alexis eyed Sonny cautiously, could it be possible he knew what really happened or was he bluffing? She thought her best bet was to feign ignorance, the last thing he needed was to get worked up.
"So, how do you feel?" Alexis asked, standing far enough away that her emotions would be in check.
"Alexis," her name rolled off his tongue slowly and deliberately, Sonny knew exactly how to get to her "you haven't answered my question."
"I don't recall the question, but in any case, right now what you need is rest," Alexis informed him, "oh, and look who's here it's Monica… you need to check up on him don't you… well, you go right ahead and I'll be going… I mean I'll be out there somewhere waiting for the good word, and don't you worry Sonny, Carly will be here any minute…Bye." Alexis turned on her heel, he was starting at her with such intensity that her blood pressure had surely risen, and as far as Sonny was concerned she could run, but things were far from finished. Alexis was beginning to retreat, she felt the walls beginning to mount, she was so preoccupied with her anxieties the nearly ran into Brenda.
"How is he?" Brenda asked giving a worried frown.
"Sonny…oh, he's his usual overbearing self." Alexis replied, " probably in there ordering Monica what to do."
"So he's okay," Brenda gave a relieved sigh," he's not going to die?"
"I do believe Mr. Corinthos is going to live… just to irritate me." Alexis said smiling.
"Why do I get the impression your going to love every minute of it?" Brenda's brown eyes crinkled with laughter at the expression of mortification that came across Alexis face.
Alexis cleared her throat and tried to refocus, the reached out and touched Brenda's elbow, "Hey, what about you…did Tony check you over?"
"I have to come in tomorrow for some additional tests… what he did sayisI appear to be healthy, alive and lucky to be… and most of all welcome home."
"That's a relief Brenda," Alexis said happily, " I think I could get used to you hanging around."
"Ya know Alexis… me too," Brenda smiled sincerely, she wondered why they'd never been friends before she'd left Port Charles, "hey, I can even give you some tips on how to handle Sonny." She elbowed Alexis who look horrified, and then they both fell into a fit of giggles.
The laughter dulled though, as the elevator doors slid open and a livid and equally worried Carly Corinthos and Ned Ashton went barreling toward the nurse's station.
"Where's my husband, I want to see him now!" Carly ordered the stout older nurse who hadn't looked up from her chart."
"Who's the patient?" the nurse asked, still not looking up.
"If you gets your big nose out of that Chart, maybe you'd see who I am!" Carly screamed.
Looking up the nurse's expression remained impartial, "Name?"
Carly was irritated, all of Port Charles knew who she was, "I'm Mrs. Sonny Corinthos, my husband is here being treated for a gunshot wound."
The nurse looked confused, " I apologize, I assumed Mr. Corinthos wife was already here, there's been a woman at his side since his arrival."
Carly's face grew red with rage, she heard her Mother approaching from behind, and turned to confront her, " You didn't tell me that witch was with my husband where I should be… how dare you not tell me that Brenda is here in this hospital with Sonny!"
"You were already upset Honey, I though it was for the best." Bobbie said sighing.
"You know what, it doesn't matter…Sonny loves only me, he's just confused."
"Well, one of you is confused, but I don't know if it's Sonny." Ned added sarcastically.
"Shut up sideburns!" Carly wailed, "No one asked your opinion!"
Jason who'd been watching the entire spectacle approached Carly, she sensed him and turned to him, her voice softening, " is he okay?" her eyes welled with tears.
"He lost a lot of blood from the gunshot and he's having a transfusion… but the doctors are expecting a full recovery."
"I have to see him…when can I…" Carly wasn't even finished with her sentence, when she suddenly noticed Alexis standing across the room talking to Courtney, Mike and Brenda, she stomped her way over and put her hands on her hips, " what are you still doing here?"
Alexis remained silent, she turned away from those she was speaking to and faced Carly.
"I asked you a question… and why are you dressed like that?" Carly asked furiously.
Brenda sensing Alexis' unease stepped in, "Carly remember me, your worst nightmare?"
"I'll get to you in a minute, but right nowwhat I was is Alexis to answer my question, "Carly spit out, there she was the woman Sonny respected, admired, and cared for, and she hated her for that… he had always felt more for Alexis than he'd ever feel for her in a lifetime and she wanted Alexis to pay for taking that away from her, " Sonny doesn't want you here… why are you doing this to yourself… don't you see how pathetic you look, are you that desperate that you'll take whatever scraps you can get… your nothing to Sonny but one huge mistake and…"
Carly didn't even see it coming, when Brenda' fist connected to her mouth, she touched her fingers to her lips and drew back to see blood.
"Like I said Carly, I'm still your worst nightmare," Brenda said shaking out her hand, " this is my friend Alexis Davis, mess with her, your messing with me, get the gist?"
Carly screamed so loud, it was heard through the entire hospital, Alan appeared from nowhere," What in the name of Pete is going on here, Carly leave your petty grievances at the door, we don't need to hear your caterwauling… it frightens the patients."
Alexis began to laugh, all the years she'd dreamt of smacking Carly had never felt as good as actually seeing it, extending her hand out to Brenda, she waited for Brenda to grasp it, " Brenda I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
Brenda smiled deeply and joined the laughter, " Feelings mutual, one things for sure Carly is one person I could do without remembering."
Mike was stunned beyond belief, Courtney was too, but she couldn't help but be amused at her sister in laws plight. Mike was the one that came to Carly's defense, "Excuse me ladies, that happens to be Son's wife, it would be nice if you'd show here some respect."
Alexis laughter died, any traces of a smile disappeared, "Respect? You expect me to respect Carly after what she's done to me."
"Alexis I think…" Mike began.
"No don't think Mike, for once listen!" Alexis demanded, " you want to live in denial about Carly fine, but let's get a few things straight… I'm not the one that embezzled money to buy the mother of Sonny's child a one way ticket out of town, I'm not the one that eavesdropped on a private doctors appointment over said child… that woman is your precious Carly, and a woman who's sojealous of my relationship withyour son, that she faked her death…that's right Mike that innocent woman you keep defending is anything but an angel… do you know who helped her Mike… do you want to tell him Carly?"
Carly's eyes widened in horror," Shut up Alexis, you don't know anything."
"Oh I know… I know plenty about you, because of you my sister is dead and Sonny almost died because of you too!"
"What this about Alexis?" Mike asked irritably, "you can't blame Carly for such things without proof."
"Proof… you want proof, I shot a man tonight to save the life of my child and her Father's… You want proof you ask Carly for the proof."
"Alexis, I warned you what would happen if you continued this lunacy with Corinthos, he's a slime ball."
"Put a sock in it Ashton!" Alexis screamed and then looked back at Mike, " I know your Carly's protector much like Jason… but I don't need to be questioned as if I'm the one at fault, because frankly Mike I won't tolerate being treated like the one that's done something wrong, the next time you talk to me about respecting the harpy, do us both a favor, and save it!"
Mike was confused, " This baby isn't Ned's… it's Michael's?" he placed his hands on his hips, "does he know?"
"Apparently so."
Monica approached them, " Sonny's been moved to a private room… he's holding his own." She looked uncomfortably around the group of people," He's asking to see you…Carly."
Alexis remained unfazed; she wouldn't allow them to see the defeat she felt.
"I told you he only loves me!" Carly gloated.
Ned approached Brenda, " I can't believe it's you, Alkazar deserves to rot in hell for what he'd done."
Brenda hugged her friend, " Well, since he's dead I imagine he's rotting as we speak."
Brenda's words reminded him of what Alexis had admitted to them minutes ago, releasing Brenda he whipped around to face Alexis, " what the hell has gotten in you, what was all that talk about staying away from danger, when you've done the exact opposite?"
"You made me mad," Alexis stated simply, " I don't like being controlled, and it's a natural instinct in you to control me…that leaves me no other choice than to do the exact opposite."
"So you'd rather hang around to be constantly rejected by Sonny?"
Brenda was shocked by her friend's coldness, " Ned you've got it all wrong… Sonny took a bullet for her and from my history with them man, I know when he's in love with someone."
"Love?" Ned laughed hollowly, " You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Well if it means anything, I think Brenda's right, " Jax attested, approaching them with coffee from the cafeteria.
"You too?" Ned was angrier than ever, "whose side are you on anyway?"
"Sides?" Jax said, "I didn't know I was taking sides."
"This is ridiculous, suddenly you've become Sonny's cheerleader, I thought you were smarter than that Jax."
"Ned it's time to grow up… leave it alone." Jax asserted, " or you'll lose everyone that's important to you."
"I already have!" Ned said, turning on his heel and stomping off.