"Where is he?" Talking more to herself than the man currently slumped over her toilet, Elizabeth ran a washcloth under the cool running water before squeezing out the excess water. Her eyes moved to where the empty bottle of Ipecac lay and gave a mental shudder.

It'd been touch and go for a few minutes, with him heaving and her trying to keep her gag reflex in check. She'd run to the hallway like the cowardly lion she was, the second the liquid took effect. Pacing back and forth, while Jason hugged the porcelain bowl, she knew she was headed for hell if she didn't suck it up and lend a hand.

Typically she was the kind of person who couldn't handle being in the same vicinity of a sick person. It probably wasn't a great thing to admit when you had a classroom of germ breeders, inclined to catch whatever illness was going around. But it was a weakness she recognized and there was always the school nurse for stuff like that.

Deciding that the adrenaline pounding through her bloodstream probably over road any need to embarrass herself, Elizabeth let the matter go. There were other more important issues at hand. Like a very sick man on her bathroom floor.

Not a medical expert in the least, Elizabeth knew whatever was wrong sure wasn't the flu. Not with the quick decline she'd watched in the kitchen. One second she was arguing with Jason. Then she'd noticed how his eyes got glazed over. His pupils twice the normal size was the least of his symptoms. Beads of sweat on his upper lip, and forehead made her nervous. His sudden case of vertigo made her frantic.

Looking down again at the damp cloth in her hand, Elizabeth moved the two feet from the sink to where Jason was slumped. His head hung limply against his forearm, while he took deep calming breaths.

"Do you want to lie down?" Resting the washcloth against his warm flesh, Elizabeth felt reassured when he let out a relieved sigh.

"Not yet." His throat sounded scratchy, not that she was surprised. After his puking marathon her throat would probably feel the same. "Do you have anymore of that stuff?"

Her eyes quickly moved to the empty bottle back to him. Was he kidding? There couldn't possibly be anything left to bring up. Not to mention it couldn't be healthy to consume much more. "What about baking soda?"

Lowering her brows, Elizabeth brought her fingers to the collar of his shirt so she could move the cooling cloth lower. "I think so."

"Mix it with water. Bring it to me."

"Why?" She asked slowly.

"Need to make sure everything's out."

"Jason I don't know what's going on, but I think we should wait until Sonny gets here. I just spoke to him about five minutes ago. He should be here soon."

Jason's head turned up slowly to her. "I can't wait."

Biting on her lip, Elizabeth had a hard time ignoring the begging look in his bloodshot eyes. It made her want to do anything he asked, because she knew Jason Morgan wasn't the begging type of man. Demanding. Pushy. Sometimes rude. But never begging.

It was a good thing that the other part of her brain was telling her to stop and think reasonably. Jason had been puling for the last fifteen minutes. Only stopping to swallow a few mouthfuls of Ipecac from her first aid kit. Maybe she could appease him by stalling. Let him think she was doing what he asked, while waiting like a wuss for Sonny to show up.

But that was the easy way out. And if there was one thing she never did, was take the low road.

"Jason I can't. I think you need medical attention."

"No. I said no hospitals." His words were harshly spoken, but she didn't take any offense.

"Fine." Returning to the sink, Elizabeth refreshed the cloth. Turning back, she started all over again. Starting at his neck she worked her way down again. "No hospitals. How about I call Smitty, you said she was a doctor."

"Defiantly not her." His words were becoming slurred again, a decline she didn't appreciate. He was starting to do well, as well as any human could after purging yesterdays breakfast from his system.

"Why not her?" Wanting to keep him talking, Elizabeth wiped away a few more beads of perspiration from his hairline. Without thinking, she ran her fingers through his short spikes. "You almost let her sew my knee downstairs in my kitchen."

Jason weakly shook his head and his lack of a reply made her stomach drop. His breathing was becoming raspy, while his eyelids drooped.

"Jason you need to stay with me." Moving her hand to cup his cheek, Elizabeth lifted it so she could get a better look at him. "Jason wake up."

His eyes fluttered once or twice, then closed again.

"No." Softly slapping the side of his face, Elizabeth held her breath while searching for some kind of response. With her heart in her throat, her eyes traveled from his face down to his chest. His shirt, damp from either the rain or his sweat, stuck to him like a second skin. But it was the fall and rise of his chest that concerned her most.

Fate was with her, he was still breathing. Not as steadily as she'd like, though who was she to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Elizabeth?" Sonny's voice sounded like heaven to her ears. Rising quickly, she gave Jason an unsure look before backing out of the bathroom.

"Up here." All but wringing her hands, Elizabeth almost cried in relief when she saw the top of Sonny Corinthos's head coming up the stairs. His foot steps weren't the only ones she heard. Behind the dark skinned man, Elizabeth eyed the man who followed. She'd seen him before and his name was on the tip of her tongue.

Fraser? No, not that. Fred? The guy sure didn't look like one. Searching her memory, Elizabeth struggled for only a second more. Francis. That was it. Not all that manly, but when a guy was as built as the man climbing the stairs it didn't really matter.

"What's going on?" All business, his eyes narrowed, Sonny Corinthos stared at her intently. Letting her eyes skip to Francis and back again, Elizabeth took a deep breath and told herself it was silly to be intimidated. She hadn't done anything wrong. Jason's friends were just worried. And rightly so.

"I d-don't know really." Hating that she couldn't talk without stuttering, Elizabeth forced herself to keep eye contact. "We were talking in the kitchen, when he started to act funny."

Slipping past her to the bathroom, Sonny pushed on the door. Taking a moment to assess Jason's posture, Sonny looked even more displeased. "Funny how?"

"His words were getting all slurred and he couldn't stand without swaying." Seeing that the older man appreciated how she kept her answer short and sweet, Elizabeth Rubbed her sweaty palms on her already damp pajama bottoms. "I made him sit down but he asked me to bring him up here."

"Has he gotten sick?" Sonny asked.

"He made himself thr - get sick." Grabbing the discarded washcloth, Elizabeth needed to keep herself busy. Turning the sink back on, she took a moment to rinse the cloth. "There's something wrong with his pupils. They're pretty big."

Great medical assessment, idiot. Elizabeth thought. It was like telling the two men that Jason looked icky.

"Call Smitty." Scratching his cheek, Sonny looked over the other man. "Tell her to get over here ASAP."

"No!" Not realizing how loud her words were going to come out, especially with the echoing effect of the bathroom, Elizabeth felt her face light on fire. Her insides cramped when the men froze and looked at her strangely. "W-What I meant to say, is that Jason told me he didn't want to go to the hospital."

The men visibly relaxed.

"He would say that." Francis chuckled.

"Elizabeth it's fine. Smitty can take care of him here." Resting his hand on her shoulder, Sonny gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"B-but he said he didn't want me to call her either." Seeing that Sonny didn't appear to care for what she had to say, Elizabeth kept her mouth shut. Jason had asked her to do three things. Call Sonny. Check. Not take him to the hospital. Kind of out of her control now. And last but not least, not to get Smitty involved.

"Listen Elizabeth, we won't take Jason to the hospital. But he needs attention by someone who knows what they're doing and is discreet about it. That's why we keep Shelby around." Elizabeth evaluated her position and quickly concluded that she didn't really have one. The two men in front of her knew Jason a lot better than she did. Plus with their line of work, as it was, was something she knew nothing about. Who in the heck was she to tell these guys they should follow Jason's wishes?

A dead body had already been pulled out of the woods behind her house. She'd do just about anything to keep from having on in her bathroom.

"I just . . ." Peering over at Jason, she paused to watch his chest before continuing on. Waiting to see it rise and fall a few times, she looked back at the men. "Are you sure. He seemed really insistent about it."

"Elizabeth it's gonna be okay." Knowing there would be no changing the older man's mind, Elizabeth sighed in defeat. Beaming, Sonny gave her a thousand watt smile before turning back to Francis. "Give her a call, then help me get him comfortable."

Francis looked uncomfortable, but did as he was told. With the call made in under a minute, both men flanked Jason's sides. With little effort, Francis pulled Jason away from the toilet. Keeping him in a semi-sitting position Francis checked Jason's pulse point on his neck.

"At least he's got a pulse." Muttering softly, Francis shifted his weight. Prying open Jason's eyelid he gave a long whistle. "Now that ain't good."

"What?" Looking over Francis's shoulder, Sonny's grim face showed he wasn't all too pleased with the situation. "Christ he looks . . ."

"Stoned? Baked? High as a kite?" Grumbling, Francis looked like an angry bear.

"This ain't right." Rubbing a hand over the lower portion of his face, Sonny's expression was troubled.

"No." Francis vehemently agreed. "This is #$ up."

Looking back and forth between the two men, Elizabeth felt as though her blood supply had turned to ice. "Are you saying that he's hopped up on drugs?"

Both men, who appeared to have forgotten she was in the same cramped bathroom, turned to look at her.

"No!" They shouted in unison.

Taking a step forward, Sonny looked her straight in the eye. "Jason doesn't do drugs. I know you don't him, or us all that well, but there's one thing you need to know. Jason despises anything to do with drugs of any kind. We've spent years cleaning up this town, maybe in ways you wouldn't approve of, but the streets are clean."

"Someone must've slipped him something." Cracking his knuckles, Francis looked ready for war.

A part of Elizabeth already knew this. Laura, who she trusted impeccably, told her this in some extent. But hearing it coming from Sonny made her feel much better. Laid to rest any doubt she might've harbored.

"Who would do something like that?" Trying to not sound as though she disbelieved them, Elizabeth looked down at the forgotten towel in her hands. Deciding it was better to do something, or than stand around, she skirted past Sonny and knelt down next to Jason.

Busying herself with wiping him down again, she didn't miss the snort coming from Francis's direction.

"Who wouldn't do something like this is more the question." Sonny clarified "It's a good thing you didn't take Jason to the hospital."

Silently agreeing with the man, Elizabeth wondered if perhaps they should've listened to Jason's other request and not have called Shelby. Maybe Jason knew more about what was going on and it was a pity he couldn't share his thoughts with them now.

"Where are ya'll?" Shelby Smith's southern drawl floated up the stairs, and the hairs on the back of Elizabeth's neck rose. The sound of her footsteps could be heard and it seemed like an eternity before she was standing in the bathroom with the rest of them. "What in the hell is going on here?"

Not looking all too pleased, Shelby jumped to action. Her medical bag at her feet and unzipped quicker than Elizabeth could blink. The redhead shooed Francis away and crouched down behind Jason. Pulling his tee shirt from the waistband of his jeans, Shelby had her stethoscope positioned on her ears, while the other end was placed on Jason's chest.

"How long has he been like this?" Not looking up, she moved the instrument to his back.

Elizabeth felt Sonny and Francis's eyes on her and knew it was her turn to talk. "Maybe thirty minutes?"

Shelby's eyes skipped up at her and Elizabeth could see the displeasure all over the woman's face. "Why didn't you call 911?"

"Because Jase told her not to." Moving to stand in front of Elizabeth, Sonny put his hands on his hips and glared down at his employee. "We have you on payroll for a reason."

The temperature seemed to rise while the man and woman glared at one another. It was Shelby who disengaged the exchange. Turning her attention back to her patient, she gave a small shrug. "You boys are really starting to push your luck. I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker."

"We appreciate everything you do for us." The smile on Sonny's lips didn't seem to reach his eyes, but the woman seemed pleased enough and went back to working on Jason. After checking his blood pressure and asking Elizabeth to tell her everything that had happened, the redhead leaned Jason against the bathtub and motioned for the three other occupants to follow her out of the room.

When they were gathered in the hall, she gave Sonny a measured look. "Sonny you need to listen to me. There's nothing I can do for him. Jason needs medical attention."

Sonny seemed to be contemplating her words before he spoke. "What exactly are you?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Shelby ran a hand through her silky locks. "I don't have the equipment to perform the necessary tests. There's no telling what's going through his bloodstream. Jason needs to be in a hospital."

"We value your opinion." Sonny replied slowly. "Thank you for coming out here on such short notice."

Elizabeth watched Shelby blink a few times before Sonny's meaning hit her like a load of bricks. She'd just been dismissed. Her professional opinion meant peanuts to the men staring blankly back at her. Maybe Jason already knew Shelby wouldn't be able to help. That could answer why he asked for her not to get involved.

"You're not going to take him to the hospital are you?" Not looking too pleased that her expertise was being overlooked, Shelby put her hands on her hips and appeared to be preparing for war. "Why in the hell call me out here if you weren't going to listen to me? Jason needs help. Do you have any idea what could happen if he's not attended to? Not only could he die, but there's the possibility of slipping into a coma. Not to mention internal damage."

Holding up her fingers she started to tick off the things Jason Morgan could possibly face. "Kidney failure. Heart damage. Brain damage . . . more than he already has -."

Lifting his hand, Sonny's deep shout stopped her mid-sentence. "Not that it's any of your business, but do you have any idea what would happen if we took Jason to the ER?" Raising his brows, he angrily glared at Shelby. "Well? There's reports. Not only in his medical file, but to the police. Can you wrap you brain around the impact that would have?"

"That man's life is on the line." Shouting back, Shelby's face was beet red.

"You don't know that." Sonny snapped. "And I won't risk his freedom. Now if you're finished you can leave. We're finished."

Elizabeth watched with wide-eye wonder as Shelby looked ready to say something more. The woman had nerve. If she were in the other woman's place she would've gone running long ago. Instead, the redhead took her sweet time in returning to the bathroom to collect her stuff.

Descending the stairs without a word, her back straight as a pin, Shelby made it to the door and nearly slammed it off it's hinges on her way out.

"I'm sorry about that Elizabeth." Blowing out an intense sigh, Sonny rubbed at his temple. "But it looks like we might have to put you out."

"What do you need?" After the exchange she'd just witnessed, Elizabeth was more than eager to lend a hand. She hated confrontation and she was willing to smooth out the choppy waters.

"We can't move Jason when he's like this." Sonny answered slowly. "If it's not too much of an inconvenience could we impose on you by letting him stay until he gets over this?"

Biting on her lower lip, Elizabeth felt her eyes wander to the bathroom door. Unrealistically she'd been thinking once Sonny got there everything would be fine. Denial one of her well honed talents. It was only as good as long as no one else was allowed into her bubble. Even as a kid she could create a fairyland out of a pile of crap. If anything, her life had been filled with enough of it.

But the ugly truth was that Jason was sick. Really sick. And not with the flu.

There was a scared part of her that wanted to tell Sonny she couldn't possibly do it. There was too much at stake. Jason's life. Her job. Her sanity. Then there was the unspoken mob issue. It seemed she was being pulled deeper and deeper into a world she didn't really understand. It was a small part of her, but it was there. It was a damn good thing that her inner Tink was louder and more courageous.

"That's fine." Hugging herself, Elizabeth tried to tell herself to be strong. "I have an guest room he can stay in."

"Elizabeth I can't thank you enough." Looking relieved, the tension seemed to melt off of Sonny's taunt frame. Giving her one last smile, Sonny looked over at Johnny. "Help Jason into the spare room then meet me downstairs."

Elizabeth may not know a lot about the world Jason and Sonny lived in, but she had a sinking feeling that whoever did this to Jason was going to seriously pay.