Hey everyone! I tried really hard to finish this last night, but it just didn't work that way, but I made a promise to myself that I would post before Monday night. I'm so happy to hear you guys are liking where this is going, especially since with your reviews my story changes just a little bit every time! I just want to quickly say I am starting to post this story on Dominoes and Tequila so you can read it there as well! Can't wait to hear what you think! Here's the latest…I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own General Hospital or its characters.
Getting off the elevator on Sam's floor Jason comes to an abrupt halt outside of her hospital room and watches through the window as Spinelli, Maxie, Sam, and the Miami guy are laughing and looking like they were all friends. Crossing his arms over his chest Jason stands and watches as Spinelli stands up at starts talking, using his hands and swinging his arms, obviously getting into whatever story he was telling. Jason hadn't seen Spinelli that animated in awhile and was wondering if maybe he was the cause for it. When the four in the room start laughing again and Stephen reaches over and squeezes Sam's hand Jason has had enough and goes for the handle. When the door closes behind him and everyone turns to see its Jason who has entered they all get quiet. "Am I interrupting?" Jason asks in his brisk, serious voice.
"No, not at all Stonecold." Spinelli says anxiously while going to sit back down at Maxie's side on the couch. "We were just sharing with Sam's Bronzed Comrade about all the adventures we've shared." When Jason just stares at Spinelli without blinking Spinelli gets more anxious and starts to ramble. "Like remember the time Fair Samantha, you, and myself went boating and in my inexperience almost ended up overboard. If it wasn't for Stonecold's swift reflexes I…"
"Spinelli." Maxie interrupts, reaching out and squeezing his hand. "Just stop." She murmurs shaking her head quickly back in forth. With Maxie silencing Spinelli the room falls silent once again.
Stephen, who prided himself on reading people, kept most of his attention on Jason. He found that Jason's gaze kept a constant scan of the room, but whenever his eyes landed on Sam they seemed to linger just a little bit longer than the last. And then you had Sam, who kept peaking glances at Jason when she thought no one would notice, but Stephen did. He found it all very interesting. "Well I really was enjoying the stories Spinelli, you are quite a character and everything Sam said you were." Stephen says standing up from the edge of the bed. "I'm wondering if you and Maxie would be kind enough to help me find a place to stay while I'm here in Port Charles."
"Oh…so you're staying then?" Jason asks trying not to sound bothered by the news.
"Well it doesn't appear that Sam will be going anywhere for awhile and I don't want to leave her here all alone."
"Yea, well she's not going to be alone." Jason says sharply.
Not so surprised at Jason's reaction since it's exactly what Stephen was hoping for he tries to cover his amusement at the jealous waves coming off of Jason. Casting a quick glance at Sam he suppresses a groan at the annoyed look on her face, she was so obtuse sometimes. "Yes I see that." Stephen says squeezing Sam's hand and relishes watching Jason's jaw clench. "If I'm not needed I guess I could just fly back to Miami…"
"No!" Sam says quickly and pulling on Stephen's hand. He was going to be her buffer while she was in Port Charles; since he didn't know anyone else really Sam hoped that Stephen would stick close to her side so she could avoid having to be alone with Jason. "I want you to stay."
"Well than I will Dollface." Stephen says with a mischievous smile and bending down to kiss Sam on the crown of her head. Out of the corner of his eye he catches Jason take a small step forward before freezing in place. "But I really should get a room or something. Who knows how long I'll be staying."
"Ok, but hurry back!" Sam says trying to keep the urgency out of her voice. She kept sneaking glances at Jason and he had that look on his face that didn't bode well for someone, Sam just wondered who it was directed towards. She didn't think it could be directed towards her, she hadn't been here long enough to have done anything, except for throwing the ice chips, but she didn't think Jason would get to upset over that. She actually found it kind of funny; she threw ice chips at Jason Morgan, hitman for the mob. But to be honest she never had ever been really afraid of Jason. She knew what he was capable of, but she had never feared him…not until that day. So many things had changed after that. Avoiding Jason's gaze Sam focuses her gaze on Stephen as he heads towards the exit.
"We'll be right behind you." Maxie tells Stephen, but she kept her eyes on Jason. She was sensing major tension between him and Sam and she wanted to talk with him before leaving them alone.
Stephen eyed Maxie and nodded. He could tell that she too was able to sense what was happening between Sam and Jason, except Maxie seemed opposed to it. Stephen was going to have to have a talk with her. "I'll just wait for you downstairs in the waiting room?"
"Perfect." Maxie says sweetly and waits till the door closes completely before turning to Jason who had replaced Stephen's place at Sam's bedside, but unlike Stephen, Sam was trying to ignore Jason. Keyword…trying. "Jason I know telling you I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone with Sam is pointless, you're not going to listen to me, nor do you care about my opinion. So I'm just going to warn you now. If anything were to hap…"
"Maxie could you just give it a rest!" Jason sighs exasperated. He understood Maxie was just being protective because she's worried about Sam, but Jason was too. He didn't need her constant badgering, it all was getting very tiring.
"Yes Maxie. Please." Sam says in a tired voice.
Too shocked to speak at first Maxie was just getting her voice back when the hospital door opens and Robin walks in. "Knock knock!" She says with an overly-cheerful smile. She knew she was probably interrupting another of Maxie's tirades and figured it was for the best. "I just need to check on Sam." When no one makes a move Robin's smile turns genuine. "Which means you all have to leave so Sam can have some privacy." When both Jason and Maxie start to argue Robin just sighs.
"Maximista we really must be going anyways." Spinelli says grabbing her hand and urging her towards the door. "Remember we are to assist the Bronzed Comrade in locating lodging during his stay." When Maxie grudgingly nods her head she's almost out the door when she freezes and turns and points an accusing finger at Jason. "He has to leave to!"
"Yes he does." Robin says turning to give Jason her bossy stare. "Jason."
"It's not safe." Jason says shaking his head.
"Jason don't be ridiculous!" Sam exclaims.
"I'm not being ridiculous!" Jason shouts back ignoring everyone else in the room. "Sam Jerry is a deranged man and I know you can't remember any of it, but he told you things and he's not just going to sit back at wait for your memory to return. I'm not going to give him a chance to get near you."
"I'm an experienced PI Jason, I don't need your help!" Sam says trying to keep the surprise out of her voice. Jason honestly sounded concerned for her. "I can take care of myself!"
"Yea that's obvious considering your current condition!" Jason retorts without thinking.
Maxie, Spinelli, and Robins jaws all drop in shock that he said that. Sam just stares at him for a moment before a bark of laughter escapes her. "Aren't you the reason I'm in this condition Jason!"
"Sam…"
"Ok that's enough!" Robin shouts stepping between the two of them. "You two can discuss this later…and without the shouting match." Robin says with a scolding look for both of them. "But Jason you will have to leave the room for now…" When he opens his mouth to argue Robin just raises her voice. "You can stand right outside the room and wait if you want, but I'm serious about this Jason." A minute passes and no one moves. Finally Jason sighs and starts towards the door, following Maxie and Spinelli out of the room. Turning to look at Sam, Robin shakes her head. "What am I going to do with you two?"
With a sheepish smile, Sam just shrugs her shoulders.
------
As soon as the door closes behind him Jason turns quickly to stare into the hospital room. He tries to ignore Maxie who kept clearing her throat behind him, each time getting a little louder than the last. Finally impatient with Jason ignoring her Maxie reaches out her hand and pokes Jason repeatedly on the shoulder. "What do you want now Maxie?" Jason asks turning to glare at the pestering blonde.
"What game are you playing Jason?"
"What are you talking about?"
"This whole caring and concerned act…what's in it for you?"
"Maximista perhaps it's not all just an act." Spinelli tries interjecting.
"Two years ago when Sam left you couldn't have cared less, so why the sudden change now that she's back?"
"Maxie I'm not discussing this with you." Jason says turning away from her. "Besides don't you have to go help Sam's Stephen?" Just saying it made Jason's jaw clench and his hands involuntary form fists. If he closed his eyes he could see Stephen kissing her head and Sam reaching for his hand. She was so open to that man's presence so willing of his touch and when ever Jason was around she coward away. It was frustrating.
"Sam's Stephen?" Maxie says suspicious and walking to stand face to face with Jason. "Are you…? Jason are you jealous of Stephen?" Jason's eyes flicker down quickly at Maxie who was standing in front him, before quickly rising to look over her head. Maxie tries to suppress the bubble of laughter, but she is unable to. Her quiet giggle rapidly turns into a full blown laugh Maxie covers a hand over her mouth when Jason stares down at her with his cold glare. "You know Jason…" Maxie says trying to recover from her laughing fit. "Part of me thinks I should just let you go on thinking that there is something going on between Sam and Stephen, because it's what you deserve. However…since I don't know what you might do to Stephen I'm going to let you out of your misery and protect Stephen from your misplaced jealousy."
Jason sighs and crosses his arms over his chest. "Could you just spit it out Maxie?"
"Jason did you see Stephen's hair…That golden blonde with just the perfect touch of highlights? Not to mention that perfect bronzed tan that obviously isn't from natural sunlight. And don't even get me started on his wardrobe…he really is a superb dresser. Not that you would notice anything like that, with you and your black t-shirts and blue jeans. Stephen has an amazing fashion sense, I'm really going to have to talk to him about where he…"
"Maxie!" Jason shouts over her.
"What my dear Maximista is trying to get at Stonecold is that the Bronzed Comrade doesn't look at Fair Samantha in that way." Spinelli says stepping forward and drawing Jason's annoyed gaze to him. "Her womanly goddess figure doesn't appeal to him as it does to you."
"Are you trying to tell me Stephen is gay?" Jason asks feeling a sense of relief.
"Yes." Spinelli says smiling at the expression on Jason's face. "This news pleases you Stonecold?"
"No…I just…that's…good for him." Jason says trying to recover his brooding look, but the smile on Spinelli's face only grows. "Spinelli don't you have somewhere to be?"
"Yes, you're very right Stonecold. Maximista…we should be going."
Continuing to stare at Jason Maxie finally sighs. "Alright, but this isn't over Jason." Maxie says holding a finger up to his face.
Watching them go Jason turns back quickly when Sam's hospital door opens and Robin steps out, closing the door behind her. "I just gave Sam some pain medication which is going to cause her to be a bit loopy and I'm going to be going back after it takes effect. I just came out to tell you she's doing much better from when I last checked her last night."
Jason releases a relieved sigh and runs a hand over his tired face. "That's great news. But I can tell you have more to say Robin. So what is it?"
Chewing on her lip Robin considers her wording before speaking. "Jason…I know you're not trying to upset Sam, but you are really doing a good job at doing just that."
"I know and I'm sorry Robin, Sam and I just…"
"I know." Robin says cutting off whatever Jason was going to say. "I'm just going to remind you that she needs to be relaxing right now. Especially if you want her to get her memory back, yelling at her isn't going to help that."
"I know." Jason says shuffling his feet.
"Then stop attacking her!"
"Attacking? I'm not attacking her!"
"Well she feels like you are Jason. Whatever is going on between the two of you has Sam feeling like she has to go on the offensive."
"What has she told you?" Jason asks.
"Nothing. I've asked, but she's not talking. You aren't talking. It's a whole lot of silence. Except when it's you two together…than it's a lot of yelling."
With a sheepish look Jason crosses his arms over his chest. "I'll try a new tactic next time I go in there."
"Ok." Robin nods her head, knowing that was the best she was going to get from him. "Why don't you go get some coffee, you look tired."
"I don't think that's such a good…"
"Go Jason." Robin says pushing him lightly before pointing a finger at the elevator. "I'll be sure Sam isn't alone."
Knowing there was no point in arguing he nods his head. "Ok thanks Robin."
Robin shakes her head after Jason disappears in the elevator. Entering Sam's room she smiles. "How you feeling?"
"Higher than a kite."Sam says with a huge grin.
Laughing Robin steps forward to write on Sam's cart when her pager goes off. Pulling it out to read the screen she sighs and looks back at Sam. "I have to take this. It's about a patient I have in post-op."
"Okie…dokie…skokie." Sam says giggling.
"I promised Jason I wouldn't leave you alone."
"Jason Jason Jason." Sam sighs shaking her head. "I don't know what to think about him."
Looking back down at her pager and then up at Sam Robin groans and steps to Sam's bedside and presses the nurses page button. "There…someone should be here in just a few seconds." Turning and leaving Robin pauses in the door way and casts a quick look at Sam thinking the whole time if anything happens now Jason was going to have her head on a platter.
------
Sam was feeling no pain as she watched Robin leave her room. Enjoying the lighter than air feeling Sam closes her eyes and starts to hum quietly, until she hears the door open and then she stops humming, but leaves her eyes closed. "If that's you Robin you can go. Jason isn't just being a silly worrywart…honestly I don't need protection." There is no response. Sighing Sam starts to open her eyes and sit up in bed, but a hand over her mouth causes her to freeze.
"You won't need protection once I'm through with you!" A low and menacing voice says right next to Sam's ear. Sam immediately starts screaming and the man's hand isn't enough to cover all the noise. Pulling a pillow out from under Sam's head he covers her face with it, thoroughly drowning out any noise she had been able to make. "I love a woman that puts of a fight." He says releasing one hand from the pillow and reaching to run it up Sam's body before stopping at her throat. He had strict orders, kill Sam McCall and don't get caught. "Too bad that this has to be the end for you." With his left hand holding the pillow in place the man uses his right hand to start strangling Sam, whose limited strength was slowly disappearing all together. She was now trying to claw his hand off of her throat, but with little success. The man is so caught up in holding Sam in the bed that he misses the opening of the hospital door.
------
Jason was taking a sip of his hot coffee when he walks by the nurses' station on Sam's floor. There were no nurses there at the moment, looking down the hall Jason notices that there are no nurses to be seen there either. Pausing at the desk Jason tries to figure out why it seemed too quiet, even for a hospital is was peculiar. With a chill running up his spine Jason heads towards Sam's room, knowing before he gets there something was wrong. Seeing the man standing at Sam's bed before he makes it through the door, Jason reaches for his gun, pulling it out as the door closes behind him. "Get away from her!" He shouts aiming the gun at the man's head.
The guy immediately releases his one hand that had been choking Sam, but he kept the other hand resting on the pillow covering Sam's face. He reaches for his own gun, but before he's able to pull it out Jason pulls the trigger and the man dies before he hits the floor with a bullet to the head. Jason doesn't even bother giving him a second glance; he's at Sam's bedside in an instant pulling the pillow from her face. "Sam!" Jason says checking for a pulse and finding one, but it's extremely weak. "Thank god." Jason says with a shaky voice, because for a second there he feared the worst.
Walking around the bed to stand over the guy's dead body Jason crouches down and pulls off the ski mask he had been wearing. "God dammit." Jason says standing and throwing the mask down on to the body. He had been hoping Jerry had been stupid enough to try and kill Sam himself, but he hadn't. Instead he sent some lackey to do it which meant the threat was still out there. At least Jason now had proof that Sam needed him, she would be able to argue that when she woke up. Turning back to her still form Jason takes a deep breath and runs his hands over his face, trying to get the image of what he walked in on out of his head. If he had only been a minute later who knows what would've happened. That thought was too chilling to even consider. Walking back to her side, Jason was reaching out for Sam's hand when the door bursts open and two security guards come in with guns drawn straight at Jason.
"Put your hands up!" They both shout looking from Sam, to Jason, and their eyes finally rest on the body lying on the floor.
"It's about time you guys showed up!" Jason shouts back, but he does raise his hands slightly, not wanting to give them any reason to call him a threat.
"What is going on in here?" Patrick asks walking in behind the two guards.
A frantic Robin comes rushing in right behind him. "I only left her like five minutes ago!" She says frantically her eyes stuck on an unconscious Sam.
"Why did you leave her at all?" Jason asks at the same time Patrick asks again, "What happened?!"
Robin turns quickly to the guards, who still had their guns pointed at Jason. "Those really aren't necessary." After they both tuck them back in the holsters she finally relaxes her tense shoulders. "Thank you, but we have it from here." Waiting until they left the room Robin just stares at Sam in shock as Patrick checks her vitals.
"Is she alright?" Jason asks after Patrick grabs Sam's chart.
"She's going to be fine." Patrick says making a note. Setting the chart back down he glares at Jason. "Now can you tell me what happened?"
"What does it look like?" Jason shouts pointing at the guy on the floor. "I walk in to him choking Sam and before he could pull his gun on me I shot him."
"Jason…I am SO sorry!" Robin says shaking her head over and over again. "I'm sorry." Her eyes filling with tears Robin covers her face with both her hands and walks willingly into Patrick's open arms. "I didn't realize how serious you were."
"Yea, well…now we all know how serious this is." Jason says resting his hands on his hips and staring down at the peaceful woman lying in bed. "Sam is in danger."
------
It took the PCPD almost three hours to process the scene and, only after threatening to call Diane, did Mac agree with Jason that it was in defense of Sam and himself that he shot the gunman, who still remained unnamed. Mac told Jason that next time he shouldn't shoot to kill and Jason just shrugged his shoulders, he wasn't going to explain that the guy was lucky it was one bullet to the head and he didn't have to suffer like Jason thought he deserved.
In those three hours they had Sam transferred to a private wing with a guard standing at the elevator. Jason had called Alexis to tell her about Sam, Alexis of course blamed Jason for what happened and he just let her believe that since it was easier. He called Sonny to let him know that Jerry had made his first move. He left a voicemail for Spinelli to let him know of Sam's room change, but left out the details figuring that would have to wait until he and Maxie were in person so they didn't freak out and rush straight back to the hospital. Jason was tired and very angry. It had been too easy for the guy to get to Sam, he was going to have to be more careful from now on because it was obvious that Jerry wasn't scared of making a scene with Sam's death. Sending a man into a crowded hospital to kill screamed desperate to tie up loose ends and covering his tracks. Jason just hoped that in that desperation Jerry made a mistake.
Nodding at the guard as he walks into Sam's room and just stares at the woman lying before him. She looked so peaceful, you never would guess what she had gone through in the last few days. Walking to her bedside Jason crouches down and grabs a hold of Sam's hand bringing it to his lips to give it a chaste kiss. Closing his eyes he takes a deep breath and holds it for a second. He almost lost Sam again today. Why was that thought so unnerving to him? She had already been gone for two years and for almost a year before that she had practically been his enemy. So why was he feeling like his heart would stop if something were to happen to her? Opening his eyes he sees Sam stirring in her sleep and he releases her hand to run a finger gently down her cheek, trying to sooth her. "It's ok Sam." When her stirring stops Jason goes to sit in the recliner Robin had gotten for him and he lays down, planning just to relax until Sam wakes up. But the tension and excitement of the day catches up to him and Jason's eyes droop shut and he's asleep in seconds.
------
I know this one isn't as long as my other posts, but that's partly due to the fact that I have something up my sleeve. I'm hoping to have another update in the next couple of days; I'm going to start writing after posting this…so fingers crossed! I just want to say again thank you to all who are still reading, you guys are great! And everyone reviewing…you all rock! Thank you, you're all awesome!