Chapter 9: Lucas's Bad Day
Lucas was having the worst day of his life. It was like fate was laughing at him. First he finds out that his wife was cheating on him with his brother. Then he had been stuck on the Titan jet for over 5 hours for god knows what. Now he was stuck in quarantine because of some outbreak the CDC hadn't been able to identify yet. They had taken away his cell phone when he had been quarantined so he hadn't been able to update Sami about this latest development. At least he had been able to get a hold of EJ before his phone had been taken away. Something fishy was going on with this EJ character. What the hell was he doing answering Sami's phone anyway?
"Sam's mobile" EJ's voice answered curtly.
"EJ, this is Lucas, is Sami there?" Lucas asked feeling like an outsider. Sami hated it when people answered her phone but obvious EJ had been the exception since this wasn't the first time that he had answered her cell when he had called.
"I'm sorry EJ, but Sam is indisposed at the moment, is there something I could help you with?" EJ's voice asked.
"I called Sami earlier but forgot to ask the address of where you're staying. I just landed in NY and should be there within an hour." Lucas said a little irked at EJ's patronizing tone.
"You're in NY?" EJ's voice asked surprised.
"Just put Sami on the phone, EJ!" Lucas demanded.
"Look Lucas, I'll send a car for you at the airport. JFK I presume?" EJ's voice said quickly.
Lucas became suspicious. EJ was hiding something. "What the hell is going on EJ? Why won't you let me talk to Sami?"
"All in due time Lucas, we'll talk more once you're here." EJ's voice said before hanging up the phone.
"Son of a bitch!" Lucas said angrily as the phone disconnected. "And her name is Sami not Sam!"
Lucas came back to the present as a woman waved to him through the window to get his attention. He was surprised that a woman that attractive worked for the CDC. She reminded him of Carrie.
Her English accented voice came over the speaker. "Mr. Roberts? Mr. Lucas Roberts?"
"I'll be anyone you want me to be as long as I can get out of here." Lucas said sarcastically. "And call me Lucas."
"Lucas, my name is Jane Fairfax and I have some bad news." Jane said.
"Christ! So this outbreak is something serious?" Lucas asked worried for the first time. He had thought this whole thing had been paranoid precaution.
"Outbreak?" Jane asked confused. "Oh, I'm not here about the quarantine. I'm here to give you some bad news about Sam."
"Sami?" Lucas asked more scared then he had been on hearing the bad news about the outbreak. "What's wrong with Sami?"
"Earlier today, Sam was shot and taken to the hospital." Jane said quickly.
"Shot? Sami? Is she ok?" Lucas asked as all the blood drained from his face.
"The last update I had was that she made it out of surgery but still hasn't woken up yet." Jane assured him.
"I have to go to her!" Lucas said. "You have to get me out of her!" Lucas demanded and rushed to the door to futilely try to open it.
"God damn it, let me out of here!" He said as he pounded on the door.
"Lucas you need to calm down. I'm doing everything I can to get you out of here." Jane said alarmed.
Lucas began pacing the room. "She needs me and I'm stuck here. I have to get out" He said to no one in particular. He picked up the chair and threw it against shatter proof window. The chair bounced off the window and clipped his head knocking him out.
"Lucas? Lucas, are you ok?" Jane asked horrified. She knew he would be upset to hear that Sam was injured but this was worse then she had imagined. He must really care about her.
People in hazmat suits rushed into the quarantine room to asses the damage and their concerned expressions were the last thing he saw as he faded into darkness.
"God! How much of an idiot can you be?" Sami said scornfully sitting up in the hospital bed.
"Well excuuuuze me; I was trying to reach you! Next time you land in the hospital I'll just send a get well card." Lucas said sarcastically.
"Well, the next time you're stuck in a quarantine room and you're trying to get out, don't throw a chair against bulletproof glass, or if you do, remember to duck." Sami said more gently. "You could have gotten hurt!" She said with concern.
"Me hurt? What about you? You were the one that was shot!" Lucas retorted.
"Well, Will needs at least one parent who is in full health at all times." Sami replied back wanting the last word.
"Ok, I promise, if either of us ever gets injured the other has to wrap themselves in a bubble." Lucas teased.
Sami laughed and then winced at the pain. "Lucas, I'm so glad you're here!"
"I wouldn't be anywhere else!" Lucas said earnestly. "You know I'll always be there for you."
"Of course, and it means a lot to me. I'll always be there for you too!" Sami said loving it when Lucas was in sweet mode.
"And you know I'll always love you, not just because we share a son but because…" Lucas paused trying to get the right words.
"Lucas." Sami said softly and reached out to him. She groan as pain shot through her. "Ughhh! I hurt all over!" She said complaining.
"Want me to kiss it and make it feel better?" Lucas leered changing the mood.
"Really Lucas! I'm lying in a hospital bed with a bullet hole, looking like hell and you're thinking about kissing! What would your wife say?" Sami complained. "Speaking of significant others, where is Austin?"
"Sami, Austin isn't here." Lucas said trying to find the right words to gently break the news to Sami.
"What do you mean he isn't here?" Sami asked hurt.
"Look Sami, you don't deserve Austin." Lucas began.
"What!" Sami exclaimed as tears were welled in her eyes.
"I mean, you don't belong together!" Lucas tried again and botched it again.
The hurt look was quickly masked into anger. "Look Lucas, I know you think Austin could do a lot better than me but he loves me and we are going to get married whether you like it or not." Sami said pseudo confidently.
"Damn it, I'm screwing up everything!" Lucas said running his hand through his hair in frustration. "Give me a minute… to get the right words."
"I can't exactly go anywhere can I?" Sami said pointedly.
"I guess the only way is to tell you straight out." Lucas said ignoring Sami's 'get on with it' expression. "Austin and Carrie have been sleeping together behind our backs."
"What?" Sami exclaimed in disbelief. "Austin wouldn't do that. He loves me."
"Grow up Sami, Austin isn't Mr. Perfect, if he really loved you he wouldn't be screwing around with your sister." Lucas said annoyed at Sami's hero worship of his brother.
"I don't believe you Lucas. Why are you doing this? Do you hate me so much?" Sami asked angrily. "Go away and leave me alone!" She yelled at him rubbing her temples in pain.
"Damn it Sami, I'm telling you the truth…" Lucas insisted.
"EJ! EJ, where are you?" Sami yelled out blindly as machines began to beep furiously.
EJ materialized in front of Lucas blocking him from Sami. "Lucas, I think it's time for you to leave."
"No, not until I tell Sami that I love her." Lucas said struggling against EJ's punishing grip. He looked past EJ and Sami was moving further away.
"You had your chance and you blew it." EJ said mockingly.
"Get out of my way!" Lucas said punching EJ in the face. But it was too late and Sami was gone. All there was left was the echoes of EJ's mocking laughter.
Lucas ran toward the last place he saw Sami and cried out her name. "Sami! Sami!"
Lucas woke up with a start yelling out Sami's name. He struggled to sit up but there were restraints on his arms. "What the hell?"
"I'm sorry but those are a precautionary measure." A strange man in scrubs said.
"There's nothing wrong with me! You have to let me go. I have to get to Sami!" Lucas said struggling against the restraints.
"I'm sorry Mr. Roberts we still need to run a few tests. Please you must calm down or I will have to sedate you." Warned the man who was most likely a doctor.
"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine. I just need to get out of here!" Lucas repeated still struggling against the restraints.
"I'm sorry to have to do this but you leave me no choice." The doctor apologized as he stuck a needle into Lucas.
"No!" Lucas yelled out trying to dislodge the needle. "Damn it! I need to get to Sami!" He said groggily. "Sami…"
