The Space Between
Chapter 3: Making Strides
Harborview Towers
Zander pushed his head away from the wall, the doors to the elevator sliding open, pausing slightly before stepping off and sluggishly heading toward the penthouse. Tired from dealing with Mike, sadness weighing down his heart, he just wanted to reach his bed and sleep. He frowned at the lack of a guard, glancing quickly across the hall to Alexis' door.
No guard there either.
He paused again at the door, his hand flexing on the handle. He hoped Sonny knew that the guards were gone. Zander wasn't sure if he had the strength to face Sonny. It was becoming harder and harder to look at the pain in his eyes. He sighed heavily, opening the door. He glanced up at once and froze.
He stared, blinking rapidly, mouth gaping open.
Closing his eyes, he took a step back out in the hall, leaving the door slightly closed, he gave his head a shake. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back inside.
No, still the same.
"Well, I'll be damned." Zander chuckled, his eyes roaming over the room that was practically doused in red and green, taking in the bows decorating the staircase, the candles lit everywhere and his gaze finally falling on the huge unlit Christmas tree that stood in the corner near the fireplace.
"Isn't it pretty?" Emily exclaimed, slipping her hands around his waist. She'd come out of the kitchen to see a befuddled Zander gaping at the room.
"Did you-"
"Nope. All Sonny."
"Shut up." He punched her shoulder playfully, his eyes still taking in the details. Sonny had built a fire that enveloped the room in a soft yellow glow. It felt warm and comfortable. Like home should feel. Like it hadn't felt since Carly had been attacked.
She laughed. "Swear. I practically fell over dead when I found him and Michael shopping for the tree. After I talked Grandfather into getting the tree I wanted, I sent him home with Reggie and joined Sonny and Mikey." She came up behind him, her chin resting in the crook of his shoulder. "This could be a good sign, babe."
Zander nodded, still in shock. "Yeah." He pulled her to him, kissing her lips softly. He wasn't too sure if that was true, but he wasn't going to be the one to dash her hopes. And at least Sonny was trying. "It could be a real good sign."
"Hey. No kissing."
Zander and Emily laughed as they watched Michael come out of the kitchen, a plate of cookies in his hands. Sonny followed closely, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. What he said."
Michael set the plate on the table. "You guys are like Momma and Daddy. Always kissing. Blech."
Zander saw Sonny's back stiffen slightly, then relax. He knew it was taking everything Sonny had to try to make this situation work. Lord knew that Carly would be proud of her husband. He was doing exceptionally well, considering. Hell, he'd even gone ahead with the celebration plans for Christmas because he knew how much Carly had been looking forward to them.
Emily's head leaned on his shoulder again as they both observed father and son interacting. "He's faking it real well, isn't he?"
"Way too well."
Emily eyed Sonny sadly. "You think he's going to break soon, don't you?"
"No, I'm worried that he won't. He's bottling it up. What if he keeps holding it all in until it smothers what life he has left inside?" He looked over at Emily. "He can't function without her, Em. Not for long."
Before she could answer, Sonny interjected.
"Okay, kiddos. Who wants to help finish stringing the lights?" He asked, blatantly looking at Zander. "And who wants to finish the popcorn string thing-a-mi-jiggies?" He smiled at them, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Oh, well, seeing as you were oh so subtle in your hints, I think I should string the lights. Em?"
"Yes, and I believe Michael and I should do the, uh… string thing-a-mi-jiggies."
Zander and Emily grinned at Sonny's scowl before moving to join the father and son by the tree. Zander patted Sonny's shoulder. "Thank you, Son."
He looked away, not wanting to see the sadness that seemed to reside in Sonny's eyes since...
He glanced at Sonny's profile, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Sonny needed Carly. Zander closed his eyes, praying to a god that he wasn't quite sure he believed in that this man, the man that had treated him like a son, would find the strength to survive without his love.
Because God only knew how long Carly would be lost to them...God only knew...
General Hospital
She opened her eyes abruptly, feeling as though she was waking from a nightmare, conscious of her heart pounding and the sound of her harsh breathing in the otherwise silent room. She couldn't remember the dream, but her sweat-drenched body and runaway pulse told her it had been a bad one. She closed her eyes for several minutes, forcing herself to calm down.
Her breathing evened and heart rate slowed down.
Okay. Okay. That was better. A lot better.
She hated feeling afraid.
She opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. As she became more aware, she realized something was different. She turned her head slowly to look around the room.
It wasn't her room.
Her senses began to awaken, and she heard the sound of muffled voices, distant sounds of activity that lay beyond the door. She smelled medicine and starch, the odor of sickness, machines and people. She noticed the hospital bed she was lying in and the IV attached to her arm. She was in the hospital.
Why?
With a surprising amount of effort she raised her head, a sudden wave of nausea overcoming her and she swallowed hard. But she forced herself to look, to make sure she was still all there.
Both arms. One in a cast. Both legs. Her feet moved when she willed them to. Not paralyzed then. That was good.
She lifted the arm that wasn't in a cast to look at her hand. It was small, not childlike, but weak, almost fragile. She turned it slowly, staring at the pads of her fingers. They wiggled when she moved them at will. More than just a bit afraid, she reached up to touch her face. The bones seemed prominent to her probing fingers, her skin smooth and soft. She paused when she felt the gauze at the edge of her temple. Reaching further up, she realized that her head seemed to be wrapped in a bandage. She pulled at the hair that was peeking out from under it, taking an oily strand in her hand. It was blonde with a slight wave.
Now, why did that surprise her?
For the first time since awakening, she let herself deal with what had been crawling in her mind, a cold and growing fear. She laid still now, fists clenched at her sides, staring at the ceiling hard, as if the answers she was seeking would appear there.
Why was she here? What was wrong with her?
And why can't I remember...
"Oh my God."
Quinn stood in the doorway, eyes wide with surprise. She took a step into the room, moving slowly. When Carly's eyes met hers, she shook her head, falling into some semblance of professionalism. "You're awake." She said brightly, a bit nervously. "We were starting to worry about you there, Ca - Mrs. Corinthos."
Corinthos.
"I'll go get Dr. Jones." Quinn shut the door, leaning against it for a moment, before sprinting down the hall.
She waited, not thinking about the fact that she hadn't known her last name, still didn't know her first one. It seemed that she waited forever, while her mind spun with fear and frustration, before the doctor appeared. He was tall, on the heavier side, with graying hair, and a rough but kind face.
"So, you finally grace us with your presence." His voice was warm, his smile almost teasing. She caught a flash of something in his eyes as he approached her bed. He grasped her wrist lightly, beginning the process of checking her vitals. "Can you tell me your name?"
"Corinthos." She fumbled with the word.
He didn't seem surprised. The nurse had probably mentioned to her that she'd given away her last name. "How about your first name?"
She didn't respond for a moment, swallowing her fear.
"No. No, I can't remember."
"Do you know what year it is?"
She concentrated, frowning as she tried to grasp at something, anything. Her mind was cluttered, but not with memories. Fear, anxieties, and worries clouded her brain. She shook her head, a tear spilling from under her closed lashes.
"I don't know."
"That's not surprising following a traumatic event such as you had. Your head was injured severely. Amnesia occasionally happens in such events. Now that you're awake, your memories will hopefully start returning."
"Hopefully?"
He directed his serious gaze at her. "I want to be upfront because I know you'd want nothing more. You suffered serious injuries. Your body and mind need time to recover."
She stared at him, asking quietly. "You know me?"
He smiled gently. "You could say that." He patted her hand soothingly. "My name is Dr. Jones, Tony Jones. You are Caroline Corinthos. Everyone calls you Carly."
"Carly..."
It didn't ring any bells.
"What happened to me, Dr. Jones?"
Carly noticed a slight hesitation as Tony answered. "You were injured in an attack, Carly. You've been in a coma for over a month."
She closed her eyes. "Oh god." She felt Tony's hand on her shoulder.
"I need to inform Sonny, so I'm going to-"
"Who's Sonny?" Carly kept her eyes closed as she asked, trying desperately to conjure an image to the name.
Tony paused, needing to remind himself she didn't know. He reached over and raised her encased arm. Carly's eyes snapped open at the action, looking at Tony holding her fingers that were visible. He lifted one gently; the light glinted on the gold band.
"Your husband, Carly. Sonny is your husband."
Nik's Cottage
"You're cheating." Nikolas pointed an accusing finger at Juan.
"Am not. You just suck at Gin Rummy, Nik. Babe, tell him the truth."
Shari glanced up from her book. "He'd never cheat." Juan sent Nikolas a smug grin, oblivious to Shari, who nodded her head quickly, mouthing 'He's cheating' over his head to Nikolas.
"See?" Juan still grinned triumphantly. "I gots skills."
"Yeah, you know what? You can take those skills and shove the-" Nikolas was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. Reaching behind him to his suit jacket, he answered it, sending Juan an evil look. "Hello? This is Nikolas Cassadine." He swatted at the paper balls Juan was throwing at him, grinning at his friend. His smile and hand fell, one of the balls hitting him directly in the face.
Juan stood as Nikolas blinked rapidly and then slowly turned toward his friend. "Are you sure?" Nikolas face contorted in anger. "Don't think! I want a definite!"
Shari froze in her chair, scared at what could possible have caused the usually calm prince to react so strongly. She could only think of two things, and both were too frightening to voice out loud.
Nikolas wiped at his eyes. "Thank you." He snapped his phone shut, looking at them intently. "It's Carly...
Kelly's Diner
Bobbie Spencer cleared the last of the lunch plates off the counter. Elizabeth had taken a few days off, something about her parents. Penny had come down with flu. So all that left were Bobbie and Lucas, who had volunteered to help. She watched her son clear one of the tables, frowning over the tip. Bobbie hadn't really paid attention to him lately and she felt the guilt eat at her. She needed to make it up to him. Her mind lately was always filled with worries for Carly. Bobbie knew Lucas understood that, but the guilt was still there.
Not just guilt regarding Lucas… also Carly. She should have been at the hospital with her daughter making sure that she was being taken care of. She hadn't been there for her most of her life, and now Carly needed her mother more than ever. Bobbie felt her head throb and she sighed, rubbing her forehead at the spot where the headache had formed. She knew that if she ever wanted to see Sonny try to function, she had to show him by example that staying constantly by Carly's side wasn't helping anyone. So she worked her shifts, took care of the restaurant, and watched her son-in-law closely.
Sonny was barely holding on without Carly. She had to constantly remind him to eat and get some rest, which showed how far into depression he was falling. When Mr. Control Freak, as Carly called him, wasn't taking care of himself, it wasn't a good sign.
She glanced at her watch quickly. If she hurried, she could visit Carly for a few minutes before heading to Sonny's. She smiled, remembering the vague message he'd left on her voicemail. Something about not wanting to tick off the Christmas Nazi.
Whatever that means.
Stefan Cassadine paused at Kelly's entrance, glancing first at Lucas and then Bobbie. He watched intently as she wiped at the counter, her auburn hair falling softly to her shoulder. It still surprised him at times how beautiful she was. How strong and caring. His stomach knotted like it always did when he let himself think of her. He shook his head. He'd come here for her.
"Barbara Jean."
Bobbie's head snapped to attention, her heart skipping a beat as it usually did when she heard his voice. "Stefan." She stopped, noticing anxiety sketched on his usually stony face. Something flickered in his eyes. She could have sworn it was excitement and... happiness? "What are you doing here?"
Lucas glanced between the two, keeping silent for the most part. He knew how his mother and ex-stepfather felt about each other, even if they didn't. Besides, it wasn't his place to pry. They were adults and they needed to figure it out for themselves. He turned away, determined to ignore the conversation, but Stefan's' next words made him come to attention, his breath catching in his throat.
"I'm here about Caroline, Barbara."
Harborview Towers
"Did you steal Christmas from the Who's, Sonny?" Luke bellowed, as he surveyed the decorated penthouse. Carly would have been proud.
Sonny glanced down from his spot on the ladder, where he stood straightening the star. "I think you're getting confused, old man. The only Grinch around here is you."
Luke punched a fist to his chest, stumbling a few steps and falling gently on the couch, smothering a laughing Emily and Michael. "That was cold, Corinthos. I think you've been hanging around..." He cut off his next words having caught the sharp look Zander sent him.
Sonny didn't need Luke to finish the sentence. Ignoring the ache that thoughts of Carly brought, he concentrated on keeping his balance and perfecting the angle of the star. He thought of the beautifully wrapped ceramic angel that sat wrapped in a box in the hallway closet. He'd bought that for Carly, imagining her eyes lighting up at the sight of it. He could almost hear her soft 'Thank you' and warm lips...
"Okay. What do you all think?" He asked the small group, focusing his mind on other tasks.
Luke angled his head back and studied the tree. "Eh. Not bad."
Emily punched him lightly. "Not bad? Sonny, it looks beautiful."
"Yeah, Daddy. It's really cool." Michael called from his father's desk, where he now sat observing Zander assemble his train set.
"Cool, huh?" Sonny climbed down, walking to his son and taking in the scene from there.
Zander stopped what he was doing for a moment, glancing at Sonny's work. "It looks awesome, Son."
Sonny smiled genuinely. "It does look pretty good."
The door to the penthouse burst open causing those in the room to jump. Johnny halted in his tracks, shocked. He looked around him, shaking his head clear and turned to Sonny.
"We need to get you to the hospital. Now."
Sonny's heart stopped, millions of thoughts and fears flooding his head.
Carly had a set back. Someone had tried to hurt her there. The doctors had more bad news.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked.
Johnny's eyes never left Sonny's.
"She's awake."
Emily gasped, her hand reaching out to grasp Luke's shoulder. Zander stood up slowly, his eyes on Johnny. Michael clapped loudly. He'd known his Mommy wouldn't miss Christmas.
"What did you say?" Sonny choked out, too afraid to believe.
"Carly's awake, Sonny. She came back to you, man. She came back."