Part 20

- Hartford Critical Care and Clinic - Newport, RI - Private Room

Dr. Scoville made a note in the chart and looked up smiling. "Well, Elizabeth-"

"Mrs. Lansing," Ric prompted the doctor with a pointed look.

Clearing his throat and rocking back on his heels, Scoville started over. "Mrs. Lansing, it seems as though we're getting everything under control. With your bed-rest and your willingness to keep a calm cool head about this," he started to reach his hand out to touch her arm but a look from Ric stopped him cold, "I think we'll be able to get your baby to term."

Elizabeth's smile was radiant as she smoothed her hand over the growing bump. "Thank goodness," she breathed, "I don't want anything to go wrong with my little boy because-"

"Boy?" Ric looked from Elizabeth to the doctor starting back wide-eyed. "You had a sonogram?" Ric clamped his lips together, worried he'd slipped up.

"Sonogram..." Elizabeth's voice took on a soft melodic quality to it and she hummed a little as she searched for her memories. Beside her Ric tensed as they waited. "I don't think so," she blinked rapidly as she looked from one empty corner of the room to another, "I don't know how I know... but I... I think I know it's a boy..."

Ric, eager to smooth over this bump, reached over and smoothed the back of her hand with his fingertips. "It doesn't matter, sweetheart... I'm happy either way... as long as we have a healthy baby... that's all I need."

Elizabeth smiled even though her head was slowly filling up with pain. "Thank you, doctor."

The man closed the file and asked her a simple question. "Have you thought of names yet?" He realized his mistake when Ric shot him a disapproving look."

"A name?" Elizabeth pressed one hand to her temple and squinted in to the low-light of the room. "A name..." she turned to look at Ric and saw the worry in his eyes. "I didn't have anything picked out... but the name in my head..." she winced and pressed her other hand to her other temple. "Cameron."

- Tribeca, New York -

Craig tossed his last beer can into the trash. "American swill." He picked up his cell phone and stared at is as if the cold look in his eyes was enough to make it ring. When it didn't, he flipped open the top and grimaced at the size of the $29.99 phone and punched in the numbers.

The phone rang three times before the answering system kicked on. He waited... barely... through the usual message. When it was over he waited for the beep... and then. "Dorn, you better have a good explanation why I'm sitting in hell waiting for you to do your job. Call me, damn it."

- Hartford Critical Care and Clinic - Newport, RI - Dr. Scoville's office -

Ewen pressed his hand over his eyes and waited for Ric to stop threatening him. It took awhile. "There are bound to be holes in the suggestions that I gave her." He held up his hand to stop Ric's further tirade. "You have to give her some room. If you push her it could cause more problems. She could have a break."

That stopped Ric short. "A break."

Dr. Scoville nodded. "It's not unheard of. Ewen took her back to her first pregnancy when you were married, mainly because she was fighting the lateral change too much. Taking her back to when she was pregnant before-"

"Made it easier for her mind to accept the shift." Ewen was grateful for the other doctor's help, but he wanted to make sure that Ric felt secure. Part of making this a success was keeping Ric happy and not looking too closely at what he'd done. "She was happy with you when she was pregnant."

"Yes," Ric thought back to the time when she'd been pregnant with their child... before Faith pushed her down the steps at Rice Plaza. "She was so happy... so beautiful... just like she is now."

Ewen stood and nodded. "So we keep her happy... we keep her enjoying her life with you... and her mind, like a physical scar... will heal... fill in the gaps. You just have to give her some time and-"

"Time," Ric shot back, "is not really something we have too much of." He looked at both of them. "We're moving her soon. I have another place where she'll be safer... farther away from here." Scoville and Ewen shared a look when Ric opened his cell phone. When he looked back up at them they were watching him. "So she better be ready to move in a day or so."

"Is that really safe?"

Ric shut Doctor Scoville down with a glare. "It will have to be... I need to get her away from here."

Ewen tugged at the collar of his shirt. "It would be best for her to stay in one place until-"

"If we stay here," Ric ground the words out from between his clenched teeth, "we'll be in more trouble than just losing the baby." He turned his back on the two men and they left. When the door closed behind him he looked up into the window and caught sight of his own expression. He'd been keeping tabs on the happenings in Port Charles and he'd been beyond happy when Elizabeth was listed amongst the dead. He'd worried about having people on their trail, but he'd been granted a reprieve. He just knew that he couldn't trust that it would remain that way.

If there was one thing that he could count on... it was Jason Morgan sniffing around Elizabeth... that man was nothing but dogged when he had his mind on something. He only hoped he had enough time to stow Elizabeth away before Jason Morgan realized she was still alive.

- General Hospital - Alan Quartermain's Office -

Jason took a breath before he opened the door and let Maximus Giambetti into Alan's office, his current 'base of operations' as Spinelli had dubbed it in between intravenous applications of monster and orange soda.

"Morgan."

"Mr. Giambetti."

Maximus' guards set up outside the door as Jason closed it. "I'm glad you came here, I'm short on time."

Maximus seemed to consider Jason's words as he looked over at Spinelli. The younger man was bent over his laptop mumbling to himself.

"My son always respected you, Morgan."

"He was my friend."

The elder man grunted out his approval. "He said as much himself." He looked closely at Jason. "My men told me you lost someone else in the hotel."

It was strange. Here in Alan's office, faced with what could be a 'rival' mob boss, Jason felt tears prick at his eyes, but he wasn't prepared for the rush of emotion when he said her name. "Elizabeth Webber." He took in another breath even though his chest felt like it was bound with tight metal. "She's carrying my child."

Maximus caught the words quickly. "Carrying."

Jason nodded. "We thought she died in the building, but something tells me she's still alive."

A moment later, Maximus nodded, a single lift and lowering of his head. "Your man is searching for some evidence."

Jason nodded. "That's why I called Sonny's office. I need some of the men with me to search for her."

Maximus agreed quickly. "Max liked her... I've heard of Elizabeth Webber before. She healed you... a few times... as Max told it."

"Yes," Jason was relieved somehow that Maximus seemed 'calm' about the whole issue, "but something tells me you didn't come here about my loss."

Folding his arms over his barrel chest, Maximus managed to shrug. "I think it might be just that simple," he began, "my son lost his life in service of Sonny Corinthos and when they had a chance to help him live... they walked over his body on their way to safety."

Jason heard the truth in the man's voice and it saddened him. Still, the idea of what he'd said... didn't shock him. Yes, their men were hired to give their lives for their bosses if it needed it to happen... but only when there was nothing else that could be done. The idea that Max had lost his life needlessly was a physical pain in Jason's chest.

"So I've decided that a little 'pay back' was in order."

Jason stilled. His eyes narrowed.

"Don't worry, Morgan, he's still alive..." the silence that followed clearly said 'for now,' "I've decided to step in and make sure things are run the way they should be." He looked Jason over, paying close attention to Jason's eyes. "There's something else? Something wrong with Elizabeth?"

Jason didn't ask how the man knew. There was no need to waste time with things that didn't matter. "She might be suffering from preeclampsia."

The elder man's expression darkened. "We lost Max and Milo's mother that way. We lost a little girl as well."

Jason's silence said more than words.

"Take whatever men you need. I brought a number of my own with me."

There wasn't going to be an argument from Jason, he just nodded his thanks.

"And when you find her and bring her home," Maximus continued, "we'll talk about the future then." Maximus held out his hand to Jason. "I wish you the best, Morgan. Find your woman... find your child... remember what a gift they both are."

As soon as Maximus left the room, Spinelli turned around on his swivel chair. "I don't know what else to do, Stonecold... I've reviewed all the footage and all we have in the tapes that Mr. Jax sent over was the video of her heading toward the back door. There's nothing definitive." Spinelli threw his hands up. "I don't know what else to do!"

Jason closed his eyes for a moment as his mind chased after an errand thought. "Preeclampsia."

Spinelli stared at him. "What, sir?"

"Preeclampsia." Jason opened his eyes and stared at Spinelli... whoever has her they had to take her to a hospital... a clinic of some kind. Elizabeth needed a doctor's care and bed rest."

The idea stuck in one of Spinelli's brainwaves. "So we need to search for women suffering from preeclampsia that were admitted at about the time that the Metro Court collapsed! Yes!" Spinelli fist-pumped and held up a hand for a high-five.

Jason opened his phone as he gave Spinelli one last order. "Find her, Spinelli... I have someone I need to see."

"Don't you worry, Stonecold Sir... I'll find your fair love."

Jason stopped short of the door. Jason was used to Spinelli calling her 'the maternal one' but the change in her 'nickname' hit him oddly. It felt right.