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6
Thursday, September 17, 2020
Elizabeth's ICU Room
What is going on?! Elizabeth wracks her brain for answers which it coolly denies her of, giving her only the memory of making her hot chocolate with a shot of coffee as her last clear recollection. It's obviously not right though, because Jason was there stealing her breath away literally with his lips and his voice and that adoring look in his eyes—
She hears the heart rate monitor begin to pick up again, feeling it in her chest, and quickly turns her thoughts elsewhere for the sake of her own health. When her chest stops straining and goes back to a numb ache, she focuses her attention through the window as her doctor speaks with Jason and Carly of all people.
None of this makes sense.
I'm in a hospital in Canada with a bullet wound to the chest. Jason is very clearly not upset with me anymore - in fact, he looked kind of in love with me. When her next breath feels like it's coming through a straw, she forces herself to look at her situation objectively, stating only the facts. He's not avoiding me anymore due to something that happened in the past week which led to me being shot.
Then, carefully, she tries to create pieces that could potentially make the jumbled up puzzle in her mind make sense. Maybe... he... wants to be with me now? The thought is so excruciatingly tentative, she immediately searches for reasons it can't be true. It doesn't make sense. What could I have possibly said to him that would make him want me, after I was shot nonetheless, when he's so obviously in love with Sam?
She exhales sluggishly, her eyes drooping from both sleepiness and disappointment. "s'impossible. He was probably just worried. Didn't mean it," she drawls to herself, shifting more towards her right side for a more comfortable position.
She must've lost a few minutes, because the next thing she hears are the sharp thuds of heeled boots, then Carly is sitting there beside her. The woman in question holds up her hands in a universal sign of peace. "Now before you ask, your boys are fine. They're together at the Quartermaine's."
Elizabeth sucks in a slow deep breath, a little more alert as her new unwanted pal confusion blankets her. "Why wouldn't they be okay?"
Carly opens her mouth, then twists it in a worried grimace. Her eyes speak volumes of the half truths she's trying to form. "Well, you and Jason were kidnapped..."
Elizabeth gives a slight shake of her head. "Why would they take me? 'm not important."
Carly's eyes trail from her own as she sweeps her hair behind her ear. "It might have had something to do with not leaving any witnesses, you know? As well as mistaken identity. Dark hair, petite frame, standing next to Jason..."
Elizabeth pushes her head back deeper into the pillow, feeling her heart sinking through her stomach. "Sam."
Carly's stare is blunt. "Yeah." She presses her lips together in thought. "From what I understand, you handled yourself really well during this thing though," she offers.
Elizabeth's laugh sounds like winded coughs more than anything. "Which translates to: I took a bullet for Jason." She shakes her head slowly to stop Carly from answering. "Don't remember but... I know I would for him. I knew he'd save me. Knew I'd be okay..." she trails off at the end and focuses on breathing and not falling back to sleep.
Carly leans closer, gratitude gleaming in her cornflower blue eyes. "Thank you for that. I will owe you forever. Which," she sits straighter with a confidence lifting her tone, "is why I'm going to help you. That and I love Jason, so." She shrugs, leaving it at that.
Elizabeth feels the hair on her skin rise in wariness. Help from Carly rarely turns out well. "You really... don't need to—"
"I'm going to be like your fairy godmother, stepping in when you need it. With your memories all messed up, you're going to need it. Trust me."
Elizabeth swallows, then coughs a bit from a parched throat. "What... do you know?"
Carly is up and back with a cup of water and straw extended towards her before her sluggish mind can process it. While she takes small sips, Carly says in an evasive manner, "Enough."
Despite the tendrils of annoyance she feels at the none answer, she does thank Carly once she's had her fill.
A nurse walks in when Carly pulls back, a medical chart and clipboard in hand. "These are the transfer papers Mr. Morgan requested," she states in a chipper tone.
Carly takes the proffered item with a thanks just as bright.
Elizabeth is finally cluing in to Jason's lack of presence. It makes her insides uncomfortably tight. "Wh-Where is Jason?" she asks fingers curling into the sheets.
The nurse turns away from jotting down Elizabeth's readings, her brows furrowed, but Carly is the one that answers.
"He's just getting cleaned up. Being stuck out—" her mouth snaps shut and she drops her gaze down to the sheets of paper in her lap. "Never mind. I'm sure he'll be back."
Though despite the positive spin put in her voice, she sounds a tad bit uncertain to Elizabeth's liking. She shuts her eyes, wishing she knew more. So much for not avoiding me.
"Alright, your vitals look good. How are you feeling?"
Elizabeth doesn't have the will to open her eyes. "Tired. Think 'm gonna get some more sleep," she whispers.
"That's good. Sleep is conducive to healing."
"So when I... when I wake up, Jason and I'll be okay...?"
She's asleep before she can hear the answer.
—
She wakes up and there's this wonderful current running along her skin. The hand holding hers starts to slip away, but she clutches tight until he returns his grip. When she opens her eyes, she sees his bright, tender gaze shaded in uncertainty. His look is unwavering and intense, almost like he's enraptured beyond his control. With hesitance, he begins sweeping his thumb along the back of her hand and a pleasant shiver curls down her spine in response.
She does her best to disregard the increased tempo of the heart rate monitor in the background until she sees the twinkle of pride in his gaze. A breathless laugh bubbles up before she can stop it and his eyes wrinkle at edges, pleased. When her laughter calms, she rubs her thumb over his fingers in return and does her best to keep up with her excited heart. "Talk to me. Please?" she breathes.
He breaks their connection, ducking his head to focus on their hands. "Elizabeth... I—"
Rapid footfalls approaching shatter the dreamlike calm of the darkened room to her disappointment. Jason unclasps their hands and turns to the entrance of the room. That's when Franco appears in the doorway, disheveled and out of breath.
Her lips part in a jarring shock as she realizes she hasn't really thought of him once since her first waking.
He rushes to her side and gingerly envelops her in his arms, tucking her head under his chin. "Thank god you're alright," he rasps before pulling back and dipping his head down to press his mouth to hers.
There's no spark on her end as usual, no skipping of her heart. It's nice, normal, safe. But it feels strangely wrong too, like she changed without noticing and no longer fits. She turns her head away, breaking the kiss. "'s a little hard to breathe at the moment," is her excuse despite her heart monitor saying otherwise. And over his shoulder, she catches Jason's eyes and knows he caught her lie.
His look leaves her feeling exposed and downright confused. Why does it feel like she's stretched all wrong and her skin no longer fits her? Why does her role as Franco Baldwin's wife feel like it belongs to someone else when it's been less than a day to her since she excelled at it? Maybe... Maybe it was easier then because Jason looked at me like I was lost to him. And now... Now he looks at me and sees me. Now he sees me and seems to want me—
And then there's the rapid click of heels nearing and Jason steps out in the hall to meet her. Sam.
Elizabeth looks away with a punctured heart, lifting her hand to cup Franco's scruffy cheek. "'m fine. 'm gonna make a full recovery," she assures him, brushing her knuckles lazily down his cheek. Things may feel off, but she'll work her way back to the place they were that morning after they sent the boys off to school. Remembering this past week won't matter.
He wraps his fingers around her wrist and kisses her knuckles. His eyes are wet with emotion as he clears his throat. "What happened?"
"I chose to get shot," she admits slowly with a wry grin. His eyes round as he stammers and she amends her statement slightly. "Well... it was mostly my decision."
He's blinking now, mouth opening and shutting before he raises his eyebrows. "I don't-I don't understand. You-do you mind explaining?"
She sighs, not wanting to cause a blowout, and her eyes drift towards the window. Tension swirls around Jason and Sam in an uncharacteristic storm - the furthest thing from a passionate reunion. From the heavy set of his brows to the diamond sharp blade of his glare, she'd say Jason is livid. What makes her mind sputter is it's directed at Sam whose expression is short of crumbling.
"Elizabeth?"
She jerks her attention back to her husband where it belongs and wets her lips. "'m sorry, 'm just—" she lifts a hand and presses the heel of her hand into her tired eyes before meeting his gaze. "I chose... to save Jason's life. That's what happened," she settles on being candid. "Though I don't remember myself 'cause of amnesia of the past week."
He sits back, eyes showcasing the roar of thoughts in his dark eyes. "Jason is the reason you're in this bed. He's the reason you were kidnapped to begin with," he utters in a faint voice almost like he's far away.
Her brows pinch as she twists her hand to wrap around his, trying to dispel a sudden cinder block of unease in her belly. "Hey, 'm not angry with him. So—"
"You have two children who need you Sam! Why are you risking that?!" Jason's voice cracks through the air, arresting her attention entirely.
"You needed me to save you!" Sam counters in a desperate shrill.
"You know I'm more than capable of taking care of myself," he growls. "I made it back from Russia just fine. And I wasn't alone this time."
Sam scoffs, jabbing a finger at the window towards her, never taking her eyes off Jason. "And look at how capable she turned out."
"Elizabeth is the reason I'm breathing!" Jason bellows with icy fire in his eyes.
Elizabeth grasps her sheets in tight fists. A distant beeping increases in pace and a voice tries to grab her attention, but she can only focus on Jason. Sam can do no wrong in his eyes, so why is he so furious?
"I don't get it. I thought you would be happy to see me. I love you. I couldn't sit back and let something happen to you if I could help it," Sam cries with tears wetting her eyes.
Jason doesn't budge an inch. "So this was more important. Saving me," he spits the words and Sam flinches, "was more important than making sure the kids you wanted so desperately had a mother."
Carly walks up with bags full of foodstuffs hooked at her elbows, a cartoon of drinks in one hand, and stands beside Jason, not saying a word.
Sam stands frozen.
"We agreed to stay away from each other for their sake—"
"I didn't agree. I love you—"
"And I love you, but I... I don't want to be with you anymore," he tells her in that blank tone signifying his shut down. "Go home to Danny and Scout—"
The crack of Sam's hand against Jason's face is like a gunshot. "Go to hell!"
Elizabeth's worry spirals out of her hands and the beeping grows more insistent.
"Shit!" Her face is cradled and guided away from the window to Franco's concerned features. "Hey, hey a little slap won't kill him."
She squeezes her eyes tight for a moment, pain spider-webbing through her chest as she sucks in her breaths. "He's... hurting," she whispers weakly. He's choosing to walk away from the love of his life for Danny and Scout. That type of agony is unbearable.
Jason sprints to her other side, hands landing on the bed. "Hey, it's okay. What's wrong?"
"I don't think you should be in here. You're the reason she's upset," Franco warns over her with an undercurrent of protectiveness she neither wants or needs.
She removes her grip from the sheets to slide her hand over Jason's, concentrating on breathing so her machines don't go into full alert, but needing to risk things a little to say, "I'm... sorry."
Through his concern, she can see a softness dawning in his gaze as he sees straight to the deeper meaning of her words. "I'll be fine once you calm down, okay? Can you do that for me?" He soothes with raised eyebrows.
She nods and closes her eyes again, focusing more on the hand curled over Jason's rather than the one Franco places a gentle kiss upon. And it helps. The tightness in her lungs fades and she's left as weary as a beginner having run a 5K marathon.
She hears the relief in Jason's exhale, followed by Franco's rigid tone. "I think you should stay away from her."
That gives her the strength to lift her eyelids and see the blank stare Jason pins her husband with. "No... Jason's my friend. That's what... That's what happened right? We became friends again?"
He ducks his gaze and turns his hand over so her hand fits in his. "Yeah. We became friends again," he tells her in a quiet way that fills her stomach with a warmth she basks in.
"Jason needs... a friend right now,"
"Carly's here," Franco shoots down, outright glowering at Jason now.
"Want him here," she sighs, unyielding, squeezing Franco's hand to bring his gaze down to hers.
"And stay he will," Carly promises upon entering the room with Sam noticeably absent. "After he and I go eat this stuff. I know you want him to eat as much as I do, so I could really use your help to convince him."
She searches his expression and immediately pinpoints the beginnings of bruising under his eyes and the sheer will he's using to try and keep his eyes alert. "Go, try to rest too," she urges, rubbing her fingers into the side of his hand.
He tries to hide his expression and the subtle change in his voice, but she spots the affection swirling in his gaze locked on their hands clear as day. "I'll be fine."
He seems to edge his hand from hers as if reluctant to let go, then heads for the door with Carly following him out. She closes the door behind them.
Elizabeth struggles to remain unaffected as the remnants of his touch lingers in pleasurable tingles across her skin and his look threatens to crack open the vault she keeps her love for him within. She can't go down that path again. It wouldn't work. It never does. She tries to reason with herself. But her heart...
Her heart has never been one to see reason when it came to him.
"Elizabeth... What was that?" his laugh is brief and filled with disbelief. "I mean you-you kind of looked oddly pleased to be friends with him again." His insecurities oozes from him in waves.
Lying with a bullet wound to the chest, she frankly doesn't have it in her to be doting and reassuring as per usual. She just meets his worried gaze and sighs. "Of course... 'm happy. We share a child. Didn't exactly enjoy bein' at odds with him. 'm happy we're friends again."
Franco plays with her fingers, keeping his eyes focused there. "And you don't think he won't try and win you back now that he's no longer with Sam?"
She tries to pull her hand away from his, feeling cold. "In other words, you don't trust me."
He jumps in his seat. "No no no, that's not what—"
"How are the boys?" she asks over him after tucking her hands under the sheets and closing her eyes.
"Elizabeth... I didn't mean it that way. I just-you've made it clear how much the guy means to you."
She refuses to respond to that.
"Can you at least tell me more about your condition and what I can do to help," he asks gently in his wounded puppy tone.
She opens her eyes part way and he takes the offering by stroking her hair with his fingers. "Dr. Jackson said 'm gonna have to take it easy for a month or two... and the memories I lost are gonna be recovered in time."
His features twist up in a worried manner. "So... you're going to have to take off of work for a while huh?"
Anxiety runs through her stomach like a serrated blade. She groans in dismay. They're falling behind on their mortgage as it is and now this.
"Damn it, I'm sorry! We can just talk about this later! Rest is more important right now," he rushes while brushing his knuckles over her cheek.
Her breath catches when she remembers. "A commission. You-that was supposed to pay off what we owe... put us ahead too," she breathes in relief.
Then notices his apologetic wince.
"Franco!" she gasps in shock.
"I was afraid for you when I realized you were kidnapped and I needed to find you-look, why don't you get some rest? You look beat. We can figure this stuff out later, I promise." he assures her with a wide nervous grin.
After the emotional roller coaster she's experienced, 'beat' is an understatement. She gives in and takes his advice, tired of fighting sleep. Even so, she doubts her slumber will be anything but rejuvenating - not with this stress now weighing on her.
—
The logs are gritty beneath her fingers as she runs her hands over it, feeling for any inconsistencies. There's a blurriness about the scene, a sort of murkiness that mutes the details. But she can feel clearly. And there's a choking panic expanding from her gut, hastening her movements and pounding through her head.
Something pricks her finger and she smothers her yelp as quick as she can, jerking her hand back. She's not stealthy enough.
Large, warm hands swallow her shoulders making her realize just how chilled she is in comparison. "Come here," he whispers and begins guiding her towards a faint source of light.
She's stood between his legs as he examines her finger. His hands are rough with callouses from years of hard work, opposite of that of a doctor's and yet he strokes her skin like one; though, there's an undercurrent of something more, something intense and stimulating. If everything wasn't being consumed by the frantic need to keep moving practically crawling out of her skin, she'd say she feels a kindling heat in her belly, a heartbreaking want pumping her blood.
The annoying pain subsides followed by the comforting brush of a rough thumb over her fingertip. "Just a little splinter," he tells her in a quiet tone.
Her fear runs deep and instead of gratitude, she lashes out. "I don't care! I'd take a thousand splinters if it meant—!" Air fails her for a moment and she tugs her hand out of his. "If it meant Jake wouldn't lose the greatest father he'll ever know and my world would continue to make sense."
The scene fades and becomes muddled. The sensations and emotions take root, different to the growing awareness of her surroundings Elizabeth now notices. The most prominent being the perpetual pull right beside her. Before she can even open her eyes she's reaching towards Jason. A breathy exhale leaves her when his fingers wrap around her wrist. She opens her eyes and he's there with eyes intent on her.
In the back of her mind, she notes the room is different, the lights are turned up, and how much clearer she feels - she must've slept for a while. But what holds her focus is her seemingly irrational worry which stretches her hand in his grasp towards his cheek. She feels a bit of her tension easing when she feels the subtle tilt of his head into her hand. His fingers climb up to trap her hand there even though escaping is the furthest thing from her mind as she swallows around a knot of fear.
"Are you okay?"
There's a pinch of confusion that forms between his brows. "Yeah-yeah I'm fine. What's wrong?"
The tightness eases up and she flashes a smile, shaking her head. "It's nothing," she promises, then changes her mind. Sliding her fingers down so her fingertips rest at the center of his chest where his heart thumps, she focuses her eyes there for a moment before returning to the ensnarement of his gaze. "No, that's a lie. I don't want to lie to you. I just had a dream where I was really worried for you and I needed to make sure you were okay."
He studies her for a long moment in search of something before he nods once. "Okay," he says in quiet acceptance before bringing her hand down on the bed clasped between his. "Um, Franco should be returning any minute since Carly flat out refused to grab him something from the cafeteria."
"Hey, I'm her fairy godmother. I'm supposed to help her not hinder her," Carly points out from the other side of the room.
Elizabeth jolts and looks to see the woman lounging on the couch with phone in hand. Carly lifts her head up and gives her a teasing wave coupled with a mischievous smile before focusing back on her phone. Elizabeth stares in stunned silence, not having realized anyone else was present. The reality of Jason being her friend again is apparently scrambling her sense of the outside world.
She raises her unoccupied hand to run through her hair before settling her eyes back on Jason. He's looking at her with a tiny, fond smile that lights up his eyes. It's impossible to fight her blush at such beauty. "What?" she asks with a smile of her own.
"It's nothing. It's just good to see you getting better," he admits. "They've done an MRI just to confirm your amnesia, and you're going to be transferred to GH within the hour."
She blinks wide eyes at him. "Wow, I really must've been out of it. It's Friday now."
"Yeah, well with the kidnapping and the gunshot wound... You need the rest."
She frowns, not liking his subdued tone and that he won't meet her eyes. "I don't want you to feel guilty. I'm going to be fine, Jason."
He doesn't say anything for a while, just sweeps his fingertips over the inside of her wrist in a way that both calms and excites her. "Are you looking forward to seeing the boys?" he asks looking at her from under his raised brows.
It's an obvious evasion, but one she allows. "Oh, I can't wait to hold them in my arms! I'm gonna smother them with so much love and attention they're gonna get sick of me," she gushes, grinning from ear to ear.
His eyes smile, melting her insides. "I can't wait to see them too." He straightens up and presses his lips together briefly and she picks up on the change in mood to something serious. "But there's something you and I agreed upon that you should know."
She curls her hand into his, nodding despite the nervous drum under her skin. "Okay."
"Cyrus Renault is a very dangerous issue, and until he's dealt with, we agreed that we... that I should stay away. So after I see Jake, I'm going to keep my distance."
All her enthusiasm sinks into a quiet disappointment.
"Okay." She quickly slaps on an understanding smile at seeing the genuine regret in his crestfallen expression. "Really, I understand. I guess I'm going to just miss seeing you around, which is weird because you were avoiding me for like two weeks after I yelled at you - which I'm really sorry for, by the way. And it's not like I didn't miss seeing you then, despite what I told myself. I guess I was just really looking forward to seeing you more often and not having to worry about being on guard and overly defensive, especially since you're the person one who-oh god I should just, you know, shut up now." She groans and covers her face with her hand slightly mortified until she hears the gooey warmth of his laughter.
She lowers her hand and is captured by his tender look. "I'm going to miss seeing you too," he assures her in that soft, endearing way she adores.
Bit by bit his expression changes. His stare becomes quiet and intense, and she stills in anticipation, her thoughts turning to mush. In a careful progression, he reaches for her. His fingertips trail across her forehead and slowly tuck her hair behind her ear before feathering over her jaw as he draws back. Her skin comes alive, flushed with warmth and dazzling tingles. She stares at him within a daze, her throat dry. Curling her hand tighter around his, she waits in anticipation for how next move.
And then the traitorous machine at her bedside gives her reaction away without remorse which is made all the worse when Jason doesn't bother to hide the smugness in his smile. And with Carly busting a gut two seconds later, Elizabeth buries herself beneath her cover with an exaggerated moan of embarrassment.
"You guys are being really mean right now!"
Carly pulls herself together long enough to gasp, "Actually I don't think we've done nearly enough."
She feels a tug on her covering, but only relents enough to reveal her eyes. Despite his best efforts, Jason is all smiles. "I'm sorry."
"Uh-huh."
He ducks his head as if that could hide his laugh. When he meets her eyes again, he appears utterly content. She loses her breath. "I couldn't help myself with you."
She's lowering her cover when Franco and Dr. Jackson walk in. All eyes turn to them.
Franco has an open bag of Doritos in hand, his eyes looking between her and Jason who's already shifted back to a more respectable distance. It's only then that it dawns on her that what occurred between them was along the lines of flirting.
"What's uh... What's going on?"
Her mouth opens, but guilt smothers any words that could form.
Carly's heels cut through the tension with a decisive click as she stands. "Just a little friendly teasing. Come on, Jason. Let's let the doctor have a final visit with Elizabeth before she's loaded up into the ambulance."
As they leave, Franco moves to her side and kisses her forehead. She gives him a loving smile, reminding herself that she and Jason are just friends with a long history and nothing more.
And even if she wanted more... he would never allow it out of fear for her and her kids.