Written in 58 minutes.

PCPD: Squad Room

Mac lifted his brows when Scott stalked out of the interrogation room, folder in hand, a scowl firmly etched on his face. “So,” he drawled, “how did it go?”

“You think this is funny?” Scott demanded.

Mac snorted, just shook his head. “No. I think it’s tragic. You can’t ever just to be content with the little guy, can you? You have to go for the kill, for the headlines—” He shrugged, took the folder from Scott. “What did I tell you about making a dramatic arrest in front of Elizabeth Webber?”

“Look—”

“I said if you want to piss off Jason Morgan, then go ahead and make a scene in front of the woman pregnant with his child and at risk for a miscarriage. Go for it. Hope it’s worth it.” He cocked his head. “Are we ready to do this my way yet or are you going to keep chasing your tail—”

Scott leaned in. “You keep making your jokes, Mac, but I’m on the side of the angels here. I got an iron-clad case that’s going to wrap two major criminals up at once—I get to charge Lansing with kidnapping, Sonny of attempted murder, and as a bonus, I get the stupid blonde for obstruction of justice and, hey, if I play my cards right, maybe I get Lansing and Goldilocks for aiding and abetting after the fact. Maybe you don’t want to clear a case—”

“Maybe you should kiss my ass because my officers handed you that kidnapping case in July, jackass. And you not only told me to disregard it, you hired the primary suspect! So if you want a reason Jason Morgan doesn’t trust this office to do diddly squat, look in the goddamn mirror.” Mac slapped the folder against Scott’s chest. “You do what you have to do. We’re going to keep investigating the weapon turned over, and when I find the evidence that links Sonny to the shooting, I’ll handle the arrest. Stick with tanking your own career, and leave me out of it.”

Harborview Towers: Morgan Penthouse

Max dragged his hands down his face. “What? What do you mean Jason was arrested? Are these guys high? I know the PCPD doesn’t have a lot going for it, but come on!”

“Yeah, I’m kind of at a loss.” Mike perched on the edge of the sofa, exhaled in a slow breath. “Scott kept talking about witnesses, but how is that possible? Bobbie and Jason were together the whole time! And you and I—well, shit, Max, we both know what’s going on here, don’t we?”

“Yeah.” Max put his hands at his waist, looked down. “Yeah, we do. I could look at the security footage to be sure, but Mr. C was no where to be found around the time this happened.”

Mike frowned, got to his feet. “You haven’t looked yet?”

“Well, I didn’t want to know, okay? And Jason—I figure Jason will come here and he’ll tell me what to do. Okay? I am not the decisions guy, Mr. Corbin! I follow orders! And no one’s giving me any orders!”

“Okay. Okay. Okay.” Mike took a deep breath, looked around the room. “Walk me through last night. You found Sonny missing.”

“Yeah. I called Jason right away. I looked in every room. He wasn’t here. We think he took the stairs. I looked on the elevator, and he wasn’t there. We don’t have cameras on the stairs.”

“Well, that’s a bit of an oversight, don’t you think?” Mike demanded.

“Hey, what part of not the decisions guy are you not getting? I’m doing my best, man.” Max huffed. “I called Jason. He was with Bobbie. He said find him, and I figured he was going to look or maybe check on Carly. I don’t know. But he went to Kelly’s, obviously.”

“To secure Elizabeth first. That would have been priority. Carly—if she’d been with her guard the way she was supposed to—” Mike closed his eyes. “But Elizabeth didn’t have anyone.”

“That tracks. Okay, back to me. I go down to check security footage. I’m watching the elevator, he’s not on it. But then I found him in the the parking garage, leaving. I went to go call Stan, our tech guy. Maybe we could get something on traffic cameras, you know? By the time I get back, security is telling me we got Sonny back in the building. I go upstairs, and he’s in with Miss Matthews—”

“Courtney?”

“Yeah, yeah, she was here, I think to get some things. She had to come back later. But when I came in, she was crying. Upset, and she left. Sonny was destroyed. Just crying. Sobbing,” Max remembered. “So I got the sedatives and I did what Jason said. And we’ve kept him sedated ever since.”

“Courtney came back twice? She hasn’t answered any of my calls,” Mike said. “I know she must have heard about Jason and Elizabeth, about the baby, but I figured she’d be with Carly. Did she know about the shooting?”

“Yeah.” Max frowned. “She left the first time, and came back. She’d forgotten a suitcase. And then she came back a few hours later. She was in the living room across the hall when I came down from checking on Sonny. She said she wanted to see how he was. She had some clothes in her arms, she wanted to get some things for Carly, for Michael. I didn’t think anything about it.”

“Okay. I’ll track her down. Right now—” Mike considered the options. “My instinct is to go to the PCPD, to come clean. But they’ve complicated all of this by dragging Jason in there. I don’t know if telling them about Sonny right now would help or hurt. I don’t want to do anything that’s going to screw things up for Jason more than they already are.”

“Totally fair. So maybe we just keep things status quo until we hear from Jason?”

“Keep Sonny calm. Whether that means you just keep—let’s just keep him where he is. Full-time guard. Christ, I don’t know. This is such a mess.”

“It’ll be okay. Jason will get out of jail, and he’ll tell us what to do. I’m just the orders guy, Mr. Corbin, and I think maybe you are, too. Jason’s the decisions guy. I’m not doing anything without his say.”

“Good. I’ll update Bobbie on this, and I hope like hell his lawyer is here by now.”

“Oh, yeah? Who are we going with? I figure we’d run through most of what PC has to offer.”

PCPD: Squad Room

Scott heard a familiar voice, and winced. He turned to find Bobbie striding through the double doors with Justus Ward hot on her heels. Well, this wasn’t great news, he thought. He’d never worked with Justus, but he’d heard enough to know that the cooperation he wanted from Jason wasn’t just on life support, it was dead in the water. For now.

“Bobbie, I hope you’ve had some time to rest—” Scott’s words were cut off when her hand connected to his cheek and his head snapped to the side.  A few officers rose from their desks, but he held them off. “Settle down, fellows. She’s had a long night. And, uh, I had that one coming.” He rubbed his jaw. “I see you brought Junior a lawyer.”

“My daughter is in a coma, and might never wake up. My grandson is at home alone with a nanny, and you have me here fighting you when I should be fighting for them,” Bobbie hissed, and he had to look away from the fury—from the disappointment in her eyes. “Jason is here when he should be with Elizabeth. Did you know she might have nerve damage? That while you’re here playing games with her case, with Carly’s, that Elizabeth might never pick up another paintbrush? Does it matter to you that my grandchild might be born and my daughter never knows? Never holds him?”

“Bobbie—”

“No! No! Because I know you know this is bullshit. You know I’m not lying. You know Jason was with me the whole time. So whatever you’re doing, it’s a game. You’re thinking about winning! How dare you play these games? Wasn’t it enough what you did this summer? Did you have to continue to prove how little I matter to you? Don’t think I know that after all these years?”

Scott flinched, dropped his gaze to the floor, swallowed hard. Then he lifted his head, looked at her. “I promise you, Bobbie, that I’m doing what I think is best for everyone to get justice. Carly and Elizabeth are not far from my thoughts. They’re the reason I’m doing this. And as angry as you are with me—and as much as I deserve it for what I’ve done, for the millions of ways I’ve disappointed you—” He paused. “I’m doing what’s right. I can’t fix Carly, okay? I can’t fix any of that—it’s not in my power. But punishing the man who caused it? Who started all of this? That’s what I’m doing. Now you can either get on board with that, Bobbie, or you can get out of my way.”

She searched his eyes, then only scowled more deeply. “You actually believe that, don’t you?”

“I don’t know, Bobbie. Why don’t you tell me where your son-in-law is? Why don’t we have a conversation with him about this case? His best friend, his wife—” Scott lifted his brows when she just pressed her lips together. “Who’s playing games now, huh?”

He looked past her to Justus who had remained quiet throughout the exchange. “Your client is in the room. But she stays out here. You know, pesky privilege and all.”

“Bobbie’s going to come in for a few minutes to pass information about my client’s—” Justus shifted his eyes to Bobbie. “She has a health update. If you care so much about Carly Corinthos and Elizabeth Webber, I’m sure you won’t mind that. And then she’ll leave so that I can get to work.”

“Fine. Do whatever you want. You will anyway.” Scott stalked off in the other direction, bitterly disappointed in Bobbie. Maybe he wasn’t perfect, but he wasn’t protecting a crime boss who was hiding from something and if it was the last thing Scott did, he’d find out what that was.

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

Elizabeth looked in the doorway expectantly as Audrey stepped in, then closed the door. “Is there an update? Did the police release Jason yet? Can I go home?”

“All I know about Jason, dear, is that Justus Ward has arrived, and they’re at the PCPD right now. We just have to trust that Justus and Bobbie will look after him now, all right?”

Elizabeth closed her eyes, nodded. “Justus. Jason trusts him. I know he does. It’ll be okay if Justus is here. Alexis would be better.”

“No doubt, but she’s having her own troubles.” Audrey took a seat next to the bed. “I spoke at length with Tony about your case. He wants to keep you here another three or four days. Your risk of miscarriage is not zero, though no one has any serious worries on that score. But you did have a head injury. I reminded Tony that those extra days are about observation, and I am fully capable of doing that.”

“And?”

“He will allow you to check out tomorrow afternoon if your condition remains stable or continues to improve. I think that’s very fair, darling. And as for your worry about Ric Lansing down the hall—” Audrey pressed her lips together. “Well, I just spoke to a very nice man outside. It seems Jason had already made arrangements prior to all this. You’ll have someone on this door until you leave. And then at the house.”

“Oh. I should have known Jason would—” Elizabeth exhaled slowly. “All right. All right. Um, if Jason—if they don’t let him go, he has to be arraigned. I want to go to that if I’m out in time, but if I’m not, you’ll go. You’ll tell him I’m all right. I don’t know if they’ll let him out on bail. I mean, they arrested him for nothing—”

“Don’t get so upset or worked up. Jason is an adult with a strong support system. I spoke to Alan and Monica, and it seems Edward is working behind the scenes. But yes, if you are not able to be there—and I’m strongly encouraging you to stay home—then I will be there, in your stead. On one condition.”

“That I rest, eat when I’m supposed to, and not get upset,” Elizabeth muttered. Audrey smiled.

“Precisely. How wonderful that we don’t even have to argue.”

PCPD: Squad Room

“How’s Elizabeth? Carly?” Jason asked, half-rising as soon as Bobbie and Justus stepped inside. He blinked, seemed to actually realize who Bobbie had brought with her. “Justus. I’m sorry, I didn’t—”

“You had other priorities. That’s fair.” Justus set the briefcase on the table. “Bobbie?”

“Carly is unchanged. The baby is stable. I spoke to Leticia, she’s going to keep Michael out of school this week to avoid the news. Right now, he just thinks Carly is getting some help for his little brother. I thought—well, I’d hoped we could talk to him together when this madness has ended.”

Bobbie paused. “Elizabeth is fine. Stable. So is the baby. Everyone is all right, Jason. I want you to focus on getting out of this mess. And I want you to do whatever Justus says will make this go away.” Her eyes found his. “Whatever that is. Do you understand me? You are the priority. I need you with me for what happens next. Elizabeth needs you. Your child needs you.”

“I hear you, Bobbie.”

“Good.” Bobbie looked at Justus. “Get him home. Whatever has to be done.”

Justus watched her leave, furrowed his brow, then looked back at Jason. “Okay, yeah, you’re going to start from the beginning and don’t leave anything out. Because I got a feeling there’s some fuckery afoot.”

General Hospital: Ric’s Hospital Room

Capelli nodded to the officer on duty, then closed the door behind. “Ric. Doc says you might be up for more questioning.”

Ric winced as he adjusted himself in the bed. He looked like hell, Capelli noted, with deep lines in his face, his hair disheveled across his forehead. “They won’t tell me. Elizabeth. Carly.”

Capelli tipped his head to the side. “Elizabeth is stable. Carly’s in a coma. Why don’t you tell me what happened last night? Start with why you were at Kelly’s.”

Ric cleared his throat. “It’s…fuzzy. You know? Like—” He gestured weakly with his hand. “A film is over it in my head. I went there to talk to Elizabeth. The divorce—”

“Don’t you have attorneys for that?”

Ric grimaced, closed his eyes. “Yes. Wish I’d stayed home. But I know if I just could just talk to her, just the two of us—”

“You mean get her alone?”

Ric opened his eyes, squinted. “What?”

“Never mind. You got to Kelly’s to talk to your ex-wife.” Capelli jotted a note. “Was she alone?”

“N-No. No. Um—Carly was there already. And Courtney. I think—they were arguing. All of them. About the affair. Courtney knew about it,” Ric said. He furrowed his brow. “But Carly didn’t. This—she was just learning about it. I stepped up behind them. Then—then I heard footsteps, and I turned—and it was Jason. He was angry that—” Ric closed his eyes. “I didn’t care. I turned away from him, I walked towards the women—and then I felt the pain. The shot.”

“So you didn’t see Jason shoot you?” Capelli asked, lifting his brows.

“No, but I saw him an instant before I was shot in the back, so you do the math.”

“Don’t worry, Ric.” Capelli made another note. “That’s exactly what we’re doing.”

PCPD: Squad Room

Justus strolled out of the interrogation room, found Mac waiting for him. “I wish I could say it was good to see you,” he said dryly.

“Feeling’s mutual. Look, I don’t know if Jason told you what Scott’s plan is—”

“Oh, he did. I’ve never worked with Scott Baldwin, but his reputation for being…” Justus pursed his lips. “Ethically loose, shall we say? That’s pretty well-known. But you, Mac? You’d never go along with this. My client and I are calling bullshit. And we’re calling your bluff. We want an arraignment, and a bail hearing. My client has places to be, and people counting on him.”

“Scott’s on the level, I promise. He’s an idiot, but—”

“If what Scott told my client is accurate, then you don’t need him to prove anything about your so-called witnesses. We both know that’s not the plan. So maybe Scott knows Jason is innocent, but he sure as hell isn’t being straight on what he wants. You have to what you need to discredit your witnesses. And my client is here for nothing. So book him and let’s set some bail, or let’s all go home. Your choice.”

+37

Written in 60 minutes.

General Hospital: Hospital Room

The figure stretched out on the hospital bed, skin nearly as pale as the sheets beneath her, head wrapped in gauze, any hint of her honey blonde hair tucked away—the patient barely resembled her daughter, and if not for the rounded belly, Bobbie might think she was in the wrong room.

“Hello, sweetheart.” Bobbie sat down, took Carly’s hand, ignoring how limp it was. “I’m sorry I wasn’t in earlier. I meant to — I sat all night and morning in the waiting room, just ready to pounce as soon as they told me I could be with you. But then this awful tragedy was just compounded, and I knew—” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I knew that you’d want me to look after Jason. That if you were awake and able, you’d be down at the PCPD, railing against the injustice. So that’s where I’ve been.”

Carly’s face didn’t move. Not even a twitch of her lips. Bobbie swallowed the small bubble of hysteria that rose in the throat, forced it back down. “And Michael — he’s in good hands. You know how he loves Leticia. She’s looking after him. Everything is just fine. You rest, you heal, and we’ll take care of everything else.”

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

Down the hall, Audrey had a cell phone in her hand, using her reading glasses to peer at the small print. “Oh, heavens, I simply will never learn to use these until they make these buttons easier to read.”

“Just find number three,” Elizabeth murmured, turning her head slightly, pressing her cheek against the pillow. “Press down. It’ll make the call.”

“Oh. All right—oh, there we are. If we wait any longer to call Emily, she’ll show up here, and you know that can’t happen—”

“No, not until her immune system has recovered.” With her free hand—with her only hand—Elizabeth retrieved the phone from her grandmother.

“Elizabeth? Oh thank God, I was about to have my parents storm the hospital, because let me tell you, this house is in chaos—between you and Carly, and then this absolutely fuckery—I will—” Emily stopped, and Elizabeth audibly heard her friend take a breath. “I’m sorry. Are you okay? What’s the situation? What can I do? Who can I fight? What do I do? I need you to give me something to do.”

“I’m…okay. Cautiously in stable and good condition. And I know your brother would hate it if your family was involved in this, but if it gets him out of that awful police station—” She closed her eyes, swallowed. “I don’t care. Tell Edward to call a Senator. He always threatens to. I’ll take the blame.”

“Listen, that’s on the menu, believe me. And—Liz, listen, you know that—well, everyone knows. About the baby.”

“Yeah. Yeah. I gather Jason said something to the paramedics, and well, it didn’t take long. I  can’t be bothered with that right now.”

“Of course not. Plus, we already agreed that this is the best thing that ever happened to all of us, so anyone who doesn’t agree with us can go pound sand for all I care.” There was a pause. “But can you—I mean, is that—are we all systems go on that? Because I know there’s risks after surgery, and with what happened—”

“So far so good. Um, I think—I think the risk was already at eight percent before I woke up, and it falls every day or so as I recover.”

“Good. Good. That’s the best thing. What can I do? Give me something.”

“You can focus on your health. On getting better. So that your niece or nephew has a aunt to spoil them and take their side.”

“Liz—”

“I can’t do anything either, Em. All I want—” She closed her eyes, the tears hot as they slipped past her lashes. “I want to be at the PCPD, screaming at anyone who can listen. I don’t know what they’re thinking or why any of this is happening—I don’t even know what happened—I just know Jason should be here with me.”

“Then we’ll get him back to you. I’ll call Grandfather and unleash the dragon. You’re right, Jason can be mad at us later. The important thing is getting him back to you and my niece or nephew—you know, they call them niblings when you’re talking about a mixed group, so that’s what I’m gonna do until we have a name. You take care of my nibling, and I’ll get the President involved. I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Audrey took the phone, closed it, then removed her reading glasses. “Can I get you some more water, or—”

“You can—” Elizabeth took a deep breath, winced as she moved slightly. She looked down at her arm, at the hand she couldn’t move. Couldn’t feel. No. No. Not thinking about that right now. Couldn’t. Jason said he’d find a specialist to fix her, and she believed him. Now was the time to focus on Jason. To put him first. “You can find a doctor. How long do I have to be in the hospital?”

“Elizabeth—”

“I know. I just had major surgery. I’m at risk for a miscarriage, but I hate it here. Ric’s down the hall, I heard the doctors say so. I don’t want to be here, Gram.”

Audrey stroked her hair. “All right. All right. I’ll talk to Tony. I’ll do whatever I have to do. We’ll get medical equipment at the house. You and my great-grandchild are my only priority.”

The tears continued to spill down her cheeks, but Elizabeth didn’t have the energy to wipe them away. “You mentioned the baby. You didn’t before.”

“Well, I learned quite by accident, and then Jason told me you’d only learned about it yourselves. And that you were happy.” Audrey smiled, continued to stroke Elizabeth’s hair away from her forehead. “And when we learned that you’d made it through the surgery, that the risk to the baby was so low, oh, the relief on that man’s face! I remember him, you know, with Michael. He was such a devoted father.”

“You’re not m-mad? D-disappointed?”

“I’m disappointed in myself, my darling. A week ago, I might have thought of the circumstances first, or started another one of our old arguments about Jason. And I’d have been wrong. Very wrong. You are my granddaughter, and there is nothing you have to do to earn or keep my love. It simply exists. You are going to be a wonderful mother, and I want to be here to support you on every step of this journey. What a joyous blessing for us all. Something to look forward to, to plan for this in this dark time.” Audrey kissed her forehead. “Something to fight for. I couldn’t be happier.”

PCPD: Interrogation Room

Courtney. Courtney was the other witness.

He couldn’t wrap his mind around that fact, couldn’t make it real. Courtney, the woman he’d asked to marry him—the woman he’d planned a life with—had turned away a future with Elizabeth for—

—who he convinced himself he loved because she fit in his life, because she understood it—

Courtney was the other witness.

Scott had continued to talk even as Jason’s thoughts had raced in other directions, and now he turned back into the district attorney.

“Like I said, I was pretty sure that Ric was lying about the whole thing. His version didn’t match our preliminary evidence,” Scott continued. He scratched his chin. “Well, it did, and it didn’t, you see? Because we figured Liz and Carly—they were accidents. Or at least, not the primary target. But what I couldn’t make work—what tripped up Mac, too—was that you’d ever open fire with them so close.”

Jason forced his expression to go blank. Couldn’t let Scott know what he was thinking, couldn’t give the man an inch. Maybe Scott was saying he didn’t think Jason had pulled the trigger, but Jason was still in handcuffs. Still under arrest for attempted murder.

No, better to let Scott keep talking and find out exactly what the man thought, what he wanted, and then make any necessary decisions.

“At first, when she showed up with the gun, I thought—well, it can’t matter what I think you’d do. Or what Mac feels about your character. What matters is the evidence. And we had two independent witnesses saying the exact same thing. And you’re known to them, you know? No mistaken identity. Plus, the weapon Courtney had recently been fired, but wiped for prints.”

Courtney had the gun, Jason thought. She’d been at the Towers last night. Max had said as much. When? What time? She could have gone in to see Sonny, found the gun.

“So we take her back here. Get a full statement. But she’s not adding details, you see? Just the same set of facts over and over again. Not adding, not elaborating. And for a while, I thought, well that’s the truth then. Story never changes. Never trips up. But then I watched the video we made. And I watched her repeat that story. And she didn’t have a story so much as she had a trio of facts.”

Scott held out his hand, one finger raised. “One. She was at Kelly’s last night. Two. She saw you shoot Ric, and Liz and Carly were accidentally hit. Three. You gave her the gun to hide and told her to leave. Never deviated. And you know why? Because she’s lying.”

Jason wanted to ask how he was so sure Courtney was lying — normally, sticking to the story was a good thing, especially when she wouldn’t have had time to rehearse. Or talk to Ric— Jason squinted. Unless—

“I think she kept her story limited until she had time and space to think,” Scott continued. “Normally, someone telling the truth? They’ll give you more when you ask for it. Why were you at Kelly’s, I ask. She doesn’t know. Why were Liz and Carly there? She doesn’t know. When did you get there? Where was Bobbie? She won’t answer any of these questions. Tries to act like it’s all a blur except for those three facts. But that’s not how someone tells the truth, Morgan.”

Scott looked away. “But I couldn’t explain it. I couldn’t explain why she and Ric were telling the same story without talking to each other, and she wouldn’t have seen him. I was there when he woke up. And no one else came in that room before I talked to Courtney. And Bobbie? I believe her. You, I’d never believe a word you said, I’m just gonna be straight with you.” He twisted in the chair, leaned forward. “But you also would never tell me anything, so  that doesn’t matter. Bobbie? Bobbie’s not going to lie or protect the man who put her daughter in a coma, endangered her grandchild. Who shot Elizabeth and put that baby at risk. She says you were with her in the parking lot when you heard the gunshots. Says there was maybe one minute, two before you got to the courtyard.”

“We parked near the street,” Jason muttered. He dragged a hand down his face. “I always park near the street.”

“For quicker getaways, I’m sure,” Scott said dryly, and Jason shot him a dark look. “Fair enough. You had to cover the entire parking lot, and it’s not a small one. They share it, right? With other businesses on Elm. Right. Anyway. Back to what I was saying. I couldn’t explain her story, Ric’s story, and make it come out with what I know is the truth — Bobbie.”

“It’d be easy to just discard the story, you know? To just say well, Ric hates you because you’re Sonny’s best friend, his chosen brother, and apparently, Ric’s got mommy issues or something. Courtney’s an easy sell. She hates you because you knocked up another woman. But that’s where she made her mistake. That’s where I finally realized why they were telling the same story.”

Jason frowned at him, shook his head slightly. He didn’t follow that.

“Courtney shouldn’t have known that fact. Not yet. Not if you believe the rest of her story. She said she was at the Towers, freaking out, then she went to Carly’s to check on Michael. Mac and Capelli told her the news — she didn’t know that yet. And I’m gonna tell you, Mac was there for both statements — he said she was lying from the beginning. Because he believes her surprise was genuine. Which means — she doesn’t know about the shooting. And if you don’t know about the shooting, you don’t know that the paramedics came into the ER and said the word pregnant a little too loudly. Only a handful of hospital staff would have known. Then. I looked at that list, just to check my thinking. No one Courtney would know. It’s not in the media. Not in the papers. It’s not out there unless you know the players.”

Jason exhaled slowly, looked at the wall, considered Scott’s theory. Learning about the pregnancy could be a trigger, he thought. One to make Courtney angry enough to look for revenge. To make Jason pay.

“And then I remembered who else talked about it in the hospital. Me. Mac, Capelli, and me. We were discussing Ric’s story, and Capelli asked about the pregnancy, and I said you were the father. Then maybe a minute, maybe two later, she rushes up and she’s got the gun. And this story. She overheard that detail, and she changed her mind right then and there. I think she was going to turn in whoever actually did this, Morgan, and decided to pin it on you.”

Scott leaned in. “What do you think about that?”

Jason faced forward, looked down at his hands, still cuffed to the table, then raised his eyes to Scott’s. “If you know they’re lying,” he said flatly, “why am I here?”

“Because I’d like to right a wrong. I’d like to nail Ric, and Courtney’s asses to the wall for obstruction and interfering with an investigation. I’d like to see what I can do about getting some justice for Carly for this summer. I can’t go back and undo what I did. But I can maybe go forward and do better. I need your help. And I needed Ric and Courtney to think I believed them.”

Jason squinted. “Let me get this straight. You know I’m innocent. You want my help. And you thought the best way to get that would be to walk into Elizabeth’s hospital room after she’d been shot and operated on, with the risk of miscarriage on the table, and you put handcuffs on me in front of her. In front of Carly’s mother. That seemed like a good idea to you? Knowing you were going to ask for my help?”

Scott opened his mouth, then closed it. “Okay. I see your point. I wanted a dramatic moment to prove things like I said—”

“You can go to hell. I don’t believe you. I don’t believe this isn’t a trap. So you go out there, you tell Mac that this didn’t work, and then you put me in lockup because I’m not talking to anyone until my lawyer gets here. That’s what I think about that.”

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

Elizabeth rested one hand on her still flat belly, her eyes watching the fetal heartbeat monitor, listening to the steady beat of her child. The child Jason had been so emotional about that it had melted any resistance her grandmother had ever shown towards him.

“He’ll be back,” Elizabeth said. She closed her eyes. “Don’t worry, baby. Daddy will be back for both of us. We just have to rest and be patient. He always comes back.”

Brownstone: Foyer

Bobbie dropped her purse on the table next to the door, but in her fatigue, misjudged the placement, and the purse tipped over, spilling its contents across her hardwood floor.

“Damn it.” She knelt down, started to shove it back inside. All she wanted to do was take a shower, to change, and maybe an hour of sleep.

She had just risen to her feet when the doorbell rang. Her purse clutched against her chest with one hand, she opened the door with the other—

And all her fatigue melted away. She grinned brightly. “You came so fast!”

“Well,” Justus Ward said, “you said Jason was in trouble, and I promised him I’d always be there if he called. What’s he gotten himself into into?”

“I barely know where to start, but I am so glad to see you.” She stepped back to let him in. “Let’s get to work.”

+40

Written in 52 minutes.

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

“What just happened? What just—” Elizabeth fumbled with her one good hand for the control for the bed, wincing as she raised herself to a slightly sitting position. “Gram—”

“Darling, let’s just—” Audrey took the seat Jason had vacated, her hands trembling. “Let’s just take a minute—”

Mike reappeared in the doorway, Bobbie on his heels, both of them grim-faced. “They’re gone.  What the hell can Scott and Mac be thinking?” he demanded. “Jason wouldn’t have done this—”

“He’s gone too far. Too far—” Bobbie fisted her hands at her side. “He’s probably trying to get Jason to flip on Sonny, because God forbid we do any investigation—”

“I don’t understand. Gram—why did they arrest him? Why—”

“He said there were witnesses,” Bobbie bit out. “When he got to the waiting room. Well, those witnesses are full of shit. I’ve a witness, damn it. I was with Jason for over an hour before we got to Kelly’s—I was with him when we heard the damn gunshots—” She pressed her hands to her mouth, closed her eyes. “Oh, God. Oh, God. What’s happening? Why is this happening?”

Mike went to her side, and Audrey just gripped Elizabeth’s hand more tightly. “We’ll get to the bottom of this darling,” she promised. “Whatever evidence Scotty thinks he has, it surely won’t take them long to learn it’s faulty. Jason would never put you or your child in danger.”

Elizabeth winced, closed her eyes. “Oh, God. Everyone knows?” Her head started to ache. “I don’t even understand what’s going on.”

“Don’t you worry about a thing,” Mike told her, patting the top of the covers. “You either, Audrey. We’ll get Jason’s lawyer and he’ll be out in no time.”

For just a few minutes in the alley that day, her world had seemed perfect. She was pregnant and the man she loved was excited to become a father.

It seemed so far away now.

PCPD: Squad Room

The entire room was quiet as Capelli directed Jason through the double doors of the entryway towards the interrogation room. Jason’s expression was as stone-faced as ever, though there were some evidence of his sleepless night in the disheveled nature of his hair and the weariness in his eyes.

But most of the cops weren’t interested in looking that deep. All they ever saw when they looked at Jason was a killer who’d gotten away with his crimes for far too long.

Capelli settled Jason at the table, locking the handcuffs to the table. “Someone will be right with you.”

“I’m not talking to anyone without a lawyer,” Jason said flatly, his eyes trained on the table below. “So there’s no point.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before.” Capelli closed the door to the interrogation room, then joined Mac and Scott across the room. “What do you want to do now?”

“Let him stew for a little bit,” Scott said. “Make him wonder why we think we have enough for an arrest.”

“If this comes out wrong—” Mac slapped the file against Scott’s chest. “You’re the one going down for this, you know that, don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

General Hospital: Hallway

Courtney edged around the corner, made a face when she realized there was an officer on Ric’s door. Why couldn’t anything ever go her way?

She’d spent half the night at the PCPD, telling her story with the least amount of details, not even sure that Mac or Capelli were believing a word she’d said. But then she’d seen Jason being marched through the lobby of the hospital in handcuffs, so they must have believed it enough to act.

Now she just had to make sure that she tracked down anything that could go wrong, and unfortunately, the list was long. It wasn’t easy to frame someone after the fact, Courtney thought, with some irritation.

How did she get the cop to leave the room long enough for her to get in and make sure he was gone long enough for to also make her escape?

She went back to the nurse’s station and stood at the counter for a long moment. She couldn’t get the cop to leave by crying for help herself — everyone knew who she was. If only she could find away for an unrelated person in the area to need a cop—

She watched the people in the waiting area for a while, pondering her options, and finally, after nearly twenty minutes, she saw her chance. An older lady rose and headed down the hallway — leaving her handbag behind.

Courtney waited an extra beat before hurrying over to the area, snatching the purse, then shoving it under the sofa. Then, she followed the lady, caught up to her relatively quickly. “Ma’am, ma’am?”

“Oh, yes?” The woman turned, smiled faintly. “Can I help you?”

“I was going to tell you—you left your purse back in that waiting area, but before I could grab it and bring it to you, someone else ran off with it.” Courtney widened her eyes. “I think he headed for service stairs!”

The woman gasped, felt her arm where the strap should be. “Oh, oh, I need security! Oh!”

“I thought I saw a cop around the corner! Why don’t you go check and I’ll go to the desk to get security?” Courtney suggested. She waited for the woman to rush off, then headed into the hallway that fed into another hallway where she could approach Ric’s room from the other side.

She grinned when she saw the cop leave his post. Finally. Time for Step 2.

General Hospital: Hallway

“No, no, you’re doing everything you can, Leticia.” Bobbie sighed, turning away just as the cop a few doors down left the room he’d been guarding. By the time Courtney had snuck around the corner, Bobbie was staring in the opposite direction, listening to her grandson’s nanny on the other end of the line and never saw her go inside the room where Ric was recovering from his own surgery.

“No, I don’t think we’ll be able to rely on Mr. Corinthos right now. And well, I understand Jason’s the emergency contact, but—” Bobbie nodded. “Okay. I’ll stop by later. And keep you in the loop.”

She clapped her phone closed, and looked at Mike stepping outside of the room. “Was Audrey able to get Elizabeth settled?”

“Yeah, she’s going to get something to sleep. I don’t like this, Bobbie, I don’t like this at all.” Mike shook his head. “How could anyone think Jason would do this?”

“Scotty only saw a link to Sonny and that’s all he cares out,” Bobbie said bitterly. “My mistake was not raising holy hell when he hired Ric Lansing.” She looked at Mike. “I don’t know how much you know about what’s been happening since this summer, but—”

“I know you and Jason were together talking about doctors for my son,” Mike said, pitching his voice lower. “And I know that when I went to the Towers last night, that guard told me Sonny had been sedated but that things had been difficult earlier.” He paused. “That Sonny had gone missing, but that he’d turned up.”

“Oh, God.” Bobbie dragged her hands through her hair, stared blindly down the hall. “He did it. He had to have done it. He was in the middle of one of his episodes, and he thought Ric was a danger.” She looked back to Mike. “Does Jason know?”

“He knows what I know, yeah. At that point, he was willing to let it sit while he waited to find out how Carly was. What Elizabeth would be dealing with.” He paused. “Jason was adamant that he be here when she woke up. He didn’t her to hear from some doctor about the possibility of nerve damage. But I don’t know what, if anything, he planned after that.”

“Probably nothing.” Bobbie stared down at the phone in her hand. “Even if we turned Sonny over now, it wouldn’t be proof. They said there were witnesses. As much as I want to throw Sonny to the wolves—”

“We’d better wait for Jason before we make any moves. And not do something we can’t take back. But we have to get him out of there—”

“What we need is someone who knows the lay of the land and won’t have a problem playing a little dirty politics.” Bobbie looked at Mike. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I’m thinking how fast is the flight from Philly?”

PCPD: Interrogation Room

Scott stepped inside the room, then closed the door behind him. Then he set the file on the table and took a seat, finally lifting his gaze to Jason’s.

The anger radiated so visibly from Jason’s broad frame that the younger man was practically vibrating—and the hatred and fury banked in his blue eyes made Scott visibly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, shifted in his seat.

“Let’s get started.” Scott flipped open the file. “Where were you last night around ten-thirty—”

Jason leaned forward and only said one word. “Lawyer.”

General Hospital: Ric’s Room

Courtney leaned against the back of the door, took a deep breath. “Okay, I only have maybe five minutes so let’s make it clear.”

Ric, already sitting up, a plastic cup in his hand, frowned at her. “What are you doing in here? You playing messenger for your damn brother, trying to finish the job?”

“Believe me, Ric, the last thing you want is for me to tell people what I actually know. I backed your story up to the cops.”

“My—” Ric’s eyes went cool. “Are you wearing a wire?”

“I told them that I was there last night. That I saw it. That Jason shot you, accidentally hit Liz and Carly, and gave me the gun to hide.” Her lips twitched. “Isn’t it lucky for you that I ran into the real shooter and got my hands on the incriminating gun?”

“What’s your game here?” Ric demanded.

“Look, we don’t have a lot of time because I also have to avoid Bobbie and Mike because, of course, Elizabeth would be recovering just down the hall. And of course that bitch is still pregnant, because why not? Why wouldn’t she take everything from me?”

Ric opened his mouth, then closed it. “I’m lost.”

“You can either play along and get some real revenge—and help me get the same— or you can tell them the truth, watch Sonny get locked up in the loony bin while Jason and Elizabeth get to walk away like nothing happened.” Courtney raised a brow. “What it’s going to be?”

PCPD: Squad Room

Scott nodded, jabbed a finger at Jason. “Good. Good. You keep being smart, and maybe this will go the way it should. So don’t talk until we get you someone. Is Bobbie already calling or should I get the public defender’s office on the line?”

Jason didn’t even have a lawyer to call, but he was almost sure that Mike and Bobbie would have someone down here, and then this circus would be over. How could anyone think he was responsible for what happened? Did they think he was stupid enough to open fire with so many people around?

Did they think he was too damaged to realize that bullets would ricochet in that tiny enclosed courtyard?

Whatever they thought, Jason didn’t care. A lawyer would show up, slap Bobbie’s witness statement in front of them, and then Jason could focus on what was next. Handling Sonny, making sure Carly had what she needed to wake up, and most importantly, flying in as many nerve specialists as it took to restore Elizabeth’s hand to perfect use.

Anything not on that list didn’t matter to him, so Jason leaned back and prepared to ignore whatever Scott would say next.

And then Scott started talking, and suddenly had Jason’s full attention.

“I’m sorry about this, I am. It had to be this way, though I get that you don’t see that right now. But we know you didn’t do this. We being me, Mac, and Capelli. I believe Bobbie. You were with her the whole night, with her when you heard the shots. I know you didn’t do this, and maybe you do. We can talk about that if you want. But here’s what I do know.”

Scott hesitated. “I made a mistake this summer. I believed the wrong person. I believed Lansing when he said his wife was being vindictive and telling stories. Hell, maybe I just told myself I believed him,” Scott murmured, more to himself. “I thought Lansing could finally get me the Holy Grail, that I’d finally get to see Sonny go down like the rat he is. But I didn’t think about Carly. And I sure as hell didn’t think about Elizabeth.”

Why was Scott saying any of this? Jason squinted, but said nothing.

“I think part of me believed him all the way up until last night. I went to him after his surgery. And when he woke up, he looked at me, and he told me you’d shot him. That it was you.”

Jason pressed his lips together. Ric had identified him. Okay. That made it slightly more sticky. Carly was in a coma and Elizabeth didn’t remember anything. It had been a risk for Ric, but he’d banked on being the only survivor without a head wound. But one witness wasn’t enough. It couldn’t be—

“I didn’t have a reason to doubt him, but it just—” Scott shook his head. “It felt wrong. You know? My gut said it wasn’t right. I was still thinking it through in my head, running it past Mac and Capelli, trying to understand the story even though it didn’t match the evidence—and then Courtney told us the same thing.”

Jason knew he couldn’t hide the reaction to that news. He jerked slightly, sat up, shook his head. Scott nodded grimly. “Yeah. That’s what I figured. So that’s why it had to be this way. I know they’re lying. But I can’t prove it. That’s where you come in.”

+38

lol remember back in the early days when you guys thought i was gonna write a positive courtney story. adorable. told you. trust the journey.

written in 62 minutes.

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

“I think we need some sleep,” Mac said, pressing the grit from his eyes. “We’re not going to make any progress going over the same thing over and over again. We can read Courtney’s statement a thousand times, and it’s not going to make sense any more now than it did an hour ago.”

“I know, I know. I just—” Scott went to the window, tipped the blinds down, looked towards the hospital. “I don’t like it.”

“What’s to like? We’ve got Carly still in surgery until—” Mac squinted at the clock on his desk. “What did they say? Eleven?”

“They have to drill into the skull,” Scott murmured. “Relieve pressure. And it might not enough. They might have to remove a piece of the skull altogether. I don’t know which way they went.” He looked back at Mac. “There are problems with the statement, yeah, but how do we reconcile them telling the same story when we know Courtney hasn’t talked to Ric?”

“That—” The commissioner made a face. “Yeah, okay, I get you there. But we know Jason didn’t do it.”

“Do we?’ Capelli offered, from across the room, lounging on the sofa, his elbow on the arm of the sofa, propping his head up. He stifled a yawn. “I mean, two wits that say he did it, one of them has the gun—”

“Bobbie said she and Jason came to Kelly’s together. That they’d been together. That tracks with the vehicles in the parking lot. How does Courtney get away without Bobbie hearing her? They were right there when the shots were fired.” Mac shook his head. “I get it. Two witnesses independently saying the same thing. It trips me up, but not enough to do anything with.”

“Especially since neither of them are particularly credible,” Scott admitted. “When you consider the relationships here. Do we know if Courtney knew about the affair?”

“Do we even know it was an affair? I’m not keeping up on Jason’s romantic life, and I’m sure you’re not either. Maybe he and Courtney broke up for a while.” Mac shook his head. “Whether she knew or not, we can’t get around Bobbie giving Jason an alibi. Do you really think she’d cover for the man who put her daughter in brain surgery?”

“No. I don’t.” Scott looked back at them. “But Courtney and Ric are telling the same story, and Courtney’s got a gun that matches the bullets. Still need to do some testing to find out if it was the same one, but—”

“Anyone test Morgan for residue at the scene?” Capelli asked, though the words were more slurred now.

“No need. He was a witness. No one seriously thought he’d shoot his best friend and ex-girlfriend. Look, Scott, you’ve only been around Jason the last year. I’ve been around him since he became Jason Morgan. If I’d found Ric’s body dumped in the harbor, yeah, he’d be my first visit. But a messy shooting in the middle of a public courtyard that leaves three victims, and not one of them dead? That’s not how it goes down.”

Scott snorted, then sat down. “Christ. I can’t believe we’re having a conversation about throwing out witness testimony because we know Jason Morgan’s a better killer than this shooter.”

“And Scott, we really shouldn’t be including you in this conversation at all. Not if we want a special prosecutor to take this over—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Scott took a deep breath. “Look, you’re right. We need to sleep. We need to let this roll around in our heads.”

“I don’t know how a few hours of sleep is going to change the facts. I have two witnesses pointing the finger at a guy that’s alibied by the victim’s mother.” Mac dragged a hand down his face. “But maybe something will shake loose while I’m sleeping. Meet back here in three hours.”

General Hospital: Surgical Waiting Room

The sun was just beginning to break through the gray clouds when Mike arrived, a brown bag in one hand and a tray of coffees in the other. “I thought everyone could use something to eat.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Audrey said, coming forward to take the items. “You were able to open this morning?”

“Yeah. Yeah. They, uh, cleared the scene after midnight. I thought about keeping it closed, but—” Mike hugged Bobbie. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?”

“Still waiting for surgery—” Bobbie swayed slightly, exhausted from the restless night. Felicia brought a bagel and coffee to her from the bag Audrey had unpacked. “I couldn’t—”

“You have to eat.”

“When Carly gets out of surgery—”

“They said that could be three or four more hours, honey.” Felicia pressed the bagel back at her and this time, Bobbie sighed, took it, then sat down. Content that her friend was  going to eat at least a few bites, she turned back to Mike. “Have you seen Sonny yet?”

“Ah, no. I went by last night, but they weren’t letting anyone up. You know how strict they can be. Jason’s been preoccupied. I wasn’t going to ask him.”

“You know…” Felicia hesitated. “I mean, you know Jason’s preoccupied with—”

“I knew before this happened, yeah. It’s…not ideal. But I’m not going to judge.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just struggling to understand why we’re not…” Audrey gestured. “Why can’t you go up and wake Sonny? This is his wife and child.”

“Sonny hasn’t been feeling well the last few days,” Mike said after a long moment. “I think he took something to sleep. What’s the point of worrying him, you know? What can he do that we’re not already doing?”

“Still.” Audrey folded her arms. “It’s troubling. What kind of man—I’m sorry, Mike.”

“You don’t to apologize to me, Mrs. Hardy. Let me help you with that,” Mike said to Felicia who was looking through the bag for utensils. He was grateful for any reason to stop Audrey’s questions. Until he saw Jason, he didn’t know what to think, and didn’t care to speculate.

General Hospital: Bathroom

Jason splashed some cold water on his face, trying to jolt himself awake. He ought to have slept more last night, he knew. Especially once Elizabeth was out of surgery, and their baby was still safe. But Carly was still in an operating room, and Sonny—

He’d had a call from Max an hour ago — Sonny was still locked down. Courtney had come by to get some of her things, and some things for Michael, too. Someone was going to have to talk to the little boy today, so at least she was good for something.

Jason exited the bathroom, switching off the light, then watched Elizabeth sleep for a while. He should go get some coffee. Something to eat. He hadn’t had either since maybe noon the day before.

He found Mike in the waiting area by the elevators, and slowed his steps, spying the coffee sitting on the table with its top still on. Mike held it out to him.

“It’s probably cold by now, but caffeine is caffeine,” he said, and Jason nodded, taking it. It was just below lukewarm, but it was better than nothing. Mike tipped a bag towards him. “Something to eat for later. You never remember to that anymore.” He smiled slightly. “That’s changed. You used to eat like a horse when you worked at Luke’s.”

“Still do when I remember to eat,” Jason said. They sat down, taking the sofa in the waiting area. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Have you been down to see Bobbie?”

“Yeah, yeah, I dropped some food off. She’s with Felicia and Audrey Hardy. Carly’s still in surgery, probably for another three hours. I figure that’s a good sign. She’s made it this far.”

“I guess.” Jason set the coffee down. “I don’t know what’s out there. What people are saying. I don’t know if the police have any leads—”

“I saw a few officers at Kelly’s this morning when I helped Penny open. If there are leads, they’re not sharing. They, uh, were talking about all of this. And—” Mike tipped his head. “Did you know yesterday when we talked, did you know about the baby?”

Jason looked at him. “Yeah. I’d found out the day before. Elizabeth—she told me I could tell you if I thought I needed to, but I didn’t—” His lips tightened and he looked away. “I didn’t think I did. We wanted to keep it quiet. It wasn’t the plan—”

“I never thought it was. And I understand wanting it quiet, with what Courtney through a few months ago. And I know Elizabeth lost a baby in May. She took resigned from work shortly after, so, yeah, I get that. But it’s out now. You should know that. Courtney will know shortly.”

“I know that it should matter to me that she’ll be hurt when she finds out,” Jason said slowly, “and maybe it does somewhere, but—”

“You don’t have the room for it right now. How’s—how’s that with the surgery? With her injury?”

“Holding on.” Jason picked up the coffee again, sipped. “The doctor said she still had around an eight percent risk of miscarriage, but getting this far is a good sign.”

“Good. Good. Last thing either of you need. Especially with Carly’s situation up in the air. I’m sorry about all of this, Jason. I really am.”

“I thought—” he stared down at the white coffee top. “I thought I’d hit rock bottom days ago. Standing in the penthouse, listening to Carly cry about Sonny losing it, pushing her. I thought it can’t get worse than this. I’d screwed things up for all of us by not doing something for Sonny a long time ago, for not being honest with myself a year ago, for continuing not to be honest six weeks ago—” He met Mike’s gaze. “I didn’t know it could get worse. I never—”

“Always something beneath rock bottom, Jason. You never hit bedrock,” Mike said, though the tone was kind. “Sometimes we don’t get the results we deserve. I know you had a plan to get things sorted out, but we ran out of time. Because we’re not talking about why Sonny’s not here.”

Jason closed his eyes, then opened them, met Mike’s again, who nodded. “Okay,” the other man said. “Okay. So what do we do? What’s the plan?”

“The plan is for me to stay right where I am until Carly’s out of surgery, and I know how she is. Until Elizabeth is awake, and stable—I have to tell her—” His voice cracked slightly, and he took a breath. “I have to tell her there might be nerve damage. That she might not be able to paint again. She can’t hear that from a doctor.”

“Christ,” Mike swore, rubbing his mouth. “Oh man, that’s going to kill her. Yeah, you need to be here. That’s—there’s no question, Jason. You’re exactly where you need to be. So what can I do?”

“I don’t—I don’t know. I know if—I know if I’m right, he didn’t mean to do it. I know he never would have hurt them if he’d been well.” His voice shook. “I know all of that. But right now, if I look at him, I won’t remember that. I’ll just think about my child, about the woman I love, and the friend who’s been through too much already having her brain cut into—I can’t do it, Mike. Not right now.”

“Of course not.”

“So he stays where he is for now. Max has his orders to keep him at the Towers, even if he has to be sedated again. I don’t care. I can’t. I’ve put him first too many times. Right now, my family comes first, and that’s not him. It can’t be.”

General Hospital: Surgical Waiting Room

Tony finally came back around ten-thirty, scraping the green surgical cap from his hair as he entered the room. Bobbie lunged to her feet, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Tony.”

“Carly’s in post-op. We had to do a full craniotomy,” he said, and Bobbie blanched.

“What is that?” Felicia asked. “What’s—”

“Removed a piece of her skull,” Audrey murmured, stepping up to a put an arm around Bobbie’s shoulders.

“She came through it, and so did the baby,” Tony added, and Bobbie sighed in relief. “We’re monitoring the baby, in case we need to deliver, but so far so good. We were able to release the pressure, Bobbie, but it’s hasn’t completely eliminated the cerebral edema. The swelling,” he clarified for Felicia and for Mike who’d risen to his feet. “We’re hopeful that meds will help with this. But Carly’s fallen into a coma.”

“Oh, God—” Bobbie pressed her hands to her face, the words little more than a sob choked out. “God. This isn’t right. This isn’t fair.”

“What’s the prognosis?” Mike asked. “When will she wake up?”

“We don’t know.”

PCPD: Commissioner’s Office

Scott knocked on Mac’s open door, then strolled in, a cup of coffee in his hand. “How do we feel after a little shut-eye?”

“Not particularly great.” Mac hung up the phone, rubbed his eyes again. “Capelli went to the hospital when he clocked back in. Elizabeth’s awake. She can’t remember what happened past Carly and Ric in the courtyard. That’s where it ends. Maybe she gets that back eventually, but—” He paused, looked at Scott. “Carly’s in a coma. They don’t know if she’ll wake up, if the swelling in her brain will go down, so her memories are the least of our worries.”

“That’s…unfortunate.” Scott took a seat. “I’d hoped one of them could give us something to work with, but—”

“Scott, really, I think we should wait for the special prosecutor.”

Scott sniffed, then sipped his coffee. “No need. I withdrew the request. I’m back on the case.”

Mac stared at him for a long moment. “That is not a good idea.”

“On the contrary,” Scott said, getting to his feet and setting down the coffee cup. “It’s the best idea I’ve had in a long time. Now—” He rubbed his hands together. “I have to go write up an arrest warrant.”

General Hospital: Elizabeth’s Room

Elizabeth grimaced as Jason brought the straw to her lips, but drank the water and soothed her tired, sore throat. “I’m so sorry about Carly,” she said when she was able to talk again.

“Yeah. It’s not—” Jason grimaced. “It’s not…it’s not great news.” He took a deep breath. “But Carly’s tough, and she’s been through a lot. We’ll just have to take it one day at a time.”

“I’ll feel better when I’m not laying in this bed, so I can help. Or do something. I don’t know. Sit with Bobbie. There has to be something. Now that I know the baby is okay—”

“There’s still a slight risk,” Jason cautioned, and she sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. You’re right. We should think positively—”

“Easier for me to do.” With her free hand, she touched his face, though it took what little energy she had to do so. “I didn’t spend all night worried about my best friend having brain surgery.”

“I was worried about you. I still am.” Jason covered her hand with his, then turned his face in to kiss her palm. “There’s…I should tell you something about—about what Tony said after your surgery. About your arm.”

“I can barely move any part of it, even what didn’t get shot.” Elizabeth tried to wiggle her right fingers, but the pinky barely moved. “How long until that’s okay?”

“Um—” Jason lowered her hand to the bed, but still kept hold of it, staring at her chipped nail polish. “I don’t know. There might be—that’s why Tony went in for your surgery. The nerve in shoulder. The bullet was—”

“Jason.” Elizabeth’s browns pinched together. “What are you trying to say? I can’t—” Her voice quivered. “I won’t get the full use back?”

“I won’t let that happen, okay?” His head came back up, his eyes fierce. “I won’t. I’ll find every specialist. We’ll go anywhere. I’ll spend every last dime if I have to—”

“But I might not be able to hold a paintbrush again,” Elizabeth said softly. “That’s what you’re trying hard not to say.”

“I—yes. That’s what they said, but I promise. You, and our baby—” He covered her abdomen, curving his long fingers over her hospital gown. “You’re the only thing that matters—” He stopped, sat up, and frowned towards the door.

Elizabeth heard it now—the raised voices of someone coming near. Then the door opened, and Scott  Baldwin strode in, Mac on his heels. And right behind them, a furious Bobbie and—her grandmother.

“Scotty Baldwin, if you don’t call this off right now, I promise you that I will have your parents on the phone so fast. They would be so ashamed—”

“You’ve really done it now, Scott!” Bobbie bit out.

“What the hell is going on?” Jason demanded, getting to his feet. “Why are you—” Then he saw the cuffs in Mac’s hands, raised his stunned gaze to the commissioner. “What are you doing?”

“Jason Morgan,” Mac said, almost reluctantly, “you’re under arrest for attempted murder.”

and that’s a wrap until july 8. enjoy!

+38

Written in 56 minutes.

Forest Hill House: Porch

Leticia Juarez’s gaze was still slightly unfocused, pulled from sleep by the knock at the front door. She remained in the doorway, not giving any indication that she intended to let either Mac or Capelli inside.

“Ms. Juarez,” Mac began, “we just want to confirm what time Carly left here. That’s all. I don’t need to come inside—”

“Why are you here?”

The voice came not from the bewildered nanny but behind them, from the front walk. Mac turned, and Capelli took a few steps towards the edge of the porch. Courtney stood there, at the base of stairs.

“Where’s Carly?” she asked. “Why are you here? Leticia—”

“They say Mrs. Corinthos has been shot,” Leticia said when Courtney joined her at the doorway.

“We were going to look for you next, to ask you some questions—”

“Carly’s been shot?” Courtney pressed a hand to her mouth. “By who? When? Where? Is she at the hospital—why didn’t anyone call me?”

“We’ve been trying to track down Sonny all night. Maybe you can get us in—” Capelli began but Courtney cut him off with a slice of her hand across her chest.

“No, you answer my questions first, damn it! Where’s my sister-in-law?”

“In surgery. It happened at Kelly’s,” Mac said, hesitated. He didn’t believe Courtney was involved, other than needing to be crossed off the list. “Carly was shot, and so were Ric Lansing and Elizabeth Webber.”

The blonde’s eyes bulged at that and she looked away for a minute, took a deep breath before returning her gaze to Mac. “Are they alive?”

“Last I heard, yeah. But we have just as many questions as you do.”

“Well, I don’t have any answers for you. So why don’t you go ask someone who can tell you something?” Courtney turned to the nanny. “Stay with Michael. I’m going to find out what’s going on.”

General Hospital: Hospital Room

The night continued to crawl by in excruciating seconds, minutes, and hours. Carly remained in surgery and would for several more hours. It was delicate work repairing the damage done by the bullet to her head, and they wouldn’t know anything until closer to dawn. Elizabeth had fallen asleep after their brief conversation, a more natural rest.

Jason only left her side briefly to allow Audrey some time, and to check on Bobbie. To talk to Leticia, assured that Michael was safe. He spoke briefly to Max — Sonny was at the Towers. He’d just showed up. No one knew if he’d left the building or when he’d returned. But he was locked up tight, and no one would leave the door again.

He couldn’t find the room to think about what happened next, if he should tel the police about Sonny or find another way out. It went against everything he believed in to turn Sonny over to the police, particularly when he knew the cops wouldn’t care about a mental health crisis.

Though right now, watching Elizabeth sleep, knowing he’d have to tell her there’d be possible nerve damage and that their baby, this precious gift that they’d barely begun to appreciate, might not survive—Jason was finding it hard to care about the mental health of the man who’d put her in this bed. Or was responsible for the bullet in Carly’s head that might take her life, and leave her children without a mother.

It was too awful, too painful to think about, so he didn’t. He shut it down and put it away, and sat next to Elizabeth, making a promise that he’d never leave her again.

General Hospital: Surgical Waiting Room

Bobbie accepted the coffee that Felicia handed her, wrapping her hands around the plastic thermos that her friend had brought from home. She’d brought a second one for Audrey, though it remained untouched on the table next to her.

“This is so awful,” Felicia said, sitting in the chair across from Bobbie. She readjusted the hair clip in her messy blonde hair, then smoothed a hand down her neck. “How are you both holding up?”

“No news is good news,” Bobbie said. She sipped the coffee, letting it soothe her throat, sore and tired from crying. “As long as she’s in surgery, there’s hope.”

“I’ve failed so terribly,” Audrey murmured. Both women looked at her. “I let her drift away from me. Just as I let my Tommy drift. What kind of mother am I? What kind of grandmother?”

“Tommy drifted all on his own, Audrey. The phone works both ways,” Felicia reminded her. “That one isn’t your fault.”

“But Elizabeth is,” Bobbie said flatly. Then she closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. This isn’t your fault, Audrey—”

“To walk in here tonight, to learn that my granddaughter had been married to a monster I encouraged her to be with—that she’s pregnant and wouldn’t tell me—”

Felicia’s brows shot up, and Bobbie winced. “Audrey, they—well, maybe it’s useless now. But they were going to keep that quiet. Jason only told me because—well, I suppose he wanted to tell someone.”

“Jason and—” Felicia pursed her lips, absorbed that. “What’s this about Ric?”

Briefly, Bobbie filled her friend in on the basic details, watching her blue eyes widen until it was nearly comically, and Audrey’s face lost what little color had returned.

“I don’t understand, he works for the DA’s office now,” Felicia said slowly. “How could they—how could Scotty do this?”

“He thought it was his ticket to finally gaining power over Sonny,” Bobbie said bitterly. “What did my daughter matter? What did Elizabeth matter? Not when they could finally throw Sonny or Jason in jail.” Her eyes filled again and she put her head in her hands. “I was so scared for so long, and I thought I had her back, but instead, she might be lost forever.”

Audrey put an arm around Bobbie’s shoulder, tucked her in. “Carly’s strong, Bobbie. You know this. As you said, no news is good news. Your daughter will recover, your grandson will be born, and you will have them both to spoil. And I—” She took a deep breath. “I will have a great-grandchild to love. It will be so lovely to share that with Lila. She’s so fond of Jason. What’s done is done. We must look forward. I’ve made my mistakes. My judgments. It ends tonight.” She looked at the clock, noting it was just after four. “It ends this morning,” she corrected.

Harborview Towers: Lobby

Mike slapped his hand against the front desk. “What do you mean you won’t wake him up! Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Corbin.” The man swallowed hard. “But I have strict instructions—”

“I’m going upstairs, and if you want to stop me—” Mike started towards the bank of elevators, but they opened before they reached them. Max jogged out, his eyes rimmed red with exhaustion.

“Mr. Corbin. Hey. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I had to get someone to cover the door. Let’s talk.” Max gestured towards a grouping of sofas and furniture. “Jason told me to talk to you, so I’m talking.”

“I don’t want—” Mike broke off. “You’ve spoken to Jason.”

“That was part of the wait. I had to call him. See what he wanted me to do. You’re Mr. C’s dad, you know? I didn’t want to just let you sit here or send you away. It’s not cool.” Max hesitated. “Jason said you know that Mr. C’s not well.”

Mike closed his mouth, exhaled slowly. “Did he have problems tonight?”

“Yeah. Yeah. Bad ones. I had to sedate him. That’s why you can’t come up. There’s no reason. He’s not gonna wake up until morning, you know?” Max rubbed his chest. “And no one’s saying it, but we lost Sonny for a little while earlier. We found him, but we just—we don’t know.”

“Christ. You’re saying it might have been—” Mike turned away for a minute, absorbed that. “Okay. Okay. Yeah. That’s fine. I’ll talk to Jason in the morning.”

General Hospital: Hospital Room

Jason didn’t know when he’d closed his eyes, didn’t remember falling asleep, but when he heard his name being spoken, he jerked awake and sat straight up.

Elizabeth’s head was turned toward him, her eyes open. “I didn’t…mean to wake you. I just…” Her lashes fluttered. “I woke up. I saw you—”

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” He came forward on the chair, sitting on the edge, raising her injured hand to his lips, kissing the inside of her palm. “I’ll get a doctor. Are you in pain?”

“No…” Her voice was soft, almost floating. “No. Numb. What…happened?”

“What do you remember?” he asked carefully.

“Kelly’s.” Another flutter of her lashes, then her eyes focused on his, some of the glaze fading. “Carly. We talked. Then…Ric came. Did he—” Her voice broke. “I can’t move my arm. What did he do? I don’t—I don’t remember anything. The baby—”

“Is fine,” Jason finished. “Can you hear that sound over there—”

She closed her eyes. “The beeping. Yes.”

“That’s your heart. The faster one is the baby. Okay?”

“Okay.” Elizabeth swallowed hard. “What did Ric do? Where’s Carly?” Her voice was stronger now.

“Carly’s in surgery. I don’t know what happened. You’d—you’d all been shot by the time we got there. You were shot in the shoulder. But you’re going to be okay.”

“All of us—” She pinched her brows together. “What? Who—”

“The police don’t know yet,” Jason said, which was the truth. He didn’t want to burden her yet with information he hadn’t confirmed. “It’s okay. Let me go get a doctor. All right? Just rest.” He kissed her hand again. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

General Hospital: Hallway

“Scott. Hey.” Mac got up from the bench as the district attorney approached them. “Did you hear back from the state yet about a special prosecutor?”

“No. No. But it’s only six in the morning, so—” Scott dragged a hand down his face. “We get the report in from the crime scene guys?”

“Nothing definitive, but none of our theories are ruled out, so there’s that.” Mac sighed. “We couldn’t get in to see Sonny, though I’m not surprised by that. Courtney said she didn’t know anything. She show up here?”

“Not yet. I’ve been keeping a list of who goes up to surgery—” Scott glanced down at his notepad. “So far it’s just Morgan, Bobbie, Audrey, and you know Felicia joined them about two hours ago.”

“No Courtney or Sonny. Weird,” Capelli said. “Did you get confirmation from Morgan about the baby?”

“More or less, yeah. Audrey Hardy didn’t know anything, and Bobbie let it slip, so I think it was something they were keeping quiet. Which, yeah, that tracks if Morgan’s father.”

“Bet the fiancee doesn’t know,” Mac said. “She didn’t seem to have a reaction when we talked to her at Carly’s. So we don’t know anything new?”

Scott hesitated. “I wouldn’t say that—uh, Ric woke up for a little while. He…told me it was Morgan. Tried to kill Ric, and the women were accidents.”

“Ric—” Mac closed his mouth, just stared for a minute. “Are you serious?”

“It fits the theory of Ric being the target,” Capelli pointed out, but Mac just shot him a dirty look. “Well, it does.”

“Yeah, but—” Scott began, but he was cut off when he heard someone calling out Mac’s name behind them. Courtney was there, likely having just turned the corner.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t—” she inhaled sharply, tears glimmering in her blue eyes. “I didn’t know what to do. I can’t live with this anymore.”

“Can’t live with—” Scott stopped, looked at her hands. At the towel-wrapped item she held. “What is that?”

“I was there. Tonight. At Kelly’s.” Courtney sucked in a sob. “He told me to leave. He gave me this and told me to hide it, so no one would know. I didn’t know Carly was hurt. I thought she fell. I didn’t know. So I went to get it, and I knew I had to give it to you, but you have to believe me, it was an accident, okay?”

“What was an accident?” Mac prompted.

“He just hates him so much! He’d never hurt Carly or Elizabeth, but—” Courtney’s lips trembled. “Jason just hates Ric more anything.”

+36