Total Eclipse of the Heart
My muse is back!! Anyway I hope you enjoy...
The hours of that Saturday began to trickle along at a snails pace as the gang continued to wait to hear the fates of the victims of the horrible explosion from the previous evening. Max had taken to sitting vigil by his brother's bedside while Lucas was trying to help Kyle pass the time as though his injuries were minor he was advised to stay under observation till Sunday. Maxie had to leave to go to Crimson, or so she said she had to when really she just needed a hot bath before working her own agenda. This left Spinelli who while waiting to hear weather Milo and Matt would wake and Claire would walk had set off on the latest task of locating Matt Hunter's family.
--
"So, have you found anything yet," Nadine asked dressed in the same cloths she had been wearing for the past few days.
Spinelli shook his head before pulling his bangs out of his face.
"Sadly the Jackal has not; I think that the daring doc doesn't want his paternity to be known."
"But you haven't looked at everything."
Spinelli yawned.
"There still are a few stones that the Jackal has yet to turn yes."
Nadine smiled at him seeing that he looked wiped which why shouldn't he seeing as he'd been awake for the better part of the last forty eight hours.
"Maybe if the Jackal takes a break he'll be able to get a better look at things."
He gave her a look.
"The work of a PI is on going."
"Well then at least snag a shower in the on-call room."
He pulled the collar of his shirt toward his nose and rolled his eyes.
"I don't smell that bad do I."
Nadine shook her head.
"I just thought a warm shower could clear your head a bit."
"Well then the Jackal will take you up on that suggestion."
She smiled promising them that she would do whatever searches she could while he was gone.
--
Back upstairs Lucas was sitting at Kyle's bedside.
"So this is not what I wanted our second date to be," Kyle said.
Lucas let out a chuckle.
"And you think that I did."
"Well at least I get out of being on the patient end tomorrow."
"You defiantly were one of the lucky ones."
"I know, I mean Jerry died, Matt and Milo are still vegetables, and Claire maybe won't be able to walk again and here I am with barely a scratch."
"You feel guilty."
"Heck yes, I mean if I could trade places with any one of them I would in a heartbeat."
Lucas took Kyle's hand as they flipped on the Television. The first station they hit was a news report about the explosion.
Lucas rolled his eyes as he flipped the channel.
"College Football," he asked as Kyle rolled his eyes.
"Anything else."
"Miss Congeniality is on TBS."
Kyle nodded as the two men sat and watched the film while making small talk.
--
Down the hall now in the room being occupied by Matt Hunter a figure in a lab coat stood looking at the body lying on the bed.
"I'm sorry," Noah Drake said as she stepped further in the room looking the young man over and noticing the subtle resemblances in him even though he was unconscious, "I should have gotten to know you when I had the chance but I made a promise to your mother that even after all these years I felt obligated to keep. But Mathew I swear to god that if you wake up I will try hard to make it up to you, to be the father that I should have been..."
The machines continued to beep as Matt listened to the muffled voices of the man that abandoned him before he was born making what he knew was an empty promise. If he only knew it would take his near death to gain the old man's attention he would of seriously contemplated doing it allot sooner.
--
In the room next door another man lay lying unconscious as well.
"Come on you have to wake up," Max said holding his brothers hand, "you have so much to live for you know..."
It was complete whiteness and he wondered if he had died from the explosion when suddenly he heard a soft voice.
"Milo," it said.
He turned around to look at her. She was dressed in a stunning royal blue gown and her blonde hair was swept up in a glamorous up-do. Was she real or was she an angel there to take him up to heaven.
"Claire," he replied as she smiled holding out her hand for him to take.
Taking her hand as she prompted the whiteness of the room suddenly transformed to a glorious ball room of some kind as he noticed he himself was dressed to the nines in a designer tux. Suddenly a soft waltz began to play as he took her in his arms and they began to dance.
--
Spinelli reentered the cafeteria some moments later dressed in the plaid over shirt he had on as a jacket before and a pair of scrub bottoms.
"So, has the Noble Nurse found any info on the doc as of yet."
Nadine shook her head.
"Nope, then again I am no Jackal."
He smiled at her complement as he began to type on the keys some more hoping that he would get some kind of lead.
"So," Spinelli said, "if the jackal may be so bold as to ask are you and Matt."
"A couple."
He nodded.
"I don't know, I mean I thought he was infuriating at first plus there was the fact that I was in love with Nikolas or at least I thought I was."
"But..."
"But I don't know Spinelli, I mean as I was looking out for who has been responsible for the drug running I don't know..."
"You kind of fell for him."
Nadine nodded.
"And I can't watch another person I love deteriorate in a vegetative state."
"So no change on your sinister sibling."
"No Jolene is still in a facility at Rose Lawn."
Spinelli nodded thinking that even if the woman that he once thought he loved was to wake she would be in a different kind of prison for the rest of her life, or at least a good amount of years.
"What about you and Maxie, you've been looking rather cozy."
A pale shade of cross his cheeks.
"It's obvious isn't it?"
"Yes, and congratulations, I know how much you've been crushing on her, so what happened."
"Well as it were Maximista too longed for the Jackal but she was in denial about her true feelings. Well that and she feared something would happen to me like it has her other well lovers."
Nadine nodded before smiling. She was genuinely glad that her friend was lucky in love.
--
Claire was lying in her bed hoping that the feeling in her legs would come back and this nightmare would be over when suddenly there was a knock at her door.
"Milo," she said.
"No such luck."
A smile pursed across her face as Maxie fluttered into the room.
"Hi Maxie."
"Hi Claire, I thought you could use some cheering up."
She pulled up a chair by her bedside and placed the tote bag she had on her lap.
"Oh presents I love presents."
Maxie smiled at her new gal pal and pulled out some cloths.
"Those aren't for you, these are Spinelli's."
"I kind of figured," she said looking at the fresh jeans and polo that Maxie placed on the edge of the bed for the moment before pulling out a magazine.
"Here is an advanced copy of the new Crimson...it doesn't hit stands till Monday so guard it with your life."
Claire nodded. Though fashion rags weren't her magazine of choice she needed something to keep her occupied.
"I also got you some reading."
Claire pulled out the paperback and smiled a bit.
"Twilight."
"Yea, it's real good, but don't tell Spinelli I read it."
"Why not."
Maxie just gave her a look which led Claire to chuckle a bit glad for another moment she could forget if even for a while.
--
Their bodies now moved to the soft music of the waltz as they looked at each other in the eyes.
"Where am I," Milo muttered in the silence of the moment.
"You're here with me," Claire simply said.
He was defiantly curious of her vagueness but he didn't' seem to mind. He was alone with the woman he was in love with no imminent threats of mob wars or any other dramas.
He smiled as they moved some more when the scene suddenly flashed to whiteness again.
"Claire, Claire."
"I'm over here," she said leaning against the pool table at jakes dressed now in a pair of low rise jeans and a black sparkly halter top, her blonde hair now down in curls.
He smiled at her and the vast contrast in her look and the local.
"Come on," she said leading him to the table where she was racking up the balls and they began to play a game of pool.
--
Lucas and Kyle sat and watched the movie and the sequel that followed before looking at each other.
"Do you think Claire is up for a visitor," Kyle asked.
Lucas shrugged.
"You're the doctor not me."
Kyle smiled as Lucas grabbed the robe hanging on the back of the door before wheeling the chair that Kyle had to ride in per hospital procedures.
Kyle smiled as he hopped into the chair and made his way into the room of his friend and colleague.
"Knock knock," Kyle said from the doorway moments later as Claire and Maxie looked up.
"Kyle hi."
"So how are you feeling princess?"
"Well I still can't feel my legs but Patrick said it's a good chance that it could be temporary."
Kyle smiled.
"That's good."
"So what about Milo, has his condition changed."
Kyle shook his head.
"I don't know."
Maxie looked at her cousin who knew what she was thinking.
"We should leave you two alone, Kyle I'll be back later."
Kyle smiled as the two of them headed out
--
Lucas had decided to leave to go to pick up a little something for Kyle in the moment while Maxie headed to the cafeteria where Spinelli and Nadine where sitting.
"I'd better go," Nadine said as she saw Maxie entering.
"Why, don't you want to know why Matt's father is?"
"You found it."
"Well no but I think I'm on the right track."
"Well I want to give him a visit before I'm on rounds again."
Spinelli nodded as Nadine left saying hi to Maxie as she passed.
"Greetings Maximista so how was the office."
"Actually Spinelli I lied."
"You lied..."
"I didn't go to the office, well I did to get something for Claire but I really wanted to change and to get you something to change into."
She held up the bag from earlier which now just contained the cloths.
"Thanks Maximista."
"So, are you still looking up who Matt's father is."
Spinelli nodded as he paused.
"What..."
"You're not going to believe this."
Spinelli turned the screen to Maxie whose jaw dropped.
--
Claire watched as Patrick entered the room and looked at his two colleagues.
"How are you feeling Claire," he asked.
"Pretty good except for the not feeling my legs thing."
Patrick nodded before he scribbled something down in his chart.
"Dr. Drake do you think it would be alright to Claire's spine if she were to say be wheeled into Milo's room to go see him."
Patrick smiled.
"I don't see why not."
Claire smiled as Patrick and Kyle helped her into the chair.
--
Nadine had made her way up to Matt's room by now and stood in the doorway as Noah was looking at him. She wasn't close enough to hear but wondered why the elder neurosurgeon was watching him. She hoped he wasn't brain dead or something.
She suddenly watched as there was a movement in the bed and Matt opened his eyes.
"Dad," he muttered weakly as Nadine looked on in shock.
--
The scene in Jakes changed again and he was now at the hospital lying in a bed as she looked over him dressed in her scrubs, hair swept back in a ponytail.
"Milo, wake up, I love you..."
It was then things began to come into more of a focus and he began to flutter his eyes open to see a familiar blonde seated by his side.
--
TBC
Ok so I am at a loss on the sequencing of a few plot points I have planed. I personally am thinking of progressing time a tad after next chapter but I don't know. Any ideas and suggestions are loved.