Chapter Twelve
Sonny made his way to his bedroom and arrived at the door just as the doctor exited the room, closing the door behind him. "Dr. Rivera, thank you for coming. How is…how's my wife. Is she…is she ok?" Sonny asked nervously barely able to face the man before him, so he focused mainly on the floor.
"She's in shock, very agitated, and very frightened. She gave me this number," Dr. Rivera held out the piece of paper to Sonny, who took it. "She says it's to her brother in the states, she begged me to call him and tell him where she was, and that it was a matter of life or death." Sonny nodded his head as he placed his hands on his hip.
"I've already spoken…he's on his way here right now." Sonny stated. "How…the baby, is the baby ok?" He asked his red eyes watering once again, as he lifted his hand to his mouth and pulled at his bottom lip.
"Your wife is in a very delicate state right now, the chances of her miscarrying are exponentially high, stress being the main factor, and my main concern for her. I have placed her on bed rest it is very important that she rests and relaxes, and no excitement whatsoever." The Doctor said and a part of him wanted to inquire about the bruising around Claudia's neck that she had told him she got when she fell down the stairs. He knew better, but was too afraid to question Sonny about it. Sonny had been coming to the island and the main lands for years and his reputation and criminal activities had preceded him all the way from the states. Doctor Rivera knew from their first meeting that Sonny Corinthos wasn't the type of man you questioned about anything.
"Thank you for coming so quickly," Sonny said as he shook the doctor's hand. "If you don't mind I'd really appreciate if you would stay on the island over-night. I've already had a spare room set up for you. I'd like you closer in case something happens. I'll pay you well for this inconvenience."
"Oh course, I'll just need to call my wife and let her know." Dr. Rivera agreed.
"Max will show you to my study so you can make your call." Sonny said and Max instantly stepped up to usher the doctor back down to the study.
"This way doctor," Max said and then lead the doctor back down the hall way. Sonny stood outside the bedroom door trying to decide whether he should go in or not, and how he might react to seeing Claudia, what he would say. After taking a few deep breaths he grasped the knob, turned it, and then slowly opened the door. He looked at the massive bed, where Claudia lay with her back to the door, but he could still see a bit of her profile and saw that she was awake and staring out the large balcony doors, which were opened to allow the warm ocean breeze to blow in. It was the clicking of the door closing that caught her attention, and she turned towards it and then bolted upright in the bed when she saw Sonny standing by it. He could see that she was visibly and almost violently trembling as she watched him with wide frightful eyes. The sight of her angered him, not because he now knew about her involvement in Michael's shooting but because he knew that she was afraid of him, that his attack on her had caused her fear. So hoping to ease those fears he moved to the opposite side of the room and took a seat in a chair near the wall. He could see her take a sigh, but she continued to watch him as if at any moment he would attack her again. They sat for a long time in silence, both too afraid to speak and neither knowing that to say. After nearly an hour of this Sonny cleared his throat to speak, feeling that if he didn't take the first step Claudia never would.
"I want you to understand some thing," He began and then paused to clear his throat again as he leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows atop his knees and his chin atop him clenched hands. "I would never ever, under normal circumstances…no," He paused a second before starting again. "That sounds like an excuse and there's no excuse for me hurting you the way that I did." He said as he looked directly at her, but when her tears spilled down her face he had to close his eyes and look away for a moment before he continued. "I have this chemical imbalance, they call it Bipolar Disorder, and again I'm not telling you this to make up some excuse, ok." He said as he shook his head a bit and paused, she nodded her head urging him to continue as she wiped at her tears and listened silently. "I just want you understand why I act the way I do and why I reacted the way I did…this disorder, there's a lot to it a lot of medical mumbo jumbo that only my therapist Lainey can explain to you," He said stunning her a bit not only with his admission that he was bipolar but also that he was seeing a therapist for it. "But what I've come to understand about it is that sometimes it causes me to get really depressed, moody as hell, irrational some days, and temperamental all the time. My temper can be unpredictable and violent sometimes, and it scares the hell out of me that I don't always have control over it. But I have never ever been violent with a woman. I spent years watching my mother get beaten down by my step-father and I swore to God that I would never be like that, that I would never…ever… lay…my hands…on a woman," He spoke emphasizing his words as his eyes fell to Claudia's bruised neck, and then he snapped his eyes shut again, wanting to will it all away, to undo it. This time his tears spilled down his face and it broke Claudia's heart because she didn't blame him for how he reacted, in fact she had expected it and far worse. But she was too afraid, despite her reasoning, to speak so she remained silent. He began to tremble and his resolve crumbled as he apologized to her. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, I didn't mean it, I swear I didn't mean it. I just want you to know that. And I can promise you that it will never happen again." He then wiped at his eyes and blew out a long winded breath and then stood from the chair and moved back to the door. He paused and spoke over his shoulder. "Jason is bringing Johnny here, when they arrive I'll let you know and then when the doctor says it's safe for you to travel, you and Johnny can leave. You'll both have safe passage back to Port Charles I give you my word." He said and then left, Claudia pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and then buried her face against her knees and began to cry.
The entire plane ride had been stressful for Johnny, because he was worried about his sister and was anxious to get to her. When they finally arrive to the house he rushed through the door, not waiting for Jason or permission from the many guards about the house. He ran into the first room he saw. "Claudia!" He yelled as he entered. "Claudia!"
"She's not here," A solemn voice spoke from a darkened recess of the room. And Johnny turned to it and found Sonny sitting and a chair in the corner holding a glass of whiskey he had poured nearly two hours before hand but hadn't had a desire to drink it.
"What the hell did you do to my sister?" Johnny demanded in a sneer as he took several step towards Sonny just as Jason rushed in the room, grabbing him before he could follow through with his intent, which was to attack Sonny, who made no attempt to stop him.
"She's upstairs resting," Sonny replied and then finally swallowed down his drink. Johnny wrenched himself free of Jason's grip and hurried out of the room and up the staircase he had seen when he entered, not waiting for Sonny to give him exact directions.
"What happened Sonny, is Claudia and the baby ok?" Jason inquired once he and Sonny were alone. Sonny only rolled his eyes shut and shook his head. Jason knew him well enough to know that he was just searching for the words, and so Jason gave him a moment to voice his thoughts.
"I don't know." Sonny began to speak as he looked up at Jason. "I…the doctor, you know Dr. Rivera from the main lands, I had him come out and he says their ok, but Claudia needs bed rest. But you know I don't know, I did a stupid thing Jason and I don't know how to take it back, and I wish to God I could take it back. Take back that fear she has in her eyes when she sees me now." Jason listened intently but felt that he wasn't getting the full picture.
"Why did you attack Claudia?"
"Because of Michael, I just reacted badly…"
"Wait what about Michael?" Jason asked as his brow burrowed even further in confusion.
"Claudia was the one who ordered the hit on me, that got Michael shot." Sonny stated and Jason's face though mostly void of emotions, expressed an understanding as he nodded his head. "I honestly don't even know why hearing her telling me caused me to flip out. I mean I suspected, we both suspected that if it wasn't Karpov then it was the Zaccharas, right. So why did I act like some punk? Attacking my pregnant wife," Sonny asked yelling the last part as he threw the empty glass he held into the hearth of the nearby stone fireplace. "Look at you, you know the truth now do you want to go upstairs and strangle Claudia to death?" Sonny asked and Jason shook his head no.
"No, because if I did then I'd have to kill you and I'd have to kill myself. We all created the circumstances that got Michael shot. I expected retaliation either from Karpov because you severed your dealings with him, or the Zacchara's because they wanted your territory. I never expected Claudia would be the one to do it though."
"She did it you protect her brother, 'after' I had him tortured nearly to death when I thought he had something to do with Michael's disappearance." He explained and Jason nodded. "I went after Johnny and I would have killed him to protect Michael or any of my family," He admitted unapologetically. "Claudia…you know…she, she was just doing the same thing when she put the hit on me, she was protecting Johnny…her family. I get that 'now'. She and I we're a lot alike in the why we think and do things. She is the only woman I have ever been with who actually understands who I am and what I do, she accepts it, she's not afraid of our way of life, she doesn't try to change me or make me leave it. She gets it because that's the life she's grown up in and the mob rules and codes of ethics are the ones she lives by. Claudia is the 'first' woman to really get me, Jason, and I probably…no I know I just scared her off."
"Are you saying you're in love with Claudia?" Jason asked and Sonny knew he wasn't being judgemental just trying to fully understand.
"I care about her, we're compatible…and yeah I could easily fall in love with her, but now I don't think I'll get the chance." Sonny said as he traced his left thumb across his bottom lip, and then sat silently sulking.
Upstairs
"Claudia!" Johnny continued to call out for his sister as he search down the seemingly endless corridors until he heard a reply. He rushed to the door that seemed to hold her voice, opening the door and entering. He found her resting against the massive pillows on the bed, and when she finally saw him she cracked, shattering into a fit of tears.
"Oh Johnny," She cried out as she held her arms out to him, which he raced into nearly smothering her in a tight embrace.
"God I was so worried," He said as he closed his eyes in relief and buried his face against her hair. He then pulled from the embrace to check her over. "Are you OK? I was with Jason when he called Sonny and Sonny said you…" His words halted when he saw the bruises on her neck, which was already turning a darkish purple-green color. "Did he do that to you?" He asked as he looked into her eyes knowing that even if she spoke otherwise her eyes would always tell him the truth, and this time was no exception. "I'm gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch." He spat out as his face contorted into a grotesque mask of anger. He moved to stand from the bed with the intent to do just as he said when Claudia's hand shot out and grabbed his arm.
"No John don't, please." She pled.
"You don't have to be afraid of him, I'm here and I won't let him hurt you again I swear it."
"I'm not afraid at least not as much as I was." She said and Johnny threw her a curious look seeking an explanation. "He apologized, and…"
"No," Johnny cut in as he pulled from her grasp but moved to the opened patio doors instead of the bedroom door. "No, you're not going to defend him to me." He said as he stood facing her with his arms folded across his chest. "There's no way I'm forgetting or forgiving what he's done to you. He had no right to put his hands on you."
"Yes he did John he had every right to kill me, in fact that's what we both thought he would do once he found out about Michael." Claudia said and Johnny's demeanor instantly changed, his paranoia heightened.
"He knows you put the hit on Michael?" He asked and she simply nodded. "Then we need to get the hell out of here right now. How did he find out?" Johnny asked as he moved and grasped her hand to pull her from the bed.
"He found out because I told him and I can't leave John, I could lose the baby." She said as she pulled her hand from his and settled back against the pillows and cradled her belly with both her arms.
"What? Wait a minute, you're telling me you're going to stay with that bastard and you're now keeping his kid, which will tie you to him for the rest of your life? Claudia I'm beginning to think you're as crazy as our father."
"Ok go ahead kick me while I'm down John, nice." Claudia said with an small pout, which he knew she wasn't aware she was doing but it always got to him anyway. He sighed and tried to calm himself a bit and then moved back to the bad and sat beside her.
"I'm sorry, I just don't understand why you'd want to stay with Sonny after…"
"I'm not going to. Sonny said I can leave with you and that's what I'm going to do. I'll move out and find an apartment, I'll be fine." She said cutting him off. "But I can't leave yet because the doctor said I need bed rest for a few days, or I could lose the baby. And before you start ranting again, yeah I've changed my mind, I think want to keep it."
"You think?" Johnny questioned. "It's not like it's a pet you can take back to the shop if things don't work out Claudia. It's a baby, you sure you're up for that kind of responsibility?"
"I know it's a baby. I don't know…I guess…the doctor said that I was at a very high risk of losing it, and sitting here thinking about it, thinking that I might lose it has made me realize how much I really want it."
"You nearly lost it because its father tried to kill you." Johnny stated.
"He explained why he reacted the way he did, and he apologized." Claudia defended as Johnny rolled his eyes and tilted his head back while letting out a loud frustrated sigh.
"Don't keep defending him to me,"
"He's bipolar John, and he's getting treatment for it."
"I don't think it's working for him Claudie." Johnny said sarcastically calling her by the nickname he had given her when they were children.
"What if he had killed me?" She asked and he looked at her puzzled.
"What?"
"I said what if Sonny had killed me, what would you have done?" She questioned him again.
"I would have killed the bastard, which I'm still thinking about doing." John answered honestly.
"Right, so don't be a hypocrite. He did what you would have done in his shoes, hell it's exactly what I tried to do when he attacked you. It's a natural human emotion and reaction to seek revenge on those who harm your loved one, your family." Johnny could only nod his understanding. "I'm actually glad it's out, now I don't have to stress over it for the rest of my life, wondering if Sonny will find one of Jerry's DVDs, or if Kate will follow through with her threats."
"Yeah, now we just have to worry about our father killing you instead of Sonny." Johnny said with a playful smirk as he affectionately rubbed her thigh. He quickly snatched his hand back when he felt something wet, and looked at his hand. "Claudia, you're bleeding." He said as he held up his hand to show the crimson fluids marring his fingers.
