CHAPTER 38

Rushing out of the elevator, Carly immediately spotted the Head Nurse by the nurse's station.

'Maxine,' she hurried to her, Bo at her heels. 'My daughter was brought here a while ago... where is she?'

'Oh yes. She's in Room 107.'

Olivia looked very pale and drained of energy as she lay in bed; an IV attached to her arm and hooked to a monitor.

'Precious kitten, can you hear me? It's Mum.' Carly whispered stroking Olivia's cheek as Bo took her hand, enfolding it between his as he sat next to her.

No response. She looked up at Phillip and Brady. 'She didn't wake up at any time at all?'

The young men shook their heads worriedly.

'One thing though,' Phillip said quickly. 'When Brady ran out to call for an ambulance, I noticed something in her hand... a half-eaten piece of pizza.'

Carly's blood ran cold. Glancing at Bo, she saw his face wore a black look of rage.

'Are you sure? Who else knows about this?' he demanded.

'Lexie, Kayla and then Roman, he took it and the whole box for analysis; he hasn't got back to us yet. But Kayla said... well, it looks like Olivia was poisoned.'

Carly turned pale. 'No, oh my God... no...' she whispered.

The door opened and Kayla entered, holding a clipboard in her hand. 'Oh good... you guys are here now.'

Bo's face was thunderous, his eyes glinting ominously. 'You're certain Olivia was poisoned, Kay?'

Kayla nodded soberly. 'Yes. And whatever it is, it's pretty potent. We hope the antidote we're administering is strong enough to reduce the effect.'

The door opened and Lexie's head appeared. 'Bo, Carly... Hope's here with the results from the lab.'

Bo took Carly's arm and they walked out to the lobby where Hope was waiting for them, an inscrutable look on her face as they approached her.

With all her heart, Hope wished Abe hadn't assigned her to relay the bad news. Since the incident at Mickey's wake she'd been so ashamed to face Bo ; she didn't know what was more embarrassing, the realisation she had made a complete fool of herself by screaming at Carly or getting decked by a teenage girl she provoked in the first place.

'Well?' Bo asked.

'The poison found in the pizza is herbal; whoever mixed it used hemlock and tropane.' Was Hope's quiet reply.

'Tropane?' Bo frowned in confusion.

'It's found in Deadly Nightshade.' Carly's voice shook. 'Oh, my God...' Tears ran down her cheeks. 'Not Olivia, not my little girl, please...'

Hope was treated to a full view of the diamond Claddagh ring sparkling on Carly's finger as her hands went up her face.

'I'm very sorry about this,' she said gruffly, antipathy towards Carly mixed with the compassion of a mother who had lost a son to an untimely death.

'Can anything be done for her?' Bo turned to his sister, slipping his arm round Carly's trembling shoulders.

Kayla bit her lip. 'Well, we'll have to consult a toxicologist- get him to formulate the correct antidote for this sort of poison.'

'Do anything, anything and everything necessary!' Carly choked, motherly fear for her child overriding the professional physician in her. 'You've got to save my daughter, you just got to!'

'Princess, calm down- Olivia's in good hands, she's going to be all right; you have to believe that.' Bo soothed her, holding her. Unable to act neutral, Hope turned away.

'You go and stay with her. I need to talk to Hope further.'

Sniffing, Carly allowed herself to be led away by Kayla and Lexie.

'I assume you're the one assigned to the case.' Bo said flatly.

Hope misinterpreted the look on his face. 'I know Olivia and I've had our differences Bo, but that doesn't mean I won't go all out to find the person who did this to her. I can just imagine what this must be doing to you.'

Bo nodded, fear perceptible on his face despite trying to put up a brave front. More than ever that Carly was right; what mattered was what he now had with their daughter. He didn't care about the missing years anymore, what was important was Olivia to survive this attempt on her life.

And no matter what Abe said, he was still the Commissioner of Police; nothing was going to stop him from hunting down and punishing whoever poisoned her. And he already had a pretty good idea who did.

Hope read his mind. 'You think Vivian Alamain did this?'

'She came back here to harm Olivia and Carly,' Bo replied, his voice hard. 'Who else could it be? She wants to get revenge for what happened to her darling Lawrence. '

Hope however looked sceptical. 'She would have to be very stupid to make herself that obvious, don't you think?'

'Hope, you don't know that bitch at all!' Bo snarled, pent up rage bursting out. 'Her deadly intentions are never on the surface; that's her style! We're talking about a woman who pretended to be paralyzed but all the while she was killing off Carly's patients and framing her, the same woman who Carly stayed with after she lost her baby but turned out to be the one who stole her son in the first place, passing him off as hers for eight years! Then she comes back here, pretending she was insane when she buried Carly alive! This is nothing but damned reverse psychology; she poisoned Olivia but knows very well she would be too obvious a suspect for her to get arrested! But it's not going to happen that way; once I get enough proof, I won't arrest her... I'll kill her!'

'Bo, don't talk crazy!' Hope snapped, shocked at his statement. 'And for God sake, keep your voice down! You can't be heard making that kind of threat...'

'What the hell do I care!' Bo's voice rose several octaves higher. 'It's my daughter lying in a coma right now, thanks to that snake! My daughter, Hope; who I couldn't protect from Lawrence Alamain! But his punishment will be like child's play compared to what's coming to his accomplice; she will die a thousand deaths before I break her neck, really break her neck!'

Bo stalked away, going back to Olivia's room. Hope shook her head, shaken at the violent way he spoke, at the depth of his love for his older daughter; was it because she looked so much like Carly or because of the missing years which obviously bothered him so much? In a flash, her mind went back to Mickey's wake.

'How dare you call my mother names!' Olivia's English accented voice low but ominous. Just like Bo's when he was angry.

'You want to defend your mummy, be my guest!' knowing full her words were unfair but the need to vent her anger and hurt far too strong. 'If she didn't want to be called a whore she shouldn't have fucked my husband in the first place!'

A look that said it all. The way Bo looked when he was about to pounce on an enemy. Next thing she knew, her head was almost snapped off her neck from the impact of the fist landing on her jaw.

'Call my mother a whore or put your fingers on her...EVER AGAIN, I will slit your bloody throat; you hear me?' Olivia's harsh, snarling tone. Just like Bo sounded when he made a threat.

Just like Bo...

'She's just like him,' Hope said to herself. 'She's both of them.'

She gave herself a shake. If she was going to carry out an objective investigation, she had to squash her resentment towards Carly, at least for now. She'd lost her own little Zach but Olivia was Carly's only child and she couldn't even imagine her devastation, or Bo's, if she took the turn for the worse. And much as she hated to admit it, Hope had a reluctant liking for the young spitfire; admired the way she had freed her mother, how she turned out unbroken despite Lawrence Alamain's abuse. But if it turned out Vivian had poisoned her, she would have to make sure Bo didn't ruin his career by carrying out his threat, no matter the will question her in the morning.

Kayla and the others left Bo and Carly alone with Olivia. Carly's eyes were filled with sadness and worry. Bo sat next to her, holding her hand.

'I spent several years worrying about her,' she said quietly, eyes not leaving Olivia's face. 'Every waking moment, making sure she got through another day without Lawrence hurting her in any way. When she was twelve, she bit him on the arm when she saw him hitting me. He flung her away, pushing her down the stairs and she broke a rib.' Carly squeezed her daughter's hand tighter. 'You want to know the strange part?'

'Tell me.'

'She didn't cry at all. When I ran down to her to pick her up, the first thing she did was look up at me and asked "Are you alright, Ma?" '

Carly bowed her head. ' "Are you alright, Ma?" I was the one supposed to protect my child yet it ended up being her trying to protect me.'

'You're a great mother, Carly,' Bo said. 'You did all you could and she turned out great because of you. And I'm willing to bet she bore that injury with pride; with no regrets running to her Mum's defence.'

'Vivian did this to her, Bo. I should have killed Lawrence myself first chance I got, I should have had the courage!' Carly's voice broke, 'instead of our little girl paying the price now!'

Bo slipped his arm around her. 'We both have to be strong for Olivia, for each other, princess. And I promise you, Vivian's going to pay for this; make no mistake.'

Carly regarded him solemnly. 'She's not worth going to jail for, Bo. There has to be another way.'

Bo's eyes were like steel. 'She's forced my hand with what she's done to Olivia. It's bad enough she's walking around scot free after what she did to you. But anyone who lays a finger on any of my children... that person's days are numbered.'

Carly shook her head. 'I can't let you do that. Remember years ago when Victor set the boat on fire? You were the one who ended up in jail, not him- he managed to bounce the law on you because you confronted him. Vivian thinks just like him, like Lawrence. You will be the one that will end up destroyed, not her. And she'll love it.'

She looked back at their daughter. 'Olivia wouldn't want that to happen to her father. And if we're going to be married, I need you with me every day, every night.' She turned back to him. 'I trust you to do the right thing.' Green eyes looked at him unwavering. 'Won't you, Bo?'

Bo would rather follow his original plan but he knew Carly was right. If they were going to have the future they both wanted so much, he would have to follow the proper channels to bring Vivian to justice.

At the Salem Inn, a surprised Vivian was receiving Victor in her room. 'To what to do I owe...' her greeting was abruptly cut off by Victor's hands grabbing her throat.

'You poisoned my granddaughter.' Was the ominous hiss.

'What are... you talking about...' she squeaked, trying to wrestle free of his surprisingly strong grip.

'You know what I'm bloody talking about!' Victor snarled, shaking her violently, causing her to choke. From the moment Phillip told him, he knew for sure who the culprit was, yet unable to believe she actually had the audacity. 'Olivia's at the hospital in a coma because of you! I should have known... I should have known you came back here to cause trouble!'

He shook her again, his fingers tightening round her neck. 'What Bo will do to you is nothing compared to what I'm about to do to you right now! No one hurts my grandchildren and lives!'

'I... I didn't do... anything!' cried Vivian, struggling frantically.

'Stop trying to insult my intelligence, bitch!' Victor shouted, thoroughly enraged. 'Woe betide you if my granddaughter dies!'

It's now or never... Vivian thought as she felt her supply of oxygen diminishing fast.

'She's... not your... granddaughter...' she gasped.

'What lies are you spitting out now, you miserable viper?'

Vivian made one last desperate effort. 'Olivia isn't a K...Kiriakis... she isn't even an Alamain... Carly's lying to all of you...!'

Victor stared at her, finally relaxing his hold. Gasping and wheezing, Vivian sank on the bed, rubbing her bruised neck.

'What are you talking about?' he snapped. 'What do you mean Carly's lying?'

Vivian inhaled and exhaled deeply for several minutes, her heart pounding. This was not how she'd intended to tell him but he'd more or less twisted her arm.

'Carly's been playing you for a fool... all of you,' she said quickly. 'Olivia's her daughter, not Bo's...'

Victor's laugh was loud, harsh and mirthless. 'Only a complete idiot would fall for that...'

'She's not Bo's daughter!' shouted Vivian. 'She isn't! I know what I'm saying! Do whatever you like to me, call me what you will... yes, I've done terrible things in the past- Carly's doing a bad thing herself, using her bastard to lure Bo back to her!'

Victor eyed her with heavy suspicion. 'I don't believe you.'

Vivian drew herself up. 'I don't expect you to. But I have proof; authentic proof, Victor!'

Getting up, she went to the closet, drawing out a small rosewood box. Opening it, she brought out a document and held it out to him.

'What's this?'

'It's a death certificate, or at least a copy. You look at it.'

Victor brought out his reading glasses and snatched the document from her. It was dated 1994; certifying the death of a Catherine Francesca Alamain.

'Who was this Catherine?' he asked.

Vivian swallowed. 'Cathy was Bo's daughter... Bo's real daughter. She was stillborn.' she whispered. 'I'm so very sorry, Victor...'