"How is it going?" Liz asked Zander, coming into the room as the sun came up.
Zander pressed his hand into the knot forming in his shoulder. "It's fine. I called work and got the day off; I also let the school know he wouldn't be in today."
"You really didn't have to do that." She said coming over to message his shoulder. "I could have taken it."
"Yeah, but I know how short staffed the nurses have been. Besides I can run in and switch the tapes when you get off." He explained.
"Has he been okay?" She asked feeling Cam's forehead for herself.
"He woke up a couple of times. Is there anything I should make sure he's getting?"
"Make sure he's getting plenty of water and there's some Gatorade in the fridge. I'd suggest toast for breakfast and maybe some chicken noodle soup for lunch. I should see if we have any."
"I can have Caitlyn bring some over if we don't." Zander insisted.
"Thank you." Liz offered with a kiss. "I'm going to take Spencer and Jake to daycare, but if you need anything here just have me paged."
"Mommy…" Cam started to wake up.
"How's your tummy?" She asked him.
"It's still icky." The six-year-old replied.
"Ooh." Her heart sunk. "Honey, I'm going to be right back with some medicine but then I have to take Spencer and Jake to daycare, and daddy is going to stay with you, okay?"
Cam nodded his head. She took the bucket to rinse it out before coming back with the medicine. Cameron scrunched his nose up and shook his head as she attempted to put it in his mouth.
"Come on, it's going to make you feel better, and bring your fever down." She told him.
"Nuh uh." He shook his head.
"Just a little, bud." Zander encouraged him. As he did Cam opened his mouth a little for his mom to slip the medicine in his mouth. "See, that wasn't so bad."
Cam made a face as he stuck his tongue out in disgust.
"You be good for your daddy." Liz gave Cam a hug and then reached over to lock lips with Zander. "I love you both."
XXXXXX
"Look what we got you." Molly showed Sam the stuffed bear they got from the gift shop.
"It's adorable, Molly, thank you. Give your big sister a hug." Sam said reaching out her arms to allow the eight-year-old in.
"We got here a little before visiting hours started." Kristina confessed explaining the flowers and teddy bear they brought for her.
"Well, it's perfect. I love it."
"Where did Lucky go?" Alexis asked her.
"I asked him to grab me some coffee and one of those cream cheese filled Danishes from the café." Sam explained.
"It's good to see that your appetite is coming back." Alexis replied.
"When do you get to go home?" Molly asked.
"I hope soon; the doctor's haven't told me yet."
"You can stay with us. We're moving back to the Lakehouse today." Molly explained.
"Oh, um… that's nice, but…" Sam replied.
"We tried telling her that you would be staying with Lucky." Kristina interjected.
"Yeah, it's just that I don't know if Helena might still be after me and I don't want to do something that would put you in danger." Sam explained to Molly.
"But you were at Lucky's the last time when you got hurt." Molly responded.
"True, yeah, but now that we know what's going on and who she's after and going to be extra carefully guarded so she can't do anything to hurt me again. Besides, aren't you two going to school soon?"
"On Monday." Alexis confirmed.
"Yeah, about that mom…" Kristina started. The look on Alexis' face suggested that she didn't want to hear anymore. "I was looking online to see what it would take to transfer and all I would need is a copy of my extraordinary transcript, a letter of recommendation from a teacher and my parents to sign off on my application."
"Transfer? Transfer to where?" Both Alexis and Sam's jaws dropped.
"Briarton-Griggs, and before you say no I have put a lot of thought into this. It's not just about a boy. It's a really school, you should know, you went there; and I think that being away from the craziness here could help me focus on my studies."
"Kristina…"
"Please, just don't say no." She pleaded.
"Okay, I will think about it, but not here." Alexis replied stunned. "Any other confessions I should know about?"
Molly looked down and shyly answered. "Caitlyn has agreed to give me guitar lessons; If you agree, if course."
Sam laughed at that one, knowing the rock and the hard place Alexis was standing behind.
"She's not even going to charge me for it." Molly added.
"Considering your father bought you the thing I can't very well say no, can I?" Alexis shook her head.
"Thank you, mommy, thank you!"
"You?" Alexis asked Sam
"Hey, you already know mine." Sam laughed and then mouthed 'grandma' for the girls to not see.
XXXXXX
"I'm sorry, Mr. Morgan, there was nothing more that we could do." The doctor told him sullenly.
"No." He cried. "There has to be something else."
"I wish there was, but we did everything modern medicine would allow. She's gone."
"No, she's not." He ran towards the OR to find her still on the table and face snow white. "Carly, come back to me baby, I need you!"
"Sir, she's gone." The doctor told him from the doorway. He looked back to see a skeleton fade away to nothing.
"Carly!" He shouted out as he woke. Jason looked out to see her bed empty. "Carly?"
"Jason, what's wrong?" Carly asked coming out of the bathroom in a towel. She walked over to him as he attempted to steady his shallow breathing. As she closed in he wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay baby, it was just a dream! I'm here and I'm okay. You know that, right?"
Jason nodded.
"Good; they are going to be releasing me soon, and then we're going to get on that jet of yours and reunite our family."
He nodded again.
'Must have been some dream.' She thought to herself. "I'm going to dry my hair. Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He finally said snapping out of it. He grabbed her hand as she started to walk away. "Carly…"
"Yeah?"
"I love you!"
She smirked and gave a little squeeze. "I love you, too."
XXXXXX
Johnny came up from behind Caitlyn as she steadied herself against the wall of the coffee shop with her left fingers placed on her next counting the rate of her heartbeat.
"You okay?" He asked.
She held out her finger to indicate to wait a minute as she nodded. "A new best." She stated once she finished counting.
"Is that cause for celebration?" He asked directing her inside.
"If I'm not going to distract you from doing business."
"Nah." He shook his head. "Hazelnut correct?"
"I'm impressed." She confirmed.
"Do you have a busy day planned?" He asked as he pulled out a seat for her.
"Kind of. I have class this morning, and then during my break I'm going to bring some soup over for my nephew, a water aerobics class at the MetroCourt this afternoon and then a guitar lesson tonight, if she gets her mom's permission." Caitlyn listed. "What about you?"
"A meeting with Sonny and then some maintenance work at the garage. What's going on with Cam?"
"He's not feeling well; some kind of flu bug or something. Zander gets to play daddy and stay home to take care of him. I have to admit, I'm looking forward to seeing the little bugger. I haven't really gotten to since he got back from Paris."
"Well, just stay away from his germ." Johnny made her promise.
"I have my antiseptic in my purse. You wouldn't believe how many germs can fly around a gym." Caitlyn assured him.
"Oh, I bet I could."
"How's your sister?"
"Fine; she wants to meet you sometime."
"Oh?" Caitlyn questioned.
"I told her that you helped Sonny and I find her, and it also may have popped out that I…"
"Confessed your love for me?" She finished. "Is that a plus or a minus to my favor?"
"Normally I would say minus. She's kind of insanely territorial over me, but from everything she has heard she seems to like you."
"Huh." Caitlyn smiled.
"Caity, you're not considering…"
"No." She shook her head. "I care about you, and I want to remain friends with you, but if that's not possible then I understand."
"That's entirely possible." Johnny assured her. "It's actually the way it should be. You deserve more than what I could ever give you.
"Oh, I don't know. I think you should give yourself more credit than that." She replied before getting up to shower and change before class. "I'll see you around?"
"Absolutely."
