Esme: N-Nelle?
Nelle: Yes.
Esme: Nelle Benson?
Nelle: You remember don't you?
*Esme's head aches and she lies back down*
Esme: What…happened?
Nelle: I'll explain later, I promise.
*Nelle walks over to the door and sticks her head out*
Nelle: She's awake!
*A doctor rushes to the room.*
Doctor: Hello, I'm Dr. Jake Martin. You're at Pine Valley Hospital. Can you tell me your name?
Esme: Esme…Prince. Esme Prince.
Dr. Martin: Do you know what year it is?
Esme: 20…23?
Dr. Martin: Good.
Esme: What…happened…to me?
Dr. Martin: You overdosed, and you also had a concussion.
Esme: Over…dosed? On what?
Dr. Martin: The drug you were taking for your headaches.
Esme: I have…a headache…right now. Get me…my medication…please?
Dr. Martin: We can give you some Tylenol, but not the medication you were taking.
Esme: No…I need…my medication.
Dr. Martin: Esme, you almost died. You had four times the recommended dosage in your system, and the drug hasn't been approved for treatment for headaches.
Esme: That's what the guy at Wildwind…the driver…said. It was helping me…remember…stuff…
Dr. Martin: Yes, we were informed that you were recovering from amnesia. Now we need to make sure that you don't have any further brain damage, as it seems that you hit your head on something when you fell.
Esme: I remember…we were at Wildwind…I was dancing…I was eating mashed potatoes…drinking wine…went for a walk in the rain…it felt very good…and then I remembered when I visited Spring Ridge…and saw…my father…oh my god! Daddy…
*She sits up in the bed*
Esme: Daddy!
Dr. Martin: Esme?
Esme: Daddy! DADDY!
Dr. Martin: Esme, I'm not your father!
Esme: Daddy! DADDY!
Dr. Martin: Esme, your father is dead!
Esme: I know he's dead! I KNOW HE'S DEAD!
*Dr. Martin and Nelle look at each other, then back to Esme*
Esme: He's dead…and it's MY FAULT! All my fault! I failed him…I FAILED HIM! Oh Daddy, I'm so sorry Daddy, I'M SORRY DADDY! DADDYYYYYY!
*She buries her face in her pillow and breaks down into hysterical sobs, pounding the pillow*
Esme (muffled): Oh Daddy…
Dr. Martin (to Nelle): Alright, I'm going to need you to leave the room.
*Nelle complies, hearing Dr. Martin paging for assistance and Esme's continuing cries of "DADDY!" muffled by the pillow before Dr. Martin shuts the door. She sits down on a nearby bench, not sure how to feel. She was relieved that Esme was awake but was now worried for her emotional state, as well as worried that Esme might refer to her as Nelle as opposed to Jan, the name everyone in the group knew her as. She hoped that the return of Esme's old memories wouldn't mean the loss of her new ones.*
Nelle (to herself): I hope those pills work as well as they say they do.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Leora had an appointment with a certain doctor, but not as a patient. She was trying to learn as much as she could about her father. It was difficult for her to not distract the busy doctors too much with what certainly must be a sensitive topic.
*Leora walks up to an office door and knocks*
Woman's voice: Come in.
*Leora enters the office*
Leora: Hi Dr. Hubbard?
Dr. Angela Hubbard: That's me, unless you're looking for my son, who also is a doctor here.
Leora: Nope, I'm here to see Dr. Angela Hubbard.
Angie: Please, call me Angie.
Leora: Hi Angie, I'm Leann Harris. We spoke on the phone earlier.
Angie: Yes. Have a seat.
*Leora sits down in front of the desk*
Leora: Thank you for agreeing to talk to me. I know you're really busy seeing as how you're Chief of Staff, so I won't keep you long, but I'm doing a research project on Dr. David Hayward, and his work, and was wondering if you would be willing to help me?
Angie: I will do my best, though I must remind you that there is certain information that I am not at liberty to disclose for confidentiality purposes.
Leora: Yes, I respect that.
Angie: So, what would you like to know?
Leora: Well, I understand that he was a doctor at this hospital for many years?
Angie: Yes he was. He also was Chief of Staff at one point.
Leora: Right. From what I gather, he was held in high regard as far as his skills as a doctor went, but was difficult to work with.
Angie: That is an understatement. He was responsible for saving many lives, though some of it was done unknowingly as part of a controversial research project, without the patients' families' knowledge, let alone their consent. Some of these people had been presumed dead for several years. One of whom, the first known patient who was part of this experiment, had amnesia as a side effect of the treatment that saved their life. They were sent to live in another state with a new identity.
Leora: Did this person eventually remember?
Angie: Yes, though it took many years.
Leora: Is there any chance I might be able to talk to this person?
Angie: Unfortunately, I can't give out that information.
Leora: Is this person Dr. Maria Santos-Grey?
*Angie looks stunned*
Leora: The man who currently owns Wildwind told me and my friend. We didn't ask for her name; he volunteered the information. He said she was his uncle's wife. But there was also a plaque with her name on it in the mausoleum. It was on the floor, and there was a crowbar in the corner, so I'm guessing somebody removed it when they learned she was alive.
Angie: I see.
Leora: I also understand Dr. Hayward had a daughter who died?
Angie: He had three daughters, all of whom are deceased.
Leora: Oh my god!
Angie: And he naturally was devastated about their deaths, and it was one of the reasons why he was difficult to work with. No parent wants to outlive any of their children. But he let his emotions get the better of him countless times, and he took it out on his colleagues.
Leora: Did all three of his daughters die in infancy?
Angie: No. Two of his daughters were fraternal twins, and neither of whom he met until they were adults. One was killed during a tornado, and the other one was shot and killed by her ex-husband. Dr. Hayward then shot him in retaliation for shooting his daughter; he survived but was rendered comatose. Dr. Hayward meanwhile was sent to prison for five years. One of his many stints in prison, though this one was considerably longer than the others.
Leora: Oh wow!
Angie: That was the thing about Dr. Hayward. He was arrested countless times, but would then be released simply so he could save a patient's life when no one else could. I've witnessed it firsthand once.
Leora: Was he able to save this person?
Angie: Yes he was.
Leora: I'm glad he was able to save them, even if he had to be broken out of prison in order to do so.
Angie: Yes.
Leora: But I understand he died? Dr. Hayward, not the patient.
Angie: Yes, about five years ago.
Leora: May I ask what he died from?
Angie: Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Leora: Oh my god!
Angie: And they don't know whether or not it was an accident.
Leora: How do you mean?
Angie: It happened shortly after he was released from his most recent stint in jail. He was arrested after getting into an altercation with a patient's family after delivering the sad news that he couldn't save their son, which became physical. They attacked him, he defended himself, the police were called, and due to David's history, they assumed he was the one who initiated the fight and arrested him. But he was later released when, after they reviewed the CCTV footage, they determined that the family attacked him, simply for being the bearer of bad news.
He went home, but didn't show up for work the next day. He never called in sick, but we didn't think much of it, as we figured he needed a day to rest and recuperate after that ordeal, but he didn't show up the following day, nor the day after that. My husband Jesse had recently been reinstated as Chief of Police. He had his own issues with Dr. Hayward, but he nonetheless agreed to do a welfare check. The police went to his house, and after some searching, they found him in his bed, unresponsive. They said it looked like he was sleeping, but he was dead, and apparently had been so for a few days. The autopsy revealed that his cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Leora: Oh my god! Do they know how it happened?
Angie: I'm afraid not. There's no way of knowing how it happened, or why it happened. It could've been an accident, it could've been murder, or it could've been that David decided to take his own life.
The reason why the circumstances surrounding his death are especially suspicious though was that there was no obvious source of carbon monoxide in his house. They did a thorough inspection. The furnace was fairly new and didn't have any leaks, all the appliances were switched off, the fireplace seemed like it hadn't been used in a while, his car didn't appear to have been left running, and the bedroom window was open. Everything seemed normal. But, according to the autopsy, he died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Leora: Wow.
Angie: I know. We were all thinking that maybe he had faked his death, as he had done that before. We were somewhat hopeful that he would angrily come bursting through the hospital doors, ranting about somebody trying to set him up, or something not going the way he had planned, and wanting to seek revenge. Even if we had to be on the receiving end of his anger, we still would've been extremely relieved. But after a few months had passed, we accepted that he was gone.
Leora: You mentioned that people thought he might have taken his own life?
Angie: Yes. We of course thought it was unlikely that he would do that, knowing how dedicated he was to saving lives, but at the same time we weren't entirely ruling it out. Being a doctor is not easy, and as you can probably tell, David was very passionate about his work. This family was blaming the entire hospital for being incompetent and threatening legal action, and this may have triggered David, as he's been in that same situation. We suspect that on top of everything else, he was frustrated because he wasn't allowed to save this patient using his controversial treatment methods that still haven't been approved.
Leora: Just like how he wasn't allowed to save his other daughter, who died when she was a baby?
Angie: That was different though. He wasn't the doctor who operated on her.
Leora: I know. But he thought he should've been the one to operate on her. He tried to force his way into the OR, because he insisted that they weren't doing it right, and he had to be escorted out. And then, he was told the baby had died!
*Angie notices Leora sounds worked up*
Angie: I think we should wrap up this discussion. I have to get back to my work.
Leora: What was his daughter's name?
Angie: I'm not at liberty to provide-
*Leora suddenly stands up*
Leora: WHAT WAS HER NAME?!
*Startled, Angie looks at Leora and notices a familiar fire in her eyes*
Angie: *looks at Leora and hesitates for a few seconds* His daughter's name was Leora.
*Leora recalls the man she saw in her dream*
Leo Du Pres: Leora…welcome home…Leora…
Leora: Was Leora's mother Anna Devane?
Angie: *hesitates* Yes…Anna Devane was her mother. Her full name was Leora Devane Hayward. But why are you asking about all of this?
*Leora pounds her fists on Angie's desk, startling her again*
Leora: BECAUSE I'M LEORA, DAMMIT!
*She collapses back down in the chair in front of the desk and sighs*
Leora: I'm Leora. I am sure of it. They must have changed my name. My full legal name is Leann Danielle Harris. Same initials as Leora Devane Hayward. And that's not all.
*She shows Angie her scars*
Leora: I was born with a heart defect and had a pacemaker put in when I was a baby. One of many heart surgeries I've had. I was told that there was a doctor who tried to barge in during the pacemaker surgery, insisting that they weren't doing it correctly, but they wouldn't let him in. Anton Marick shared some details with me and the timing of everything lines up. I was born on February 26, 2003. I had a heart defect, and was told that my parents didn't want me when they found out.
*She sniffles*
Leora: Now I know that's a lie. I feel very strongly that Dr. Hayward is my father. That's why he was so adamant that he perform the surgery. He must've saved me using his research.
Angie: But that's not possible. David was devastated that he couldn't save any of his children.
Leora: He was lying then! He saved me and kept me hidden away in a clinic, which was shut down when I was around 10, not long after I had another heart surgery.
Angie: If you were born on February 26, 2003, the timing of the closing of the clinic doesn't add up. If it closed when you were 10, that would've meant that you had to have been around eight years old when you had your surgery. But you said you had your surgery when you were 10, and the clinic closed not long afterwards.
Leora: Yes.
Angie: Then the clinic you were at wasn't the one that David was running. They shut it down after he was arrested for shooting his former son-in-law in retaliation for shooting his daughter. That was back in 2011.
Leora: Well I never met the director of the clinic, at least I don't think I did. What did David look like?
*Angie points to a portrait on the wall behind her.*
Angie: That's him.
*Leora looks closely at the man in the photo, then takes her mirror out of her purse and looks at her own face, then the picture of Anna that she had saved to her phone. She thinks she looks more like Anna, but she sees a resemblance to David as well. Either way, she had never seen his face before.*
Leora: Alright, well I guess he wasn't the one who saved me.
Angie: Believe me, if he were still alive, and he knew you were alive as well, he'd be over the moon.
Leora: I guess I need to figure out what happened then. If he didn't save me, somebody else must have.
Angie: I suppose it's possible. Once everybody learned about Project Orpheus, there have been many attempts by various doctors to replicate David's experiments, and not just here at Pine Valley Hospital. It's entirely possible that you are David and Anna's daughter, but they were led to believe you had died. You definitely remind me of him, the way you snapped at me like that.
Leora: I'm sorry. I'm just extremely frustrated. The little information I've managed to find out about my life suggests that I have roots in Pine Valley. The timing of everything lined up, so hearing that the closing of Dr. Hayward's clinic didn't line up with when I had my most recent surgery when I was 10 took me by surprise.
Angie: You might want to consider a DNA test to look for relatives. They're quite common these days. If you do a DNA test, any of David's relatives who have also done a test will show up as relatives of yours.
Leora: I guess I'll do that then. Thank you, Dr. Hubbard…Angie I mean. This was very helpful. Frustrating, but helpful. I'm sorry again about my outburst.
Angie: I'm glad to have been helpful. And don't worry, I've dealt with much worse outbursts. It's all part of being a doctor.
Esme was given a very low dosage of lorazepam to calm her down. After her examination, it was determined that her head injury, while still not fully healed, wasn't as serious as they initially thought, meaning that her extreme reaction about her father was likely due to the rush of memories flooding back to her about the one parental figure who treated her with even a sliver of compassion, even though he was taking advantage of her and saw her as an extension of himself. Nelle was still very eager to see her.
*Nelle is holding Ace on her lap. She sees Dr. Jake Martin walking out of Esme's room*
Nelle: May I please see her?
Dr. Martin: Sorry, immediate family only. Hospital policy.
Nelle: I am immediate family.
Dr. Martin: And you are?
Nelle: Jan Clayton. Esme is my sister, and I'm her next of kin. And this is her son, Ace. I know she'll want to see him.
*Dr. Martin looks closely at Nelle's face*
Dr. Martin: Alright, I'll let you see her. But please keep the conversation limited to small talk. Nothing about what happened to her that made her wind up here. She's recovering from an overdose of a highly addictive drug, and we don't want to have to give her any more medication than we need to. And she's very drowsy as a side effect of the medication we gave her.
Nelle: I promise.
*Dr. Martin lets Nelle into Esme's room. Esme is lying in the bed, awake but drowsy. Nelle sits down next to her.*
Nelle: Hi Esme. Look who I brought.
Esme: Ace…
*She reaches out her hand and feels her son wrap his tiny fingers around hers*
Esme: I guess I wasn't here…too long...so I didn't miss out…on seeing my son grow up.
*She gives a weak laugh. Nelle smiles*
Nelle: I'm just glad you're awake.
Esme: Are you really…Nelle Benson?
Nelle: That was indeed my name. In another lifetime.
Esme: I remember now…Daddy telling me about you…he thought we seemed like...we could be sisters...
*Nelle resists the urge to engage with Esme, and instead sits silently while listening to Esme speak, her eyes staring up at the ceiling*
Esme: I began visiting Daddy in Pentonville…when I found out who he was…I knew about everything he did…but I wanted to meet him…my adoptive parents were horrible…so horrible…they didn't allow me to call them anything other than Mr. Prince…and Mrs. Prince…
*Nelle is reminded of Frank Benson, whom she was raised believing was her biological father. At least Esme knew the truth about her adoptive family*
Nelle: I know. That must've been horrible.
Esme: And then they died…and I was happy…I didn't grieve…I went to live with my nanny…Maggie Fitzgerald…she was the only person who treated me well…and then I found out that my biological father was…Ryan Chamberlain…and we began writing letters…and I wanted to meet him…
*Nelle couldn't help it, she had to know*
Nelle: Did you know about all the things that Ryan did?
Esme: Yes…I knew he was a serial killer…I was so angry though…angry at the world…I didn't care…Maggie was the only person I cared about…even though Maggie told me not to see him…I went to see him…and he was happy to see me. That's when he told me…I could call him Daddy…and that's what made me want to…to have him in my life. I think he genuinely loved me…but he still took advantage of me…and I should have seen the signs.
Nelle: I think, deep down, he genuinely cared about you. He got you into that school after all. He had ulterior motives by doing so, but still not everyone gets to study abroad.
Esme: I remember him telling me…that what was his…would be mine. He promised me that we would live a life of luxury…once he got out of prison…but for him that life included…Ava…I HATE…Ava…and my feelings haven't changed…even though my father is dead.
Nelle: Well, I'm no psychiatrist, but why do you feel this way about Ava?
Esme: Because I have feelings for him…and they're real.
*Nelle resists the urge to ask the name of the person whom she has feelings for*
Nelle: I think you should get some rest now. We can talk about this more when we get back to Port Charles.
Esme: Okay bye bye…
Nelle: One more thing
Esme: Yeah?
Nelle: Please continue to call me Jan when we're in public. I'm glad you remember what Ryan told you about me, and I don't have a problem at all with you calling me Nelle when it's just the two of us in the room, since that's the name you know me by now that you've remembered. But everybody in our group knows me as Jan Clayton, and I need it to stay that way.
Esme: I promise…
Nelle: Thank you.
*Nelle takes Ace and leaves the room, and enters the elevator going down. She presses the button and the doors close*
Nelle (to herself): Excellent!
That night, Leora, having looked online and found the location where David Hayward's daughter was supposedly buried, as well as proof that David had indeed been married to Anna Devane, made her way through the cemetery. She passed several headstones along the way, and noticed that the dates on many of them seemed to indicate that the people supposedly buried beneath had died fairly young:
· Mary Frances Stone (April 26, 1982 - November 27, 2001)
· Leonardo Du Pres (June 14, 1977 – October 17, 2002)
· Arabella "Babe" Carey (April 10, 1983 – October 23, 2008)
· Marissa Tasker (April 10, 1983 – September 23, 2011)
· Dr. David Hayward (November 12, 1959 – May 12, 2019)
And then she saw it; next to the ornate headstone for Dr. Hayward was a smaller headstone for Leora Devane Hayward (February 26, 2003 – May 30, 2003)
Leora knelt down to get a closer look and saw an inscription below the dates of birth and death:
"We hold you in our hearts until we can hold you in Heaven."
She found herself overcome with emotion, but at the same time wasn't sure how to feel.
Leora (to herself): *Sigh* What am I doing here? First I'm told that my parents didn't want me after they learned that I most likely wouldn't live to be a teenager, so I was forced to grow up in a clinic. Then I learned that most likely was a lie, and that the reason why that one doctor was so adamant that he be the one to operate on me wasn't simply because he was a doctor, but because he was also my father, but they force him to leave, and later, they told him that I had died. And he never forgave nor forgot. He was rightfully angry, and seemingly was angry right until the very end.
*sniffle* Am I really Leora Hayward? Was this plot reserved for me? If I were to dig it up, what would I find? The body of someone else's baby who was misidentified? A bunch of sandbags? Maybe it's empty? Or maybe this really is the grave of Leora Hayward, and I came here for nothing, and this is all one big red herring to distract me from figuring out what really happened to me?
*She turns to face David Hayward's headstone*
Leora: Dr. Hayward…David…Dad…whoever you are…I'm so sorry…so very sorry. *sniffle* Whatever happened to your daughter is beyond devastating. If you are indeed my father…I'm sorry I never got to know you. I'm sorry that you spent so many years grieving. And regardless of whether or not you're my father, I'm sorry nobody recognized your hard work to save the lives of people whose families believed to be dead, but were never allowed to save your own children! *sniffle* I'm sorry for…EVERYTHING!
She spent several minutes sitting there, grieving for the man who may or may not be her father, and the child who may or not be her. If she was indeed Leora Hayward, and she felt strongly that she was, that meant that she was grieving for herself, despite being very much alive. She was as confused as she was devastated, but eventually came to the realization that, if she really was Leora, her feeling of grief was for the life she never got to live.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, she decided to head back to Wildwind. She stood up and turned around…and came face to face with a tall, thin man, who seemingly had been standing there watching her this whole time, but somehow, she didn't know he was there. She let out a short yet shrill scream!
Leora: *Screams*
Man: Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you.
*Leora feels her weakened heart pounding*
Leora: I thought you were…
Man: Let me guess, the Slender Man? You kids spend way too much time on the internet, reading all those Creepypastas, when you could be getting out and living life to its fullest. But then again, your life could end at any moment.
*He looks at the various headstones*
Man: It's tragic isn't it? Seeing the graves of all these people who died young, including the not-so-good doctor. One would think that he'd be able to live for at least another forty years, with his controversial experiments tested on human guinea pigs against their knowledge. But then again, he wasn't able to save his own daughters.
*She notices the man is holding a bouquet of flowers.*
Leora: Wha…what are you doing?
Man: The same thing that you're doing; visiting Leora Hayward.
*He lays the bouquet down in front of Leora's headstone*
Leora: Did you know her?
Man: Maybe. Then again, maybe not.
Leora: What's that supposed to mean? Who are you anyway?
Man: I am known by many names. Henrik Faison, P.K. Sinclair, Octavian Stone, to name a few. But you can call me Peter. I am the son of Alexandra Marick, though I did not find out this information until fairly recently, and had assumed that my mother was somebody else.
Leora: So that means you're my…cousin?
Peter: Well that depends on whether or not you're Leora Hayward!
*She looks closer at him and notices a very slight resemblance to her in his eyes*
Leora: I'm pretty sure that I am indeed Leora Hayward.
Peter: Well if you're looking for a nice, happy family reunion, you're in for a big disappointment. A lot of Leora's relatives on both sides of her family are either dead, presumed dead, in prison, or haven't been heard from in years. Dr. Hayward had two other daughters, who were fraternal twins. Both of them are dead, and buried in this cemetery. You already know their stories, both of which had very tragic endings, and now you've seen their graves. Then there was his psycho mother, Vanessa, and his younger half-brother, Leo Du Pres. Leo and Vanessa fell into the river while Leo was trying to protect his wife, Greenlee, from Vanessa. Neither of their bodies were recovered, but it's been so long since that happened that it's safe to assume that neither Leo nor Vanessa survived the fall.
Oh, and speaking of Vanessa, she was a drug lord who went by the name of Proteus. She killed David's father, Dr. Charles Hayward, as well as her niece, who is also buried here. Mary Frances Stone, or Frankie, as she was called. There were others in addition, whom Vanessa killed. Do you really want someone like that as your grandmother?
Leora: They say you can choose your friends but not your relatives, and since she's dead, it doesn't really matter to me. Besides, that all happened before I was born!
Peter: Well, if you really are Leora, then that means she lives on through you, regardless of how you may feel. And that's just on Leora's father's side. You already know about Anna Devane and Alex Marick. Alex's whereabouts are unknown, because a couple of years ago they were aboard the Haunted Star, and got into a fight. Anna shot Alex, who then fell overboard. They never found her body and we can only assume that she's dead. Shame, because Alex was actually a brilliant doctor who took care of my stepfather, Dimitri, while he recovered from his illness. But then again, she descended into madness, hence why they eventually divorced.
Leora: I already know that!
Peter: Do you now?
Leora: Anton told me about Alex.
Peter: Anton Lang?
Leora: Well he goes by Anton Marick now. And he told me that you're the reason why Dimitri and Alex divorced!
Peter: Anton is distorting the facts to make me out to be the bad guy. I only met the man once, and it was LONG before I learned that Alex was my mother. Alex was already on the road to insanity when our paths crossed.
Leora: Well, Anton told me that you're not a good person, and so far I'm not getting an especially good vibe from you, even if you are my cousin. So I'm not sure how much I trust that what you're saying is accurate.
Peter: Anton's relationship with his father was strained at the best of times, so naturally he wouldn't have a good relationship with whomever his father was married to, or any stepsiblings he may have as a result. At least my mother was an improvement over the woman Dimitri had previously been married to and divorced from, multiple times I might add.
Leora: I know about her; Erica Kane. But Anton told me that he reconciled with his father before leaving town, so it sounds to me like they had a better relationship with each other than you had with your mother.
Peter: That part is true; I did not have the best relationship with my mother, or any of my family for that matter. But Alex was a saint compared to Anna. I believe you know about her shooting Charlotte Cassadine on Halloween…
Leora: She thought Charlotte was one of her enemies from her time in the WSB!
Peter: Exactly. One of her enemies. Ohhh boy, does Anna have enemies! And sometimes innocent people ended up as collateral damage! I'm pretty sure you already know about what happened to Gillian Andrassy?
Leora: Yes, I do.
Peter: And the person who killed Gillian was just a hired assassin who apparently didn't do her research to know what Anna even looked like! And to add insult to injury, or, in this case, death, this assassin was posing as a television producer who was seemingly hoping to produce a documentary about the life of Princess Gillian Andrassy. But it was because Anna was at Wildwind that the Princess lost her life. She wasn't all that much older than you.
But more recently…MUCH more recently, Anna did the unthinkable. You see, there was a man who once believed Anna to be his mother, and Anna was close with him. But then she learned the truth. Would you like to know what she did?
Leora (starting to grow annoyed with Peter): Not really, but I know you're going to tell me anyway.
Peter: She kept the truth from him for MONTHS! Needless to say this man was devastated. But Anna seemingly was unfazed. If anything, she was glad that this man wasn't her son, as it meant she was free from the burden of having to love him unconditionally. Nobody is perfect, and this man definitely made his fair share of bad choices. Oh, but that wasn't the worst of it!
Leora: Can you stop with that overly dramatic way of talking? You had your fun scaring me, but now you're just being annoying!
Peter: I can't help the way in which I speak. I apologize for startling you, but what I am about to tell you is what you really should be afraid of.
Leora:*rolls eyes* Fine, what is it?
Peter: One night, Anna found this man, whom she had previously thought was her son, lying on the ground, in the snow. He had been hit over the head with a tire iron, and fallen down a slope. Now, had Anna called for an ambulance, he most likely would've made it, but she did not call an ambulance. Instead, she just stood over him, and watched as he took his last breath. He died with his eyes open, and Anna closed them with her hand.
Leora: I'm sure there's a lot more to this story than what you're telling me, but nonetheless you have convinced me that for my own safety I should steer clear of Anna.
Peter: I learned the hard way that, try as I might, I cannot control others' thoughts. So interpret my words as you see fit.
Leora (confused): O…kay?
Peter: But steering clear of Anna is wise.
Leora: So I guess I need to figure out some other way of determining whether or not I am indeed Leora Hayward. You told me earlier that there are relatives out there, but they're either dead, presumed dead, in prison, or haven't been heard from in years.
Peter: Yes. At least the ones who lived in the area. Both Pine Valley and Port Charles.
Leora: Can you tell me about any of them?
Peter: Well, as I told you earlier, my mother, Alex, has been missing since Anna shot her, and she fell overboard while they were aboard the Haunted Star. That was three years ago. Anna and Alex had a sister, Lindsay, who is also deceased, but through her they have a nephew who lived in Pine Valley for several years. He went to prison back in 2009. And from what I understand, Dr. Hayward had another half-brother who committed multiple crimes including arson; specifically, he burned down Erica Kane's house! He went to prison back in 2003 and hasn't been heard from since.
Dr. Hayward has a son who is much closer to you in age, only the boy doesn't know that David is his father, as due to the not-so-good doctor's crimes, his mother deliberately kept her son away from him. He also has a grandson through one of his twin daughters, whose other grandfather was patriarch of one of Pine Valley's wealthiest, most prominent families. However, Pine Valley has been home to many wealthy, prominent families over the years, including the Maricks, so he'd be difficult to track down, and I'm not sure if he'd even want to have a relationship with any of his relatives on David's side.
Leora: Hmm, alright. Do either of them have relatives elsewhere?
Peter: Well, Anna does have a much older daughter, who currently lives in California with her husband and children. They periodically come back to Port Charles for visits. But seeing as how you're wisely choosing to keep your distance from Anna, it would be wise to stay away from them as well.
Leann: Even if Anna isn't with them?
Peter: I suppose the next time Anna's granddaughter pops in for a surprise visit, you might be able to catch her before she heads over to see her grandmother. But even seeing her might put your life in danger, as one of Anna's many enemies might use her granddaughter, and anyone else in her family in order to get to her, and I'm pretty sure you don't want to suffer the same fate as Princess Andrassy.
Leora: What's her granddaughter's name?
Peter: If you want to stay alive, you should stay away from her!
Leora: DAMMIT, WHAT'S HER NAME?!
Peter: My my! You just might be David Hayward's daughter after all! Still though, I don't think deliberately seeking her out is wise, if you care about your own life. You might recognize her if and when she comes back to Port Charles.
Leora: Alright. Any other relatives?
Peter: Dr. Hayward has another cousin, and Alex and Anna have a much younger half-brother, both of whom also are in Europe and, as I said, no one has heard from them in years.
*Leora walks over to a nearby bench and sits down. Peter follows her and sits next to her. Leora sits silently for several minutes, looking at the ground, while Peter looks at her, seemingly waiting for her to say something.*
Leora: *sigh* I suppose my best option is to do a DNA test, like Dr. Hubbard suggested.
Peter: I suppose you might be right. But then again, there's no way of knowing if any of your potential relatives have done their own DNA tests, because if they haven't, it's another dead end. Ha! Dead end. You know if you really wanted to, you could see about possibly getting one of these graves exhumed for a DNA test, though you'd need to obtain the proper authorization. And even then, you never know who, or what, could potentially be buried inside.
*Leora turns and looks at Peter. She finds him both creepy and annoying, but perhaps he's her only hope.*
Leora: Would you be willing to get a DNA test to see if you and I are relatives? I know that since Anna and Alex are identical twins, the results would be complicated.
Peter: Indeed they would be. I know this from personal experience.
Leora: Still though, it would be better than nothing. So, would you be willing to do it?
Peter: I would if I could.
Leora: What do you mean?
Peter: Remember the man I was telling you about earlier, who Anna once believed was her son, whom she watched as he died?
Leora: Yes?
Peter: That man was me! I'm dead too….
*His voice echoes and trails away as Leora wakes up, finding herself sitting on the bench. She concludes that she must have sat down on the bench to collect her thoughts and had fallen asleep. She then looks over at the grave with her name on it and notices a bouquet of flowers, which she was almost certain hadn't been there before.*
Esme remained in hospital for a few more days for observation, each day growing increasingly frustrated that she couldn't go home. At the same time, she didn't know where "home" was anymore. She really enjoyed staying at Wildwind. The place was a bit spooky, but it reminded her of Wyndemere, and even though she would never again set foot in the tower where Nikolas held her captive, she missed the room she had stayed in when she was there with Spence. And she missed him as well. She couldn't remember if this was always how she felt, since Ryan used her eagerness to get to know her father to his advantage, and manipulated her into seducing both Spencer and Nikolas, but she hoped now that somehow they could be a family, regardless of Ace's paternity.
Finally, the day came for Esme to be discharged. She currently was sitting in a wheelchair, meeting with Dr. Santos-Grey. Nelle and, strangely, Kiki, were there too. Kiki was taking notes with her usual annoyed expression on her face.
Maria: Well, the silver lining to all of this is that it has helped in further understanding the long-term effects of those pills, as well as what can happen when a person overdoses on them. Normally people with head injuries are very confused when they wake up, and it takes a long time to remember what happened, and the circumstances leading up to it. I know this from personal experience. But you, Esme, were able to recall everything that had happened almost immediately after you woke up, and in addition, your experience with your father, and your conflicting feelings of wanting to get to know him, while also knowing all the horrible things he had done, and why your nanny wanted you to stay away from him.
Esme: Yes. I still feel like a failure though, both to him, and my adoptive parents. And even my biological mother, whom I hadn't met until after I lost my memory and was absolutely terrified of her, and still am.
Maria: This is something that therapy can help you with.
Esme: My uncle Kevin is a psychiatrist, and honestly, now that I remember everything, I feel more at ease about seeing him, especially now that he knows I'm his niece.
Maria: I'm glad you feel that way, but I will caution you that lots of times, doctors are hesitant to treat family members, as they feel that if something goes wrong, it's their fault. Also, I recommend seeing a psychologist, as opposed to a psychiatrist, as they can help with techniques to manage your feelings without resorting to medication. And on that note, I strongly recommend drug counseling, as you got heavily addicted to-
Esme: I wasn't using those pills to help me remember! I was taking them for headaches, and they were helping me!
Maria: But you were needing to take increasingly higher dosages for them to have the same effect.
Esme: I know, Leann told me. *sigh* Alright, I'll go to drug counseling.
Nelle: And that's something that our support group can help her with.
*Esme notices Kiki rolling her eyes. She remembered now that Ryan had killed her (at least, that's what everybody thought) and using her ID badge to "haunt" Ava. But she still felt that Kiki wasn't an especially nice person, since she seemed to hate Nelle. Perhaps Kiki got it from Ava, as Esme still hated her, even with Ryan dead.*
Maria: Great! Well then, all we have to do is get your paperwork signed, and you're good to go!
Esme: Thank you so much.
Maria: Take care!
*Esme was wheeled out to Nelle's car. Leora was waiting there with Ace.*
Esme: Ace!
*She picks her son up and kisses him on the head*
Esme: Oh Ace! I'm so sorry I was gone for so long! I promise I will always be here for you.
*She kisses him again, then Nelle puts him in his car seat in the back. She notices Maria going back inside the hospital.*
Leora: I've got something I need to take care of. I'll meet you back at Wildwind.
*Leora runs after Maria*
Leora: Excuse me, Dr. Santos?
Esme (to Nelle): We're not going back to Port Charles?
Nelle: I thought we'd spend one more night at Wildwind. That way you can sleep in a comfortable bed and be well-rested for the drive back to Port Charles. Also, Anton will be relieved to know that you're okay. I'm not sure if you knew this but he's also a doctor, though his practice is in Hungary.
Esme: Okay, yeah, that sounds good.
They drove back to Wildwind and entered the grounds through the main gate. Esme was expecting the valet driver to come up and ask Nelle for her car key.
Esme: Where's the valet driver?
Nelle: That was just a temporary service Anton hired, since there were going to be a lot of cars.
Esme: Oh. I was going to thank him for warning me about the dangers of those pills, and apologize for not taking it more seriously.
Nelle: I'm sure Anton will let him know.
*They take Ace out of the car seat and Esme carries him into the house and up to their room, putting him in the playpen. Esme is watching him chew on his teething ring when Leora enters the room. Esme stands up and the two of them hug*
Leora: I'm so glad you're okay! We were all so scared that we were going to lose you.
Esme: Well, I'm still here!
*They both laugh*
Esme: I'm not sure if they've told you, I have my memory back!
Leora: That's great! Although…are they happy memories?
Esme: Some of them. I remember my adoptive parents dying, and going to live with Maggie, and eventually meeting Ryan.
Leora: How do you feel about it?
Esme: Very torn. I'm glad I remember everything, and I'm also glad that I haven't forgotten what a monster he was…but I still feel like I've failed him, even though he's dead.
Leora: Well you didn't. If anything, he failed you. I'm sure part of him genuinely cared about you, but he nonetheless took advantage of you. He was using you to in order to do the damage he would have done had he not gone to prison.
Esme: And that's what makes me feel so horrible. I'm so conflicted. I love him because he's…he was my father, but I hate him for who he was.
Leora: This is something that therapy will help with.
Esme: Do you think anyone will want to help me, after everything I've done?
Leora: Of course. It's true that you've done things that have hurt people, but you yourself are also a victim. The fact that you regret your actions is a huge step in the right direction.
Esme: Okay.
Leora: I'm sure you'll find a good therapist. And if one doesn't work, try someone else. At the end of the day, it's no different from trying on clothes until you find something that fits.
Esme: Speaking of clothes, what happened to the dress I was wearing that night at the feast? And my coat?
Leora: Your coat is fine. It's with the rest of your stuff. Your dress unfortunately had to be cut off when they got you to the ER.
Esme: Oh.
Leora: It's something they often do. But don't worry, you'll easily be able to get another one! I take it you enjoyed dancing?
Esme: Yes I did, and I want to do it again!
Leora: I'm glad to hear that. You really are a great dancer. But for now, I think you and Ace should both get some rest.
*They look over at Ace, who has fallen asleep. Esme carefully puts him in the crib without waking him.*
THE NEXT DAY
Esme's bags were packed, and she was ready to head back to Port Charles. She was a little sad to be leaving, as, despite everything that happened, she enjoyed staying at Wildwind. It was a similar environment to both Wyndemere and the big country mansion where she lived with her adoptive family, but the difference was that she was allowed to freely explore the place (aside from the turret, although she knew why it was off-limits) and do what she wanted, when she wanted to. She longed to live somewhere like this, and wasn't looking forward to going back to the small apartment above the restaurant now known as Bobbie's.
She headed downstairs to the living room, where Leora was waiting. She noticed her stuff was still by the front door.
Esme: Well, I'm ready to go.
Leora: I hope you have a safe trip. Please text me when you get back, and say hi to everyone for me.
Esme: Wait, I thought we were going in your car.
Leora: I'm, uh, not going back to Port Charles.
Esme: What? Why?
Leora: Because I need to find out what happened with me. Why I was taken away from my parents and forced to grow up in that clinic, and why they were told I had died during my heart surgery.
Esme: Um, wouldn't it be easier to come back to Port Charles and tell Anna that you think you're her daughter, and get a DNA test?
Leora: I hate to say this, but I'm afraid of Anna. Not so much afraid of her herself, but afraid of what could potentially happen to me if one of her enemies from the WSB finds out about me. That's why I'm going to be staying here and try to find out more about what happened to my father. He died several years ago, but I've heard he has family here. A brother, a son, a grandson…I've just got to find them. They will be able to tell me more about him, and if any of them agree to do a DNA test and it shows that I'm their relative, that will be more proof that I'm Anna's daughter. I don't want to be targeted by any of her enemies and used as leverage if it turns out that I'm not her daughter.
Once I have definitive proof of who I am, I will come back to Port Charles. If I really am Anna's daughter, I will find a way to tell her without putting myself, or you, or Ace, or Jan, or anyone else in harm's way. But for now, I will be staying in Pine Valley. Anton has agreed to let me stay here at Wildwind; I'll be staying in the main house, and he'll be staying in the hunting lodge, which was where Dimitri stayed when he was living here.
*Esme feels sad, but understands how Leora's feeling*
Leora: Don't worry! You trust Jan, right?
Esme: I do!
*Esme takes her stuff and together they head outside to the front gate.*
Leora: This is where your journey begins. Jan will be your guide just like she was mine. We started out together on the same path, and as Jan said, our paths may cross at times, but will lead us to different places. This is an example of just that.
Esme: I know.
Leora: Now that being said, please promise to keep in touch!
Esme: Of course I will!
*The two of them laugh and hug*
Nelle was watching them from an upstairs window, and motioned with her hand for someone to come over.
*Jason runs up to Nelle*
Nelle: Leann has made her decision to stay here. I think you know what this means.
*Jason nods and watches from the window as Nelle goes outside, gets into her car, and brings it around to the front of the house*
Nelle (to Esme): Ready?
Esme: Ready!
*Leora helps Esme load her stuff into the car*
Leora: Please text me when you get back!
Esme: I will!
Nelle: I will too!
Leora: Bye Jan! Bye Esme! Bye bye Ace!
*Leora waves as they drive away, then goes back inside and collapses on the sofa. Anton walks up to her.*
Anton: Are you okay?
Leora: Yes. I just hope I'm on the right track.
Jason watched and waited until Nelle's car was out of sight. Morgan walked up next to him. The two of them made their way over to the mausoleum, stopping at the entrance.
Jason (whispering): Remember, don't shoot unless it's absolutely necessary.
*Morgan nods, and they enter the mausoleum. Jason takes out a metal skewer from inside his jacket and inserts it into a small gap in the mortar between two of the stones on the back wall, opening a hidden door. Guns drawn, they make their way through the door and down a flight of steps to a secret area of the mausoleum, where a man with long dark hair and an equally long, grey beard is shackled to the wall. Jason and Morgan point their guns at him.*
Jason: Where to? Port Charles, or Cassadine Island?