Chapter 3:Inappropriate Behavior

We can't solve problems by using the same kind of reasoning we used when we created them.

Sam sat next to Jason's bed. She was still shocked at all that had happened. For the last few months she had thought everything in her life was going to be fine. She had Jason back, yes he was a little different but she put that down to the damage that had been done to them by Elizabeth.

Hearing the sound of footsteps she turned around to see Patrick Drake and Monica there. "Well, where is he?"

"Dr. Steadman will be in in a minute. We just wanted to inform you that we need to speak to you about the bleeding that has been going on in Jason's brain. We think that repeated traumatic brain injuries have caused some damage." Sonny and Carly entered knowing that the specialist was coming that morning. Patrick repeated his question for them.

"What do you mean?" Carly asked suspiciously.

"Have you noticed any of the following symptoms. Changes in appropriate social behavior. For instance, Jason acting out of character for his job." Patrick didn't come out and state what he was thinking but several people had mentioned his pulling out a gun at the carnival in front of children.

"Deficits in social judgment. As he done anything different from the past, like has he suddenly been forgiving of someone who he normally wouldn't have been." Monica kept her eyes down as she realized he had done that with Sam. Carly and Sonny had both answered no, but Sam felt slightly uneasy. "Cognitive or spatial changes. Has his aim been off, that sort of thing."

Now Carly was worried, she had noticed a few things like that. "Problems with unexplained sudden sexual disorders."

"Trust me, Jason hasn't had any problems with that, in fact it has been the complete opposite." bragged Sam only for Patrick to frown then turn to Monica.

"After his first surgery, didn't Jason experience an increased sex drive. I seem to recall Robin mention indiscriminate sexual appetites, what Sam is talking about would be similar."

Carly and Sam both gritted their teeth at the unintended explanation that Jason's wanting them was the result of injury. "The last thing would be either a fixation on a problem to the point of ignoring other things in his life. Especially things that caused him pain to think about."

At that point the other threesome started talking all on top of one another while Monica was sad to realize she didn't know the truth and those that did were going to go out of their way to avoid facing the truth. "Patrick is there a way to find out?"

"We need to run a complete series of cat scans using stimuli when he wakes up but for now, no. Dr. Steadman is looking at the x-rays, he should give us some answers soon."

The man entering looked around and said "Okay, this is what I know. This man has had repeated facial injuries resulting in multiple contusions to the face. The best we can hope is that I can reconstruct his face to it's original lines."

"When can you start?" asked Sam.

"We need to take off the bandages so that I can see what I have to work with, but hopefully by the beginning of next week." he replied before walking out. Stopping Patrick he said "I wish you had told me about the previous surgeries before hand, they are going to complicate things."

!!*!!

Sonny was sitting on his sofa, thinking things through when Michael strolled in just in front of Dominic. "Dad, I just took Kristina to the airport, Alexis asked me to give you this."

Taking the note, he gritted his teeth then said "I have to go out. Dominic I want you down at the warehouse this evening. Michael, don't you have homework to do?"

The younger man glared at the interloper trying to steal his place in the family. When his father had left, he turned to the dark haired man and said "You are not going to steal what belongs to me. My uncle won't let you."

"Your uncle is lying in bed breathing, eating and shitting through a tube. I have a lot to worry about. Now if you will excuse me, I have someplace to be in an hour."

Wishing the kid would get the message that his father wasn't a god, Dante went to see his mother. She had left fourteen voice mails on his phone earlier that day. When he arrived, he found that her boy toy had left town without leaving so much as a reason. Just a message that he wouldn't be returning.

Meanwhile Sonny was banging on Alexis' front door. "What the hell do you think you are doing letting Kristina to stay with Ric?"

"I sent both of my daughters after talking to Ric." she said leaning against her deck exhausted. "I agreed with his assessment that things around here are going to be unsettled as long as Jason is out of things. And your daughter is right, you have no say in her life. Why don't you go and spend the time chasing after Olivia, I am sure that she is waiting for you."

"Are you jealous?" he asked with a cocky smile as he moved in closer only for her to put up her hand to stop him.

"No, but my eyes were opened when Kristina mentioned your attitude the other day, she is right, you have been trying to charm me. It won't work Sonny, that is someplace I will never go again." she said scornfully. "Now if you will excuse me my oldest daughter needs me right now."

"Your right about that one." he said with a sad chuckle. "While you are there you might want to ask her about Jason's severe brain injury in Mexico and how before that he would not do anything more than give her the time of day. Turns out her grand reunion was the result of his injury. My guess is that when he wakes up, he tosses her out on her ass."

Sam had been thinking the exact same thing and knew she had to find away to know the truth before the surgery was performed. Calling Spinelli, she asked him to leave his laptop and went quickly to a search engine and what it said scared her.

Swearing softly, she made a quick call. "I want to make a deal."

The man on the other end thought eureka and said "What may I do for you Miss McCall?"

"I tell you everything, you help me get away from here with Jason. We get a new life in that program you have. You know the one where we get new names and stuff." she told the FBI agent.

"I want everything. No holding back. You give me everything there is on Sonny Corinthos and his entire operations. I agree and in exchange when Morgan wakes up, he testifies as well."

Not planning on sticking around that long, she said "Deal."

"You should know, I mean everyone. I want that little computer geek as well." said Raynor who had plans for the geek.

"Deal, Like I said, I want the works, new name, new face, money to start a new life." she said well aware that she wouldn't get all of that, but since she intended to take Jason's money with them, she didn't care.

Audrey and Steven took the envelope that Mac Scorpio had sent them and made plans to leave town. Letting the former commissioner know that they were going to Colorado, they were soon packed and gone.

Spinelli who was trailing them, saw them heading to the airport and called Lucky Spencer giving him the news. He didn't know for sure if Elizabeth had faked her death but he wasn't going to take any chances of her coming back to ruin the goddess's life. Meeting Maxie afterwords, he asked if she had heard from her father yet?

"No, I can't locate him. Did you have any luck?" she asked only for him to admit that he hadn't.

"I am sorry, my lady, no. I have not located your stalwart father. Why do you look so sad?"

"I was talking to a couple of his officers, he resigned from the force. I have no idea where he is and he told me if I have any questions to talk to my mother."

!!*!!

Mac was striking out, he had checked every Smoot in the phone book and most had assumed it was a prank call. Walking down to the Harvard Commons he was once again reminded of Georgie. With a heavy heart, he went back to the bed and breakfast, sure that whatever he was missing it was simple.

"Four smoots and life after death. What was he supposed to be finding. And why was he in Boston."

Heading to the front desk he asked for the nearest library saying he needed to research something. The woman sent him back over the bridge to the public library. Arriving at the information desk he asked "I need some help doing research into something called four smoots."

The librarian looked up and saw he wasn't joking then asked "Do you need the measurements or the history behind them?"

"Both, I think." he said then followed her to the tourist section. When she handed him the brochure he said "I don't want to visit a college."

"Sir, trust me, read the brochure." she said then suggested he access the Internet if he needed more information. Mac did just that and swore softly to himself when he realized that he had driven by this structure several times.

Thanking the woman, he was quickly on his way, needing to find the next clue.

!!*!!

AJ was sitting next to the woman in the bed. He knew that Elizabeth was in there, he just didn't know how to reach her. He couldn't help wondering if his partner's grand plan to find out the truth without getting caught had been the absolute worst plan ever... from not knowing the truth about his so called friends to them losing control of the situation in Mexico. AJ had his own guilt about that.

If he hadn't been so worried about his brother, maybe things wouldn't have gone to the crapper. Now his only hope was that whomever had Cameron and Jake didn't want them to control Jason. That they had done this to help Spencer.

Hearing footsteps, he saw the doctor returning. "Well, how did it go?"

"We are going to try and move her through her history." he said then seeing AJ's confusion as to why this was not a good idea, he said "She was raped at fifteen, in the park."

"Crap, I remember hearing about that. That was when she first started to hang with Lucky."

"Yes, but I need her to trust me, so I might have to point out a few things, things that are going to send her over the edge. You are going to have to get him out of the way during the days we work on this."

"That is unless you are finished before he returned with the boys." suggested AJ.

"I wish, but this is going to take time and she is going to need to rest in between sessions." he said before leaving.

AJ called and asked "Any luck?"

"Yes, thankfully. I talked to a babysitter at the hotel in Milan, he was seen with the boys. I need you to prepare the house for the boys. I also need you to keep working on the puzzle. If Mac doesn't figure it out, and we can't get the last answer from Elizabeth in time, I am afraid we are going to be in even a bigger mess that we are now." he said grimly.

"And we are up the proverbial creek without a paddle right now." said AJ. "Jason, one other thing.... Dr. Hardy says it is going to get ugly for Elizabeth. Are you sure you want him doing this?"

The man on the other end looked into the mirror, saw the desperation on his face and said "Yes."

"It's your call man."

"AJ, I can't live without her. This past year has been about trying to figure a way to have my family, for them to be safe. I can't quit now."

"Get back here with those boys soon."

"I will, I do have one thing on my side." he said staring at the article in the Port Charles Herald.

"What's that?" asked AJ.

"The fact that he thinks I am lying in a hospital bed."

!!*!!

Elizabeth was playing hide and seek when she overheard her parents talking. Her mother was accusing her dad of cheating on her. "Carolyn, in spite of everything, I have never broken my wedding vows. That would be your thing."

"Of course not the saint of Boulder would never do anything so human as cheat on his wife. After all he lives for his patients, his reputation and his family last." she said scornfully.

"Is it any wonder I don't come home most nights? That I stay here, our house is a combat zone, I don't want the children seeing us arguing like that." he said hotly.

"No, it won't do for your precious Elizabeth to see you yelling at me, she might realize her daddy isn't a saint. That he secretly hates his older children."

"I don't hate them."

"No, but they don't mean as much as your precious little angel. Sweet little Elizabeth who can do no wrong. Too bad you weren't so blind when it came to Sarah." said the blond woman.

"Your right, you know. I have tried to get past the truth. That Sarah isn't my daughter and I usually succeed and only see a little girl in need of parenting, but then I see you, see in your face how much you resent our own daughter. The one you tried to abort and I can't help comparing your attitude and you know what?"

"What oh saint Jeffy?" she mocked.

"I can't help wondering if your coddling her isn't going to turn Sarah into another you. A bitch who can't help ruining everything she touches." he said coldly. He froze when he heard a whimper then his youngest child came out from where she had been hiding behind his desk.

"Daddy, why are you yelling at Mommy?" she asked as tears ran down her face. She kept yelling at him to stop hollering at Mommy but the man was frozen at the idea of her hearing what her mother did.

When Elizabeth backed away, he realized she was scared and tried to comfort her, but she moved further away and Carolyn laughed. "You see, I win."

Watching as his little girl ran down the hallway, Jeff just stared ashamed at himself for letting Carolyn goad him. "You knew she was here the entire time."

"Yes, I did. Now even your precious little angel knows the truth about her daddy."

Tom listened to what Jeff had to say then asked the important question. "Then why did you leave her behind."

"She wouldn't let me so much as touch her after that, she started to act out and I thought that if we were gone, things would be better for her. Tom, you didn't see the look on her face, it is something I will never forget."

Hanging up the phone, Tom went to the padded room where his niece was recovering from her physical wounds but he didn't know how to reach her to deal with the emotional ones. Her attack on Morgan had sparked the current hiding place inside of her mind but he knew that for Elizabeth, her life had been a struggle between doing what was right and doing what was good for herself.

The current mess they had found in Port Charles was only the latest example. Getting reengaged to Lucky Spencer while sleeping with Nik had been her way of passively ending things with the man who had programed her into thinking she owned him.

Add to the mess of the dobbelganger for Jason sleeping with the woman who had hurt her kids more than likely had sent his niece into a spiraling depression and aggravating her PTSD.

Seeing AJ coming out her room, he said "I found the way in, keep your brother out of town for a couple of days while I deal with this first mess in her head."

"He isn't going to be gone any longer than necessary." he replied.

!!*!!

Robin was reading the blood charts when Sam walked up. "Can we talk?"

Sitting in the waiting room, the doctor was horrified inside by what the pregnant woman was asking. Telling her that it would more than likely kill Jason to go without the surgery, she quickly went to see Patrick.

Sitting down across from her husband she asked quietly "What do you know?"

"Are you ready to listen with an open mind or are you going to be back on this bandwagon where everything is the woman who went out of her way to help you's fault."

"I am all ears." said Robin. When Patrick finished, she looked at him and said "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because you weren't ready. Now what do we do to find the truth?"

"Since you are looking for the truth, how about helping me by answering a few questions."

Turning to the man in the office, Robin took the file and read it. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I don't know who this man is, but he isn't Jason Morgan. When I removed the cheek implants, the chin implants, the pinning back of the ears, this is the face I get."

Robin gasped. "I know that man."

"Good, then maybe you can tell me who he is and why did he wake up in the middle of my exam swearing he was Jason Morgan?"

"I don't know, but for now, we should go along with that." said Patrick. "I think the more important question is where is the real Jason Morgan."

Robin looked out the window and then smiled. "At least we know one thing, wherever he is is where Cameron and Jake are."

TBC