As she stood in the PCGH Emergency Department, Chapparal County Child Protective Case Worker, Maggie Carpenter, was reminded that as much as she had once believed she had an awful childhood, some children truly grew up in places most people would rather not be caught dead. Lark Madison seemed to have been one of those children.

"You're with CPS?" a gentleman in scrubs with kind eyes asked.

"Yes, I'm Maggie Carpenter. I'm the caseworker on call tonight," Maggie said.

"I'm Dr. Richard Carmichael, I am one of the EM attendings at PCGH. Your victim was significantly hypothermic on arrival so we're going to admit to PICU at least overnight. I think the resident is in doing the admission now, but I wanted to make sure you didn't have any questions for me," he said as he extended his hand.

Maggie shook his hand. "Are the Detectives who brought her in still around here somewhere?"

"She came by ambulance from the scene. I think Detective Scanlon caught the case, but he is in room 18 with his girlfriend who was apparently being held hostage in the basement of the same hotel," Dr. Carmichael said far too matter of factly.

"What?"

"Dr. Devlin is one of our pediatrics interns. Last Wednesday she was abducted leaving the hospital. While getting a copy of the guest list from the night manager Detective Scanlon saw something that looked like her bracelet. The PCPD sent over additional officers to help with the search and she was located in the basement along with Dr. Greg Cooper," Dr. Carmichael said.

Maggie just shook her head. "Did anyone notify the victim's family?"

"PCPD went out to the apartment in Moriches where she and the mother live. Mother was found unresponsive, so she was brought here by ambulance as well. It appears to be an opiate overdose. She wasn't protecting her airway, so I had to intubate. She is in trauma 5 waiting for an ICU bed," Dr. Carmichael said.

"Ok so maybe I'll just go ahead and file the PINS petition," Maggie said.

"Probably for the best," Dr. Carmichael said as a bell rang. "That's the alert that our next trauma is here. I have to go deal with that," he added before making a hasty retreat.

Maggie just shook her head again. What was it with Port Charles? It wasn't even a full moon.

XXXXXXXX

Dr. Tony Jones hated taking call. He really hated taking call when he didn't have a rotating resident, but it seemed that PCGH's residents kept bopping off for months at a time to go hang out on service at Columbia Presbyterian. Then there was the issue that even when they were around, they were assigned to Dr. Muir, Dr. Straznick, or Dr. Ross. Apparently, he couldn't even get an intern assigned after he had given one a piece of his mind in June. Because, of course, , aka, Dr. Alan Quartermaine would never raise his voice to one of the housestaff. The fact that Tony truly couldn't remember a time that Alan, had didn't make him any less insufferable.

With frustration Tony pulled up Julie Devlin's CT scan. Allegedly, she had been essentially "pistol whipped" with a flashlight. He hated to admit that sounded a bit like one of his fantasies about Carly. He supposed he could see the faintest contusion, but he suspected that Dr. Ames was reaching and overreading. It seemed to be his favorite pastime, especially on Friday nights when Tony was on call. It was so annoying!

XXXXXXXX

At Kelly's Diner, Tina Harding exhaled audibly as she locked the front door. "Finally!" she said.

"Yeah, I thought they would never leave," Liz Webber agreed as she cleared the table an annoying couple had finally vacated. "Now I almost feel badly about yawning noticeably when I asked that other couple if they wanted dessert. I think they were afraid to say yes. They probably needed dessert too, she got a salad, and he barely touched his tuna melt but didn't want a box, so he probably didn't like it," she said.

"My foster mom would be impressed by your observational prowess. She is a definite people watcher. It drives her writing process," Tina said as she started wiping down tables.

"She writes books?" Liz asked.

"She does. Are you also a budding author? It is very much not my thing," Tina said.

Liz laughed. "Not exactly. I can respect the creative process though. I love to draw and paint."

"That's cool, also not my thing, but very cool! My little foster sister Tania is artistically inclined. Sure, I am a biased big sister, but she did get accepted to The High School of Art & Design last spring."

"That is cool," Liz said. It was. She had applied to CIVA for three consecutive years until she finally got in right before her parents decided they would be living with their Grandmother and going to school in Port Charles. Of course, when she had tried to explain that to her parents and even seen if she could stay with a friend instead, they had just lamented why she couldn't be more like Sarah?

"If your dad is waiting out front you can just go, and I can finish up here," Tina offered.

"My dad is doing some locum gig in Nevada. I'm supposed to take the bus back to my grandmother's house," Liz said.

"Aren't you fifteen? Your parents let you take the city bus so late? I mean I realize that Port Charles is a lot smaller, and probably a bit safer than Brooklyn but still," Tina said.

Liz shrugged her shoulders. She had a feeling that Tina's foster parents were more concerned with her wellbeing than the people who at least claimed to be her biological parents were with hers. She suspected Tina sensed that too and felt badly. Somehow that made the moment even more awkward.

XXXXXXXX

Dr. Julie Devlin wondered how she diplomatically got rid of all her concerned family that had crowded into her room in the Emergency Department. She really wanted to just go home but apparently her CT scan had showed mild contusions and Dr. Jones had recommended she be admitted for observation and have a repeat scan in the morning. Or at least that was what he had said but his expressions seemed to suggest that it was all just a big waste of his time.

Desperately she made eye contact with her younger cousin.

Sebastian "Ian" Devlin smiled back. "Maybe we should let Julie rest. Dad, and Aunt Nicole, I can take you back to the hotel," he said.

"Maybe we should wait until Julie gets upstairs to a room," her mother suggested.

Julie heard the apprehension in her mother's voice. It pulled her back in, as it always did. She would be the first to admit that Nicole Devlin hadn't been the mother she needed but perhaps she had been the best mother she was capable of being. Perhaps that was all anyone could do or ask.

"That might take a while, Mom. It is a Friday night, and the ED seems even busier than usual. But it's ok, I'm sure these past two days haven't been easy for you either. You should get some rest, we all should," Julie said.

"Perhaps you're right," her mother said.

Julie noticed that her mother looked to her uncle, Dr. Stuart Devlin, not her father for reassurance and approval. Some things never changed, she supposed.

XXXXXXXX

Lucy Coe Stanton was sure she had never felt so miserable or humiliated in her entire life. She was still fevered and too weak to do more than lay in bed and feel her heart race and her belly twist itself up into uncomfortable knots. Even worse she was sure she looked horrible because sweat was literally pouring off her almost as fast as her insides seemed to be pouring out her other end. Too make matters worse, someone had consulted Dr. Alan Quartermaine. So, the man she had once dreamed of fathering her children had seen her in such a state when he came in, inserted some kind of rectal tube, and instructed the nurses to quantify and replace the output. Quantify and replace her feces? Talk about mortifying!

Then, as he always seemed to do, he had gone home to his wife and left her alone to reflect on how pathetic she was. Why did that have to be the theme in their relationship? Why?

XXXXXXXX

Tina Harding yawned as she watched Elizabeth Webber start to close the toggles on her coat. As tempting as it was to just dart up the stairs to the studio apartment, she conveniently rented over the diner she worked in the idea of her younger coworker taking a city bus after midnight gave her some pause. "Umm, if you're having second thoughts about taking the bus, I can have Johnny give you a ride," she offered.

Elizabeth lifted her eyes from the toggles of her coat. "Johnny?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He's a friend. He kind of watches the place at night. I'm sure he wouldn't mind giving you a ride though," Tina said.

"Can he drop me off around the corner? That way my Grandmother won't hear anything and will just presume I walked from the bus stop," Elizabeth asked.

"I presume that could be arranged. Hold on, let me run upstairs and get a coat," Tina said as she started for the stairs.