a fanfic by SonnyandAlexisGal
Chapter Ten
Alexis opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. She clears her throat and tries again.
“What happened?” she manages in a painfully hoarse whisper.
“You uh…you got caught by a bullet from uh…from Roscoe’s gun. You got hit in the shoulder…”
“Mike?”
“Mike’s okay,” Sonny says. “As a matter of fact, he says that you saved his life by calling out the way you did…”
“Where am I?”
“You’re at General Hospital – in the recovery room. They had to operate to fix you up.”
“Roscoe?”
“He won’t bother you anymore…” He gazes at her. “How are you feelin’?”
“Like I’ve been run over by a truck,” Alexis answers. She squeezes his hand. “How are you?”
“I’m okay,” Sonny insists. “I was uh…worried about you. You lost a lot of blood. I didn’t know if…you know…if maybe I was gonna lose you…”
Alexis shakes her head no.
“Fat chance,” she whispers. “I’m here – for good, I think…”
He smiles at her.
“You promise?”
She nods.
“I promise,” she says.
Just then a nurse enters the recovery room and sees Sonny at Alexis’ bedside.
“Excuse me,” she begins, “but the patient isn’t supposed to be receiving visitors in the recovery room. I’m afraid you’ll have to leave…”
Alexis opens her mouth in protest.
“It’s okay,” Sonny interrupts as he stands. “I was just on my way out.” His eyes connect with Alexis’. He leans over and gently kisses her forehead. “I’ll uh…I’ll see you later. Get some rest.”
____________________________________________________
Kristina slowly pushes open the door to Alexis’ hospital room with one hand while holding a small cactus with the other. She pokes her head into the room and looks. She sees Alexis – her big sister – soundly sleeping after her ordeal.
Kristina enters the room and tiptoes in – not wanting to wake Alexis. She can’t take her eyes off of the sight of her. It’s a couple of days later and Alexis is okay, Kristina keeps telling herself. She’s safe and sound. Her strength is slowly coming back and the nightmare is over – at last.
Alexis’ eyes pop open as Kristina sits the plant on the tray table.
“Hi,” Kristina says, cheerfully. “I didn’t mean to wake you…”
“You didn’t…”
Kristina pulls the chair closer to the bed and sits.
“You look great!”
Alexis laughs.
“I don’t think so…”
“But you do. It’s so good to see you, Alexis. You’re…beautiful and peaceful…and safe…”
“I am safe, Kristina.”
“I know you are,” Kristina says. “Alexis…I know that you’re gonna tell me to mind my own business but…”
“Kristina…”
“Alexis,” Kristina continues, “you could have been killed because of Sonny.”
“Roscoe was after Sonny and…yes, he used me to get to him. That wasn’t Sonny’s fault.”
“You were shot, Alexis. You had surgery. You could have died.”
“It wasn’t Sonny’s fault, Kristina.”
“You’ve got to get away from him,” Kristina says.
“Kristina,” Alexis says firmly – feeling the tension build. She takes a deep breath and blows it back out slowly. “Look, I know how you feel about Sonny, okay? I know how Ned feels about Sonny and I know how Jax feels about Sonny. I know how everyone in Port Charles feels about Sonny…But I don’t happen to share those feelings…Of course I would rather that I hadn’t been spirited away or locked in a warehouse in a windowless room and I would certainly rather that I hadn’t been shot…I thought about you – whether or not I would ever see your pretty face again. I thought about Nikolas and Stefan…And I thought about Sonny…”
“Alexis…”
“What I’m saying is that…Sonny is important to me, Kristina. There are a lot of feelings between us – feelings that I won’t go into right now but…we care about each other and…you and Ned and Jax and everyone else will have to accept that. Sonny is a part of my life, Kristina – a very important part of my life. That’s it. Now…can we please not discuss this again? It’s wasteful…”
“Alexis,” Kristina begins, “believe me. The last thing in the world that I want to do is to upset you and…I know that you and Sonny have feelings for each other. I mean, I’ve seen him here almost continuously ever since you were brought in. He obviously loves you very much and I can’t blame him for that…I want you to be happy but…I also want you to be safe, Alexis, and…I just don’t think that you will ever be really, really safe while Sonny’s in your life.”
“Well, that’s really a moot point because he is in my life. Now, I’m serious, Kristina. Let’s not discuss this again…”
“Okay, okay,” Kristina relents. “I think that you’re completely wrong about this but…it is your life…and this is your decision to make…”
Just then the door swings slowly open and in steps Ned and Jax. They seem relieved when they see Alexis conscious and visiting with her sister.
“Well,” Jax begins, “it’s great to see those eyes open for a change…”
“Yes, it is,” Ned adds as they approach her hospital bed. “You look like someone who’s on the mend.”
“I’ll be trying cases and filing briefs in no time…”
“Oh no,” Kristina interrupts. “You’re going to have to take things slowly for awhile. We’re going to get you back in balance once you get home.”
“I can’t wait,” Alexis says. “Believe me…”
___________________________________________________
Sonny is finishing up a telephone conversation in his apartment. Johnny swings the door open and there stands Mike. Sonny motions at him to come into the apartment.
“Good,” Sonny says into the telephone receiver. “Get on it. Thanks.” He hangs up the phone. “What’s up, Mike?”
“Just thought I’d stop by – see how you’re doing.”
“I’m good.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve had any word on where Courtney and AJ are, have you?”
“As a matter of fact,” Sonny begins, “they’re on a plane, headed back to Port Charles.”
“Well, that’s great…isn’t it?”
“Well, yes and no. I called in a couple of favors and my sources tell me that…they got married in St Sofia…”
“Married? That can’t be…”
“It is. AJ Quartermaine set out to pay me back for Michael and so he married my sister…”
“And Courtney just went along with it? She hardly knows AJ…”
Sonny shrugs.
“She thinks she knows him well enough to marry him…”
“But he’s just using her.”
“I know.”
“Why aren’t you more upset about this, Michael?” Mike asks.
“Because…it’s low priority right now, Mike. My first priority is gettin’ Alexis well again and home from the hospital.”
“I was going to stop by and visit her a little later -- thank her for saving my life. How is she?”
“Comin’ along,” Sonny answers.
“As a matter of fact, why aren’t you there now? I’m a little surprised that you’re not.”
“I’m on my way out as soon as I get a call. I may wait until visiting hours are over. I uh…put a man at the hospital to look after Alexis and also to uh…let me know when Kristina or Ned or Jax aren’t around. I don’t wanna get down there and run into one of them and have Alexis tryin’ to referee. She doesn’t need that right now. What she needs is a little peace and quiet so that she can get well…and come home.”
“I see. You’re right. Alexis doesn’t need that kind of tension…But what are we gonna do about AJ and Courtney?”
“Nothin’ to do,” Sonny says. “She’s married to him now, Mike. She’s been warned about AJ again and again. Now she’s gonna have to…live with the consequences. AJ’s tryin’ to provoke me into makin’ a move…and I won’t.”
“So you’re just going to leave Courtney out there by herself?”
“What do you want from me, Mike?” Sonny demands. “I have spoken to Courtney over and over and over again. I tried to explain to her about what’s between AJ and me and why. Not only did she not listen, she ran off and married the guy. And while I was focusing on the two of them…I left Alexis unprotected and vulnerable…”
“You had a bodyguard on her, Michael,” Mike insists.
“I should’ve protected her myself. If I’d been with her instead of off tryin’ to find Courtney and that bastard, AJ…the whole thing with Roscoe never would’ve gone this far…I almost lost Alexis because of it…That’s not gonna happen again.”
“Look,” Mike begins, “I’m not saying that what happened to Alexis isn’t important. I understand how you feel. It’s just that…Courtney’s my little girl, Michael, and I don’t want to see her get hurt because she’s in the middle of this thing between you and AJ.”
“You’re welcome to do whatever you think you need to do, Mike,” Sonny says. “I’m out of it for now.”
“That’s your answer?” Mike asks, incredulously. “You’re out of it?”
“What-do-you-want-me-to-do, Mike?” Sonny asks slowly.
“Forget it!” Mike shouts. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it. I’ll take care of my daughter!”
“Well,” Sonny begins, “there’s a first time for everything…”
Mike marches to the door, swings it open, and storms out past Johnny.
“Close the door,” Sonny calmly says.
________________________________________________
Alexis struggles, trying to push herself up in the bed. Her left arm is tightly bandaged and bound close to her body and she has to use her right arm only.
“Need a little help?” Sonny teases from the doorway.
She smiles.
“Don’t just stand there,” she says. “Give me a hand, will you?”
He laughs as he approaches the bed.
“Sure. What do you need me to do?”
“Fluff the pillow a little, please.”
“You got it,” he says. He picks up the pillow behind her and begins to shape it. Afterward he places it back behind her. “How’s that?”
“It’s good,” Alexis says as she leans back into it. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“You know,” Alexis begins, “I distinctly remember hearing an announcement that visiting hours are over for today…”
“You know what? I think I heard it, too – a little while before I came up…”
“So where have you been all day?” she asks.
“Takin’ care of business,” he answers as he pulls the chair closer to the bed and sits. “How are you feelin’?”
“Better,” she says. “More awake…Oh, I wanted to ask you. What’s happening with Courtney and AJ? You haven’t done anything unwise, have you?”
“I never make a move without my attorney present,” he answers.
“Good answer...”
“Courtney and AJ are on their way back to Port Charles. They uh…they got married…”
“Married? You can’t be serious.”
“I’m serious,” Sonny says. “They’re married.”
Alexis stares at him for a moment.
“Why are you so calm?”
He shrugs.
“Nothin’ I can do about it,” he answers. “They’re husband and wife now. She’s gonna have to find out about him the hard way…”
Alexis stares at him for a moment.
“Well,” she begins, “I have to admit that that’s a very rational position to take.”
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, I am – a little.”
“I can be rational sometimes, you know.”
“I know. I’ve seen it. Only…not about this…”
“Yeah well…I got more important things to think about right now…Anybody tell you when you’ll be able to come home?”
“Not yet. There’s a Dr. Burrell who’s on my case – a very nice man. He came around earlier. Anyway he’ll be back around to see me tomorrow morning. I’ll probably find out then…Why do you ask?”
“Well, you know, I was uh…thinkin’ that when you came home, you could come, you know…to my place.”
“And why would I do that when I have a perfectly suitable apartment of my own next door?”
“Because if you stay with me, I’ll be able to watch over you – make sure you eat right for a change…don’t work too much…”
“Kristina is perfectly capable of doing that…”
“Yeah but…you’re a little stubborn sometimes and you probably won’t listen to Kristina…”
Alexis smiles.
“I don’t usually listen to you, either.”
“I know,” he says. “But if you go home to your place, I’ll be over all the time at all hours of the day and night and…Kristina will probably go all Zen on me and she and I will probably argue a lot and you’ll have to play peacemaker and then when Ned comes over, he’ll say stuff to me and then I’ll say stuff back to him and then when Jax comes over…”
“I get it. I get it,” she interrupts.
“Besides,” Sonny continues, “I know that Kristina loves you and that she’ll take good care of you. I just…I won’t be happy unless I can, you know…do it myself…”
Alexis looks at him and smiles.
“Will you make all of those wonderful meals for me – you know…the sinfully fattening ones with foods from all of the major food groups?”
He smiles.
“You’ll have a gourmet meal every night – as long as your doctor says it’s okay.”
“Can I have ice cream?”
“As much as you like.”
“And you’ll wait on me hand and foot?”
“I will stand on my head if that’s what you want…” He takes her hand. “We got a deal?”
She squeezes his hand gently.
“We have a deal,” she says.
Sonny gazes up into her eyes.
“You drive a hard bargain, counselor.”
“That’s why my hourly rate is so high,” she answers.
He stands and leans toward her.
Their lips touch gently.
Sonny rests his head against hers. Alexis holds his hand next to her cheek, closes her eyes, and breathes in the scent of him standing there next to her.
“I missed you,” she whispers.
“I missed you, too…”
“You know, for a quick second there…I didn’t know if I would ever see you again…”
He kisses her forehead.
“Neither did I,” he says softly. “But I had to, you know…I had to keep on comin’…I made up my mind that I was gonna find you – whatever it took…I was gonna bring you home…” He gently lifts her chin and looks into her eyes. A tear rolls down her cheek. “I love you, Alexis.”
“Mr. Corinthos?”
The voice comes from the night duty nurse on Alexis’ floor.
“I think you’re in trouble again,” Alexis whispers.
“Just the way I like it,” Sonny says. “See you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight,” Alexis says.
They kiss gently.
“I’m going, I’m going,” Sonny says as he starts toward the door and out.
“He really shouldn’t be here after hours,” the nurse tells Alexis. She takes Alexis’ hand, places her finger on the precise pulse point, looks at her wristwatch and silently counts. “You need to get your rest.”
“I know,” Alexis says quietly. “We just came through a difficult time…He wanted to make sure that I was okay…”
“I know,” the nurse says. “He must love you very much, Miss Davis.”
The thought gives her a warm feeling inside.
“I guess so,” she whispers.