Chapter 39 - Patient or Prisoner?

Author's note: This is another "deleted scene," consisting entirely of one long flashback sequence. I originally was going to include it at the beginning of Chapter 36 but because it was so long I decided it deserved its own chapter.

FLASHBACK (August 30, 2020)

Nelle had seen her share of prison cells and mental institutions. Two years earlier, she was sentenced to Pentonville Penitentiary for the many crimes she had committed since she came to Port Charles, and was supposed to have been incarcerated for many years, as she had received the maximum sentence. At one point during her incarceration in Pentonville, she had faked insanity which resulted in her being transferred to Ferncliff Asylum, but once it was discovered she had been faking, she was sent back to Pentonville. However, after being stabbed by Ryan Chamberlain (at her request), she was granted parole. And, long, before she came to Port Charles, she had spent a year in a mental institution. She also had been hospitalized at various points in her life, most notably when she had her kidney forcibly removed, which, not surprisingly, was quite a traumatic experience.

She wasn't sure which experience was the most unpleasant. In Pentonville, she at least got to spend time with her fellow inmates, but the beds were extremely uncomfortable, the food was disgusting, and for obvious reasons she wished she had more privacy. In Ferncliff she got her own room, but because it was a facility for the criminally insane and she was considered to be highly dangerous and was housed in the maximum-security area, she was hardly allowed out of it, but after they determined she had been faking her insanity when she received a surprise visit from Jason, Sam, and Curtis, she was sent back to Pentonville. Prior to her stay at the mental hospital, she had assumed it would be somewhere where she could get help healing from Frank Benson's abuse, but it ended up being an environment that she felt super unsafe in, more so than Pentonville. The regular hospitals weren't as bad, as at least the staff actually cared about her and wanted to see her heal, albeit only from the physical stuff.

But none of those places compared to the mysterious facility where she was taken after falling off the cliff. It seemed like a dungeon, with the cold stone walls, torch lamps, and lack of natural light save from the skylights that were so high up that she could barely see them. She wasn't sure whether she was a patient, a prisoner, or both, as she was wanted for her many crimes but also survived a fall that, if not for the fact that she was a good swimmer, would have killed her, but even though she survived, her body ached from all the bruises. It was also extremely cold and she was wearing only a flimsy hospital gown, and the blanket on the bed was very thin.

After a couple of days she wondered if this was all real. She had an unexpected "family reunion" with Stephen and Kiki, but much of her biological family hated her and wanted nothing to do with her, and for a lot of them the feeling was mutual. She used to work for Nina back in the day until Nina fired her, and Nina later testified against Nelle at Wiley's custody hearing after agreeing to be a character witness. Nelle had no idea if Nina knew that she was her daughter. But the worst were her sisters. Kiki wanted nothing to do with Nelle due to her association with Ryan Chamberlain, and she and Willow hated each other from the moment they met, having no idea that they were not only sisters, but fraternal twins. Her biological father, Silas Clay, had died before she came to Port Charles, having been killed by Nina's mother. The only relative of hers whom she had a positive interaction with was her "vampire" uncle Stephen Clay, but she knew that people wouldn't react well to learn that he was still alive, let alone that he had accepted her as his niece.

And where was this place located? Aside from Kiki and Stephen, all the staff (whom she had briefly interacted with when they came to check her vitals anyway) had British accents, so she began to assume that she was somewhere in the UK, but unsure as to where. Kiki had told her that they were very far away from Port Charles, though Nelle had assumed that she was in another city in the US. Was she perhaps brought to this mysterious facility where they tried to re-awaken the dead because she was Stephen's niece? Probably not, she told herself, as Stephen had told her that the reason why he didn't cut her open to perform an autopsy was because she was brought to a morgue when she was still alive.

Regardless, she wanted to get out of there. Kiki had told her she would be released in a couple of days, but Nelle had lost track of time that she wasn't sure how many days she was there anymore. There was no clock in the room, nor was there a button to call a nurse. Even if she wasn't going to be released, she at least wanted to know how long she had been there. She was about to get up and start pounding on the door hoping someone would hear her, when the door suddenly swung open and Kiki walked in.

Kiki: You're free to go.

Nelle: What?

Kiki: They've decided that you have recovered enough so that you can be released, so you're free to go.

Nelle: Just like that?

Kiki: Yes. Now get out of here.

Nelle: Okay, I'll go, geez.

*She gets up to leave, then remembers that the clothes she had been wearing when she was brought in had been put on the body of the Jane Doe they had found in order to fake her death*

Nelle: Hey, wait a minute. You're not expecting me to walk out of here in just a hospital gown, are you? Can I at least get some actual clothes?

*Kiki throws a cloth bag at her. Nelle looks in the bag to see one outfit, as well as a smartphone, a wallet, and a passport with her name listed as Janelle Clayton. She looks inside the wallet to find £1,000*

Nelle: So we're in the UK?

Kiki: Whitby, in North Yorkshire. That should hopefully be enough money to pay for a flight back to the US.

Nelle: So you've decided to help your sister out after all?

Kiki: No. I would gladly have you sent back to Pentonville where you belong. The fake passport was Stephen's idea, and I had no choice but to go along with it. Consider this a gift.

*Nelle looks at the clothes Kiki brought her; a pair of jeans, a plain shirt, a hoodie, and tennis shoes, as well as socks and underwear. While they were clean, they clearly weren't brand new*

Nelle: Please don't tell me these clothes came off of a cadaver.

Kiki: Look, do you want to get out of here or not?!

Nelle: Obviously I want to get out of here!

Kiki: Then stop complaining! You have a second chance. What you do with it is up to you, but I suggest you make better choices this time, and you can start by not coming back to Port Charles, because you're not welcome there. If the police there were to see you, you'll be going straight back to Pentonville, probably for life. You've been handed a gift. Make the most of it. Now get dressed. I'll be outside waiting.

*Kiki exits the room and leaves the door open a crack while Nelle changes into the shabby outfit, and places the phone and the wallet in the pockets*

Nelle: Okay, I'm dressed.

*Kiki opens the door. Nelle sees a wheelchair next to her*

Nelle: I'm able to walk you know. I don't need a wheelchair.

Kiki: It's standard procedure to make sure you don't fall or anything on your way out, as otherwise we'd be liable. But you've been hospitalized before, so I would've thought you knew this.

Nelle: Fine.

*She sits down in the wheelchair and Kiki wheels her out of the room*

Nelle: Oh, before I leave, I'd like to talk to Dr. Hayward.

Kiki: Why do you want to do that?

Nelle: To thank him.

Kiki: For what?

Nelle: Saving lives, duh!

*Kiki is silent for several seconds, then for the first time ever, smiles at Nelle*

Kiki: Of course. I'll take you over to his office.

*Nelle smiles to herself as Kiki wheels her down the hall and towards the Chief of Staff's office and knocks on the door. The door opens, and Nelle sees a very familiar-looking woman*

Woman (speaking with an English accent): May I help you?

Nelle: Anna Devane?!

Woman: I'm sorry?

Nelle: You look exactly like Anna Devane.

Woman: That's because she's my sister. Now, can I help you?

Nelle: I'm here to see David Hayward.

Woman: Well there must have been a mistake, as Dr. Hayward died last year.

*Nelle looks disappointed*

Woman: But I might be able to help you. I'm Dr. Alexandra Marick, chief of staff.

*Alex turns to Kiki*

Alex: Can you give us a minute please?

Kiki: Yes.

Alex: Thank you.

*Alex wheels Nelle inside her office, closes the door, then sits down at her desk*

Nelle: So you're Anna Devane's sister?

Alex: I am. And I'm happy to answer your questions about Dr. Hayward. I knew him quite well.

Nelle: Okay. You said that he died?

Alex: Yes, unfortunately.

Nelle: When did he die?

Alex: Last May.

Nelle: I see.

Alex: Is there anything in particular you were curious about?

Nelle: I'm curious about his research into bringing people back from the dead. Did he really find a way to do that?

Alex: He did.

Nelle: And my father, Silas Clay, was involved with the research?

Alex: He was, along with Ryan Chamberlain.

Nelle: Wait, Ryan Chamberlain was involved in a study involving bringing people back from the dead?

Alex: He was.

*Nelle remembers Kiki mentioning Ryan when she was first brought in, but at the time, was too busy processing the revelation that Silas and Nina were her biological parents that she somehow didn't pay attention to this additional detail*

Nelle: That's right, I remember Kiki telling me the other day! So Ryan "killed" Kiki but then brought her back to life as part of this study?

Alex: Ryan was not involved with Kiki being brought here. Nor was Silas, since he died in 2015. Dr. Hayward fired both of them when the project was in its infancy stages, which was before you and Kiki were born. At least that's what I've been told. I wasn't there when it happened.

Nelle: So you weren't involved with the project when it got started?

Alex: No. I did not become involved with the project until a couple of years ago, when Dr. Hayward decided to revive the project. But Kiki was the reason why the project was revived.

Nelle: What do you mean by reviving the project?

Alex: Dr. Hayward's first known patient who was successfully rehabilitated was a doctor in Pine Valley who was in a plane crash and whose injuries would've otherwise been fatal. This was back in 1997. Since then there have been several additional people who were revealed to have been successfully saved as part of Project Orpheus. But when it was discovered that the project was being conducted without consent of the patients, the project was shut down, and shortly afterwards Dr. Hayward was arrested for shooting his ex-son-in-law after he had shot Dr. Hayward's daughter, who sadly died. Dr. Hayward was sent to prison, and the various clinics he was conducting the research at were shut down.

Nelle: So this project saved people's lives, and yet it was shut down?

Alex: Yes. Although by that point, various doctors around the world had heard about his research and tried to replicate his experiments, with varying degrees of success, so the project wasn't completely dead.

Nelle: And Dr. Hayward didn't save his daughter after she was shot?

Alex: Sadly, no. It absolutely destroyed him not to be allowed to do so. He thought it was so unfair that the man who shot his daughter survived, albeit rendered comatose, while his daughter died.

Nelle: That's horrible. If somebody did that to my son…nevermind. What happened after that?

Alex: He eventually was released from prison and began practicing medicine again, but it wasn't until he had heard that Kiki Jerome had been murdered that he decided to officially revive Project Orpheus and assist the other doctors with their research. He felt he owed it to Silas, as Kiki is his daughter. He had found out that a doctor in the UK who had heard about his experiments and knew some details that others weren't privy to was preparing to open a facility in Whitby, which is the one we're at now. He initially was planning to try and prevent it from opening but after he heard about Kiki he changed his mind. He arranged for Kiki to be sent here, and they got her here just in time before she reached the point where she could not be saved.

Nelle: And when was this?

Alex: November 2018.

Nelle: So he was the one who saved Kiki?

Alex: Yes he was. Although by the time she reached the point where she regained consciousness, Dr. Hayward had died.

Nelle: And Dr. Hayward wasn't saved?

Alex: We don't know.

Nelle: What do you mean you don't know?

Alex: The circumstances surrounding his death are suspicious, but his cause of death according to the police was carbon monoxide poisoning. They aren't sure whether his death was an accident or if he was murdered. In any case, by the time they had found him, he had been dead for at least a few days, according to the coroner's report. As far as we know, he was buried in a cemetery in Pine Valley, along with his two daughters.

Nelle: Wait, he had two daughters who died?

Alex: Three daughters! Two of them were fraternal twins, neither of them knew each other, and Dr. Hayward didn't meet either of them until they were adults. One of them, as I told you, was shot and killed by her ex-husband. The other died from injuries she sustained during a tornado. His third daughter died in infancy from a heart condition. It destroyed him.

Nelle: Wow, that's horrible!

Alex: I know.

Nelle: And he didn't save her using his research?

Alex: He couldn't. I'm sure he would have if he had been the one to operate on her, but he wasn't.

Nelle: Wow. I hope you don't mind me asking you about this.

Alex: I don't. He was my brother-in-law after all.

Nelle: Wait, what?

Alex: My sister Anna was married to him. She's Leora's mother.

Nelle: Leora?

Alex: That's his daughter's name. Leora Devane Hayward. Anna was just as devastated as David was that he wasn't allowed to save her. Though it was probably for the better as my sister has a ton of enemies, and it's likely that they would have kidnapped Leora and used her as leverage. David's mother was also a drug lord, and she also had a bunch of people who were trying to get their hands on the profit money, and they probably would have done the same. Leora would not have had a good life with her parents. She likely would have been taken from them and placed in foster care.

*Nelle is reminded of her failed attempt at getting custody of Wiley*

Nelle: I see. Well, thank you for talking to me.

Alex: Of course. Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?

*Nelle tries to think of something. As she's thinking, her gaze shifts away from Alex to a portrait on the wall of a tall, thin man with dark brown eyes similar to Alex's. Nelle thinks he looks familiar*

Nelle: That man, in the picture over there. I feel like I've seen him before.

Alex: That's my son, Peter.

*Nelle remembers who he is. Shiloh had shown her a picture of him and told her all about him, including all his dirty secrets that, at the time, had yet to be revealed to anyone else*

Nelle: Peter August? Also known as Henrik Faison?

Alex: Yes.

Nelle: I thought he was Anna's son.

Alex: So does he, and so does everyone else in Port Charles.

Nelle: But he's your son?

Alex: Yes. And now that I've told you, can I trust you not to tell anybody?

*Nelle was used to keeping secrets, and after her experience with Brad Cooper breaking his promise not to tell his husband, Lucas Jones, about the fact that she had swapped babies with Brad, and that the baby he was bringing home, whom they had named Wiley, was her son with Michael, while the baby they had adopted, who was buried under the name Jonah, had died of SIDS, only for Brad to cave under pressure and tell Lucas the truth, and Lucas, in turn, had told everyone else. She thought she could trust Brad, whom she thought was her friend, but he had betrayed her trust. She knew now that Alex must have had a reason for keeping this information a secret, and since she already knew about Peter's dirty secrets thanks to Shiloh, she felt privileged to know this final, extremely valuable detail*

Nelle: Yes, you can trust me.

Alex: Excellent!

Nelle: Can I ask you one more question?

Alex: Of course.

Nelle: I know you said Dr. Hayward didn't save Leora.

Alex: That is correct.

Nelle: Does that mean somebody else could have?

Alex: It's possible, yes.

*Her gaze momentarily shifts somewhat away from Nelle, seemingly looking at something near the door, before looking back to Nelle*

Alex: Anything else?

Nelle: Would you be able to tell me about how this life-saving treatment that Dr. Hayward invented works?

Alex: Ah, unfortunately I cannot do that.

Nelle: Okay. May I ask why?

Alex: Well, for one thing, unless you have ever studied medicine, the science behind how it works would likely be all but impossible to understand. Even those of us with medical degrees have struggled with it, which is why, try as they might, though there have been many attempts to replicate his experiments by some of the best doctors in the world, a lot of them haven't had much success. Naturally, the person who knows everything there is to know about it would be Dr. Hayward himself, but as it was part of an ongoing research project that he had only recently revived, there is still a lot that he had yet to discover. Seeing as he's no longer around, those of us who have some familiarity with his research can only piggyback off on the notes he left behind, and the experiments he had already done. His death was sudden, and because of this, he hadn't released any sort of publication detailing his research so it could more easily be studied. And despite the fact that there are several individuals who owe their lives to his research, one of whom is standing outside the door as we speak, it is still quite controversial, largely because of the concern that it will be performed on those who do not wish to be resuscitated and whose families have come to terms with them being gone.

Nelle: I see.

Alex: I unfortunately must get back to work now.

Nelle: Okay. Thank you for talking to me.

Alex: Of course.

*She opens the door and motions for Kiki to come in. As Kiki wheels Nelle out of the room, Nelle notices a portrait on the wall next to the door of a teenage girl with long, brown hair and dark eyes, exactly like Alex's. It appears to be a senior school portrait, as the caption below the picture reads "Leann Danielle Harris, Senior, Milton Hershey School." Nelle wonders if this was what Alex had been looking at after she asked if there was a chance that Leora may have been saved by someone else. Could Alex have saved her? She didn't think it was likely, as Alex said she hadn't been involved with Project Orpheus until recently, whereas from the looks of the picture, if "Leann" was indeed Leora, and she was graduating in 2021, she most likely was born around 2003. Kiki wheels Nelle down the dark hallway*

Kiki: Well, did Dr. Marick answer all your questions about how to play God with people's lives?

Nelle: Excuse me?

Kiki: That's why you wanted to see Dr. Hayward, right? You wanted to learn about how the magician performed his tricks. Well guess what? He's dead!

Nelle: I know, and you should've told me he was dead beforehand, rather than tricking me into thinking that somehow, I could convince his assistant to tell me how.

*Nelle smirks, which Kiki can't see as she's pushing the wheelchair and Nelle is facing away from her. Nelle might not have learned how the Project Orpheus treatment worked, but she had a lot of valuable information, most notably her suspicion that Leora Hayward was alive and in her senior year of high school. They get to the elevator, above which is a sign that reads "Patient Exit." The doors open, and once they're inside Kiki presses the ground floor button. The ride up is very long*

Nelle: So, we're in Whitby, huh?

Kiki: Yes.

Nelle: Isn't this the city that inspired Dracula?

Kiki: I guess so. Why?

Nelle: That explains why Uncle Caleb took the coroner job.

Kiki: No, Nelle, he took the job because he's a sick freak who enjoys performing "autopsies." And I really would think twice about associating with him, if you want to make better choices with your life.

*The elevator stops. Kiki wheels Nelle out of the elevator and through another dark hallway until they reach a door, which Kiki unlocks using a key card. As she opens the door, Nelle feels her eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness of the daylight even though the sky is overcast. She sees that they are at the end of a narrow alleyway. A delicious smell wafts through the air. Nelle sees a restaurant off in the distance with a large sign in front saying that they are serving fish and chips*

Kiki: Okay, ride's over. Get up.

*Nelle gets out of the wheelchair*

Nelle: Wanna go get some fish and chips?

Kiki: Even if I wanted to, I can't. I have to get back to work.

*Kiki turns the empty wheelchair around and wheels it back through into the dark hallway. Nelle turns around and gets one last look at the frustrated expression on Kiki's face before the door closes, and immediately locks. A sign on the door reads "Authorized Personnel Only." She sighs, turns back around, and makes her way over to the restaurant. While waiting for her fish and chips, she takes out her phone and searches for Leann Danielle Harris. She isn't expecting to find anything but is pleasantly surprised to find an Instagram profile belonging to a girl who looks exactly like the girl in the picture in Alex's office. There were only two posts, one of which was the same picture she had seen in the office, and it appeared to have been posted very recently*

Leora's post: So excited to be starting my senior year! It looks like I'm actually going to graduate! I never thought that I would be able to do so, given everything I've had to endure throughout my childhood. I'm not sure where I'll be headed once I graduate but for right now, I'm going to focus on the positive. I've defied all odds!

*Nelle does a search for Milton Hershey School, and sees that it is located in Pennsylvania. Once she's done eating, she books a flight to Philadelphia, then makes the long journey by bus from Whitby to Manchester, where she spends the night at a run-down hotel near the airport*