Chapter 30: Make The Pain Go Away

Alexis is sitting at the penthouse dining room table when Jason places a
bowl of broth in front of her.

Jason:"It's mild like you said it should be."
Alexis gingerly tastes it. "Thanks Jason. I think I'm over the worst of
it. For now, anyway."
Jason:"I talked to Alan today."
Alexis:"About getting me a shrink? Well, I guess it won't be a surprise
to him. He knows how strange the Cassadine can be."
Jason:"Stop putting yourself down. Alan likes you, and you don't have
anything to be ashamed of."
Alexis(looking sheepish):"Okay, I'll cut the pity party. What did he
tell you?"
Jason:"He recommended Tom Hardy. He's an expert with Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder."
Alexis smiles as she hears the medical term roll of his tongue easily.
"Your medical training is showing, Jason." She takes another sip of
soup. "Tom Hardy, huh? That's sounds like as much fun as having a root
canal. He hates the Cassadine."
Jason:"Tom's a professional; he won't let personal feelings get in the
way. I called Robin before I came over. She said he's an excellent
psychiatrist."
Alexis rolls her eyes. "Great; professional or not, I don't like him. I
wish Kevin were practicing. What about Gail Baldwin? Any chance she'll
take me now that she's in partial retirement?"
Jason:"Alan said she's not taking anyone until the fall."
Alexis(resigned):"I guess I'm stuck, unless I call Stefan in on this.
Lord knows I don't want to do that. He's probably calling my doctor as
we speak after hearing my dramatic performance earlier."

..........................

Stefan strides purposefully up to the Nurse's Station at General
Hospital. Amy greets him cheerfully.
Amy:"Hi, Mr Cassadine. How are you today?"
Stefan responds charmingly."I'm fine, Amy. Thank you for asking. I was
wondering if Alexis' doctor is still in. If anyone knows, I'm sure it
would be you." Stefan hopes that Amy doesn't think to ask for the
doctor's name.

"Just a sec." Amy looks through the doctor's schedule. "Dr. Goldstein is
still making rounds in Labor and Delivery. Shall I page her for you?"
Stefan:"No thank you, Amy. I'll take it from here. You've been very
helpful, having saved me the chore of going to her office."

Stefan makes his way down to Labor and Delivery. He notices Emma
Goldstein as soon as he enters the ward. The pretty petite brunette is
looking over some charts at the desk.

Stefan greets her. "Hello, Dr Goldstein."
Emma smiles at Stefan, struck again by his regal handsomeness. Too bad
he wasn't interested. "Mr Cassadine, this is a surprise.. Please call
me Emma. Everyone else at the hospital does."
Stefan notices the glint of interest in her eyes and decides to play on
it by being his most charming self. "If I am to call you Emma, then
you must call me Stefan. I trust the new renovations are working to your
satisfaction?"
Emma's eyes dance with delight. "Yes, the renovations are spectacular!
It's an honor working in a state of the art maternity ward. "
Stefan's smiles at her warmly. "Excellent. We have the finest doctors on
staff here at General Hospital. They should be working in a state of the
art hospital."
Emma could swear Stefan was flirting with her. But why? He had never
noticed her before. "I'm sure you didn't come down here to find out how
I felt about the renovations. What can I do for you?"
Stefan:"I'm concerned about my cousin, Alexis Corinthos. I spoke to her
earlier and she was quite ill. Is there anything I should be doing for
her?"

Emma forces down a laugh. So this is the real reason Stefan Cassadine
was showing interest. Alexis had warned her, but she had brushed it off.
"Mr Cassadine.. I mean Stefan, you know I can't discuss my patients
without their permission." Stefan glowers with displeasure. Emma could
see why the nurses were loathe to displease him. He could be quite
formidable, even in body language. She attempts to lighten her refusal.
"I'd be happy to listen to your concerns though. And I can talk to you
in general about pregnancy."

Stefan(still unhappy):"This is my cousin, Emma. I will not stand by and
follow the rules when her or her baby's life are in danger."

Emma tries to ignore his threatening tone, but inadvertently reverts to
calling him by his full name. "Mr Cassadine, it1s normal for pregnant
women to experience morning sickness, which can range from mild nausea
to frequent vomiting. Generally it doesn't pose any risk to the mother
or the baby. In fact, it's been shown the more severe the morning
sickness, the healthier the baby. Your cousin is very conscientious
about her health care. Trust her to take care of herself. The best thing
you can do is follow her lead."

Stefan is calmed by her words. "So vomiting is normal? She's not at
risk?"

Emma puts her hand on his forearm for extra assurance. "Vomiting is a
normal part of pregnancy, and nothing to be concerned about, especially
if the mother is taking care of herself. Which I'm certain Alexis is
doing. The best thing you can do for any pregnant woman is create a
stress-free environment for them.

Stefan seems relieved, his thoughts focused on a new goal. "Thank you,
Emma. You have been most helpful. I won't disturb you further." He
shakes her hand warmly before leaving.

Emma waits until Stefan exits Labor and Delivery before picking up the
phone and making a call. "Alexis? This is Emma Goldstein. How are you
feeling? .... Good, I'm glad it's passed. Listen, you wanted me to tell
you if Stefan phoned me. " She twirls the phone cord around her finger.
"He did one better, he came by in person....."

.........................................

Jerry and Cassidy are cuddled together on the couch together in Jerry's
suite at the motel. Cassidy is reading over some notes. Jerry watches
her with avid interest as he massages her neck and back. "What happened
today, darlin? Your neck and back are in knots!"

Cassidy points at one of the paragraphs. "So did you ever discover what
the package was? Did it turn out to be a sculpture?"

Jerry pulls the notes from her hands as he drags her into his lap for a
kiss. "Forget that. I have much a more serious subject to discuss."

Cassidy kisses him back hungrily. "Oh? And what would that be? World
peace perhaps?"

Jerry unbuttons the top button of her silk blouse, tracing his finger
along the base of her throat while planting small kisses there.
"Something even more important. My inner peace. Not to mention a good
old fashioned way to work off stress."

Cassidy arches in response to the erotic torture as she laces her
fingers through his hair . "You're wearing down my resistance, Jerry, "
She murmurs into his ear breathlessly.

Their kisses become more fevered; They tug on each other shirts in
frustration as the need to feel each other builds. In a twist of cruel
fate, the phone rings.

Cassidy finally frees Jerry's shirt from his pants, her hands roving
freely over his chest. "Ignore it."

Jerry's hands cup her cheekbones tenderly as he continues to kiss her
passionately. "Damn! I wish I could, luv." Jerry breaks away abruptly,
grabbing the phone that is within his reach. He takes several steadying
breaths before answering.

Jerry:"Jerry Jacks. Mum! Wait.. what's the matter? Oh God!" Jerry's
face goes pale with shock. "Okay, I'll be right there. Have you called
Jax?... Good. I'll take the next flight out to Alaska. I love you, Mum.
Bye."

Cassidy:"What happened? Something wrong with your mother?"

Jerry:"No.. it's my dad. They don't expect him to live through the
night. He has congestive heart failure." Jerry struggles to maintain
control, knowing there is too much to do.

Cassidy is determined to be there for him. "I'm coming with you."

Jerry strokes her cheek tenderly with the back of his fingers, touched
by her offer."No, darlin. Not this time. I have to do this alone."

Cassidy is hurt by his refusal, but struggles not to show it. "Is there
anything I can do? anything?" Jerry's pain is evident in his face, but
Cassidy can feel him putting distance between them. She feels helpless.

Jerry kisses her on the forehead as he gets up from the couch. "You
can help me pack and take me to the airport."

..................................

Alexis jumps up in bed, her eyes darting fearfully around the room. She
is bathed in sweat and shaking from the recurring nightmare. She sighs
heavily as she gets her bearings. She looks at the clock on her
nightstand.

Alexis runs her fingers through her mussed hair as she mutters to
herself. "Great, 15 minutes of sleep. If I keep this up I'll be in the
asylum before this baby's born."

Alexis picks up the phone and a business card from her nightstand. She
bites her lip nervously as she gathers the courage to make the call.

Alexis:"This isn't going to get any easier. Do it, dummy." She quickly
dials the number. A woman answers.

Receptionist(perky but professional):"Dr Tom Hardy's office, may I help
you?"

Alexis closes her eyes as she takes the plunge, praying that she isn't
making a huge mistake. "Yes, I'd like to make an appointment with Dr
Hardy.

"Are you a current patient of Dr Hardy's or a new one, ma'am?" The
receptionist asks politely.

Alexis hesitates before answering. "A new one. By any chance does he
have an appointment today?"

The receptionist flips through his appointment book. "It's hard to
wait, isn't it? As a matter of fact, there is a cancellation. He has a
7pm appointment available tonight. What is your name, Ma'am?"

Alexis takes a breath, not realizing she was holding it while she waited
for the receptionist to answer. "Alexis Corinthos. 7pm is perfect."

..........................

Jason walks into the Outback to pick up an order on the way to
penthouse. Alexis had been adamant that she wanted an Outback burger.
Nothing else would do. He was glad to oblige. There was so little he
could do to bring her happiness.

Felicia greets him with a smile. "Hi, Jason. Your order will be ready in
a minute. Want a beer while your waiting?"

Jason sits on one of the stools. "No thanks, I'll just wait." No sooner
had he made himself comfortable than he felt a sharp tap on his
shoulder. He turns around to find Detective Taggert smirking at him.

Jason suppresses the urge to bury his fist in Taggert's arrogant face.
"Taggert., don't you have some police work you could be doing?"

Taggert toys with Jason a bit. "Now that's not a very friendly
greeting, Mr Morgan. Wait, I forgot. You're brain damaged. You don't
have manners."

Jason ignores the insult. "Is there something specific I can help you
with, Officer?"

Taggert walks around Jason's stool. "You can start by telling me where
you've been the last few days."

Jason shrugs. "I've been around."

Taggert. "Oh, I see. And how do explain the fact that Cassadine jet was
flying you and Mrs Corinthos all over the world? Did the two of you have
fun, spending your dead boss's money? Did he know you had the hots for
her, Morgan? Maybe you're even the father of her bambino. Tell me, how
does Mrs Corinthos feel about you inheriting all of Sonny's assets? Or
maybe that's why she's sleeping with you." Taggert smiles, clearly
proud of his ingenuity.

Jason, having plenty of practice controlling his anger around Taggert,
has no trouble brushing off the inflammatory questions. "No one told me
I couldn't leave the country."

Taggert is mildly disappointed that Jason doesn't take the bait. "Did
you happen to take a Harry Silver with you as well? Can't seem to find
Sonny's old associate anywhere. In fact, no one's seen him since the
night Sonny was murdered. Did you take him out too?"

Jason feigns surprise. "He's missing? Well I guess you have a missing
person's report to fill out."

Felicia interrupts their conversation by placing a bag in front of
Jason. "Your order is ready, Jason." Jason pays her and begins to
leave.

Taggert stops him. "I'm not done with you, Morgan."

"For now you are." Jason leaves a frustrated Taggert behind.

................................

Laura watches the door slam behind her three children. She smiles at
Justus who is sitting beside her on the Spencer sofa.

Justus smiles back at her. "You have a terrific set of kids."

"Yeah I know. Makes me miss Luke even more." Laura blinks back the
tears.

Justus puts a hand on her knee to comfort her. "You don't have to hold
back for me."

"Thanks, but knowing my children, we don't have much time to talk. Lulu
stays close by these days. They could be back from the park anytime.
Tell me what my finances are now, given Luke's death." Laura pulls out
a handkerchief to wipe her face.

Justus pulls out a file folder. "Pretty straightforward. Most of your
equity is in the house and the club. Looking at your bank statements I'd
say you'll be fine. The club provides a good steady income."

Laura:"But the club belongs to Lucky. I can't rely on that to survive.
Lucky will need that to build his life."

Justus:"Luke made it clear in his will that the club was to support you
and Lulu as well. Then there's the matter of the mysterious life
insurance policy. Are you interested in what I found out?"

Laura:"Please."

Justus:"It was taken out the morning after his death."

Laura clenches her jaw angrily. "This reeks of Stefan Cassadine."

Justus:"My thoughts exactly. I never would have thought he was behind
Luke's death, but this is very suspicious."

Laura:"No, Stefan didn't have anything to do with Luke's death. He does
seem intent on rescuing me though. Frankly it's getting very tiring."

Justus:"Is there anyway I can help? We'd love to have you back at the
Foundation. We're looking to hire someone just like you."

Laura:"I'll think about it, Justus. Thank you. And I'll take care of the
insurance policy."

Justus rises to leave when Lulu bursts through the door in tears.
"Mommy! Mommy! I skinned my knee!" She launches herself at Laura,
practically knocking her over.

Justus smiles in sympathy. "I'll let myself out." As he is leaving he
is practically mowed down by Lucky and Nikolas in hot pursuit of Lulu.

Lucky is breathing heavily. "Mom, don't get mad at us. She just took
off. I didn't think she could run that fast!"

Laura is still holding a sobbing Lulu. "I'm not. I know how hard it is
to keep up with her. Why don't you and Nikolas get some hot chocolate
from the kitchen? Laura sits on the couch with Lulu in her lap as the
boys enter the kitchen.

Lulu(sniffling):"I.. I skinned my knee, Mommy."

Laura inspects the cut. "It's just a small scrape. Go get the first aid
kit for me?"

Lulu runs off to get the kit and returns a moment later. Laura fixes up
her knee.

Lulu looks at her mother plaintively. "It hurts, Mommy."

Laura pulls her back into her lap, sensing what Lulu needs most is some
TLC. "Yeah, I know it hurts, sweetheart. I wish I could make the pain go
away."