CHAPTER 9
Elizabeth was finishing her coffee break just as Epiphany was called down to the ER.
"Elizabeth, you are back on the clock. Mr. Morgan, don't scare the inspectors when they show up." She said before heading to the elevators grateful that these ones worked better than the old ones.
"Inspectors?" Asked Jason.
"We have to have the operating rooms checked out before we can use the ones on this floor. Somehow they were skipped or the paperwork was lost." She explained. "Nik swears that he walked through them with the men from the board, but they claim to have no papers."
Kissing her goodbye, Jason walked past a man wearing surgical gear carrying a transplant cooler. Stopping he went back down the hall and then told himself he was being paranoid when he saw him go up to the helipad.
Mac was going over the latest forensics with Raynor when he got the call from the transplant board. "Thank you."
Then calling GH found out that they did have a record on the computer about a transplant surgery going on. "We have a set of lungs going to John Hopkins."
Hanging up, Mac and the agent were once again going over the data when they saw Alexis entering the room. "Mac, I was just at Sam's place. Did you hear that she isn't my daughter?"
"Yes, Monica told me."
"I went to tell her, but her place was tossed it looked like there was some sort of fight out on the terrace."
"Relax, Jason called me this morning, Sam tried to make it look like she was attacked yesterday. Jason was following information from Maxie that he thought would lead to Spinelli and found her tied up at one of the studio apartments."
"Fine, do you have anyone watching her? I need to find her and talk to her about this." She said. She had decided to deal with her faux daughter first, not that that would be a piece of cake either but she thought it might be far less emotional then dealing with Elizabeth. Sam's feelings would be all about what affect this was going to have on herself and Alexis knew that she could deal with the temper tantrum that was about to be sprung by Sam. She had proven time and time again that she didn't take bad news well.
Maxie was smiling when she entered the Metrocourt and took the elevator up to Crimson. Thinking on the previous evening, she knew that all would be well. No matter what, at least things between Spinelli and her were cleared up. She was not going to lose her friend over helping Sam.
"Miss Jones; please join me in my office." Said Kate coming to the doorway. Once the blond was settled, she said "I think you have achieved all you can as my assistant, so I have arranged for a new job for you."
"Really?" She asked excited, wondering if she was going to get her own column.
"Yes, Fredrico needs a new assistant and has agreed to hire you."
Maxie lost her smile, realizing that this was a step down on the ladder to success. "Are you unhappy with my work?"
"No, in fact as an assistant your work has been more than adequate. The problem is that you have upset one of my investors and he made it plain that he won't lend me any more money as long as you are in my employ."
"Bu-but, who did I upset?" She asked confused. "Jax likes me, I know Carly doesn't, but he has already told her to keep her nose out of things."
"True, but it is one of my silent investors, you should know that Miss Spencer is being replaced as well. However you are the only one I arranged a job for."
"Kate, is there a way to make this right?" She asked not wanting to leave for New York yet.
"From what I was told, you were given several opportunities and you messed them all up, so the answer is no. You have twenty minutes to clear out your desk. You may take a copy of the Rolodex with you. Maxie, I am quite certain that at some point in the future, you will be allowed back, but it was made quite plain that you are not to remain in my employ or here in Port Charles."
Walking out, she saw that Lulu had a box and was clearing out her desk. "Did you get me fired?"
"Lulu, I am being let go as well." She said waspishly. "But at least Kate got me another job. I am the new head assistant to Fredrico Cabrero. Good luck getting your old job back at Kelly's."
Picking up a disc, she inserted it in the slot and copied the address list. At least she wasn't Lulu, she thought to herself as she tried to call Spinelli.
"Fair Elizabeth a word please." Said Spinelli as he approached the hub.
"It will have to be here and if the words Sam McCall cross your lips once, you are going to be tossed out of here."
"I just wanted to say I am sorry for what she has done." He said looking down.
"Spinelli you are not responsible for Sam, only for your own mistakes." Said Elizabeth. Looking at the kid, she said "And you made plenty of them, but so did Jason and I. Now I am sure that Jason has you working on something, so why don't you head to the office."
"Ma-may I ask what you intend to do about me?" He asked.
"Do about you? What are you talking about-?"
"Elizabeth, why is someone using one of the surgical theaters did you authorize it?" Asked Monica as she walked up to the hub.
"No, we don't have our licenses for them. Spinelli, I don't have time to deal with you now." She said before telling Nadine to call down and get Epiphany and Dr. Drake stat!
Monica and Elizabeth grabbed some scrubs once they saw that the room's new blinds had been drawn. "Whose idea was it anyhow for this to be set up this way?" Grumbled Elizabeth as they quickly changed into scrubs and disinfected.
Nadine saw Jason returning and said "Elizabeth is a bit busy right now. Come back later."
"Stone Cold." Said an excited Spinelli.
"Not now." Said agent Raynor as he and Mac came rushing into the area.
"What is going on?" Asked Jason grimly when he saw Drake and Epiphany Johnson arriving with two strangers.
"Where is Elizabeth?" Asked Patrick.
"She and Dr. Quartermaine went to find out what was going on. What is going on?" Asked Nadine.
The two officers of the law and several others in uniform came in as Patrick explained that they had to approach the room from the upper theater.
"Fine, but we are wasting time." Mac went to tell Morgan to stay behind, but didn't bother wasting his breath.
Elizabeth went through the door to the operating room first, wondering if Dr. Maruchi had ignored the ban, the man had been rather unhappy that his surgery had been moved to the third floor earlier. Entering she saw the blood and that there was only one person working on the patient and froze.
Monica rushed in behind her and stopped at what she saw. Sam McCall was a bloody mess, it looked like her left cornea was gone and from where she was opened up like she was missing a liver. "Don't come any closer."
"Peter, don't do this." Said Elizabeth as she realized someone had come into the upper theater, she could feel Jason's presence but hoped he realized that if he wasn't in sterilized gowns, they would be killing Sam.
"Why?" He asked without looking up and not stopping from where he was holding the scalpel to Sam's throat.
Monica looked at the machines and realized that the man was planning on performing a heart transplant. Sam was already on the bypass machine. "Because not even she deserves to die this way."
Elizabeth moved closer, in spite of hearing the sound of frantic knocking on the bulletproof glass. Right now she was wishing that Nik hadn't insisted on getting that installed. Seeing Sam's hand twitch she said, "She is feeling this, isn't she?"
"Of course, what is the use of killing someone you don't like if they can't feel the pain?" He said idly. "Do you really think that my mother didn't feel the pain when Diego Alcazar killed her, or that any of Sam's other victims didn't feel the pain when she hurt them?"
"Peter, you can't be judge, jury and executioner." Said Monica.
"I'm not, I just decided that there was a better use for her heart. A young girl about sixteen, her parents are waiting for the call even as we speak, do you really want to take away their hope, for her?"
"Sam is still alive, let me help her." Said Monica.
"No, instead why don't you tell those officers up there and Mr. Morgan that I will be glad to turn myself in after I am finished. Because what we have is a stalemate and you know it. They can't cut the electricity or they kill her. They can't take a shot without harming one of you and while I am sure that the FBI agent might be fine with that, Morgan won't allow Elizabeth to be hurt."
"Shall we continue, because either way she dies tonight? So choose, make it possible for an innocent to receive this heart, or let her death be a waste."
"How do we get down there?" Asked Mac.
"You can't, he is correct. If you enter without sterilized gowns, you kill her. Your only choice is to let the two women talk him down."
"It doesn't sound like they will be able to do that." Snapped Agent Raynor. "Get my men suited up."
Jason saw that man with the scalpel look up and said "Raynor, he can hear you, you idiot. You are leaning on the speaker button."
"He is correct, don't do anything stupid, Agent Raynor, in fact why don't you leave this to the people who know this town best. My guess is that there is no one here who will mourn the loss of Sam McCall." Said Peter even as he worked on the woman.
Elizabeth saw his hand tighten on the scalpel and showed Monica with her eyes.
Nodding, Monica moved to the end and far away from the patient when she realized what Elizabeth saw.
Knowing that she needed to make the man relax a little, Elizabeth asked "Where did you get your medical skills?"
"From the moment that my grandmother told me the truth about my life, I made plans then studied to be a doctor. Even worked here, but you know that. After graduation, I went to see our father; told him I was his child. He said it wasn't possible, but he knew the truth, it was why he altered the DNA tests. He had to have, why else would they say he wasn't my dad."
Elizabeth swallowed her fear and kept him talking. "You didn't miss much; Jeff was a lousy father."
The man upstairs with Patrick Drake flinched, Agent Raynor had believed his showing up might make this man face the truth, but from the sound of it, it wouldn't. He couldn't believe that the only one in with his little girl was the woman who had married him loving his brother.
"I know. I talked to people. I wanted to come to you, but Sonny Corinthos found out my working here was illegal, that I didn't have the right medical license and tried to blackmail me. I was a doctor working as a male nurse, but he didn't know that. It all went wrong because of him. He ruined my life."
"How did he do that?" She asked while watching as Monica had the camera's set up for Patrick above.
Patrick elbowed Morgan and showed him the screen. The killer's hand was shaking slightly and seemed to be getting tenser the longer this was dragging out. But they could also see his face and knew that he wanted a connection to Elizabeth, that he wouldn't cut as long as she kept talking. They could only hope that she would be able to talk him down.
"I was angry and had a syringe full of the infection; I could have given it to the doctors for study, like I was supposed to. I figured it out, you see. I knew what was going on, what would help those people. Instead, I was walking down the hall and over heard him in a room telling someone how that baby his sister was having should have been Morgan's. He said it was a shame that her hitting you was what ruined their relationship."
"Why would that bother you?"
"There was more, he was all happy that this woman here was dating Morgan. He said that if it had been you that he would have been fighting to get to you at the hospital, not out doing what was needed to help Sonny's family. That was the first time I heard of the two of you being involved at any point. I went to check on this sister of his, I went to the medical records, I saw her history there, and I knew. I knew that she didn't deserve to be a mother anymore than this one did. I mean, it wasn't for you, but that if she did what she did to you, what had she done to others she didn't like."
"Peter, what did you do?" Asked Elizabeth feeling sick.
"Nothing at first, then I overheard that annoying blond who was married to Corinthos talking to someone about this Courtney being some sort of saint, like hell. The woman was a slut who slept with anything that had power and money. She was no saint. I thought that if the woman died, the other girl, the pretty one would go back to the Prince and that that poor man who was the baby's father would be happier without having to deal with her."
"You killed her?" She asked.
"No. At least I didn't mean to at first. But that other blond was rude to you then the other pretty one, as well as this young girl who was with her sick boyfriend and I knew, I knew that I finally had found my calling. I decided to make those who hurt others pay. She was the first, and when they lifted quarantine, I went to her loft and found her secrets. I knew that I had made the right choice, but my grandmother made me come with her, she said I was sick, but I wasn't sick, I was just doing what others were to weak to do."
The group upstairs were all thinking about how many more victims were out there that they didn't know about. Jason though, hadn't taken his eyes off of Elizabeth as she seemed to regain her emotional control and kept talking to Peter.
Monica was monitoring Sam and knew that they had mere minutes before it was too late to help her. But a small part of her couldn't help wondering about whether helping Sam was even worth it, Peter was right, this other girl might be able to use this heart more.
Carly was walking off the elevator when she saw Spinelli and Nadine talking to about ten policemen and from what it looked like every single security officer from the hospital. "What is going on?"
Getting the story, she handed the dress bag to Nadine and said "Could you please hang this someplace for Elizabeth. Spinelli, I need you." With that she dragged the young geek off and suggested calling Alexis.
"She is here." He said pointing to the woman who just got off the elevator that Carly had exited minutes before. Seeing the police escort her down the hall, the two followed curious as to why they were allowing her to see her daughter.
Arriving in the hallway, they could hear what was going on through the operating room speakerphones as Elizabeth kept trying to reach Peter. "So what happened, why did you leave town after killing Courtney."
"Killing Courtney?" Thought Carly. "What was she talking about?"
"First I went to Atlantic City; I meet the girl's mother, no wonder she was such a vapid excuse for a human being. I had it all planned, but Grandmother Alice figured it out, so I couldn't kill her then. I had to wait, but things got a way from me. They kept me in seclusion, then Mom showed up."
"You said they, who was there besides Alice." Asked Elizabeth while moving a little closer.
"Some man she hired to keep me in line. But Mom made her get rid of him. Things were back to normal. Mom had us move not far from here and I spent time helping people. Then that dark haired man grabbed Mom on orders from that woman."
"Claudia." Stated Elizabeth.
"Yes, they took her away and grandmother wanted to keep me caged up again. But I had been plotting my escape for years. It worked and the government helped, Witness Protection, what a wonderful program, but I wanted to know my family, I wanted to know you, protect you, but it didn't work out. That man came back."
"What man?" She asked getting confused.
"The one, who helped the woman grab my mother, I got away and wanted to come here, but first I had to rescue my mom. She was far away but I got there. Too late. It was too late. The man they grabbed my mom to help, bragged about killing her, I followed him to Port Charles last year right after the New Years, but my grandmother showed up and had me taken away."
"Wait, Peter you saw Diego Alcazar arrive here on New Years?" She asked stunned while Monica found herself about to pass out.
Peter's announcement electrified the theater about and the people in the hallway. Either this man was delusional as well as crazy or Diego Alcazar hadn't been the TMK killer.
Lainey finally arrived but Mac told her to wait, that Elizabeth seemed to be getting through to him. Seeing Kelly and Robin arriving with Anna, Mac took her to the side and said "After this is over, I want you to review the TMK case."
Nodding she moved in closer and saw Elizabeth, Bobbie had called her and gave her the news that Monica, Bobbie and Alexis had been dealing with. Looking down at Elizabeth she saw bits of Julian Jerome in her, from her curls to her smile. But how had Jeff Webber come to believe that Julian was still alive.
Looking at Alexis, Anna didn't see the attraction, but knew that the woman had had a hard road to toll for the last few years and she had been beaten down emotionally for a the last few years. Maybe learning the truth would help someday. But for now, she would do as ordered by the WSB and keep the secrets she has once sworn to protect.
Monica nodded at Elizabeth who was regretful for the betrayal of this sick man's trust when she took a step back and received the needle from Monica.
Patrick turned white, then pointed to the switch on the wall. Jason took a deep breath, terrified as he got what Elizabeth and Monica wanted. Mac had seen the little interaction and reached out silently and took the Emergency switch in his hands and hoped that whatever they had planned didn't get them killed.
Sam McCall's life wasn't worth theirs.
Jason found himself praying as the Police commissioner hit the fire suppression system and the power for the operating room went out. Not seeing anything in the darkness, he was gripping the bar tightly as they heard the scuffle below.
Then the sound of Elizabeth calling out for help from Patrick. When the backup lights came on, Patrick muttered and oath and without care, rushed towards the lower doors as Robin and Lainey entered as well. Drake tossed Jason a gown as they went into the room to see Monica telling Elizabeth what needed done.
"Drake, help her." Shouted Jason as he went to pull Elizabeth to safety.
"Jason, no!" Said Elizabeth. "If I let go, Sam dies."
Patrick had come to realize that Elizabeth was messaging the heart since the bypass machines hadn't started again. Seeing Monica's hands covered with blood, he realized she was bleeding and couldn't take over. Going to the phone he called for Leo Julian to come to the OR STAT!
Jason stood behind Elizabeth as Monica gave her directions while Robin and Lainey helped get Peter out the door and into the waiting police officers custody. "Monica what did you give him?"
"Strong sedative, that was all I could find." She said before returning to Sam. "Patrick, call the donor bank, it is too late to save Sam."
Elizabeth gasped when she felt the woman on the operating tables hand grasp her. "Monica, she is still feeling pain, I thought you gave her the shot."
"I did, but it might take a few minutes to kick in." said the woman as Leo came into the room and got control of his gag reflex.
Elizabeth saw that Sam was mouthing something and moved in closer. "Sam, what is it?"
"This is all your fault... You stole my... Life away from me."
Elizabeth looked at the woman who had only one eye and whose internal organs were exposed and leaned in and said "No, you borrowed my life, but that was over a long time ago. Die with some dignity Sam."
Sam shouted as loud as she could, but it came out as a whimper as they placed the mask on her face just as she lost consciousness.
Leo replaced Elizabeth's hands with his as Jason pulled her out of the room and into the cleaning area. "We need to get you cleaned up."
Monica was getting cleaned as they prepped her to sew up her stitches. "Elizabeth, you did everything you could." She told the nurse. Monica knew that Sam had at least five more minutes before it was too late, but had told Leo that she had been without oxygen for too long.
"We need to find out who can sign the papers for the transplant." Said Epiphany as she came into the room.
"Alexis Davis still has her power of attorney in spite of her not being her mother." Said Patrick as he joined them from the operating room. "Where is Robin?"
"She went with her mother and Mac to the station." Said an entering Lainey. "Elizabeth, if you ever need to talk..."
"Thanks Lainey, but right now, I just want to go home and see my boys. Oh my god, Jason, they were supposed to be arriving at the airport today." She said turning to him, wondering if a guard had gone to get them.
"Miss Webber, your family is downstairs." Said her guard who saw that Jason was glaring at him as he entered.
Elizabeth saw and hugging Jason loosely said "I need to shower and change, can you ask my grandmother to take the boys to...?"
"My office." Said Monica from where her hand was now being wrapped.
"Monica, you need an aids test." Said Patrick. Starting to protest, she recalled whose blood had been in her open wound and sighed knowing he was right.
Peter woke up as they placed him in a jail cell and smiled. Sam McCall was dead and soon he would be too. His mother had been avenged along and he had taken out some of the biggest users in town a long the way. Seeing Mac Scorpio and the FBI agent with him standing at the cell door he said, "You do realize that I am going to be locked up in a mental institution, right?"
"We aren't here about that; we want to know what Coleman had on Corinthos? And what you know about Max Giambetti's death."
"Do you want an attorney?" Asked Mac.
"No, won't make a difference either way. Well, here it is, Sonny Corinthos knew that Frank Smith never had true ownership of the Port Charles territories. The Jerome family did. Luke Spencer found out about this recently, and decided to take a little revenge on Corinthos, he told him he was slow and getting old, that Spencer couldn't keep up with the big dogs anymore."
"So how did you end up involved?"
"I was at Jake's to find proof that Coleman blackmailed Sonny back several years ago. I found out about it when I killed that Courtney. She was the reason that Sonny gave him the funds and the help with the liqueur license. He had something on the blond and her brother. Anyhow, from what it looked like, Spencer couldn't find the papers so he created some fake ones, the same man did another job for Spencer a few years ago about a will."
Nodding, Mac thought about it and came up with Alan Quartermaine. "Fine, so the papers were fakes, how does this involve killing the guard?"
"I only know what I saw while in the penthouse, they were both there, the guard first. Corinthos showed up and asked why he was there. They talked but it was clear that Corinthos didn't believe him. I heard them arguing as they went into the hall and then the sound of a muffled shot, Corinthos came back in and tossed something in the trash then tried to leave."
"Tried to?" Asked Raynor.
"Yes, Special Agent-in-Charge, tried. See I delayed his leaving a bit so that I could kill him."
Mac hide a grin at the dig then said "We didn't find anything in the trash."
"That is because I took it out, it is back at where I have been staying."
"Which is?" Asked Raynor annoyed.
"Courtney Matthews old loft. Her mother is there waiting for me."
"She she dead." Asked Mac even as he gave the order to send a unit over there.
"Not yet, see I couldn't kill her in the end. She is dying of severe liver damage, brought on by too much drinking. The poor pathetic woman is grateful for my care; I can't wait for her to find out that the man she has been so indebted to is the reason her daughter died. It's a shame I will miss it."
Mac and Raynor walked away, both needing a breather, most killers were at least on the surface sorry, but this one wasn't even sorry he was caught.
"Mac, we took the woman to the hospital, she is in bad shape. She says she is on the donor list for a liver."
Elizabeth entered Monica's office as the boys rushed to her. Hugging them tightly, she saw Monica was drawing Audrey off while Jason became reacquainted with them. Watching as the foursome were holding onto one another and talking, Monica gave Audrey a brief overview of what was going on.
"So he thought he was Steven?" She asked confused.
"Yes, Jeff went to the station. He tried to talk to Elizabeth, but Anna Devane kept him away along with her guard. You knew this Alice better than I did, what was she thinking telling him these things?"
"Alice gave Heather everything she ever wanted, so she became a spoiled brat, then as an adult she couldn't deal with getting anything less. She more than likely truly believed that this Peter was Steven. This man didn't stand a chance. Add in whatever damage was done when she took those drugs, they were still in her system while she was in Roselawn."
"The studies aren't conclusive, Audrey."
"I still don't see how they wouldn't affect a baby, especially considering the damage they did to her brain."
Elizabeth and Jason were explaining to the boys that Jason was going to be living with them and that they were getting married, but all Jake wanted to do was play with Jason's hand and Cameron just wanted to know when they were eating lunch. "I'm hungry mommy, can Jason move in after dinner. I want to eat."
Jason picked up the youngster and said "Well, I have my bike, so why don't we go downstairs and you can sit on it with me while we wait for the car to take us to Kelly's."
"Okay, but it can't be too long." He said firmly. "My stomach is talking to me again."
Looking at Elizabeth, Jason just hugged him. "We had better hurry up then. Elizabeth let's make sure your grams is come as well."
Going out the door, they saw that Audrey was talking to Monica and invited both women to the diner. Seeing Carly coming down the hall, Jason suggested that they hurry when the blond called out. "Jason, I need to talk to Elizabeth and you for a minute."
Elizabeth sighed then seeing the tears on the woman's face realized she had found out what had happened to Courtney. Jason was just annoyed; Carly did not seem to be getting the message.
"We only have a few minutes; we are taking the boys to eat." Said Elizabeth firmly while handing Jake's hand to Audrey and Cameron was walking with the guard.
"Fine, I just left something at the hub for you two. I just wanted to say I am sorry, Jason."
"Sorry. The problem is Carly, you are always sorry afterwards. You have no idea the damage you almost did and I think that other than how it affects me you don't care. Well, I am done. No more, Carly. I won't let you hurt my family anymore." Elizabeth realized Jason was more upset about the day than Carly but knew the blond had pushed him one too many times.
"Your family?" She asked unable to help herself. She was regretting asking even as she found herself asking "What about Michael, Morgan and I we are your family too."
"You're right." He said then seeing her smile he continued. "Morgan is my godchild and Michael is my nephew. But Carly, that is all. You just don't get it do you. I can't deal with this anymore. Elizabeth keeps telling me that if you see I am serious you will change, but I told you last year to stop, instead you still kept interfering."
"I haven't, I promise."
"What about calling the boys bastards? Slapping Elizabeth?"
Carly felt her mouth moving but no words were coming out, she stopped to think and then said "Jason, I am sorry."
"No, Carly you are sorry you got caught. Otherwise that apology would have been to Elizabeth. We are out of here."
Watching them go, Carly saw the sad look in Alexis' eyes and wanted to snark at her about Sam, but just walked away instead. She had no more energy left.
Alexis saw her daughter leaving while at the same time saw Mac walking towards her. "Do you know where Nik is?"
"In the city, he took Spencer and the girls up there to see some old friend of his. Why?"
"Janine Matthews, technically he is her closest relation since she is Spencer's grandmother."
"What about her?"
"She just died, needed a transplant and didn't have the medical insurance to cover it, she apparently went to Corinthos and he told her no."
"I wish I could bring myself to feel sorry for the woman." She said idly. "Mac, do you ever wonder what would things would be like here if Sonny Corinthos never came to town?"
"I don't believe in what ifs. They hurt too much." He said. "Alexis go home and get some sleep. Things will feel better tomorrow."
"At least you didn't say they would be better." She said ironically. "Mac, am I responsible for taking care of Sam's body?"
"Not that I know of unless you want to be, why?"
"Can you make arrangements to bury her in a city grave." She said before walking away and not seeing the transplant team rushing the heart to the helipad. Mac did and wondered if this girl would make better use of it than the woman who had had it before her. He certainly hoped so.
Jason was carrying dessert into the house, while Elizabeth was trying to convince Jake that he couldn't sit on the porch swing just yet. She wanted to get him out of the spaghetti stained clothes but he was insisting on joining Cameron.
Going back onto the porch, he picked up Cameron while Elizabeth held the wiggly spaghetti stained two-year-old. "Jason, are you really staying forever and ever?"
Jason sat on the step and looked him in the eyes and said "Yes, forever and ever. I love you and your brother."
"What about Mommy, do you love mommy?"
"More than life itself." He said looking at Elizabeth who was smiling softly back at him.
Reaching out with his hand, he took both of hers and said "First, last and always."
TBC