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Chapter 29
"Elizabeth, have a seat." Kevin said smiling at the nurse.
"Thank you. Monica, Felix." Liz said taking a seat. The fact that the other nurse was here was surprising. She wondered if she had competition for the victim advocate position.
"We've decided to go ahead with the program." Monica said starting the meeting. "With two positions here at the hospital." She said before turning the gathering over to Kevin.
"I've reviewed both your files and I think you are both good candidates for the job. We've decided that it would be better to have both a male and female victim advocate on staff that way folks can decide who they are more comfortable talking with. A female rape victim may not feel comfortable talking with Felix, while a male assault victim may not want to speak with Liz. It's not a slight on either one of you, it happens to us doctors as well." Kevin started explaining.
Both nurses nodded. Often in the ER, where they both had worked, patients would request staff of one gender or another. It was a smart move on the hospital's part, you couldn't help someone if they wouldn't talk to you.
"Both of you are going to be working in the Psychology department effective immediately. Starting on Monday you'll attend a week long training program at Port Charles University. The classes start at nine and end at six, with an hour for lunch. At the end of that session you will receive provisional certification. After three months at the hospital you can apply for basic certification which I can approve for you. Same with your intermediate certification at six months. One year after getting your intermediate certification you can apply for advanced certification. That requires a written and oral test which you can take at PCU. You will also need a letter from me saying you have fulfilled the requirements for hours worked."
"We would like for both of you to get that advanced certification." Monica told her nurses.
"I'd like to get my advanced certification." Elizabeth said to her new boss, and her Chief.
"So would I." Felix told them. He was passionate about this program as well, and he would enjoy working with Liz.
"Good." Kevin said smiling. He had reviewed a lot of files and was confident that they had picked the right people. Both of them were spoken of very highly by Epiphany, who had to miss this meeting because of an emergency surgery.
"Now the boring stuff." Monica said smiling. "The position comes with a slight pay raise for you both." Money wasn't an issue for Liz, but Monica figured Felix would enjoy getting more in his paychecks. "You will retain your current levels of vacation, and if you opt to return to the nursing department you will not lose your seniority." Since this was experimental no one knew if the program would actually work, although they all hoped it did. "The hours for your new positions are Monday through Friday eight a.m. to four-thirty p.m. With weekends, evenings, and holidays off."
"Seriously?" Felix asked surprised. That was rare in the hospital.
"If someone comes in and they need emergency counseling odds are its going to be something that falls outside of what you do. We aren't looking at the two of you to provide psychiatric counseling, we are looking to you to provide outpatient support." Kevin clarified.
"All non-surgical outpatient support centers are weekday, except for holidays, only operations." Monica pointed out. That included the physical rehabilitation and art therapy centers. "So you got lucky there."
"Any other questions?" Kevin figured they wouldn't have many today. This was unchartered waters, so the questions would arise once they actually started working. "Besides where the awesome new offices you get are." He said laughing.
"No." Liz had done her research.
"None from me either." Felix had done his as well.
"Good. Per hospital regulation when you transfer departments you get some time off. So we are giving you the rest of the week, and the weekend." Which amounted to four days. "Kevin can show you to your offices."
"Thank you." Liz said smiling at Felix.
"Yes, thank you." Felix said getting to his feet as everyone else stood up.
Kevin walked them down the hall to two small offices that shared a wall. "Here you go. Security has the keys, they will give them to you when you go down to get new badges. Appointments will be booked with the main receptionist down the hall, and will show up in the computer system's scheduling program." Which as staff they would already know how to use. "Welcome to the department." He said before heading back to his office.
Liz turned to Felix and raised her hand. He gave her a high five and a grin. "Which office would you like?" They were identical it was just a matter of if you wanted the desk on the right side of the small room or the left.
"Ladies first." Felix said looking over his shoulder at Milo. "What are you going to do with your boy toy?"
Liz just snorted. "Milo is all man, right?"
"Right." Milo knew Felix well. Sabrina had roomed with him when they were student nurses. "I'll sit over there, and blend in with the wall." He pointed to a row of padded chairs that made the space look like every other doctor's office he had been in.
"I will take the office on the right." Liz said which would put her closer to where Milo would be sitting. She walked into the space and found a work station. A computer monitor with keyboard, a phone, and printer were on its gleaming surface. Behind her were two filing cabinets, one sporting a potted plant. That was all for furnishings, the amazing thing was that she had a window. With a view of the park across the street, that would be nice to look at between clients.
All she needed now was a nice framed picture on the wall. She would be sure to leave space to hang her certifications when she earned them. With a smile Liz headed back out to find Milo. They would stop at security and then maybe go do some shopping to celebrate.
Over the three days it took for the DNA results to come in Jason avoided any contact with Keesha. Edward assured his grandson that everything was under control, so Jason concentrated on work and his wife. They attended the party to celebrate Steven's promotion, and had dinner at the mansion. They hung out with their friends, and spent time at home debating the merits of getting a dog. In other words they didn't think about the meeting they were now heading too.
"I was just in this room recently." Liz said taking a seat. They were holding the meeting at General Hospital because Jason booked this space to talk. "For much happier reasons." Even though she sounded calm, Elizabeth was actually pissed. Keesha was giving women everywhere a black eye. And as far as Liz was concerned the other woman had whatever happened here today coming to her.
"Hey." Georgie said coming into the room. "Diane is right behind me. You guys okay?"
"Except for the urge to slap someone I'm fine." Liz said to her friend. "How's the hand, you getting used to hauling around that rock?"
"I've added bicep curls to my workout routine." Georgie said laughing.
"Hello." Diane said smiling as she came into the room. "Are we all set? Not that we will be doing much."
"We are ready." Jason assured his attorney. She looked good, and Francis said there were no lasting effects from the head injury.
"Good." She said taking a seat, so that Jason would.
Keesha walked into the room with her attorney and took a seat. "Hello Jason. Elizabeth." She greeted the new Mrs. Morgan with a lot less warmth.
They both stayed silent.
"Are we ready?" The other attorney asked.
"Not quite, we are being joined by three other people." Diane said folding her hands on the table.
"Who else is needed?" Keesha asked confused. Then her eyes got wide when Edward walked in followed by AJ, and a woman she hadn't ever seen before.
"Hello, my name is Rosalyn Kwan, and I am representing AJ Quartermaine's interests." The newest lawyer in the room introduced herself.
"I don't understand." Keesha's attorney said looking at everyone sitting on the other side of the table. "Why does Mr. Quartermaine have an interest in these proceedings?"
"Would you like to answer that Ms. Ward?" Diane asked with a smile. "No." She asked when her question was greeted with silence. "Let me help you then. Georgie?" Diane turned the floor over to her associate.
Georgie pulled out her laptop, opened the slim machine, pulled up a video, and hit play. Everyone watched as Keesha met with Brad and explained what she needed done. They watched an envelope exchange hands as Brad repeated his instructions. "He was wearing a wire and told us when the meeting was taking place." The brunette attorney said. "Because he's already on thin ice for test tampering, and you didn't offer him enough money to live off of when he lost his job. He sold you out to save himself."
Edward just smiled. He knew who Keesha was going to see because she called her friend from New York to set up the meeting. It had not been hard to convince Brad that he would end up in prison for fraud if he went along with this plan. He had been let go from General Hospital for this very behavior and a judge would take that into account. Or he could prove helpful by recording everything when Keesha came to see him. The DA's office would look favorably on him for helping.
"I was set up." Keesha would go with entrapment.
"You can't use a recording without getting both parties permission." Keesha's attorney pointed out. He had no idea he was being lied to by his client. He was hoping this win put him on the legal map.
Rosalyn spoke up, taking over. "In family court, or civil court you can. We are prepared to go either route."
"As are we." Diane spoke up again. "We are prepared to sue you for mental and emotional damage. As well as fraud in the case of the fake DNA test you gave to Jason in his office. For twenty-five million dollars." Money they knew Keesha didn't have. If she had actually managed to get her story into the paper they could have added slander to the list. No one wanted to cross Jason Morgan without absolute proof he was trying to walk away from his unborn child.
"Or you can accept the deal that Mr. Quartermaine has for you." Rosalyn said taking over again.
"What's the deal?" Keesha's lawyer asked
"You are going to return to London with me, and after you have my child you will give me full custody." AJ said speaking for the first time.
"I'm not giving you my baby." Keesha hissed at him.
"Your lawyer is good, but I'm better." Diane said with a feral smile. "And he was wrong earlier, that tape is admissible in court if we charge you with extortion which we would be happy to do." Edward would no doubt know a judge who would admit the recording as evidence. "Then when you have your baby, in prison, AJ will end up with custody anyway."
"I wasn't finished." AJ had regretted sleeping with Keesha as soon as he woke up the next morning. He only did it to hurt Jason, but Karma being what it was he was the one paying. "I will allow you a place in my child's life. Supervised visitation can be arranged. I will provide you with housing in London so that you are near us. I can assure you it will be nicer than a prison cell."
"I guess I don't have a choice do I?" Keesha replied her eyes sparking fire. She was stuck with AJ.
Georgie removed an envelope from her laptop bag. "This is a restraining order. Ms. Ward is prohibited from having any contact with Jason or Elizabeth Morgan. She is not to be within five hundred feet of them, their homes, their places of employment, their vehicles, their holdings, or any building they are in. Violation of this order will result in arrest, which I'm sure will not look good in family court. Should Mr. Quartermaine decide those supervised visits aren't working out."
"We are done here. This was a game you never should have tried to play." Diane said standing. "Rosalyn we should do lunch."
"We should." Rosalyn was the head lawyer for ELQ. While she didn't normally do criminal law she was capable of taking it from here.
"Jason and Elizabeth." Diane said to her clients.
Without a word they rose and walked from the room. "Are we done?" Liz asked when they were in the lobby.
"We are." Diane said grinning.
"How is it going?" Monica asked walking up. She had been informed about what was happening last night. So she cleared her schedule for when the meeting was taking place.
"AJ and Keesha are working out a deal now." Jason had no plans to talk to his brother at all. He figured AJ would head back to London as soon as all this was handled.
"Will he let you see your grandchild?" Liz wanted to know.
"I have no idea." Monica said quietly. "I hope so. It would be nice if this child helped bring AJ closer to the family again."
"Knowing Grandfather he made that a condition of his helping." Jason would get details of what was happening in the conference room later. "I will do my best to not antagonize AJ if we are all together."
"Thank you. Your father and I will try as well." Monica would do her part, but it was mostly AJ's choice to close the distance between them. If he wasn't going to try then this wouldn't work.
"Georgie and I aren't needed so we will go be fabulous somewhere else." Diane said smiling. "Liz we should all get together next week." She still needed to confess what she did on the island.
"Okay. I'll call you and we will firm up plans. Thank you for today." Liz smiled at her friend.
"It's what we do. We really should have capes." Diane said looking at Georgie. "We could pull that off."
"Totally." Georgie said agreeing with her boss. "See you guys later." She said as the attorneys moved off.
Jason turned as the door opened. Keesha stormed off in the direction of the elevator and a large man followed behind her. Probably a guard hired by AJ. Edward came out next. "She is going to the hotel to pack. AJ's plane is standing by. He has hired a private nurse to monitor Keesha until the pregnancy is done." Edward shared. "As well as round the clock guards."
"Will we get to see the child after he or she is born?" Monica wanted to know. Her eldest child was still in the conference room.
"Twice a year, with regular photos being sent. Regular video chats will start when the child is old enough." Edward told them the deal he had worked out with his grandson. "London is AJ's home. I tried to respect that when we hammered the agreement out. One visit will be here in Port Charles and for the other visit we will fly to London." It was like a custody arrangement.
"Can Jason come too?" Monica wanted to know.
"No." Jason answered before Edward could. He could tell by the look on his grandfather's face. "That's fine." Jason wouldn't ruin his parents chance to get to know their grandchild. "Don't argue about that." He asked his mother. "Please."
Just then AJ came out of the conference room. He looked at Jason but didn't say a word. "Mother." He said addressing Monica. "Do you have time to visit?"
Jason leaned over and kissed her check. "It's fine." He repeated softly. He really wasn't hurt by what AJ was doing. They wouldn't ever have a civil relationship and Jason had accepted that. The truth was he didn't like the person his brother was. AJ would probably say the same thing.
"I'm free for lunch." She told her son. For now she would let this go, and at a later date test the waters.
"Want to go home?" Liz asked her husband. It was time to put this behind them.
"Let's go to the pound and look at dogs." Jason decided on the spot.
"Okay." Liz said giving him a soft kiss. She would keep an eye on him for the rest of the day. After they went to see if they could find a furry friend.
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