Chapter Eight
Three hours later Georgie had cried herself into exhaustion and was sleeping against Emily's shoulder. Emily kept her arm around the teenager, stroking Georgie's hair soothingly. Lucky had moved to the chair, and he and Emily were talking quietly about the past, trying to keep things light. They needed to smile to stay strong.
"Remember the sock hop?" Em queried.
"Oh yeah!" Lucky grinned. "You wore that huge blue skirt-"
"Poodle skirt," interrupted Emily.
"Right, poodle skirt. And my mom taught us how to do the jitterbug. God I made an ass of myself."
Em smiled. "You were fine. And very handsome in that greaser look," she teased him.
"Aw shucks," demured Lucky. "And you were just so darn cute with that skirt and that ponytail."
"Well gee whiz..." Emily imitated his tone.
Lucky glanced sideways at Emily and smiled sincerely. He turned his head toward her.
"You know Em, sometimes I can't believe how pretty you've become," he said softly.
Emily smiled back. "Well, aren't you the charmer, Lucky Spencer," she said, just as softly. Lucky rose from the chair and slid on to the bed next to Emily, snaking an affectionate arm around her shoulder. She shifted Georgie's body against her chest and leaned her head on Lucky's shoulder, her eyes closed. He leaned his head on hers.
The door opened. "Hey, you makin'-" Zander's chipper tone faded as he noticed Georgie sleeping in Emily's arms. "-time with my wife..." he trailed off. "What happened?" he asked, putting down the bags he was carrying, his voice concerned.
Lucky and Emily exchanged a tired look. He slid off the bed. "I'm gonna go check on Elizabeth, let your husband take care of you for a while."
Emily smiled at him. "Thanks Lucky."
"You're welcome," he responded, turning to leave. He paused a moment and turned back to the bed, looking over at Georgie. "You know, Em, I think she's as scared for Dillon as I was for you that night in the desert and..." he drifted off. He didn't need to say the other time he had been scared for her; it was so close. "You're my best friend, Emily." He leaned in and kissed her softly between the eyes.
She closed her eyes, accepting the kiss. "And you're mine, Lucky."
Lucky walked past Zander, placing a hand on his arm in a comforting gesture, and walked out the door.
Zander moved to his wife and sat on the bed, gathering her close. He kissed her on the corner of her mouth. "What happened?"
Emily cuddled into Zander's chest and stroked Georgie's hair. "Dillon was in a car accident."
"Oh my god, is he-"
"-there's more." Emily continued. "He was in a car with," she looked disgusted, "with Faith Rosco." Zander looked ill. "Apparently, she had taken him hostage. The cops found a gun with her prints in the car. The prints were fresh."
Zander gulped. "And the accident?"
"Well, maybe not," Emily said, shaking her head at the irony. "Dillon was driving and he went into a tree. Lucky was doing field training and was at the scene." She blew out a breath. "He said it looked like Dillon might have driven into the tree on purpose."
"Jesus Christ." Zander pulled Emily closer. "And what about-" he nodded at Georgie.
"She was with Lucky when he called Ned to tell him, so I had him bring her in here." Her voice started to shake a bit. "Zander, Georgie was so scared she couldn't even walk. Lucky had to carry her. She finally cried herself to sleep. Poor girl."
"Oh god," Zander sounded exhausted.
A knock sounded on the door. Elizabeth sat up in bed. Her grandmother had gone back to work, promising to check on her every half hour. Was it time? "Come in..." she called out.
The door opened. "It's Lucky." She smiled at the sound of the voice she knew better than any other.
"You sound tired," she observed, waving him over to the bed. He took a seat gingerly beside her, letting her feel the placement of his body so she could adjust hers accordingly.
"Yeah...I just talked to Capelli."
"And..." she sounded anxious.
"Well, the good news is that Faith was sloppy. Security cameras got her and Dillon leaving the hospital with a gun in his back, so there's definitely enough to get her on kidnapping."
"So she didn't die?" Elizabeth scowled.
"No." Lucky's voice was equally disappointed. And with the statements from Maxie's boyfriend and the guard there is probably enough to at least book her on accessory charges. But they're going to want your statement, and Georgie's, when you feel up to it. And of course, Dillon's."
"So Dillon is okay?" Elizabeth was hopeful.
"From what I could get, he was still in surgery, but it was looking good. He had a head trauma and some internal bleeding."
"And what about Georgie?" Elizabeth asked. "Bobbie said that you took her to Emily's room? That she was in shock?"
"Yeah," Lucky replied, softly. Georgie had seemed so fragile, so much like a little girl. "Her knees just gave way." He took a ragged breath. "Elizabeth, I haven't had to carry Georgie since she was five years old and skinned her knee skipping rope outside of Kelly's. She just looked so small and so scared."
"God," said Elizabeth. "How much time do we all spend being scared for the people we love?" Lucky shifted so she was leaning fully against his body.
"Em and I told her about when Em got trapped in the cave with the rattlesnake-"
"-When you two went on the lam?" Elizabeth smiled.
"Yeah. You know, the way Georgie looked, that fear, I think the first time I ever felt that was in the desert, not knowing if I would get Emily out in time," Lucky pondered sadly.
"It keeps showing up, though, doesn't it?" Elizabeth asked, the question more rhetorical than anything else.
"Yeah..." his voice sounded distant. "There was the time when Lulu got sick..."
"...Or thinking Emily was going to die." Elizabeth's voice was soft, almost a whisper.
"Yeah..." Lucky couldn't bear the thought. "Or the time when I found-" his mouth snapped abruptly shut. Elizabeth knew what he was thinking.
"-when you found me in the park," she whispered.
Lucky wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. "Yeah, then."
Elizabeth closed her eyes and leaned into his chest. "God, Lucky, what would I do without you?" she wondered aloud. Lucky used his fingertips to turn her face upwards.
She could sense him coming closer and she closed her eyes.
He didn't kiss her. Not really. Just touched his lips softly to hers for the briefest of moments, a split second. "You'll never have to know," he promised.
Georgie was still asleep in Emily's arms, and Em was dozing slightly in Zander's. Zander nudged his new wife awake as the door opened and Ned came in the room. Emily blinked rapidly.
"Ned." He looked tired, but relieved. "Is he...is everything..."
Ned nodded, a tired smile on his face. He looked toward Georgie. Emily shook the girl gently. "Georgie...Georgie honey, wake up." Georgie stirred. Emily tried again. "Come on sweetheart, wake up," she said stroking Georgie's cheek. "Ned's here."
Slowly Georgie came to and sat up a little, her eyes on Ned. She uttered a single word.
"Dillon?"
Ned nodded. "He's okay. He's awake."
Some of the color found its way back to Georgie's face. "Can I see him?" Her voice was pleading.
"Of course," Ned agreed, "I'll take you right now."
Georgie hugged Emily around the neck before climbing off the bed.
"Tell Dillon we say hi," Emily was telling Ned.
"I'll bring Em down for a visit later if they're both up for it," Zander added.
Ned nodded gratefully. He put an arm around Georgie's shoulders to guide her out the door. She paused and turned back.
"Thanks Emily. Thanks Zander," she spoke simply but with sincerity. Emily smiled.
"Of course," was all she said.
"Take care Georgie," Zander called, as Ned led Georgie out into the hall.
Dillon was propped up in a hospital bed. His head hurt and he had what he was sure was a stupid-looking piece of gauze taped to his forehead. "At least they didn't cut my hair," he thought to himself, wondering why such a stupid thing would occur to him.
Monica was standing by the bed, explaining his condition to him in a bunch of medical terms. She may as well have been speaking Sanskrit.
"Monica," he interrupted. "I feel okay. I have a headache and I'm a little groggy, but I'm all right. What's the upshot?"
"The biggest concern is your concussion," she informed him. "We'll need to keep you here a few days for observation."
Dillon groaned loudly. At the same time, Ned opened the door. He had just heard the latest exchange. He smiled. Barely out of surgery and Dillon was being obstinate. The kid really was a Quartermaine. He spoke up. "But I'm sure your favorite candy striper will make the time just a bit more bearable." Dillon snapped to atention as Ned ushered Georgie into the room.
"Georgie!" She rushed to him and took his hand, holding on tightly.
"Dillon, I was so scared for you," she wept.
He reached up to brush tears off her cheeks and eyelashes. "Hey, hey, hey, don't cry. I'm fine, it's all fine. Don't cry..."
Ned gestured to Monica, indicating that they should give Dillon and Georgie some time alone. The two adults left quietly.
Dillon and Georgie still gripped hands, but he traced a circle pattern on the back of her hand with his thumb. For minutes, they remained in comfortable silence, but then Georgie shifted, looking like she wanted to say something. Dillon noticed her looking as though she was trying to choose her words delicately, so he bit. "What?"
Georgie turned to him. "You're not going to throw up, are you?" she asked, timidly.
"What?!" Dillon was confused. "No, definitely not. Why would you ask?"
"Well, sometimes with head injuries, there's nausea, so if you feel sick I didn't want to..." Georgie's explanation trailed off.
Dillon realized what she was saying and stroked her cheek. "I feel fine, even better now that you're here." He pulled her down for a long kiss. "That why you asked?" he cracked when they pulled apart.
Georgie blushed. Dillon leaned up to put his mouth to her ear. "I love you Georgie," he whispered.
"I love you Dillon." Her breath tickled his cheek and earlobe. He brushed back her hair and brought her mouth down to meet his. They kissed slowly and tenderly, lost in the feeling of one another.
"Ahem."
