Chapter 8: Breaking News

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EJ DiMera was busy drowning his sorrows at the local pup. Stefano had crossed the line destroying his marriage to Nicole but he couldn't help but love him. He was the only father he had ever known. A man that welcomed him into his family with open arms despite his antics and talk he had loved him more than anyone in the entire world. They had been inseparable for years and when tragedy befell him he always had Stefano's love no matter how many times they argued or betrayed each other. The bottom of a bottle looked so much better with more drinks ahead.

"Bartender another round!" demanded EJ.

He could still feel the weight of the gun he held on his "father". Each shot he let off made him feel sicker and sicker as they hit the wall around him. Tears had begun to swell in his eyes as he continued to think about the ordeal. He could never hurt Stefano...no matter how angry he got with him and he knew the same had been true for him.

Stefano's eyes had been filled with a sort of unsaid sorrow the last he saw of them. He had not known the extent of his father's love nor how hurt he had truly been. The man was losing his daughter and believed he had lost his only living son but all EJ could do was blame him for his problems. He had not pushed EJ out of his life, he blackmailed the man and threatened him with proof of toxins causing Alexandra's death. Chad had been avoiding him to please his little girlfriend and now...Kate had decided to show her true colors and cheat on him.

EJ couldn't imagine his father was having the time of his life and had understood all to well the isolation and the rage he was feeling. They were the same even if they shared no true blood. Stefano had offered to keep this revelation a secret. He and EJ were the only ones who knew that he was not Stefano's biological son...that was until he told Alexandra. She had not cared and refused to believe otherwise. Stefano was simply dealing with the revelation as it had hurt him more than he would ever acknowledge. EJ had remembered at least that much about his father.

"I still love you...father." he said taking a drink as the bartender gave him a refill.

{Breaking news: Billionaire Stefano DiMera was brutally shot in his own home he is listed as being in critical condition at the hospital.}

EJ looked at the television above the bar in disbelief.

"Wait what?" he said out loud.

"Stefano DiMera got himself shot in his own mansion can't say that I feel bad for the guy he was hated by a lot of people." replied the bartender.

EJ turned on the bartender.

"Shut your mouth, you miscreant!" he replied angrily. "That's my father your talking about!"

The bartender looked at him un-phased.

{Breaking news: Billionaire Stefano DiMera was brutally shot in his own home...As far as it is know there are no named suspects in his apparent attempted murder...}

"Attempted Murder?" said EJ trying to wrap his head around things. "This can't be happening..."

He got drunkenly to his feet and tried to make his way out to the hospital. He couldn't believe someone would have the audacity to hurt the only father he had ever known. He wondered if he had been the cause...if his goading had pushed Stefano to do the unthinkable.

The hospital...

He got there in one piece amazed that he didn't get into a car accident or cause a pile up with his driving. He stormed into the hospital and demanded to know which room his father was in.

"Stefano DiMera where is he?" he asked.

Kate stopped him from making a scene.

"EJ are you drunk?" she asked.

"Where is my father Kate?" he asked bitterly.

"Where were you a bar?" she asked.

"I don't have time for your games Miss Roberts tell me where my father is." he demanded.

"He is in recovery." she replied realizing just how concerned he truly was.

"Does..." he started trying to compose himself. "Does Alexandra know?"

"I haven't called her and he asked me not to." replied Kate.

"I found out from the television, did he ask you not to call me?" asked EJ saddened.

"He wants nothing to do with you." replied Kate.

EJ scoffed.

"Typical father." he replied.

EJ tried to go into his room but found him speaking with Chad. The sight of it had hurt him in a profound way. Tears streamed down his cheeks. The machines went haywire and Chad was asked to leave the room. EJ realized this could be the last time he could speak to Stefano. He pushed passed the orderlies and Stefano reached out his hand.

"Father….Father please don't shut me out…I'm still your son!" said EJ upset.

Stefano opened his eyes as EJ grabbed his hand.

Stefano with a sort of smile as the pain got worse gripped EJ's hand with the last of his strength.

"Elvis…..my son." he said.

He motioned for him to come toward him and he whispered something in EJ's ear. Then he stopped breathing and flat lined. EJ was beside himself with grief as he was pushed out of the room.

EJ was in tears.

"Father!" he shouted as he was forced out.

The doctors wheeled him away and scrambled around trying to bring him back. Chad and Kate waited out the news in the lobby. EJ had gone out to join them. It wasn't long before a doctor arrived with a sympathetic look on his face.

"Are you Mr. DiMera's immediate family?" he asked.

"I'm his eldest son." said EJ bitterly.

Kate glared at him.

"Yes." she replied to the doctor.

"Who might you be?" asked the doctor trying to be sure.

"I'm his wife." explained Kate.

"Is my father going to be okay?" asked Chad impatient.

"The youngest son I take it?" replied the doctor.

"Yes." replied Kate.

"Well Mrs. DiMera...your husband had lost a lot of blood upon his arrival and as you know he had a rare blood type." he explained. "Despite being shot in the torso he was thought to be able to make a full recovery once the bullets were out but his heart stopped...there was nothing more we could do for him after that."

"So your saying..." started Kate upset.

"I'm afraid your husband did not make it." replied the doctor. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Chad was upset and not even Kate could hold her composure.

Lexie had been watching the news prior to her father's admission to the hospital. She could not believe he had been shot. She knew he blamed himself for her illness and had been powerless to save her but to kill himself? She refused to believe it. Lexie had arrived fearing it had been too late. EJ had to take charge of the situation in an effort to hold them all together.

"EJ where's father?" she asked.

EJ tried his best to find the words.

"Father's gone Alexandra." he replied.

Lexie looked at him confused.

"Look I know I was angry with him but that doesn't change the fact that I love him." she said "So tell me where he's gone to."

EJ tried to keep it in but the tears started to stream down his cheeks in rapid succession. He had to explain to his terminally ill sister that their father had been killed.

"Alexandra father's….father's dead he had just flat lined and they couldn't bring him back." he said sorry.

Lexie couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What room is father in EJ?" she said "I get that you are trying to protect me but I need to see him."

"Alexandra…" he said trying to stop her.

She pushed through the doors of his room and saw him in his hospital bed having flat lined from his gunshot wounds. Chad was beside himself and Kate had done her best to console him despite her own grief.

Marlena, John, Bo, and Hope had arrived at the hospital with Abe fearing it had been Lexie. Marlena was surprised to find a grieving EJ sitting alone in the lobby.