Chapter XXV
Sami looked at Harris as if she was lip reading his words. Carefully, she made him repeat, then again. It made no sense. EJ was in the prime of his life, he was not dying. Will was gone, surely God would not take EJ too..this was too ridiculous for words!
"Harris, don't say that, you must be wrong..mistaken..lying, just don't say that again! Now what is it you really meant?" Sami was not going to believe anything that Harris said, and he could not make her believe it!
"Mrs. Wells, Samantha" Harris gripped her shoulders.."I swear, that was the hospital, he was taken there by ambulance, something happened at Chez Rouge, they think he may have choked on something..he had an airway obstruction and it could not be cleared..they think he may have been oxygen deprived for too long..he is on life support..that is what they are saying.. do you want to speak with them?"
Sami yanked the phone and demanded "Who is this?"
"It is Mike Horton, Sami, I have been back at University Hospital for a couple of days for a seminar. Kayla and I are working together on this case. We will do everything we can. Just hurry and get back here..he may hang on longer if you get here in time..we will be able to evaluate his condition better if he can be entubated and we can wean him off the respirator..when can you get here?" That was all she could bear hearing. Silently she handed the phone off to Harris,,
"Tell him how soon we will be there." She said a grateful prayer that Mike Horton was the doctor on the case.
Eric held Sami in his arms for the entire flight. The twins were subdued, both of them looking at each other and silently wondering what was Mommy so sad for, and where was Daddy,.. he should be here if Mommy was sad,. he was always there if she was sad.
They would not let themselves cry..if Mommy was crying they had to make her happy again!
Justin let go with his la la la song he had learned on the Disneyland ride. Mommy did not smile.
.Jess put on her Mickey Mouse ears, the pink ones, and stuck out her tongue which usually sent Mommy into spasms of giggles..but Mommy still did not smile.
Not knowing what else to do, they both stuck small thumbs into their mouths which usually brought Nanny or Mommy hurrying to distract them out of that, but no one stopped them at all, so they sucked the offensive thumbs and fingered their plushy bunnies until they fell into a fitful, worried sleep.
Their was no one to meet them at the airport, so Harris hired a car to take the family home, leaving Eric and himself to escort Sami to the hospital. The nurses at the main station tried to stop them, but Harris stood in the way, and Sami was free to enter the cubicle. If she had tried, she could not have conjured a sight more strange in her wildest imaginings. His face, devoid of the expressions that made EJ the man he was, was still so beautiful to her, The long lashes still shadowed along the aristocratic cheekbones, and the brow that was always able to raise itself mockingly at her when she amused him, this was all EJ, but where was the rest of him. Something was gone.
Viewing EJ, the self assured race car driver, and a young powerful business tycoon who ran a mega empire lying on a bed with tubes and lights blinking from every inch of his body caused Samantha to clutch at Eric. Mike was standing over him, adjusting the dial of the machine that seemed to be synchronizing all of the activities that were sustaining the life force of her husband.
'What is that thing" Sami pointed to the machine that Mike was re calibrating.
"This is a medical breakthrough Sami, the Phoenix Machiine. It was developed by Mythic Medical Lab Research, isn't that one of EJ's holdings? He should be very proud of it we used them extensively in Israel. It saved the lives of many people who had blast injuries, ischemic events, some drowning victims or others with oxygen deprivation incidents. Funny though, his other readings do not indicate that he was a victim of any of these so looks like we will be running more tests later.
Right now, just be here with him. We never know what level of consciousness patients in this condition are really at for several days, sometimes weeks. Just your voice may help him hang in there" Mike was being kind, and Sami knew she had no reason to expect it. This was only one more person she had a past with.
For now, though EJ was her priority. She knew she had to help bring him out of this. She could not lose him, they all needed him too much. Eric and Harris stepped out sensing she needed to be with EJ alone. Harris was now making the contacts he needed to figure out what had gone so wrong at this meeting. Somehow, EJ had miscalculated.
Sami knelt beside EJ's bedside, and reached to hold his hand. For a few minutes she was silently praying, calling on a God who had seemed so distant to her for much of her life. Hoping this time would be different she asked in the name of the Son:
"Please, God, you have to give us a chance. Will never got the chance, I got there too late for you to hear my prayers! I know I have promised a thousand times to be good if you would ever intercede for me..I really have never had to pay up, because, well, you didn't ever really interecede..now did you? But God, I need EJ, the babies need him. Whatever you may be punishing him, or us for, I promise, just let him live, let him be whole, let him watch his children grow up, and we will do so much good in this world! EJ already does, but I know not always in ways you would approve, but that will change..believe me, it will! In the name of your Son,..amen" Samis bargain with God was sealed she hoped.
Chapter XXVI
Her contract with God now firmly established in her mind, Sami turned her full attention and love on her husband. Whatever he had done at any meeting with Tony, she knew she should have been there. She knew Tony as well as anyone. Now if there was to be a fight with him, she knew she would have to do it until EJ was well.
"EJ, I should never have gone to California without you, and this will never happen again. I will not be apart from you for one minute. I remember you telling me "I will always be here for you…well now I am telling you the same thing. I have never had anyone like you EJ, someone who saw inside me, and accepted me for who and what I was. You never said "Sami" you have changed into a better person..I was the person you wanted, just the way I am. That was the most precious gift I have ever received.
"How can anyone return a love like that EJ? Sometimes I pinch myself just to make sure that I am not sleeping and I am going to wake up and find it was all a dream. And I am still just plain Sami Brady..who keeps falling in love with men who don't love me..I have lost a son who I hope loved me, but now I will never be sure..but I trust in your love, I believe in your love. Remember telling me if things are meant to be, trust in them, I never could have done that if not for you.
I can forgive you anything EJ, but I will not forgive you if you die on me!
Come back, come back..if you can hear me at all..come back!" She willed him to come back, but the steady hum of the respirator and the pings of the monitors were all that she heard.
EJ though, did hear every word but for some reason he could not respond. That was so strange he thought. I can see her, I can hear her, and when she touches me, I feel her. Please don't leave Samantha, touch my hand again. It is so warm and I feel so cold. Why can't you hear me, I am answering you…Then just for a slight second she looked at him, and he felt a connection to her, and knew she felt it too. It was only a second, but it had been so real.
His awareness was high, but it did not register anywhere. He knew exactly what was happening, but he had no control over any of it. If there could ever be a living nightmare this was it.
Dr. Soules then came into the room. EJ looked at her and tried to blink. He could not even manage to operate that particular muscle. She looked at him and nodded. She knew he was in a suspended state. She could maneuver it to a higher awareness or a lower one. For now, she decided it was best for him and her to have it lower.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Wells, can you step out, I need to make an adjustment for his comfort."
"Why can't I be here..I was here before when Dr. Horton was in"..Sami had felt for a brief moment EJ was with her..she wanted to stay and find that feeling again.
"He may convulse a little, I don't want you alarmed..it is harmless but it may bother you..now it will just take a minute.."
EJ tried to reestablish the connection, he wanted Sami to stay. Dr. Soules seemed different, and he did not like it.
Dr. Soules took Samanthas arm and gently led her outside the curtained area. She turned to the dials, and gave it a slight adjustment. EJ felt himself sliding down the darkness of the hole created in his mind. Then as he slid, he saw the hole close up and he was alone.
"What are you doing? That is not the setting I want him at" Mike Horton had walked back in, and sharply questioned Dr. Soules.
"Oh, sorry, I must have misread the chart.."Dr. Soules covered, but by then Mike had reset the controls. The light in EJ's soul reopened, and he felt himself drifting back. The voices now penetrated, and he heard Dr. Soules trying to impress another Doctor with her credentials, and her clinical trials with the Phoenix.
"I appreciate your input, but since Mrs. Wells has assigned this case to me, I will be the only one to calibrate the controls, are we clear on that?"
Dr. Soules made a sign of agreement, and looked into the hallway to see if it was safe for her to depart. The sight of Jules down the hall, stepping out of sight once again made her shiver. She knew her failure would not be taken lightly. Then again, none of them knew what level EJ was at, so maybe she could deceive them, that was probably her only chance to keep living, now all she had to do was get Victor to level seven, then she could take the money and disappear! She would have kept her part of the bargain.
EJ was now on the level of conscious he had experienced before, but still needing sleep, he had drifted off again before trying to reestablish a tie with Samantha.
Sami insisted the next morning that the children be brought down, she felt seeing or touching them would help EJ stay with them. It was over the protests of some of the nursing staff, but between Harris and Sami, they were sufficiently cowed. Jessica was the first to crow when she saw her daddy! He was asleep, but she knew the way to wake him, she had done it many times in his bed.
When placed on his chest, she had patted his cheek "Daddy, Daddy..it is morning time! You must horsey ride me..now!"
EJ was startled awake..and shocked to find he understood exactly what his tiny daughter had just suggested to him. His thoughts to her: hey little Trouble, I would love to horsey ride you, but as you can see, the horsey is tied up!"
"Daddy, don't call me that, I Jessica!" her indigence registered with him too. What was going on?
"Dad, Disneyland was great..I learned a song..its a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small, small world. Not much too it, but it kind of sticks in your brain huh?" Justin was also reporting in, and EJ had to say back,
"Yeah, that song does stick..thanks a lot!" This was strange but wonderful. He had a connection of actual communication with his children. They did not even think it odd, it was just neat to have daddy answer them like he knew exactly what they wanted. That was the absolute most frustrating thing about being a baby..nobody ever listened!
Mike pushed the curtain back and looked at all the dials. The patterns were starting to level and stabilize. Whatever Sami had done was doing some good!
Chapter XXVII
"Sami, we have some good news about what caused his initial seizure and asphyxiation, we have isolated a cause, but how to cure it we don't yet have any ideas. He has a neuro toxin in his system, similar to the one that attacked Steve and Kayla last year..but with some differences. That antidote will not work, but we are hoping to extract some samples from those two to study the antibodies they produced. Maybe Mythics Labs can help us out also. I understand you are not comfortable with University Hospitals security right now." Mike had heard all the stories of what had gone on since he had left his post as chief of staff, and could not say he blamed her.
"No I am not. As soon as you say he can be moved, I want him out of here..we can do everything for him at home that you seem to be doing here. I will hire round the clock nursing staff..I do not trust him being here Mike, neither does Harris. You had another doctor in here last night fiddling with things! And if you must know, I am convinced Tony DiMera has done this to EJ. They were at Chez Rouge for a dinner meeting with Kate and Philip. They could have slipped him this poison, then pretended he was choking on the food. But I know what his favorite is there, and no way he choked on that meat! It melts in your mouth! There is a big lie going on here, and Kate Roberts is in on it up to her botoxed eyeballs!
Harris and I intend to find out what has happened, meanwhile, I do not want my husband lying here helpless..make the arrangements Mike, those are my direct orders!" Her eyes glared and defied him to try and talk her out of it. He knew better, and after what he had seen his inclination was to agree. It might be safer for EJ in his own surroundings. .
EJ thought, "that's my girl..get me home and I will be able to fix this."
"Sami, I will have to do this against medical advice, you know that, and it will take some pulling of strings, but let me get discharge planning to arrange things at your home, give me three days ok?" Sami looked at him, then Harris. Harris whispered into her ear, and she gave Mike his time. Now she had other business to attend to.
With Harris and the diaries of Stefano, she worked late into the night. As she read and digested it all it was as if she was seeing another world existing on the same plane as she and EJ now shared, but another nether world that had her frightened beyond anything she had had experienced.
Kate was sitting behind EJ's desk when Sami walked in with Eric the next morning sharply at nine a.m. .
"Oh, I thought you would be at the hospital, has something happened.? Oh, how sad for you Sami!" She read the wrong thing into Samis expression.
" Sami, I am so sorry."."Kate stood and walked to EJ's liquor cabinet, whether to commiserate or celebrate was unclear, but whatever her motiviation, Samantha was livid..
"Nothing to be sorry about Kate except that I do not recall giving you permission to be in EJ's office Kate, and I certainly don't recall offering you a drink!"
"Of course I have to be in EJ's office, while he is gone, I am in charge." The nostril gave its flare, and she rolled her eyes at Sami. "Who else is going to run things?"
"Meet your boss, Kate..Eric is going to take over for awhile until EJ is back on his feet."
"Sami, that could be quite awhile, I mean look at poor Victor, he is still in there after all these months..what does Eric know about this business? I cannot allow this.."
Sami had been prepared for this, and the legal papers assigning the majority stockholder role to EJ were slapped on the table, along with the power of attorney giving her his proxy in case of his absence of any length. EJ had always known that Sami was behind a great deal of the modest success of Austins company. The marketing plans had been hers, the financial business plans had also been her doing. She had been content to stand in Austins shadow, but EJ was not unaware of her talents.
"Kate, in view of the fact that I am going to initiate an investigation into just how my husband ended up nearly dying while in the company of you and Tony DiMera, I am going to have security escort you out immediately," her fingers snapped and pointed as the guard came in and took Kates arm. She shook it off, then looked back.
"This is not the end of this, you scheming little tramp!"
"Kate, how are Lucas' treatments coming along..would you like to make sure they keep happening?"
Kates face fell in shock and fear. The treatments had quickly reversed a great many of his symptom in only days, now she felt a mothers deep fear again. All the years she had fought to make Lucas hate Sami and had reveled in Samis reciprocation had a impact on her as she thought of the terrible vengeance Sami now had in her power. For the first time in all her dealings with Sami, Kate felt helpless.
" Yes, I know all about that. Believe me, I want him to get well, that is not something I would wish on Will's father! But I swear to you Kate..I will see him die in the most horrible way imaginable if you cross me now! EJ will be back, and he may have things to atone for. but you and Lucas, well lets just say we have not balanced out that ledger in any way , shape, or form. Now get out, and expect a visit from my father! Unless, of course you would like to sit down with Harris and me, and have a little tete-a-tete on what is going on with you and Tony? I promise,…you talk and Lucas will keep getting the experimental drugs, and I have in mind a great position for him..something in keeping with his present circumstances…..interested Kate, or should I call Dad?"
Kate, being ever pragmatic when cornered, seemed to be weighing her options. Eric pulled out a chair and she sank down into it.
Sami decided that it might be a great idea to record this, so she called in Chelsea. "Please bring in a recorder, and you should sit in on this too, as a future lesson".
"Relax, Kate, confession is good for the soul."
Chapter XXVIII
Sami made it home to be with the twins for dinner and bath. They looked expectantly behind her for their daddy. When he did not appear Jessica tugged at Samis skirt and used her hands several times with a gesture Sami did not recognize as one she had seen before. She was using her hands to touch her forehead, then tipped it. When Sami did not respond, Jessica looked to Nanny.
"Oh, she is asking about Daddy, this was going to be a surprise for the two of you, it is called Baby Signing..it is such a godsend, I used it a lot with my last babies."
A huge smile spread onto Samis face, it had been several days since she had been able to smile. "I have read some things about this..it is supposed to cut down on frustration levels for babies before they can really communicate, right?"
Sami scooped up Jessica and mimicked the gesture "How can I say he will be home soon?"
"That you just say, dearie, I think they will understand just by you telling them in your own voice, and indicate Daddy with the sign. So much of this is needed because they do understand us, but cannot make us understand them!"
"Yeah, right Nanny, you big guys don't listen..we tell you and tell you, and you don't listen!" Justin had always been impatient about this.
"Justin, be nice, they are listening now..Mommy just said Daddy will come home tomorrow! Didn't you hear her! Yayyyy Daddy!" As that gurgle of happiness babbled forth, Nanny looked at Sami.
"See, she knew exactly what you said! You can hear it in her voice!"
Sami spent the rest of playtime with them learning the signs they knew, and teaching them any new ones they could absorb. The one that seemed to really interest Justin was the sign for turning the buttons on the remote, or the dials on his favorite toy, the etch a sketch. Once they had gone to bed, she buzzed for Harris to meet her in the basement.
"Ok Harris, lets get it all out on the table. Right now, I am not interested in anything before our wedding, just what has gone on since..lets start with Chez Rouge..I know why, now I want to know how!" Harris was not the quick thinker EJ was, and decided truth was the best play book to use now. If he told the truth, Sami would be likely to give him the leeway he would need later.
"Ok..we hired some people to order spinach salad who had already been given a bit of the antidote, one guy just was a little resistant. He got sicker. But no one was in any real danger, and the publicity and the medicine Mythic provided cured them, and Mythic Labs made a fortune. The stock tripled and split..The patrons were paid off, so there was never any danger of lawsuits..it kind of suits EJ sense of fair play ya know..Maggie did a rotten thing to him!"
Sami wrote down her notes, this one under the bad side list. Then crossed it out and moved it to the good side. She knew a good portion of the profits had provided tent hospitals for Doctors Without Borders in Darfur. Maggie had weathered it ok, and no innocent bystanders seemed to be involved.
"What about Lucas"?
"EJ just couldn't let it go about what they did to you..he knew you would not approve killing him outright..now you see what he had in mind for him..it really is a just move, don't you agree?"
Lucas was to be given a position of pretty great importance. He would be given free treatment for life, and as long as he took the meds and had good nutrition, his life would be normal. EJ had mapped it out. He knew Tony would have nothing to do with Lucas after getting what he wanted from Kate. The position would also buy Lucas a quantity of redemption for his sorry excuse of a life. EJ had decided that Lucas would be the head of a food distribution organization to see that aids and HIV patients in developing countries had access to the nutrition they needed in conjunction with the treatments. So many were dying because the medications had to be taken with food, and many times there was no food.
Sami winced, but had to agree, it was a move borne out of a need for justice. Ok..good side.
"Victor Kirakis, did we have anything to do with that..looks very much like what happened with EJ..but because of his past medical history we got away with it didn't we Harris?"
"We sure did". Harris offered no explanation or apology for Victor.
Sami put it on the good side. Victor needed a comeuppance.
"Austin and Carrie?'
"I think he may have pressured Austin, but that was just a sideline Mrs. Wells, he never really pressed it, they must have been pretty shaky to begin with!"
"Harris, I am going to ask you one time only..is there anything I do not know about..I need the truth, all of it. You cannot withhold anything from me, because as I have always found out the hard way, someone else knows!"
He had one more secret, and opened his mouth to speak, but could not make the words come out. Harris knew she was right, Chandler Loring also knew..but of course no one would find out from her..that secret was safe.
"No Ma'am, that's all I can say for now" not a lie, but not the truth. Harris closed his eyes and made a silent plea for strength not to give the Boss up now. He had to make sure Sami helped him fight for him.
Chapter XXIX
Jules gave his full report to Tony DiMera in his usual matter of fact, and direct way. "Dr. Soules was not able to make the adjustments, she was stopped by Doctor Horton.".
"I see, and what did she have to say about her failure"Tony probed.
"She lied of course, and said she had completed the job. I followed her back to her apartment. Unfortunately, she had decided it was going to be easier to get away from us than to tell me the truth."
Jules handed over the three manila envelopes to Tony who emptied their contents onto his desk. The pile of cash was substantial, but inconsequential in the scope of the rest of the operation. Tony gestured for Jules to take it, and he did not have to be told twice as he rubbed his shiny bald head for a little oil to make the gathering of the money easier.
"Jules, she did not get back to Victor did she?"
"I followed her directly to her apartment, like I said."
Tony did not like the sound of that and picked up his phone to call Victors watchdog. "Is he still there?"
"Hey boss, good to hear ya! What's cooking? I been on nins and peedles just waiting to hear from you..we gotta get together soon..talk over old times " Bart was overjoyed to be back working in the DiMera fold.
"Shut up you imbecile," Tony was regretting his decision, but it was economics rearing its ugly head. Bart worked cheap!
"Victor, I want to know how he is?"
"Well he is just fine, just right as rain. That Doctor Soul-less..man, she is a looker ain't she..anyway she called me up, and said you had an important job for me..and I did it Boss, and damn' if it didn't work just like she said."
"What did you do Bart? What did you do"?!!!!"
"Why just like you wanted, remember, we told Philip at level seven he could take him out of here. I got him to level seven all by myself..just had to push three little buttons and turn that dial three clicks..easiest thing I ever did boss! You shouldn't have to worry about a thing with ole Bart here!"
"Bart, is Philip there with you still?" but Tony knew the answer.
'Nah..boss, he got his pop and headed on out about two hours ago..I tell you Boss, that was a Kodak moment..Philip was crying, Victor was telling him to shut up…beyoootiful..I tell you it was beyootiful!"
Tony slammed the receiver down! "Jules, tell me you have not lost your sense of purpose and focus on this job have you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well for one thing, the money here is about one third of what I would expect her to have..I think she played you didn't she Jules..maybe some feminine wiles tricking you, she was a rather attractive woman wasn't she?' Jules shifted, looking at his feet as they ended up in a pigeon toed stance.
"I thought as much…so
"And EJ Wells, I hear Samantha is moving him out of the hospital due to our Doctors carelessness..we better hope they do not uncover how to bring him up..as long as they think he is in a medically induced coma, we are safe. He will remain down, and we will get someone on the inside somehow..then we can take care of him once and for all! There is too much riding on this to make any more mistakes!
The body of Doctor Andrea Soules was found by a troop of boy scouts doing nature work in Salem Park. Her neck had been neatly broken, and Roman looked on it as one of the more professional works he had ever seen in all his years on the force. A smile was on her face, and she had been quite happy the last few seconds of her life as she had pulled out a portion of the cash to fan it out and count the life she was soon going to be leading!
Bo looked over the body also. Then made the call that would start the investigation going. "Abe, we need to make an addition to the dry erase clue board. Another homicide..name is Doctor Andrea Soules..send the CSI unit over to the park.'
"Get those boy scouts the hell out of here!" Roman was furious at the laxness of the patrolmen these days!
Eric walked up to Chelseas desk, smiling in his normally pleasant way. "Chelsea, I need all the files that Kate has locked up, do you have all her pass words somewhere".
"Yeah, I can help you with all that", man is he hot, Chelsea thought..and she led him into Kates office to show him how to access what he needed.
"Chelsea, do you always dress that way for work..are you comfortable?" Eric was looking at a Chelsea dressed in a off the shoulder blouse, that draped extremely low in front. She was not a busty girl, but the effect was still provocative.
"Yeah, well, EJ said I should try to be more conservative..so I thought this would be better than some of my other stuff."
"Hmm, well for what I have in mind for you, maybe you and Chandler can work together on some wardrobe ideas..and I can have Trey help you out too!"
"What do you have in mind for me?" Chelsea pictured herself dressing in so many ways that Eric would find pleasing, she smiled at the picture.
"We can talk at lunch, it was an idea Sami and EJ had talked about..now looks like I will be putting it in motion for EJ, at least for awhile. Now about those passwords" Eric motioned for them to finish what was started.
Eric spent a good two hours on Kates computer, accessing all of her files and programs. She however, had been too smart to really put anything incriminating on the computer. So no help in proving or disproving what she had already told Sami. Then he saw it, a key program, he looked through her code book, and found a code word, "skelton" and typed it in. The file opened, but as he saw, it was only a program that copied files from another program. He looked and saw that Kate had accessed Chandler Lorings private email files, but had not opened any of them yet. She must have been too busy with all the other crap she was into, thought Eric.
Feeling a bit like a voyeur, he opened it up. "Oh, God, No!" Eric read the entry that Chandler had made, detailing all that had led up to Wills death.
Chapter XXX
Philip helped Victor from the car. He saw who they were waiting for pull up behind them. Victor was a little shaky on his feet, but Nico was there to steady him as had been his job for so many years.
"Thanks Nico, we need to get him out of sight. Tony and EJ's goons will be out looking for him once they know we have gotten him out. Mom is ok, right? They did not get to her right?" Philip was worried that Kate may have made a misstep, she had been so worried and preoccupied with Lucas's problems.
"She is fine, she just call me, and said proceed to the meeting point, she meets us there". Nico was calm and unhurried in his actions as he gently helped Victor into the other car.
"Thank you Nico, you have been a wonderful servant, even though it may be awhile before we can repay all we owe you" Victors eyes were brimming as he clasped the arm of his old guardian and companion.
"For you, anything, Meester Keereeakis," Nicos voice was still heavily accentuated in his native Green language.
The cabin was set back from the road, and until you were right up on it, the clearing it sat in was obscured by the pines that ringed it. It had a screened in front porch, and was white washed with a faded coat of paint. It had been a comfortable place for Philip to hide out in, while he planned his moves. They saw that Kates car was parked on the side, and a light was visible through the faded flowered curtains. Nico looked to the backseat and saw that Victor was still sleeping peacefully, he had not made a sound the whole ride. Nico helped Philip awaken him and help him up the steps and through the door.
Kate sat at the table, a glass, and a bottle of bourbon sitting in front of her. As the door closed, Harris stepped from behind it and plunged the hypodermic needle into Philips neck. Nico grabbed Philip as he fell to keep him from hurting himself. Kate hung her head, she had betrayed her son, and she drank the bourbon in one swallow. Victor took it all in, and nodded.
"Smart move, Nico, go where the money is".
"I am sorry, Meester Keereeakis, but I have debts to pay also, Kate and Tony did not offer enough to cover me, and your checks kept bouncing"
Harris stepped forward into the center of the room. "You may all come out of this not too badly if you help us out."
Samantha came from the back room, carrying her cell phone. "What are the codes for breaking the hold the Phoenix machine has on my husband…we know from the Stefanos ledgers there is a code..you broke it and came out..what is it Victor?".
Victor shrugged, "I was out all the time, unless EJ came in, and that witch of a doctor brought me up..I don't know, and that is the truth!"
"Victor, we have given Philip the same toxin that he, along with Tony and Kate gave to EJ, he will suffer the same fate unless you tell us! You know we can save him with the Phoenix machine, but we have to get him to University hospital, and we have to have the codes to bring him back up. Otherwise he will remain in the coma for years, if he ever comes up!"
"Damnit, the only one who knew was Doctor Soules!" Kate was screaming as she realized what was now happening to Philip!
"And where is she now"? Harris looked to Victor.
Kate then confessed the sin of Philip. "Philip killed her, after he made her call Bart with the instructions to bring Victor out.He was so angry at this woman, she was supposed to be a doctor helping people, not torturing them this way!" She was in a grief stricken state as she realized that Philip had probably killed the one person who could save him now. Doctor Horton was not going to understand that this was entirely orchestrated, and this was all the fault of EJ Wells.
"Won't Bart know the codes" Sami was desperately asking.
"Sami, you really are blonde aren't you?" Kates voice dripped sarcasm "No Bart would not know the code..it is unique to every person as the machine regulates each persons body individually. You enter something wrong, and you start heart attacks, strokes, aneurysms. Anything can happen. . The machine is a marvel and maintains chemical levels, muscle tone, everything. When the coma is induced with this toxin, like Nico did with Victor, you have to make sure all the codes are unique to them to keep their body chemistry in balance. your husband and his penchant for playing God has created a Hell in this town!"
"Oh God, EJ," Sami whispered a silent prayer for EJ. They had to find a way to make things right again!
"So Victors codes won't help EJ" Harris had figured it out " But if you want Philip to be helped, you better keep cooperating..do you understand us Kate?"
"Tony will not know a thing, I promise, just help him, please"
The medi flight helicopter came into the clearing, and had attached all the life lines Philip would need for his journey to University Hospital. Mike Horton had been called, and given the information he needed to start immediate treatments. The reason for the Philips illness had been given as "allergic reaction to spider bite."
All Victor could think as he looked at Kate was "You bitch, it was supposed to be you! Not Philip!"
Chapter XXXI
It was a tired, and somewhat defeated Samantha that made it back to her home late that night. She had not been able to make the twins feeding, so Nanny had used some of the stored milk, but when Sami looked in on them, they both woke up as if sensing her presence. She took first one, then the other and sat to rock and nurse them one at a time. Both made the "Where is Daddy" sign, and she whispered "he is coming home tomorrow morning darlings, just be patient a bit longer".
The code for him, though, Sami did not know where or how they would find it, and to tell Mike Horton all that was going on could mean so much trouble for EJ.
EJ wandered in his twilight thoughts as though floating above the room looking down at the activity surrounding his bed. Things were being unattached and reattached, tubes of all different colors from the Phoenix machine being set to the generator which would provide power at the house in case of outages, and Doctor Horton was giving instructions to the staff that would be caring for EJ, once he was moved home. EJ was careful not to think too hard in the meantime, as he sensed when he did, Doctor Horton seemed to be curious about the readings on the monitors. "I must hang on, and get home with the twins and Sami, it is my only hope..the code for me is inside me..and only they will be able to retrieve it!" His dreams then took him back to his research at Stefano's labs what seemed a life ago.
The lab facility was set in the Northern Part of the East Midlands of England in Derbyshire. Stefano DiMera had funded it fully for Oxford University, and made sure EJ made it into the bio-chemistry program.
No one would have guessed the purpose of the facility as it was in a pastoral setting, surrounded by small farms and dairies. The facility itself had looked like a small farmhouse, with several out buildings. The chores of the farm had always pleased EJ, from pitching hay out to the cows, to driving the tractor down the rows of corn harvesting them for the winter feed they would provide. At lunch, he would climb down, wash up and head in for a meal. The others would meet there too, and he would once again see Jill. They would smile at each other secretly, as romance was not the purpose for being here, the research was all important. This would revolutionize the way patients were treated in comatose situations. EJ had mapped the DNA, and Bio Codes of every student in this facility, including his own. They both knew the rules, but the heart always has its own mind, and Jill would find her way to EJ every night after lights out.
"We are going to get caught, you know it!" EJ would whisper as he kissed her.
"That is what makes this so much fun" she would whisper back.
Their separation did not come from getting caught, it came in the form of a simple traffic accident that left Jill connected to life support systems, from which the doctors told her parents there was no hope of recovery. EJ had pleaded with them to wait, but their hearts were too broken to look anymore at the sight of their beautiful daughter living a way they knew she never would have wanted to.
EJ had finally accepted their decision, then returned to the lab to try and make the difference he could not make for Jill.
"You cannot do that, it is too soon!" the head of the department was adamant.
"We have to try someday, why not me? I have no family that I worry about, I am in good health, and it is time!" EJ was volunteering to use the Phoenix to sustain his life, in a situation where he would be declared brain dead by conventional criteria.
Stefano had agreed it was time to test it. He did not know EJ had volunteered, but he gave the money needed, and EJ finally convinced everyone involved it had to be him. It had been easier than he realized to drown. Once he had let go of the fear, and just allowed the water to fill his lungs, it had been quite peaceful.
The jolt had occurred when he had been awakened suddenly. The electric charge though his body had been too fast, too hard and the convulsions had wracked him painfully. They had quickly put him down again, and learned over a period of weeks how to adjust the calibrations to bring him gently up or down. The experiment had been deemed a success. The Phoenix machine was something that was perfected in Mythics Labs until it was now used world wide in the finest hospitals. America had taken awhile to come to acceptance, but it was being used in the more advanced facilities. The willingness of EJ Wells to subject himself to the experimental treatments had made it possible to bring the machine on line years quicker. They had then been able to match and code genetic markers for everyone at the facility. It was just a matter of time and money, and everyone in the world could be catalogued.
However, the most important thing was that EJ knew what had to be done for himself if he were clinically dead, or close to it. The code for his own and his entire families programming was contained in one of the ledgers in his basement. He now understood his folly in not bringing Samantha to full awareness. Somehow, he would have to convey what was needed to her. He prayed the twins still had the mental connection to him he had felt when they had visited.
The ride to the mansion in the ambulance was surreal to EJ. He knew that Harris and Samantha were following behind, and from the way the driver handled the vehicle, he or she was being led by several other security vehicles. This was really discreet! EJ knew Tony was probably furious that Samantha had outsmarted him by getting him out of the hospital. He had a much better chance in his home, and as he sensed the turn through his own security gate, a calm settled over his being. All that made EJ who and what he was, was intact, now it was only a matter of days before he reconnected his mind and his body.
Chapter XXXII
Kate sat at the bedside of Philip, Mike Horton again wondering at the marvels the Phoenix machine could do in sustaining a life while the body healed itself. Her hand stole over Philips, and Kate looked at Mike in expectation. Since Philip looked so well, she could not believe that anything worse than a few days unconsciousness, but Mike disabused her of that notion.
"Whatever toxin the spider introduced into Philips body, his own auto immune system is replicating to attack again and again like it is practicing. This is not good, it is overwhelming him. I need to really put him deep under with the Phoenix, but I am not familiar enough with that strategy..and as you have heard, Doctor Soules is dead. I am going to put him to the lowest level, and look for any specialists who can offer me assistance on the internet.
Kate drove straight to her suite from the hospital. It seemed as though in a very short time, she had lost one way or another all her sons and her grandson. "Austin, at least Austin is safe from EJ as long as he is in Switzerland! He is happy with Carrie, and there is nothing Sami can do to stop that! As she turned the key in the lock, she looked behind her to see Roman Brady standing there!
"Evening Kate, may I step in with you a minute?"
"I don't think this is such a good time Roman, I have been at the hospital today, and I am a little tired". Kate tried to gently shut the door as she said this, but Roman's foot slid in.
"I insist, Kate, I insist". Roman smiled at her and his eyes met hers in the old unspoken sexual challenge that had existed between them for so long.
She poured both of them a drink, and sat next to him on the sofa, tucking her legs under her and looking at him with her most calculating predatory look. Roman was always good for a laugh, and she definitely needed one now.
"Kate, I need to know about Tony, and what he wants from EJ Wells?"
"And if I tell?"
Roman leaned in to brush his lips against hers, but she grabbed the back of his head, bringing it full force against her mouth as she sucked the life force from him as she had done many times before. His body soon covered hers, and she forgot for a few minutes the situation she was now in, a situation that she had no way to extricate herself from, except by maybe using Roman. She was surprised again at how easy Roman had always been to talk to.
"Roman, I think I need help. Can I count on you?" Kate lowered her head to bite his neck lightly.
'Kate, I hope I can..I hope I can" and Roman was ready to make love again.
Part of the babys downstairs playroom was converted now to a hospital suite for EJ. He would be able to hear their play, and the staff would have the connecting room to use as coffee break room. There were five full time nurses, one for each shift, and two for special relief, and two full time technician who would be on constant call in the house.
Harris supervised the ambulance personnel in bringing EJ in. Samantha hovered and winced with every bump that EJ had to endure. When finally it was announced that EJ was all settled she called upstairs for Eric and Nanny to bring the twins down. When they walked into the room, Jessicas squeal of delight at seeing her daddy caused a bling on the monitors that was so noticeable that the technician got up to see if any adjustments were necessary. Sami then asked the technician if it was alright for the family to be alone awhile.
"Of course, Mrs Wells, if you need me, or any of us, we are just next door."
"Daddy, you here! I miss you!" Sami was surprised to see that Jessica was signing much of what she was saying, not in complete sentences by any means, but enough to convey her meaning.
"Daddy! Are you still tied up? Why tie you up Mommy?" Justin also made the signs that questioned why his Daddy was still in the bed with his eyes closed and so many wires going here and there.
EJ struggled for the connection to them, willing his mind to channel itself in their direction, until he felt the electrical current that meant he could be understood on their level.
"Hey my little prince, and my little Trouble"
"Daddy! I not trouble, and if Just is a prince, I princess! Princess Jessica! You call me that ok?" Sami looked as she saw Jessicas little hands and face move in rapid succession with several signs that were obviously new.
"Sure, sure, my darling little princess..now Daddy needs your help ok..can you both help me? We are going to have a secret ok..a secret from Mommy for a surprise!"
"How Daddy, how help" Justin was eager, and loved fooling Mommy!
"See if you can get Mommy to set both of you on my bed".
"That's easy!" Justin signed to Mommy "Put me down to Daddy!"
"Me too" Jessica signed.
Sami complied, and sat down too. Reaching for his hand, she felt a tear slide down her cheek as she realized how happy she was just to have him home with her.
"Ok Jess, here is where we surprise Mommy..I want you to give her a big hug from me ok, then Justin, I want you to press this green button on this little box on the box here..see the one I mean" Justin nodded "three times ok..but don't let Mommy see!"
"How much is three?"
"Don't worry, then, just press it many times then, then you jump into Mommys arms too ok?"
"I can do that okay..Jessica you know hug Mommy ok? We make surprise" Justin thought the surprise was a little lame, but this was Daddy, better things were coming he knew!
Chapter XXXIII
"Ommph!" Sami was caught off guard as Jessica flew into her arms. Ten months and sixteen pounds of solid baby made a pretty good impression if it came at you unexpectedly! "Whoa, flying Wallenda girl, let Mommy know next time before you do that!"
"Good job, Jess" and Justin went for his move. Sami saw him as he made for the flat button panel, and tried to set Jessica down so she could get to him to stop him, but Jessica clung like a little monkey! Justin quickly had his fingers on the little button and was pressing fast and in succession like he did when he managed to get ahold of the t.v. remote!
"Enough, Justin, get to Mommy..quick!" EJ communicated before the convulsions started!
Sami held onto the babies and watched in horror as EJ's body seemed to draw up in a tight ball of pain. Then his eyes opened and stared directly at her in a silent plea for help. Then she heard his voice, raspy, but clear.."43-02" before the convulsions ceased and he collapsed back onto the bed.
Her screams brought the technicians running in, and she told them what had happened and why. She did not say what he had whispered, just that he had whispered something..after they recalibrated the machinery, she was assured that no harm was done, but to just keep a better eye on the babies when they visited EJ.
"Was that ok Daddy?" Jessica was a little wide eyed and frightened, but Justin was very proud that they had done this for Daddy.
"You both did so good, now Daddy must rest ok" Ej was drained after the charge, and his body chemistry would take awhile to recover.
Looking at both her children, Sami knew something strange had occurred here. She wondered what significance the number sequence EJ had whispered had, if any. It could have just been something drifting in his sub conscious, but she was convinced it was not. That look in his eyes when they had briefly opened had connected to her soul. He was trying to tell her something, she knew it!
Her shadow stood over him, and her presence was felt within him once again. He knew she understood he had been giving her a message. "Sami, my love, I know if you think about this, you can figure it out..you are so smart, so beautiful, and I will come back to you! There will never be secrets between us again..true love listens, true love trusts, I was so wrong not to believe in you all the way, and I will never make that mistake again".
Sami was up late, poring over the files in the basement computers. Harris came in, and came to stand beside her.
"I wish I knew what to do to help you, Mrs. Wells." She looked at him in rebuke, "ok Samantha, just hard to get used to calling you that."
"Harris, you are my cousin, so please, don't be so formal, it makes me uncomfortable!" She offered him a cookie from the plate in front of her, and he began to munch.
"Harris, does the number 43 02 mean anything to you?"
He shook his head in the negative. He had heard what had happened upstairs, but nothing regarding what EJ had supposedly said.
"Harris, EJ whispered that while he was convulsing..like he wanted me to understand something about it..it must mean something..I know it!"
Harris believed her, and he immediately went to the screen and typed in a series of codes that EJ had given him. At a certain point, the screen developed a life of its own, and Harris just sat back as the numbers and letters that had been programmed in by EJ filled the screen, disappeared, reappeared, and finally a command appeared: Sequence Please:
Sami was excited, this had to be what EJ wanted.."Put it in, Harris, do it!"
Harris typed in 43 02..nothing. "Try it with a dash" Harris put in the dash.
At first the screen went blue, then opened up with a Phoenix symbol.
"What's going on down here?" Eric had seen the open door, and the lights on. Harris quickly hit the suspend for the program.
Upstairs, as the program had run, the signal had been sent to EJ's panel control, and he had felt the surge of power which was going to bring him around. He felt the connections strengthening his subconscious to his body mobility..almost there..then nothing!
"Eric, what are you doing up so late?" Sami knew he had many meetings the next day to keep the station running.
"I have to talk to you Sami, and it has to be tonight..I don't know if I can keep doing this for you, something has come up!" Her twin was serious, and Sami knew she had to give him time to talk.
"Harris, we can finish this up tomorrow, ok..meet me here by 7 a.m. I need to talk to Eric".
Sami took Eric upstairs into the kitchen. She put on a pot to boil, and he got the makings for tea from the cupboards. Once all was set, he poured for her and sat across from her at the counter, taking a sip before he began.
"Sami, how well did you know EJ before you married him?
"Uh oh, who have you been talking to?"
"Mom, Dad, Uncle Bo..to name a few. They are all concerned about you, and maybe with good reasons"
"I think you better just spit this out Eric, we have never had any barriers between us, so whatever you think I should know about EJ, tell me. "
"It is about Will…he arranged it so that Will would overhear everything he talked about to you that day..Will was so guilty about how he had treated you that he took off on the bikes without putting on his gear..that may very well be why he died..Sami..EJ should have told you..you have been thinking that Will was just mad at you. But .he was mad at himself, and mad at Lucas. What kind of man is EJ that he could keep this to himself, Sami?"
"Did Dad tell you to tell me this? Does he know too?"
"Yes, but Sami, he only wants to protect you, he loves you so much".
'Oh yes, I know how much he loves me!" Sami spat the words out. She was hurt knowing what EJ might have done, but under no circumstances was she going to judge him until he was able to speak for himself.
Chapter XXXIV
The question Eric had asked, "what kind of man is EJ, that he could keep this to himself" burned at Sami as she went in to the room he was confined in. Confined..that is how she saw EJ now, a man who had always brimmed with self confidence, which at times she knew bordered on arrogance, now inside a prison of his own making in a way.
Loving him had transformed her, made her able to see things she had never seen before in herself. She looked over to the intercom and knew what Eric told her was true. Still, she could not bring herself to hate EJ over this.
"how could he keep this to himself?" Sami knew. EJ loved her. He had done this to make Will see her side of things because she could never bring herself to do it. All the times that Lucas and Will had stood against her, she never lost faith that someday Will would love her as unconditionally as she loved him. EJ did not share that faith, so he had tried to force it. Will had inherited from her a tendency to being headstrong, if he had only given her a chance to talk to him things would be so different. So many times in the past Will had refused to listen to her, ignoring her pleadings for understanding, but after he knew her truths his own guilt had taken over.
'We will work through this my love, there is nothing I could not forgive you, and I know there is nothing you could not forgive me. You will come back to us, I have such a strong feeling about that, but the one thing we must always have with each other is truth…I have never been able to lie to you, you see right through me. You are different though, I do not know how or why, but parts of you have always been withheld from me. I know you love me, you love the children, and whatever it is that makes you apart from us, whatever force you are giving in to, I will help you, I will help you, I will always be here for you, I promise!"
EJ caught the one message in Samis thoughts through the myriad of signals coursing through his brain. "She is here for me always". And he felt peace.
Roman stepped into his office and turned on his computer..the screen failed to light for the second time that week, which was frustrating him once again.
"Officer Peters! Please come in here!"
"Yes sir, what is it Commander'?
"What in the hell is wrong with the damn computer again, the screen won't light, I already pushed that button you showed me Tuesday, and it still won't work".
Officer Peters reached around and jiggled the connecting wire in tighter, and the screen came to light.
"So what was wrong with it this time" Roman groused.
"The connection was loose, if it happens again just push in the red wire here, to this port ok?"
"Got it!"
Then Roman went to work researching penal codes. From what Eric had told him he was sure EJ had committed some crime with Will's death, and he was going to find it and throw the book at him. If that failed, he planned on a full family confrontation with Sami so she would realize what she had married when she married into the DiMera Family. They were all no damn good. Harris too as far as Roman was concerned. He may be half Brady but the other half was DiMera, he worked for a DiMera, in Romans mind that was enough to condemn him.
At noon Roman found himself again with Kate. He told her about Will, she was outraged of course! Sami was married to Wills murderer! That just fit so well! "Roman, you must do what you can to get justice for Will..do you think Sami knows too? Would that not make her an accessory? You have to do something ! " Then Kate had reached for him.
He had picked her up in his unmarked car, and they found themselves parked like teenagers near the park. She was like a drug to him he thought as she kissed him senseless…rearranging his clothing as she did. Even the fog on the windows did not keep the man from taking the pictures giving a clear indication of what was happening inside the Salem Police Department car.
Tony DiMera looked at the pictures and laughed gleefully!
"Katie, darling, you are such a temptress! Whores like you are so hard to come by, priceless actually!"
Jules stood, proud of his work. He did not know what Tony would do with simple stuff like this, and he was anxious for his real assignment to begin. Finally getting rid of EJ Wells so that Tony could reclaim his rightful place as the heir to the DiMera legacy which had been usurped was the real work to be done. As long as EJ was in possession of all the ledgers they were helpless! The original plan had been to eliminate EJ in the hospital, but Sami had stopped that. Jules was for just storming the mansion, killing everyone and getting the ledgers that way but Tony said that would be impossible, he knew the security safeguards available in that house! No, Sami would have to be made to bring the ledgers to them, of her own free will. Free will having many different definitions!
Tony laughed at the thought, Sami surrendering herself and the ledgers to him!
The vault where the ledgers now were housed was a climate controlled area, down one level from the first basement. Sami had been unable to sleep. Something was drawing her to the vault. She walked along the cases, fingering one, then another of the ledgers. Stefano had been meticulous on recording everything he had ever done, to whom, and why. The ledgers were handsomely bound, leather jackets with the Phoenix symbol stamped in gold on each one. Reaching for one that caught her eye, she noticed the volume number was 432. Opening it she looked at the content table, it all pertained to Bio-Chemistry stuff, not anything she knew a darn thing about! Why was Stefano interested in that? The book was heavy, and slipped from her hand. When she picked it up it had opened itself to a diagram drawing…the machine it depicted was the Phoenix! She was sure of it..this was what EJ meant about 43 02..he had not said 43-02 he had said 43, then had gasped oh…from the convulsions wracking him..432 had been what he meant!
"Harris, come down quick, I think I found something!"