Chapter 6: You Can't Take It With You

 

Nikolas is walking towards the nurses station to report in. He sees his uncle talking with Alan Quartermaine. He attempts to duck by, but his uncle is too quick for him.

Stefan raises his voice so that Nikolas can't help but hear him."Nikolas, please wait. I want a word with you."

Nikolas gives up his attempt to escape. He waits patiently while his uncle finishes his conversation with Alan.

Once Alan leaves, Stefan turns his attention to Nikolas. "Nikolas, you are not taking your responsibilities to the family business seriously. I will not be around forever to run things for you."

Nikolas:"Can't this wait? I have responsibilities here that need my attention. I am supposed to be up on the Peds floor right now..."

Stefan becomes more forceful."No, this cannot wait. Why did you find it necessary to disregard my wishes today? I expected you at that meeting this afternoon."

Nikolas:"And I had prior plans to be with Emily today. I called Alexis and asked her to cover for me. I gather she didn't get the message."

Stefan: "Your dedication to this troubled Emily girl is commendable. But you have more pressing matters to attend to. "

Nikolas:"I saw an opportunity to help Emily today. Having the Q's indebted to us is to our advantage. Correct Uncle?"

Stefan smiles slightly. "Very impressive Nikolas. I don't believe it for a second. But impressive nonetheless. You win. Since the meeting is already over, I will wait to update you until later then."

Nikolas:"Until then, Uncle."

Stefan pats Nikolas's shoulder briefly before saying goodbye.

Nikolas and Stefan go their separate ways.

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



The Luke, Laura, Sonny, and Alexis come out of the theater smiling and laughing.

Luke: " I should have known when she volunteered to get the tickets. Of course Laura would pick a Chick Play. She said that "You Can't Take It With You" was a comedy. What she didn't say was that it had all that mushy stuff in it."

Sonny laughs. "Well we have to keep our women happy. What's a chick play every now and then?"

Laura and Alexis look at their men in amused exasperation. Then they look at each other as they say in unison. "Men!"

Luke:"Well, shall we continue the party back at the club? I feel like I'm just warming up."

Sonny and Alexis put their arms around each other.

S: "What do you think? Shall we?"
A: "Yes!"

Laura:"Okay. But I want to call Lucky first and tell him We're going to be late." Laura goes to use one of the lobby phones.

Luke pulls out a cigar. "Let's wait for Laura outside."

Sonny:"Sure thing."

They stroll outside. Luke lights up his cigar.

A:"How can you smoke those awful things, Luke?" Fanning the air in front of her teasingly.

Just as Luke is about to respond a black car drives by. The back seat window opens, spraying bullets at them. Luke is hit several times and falls to the ground Sonny pushes Alexis behind him taking the bullets aimed for her. Alexis feels a burning sensation in her elbow after hearing the ping of a bullet ricochet off of the wall.

Laura hears the gunfire while she is on the phone to Lucky. She watches in horror as Luke takes several hits. She drops the phone." Oh my God! LUKE!!!" She rushes out of the theater to be at his side. Lucky can be heard through the receiver screaming, "MOM! MOM! What the hell is going on! MOM!!!"

The gunshots ended as quickly as they began. Alexis grabs Sonny as he falls to the ground. She cradles his head in her lap. He is bleeding everywhere. As she tries to stop the bleeding her red dress grows dark with her husband's blood. It is fruitless.

A: "Sonny! Just hold on honey! Help is on the way." Alexis starts to cry.

Alexis notices Jason running over from Sonny's limo. He's on the cell phone.

Sonny strains to talk to Alexis. "Darling, Tell me.... you and the kid.... okay?"

Alexis talks to Sonny through her tears. "Yes, honey. Both of us are fine. We didn't get hurt. You saved us. And you'll be just fine. I know it. You hold on..." Alexis's voice cracks.

Jason whispers to Alexis as he kneels by Sonny trying to staunch the flow of blood. "The paramedics are on their way." Jason's face looks grim.

S:"Baby, I'm done. All that matters now is you and the baby...."

A: "We're going to be just fine. I wouldn't lie about that. But we need you, Sonny. You have to hold on. You have to ...." Alexis rubs her face against his as she cries.

S:"You'll be just fine. You will be a wonderful mother, Alexis. Our child will be so lucky. Jason... ?"

Jason:"I'm here Sonny. You just hold on, okay? I can hear the sirens now."

S: "Promise.... take care of Alexis? Protect her and the baby?"

J: "I swear Sonny. With my life."

Sonny's face is peaceful, almost happy as he raises his hand one last time to brush Alexis's hair away from her face. "I love you Alexis."

And then Sonny is gone. Jason tries for a pulse and can't find one. Alexis puts her head on his chest and sobs. Jason begins to cry as he comforts her.

Meanwhile, Laura reaches Luke as soon as the gunfire ended.

Laura: "Luke! " She sees he is bleeding profusely and tries to stop the bleeding. "Talk to me! You can't leave me! Luke!"

Luke responds weakly."I'm here darlin. Just a little tired and fuzzy."

Laura notices Jason calling 911. "Keep talking to me, honey." She frantically tries to stop the bleeding but keeps finding new wounds.

Luke: "It's going to take more than a few bullets to take me out of the running, babe. This is just a temporary setback."

Laura notices that his voice is getting weaker by the second but remains brave for Luke's sake. She hears the sirens in the background.

Laura: "That's right, honey. You can't leave me now. We still have adventures to go on, dragons to slay together..."

Luke: "You got it." Luke begins to drift out.

The paramedics run up to Luke and Laura. Laura moves away a bit to give them room to work, but she continues to hold his hand. The paramedics work quickly to stabilize his conditions and slow the loss of blood.

P1:"Ma'am. Can you tell us what happened?"

Laura:"I was in the lobby when I heard gunfire. When I looked out. I saw a black car driving away and my husband and my two friends on the ground, shot..." Laura begins to sob as she talks.

P1: "Then you aren't hurt?"
Laura:"No. I'm fine."
Luke tries to speak again."Laura? "
Laura: "I'm here, honey."
Luke: "We'll make it through this one too, like we always do..."

A few moments later, Luke loses consciousness. The paramedics transfer him to a gurney and carry him to the ambulance.

Laura climbs into the back of the ambulance."I'm riding in the ambulance along with my husband." Tears are rolling down her face faster than she can wipe them away.

The ambulance takes off for the hospital.

Meanwhile a second set of paramedics are examining Alexis and talking with Jason about Sonny.

P3: "Well, it looks like your elbow was damaged pretty badly by the bullet. We need to bring you into General Hospital. "

Alexis doesn't respond, so Jason decides for her. "Fine. Do it. M Corinthos needs to go to the hospital also."

P4:"Sir, that isn't how we do things..."

Jason gives the paramedic a piercing look. "Listen. I don't care. I am JASON QUARTERMAINE. I suggest you do as I say. Sonny will not lie here on the sidewalk like a dog hit by a car. Do we understand each other?"

The paramedics look at each other and shrug their shoulders. They carry Sonny to the ambulance and Alexis follows behind numbly.

Jason runs over to Sonny's driver to give him orders and then heads over to the ambulance to accompany Alexis.

P3: "I'm sorry Mr. Quartermaine, but we can't have you in the ambulance. Family only."

Alexis snaps out of her daze. "He comes with or I'm not going."

P4: "Ok, Mr. Quartermaine. Jump on in."

As they close up the back of the ambulance, Jason puts his arms around Alexis as she cries into his shoulder.
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