A/N – Thanks for the comments! Re: Ric, your childhoods really have a huge impact on your choices and your esteem. Obviously, Ric doesn't have the best self esteem and therefore, he processes the world differently. There's a lot of hurt there and when you have crappy parents, you sometimes tend to want to please other people and that is what he did with Sonny. To him, he needed Sonny's love to feel valid. When he looks at Jason, he sees someone who never has to make a big effort to get it and has everything he wants. Ric tries to be who he thinks you want him to be instead of being himself because being authentic was never rewarded in his world. He was never good enough.
Chapter 31
Three weeks later
Patrick is back to work and at the nurse's desk getting a chart when he looks up and spots a man walking towards him.
"Patrick Drake?"
"That's me. How can I help you?"
Frisco leaned forward. "I'm about to arrest you. What do you think of that?"
Patrick went pale. "What?"
Frisco reached to grab his handcuffs.
"Wait! Not here, please. I'll come with you, but please don't do it in front of the staff."
"It's against my better judgment, but let's go."
He turned slightly. "Marta, I have to leave for an emergency. In fact, it's going to take several days, can you let Marcus know?"
"You got it."
Frisco grabbed his arm and led him to bank of elevators and then they got in one. A woman is already there, so Patrick was stressed until she got off.
"Why am I arrested?"
Frisco pulled him off the elevator and too his car. "Simple battery…"
"What?"
"Patrick Drake, you have the right to remain silent…" Frisco droned on before finishing and shoving the stunned doctor into the vehicle.
Frisco stopped to text Robert and then drove to the station.
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Robert grinned when he glanced at his phone and texted Lila and Audrey. "Operation Retribution is a go."
The women were happy when they read it. Soon, Patrick would get a taste of his own medicine.
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Kelly's Diner
Everyone lifted their drinks.
"To Jason passing the written test! I'm so proud of you, son," Alan said.
"Here—here!" Mac said loudly.
All his family and friends had come together to celebrate. Jason had worked hard and while he still has one more segment to go, this had given him much needed confidence.
Lila embraced him with a huge smile on her face as Emily looked on, waiting her turn. "I knew you could do it."
"You always have faith in me."
"Because you deserve it…"
Emily threw her arms around him. "Jase, you are the best big brother."
"I love you."
"I love you more."
Robin had come with Mac. "Congratulations, Jason."
"Thank you."
She wanted to apologize for Ric, but didn't want to be a downer.
For the next hour, everyone had a raucous good time telling stories and Mac is so happy that the guys are acting more normal. Of course, Sonny's loss still weighed heavily on them, but they were allowing themselves to have a good time.
Diane sipped on a drink while Francis gave her a foot massage. "You are hired forever."
He grinned. "That's what good uncles do."
Diane had never felt so doted upon. The guys made sure she ate and took naps. They texted her to make sure she wasn't overdoing it and she is so grateful for them. Sometimes, her loss made life feel unbearable, but when you have so many people rallying around you, it helps a lot.
Lila and Edward left with Monica and Alan and Diane got up and stretched.
"Tired?" Mac asked.
"I'm starting to get there."
"I'll take you home then."
"Thanks."
As she started to move forward and then the door flew open and Ric stumbled inside waving a gun.
"Ric! What are you doing?" Mac asked.
Ric locked the door. "I'm righting some wrongs."
Jason stepped in front of Elizabeth.
"Always the hero…"
"Ric, please put down the gun," Robin pleaded.
"I can't. I have to do this. It's not fair that Jason got my brother, my nephew—God, what doesn't he take?"
Johnny rolled his eyes. "Could you get any more pathetic? Grow up Ric! I'm sick of this shit. No one is trying to do anything to you. Do you really think that Sonny would approve of what you're doing?"
Ric's face contorted. "I loved my brother, but I was never good enough. I have no one now. Everyone is gone."
"You have me," Robin whispered.
"Do I? You'll leave me too, they all do."
"Ric…" Ronnie said as Ric's eyes darted wildly. "Come on man, put it down before you hurt someone."
He raised the revolver and pointed it at Jason.
Emily moved in front of him.
"Emily!" Jason said.
"I'm not moving. I won't let him hurt you."
Ric shook his head. "How do you do it, man? I just don't get it. You are cocky and even treated them badly after the accident. They all forgave you and put you on a pedestal. I paid my way through school and try to do everything right. I smile at the right times and follow the rules and still, it's not good enough. It's not like you have some wonderful personality or something, yet everyone is loyal to you." His arm shook, causing several people to gasp. "Can you tell me what I did wrong? Can you?"
Jason sighed. "Ric, this is between you and me. Will you let them leave? Please?"
Ric laughed. "There you go again, trying to be so selfless. It must be exhausting being so perfect."
Mac notices that Diane looks a little distressed. "Ric, Diane needs to go get checked out. Will you please let me take her?"
Ric's gaze falls on her and he watches Diane's eyes fill with tears. "You loved him."
She nods. "Very much…"
"I did too."
"He loved you. I'm sorry if you felt it wasn't enough, but he did. Maybe he wasn't good at expressing it to you, but you were very important to him."
He shook his head as tears fell, not believing her. "Get her out of here, but if you call the police, I will leave no one standing."
Mac nodded and then quickly scooped her up and left.
"Thank you," Audrey said.
"I did it for my brother."
"I know you're hurting and are a good man. Just put down the gun and we'll get you some help."
He gazed around the room. "You all think I'm a monster."
"You just reached your breaking point," Liz said. "We get it."
Sarah grips Johnny's hand.
"You're right," he said looking at Jason. "You can go. This is between me and him."
A reluctant Liz hugged Jason from behind. "Please be careful. I love you."
"I love you too."
Francis led Audrey to the door and then one by one, everyone headed out.
"Please don't hurt him," Emily said before leaving.
Liz gave Ric one last glance before Robin stepped into his line of vision.
"I love you and will help you through this. Please don't do anything that you can't take back." She had thought that maybe his torture soul would start to heal, but clearly, he was far from being okay.
Ric watched her go and then stared down Jason.
"I'm not sure what to say to you. I have no control over Sonny's choices and decisions. You're putting on the blame on me, but you're wrong," Jason said.
"It hurts so much. You don't understand how horrible Deke was to us. He was a monster. Sonny was allowed to escape, but I had to suffer. I came here, hurt and feeling abandoned and then we talked and he was happy to see me and gave me a hug. That one hug changed my life. I got a brother, but he was obsessed with you and it killed me."
"Ric, he wasn't obsessed. He was just being Sonny. He cared about people and we grew closer because I was struggling and he was there for me. It wasn't some conspiracy. Why are you doing this?
Robert and Delores slowly moved into the diner via the back door. Mac had told them to tread lightly because Ric is fragile.
Ric started to cry. "I don't even know who I am anymore. My whole life revolved around making Sonny proud of me and wanting his love."
"Don't you see how wrong that is? You would have never been truly happy. Look man, I know we got off on the wrong foot and I don't hate you. Just put down the gun and you can talk to someone who can help you talk through this and get some clarity."
Robert and Delores pretended to just happen in on the scene.
"I think I'm going to get a number five," Robert said.
"You're so predictable."
"I know what I like."
They came to a screeching halt as Ric stared them down.
"Don't move."
Robert held his hands up. "What's going on?"
"Nothing, Ric was just about to leave. Right, Ric?" Jason said.
Ric sighed and then everything happened in slow motion. The front door was kicked open and Ric jumped, dropping the cocked revolver which hit the floor and fired. His eyes widened as the bullet struck his side and he fell backwards.
Jason ran to him, pushing aside a few cops and knelt next to him.
Outside, everyone was stunned to hear the shot and rushed the building but were quickly stopped from entering.
"Talk to me," Jason said as he applied pressure.
"I'm sorry."
"Just hold on, okay?"
Ric stilled as he stared at Jason. "Why are you being nice to me?"
"He loved you and I get feeling completely out of control. You lost your way, but it's not too late to find it again."
His eyes swelled with tears as the paramedics took over and put him on a gurney. "If I don't make it, I'll tell him you said hi."
Jason grabbed his arm. "You'll make it. He'll be watching over you."
They wheeled him away and Jason gave his statement, but refused to press charges. Elizabeth moved to his side and he put his arm around her.
"None of us are pressing charges, Robert."
He shook his head. "We still will bring him up on charges. I have to follow the law."
Diane moved forward. She had stayed outside in the car, but had refused to leave. "I'll be representing him."
Robert chuckled. "You people never cease to amaze me."
"He's hurting and lost it. I'll be recommending a stay in Shadybrook. The only person he hurt was himself."
"Good luck with that, I'm going to the hospital."
Diane's attention went to Mac who knows exactly what she is thinking.
"No. You're going home. Robert will text me with an update."
"I'll call Epiphany," Liz said.
"Fine, I'll go rest."
Jason gave her a hug and then Mac led her outside.
Liz pulled him towards the door. "We need to talk."
"Am I in trouble?"
Instead of answering, she held her hand out for the keys and while he arched his brow, he noted her serious expression and handed them over.
They got inside and Liz revved the engine and then took off, not saying a word until they got to Vista Point. Parking the car, she got out and then went to the bridge as he anxiously followed.
He watched her pace for a minute until she turned furious eyes on him.
"What the hell were you thinking? He could have killed you, Jason. I get you are used to sacrificing yourself, but your life is not expendable. Do you know how hard it was to leave you in there with him? Would you have walked away if I had done that?"
"Probably not."
"But you expected me too."
"Elizabeth…"
"No, Jason," she stalked towards him, tears pricking her eyes. "I stood in that parking lot hearing that gunshot and thought you were dead. I—" She stopped, slightly wobbling as all the emotions she had shoved down started to come out and then she sunk to her knees, sobbing as Jason's eyes welled.
He came out of his haze and reached her in two steps, sinking to the ground and pulling her onto his lap as he hugged her. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to save him for Sonny. Maybe he's right and I don't think and take too many chances." It took a few minutes, but Liz finally quieted and he waited for her to speak.
"What happened in there?"
"He was upset and I tried to talk him down. When I was finally getting somewhere, Robert and Delores showed up and then someone burst through the front door and he dropped the gun and it went off and pierced his side."
"It could have been facing you, Jason. You could be the one in surgery right now."
He sighed. "I'm sorry."
Her eyes closed for a minute and then reopened. "I never want to change you, but the thought of losing you—I never want to feel that again."
He lifted her chin and kissed her reverently. "I love you and I'm sorry for worrying you. If I had really thought that Ric was going to do something, I wouldn't have stayed in there. Asking you to trust me is a lot, but baby, I don't walk into burning buildings thinking I'm going to fail and die. It might sound cocky, but my instincts have always kept me alive except for one time and I had a guardian angel that saved me."
"Just hold me."
"I never plan on letting you go."
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Patrick's eyes welled as he sat in the cell. The mug shot and finger prints had been totally humiliating and he is shocked that Elizabeth would take it this far.
Frisco moved towards the cell. "You get one phone call."
An officer grabbed him and took him to a phone.
Patrick quickly dialed Claudia's number, but they had anticipated that and intercepted the call and transferred it to a fake voicemail.
"Claudia, I'm in jail and need a lawyer. I need your help."
"Alright, let's go."
Frisco took him back to his cell. "Get comfortable, you'll be here overnight."
Patrick laid on the cot in the corner as tears began to fall and it finally sunk in regarding the gravity of his actions and now, they just might ruin his life.
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The next morning, Elizabeth woke up and stretched and is sore in all the right places.
"Hey, beautiful," Jason said as he sat some hot chocolate on the night stand.
"That smells so good. I'll be right back." She quickly ran to the bathroom and then hurried back. Taking a sip, she moaned. "That really hit the spot. Nothing beats good sex and chocolate."
He grinned. "What are you doing today?"
"Well, I need to check with Lila because Patrick spent the night in jail."
"Well, hopefully, he'll learn his lesson. Mac left me a text. Ric made it through surgery and is recovering. Once he's well enough, he'll have to attend a hearing."
"Diane will be ready."
"If anyone can help get him out of this mess, it's her."
"I'll go start breakfast."
"Okay."
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Patrick jumped up when the guard called his name and then he is led to an interrogation room.
Anna breezed in a few minutes later. "Mr. Drake. I'm Amanda Harris. I will be representing you."
"Can you get me out of here?"
"Well, let's talk about what you did first." Anna took out her briefcase. "I reviewed the file and it seems like they have some solid evidence against you."
Patrick's heart sunk. "What's the worst case scenario?"
"Well, you will probably receive a hefty fine, a short jail sentence, the medical board will be notified, and you will probably lose your license and be labeled a sex offender."
"What?"
"It's considered sexual assault. I'm not sure what you thought would happen when you took advantage of an unconscious woman."
Patrick gulped. "Are you on my side or not?"
"My job is to get you out of here, but I'm just letting you know that the most I could possibly do is accept a plea deal which hasn't been offered or try to convince the judge that your tumor caused you to act irrational."
Patrick's career flashed before his eyes. "What if Elizabeth didn't testify?"
"Well, there are still other witness statements and you could be found guilty regardless. Tell me something, are you sorry for what you did?"
"I honestly did not think of all the consequences. I'm not sorry for loving her, but I'm sorry that I hurt her."
"What about Mr. Morgan?"
Patrick scowled.
"See that attitude right there? That will definitely not win you any sympathy."
"You're asking me to like the enemy?"
"The only enemy in this room is you. So, you really aren't sorry, you're just trying to save your career."
Patrick shook his head. "That's not what I said. I'm sorry I hurt her. I'm sorry that I set the whole thing up and didn't take no for an answer. As for Jason, I'm sorry that I didn't go about this whole thing in a different way."
Anna almost rolled her eyes and stood, putting her notes away. "Alright, I'll be back in the morning."
Patrick stood. "What!"
"I'm not going to be painting my nails. I'll be working on your case." She had been prepared to tell him the truth in a few hours, but she doesn't think he's showing enough remorse. "See you tomorrow, Mr. Drake."
Patrick watched incredulously as she left and then plopped onto a bench, praying for a miracle.
