"Fancy meeting you here?" Caitlyn greeted Johnny at the bar of the MetroCourt Grill.
"Yeah, imagine that?" He grinned back at her. "Are you working?"
"I just finished; I'm meeting my brother for dinner. What about you?"
"I am picking up the food for my sister's celebratory dinner." Johnny explained.
"Celebratory?"
"Today was her hearing. She pled guilty to reckless endangerment and was granted house arrest as long as she stays on good behavior. In eleven months this will all be over. Due to double jeopardy laws this case…"
"Will never go to trial again. Eric, make that two glasses of the pinot." She requested of the bartender. He poured the glasses and she held it up. "Here is to everything working out for her."
"You don't have to do this." Johnny insisted.
"Nonsense." She invited the clank. "You have to respect the irony; if it was handled this way all along then…"
"Where's Dante?" Johnny asked her.
"Kristina called in a favor. They needed their big brother." Caitlyn explained. "So, have you talked to Stella? How's Ali doing?"
"Last I heard she was doing well." He replied. "I suppose we haven't seen each other since the night we came back. How have you been?"
"Fine; working mostly. Dante and I have talked about getting a bunny."
"The cure for not having the dog around?"
Caitlyn simply smiled. "It's like you know me."
"Sorry I'm late." Zander said approaching them. "Am I interrupting?"
"No, of course not. Johnny was just waiting for his order." Caitlyn explained.
Zander shook his head as he attempted not to comment on the drinks in front of them. "Our seat is ready whenever you are." He pointed it out.
"I'll be there in a second." She replied giving her brother a kiss on the cheek. "Johnny, it was nice to see you, and I am happy that everything is working out for you and your family."
"Thanks." He replied as he stopped himself from adding 'I miss you.' She left him with a hug before following her brother over to her seat. Zander watched Johnny grab his order and leave before commenting.
"Caity…?" He questioned her.
"Am I not allowed to celebrate some good news, finally?"
"What kind of good news?" Zander asked her.
"The kind where a mother gets to raise her child; I know you probably don't agree with the decision but Claudia was given a deal where she's been placed on house arrest for the remainder of her term."
"Claudia is on house arrest for 25…?"
"No; charges were dropped down to a misdemeanor, she's out in a year." Caitlyn explained.
Zander hung his head. "Now that's the Port Charles I know and love." He replied sarcastically.
"Is any consolation if I told you it wasn't Port Charles? The case was moved over to the next county to ensure a fair trial."
"A fair trial? The woman that had Carly's son shot got to deal her way out of a prison term because Carly died and… and this is some kind of a 'fair trial'?"
"Oh, come on Zander, it's not like you don't have a wrap sheet of your own. It's not like you haven't done anything out of impulse that you regret later. You, out of all people, should respect the concept of innocent until proven guilty." She lectured him.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying when you're right?" He asked her.
"My mom hated it. I was winning arguments with her at the age of five. That's when she decided that I was no longer a baby and she had little use for me."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
Caitlyn smiled. "I know you didn't, and if there was any lasting psychological damage from it then my reaction would have been to become that child that kept their mouth shut and feigned defenselessness to get the response she craved from that maternal unit."
"Oh, so doing the complete opposite is totally healthy?" He countered. "Speaking of which, how did the appointment with the specialist go?"
"How is that comparable?" She questioned.
"Trust me; it is. So?"
"It went fine."
"Fine? That's it? What exactly did she say?" Zander pressed her.
"She said it was fine, and come again in six months for my next check up. Don't worry; you can keep your kidney safe inside of you."
"Caity, I don't care what happens to my kidney as long as you're okay. Whether you like it or not I happen to love you; and more and more I'm learning what that actually means."
"I suppose I haven't asked how your day went." Caitlyn replied noticing a certain amount of melancholy he was holding on to.
"I spent the first part of the day consoling a helpless mother watch her daughter fight for her life. There's only so much you can do or say…"
"Is that what sparked this invitation?" She gathered.
He nodded his head. "I can't imagine what I would be feeling if that was you."
XXXXXX
"Lucky, where are you going?" Liz asked as she spotted him leaving the hospital.
He tried to adhere to his mother's advice, but he couldn't stand another minute of watching Sam hooked up to a machine that was doing the breathing for her. "Wyndemere." Lucky shot back.
"Whoa, wait; I don't think." She stood before him.
"You really don't want to be standing in my way right now."
"Lucky, you're not going to hurt me so don't think you can threaten me in any way, shape, or form." Liz argued.
"I need to…"
"You need to stop and think." She interrupted.
"I don't have time! It's simple, Helena has what we want, we have what she wants; if we would have just given it to her in the first place…"
"You're serious, aren't you? If that was me and I was carrying Cam or Jake would you just take your chances…?"
"That's different." He replied.
"How? Because you know me? Is Mischa's life somehow less valuable because you didn't fall in love with her? Lucky, that baby is yours."
He knew that fact complicated his argument, but to him there was no proof that a child was ever conceived all he knew was that he couldn't watch the woman he was in love with die.
"Think about it this way." Elizabeth attempted a different approach. "What if getting Mischa back isn't really Helena's grand plan? What if what she wants is to tear this family apart from the inside out starting with two brothers? You can't predict that Helena is going to give you the antidote upon Mischa's return, but Helena can predict who you're ultimately going to blame if Sam doesn't pull through."
"Her." Lucky claimed.
Liz looked back at him pressingly.
"Okay, yes, maybe somewhere deep down I blame him for standing by as the needle was inserted into her. I keep wondering if I was there..."
"That doesn't help." She refuted.
"I know." He replied bringing his determination and anger down. "I tried that game with Carly too; if I, or anyone else, would have been in that garage with her that night. I know there's nothing I can take from that, it's done and my cousin is gone, but there has to be something I can do now besides watch Sam die."
"Lucky!" Matt ran towards him. "Lucky, I think I got it!"
"The antidote?"
"No; the toxin, but that puts us one step closer to finding the cure."
"We don't have the time for 'one step closer', we need it now!" Lucky argued.
"Robin is re-running the test now if it matches then we have the chemical compound to draw the antidote from." He explained
"How long do you figure it will take?" Liz got to the heart of the matter.
"The compound is pretty complex…"
"How long?" Lucky yelled.
"It's hard to say; a few hours. Maybe more, maybe less; I know that's not what you want to hear and we're nearing the 50 hour mark, but according to Helena…"
"Respiration is failing now; we have no idea who she tested to get that 72 hour prognosis." Lucky argued.
"We'll get it as fast as we can." Matt responded.
XXXXXX
"Doctor Drake." Dr. Sophia Brown said attempting to not startle him as she came into the locker room finding him gazing at results.
"She should be awake. The swelling has gone down; her blood work looks normal; there's no reason…" He claimed.
"She's been through an awful lot in terms of trauma; both physical and emotional. It's up to her now. There's nothing more we, as doctors, can do for her."
Patrick just stared back at her.
"I know that's the last thing you want to hear. Patrick, without you, there is no doubt that Carly would be dead. You took a chance that ended up paying off. I don't know if that was ego, or what? But, I hate to say it, you're not God…"
"You have no idea how many times I've heard that."
"Oh, I bet I do." She smirked. "I've heard it once or twice myself."
"I just… I don't understand how she could fight so hard, and now it seems like…"
"She has nothing left to give?"
"That's not Carly. She wouldn't…"
"Everybody dies, Patrick." Sophia argued.
"Not this way. She's made it through the hard part, now she just needs to hold on."
"Well, on that note. I think your wife and daughter would be happy to have you back. I mean, I would love to keep you here, but as stated there's nothing more medical science can do. The proof is right here." She pointed to the file.
"I suppose you're right. If this visit drags out too long Robin is going to have all kinds of questions." He stood up.
"You're welcome to practice here anytime you would like." She offered.
"Even after the stunt I pulled in the OR?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "No malpractice complaints filed. Take care of yourself."
"I'll keep in touch; let me know if you need me for a consult."
Sophia smiled. "I'll be sure to take you up on that."
XXXXXX
"How much do you have for me?" Ivan grabbed at Lulu.
"Here." Lulu threw a couple hundred in his direction.
"Is this all?" He threw it back in her face. "I told you Spencer, if you wanted my help, you were going to make it worthwhile. Now, get over here."
Lulu stepped towards him close enough for him to grab her into an unwanted kiss. She struggled to pull herself away causing him to slap her.
"Are you forgetting what you have at stake?" He questioned her. "It's sad, really, your once powerful detective brother now wasting away in a prison cell. If you don't give me what I want…"
"Enough!" Michael yelled out watching his boss manhandle his cousin.
"Don't go growing a conscience now Corinthos. Not when the hit list you have going mirrors that of the late Jason Morgan; that was your goal, right? To prove to your daddy that you could be just like him?"
Michael pulled out the gun he had on him. "If I was really like him I would have done this a long time ago."
"You're not going to pull the trigger." Ivan replied softly as he pushed Lulu to the floor and took out his pistol. "Somewhere in there is the boy that wants to protect his brother and sister; you can't do if you're dead. That's right, Corinthos." He reacted to Michael dropping his weapon. "Now go do whatever it is you do; I'll call you if I need anything."
Carly walked over to where the gun was dropped and attempted to pick it up.
"That's not going to work." BJ reminded her.
"What did he mean the 'late' Jason Morgan?" Carly asked her.
"I'm getting to that, but there's one more stop first." BJ held Carly's hand to bring her to the next location.
"No; I can't be here." Carly resisted as she saw the gates of Shadybrook sanitarium. BJ kept her grasp and walked her inside to a room; outside the door was a file with the name 'Spencer' on it. "What's Michael doing here?" She asked watching her son go inside.
"I'm sorry, Grandma. I know this is all my fault." Carly heard her son say. She went inside to find her mother sitting in a rocking chair staring out into an abyss. "Mama was counting on me to be strong; to hold the family together, but I couldn't do it. It was easier to let vengeance get the better of me. I felt it was my right; my destiny to destroy anyone that threatened the people I cared about, but in the process, I hurt everyone."
A tear fell from Carly's eye. "No, Michael, you didn't…"
"Carly, come on." BJ pulled on her arm.
"But…" She replied wanting to console her son.
"One more." BJ replied before bringing her to the entrance of the Quartermaine crypt.
"I don't need to go in there." Carly objected. "I get it, my children need me."
"You still need to…" She said dragging her through the grounds.
"No; I don't. I know what you're going to show me." She replied holding her hands over her eyes.
"Carly, look." She instructed.
"No!"
"Oh, come on, I'm the seven-year-old." BJ ridiculed her. Slowly Carly drew her hands away to see Jason's name listed over Emily's.
"March 3rd, 2010." Carly repeated the date listed. "That's only a month…"
"About a month and a half from today." BJ confirmed. "He stopped caring, slipped back into the business, and was confronted with a psycho that was obsessed with him. Jason gave up; he let this Franco guy get the better of him."
"Franco?" Carly questioned.
"An 'artist' that recently escaped Pentonville. It's Michael that eventually took him down, thus starting his slip into the life of crime. I told you, it's a ripple effect, and it starts now." BJ stressed.
"What do you mean it starts now?" Carly questioned. "You mean? This Franco is after Jason?"
"He's setting his plot as we speak, without you Jason is rendered defenseless."
Carly couldn't imagine seeing Jason Morgan powerless and she didn't want to. She had witnessed enough; seeing his name carved on the plague was enough.
"Are you ready?" BJ asked noticing the spark of determination return.
"Thank you for your help." Carly offered her sister a hug. "I know we've never met before…"
"I love you too. Just take care of our family." BJ returned the sentiment. "And tell mama I'm always with her."
"Will do." Carly grinned. Moments later she was back in the hospital room looking down at the scene. Jason was hanging onto her hand begging her to wake up.
"Carly, I know I'm asking for a lot, but I don't think you have any comprehension of how much I need you; how much your family needs you to be okay. I will promise you the biggest, most extravagant wedding you can dream up if you just come back to me."
Her head repositioned on the pillow.
"Carly!" He responded to the first voluntary movement he had seen her make in days. "Carly, come on!" He urged.
