CHAPTER TEN: THE WAITING GAME  Keesha sits in the waiting room of General Hospital's surgical wing. Her  husband, Alex Garcia, is sitting beside her with his arm comfortingly  around her shoulder. Her eyes are red and puffy where she has been  crying. Every few moments, a fresh tear falls.  Alex squeezes Keesha's shoulder reassuringly, "Honey, Brad is going to be  just fine. He's a strong little guy; this won't be a problem for him." Alex  hopes for his wife's sake that he can hide his own worry.  Keesha nods absentmindedly, her main thoughts focusing on her son in  surgery. "This is so unfair. He's just a baby."  Alex agrees, "Yes, but at least AJ wasn't drinking again."  "But it was still a drunk driver. Alex, something has got to be done. My  son is in there having surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain, while the  roadkill that did this to him is walking around unscathed."  AJ comes around the corner on crutches with a bandage on his forehead  over one eye. Keesha sees him and stands up slowly. "AJ, you shouldn't  be out of bed, should you?"  "Probably not, but no one will tell me anything. How is our son?"  Keesha shrugs slightly, "I don't know, yet."  Carly walks up towards them. She glares at AJ. "You shouldn't be out of  bed," she scolds.  Impatiently, Keesha asks, "Carly, how is my son?"  "They relieved the pressure on his brain, and so far, things look promising.  Of course, we won't know anything more specific until he wakes up."  Keesha nods, "I want to see him."  "Of course. He's being moved to his room as we speak."  "I'm coming too," AJ insists.  Carly frowns, "Only for a minute. Then I'm going to make sure you go  straight back to your room and stay put. Understand?"  AJ smiles, "Yes ma'am."  *****  Lu can't help but think that something's off. Something's been moved.  She looks around her hidden computer room in Wyndemere and frowns.  She slides the panel shut, hiding the computer and sits down in one of the  overstuffed chairs, picking up a textiles book from one of her classes. She  is reading up on her latest project when the phone rings.  Apprehensively, she answers it, "Hello."  "There's my Princess!"  Lu relaxes and smiles, "Dylan, hey!"  "I'm in Port Charles."  Lu stands, "Really?"  "Really and truly. Listen, I need to check in with my family first, but can  we get together later?"  "Sure! Where?"  "This is your town, name the place, I'll be there."  Lu quickly thinks through her options. The PC Grille, the family is too  well known; the Outback, ditto; Lucky's, Lucky would be there. Check  that, Lucky is out of town. Finally, she says, "How about Lucky's?"  "Is an hour okay?" Dylan asks.  "Yep. How will I know you?"  "I'll bring your favorite flower."  Lu smiles again, "Okay. I'll be wearing something in your favorite color."  "Then it's a date. See you later, Princess."  "Bye." As Lu hangs up the phone, she sighs and smiles. "A date. A real  date. Wow." She giggles softly to herself as she leaves her computer  room to try to find something lavender to wear.  *****  Dylan enters the unusually quiet, empty living room at the Q's. He looks at  his watch to make sure he has the time right.  After a minute or two, Justus walks in, "Hey Dylan."  "Justus. Where is everybody? It looks odd for two non-Quartermaine  Quartermaines to be in here alone."  Justus nods. "And even stranger when Jason shows up. Actually, AJ was  in a car accident, and everyone's at the hospital." At Dylan's look of  concern, Justus continues, "AJ was just banged up, but from what I've  heard from Keesha, Bradley was hurt pretty bad."  "Then why aren't you at the hospital, man?"  "Someone had to tell you where we all are."  Dylan gestures towards the door, "I've got a cellphone. Go, man, go! I've  got a meeting, but keep me updated."  Justus smiles, relieved, "Thanks. See you later." Justus hurries out the  door.  "Give 'em my best!" Dylan calls out after Justus as he sits down on the  sofa. He looks at his watch, again, impatiently.  He sighs and pulls out his cellphone. After a couple of rings, a familiar  voice answers, "L&E, Lois talkin'."  Dylan smiles, "Hey Lois, it's me. I just wanted you to hear this from me  before you heard it somewhere else. AJ and Bradley were in a car wreck."  Freaking, Lois exclaims, "Omigod! Was AJ drinking? Are they okay?"  "I don't know. Justus just left for the hospital. He said that Brad was  pretty banged up."  Calming down, Lois says, "Aww, poor kid. Anything we can do?"  "Nah, but I'll keep you updated as I hear."  "Sure. Don't forget, we'll be leaving in a couple of hours on the tour, but  you have all the numbers."  "You bet. Have fun, Lois."  "You too, brat. Bye."  Dylan hangs up the phone. Standing and picking up his jacket, he heads  out the door to pick up a pink carnation and meet his Princess.